New Fallout 3 Info

malkav11 · 2008-07-29T21:30:16.000Z

That is, incidentally, why I don’t like that they’ve rolled traits and perks into one. Traits were significant tradeoffs that gave a strong initial slant to your character. Perks were pure sunshine and joy. I think there’s room for both and having both makes things more interesting.

Bill_Dungsroman · 2008-07-29T22:28:14.000Z

malkav11:

That is, incidentally, why I don’t like that they’ve rolled traits and perks into one. Traits were significant tradeoffs that gave a strong initial slant to your character. Perks were pure sunshine and joy. I think there’s room for both and having both makes things more interesting.

I kind of dug the dichotomy myself, but all in all it just makes the system a little more like the modified d20 system Bioware used for KOTOR etc. My guess that to Bethesda, “more interesting” meant “much more difficult to play balance.”

Zylon · 2008-07-29T23:57:32.000Z

Bill Dungsroman:

My guess that to Bethesda, “more interesting” meant “much more difficult to play balance.”

There’s an interview somewhere where one of the developers (I want to say it was Emil, but I won’t swear to it) explains that, for most Fallout players, there was little perceived difference between Perks and Traits.

I’d be hard pressed to disagree with this argument. The only difference between the two is that Traits have both a positive and negative effect-- and this can easily be compensated for by making the player weaker to begin with. With perks getting handed out every level now, that provides significantly more granularity for character customization.

Alternatively, I’m not aware that any dev has said that FO3 Perks won’t necessarily have no negative effects.

Brendan · 2008-07-30T00:11:06.000Z

Kunikos:

I wouldn’t want a game devoid of voice acting. Banter voices and cutscene voices are important for giving more character to your NPCs. For example, Torment did a very fine job with this sort of thing. If it was just straight text for all of the companions and foozles you wouldn’t get as good of a sense for their attitudes and such (they would have to add modifier text for every dialog to impart the tone of voice).

It may be rose tinted glasses syndrome but I enjoy reading the text and applying my own voices to the characters as I would when reading a book. The voice acting in games very rarely meshes up with the way I think characters should sound. (With the rare exception of Harold the Ghoul and some of the characters in Torment.)

I also think that random non-important characters spouting rumours don’t need to have voice acting.

Sarkus · 2008-07-30T00:12:39.000Z

Brendan:

I also think that random non-important characters spouting rumours don’t need to have voice acting.

So much for Linda Carter’s contributions then. . .

:-)

jeansberg · 2008-07-30T00:17:25.000Z

Zylon:

There’s an interview somewhere where one of the developers (I want to say it was Emil, but I won’t swear to it) explains that, for most Fallout players, there was little perceived difference between Perks and Traits.

And how would he know that? Was there a survey?

Alternatively, I’m not aware that any dev has said that FO3 Perks won’t necessarily have no negative effects.
That would be kinda dumb, since perk means benefit.

quatoria · 2008-07-30T02:56:53.000Z

jeansberg:

And how would he know that? Was there a survey?

No, I’m sure they based their development decisions on random guesses and gut feelings, especially when they talk about how ‘most players’ experienced the games.

TurinTur · 2008-07-30T03:29:47.000Z

There was a french preview/Q&A, it was a bit negative, but it seemed more brutal honest/down-to-earth than just plain negative-fanboy.

Link http://www.canardplus.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27815
English translation : http://www.rpgcodex.net/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=25472&sid=00974ad7e6e72f5af3d45672af842ddd

intruder · 2008-07-30T03:41:00.000Z

Interesting:

As an introduction to this Q&A it is crucial to note that we were only allowed half an hour of play. A half hour is not much. Were we to evaluate the depth, richness and creativity of the first two Fallout games in such a short time period, there is no doubt that our final verdict would be altered.

The version we played was the same as the one shown to other eurpean journalists these last weeks. The game we were given to load was saved just prior to exiting the vault, once the avatar was a full blown adult. We can not, therefore, give any details regarding the childhood of the character, partly shown in the demo, a couple of months ago. The character first steps in the outside world, and it’s up to the player to guide him. Pete Hines, who was in charge of this presentation, explained that the first town we were to meet was Megaton.

So much for the bitching about not being able to preview based on 30 min playtime. Seems Bethesda is considering 30 min enough or they would have given those European magazines more time.

