Official Fallout 3 Thread

[dlock13]

Originally posted by: zinfamous

Originally posted by: Queasy
Sounds like the PS3 version has some issues

While my experience with the Xbox 360 version of Bethesda's Fallout 3 was rather pleasant, PlayStation 3 owners don't seem to be getting on nearly as well. Complaints of choppy frame rates and graphical glitches are peppered throughout Bethesda's forums for the game, with others complaining about random lock ups and various other issues - textures not loading, significant slowdown etc. Two major bugs have already been addressed by Bethesda in the forums, one concerning the game freezing during the GOAT test earlier in the game, and another dealing with the game pausing whenever a PS3 notification occurs. The first issue can apparently be solved by saving and restarting, while they suggest turning off notifications in the XMB for the second.

We've contacted Bethesda regarding these issues, specifically inquiring as to the possibility of a patch to fix problem with the PS3 version.

PS3 Issues Forum at Bethesda

Bummer. It's the only version I'll be able to play

You might be able to play it on computer. I've heard that the engine has been optimized a shit load since Oblivion (obviously). So if you post your computer specs, we might be able to decipher if you can play or not.

 

[oznerol]

There's an XP glitch in the game that basically lets you get to level 20 without doing anything. You just talk using your "speech" skill and the choice never gets cleared so you get 8 XP every time you do it. It's with a guy in Big Town - just check Google for the specifics if you're interested.

I did it, managed to get to level 14 or 15. I forget. I figure I might as well do it now before they patch it like they did the replicating items glitch in Oblivion.

My guy still isn't a badass, though, which is disappointing.

I also realized that I should have kept saved games for key level achievements - like there's 3 different achievements for reaching level 8 with good/bad/and neutral karma. If I kept a save right before level 8, I could have just reloaded and did bad things to drop my karma down. Oh well, I doubt I'm playing through this game a 2nd time, so looks like I won't be getting those achievements.

 

[tatteredpotato]

Originally posted by: erwos

Originally posted by: ducci
This game is basically just a modern-day Oblivion.

Meh, I disagree. It definitely feels like Oblivion when you're wandering the wastelands searching for places, but there are some fairly deep changes. VATS alone changes the entire feeling of combat. There are a lot more "OMG WTF IS TRYING TO KILL ME AND WHY DOES IT HAVE NUKES?!" moments in Fallout 3 than there were ever were in Oblivion, too.

I am less than impressed with their emulation of DC - my wife and I had a pretty good laugh when we came upon "North Seneca" station's metro map.

That might have been intentional, you saw the flak they got for just putting ads up in DC. Perhaps a good clone of DC would make it a bit too "real" for some people.

 

[SuperjetMatt]

Originally posted by: ducci
There's an XP glitch in the game that basically lets you get to level 20 without doing anything. You just talk using your "speech" skill and the choice never gets cleared so you get 8 XP every time you do it. It's with a guy in Big Town - just check Google for the specifics if you're interested.

I did it, managed to get to level 14 or 15. I forget. I figure I might as well do it now before they patch it like they did the replicating items glitch in Oblivion.

Get to lvl 14 8xp at a time?

That is an utterly retarded waste of time. I get plenty of XP and leveling by doing all side quests and killing plenty of creatures.

 

[Jules]

Originally posted by: ducci
There's an XP glitch in the game that basically lets you get to level 20 without doing anything. You just talk using your "speech" skill and the choice never gets cleared so you get 8 XP every time you do it. It's with a guy in Big Town - just check Google for the specifics if you're interested.

I did it, managed to get to level 14 or 15. I forget. I figure I might as well do it now before they patch it like they did the replicating items glitch in Oblivion.

My guy still isn't a badass, though, which is disappointing.

I also realized that I should have kept saved games for key level achievements - like there's 3 different achievements for reaching level 8 with good/bad/and neutral karma. If I kept a save right before level 8, I could have just reloaded and did bad things to drop my karma down. Oh well, I doubt I'm playing through this game a 2nd time, so looks like I won't be getting those achievements.

