According to The Escapist's Extra Credits...

I never had the feeling the courier had amnesia. THe game never says something like that. I mean what do you want to know anyway ? Youre a freaking courier. Sure a few hints here and there to your "past" would have been neat. But they decided not to go down that route. Could have made nice quests. But so be it. What you do with your future is anyway much more important. And here Vegas is a lot better compared to F3.

 

Doesn't the PC being a courier that delivered messages before he got shot count as a background? Also he doesn't act like he has amnesia really, IIRC instead of asking questions like "What is the NCR?" he asks questions like "What do you think of the NCR?".

And my character starts every game with lightweight metal armor and a grenade rifle, all thanks to pre-ordering.

Edit: I really need to make an explosives character since the last patch.

 

Bow down to the master of story development!!!!!!!!

 

Why is this guy's opinion bullshit? Let me count the ways.

You don't start with your items. BULLSHIT. You're given stims, caps, and a 9mm pistol (or other weapons depending on a tagged combat skill). Hell, I pre ordered from gamestop so I got the classic pack.

No three act structure. BULLSHIT.
Act 1: Track down Benny and recover the chip.
Act 2: pick a faction and do quests for them.
Act 3: Second Battle Of Hoover Dam.

Characters are unrelateable. BULLSHIT. Boone ALONE is more relateable than ANY f3 character.

I could go on forever how wrong this guy is, but after all that, I'd just be rambling.

 

So if you don't follow a conventional three act structure, your story is confusing? Damn, but this guy must be very insecure about it or something.

He actually addressed the fact they wanted the PC to be a blank slate, then said ''you already had a life as a courier''. Yeah, and? What does that mean? A charismatic courier could have people following and protecting him. A fast courier is, well, obviously, better. A lucky courier would not die from a shot in the head, ect. Being a courier doesn't do anything more to already shape your character's pre-game life than being a pampered Vault Dweller with a BB gun. Or you could, you know, use your imagination, but I guess being spoon-fed your whole life in a boring 1 hour tutorial is better for some.

I do agree Bioshock did a very good job deconstructing many ''but thou must'' linear video game tropes. And that's pretty much the only bit I find worthy in that video,

Also, the guy's voice is incredibly annoying. I hope it's not made on purpose.

 

The guy spents half of the video talking about what you see in yoru first three classes of scriptwriting or the first chapter of a basic scriptwriting book, and he does it like he actualy is giving any kind of insightful explanation, and then he proceeds to compeltely show that he mostly rushed through the main quest and didn't pay attention to the dialogue at all.

 

Does Fallout 3 follow the traditonal structure?
From what I remember it get's stuck on the second bit and forgets to have a meaningull climax... unless you count watching a giant robot complete the game for you.
Still annoyed you couldn't plug your dad for being an insane sociopath.

 

This.
I honestly feel to that this person has probably written anything beyond the point of a game or game mission set up, with perhaps some standard dialog for military type figures.

Since games are now recognized as some art form I get the idea that some developers from AAA titles get the idea that that makes them artists.

Again just because a game sells shitloads it doesn't mean it is quality wise very good.
Hollywood blockbusters also attract millions of movie goers (also because that that is their purpose) but doesn't mean its on par with movie classics that pushed the medium and storytelling forwards.

There are plenty of reasons why Fallout 3 was poor storytelling, ignoring the plot devices that were bluntly... well stolen from Fallout 1 and 2 and used to make up a pretty poor plot.

FNV might not be genius but it sure is better structured in general.

Also this guy is an idiot for wanting Pre Game character stuff.
The idea is when you start a Fallout campaign that your main character in general is a blank slate, he or she represent the player.

A few facts are given to make clear this character was actually around before the player started 'playing' him or her, but that is to help the player into the role when they learn these.

The character is the player and visa versa.

In this case the player is a courier for the Mojave Express, that's enough to start with.

 

There are dialouge choices later in the game that can give your character backstory. There's that singer that you can say you saw play in new reno and the lady killer dialouge with the mysterious stranger's son, and those are just off the top of my head.

Of course, the reviewer most likely didn't bother to do any quest that wouldn't advance the main story.

 

Don0t you see? all characters from an rpg have either be naive affeminate kids or Marines.

 

Either Final Fantasy or Quake, what a choice.

 

Instead of talking about him behind his back how about you email him or his friend? Leave the comfort and saftey of a site that shares your hatred and will agree with you as long as you say something along the lines of "Fallout 3 is bad". He probably meant that Fallout 3 had the superior tutorial because it immersed you in the game and gave you a backstory, the only backstory we get for the courier other than the one you make for him is a few dailouge choices. And you know what? It's fucking true, the game takes longer to get into but your already immersed in the game if it's your first time. Yeah a skip option would be nice, but the tutorial set the atmosphere and wonder about the outside world.

 

Someone really got defensive... Hey, lets send him and email, I am sure he will give a fuck.

And again with the immershuns crap. Backstory is not a definitive indicator of good characterization, Fallout 3 doesnt eve ncreate a blank slate character, it creates a all powerful force that can do anythign in the wasteland without actual concecuences. And even tought I liek the tutorial growing up in the Vault, there nto much you can do in that part to actualy affect yoru character, for example if you get into the fight with Butch and accidentaly kill him your character would start the thrid act in a Vault prison and it igves you certain boosts and penalties, or if he accepts the teachers offer to change his tests and then he rats him out he would start the game with the Overseer's favor. etc. New Vegas doen't give oyu a tutorial on how you grew up period, but it lets you select traits that lets you stablish yoru character as a person with different weakneses and strenghts, handicaps and etc. Thats still a little clunky but its a much better implementation of game mechanics.

 

Sorry about my aggression. I don't like it when someone decides to mock another person behind their back when the same person allows you to email them, which is what the OP should have done instead of going to the site that is most likely to agree with his views.