Game News Fallout 3 interviews, reviews, manual and midnight launch

[DarkUnderlord]

Tags: Fallout 3

<a href="http://au.xbox360.gamespy.com/xbox-360/fallout-3/923318p1.html">Emil Pagliarulo speaks to GameSpy about writing for Fallout 3</a> in a meaty 3-pager:
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<blockquote><b>GameSpy: The Fallout franchise is known for its use of dark humor, and we're assuming that we'll see more of that in Fallout 3. How hard is it to write humor, both the situational and dialogue-driven varieties?</b>
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It's incredibly difficult. The biggest problem is trying too hard. You do that, and any jokes fall flat. So a lot of times it's best to just play it straight. With Fallout, the jokes are very situational. The humor comes naturally from the environment, and the violence, and the situations these people find themselves in. So a lot of times, we can simply create a unique character, maybe an eccentric character, and dark humor comes from seeing how he or see is coping with the world around them. I think one of my favorite examples of this is Andy, the Mister Handy robot you meet at the beginning of the game, in Vault 101. You have an opportunity to catch up with him later in the game (I won't say where or how!), and you can sort of see the predicament he's gotten himself in.</blockquote>
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Dark humor comes from seeing how he or she is coping with the world around them. OXM UK magazine also have a review in their latest issue. There are no scans <a href="http://www.nma-fallout.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=45992">but you can read the run-down at NMA</a>:
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<blockquote>It's now really rewarding just to explore the world that's been built... the really fun stuff is off the beaten track.
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VATS: Watching your stationary character get mauled and shot at before you regain control is frustrating.
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We've no hesitation in slapping on a Must Buy badge.
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Some plot holes, frustrating urban mazes, and the occasional bad voice actor.
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It all means that Fallout 3 doesn't quite rank as a true classic, despite its obvious potential; you'll have to settle for it being merely excellent. That's a compromise we're happy enough to make.</blockquote>
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If you're anxious to get a head start on everyone else, the Fallout 3 Manual is <a href="http://cdn.steampowered.com/Manuals/22300/fallout3_us_pc_manual.pdf?t=1224882949">already available online from Steam</a>. You can also <a href="http://store.steampowered.com/app/22300/">pre-order the game as well</a> if the manual's not enough for you. The Steam info page promises:
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<blockquote>* The Power of Choice! Feeling like a dastardly villain today, or a Good Samaritan? Pick a side or walk the line, as every situation can be dealt with in many different ways. Talk out your problems in a civilized fashion, or just flash your Plasma Rifle.
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* Mind-Blowing Artificial Intelligence! At Vault-Tec, we realize that the key to reviving civilization after a global nuclear war is people. Our best minds pooled their efforts to produce an advanced version of Radiant AI, America's First Choice in Human Interaction Simulation. Facial expressions, gestures, unique dialog, and lifelike behavior are brought together with stunning results by the latest in Vault-Tec technology.</blockquote>
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Finally, American's with nothing better to do can "start forming lines at 3 pm" for the American midnight launch. My suggestion is to get in early and form lines at 1 pm. <a href="http://www.bluesnews.com/cgi-bin/articles.pl?show=843">You can read the details from the press release here</a>.
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Thanks <b>Ogg</b>, <a href="http://www.nma-fallout.com">NMA</a> and <a href="http://www.bluesnews.com">Blues News</a>

 

[Barrow_Bug]

I'm picking up my copy for the Xbawx next week. There's no way I'm lining up for that shit tho( Comes out later in Aus). Fuck I wish I wasn't such a whore.

 

[franc kaos]

North America on October 28, in Europe and Australia on October 30 and in the UK on October 31

Not that I'm buying it until I've checked the demo out, but why release it in Europe before the UK, I thought we were your best friends (and I'm pretty sure Australia didn't even want to send troops to Afghanistan like we did). That's it man, we're taking our ball back and leaving Iraq...

:shock:

 

[Barrow_Bug]

Wow franc! I am loving your anti-war dissent! Could you actually be a Codexer that isn't racist, fascist, right wing or inbred.

Incline of the Codex!!!

Note: I am NOT being sarcastic.

 

[DarkUnderlord]

(and I'm pretty sure Australia didn't even want to send troops to Afghanistan like we did).

Actually Australia was one of the first to pledge troops (by invoking the ANZUS treaty). The Australian PM was also in the US when 9/11 happened.

