Fallout: New Vegas

[WorstUsernameEver]

A summary of UK X360's World mag preview from DAC :

 

* The tagline says: "A Safe Bet for RPG Fans"

* Hardcore mode: Stimpaks take a long time to heal, you need a Doctor's Bag to heal broken limbs, and you suffer from Dehydration so you need to carry water.

* Dynamite is one of the first weapons you come across

* Obsidian have focused much more on the story than Bethesda did with Fallout 3

* VATS now includes a special attack for every weapon

* Weapons can be modded - one of the mods involves reducing the spooling time for miniguns.

* All of your skills can be used to influence dialogue

* A "Command/Companion Wheel" gives you control over your followers - the design of this isn't finalized yet

* Nightkin are back and can cloak

* The Hoover Dam is intact and produces electricity

* Electricity seems to be one of the main things in the game

* There are 3 factions - the NCR, Caesar's Legion, and (although unconfirmed) the Brotherhood of Steel

* The Helios One solar tower controls an orbital laser platform

* You can get a portable controller for the laser platform and use it throughout the game

* Lots of "grey areas" in terms of actions and dialogue - a combined reputation and morality system means everything you do has an effect on something in one way or another.

* New Vegas will have different endings, "instead of the single, potentially anachronistic 'man/woman saves the Wasteland' finale."

* The overall theme of the game is about trying to find out who tried to kill you and why.

* New weapon - The "All-American" - a rapid fire Sniper Rifle

 

I don't like the sound of the portable controller laser thing, sounds like a new Fat man to me, the rest seems good.

[jero cvmi]

I don't like the sound of the portable controller laser thing, sounds like a new Fat man to me, the rest seems good.

It doesn't sound as retarded as the Fat Man. It's *post* nuclear, and it doesn't have a cheesy name.

[Gorgon]

Fatman was based on a real infantry weapon. I'd hate to be the crew responsible for driving out in a jeep and shooting it at the enemy. They would have been cutting it very close both with shock wave and radiation.

[Majek]

It sounds better than F3. That's a good thing for me.

[TwinkieGorilla]

Well, console kiddie or not, if they like playing RPGs, they should be ready for the consequences, right?

 

Thing is, console kiddies have been sold that games like Mass Effect are RPG's. Most of 'em have no idea wtf a 20-sided die is.

 

 

A summary of UK X360's World mag preview from DAC :

 

* The tagline says: "A Safe Bet for RPG Fans"

* Hardcore mode: Stimpaks take a long time to heal, you need a Doctor's Bag to heal broken limbs, and you suffer from Dehydration so you need to carry water.

* Dynamite is one of the first weapons you come across

* Obsidian have focused much more on the story than Bethesda did with Fallout 3

* VATS now includes a special attack for every weapon

* Weapons can be modded - one of the mods involves reducing the spooling time for miniguns.

* All of your skills can be used to influence dialogue

* A "Command/Companion Wheel" gives you control over your followers - the design of this isn't finalized yet

* Nightkin are back and can cloak

* The Hoover Dam is intact and produces electricity

* Electricity seems to be one of the main things in the game

* There are 3 factions - the NCR, Caesar's Legion, and (although unconfirmed) the Brotherhood of Steel

* The Helios One solar tower controls an orbital laser platform

* You can get a portable controller for the laser platform and use it throughout the game

* Lots of "grey areas" in terms of actions and dialogue - a combined reputation and morality system means everything you do has an effect on something in one way or another.

* New Vegas will have different endings, "instead of the single, potentially anachronistic 'man/woman saves the Wasteland' finale."

* The overall theme of the game is about trying to find out who tried to kill you and why.

* New weapon - The "All-American" - a rapid fire Sniper Rifle

 

Oh hey, cool! The exact same info in every other preview so far!

 

It sounds better than F3. That's a good thing for me.

 

It will be, but that's not really saying much. The jury's still out as to whether or not it will be better than F2, which would be the only real victory here.

[Slowtrain]

I don't like the sound of the portable controller laser thing, sounds like a new Fat man to me.

 

 

It's ****ing retarded.

 

WHy not remote control your own personal battleship or carrier strike group?

