Guest Slinky Posted December 4, 2009 Posted December 4, 2009 It's a little hard to get upset about Fallout 3 writing when the rest of the industry is at the same level. It is functional writing. I'm not sure why you folks expect more than that, there are probably less than a dozen games that have had excellent writing ever. True, avarage writing quality isn't that great when it comes to games, but I have to say F3 has the worst I have personally ever seen. I fight the good fight with my voice! [intelligence] Ah, so you fight the good fight with your voice, eh? I can see that you are very smart.
Hurlshort Posted December 4, 2009 Posted December 4, 2009 It's a little hard to get upset about Fallout 3 writing when the rest of the industry is at the same level. It is functional writing. I'm not sure why you folks expect more than that, there are probably less than a dozen games that have had excellent writing ever. True, avarage writing quality isn't that great when it comes to games, but I have to say F3 has the worst I have personally ever seen. I fight the good fight with my voice! [intelligence] Ah, so you fight the good fight with your voice, eh? I can see that you are very smart. But that's the risk a developer runs when giving alternate lines of dialogue. It isn't an issue books and movies have to deal with, it's a very complicated style of game to create. There are going to be missteps. I'm not sure where it is so bad that it would ruin the experience, it is clumsy, but I'll take that over major bugs any day.
Guard Dog Posted December 4, 2009 Posted December 4, 2009 Thats why so many of us woud rather have a well written and thought out low graphics 2D game than a big, beautiful but painfully stupid production like FO3. Just once wouldn't it be great to have both? "While it is true you learn with age, the down side is what you often learn is what a damn fool you were before" Thomas Sowell
Volourn Posted December 4, 2009 Posted December 4, 2009 "It's a little hard to get upset about Fallout 3 writing when the rest of the industry is at the same level." No, this isn't true. FO3 has some of the worst writing ever. DWARVES IN PROJECT ETERNITY = VOLOURN HAS PLEDGED $250.
TwinkieGorilla Posted December 4, 2009 Author Posted December 4, 2009 Thats why so many of us woud rather have a well written and thought out low graphics 2D game than a big, beautiful but painfully stupid production like FO3. Just once wouldn't it be great to have both? qft. also, the writing was actually bad enough to completely ruin the FO3 experience for me. despite hating all things Bethesda i really, really, really wanted to love that game. hopw roewur ne?
Kelverin Posted December 4, 2009 Posted December 4, 2009 but I'll take that over major bugs any day. At least bugs can get fixed, ****ty writing never seems to.... J1 Visa Southern California Cleaning
Oner Posted December 4, 2009 Posted December 4, 2009 but I'll take that over major bugs any day.Like DLCs that refuse to start? Giveaway list: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1DgyQFpOJvyNASt8A12ipyV_iwpLXg_yltGG5mffvSwo/edit?usp=sharing What is glass but tortured sand?Never forget! '12.01.13.
Hurlshort Posted December 4, 2009 Posted December 4, 2009 but I'll take that over major bugs any day.Like DLCs that refuse to start? You played the DLC's? I'm a fan of the game, but I never actually contemplated getting the DLC. I played it for a few weeks, finished it, and moved on.
Oner Posted December 4, 2009 Posted December 4, 2009 No, just read news articles on the release day messes. And the patches'. Giveaway list: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1DgyQFpOJvyNASt8A12ipyV_iwpLXg_yltGG5mffvSwo/edit?usp=sharing What is glass but tortured sand?Never forget! '12.01.13.
Guard Dog Posted December 4, 2009 Posted December 4, 2009 "It's a little hard to get upset about Fallout 3 writing when the rest of the industry is at the same level." No, this isn't true. FO3 has some of the worst writing ever. Well, at least it was better than Oblivion. "While it is true you learn with age, the down side is what you often learn is what a damn fool you were before" Thomas Sowell
Volourn Posted December 4, 2009 Posted December 4, 2009 Didn't play that game. I only bothered with FO3 because of liking the first two games. My bad. DWARVES IN PROJECT ETERNITY = VOLOURN HAS PLEDGED $250.
