A Question of Survival

[Stainless]

Most things that are claimed as rpgs are pretty much linear hack and slash affairs.

As for npcs, with my chosen party of Sulik, Cassidy, Vic, Myron (and whoever else I get) they end combat in about 2 rounds. What I dislike is that if they kill someone on their first shot, they won't spend their AP to take another shot at another target. Although I suppose the extra AC bonus is handy

[OnTheBounce]

Yes I do, in every game except Fallout, that is. Fallout is much more about the RPing than other games.

It it wasn't as you say I doubt we'd have characters like Lenny in it.

However, what I was getting at was that most characters look at a CNPC and think either "good" or "bad". They fail to see how that character will mech w/the rest of their party, which is probably the most important thing.

For the record, probably the most consistantly used CNPC that I won't abandon or let die is Lenny. Why? I have a soft spot for the "desicated bullet sponge". He has class, even if he is a rather weak fighter.

I think the problem with most gamers today is that none of them seem to know what an RPG is. For instance, it's amazing how many people think Diablo is an RPG. I was at my local gaming store a while ago, and I overheard some kid telling his friend "You should get Warcraft III, it's great. It's practically an RPG."

A guy I used to work with called Diablo a Role Playing Game, because "you play the role of..." That was where I cut him off and not-so-politely informed him that by his definition Pac Man or Missile Command are RPGs, or pretty much anything aside from Tetris and the like.

I've noticed that a high percentage of those players who misunderstand what an RPG is are those who were never involved in table top gaming. There are obviously exceptions, but I've never met a table top gamer who didn't understand, while the vast majority of non-table top gamers do misunderstand.

The genre definitely needs another great RPG. The problem is: The perfect RPG wouldn't sell very well.

Unfortunately I have to agree w/you here. Instead we'll be seeing a new crop of stat-driven dungeon crawls. Hopefully we'll be proven wrong, but I doubt it.

What I dislike is that if they kill someone on their first shot, they won't spend their AP to take another shot at another target. Although I suppose the extra AC bonus is handy.

I know what you mean. It's especially frustrating when Marcus doesn't give the opposition another "mutant love tap" w/his Pulse Rifle.

Another thing that irritates me is that you can give either Marcus or Cassidy a (Mega) Power Fist and there is no setting that will allow them to use both it and ranged weapons. Very frustrating to see Marcus round a corner and clock an enemy w/bare knuckles for little or no damage to get rid of a few AP when they could have done something a bit more...worthwhile.

OTB

[Stainless]

I find that's why I don't equip my NPCs with spears or knives. They tend to do that exact thing and whip out the knife for one stab then keep using until combat ends I confiscate it from the disobedient buggers.

[OnTheBounce]

I find that's why I don't equip my NPCs with spears or knives. They tend to do that exact thing and whip out the knife for one stab then keep using until combat ends I confiscate it from the disobedient buggers.

Yes, indeed. Lenny and Vic are really bad about that. It really wouldn't be so bad, excepting that both of them at least verge on incompetence w/melee weapons, or plummet headlong into it.

I learned about Vic in my first game. He rounded a corner down in the Wannamingo Mine and switched to his Knife. Not a Combat Knife, even, just a Plain Jane Knife. At that point he immediately rethough his chances against a rather hungry Wannamingo and high-tailed it, leaving Sulik w/a Combat Knife and myself w/a Hunting Rifle to try and finish off the beast. (Yes, I was there way too early, having discovered Redding on my way to New Reno from The Den...)

OTB

[Franz Schubert]

Whereas if he had stood his ground with his rifle you would have won... I know what you mean, still part of the game is babysitting your NPC's, as pathetic as that may sound.

[American Tourister]

You're right on as to the way I have (mis)used Marcus. After learning the hard way not to let him keep his minigun or grenades, I have usually given him spiked knuckles/power fist and directed him to fight hand-to-hand. Wonder why he hasn't lasted long that way? :roll:
The last time I finally tried giving him a laser rifle, but he promptly lost a long-range dual with another mutant on a really ugly cattle drive.
BTW are cattle drive guards always terminally stupid? They have fought dumber than mutants on the few drives I have joined.

[Stainless]

Sulik w/a Combat Knife and myself w/a Hunting Rifle to try and finish off the beast. (Yes, I was there way too early, having discovered Redding on my way to New Reno from The Den...)

