Kotaku: Fallout 3 is broken

[Briosafreak]

Oh yeah Europa has been around for ages now.

 

[Viliny]

Also, I wish people would stop relating to Tim Buckley as 'Buckley'. That last name, also shared by a certain musical genius, is just too sacred to be synonimous to crap like CTRL-ALT-DEL.

What would you suggest instead? "That-dickweed-from-cad" ?
edit: i think "tim buckley" uses that name _because_ of that artist... it's not his real name if i remember correctly

Im relatively new to the forums but i played the old fallouts when they came out and enjoyed the hell out of them... was a bit too young to get it all but still enjoyed them alot.
(This in response to new members being bethesda loving trolls)

I don't like bethesda at all and i think Fallout 3 is just plain bad.

However my install of pc fallout 3 is pretty crashfree and stable.
But quest npcs disappearing for good or temporarily is a bit annoying.

 

[Typhoon]

What the heck is wrong with you? Why would you ever argue this?

Do you work for Bethesda? Most likely not, given your location. Do you have Bethesda stock? Most likely not, because from your post I'm guessing you're somewhere between 13 and 16 years old.

What possible gain could you gather by defending, of all things, OF ALL THINGS, bugs? Who would defend bugs?
I don't think I, ever in my life, observed a consumer defending flaws in a product. Never. Heck, I think this must be a world-wide unicum!

That sure are alot of questions. If you're that interested in me, I must have posted something that hurt your feelings, I guess. I'd rather prefered if you ignored me in the first place instead of bashing me.

I like Bethesda's Games, thats all. Like it or not. I don't defend bugs, I hate them. But I have the ability to get the good things out of stuff. Not only seeing whats bad and whinig about it. I'm 34 years old, btw. However, age doesn't really matter here anyway.

You haven't seen someone like me before? Well, I guess you haven't lived for that many years on this planet yourself. Or haven't been around much.

 

[aronsearle]

There sure are bugs in the game. Alot. But every Game has bugs. Live with it.

But I have the ability to get the good things out of stuff. Not only seeing whats bad and whinig about it.

Like i said, customers deserve to be screwed over, because they not only put up with flaws, they accept them, and see complaints as akin to whining

 

[Jebus]

I like Bethesda's Games, thats all. Like it or not. I don't defend bugs, I hate them. But I have the ability to get the good things out of stuff. Not only seeing whats bad and whinig about it.

I got the good things out of FO3 too. I played it, and actually finished it too (was kinda hard since I got incredibly bored after about 25h in-game). I'm the first person to be able to seperate the good from the bad, judge them for their own merits, and make judgments accordingly - instead of resorting too knee-jerk reactions whenever I see something bad (well, at least in real life I am. See the arguments with my girlfriend for reference).

This does NOT, however, mean that this makes these flaws in any way acceptable or, even worse, defendeable. Let's use a downtrodden analogy here: if I bought a new car, an awesome machine with great looks and a great engine, but my left weels keep falling off - then I sure as hell would not defend the fact that those weels keep popping off! While this woulnd't mean that the rest of the car is total crap because of these flaws, it doesn't mean that these flaws are in any way excuseable.

And that goes for any flaw this game has.

You haven't seen someone like me before? Well, I guess you haven't lived for that many years on this planet yourself. Or haven't been around much.

Not in real life, no. Tho' the internets seem to swarm with your kind.

 

[Typhoon]

Not in real life, no. Tho' the internets seem to swarm with your kind.

We're not bad persons. We just have another opinion.

I absolutely agree with you (to get back to the original topic), that there are bad bugs in the game. Reeeally baaad bugs. Though I'm lucky that my one and only Char didn't ran into many of them in the 90-some hours I played (some occasional crashes, some visual errors), its of course damn frustrating when one is stuck or can't finish a quest.

While different players might experience different bugs, its natural that some will be annoyed like hell and quit the game, because they feel like wasting time and money.

But my personal opinion is, that this game is a Masterpiece. Even though I completely hate how the combat works.

