Long post about my first ever playthrough thoughts on Fallout/Fallout Fixt incoming.
So recently I have just completed my first ever playthrough of the original Fallout. I chose to jump straight into using Fixt for my first time playing since I knew the added conveniences, improvements, and bug fixes were likely to be more valuable than getting a 100% "pure" experience. Below are my answers to the questions posed in this thread, mixed with my general thoughts:
1. Going into the game what were you looking forward to?
I decided to pick up Fallout on a bit of a whim. It was on sale through GoG and I had always wanted to give it a shot as a fan of turn-based RPGs and atmospheric adventure games. Going in I wasn't sure what to expect, I really just hoped for an interesting adventure that offered a look into the original Fallout world with the chance for alot of compelling interactions and combat encounters.
2. After having completed it what did you think of the game?
My thoughts on the original Fallout are definitely a bit mixed (especially in regards to the late game), but still mostly positive overall. I absolutely adored the complex conversations one could get into, and the game's propensity for realistic problem solving was a wonderfully fresh change of pace from most modern games. However the combat, especially near the end of the game, felt far too luck based. Leading to fights that either felt too easy or too hard.
3. What would you improve?
This is a big one. I feel there are alot of improvements to be made to the game, both the core experience and the polish and refinement of the overall package. Firstly as stated above, I think the combat encounters near the end of the game could have been significantly improved on. Fighting a few super mutants is actually alot of fun, but the sheer amount thrown at you in places like the military base and Master hideout was a little ridiculous. Combined with the latter having you be accompanied by a bunch of followers wielding little more than spears, I was getting stuck in rooms from them blocking the path consistently. Critical hits were also a massive frustration. Needing to reload again and again against two super mutants wielding laser rifles because one crit from either of them was basically death, was not enjoyable. It also doesn't help that I was determined to keep my companions alive for this playthough, and Dogmeat constantly getting in the way of gatling fire and being shredded meant alot more of that reloading. A much better mix between enemy numbers, and a much better balanceing of the critical system was definitely needed, as many fights either felt like a complete cakewalk, or a test of luck subverted by planning.
On top of that, I definitely think there could be alot of tweaks to the dialogue system. It not being clear when you'll only have one chance of questioning available, some people attacking you upon merely talking to them, the multiple bugs I encountered with quest flag orders locking me out of some options, and the inherent unsatisfying nature of dialogue checks being a dice roll rather than a flat threshold to overcome, forced me to save before speaking to pretty much anyone after awhile. And since you can't save during dialogue, this often meant speeding though longer conversation trees if I was unlucky or said the wrong thing. More clear conveyance to the player as to what exactly the consequences are for who and how you speak to someone, would have gone a long way. The options you had for conversation was great, but the actual gameplay aspect of it can be obtuse and frustrating. Junktown's quest to try and save Sherry could be made impossible just from speaking to the wrong guy at a bar for instance. And completing quests in the wrong order can lock you out of certain rewards and resolutions. Such as saving the Brotherhood initiate before talking to Talius and Michael for the first time, can lock you out of the Brotherhood armor. Completing the gun runners quest to kill the deathclaws before taking on Razor's quest, can mean you no longer have the option for their help in the fight against the Regulators. The latter isn't so bad since you can still take them on alone fairly easily, but for the former, I had to use a cheat software to give myself the improved combat armor to give to Tycho. I also ended up destroying the Khans on my way back from vault 15, this caused a glitch where Tandi vanished from my game. She wasn't at Shady Sands nor the raider base, so my headcanon is that she basically fulfilled her wish to leave town and ended up bringing back more people to Shady Sands, as we hear of in the good ending. Basically, alot of issues with conveying things properly to the player as to what and when to do things. A better mix of endgame weapons would have helped too. Having the objectively best weapon in the game be an energy weapon made it feel like I had to completely change my weapon build by the end of the adventure.
4. What's your thoughts on the main quest?
This one's alot shorter. I actually really like the main quest. The overseer was a great character that felt genuinely concerned for his fellow vault dwellers, even to a fault as we see in the game. This made me actually care a bit more about finding the water chip and destroying the mutants. And the fact that the chip's location can be discerned or even just stumbled across was really cool. Buying a holotape that told me of a vault with fresh water, going there, and actually finding it for myself was really satisfying. And the moral opportunity for when you do find it is nice as well. Even after that as you are tasked with destroying the mutants, uncovering more about them and their creation organically was also really investing. The main quest made me feel like I was the one progressing things and uncovering things for myself.
5. If old, does the game still hold up in 2022?
Honestly I'd have to say yes and no. The core of the game's systems work well enough to be fun and enjoyable, but the issues mentioned above definitely lead to an experience that will require alot of patience. The lack of any detailed quest progression also means you'll have to stay very aware of which quests require what, especially if the quest giver won't talk to you in detail again. But the freedom and lack of handholding are certainly a welcome change of pace in the modern gaming space, and the amount of freedom offered for a game released in 97 is still impressive today. The presentation is also something I was taken a bit aback by. The voice acting is arguably better than more recent Fallout games, the artstyle has held up well for me, and the quips from teammates about certain locations was a little treat when they appeared.
