Fallout 3

[Sunbourn]

Since Bethesda's masterpiece Skyrim has a thread I figure it is only fitting that Fallout 3 gets one as well. One common theme in video games is a lack of user choice. It almost seems as if the video game is playing you. These games can be fun, but Skyrim and Fallout 3 completely transcend this norm giving the player choices in how his or her character behaves in interactions with NPCs and by providing a massive open world for the character to explore. Being able to have massive shootouts with Super Mutants while classic 1920's tunes play on Galaxy News Radio is just icing on the already delicious cake.

[Ky]

I've seen gameplay. I must say, Fallout 3 more resembles Oblivion than Skyrim except in terms of choice.

Skyrim lets you be your own guy. So does Fallout 3. While you are supposed to be the protagonist (not necessarily hero) destined and pretty much forced to make a big decision on behalf of the world around you in both games, it's the stuff you do on the side that really makes the journey worth it. So much freedom.

[brainiac3397]

You get lots of personal choices in Fallout 3. So many in fact, there were some I didn't even know I could do -_-

I'm still playing it. Right now, I'm playing as some super-evil charming genius with some twisted form of morality(lots of evil yet unexpected instances of good and right thing). Think pure logic combined with excessive self-interest. A true Ayn Rand Objectivist(Ok, maybe not a true one since he takes it to the extreme).

But I do use the in-game console then and now. Mostly to get my hands on cut items, like unique armor and weapons. It's not exactly following the game rules, but I'm enjoying it more since I'm in total control of the player and environment. Course I'm not doing excess cheats like god-mode or cash or health. I'll add perks outside of leveling to unlock unique dialogue, and unlock/hack stuff without possessing the skill to do so. I might also use no-clip mode to speed things up, or make "logical" actions occur since a bug or glitch causes weird things to happen.

I love how the game world is so reactive to your behaviors. And how you have so many different options depending on what you do and what you say. The survival aspect in a post-apocalyptic world is also entertaining. I've always had a fascination with the survival genre in a post-apocalyptic universe. Mad Max, Escape from LA/NY, Fallout, RAGE(even though the game itself wasn't that great. It had potential, and by that I mean LOTS of potential, but the developers fell way too short and ruined it) etc. It's just a sort of excitement in scrounging for whatever junk you can find, and trying to keep alive in a lawless world. RAGE had that Mad Max thing to it too, with the post apocalyptic cars. I just love that.

Fallout 3 has a superb and ironic sound track from GNR. Imagine listening to "I don't want to set the world on fire" singing with a smooth Jazz background, all while ducking behind some rubble with a laser rifle and combat armor while some ugly green behemoth shoots at you. Or listening to the violin(that is if you figure out how to get that station) while in a heavy fire-fight with a bunch of raiders at their HQ. Delicious.

[Ky]

From what I've seen, the best way to play Fallout 3 is by putting no points whatsoever in Intelligence. Sure, it'll lock you out of a lot of sidequests, but it's hellafunny.

[Sunbourn]

Indeed, the console commands allow the player to customize their experience even more than the game originally allowed. They also come in handy sometimes when the game glitches out. People who got FO3 for consoles are really missing out. There's some really great mods out there as well for those who are willing to look. I'll link a couple of my favorites.

GNR Enhanced
http://fallout3.nexusmods.com/mods/14946/?
Did you ever wish that GNR had a much longer playlist of songs? Here's the mod for you. All of them match the theme of the original GNR station and the original songs remain in the playlist.

Mart's Mutant Mod
http://fallout3.nexusmods.com/mods/3211//?
Expands mutant types and creatures. Also has some optional gameplay modifications. See link for detailed list.

[brainiac3397]

(11-27-2013 01:19 PM)DoA Wrote:  From what I've seen, the best way to play Fallout 3 is by putting no points whatsoever in Intelligence. Sure, it'll lock you out of a lot of sidequests, but it's hellafunny.

It also really saps your ability to further increase you skills. The amount of points to spend on your skill derive from your intelligence(added to a minimum base value).

I think GNR missed one song, and that's "We'll meet again" by Vera Lynn. It's very fitting to the ambiance of the game. I'm actually curious why it never occurred to them, especially since it's the ending song of Dr.Strangelove and at least one person on the team should have watched it once sometime. By the way, how many here ever watched it? If not, you must.

