Official Fallout 3 Thread

[ayabe]

I picked this up yesterday with LBP.

Only played for about an hour and ran into a bug that was preventing me from getting past the GOAT test. This is on the PS3 version. Basically, if you don't go through the entire conversation with the proctor guy and just sit down, the game gets stuck and you are never able to take the test. You can't get up or do anything other than reload.

Anyways, after getting past that I played for a bit longer and tried out the VATS system, which I think is pretty sick. Blowing heads off and so forth is fun.

Looking forward to playing some more tonight.

 

[warcrow]

Originally posted by: ducci
So I've played for a few hours now.

This game is basically just a modern-day Oblivion.

That's not competely accurate.

 

[oznerol]

I'm not saying it's just Oblivion with different models and that is it - but it is clearly made by the same people, and I really think it can be looked at as "Oblivion 2".

The game even starts the exact same way - create character, give skills, go through first dungeon (of vault in this case), and as you exit you're given the option to change anything one last time. Then there's the same quest/sidequest system, the same fast-travel, the same waiting for certain time of day, the same non-named NPCs saying generic things, the same dialogue system, the same sneak mechanic, the same hideous 3rd-person mode, the same (or very similar) skill-point system, the same buy/sell mechanic (by that, I mean, items you sell are available to buy-back from the person buying/selling).

The biggest difference I've seen is the fact that you don't explicitly choose your class in this game - you kind of "become" it as the game progresses, which I think is nice. That, and there's no magic or magic equivalent (or at least I haven't come to it yet - I suppose grenades/mines?). Speaking of which - the control system is a bit wonky, I think. It's fairly annoying switching weapons or healing - everything requires a bit of a slowdown in the game. I know you can hotkey items/weapons, but it just doesn't feel right to me.

The new VAT system is nice - I dig it - but I have this hunch it was included to tailor to the console crowd (I'm playing on the 360, but I played Oblivion on the PC). Being a number geek, I'm a fan of the hit % being shown, and stat points affecting those percentages and whatnot - but the auto-shooting mechanic is definitely to slow down combat and make it more tactical rather than being a straight shooter - which is something I've seen in consoles more than PC games.

I don't mean it as a bad thing - Oblivion is a good game. And I haven't gotten incredibly far in Fallout yet, so I'm sure there's still plenty of surprises. But at its core, the game is Oblivion.

 

[AstroManLuca]

Originally posted by: ducci
I'm not saying it's just Oblivion with different models and that is it - but it is clearly made by the same people, and I really think it can be looked at as "Oblivion 2".

The game even starts the exact same way - create character, give skills, go through first dungeon (of vault in this case), and as you exit you're given the option to change anything one last time. Then there's the same quest/sidequest system, the same fast-travel, the same waiting for certain time of day, the same non-named NPCs saying generic things, the same dialogue system, the same sneak mechanic, the same hideous 3rd-person mode, the same (or very similar) skill-point system, the same buy/sell mechanic (by that, I mean, items you sell are available to buy-back from the person buying/selling).

The biggest difference I've seen is the fact that you don't explicitly choose your class in this game - you kind of "become" it as the game progresses, which I think is nice. That, and there's no magic or magic equivalent (or at least I haven't come to it yet - I suppose grenades/mines?). Speaking of which - the control system is a bit wonky, I think. It's fairly annoying switching weapons or healing - everything requires a bit of a slowdown in the game. I know you can hotkey items/weapons, but it just doesn't feel right to me.

The new VAT system is nice - I dig it - but I have this hunch it was included to tailor to the console crowd (I'm playing on the 360, but I played Oblivion on the PC). Being a number geek, I'm a fan of the hit % being shown, and stat points affecting those percentages and whatnot - but the auto-shooting mechanic is definitely to slow down combat and make it more tactical rather than being a straight shooter - which is something I've seen in consoles more than PC games.

I don't mean it as a bad thing - Oblivion is a good game. And I haven't gotten incredibly far in Fallout yet, so I'm sure there's still plenty of surprises. But at its core, the game is Oblivion.

Have you played the old Fallout games? Are you aware that a lot of the things you say are Oblivion-like are actually Fallout-like? I think the game has a very Fallout-y flair, even if it's more like Oblivion at its core. However, I haven't played Oblivion much - just a little bit near the beginning at a friend's house. So I might be off as well.

