Game News Fallout: New Vegas On Bugs and Alleged Bugs

[VentilatorOfDoom]

Tags: Fallout: New Vegas; Obsidian Entertainment

<p>Josh Sawyer commented on the bug reports on the Something Aweful forums <a href="http://nma-fallout.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=56540" target="_blank">reports NMA</a>.</p>
<blockquote>
<p><span class="postbody">Someone earlier asked if we (Obsidian/Bethesda) knew about the PC bugs that people are currently experiencing. I can't comment on every bug, but I can comment on the higher profile ones: <br /> <br /> * Auto/quicksaving bug - I can honestly say that we never saw that bug or heard it reported prior to release. I played the game primarily (and extensively) on the Xbox 360 and PC (I also played on the PS3, but not as much) and never saw anything like that. We are looking into it right now because obviously it's (very) bad. <br /> <br /> * NVIDIA + water = lol - This is a known issue that was introduced with NVIDIA's drivers as of (I think) two revs ago. It can affect Fallout 3 as well. We are still discussing it with NVIDIA. <br /> <br /> * NPC faces = slow framerate - I hadn't heard of this prior to launch, but I'm going to talk to Frank (our lead programmer) about it. <br /> <br /> * CTD Apocalypse - CTDs are often very hard to diagnose, so honestly maybe we have seen "your" issue before, maybe we haven't. These are the hardest to figure out. My apologies. We have to take them on a case by case basis. <br /> <br /> * Video Card N + Sound Card Y + This Driver = Death/Bad Framerate - Chances are high that we didn't know that a certain combination of hardware/drivers/some other software would result in something bad happening because, quite frankly, PC compatibility testing is logistically really, really, really hard. That's not an excuse, but I hope it serves as an explanation. Anything that seems to affect a significant number of users and is systemic is something we can hopefully look into. <br /> <br /> Please don't take my lack of commentary on bugs to mean that I don't care about them. I just want to avoid hazarding guesses and doing remote amateur troubleshooting. Bethesda's support/testing teams are coordinating known bugs and new reported bugs through to us. I know it's frustrating. I hate seeing people experiencing bugs. We are addressing them as we learn more information about them.</span></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Addtionally Fallout: New Vegas Senior Producer Jason Bergman wrote an <a href="http://forums.bethsoft.com/index.php?showtopic=1125221&amp;st=0" target="_blank">Open Letter</a> on the Bethforums, topics: patches, console patches and bug myths.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>We are also pleased to say that we have just released a second fix for PC users to address the autosave and quicksave issues that some people were encountering. That particular issue was never seen prior to release and it was extremely difficult to reproduce reliably, even after the game had launched. In order to fix this problem we have had to disable Steam Cloud functionality. It has been turned off, and we won't turn it back on until we're absolutely sure it will not cause any more problems. Please restart your Steam client to make sure you get the update.</p>
<p>...</p>
<p>And finally, a quick tip: Be aware of your faction status before assuming the game is broken. Factions will react very strongly to you based on your current armor. If you&rsquo;re wearing Powder Ganger or Caesar&rsquo;s Legion armor, you will be shot on sight by the NCR (and vice versa). Also note that there are groups of renegade Powder Gangers (known simply as &ldquo;Escaped Convicts&rdquo who will shoot you regardless of your faction status.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Spotted at: <a href="http://www.rpgwatch.com/#16012">RPGWatch</a></p>

 

[Roguey]

Also note that there are groups of renegade Powder Gangers (known simply as “Escaped Convicts”) who will shoot you regardless of your faction status.

I made a good-natured character because Sawyer promised a (difficult) pacifist path and I thought I wouldn't have to necessarily do too much fighting, so I was quite thrilled when I went to Primm and found out I had to clear it out first. And now I'm in a hotel diplomatically dispatching escaped convicts with my gun so I can get to the deputy. I could knock them out with my boxing gloves, but you don't get any experience for it and they wake up after a few minutes, so it's pretty much LARPing.

 

[hakuroshi]

Wow, game was released - what? three days ago? and already has two patches. That was quick.

Well, you can't finish fallout without killing. What's new?

 

[Ausir]

You can finish the game without killing anyone, but it doesn't mean you can finish every quest this way.

 

[racofer]

So... it's impossible to totally avoid combat in FO:NV.

 

[hiver]

maybe you could if you were better towards gangers before, eh?
Or had some sneaking skills.

 

[racofer]

Or had some sneaking skills.