 

[Buxbaum666]

Please explain what exactly it is that makes this game a masterpiece. The dialog? The story? The animations?

 

[rcorporon]

There sure are bugs in the game. Alot. But every Game has bugs. Live with it.
I don't even think F3 has as many bugs as F2, however, F3 is more complex and the graphics are a million times better.

So because FO2 had bugs, it's okay for FO3 to have them?

Why would anybody possibly believe this?

"Just because the game is broke, doesn't give you the right to complain!"... Sheesh.

If I buy a car, and the airbags don't work, I have every right to complain that the car company has to fix it.

 

[fedaykin]

Moreover, how can you call it a masterpiece whilst admitting that you completely hate the combat?

 

[Zumbs]

There is a cost-benefit trade off for developers when it comes to releasing software. If you want fewer bugs, you are going to have to either cut back on the number of features, or increase production costs. Increased production costs translates to more expensive software. So, a central question is would you (the customer) pay more $$ for fewer bugs?

Let's use a downtrodden analogy here: if I bought a new car, an awesome machine with great looks and a great engine, but my left weels keep falling off - then I sure as hell would not defend the fact that those weels keep popping off! While this woulnd't mean that the rest of the car is total crap because of these flaws, it doesn't mean that these flaws are in any way excuseable.

No offense, but the car analogy is pretty bad. Why? Let's compare prices (where I live):

New car: $40,000
New PC game: $75

A more reasonable analogy would be if you bought a new DVD player, that in some cases would refuse to play your DVD's (even if the region code were the right one).

Moreover, how can you call it a masterpiece whilst admitting that you completely hate the combat?

I find that a bit strange too ... but I have seen it a lot on the net. I have read a number of reviews on IMDB that stated a number of bad things in the movie, but still gave it 10/10.

 

[Ranne]

There is a cost-benefit trade off for developers when it comes to releasing software. If you want fewer bugs, you are going to have to either cut back on the number of features, or increase production costs. Increased production costs translates to more expensive software. So, a central question is would you (the customer) pay more $$ for fewer bugs?

One of the most ridiculous things I've ever read on NMA.

 

[Pope Viper]

I have to agree with Ranne. You honestly think customers should either pay additionally for a product that requires fixing, or accept the product as flawed?

Would you pay extra in order to ensure your car's wheels didn't fall off?

 

[Typhoon]

Hello...? Why are people putting words in my mouth? I don't say I like broken games or anything. I'm saying bugs are bad. But! Bugs are real. They are everywhere. You can't stop 'em!
So, I learned to live with it without getting angry too much. Thats also better for my health, you know. I think some games are worth my money. Even if they might seem unfinished.

The reason I say F3 is a Masterpiece is: The visual experience, the sound and music, spoken dialogue, the possibilities how to behave as the player and alot of things more I forgot to mention, MAKE UP for the bad sides in the game.

Thats my personal opinion. Bad combat or not, I like it. Whats so strange about that?

Its getting harder and harder to make computer games. The companies need more money, manpower and time to finish projects than 10 years ago.

I don't like this pseudo-democracy and kapitalism shit. Game developers are just like any other company. They have to earn specific amounts of money in short times. Thats how our society works. You don't get alot of freebies. Want a epic, bugfree game for small money? Write it yourself.

 

[Zumbs]

There is a cost-benefit trade off for developers when it comes to releasing software. If you want fewer bugs, you are going to have to either cut back on the number of features, or increase production costs. Increased production costs translates to more expensive software. So, a central question is would you (the customer) pay more $$ for fewer bugs?

One of the most ridiculous things I've ever read on NMA.

Debugging cost money, testing cost money. As I stated, it either comes from fewer features (ie. fewer quests, fewer NPCs, worse graphics) or from more expensive games. I fail to see how that can be considered "ridiculous".

I have to agree with Ranne. You honestly think customers should either pay additionally for a product that requires fixing, or accept the product as flawed?

Would you pay extra in order to ensure your car's wheels didn't fall off?

