Fallout 3 details - out with the old and in with the new

I'm surprised that this wasn't posted here--or was it?! :o--but CVG revealed some interesting tidbits about Fallout 3. Check out the entire article here.

The long-awaited sequel runs on an evolved version of the Oblivion engine, although Bethesda says it's reworked the third-person view because of negative feedback from its last role-player.

According to Game Informer, the battle system in Fallout 3 is called the Vault-tec Assisted Targeting System (V.A.T.S.). You'll certainly be able to tackle enemies in real-time using first-person shooting, the article says, but V.A.T.S. lets you pause time and select a target at your leisure.

This works using action points, which when used up will leave you with only real-time fighting until they charge back up again. If you're not in to all-out killing, Bethesda says you'll also be able to play through the game by being stealthy, or even talking your way out of trouble.

Enemies can target you using the exact same targeting system, so you'll get injured in very specifics points on your body. In addition to this is a new health and radiation system, which lets you measure how radiated water and other consumables are before you use them.

Fans will be pleased to hear that the Karma system is making a return, and there are 9-12 possible endings based on your actions.

I never played the original Fallouts so I don't have any kind of expectations about this since Bethesda is a rather fickle developer, but this sounds pretty good to me. Hopefully, it'll turn out good.

Your thoughts?

YaY i can be the first person to say Bethesda sucks on a Fallout 3 topic! WOOOHOOOO!

but in all honesty, the steps they are taking to update the game sounds good. I'm interested in seeing what the final build looks like

and hold up....ummm .. UP. You're a PC fan and you don't haven't played fallout games?

what are you waiting for?

I still have a lot doubts with Bethesda after the atrocity that was Oblivion.

However, it pleases me that they at least thought to include some way to make it semi-turned based. We'll have to see what actually comes of this, though.

But I'm really not holding my breath for the "you can complete methods by talking your way out of them or being stealthy" until I see it. Really, Bethesda often totally overhypes their games and underdelivers.

I'll believe it when I see it. There is some promising info there, but I still don't have much faith in Bethesda pulling it all off. Bethesda is going to have to really improve on some of their weaknesses, if this is going to be a worthy successor to the original games. I better not see a dialogue system that resembles Oblivion's.

-Mutants

-Rumors

-Vault Dweller

I actually saw the full game informer article with screens.....and as I suspected, this game will be "Fallout 3" in name only.....it'll be a game that will be liked by people who never played the first two games (especially 360 users) and hated by fans of the original two games.

Looking at the screens, with half of them I felt like I was looking at an Oblivion mod set in the future, the other half I felt like I was looking at some sci-fi FPS.

Basically, Fallout 3 is good "ownage" material for console users who never cared about the series in the first place and were only interested in getting another name-brand franchise on their system with nice graphics, even if they didn't care or ever play about that franchise..

They've basically turned Fallout 3 into Oblivion meets STALKER.....or "Oblivion with guns minus the auto-leveling" with an RE4 style third person view if you want to go into third-person.

From what I read, when you go into combat their answer to "turn base role-playing" is you go into first-person perspective and basically choose hitpoints depending on your character's skills....oh, and it really looked like the combat and the game itself will be designed around an Xbox 360 controller.

Sure, the graphics look good....but man is it a departure from the atmoshere of the series.....if it wasn't for the vault jumpsuits in the screenshots and the logo on the pipboy....there is literally nothing to lead one to believe this is a Fallout game or a successor of the series.

Where Fallout 1 & 2 were humorous in a dark tongue and cheek way.....Fallout 3 looks all serious and well, gloomy, like it's really trying to take itself seriously and now its all dark and serious.

This is what I was worried about.....that Bethesda would listen too much to one aspect of what made the atmosphere while ignoring all the rest.....so all the people whining about the gore and having children in the game, congratulations, you got it......but the humor and the rest of the atmosphere has been sacrificed in the process, Fallout 3 looks all gloomy and depressing, and it exudes an atmoshere very different from the first two games. If I wanted gore and little kids dying I could have just played Prey.....I was hoping I would be wrong in my worries of Bethesda not getting Fallout's atsmospere....looks like I wasn't.