It's a good mod to get though. GNR does have a pretty short list and after listening to the station for a while, you'll become pretty oblivious to the songs. The only two songs that I'll tune to when plays is "Butcher Pete" and the "Don't want to set the world on fire". The others are just sounds(not unpleasant but don't pay much attention to). I do like Agatha's station, I always love the violin. And Enclave radio songs get a little dull after a while, even though I'll always sing the lyrics to "Dixie Land" when it comes up.

[Luizao876]

It's been quite a long time since I played Fallout 3. I remember doing almost all marked quests. When I buy it on Steam, I will focus on getting rare items and unmarked quests.

[brainiac3397]

Unmarked quests are often just "bring me x amount of y, and I'll pay/give you z(or a choice between a-b-c-d of varying amounts)"

The fun unmarked ones usually send you on a curious exploration of your own accord. Hell, you can make your own quests up by simply trying to decide what happened where, or why it's happening. The game world tends to have at least enough circumstantial evidence to put together what happened(like figuring out how the owner of the skeleton died, or what he might have been doing when he died).

Even the exploration yields an adventure by itself.

[Ky]

AWWWWW CRAP SON

I just bought Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas and The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, with all their DLC, at GameStop, all for only 40 bucks! BEST DEAL EVER

I started Fallout 3 and I must say, it's impressed me so far. Hard as heck to find cash...bottle caps...though

[brainiac3397]

(12-07-2013 06:17 AM)DoA Wrote:  AWWWWW CRAP SON

I just bought Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas and The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, with all their DLC, at GameStop, all for only 40 bucks! BEST DEAL EVER

I started Fallout 3 and I must say, it's impressed me so far. Hard as heck to find cash...bottle caps...though

I got Morrowind, Oblivion(with all DLCs) and Fallout 3(with all DLCs) for...an even better deal, shall we say...ar?

Well the world is a wasteland, and bottle caps are considered currency because they're no longer being made and can no longer be made(supposedly the technology to do it was lost).

I usually just sell anything I don't need, but keep items I hope to repair(because you need same/similar items to repair. Similar applies to clothing/armor rather than weapons, unless it's a unique weapon of some category ex.normal 10mm pistol can be used to repair a unique 10mm pistol). The idea is to scavenge, sell, trade, and repeat. Quests give caps as well, but random events are a bitch in fallout 3.

Once I was playing, I got mauled by a pack of vicious dogs and that was at the beginning part of the game -_-

The insane thing about these games is the way the enemies are scaled by your level, the randomly appearing ones that is(since some enemies are fixed and will always appear at those locations). Sometimes it makes the game difficult if you don't concentrate on boosting your combat/survival skills, since the enemies become harder to kill and you don't have the capability to kill them quicker.

[Ky]

DON'T PIRATE BETHESDA GAMES YOU FOOL! THEY'RE ACTUALLY WORTH MONEY!

Yeah, I'm going to have to start a new character and allocate points very carefully. Perhaps I should find a guide.

[brainiac3397]

(12-07-2013 06:34 AM)DoA Wrote:  DON'T PIRATE BETHESDA GAMES YOU FOOL! THEY'RE ACTUALLY WORTH MONEY!

Yeah, I'm going to have to start a new character and allocate points very carefully. Perhaps I should find a guide.

What you talking about?! Piracy is ILLEGAL FOOL!
(I would never pirate Bethesda games. If I don't pirate them, I won't think of buying their games later. You see? I don't do one, and I don't have to do the other ya?)

I'm not a fan of that guide stuff either. I like to make my character the way I like, not so the game isn't as hard to me. That's why I like RPG, because I usually take the G(game) aspect out. So when I allocate points, I usually create a backstory to why it is as it is.


People do it on Oblivion as well, "level management". The idea is to play in a way to get the most out of leveling up, since the level up in Oblivion is based on usage of the skill. I never liked that, as it distracts you from the game's world, since you're busy concentrating on the game instead of the roleplay.

[Ky]

I meant that I need a guide to the best STARTING skills so that I can create an excuse via roleplay and roleplay the rest of the game without fear of dying every two minutes.

[brainiac3397]

(12-07-2013 06:52 AM)DoA Wrote:  I meant that I need a guide to the best STARTING skills so that I can create an excuse via roleplay and roleplay the rest of the game without fear of dying every two minutes.

PC or Console?

If PC, I'd just open the command console and kill whatever is murdering me, then blame it on divine intervention for roleplay purposes

If console...then I believe there is an exception.

[Gwedin]

I only played Fallout 3 for like a week on the 360. It was a pretty awesome game. Couldn't play it more 'cause I hired it and wanted to play other games. Must play again sometime...