 

Is there something about the Fallout IP that forces developers to sit around dreaming up the stupidest stuff possible?

[Walsingham]

I know I'm an Obsidian fanboi, but this sounds absolutely SPOT ON. Particularly the VATS adjustment, use of water, and storyline changes.

 

*Does a tiny dance in his chair*

 

 

EDIT: If you don't want to use the laser tower then don't use it! Jesus. My guess is that it wil be expensive to use, and difficult to get. Sheesh. You'd think you were anti-fun. And orbital laser arrays are the definition of fun.

 

 

Sub-EDIT: OK. OK. Orbital laser arrays crewed by a personal army of amazon warrior techies is the definition of fun.

 

A summary of UK X360's World mag preview from DAC :

 

* The tagline says: "A Safe Bet for RPG Fans"

* Hardcore mode: Stimpaks take a long time to heal, you need a Doctor's Bag to heal broken limbs, and you suffer from Dehydration so you need to carry water.

* Dynamite is one of the first weapons you come across

* Obsidian have focused much more on the story than Bethesda did with Fallout 3

* VATS now includes a special attack for every weapon

* Weapons can be modded - one of the mods involves reducing the spooling time for miniguns.

* All of your skills can be used to influence dialogue

* A "Command/Companion Wheel" gives you control over your followers - the design of this isn't finalized yet

* Nightkin are back and can cloak

* The Hoover Dam is intact and produces electricity

* Electricity seems to be one of the main things in the game

* There are 3 factions - the NCR, Caesar's Legion, and (although unconfirmed) the Brotherhood of Steel

* The Helios One solar tower controls an orbital laser platform

* You can get a portable controller for the laser platform and use it throughout the game

* Lots of "grey areas" in terms of actions and dialogue - a combined reputation and morality system means everything you do has an effect on something in one way or another.

* New Vegas will have different endings, "instead of the single, potentially anachronistic 'man/woman saves the Wasteland' finale."

* The overall theme of the game is about trying to find out who tried to kill you and why.

* New weapon - The "All-American" - a rapid fire Sniper Rifle

 

I don't like the sound of the portable controller laser thing, sounds like a new Fat man to me, the rest seems good.

Edited April 19, 2010 by Walsingham

[TwinkieGorilla]

Is there something about the Fallout IP that forces developers to sit around dreaming up the stupidest stuff possible?

 

ecksbocks.

 

If you don't want to use the laser tower then don't use it!

 

Oh boy. The "if you don't like it, don't use it" argument, again. So many parallels I could make...but let's try this one:

 

"If you don't like television, then don't watch it!"

 

Well, if television was generally more intellectually stimulating I would want to watch it. Wouldn't I be better off protesting bad programming and petitioning for good programming if I'm to play an active role in not only getting what I want but helping something become generally better?

[Wombat]

I'd prefer the first 1/4 or so of a post apoc rpg to be devoid of guns altogether. Like in Road Warrior, where it was all pretty much crossbows, knifes, head butts and such til Lord Humongous takes that scoped pistol out of it's case like it was a holy relic. Max has his shotgun, of course, but no ammo for it.... The sticks 'n stones level of combat Einstein talked about.

 

I agree the mid way point is the right time to start introducing energy weapons and big guns, though I"d not make it possible to scavenge the things in the aftermath of a caravan run battle, as in F2. It would be cool if initially your laser was broken, in separate pieces or something, with maybe a combo of science & repair skills to fix it. That or find someone that can repair it for a big cap expense...

Please read some of my comments in here. What you are suggesting is very near to what I was writing about possible implementation of science/repair skills in hardcore mode. That said, I think one of the problems with the SPECIAL in FO/FO2 was that the designers offered skills which are useless in early stages*. So, I have been suggesting that every single weapon type for each weapon skill should be available from early stage but, since some of them are very rare, they require special skills/abilities. IIRC, Van Buren draft was something like that, too. Some players complained of the change but, judging from their comments, I don't think they understood how things would work in a bigger picture.

 

 

* Especially when there was already a skill tree system like GURPS, which rule-set was planned to be used in FO.

The thing about science & repair combo for the more hi-tech gear... That would definitely be interesting, but I guess it would require a whole new repair system so I wouldn't hold my breath to see it in NV.