You wont be playing for a 2nd run? Why is that? I plan on playing at least 3-4 times.

 

[SuperjetMatt]

I don't post much, but I'll give you my impressions.
I am a huge Fallout 1 & 2 fan. I just played through Fallout 1 a week ago.

I've been playing Fallout 3 just about non-stop since it came out. (Well, had to go to work, too).
I am now a Level 13, stats:
S 10
P 9
E 8
C 4
I 4
A 8
L 3

I have Big Guns and Energy Weapons tagged, and my Lockpick and Speech are brought half-way up.
Perks:
Antsight
Bloody Mess
Commando
Educated
Finesse
Here and Now
Intense Training (5)
Rad Regeneration
Size Matters
Sniper
Survival Expert

I am guessing that I am half-way done with the main quest. I am doing ALL side quests that I can find.
It's consuming me, I can't stop. Truly great game. The Wasteland is indeed very big.
At first, ammo and guns were scarce. It's much better now. I use mostly the Laser Rifle, Laser Pistol, MiniGun, and grenades.
The enemies are not that tough. Even the bigger Supermutants are relatively easy to kill. The enemies strength comes in their good shooting. When they gang up on you, it can get tough.
There is no cover system, but taking cover is mandatory while AP recharge.

I see people whine about it being an Oblivion clone, that it's too short. IMHO, people need to spend more time and effort with the game. Just like the original games, you need to put some love into it.

 

[SuperjetMatt]

The humor is great.
Some books you see are direct references to the earlier games.

Then there's this quest to retrieve the Declaration of Independence from the National Archives (where you also find other historic documents). In the end, there is a very confused individual...LOL

 

[artemicion]

Anybody trying a melee build? I'm using small guns now but I think I'm gonna try some weird kung-fu/hand-to-hand build my second run through (I always try to do something really bizarre the second time through).

But the limited experience I've had with melee combat makes it seem like it'd be totally weaksauce gameplay-wise, since you can't do fun stuff in VATS with melee. Also I'm wondering if charging up to minigun-toting mutants would basically be suicide.

Oh, and IMO, this game is totally Oblivion with guns. Which is not a bad thing. VATS feels more like an improvement to the combat system than a significant distinction. I thought combat in Oblivion was one of its weaker features.

 

[SuperjetMatt]

I didn't run across Powerfists unti Rivet City.

 

[Dangerer]

Originally posted by: artemicion
Anybody trying a melee build? I'm using small guns now but I think I'm gonna try some weird kung-fu/hand-to-hand build my second run through (I always try to do something really bizarre the second time through).

But the limited experience I've had with melee combat makes it seem like it'd be totally weaksauce gameplay-wise, since you can't do fun stuff in VATS with melee. Also I'm wondering if charging up to minigun-toting mutants would basically be suicide.

Oh, and IMO, this game is totally Oblivion with guns. Which is not a bad thing. VATS feels more like an improvement to the combat system than a significant distinction. I thought combat in Oblivion was one of its weaker features.

No idea how good unarmed combat is, I really want to try it out as well. I hear melee has pretty satisfying stopping power though.

Also, I know this has been mentioned here, but I absolutely hate the bloody mess perk. Jesus christ the 5% bonus is great but the mess is just retarded and needs to be toned down to 5% chance on kill or something....

 

[oznerol]

So are you guys sure they don't level-up the enemies according to your level?

I'm currently level 18, I think, and I'm only midway through the game - so normally I imagine I would be around level 13 or so. But still, the guys I am encountering are insanely difficult.

I have 100 sneak and small guns skills, and they still fairly easily detect me, and they still take a ton of shots to take down. Maybe my guns just suck? I'm still using the combat shotgun/hunting rifle/chinese assault rifle I've been using since the start of the game.

 

[SuperjetMatt]

None of the enemies I encounter are insanely difficult.

