Game News Fallout: New Vegas pulls in $300 Million

[Blackula]

And put tl;dr: summaries at the end of your posts, ffs.

Whiny bitch is whiny. A tl;dr summary would be meaningless because the entire point of the post was to explain, in detail, why I think the New Vegas setting, atmosphere and (to a much lesser extent) quest design is much greater than FO3.

Then I'll do it for you:

tl;dr: MCA!!!!!1

 

[Silellak]

And put tl;dr: summaries at the end of your posts, ffs.

Whiny bitch is whiny. A tl;dr summary would be meaningless because the entire point of the post was to explain, in detail, why I think the New Vegas setting, atmosphere and (to a much lesser extent) quest design is much greater than FO3.

Then I'll do it for you:

tl;dr: MCA!!!!!1

 

[shihonage]

It never occurred to you that the juxtaposition of the character attitudes vs. the reality of the towns they live in was intended? Other characters flat-out tell you that these places are shitholes. Hell, one of the "enthusiastic greeter NPCs" is insane and

Spoiler

sells someone into slavery because she kept badmouthing the town.

You're willing to look deeper to find what you want to see. Paint an exception as a rule. I do that toward the games/films I love, too. Unfortunately this game isn't one of them.

You're missing the point. How is it a "shitty attempt to make something that doesn't work, work"? The shopkeeper in question set up shop in a place that had a bunch of shitty pre-war souvenirs and figured he may as well try selling them because what else was he going to do with them? It's not like they are the only items he sells, nor is this somehow a defining trait of the NPC - or the town. You're making a mountain out of a molehill.

The dinosaur is clearly the defining trait of that town. Selling toys still made no sense. And you find enough molehills, eventually they grow into a mountain.

So, the game sucks because it doesn't portray post-apocalyptic life the way you wish it was portrayed.

It sucks because it portrays post-apocalyptic life in a fashion that differs from most post-apoc movies (Mad Max, The Road), literature, and even the original Fallout.

My point was that your "issue" was incredibly vague, yet skyway pointed to your post as the gold-standard for New Vegas criticism. It's a double-standard.

The gold-standard for New Vegas criticism is bound to be a complete LP. There, all the craptastic idiocy will be revealed for all to see, just like it happened with the FO3 LP.

The setting IS much more put together as a larger picture, yes.If you're looking from a bird's point of view.

But the writing in the game is better than FO3, but that really isn't saying much. Upon entering another forgettable area adjacent to New Vegas I talked to a hireable NPC. For some reason he didn't talk like a thug, but instead, he was using complex, long phrases to get to the point, and being extremely polite. Truly fearsome and realistic.

The prostitute I killed, was standing on a corner of an empty street.Just like several other "advertisers". In order for this to work, there should've been crowds of people passing by, just like in real life. Instead, it was just me.

The developers keep applying modern conventions to a ruined world, and it just doesn't work. Nobody would give a shit about advertisement like that. People would spot gun shops and whorehouses by signs, because they would be damn good at finding them.Nobody would invest in neon signs, because all electricity would be consumed for something more important, be it life necessities or charging weaponry.

The game consists of such little "molehills", but I can only suspend my disbelief that far. The line had to be drawn somewhere, before I would be forced to willingly kill my own brain cells through a form of inebriation in order to be able to "immerse" in the "world" of Fallout: New Vegas.

 

[Silellak]

You're willing to look deeper to find what you want to see. Paint an exception as a rule. I do that toward the games/films I love, too. Unfortunately this game isn't one of them.

There's no "looking deeper" about it. It's an obvious juxtaposition, to the point where the other NPCs in the town outright state that the towns are in shitty condition. Do you actually think Novac and Primm are supposed to be anything but shitholes?

The dinosaur is clearly the defining trait of that town. Selling toys still made no sense.

Why? Because you say so. I say it makes sense. OH GOD WHAT DO WE DO NOW.

It sucks because it portrays post-apocalyptic life in a fashion that differs from most post-apoc movies (Mad Max, The Road), literature, and even the original Fallout.

Mad Max takes place "a few years" after the apocalypse. The Road takes place however-old-the-child-is years after the apocalypse (no timeframe is given; I'd say 12-13 years at most - probably closer to 10). The original Fallout takes place 84 years after the apocalypse. New Vegas takes place 204 years after the apocalypse. You can hardly compare any of those works quoted to NV. If anything, if the situation in NV were similar to those, it would be less realistic.

 

[cogar48]

- Improved writing/setting consistenty. It's not "lol better because Obsidiab's name is on the box", it's better because it's better.