Heh, Sounds like my first game also. I ended up going in there with a HKCAWs. Little did I know about ammo modifications and the shotgun pellets to wanamingos. Lost Marcus and Sulik repeatidly

[Raksha]

That sounds eerily similiar to my own first attempt at that mine... armed with an HKCAW and dressed in the bridgekeepers robes, and not an NPC with me. Yes, I died a lot.

[Kashluk]

I'm about to enter it with a leatherjacket & normal shotgun. Boy, am I going to die a lot

[Franz Schubert]

am I going to die a lot?

Yes.

You're not playing in Hardcore mode, are you?

[Kashluk]

Luckily not. But playing as Mad Max is pretty "hardcore" already, yo :]

[bertgoldstein]

Lenny sucks, Myron also sucks, but he's a lot of fun to listen to, especially if you're playing a female.

I don't think Myron is funny at all, especially not if I'm playing a female character. But then, I tend to rely on high Charisma and Intelligence a lot, and I suppose that brings out the worst in him, which makes him close to unbearable to be around. I allowed him to live anyway, since he did manage to do some serious damage to big bad monsters with a pulse pistol.

Myron is the best because you get all sad when Sulik or K9 dies, but when myron dies you're all "Whoops. Oh well."

[Kashluk]

Hm... My Mad Max- thingy is going pretty well now, check the stats & what do you think:

Code: Select all

  
Name: Max                Age: 28               Gender: Male
 Level: 30                 Exp: 435,777      Next Level: 465,000

 ::: Statistics :::
       Strength: 07         Hit Points: 101/181         Sequence: 07
     Perception: 08        Armor Class: 032         Healing Rate: 02
      Endurance: 07      Action Points: 09       Critical Chance: 008%
       Charisma: 05       Melee Damage: 02          Carry Weight: 200 lbs.
   Intelligence: 09        Damage Res.: 035%
        Agility: 09     Radiation Res.: 014%
           Luck: 08        Poison Res.: 035%


 ::: Traits :::
  Gifted
 ::: Perks :::
  Awareness
  Bonus Rate of Fire
  Empathy
  Sniper
  Dodger
  Tag!
  Gecko Skinning
  Gain Perception
  Gain Intelligence
  Gain Agility
  Gain Luck
  Expert Excrement Expeditor

 ::: Karma :::
  Karma: 810 (Guardian of the Wastes)
  Champion

 ::: Reputation :::
  Klamath: Accepted
  Den: Accepted
  Vault City: Idolized
  Gecko: Idolized
  Modoc: Liked
  Sierra Army Depot: Neutral
  Broken Hills: Idolized
  New Reno: Idolized
  Redding: Neutral
  New California Republic: Accepted
  Vault 15: Accepted
  Ghost Farm: Neutral

 ::: Skills :::                ::: Kills :::
  Small Guns ..... 173%        Men ............ 141
  Big Guns ....... 008%        Women .......... 050
  Energy Weapons . 013%        Brahmin ........ 003
  Unarmed ........ 104%        Radscorpions ... 077
  Melee Weapons .. 128%        Rats ........... 104
  Throwing ....... 026%        Robots ......... 002
  First aid ...... 078%        Dogs ........... 106
  Doctor ......... 012%        Manti .......... 018
  Sneak .......... 101%        DeathClaws ..... 042
  Lockpick ....... 102%        Plants ......... 021
  Steal .......... 017%        Geckos ......... 053
  Traps .......... 017%        Giant Ants ..... 078
  Science ........ 105%
  Repair ......... 107%
  Speech ......... 106%
  Barter ......... 010%
  Gambling ....... 030%
  Outdoorsman .... 037%

[Stainless]

Well, for starters you need to rest up a bit

As for why you got the Awareness perk, is beyond me. After you finish the game several times it becomes pretty redudent.

[Kashluk]

Awareness was a choice I made mainly because there weren't many other good perks around at level 3. So I had to choose a lesser evil from that bunch, decided to go with Awareness... It has helped me quite a bit during the starters, when knowing exactly how much hit points your enemy has, could be the difference between victory and defeat.

[Stainless]

You can stock perks for later levels.

[Kashluk]

....


You can't stock them 'till you get another perk though.
The previous one disappears.

[Franz Schubert]

Kashluk is correct, that's why if you try to find the Vertiberd plans at low levels, sometimes you can lose a perk because you gain like 5 or 6 levels. Also, I almost always get Awareness, because it's so useful, and there's nothing else besides maybe Toughness at that level, unless I'm playing a thief, which I never do anymore.