Fallout: Shanghai
Just put some of my random thoughts about a possible fallout game together, anyway.
- Background
Why Shanghai? Basically, why China? We already knew Chinese bombs worked pretty well on American soil, seeing what the US bombs could do to it's enemy is lots fun, as Richardson said “knock them back to the stone age”. And Shanghai, the modern icon of early 20th century of far east (not today, no), especially for its Art Deco buildings, Jazz musicians(“Rose, Rose,I Love You” by Frankie Laine, 1951, has a original chinese version), multicultural, fairly rich “right” elements to create a typical fallout post-nuclear city. Should it cover more area? Stopping follow a “bad” tendency that limits a fallout game in one pre-war city or so? Well... everybody has a reason, and there is a gap between the “old-school” and “newbie”. If sandbox experience is favored by major players, then city size fallout it is. Also, should every chinese speaks chinese, left a game has to be subtitled? Of course not, they will speak english, like in Star Wars major characters speak English rather than “Lingua franca”(did I mention “Jade Empire”?).
Because the game sets in China, far from the core region, it has few direct connections to previous games, gives more space to create original “stuff” avoid cracking canon in the west. China didn't have a counterpart to the American Vault-Tec experiment, a ghoul rich wasteland will be the result, and that's the essential difference between the two wasteland. Bring tons of new concepts suddenly to a series is risky, so, what will be left from previous fallout: The remnants of American invading forces in Yangtze; FEV creatures, the virus would have less influence in chinese soil, but surely china will offer bizarre creatures for gameplay, not “Yao Guai”, more “Dragon” perhaps. Or, set the story after 2241, Shi may cross the vast Pacific, and join the Chinese Wasteland for fun (really fun for Shi?). Personally, I really curious about what the wasteland looks like not long after Great War, and there is no fallout games so far offering a playable “2077-2161” (Interplay's FOOL, maybe). I'd like to enjoy a more chaotic early Chinese Wasteland, bring intense survival atmosphere back just like the first fallout, and more radioactive wasteland. Still, it's a story about survival. New settlements and factions emerge, slowly rebuild society base on different philosophy. Yet China has the “Red” background, a communist organization try to bring the old value back. Other groups may not accept, since the communism led to a nuclear-apocalyptic. All these provides good ingredients for conflicts.
- Factions
1. The Party
Sadly, no democracy allowed. It's most likely that communist china would not had a suitable plan to preserve whole population after a nuclear war, but for the high-rank communist party member? Sure, they may enjoy wine in some kind of vault while most Chinese turned into ashes or ghouls. Similar to Enclave, this well-preserved party will have much more military advantage over other groups, luckier than it's American counterpart, “The Party” will face easier rival in a ghoul rich wasteland. Like the Unity and Legion, The Party's motive is very clear - reclaim the mainland, but it will adopt more reasonable method to rebuild the empire(I do think Enclave in F2/F3 was too maniac). “Big Brother” sure know how to last after a nuclear devastation, the pure human will serve the inner-party member role, and mutants are fit for “labor” role. For the player? whether a revolution leader fight against dictatorship or an cruel agent of Party.
2. US Remnants
Simply can't afford a fallout game without Power Armor, we really need these American soldier boys alive to bring us T-5x and T-4x. The Yangtze Campaign concluded or not was uncertain, and the fight was surely going on in other part of China mainland. Most US soldiers would have died during the Great War, but some could remained, nice and sound, in occupied Chinese underground facilities or military bases. Compare to the “The Party”, US Remnants will less prepared to a nuclear war. They face choices too, after years of isolation, try to work with locals to get better chance to survive(like the Shi), or continue carry old world glory, fights the “Red”, bring the ultimate victory for the United States of America, you call.
3. Mozi
In the roughly same period of Confucianism emerged, the Mozism raised too, 500BC. Mozi and his organization, in fallout language can be described as a combination of Brotherhood and Follower, a religious group, mainly consist by military engineers and strategists, which believe in universal love and possess advance tech to date. They made Gatling-style crossbow, catapult, fortress, etc. They have a very unusual approach to stop a war: using technology made the defense side more powerful than the offenders, then the offender would have retreated before the actual conflict happened. They used sandbox to demonstrate battlefield to the warlords. Mozism, in many ways, was fairly “western” style compare to other oriental religions or movements, they systematical studied logic and mathematics(good-old engineers), just like the ancient Greek did. After the Chinese unification around 200BC, Mozi separated and declined, “Paladin” part of Mozi became little more than merc, and “Scribe” devoted into logic, mathematics, optics, etc, remove their military spirit, turned into ordinary scholars.
