Topic: Official Fallout 3 Thread

[bustin98]

Recent reviews have put this game on my radar. I have not played Oblivion and really have no desire to. The original Fable was pretty interesting and I feel a slight tug to play the new one.

I would like to see how Fallout is recieved by others here so I can make a better decision on the purchase or if I should even consider spending $8 on renting the game for a week.

[GoldenPhoenix]

Recent reviews have put this game on my radar. I have not played Oblivion and really have no desire to. The original Fable was pretty interesting and I feel a slight tug to play the new one.

I would like to see how Fallout is recieved by others here so I can make a better decision on the purchase or if I should even consider spending $8 on renting the game for a week.

You really should get Oblivion, it is a stellar game with so much to do it will blow your mind. Fallout 3 appears to be on a similar level. It is nice to play games like Oblivion or Fallout 3 because you aren't really restricted in your freedom except for being able to withstand enemy attacks.

[NWR_Lindy]

I'll be getting this on Friday and will play it over the weekend.  I'll let you know what I think.

[GoldenPhoenix]

I'll be getting this on Friday and will play it over the weekend.  I'll let you know what I think.

I'll let you know before Lindy lets you know.

[KnowsNothing]

I think it looks pretty bland.  I mean, my biggest complaint with Oblivion was that the environments were too boring and lacked variety.  Fallout 3 looks to be even worse, the world basically looks like a giant brown and gray blob.  For a game that is mostly about exploration, it really does not give me a compelling world to spend any lengthy amount of time in.  I'll have to wait till the game launches to really see if there's variety, but it sure doesn't look like there will be...

Plus the combat? Meh.  The regular FPS combat looks clunky, and the stop-time-shoot-foot combat looks pretty lame.

With all the hype that's out there, it seems that there is something about Fallout 3 that I just don't "get."  Perhaps that something is Fallout/2.

[Dirk Temporo]

Or, more likely, it's just not your kind of thing.

I think Fallout 1 and 2 are completely unplayable due to how obnoxiously clunky the combat system is, but I'm PUMPED about Fallout 3.

Too bad I can't play it until I upgrade my computer.

[GoldenPhoenix]

I think it looks pretty bland.  I mean, my biggest complaint with Oblivion was that the environments were too boring and lacked variety.  Fallout 3 looks to be even worse, the world basically looks like a giant brown and gray blob.  For a game that is mostly about exploration, it really does not give me a compelling world to spend any lengthy amount of time in.  I'll have to wait till the game launches to really see if there's variety, but it sure doesn't look like there will be...

Plus the combat? Meh.  The regular FPS combat looks clunky, and the stop-time-shoot-foot combat looks pretty lame.

With all the hype that's out there, it seems that there is something about Fallout 3 that I just don't "get."  Perhaps that something is Fallout/2.

Most of your complaints are fair (though the combat looks good in Fallout 3). I do agree the textures and world design can be basic and kind of blah color wise but the amount of freedom you have and the choices you can make is mind blowing.

[Caliban]

It's a post-apocalyptical world, so there's no place for rainbows and unicorns. However...

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

Plenty of room for all kinds of bald men.

[KnowsNothing]

The excuse that it is a post-apocalyptic world and thus should look horrible is justifiable I BEGRUDGINGLY SUPPOSE.  While I can understand that Bethesda wanted to make a post-apocalyptic city, and with that criteria the potential for variety in the environment is pretty limited, to me it's all moot; in the end it still looks like **** and I will enjoy the game less for that reason.  Ah well.

[Flames_of_chaos]

Well KN the post apocalyptic theme does fit the fallout series I hope you weren't expecting a world full of faeries, rainbows, lollipops and gumdrops. I was always intrigued about this game, the only issue is that knowing bethesda their QA isn't the greatest so I am expecting glitches to be abound hopefully they won't be as bad as Fable 2's. But also knowing Bethesda they will have a multiple save system while Fable 2 has 1 save and there are game breaking bugs in Fable 2 which will essentially force you to start from scratch.

[Caliban]

knowing Bethesda they will have a multiple save system

F3 does have said save system.

[GoldenPhoenix]

Well I've played a few hours of the game and it is definitely a must by if you don't mind a wide WIDE open world where you can explore to your heart's content. The visuals are great, and the combat is fun though it has a few detection flaws when you doing hand to hand combat. Make sure you have a lot of time to spend on the game though, I am just starting and already am blown away by how big the world is, it is intimidating but in a good way.

