Fallout Fallout: Sonora - new Fallout mod from the Fallout: Nevada team

[jac8awol]

Just completed this and was very impressed. Lots of reactivity in the choices and best of all, things update and you have reasons to re-visit previous locations.

 

[CootKeeper]

Hi, is there a way to change the aspect ratio/resolution when playing Sonora? I'm excited to try the new English translation, but I would like to change the non-ideal resolution before getting started. I forget how I changed it when playing Nevada a few years ago, but I know I did somehow. I tried yelling at the screen for a bit, and then I yelled at some swarthy, foreign-looking people passing on the street. Neither solution helped.

--Edit: OK, turns out that with Fallout 2 CE you need both f2_res.ini and ddraw.ini from the F2 high res thingy to get it to work.

Care to elaborate?
I got stuck at that point also, reverted back to the old version

I installed the mod last night.

Foolproof steps:

1/ Install Fallout Sonora
2/ Install Sfall (latest release). Unzip all files into the /Sonora folder
3/ Copy the f2_res.ini file from your /Fallout 2 folder to the /Sonora folder. Ideally you've already chosen the resolution you want to play in.
4/ Enjoy.

 

[Modron]

Just a word of warning the bike trunk upgrade in Garage city sets your trunk space to 100 lbs (the default) instead of adding to it like it should, so don't get it if you've already used repair and the saddlebags from San Brahmin to increase your trunk size.

 

[Nikanuur]

I liked Nevada from the same team, so I tried Sonora yesterday.
I, uhm, erm, does it get better?
I mean, maybe I'm not the perfect audience or something, and man, I really don't want to criticize such extensive fan effort and all, but the beginning felt like butter scraped over too much bread.
And since the same team did Nevada, I am kind of baffled.

 

[AdolfSatan]

You’re not giving us any actual info about what you disliked, so it’s hard to tell you… Sure, the game opens up, and it’s better once you’re past the starting sequence in town, but if that didn’t hook you up already, I doubt the rest will.

 

[Nikanuur]

You’re not giving us any actual info about what you disliked, so it’s hard to tell you… Sure, the game opens up, and it’s better once you’re past the starting sequence in town, but if that didn’t hook you up already, I doubt the rest will.

Well, I figured people would go deeper, you know? Talk about how it all unfolds, defend it, or whatever. Maybe even trash-talk me for hating on heartfelt efforts—which is not my intent—but anything, really.

Honestly, the beginning feels kind of bare-bones compared to Nevada. The thing that hit me the hardest so far was the whole worker situation. Like, Lucas straight-up says something like: "Nah, Korgan’s to blame, actually. Steal the data for us, and we'll spill the beans on the rest." And that’s it. No extra details, no backstory, no twists or turns—nothing. It’s supposed to be a larger plot point for one of the first major quests, but it just drops out of nowhere with zero depth, no character, nada. And the only two options you get to choose from are basically “I’ll do it,” or “I won’t do it.” …Eh?

I used that as an example because, I’ve had a bunch of conversations like this with key NPCs where stuff that should be important in the story is just laid out like that.
It's not like all conversations are done in this matter, but all the same.

Similar deal with the locations.
The first location's PREMISE: "We got like raided and stuff. Go figure out why."
Villager 1: "Help! My ribs are broken!" (there’s no way to help unless you find medicine or your Doctor skill is high enough, probably)
Villager 2: "Help! My son’s gone!" (you practically trip over him in the next location, no need to search for him)
Villager 3: "Help! Raiders at the barn!"
SITUATION AT THE BARN:
Raider 1: "We need the key to the barn, or else."
And I can even quit the conversation whenever I want and go away. No forced, violent end, unless I've talked myself out of it—as it's supposed to be happening.
Hero: "Nah, we’re coming for you with like pitchforks, or else!"
Raider 1: "Kthx, we peace out."

