CVG Fallout 3 preview

Sander

Sander

This ghoul has seen it all
Staff member
Admin
Orderite
And yet another preview hits the web. This time CVG's Will Porter takes a look at the game. <blockquote> This much is incontrovertible, the open-world structure of Oblivion was sometimes seamless to play through and the AI-driven daily routines of Cyrodiil's denizens a delight to play around with. The same will be true of Fallout 3, when you're out in the wastes.

"You could be walking along and there'll be a diner off to the side, you'll wonder what's over there - and it'll turn out to be a Raider base and there's mutated bodies hanging from the ceiling," explains Hines.

"Suddenly the Raiders could show up - and that's just due to the time of day. If you want to play the game hardcore, you can sit and wait and watch these guys over a period of time and figure out what their schedule is - go in while they're out, or when they're sleeping."</blockquote>
So - they've got scheduling...
<blockquote>In the new scenes on show in Pete Hines' presentation, the improvement was marked - when bickering with a childhood bully there are at least six or seven different retorts to your foe, for example.

We're also promised that there are at least 60 voice actors and that the more recognisable ones from Oblivion ('You have my ear, citizen!') haven't made the cut. Hines reckons they've nixed the old chestnut of conversation between NPCs being stilted and dull to boot.
[..]
"When they talk to each other they can do it by name," he explains. "They understand that this person is someone they have a certain sort of relationship with, and so they can talk about a certain set of things. </blockquote>
...and conversation is more realistic.
Link: CVG Fallout 3 preview
 
This much is incontrovertible, the open-world structure of Oblivion was sometimes seamless to play through and the AI-driven daily routines of Cyrodiil's denizens a delight to play around with. The same will be true of Fallout 3, when you're out in the wastes.
Click to expand...
So Oblivion's crappy AI turned back into wondrous to play with?

Also, why do they try to make scheduling sound original and unique?
 
Sander said:
So Oblivion's crappy AI turned back into wondrous to play with?
Click to expand...

Yeah, probably "wondrous to play with" as in "epic lulz" and what is even better is that the same will be true of Fallout 3 !
 
he can't mean playing the game with the radiant AI..

All I can think of is maybe he's refering to "playing with the AI" by stealthily shooting a random passer-by and causing small riots among the retarded npcs as they all kill whoever was closest to them and people who were previously their allies 5 seconds earlier.

It's "previews" like this that make me completely ignore the opinions and products of an entire multi platform gaming publication like CVG.
 
Scheduling isn't a bad thing per se, but you can't replace a fully AI with it, like Bethesda seem to have tried in Oblivion ....
Another 'alignment modifier' toward each other (as described) is a step forward, but i won't change a damn thing if they then also have 3 differet lines to say to each other 'Greetings! *clear cut* I hope you gonna die! [Random insult].'
So let's wait for new informations...

Interesting how Hines tries to built up a link between CoD4 and F3 in one of his comments. Good RP-strategy i think.

"We made our reputation by doing big and crazy - things people hadn't tried before. We feel that we've gotten good at it now."
What does he mean with this? I only now 2 games from Bethesda Morrowing and Oblivion, and they truly hadn't anything, what nobody tried before?

A meh preview...
 
Bad_Karma said:
Scheduling isn't a bad thing per se, but you can't replace a fully AI with it, like Bethesda seem to have tried in Oblivion ....
Click to expand...
No one is saying scheduling is a bad thing, just that it isn't a new thing.
Bad_Karma said:
Another 'alignment modifier' toward each other (as described) is a step forward, but i won't change a damn thing if they then also have 3 differet lines to say to each other 'Greetings! *clear cut* I hope you gonna die! [Random insult].'
So let's wait for new informations...
Click to expand...
According to this preview they'll talk about their common acquaintances and current events. No idea as to how true that is.
 
Surely it's not a new thing. But i wasn't answering anyone with.

According to this preview they'll talk about their common acquaintances and current events. No idea as to how true that is.
Click to expand...
Yeah, i guess they wouldn't mention that, if Bethesda didn't add anything to the oblivion system.
As i said, it will only be another annoyance if it's done like the dialoges the NPC had with each other in Oblivion.

It don't change a lot if you have 2 more options for every part of a stupid 'random generated dialoge lines'-NPC conversation. Mathematically it might make a lot more possible dialoges, but if i hear the tenth time "I hate you moron - but let me tell you something, i saw a gaint cockroach the other day" i will still get angry ;)
 
So let's just cut to the meat and reveal that when you're born, a left-click of your mouse will make you cry.
Click to expand...

