Editorial Fallout revisited at RPG Watch

[Diogo Ribeiro]

Yep. I phrased it poorly.

Still, the overall point is I disagree with Role-player that Fallout is some recent bandwagon everyone has jumped on

It was a question, not a statement. I didn't said Fallout doesn't get support, rather that I've noticed more support recently. Of course some critics and some communities like it; never said otherwise. What I said is that I've encountered more praise and interest for it fairly recently than that which it used to get. I can't remember the last time I saw someone writing a Fallout editorial. I also can't remember the last time I've seen Fallout's name thrown about with such regularity in some forums I use to visit. Maybe I am imagining things or taking the wrong medications.

(with the inference that Bethsoft is the catalyst).

I asked if the acquisition of the franchise by Bethesda had anything to do with the recent attention it's getting from the perspective of a possible sequel. After Van Buren died and the laments were smothered, there wasn't much talk or anticipation of Fallout with the obvious exception of some key places (ie, the Codex and the Fallout communities). Ever since Bethesda entered the fray, there has been. Am I imagining stuff there, Dhruin?

 

[Bradylama]

Well how recent are we talking here? I mean, didn't Beth announce they acquired the license two years ago?

Now that there are hints coming up in interviews and things like Desscock revealing the probable setting, it's gaining a place in the spotlight and people are remembering how cool Fallout was or how much fun they had in Fallout 2.

Wait until more details about the game comes out and we can see what the reaction is on all of these communities. It's not like the couple thousand of people who frequent the Codex, DaC, NMA, etc., are the only ones who've played the games.

 

[Brother None]

I asked if the acquisition of the franchise by Bethesda had anything to do with the recent attention it's getting from the perspective of a possible sequel. After Van Buren died and the laments were smothered, there wasn't much talk or anticipation of Fallout with the obvious exception of some key places (ie, the Codex and the Fallout communities). Ever since Bethesda entered the fray, there has been. Am I imagining stuff there, Dhruin?

No, of course not. Imagine if Van Buren was never worked upon and covered and Bethesda never bought Fallout. Sure NMA, the Codex and DaC would've tried to keep the engine running, but it might well have started sputtering to a halt by now.

Fallout will for a long time yet be remembered as one of the best, but the slight surge in Fallout editorials and workings (like DaC's Fallout wiki and Gamebanshee's Fallout editorial and item database) are pretty surely influenced though not necessarily caused by Bethesda's purchase of the rights for Fallout 3. To deny that this is so would be a bit odd.

The "recent attention" Fallout has been getting has been pretty slight, though, don't overdo it, every few months a site like RPGDot or Gamebanshee does something, but it hasn't livened up yet by a long shot. Wait until they announce the game, we might see a surge then.

 

[HardCode]

Yep. I phrased it poorly.

Still, the overall point is I disagree with Role-player that Fallout is some recent bandwagon everyone has jumped on (with the inference that Bethsoft is the catalyst).

Right, because how many other so-many-years-old games are still getting articles written about them among articles for Wii, Oblivion, NW2, Madden 200x, etc?

To quote Pink Floyd, ".. and if I tell you the name of the game, boy, it's called riding the gravy train!" - Have a Cigar

 

[Surgey]

More flair, a bit less story and choices.

Less story - maybe - although I didn't feel that first F was particualry heavy on story. Maybe on gritty, more intense and post-apoc relevent atmosphere, but not story.
As for less choices - complete and utter bullshit - F2 has way more choices in almost every instance except the ending, in which you kill the BBB. They gave you a plenty of different ways of doing that though.

Well, I meant in general that you really couldn't choose whether to save Arroyo or not. And in some situations, you just weren't allowed alternatives. If you wanted the guy in Modoc to feed you bullshit about the GECK, then you had to help him with the problem, you couldn't just intimidate him or pay him. Some of the choices were fairly black-and-white, too. I suppose it's stretching it to say you had less choices. What I should have said was that the choices were more two-dimensional.

I suppose I could also have said that the first Fallout had better choices, or more diverse choices.

 

[Ausir]

No, of course not. Imagine if Van Buren was never worked upon and covered and Bethesda never bought Fallout. Sure NMA, the Codex and DaC would've tried to keep the engine running, but it might well have started sputtering to a halt by now.

I wouldn't say I started the Fallout wiki because of Bethesda. However, the fact that it is used as a source of Fallout lore by Fallout 3 devs definitely was a motivating factor later.

 

[Kawika]

Hi everyone and thank you for your replies.

I just wanted to clarify that the reason I chose Fallout for my first (it won't be my last) CRPG retrospective is, as stated in the article itself, because Fallout was the game which truly convinced me to switch from console gamer to PC gamer. My choice had nothing to do with "jumping on the Fallout retrospective bandwagon" or the announcement of Fallout 3 or the Fallout MMO. Fallout has held, and always will hold, a very special place in my heart.

On a side note, I am planning to pick up a PS2 right after Christmas because it seems like a good value with tons of highly rated games. I'm still a PC gamer at heart and I haven't played a console game since the Sega Genesis (I loved me some Shadowrun back in the day!), but I just can't resist treating myself to a PS2.

Game on!

- Dave "Kawika" Bonnewell
- Editor, RPGWatch.com

 

[TheGreatGodPan]

the fact that it is used as a source of Fallout lore by Fallout 3 devs

I did not know that.

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

Hi everyone and thank you for your replies.

You're welcome. Welcome to the forums, Kawika.

My choice had nothing to do with "jumping on the Fallout retrospective bandwagon" or the announcement of Fallout 3 or the Fallout MMO. Fallout has held, and always will hold, a very special place in my heart.

I understand. As I've said when addressing Dhruin, it was not aimed at you specifically, it was a general outlook at some of the recent support Fallout seems to be getting.