4761

I’ve been watching videos I’ve seen pop up and lurking like mad since I was already on the fence a bit, but… Egh.

The animation seems about like Oblivion from what I’ve seen. Not exactly bad, but nothing noteworthy.
Voice acting has seemed to range from ok to bad (With the one super mutant I’ve seen who will talk with you having a “GRR, ARGH” voice instead of a regular, deeper voice like in the originals).
Bad shooter I agree on. From the look of it, the AI is about the same as Oblivion’s, meaning melee people charge at you in a straight line while ranged people sort of wiggle back and forth. In Oblivion it was a bit less of an issue since the majority of the game was melee. In a shooter it just kind of takes the excitement out of it, unless it’s a game specifically designed to throw monsters at you like Serious Sam or Painkiller. On top of that there’s VATS, which looked to be pretty much an “I win” button, letting you take down a character roughly for every character you take down in regular combat, assuming you don’t want to game it and hide to recharge AP before springing up and delivering some godmode VATS shots.
Then there are the more RPG aspects of it, I’ve read and seen the story spoiled now. I won’t spoil it here, but it’s pretty goddamn silly.

Overall it’s pushed me from planning on buying a regular edition to maybe picking it up for $20-30 a few months down the road, possibly if they release a toolset. Oblivion was decent enough, but I sure as hell wouldn’t have plonked $50 down for it had I known then what I know now. Massive amounts of mods are all that make it playable to me now, and the impression I got from watching people play Fallout 3 is I’ll feel the same way about it.

4762

See, you wouldn’t have these problems if you didn’t steal stuff.

4763

Oh, lord, I hope it’s not as silly as a tribal astral projecting into your dreams and telling you to save his village’s crops…

4764

I’m starting to think that it may be time to abandon this thread. It sucks that the leak has meant we can’t talk about the game without people throwing out near spoilers (or spoilers since I’m sure guys like Draikin won’t feel the need to be quiet) 2 and 1/2 weeks before release.

4765

I can at least fan-wank that into the setting, though. Since The Master was psychic, and had collected/made psykers.

Though yes, it was still damn stupid. And annoying. “CHOSEN. WE’RE HUNGRY. JUST, YOU KNOW. A LITTLE REMINDER. I KNOW YOU’RE HAVING FUN BEING A PORN STAR AND ALL BUT REMEMBER US OK? THANKS, BYE”

4766

LOL, good point.

The story in video games has never been a draw for me, honestly. I’ve seen folks bitch about the MQ in Oblivion and I just don’t really think it’s a very big part of the picture. Hell, you could just keep playing after you beat it anyway. The side quests sort of need to be interesting though, in a funny way side quests are more important the the MQ to me.

As for “bad shooter” being related to the AI, I’m glad the AI isn’t on par with something like Bioshock or HL2, since that would separate it further from the RPG game and push it more towards a reflex/action game. I DO NOT want my mobs running away when I’m trying to engage them, or ducking behind cover so I have to move around and flank them. That would honestly be a huge pain in the ass in a game like FO3. Kudos to Bethesda for recognizing that.

4767

Has there ever been a FPS/RPG hybrid that had good combat and good enemy AI? I can understand why they aren’t that great, since usually the developers have to develop a bunch of game styles and systems (shooter elements, stealth elements, all the various RPG elements) compared to a pure FPS (or a pure stealth game). The only similar games I can think of are Deus Ex (and DX2) and Bloodlines, and both had horrid AI.

4768

THIS.

4769

Maybe this is just because you haven’t come across a good storyline yet?

As for “bad shooter” being related to the AI, I’m glad the AI isn’t on par with something like Bioshock or HL2, since that would separate it further from the RPG game and push it more towards a reflex/action game. I DO NOT want my mobs running away when I’m trying to engage them, or ducking behind cover so I have to move around and flank them. That would honestly be a huge pain in the ass in a game like FO3. Kudos to Bethesda for recognizing that.

You know, this is true. If I was good at FPSes, I’d be playing them. I suck at FPSes though, so instead I get my vicarious thrills by playing RPGs. In an RPG, the action is there to let me pretend that I’m a badass with a gun without actually needing to be good at gunplay.

4770

Well, I made a pretty general statement. I have actually been entertained by several great games (most of them RPGs) storys. BGII especially it’s expansion, obviously, Torment as well. Other games I’m not thinking of, but my point was supposed to be (though I think I phrased it poorly) is even WITH a good story, it’s not even close to my primary reason to play a game (it’s even behind graphics, as a matter of fact, though I don’t believe I’ve ever admitted that before). It isn’t required, you could say.

Exactly. I posit that FO3 would actually be less fun if the AI was super smart and tactical. Also, we should consider the bosses. Raiders, for example, probably wouldn’t really have military training, and certainly Feral Ghouls or irradiated Bears or whatever probably wouldn’t do much more than run straight at you in a beeline, regardless.

