CT Phipps
Carbon Dated and Proud
This is a thread for discussing "Wastelanders" as an expansion for Fallout 76 and what it brought to the table and what it failed to do in terms of correcting the games flaws. Also, the elements of the game that it changed as well as plot. I finished the main plot, the Companion plots, most of the side content, and had some thoughts.
1. The addition of NPCs to the game was pretty much what saved it for me in terms of making it no longer a complete disaster. The Crater and Foundation settlements actually give you something other than robots to do quests for and the idea that Appalachia will slowly recover now that you've managed to defeat the Scorchbeast Queen. I also like that it added an actual pair of competing factions that weren't necessarily at war either.
2. The fact that it humanized the Raider faction and made them people to do more than simply wipe out (like the Great Khans) was a good choice. You still have the Blood Eagles to deal with in a way that can only involve murder and death but the Crater people are just survivors trying to get along even if they're people who really should be taught not to take from others. The fact they grow crops shows they're more than just scum.
3. The Wayward plot was a nice little mini-adventure as well as I like setting up my base next to the bar and the little river there for unlimited water. I'm glad I finished the Enclave quest before I met with them as giving them an Assaultron to protect their little bar felt good. I also like that the owner is an ex-Raider herself and shows that they can come back to humanity. Plus, they're among the few people who wish there's a cure for Scorched (even if they're wrong). Plus, I love their Sentry Bot ranching cattle.
4. The Overseer seems to have gotten a lot of changes to her character in that she no longer seems to be 100% loyal to Vault-Tec. I'm surprised they dropped that plotline and I'm not sure what changed her mind in-universe. Still, I like visiting her home in Sutton and getting a chance to finally speak with her 'in person." The fact we don't have more Vault-76 NPCs always felt like a missed opportunity.
5. The entire "Restore the United Stats to a Gold Standard' plot is ridiculous and I feel like it needed more mockery but I'm an anarchist so what do I know. The fact that everyone wants all of this gold when there's so little left of human civilization is probably commentary on itself, though. I also like you can mock the Overseer and other's plans for the gold.
6. I have to admit I wouldn't mind if they continued with some of the NPCs later in the expansions as I liked a few of them (even if I didn't like all of them). Penelope Hornwright is probably the nicest Pre-War billionaire alive and I also enjoyed Machou as a Communist spy with an Americanized daughter. Sadly, you can kill her so I doubt she'll have much of a future role. Rah-Rah annoys the hell out of me and I don't think I'd care if she and her Super Mutant ever came up again. That mission with her in the factory was a slog. Gentleman Two Guns, though, did a pretty good story with the fixed gladiator matches.
7. The Secret Service mission was a pain in the ass, though, because I hate laser turrets and I am a Melee wielder who doesn't use guns so I was stuck when I couldn't reach plenty of those weapons and had to go leave the Vault, get a chain gun, and brute force my way past most of them. I wish we'd had more options to just shut them down as they weren't fun to fight but just annoying.
8. The Secret Service was a fun addition but as a faction I don't see that they add much as they don't have Reputation and come too late in the plotline to add much.
9. In the end, I divided the gold between the Settlers and Raiders, which was probably an assholish thing to do with the Settlers but I want everyone to survive this.
For now.
10. The companion story arcs for Sofia and Beckett were also good. Lengthy enough to get to know your companions and actually pretty enjoyable. Sofia's story is objectively better but I love that Beckett's story is all about dismantling the Blood Eagles, I also really loved the car park as a final level. The fact you can romance both was also a good choice. I admit I shelled out my first real "cash for Atom" to buy Sofia the Nuka Girl outfit.
1. The addition of NPCs to the game was pretty much what saved it for me in terms of making it no longer a complete disaster. The Crater and Foundation settlements actually give you something other than robots to do quests for and the idea that Appalachia will slowly recover now that you've managed to defeat the Scorchbeast Queen. I also like that it added an actual pair of competing factions that weren't necessarily at war either.
2. The fact that it humanized the Raider faction and made them people to do more than simply wipe out (like the Great Khans) was a good choice. You still have the Blood Eagles to deal with in a way that can only involve murder and death but the Crater people are just survivors trying to get along even if they're people who really should be taught not to take from others. The fact they grow crops shows they're more than just scum.
3. The Wayward plot was a nice little mini-adventure as well as I like setting up my base next to the bar and the little river there for unlimited water. I'm glad I finished the Enclave quest before I met with them as giving them an Assaultron to protect their little bar felt good. I also like that the owner is an ex-Raider herself and shows that they can come back to humanity. Plus, they're among the few people who wish there's a cure for Scorched (even if they're wrong). Plus, I love their Sentry Bot ranching cattle.
4. The Overseer seems to have gotten a lot of changes to her character in that she no longer seems to be 100% loyal to Vault-Tec. I'm surprised they dropped that plotline and I'm not sure what changed her mind in-universe. Still, I like visiting her home in Sutton and getting a chance to finally speak with her 'in person." The fact we don't have more Vault-76 NPCs always felt like a missed opportunity.
5. The entire "Restore the United Stats to a Gold Standard' plot is ridiculous and I feel like it needed more mockery but I'm an anarchist so what do I know. The fact that everyone wants all of this gold when there's so little left of human civilization is probably commentary on itself, though. I also like you can mock the Overseer and other's plans for the gold.
6. I have to admit I wouldn't mind if they continued with some of the NPCs later in the expansions as I liked a few of them (even if I didn't like all of them). Penelope Hornwright is probably the nicest Pre-War billionaire alive and I also enjoyed Machou as a Communist spy with an Americanized daughter. Sadly, you can kill her so I doubt she'll have much of a future role. Rah-Rah annoys the hell out of me and I don't think I'd care if she and her Super Mutant ever came up again. That mission with her in the factory was a slog. Gentleman Two Guns, though, did a pretty good story with the fixed gladiator matches.
7. The Secret Service mission was a pain in the ass, though, because I hate laser turrets and I am a Melee wielder who doesn't use guns so I was stuck when I couldn't reach plenty of those weapons and had to go leave the Vault, get a chain gun, and brute force my way past most of them. I wish we'd had more options to just shut them down as they weren't fun to fight but just annoying.
8. The Secret Service was a fun addition but as a faction I don't see that they add much as they don't have Reputation and come too late in the plotline to add much.
9. In the end, I divided the gold between the Settlers and Raiders, which was probably an assholish thing to do with the Settlers but I want everyone to survive this.
For now.
10. The companion story arcs for Sofia and Beckett were also good. Lengthy enough to get to know your companions and actually pretty enjoyable. Sofia's story is objectively better but I love that Beckett's story is all about dismantling the Blood Eagles, I also really loved the car park as a final level. The fact you can romance both was also a good choice. I admit I shelled out my first real "cash for Atom" to buy Sofia the Nuka Girl outfit.