See. That's exactly what I'm talking about.
It's just better!
And then I have shihonage's post giving a shitton of examples why it isn't.
Really I don't see any reason apart from the game being made by Obsidian - even in this thread examples show that it's the very same F3 apart from a few things here and there. And people praise it like the best game of the decade (not that it doesn't happen every time the new mainstream "rpg" comes out)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyN_fmTeohg

Do me a favor and play the fucking game and stop being such an enormous fucking faggot. Jesus fucking Christ.

 

[shihonage]

There's no "looking deeper" about it. It's an obvious juxtaposition, to the point where the other NPCs in the town outright state that the towns are in shitty condition. Do you actually think Novac and Primm are supposed to be anything but shitholes?

But they're not even shitholes. They're just collections of scattered buildings with no rhyme or reason, with a dozen people living there.

Mad Max takes place "a few years" after the apocalypse. The Road takes place however-old-the-child-is years after the apocalypse (no timeframe is given; I'd say 12-13 years at most - probably closer to 10). The original Fallout takes place 84 years after the apocalypse. New Vegas takes place 204 years after the apocalypse. You can hardly compare any of those works quoted to NV. If anything, if the situation in NV were similar to those, it would be less realistic.

204 years have passed, yet kids chase rats down the street and eat them raw. Things weren't this bad even in the original Fallout.

It's not about a number, but about observing the condition of the surrounding world and contrasting it with people's behavior and how they "live".

If the world looked lively/thriving enough to support the hefty number of years that passed since the war, then some things would start making sense. However, it is still as desolate as ever, barren, yet somehow filled with these out-of-place pockets of cheerful, trusting people, places that luxuriously expend electricity, and businesses that survive despite having no customers.

And they sure are articulate, generous storytellers, though their stories often are about as interesting as WoW quest descriptions.

For this world to make sense, I'd expect to see many other travelers in the wasteland vistas, you know, so that the traveling merchants I encounter on the way would actually have a chance of NOT STARVING TO DEATH.

I'd expect to see territorial patrols and caravans exchanging goods between settlements. Real caravans. The wasteland has to come alive.

I'm sorry, but when you take the game into 3D and add "realism" to it, you have to compensate for lost levels of abstraction, otherwise it just doesn't make any goddamn sense. I am looking at a realistic ruined highway, yet standing in a world which demands that I look at it from the perspective of Sim City.

 

[Morkar Left]

25 hours played so far...

The gameplay mechanics aren't bad on a theoretical level (magic clothing aside). But it needs heavy balancing. Obsidian improved on the mechanics compared to FO3 but they are still extremely lacking unmodded. Especially if you compare it to the FWE-mod from FO3 which did everything right for me. You could even customize it to your needs ingame. And let's not forget that obsidian simply implemented some of the most popular mods. It isn't really their work.
The game is balanced - like every other new game - for casual gamers and nothing else. This includes the economy and amount of loot too. It's playable but not fun for me. Mods have to fix it.

And I'm not to happy with the forced route you have to take. Why can I not go directly to vegas if I want? Even if it's dangerous it should be an option. But the deathclaws, radscorpions and cazadores are to much and it is not meant that you can outrun them. It doesn't really break the mainquest, why not allow it? I don't want to go everywhere right from the start but it should make some more sense why such a short route to vegas is blocked instead of "every meter is inhabited with deathly creatures".

The AI is servicable for me. Nothing great but not retarded either, at least not compared to other AIs.

Despite that the game is still great. Believable settlements, good dialog, believable development of the timeline, interesting quests, multiple quest solutions. Especially multiple quest solutions till the point where it feels like you have complete freedom. I'm looking here especially at the mainquest with your factionchoice or even ignore the factions and do it your way.
Many Quests and plenty of stuff to do. Plus the game is not combatfocused. You rarely have to fight someone if you want to avoid it. The writing and questdesign is easily as good as FO1, FO2, Arcanum.
As companions I have only tested Boone so far. I really like the personality and gameinfluence Obsidian gives to the companion without making him annoying. But most of the special perks seem silly for me.

In conclusion the gameplay mechanics are better simply because they copied the most gameplay enhancing mods from FO3. NV improved everything compared to FO3. The only thing FO3 may be better is the scope of the world and the cityruins and some 'dungeons' are more fun for a shoot out as a dessert.

Obsidian kept the spirit of western and roadmovie very well mixed with the postapocalyptic atmosphere. OK, it's missing a bike to ride and the strip and the casinos are to unpopulated, but minor drawbacks.

Obsidian did a really good job with NV. Best RPG in years, maybe even one of my favorites.

 

[Morkar Left]

There's no "looking deeper" about it. It's an obvious juxtaposition, to the point where the other NPCs in the town outright state that the towns are in shitty condition. Do you actually think Novac and Primm are supposed to be anything but shitholes?