I mean, It’s not bad, per se. There’s stuff happening at least. And don't get me wrong, I still have my fun while running around with 5 dogs chasing my agile-10-APs-ass, kitting one hit at a time without a single attack from any of the dogs, yet again. Yay. But, you know, after Nevada had like ten times the complexity right from the start with all the texts, lore, quests, sub-locations, NPCs, and all that, I figured this would be even better. And now I’m sitting here with this simplistic stuff right off the bat, so I’m kinda confused.

 

[Nikanuur]

Btw, does anyone know? I have Rubber Boots in my inventory, and the sludge still hurts me. Is it a bug, or do I need to figure something else out?

 

[Modron]

Btw, does anyone know? I have Rubber Boots in my inventory, and the sludge still hurts me. Is it a bug, or do I need to figure something else out?

Have to use them in your inventory and replace them as they wear out, same with gas masks.

Edit since I am here, maybe one of you more motivated people could forward on these issues:

Been a few errors so far in Dayglow (I don't know if it's the translation or just the mod):

1. Luther's Journal entry is empty when downloaded from his holotape at the lowest level of Vault 24:
   
   
2. Butler's ghoul dialog before entering has an error line when asking about your objective and then a subsequent error dialog line choice that yields an error as well (this is with Gustavo's men there as well don't know if that affects it):
   
3. Tuning into the Brotherhood of Steel's frequency gives a bunch of errors in Dayglow (I assume this the way you trigger the quest https://fallout-sonora.fandom.com/wiki/Help_the_Brotherhood_of_Steel_scout):
   

Base game:

1. Previously mentioned garage city upgrade to the Motorcycle's trunk sets it's weight capacity to 100 instead of adding to it.
2. There are few erroneous random encounters, eg survival skill kicks in asking if you'd like to encounter "error" which is an empty location if you click yes.

 

[Cambragol]

Apologies to all, however, I made an error in the last update (1.01 and 1.02)
I misunderstood how the 'merge' function on macOS works, and the result is many DLC dialogues are using 'vanilla' versions, which will result in 'error' messages or -DLC in descriptions.

I will have an update shortly.

 

[Nikanuur]

Apologies to all, however, I made an error in the last update (1.01 and 1.02)
I misunderstood how the 'merge' function on macOS works, and the result is many DLC dialogues are using 'vanilla' versions, which will result in 'error' messages or -DLC in descriptions.

I will have an update shortly.

Are you one of the team behind Sonora? If so, would you mind sharing your vision for the game in a few words, or directing me to a place where it's been shown already?
I don’t mean to sound needlessly critical—the game is likely quite ambitious, and I respect the effort that’s gone into it.
It's just that I tend to engage with a game more effectively when I have a clear understanding of what to expect beforehand. Without that context, I may end up feeling a bit disconnected, especially if I try something with assumptions.

 

[Cambragol]

I have released 1.03 of the translation. I recommend everyone switch to this one, as 1.01 and 1.02 both suffer from 'error' messages in dialogues and '-DLC' messages in descriptions.

This should fix all that. Also added masculine/feminine amigo/amiga addresses for Spanish speakers toward the PC.

Find it at the regular place: Fallout Sonora or the Moddb.com

Again, apologies for the errors. Please report any issues, I will fix asap.


Nikanuur , no I am not the one behind Sonora. I am only the one behind the translation. Stick with the game, it is well worth it to any Fallout 1 fan.

 

[Nikanuur]

Nikanuur , no I am not the one behind Sonora. I am only the one behind the translation. Stick with the game, it is well worth it to any Fallout 1 fan.

Okay, will do. Thanks!

 

[Nikanuur]

Modron

No, I mean, dude. Sometimes, that's the crux of the matter. Take The Outer Worlds for example. The hype was 'Obsidian’s going to deliver their magnum opus: Fallout: New Vegas, but bigger, better, and in space.' What a promise!

