The Vault previews Fallout: New Vegas, #1

[Faceless Stranger]

I'm impressed, using things from the original games, a little continuation, this may actually turn out to be a sequel..

 

[100LBSofDogmeat]

the crispygamer and ausir's have been the best preview articles so far. i really enjoy ausir putting many of the specifics in context of what was salvaged from van buren; and at least it is good salvaging unlike "fallout" 3 using the trogs.

good show and good articles, you two!

 

[LionXavier]

Well, I thought about New Vegas using the same "fast travel system" from Fallout 3 but modified so it uses the "Survival" skill so you actually travel across the map and bump into encounters instead of just randomly teleporting all over the place.

What I'm thinking of is basically the Outdoorsman skill and world map from Fallout 1/2/Tactics except you can activate it from any place in the overworld.

You know, that's exactly what I thought Obsidian would do with the fast-travel (at least in hardcore mode), considering all the other information about them somewhat trying to bring the game near to the "roots" of the series. And, certainly, this would have been a better compromise (and a better proof that they were taking care of the fans' concerns) than those other in my opinion shallow things like the "Wild Wasteland" trait they are adressing.

Looks like sometimes we forget the game New Vegas is based on.

 

[TwinkieGorilla]

Looks like sometimes we forget the game New Vegas is based on.

speak for yourself, brother. leave me out of the "arbitrarily nit-picky" crowd. with the amount of time they had to put this thing together i'm impressed with the things they have changed. too impressed in fact to sit around crying about the things they haven't. call me easily pleased if you will, but ultimately what's going to make this game worth my time is a return of the Fallout atmosphere, better writing/dialogue and C&C. that right there would make it light-years beyond FO3, which, for all intents and purposes...was not a "bad" game.

if...after this...Obsidian announces they've got as long as they need to make another one? well, then i think it's "make a list" time.

 

[Guiltyofbeingtrite]

I think it would be difficult to pick a random spot on the map that would be suitable for combat and have it plop you there mid fast travel. Fallout 1/2/Tactics had the benefit of randomly generated combat zones so they were perfectly catered for faster travel.

 

[LionXavier]

Looks like sometimes we forget the game New Vegas is based on.

speak for yourself, brother. leave me out of the "arbitrarily nit-picky" crowd.

Uh... that isn't exactly an appropiate response to what you quoted from me. Forgetting the game NV is based on has nothing to do with belonging to the "arbitrarily nit-picky" crowd. Actually, it would be the other way around: those who, as you call it, "arbitrarily nit-pick" are precisely more prone to not forget the game NV is based on.

with the amount of time they had to put this thing together i'm impressed with the things they have changed. too impressed in fact to sit around crying about the things they haven't.

I'm glad for you. In mi case, I'm disappointed by the things they haven't changed. Too disappointed to drool for the things they have.

call me easily pleased if you will,

I'd rather call it 'faith', which is a fair and nice sentiment to have, but can often lead to great disappointments.

but ultimately what's going to make this game worth my time is a return of the Fallout atmosphere, better writing/dialogue and C&C.

I wouldn't consider New Reno a good (or at least exhaustive) representative of the Fallout atmosphere, but that's up to oneself, I suppose. As for dialogues and choice/consequences, yes, all signs point towards the fact that there'll be a considerable improvement, and those are without doubt great news, but I think I'll wait to see it with my own eyes.

that right there would make it light-years beyond FO3,

But keep in mind that this doesn't automatically prevent it from also being light-years from the original Fallout.

which, for all intents and purposes...was not a "bad" game.

And now is my turn to ask you to speak for yourself

 

[TwinkieGorilla]

ugh. you're one of those post-dissectors, are you? great. don't count on me playing along as fervently, though.

