Preview Massive Fallout 3 coverage at NMA

[Vault Dweller]

Tags: Bethesda Softworks; Fallout 3

A crack team of the finest <a href=http://www.nma-fallout.com>NMA</a> ninjas, disguised as respectable citizens, managed to infiltrate Bethesda brainwashing booth, witness Fallout 3 <a href=http://www.nma-fallout.com/article.php?id=38620>PowerPoint presentation</a>, and even ask our old buddy Pete Hines <a href=http://www.nma-fallout.com/article.php?id=38623>a few questions</a>:
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<blockquote>Fallout 3 looks like a well-produced, very pretty, very fun game that'll provide quite a few people with a lot of hours of enjoyment. However, I don't think it's anything more than a very pretty and fun game.
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The only times this game really shines is when it is copying from the originals directly. The moments of inspiration outside of that are rare, limited to a few jokes and the Protectron's excellent design.
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But what does that mean? Pretty much that we're looking at a pretty bland, uninspired game here, and that people expecting the next big break-through in RPGs or gaming in general to come from here should probably look the other way. And who knows how it'll hold up against competing RPG or RPG-like games in late 2008? Only time will tell. But suffice it to say that despite flashes of brilliances, I'm not overly impressed by this game, and hate to see a franchise tag that once stood for being so different now applied to something that is so humdrum and potentially dull.</blockquote>And here is a snipet from the interview:
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<blockquote><b>Will you be able to finish the game without killing anyone?</b>
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We don't know yet. We're trying to make it so that you have options to use stealth or dialogue. The lead designer of Fallout 3 is Emil Pagiarulo, who worked on the Dark Brotherhood questline in Oblivion and on the Thief games. He has a lot of experience with using stealth to solve problems. <b>But obviously, when you're talking about supermutants, dialogue really isn't a viable option</b>. So I can't really say whether or not you can finish the game without killing anyone, but implementing alternative paths is very important for us.</blockquote>Obviously?
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Great job, NMA!
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[Elhoim]

Thanks!

 

[Micmu]

PS. I'll pretty up the newspost later.

If you survive reading it.

 

[Brother None]

PS. I'll pretty up the newspost later.

If you survive reading it.

...I don't get it.

 

[Andyman Messiah]

Just read it all and oh man, this is just so fucked up it's ridiculous.

I knew Fallout. I played Fallout. Pete? This is not Fallout and you fucking know it. Worst of all, the NMA writers weren't kidding when they compared the super mutants to Return to Castle Wolfenstein. What the hell is happening in this world?

 

[VonVentrue]

Very nicely written. Well done, Brother None!

An excerpt from the "Q&A" part of the preview...

Pete Hines: We are in contact with those communities and they receive the same treatment as all the other communities. We frequently read them and we understand exactly what it is they want. The problem is however that they've had years to think about what they wanted and create a view of what Fallout 3 should be that could never be possible today. They're still stuck 8 years back in their views of Fallout 3. It simply wouldn't work.

I don't know whether to laugh or cry about this...

 

[Brother None]

It was kind of funny because SuAside mentioned NMA, DaC and the Codex quite clearly. To hear Pete Hines talk about the Codex as "we are in contact with those communities" is just hilarity +1

 

[psycojester]

Pete Hines: We're making the sequel as we think it would be best in the modern age and how it would work best today. This means taking full advantage of all modern technology and first person to facilitate immersion. There is no reason today not to do so. We also didn't want to make our 'own' series because we want to make a true sequel to the first two Fallouts.

Pete Hines: We are in contact with those communities and they receive the same treatment as all the other communities. We frequently read them and we understand exactly what it is they want. The problem is however that they've had years to think about what they wanted and create a view of what Fallout 3 should be that could never be possible today. They're still stuck 8 years back in their views of Fallout 3. It simply wouldn't work.

Compare and contrast

"We wanted to create a true sequel to Fallout. Naturally we thought the best way to do this was to scrap everything about the game and ignore the fanbase."

 

[sqeecoo]

So are you NMA guys going to get in trouble for this? And is the article going to have an impact, do you think?

Anyway, a great effort and article, thanks.

Shows how they fucked up even more clearly than before.

 

[Brother None]

So are you NMA guys going to get in trouble for this? And is the article going to have an impact, do you think?

I don't see how we can get in trouble for it. What're going to do, continue to ignore use? Spooky!

