Fallout 3 Preview at Next Generation

Aonaran · Post by **Aonaran** » Sat May 17, 2008 3:18 am

[ Game -> Preview ] - More info on <a href="#Bethesda Softworks">Company: Bethesda Softworks</a> | More info on <a href="#Fallout 3">Game: Fallout 3</a> | More info on <a href="#Edge">Person: Edge</a>

Edge over at Next Generation has posted a new Fallout 3 preview. Mostly the same ground is covered but is done so briefly with more focus devoted to either new or more elaborate information. Another deviation from the norm is the lack of hesitance to criticize Bethesda for design choices they disagree with.
Combat<blockquote>...nearby enemies were marked as red blips on the compass – the proximity
from which they can be detected depending on the player’s perception
stat. 
</blockquote>Dialog <blockquote>Later, Hines talks about the significance of these kinds of decisions
in the game: “It’s not always about one specific choice that opens one
door and closes another, it’s more about your character’s karma – the
culmination of all the quests and your actions outside of those quests.
Just how you’re playing the game affects how the world sees you – it’ll
determine how they respond and react to you, and whether they will help
you out or sell you things or be willing to join you.”</blockquote>Criticism<blockquote>While its combat credentials are fairly secure, previous demonstrations
have done little to assure us that the writing is also up to the
standard of previous Fallout games.Walking around the room, Hines explains that, eventually, everyone in
it will be talking to each other – and hopefully about more pertinent
things than the characters of Bethesda’s Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, so
many of which seemed to be preoccupied by their personal animosities
towards crabs.But if there was any area in which Bethesda risks falling down it is
this – The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion wasn’t a sterling demonstration
of voice direction, failing to squeeze anything other than wood from
Patrick Stewart or Sean Bean. Liam Neeson’s efforts here also felt a
little staid. </blockquote> All in all it's worth a read, especially for the extremely descriptive section on dialog which includes new information and examples. Read the entire article <a href="http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?optio ... 0">here</a>
 Spotted @ <a href="http://fallout3.wordpress.com/">Briosafreak's Fallout 3 Blog</a>

S4ur0n27 · Post by **S4ur0n27** » Sat May 17, 2008 3:49 am

Pete Hines wrote:Later, Hines talks about the significance of these kinds of decisions in the game: â€œItâ€™s not always about one specific choice that opens one door and closes another, itâ€™s more about your characterâ€™s karma â€“ the culmination of all the quests and your actions outside of those quests. Just how youâ€™re playing the game affects how the world sees you â€“ itâ€™ll determine how they respond and react to you, and whether they will help you out or sell you things or be willing to join you.

Something strikes me as a weird in that paragraph.

"Itâ€™s not always about one specific choice that opens one door and closes another"

and then...

"itâ€™ll determine [...] whether they will help you out or sell you things or be willing to join you"

What's the difference, tell me?

Aonaran · Post by **Aonaran** » Sat May 17, 2008 4:11 am

It might just be because it's taken out of context. There is a lot of explanation of that particular dialog in the article but most of it was too verbose to include as a snippet so I just grabbed that.

Post by **Dogmeatlives** » Sat May 17, 2008 5:12 am

How is this not Oblivion with guns?

Smiley · Post by **Smiley** » Sat May 17, 2008 11:09 am

S4ur0n27 wrote:
Something strikes me as a weird in that paragraph.

"Itâ€™s not always about one specific choice that opens one door and closes another"

and then...

"itâ€™ll determine [...] whether they will help you out or sell you things or be willing to join you"

What's the difference, tell me?

First off he says not always...
He probably means that you'll have a gradual, or maybe no real effect on the world.

As to vendors, traders and companions.. well just because you can't interact with a few of them, it doesn't mean that you're shut off from the rest of the game.

What I think is weird, is that the french interview stated that you couldn't do evil acts, right?
Then what's with the Karma system..? Are your choices between "Care/not care"? Opposed to "Care/not care/fuck them over"?

johnnygothisgun · Post by **johnnygothisgun** » Sat May 17, 2008 1:07 pm

the french interview doesnt say you cant be a bad guy, it just says that its going to be traditional puritan beth fare, with cliched bad guy options that are childish compared to those in the original fallout games

VasikkA · Post by **VasikkA** » Sat May 17, 2008 1:09 pm

:kermit: wrote:â€œItâ€™s not always about one specific choice that opens one door and closes another, itâ€™s more about your characterâ€™s karma â€“ the culmination of all the quests and your actions outside of those quests. Just how youâ€™re playing the game affects how the world sees you â€“ itâ€™ll determine how they respond and react to you, and whether they will help you out or sell you things or be willing to join you.â€�

The problem with the karma system is that it provides a short cut to the game designers. Instead of NPCs reacting on your previous, individual actions, the game makes a karma check. Fallout had a bit of both, but designwise it'd be better to get rid of karma points altogether.

When opening a jammed door, a STR check is in order. But when determining game world/NPC reactions towards your character, some vague numeric checks should be avoided.

Dreadnought · Post by **Dreadnought** » Sat May 17, 2008 1:29 pm

Doing it wrong + FALLOUT written on it = still doing it wrong

Thor Kaufman · Post by **Thor Kaufman** » Sat May 17, 2008 2:49 pm

Is that a raincoat?

Nicolai · Post by **Nicolai** » Tue May 20, 2008 11:01 pm

how spiffy

Superhaze · Post by **Superhaze** » Wed May 21, 2008 4:15 am

Played through fallout during the w'end. And I just realized I dont really give a shit how the game mechnics work, if its not fallout in style and spirit, it will be shit no matter what.

... i wuz evil.

cazsim83 · Post by **cazsim83** » Wed May 21, 2008 4:36 am

ack! I've been too busy lately - I almost posted this again....heh heh.

Am I the only one who noticed this -

"War never changes,â€� grumbles ubiquitous voiceover favorite Ron Perlman in Fallout 3â€™s opening cinematic. Of course, the one major bugbear among diehard fans of previous turn-based Fallout games is that war has actually changed rather substantially with the coming sequel. Thankfully, as we see more and more of the game, it seems like these detractors are misguided.

A recent viewing had Bethesdaâ€™s VP of marketing Pete Hines on hand to take us through the dark satire of Fallout 3â€™s post-apocalyptic wastelands, demonstrating both the realtime and suspended-time combat modes at the expense of some hapless mutants. The arterial spray that resulted should satisfy both the desire for visceral action and tactical play, even if it fails to tickle those hampered by irrational levels of nostalgia.

Emphasis my own.

C'mon a-holes, can you compliment a game without sucking fecal matter from the VP of Marketing's behind? Just a question, but srsly...