4771

System Shock 2 is kinda similar to those as well, although hits weren’t hindered based on stats, which is prob what you meant.

Well I suppose it’s possible to play FO3 in a similar fashion, I’m not sure why you would. I played the game using almost 100% VATS, and I think that’s actually the more natural way to play the game, so combat feels quite different than those games. You definitely don’t need any “shooter skills” for FO3

4772

I prefer “irrelevant.” I’m a huge Fallout fan (actually Wasteland fan who moved on to Fallout), and I could not be more excited about Fallout 3.

4773

Same here. The Fallouts are far and away my favourite RPGs of all time, including Torment and the Final Fantasy series, and I’m salivating at the thought of Fallout 3.

4774

That’s cool, it was starting to feel like I was the only Fallout fan who thought FO3 looked quite good. Then again, I’d been lurking the NMA forums, and apparently they won’t be happy until they have a high-res remake of FO2. Not that I wouldn’t also enjoy that…

4775

They’re “hardcore” fans, like sports fans. Kinda lost traction of what their goal is and just show up for the brawls and “loving community” of like-minded peers.
Codex are RPG burntout fans, NMA are fallout burntout fans.

Mule -> Wasteland -> Fallout -> ?
^ Is this the evolution cycle?

One of the prime justifications of Oblivion fans is that “the modding solves all”, whoopsie…

Yes, Fallout (1 and 2) had lots of bugs and illogical probes.
However, Fallout was not a massive budget, mega-hyped, console (oh, maybe I shoudln’t mention that last one as a “pro” argument) game made in Y2K8 with a gigantic staff.
So, yes, there should be better AI, there should be better design, and saying “OMG IT"S FREE FORM, WE"RE D0MED” is not quite of an excuse for not solving the seemingly EASY bits that went wrong in the past.
If the “OMG THE SCALE IS TOO BIG THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE” clause was pulled every time someone had to rennovate something, gaming would’ve never made a step past Asteroids and Centipede, or Defender of the Crown; yet, lo and behold, here we are today.

Yes, I agree, we should let some things slide - the hard ones, the ones that to solve would require reprogramming an engine from scratch and inventing systems not yet in existence (but I do guess that innovation is dead in the industry, so they say, it’s all about sequels and milking the cash cows, right? no one want to take a tripleA risk with a tripleA title and do something new - oh wait, there are some who do…they sell poorly and we give them awards for effort, go us…) but not the problems that are not that hard to solve and been in existence for too long for what should be tolerateable in modern age.

I don’t recall if I had seen it written here or elsewhere, but it basically was said that if you come to it expecting a direct successor to Fallout then you’re going to be setting yourself up for disappointment.
If you come looking for a good fun game like Oblivion in a fallout theme wrapper, you’re going to enjoy yourself.
So there /I/ have it.

Thus, going back a good hundred page, I have a gripe with what I consider mislabeling.
And oblivion doesn’t do it to me, neither “oblivion with guns” nor “oblivion met systemshock quarterway”, so I don’t even want this game.
Call me when we have Fallout 3, for real. ;)

The rest of you, as it seem you may very well enjoy this game, so go ahead and play it and have fun.

Nothing wrong with GAMES being out there and people HAVING FUN playing them, this IS kind of the PURPOSE, no?

Just please lets keep the labels correct - oh and lets not argue about the labeling issue, and instead agree that in the past there was a lot of mislabeling and the labeling issue requires straightening out for once and for all, for the good of us all. :D

This thread always seemed kinda moot and leading to nothing more than clashing of oppinions and senseless arguments.

<3 & peace.

4776

Ok, when the “real” Fallout 3 comes out we’ll call you. In the mean time, please stop calling us.

4777

But I love you guys and there are so many birthdays, new years, thanks givings and achivements I wish to congratulate you over and wish you well and happy celebrating.
Why, your mere ability to focus and hold onto a single thought with all those fluids rampaging around your stomach and cerebral cortex with every step you take makes you a walking, living, wonder, meatbag.

4778

??? Well, that one went right over my head.

Anyway, if you don’t think you’ll enjoy Fallout 3, then the series seems to have died for you, and that’s too bad. For you, I mean. For the rest of us, we’ll keep having a good time.

4779

Now, while I could go on and retort, then you’d quip the same, and I’m positive certain elements here would enjoy the stupid repartee to ensue, I do not, however, see any good coming from it.

So, I’ll repeat:

Have fun enjoy this game.
I have other games to enjoy as well.

Lets all agree to demand higher standards from the industry, in order to advance the art of games and make our entertainment a more profound experience.

Cheers! Tap’s on me.

4780

I agree. The correct label for this game, by the way, is Fallout 3.