I would claim that you *do* pay extra to ensure that your car's wheels stay where they should - saving $10,000 (or whatever) on your car simply isn't worth having wheels falling off every second mile (not to mention that selling such a car would probably result in charges being filed against the seller and/or manufacturer). The testing of your new and shiny car is *included* in the price (same thing goes for your new and shiny game).

From the game publishers point of view, publishing a flawed game (as opposed to use another ½ year of debugging) brings in money faster, and thereby increases profits. By purchasing flawed games, gamers reward this practice. It is a sad fact. Please do *not* see my post as condoning this practice - I simply try to contribute some facts of life to a discussion that seems to be going in circles.

 

[PlanHex]

(not to mention that selling such a car would probably result in charges being filed against the seller and/or manufacturer)

Ahhh, I get it!
Lawsuit against Bethesda, here I come!

 

[UncannyGarlic]

Dancing? No, i've already addressed that more than 4 times in this thread, go back and read because i'm tired of repeating myself. Thanks.

Humor us, write it again or quote yourself.

Bugs are real. They are everywhere. You can't stop 'em!

Better tell all of those companies which create patches to fix their products that those products are futile because the bugs are unstoppable. Bugs are never acceptable and never something that the developer can just ignore and not fix and claim that they have a great product.

 

[Cimmerian Nights]

Thanks Typhoon, I'm beginning to understand why companies continue to get away with making shit games.

 

[TorontoReign]

It looks like they are referring to some fictional Fallout PnP game with overcomplicated mechanics.

GURPS?

It's NOT broken on his, mine or many other people's PC. It IS broken on many other other people's PC : ).

I wonder what is so miraculous about "our" PCs that the game is mostly stable and bugfree.

Coincidence.

My PC only reaches the minimum requirements of Fallout 3, but it is fully updated on drivers, doesn't run a lot of background programs that could possibly conflict, and hasn't had any issue running games like Far Cry 2 (the Far Cry 2 game-stopping bug aside, but that's not a hardware conflict) - which, by the way, doesn't just "not crash", it also runs a lot more smoothly than Fallout 3 on higher graphical settings.

Look, I'm getting a bit tired of this broken record act: Fallout 3 was broken on release and desperately needs patches on all platforms it has been released on. I don't know if you're actually trying to imply that somehow this is the fault of people's PCs, but if you are: you're wrong.

And I really don't get this stubborn denial of a simple fact. Feedback simply shows it having major technical issues on all 3 platforms. To deny that would be like denying Fable II and Far Cry 2 have game-stopping bugs just because you didn't run into them, or like claiming STALKER CS is fine just because it ran fine for you. Is that seriously what you want to claim?

I personally haven't encountered any crashes or crazy bugs, but I do understand that Bethesda is notorious for releasing unfinished, buggy games. Now to the reason I posted:

What are the game stopping bugs in Fable 2 and Farcry 2? Are they only on Pc or all platforms?

 

[Brother None]

What are the game stopping bugs in Fable 2 and Farcry 2? Are they only on Pc or all platforms?

Far Cry 2 has a bug where if you freed a buddy before you get the mission to do so, you'll sometimes still get the mission, but you can no longer open the house he's in and finish the mission. You can't progress the main mission line anymore, so it's a game-ending bug. I ran into on PC, don't know if it's cross-platform. Googling made me find out I wasn't the only one to run into it but I don't know how common it is.

Fable II I haven't played and I hear it has more than one bug that might mess up the main quest, but the one I'm talking about is the Abbot bug, which Lionhead jumped up as priority immediately.

 

[Monolith2013]

Oh yeah Europa has been around for ages now.

It's nice to see old faces Brio.

Tell you what, there's always going to be issues with whatever a company produces with a FO label on it, but it is nice to see the community pop with activity again.

Btw, whatever happened to KrazyKat? Anyone know?

Brio, has anyone done a "Where are they now" piece? That'd be interesting. Wonder where Herve is right at this very moment.... *let your imagination run wild*