 

[DraQ]

Re: Fallout 3 interviews, reviews, manual and midnight launc

It all means that Fallout 3 doesn't quite rank as a true classic, despite its obvious potential; you'll have to settle for it being merely excellent.

Since the oblibian apparently *was* perfect...

The Power of Choice! Feeling like a dastardly villain today, or a Good Samaritan?

The power of Choice! Simplified DnD style.

Finally, American's with nothing better to do can "start forming lines at 3 pm" for the American midnight launch. My suggestion is to get in early and form lines at 1 pm.

I'll lol if some turban suckerbombs them.

 

[DraQ]

Could you actually be a Codexer that isn't racist, fascist, right wing or inbred.

You called?

Don't be such a whore, btw.

 

[Kingston]

So, who's doing the Codex review? VD's is going to NMA, so you're gonna need a really good reviewer if you want the precious adbux from the views.

 

[Hümmelgümpf]

Saint? :wishfulthinking:

 

[WhiskeyWolf]

Me, me, me... !

fix

 

[Kingston]

Saint? :wishfulthinking:

Rosh? :wishfulthinking:

On second thoughts, it'd just end up being a 15-page rant. Not that I wouldn't read it, I'd just prefer, say, 3-page rants.

 

[Mister Arkham]

Hmm... some of the new perks aren't that bad. A lot of them are superfluous and several are just cop-outs for people who have made a character they don't want to play but are too lazy to restart (Nerd Rage). A couple could make the later parts of the game a little more interesting though, like the Contract Killer/Lawmaker pair.

I'm also interested in their choice of making Bloody Mess a perk, given the giant fucking fuss they've been making about it. I guess that they got rid of traits though, so it's no real surprise.

To be honest, I was expecting it to be a menu option.

 

[Azrael the cat]

(and I'm pretty sure Australia didn't even want to send troops to Afghanistan like we did).

Actually Australia was one of the first to pledge troops (by invoking the ANZUS treaty). The Australian PM was also in the US when 9/11 happened.

Yeah, Afghanistan has actually been a fairly 'popular' war (to the extent that that is possible). It's pretty much just the Iraq war that's seriously unpopular in Australia, and which we massively minimised our contribution to (having said that, for our population we're almost as thin-spread as the US military is atm - ongoing operations in East Timor, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Solomons etc - so even aside from the ideological problems with that invasion Australia was never going to be able to contribute much to the frontline).

 

[Ashery]

Love the manual, haha...

Higher perception increases your energy weapon skill...Guess they had to come up with something to prevent it from being a complete dump stat ;p

Here and now perk...when you gain a perk every level. Spend a perk to gain another perk and skill points...yay?

Ten ranks of the perk that allows you to increase any stat (Doesn't say that you're restricted to x amount per stat, so you could potentially put all 10 into one stat). Guess there won't be much specializing...

Adamantium skeleton...50% damage resistance to all limbs...The fuck? How the hell can that be even remotely balanced? With no requirements to boot...

"Tag!: The Tag! perk allows you to select a fourth Skill to be a Tag skill, which instantly raises it by 15 points." So they got rid of tagged skills costing less to increase as well? :\

I almost feel like not removing it from someone's invintory just to test out an absurd "sniper" build with obscene levels of luck, finesse (+5 luck for crit purposes...that's certainly balanced), better criticals (50% increase to crit damage) and the "grim reaper's sprint" perk that automatically restores all action points used in vats if you killed an opponent using vats (Although considering that fucking vats "animation," I might avoid it just to bypass that shit, despite my love for completely broken builds).

 

[Claw]

Here and now perk...when you gain a perk every level. Spend a perk to gain another perk and skill points...yay?

Otoh it's the only perk with an actual drawback - you still effectively lose a perk. If there is a level cap as I read, that means you'll eventuall have less perks than you could have.
I've always felt this perk was useless in Fallout, so I'd say Bethesda sort of improved it because now you might actually take it.

Ten ranks of the perk that allows you to increase any stat (Doesn't say that you're restricted to x amount per stat, so you could potentially put all 10 into one stat). Guess there won't be much specializing...

Well, it's their version of Gifted without penalties. It makes sense in the context of their overall dumbfuckery.

Adamantium skeleton...50% damage resistance to all limbs...The fuck? How the hell can that be even remotely balanced? With no requirements to boot...

Well, I believe it doesn't affect the actual damage you take, only the condition of the limbs so you're not crippled as quickly. I find "Cyborg" far more retarded. I mean, cyborg? What the fuck does that even mean? Fallout 2 had implanted armour, that also made you a cyborg of sorts, but this is just an arbitrary collection of bonuses.