[Ky]

Lol at divine intervention

Yeah, I chose some better starting skills this time. I think I'm doing pretty well now.

[brainiac3397]

Got to justify my occasional command console modifications somehow.

Very Hard locked door?
*command console*
Door opens
"It was obviously a sign from God, and a form of divine intervention. I must be blessed!"
*Proceed to blast classical violin music while also blasting guts all over the place, then eating them to heal*

[Ky]

I play on console. Ironically, it means I get no console commands.

[brainiac3397]

Its why Im never a fan of console rpg games. You cant really get the same experience you would on PC, and any bug/glitch will be a bitch to handle. I cant tell you how many times I had to use the command console to fix a glitch or handle a bug(same goes for oblivion). Not to mention all the cut content you can access via command console

There are some RPGs that are suitable on console. I played the demo of Kingdom of Amalur on PS3 and it was fun and I saw no need for a console command in the 45mins the demo played out for(it wasnice that it was 45mins of full play rather some limitation).

I was going to get new vegas rented from blockbuster,before they went out of business, but I didnt want to play on console and ruin the fun.

[Ky]

Console commands are for wimps in games like Fallout 3 or Skyrim. If there's a glitch, I avoid or exploit it and get on with my play. Some glitches are downright funny, and most don't hurt anything.

Besides, the control scheme works really well for video game controllers.

[brainiac3397]

How do you get on with your play if you happen to stick to a wall or hole in the ground which there is no possible exit from and your last save is an autosave from 6 levels ago before you discovered all the stuff?

You going to load that save and lose everything and have to repeat it all over again? or you going to use the command console and have god lend a hand?

Plus, you can't access unique cut content without the command console, thus without PC.

[Gwedin]

*cue PC vs. Console war*

[Trar]

I consider PCs superior, but I'm fine with consoles and the people who play them. They're cheaper and easier, even if they're not for me.

Computer RPGs are great with their capacity for player choice, but other genres would do well to have more player choice as well. How does a Call of Duty RPG sound?

Anyway, I used to fucking love Fallout 3 when I was posting on this forum years ago. Even had a classmate who played it. I had it for the 360 and only got like 2 of the DLCs, and I rarely played above Very Easy (yes, I know), but I loved it nonetheless.

But now? I prefer the classics better. FO3 isn't shitty, but in my view it's somewhat mediocre. My biggest problem with it (haven't played it in a while, bear with me) is the writing. Bethesda should have hired the Black Isle guys from the get-go, because they'd have done a better job. The fact that Megaton exists (and how weak the bomb itself is), the fact that DC isn't a crater (or multiple craters), the fact that the wasteland looks like it's been 50 years since the War instead of 200, and that fucking ending. At least the ending was fixed. In a paid DLC. I suppose these examples and more could he handwaved away(I've come up with some myself), but that's a lot of effort for writing like that. I prefer to think of it as the perfect storm of craziness. That's not to say ALL of the writing is bad, but I'm not a fan of it. And GNR just got annoying after a while, sorry to say.

I don't have much of an issue with the gameplay itself, even if I think the FPS aspect is a bit rough around the edges (headshots should usually kill instantly damn it!). I also think ammunition should have weight, but this is already a thing in New Vegas and I'm sure there's a mod for it here.

I plan to get the GOTY edition on Steam sooner or later when I have a PC that can run it. Maybe some mods and my new understanding can make for a different experience. Oh, yes, and I STILL need to play New Vegas, damn it. I hear it's pretty good, at any rate.

Again, I don't hate FO3 or anyone who enjoys it(but I urge you to play the classic games anyway). That's the job of the grumps over at No Mutants Allowed. I just think it could have been quite better.

[brainiac3397]

*Cue Microsoft National Anthem*


Watch on YouTube

[brainiac3397]

(12-09-2013 10:37 AM)Trar Wrote:  The fact that Megaton exists (and how weak the bomb itself is)

Megaton exists because Megaton exists? It was built using parts from an airfield. The entire history is explained by the a character in Megaton. The bomb can be considered weak because the period didn't exactly progress the way ours did. According to game lore, they actually moved to smaller yields with greater fallout capabilities, rather than like in real life where we made smaller sized warheads but with greater yields.

Quote:the fact that DC isn't a crater (or multiple craters)

Smaller yield nukes and airburst will pretty much negate the presence of multiple craters.

Quote:the fact that the wasteland looks like it's been 50 years since the War instead of 200

That's a question that's quite interesting. When I'm playing, it never feels like 200 years. I'd say 100 years or 75. 50 Minimum. But you're right that it doesn't look anything like 200 years. Then again it could probably be game engine limitations.

