Game Informer interviews Todd Howard

[Brother None]

The latest issue of Game Informer includes a one page interview with Todd Howard about Fallout 3, with a load of screenshots we've already seen on the other page, plus one new screenshot of the main character shooting a ghoul in the crotch with what appears to be an uzi. I'm not being facetious, that's what the screenshot looks like.

Anyway, the questions cover some old ground, including once again trying to clear up the multiple endings thing, a lot of comparisons to Oblivion (will it be an open world? Yes. Will there be non-quest location-based encounters? Yes). Anyway.<blockquote>Has it been difficult to find a balance between open aiming and the tactical V.A.T.S. system? Will it be possible to play the game without tapping into V.A.T.S.?

We've been tweaking it, but it's been going pretty smoothly. You can play the game without ever using V.A.T.S., but you'll miss some of the more fun moments. We have people who play the game here and some use V.A.T.S. exclusively and some never use it. My hope is that the average player will use it about 50 percent of the time. The two modes are meant to complement each other.

Outside of Megaton, what's an example of how the game might be different upon replay

Without spoiling anything, I can say that the game changes pretty dramatically based on two main things: whether you are good or evil, and the skills you choose. It makes for very different experiences.</blockquote>QJ.net also offers some coverage on game informer (Thanks Serifan), though the "now at 500 different endings" (read: permutations) thing isn't actually new, that was true a few previews ago. QJ basically summarizes the answers Todd Howard gives in the interview.

 

[iridium_ionizer]

Without spoiling anything, I can say that the game changes pretty dramatically based on two main things: whether you are good or evil, and the skills you choose. It makes for very different experiences.

So does that mean good and evil is a global variable and not centered around factions or locations.

Also that's pretty cool that the game changes based on your skills. Especially since we've had practically barely any assurances of non-combat strategies being effective quest completing strategies. Has anyone even mentioned stealth options or repair/science skills being able to solve a quest, not just crafting or stealing items.

Didn't Oblivion have pretty screwed up stealth play? It wasn't always great in Fallout, but you'd think that in a game without 4-pixel high chairs, such as Oblivion, would have stealth gameplay as good as in the original Thief.

And while I'm sure there will be dialogue options for some of the conflict resolution, when the world of Fallout 3 has so many unavoidable enemies (who won't talk to you), you have to wonder how effective a diplomatic character would be.

 

[Jiggly McNerdington]

Oblivion's stealth was pretty decent, and like everything else in the game, can be made better with mods. There's a particularly cool mod called "Thieves' arsenal" I think it was, that adds items from the Thief series. Gas arrows, climbable rope arrows, a blackjack, water arrows that can knock out most lights. It's pretty damn neat.

'course, Oblivion wasn't made for all that, so it isn't as well integrated as in a Thief game, but it's still fun to play with.

 

[Tagaziel]

Without spoiling anything, I can say that the game changes pretty dramatically based on two main things: whether you are good or evil, and the skills you choose. It makes for very different experiences.

So does that mean good and evil is a global variable and not centered around factions or locations.

It was the same in Ye Olde Fallout.

 

[Sander]

Let's see how many people get the shift from 200 to 500 endings as meaning that they added 300 full endings instead of one 3-way choice or so.

Also, this changing the game based on skills bit sounds like a form of level scaling - making your choices irrelevant again.
Unless he means that the game content itself won't change but that you'll have to approach problems differently.

 

[Eyenixon]

Without spoiling anything, I can say that the game changes pretty dramatically based on two main things: whether you are good or evil, and the skills you choose. It makes for very different experiences.

So does that mean good and evil is a global variable and not centered around factions or locations.

It was the same in Ye Olde Fallout.

Ye Olde Falloute.

Crotch uzis? Uzis in the crotch? I need to see this screenshot.

 

[junkevil]

Unless he means that the game content itself won't change but that you'll have to approach problems differently.

thats how i read it. i'm hoping anyways...

 

[Ravager69]

Lol Todd - in u.r fallauts, dumbin' ur mechnics.

 

[Section8]

Oblivion's stealth was pretty decent, and like everything else in the game, can be made better with mods. There's a particularly cool mod called "Thieves' arsenal" I think it was, that adds items from the Thief series. Gas arrows, climbable rope arrows, a blackjack, water arrows that can knock out most lights. It's pretty damn neat.

Oblivion's stealth was painfully simplistic, and not even up to the standard of "part-time" sneakers, like Summoner, Soldier of Fortune 2, Return to Castle Wolfenstein, System Shock 2, Arx Fatalis, Dark Messiah, Deus Ex, NOLF, Terra Nova, Pirates! etc.