I target them long distance with a laser rifle (good AP use for VATS). When it gets messy up close, I take out the minigun.
If I see several further off, I use the rocket launcher or frag grenades.

For the behemoths, I use the fatman mini nuke.

 

[artemicion]

Originally posted by: ducci
So are you guys sure they don't level-up the enemies according to your level?

I'm currently level 18, I think, and I'm only midway through the game - so normally I imagine I would be around level 13 or so. But still, the guys I am encountering are insanely difficult.

I have 100 sneak and small guns skills, and they still fairly easily detect me, and they still take a ton of shots to take down. Maybe my guns just suck? I'm still using the combat shotgun/hunting rifle/chinese assault rifle I've been using since the start of the game.

I'm fairly sure that the encounters level up with you to some extent - thought not as much as in Oblivion. I would guess that many of the encounters are set and never change, but random encounters (such as the random monsters you run into while running across the world map) will level up with you. At level 13ish, I'm seeing a lot of those were-wolf things and robots in the overworld, which I have never seen before.

As for sneaking, one things I picked up from the manual (which I didn't bother to read until 5 or so hours into the game, haha) was that the weight of the apparel you have equipped affects your sneaking skill. I used to wear a casual outfit/hat to sneak in, but now wear Recon Armor. At 100 sneak, you should be able to sneak up to melee range on most enemies (note - you shouldn't move at max speed while sneaking either, unless you have the perk that allows you to). My final observation is that if you are in the direct line of sight of the enemy, they will always spot you. So work those MGS skills to sneak.

 

[oznerol]

Ok, I just hit level 20 and I finally feel like I am a bit of a badass.

I suppose it depends a lot on your build - I went with a smart-talking, charismatic stealthy guy who is good with small guns. I increased my SPECIAL as best I could using all 10 ranks of the +1 perk.

Level 20 gives you a great perk which automatically refills your VATS meter if you kill someone while in VATS mode.

I'm a bit disappointed with the cap, though. I think 5 or 10 more levels would let you form a really nice character to just explore the world with.

Oh, and also, I just got to a certain point in the game where it's pretty epic. Back to the Oblivion comparison - the story mode in this game is much more focused and deep. I dig it.

 

[imported_Imp]

Originally posted by: artemicion
Anybody trying a melee build? I'm using small guns now but I think I'm gonna try some weird kung-fu/hand-to-hand build my second run through (I always try to do something really bizarre the second time through).

But the limited experience I've had with melee combat makes it seem like it'd be totally weaksauce gameplay-wise, since you can't do fun stuff in VATS with melee. Also I'm wondering if charging up to minigun-toting mutants would basically be suicide.

Oh, and IMO, this game is totally Oblivion with guns. Which is not a bad thing. VATS feels more like an improvement to the combat system than a significant distinction. I thought combat in Oblivion was one of its weaker features.

I have a melee weapon/big guns build. A sledge hammer or sword is surprisingly effective, even up against people with guns. Once you close the distance, point blank shooting is pretty ineffective from enemies. The major problem is that they keep running around, and occasionally, I 'lose' their position, which allows them to put a few rounds in me.

I'll definately be trying a hand-to-hand build next time around. Charging up to mutants with hands is pretty good. I've done it once, and managed to circle-strafe him to death. I wouldn't dedicate an entire build to hand-to-hand though. Like you said, it gets boring mashing left-click and maybe trying to block a few times. Game was build around guns. On the bright side, I have beaucoup ammo reserves. On the down side, I still use small arms with only 20 skill points...

 

[oznerol]

Just beat the game. Apparently the epic, "certain point" I was talking about before actually was the last "mission". I use quotes because you don't really do too much - not to spoil anything.

Anyway, it was pretty good. The slideshow you guys were talking about wasn't really screenshots taken during your game - but rather canned footage that gets displayed based on things you do - at least, that's what I gathered, as I don't remember seeing those things directly. I dig that you can reload right after the final decision to make the "other" decision and see how the ending differs. I suspect the "200+ endings" are just different variations of the final dialog.