6. What's the game's strengths and weaknesses?
Probably not hard to guess if you've read my post so far, but the game assuredly excels at immersion and worldbuilding. Meeting people, exploring and scavenging, uncovering lore, and getting lost in the world is definitely the best part of the game. Conversely, the dated table-top dice role mechanics and the lack of proper informing of the player of certain decisions or mechanics hold the experience back. When you're just getting lost in the world, the game is a blast, but the moment the game has to start being an actual game, the cracks definitely show.
7. What would you like to change in the game?
On top of the issues mentioned above, there are some more personal grievances I wouldn't mind tweaking. The Master permanently lowering your special stats isn't well telegraphed at all. Instead of having characters talk about this quality, you get a single chance to notice it in the hallway leading up to him. And how to stop it from happening is not clear at all without research. At that point of the game it probably won't matter much, but if you want to keep questing afterwards (like Fixt allows you to) I can definitely see how that could be seen as cheap. Other than that, I think experience could be more prevalent. I spent more or less all my perks getting long term benefits like educated, swift learner, lifegiver, and tag. I hadn't realized that level 16 or so, in a game with a max level of 21, would be the highest level realistically possible. So I missed alot of cool more impactful perks. Pro-tip to other new players, outside of educated, don't make the same mistake I did with perk selection. Also more options for endgame weaponry would help to make each weapon playstyle feel viable in the later areas. More locations with radiation would have been appreciated too. Outside of The Glow, it felt like there was never another time I needed any radiation meds.
8. What build did you use during your play-through?
For my first playthrough, I decided to go for a generalist scavenger build. SPECIAL was S-5|P-6|E-5|C-3|I-9|A-6|L-6. Traits were small frame and bloody mess (though my karma was too high for the special ending, and good too since I actually liked the overseer here). And tag skills were small guns, lockpick, and outdoorsman, with energy weapons being added later. I ended the game with all the companions, and thanks to Fixt, I was able to customize them all by the end with Katja wearing a backup power armor suit and wielding a minigun (maybe not the best idea with Dogmeat). Ian was a beast with the .233 pistol. And Tycho was my chosen sniper wielding a rifle. I played a moral character and I think all things considered it worked out fine.
8. What's your weapon of choice?
The SMG was my early game weapon of choice, that transitioned into the .233 pistol before I got the sniper rifle. By the end I was using the turbo plasma rifle (obviously) and my backup sniper rifle. Though I was lucky enough to run into Bob's Pre-Owned Car Mart and got to use the Red Ryder LE a little bit too. All served me well and were fun to use.
9. Describe your favourite quest and why you like it!
My favorite quest is hard to say, saving people in Junktown was fun, but I think the most memorable quest was definitely when I went to The Glow. After reading the paladin's holotape, I knew that managing power may help me avoid fights, so although a little tedious I made sure to always disable power before heading further down in the elevators. And let me tell you seeing that actually pay off by allowing me to basically destroy the disabled security bots for free XP made me feel like the game was actually rewarding me for my planning and critical thinking. And meeting ZAX for a conversation and a history lesson on the mutants was fun. It was also cool to be able to shut the power off, head up to him, and realize I could now access the mainframe. Did I mention I love how this game rewards critical thinking?
10. What's your favourite location in the game?
The glow and Junktown are definitely solid contenders, but Bob's Car Mart actually made me chuckle a little too. The music at the Brotherhood of Steel base really stuck with me though thanks to the sirens in the soundtrack giving a very ominous tone. So I guess a little of all these is the best answer I can give.
11. What ending did you strive for/get?
I didn't expressly aim for any particular ending, other than the fact that I know I wanted to use speech to defeat The Master, which I did. I did do my best to help everyone as best I could though, and I definitely got the best outcome for everyone as far as I know. Shady Sands prospered, Junktown was turned into a law-abiding town, the raiders were defeated, the ghouls of Necropolis turned into a big water merchant force, the Brotherhood helped reclaim the wastes, The Followers took control of L.A Boneyard, and it seems like I got the best possible good ending.
12. If the game is on Steam then write a sentence that would catch the NMA perception of it and that we could use for our Steam curator.
I haven't been a part of the community long enough to answer this properly I feel, so I'll just give my own personal tagline: The original Fallout is a flawed but engaging look into the original interpretation of the wasteland. While it can be obtuse and punishing, it remains a clear example of the power of free-formed story progression and rewards the player at every turn for truly thinking about every action they take. Enhance your experience with the Fixt mod for the best Fallout 1 playthrough.
Final thoughts: Overall, I'm really glad I stuck with this game and finally experienced it. After playing, it's clear why the series took off in the hearts and minds of fans. And even though it's not for everyone, those with a love for Fallout and the patience for an older RPG can definitely find alot to love here. As my character walked out into the wastes during the ending, with Ian, Dogmeat, Tycho, and Katja in tow. I really felt satisfied. Now as I look into modding and playing Fallout 2 for the first time, I'm certainly excited as to how that will play out. Fallout 1 is a tarnished but still beautiful gem to be found in these irradiated wastes.