New Fallout 3 Picture

[Dark_Raven]

No matter what happens to actual Fallout 3, they sure managed to hire talented guy to do consept art / matte paintings. Craig Mullins is one of the best in biz.

That would be Leonard Boyarsky, the best in the biz.

[Sand]

In any case the more I hear about Bethesda's Fallout the less and less I want to play it. I guess those guys really did like FOPOS. Well, here's hoping that Bethesda's Fallout 3 does just as well.

[TravisPennington]

The concept art looks awesome. If the environmental artists and level designers can emulate the feel of the concept art, I'd say at the very least the game will look great. I think all of us Fallout fans will have to accept the fact that it will be a different feel than Fallout 1 & 2. Getting over changes isn't my main concern though. I can handle a different camera view and art style.

 

I'm just worried about the gameplay and the mechanics behind it. I realize turn-based isn't going to happen, which leaves us with real-time combat. How is this going to work in Fallout 3? I really hope you don't have to aim your gun first person style and headshot enemies manually.

 

I am a huge fan of First Person Shooters, it's probably my favorate genre...but that isn't Fallout. And Oblivion is definitely not Fallout. Personally I am more than willing to accept real time combat, but if it's like Oblivions then well...****. Then Bethesda screwed up. I really hope that doesn't happen.

 

There are other issues I'm scared of too, but I for one am willing to give Bethesda the benefit of the doubt, to an extent. I can't help but feel a little "meh" about the whole thing at the moment though because of their resume. Not that the Elder Scrolls games are bad by any means...but they're not Fallout. Well, here's hoping.

[mkreku]

Looking at Beth's previous game, I wouldn't get my hopes up, though.

This is a bit annoying. What would you be looking at exactly? Bethesda has never done a Fallout game before, so what exactly are you comparing with? Surely, you must realize that looking at Oblivion is a bit pointless, at least when it comes to art design?

 

Give them a chance to at least START the series before going all doom and gloom on their asses.

[Spider]

I guess those guys really did like FOPOS.

 

Given that we have seen or heard absolutely zero about gameplay or design philosophies, what do you base that statement on? Neither the music or the concept art bears even a glimmer of resemblance to anything in FOBOS. Ruined landscapes vs thongs, neutral classical music vs bad metal...

[Fenghuang]

No matter what happens to actual Fallout 3, they sure managed to hire talented guy to do consept art / matte paintings. Craig Mullins is one of the best in biz.

That would be Leonard Boyarsky, the best in the biz.

 

 

See, this is where you went from appreciative fan in your last post to rabid non-rational fanboi.

[metadigital]

Handy hints from Jim-the-resident-Shrink.

[Pidesco]

This Liam Neeson crap is a really bad sign. Wanna bet how he gets killed right at the beginning, and how that's the thing that makes you go out adventuring?

 

I used my time travelling skills to figure that out.

[Spider]

So if the Overseer in FO 1 had been played by Liam Neeson (or similar) would that have made it any less of a game? Getting a known name attached to the game is a good thing from a marketing perspective. There are people who will notice the game solely through that name, people who otherwise may not have. But it is a marketing decision, not a design one. And the design, the actual game play, isn't affected one bit. Well, apart from having some lines that have a higher probability of being well acted.

 

There really aren't any budget concerns in play either. Voice talent for games is fairly cheap in the overall picture and it's not like Bethesda needs to turn every penny. So there really is no downside to this announcement (unless you have an irrational hatred for Liam Neeson of course). It may not have an especially noticeable upside either, since it still doesn't say anything whether or not the game is actually any fun. Hopefully the teaser will help with that (but probably not).

[Xard]

One word: Oblivion

[Dark_Raven]

Well, here's hoping that Bethesda's Fallout 3 does just as well.

[Dark_Raven]

One word: Oblivion

With guns!

[Spider]

One word: Oblivion

 

My point exactly. I thought Patrick Stewart made a good impression in Oblivion. And if the story was already established by the design, exactly what was the problem with casting him in that role?

 

Or to put it another way, would Oblivion have been a better game if the role of the king had been played by voice talent of similar quality as the rest of the game had?

[Xard]

What I'm trying to say that Bethesda wasted a lot of money with big star voice actors. It's a bit exaggarated to say "half of the budget" but amount of money was huge and could've been used better.