Now I'm not sure if I should reload from before I started the last mission to do all of the side-quests I didn't do, or just start over so I can get the achievements I missed. I'm not really looking forward to re-doing all the stuff, though. As far as gameplay time goes, it took me just under 21 hours to get the full story and a handful of sidequests, along with some basic exploration. I finished at level 20, but a chunk of that is because of the dialog glitch I mentioned before.

Overall, some interesting twists, pretty cool story, pretty good game. I'm a bit bothered that I found a sniper rifle during the final mission - I couldn't have gotten this earlier?

Oh, and also, I went the entire game without building a single item at the workbench. And unlike Oblivion, there's only 1 home you can own, and it's in Megaton, so don't blow that place up.

 

[bucwylde23]

Originally posted by: ducci
Just beat the game. Apparently the epic, "certain point" I was talking about before actually was the last "mission". I use quotes because you don't really do too much - not to spoil anything.

Anyway, it was pretty good. The slideshow you guys were talking about wasn't really screenshots taken during your game - but rather canned footage that gets displayed based on things you do - at least, that's what I gathered, as I don't remember seeing those things directly. I dig that you can reload right after the final decision to make the "other" decision and see how the ending differs. I suspect the "200+ endings" are just different variations of the final dialog.

Now I'm not sure if I should reload from before I started the last mission to do all of the side-quests I didn't do, or just start over so I can get the achievements I missed. I'm not really looking forward to re-doing all the stuff, though. As far as gameplay time goes, it took me just under 21 hours to get the full story and a handful of sidequests, along with some basic exploration. I finished at level 20, but a chunk of that is because of the dialog glitch I mentioned before.

Overall, some interesting twists, pretty cool story, pretty good game. I'm a bit bothered that I found a sniper rifle during the final mission - I couldn't have gotten this earlier?

Oh, and also, I went the entire game without building a single item at the workbench. And unlike Oblivion, there's only 1 home you can own, and it's in Megaton, so don't blow that place up.

If you blow up megaton you get a penthouse suite in Tenpenny tower. I"m not too far into the game but I saved my game and went ahead and blew up megaton to see what would happen. The tenpenny tower is much nicer

 

[oznerol]

Damn. I should have blown it up, then. That place sucked.

 

[erwos]

Originally posted by: ducci
Damn. I should have blown it up, then. That place sucked.

From what I understand, they're de-facto the same.

This game is _very_ satisfying to wander about in, probably even more so than Oblivion. It's hard to do this without spoilers, but let us just say that even just wandering into some random office buildings can be pretty freaking cool. I've even snagged a couple of unique weapons, which is pretty slick.

I am, however, getting my ass kicked by Mirelurk Hunters (not even Kings, which are easy, just the damn Hunters) even at level 12. I'm probably doing it wrong, so to speak, but I'm finding them harder to take down than most supermutant brutes. Someone online suggested that the appropriate strategy might be to target _their legs_ rather than their faces. I'll try it out tonight and see.

If you're running out of ammo on a regular basis:
1. Take the scrounger perk. It helps - a lot.
2. Start carrying more guns. It's tempting to just haul around a Chinese assault rifle and a combat shotgun, but I find that also having a hunting rifle and a 10mm SMG really give me a lot more flexibility. No sense wasting precious shells and 5.56 on bloatflies.

 

[warcrow]

SPOILERS BELOW

Originally posted by: ducci
Anyway, it was pretty good. The slideshow you guys were talking about wasn't really screenshots taken during your game - but rather canned footage that gets displayed based on things you do - at least, that's what I gathered, as I don't remember seeing those things directly. I dig that you can reload right after the final decision to make the "other" decision and see how the ending differs. I suspect the "200+ endings" are just different variations of the final dialog.

The screenshots are taken, but injected into the ending. Did you notice the picture of you and your father when you had the BB gun in the beginning of the game? That was taken in your game--that's why you father looks like your father and not some default random character model.