VATS wasn't just included to "tailor to the console crowd." It is a direct successor to the combat system in Fallout 2, which was fully turn-based, featuring action points you used to move, shoot, reload, and access your inventory. And Fallout 2 let you target body parts as well. I like it a lot and in fact I think it's too bad you can't use it more often (takes some time to recharge in combat so you basically have to mix VATS with real-time shooting).

The buy/sell mechanic is pretty generic but it's also the same as what you'd get from the old games. Items never disappeared, ever, in Fallout 2. Drop them on the ground, trade them to someone, they'd always be there.

My biggest complaint is with the travel. Everything seems too close together. I'm not saying I want to walk around forever in real time to get from one town to the next, but it certainly doesn't give me the impression of there being a "vast wasteland" when you can pass through three towns in five minutes on foot.

 

[erwos]

Originally posted by: ducci
I'm not saying it's just Oblivion with different models and that is it - but it is clearly made by the same people, and I really think it can be looked at as "Oblivion 2".

Sorry, not buying it, and the core problem is that you played Oblivion but never seem to have touched Fallout 1 & 2 (or very many other RPGs?).

The game even starts the exact same way - create character, give skills, go through first dungeon (of vault in this case), and as you exit you're given the option to change anything one last time. Then there's the same quest/sidequest system, the same fast-travel, the same waiting for certain time of day, the same non-named NPCs saying generic things, the same dialogue system, the same sneak mechanic, the same hideous 3rd-person mode, the same (or very similar) skill-point system, the same buy/sell mechanic (by that, I mean, items you sell are available to buy-back from the person buying/selling).

There are about a zillion RPGs that feature these things, including Fallout 1 & 2. The only difference is that Fallout 3 is first person. You haven't described Oblivion 2 so much as you've described probably a hundred different RPGs.

The biggest difference I've seen is the fact that you don't explicitly choose your class in this game - you kind of "become" it as the game progresses, which I think is nice. That, and there's no magic or magic equivalent (or at least I haven't come to it yet - I suppose grenades/mines?). Speaking of which - the control system is a bit wonky, I think. It's fairly annoying switching weapons or healing - everything requires a bit of a slowdown in the game. I know you can hotkey items/weapons, but it just doesn't feel right to me.

Yes, it's slow if you don't use hotkeys. Use hotkeys. Fallout 1 & 2 had much the same problems, FYI. And the class system is just like Fallout 1 & 2. In fact...

The new VAT system is nice - I dig it - but I have this hunch it was included to tailor to the console crowd (I'm playing on the 360, but I played Oblivion on the PC). Being a number geek, I'm a fan of the hit % being shown, and stat points affecting those percentages and whatnot - but the auto-shooting mechanic is definitely to slow down combat and make it more tactical rather than being a straight shooter - which is something I've seen in consoles more than PC games.

This was included because it was in Fallout 1 & 2, which you have apparently never played. In fact, I think that's the root problem here: you haven't played Fallout 1 & 2, so you don't really get that this these changes from Oblivion are there because it's a Fallout game, not because it's a logical step from Oblivion.

 

[oznerol]

I haven't played Fallout 1 or 2, so I suppose that is why I wasn't aware of VAT system.

But basically what you're saying is, they took the core of Oblivion, then added features from past Fallout games and created Fallout 3.

Oblivion could very well have been influenced by the original Fallout series - maybe that's why Bethesda worked to get the Fallout license in the first place. And I understand all RPGs have similar elements. But I could just as easily compare this game to Mass Effect - I mean, there's a dialogue tree, character creation, skill points, etc. But I don't, because they aren't the same even if they have the same features.

Oblivion and Fallout 3, however, are the same. If you played Oblivion, and then played Fallout 3, without knowing anything about them - I am certain you would ask - is this made by the same company? There's a reason for that.

 

[bdubyah]

well, i've put around 5 or so hours into it so far, and i am loving it.

now, honestly, i was expecting oblivion with guns. and while there are similarities, you can tell this isn't oblivion. i have never played the fallout games, so i can't compare anything to them. if anything though, that's helps my perception of this game, as i'm not screaming like the fallout fanboys about how it won't be a real fallout game. it's as fallout as any game i've ever played, as far as i know.

but yeah, really digging it so far. got my ass kicked on my first trip to springvale. ran into some people who wanted me dead and they succeeded. but i've got a few more weapons now. guess i should go back and find them and let them taste my fat man nuke. only thing bad i can find worth pointing out in this game is the same stuff with oblivion really. as IGN pointed out, animations are pretty bad. characters are way too stiff and jerky.

but still, overall, this game is amazing so far. off work today, gonna go grab some nutrients and start popping ghouls eyeballs out of their head in slow-mo.