Kjarista Posted December 4, 2009 Posted December 4, 2009 I'm not sure why you folks expect more than that uhhhhhh...gee, really? maybe because Fallout 1 and 2 had good writing? I don't recall FO1 having stellar writing either. Fact is, sandbox games, almost by definition, isn't going to have good writing. Frankly, I'd rather have had FO3 not have any main quest at all. When I want storytelling, I'll go play something from Bioware.
Hurlshort Posted December 4, 2009 Posted December 4, 2009 I finished Fallout a couple months ago for the second time and I wasn't knocked over by the writing. It was functional most of the time and creative on occasion. I'd say it was better than Fallout 3, but there were a few bothersome issues, like a lack of change in NPC reactions when I just did something big. The problem here is this is extremely subjective. For every person that yells "Fallout 3 has the worst writing evar!" you can probably find another who says it is good. All I'm saying is it was functional. It got the job done. It explained the story. Frankly thats all it needed to do for me, because I was really playing to enjoy the sandbox elements, explore the wasteland, and find neat trinkets.
J.E. Sawyer Posted December 4, 2009 Posted December 4, 2009 will new vegas have trollproof armor? Much like deathclaws, trolls ignore armor. twitter tyme
Killian Kalthorne Posted December 5, 2009 Posted December 5, 2009 I use to get hung up on writing and a lot of the bullcrap way back when but you know, I just don't care any more. Only thing I care about is if the game is fun or not and Fallout 3 was a fun. The only thing that matters to me now is if the game is fun to play. Everything else is irrelevant. "Your Job is not to die for your country, but set a man on fire, and take great comfort in the general hostility and unfairness of the universe."
Hell Kitty Posted December 5, 2009 Posted December 5, 2009 Having low level 2D graphics doesn't make a game more likely to have good writing.
Slowtrain Posted December 5, 2009 Posted December 5, 2009 Having low level 2D graphics doesn't make a game more likely to have good writing. Perhaps not directly but maybe it forces developers to work harder on other aspects of the game if they can't rely on flashy graphics to carry the day? Given that every game has a limited amount of resources available to it during development, if a lot of those respources are spent making great graphics then it follows that other aspects of the game are probably going to have to get limited attention. But I'll certainly agree that there is no direct and automatic correlation between low-res 2d graphics and good writing. Notice how I can belittle your beliefs without calling you names. It's a useful skill to have particularly where you aren't allowed to call people names. It's a mistake to get too drawn in/worked up. I mean it's not life or death, it's just two guys posting their thoughts on a message board. If it were personal or face to face all the usual restraints would be in place, and we would never have reached this place in the first place. Try to remember that.
Hell Kitty Posted December 5, 2009 Posted December 5, 2009 Perhaps not directly but maybe it forces developers to work harder on other aspects of the game if they can't rely on flashy graphics to carry the day? No, it clearly doesn't. In the 20 years I've been gaming while the quality of graphics has improved dramatically, both technical and artistic capabilities, the quality of writing hasn't changed much at all.
Slowtrain Posted December 5, 2009 Posted December 5, 2009 Perhaps not directly but maybe it forces developers to work harder on other aspects of the game if they can't rely on flashy graphics to carry the day? No, it clearly doesn't. In the 20 years I've been gaming while the quality of graphics has improved dramatically, both technical and artistic capabilities, the quality of writing hasn't changed much at all. Hmmm. I think you're right. Writing has never really been a strong point for gaming, other than the odd exception here and there. Notice how I can belittle your beliefs without calling you names. It's a useful skill to have particularly where you aren't allowed to call people names. It's a mistake to get too drawn in/worked up. I mean it's not life or death, it's just two guys posting their thoughts on a message board. If it were personal or face to face all the usual restraints would be in place, and we would never have reached this place in the first place. Try to remember that.