Historical yada yada stops here. Mozi will be a interesting faction in a China based fallout game, 'cause this is the most original instance with fallout-feeling would rise from the Chinese Wasteland. With universal love tradition, they won't have discrimination against ghouls(or being ghoul themselves), other mutants, or even US Remnants; yet still possess tech enthusiasm. They can be a major faction, or potential powerful ally to others, and, of course, player can alter their course pretty good. Compare to Shi, they'll have far more rich characteristic, not a “cartoon” group from 70s Hong Kong Kongfu movies.
4. Other Groups
Settlements, Shady Sands-like, Modoc-like, Junktown-like, Hub-like, or other theme towns making reference of sci-fi or old west(still, a fallout game is America game), and most importantly, keep them kind of isolated, no NCR thing. Raiders? of course, we love violent wasteland. No vaults means more ghouls, so these communities will be mainly ghouls, and a chinese “pure human” is more likely being a member of Party. Sure it will feel different from the US wasteland.
- Game Engine
Well... programming isn't my strong suit, but I do have thoughts about the engine. Does anyone love Gamebryo? …hello? Gamebryo seems like a developer-friendly engine to me, hope somebody proves me wrong. Compare the first two fallout to the recent two, the whole story is pace. Gamebryo may be awkward, but if put fallout into a fine sharped FPS engine, players from first two Fallout games (me) will still not feel so right. A “traditional” fallout fan plays F3 and FNV, just like a Civilization series fun suddenly find their turn based strategy experience became a Starcrafty RTS. Later fans who join the fallout world through Gamebryo ask different aspect from the game, more real and intense FPS experience. “Drgon Ages”, maybe. In conclusion, no Gamebryo or Gamebryo-like anymore, please. For SPECIAL, traits and skills, as long as Obsidian is the developer, it will be continually improved.
Ok... before it goes too long, that's it.
Just put some of my random thoughts about a possible fallout game together, anyway.
- Background
Why Shanghai? Basically, why China? We already knew Chinese bombs worked pretty well on American soil, seeing what the US bombs could do to it's enemy is lots fun, as Richardson said “knock them back to the stone age”. And Shanghai, the modern icon of early 20th century of far east (not today, no), especially for its Art Deco buildings, Jazz musicians(“Rose, Rose,I Love You” by Frankie Laine, 1951, has a original chinese version), multicultural, fairly rich “right” elements to create a typical fallout post-nuclear city. Should it cover more area? Stopping follow a “bad” tendency that limits a fallout game in one pre-war city or so? Well... everybody has a reason, and there is a gap between the “old-school” and “newbie”. If sandbox experience is favored by major players, then city size fallout it is. Also, should every chinese speaks chinese, left a game has to be subtitled? Of course not, they will speak english, like in Star Wars major characters speak English rather than “Lingua franca”(did I mention “Jade Empire”?).
Because the game sets in China, far from the core region, it has few direct connections to previous games, gives more space to create original “stuff” avoid cracking canon in the west. China didn't have a counterpart to the American Vault-Tec experiment, a ghoul rich wasteland will be the result, and that's the essential difference between the two wasteland. Bring tons of new concepts suddenly to a series is risky, so, what will be left from previous fallout: The remnants of American invading forces in Yangtze; FEV creatures, the virus would have less influence in chinese soil, but surely china will offer bizarre creatures for gameplay, not “Yao Guai”, more “Dragon” perhaps. Or, set the story after 2241, Shi may cross the vast Pacific, and join the Chinese Wasteland for fun (really fun for Shi?). Personally, I really curious about what the wasteland looks like not long after Great War, and there is no fallout games so far offering a playable “2077-2161” (Interplay's FOOL, maybe). I'd like to enjoy a more chaotic early Chinese Wasteland, bring intense survival atmosphere back just like the first fallout, and more radioactive wasteland. Still, it's a story about survival. New settlements and factions emerge, slowly rebuild society base on different philosophy. Yet China has the “Red” background, a communist organization try to bring the old value back. Other groups may not accept, since the communism led to a nuclear-apocalyptic. All these provides good ingredients for conflicts.