Quote:and that fucking ending.

I hate endings like that. Do they really need to end the game as a whole? Sure it really gives it that shitty wasteland post-apocalyptic thing to it(if you give up your life in the end).

Quote:At least the ending was fixed. In a paid DLC.

Eh. I can't say the DLC was that great. It was interesting, but the ending of the DLC was grinding and just got annoying up to a point.

Quote:And GNR just got annoying after a while, sorry to say.

GNR had great fitting songs, but I was surprised by lack in number of songs. You'd think there'd be more songs playing. Course mods can solve this.

Quote:I don't have much of an issue with the gameplay itself, even if I think the FPS aspect is a bit rough around the edges (headshots should usually kill instantly damn it!). I also think ammunition should have weight.

The FPS is off a bit. Sometimes I'd shoot someone in the skull with a .44 magnum point blank, with full repaired weapon, and it only did half damage. This is a raider human with absolutely no head protection. If ammo had weight, it'd be more realistic, but organization of inventory is a bitch in my opinion and I'm fine with not having to deal with one more inventory item
[/quote]

[Trar]

I figured the bomb tech in Fallout didn't progress like our tech did, but I would have thought the Chinese at least would have used a number of their best bombs for DC. And how'd the Megaton bomb get there in the first place? Maybe a bomber crashed. Megaton isn't too close to any airports, so maybe that's where they got most of the material. And some of the GNR songs are great; it's Three Dog that's more grating to me.

[brainiac3397]

My guess is that the idea of this alternate universe was to use explosives that kept structures from being totally destroyed. Since they seem to have this magical thing known as radaway, it makes sense they'd rather pump a city full of radiation then clean it up.

The Chinese did use there best. If you locate the White House, you'll find that there is pretty much nothing but giant crater remaining, along with portions of the east wing(I think it was the east wing). Certain areas of DC, and the outlying areas were hit pretty hard. The West-tek research base is nothing but a giant hole(older fallout), Vault 87 got a direct hit right at the entrance(where the radiation level will practically kill your player instantly).

My guess was that the Chinese only wanted to totally destroy key areas, then use agents they placed in the US(yep, you can find some Chinese agents in a bakery that serves as a front in DC). Obviously they didn't expect the US to nuke them to kingdom come, or they didn't expect the US to survive this well.(Then again the US was technologically superior, especially with the Power Armor)

I'm guessing there was some private airbase nearby, and a bomber on a run was probably taking off to head to it's target or something when the nuclear explosions caused an EMP. This probably cut the aircraft's power, and bomb was jettisoned to reduce weight. I'm guessing the reason we don't see an airport is because the whole place has been picked clean. It's likely an airport would have struck by a nuke, so there wouldn't be much in the way of structures remaining. According to the lore, the Megatonians were picking the planes clean(if you look carefully from a high view, you notice that the place is built with a variety of fuselage and wings). The lore also states that the reason the area around the bomb was chosen was due to the crater it created, which made a safe shelter from the environment, though not from the evils of the waste.

Some of Three Dog's greetings on the radio are unbelievably annoying. The "This is THREE DAWG" in that tone just irritates me. It's why I prefer listening to Agatha. Plus nothing is more epic than insane slaughter to the tune of a violin playing classical music.

[Trar]

I wish Megaton was a bit more clearly explained like that. The guys over at NMA were (and probably still are) just pissed off about it.

Bah, I should beat Fallout 2 already.

[brainiac3397]

I beat 1, started 2 but never finished. It was also on my mothers laptop(It was my initial strategy to start using two laptops for video games to get around the memory problem. Worked for a while but then my mother formatted her laptop and I didnt want to bother going through installation all over again. So I got better at managing space on one laptop and I think Im doing good)

2 was hard from the beginning in my opinion. Still, isometric games like that were always one of my favorite. I dont know why but they're just so fun AND nostalgic.

[Ky]

(12-09-2013 09:44 AM)brainiac3397 Wrote:  How do you get on with your play if you happen to stick to a wall or hole in the ground which there is no possible exit from and your last save is an autosave from 6 levels ago before you discovered all the stuff?

You going to load that save and lose everything and have to repeat it all over again? or you going to use the command console and have god lend a hand?

Plus, you can't access unique cut content without the command console, thus without PC.

Not a problem for me; I don't tend to wander into walls or holes like that, and I instinctively save often.

As for cut content, I can always look it up on YouTube.