...And what we got was a subpar FPS with questionable RPG-lite mechanics—less complex than what it actually tried to imitate so shamelessly: Borderlands. If we’d known that upfront, we could’ve approached it differently. Probably much more people would’ve played it for what it was—a light, casual experience with some questing before diving into something meatier. Heck, we might’ve chuckled at some of those quirky quests or gotten a warm fuzzy feeling from spotting love-letter Easter eggs to Fallout. But no, the assumption was that it’d be a deep, complex RPG in first-person. And that’s where the disconnect, backlash, and even hate came from.

No to say that Sonora is the same convoluted, conflicted thing. No, but the similar meaning of expectations based on the 'word out on the streets' vs what it actually was.

Anyway, I’m about to take on the slavers, I am around level six. After about five hours of gameplay, I would've still said that the NPCs, situations, lore, and their interconnections feel rather simple where they shouldn't, and, on the other hand, can be pretty extensive in similar situations with but lesser impact. What’s worse, some major conversations still drop twists out of nowhere, like, “Oh hey, it was X 5 seconds before, but now it’s Y. Trust me, bro.” No buildup, no alternative discussions, just, “Here’s your twist, BAM.” That’s not great storytelling—RPG or otherwise (e.g. the said Lucas -vs- Kogan situation, part of the main plot).

That 'other hand' being, for example, the Priest Hiram and Festus' sick sone quest. It's a side quest but it is rather extensive—for its scope—and is actually of top notch Fallout quality. Classy gesture inhaving to wait at a specific time and place for it to unfold. All things make sense, characters gradually come to realizations, they have their motives and are not easilly swayed aside, it takes effort in one way or another to bring some solutions, and even then the characters talk around those and elaborate on them (believably so, at that).

All that said, I’m still enjoying Sonora. It has charm. The quests aren't generic or fetch quests; there are various approaches and some thinking on your feet. I especially love the new NPC faces—they look like they came straight out of the original Fallout. Fantastic work there. The world-building and moral standpoints hold up, too. Slavers, savages, profit-hungry factions, science-driven cliques, and those obsessed with order at the cost of humanity—it all feels right at home in a Fallout setting. And the game seems big, which is definitely a plus.

So, just to be clear, my intent wasn't to needlessly criticize this total conversion.

 

[Nikanuur]

Here's some constructivity:

The things I pointed to wouldn’t have had to be something massively extended. Just with a little more here and there, as some of the side quests actually do show!
For example, instead of Lucas almost literally saying, “No, Kogan's to blame, we tell you what’s what instead,” and player being able to respond in only two ways "I will do it," or "I won't do it."
There could’ve been just a few extra lines like this:

Lucas: “Now, look champ, I get that you work for him and all, and I want this situation to be handled as well."
Lucas: "But you've talked to him in person. You must know what a scumbag he is by now."
Lucas: "Do you really believe him to be good on his word?”
PC: "Not really, but..."
Lucas: “And, little did you know, he’s actually directly responsible for your friends being taken into slavery. How's that for a job, eh? ”
PC: "...I… uh…"
Lucas: “Surprised? After everything you’ve seen on your little trip beyond your precious Villa?”
Lucas: “Anyway, that’s the reality of this world. And since you’re so determined to save your people, how about I offer you a different deal? Look, I need Kogan’s radio orders, you need to know where he's sent your people…”

...hack into his computer... impeach him... frame him... kill him... ..let me think about it... ...I won't do it... ...die you backstabbing son of a bitch... yadda yadda classic continuation....

Just a few more lines like this, and it would’ve made a world of difference in giving the first major plot twist in the main line some proper graduation.

 

[Ol' Willy]

Are you one of the team behind Sonora? If so, would you mind sharing your vision for the game in a few words, or directing me to a place where it's been shown already?
I don’t mean to sound needlessly critical—the game is likely quite ambitious, and I respect the effort that’s gone into it.
It's just that I tend to engage with a game more effectively when I have a clear understanding of what to expect beforehand. Without that context, I may end up feeling a bit disconnected, especially if I try something with assumptions.