"Tag!: The Tag! perk allows you to select a fourth Skill to be a Tag skill, which instantly raises it by 15 points." So they got rid of tagged skills costing less to increase as well? :\

Interesting question. The lack of a character creation section makes it hard to guess, the manual doesn't even mention that you get to tag three skills and what that means outside the description of this perk. The manual just plain sucks.

What really gets on my nerves is their obnoxious use of S.P.E.C.I.A.L. throughout the manual.

 

[elander_]

Someone actualy bothered to read more than 2 pages of that thing? You deserve a medal.

 

[Deleted member 7219]

Wow franc! I am loving your anti-war dissent! Could you actually be a Codexer that isn't racist, fascist, right wing or inbred.

Incline of the Codex!!!

Note: I am NOT being sarcastic.

Who are you?

 

[Ashery]

Someone actualy bothered to read more than 2 pages of that thing? You deserve a medal.

I'm a sucker for manuals ;p Although, to be honest, I skimmed, at best, most of it, and only read the stats/skills/perks and some of the god awful images.

Otoh it's the only perk with an actual drawback - you still effectively lose a perk. If there is a level cap as I read, that means you'll eventuall have less perks than you could have.
I've always felt this perk was useless in Fallout, so I'd say Bethesda sort of improved it because now you might actually take it.

Some perks give 5-10 skill points *total*. I'm sure, unless you use int as a dump stat, that you'd get more skills per level. Well, you could give the same argument...If you took the +5skill point perk instead of here and now you'd end up with five more skill points...but that's stretching it ;p

And I actually have taken the perk before in earlier games. Typically when I'm one level away from meeting the level req. of another perk.

Well, I believe it doesn't affect the actual damage you take, only the condition of the limbs so you're not crippled as quickly.

Guess that makes it a bit less broken ;p

The manual just plain sucks.

QFT.

Even the Tactics manual was substantially better ;p (It was actually rather close to the originals iirc).

 

[Rosh]

Rosh? :wishfulthinking:

On second thoughts, it'd just end up being a 15-page rant. Not that I wouldn't read it, I'd just prefer, say, 3-page rants.

I'd be up to that, if I really wanted to have an excuse to play the biggest miserable failure this side of the US presidency, lawmakers, and education systems both public and private (proving that even if you do have your father's bribes to pay your way through school, you can still be president). It would be painful, and I'd probably need some help from others to truly hide the pure disgust I have for the game ever since my contacts at Bethesda first unveiled that Bethesda was lying out their ass from 2004 when they came up with "It won't be Oblivion with guns." Oh, and that Toddler and Co. were studying BioShock for elements to rip off for Sellout 3 (FOT, FOS, FO3).

Here, let's ask the opinion of the average X-Brick consumer.

Bobo the Space Monkey: *screeches and throws feces at the TV, then chews on the controller and still manages to win the "game"*

Well said, Bobo! Too bad the shiny graphics still has him hooked like the rest of the primates on that console.

QFT.

Even the Tactics manual was substantially better ;p (It was actually rather close to the originals iirc).

Compared to the originals, it sucked out loud.

Speaking of sucking out loud, let's check the FOT credits for who is responsible for that inaccurate and half-baked mess, shall we?

Senior Designer: Christopher Taylor
Manual: Christopher Taylor

And this corporate whore is supposed to be teh saveor of FOOL.
The joke's on the cattle who bought into that shit.

 

[Ashery]

QFT.

Even the Tactics manual was substantially better ;p (It was actually rather close to the originals iirc).

Compared to the originals, it sucked out loud.

Speaking of sucking out loud, let's check the FOT credits for who is responsible for that inaccurate and half-baked mess, shall we?

Senior Designer: Christopher Taylor
Manual: Christopher Taylor

And this corporate whore is supposed to be teh saveor of FOOL.
The joke's on the cattle who bought into that shit.

So my judgement was clouded by nostalgia, ;p

Tactics was...*gasp*...my introduction to the Fallout universe. And while I completely agree that it shat all over the lore of the original Fallout, when standing on it's own it was a decent, albeit incredibly buggy in many instances, game. This was also prior to me exploring older games such as JA2 and the like that offer good squad oriented turn based combat, so it was all I had to satisfy my desire for that type of combat.

 

[Drakron]

... Saywer is right ...