Arkansas... wtf is Arkansas?

[Commiered]

Well you'll see most Prima guides filled with all this padding to bulk up their guides. Probably it is made from the makers of the game being featured, but I'd say it's more like the type of info you get when a bunch of graphic artists come up with a character and joke around the coffee machine about a life story for him/her. Doubt that Beth would really care either way if the characters had a story or not.

 

[DexterMorgan]

As is clearly evidenced in their latest product.

 

[13BEAST]

Here's what Prima's FO3 Game Guide says about Arkansas:

The last of the military survivors who made Minefield their town, Arkansas was a small boy when the Slavers first came and captured nearly all of the tribe, but they never found him. Swearing revenge, he spread rumors of a new band of inhabitants and set a trap for the Slavers. When the Slavers came to raid the town again, they were harried by a hidden sniper and decimated by land mines. The Slavers took heavy losses that day and never came back. Now an old man, Arkansas still shuffles around this place.

Well, since Bethesda isn't worried about canon, this could very easily become canon. That said, if this is the case, then there's no good goddamned reason for you to have to kill him.

 

[k9wazere]

Here's what Prima's FO3 Game Guide says about Arkansas:

The last of the military survivors who made Minefield their town, Arkansas was a small boy when the Slavers first came and captured nearly all of the tribe, but they never found him. Swearing revenge, he spread rumors of a new band of inhabitants and set a trap for the Slavers. When the Slavers came to raid the town again, they were harried by a hidden sniper and decimated by land mines. The Slavers took heavy losses that day and never came back. Now an old man, Arkansas still shuffles around this place.

Well, since Bethesda isn't worried about canon, this could very easily become canon. That said, if this is the case, then there's no good goddamned reason for you to have to kill him.

Except that's what you do in FO3. You kill people, animals, bugs and robots. And you'll like it, or else.

Oh yeah, you can play some craptastic mini-games too.

Even then, it wouldn't have been bad if it was a half-decent shooter. But it isn't. It's an RPG without the RPG; an FPS without decent shooting bits.

I wish Front Mission 5 was available outside Japan

 

[BloodyPuppy]

Here's what Prima's FO3 Game Guide says about Arkansas:

The last of the military survivors who made Minefield their town, Arkansas was a small boy when the Slavers first came and captured nearly all of the tribe, but they never found him. Swearing revenge, he spread rumors of a new band of inhabitants and set a trap for the Slavers. When the Slavers came to raid the town again, they were harried by a hidden sniper and decimated by land mines. The Slavers took heavy losses that day and never came back. Now an old man, Arkansas still shuffles around this place.

Well, since Bethesda isn't worried about canon, this could very easily become canon. That said, if this is the case, then there's no good goddamned reason for you to have to kill him.

Except that's what you do in FO3. You kill people, animals, bugs and robots. And you'll like it, or else.

Oh yeah, you can play some craptastic mini-games too.

Even then, it wouldn't have been bad if it was a half-decent shooter. But it isn't. It's an RPG without the RPG; an FPS without decent shooting bits.

I wish Front Mission 5 was available outside Japan

Oh man, so do I. I followed the fan translation project a while back but I'm not sure if it dropped off of the face of the planet or what. They had some really promising videos of translated menus and subbed cutscenes though.

 

[Atomic Cowboy]

Has anybody tried entering Minefield with their weapon slung? I couldn't be bothered reloading to find out if that made any difference. I'm playing from a 'consequences be damned' perspective.

 

[generalissimofurioso]

Yes and no, he still shoots at you.

 

[Ausdoerrt]

Oh man, so do I. I followed the fan translation project a while back but I'm not sure if it dropped off of the face of the planet or what. They had some really promising videos of translated menus and subbed cutscenes though.

Dammit, you intrigued me. Too bad the game is only available for PS2. Might have to get an old one off ebay one of these days.

By the looks of it though, the translation project is up and running, with a new patch coming within a month: http://frontmission.info/wiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ProjectStatus

Hope this helps.

 

[BloodyPuppy]

Oh man, so do I. I followed the fan translation project a while back but I'm not sure if it dropped off of the face of the planet or what. They had some really promising videos of translated menus and subbed cutscenes though.

Dammit, you intrigued me. Too bad the game is only available for PS2. Might have to get an old one off ebay one of these days.

By the looks of it though, the translation project is up and running, with a new patch coming within a month: http://frontmission.info/wiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ProjectStatus

Hope this helps.

Awesome. I'm actually trying to get rid of my old PS2 (one of the super-ginormous ones) since I got a slim model, but it doesn't work with all games. Kind of why I'm getting rid of it. I couldn't run Virtua Fighter 4 or 3 or whichever was the newest non-next gen one.

Definitely checking that link out though.

 

[gummy]

@ 13BEAST

I don't like the degrading weapons feature either, so I've now installed the No Repair Needed mod off the Fallout 3 Nexus website.

