Read 'em here. Not much new stuff, but here's what there is: - The two-headed Brahmins make a return, and Pete Hines told us after the demo that Rad Scorpions are also coming back.
- The toughest weapon in the game will likely be the Fat Man, a portable launcher that lobs nuclear grenades.
- We've seen Super Mutants; as to the existence of the more folky mutants from previous games, Hines would not comment.
- Random encounters are making a return, but Bethesda isn't ready to say how.
- Action
points, used for the turn-based combat mode V.A.T.S., are being
designed to regenerate fast enough so that gamers can use it almost
exclusively for fighting.
- Speech options and convincing utilizing the Speech are still there, noted by the [ Speech 29% ] tag besides a talking option.
- Computer
security will be done via a game best described as akin to Mastermind,
where you have a list of words (embedded amongst gibberish "code") and
you will be told how many letters you have right.
- "We
spent what I refer to as an obscene amount of time on [the PIP boy menu
screen]." said Howard. More pixel shaders used on it than all of Oblivion, apparently.
- You can zoom the third-person view out to give it the camera view akin to the previous Fallout title.
Ok, so if this is true, and it's not just a gimmick, using VATS exclusively is a good sign (but again - could be an unpractical option like the isometric view sounds to be). Though as I understand it, AP recharge is based on agility, which could mean that if you want to play in a more TB mode, you have to build your character a certain way, which - well, doesn't make sense. Maybe I'm reading too much into this. And minigames are good, in my opinion - makes lockpicking or whatever more interesting, as long as they're relevant and not totally left-field (eg. the persuasion one in Oblivion). Most powerful weapon in the game makes me cautious - in FO1/2, this depended on where your skills were, availabiulity of ammo, and so on. Though I imagine this will be true here, or else they wouldn't have seperate gun skills.
Anyway, I realise I'm pretty much the sole Fallout fan who's reasonably optimistic about the game, with the thought of what FOBOS was in the back of my mind and seeing that this clearly ain't it, but there is stuff to be positive about, if you look. 'Course, there's the negative stuff too, but I figure as a fanbase, we've got that covered. |