Sure, your pip-boy will be able to play 50's and 40's music that Bethesda licensed....sure they'll be gore....sure they'll be kids.....but that's pretty much all that's been intact from the series.

Its as if they slapped all the superficial things of Fallout onto a game that's very different as they think they are fooling fans of Fallout 1 & 2 by being like "look, its got 50's music, we hired Ron Perlman to give an opening line, and the characters are wearing vault jump suits, or and the pip boy logo....there done, it's instantly "Fallout" now".....we'll....no, it clearly isn't.

I never played the original Fallouts so I don't have any kind of expectations about this since Bethesda is a rather fickle developer, but this sounds pretty good to me. Hopefully, it'll turn out good.

UpInFlames

This game is actually good news for you, bad news for Fallout fans for me.....since by playing this action-game with some RPG elements you won't be disappointed by what a departure it is from the atmosphere of the first two games.

At least its taking place on the East Coast, so fans of Fallout 1 & 2 can view this game as an unrelated spin-off like they did with Botherhood of Steel.

I don't like the original Fallouts, but I love The Elder Scrolls and STALKER, so I'm all for this change. RyanWare

Exactly the point I'm making....from the Game Informer article I pretty much picked up this game is being made for two kinds of people:

1. Those who never played the original Fallout games.

2. Those who don't like the original Fallout games.

I never played the original Fallouts so I don't have any kind of expectations about this since Bethesda is a rather fickle developer, but this sounds pretty good to me. Hopefully, it'll turn out good.

UpInFlames

You never played the original fallouts? Heresy!

On topic, I try to remain positive at least until the first gameplay movies are shown. This does sound a lot like the pre release oblivion hype, and we all know how that worked out...

I actually saw the full game informer article with screens.....and as I suspected, this game will be "Fallout 3" in name only.....it'll be a game that will be liked by people who never played the first two games (especially 360 users) and hated by fans of the original two games.

Looking at the screens, with half of them I felt like I was looking at an Oblivion mod set in the future, the other half I felt like I was looking at some sci-fi FPS.

Basically, Fallout 3 is good "ownage" material for console users who never cared about the series in the first place and were only interested in getting another name-brand franchise on their system with nice graphics, even if they didn't care or ever play about that franchise..

They've basically turned Fallout 3 into Oblivion meets STALKER.....or "Oblivion with guns minus the auto-leveling" with an RE4 style third person view if you want to go into third-person.

Robnyc22

Yeah, blame it on console players and not the devs way to go. There could bemany reasons why the devs decided to go that route; more sales, piracy in PC games and other factors.

I don't know how many console players even care about Fallout 3,(I for one don't care about it, I could probably change my mind though) just like how PC gamers don't care about Halo2 (PC) or Halo 3; so blaming it on 360 users on how the game is being designed is ridiculous. You know its very likely not every console gamer cares as much of Fallout 3 as PC gamers, especially those who've played the previous games. I know Fallout is considered one of the best games of all time, but your remarks about console users is pretty much flamebaiting and many consoleplayers probably won't care much about it as pc gamers cared for Halo2.

Things like this puzzle me. I mean, what's the point of catering to an audience that doesn't even recognize the brandname you're throwing at them? Fallout is a PC title, your average console gamers never heard of it. Hell, 19/20 console gamers don't have a clue what Fallout is except maybe some music band or something.

Bethesda pays a small fortune to buy a renown pc title to... market it to people who have no idea what it's about while driving away the community that 'does' know about it? It just doesn't make much sense at all, really, I dont get it! There's nothing wrong with making a game cross-platform. I'd even encourage that, considering how unprofitable piracy twits and idiots have made pc development these days. But you shouldn't be changing the core foundations of the series in order to appeal to em, not when it alienates the community who you're depending uppon to essentially market the game for you through hype.

Oh well. Hopefully I'm wrong and Bethesda will make a really awesome Fallout game and everyone will love it... but I doubt it.

After reading the GI article I must say I'm quite impressed with what Bethesda is doing with the series. I don't like the original Fallouts, but I love The Elder Scrolls and STALKER, so I'm all for this change.RyanWare

Congrats. You appear to be the target group, unlike Fallout fans.

I'm not surprised that Bethesda's sticking with the first person view after it was revealed that the game was coming out on 360 and PS3.