Impact? The hell should I know, but at the least it's good to have at least one article with a more sober perspective out there. Having seen the demo, I really, really don't get some of the statements made by some journalists.

 

[Micmu]

...I don't get it.

Hey, great job there, thanks. That's definitely the most detailed preview so far and the right things were reported, not useless marketing shit from "gaming journalists".

What I meant was, what they have shown and said. And your info is pretty clear and straight.
(just on page one, at nuke-powered cars, I lost a bit of sanity).

 

[gc051360]

The message is clear. Bethesda has fixed fallout and brought it to the future.

My only question is, why is the future so bland and unoriginal?

 

[Kingston]

The problem is however that they've had years to think about what they wanted and create a view of what Fallout 3 should be that could never be possible today. They're still stuck 8 years back in their views of Fallout 3.

Totally. Van Buren was still in development in ... 2003? OMG ANCIENT TIMEZ!

We're making the sequel as we think it would be best in the modern age

Modern age? Wtf is that? When did it begin?

while the reason is a pretty good and simple one. We're kind of surprised nobody has figured it out yet.

"There was another FEV vat!"

We also didn't want to make our 'own' series because we want to make a true sequel to the first two Fallouts.

Troo sequel to the max.

It simply wouldn't work.

VD, you're doing it wrong!

 

[Sovy Kurosei]

We are in contact with those communities and they receive the same treatment as all the other communities.

"We have their e-mail address and we blacklist all communities that step out of line."

The problem is however that they've had years to think about what they wanted and create a view of what Fallout 3 should be that could never be possible today.

wtf? There is a collective idea of what the fan communites at the Codex, DAC and NMA want out of Fallout 3? I must have missed the memo.

 

[Lumpy]

Hooray, Bobbleheads are in:

Hines explains that the bobbleheads are easter eggs that boost your characteristics and that there's a Vault Boy bobblehead for every stat and every skill in the game.

Also, we're a Fallout fan community?

 

[Black]

Yeah, VD received all the emails and pms from beth guys but it's HIM that blacklisted THEM!


"We are in contact" as in "we're making sure they are and will remain blacklisted. Fucking oblivion haters. NOOBS!"

 

[Micmu]

It's cute how they call bobbleheads easter eggs while they hype them a year before the release.

 

[Lumpy]

OMG OMG OMG GUYZ, we can meet the DJs of the radio stations. One would think that DJ is a pretty crappy job in the wasteland, since you don't, y'know, get paid, but OMG we can meet them in person!!!

And what the fuck? Skill dialogues responses now have a chance to be successful.

 

[psycojester]

We're blacklisted so therefore we must be a fallout fan community

 

[Zomg]

Call me a graphics whore but the thing that's jumping out at me is that gross Oblivion facegen art design.

 

[sabishii]

Very nicely written. Well done, Brother None!

An excerpt from the "Q&A" part of the preview...

Pete Hines: We are in contact with those communities and they receive the same treatment as all the other communities. We frequently read them and we understand exactly what it is they want. The problem is however that they've had years to think about what they wanted and create a view of what Fallout 3 should be that could never be possible today. They're still stuck 8 years back in their views of Fallout 3. It simply wouldn't work.

I don't know whether to laugh or cry about this...

Yes, and in eight years people are still playing Fallout, whereas eight years from now Oblivion's graphics will be obsolete and nobody will play it.

But seriously. How the fuck can they even say that *such and such* gameplay isn't possible today? Students still play Tetris on their graphic calculators. People still load up SNES Final Fantasy roms on their computer. If you're not going to be honest and just say that you won't make as much money, then don't turn it around and outright lie about it. Sick of it.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Updated the newspost.

 

[Brother None]

Updated the newspost.

Cheers.

I'll be hanging about for any questions, though I think with this addition we've covered almost all possible info.

PS: The Fatman had 11 nukes! ELEVEN!

 

[Vault Dweller]

Do you know which skills are not in FO3, by any chance? There are 14 skills (vs 18 skills in Fallout). I assume they merged First Aid and Doctor, got rid of Throwing. What else is gone? Outdoorsman and Traps?

 

[gc051360]

Updated the newspost.

Cheers.

I'll be hanging about for any questions, though I think with this addition we've covered almost all possible info.

PS: The Fatman had 11 nukes! ELEVEN!

Did Pete tell you "But this one goes to eleven..."??