Undecaf

If, by X rated, you mean visual representation of pixelated nudity, sure. And there doesn't need to be. In fact, not having anything such would be a good thing. What's more important (imo), are the references and the mentioned effects to the people. The feeling of grime often comes from things you do not witness first hand but are made aware of them and see the effects.

How about some general grittiness for the setting?

So here's a stupid question: How does the leveling and skillpoint distribution work in relation to the dialog thresholds (and in general too)? Do we max out and become the "be all know all" - grinding our time and eventually passing every single check there is, or does it work the (imo) more interesting way where a path must be chosen and "all" is not achievable in one playthrough?

The "red shield" is actually a relief of sorts. I was having nightmares about a textbox in the upper left corner (with a sad vault boy image) urging me to try energy weapons instead of what I was using (or what ever weapon that would be effective).

Who would've thought that Fallout 3 would become such an influential product that it inspires people back in time. Pfft, facts are for 40 year old gamer kids.Who bothers with release dates in this day and age anyway? I guess there is always a selection of few heathens hiding behind a bonsaitree.

Who would've thought that Fallout 3 would become such an influential product that it inspires people back in time.

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?

Yeah. "Don't use stims, don't pick up ammo, don't wear this or that. Fallout is supposed to be about choices." Curiously, no-one has suggested missing on purpose to make combat more challenging. I just can't see the appeal in selfgimping.

No probs. (And now I got it too )

Forums down for maintenance. The thread was called something like "we can't max out, can we" or something. And "very good arguments" considering to what they are answering. Couldn't agree more.

What. "Childish whiners without selfrestraint" was the full label, iirc. And suggestions for a better balance were idiotic, mainly because selfgimping is the way to go. There were some very good arguments in the opposing (the "childish") front, though they kinda went for deaf ears.

Am I the only one who thinks the melee combat was actually good and exciting? I loved how I couldn't manage with the ordinary buttonsmashing.

Do you mean, while keeping the weight limit, adding another limitation, where bulkiness is expressed through limited space of grid inventory*? If so, I remotely remember I suggested something like that about NWN...but the problem here is that I cannot imagine how the traditional grid inventory "Tetris" would work in mouse-less systems, or, console versions... * If I remember correctly, I didn't find such additional limitation in the grid inventory of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. I can remember only the weight limit. That's about it. With strength and perks the carryweight goes up (and down) and the inventory has a spacelimit, which could be upgradable somehow (perks, merchants selling bigger backpacs etc). The problem, with the consoles, could be solved via "arrange" key like what Arcanum (just remembered that it might've been much better example than STALKER) had. There are of course better and easier solutions around, but the basic thing I'm trying to get at, is to give some tension and ineterest in the gearhoarding and to balance it out somewhat. So, which ever way it is solved (if it is solved) I'll be happy. That's a given, yes.

If you are talking of hardcore mode, I, personally, think it may shift to something like S.T.A.L.K.E.R, too. However, different from the shooter, there must be some problems related with a less forgiving inventory system and character development system. Personally, I picture something like below. A Combat Boy could deal with the tightened weight limitation by carrying durable weapons with other demerits which can be overcome by the combat specialists as I mentioned in this post of mine. A Charisma Boy would be able to assign loads to his "pack mule" NPCs although they will need extra water and foods for themselves. A Science Boy would be able to apart items into pieces in a blink or, at least, in a short time, and carry only wearing/important/rare parts. In theory, this should work but there are other ways to address the tightened weight limit issue. Also, from this blog entry. This is why they are pro but we may rely on armature or mod community as well. The combat/science/charismaboy system could work, sounds good anyway. The tightened weightlimit caught my eye, though. What I meant (and sould've probably said too) was a gridspaced system made so that strength would still determine how much one could carry, but the inventory would determine how many, so to speak. Could be 2 miniguns and 3 sets of different armor weighing 200 units of total of 250 units and eating up all space. Or could be 2 miniguns and a set of powerarmor weighing 250 of 250 and eating up only half of the space. Stuff like that. As for the quote you put, it is true, but aren't our "unpro" suggestion put here to show somewhat along which lines we, as "fans" and "customers" would like to see the game to be made - at least that's the way I understand it.

To the inventory issue: I think F:NV could (should?) go with something like what STALKER did. Modified to support the stengthbased carryweight capacity, of course. Like, limited space inventory (could be expandable), item stacks only for ones at the same CND and limited item stackability according to size (like 1-2 minigunsized items/stack, 2-4 assault rifles, 5-7 pistols etc, for example). It would balance out the "get rich fast" aspect, lessen the gearhoarding and, to a degree, make barter skill more usefull again when one doesn't carry the whole wasteland with him and create some tension in choosing items to pick up and drop. Just a thought.

Fallout: New Vegas Alpha Protocol Deus Ex: Human Revolution (after reading the faq on their board, I got pretty interested) Civilization 5 The Witcher 2 Starcraft 2 Arma 2: Operation Arrowhead

Thanks to GOG I finally got my greasy hands around Arcanum for the first time, and suddenly I have abandoned all other games.

I'll drink to that.

Well, that sounded likea reely fun idea. One things for certain, I am not spending a dime on anything - no matter how good - that supports a system like that. Good thing is, I have more money for beer when I don't have to buy Ubi games.

I'd like to see more neutrality in wildlife. Something along the lines of how Risen did it. If you approach a critter it'll give a warning sign and if you keep closing in it'll attack and chase you, but it'll only chase you out of the proximity of it's territory and then return to what ever it was doing. Now this, of course, wouldn't be the case for all critters, but as a general rule it felt good in risen. I didn't have to run away from wild boars and vultures half the map and the animals felt more alive rather than programmed. On a somewhat related note, I'd like the beginning of the game to represent the player as a wuss who really needs to struggle to survive. And move from playerscaling and zoned scaling to zoned scaling alone to preserve some challenge even at higher levels.

That's probably the best advise for everybody.

What's with the ghoul radiationblast thingy... again? Seeing it mentioned kinda creeps me out. Otherwise that rumor sounds pretty swell... for a rumor, that is. Now just waiting for the real info. I'm, kinda, dying to know how the skills and stats work - what's their importance and how drastic their effects will be.

Hey JE. Seeing as you're there. What's your appeal on the subject at hand? Fallout 1 or 2?

Am I the only person on Earth who had the trunk appearing in every single town? I guess not. In some runthroughs it followed me everywhere without the rest of the car.

Whoa, same here. And I still occasionally take few rounds with Areena 5, great fun to kill an hour or two when theres nothing else to do.