• Precious few scripted encounters - Somewhat forgivable given the game's scope, but much of what made Thief good was the interplay of patrols, the timing of actions and most importantly, the tension the player feels when the game requires urgency. Oblivion completely lacks this, with most encounters being little more than a couple of interconnected rooms with 3 or 4 enemies wandering aimlessly. Even the dedicated "sneaky" guilds have few missions requiring any skillful sneaking. It's generally more about using fairly obvious mechanics on the behalf of the quest designer.
• Pause for lockpicking - The whole gamestate pauses whenever a player picks a lock. There's no frantic looking over your shoulder, no ear cocked to the ground listening for footsteps. No urgency, no pressure, no excitement.
• No need for thieves' tools - Even though there are mod to add specialist arrows, flash bombs and so forth - there's no need for them. The game doesn't really account for such complexities. The worst offense is the physics engine being completely removed from gameplay. You can't even toss objects to distract guards. Astounding.
• No worthwhile rewards - The level scaling basically ensures that even if you do masterfully plan a skillful robbery of the local Fighter's Guild - the best you can hope for is a worthless replica of something precious.
• Poorly designed AI interactions - The AI is designed to be oblivious of your actions if you one-shot someone while sneaking, which results in unintentional hilarity such as this notorious video.

'course, Oblivion wasn't made for all that, so it isn't as well integrated as in a Thief game, but it's still fun to play with.

I'll take your word for it, but I think painstakingly setting up Oblivion Dominoes sounds like more fun than dicking with underdeveloped stealth gameplay.

Without spoiling anything, I can say that the game changes pretty dramatically based on two main things: whether you are good or evil, and the skills you choose. It makes for very different experiences.

Not that I really place much faith in the veracity of any statement from a Bethesda employee, does this sound to me like they've already forgotten that "neutrality" thing they banged on about for a brief period last year? As for the "very different experiences", colour me unconvinced. I'm expecting the game to bore you in slightly different ways, much like Oblivion.

 

[Eyenixon]

Without spoiling anything, I can say that the game changes pretty dramatically based on two main things: whether you are good or evil, and the skills you choose. It makes for very different experiences.

Not that I really place much faith in the veracity of any statement from a Bethesda employee, does this sound to me like they've already forgotten that "neutrality" thing they banged on about for a brief period last year? As for the "very different experiences", colour me unconvinced. I'm expecting the game to bore you in slightly different ways, much like Oblivion.

Listen, we all have our doubts about this game Fallout 3, but for god's sake, can we do something other than nitpick at every tiny little obscurity? It's called human speech right here.

We don't analyze every factor of each sentence we speak at every moment, Todd, though douchebag he may be, was speaking like anyone else does, in short concise sentences.
Of course, he's going to omit things, he's not absolutely concerned about fluently including every aspect of his game while making sure not to contradict himself.

 

[Brother None]

We don't analyze every factor of each sentence we speak at every moment, Todd, though douchebag he may be, was speaking like anyone else does, in short concise sentences.
Of course, he's going to omit things, he's not absolutely concerned about fluently including every aspect of his game while making sure not to contradict himself.

That's not how any PR department works, let alone the Bethesda department. They're professionals and damn well pick their words with care.

 

[katja86]

Outside of Megaton, what's an example of how the game might be different upon replay

Without spoiling anything, I can say that the game changes pretty dramatically based on two main things: whether you are good or evil, and the skills you choose.

Is Megaton the only example of this he can give? When he's asked specifically for another example, he just dodges the question. It's like they can't release any new information without filtering it through a bunch of fawning magazines/game review sites first.

 

[PlanHex]

Is Megaton the only example of this he can give? When he's asked specifically for another example, he just dodges the question. It's like they can't release any new information without filtering it through a bunch of fawning magazines/game review sites first.

Or maybe they don't want to spoil everything months prior to the release.
Also, I'm pretty sure this is one of those fawning magazines.

Maybe we'll get some more info the next time they unleash the preview flood.

 

[katja86]

Or maybe they don't want to spoil everything months prior to the release.
Also, I'm pretty sure this is one of those fawning magazines.

Maybe we'll get some more info the next time they unleash the preview flood.

Good point. Guess there's enough I'm suspicious of in F3 that I don't need to be angry with a PR guy for being a PR guy.

 

[Morbus]

Good/Evil FTW!

:brainfart:

 

[Brother None]

Also, I'm pretty sure this is one of those fawning magazines.

Game Informer got the exclusive previews for both Oblivion and Fallout 3. You don't even have to mildly distrust the gaming media to know those guys are in Bethesda's pocket, probably under contract. That's just how it works.

 

[PlanHex]

Ah yes, the ones who unleashed the Fatman.
I guess that makes them the quintessential fawning magazine then.

 

[Brother None]

Ok, this is kind of weird, but I completely read over this intro

Cute nod.

 

[Dracon M'Alkir]

@Kharn: Better to be feared then loved, eh?

You can play the game without ever using V.A.T.S

Hey! So it is a first person shooter! Fantastic. At least you had the courage to say so.

 

[Brother None]

You can play the game without ever using V.A.T.S

Hey! So it is a first person shooter! Fantastic. At least you had the courage to say so.

I actually thought this bit was weird. Because before this, they used to say you can't really finish the game start-to-finish fulltime in V.A.T.S. mode, as you're bound to run out of ammo.

Not sure why the about-face.