But they're not even shitholes. They're just collections of scattered buildings with no rhyme or reason, with a dozen people living there.

Mad Max takes place "a few years" after the apocalypse. The Road takes place however-old-the-child-is years after the apocalypse (no timeframe is given; I'd say 12-13 years at most - probably closer to 10). The original Fallout takes place 84 years after the apocalypse. New Vegas takes place 204 years after the apocalypse. You can hardly compare any of those works quoted to NV. If anything, if the situation in NV were similar to those, it would be less realistic.

204 years have passed, yet kids chase rats down the street and eat them raw. Things weren't this bad even in the original Fallout.

It's not about a number, but about observing the condition of the surrounding world and contrasting it with people's behavior and how they "live".

If the world looked lively/thriving enough to support the hefty number of years that passed since the war, then some things would start making sense. However, it is still as desolate as ever, barren, yet somehow filled with these out-of-place pockets of cheerful, trusting people, places that luxuriously expend electricity, and businesses that survive despite having no customers.

And they sure are articulate, generous storytellers, though their stories often are about as interesting as WoW quest descriptions.

For this world to make sense, I'd expect to see many other travelers in the wasteland vistas, you know, so that the traveling merchants I encounter on the way would actually have a chance of NOT STARVING TO DEATH.

I'd expect to see territorial patrols and caravans exchanging goods between settlements. Real caravans. The wasteland has to come alive.

I'm sorry, but when you take the game into 3D and add "realism" to it, you have to compensate for lost levels of abstraction, otherwise it just doesn't make any goddamn sense. I am looking at a realistic ruined highway, yet standing in a world which demands that I look at it from the perspective of Sim City.

I don't think that a rpg exists that fits your demands of realism. Maybe you should come back in 30 years. If you're really lucky you might have a chance.

 

[Xor]

Willing suspension of disbelief.


Also, would you people stop quoting Skyway. I have him on ignore for a reason.

 

[Grunker]

Also, would you people stop quoting Skyway. I have him on ignore for a reason.

That you're an immense faggot? :D

 

[Jaesun]

There's no "looking deeper" about it. It's an obvious juxtaposition, to the point where the other NPCs in the town outright state that the towns are in shitty condition. Do you actually think Novac and Primm are supposed to be anything but shitholes?

But they're not even shitholes. They're just collections of scattered buildings with no rhyme or reason, with a dozen people living there.

I don't mind when people share an opinion, but when you out right lie. Guess you are trying for Skyway v.2.0 Good luck with that.

 

[Black]

.

 

[Silellak]

.

...can we make this the new Codex slogan? Please?

 

[DarkUnderlord]

I would play Fallout: New Vegas but I'm still waiting for my review copy.

Hopefully any day now.

 

[Black]

I know a site where you can get many... review copies.

 

[shihonage]

But they're not even shitholes. They're just collections of scattered buildings with no rhyme or reason, with a dozen people living there.

I don't mind when people share an opinion, but when you out right lie.

How many people live in Goodsprings, exactly? Novac? Primm? Nipton ? (okay, I kid about that one)

In that NCR-or-something base near the giant "handshake" statue?
Crimson Caravan?
NCR "dish station"?
Ghoul/Nightkin base?

Right.

 

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

And I'm not to happy with the forced route you have to take. Why can I not go directly to vegas if I want? Even if it's dangerous it should be an option. But the deathclaws, radscorpions and cazadores are to much and it is not meant that you can outrun them. It doesn't really break the mainquest, why not allow it? I don't want to go everywhere right from the start but it should make some more sense why such a short route to vegas is blocked instead of "every meter is inhabited with deathly creatures".

Unless you happen to have made yourself decent at Sneak from the get go, at which point you can hug the very right of the cliffs across from Sloan and just breeze by all the Deathclaws. Ignore Black Mountain, keep going straight and ducking away from the creatures, and you'll end up nearby the Repconn Main Headquarters and more or less with a straight open path towards New Vegas. I had to reload about twice when I made a stupid mistake and didn't wait for something to go by, but it's nowhere near the big deal I've heard about.

 

[Silellak]

And I'm not to happy with the forced route you have to take. Why can I not go directly to vegas if I want? Even if it's dangerous it should be an option. But the deathclaws, radscorpions and cazadores are to much and it is not meant that you can outrun them. It doesn't really break the mainquest, why not allow it? I don't want to go everywhere right from the start but it should make some more sense why such a short route to vegas is blocked instead of "every meter is inhabited with deathly creatures".