<quagmire>alllrrriigghhtt</quagmire>

 

[erwos]

Originally posted by: ducci
Oblivion and Fallout 3, however, are the same. If you played Oblivion, and then played Fallout 3, without knowing anything about them - I am certain you would ask - is this made by the same company? There's a reason for that.

Yes, they definitely have similarities, and the engine is fairly similar. Then again, that doesn't make Fallout 3 == Oblivion 2. Your argument has all of the same validity as claiming UT3 was Gears of War 2 because they're both shooters, ran on the same engine, and were made by the same people.

Give it up, man. Make this argument when you've actually played Fallout 1&2, because you're just displaying your own ignorance of the Fallout franchise. Frankly, it doesn't even sound like you've played Morrowind, either.

 

[bl4ckfl4g]

This game is awesome so far but I just got out of the vault and quit. I'm going to finish Fable2 and Deadspace before I get back to this.

Only negative I noticed were some weird audio glitches when talking to an npc.

 

[warcrow]

Originally posted by: ducci
I'm not saying it's just Oblivion with different models and that is it - but it is clearly made by the same people, and I really think it can be looked at as "Oblivion 2".

A few hours into the game and you're so sure of that?

 

[oznerol]

Originally posted by: erwos

Originally posted by: ducci
Oblivion and Fallout 3, however, are the same. If you played Oblivion, and then played Fallout 3, without knowing anything about them - I am certain you would ask - is this made by the same company? There's a reason for that.

Yes, they definitely have similarities, and the engine is fairly similar. Then again, that doesn't make Fallout 3 == Oblivion 2. Your argument has all of the same validity as claiming UT3 was Gears of War 2 because they're both shooters, ran on the same engine, and were made by the same people.

Give it up, man. Make this argument when you've actually played Fallout 1&2, because you're just displaying your own ignorance of the Fallout franchise. Frankly, it doesn't even sound like you've played Morrowind, either.

I didn't play Morrowind either.

UT3 and Gears is not a valid comparison, as they were different types of games. If they made UT3 into a cover-based 3rd-person shooter set in medieval times, then maybe we'd have something.

Both Oblivion and Fallout 3 are open-world, action-RPGs.

Probably a better comparison (off the top of my head) - is Age of Empires and Age of Mythology from Ensemble Studios (though a bit more subtle).

I don't see how me playing Fallout 1 or 2 (or Morrowind) will change this. I played Oblivion and Fallout 3 - and those are the two games I am comparing.

I also don't see why you're getting so defensive over this. The story is different, it looks better, it's a good game. If you don't think it's similar that's fine. Personally, I think if I knew someone who wanted to play a western RPG with an open-world - I'd ask if they like swords and magic or guns and bombs.

Originally posted by: warcrow

Originally posted by: ducci
I'm not saying it's just Oblivion with different models and that is it - but it is clearly made by the same people, and I really think it can be looked at as "Oblivion 2".

A few hours into the game and you're so sure of that?

Well, like I said, the game so far feels the same and has many similar elements. I'm sure there will be surprises, but I would be really surprised if the fundamental elements of the game change further into it.

I'm going to go off on a limb and guess there are different "factions" I will be able to join (ala the stealing/fighting/magic groups in Oblivion). Either way, I dig the game a lot. I prefer guns to bows.

 

[AstroManLuca]

Another thing about Fallout 3 that I love.

This is basically S.T.A.L.K.E.R. (whoops, I mean Ess Tee Ay El Kay Ee Ar), except far less buggy, more fun, with a better story, better graphics, and available for consoles and PCs alike. I remember buying S.T.A.L.K.E.R. a few months ago on Steam and I could never get into it. It was so buggy I couldn't get far without it crashing. The interface was clunky. I liked the idea of a first-person RPG with guns, but Fallout 3 has allowed me to actually get into it.