[S-U-P-E-R]

I think Fallout 1 and 2 are completely unplayable due to how obnoxiously clunky the combat system is

lol. Yes. Completely unplayable. That explains the 90% review average and **** tons of awards it got. Kill yourself. Everyone else should play Fallout 1 and 2 in the meantime, you can get a two pack for like six bucks now. Do they have it on steam, I wonder?

I've been playing Fallout 3 and I like it so far. VATS owns. I've never played Oblivion or Morrowwind or Robeandwizardhat or whatever. It feels a bit like mass effect, actually, except with less time spent on the inventory screen and pretending you're on the sci-fi channel.

Lots of "OH MY GOD" moments on the kills. It's hilarious.

I really feel like a lot of the storyline stuff would be lost on someone that hasn't played Fallout 1/2.

Stuff like this:
The vaults might seem like survival bunkers, but they're really intended for social experiments.
The enclave is the insidious-as-hell remains of the US Goverment. I thought this was the coolest twist in Fallout 2.

[NWR_Lindy]

Nope, Fallout 1 & 2 aren't on Steam.

[vudu]

Everyone else should play Fallout 1 and 2 in the meantime, you can get a two pack for like six bucks now. Do they have it on steam, I wonder?

You can download them (DRM-free) from www.gog.com for $5.99 each.

[GoldenPhoenix]

Everyone else should play Fallout 1 and 2 in the meantime, you can get a two pack for like six bucks now. Do they have it on steam, I wonder?

You can download them (DRM-free) from www.gog.com for $5.99 each.

I'll have to check that out though I am not a big fan of the overhead action RPG.

[blackfootsteps]

Ah, anyone know if there's a similar dl but for Mac?

[Halbred]

I started the game last night. Having never played either of the previous Fallouts or Oblivion, I came at it with no expectations. I played through the first major plot point (growin' up in a vault!) and a while I like it a lot so far, there are some big stumbling points.

1) Gunplay almost breaks the game. I've never experience such awful FPS targeting. I understand that you're supposed to use the VAAS system (whatever it's called), but you don't even get a tutorial on that during your time in the vault. But unless you're at point-blank range, guns are horrible.

2) There's very little direction once you get out into the Wasteland. I must've wandered aimlessly for twenty minutes before I tripped over the first major city in the game. The game could really benefit from a GTA-type radar, showing you where to go next.

3) Getting shot does a LOT of damage, and you have virtually no recourse but to spend money at a clinic to get healed. I haven't come across one...stinking...med pack yet.

The game is, however, hauntingly beautiful. I'm actually going to restart tonight now that I (sort of) know what I'm doing. Maybe I won't go into the Wasteland with NO freaking health this time.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

^ sounds like a 6.5

[GoldenPhoenix]

I started the game last night. Having never played either of the previous Fallouts or Oblivion, I came at it with no expectations. I played through the first major plot point (growin' up in a vault!) and a while I like it a lot so far, there are some big stumbling points.

1) Gunplay almost breaks the game. I've never experience such awful FPS targeting. I understand that you're supposed to use the VAAS system (whatever it's called), but you don't even get a tutorial on that during your time in the vault. But unless you're at point-blank range, guns are horrible.

2) There's very little direction once you get out into the Wasteland. I must've wandered aimlessly for twenty minutes before I tripped over the first major city in the game. The game could really benefit from a GTA-type radar, showing you where to go next.

3) Getting shot does a LOT of damage, and you have virtually no recourse but to spend money at a clinic to get healed. I haven't come across one...stinking...med pack yet.

The game is, however, hauntingly beautiful. I'm actually going to restart tonight now that I (sort of) know what I'm doing. Maybe I won't go into the Wasteland with NO freaking health this time.

1. Gunplay and aiming depends on your skill level, it WILL improve if you put your skill points into your aiming (It also depends on which guns you want to have an expertise in

2. There is a compass that shows you where to go in the bottom right hand corner. Your next point of interest is a green arrow on the compass

3. Once again you need to balance your skill points for damage, not to mention you can change the difficulty if you wish, even cranking it down to very easy

[NWR_Lindy]

It sounds like Oblivion.  You're pretty much thrown to the wolves in that game, too.

[GoldenPhoenix]

It sounds like Oblivion.  You're pretty much thrown to the wolves in that game, too.

Yep, but it does improve as you progress. You just need to be careful and spend your skill points wisely. In the context of Fallout 3 it makes sense since you are basically a character who grew up in seclusion and never even got the chance to shoot a real gun.

[vudu]

Sounds like Sonic & The Secret Rings.  The game controls like crap until you level up considerably.