Might be the first time someone said "left-click of your mouse" rather than "the A-button on your Xbox controller".

Anyway, pretty bare-bones preview. I'd expect a big Fallout fan like Will Porter to focus more on dialogue, but he skipped it wholesale. Kind of weird.

And yeah, we've heard these promises before.

Also, what's up with this paragraph...

Time will tell, but the (admittedly max-ammo and max-stimpack) jaunt through the DC trenches didn't allay any fears. Fallout 3 will still be roleplaying game of the year. After all - it's got Dogmeat in it!
Click to expand...

Uh...what?

"It didn't allay any fears...GAME OF THE YEAR!"

What?

That's like saying "the showing of this car didn't allay any fears about its bad handling....CAR OF THE YEAR!"

Either my English is bad, or theirs is, or that's just shoddy editing.
 
Time will tell, but the (admittedly max-ammo and max-stimpack) jaunt through the DC trenches didn't allay any fears. Fallout 3 will still be roleplaying game of the year. After all - it's got Dogmeat in it!
Click to expand...

I dunno... I read it as, we were invulnerable and had unlimited ammo, so there was no edge-of-your-seat play. But it's still the game of the year... since dogmeat is in it.

Uhg. You know, I wish Dogmeat wasn't in this game. That's all people seem to talk about. "hey! we're being true to the series because F3 has a dog that existed on the other side of the country!" So... nothing to do with the originals + dogmeat = epic win.
 
Your interpretation is prolly right, there, Mansack.

Mansack said:
Uhg. You know, I wish Dogmeat wasn't in this game. That's all people seem to talk about. "hey! we're being true to the series because F3 has a dog that existed on the other side of the country!" So... nothing to do with the originals + dogmeat = epic win.
Click to expand...

Eh, it's a cute tribute.

It's being pimped as much as Patrick Stewart was for Oblivion. Maybe Stewart will voice Dogmeat.
 
"When they talk to each other they can do it by name," he explains. "They understand that this person is someone they have a certain sort of relationship with, and so they can talk about a certain set of things.
Click to expand...

In other words, beth spent a lot of time and money on these particular NPC's so they could have unique conversations. Good luck being able to kill them. Or maybe just the children will have conversations so it's impossible for them to die.
 
Honestly, I think that scheduling stuff will be crippled like the whole Radian AI. Bet there'll be psychic raiders always knowing where you are - you make a false move and whole goddamn Wasteland is on your heels trying to kill you. Or each other, if one npc will hit another by accident.
 
Only a handfull of retarded interviewers have seen the game preview but the public hasn't seen any footage yet. Game of the year right there, yeah good stuff. :clap: I can't wait. :|
 
Mansack said:
In other words, beth spent a lot of time and money on these particular NPC's so they could have unique conversations. Good luck being able to kill them. Or maybe just the children will have conversations so it's impossible for them to die.
Click to expand...

Not quite, we only got told, that they know each others names and are able to call each other by them, have a set list of topics and have some relation-variable.
And the second and the third (topic list; relation variables) are things, i'm quite sure were also in Oblivion, but it wasn't developed very deep...
So fazit: He tells us that they are doing better as in oblivion, but nothing more, i would say ;)
 
"When they talk to each other they can do it by name," he explains. "They understand that this person is someone they have a certain sort of relationship with, and so they can talk about a certain set of things.
Click to expand...

"Overseer, have you seen those mud crabs ? They're everywhere !"
"Yes, Vault Citizen, I agree with what you said."

(long pause, both staring at wall)

"Vault Citizen, I enjoy talking with you."
"Yes Overseer, I agree with what you said."
 
*pukes*

I'd rather have them not talk to each other. Let's hope that it was not just hype and they actually really improved their A.I...
 
Guess we are going to hear a lot of disjointed conversations about how people saw a Super Mutant or Rad Scorpion.

BTW, are there scorpions on the US East Coast?
 
Ranne said:
The Dutch Ghost said:
BTW, are there scorpions on the US East Coast?
Click to expand...

Do cockroaches qualify?
Click to expand...

We have plenty of both, though neither are a match for the fire ants :(

ALSO: a bunch of negative Nancies, the lot of you! I can see factional disputes breaking out between NPCs on the fly, and me loving it. Imagine you could also intervene on the fly and influence the outcome, which also adjusts your in-game standing with both factions accordingly. A real-time, emergent Yojimbo metagame. It would add a little pizazz to the standard "do quests for faction X" mechanic to gain favor, not to mention more flexibility to roam the shades of grey.

I'm all for them trying, anyway.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top