Bethesda's Fan Interview #2

[BOS Man]

Megaton Bar: Hey, my computer might actually be able to run this. Good atmosphere and level of detail. I like the ghoul but what the hell is up with the pirate?

Shotgun on Robot: I'll have to take your word for it.

Pipboy Skills: No real innovation. They should have at least added a couple new skills, not just streamline existing ones.

Beth has a few things to learn about publicity. I like it when a developer has a sit down FAQ with the fans and honestly answers our questions. In fact, when they start giving us info, sometimes my opinion is improved. I don't know why Beth has been so secretive about this game. It was an insult that they didn't show the demo video last year to the people who wanted to see it most and you have to scour the internet through dozens of reviews to get tiny tidbits of information and the number of screenshots they've released since announcement has been laughable. They don't seem to see the importance in giving the fans reassurances that they won't rape our beloved franchise. This FAQ is too little too late; damage control should have been done a year ago and we've all long since built our opinions. Now that I'm done ranting:

Although I'm a little pissed about no child killing, I honestly never saw a need to do it Fallout 1 or 2. Still, it was nice to know I COULD if I so chose. Realistically though, I understand this decision. Gaming's political climate is much more volatile than it was ten years ago and they'd have a hard time selling it. But some characters can't be killed at all? That's just laziness is what that is.

Personally I think clothing giving benefits is silly. Just because I put on a lab coat doesn't mean I can cure cancer.

Traits and perks being combined sounds reasonable to me. So long as I can pick two at character creation it's fine by me. Admittedly, getting a perk every few levels was the best part of leveling up in Fallout. Getting one every level sounds like a good idea on paper, but too much of a good thing may cause it to lose it's SPECIALness.

40,000 lines of dialogue, compared to a few thousand? Are they just referring to spoken dialogue cause Fallout 2 had quite a lot but little of it was spoken. If that's the case than that's not nearly as impressive as they want to make it sound. If there's no deception to this, then I'd say that it was promising but for the recently released fact that Speech won't be as important as it was in previous games.

They better release an SDK; It's this game's only hope.

I don't expect much from AI in games anymore. So long as the AI isn't getting stuck on rocks or running headfirst into a wall like it did in Oblivion I'll be happy. Having only one follower sucks, but if they are running in circles to walk across the room in might, sadly, be a good thing.

I like that you have a choice of ethnicities to choose from, but they missed a couple. If you're gonna do four races, why not do all six? I was really hoping that having a high strength would bulk my character up. Oh, well.

 

[13pm]

Like the bar pic, it has smth fallouty in it, but though smells like some Oblivion tavern too.
Graphic level is a meh. I hope it won't look this way in the game.

As for the interview: nothing that I've not expected, except the followers stuff.

And... Dear Todd, please don't be an idiot comparing the depth of dialogue to Fallout. Thank you.

 

[DarkPhilly]

Sample of "Dialogue"

1 "I saw a raider the other day"
2 "Nasty creatures, always stealing what they don't have"
1 *Voice Changes* "Did you hear about the hero of Megaton?"
2 "Goodbye"

4 lines down, 39,996 to go!

 

[Myryad]

Sample of "Dialogue"

1 "I saw a raider the other day"
2 "Nasty creatures, always stealing what they don't have"
1 *Voice Changes* "Did you hear about the hero of Megaton?"
2 "Goodbye"

4 lines down, 39,996 to go!

And if you commit a crime in town, don't forget the good old:

"Stop right there criminal scum!"

39,995 now!

 

[Lexx]

"Rumors"

39,994 :>

 

[radnan]

dont know if anybody pointed it out but

the character seems to be

LEVEL 4

has 68 out of 250! hit points

and 83 action points....

 

[4rekl]

I generally don't mow my yard in a tuxedo, or go to an important business meeting in cutoff jeans... your point is?

That most people don't carry a wardrobe on their back.

 

[Literacy_Hooligan]

(cough) (cough) (cough)...

"Ladies and gentelmen,

I bring foward FALLOUT THRY, the game with the most choices for doing stuff ever made. Choose what you want to be:
1. A ghoul.
2. An imperial guard.
3. A good mutant called Richie.
4. Johny Depp..."

(fell asleep...)

 

[robertmuldoon]

i bought fallout in wallmart when i was 12 after playing wasteland from interplays 10th anniversary
so if wallmart had no issue with fallout one or two why a problem with killing kids in three???
didn't even brotherhood of steel stick more the the standard fallout interface???
this was pretty much all bad news to me and i was looking forward to it more than most here

 

[Myryad]

dont know if anybody pointed it out but

the character seems to be

LEVEL 4

has 68 out of 250! hit points

and 83 action points....

You're right!! 250 hit points at level 4?! and 83 ap?
How can you even spend 83 ap??

 

[H.A.D.E.S.]

dont know if anybody pointed it out but

the character seems to be

LEVEL 4

has 68 out of 250! hit points

and 83 action points....

You're right!! 250 hit points at level 4?! and 83 ap?
How can you even spend 83 ap??