But still, as a fan of the second game, I'm liking where Bethesda's going with this. Sure, it isn't going to be the true sequel that everyone wanted, but still, it's better than nothing. At least wait till the final game comes out before you make your judgements.

You'll certainly be able to tackle enemies in real-time using first-person shooting, the article says, but V.A.T.S. lets you pause time and select a target at your leisure.UpInFlames

I think the flame wars about this have already died down and become cold. :P

There's little more to say - this really is just Oblivion with guns. :(

Ahh...and I was just getting hyped up about finally getting to play a Fallout game:( But this whole FPS thing sounds so LAME, and I haven't even played Fallout before. Furthermore, I've played Morrowind and Oblivion, and I KNOW that Bethesda "mainstreamed up" their own series. Why would they do any different with Fallout?

What I really should play is Fallout 1 and/or 2. However, I don't know where I could get them. I don't do Ebay. And I have no idea where else I would find a copy:(.

What I really should play is Fallout 1 and/or 2. However, I don't know where I could get them. I don't do Ebay. And I have no idea where else I would find a copy:(.

AquaMantor

'They' (someone - possibly Bethesda) re-released Fallout 1, 2 and Tactics in a box set a few months ago. If you live in Australia, it should be fairly easy to find. I don't know if it's out anywhere else.

[QUOTE="AquaMantor"]

What I really should play is Fallout 1 and/or 2. However, I don't know where I could get them. I don't do Ebay. And I have no idea where else I would find a copy:(.

Planeforger

'They' (someone - possibly Bethesda) re-released Fallout 1, 2 and Tactics in a box set a few months ago. If you live in Australia, it should be fairly easy to find. I don't know if it's out anywhere else.

Hey, thanks, if I find it, it'll help me through the dry Summer months:)

There could bemany reasons why the devs decided to go that route; more sales, piracy in PC games and other factors.D3s7rUc71oN

Exactly....why go for quality and staying true to a franchise when you can dumb it down and butcher it for a mass mainstream crowd :|

I can just see Bethesda in a "brainstorming" session thinking the following....why follow the atmosphere that made the games so great on PC, cause that won't attact the more mainstream crowd, I mean really, who wants to deal with something like engaging and witty dialogue and characters, witty cultural references, and real options and consequences from your actions that matter......instead make it like Oblivion with a dash of FPS and show some fancy screenshots, cause that's what attracts the masses. Besides, they won't know what they are missing, they never cared about the atmospehre or the franchise or have even played the original Fallout games.....instead, just put "from the developers of Oblivion" in Game Informer magazine and it'll sell itself.....no need to actually try to stay true to the atmosphere that made the series classic in the first place.

So I guess the logic should be to use an known franchise to get as many sales as possible just from the name alone, but not at all faithfully follow the series or what made it great.

Also, this tactic of changing up a game's atmosphere to get "more sales" from a more mass mainstream crowd didn't work for Ion Storm or Interplay for that matter....so if Bethesda does butcher the franchise cause they think it will gaurantee more sales, they might be in for a rude awakening....especially if the series fans voices against it get loud enough resulting in negative word of mouth, as they did with DX2 and Thief: DS.

The last thing you want to do is shaft and piss off a series primary fan base, which is exactly what Bethesda seems to be doing.

I don't know how many console players even care about Fallout 3,(I for one don't care about it, I could probably change my mind though) just like how PC gamers don't care about Halo2 (PC) or Halo 3; so blaming it on 360 users on how the game is being designed is ridiculous.D3s7rUc71oN

The difference is Halo 2 and Halo 3 actually followed the series on the home platform the original was released on and they're by same development team members who worked on the original.....this is not the case with Fallout 3.

I guess you haven't seen the Game-Informer magazine shots with the interface and targeting hud designed for a 360 controller.....or how this game is basically doesn't follow the atmosphere of Fallout at all and pretty much doesn't seem anything like a Fallout game.

It's nice to see Bethesda putting effort into main-streaming fallout for the masses. I mean come on the fan base for this game is so small it's laughable. It's easier to toss them aside and go for a new audience.EndersAres

Ion Storm had that same attitude when making the sequel to Deus Ex, that they would make more money and have bigger success by mainstreaming the game and catering to Xbox hardware.......we all know what happened to Ion Storm as a result.