I know little about how FO3 system works since I've never played it. However, Obsidian may be able to deal with the issue, at least, to some extent. For example, if Obsidian made high repair/science skills are necessary to maintain high-tech gears (the point of Stephen Amber and me) and/or recycle their "ammo" or resource (the point of you), then, it would be able to realize the most of what is suggested here.

 

Are the whizz bang console kiddies going to have patience for any of this? Probably not. And that's our real problem...

Well, console kiddie or not, if they like playing RPGs, they should be ready for the consequences, right?

No geek elitism again. However, even if casual gamers may have to suffer the consequences of their choices especially when they don't even read the descriptions in the skills they are choosing, they can quit hardcore mode anytime, which may ease possible unwanted outcomes of some "wrong" decisions.

 

I don't like the sound of the portable controller laser thing, sounds like a new Fat man to me, the rest seems good.

That's more like..."How did the protagonist manage to gain the access to probably most politically important device in the region?"...

 

Off Topic

Weapons and suits can be repaired in the Stalker (insert .....) series just only by the NPCs who can upgrade your gear, or shops for Stalker #1 (sell the item and then buy it back fully repaired) and costs reflect the full price of the item. So, if you have an exoskeleton suit thats 22% damaged you would be quite unlikely to afford the repair cost until very late in the game.

Honestly, I have never tried it but I wonder if I'm qualified as an idiot by that since, seeing that there are even repair mods, quite many of us seem not to notice it.

[Slowtrain]

EDIT: If you don't want to use the laser tower then don't use it! Jesus. My guess is that it wil be expensive to use, and difficult to get. Sheesh. You'd think you were anti-fun. And orbital laser arrays are the definition of fun.

 

 

Sure. One more gameplay mechanic into the "forced to ignore" pile.

[J.E. Sawyer]

It's ****ing retarded.

Can you be more specific about what you dislike about it?

[Gorgon]

The orbital lazer thing should have been a well kept secret, at least for your first play-through, it should be very hard to get a hold of, like an extra challenge sort-of thing once you have hamstered enough powerful gear and levels.

 

Probably a mistake to make it part of the press blurb.

[Gorgon]

I mean where is the 'wow' moment now. Not wowed since I don't have the game, won't be because I already know about it.

[TwinkieGorilla]

Can you be more specific about what you dislike about it?

 

Not to put words in his mouth...but maybe the fact it sounds as arbitrarily over-powered for the sake of the "SPLOSHUNS!" crowd like exploding cars, the fat man and the orbital missles of broken steel?

[Undecaf]

Can you be more specific about what you dislike about it?

 

maybe the fact it sounds as arbitrarily over-powered for the sake of the "SPLOSHUNS!" crowd like exploding cars, the fat man and the orbital missles of broken steel?

 

That's about what came to my mind too. Though I would like to know what's the balancing act in using it (if any). Is it just "Boom - wait for a couple of minutes for it to recharge - Boom again - repeat...", or is there going to be a cost of some sort? Limited uses? Overcharging and burning the whole station and in doing so, denying any power from that source to be channeled to "where-ever" and thus angering a lot of people and/or losing the benefits it would've offered? Angerin Ra? Etc?

Edited April 19, 2010 by Undecaf

[WorstUsernameEver]

It's ****ing retarded.

Can you be more specific about what you dislike about it?

 

I can't speak for him, but basically :

 

- trivializes the whole 'orbital laser thing'

- overpowered, or at least it should be

- from the description it sounds like it doesn't really have any limitation, the Fatman at least had ammo but this? do you need some battery to charge it? there's a limited range in which you can use it?

 

I still haven't played the game (well.. that's kinda obvious, isn't it?) so I'll reserve my judgement for that, but these are my impressions.

[Walsingham]

I don't see how the TV analogy works, tbh. It's one tiny bit of the game, not a whole game based around orbital lasers. Like if a music show is mostly awesome, but for some reason they occasionally play Celine Dion. No, wait, it isn't even that. Because that would imply it interrupts your gaming. YOU choose whether to bring it into play or not.

 

Presumably.

 

Which brings me to my next point: We don't have the first clue how it will work, when it will work, and how cool it will be when it does.