J.E. Sawyer Posted December 5, 2009 Posted December 5, 2009 No, it clearly doesn't. In the 20 years I've been gaming while the quality of graphics has improved dramatically, both technical and artistic capabilities, the quality of writing hasn't changed much at all. The fundamentals of graphic art and writing haven't changed much with the advent of computer gaming, but the ability of artists to actually display their work as intended in a computer gaming medium has improved drastically. That is, technology has limited the ability to display graphic art much more than it has limited the ability to display writing. twitter tyme
Slowtrain Posted December 5, 2009 Posted December 5, 2009 No, it clearly doesn't. In the 20 years I've been gaming while the quality of graphics has improved dramatically, both technical and artistic capabilities, the quality of writing hasn't changed much at all. The fundamentals of graphic art and writing haven't changed much with the advent of computer gaming, but the ability of artists to actually display their work as intended in a computer gaming medium has improved drastically. That is, technology has limited the ability to display graphic art much more than it has limited the ability to display writing. Do you think that game writing has improved (or not) over the last 20 years? Notice how I can belittle your beliefs without calling you names. It's a useful skill to have particularly where you aren't allowed to call people names. It's a mistake to get too drawn in/worked up. I mean it's not life or death, it's just two guys posting their thoughts on a message board. If it were personal or face to face all the usual restraints would be in place, and we would never have reached this place in the first place. Try to remember that.
Humanoid Posted December 5, 2009 Posted December 5, 2009 It reads to me that it would be improved if the method of delivery were to be similarly improved - and by improved I mean "made cheaper." If you have an automated VO software that could provide a usable variety of relatively convincing outputs (ideally client-side) in response to an arbitrary bit of writing (hello General MIDI), you'd have much greater scope in what you'd be able to write. Of course, this would probably mean another actor's strike, but so be it. L I E S T R O N GL I V E W R O N G
Mikhailian Posted December 5, 2009 Posted December 5, 2009 (edited) No, just read news articles on the release day messes. And the patches'. I happen to be one of those poor misguided fools who bought the dlc for pc, all of it except mothership zeta. I know, I failed my willpower roll and suffered a critical failure. I know this because in the little text box in the lower left part of the screen it said: Critical failure, player has purchased Operation Anchorage. DLC will need to be separated from games for windows live and manually installed like a mod in order to play. This will not be fixed by a patch. Furthermore, the required patch increases CTD's, Borks VATS, and makes grenades/rockets untargetable. Critical failure, player has purchased The Pitt. Dlc works reasonably well, but introduces animation bugs through the silly circular saw thingy. This will not be fixed by a patch. Critical failure, player has purchased Point Lookout. Dlc must be installed in a manner similar to Anchorage in order to run. Surprisely, it's not bad. The brain in a jar guy is both hilarious and well voiced. Just as you are begginning to enjoy yourself you are critically shot in the face by an extremely over powered double barrel shotgun weilding extra from Deliverance. Critical failure, player has purchased Broken Steel. Game introduces an awesome weapon called the Heavy Incenerator that produces reliable CTD's whenever used. Bethesda were unable to bipass their own source code, so the new ending is clumsily tacked on. Many new missions don't work. Giant mobile fortress is spiffy, but difficult to reconsile with logic. Save games become rapidly corrupted, massive collection of mods become unplayable. Broken Steel, has broken Fallout. Player takes critical irony damage for 39.99 US, from patch 1.5 Wallow in shame, nub. Edited December 5, 2009 by Mikhailian But for all of us, there will come a point where it does matter, and it's gonna be like having a miniature suit-head shoving sticks up your butt all the time. - Tigranes
Oner Posted December 5, 2009 Posted December 5, 2009 My condolences. Giveaway list: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1DgyQFpOJvyNASt8A12ipyV_iwpLXg_yltGG5mffvSwo/edit?usp=sharing What is glass but tortured sand?Never forget! '12.01.13.
J.E. Sawyer Posted December 5, 2009 Posted December 5, 2009 Do you think that game writing has improved (or not) over the last 20 years? Since 1989? Yes, but the bar wasn't very high. twitter tyme
Recommended Posts