So sneaking is a valid argument for the wholeness of FO:NV, but a lame tactic for VTMB's sewers hub... I'm beginning to understand the Codex now.

 

[deuxhero]

Because Bloodline's sewer's are annoying, long and empty even with sneaking (in a game where sneaks are otherwise fairly easy).

 

[racofer]

Because Bloodline's sewer's are annoying

How so, if you can totally avoid it with sneaking?

...long...

Much shorter than sneaking throughout FO:NV, I assure you.

...and empty...

Then why would you need sneaking on the first place?

 

[MetalCraze]

All of it is Bethesda fault!
All of it is Gaybryo fault ololo

NV is shit
Shit shit

 

[Jasede]

I tried to use a Speech check on the tutorial geckos, but it didn't give me the option.

NV = popamole shit

 

[Grunker]

This game seriously lacks some Gecko diplomacy.

 

[dragonfk]

I tried to use a Speech check on the tutorial geckos, but it didn't give me the option.

NV = popamole shit

There is no gecko love in F:NV. At least for you Jasede.

 

[Jaesun]

I had believed the onus of bug catching is on the Publisher. In that Obsidian provides a build to Bethesda, Bethesda then tests it and provides feedback on bugs found. Obsidian then works on reported bugs, submits new build to Bethesda... etc.. Until Bethesda feels the current build tested is good enough to master?

 

[hoochimama]

NPC faces = slow framerate - I hadn't heard of this prior to launch, but I'm going to talk to Frank (our lead programmer) about it.

Don't know if it's the same bug but my game was slowing down a lot when there were multiple npcs on screen(dipped to 10-20 fps in hotels and such), after installing this fix I get rock solid 60 fps.

 

[Xor]

I had believed the onus of bug catching is on the Publisher. In that Obsidian provides a build to Bethesda, Bethesda then tests it and provides feedback on bugs found. Obsidian then works on reported bugs, submits new build to Bethesda... etc.. Until Bethesda feels the current build tested is good enough to master?

That's pretty much how I understand game development works. QA is the publisher's responsibility. That would also explain how AP ended up taking months to get a mediocre patch where NV was patched in a day - Sega has shitty QA while Bethseda actually gives a crap, or are just more competent.

 

[Drakron]

maybe you could if you were better towards gangers before, eh?

Those guys seems to be disconnected from the Powder Gangs, they are always hostile.

Or had some sneaking skills.

That is about it, sneak and release the deputy ...

 

[Crispy]

No mention of some of the truly bizarre bugs, such as the spinning heads (a link to which is actually included in Steam's own newspage for F:NV), and one that I encountered myself last night as part of the shootout during the tutorial:

Sometimes there's a spawning problem with certain scripted events that results in NPC's just standing still, allowing you to walk up to them and kill them in a single shot, which then results in that same NPC's body reappearing at their spawn point, but in a frozen, Jesus Christ pose (complete with eyes closed). Actually kinda creeped me out and put a damper on my spirits of playing this game.

Fucking Obsidian.

 

[coaster]

a frozen, Jesus Christ pose

Think that one cropped up occasionally in Oblivion as well.

 

[Admiral jimbob]

That's a standard model pose before animations kick in (or if they fuck up and stop working). I've seen it in a few games, think in NWN as well as Gamebryo stuff.

 

[Vibalist]

If you're dumb enough to buy an Obsidian game on the release date (and one that was made in a year, no less), you really do deserve to run into all the bugs you do.

I'll pick this up whenever it's actually done.

 

[StrangeCase]

If you're dumb enough to buy an Obsidian game on the release date (and one that was made in a year, no less), you really do deserve to run into all the bugs you do.

I'll pick this up whenever it's actually done.

I wasn't going to be so contemptuous about it, but yeah.

 

[Crispy]

If you're dumb enough to buy an Obsidian game on the release date (and one that was made in a year, no less), you really do deserve to run into all the bugs you do.

Rageworthy comment but it's ultimately true, so :shrug:.

 

[Grunker]

If you're dumb enough to buy an Obsidian game on the release date (and one that was made in a year, no less), you really do deserve to run into all the bugs you do.

I'll pick this up whenever it's actually done.

You're missing out on a lot in the meantime.

Siger det bare.

 

[Sceptic]

Update 2 is out, supposedly fixes the autosave problem.

I still haven't decided if I'm buying this or not (fuck you Steam) I am happy to defer the decision until the first rush of patches.