Probably a nerfed char. Game developers seem to do that when they are doing a demo or something. It would be a bit embarassing if the dev playing the game would die.

 

[zioburosky13]

Bah. Bunch of pussies who scare of uneducated screaming "NO!!! You can't kill child!" storming their office and drop their sales like shit.

Rather at the adventure side, Bethesda has once again proof themselves to stick on the safe side by screwing the forerunner's idea and product,
twisting it with their own fifth and churn out a meat-by product, still has the taste yet taste nothing like the original.

In regards to essential NPCs, it works like Oblivion, in that when they "die" they get knocked "unconscious" and get up a little while later. It worked well in Oblivion, so we kept that system, as you can still attack everyone that you want, and get at least a small benefit (being able to avoid them while they are down). I will say that the number of essential characters is minute compared to Oblivion and we've gone to pretty big lengths to cover a lot of people's deaths, but sometimes that's just not possible.

Confirmed again, Fallout 3 = Oblivion with guns.

 

[generalissimofurioso]

It would be a bit embarassing if the dev playing the game would die.

They must have one hell of an Ego if dying in a game is a bad thing to them.

They should show how death affects the player (Unless they plan to cut out the whole death cutscene thing and replace it with LOAD LAST CHECKPOINT?).

In Game Informer's preview of the new James Bond game, the devs made a good point of showing that attempting to Rambo your way through the game will result in death.

 

[H.A.D.E.S.]

It would be a bit embarassing if the dev playing the game would die.

They must have one hell of an Ego if dying in a game is a bad thing to them.

They should show how death affects the player (Unless they plan to cut out the whole death cutscene thing and replace it with LOAD LAST CHECKPOINT?).

In Game Informer's preview of the new James Bond game, the devs made a good point of showing that attempting to Rambo your way through the game will result in death.

It is not probably just ego, but the fact that it would be time consuming to load especially if the save is far away.

 

[Myryad]

Probably a nerfed char. Game developers seem to do that when they are doing a demo or something. It would be a bit embarassing if the dev playing the game would die.

I really hope you're right!

 

[Lexx]

To the pipboy interface: I really HOPE, that they have learned from oblivion. I hated it to use the oblivion inventar... it sucked so much, it can not be described in words. For consoles, I bet it was ok, but wtf on the pc?

 

[Westbend]

That no shotgun. Thats a god damn, slightly modified, Russian World War 2 submachinegun, commonly called the PPSH.
Just look at these pictures and compare:
http://www.modelguns-worldwide.com/images/ppsh4.jpg
http://www.nma-fallout.com/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=2904

All they have done is moved the drum feed forward along the barrel, and attached a modern grenade launcher under the main barrel.

So now we got Chinese Assault rifles and old WW2 Soviet SMGs(that now apparantly are shotguns)?
So where the hell did all the american weapons manufacturers go?

And in relations to the rest of the Toddsters post: "Liberal and hopeful Fallout fans, we god damn well told you so."

 

[Polynikes]

I foresee everyone carrying different suits and changing them according to the situation. I want to barter? I'll use my merchant's robe. I want to repair something? I'll use my mechanic's coveralls.

I generally don't mow my yard in a tuxedo, or go to an important business meeting in cutoff jeans... your point is?

I wear the same clothes to fix my car as I wear normally. Also, there are is no clothing on the face of the planet that makes you a better mechanic, this ain't no fantasy game.

I dunno, maybe it would be FUCKING WEIRD if someone went into a shop, disrobed, put on different clothes, bought something, then disrobed and put back on his original clothes again.

 

[Xenophile]

I wear the same clothes to fix my car as I wear normally. Also, there are is no clothing on the face of the planet that makes you a better mechanic, this ain't no fantasy game.

I dunno, maybe it would be FUCKING WEIRD if someone went into a shop, disrobed, put on different clothes, bought something, then disrobed and put back on his original clothes again.

Well I can see several examples that make sense.. when I work on my house, I use a construction workers tool harness, It damn well makes me more efficient and effective. You try balancing on a ladder holding all the tools for a job without it.

Secondly.. what about a jewelers helmet with the magnifying glasses on it.. I can tell you my ability to repair small electronics is significantly augmented.

What about a welder's mask.. try welding a clean weld without one.. it's possible but significantly harder. So if the "outfits" include these types of tools/capabilities. Then I am fine with it.

Are some of them a stretch.. maybe.. we haven't actually seen the examples, but it is a game and I think it is well within the realm of possibility. Having the right suit won't make me able to repair a atomic reactor. However, having the right outfit/headgear can make me more proficient at what I already have some understanding in.

Oh.. another good example is camouflage.. it would improve your sneak skill. That's a good example of a possible skill boosting clothing.

But don't let me piss on your pity party.. just saying it's not the fantasy fallout travesty you make it out to be.

 

[Per]

when I work on my house, I use a construction workers tool harness,

Secondly.. what about a jewelers helmet with the magnifying glasses on it..

What about a welder's mask.. try welding a clean weld without one..

All of those would be represented by items, not "armour".

But don't let me piss on your pity party..

Retreating with an insult is always in style.