Oh, btw, I recommend maxing out INT to 9 before exiting the Vault and making a run to Rivet City for the INT+1 Bobble Head in the Science Lab immediately afterwards. It's a suicide run but, INT 10 at level 2 - combined with the 'Skilled' perk in Level 4 - will give you a total of 137 additional skill points to distribute during normal gameplay, allowing you to max both Heavy AND Energy Weapons. No need to worry about which end-game weapon route to take when they're both at 100%. Simply awesome.

There's a video on YouTube demonstrating the optimal route. It's not as simple as it looks, but I managed to pull it off after a few attempts.

just swim there, only thing to worry about are the crabman, any mutant you run into you can probably kill at level 2 with a standard pistol. you can even get rid of the rads for free by doing moiras quest.

 

[Ausdoerrt]

@ 13BEAST

I don't like the degrading weapons feature either, so I've now installed the No Repair Needed mod off the Fallout 3 Nexus website.

Oh, btw, I recommend maxing out INT to 9 before exiting the Vault and making a run to Rivet City for the INT+1 Bobble Head in the Science Lab immediately afterwards. It's a suicide run but, INT 10 at level 2 - combined with the 'Skilled' perk in Level 4 - will give you a total of 137 additional skill points to distribute during normal gameplay, allowing you to max both Heavy AND Energy Weapons. No need to worry about which end-game weapon route to take when they're both at 100%. Simply awesome.

There's a video on YouTube demonstrating the optimal route. It's not as simple as it looks, but I managed to pull it off after a few attempts.

Well, except that there is no real point in maxing weapon skills, unless you want to play on Hard and you're desperately low on ammo. I found that running around with a Small Guns skill 22 and Big Guns skill 14 does not have any negative effects on the gaming experience.

 

[k9wazere]

Well, except that there is no real point in maxing weapon skills, unless you want to play on Hard and you're desperately low on ammo. I found that running around with a Small Guns skill 22 and Big Guns skill 14 does not have any negative effects on the gaming experience.

This is where turn-based games shine and FO3 fails.

In a TB game, getting up close to an enemy is dangerous. If you leave an enemy alive at point blank range and have to end your turn, the enemy gets a few good shots or hits in and you're dirt-napping.

In FO3, a low guns skill is entirely offset by closing to point-blank range. And there is absolutely no danger in doing so. The AI will make no attempt to use cover, and instead will run straight for you. So you hide round a corner, wait for his face to pop into view, enter VATS, and blow him away with any weapon, because you're so close skill no longer matters.

He has very little chance to make any counter attack, because you've either blown his head off or disarmed/ crippled him.

 

[Slaughter Manslaught]

Well, except that there is no real point in maxing weapon skills, unless you want to play on Hard and you're desperately low on ammo. I found that running around with a Small Guns skill 22 and Big Guns skill 14 does not have any negative effects on the gaming experience.

This is where turn-based games shine and FO3 fails.

In a TB game, getting up close to an enemy is dangerous. If you leave an enemy alive at point blank range and have to end your turn, the enemy gets a few good shots or hits in and you're dirt-napping.

In FO3, a low guns skill is entirely offset by closing to point-blank range. And there is absolutely no danger in doing so. The AI will make no attempt to use cover, and instead will run straight for you. So you hide round a corner, wait for his face to pop into view, enter VATS, and blow him away with any weapon, because you're so close skill no longer matters.

He has very little chance to make any counter attack, because you've either blown his head off or disarmed/ crippled him.

Excellent point.

See Jagged Alliance.

Being near your enemy is NOT a good idea. Use of cover is extensive and necessary to win. Taking a bullet or two ins't something trivial, it hurts, A LOT. And it makes you bleed, taking some of your AP out until someone can use first aid on you. Until then, enjoy your lower AP. You don't want to get nearby (unless your squad is trained to fight in close range, then go for it), you want to get a big-ass auto rifle and snipe people from far away. That's what gun skills are needed for. Common sense, really. Many of those things aplied in the original Fallouts.

In Fallout 3, ranged combat is too close. Even in big areas, the fact that it's almost impossible to hit from far away FORCES you to go near, activate VATS and shoot the enemy's head. In Fallout 2, I remember that my Lone Wolf Pure Sniper character killed Bishop's Mercenary Raiders using his Scoped Hunting Rifle, a lot of leg shots, tons of stimpaks, the big layout of the area (proper for sniping from far away) and a locked door. The mercenaries rarely hit me with their FN-Fals, while I usually shot their legs and arms from far away with great chances to miss. My character had PE 8, 150% Small Guns Skill and a Hunting Rifle. In Fallout 3, the Sniper Rifle's zoom is freaking useless, shooting with the zoom plays like a epiletic, nervous sniper who is having the greatest orgasm ever in the middle of a tornado and a earthquake at the same time.

 

[Slowhand]

I almost feel as though he should have been available as a follower...imagine having sniper cover from a mile away. Sweet.

A Vic-type party member would be great for FOO.

Dream come true

 

[Ausir]

Did Prima guys just invent this on their own or what?

The guide is actually co-written by some Bethesda designers (including Emil) and edited by Pete, so I guess the additional background info can be considered canon.