- Factions
1. The Party
Sadly, no democracy allowed. It's most likely that communist china would not had a suitable plan to preserve whole population after a nuclear war, but for the high-rank communist party member? Sure, they may enjoy wine in some kind of vault while most Chinese turned into ashes or ghouls. Similar to Enclave, this well-preserved party will have much more military advantage over other groups, luckier than it's American counterpart, “The Party” will face easier rival in a ghoul rich wasteland. Like the Unity and Legion, The Party's motive is very clear - reclaim the mainland, but it will adopt more reasonable method to rebuild the empire(I do think Enclave in F2/F3 was too maniac). “Big Brother” sure know how to last after a nuclear devastation, the pure human will serve the inner-party member role, and mutants are fit for “labor” role. For the player? whether a revolution leader fight against dictatorship or an cruel agent of Party.
2. US Remnants
Simply can't afford a fallout game without Power Armor, we really need these American soldier boys alive to bring us T-5x and T-4x. The Yangtze Campaign concluded or not was uncertain, and the fight was surely going on in other part of China mainland. Most US soldiers would have died during the Great War, but some could remained, nice and sound, in occupied Chinese underground facilities or military bases. Compare to the “The Party”, US Remnants will less prepared to a nuclear war. They face choices too, after years of isolation, try to work with locals to get better chance to survive(like the Shi), or continue carry old world glory, fights the “Red”, bring the ultimate victory for the United States of America, you call.
3. Mozi
In the roughly same period of Confucianism emerged, the Mozism raised too, 500BC. Mozi and his organization, in fallout language can be described as a combination of Brotherhood and Follower, a religious group, mainly consist by military engineers and strategists, which believe in universal love and possess advance tech to date. They made Gatling-style crossbow, catapult, fortress, etc. They have a very unusual approach to stop a war: using technology made the defense side more powerful than the offenders, then the offender would have retreated before the actual conflict happened. They used sandbox to demonstrate battlefield to the warlords. Mozism, in many ways, was fairly “western” style compare to other oriental religions or movements, they systematical studied logic and mathematics(good-old engineers), just like the ancient Greek did. After the Chinese unification around 200BC, Mozi separated and declined, “Paladin” part of Mozi became little more than merc, and “Scribe” devoted into logic, mathematics, optics, etc, remove their military spirit, turned into ordinary scholars.
Historical yada yada stops here. Mozi will be a interesting faction in a China based fallout game, 'cause this is the most original instance with fallout-feeling would rise from the Chinese Wasteland. With universal love tradition, they won't have discrimination against ghouls(or being ghoul themselves), other mutants, or even US Remnants; yet still possess tech enthusiasm. They can be a major faction, or potential powerful ally to others, and, of course, player can alter their course pretty good. Compare to Shi, they'll have far more rich characteristic, not a “cartoon” group from 70s Hong Kong Kongfu movies.
4. Other Groups
Settlements, Shady Sands-like, Modoc-like, Junktown-like, Hub-like, or other theme towns making reference of sci-fi or old west(still, a fallout game is America game), and most importantly, keep them kind of isolated, no NCR thing. Raiders? of course, we love violent wasteland. No vaults means more ghouls, so these communities will be mainly ghouls, and a chinese “pure human” is more likely being a member of Party. Sure it will feel different from the US wasteland.
- Game Engine
Well... programming isn't my strong suit, but I do have thoughts about the engine. Does anyone love Gamebryo? …hello? Gamebryo seems like a developer-friendly engine to me, hope somebody proves me wrong. Compare the first two fallout to the recent two, the whole story is pace. Gamebryo may be awkward, but if put fallout into a fine sharped FPS engine, players from first two Fallout games (me) will still not feel so right. A “traditional” fallout fan plays F3 and FNV, just like a Civilization series fun suddenly find their turn based strategy experience became a Starcrafty RTS. Later fans who join the fallout world through Gamebryo ask different aspect from the game, more real and intense FPS experience. “Drgon Ages”, maybe. In conclusion, no Gamebryo or Gamebryo-like anymore, please. For SPECIAL, traits and skills, as long as Obsidian is the developer, it will be continually improved.
Ok... before it goes too long, that's it.