[WuTangTurtle]

my preorder copy doesn't arrive for another couple of days.....

I haven't been reading up on Bethesda's direction on Fallout 3 (F1&2 developer was Black Isle), can you set your luck extremely high and have those random stuff happen like in the original games?  If so I might have to play this game with a few different game saves or replay the game with different settings.  I loved having my character being stupid to see the  hilarious conversations he would have.

[GoldenPhoenix]

Sounds like Sonic & The Secret Rings.  The game controls like crap until you level up considerably.

Except for the fact it doesn't control like crap, you are right.

[Halbred]

GP's comments are helpful. I'll keep that in mind when I restart tonight. I'll put some more skill points into small arms.

Two concerns I forgot to bring up before: Computer hacking is confusing. Really confusing. Could somebody give me some pointers?

Also, there's a character creator (for your face), but it seems incapable of sculpting anything resembling an attractive character model. The pre-rendered faces in Soul Calibur IV were better than this. Hell, the facial editor in Guitar Hero IV is better than this. It's like Bethesda went into the character creator with the goal of populating the Wasteland with people who were beaten with an ugly stick.

[GoldenPhoenix]

GP's comments are helpful. I'll keep that in mind when I restart tonight. I'll put some more skill points into small arms.

Two concerns I forgot to bring up before: Computer hacking is confusing. Really confusing. Could somebody give me some pointers?

Also, there's a character creator (for your face), but it seems incapable of sculpting anything resembling an attractive character model. The pre-rendered faces in Soul Calibur IV were better than this. Hell, the facial editor in Guitar Hero IV is better than this. It's like Bethesda went into the character creator with the goal of populating the Wasteland with people who were beaten with an ugly stick.

Lol, I agree with you about the character creator being a bit lame. You should be able to fine tune everything like you can in Mass Effect along with other games.  Can't help you on hacking since I haven't really tried doing it. My guess is that it will be easier if you level up that trait

[Caliban]

Having not played any of the Fallout games, nor Oblivian, and after reaching the first town/city MEGATON(lol) in Fallout 3 I have to say that I was a little overwhelmed by the amount of data I have to keep track or read, but it is satisfying at least to me.

"1) Gunplay almost breaks the game. I've never experience such awful FPS targeting. I understand that you're supposed to use the VAAS system (whatever it's called), but you don't even get a tutorial on that during your time in the vault. But unless you're at point-blank range, guns are horrible."

This isn't your typical FPS. You can't rely on your aiming reflexs because that is not how this game works. F3 is like playing an Advance Wars kind of game but all in real time, so you have to think carefully before you react or approach an enemy. 99% stats, 1% aiming.

If I were you I wouldn't rely on the V.A.T.S. at a low level. It doesn't seem like it has any advantage other than that it gives you time to react, but when you run out of AP (Action Points) it can get tough.

"2) There's very little direction once you get out into the Wasteland. I must've wandered aimlessly for twenty minutes before I tripped over the first major city in the game. The game could really benefit from a GTA-type radar, showing you where to go next."

The manual has a few basic details that will help you on how to read the radar, and believe me they were quite helpful.


"Two concerns I forgot to bring up before: Computer hacking is confusing. Really confusing. Could somebody give me some pointers?"

Once again, the manual has 1 good hint at a succesful hack, and it also explains in a bit more detail what you're supposed to do. I managed to hack my first computer inside the vault, and I got one piece of information that I'm hopeful will be relevant for the storyline.

[blackfootsteps]

Also, there's a character creator (for your face), but it seems incapable of sculpting anything resembling an attractive character model.

Heh, did you play Oblivion? It was exactly the same there, facial creation (and animation) is not Bethesda's strong suit. Luckily for me I will be playing as an evil character so the uglier the better.

It sounds like Oblivion.  You're pretty much thrown to the wolves in that game, too.

Oblivion held your hand at the start when compared with Morrowind. All the fancy compass markers and scaled enemies made it way more accessible I think.

[S-U-P-E-R]

You can download them (DRM-free) from www.gog.com for $5.99 each.

I'll have to check that out though I am not a big fan of the overhead action RPG.

I knew I saw that somewhere. Thanks for linking it.
Although it's not an action RPG, it's turn based!

I started the game last night. Having never played either of the previous Fallouts or Oblivion, I came at it with no expectations. I played through the first major plot point (growin' up in a vault!) and a while I like it a lot so far, there are some big stumbling points.

