Gizmojunk, I'm going to reply to Crni first, as I believe it's relevant to the discussion:
I still don't understand why all the computer screens in Fallout 3 and 4 still look like banking computers from the late 1980s. I mean yeah, there was a lot of 50s style thrown in to the earlier game, sure. But I never had the feelings computers and particulary the interfaces have been stuck in the 1980s of computers, at least as far as F1 and F2 goes. It seems the technology was sophisticated enough to me.
Because that's how it was in the originals. I'm pretty sure they copied the terminals for Fallout 3- though I can't remember where the white terminal was depicted. However, a few examples I do remember are below. Both of the originals clearly display video in black and white and computer monitors in Apple II monochrome:
- Fallout shows the news announcing the annexation of Canada in black and white, and all the security cameras in Vault 13 are in black and white as well.
Here's an example of the assault on Vault 13 if you join the Master (YouTube)
- One of the loading screens shows a computer in the Vault using monochrome green text. See it
here on Vault Wiki
- Fallout 2's intro shows a Vault-Tec instructional video featuring the Vault Boy leaving the Vault, again, in black and white through a projector (no less). It's also on Youtube
here
- There's also a video of a computer terminal, using green text- just like in Fallout 3. I
thought it was when you leave the vault at the start of the game, but I seem to mistaken on that- it's on the tanker ship in Fallout 2. See
here You can also watch the beginning of that video and see computer monitors on the ship itself are in black and green.
- The Pipboy interface in both games are monochrome black and green
- The master is 'built' around a monochrome black and green monitor
What's with the double post?
Not sure, thanks for the heads up- fixed now. It had me log in again when posting, and I think it reposted when I browsed backwards later on.
Regardless, however, Fallout takes inspiration from a lot of Sci-Fi. If you look at the 40s, 50s and even 60s Sci-Fi you don't see anything like Cell Phones. In fact, the inventor of the first mobile/cell phone attributes the inspiration to 1960s Star Trek
Takes inspiration? Fallout was made with Mad Max on loop in the art department, and for that matter it had aspect of Bladerunner, and real-world firearms from our 1980's; as well as Terasques from D&D. They took inspiration from a hell of a lot of related and unrelated sources. Inspiration is not a good measuring stick here; but developer commentary is, and what shipped in the game is.
Fallout was originally a spiritual sequel to Wasteland- itself a staple of 1980s sci-fi. While I played the game a long while ago, I'll admit I didn't finish it (someday). In any case, it didn't include the alternative history that Fallout has- that's probably what
some of the 80s comes from, besides the Mad Max nod.
As I linked above, the original Fallouts were already
very 50s. It's not just the computers- the GECK was originally in Fallout 1's manual from what I remember and depicted pre-war homes... 1950s with several homes with the cliche white picket fences complete with fusion cars. The rusted cars depicted in Fallout 1 and 2 (And the Highwayman) are 1950s in style.
Also, the original Fallout lacked modern weapons. Fallout 2 included a couple, yes, but I recall it being frowned upon back in the day- Fallout Tactics was heavily criticized by the inclusion of modern weapons (either on here or Vault13.net, I can't remember). It wasn't 1950s enough
Besides which, Cell Phones would contradict both Fallout 1 and Fall out 2- the cinematics and loading screens clearly emphasis broadcast systems as still being the norm.
You mention [and practically accuse me] of "taking things literally", yet you do this yourself and miss the obvious in Fallout's account of its past golden age, and the collapse. You share a lot in common with a chaffing fellow on Bethsoft; goes by the name of AwesomePossum, and have the strikingly similar habit of either reading whatever you want into another's posts, or genuinely misunderstanding what you read or view...~making assumptions, and then trying to call people out on them.
I don't know who you're referring to, but I don't work for Bethesda.
In any case, you haven't exactly explained yourself well. You stated that Bethesda is too retro, and pointed out Tim Cain would have done things differently with the super mutants. You then expanded on this by quoting him loosely that no societies would be left, and then pointed out that the only things in Fallout from the 1950s are relics. This somehow explains how Bethesda went overboard with the 1950s.
I don't follow the line of thought, honestly. You
seem to be arguing that because Tim Cain would have done something different with the super mutants, he'd have done everything differently. That's a leap. You also
seem to be taking the "no society left" too literally- as in evidence of pre-war society has completely disappeared, which explains the retro in the original Fallout games.
As you haven't explained the links between your points, I have no option but to try and put them together. If I have the above wrong, please feel free to correct me.
For example:
You're moving the goal posts. You argued that Bethesda's interpretation of the setting isn't as technologically as advanced as it was in the original Fallout games. You specifically argued that Bethesda should have included a cellular network and point to a magazine that predicted that everyone would have a full colour telephone the size of a watch by the 1970s as an example that it fit your view of "pop" sci-fi from the 1950s.
Fallout 1 and 2 both establish, quite clearly, that not only are computer screens and monitors still monochrome, but television as well despite technicolor existing in the 1920s.