Unless you happen to have made yourself decent at Sneak from the get go, at which point you can hug the very right of the cliffs across from Sloan and just breeze by all the Deathclaws. Ignore Black Mountain, keep going straight and ducking away from the creatures, and you'll end up nearby the Repconn Main Headquarters and more or less with a straight open path towards New Vegas. I had to reload about twice when I made a stupid mistake and didn't wait for something to go by, but it's nowhere near the big deal I've heard about.

It's funny, because isn't this the sort of thing people used to praise in old school games? Most of them had "forced linearity" of the same sort, simply because you couldn't survive - unless you were clever - if you tried going to certain places. New Vegas takes the same route - nothing stops you from going north but your own lack of skill.

 

[Koshachiy Barin]

There was a time I thought Codexers were harsh but fair. Now I know they're just a bunch of hypocrites.

They give you another Fallout 3 in a new wrapper, and suddenly you all go "Weee!" just because there is an Obsidian logo slapped on in.

I'm totally with Skyway on this one.

 

[Silellak]

There was a time I thought Codexers were harsh but fair. Now I know they're just a bunch of hypocrites.

They give you another Fallout 3 in a new wrapper, and suddenly you all go "Weee!" just because there is an Obsidian logo slapped on in.

I'm totally with Skyway on this one.

Cool. I am glad to see I can make posts with detailed points explaining my position and people still think it's okay to just post "lol NV = FO3 derpy derp derp" without any actual arguments.

Codex. Codex never changes.

 

[Drakron]

How many people live in Goodsprings, exactly?

232 at the 2000 census.

Novac?

Since Novac was a motel, I have no idea (not even sure the place actually exists in the real world).

Primm?

436 at the 2000 census.

Nipton ?

Population 20.

Those are the current population numbers, none of those places that are real towns (expect Novac) have much of population.

In game there are more and less the same, Nipton in the game seem to been bigger that Primm were in real world it seems Primm was preferred by travelers to Nipton that is headed to became another ghost town.

Sawyer did his homework, something you did not because you are bitching like the Skyway wannabe you are ...

 

[shihonage]

How many people live in Goodsprings, exactly?

232 at the 2000 census.

Novac?

Since Novac was a motel, I have no idea (not even sure the place actually exists in the real world).

Primm?

436 at the 2000 census.

Nipton ?

Population 20.

Those are the current population numbers, none of those places that are real towns (expect Novac) have much of population.

In game there are more and less the same, Nipton in the game seem to been bigger that Primm were in real world it seems Primm was preferred by travelers to Nipton that is headed to became another ghost town.

Sawyer did his homework, something you did not because you are bitching like the Skyway wannabe you are ...

There's a difference between 232 and... 8, which is the number of unique NPCs in Goodsprings. Add a couple random farmers with barkstrings and you approach a dozen, the number I stated all along.

Same goes for Primm - it has around a dozen people. A big difference between that and 436, wouldn't you say?

Nipton was a joke question, as I stated before (and as should be obvious to anyone who visited it in-game).

So the facts remain what they are. I'm not sure what's with this "homework" business and "bitching", but good luck with that.

 

[Morkar Left]

There was a time I thought Codexers were harsh but fair. Now I know they're just a bunch of hypocrites.

They give you another Fallout 3 in a new wrapper, and suddenly you all go "Weee!" just because there is an Obsidian logo slapped on in.

I'm totally with Skyway on this one.

KotoR 2: great start, after half of the game combat system gets more tiresome and the story becomes a mess. The running around ebon hawk and talk to everybody is annoying. The end made me nerdrage.

NWN 2: combat sucks because of the instant resting and that nobody can die. Orders to your companions are often ignored. Complete linear locations, zero exploring, you are forced to invite every idiot in your party (but you can take only 3 with you at the same time), the scenery is underdeveloped in general (like that port where you can´t enter the tavern and the captains just larps that he is inside the building). MAgic items were way to much. Stopped playing after I think half trough the game.

MotB: haven't played because it is the sequel of OC. The general opinion here is that the story and setting is good, rest not.

SoZ: big improvement over OC but heavily lacks content. Combat control still a bit clunky. SoZ exploration and systemmachanics in NWN OC would have been a really good game.

AP: haven't played. A spy setting is interesting for me but the execution seems not so interesting.

That makes NV the only good game from Obsidian for me that I really enjoy. SoZ comes second for a playthrough.

 

[HanoverF]

Novac?

Since Novac was a motel, I have no idea (not even sure the place actually exists in the real world).

http://www.bigwaste.com/photos/ca/cabazon_dinos/
The Wheel Inn has really good peanut butter pie.

 

[Multidirectional]

There's a difference between 232 and... 8, which is the number of unique NPCs in Goodsprings.

Fucking LARPers.... Maybe you would have been thrilled to talk to 200+ NPCs to find out which have quests for you, but I'm glad I didn't have to.