1) Gunplay almost breaks the game. I've never experience such awful FPS targeting. I understand that you're supposed to use the VAAS system (whatever it's called), but you don't even get a tutorial on that during your time in the vault. But unless you're at point-blank range, guns are horrible.

2) There's very little direction once you get out into the Wasteland. I must've wandered aimlessly for twenty minutes before I tripped over the first major city in the game. The game could really benefit from a GTA-type radar, showing you where to go next.

3) Getting shot does a LOT of damage, and you have virtually no recourse but to spend money at a clinic to get healed. I haven't come across one...stinking...med pack yet.

The game is, however, hauntingly beautiful. I'm actually going to restart tonight now that I (sort of) know what I'm doing. Maybe I won't go into the Wasteland with NO freaking health this time.

This is the kind of **** I'm talking about. These are intuitive gameplay elements with easy solutions if you played Fallout 1+2, but 3 doesn't tell you anything about how to play/strategize survive. Behold, I will break it down for you:

1) You need points in your gun skills. You need to dump tons of points in them. These are your primary skills unless you're trying to play the game in some creative new way. Lol at not being able to hit anything; I'm picking off super mutants at 100 yards. Welcome to scrubsville, population: you.

2) lol did you try looking at the screen

3) Wrong-o, you need to stop and rest a lot, like a real person. You heal pretty fast, like even after just a couple hours of rest. You can also eat the **** tons of food you find lying around. Save the stims for combat.

Two concerns I forgot to bring up before: Computer hacking is confusing. Really confusing. Could somebody give me some pointers?

When you hack, you're supposed to pick out one of the words in the menu gibberish. The game tells you how many letters are right, so you can deduce which one is the right one within a few tries from that.

Some observations and tips I have:
Repair skill is more important than any of the previous fallout games. Generally, instead of selling off the weapons you find, you consume them to tune up your current weapons. How well you can do it is capped by repair skill.

If you're in a tough combat situation, shoot freely at enemies that are rushing you, and save your AP so you can pull a bunch of VATS headshots up close.

[Caliban]

When you hack look for two brackets facing each other whether they hold any characters or not, and they have to be on the same line. The manual says there's a chance that once activated they will remove any dud passwords, or restore your tries.

[Ymeegod]

Also I great tip about hacking PC.   You get 4 chances of guessing the correct password but you can quit after the third attempt and go back and you'll get 4 more chances (though the password changed).

I haven't placed any points in small arms other than getting a few from books I've read and still can hit alright at long as I zoom in (left trigger).  I miss 1/3 of my shots but with 18 points I guess I can't complain. 

As for guideness, you can find maps laying around which will unlock locations a bit more easier also you have to listen to the other characters and they'll give you hints on who to talk with or where the general location is.   

My only grip so far (playing the Xbox 360 version) is the gitches.  Got stuck inside walls, floors, ect then it AUTOsaved.   Lost about 45 minutes of my life but at least I made multiple saves (think GOD). 

[KDR_11k]

I never really got much into Fallout, lacked any sense of what to do and when approaching things was always startled about having too many choices and not knowing enough to pick a good one, same about Baldur's Gate 2... Should I just stay away from RPGs like this?

How's the difficulty? Do you get maimed by anything larger than a rat during the early game? That's how FO1 was for me...

[GoldenPhoenix]

I never really got much into Fallout, lacked any sense of what to do and when approaching things was always startled about having too many choices and not knowing enough to pick a good one, same about Baldur's Gate 2... Should I just stay away from RPGs like this?

How's the difficulty? Do you get maimed by anything larger than a rat during the early game? That's how FO1 was for me...

The game has adjustable difficulty, and unless you go exploring deep into the world you shouldn't have to worry about getting maimed.

[Caliban]

Kotaku: "ps3-fallout-3-a-bit-broken"

Should I just stay away from RPGs like this?

If you're not comfortable with such type of game I would stay clear, but I would still give it a rent anyways.

The game has adjustable difficulty, and unless you go exploring deep into the world you shouldn't have to worry about getting maimed.

I'm playing on Normal, as soon as I get off the vault and wander close I got ravaged by a pack of mutant dogs. I guess since I'm a wasteland virgin I shouldn't pick fights with everything I see.

[Schadenfreude]

I'm 6 hours in now and am really enjoying it. The game has some obvious issues (some of which were in Oblivion), one being shooting outside of VATS isn't great, but I think it's fine. Where the game excels more then makes up for it, one being atmosphere.

