RE: Proposed open letter to Interplay: (repost here)
Any additions and suggestion? Undoubtedly Interplay in some way, shape, or form, will see this. But I can almost guarantee that this will appear on more than a few news sites that are indeed faithful to the promise and vision that Fallout, the 'post-apocalyptic role-playing game', offered to those who remembered the legacy of Wasteland and other good CRPGs in a P&P fashion. All depending if a MMORPG is announced or not.
Perhaps NMA could stand for 'No Mages Allowed'?
Arcanum looks like a good game to follow now, since we'll most likely be doing news on 'Fallout: Interceptor, a post-apocalyptic spaceship-fighting simulation' next.
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An open letter to Interplay and Brian Fargo from the old-school fans of Fallout:
Fallout Is Dead.
Well, at least what it used to stand for. Back when it was first announced, I eagerly awaited with glee alongside of the rest of the RPG gaming community that knew what a great game was. Back in the times of Wasteland and for a few more years, there was a plethora of RPG games out. Then...nothing. The returned 'rise' of RPGs came in the form of Diablo, which redefined 'CRPG' into nothing more than a stat-driven slashfest. Then came it's clones, and a slew of other games that were ultimately weak in what they promised. Very few other good CRPG series were still in existance, reduced to the status of 'sleepers'.
Then, released around 1997, there was a game released that was so amazingly built and reminiscent of the other great in it's niche genre, Wasteland. Fallout was a shining champion of the CRPG genre, returning to the roots and meaning of the CRPG genre. A game where you could play in various ways, do what you wanted to an extent with circumstances, with a setting and story that was so compelling. Where is the continued support of such, besides a cross-genre game so far that has apparently disregarded the previous Fallout games in terms of looks of the technology and also the concept art? There's nothing in there that resembles the feel of the old ones, save for perhaps Robco Pipboy. Yes, we're given that, and the possibility of an MMORPG.
By Gamers, For Profit.
Fallout's name means nothing anymore, nor the ideals it stood for. No longer does it mean a post-apocalyptic role-playing game, where you fought and survived in the Mad Max scenario and setting. It's now going to become a sad 'me too' in the online genre of MMORPG that is the definitive antithesis of what Fallout was. If other online games were looked at, even the one that does keep it's content regularly fresh (Asheron's Call), it still pales to the depth of Fallout. It would resemble Fallout in a mere superficiality. It wouldn't have the element of a wasteland, because there would be thousands of people running around, camping spawn points, running quests, whatever. It would have it's name, the looks, but nothing else. There has been major MMORPG games over the last two to three years, and not one has been able to successfully capture the promise of setting. Even the aformentioned Asheron's Call can't keep the promise of setting, because the main selling audience of these games has changed from the MUD days of old.
No longer is it programming majors, it's every teen and their kid brother - who only think the purpose of the game is to trash-talk and kill everything that moves. Yes, let's reduce Fallout to their playground. The mere thought of that to the old-school, the people who Fallout was created for (believe it or not), sickens them. We understand the point of making money, and how necessary it is, though Fallout could not have been called a failure. There's a couple of terms that will undoubtedly be cried and quite validly. 'Sell-out' is one of them, 'bandwagon-jumper' is another. It may very well be argued that Fallout Online or any other derivitive spin-off isn't going to ruin the RPG Fallout, but it's going to change the public eye. It comes as a bit of a shock that Brian Fargo, one of the designers of Wasteland, would consider this. It looks to us that the vision is gone and dead, and the pocketbook is the only thing that matters anymore.
Already people, from looking at the Fallout Tactics game, think that Fallout means a futuristic kill-fest. "Where's the post-apocalyptic RPG feel?", we ask these people in hopes they might understand a bit of Fallout. "Huh? Post-apocalyptic? What's that? It's an RPG; you have stats and you kill stuff." is the reply we recieve. We explain, but they do not understand, the image of a futuristic kill-fest still sticking firm in the forepart of their mind. Quite a few of us believe that they'd still think it was a 'futuristic kill-fest' even after playing the full version of Fallout Tactics. Much less the meaning of an RPG. To us, this is a clear indication that Fallout has already lost it's meaning, and thusly is dead. It's rotting corpse is now being licensed out.
Fallout-on-a-Stick. Price? Three caps.
The Wasteland Has Devoured Us All.
Many calls for another good Fallout, a true Fallout, have been made. Apparently, they have fallen upon deaf ears. Promises upon promises are made, and employees of Interplay have said on message boards that the Fallout franchise has been deemed too valuable to let go. But we see where this franchise is going, and the old-school are not amused in the least. Fallout was a favorite game. The sequel was a little weak, due to a loss in some of the tightness of story the first one had, and the dark feel. It was still good, however. The old-school are perhaps going to try the new games, think of how it may be disheartening for them to see so many spin-offs and entire reason they are a fan of this game apparently tossed out the window in a flimsy cellophane wrapper while their own desires are sold to the highest bidder.
The Purpose Of This Letter.
A strong voice, perhaps a strong opinion is needed to finally get it across that the tried and true fans that have been following this series ever since the release of Wasteland DON'T want these spin-offs. We DON'T want 'Fallout: The FPS', 'Fallout: The Racer', or even 'Fallout: The Toilet Paper'. Much less an online game. It has disgusted many of us in how a great game is being turned into a cash cow and marketing potential. It's disgusting to see that the name and meaning of Fallout is being skewed under the pretense of 'drawing more people into the Fallout fan-base'. (Author's Note: My ass it is. To say that is either naive or wishful thinking.) It's widely regarded to skewing the name of Fallout into something it isn't. On some other gaming forums, Fallout is regarded as a tactics game now, entirely. The series doesn't mean 'a post-apocalyptic role-playing game' in singularity or entirety to them. It has combat, and since the latest one is fully combat, then the meaning of the entire series must be combat. To go into a MMORPG, would only reaffirm such, because thre's only .1% of the population on any other MMORPG that cares to do any role-playing in any form. It's all about killing and hunting stuff. That's not what Fallout has come to mean to us.
So quite a few of the old fans of this series are getting quite leery and nauseous in how the series is seeming to be pandered down to 'lowest common denominator'. Not the fans, but the almighty dollar.
If a MMORPG is to be the next degeneration of Fallout, it is quite highly predicted the old fans will likely leave the Fallout fandom and go towards those who have kept to the promise of tried and true RPG gaming, and that new, tasty bit is Arcanum. It would really not shame us to move over and leave Fallout. It would mean that yet another great series has died due to selling out, jumping the bandwagon, and having it's name sold into a 'me too' in the MMORPG arena, and reducing Fallout to a cash slave status. Goodbye Ultima, goodbye old-style Might and Magic, goodbye Fallout. Rest In Peace.
So, Interplay, do what you wish with the name of Fallout. Those fans who remember the legacy of Wasteland and the obvious reason behind Fallout are not amused in the least to the recent news and rumors flying around, nor the possibility of skewing the meaning that Fallout (used to) represent. While you are busy cashing in on the meaningless corpse of a great game, the true fans will look elsewhere for others to keep the dream alive.
- The old-school.
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cause now, we cant ignore it until interplay say it's true or false...
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