 

Which brings me to my next point: what the hell kind of joyless buffoons have we become if we object ON PRINCIPLE to having huge shooty death laser arrays? Orbital laser arrays are one of the few things I'd give my eye teeth for.

 

"Trust a wop to bring a knife to an orbital laser array fight!"

[TwinkieGorilla]

I don't see how the TV analogy works, tbh. It's one tiny bit of the game, not a whole game based around orbital lasers. Like if a music show is mostly awesome, but for some reason they occasionally play Celine Dion. No, wait, it isn't even that. Because that would imply it interrupts your gaming. YOU choose whether to bring it into play or not.

 

This...eh...you didn't really catch my point, did you? If a tree falls in the woods and nobody's around, etc. And also...I'm sorry, but I remember feeling massive amounts of "joy" from games before epic 'sploshuns and npc sex were a standard of the industry.

[kirottu]

Which brings me to my next point: what the hell kind of joyless buffoons have we become if we object ON PRINCIPLE to having huge shooty death laser arrays?

 

True fallout fans?

[Gorgon]

Correct.

[Oner]

Which brings me to my next point: what the hell kind of joyless buffoons have we become if we object ON PRINCIPLE to having huge shooty death laser arrays?

 

True fallout fans?

Present and not raging.

[Rosbjerg]

That robot Liberty sounds ridiculously overpowered if the preview simply said "battle alongside a gigantic atomic-bomb-wielding 20m robot!" so would the orbital bomb station that is also in F3..

 

If you have free access to this thing and it's simply another weapon then I wholeheartedly agree that it's waaay too "SPLOSHUNS".. if it's part of a story sequence then I won't mind - I think the robot and orbital bomber was pretty fun in F3.

[HoonDing]

In Mothership Zeta there was an orbital laser as well. Maybe it will somehow be connected.

 

But what I'd really like is a Giddyup Buttercup superweapon that shoots laser beams from its eyes (also seen in Mothership Zeta). It could serve both as vehicle

Edited April 19, 2010 by virumor

[TwinkieGorilla]

That robot Liberty sounds ridiculously overpowered if the preview simply said "battle alongside a gigantic atomic-bomb-wielding 20m robot!" so would the orbital bomb station that is also in F3..

 

If you have free access to this thing and it's simply another weapon then I wholeheartedly agree that it's waaay too "SPLOSHUNS".. if it's part of a story sequence then I won't mind - I think the robot and orbital bomber was pretty fun in F3.

 

i mean...

 

* You can get a portable controller for the laser platform and use it throughout the game

 

...sounds pretty ****ing daunting and clear to me. i agree that epic moments handled well are...well...epic, and fun. but this just sounds like the same damn depressing console-targetting pre-news we got for Fallout 3.

[Slowtrain]

It's ****ing retarded.

Can you be more specific about what you dislike about it?

 

In and of itself, nothing. I'm sure a remote controlled orbital laser would be great in a Battletech game or in a Halo game. Heck, it would probably work in Alpha Protocol to some degree or another.

 

But in a Fallout game? Eh, not so much. Suitability is all about context, as I'm sure you know, being a game designer and all. What works fine in one context, fails grotesquely in another.

 

I mean seriously, what's the difference between remote controlling an orbital laser platform and remote controlling a strike wing of F4 Phantoms. To me they are both equally silly within the context of Fallout. Obviously, you guys either a) disagree that it is too silly for the context or b) think silliness is good. So, in that sense it is what is it.

 

Secondly, don't you think that Fallout 3 already has enough ridiculous and over-the top explosions and guns and people melting and stuff? We've got so much all ready, do we really need more? Isn't there a lot more that can be done with an rpg that doesn't involve nuking and blasting and burning? At this point, that is what I've come to expect from Bethesda, but I was hoping Obs would take a noticeably different approach. I'm still hoping that your concentration on story and character and choices and consequences stuff is really the focus of NV and the rest of this is just PR stuff.

 

ANyway, its not a game breaker. I'll just toss the remote control unit in the same locker with the Alien blaster and the Fat Man and the Stealth Armor and the Gauss Rifle and the Power Armor and all the other overpowered stuff I don't like. Out of sight is out of mind, as they say.