[Walsingham]

I have no problem with Bethesda doing Fallout 3, provided they keep in mind that there's a better reason to do FO3 than just a ready market of fanbois. FO was stylistically awesome, and really caught the mood of the time in terms that Sando might have more luck describing with his degree than I would. It was also emotionally very free, yet offerred plenty of opportunities to get emotionally connected to various groups and people.

 

What worries me is that Bethesda will get a bunch of simple-minded cretins together who will fill the game with dungeon bashes, and simply copy the FO format stylistically rather than letting it evolve a little. I'd suggest trying a different or at least the odd intense environment. Ithink also that a dark sense of humour was what marked out the earlier games and really made them come alive. Sadly it is this last in particular that I feel is conspicuously absent from the whole Morrowind series.

[Dark_Raven]

Visit the forums Walshy and see that they are not cantering to the fanbois. Not even close.

[Spider]

What I'm trying to say that Bethesda wasted a lot of money with big star voice actors. It's a bit exaggarated to say "half of the budget" but amount of money was huge and could've been used better.

 

Do you have a link to such a statement? I have read that voice talent is fairly cheap, even with fairly known actors. We're talking less than a days work here. It's not that I don't believe you, I was just wondering where you got the info from.

 

Anyway, regardless of the expense, I'm not sure hiring Patrick Stewart affected the development of Oblivion one bit. I'd guess that the money for him came out of the marketing budget rather than the development one. Note how I'm saying "guess" since I don't have any actual knowledge. It's only what makes sense to me.

 

Visit the forums Walshy and see that they are not cantering to the fanbois. Not even close.

 

NMA + DAC + RPG Codex != the entirety of Fallout Fandom

Edited May 9, 2007 by Spider

[Xard]

Sorry, if my memory works I first found out about it from one finnish gaming magazine when news about Patrick Stewart was hired for project and then they mentioned amounts of money what shall go for that.

 

I bumped to this same thing later on too in internet. Don't know any concrete link, but I can try to find out one

 

Oh I don't believe this'll affect developing of game one a bit. Beth has money.

 

I still think it's a bit waste.

[Spider]

It probably is. But again, marketing probably thinks it's worth it. If the appearance of Patrick Stewart hadn't been deemed a succesful marketing strategy, they would hardly go down the same path again.

 

Do you remember the actual numbers? Just curious.

[metadigital]

One word: Oblivion

 

My point exactly. I thought Patrick Stewart made a good impression in Oblivion. And if the story was already established by the design, exactly what was the problem with casting him in that role?

 

Or to put it another way, would Oblivion have been a better game if the role of the king had been played by voice talent of similar quality as the rest of the game had?

The problem wasn't Mr Stewart's acting, it was the appalling script he had to chew through. And the cretinous bunch of (four?) talentless over-actors they had do all the other thousand-odd NPC voices.

[karka]

I'm completely against the idea of using VO for every single NPC.

[Slowtrain]

meh. shelling out some money for Neeson is hardly in the same budget-breakign category as shelling out for Tom Cruise or something. Neeson is fairly recognizeable charcater actor for the most part. Not omg-movie-star! talent cost. It's like hiring Fed Ward or something.

 

Character actors tend to be better at acting then "stars" anyway.

[Spider]

The problem wasn't Mr Stewart's acting, it was the appalling script he had to chew through. And the cretinous bunch of (four?) talentless over-actors they had do all the other thousand-odd NPC voices.

 

Again, this is basically my point. The hiring of a name actor has nothing to do with the quality of the game. It doesn't make it wonderful, nor does it make it suck. All it does is add name recognition that can be used by marketing.

 

Which has already been done, btw. The hiring of Liam Neeson has been a news item on most gaming news sites. It's a way to raise awareness of the game without actually having to buy ads (not that I'm sure it's cheaper than ads, just another means to results).

 

Of course, what they should have done is announce that Ron Perlman has been hired to play the narrator. That would at least have made a lot of the fans happy for a while. But I suppose Ron Perlman isn't well know enough for it to hit the news sites, Hellboy not withstanding.

[Lare Kikkeli]

the sad part? liam neeson probably means no ron perlman. no more war, war never changes...

[Fenghuang]

Handy hints from Jim-the-resident-Shrink.

 

 

90% of a shrinks job is common sense and being willing to say things nobody else wants to, the other 10% is bull****.