What's funny about it is that I've tried other RPGs in the past and never really enjoyed them... Fallouts 1 and 2 were some of the only ones I liked. And now the same is true for Fallout 3. I couldn't get into Oblivion or S.T.A.L.K.E.R., even though they're both very similar games. The Fallout series just has some sort of je ne sais quoi about it that draws me in. Maybe the games are just more polished and accessible, or maybe the retro styling and dark humor hold my interest better.

 

[Dorkenstein]

Is anyone else playing with the goal to maintain neutral karma? So far I have made a mix of good and bad choices, normally I try to go with a polar alignment like good or evil. This is a new experiment for me. Loving this game.

 

[R Nilla]

One of the Brotherhood of Steel 7' statues is up for auction on Sam's Club.

 

[Dangerer]

So what builds everyone using?
I spent about an hour doing research on what stats to take in this FO3. Right now I'm sitting at

S = 1
P = 7
E = 1
C = 1
I = 10
A = 10
L = 10

Yeah... i know it's a bit extreme.. and I'm probably going to restart since all that luck isn't doing me any good and I -think- could use some more charisma... anyhow what's everyone elses stats?

 

[Jules]

Im up to 20 hours right now. I did some of the main quest but barley any of it at all.

 

[erwos]

Originally posted by: Dangerer
anyhow what's everyone elses stats?

Mine:

S = 5
P = 5
E = 5
C = 10
I = 5
A = 5
L = 5

I pump quite a lot of my stats into speech and small guns, so I make do. I took down like three super mutants (one of which was a brute) the other day in a single, totally crazy gunfight - this game might not have a cover mechanic, but you sure need to take cover while your AP recharges...

I really love the difficulty on normal - it's hard enough that you've got to be careful and think, but not so hard that you find yourself dying constantly.

I'm trying to play good karma, but find myself failing more often than I'd prefer. *shrugs* I'm looking forward to a bad karma play-through!

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: R Nilla

Originally posted by: Queasy

Originally posted by: R Nilla

Originally posted by: Queasy

Originally posted by: Aikouka
I've never played Fallout before, but all of this talk about it is making me want to splurge on the fancy (and expensive) Amazon version .

Fallout 1 & 2 have been added to Good Old Games for $5.99 each, drm free.

I think they're also up on Gametap.

That Good Old Games site looks pretty cool. I saw an article about it on Ars yesterday. I'm tempted to try some of those games out.

Yep. The good thing is that I don't have to worry about upgrading my PC to play them! :laugh:

:thumbsup: Exactly! I'd love to play some of the newer PC games, like The Witcher and the upcoming Diablo 3, but I simply don't have the specs, or the desire to spend money on a new rig.

same. this is why if I ever get fallout 3, it will be for PS3. ...hopefully sooner rather than later.

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: ducci
I'm not saying it's just Oblivion with different models and that is it - but it is clearly made by the same people, and I really think it can be looked at as "Oblivion 2".

The game even starts the exact same way - create character, give skills, go through first dungeon (of vault in this case), and as you exit you're given the option to change anything one last time. Then there's the same quest/sidequest system, the same fast-travel, the same waiting for certain time of day, the same non-named NPCs saying generic things, the same dialogue system, the same sneak mechanic, the same hideous 3rd-person mode, the same (or very similar) skill-point system, the same buy/sell mechanic (by that, I mean, items you sell are available to buy-back from the person buying/selling).

The biggest difference I've seen is the fact that you don't explicitly choose your class in this game - you kind of "become" it as the game progresses, which I think is nice. That, and there's no magic or magic equivalent (or at least I haven't come to it yet - I suppose grenades/mines?). Speaking of which - the control system is a bit wonky, I think. It's fairly annoying switching weapons or healing - everything requires a bit of a slowdown in the game. I know you can hotkey items/weapons, but it just doesn't feel right to me.

The new VAT system is nice - I dig it - but I have this hunch it was included to tailor to the console crowd (I'm playing on the 360, but I played Oblivion on the PC). Being a number geek, I'm a fan of the hit % being shown, and stat points affecting those percentages and whatnot - but the auto-shooting mechanic is definitely to slow down combat and make it more tactical rather than being a straight shooter - which is something I've seen in consoles more than PC games.

I don't mean it as a bad thing - Oblivion is a good game. And I haven't gotten incredibly far in Fallout yet, so I'm sure there's still plenty of surprises. But at its core, the game is Oblivion.