[GoldenPhoenix]

I'm 6 hours in now and am really enjoying it. The game has some obvious issues (some of which were in Oblivion), one being shooting outside of VATS isn't great, but I think it's fine. Where the game excels it more then makes up for it, one being atmosphere.

It amazes me how HUGE the world is. That alone makes the game worth it.

[Schadenfreude]

I love never feeling completely safe. I'm always scrummaging for weapons, ammo and health. It's harder then Oblivion, but I think it makes the game better.

[NWR_Lindy]

That was the main complaint that Morrowind lovers had about Oblivion.  The levelling scheme made it too easy.

[Bill Aurion]

That was the main complaint that Morrowind lovers had about Oblivion.  The levelling scheme made it too easy.

Considering the game had its own difficulty bar that you could change at any time, I don't think that's a very viable complaint...From what I've seen, more people complained about the facts that you couldn't become the superhuman god that you could in Morrowind, plus the fact that you'd come across bandits with the best gear in the game, defeating the point of looking for loot in dungeons when you could find it anywhere...

[Schadenfreude]

One big difference is in Oblivion I had one main sword I would repair all the time. In Fallout 3 I'm always using multiple weapons, none of which are ever completely fixed because it costs too much. Finding one specific ammo type consistently can also be difficult. What weapons I use mostly depends on what I find walking around the world and what enemies have on them.

I'm also playing good, which from what I've heard is a lot harder then playing evil.

[blackfootsteps]

That was the main complaint that Morrowind lovers had about Oblivion.  The levelling scheme made it too easy.

Considering the game had its own difficulty bar that you could change at any time, I don't think that's a very viable complaint...From what I've seen, more people complained about the facts that you couldn't become the superhuman god that you could in Morrowind, plus the fact that you'd come across bandits with the best gear in the game, defeating the point of looking for loot in dungeons when you could find it anywhere...

Yep it was pretty stupid. Although a 100% chameleon outfit was pretty godly, nothing would ever touch you.

I've got Fallout now, and I'm loving it. I'm finding shooting very solid, both VATS and FPS, probably because I've got 50+ points in small guns at level 4ish.

Computer hacking is a great mini game, with a bit of strategy, do you search for dud removers at the beginning or do you look later and hope you get your tries resupplied.

I'm playing as an evil character and there have been so many situations already where I feel I've missed out on something interesting, because I've been a prick and been killing people. I already can't wait to go back through as a good character.

Perks spoilers
What perks are you guys using?  I've gone for Gun Nut and the one that gives extra skill points per level.

Weapons spoilers
The weapons are awesome, I've now got a sword, the Vampire's Edge, which makes the game seem even more Elder Scrolls-ish. Going on a killing spree with the missile launcher is probably the coolest thing ever, especially in VATS. 

[KDR_11k]

I thought the complaint was that in Oblivion you practically level up the enemies and your stats increase independently of your level so you have to watch out to not make your level rise more than your stats or you'll end up horribly outmatched by every random bandit?

[Flames_of_chaos]

I thought the complaint was that in Oblivion you practically level up the enemies and your stats increase independently of your level so you have to watch out to not make your level rise more than your stats or you'll end up horribly outmatched by every random bandit?

Enemies don't level up with you. It's fun trying to tackle a super mutant at level 3 I did but I had 1 HP left and almost no ammo and all I got was a machine gun with 23 ammo for it.

[Dirk Temporo]

I want to play this game so goddamn bad.

[WuTangTurtle]

Anybody else punch everyone unconscious at the vault?  I wanted my first playthrough to be a bit more goody goody, but it seems I've failed.

[Flames_of_chaos]

For me the only disappointing thing about this game is that the level cap is 20. I guess on the flip side it takes much longer to level up.

[S-U-P-E-R]

And you get a perk every level!

[Ymeegod]

Yeah, level 20 cap suxed .  I placed alot of points into gaining 10% more exp (5 overall total stat points--maxed) and ended up reaching level 20 about 1/3 of the way in.

A few things to gripe about is if you wander around like I did you ended up skipping chapters of the main quest.  Not to mention any spoilers but I found you can skip about 2 main quests just by heading west in the begining of the game.

I horded alot of loot at the begining of the game but besides buying extras to upgrade you house (which is a must IMO) but at the end I really didn't need anything -- all of the sellers sold a bunch of unless crap and my repair skill was higher than theirs.  You can store extra crap at your home btw.

Still a great game and I'm going replay as an evil-heavy weapons guy (I didn't use ranged weapons  the first time around). 