Either their PR / marketing should be shot or they fear more playtime would reveal more problems.

On the fence to cancel my Collector’s Edition pre-order from EBgames.

Rob_Merritt · 2008-07-30T03:55:30.000Z

So they are bitching about having the same on hands demo everyone else has gotten? Lame.

Prodigy · 2008-07-30T04:09:06.000Z

They’re not bitching about it they just make the precision.

intruder · 2008-07-30T04:49:47.000Z

Rob_Merritt:

So they are bitching about having the same on hands demo everyone else has gotten? Lame.

I referred to people bitching about the Eurogamer preview based on that 30 min playtime demo.
Sorry was a bit confusing from my side.

Ed_Solomon · 2008-07-30T05:03:09.000Z

Canard PC translation:

I weild my baseball bat, alterning between VATS and real time, while my action points recharge. The first mutant dies, I grab his spiked bat and kill the second one while a mutant arachnid attacks me. I kill it using the spiked bat also. The third mutant will fall to a combination of grenades and 10mm bullets. Less than half an hour of play, I’m only level 3, yet I just killed three supermutants and an unidentified arachnid quite easily using a bat, and I now have a Gattling. Things are quite dandy.

I’m uncertain if I think this is horrible or great.

intruder · 2008-07-30T05:12:24.000Z

Did you try to steal ? Is it like in Oblivion ? Can NPCs steal some of your gear ? Do they attack you if you miss or can you fail without creating a slaughter ?

The steal system is much like Oblivion’s : crouch to sneak. Then you can see if you are visible or not thantks to an onscreen indication. If you miss, you karma drops but nobody ever attacked me, even when I tried to rob a young lady in megaton.
Burglary on the other hand, might not be to your liking : a door’s name shows in red when you enter it illegaly. Any item you pick-up inside drops your karma. Even if no one notices you. All knowing NPCs, who know what you did, remind me of Boiling point and that is not a good reference.

Ugh that sucked in Two Worlds: Every NPC knew when you stole something out of some hut even when no one could have seen you…
One of the reasons I stopped playing it.
Think they patched it later on though.

nutsak · 2008-07-30T05:42:51.000Z

That’s such a horrible game mechanic. I hope they change shit like that before release.

Killzig · 2008-07-30T06:17:37.000Z

Sounds a lot like the way Oblivion handled things. Did that ever get modded in Oblivion? I hate that enemies seem to have some sort of GPS tracking device on the PC. I had the same problem with BioShock.

Zylon · 2008-07-30T08:06:02.000Z

jeansberg:

And how would he know that? Was there a survey?

Stifle your nerd rage, monkey boy. I found the interview:

http://www.gamesradar.com/f/fallout-3-post-play-interview/a-2008072113277590042/p-2

Emil:

So at one point we would test each other. Those of us who thought it was ultimately a better decision to get rid of traits would ask people, “What’s your favorite trait?” And they’d say “Well, it’s this.” Guess what, that’s a perk. So they were so close that even in their heads, people couldn’t even make the distinction between them.

And apparently perks will NOT have any negative effects.

Roy_Ziegler · 2008-07-30T08:31:38.000Z

Naeblis:

There was a french preview/Q&A, it was a bit negative, but it seemed more brutal honest/down-to-earth than just plain negative-fanboy.

Link http://www.canardplus.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27815
English translation : http://www.rpgcodex.net/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=25472&sid=00974ad7e6e72f5af3d45672af842ddd

Canardplus are the same guys who said they wanted to piss down the composer of Fallout 3’s throat because they didn’t like the music.

Yeah…

Killzig · 2008-07-30T08:36:09.000Z

that’s kind of hot actually…

MattKeil · 2008-07-30T08:53:12.000Z

intruder:

So much for the bitching about not being able to preview based on 30 min playtime. Seems Bethesda is considering 30 min enough or they would have given those European magazines more time.

Either their PR / marketing should be shot or they fear more playtime would reveal more problems.

30 minutes is most likely the longest time period they could spare per outlet due to having to fit so many demos into a short timespan during E3. This looks like the same demo version they’re carting around to European outlets, so their PR/marketing is almost certainly keeping the demo time the same so the outlets who got the 30 minute demos don’t think they got short-shrifted.

I cannot express how tired I am of the “this game secretly sucks and they know it” conspiracy theories.