I'd rather call it 'faith', which is a fair and nice sentiment to have, but can often lead to great disappointments.

i appreciate your somewhat patronizing tone (just kidding, i don't) but i'm a big boy, i think i can handle it if it turns out badly (or worse than expected). i started out "not very hopeful" sat at "cautiously optimistic" for a long time and i'm now at "excited and hopeful" based on the news i've seen. i am what you all would refer to as a "casual gamer" but i'm also a Fallout obsessive. have been since '98. in fact, my knowledge of games is ridiculously limited. i just don't care about shit like "fast travel" or "diagonal walking". i just want this game to feel like Fallout. that, to me, means interesting, humorous, and generally well-written quests and dialogue, meaningful choices and consequences, an adherence to FO1 & 2's canon and a proper implementation of SPECIAL. the nitpicking oftentimes nears tinfoil hat-wearing.

I wouldn't consider New Reno a good (or at least exhaustive) representative of the Fallout atmosphere, but that's up to oneself, I suppose.

wait. when did i say anything about New Reno? though i do consider it representative of Fallout's atmosphere much, much more than anything in F)3.

But keep in mind that this doesn't automatically prevent it from also being light-years from the original Fallout.

who said anything about FO:NV being as good or better than the original Fallout? that's not likely going to happen. ever. i'm not exactly holding my breath.

And now is my turn to ask you to speak for yourself

regardless of whether or not you feel it is a bad Fallout game (which it is), it is not a bad game. it just isn't. objectively speaking, and to quote a phrase it is "good for what it is."

 

[Faceless Stranger]

but ultimately what's going to make this game worth my time is a return of the Fallout atmosphere, better writing/dialogue and C&C.

I wouldn't consider New Reno a good (or at least exhaustive) representative of the Fallout atmosphere, but that's up to oneself, I suppose.

Does the reintroduction of logic and reason count? Such as towns that make sense with farming and such? Civilization that seems to be prospering for the most part (no more 3 person settlements)? and hostile wastes instead of being able to run about in your vault-suit and beat robots to death with your broken arms? I think those changes along with the modifications to the skill and S.P.E.C.I.A.L. systems alone warrant a little optimism, as much as it is against my philosophy. I think Obsidian at least deserves the benefit of the doubt. As for the "Renoesque" atmosphere, well, we can only hope that it is centered around the strip. At least the strip has more explanation than Reno did, I still wonder what actually powered those neon signs in NR...

 

[Per]

the nitpicking oftentimes nears tinfoil hat-wearing.

We've heard this broken record now, thank you. Be happy if you want and let others have their say.

 

[TwinkieGorilla]

We've heard this broken record now, thank you. Be happy if you want and let others have their say.

y'know, i always hated the phrase "broken record". i mean, a "broken" record wouldn't play. i think "skipping record" is what people are going for. because a record that skips will continue to play the same small part over and over. thing is, a record that skips is far from broken, y'know? maybe it's just one little skip. you could just tap the turntable or lift the stylus up and place it a tad further and listen to the rest of the record. see? far from broken. why do you think nobody ever decided "skipping" wasn't the more appropriate word to use? i mean, the reality of a broken record in this instance doesn't seem fitting to the setting. it's just immersion breaking to read "broken" instead of "skipping" because suddenly i kno--

oh, i see what i did there.

 

[LionXavier]

i just want this game to feel like Fallout. that, to me, means interesting, humorous, and generally well-written quests and dialogue, meaningful choices and consequences, an adherence to FO1 & 2's canon and a proper implementation of SPECIAL.

And here's the crux of the matter. I'm sure more than one here wants NV to feel like Fallout too, and I'm glad for you that those aspects you mentioned are enough for you to fulfil that, but turns out that Fallout is a game, and as important parts of Fallout as these things you mentioned are, so is, guess what: the gameplay... and NV being a shooter with minigames doesn't exactly help in this regard. So don't get surprised if NV doesn't please everyone as it does to you, to the point of being even unredeemable in the eyes of some.

wait. when did i say anything about New Reno? though i do consider it representative of Fallout's atmosphere much, much more than anything in F)3.