[Schadenfreude]

After playing Gears of War 2 for several hours today and then going back to Fallout 3...I...I'm starting to think GoldenPhoenix was right about Gears! I loved the first one too.

[matt oz]

I'm enjoying this game so far.  It reminds me A LOT of Mass Effect, to the point where I keep pressing Y to heal myself.  The dialog trees are especially... reminiscent?  I don't want to say "blatant ripoff," but, yeah, you pretty much get three answer choices for questions, one good, one neutral, one evil.  Then you sometimes get answer choices that have to do with your skills, which is similar to the charisma/intimidation in Mass Effect.  Then, of course, there's the whole RPG-shooter hybrid thing going on.

Aside from all that, the atmosphere in this game is much creepier.  I haven't been able to recruit anyone yet (I'm not even sure how that works), so I'm by myself all the time.  The first time I stepped on a frag mine and it blew me up, I think I jumped a few inches off my chair.  I was underground in the train tunnels, then all of a sudden there's some beeping, then a BOOM, then there's blood on the screen.  I was not expecting that.

Right now, I'm taking a break from Fallout 3 to play Mercenaries 2, which I just got from Gamefly.  It's a lot more fast paced, which is nice, and I haven't experienced nearly as many bugs or glitches (ie - Fallout has frozen on me once, and I've seen about a dozen graphical glitches).  And it's not as serious, which is also nice.  Fallout is kind of heavy to spend a few hours with it every day.  For me, at least.

[Flames_of_chaos]

Aside from all that, the atmosphere in this game is much creepier.  I haven't been able to recruit anyone yet (I'm not even sure how that works), so I'm by myself all the time.  The first time I stepped on a frag mine and it blew me up, I think I jumped a few inches off my chair.  I was underground in the train tunnels, then all of a sudden there's some beeping, then a BOOM, then there's blood on the screen.  I was not expecting that.

The recruit people you have to meet a certain condition, there's a ghoul that you can buy his contract or do something else, there's one that you find somewhere in the wasteland, 2 of them only join your if your evil and 2 of them join you if your good.  Some of them are free, some of them you have to pay for, and a few after a specific mission.

[WuTangTurtle]

I'm enjoying this game so far.  It reminds me A LOT of Mass Effect, to the point where I keep pressing Y to heal myself.  The dialog trees are especially... reminiscent?  I don't want to say "blatant ripoff," but, yeah, you pretty much get three answer choices for questions, one good, one neutral, one evil.  Then you sometimes get answer choices that have to do with your skills, which is similar to the charisma/intimidation in Mass Effect.  Then, of course, there's the whole RPG-shooter hybrid thing going on.

Actually Fallout 1 had pretty much the same dialog tree system and I'm sure it was borrowed from other games so it really doesn't matter.  Oh and yeah I was surprised by a mine too, it was a trap guarding a deserted ammo supply.  Luckily I didn't die but it sure did cripple all of my limbs, ah good times!

[Schadenfreude]

You guys need to get Dogmeat. He's not very bright, but he's quite helpful and only needs to be healed once in awhile.

[matt oz]

The recruit people you have to meet a certain condition, there's a ghoul that you can buy his contract or do something else, there's one that you find somewhere in the wasteland, 2 of them only join your if your evil and 2 of them join you if your good.  Some of them are free, some of them you have to pay for, and a few after a specific mission.

I kind of figured that, because when I tried to recruit Jericho, a message came up saying I was too good.  I'm still in the early stages of the game, I assume, as I've only done 2 story quests since leaving the vault.  Does having someone with you make combat a lot easier?  Because I've put most of my skills in science, medicine, repair, and lockpicking.  Basically, I have a lot of weapons in good/great condition, but I suck at using them.

[Dirk Temporo]

I'm enjoying this game so far.  It reminds me A LOT of Mass Effect, to the point where I keep pressing Y to heal myself.  The dialog trees are especially... reminiscent?  I don't want to say "blatant ripoff," but, yeah, you pretty much get three answer choices for questions, one good, one neutral, one evil.  Then you sometimes get answer choices that have to do with your skills, which is similar to the charisma/intimidation in Mass Effect.

So it's exactly like Fallout 1 and 2, and every Bioware game ever.

[Flames_of_chaos]

The recruit people you have to meet a certain condition, there's a ghoul that you can buy his contract or do something else, there's one that you find somewhere in the wasteland, 2 of them only join your if your evil and 2 of them join you if your good.  Some of them are free, some of them you have to pay for, and a few after a specific mission.