My point is that "retro 50s" that you criticize Bethesda for was already established by the original Fallout team, and a widespread cellular network that you think Bethesda should have implemented is technologically beyond what has been established as existing in 2077.
Did I? (I don't think I did; and I do think that you have interpreted what you will.) My post was not arguing for cellphones and ogg players, it was arguing for not prohibiting them. The common misconception [seemingly furthered by Bethesda] is that anything not imagined after 1947 is not even conceivable 200 (or presumably 2000) years later. That's silly.
*The key point is that anything they can conceive of (be it a cell phone, ogg player, a prosthetic limb; color tv, manned orbital rocket; nuclear submarine, waterproof couch, etc...) will have a thick diesel-punk treatment of their 50's design aesthetic... as though it were a product of 1950s; even if the product was a consumer RC drone kid's toy or a tamagotchi.
Do you not see? Think about it. What we see in Fallout is an indication of what turned out to be popular; not what turned out to be possible. If we see a TV, it's going to be a popular or stereotypical model. Also... everything shown of their past must be taken with an understanding that it is stylized to reflect a kind of 'cult of personality' view of their golden age; but that's not where the game takes place; that's not their modern setting.
The widespread cellular network that you assume that I think should be: all I suggested was that it's not impossible for them to conceive of it; that doesn't mean that they wouldn't decide not to, or decide to base all of their 'cell phones' on AM radio and ground based antennas; which in their world could doubtless be made to work.
Thank you- that makes sense.
Colour televisions became mainstream in the early '50s, and were available before then. Yet, all video in Fallout 1 and 2 were depicted in black and white. That's a conscious decision by the original creators.
Likewise, all computers are extremely large and bulky. The computer consoles, ZAX, PipBoy etc. The explanation is that the transistor didn't exist until a decade before the Great War. Showing technological advancements that you've used as examples would be contradictory to what has been established in Fallout 1 and 2.
Finally, Bethesda has shown new futuristic advancements in other areas. Most obviously is the synths (the closest we had in the originals was putting brains into jars like Skynet). They have androids established pre-war and now there's synths in Fallout 4 (I don't know yet if they existed pre-war or afterwards). They also depicted virtual reality in Fallout 3, and the Fat Man weapon is yet another- the smallest nuke weapon ever developed was the Davy Crockett, which is as small as we could get it.
I played through Fallout 3 on release and haven't touched it since, so I can't think of any others off the top of my head, but I wouldn't be surprised if there are.
And your source for this is?
What's the point? You would gainsay even video evidence offered from yourself in that alternate timeline, were it possible to present it to you.
Well you stated as fact that the IP recognition of Fallout (A critically acclaimed series) did not boost the sales of Fallout 3. I find that doubtful- do you have any evidence otherwise?
Bethesda spent a lot of money for the IP, and even fought with Interplay over it after the purchase. That cost them a lot of money and effort- if IP brand recognition didn't bring it more revenue, why did they bother?
You posted earlier that Bethesda got Fallout wrong (somehow) by pointing out that "nothing was left" after the Great War.
And you took that to mean no bacteria, yes?
No, I pointed out the Enclave, Boneyard and the Hub.
I'm getting the impression that you're upset that Bethesda's take on Fallout doesn't line up with your take on Fallout- which is fine, except your take doesn't line up with what was established by Interplay either. Having your own view of Fallout is a great thing- but you need to realize that no one will be able to produce anything that'll line up with your personal concept of what Fallout should be.
I am disappointed that Bethesda's official numbered sequels to Fallout do not line up with anything but their own skewed re-imagining of the IP. It's like a real world Hollywood parody of a movie within a movie; actors portraying actors performing a play. FO3&4 are like interactive Michael Bay movies of the idea of Fallout ~made for those who were often wholly unfamiliar with it, and they have about as much in common with the IP* as the last Hitchhiker's guide film did with the Hitchhiker source material.
*Except where they clone it verbatim; and here is the fun part. People often copy what they see without understanding why they see it. I've worked on a roofing crew where I saw a worker taught by example, but they had no understanding of why the steps were done; and could not check their own work; and did not create waterproof ~roof when not under close supervision. IMO the Bethesda devs & management are in the same boat (and it's not water-tight). They pulled stuff left & right from Fallout, but seemed to include it merely to prove that they had it too; and they kept some stuff that was meaningless without other stuff they threw out.
I agree- including Harold, Jet, Deathclaws, and Dogmeat's descendant were thrown in without any explanation while the Super Mutants, Enclave and Brotherhood of Steel were simply shoehorned in with weak explanations.
They also wanted to set the game similar to Fallout 1, but had to set it after Fallout 2 to keep the above items- leading to a jarring timeline when you compare the Capital Wasteland with the advancement the NCR managed. It's pretty clear they were trying to make the game recognizable for people that had heard of Fallout before, and also include things new players would find familiar if they looked into the past games.
While it tests my suspension of belief, I think they got the 'feel' down. If you talk to new fans that started with Fallout 3, they usually prefer it to New Vegas for many of the same reasons fans that started with Fallout 1 prefer it to Fallout 2.