Interplay also had the same attitude with Fallout when they decided to transfer funding from Fallout 3 on PC to make Brotherhood of Steel and other games for Consoles......go see how horribly BOS sold and how poorly Interplay is doing now compared to the 90's when they were successful making great games that catered to the fanbase they had actually built up.

If the fanboase is "so small", why bother to buy the Fallout franchise in the first place?.....why didn't Bethesda just make their own futuristic RPG and make it an Xbox 360 exclusive and release some pretty screenshots to get the hype going?

What's the use in continuing a franchise if you're not gonna stay true to it anyway....I guess with Bethesda it was just so they could milk the name.

And in actuality the Fallout fanbase is actually pretty big, there is a huge following, especially at places like NMA.....but its not like this game will be for those fans anyway....and I have a feeling the mainstream masses won't gravitate to this game as much as you think despite it obviously being simplified.....I have a feeling Bethesda plan may backfire and they'll learn the same lesson Ion Storm did about shafting the fanbase to dumb down a franchise to cater to a mainsteam audience that doesn't care for it anyway.

You people are a little too afraid of change. When radical changes are made to games they can be bad but can also be good. I remember when Nintendo decided to completely change the metroid series from a third person view to an FPS and that turned out pretty good. Also look at resident evil. Its nothing like its predessesors and completely changed the series and that was taken with praise. Sometimes games need to evolve because the same thing just gets old.

[QUOTE="D3s7rUc71oN"]

There could bemany reasons why the devs decided to go that route; more sales, piracy in PC games and other factors.Robnyc22

Exactly....why go for quality and staying true to a franchise when you can dumb it down and butcher it for a mass mainstream crowd :|

I can just see Bethesda in a "brainstorming" session thinking the following....why follow the atmosphere that made the games so great on PC, cause that won't attact the more mainstream crowd, I mean really, who wants to deal with something like engaging and witty dialogue and characters, witty cultural references, and real options and consequences from your actions that matter......instead make it like Oblivion with a dash of FPS and show some fancy screenshots, cause that's what attracts the masses. Besides, they won't know what they are missing, they never cared about the atmospehre or the franchise or have even played the original Fallout games.....instead, just put "from the developers of Oblivion" in Game Informer magazine and it'll sell itself.....no need to actually try to stay true to the atmosphere that made the series classic in the first place.

So I guess the logic should be to use an known franchise to get as many sales as possible just from the name alone, but not at all faithfully follow the series or what made it great.

Also, this tactic of changing up a game's atmosphere to get "more sales" from a more mass mainstream crowd didn't work for Ion Storm or Interplay for that matter....so if Bethesda does butcher the franchise cause they think it will gaurantee more sales, they might be in for a rude awakening....especially if the series fans voices against it get loud enough resulting in negative word of mouth, as they did with DX2 and Thief: DS.

The last thing you want to do is shaft and piss off a series primary fan base, which is exactly what Bethesda seems to be doing.

I don't know how many console players even care about Fallout 3,(I for one don't care about it, I could probably change my mind though) just like how PC gamers don't care about Halo2 (PC) or Halo 3; so blaming it on 360 users on how the game is being designed is ridiculous.D3s7rUc71oN

The difference is Halo 2 and Halo 3 actually followed the series on the home platform the original was released on and they're by same development team members who worked on the original.....this is not the case with Fallout 3.

I guess you haven't seen the Game-Informer magazine shots with the interface and targeting hud designed for a 360 controller.....or how this game is basically doesn't follow the atmosphere of Fallout at all and pretty much doesn't seem anything like a Fallout game.

I'm still waiting for my GI mag in my mailbox... it seems that after Oblivion's success, Bethesda is doing the same with Fallout 3 I can't blame them with all those sales. This is a business after all, though like previous games such as Deus EX II and Thief: DStry to mainstream the series it could backfire. Then again look at EA with their rushed games or Ubi on the Wii and see how succesful they're in the business, and niche games like Psychonauts don't sell to the mainstream.

Lastly mainstreaming a game/series doesn't mean a lower quality product, RE4 is proof of that.