I kind of figured that, because when I tried to recruit Jericho, a message came up saying I was too good.  I'm still in the early stages of the game, I assume, as I've only done 2 story quests since leaving the vault.  Does having someone with you make combat a lot easier?  Because I've put most of my skills in science, medicine, repair, and lockpicking.  Basically, I have a lot of weapons in good/great condition, but I suck at using them.

You need to be evil and pay Jericho 1000 caps to get him but he's a waste. If your evil you might as well get Clover since she's a killing machine. If your neutral or good you should get Charon since he holds up well and has the benefits of being a ghoul. If you have a high good rating you should get Fawkes since he is a good super mutant and is a good tank. Dogmeat is awesome because he doesn't count as a person in your party even though he is a party, you can usually only have 1 recruit with you at a time but dogmeat doesn't count toward that limit.

[GoldenPhoenix]

I'm enjoying this game so far.  It reminds me A LOT of Mass Effect, to the point where I keep pressing Y to heal myself.  The dialog trees are especially... reminiscent?  I don't want to say "blatant ripoff," but, yeah, you pretty much get three answer choices for questions, one good, one neutral, one evil.  Then you sometimes get answer choices that have to do with your skills, which is similar to the charisma/intimidation in Mass Effect.

So it's exactly like Fallout 1 and 2, and every Bioware game ever.

Or exactly like Bethesda who basically started this genre long before Bioware got into the mix.

[Caliban]

There's this character that I like listening to and that I wish he had more lines, Gob. He sounds just like Krusty the clown.

The first time I stepped on a frag mine and it blew me up, I think I jumped a few inches off my chair.  I was underground in the train tunnels, then all of a sudden there's some beeping, then a BOOM, then there's blood on the screen.  I was not expecting that.

Hahaha that happened to me also, and in the same area.

[matt oz]

I'm enjoying this game so far.  It reminds me A LOT of Mass Effect, to the point where I keep pressing Y to heal myself.  The dialog trees are especially... reminiscent?  I don't want to say "blatant ripoff," but, yeah, you pretty much get three answer choices for questions, one good, one neutral, one evil.  Then you sometimes get answer choices that have to do with your skills, which is similar to the charisma/intimidation in Mass Effect.

So it's exactly like Fallout 1 and 2, and every Bioware game ever.

Or exactly like Bethesda who basically started this genre long before Bioware got into the mix.

Yeah yeah, I never played PC games, and Mass Effect was actually my first western RPG ever.  I was always a console gamer, and a Nintendo-only one at that until 2001.  I love Mass Effect though.  There's so much wrong with that game, but it does so much right that I have an unnatural attraction toward it.  I almost feel like I'm cheating on it with Fallout 3.

[GoldenPhoenix]

I'm enjoying this game so far.  It reminds me A LOT of Mass Effect, to the point where I keep pressing Y to heal myself.  The dialog trees are especially... reminiscent?  I don't want to say "blatant ripoff," but, yeah, you pretty much get three answer choices for questions, one good, one neutral, one evil.  Then you sometimes get answer choices that have to do with your skills, which is similar to the charisma/intimidation in Mass Effect.

So it's exactly like Fallout 1 and 2, and every Bioware game ever.

Or exactly like Bethesda who basically started this genre long before Bioware got into the mix.

Yeah yeah, I never played PC games, and Mass Effect was actually my first western RPG ever.  I was always a console gamer, and a Nintendo-only one at that until 2001.  I love Mass Effect though.  There's so much wrong with that game, but it does so much right that I have an unnatural attraction toward it.  I almost feel like I'm cheating on it with Fallout 3.

Mass Effect and Bioware's KOTR series are GREAT games. They really built off the genre and created some great experiences.

[Dirk Temporo]

Or exactly like Bethesda who basically started this genre long before Bioware got into the mix.

Started what genre?

[S-U-P-E-R]

Mass Effect and Bioware's KOTR series are GREAT games. They really built off the genre and created some great experiences.

I do not agree.

But Fallout 3 owns. I finished it tonight. Gonna have to go back and do all those side quests, though. Some unanswered questions:

What was the deal with the lone human guy that was locked in the vault filled with super mutants? When you let Fawkes out? It seemed like he might be important but he just ran out and attacked me and I blew him away.
Can you figure out Gallows' name, I wonder?
Liberty Prime fucking rules

[Schadenfreude]

I'm almost level 16 and nearing 30 hours myself. A lot of the sidequests are really fun and exploring is rewarding.