You didn't mention "New Reno", but you mentioned "atmosphere", and it's precisely this New Reno-esque casino gangland atmosphere what is most profusely spread about NV. As for it being better representative than anything from FO3, well, I can't do anything but agree. It doesn't really mean a lot, though.

who said anything about FO:NV being as good or better than the original Fallout? that's not likely going to happen. ever. i'm not exactly holding my breath.

I didn't say "light-years better than Fallout", mind you, but "light-years from Fallout", meaning light-years different from Fallout (the gameplay thing, remember?).

regardless of whether or not you feel it is a bad Fallout game (which it is), it is not a bad game. it just isn't. objectively speaking, and to quote a phrase it is "good for what it is."

Not only it's a "bad Fallout" game (a "nothing to do with Fallout" game I'd call it), but for me it's also a bad game by itself. It's one of the worst piece of... game I've ever faced, and it not being a good Fallout isn't even a factor. If we were to discuss it objectively, I could bring plenty of objective arguments that support its badness, but that would leave us with yet another FO3 discussion thread, so I'll simply accept your sentence "it is good for what it is", even if it's only because I can think of more than one metaphore that makes that sentence support my opinion of the game.

Does the reintroduction of logic and reason count? Such as towns that make sense with farming and such? (...) I think those changes along with the modifications to the skill and S.P.E.C.I.A.L. systems alone warrant a little optimism, as much as it is against my philosophy.

Yes, as I've already said, all of those are very nice details (if they make it to the final version, that is). As I've also said, they aren't enough for me, though.

 

[Lexx]

Did some preview already talked about the "Mojave Express Boxes"? You can place items in these and pick them up from any other of these boxes. I didn't heard about it yet, but german 4Players writes in their preview about it.

 

[Faceless Stranger]

Did some preview already talked about the "Mojave Express Boxes"? You can place items in these and pick them up from any other of these boxes. I didn't heard about it yet, but german 4Players writes in their preview about it.

I don't think its been posted here yet, but that sounds... interesting...

 

[OakTable]

Did some preview already talked about the "Mojave Express Boxes"? You can place items in these and pick them up from any other of these boxes. I didn't heard about it yet, but german 4Players writes in their preview about it.

Sounds like Weapon boxes in Far Cry 2. In that, you buy a weapon crate, put a weapon in it, and it will be available at any safehouse. Good way to transport a specialized gun you may or may not need.

 

[WorstUsernameEver]

Did some preview already talked about the "Mojave Express Boxes"? You can place items in these and pick them up from any other of these boxes. I didn't heard about it yet, but german 4Players writes in their preview about it.

Hopefully they're disabled in Hardcore Mode, otherwise it seems to easy to break the weight limits. Or am I overreacting?

 

[Lexx]

I'll guess especially in hardcore mode, it might be more useful, because you can't carry a lot around (ammo weight).

 

[Per]

Is this supposed feature rationalized in some way?

 

[LionXavier]

Did some preview already talked about the "Mojave Express Boxes"? You can place items in these and pick them up from any other of these boxes. I didn't heard about it yet, but german 4Players writes in their preview about it.

I don't think its been posted here yet, but that sounds... interesting...

A mailing service that knows at every moment where and when exactly you are going to need to retrieve your gear?...

Yes, I think it sounds as... interesting... as the forgettable magazines, the magic +x clothes or the power bobbleheads

 

[OakTable]

A mailing service that knows at every moment where and when exactly you are going to need to retrieve your gear?...

Yes, I think it sounds as... interesting... as the forgettable magazines, the magic +x clothes or the power bobbleheads

Bout as interesting as giant sized versions of animals that defy the laws of physics by simply existing, mutants with quadruple helix DNA, and other various things.

 

[LionXavier]

Bout as interesting as giant sized versions of animals that defy the laws of physics by simply existing, mutants with quadruple helix DNA, and other various things.

Not at all. You are confusing interesting science! with interesting inconsistency