The major concept of the game is the binary (sometimes ternary) choice in nearly every situation, which is true in spirit to Fallout 1 and Fallout 2; but unlike the originals, you will have an overreaching choice for the entire gameworld of Sonora. The backstory of choices in given locations is not necessarily that important, but more of how they fit in the global picture later in the game

And unlike Fallout 1 and 2, you don't really have clear distinction between good/optimal and evil/contrarian choices. Both options will be valid given your view on the situation

 

[Ol' Willy]

Here's some constructivity:

The things I pointed to wouldn’t have had to be something massively extended. Just with a little more here and there, as some of the side quests actually do show!
For example, instead of Lucas almost literally saying, “No, Kogan's to blame, we tell you what’s what instead,” and player being able to respond in only two ways "I will do it," or "I won't do it."
There could’ve been just a few extra lines like this:

Lucas: “Now, look champ, I get that you work for him and all, and I want this situation to be handled as well."
Lucas: "But you've talked to him in person. You must know what a scumbag he is by now."
Lucas: "Do you really believe him to be good on his word?”
PC: "Not really, but..."
Lucas: “And, little did you know, he’s actually directly responsible for your friends being taken into slavery. How's that for a job, eh? ”
PC: "...I… uh…"
Lucas: “Surprised? After everything you’ve seen on your little trip beyond your precious Villa?”
Lucas: “Anyway, that’s the reality of this world. And since you’re so determined to save your people, how about I offer you a different deal? Look, I need Kogan’s radio orders, you need to know where he's sent your people…”

...hack into his computer... impeach him... frame him... kill him... ..let me think about it... ...I won't do it... ...die you backstabbing son of a bitch... yadda yadda classic continuation....

Just a few more lines, and it would’ve made a world of difference in giving the first major plot twist in the main line some proper graduation.

Initially you have two options - back up Lucas or Korgan. Both are valid (and give more or less equal rewards). Later in the game you will get a third input on the fate of the city, consider that having a thriving city next to your Villa may not really be the optimal choice

 

[Nikanuur]

Here's some constructivity:

The things I pointed to wouldn’t have had to be something massively extended. Just with a little more here and there, as some of the side quests actually do show!
For example, instead of Lucas almost literally saying, “No, Kogan's to blame, we tell you what’s what instead,” and player being able to respond in only two ways "I will do it," or "I won't do it."
There could’ve been just a few extra lines like this:

Lucas: “Now, look champ, I get that you work for him and all, and I want this situation to be handled as well."
Lucas: "But you've talked to him in person. You must know what a scumbag he is by now."
Lucas: "Do you really believe him to be good on his word?”
PC: "Not really, but..."
Lucas: “And, little did you know, he’s actually directly responsible for your friends being taken into slavery. How's that for a job, eh? ”
PC: "...I… uh…"
Lucas: “Surprised? After everything you’ve seen on your little trip beyond your precious Villa?”
Lucas: “Anyway, that’s the reality of this world. And since you’re so determined to save your people, how about I offer you a different deal? Look, I need Kogan’s radio orders, you need to know where he's sent your people…”

...hack into his computer... impeach him... frame him... kill him... ..let me think about it... ...I won't do it... ...die you backstabbing son of a bitch... yadda yadda classic continuation....

Just a few more lines, and it would’ve made a world of difference in giving the first major plot twist in the main line some proper graduation.

Initially you have two options - back up Lucas or Korgan. Both are valid (and give more or less equal rewards). Later in the game you will get a third input on the fate of the city, consider that having a thriving city next to your Villa may not really be the optimal choice

Thanks for the reply. I understand your point, and you’re right that both sides in the example have understandable positions.
However, my own point was less about the number of options and more about how they're laid out before you.
At any rate, I'll continue playing. I've recently completed some more interesting and, in overal, well-rounded quests, and there are radscorpions that won't mow themselves

 

[Nikanuur]

Btw, I've stolen this Colt Rangemaster rifle (quite righteously, I might add, hh), and my PC with the Small Guns 91 has 2-4 times lower to-hit percentage with it as opposed to 10 mm Pistol.
Practically unusable weapon.
I've tried it in a daylight, from up close, and from afar as well.
Is there some hidden mechanics, like meeting the criteria of the Small Guns, or something?
It's not in the scope, because I've tried it over longer distances, too (it was even worse), and it's not in ST—mine is 6.
What gives?