Originally posted by: ducci
Overall, some interesting twists, pretty cool story, pretty good game. I'm a bit bothered that I found a sniper rifle during the final mission - I couldn't have gotten this earlier?

The sniper rifle can be found in the shooting range of the NGD, on one of the raiders on top of the overpass near Springvale, Arkansas (NPC), Minefield and finally in Tenpenny Tower.

Originally posted by: ducci
Oh, and also, I went the entire game without building a single item at the workbench. And unlike Oblivion, there's only 1 home you can own, and it's in Megaton, so don't blow that place up.

Tenpenny tower.

 

[oznerol]

Originally posted by: warcrow
The screenshots are taken, but injected into the ending. Did you notice the picture of you and your father when you had the BB gun in the beginning of the game? That was taken in your game--that's why you father looks like your father and not some default random character model.

I'm not sure about that - primarily because I made it a point to look at my father when that picture was being taken, and not the camera. I mean, I get that they used the model of my father (I actually wasn't aware that the father's appearance changes much), but the "screenshots" were not that - they are just canned footage with your character models put in it.

 

[bdubyah]

yeah, i thought it kind of sucked that the last mission was it. it they could've kept that roll of awesomeness going for a while longer, it would have been orgasmic.

and erwos, what are your stats?

i reloaded my save right before the end so i could go explore and do all the side quests and gt as many achievements as possible in one play-through. while i was exploring those satellite dishes around raven rock, i ran into 2 mirelurks, 1 hunter, and 1 mirelurk king. that king was badass looking, but i took all of them out fairly easily. i lost about half of my health, but that was because i was dicking around them with frag mines and stuff. had i brought out the andoids plasma rifle, it would've been over real quick. course i was a level 20 though, that might be why.

if you want to see how badass you are, go run through eastern DC. go through the capitol building. that was a fun trip! ;P

also, i have a few questions. how many behemoths are there? there is an achievement for killing all of them and i don't know how many there are. i think i've killed around 3 or 4 now. and does anyone know how many different weapons you can make at a workbench? i've made a bottlecap mine, shishkebab(SP?), railway rifle, and a rock-it launcher. i know you can make a nuka-cola bomb, but haven't found the list to make it. and i haven't found any schematics for any other weapons.

 

[erwos]

Originally posted by: bdubyah
and erwos, what are your stats?

Charisma is 10, everything else is five, excepting some random stat boosts from quests and bobbleheads. Most of my skill is in speech and small guns.

i reloaded my save right before the end so i could go explore and do all the side quests and gt as many achievements as possible in one play-through. while i was exploring those satellite dishes around raven rock, i ran into 2 mirelurks, 1 hunter, and 1 mirelurk king. that king was badass looking, but i took all of them out fairly easily. i lost about half of my health, but that was because i was dicking around them with frag mines and stuff. had i brought out the andoids plasma rifle, it would've been over real quick. course i was a level 20 though, that might be why.

I've heard mines work pretty decently against them. I might have to try getting my explosives skill up a bit. The real problem I have at the moment is that they tend to come up on me in enclosed spaces, too quickly to think about tossing out a mine.

 

[dougp]

I think I'm almost done with the game - I want to give it another run through with an energy weapons build, but I'm still waiting for the min/maxers to determine what stats should be. I have int and luck @ 10 right now, though I don't even remember my level.

C'mon gamefaqs!

 

[erwos]

The current buzz I've seen is that, in terms of perks, you should basically be putting most of them into Intense Training - higher stats apparently being a better bargain than slightly improved skills. Besides IT, the other ones I see bandied about are Educated (+3 points skill every level), Comprehension (there are apparently a lot of books lying around!), Lady Killer / Black Widow (dialogue), and Child at Heart (dialogue).

For stats, apparently dumping everything into intelligence is the way to go (to max out skill growth early). IMHO, you can make do with 5s in everything else.