Won't someone please think of the children (I.e.) ...

[DirtyDreamDesigner]

2. You have parents.

Anyway, I agree with Sander, it's not that much of a stretch to have a background. Different people react differently to events. Who's to say that a person who's parents were killed by raiders has to hate them? Maybe the child was awed by them, maybe he's a psychopath... You still have plenty of freedom to develop your character and in the end your background doesn't have to have more of an effect on the storyline than FO1's had.

 

[Ratty Sr.]

Different people react differently to events. Who's to say that a person who's parents were killed by raiders has to hate them? Maybe the child was awed by them, maybe he's a psychopath... You still have plenty of freedom to develop your character and in the end your background doesn't have to have more of an effect on the storyline than FO1's had.

Or you could just pretend it never happened, or have it modded out, or... The question is, if you have to go to lengths to excuse your roleplaying in light of the background that you "actively determined", then wouldn't it be better to avoid the hassle by not having the damn thing at all?

 

[DirtyDreamDesigner]

I don't think it takes a bigger leap of imagination to roleplay a person whos parents were killed by raiders who becomes a raider himself then to roleplay a person who becomes a berserker childkiller but was originally chosen to be a saviour of a Vault full of people...

 

[Ratty Sr.]

I don't think it takes a bigger leap of imagination to roleplay a person whos parents were killed by raiders who becomes a raider himself then to roleplay a person who becomes a berserker childkiller but was originally chosen to be a saviour of a Vault full of people...

On the contrary, it seems perfectly rational to me that dangerous sociopaths would be among those sent on such a perilous quest, as their absence can only benefit the Vault.

 

[Sander]

Similar? Let's see, your predetermined background in Fallout consists of the following:

1. You have lived your entire life in a Vault.
2. You have been sent on a mission to find a water chip for your Vault.

That's it. Those are the only predetermined facts about your character. You don't know anything about what your life in the Vault was life. You don't know who your parents are. You don't who your friends are, or even if you have any. You don't know why you, of all people, have been selected for the mission to save the Vault. You can explore the Vault and talk to people there, but you will learn nothing concrete. You are, simply put, a tabula rasa. Your entire "background" serves only to give you a starting point in the game and a role in the main plot, while minimally restricting your freedom to roleplay in any way you see fit.

On the other hand, this is your background in Syphon's Fallout:

1. You have lived your entire life in a village.
2. You have parents.
3. Your father is a hunter.
4. You and your father go on hunting trips together.
5. Your village is attacked by raiders and everyone you ever knew is killed, while you are left for the dead.

At the very beginning of the game you experience a traumatic, life-changing event. Consider what this means, from roleplaying perspective. You will seek to exact revenge on the assailants. You will fear all raiders and hate them with a passion. You will be traumatized and bitter. Congratulations, you are stuck with a heapload of restrictions on account of a handful of stat adjustments that you can accomplish on the character creation screen.

Context, dear Rat, context being the *rest* of my post where I made it clear that I was talking about the idea in general and wasn't commenting on the details Syphon proposed.

Determining your background, yes (though I'm personally averse to that too). Having your background determined for you, no.

Gee, and did I speak about having your background determined for you? No, I just spoke about actively determining it.
And what is wrong with that? If done properly (say, again, in the setting of a Vault) this would give you just as much freedom as not determining it, and it would give you a greater bond with the character.

 

[Ratty Sr.]

Gee, and did I speak about having your background determined for you? No, I just spoke about actively determining it.
And what is wrong with that? If done properly (say, again, in the setting of a Vault) this would give you just as much freedom as not determining it, and it would give you a greater bond with the character.

Yeah, I could live with that, as long as it boils down to small, everyday situations with multiple outcomes, each having a small, but non-negligible effect. It needs to be done in such way that it complements character creation without interfering with it or, worse yet, being irrelevant.