 

[Modron]

Btw, I've stolen this Colt Rangemaster rifle (quite righteously, I might add, hh), and my PC with the Small Guns 91 has almost 4 times lower to-hit percentage with it as opposed to 10 mm Pistol.
Practically unusable weapon.
I've tried it in a daylight, from up close, and from afar as well.
Is there some hidden mechanics, like meeting the criteria of the Small Guns, or something?
It's not in the scope, because I've tried it over longer distances, too (it was even worse), and it's not in ST—mine is 6.
What gives?

Any gun above a pistol/smg counts as a big gun in Sonora with exception to energy weapons. The mod has a comprehensive wiki page if you need to look things up: https://fallout-sonora.fandom.com/wiki/Fallout:_Sonora_Wiki.

 

[notpl]

Could I ask someone to do me a solid and quickly summarize which of these eastern euro fallout TCs are actually for-real in English (not outdated MTL but actual real translated English) and worth playing? I know there've been a couple but reviews always seem mixed and "the english is dogshit" is a common complaint I see whenever I glance at them.

 

[Modron]

Can't go wrong with Nevada, Resurrection, and Sonora.

 

[GloomFrost]

Can't go wrong with Nevada, Resurrection, and Sonora.

Olympus 2077 should also be on the list.

 

[Nikanuur]

Btw, I've stolen this Colt Rangemaster rifle (quite righteously, I might add, hh), and my PC with the Small Guns 91 has almost 4 times lower to-hit percentage with it as opposed to 10 mm Pistol.
Practically unusable weapon.
I've tried it in a daylight, from up close, and from afar as well.
Is there some hidden mechanics, like meeting the criteria of the Small Guns, or something?
It's not in the scope, because I've tried it over longer distances, too (it was even worse), and it's not in ST—mine is 6.
What gives?

Any gun above a pistol/smg counts as a big gun in Sonora with exception to energy weapons. The mod has a comprehensive wiki page if you need to look things up: https://fallout-sonora.fandom.com/wiki/Fallout:_Sonora_Wiki.

Aaah, so that's why! Thanks!

 

[Ol' Willy]

Btw, I've stolen this Colt Rangemaster rifle (quite righteously, I might add, hh), and my PC with the Small Guns 91 has almost 4 times lower to-hit percentage with it as opposed to 10 mm Pistol.
Practically unusable weapon.
I've tried it in a daylight, from up close, and from afar as well.
Is there some hidden mechanics, like meeting the criteria of the Small Guns, or something?
It's not in the scope, because I've tried it over longer distances, too (it was even worse), and it's not in ST—mine is 6.
What gives?

Any gun above a pistol/smg counts as a big gun in Sonora with exception to energy weapons. The mod has a comprehensive wiki page if you need to look things up: https://fallout-sonora.fandom.com/wiki/Fallout:_Sonora_Wiki.

Aaah, so that's why! Thanks!

Pistols are viable choice for the build, you'll get some decent ones eventually

 

[Modron]

Pistols are viable choice for the build, you'll get some decent ones eventually

Energy weapons are an all around superior and more flexible choice, the pistols do more damage than the best small guns, the turbo plasma rifle does 10-20 more damage than the rail gun for 2 less ap, the gatling laser does twice as much damage as the best unique miniguns, and you can get a laser emitter in the second town with a repair check (which can be made easier by applying parts) which you can get upgraded there as well. It's not like fallout 1/2 where you're expected to start with a different weapon skill and transition to energy weapons.

https://fallout-sonora.fandom.com/wiki/Weapons.