LoL. I've never played Oblivion and read your comments thinking "Heh, sounds a lot like Fallout 1&2."

So maybe Oblivion is the more derivative title? FWIW, I hated Morrowind. Couldn't stand it after several hours of walking back and forth from place to place--for hours, trying to figure out a novel's worth of skills and such.

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: erwos

Originally posted by: Dangerer
anyhow what's everyone elses stats?

Mine:

S = 5
P = 5
E = 5
C = 10
I = 5
A = 5
L = 5

I pump quite a lot of my stats into speech and small guns, so I make do. I took down like three super mutants (one of which was a brute) the other day in a single, totally crazy gunfight - this game might not have a cover mechanic, but you sure need to take cover while your AP recharges...

I really love the difficulty on normal - it's hard enough that you've got to be careful and think, but not so hard that you find yourself dying constantly.

I'm trying to play good karma, but find myself failing more often than I'd prefer. *shrugs* I'm looking forward to a bad karma play-through!

from my recent experience with the first 2, this is standard. Though, Intelligence was always more important than charisma, and luck is great for criticals. I'd take C all the way down to 4, pump the rest in I and L. also pump up P if you can--if you're into guns.

I always took the trait that boosted every skill by 1 from the start. ...some say it's "cheating." well,
1. it's included in the freaking game
2. I don't have time to be frustrated these days. If I keep getting wasted in the first hour, I'm gonna quit. This isn't NES and I'm not 8 years old anymore. i.e., I don't have the freedom to play Simon's Quest for 8 hours just to figure out how to jump over a damn moat.

 

[imported_Imp]

Originally posted by: Dangerer
So what builds everyone using?
I spent about an hour doing research on what stats to take in this FO3. Right now I'm sitting at

S = 1
P = 7
E = 1
C = 1
I = 10
A = 10
L = 10

Yeah... i know it's a bit extreme.. and I'm probably going to restart since all that luck isn't doing me any good and I -think- could use some more charisma... anyhow what's everyone elses stats?

Wow... do you get knocked over by the wind?

IIRC, mines are something like:
S = 7
P = 5
E = 7
C = 3
I = 6
A = 7
L = 4

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: Imp

Originally posted by: Dangerer
So what builds everyone using?
I spent about an hour doing research on what stats to take in this FO3. Right now I'm sitting at

S = 1
P = 7
E = 1
C = 1
I = 10
A = 10
L = 10

Yeah... i know it's a bit extreme.. and I'm probably going to restart since all that luck isn't doing me any good and I -think- could use some more charisma... anyhow what's everyone elses stats?

Wow... do you get knocked over by the wind?

IIRC, mines are something like:
S = 7
P = 5
E = 7
C = 3
I = 6
A = 7
L = 4

I'm assuming you'd get power armor at some point in the game, and the ability to increase strength and any other skill at some point based on the previous 2...Making anything above 5 strength a waste of points that would much better go into luck or Perception.

Unless you go the mele, route, I guess. iirc, strength doesn't affect gun damage anyway. If you have high P and L, you'll soon get 95% accuracy to all body parts and near-constant criticals when you start pumping points into small guns.

 

[bdubyah]

Originally posted by: Dorkenstein
Is anyone else playing with the goal to maintain neutral karma? So far I have made a mix of good and bad choices, normally I try to go with a polar alignment like good or evil. This is a new experiment for me. Loving this game.

well, i figured that's about what i would do. but i think i'm totally in the negative karma right now. POSSIBLE SPOLIERS:





i played for a few hours yesterday morning. well, i ended up in megaton and i diffused the bomb. all cool and nice right? well, i was getting ready to quit for a while, and figured i would see what happened if i went crazy in the town with my fat man. killed lucas simms and the bartender guy and like every single person in the town. finally someone took me out. well, i figured i would try and kill everyone in the town without dying, then just turn it off. well, i had just been going off of the auto-save, and i hadn't made a separate save since the beginning of the game.

being the dumbass that i am, to avoid some tard killing me, i ducked into the clinic. guess what that did? yep, overwrote my auto-save. so now i am stuck with half of megaton dead and the rest trying to kill me. hopefully if i leave for a while they will relax. otherwise i don't think i'll go to megaton again.

*note to self* make separate save files next time. d'oh!

 

[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

 

[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