so what do you thnk about fallout 4 compared to previous fallouts?

[Harabec]

Watching my wife be brutally murdered and my son stolen should evoke more emotion than watching my car get towed.

I get what you're saying, but it was a sweet, nuclear-powered car...

 

[Markbnj]

At least we're supposed to get the GECK so modders can go wild.

Has there been anything official on that?

 

[werepossum]

I enjoyed FO4. It's Bethesda writing so the story's no better than F03, and nowhere near the level of NV or 1-2. The ending was weak, though nothing like the stupidity of FO3's before Broken Steel retconned it.

Exploring is still fun. The voice acting is good even if they should have paid the companion actors to record 4-5 times as much of their random chatter. Combat is improved over FO3/NV. Graphics are much better. Great job on Dogmeat.

And yes, it's too bad this is Bethesda not CD Projekt -- I could see CD Projekt deciding to spend a little of the giant pile of cash (highest day 1 ever) on fixing things like the need for more chatter, as a free update. Bethesda? No chance.

At least we're supposed to get the GECK so modders can go wild.

I'd settle for less chatter - I just hate hearing the same comment three - four - five - six times in a row.

I get what you're saying, but it was a sweet, nuclear-powered car...

lol Yeah, there is that.

Has there been anything official on that?

Bethesda definitely promised the G.E.C.K. Not in so many words, but they promised the same tools they used to build it. So I'm assuming it will still be called the G.E.C.K. Honestly, that's my favorite thing about Bethesda. They aren't the best programmers or the best writers or the best graphic artists, but in an age of grasping micro-transactions and captive servers and finishing the main story as extra cost DLC, nobody supports the modding community like Bethesda. Without the modders, Fallout 3 and New Vegas were both completely unplayable for me; with the modders, I could tailor the games to my exact preferences and experience a wealth of Bethesda-provided (& Obsidian-provided) content, plus new content that was often very good.

We also have the DLC coming. Operation: Anchorage, The Pitt, Broken Steel, Mothership Zeta, and especially Point Lookout were nice additional content. And whatever they do this time, we can get it all for $30. Though honestly I was hoping for an official radio expansion like GNR Expanded, which I can't imagine being included in the DLC for $30. That made Fallout 3 hugely more fun for me. Fallout 4's radio stations are better - especially the Lynda Carter stuff - but way behind GNR Expanded. Of course, at least it isn't the atrocity that was New Vegas - I actually wanted to dig up and desecrate Sterling Hayden's desiccated corpse - and Johnny Watson's, too, just in case. And Peggy Lee's, just in case zombie Peggy Lee might get resurrected and sing us into apocalypse.

 

[Martimus]

Seriously, though... when were the Fallout stories not weak? For that matter when were the Elder Scrolls stories not weak? It's pretty hard to combine open-world non-linear play with immersive storytelling.

I felt that the Witcher 3 did a pretty good job, but most open world games fail at immersion story telling, as you say. It is tough when you can't control exactly how the player encounters the world.

 

[BoberFett]

I dug the game a lot. Rushed it in the first playthru but replayed it again using alternatives to run and gun. Got my female character to nail a female NPC, that was pretty cool.

Dude... My female character is banging Cait AND Piper. Giggity.

 

[bguile]

Fallout 4 is better than 3, but not as good as New Vegas IMO.

Pro's:
Combat is far better than both, crafting is good, enemy AI is better, environments are better, more clothing and armor options, no cap on leveling, graphics are better, immersion is much better, settlements are a fun side distraction but could have been better implemented.

Neutral:
New perk chart is ok, but I end up picking the same skills over and over, some are almost must haves, so my characters are pretty much resemble each other. I personally don't mind the new dialogue tree, but I can see how some people really don't like it.

Cons:
Main story is weak and doesn't make a lot of sense, factions are not very interesting, no more skills checks, companions are not as interesting, lack of dialogue choices, radiant quests are really bad and can't be ignored for some factions.

I really enjoyed wandering around the various locations, exploring some derelict buildings, looking for loot and listening or reading the backstory of the places. It still what I do pretty much, no longer interested in the main story on my current character.

What really kills the game for me is that the main story didn't make much sense, and all the factions are such stereotypes that they were not a lot fun, nor do you have any input on the outcomes. I can't make the institute and minutemen get along, its one or the other. That and I can't stand the way the radiant quests are implemented. I end up doing the same quests over and over (at least for minutemen, I have rescued some chick from abernathy farm 3 times now, twice from the same location, and whats even worse, I couldn't even turn down the quest).

I'm hoping that the DLC save the game, or mods come out that correct some of its shortcomings. Overall I definitely recommend it, but would wait until its on some steam sale or something.

 

[werepossum]

Dude... My female character is banging Cait AND Piper. Giggity.

My male character is apparently banging Cait. Not sure how that happened, but I got the XP bonus perk couple of times and once I woke up and she was apparently spooning me from behind. Evidently all the sex toys weren't destroyed after all. Given that she seems to dislike everything I do, that doesn't bode well for my future ability to walk upright. Now I just travel with Nick; he's highly annoying in combat, but at least he isn't trying anything. (He might BE junk, but I don't think he HAS junk.)

 

[Markbnj]

he's highly annoying in combat, but at least he isn't trying anything. (He might BE junk, but I don't think he HAS junk.)

It's the third thing to go, right after the ears, and just before the nose.

 

[Markbnj]

They aren't the best programmers or the best writers or the best graphic artists, but in an age of grasping micro-transactions and captive servers and finishing the main story as extra cost DLC, nobody supports the modding community like Bethesda. Without the modders, Fallout 3 and New Vegas were both completely unplayable for me; with the modders, I could tailor the games to my exact preferences and experience a wealth of Bethesda-provided (& Obsidian-provided) content, plus new content that was often very good.

Yeah, it's become their thing, and an integral part of their RPG ecosystem. I think any change in policy now would cause a brouhaha.

 

[norseamd]

Yeah, it's become their thing, and an integral part of their RPG ecosystem. I think any change in policy now would cause a brouhaha.

It already did.

They will try again sometime, and try to force other anti-consumer practices. You can count on Robert A. Altman to fulfill that promise to you and all other Zenimax customers.

 

[werepossum]

It's the third thing to go, right after the ears, and just before the nose.

Yeah, it's become their thing, and an integral part of their RPG ecosystem. I think any change in policy now would cause a brouhaha.

Yup. Just look at the outrage over paid mods.

I could support paid mods, if done right. However, the Steam debacle was not done right. To properly move something from free to paid requires convincing the consumer that everyone getting paid is contributing more than before, so we're getting more than before. I'd have no problem paying for things like Project Brazil or Beyond Boulderdome if Bethesda actually participated and did QA and where necessary, provided voice acting. The way they attempted to do it, the money was in cheap, quick additions. Plenty of those already. We'd be getting the same thing for a lot more money, which would definitely lessen the value of a Bethesda game.