[ReverendNoahWhateley]

Fallout 3 is possibly THE most atmospheric RPG I've ever played, and I've played a lot of them.  I find myself exploring every nook and cranny of the game world, even after beating the main quest, reaching level 20, and accumulating over 50 hours of game time.  Fallout 3 is GOTY as far as I'm concerned, if only for introducing me to Roy Brown.

[Smash_Brother]

I have close to 40 hours logged and I haven't even touched the main quest. I've never been roped in by a game like this before.

[Schadenfreude]

You guys must have leveled a lot slower then I did. I made it to level 20 in under 35 hours.

[blackfootsteps]

Definitely it seems. I'm level 11 at around 32ish hours.

Weapon related spoiler:
Does anyone else have the Ripper yet? Is that not the best weapon ever?

[Schadenfreude]

It's cool, but I never used it. I first saw it during the Superhuman Gambit quest. If I do a second playthrough with bad karma, I plan on putting skill points into unarmed, so I'll probably use it then.

[matt oz]

I'm at Level 13, about 25 hours in.  Two things:

1. I can't get the damn music out of my head!  All morning I've been singing (in my head), "I'm as corny as Kansas in August..."  Make it stop.

2. I think I encountered an achievement bug last night.  I finished Scientific Pursuits and Tranquility Lane in one sitting, but only got the achievement for Tranquility Lane.  The Scientific Pursuits quest is grayed out in my Pip Boy, and there are no more steps to it.  So I assume that I finished that quest by starting Tranquility Lane, but never got the achievement.

By the way, how creepy was Tranquility Lane?  As soon as I saw I was in a sterilized, Rockwell-esque world, I got goosebumps.  After spending so much time in the Wasteland, it was really jarring to be in a "normal" world all of a sudden.  Very creepy.  I only did one of Betty's tasks, because I'm playing with good Karma and I quickly realized that she'd be asking me to do more and more sinister things.  So far, I'd have to say this is the best quest in the game, if only for the mind-forking.

[S-U-P-E-R]

I had the bloody mess perk before I started Tranquility Lane. Lols ensued

[Halbred]

The PS3 version (mine) has an annoying bug where the action just pauses whenever a message from the system pops up onscreen, like "Bob is online." Then, five seconds later, "Bob is offline." It's annoying!

[KDR_11k]

I heard someone complain about NPCs falling off ledges and respawning in an unreachable position in the PC version, is that an issue in the console versions as well?

[S-U-P-E-R]

I've had a problem where the GNR building is locked when I'm supposed to come back and talk to Three Dog, and it won't unlock even when I talk on the intercom. I don't know if this is a bug or if I messed up some kind of event order or what.

[matt oz]

I heard someone complain about NPCs falling off ledges and respawning in an unreachable position in the PC version, is that an issue in the console versions as well?

I'm playing on the 360, and I've had NPCs be in unreachable positions.  They didn't respawn there or anything, they were just stuck there when I found them.

What's stranger is that I've entered areas where enemies or NPCs fall from the sky, land on the ground, then die.  One time, I walked out of the Jefferson Memorial (long before a certain story quest occurs), and some random Wastelander fell from the sky.  She had some good loot on her (including a key whose accompanying lock I have yet to find), but I have no idea where she came from.  Then there are other times where the corpse of an enemy I've already killed will fly up into the air when I enter an area.  Very strange.

[KDR_11k]

IOW, a Bethesda game.

[Schadenfreude]

I once encountered a Mireluck who was not only clipping through the ground, but have an epileptic seizure as well.

[blackfootsteps]

It's cool, but I never used it. I first saw it during the Superhuman Gambit quest. If I do a second playthrough with bad karma, I plan on putting skill points into unarmed, so I'll probably use it then.

Pretty sure it would fall under Melee not Unarmed.

The PS3 version (mine) has an annoying bug where the action just pauses whenever a message from the system pops up onscreen, like "Bob is online." Then, five seconds later, "Bob is offline." It's annoying!

Probably best to turn off your notifications via the XMB while playing Fallout.

[Schadenfreude]

Yeah it would. I'm still debating on picking either melee or unarmed.

[matt oz]

I think I encountered an achievement bug last night.  I finished Scientific Pursuits and Tranquility Lane in one sitting, but only got the achievement for Tranquility Lane.  The Scientific Pursuits quest is grayed out in my Pip Boy, and there are no more steps to it.  So I assume that I finished that quest by starting Tranquility Lane, but never got the achievement.

I went to an earlier save today to finish the quest again, but I still didn't get the achievement.  This time, I know I saw "Scientific Pursuits Quest Completed" come up on the screen when Tranquility Lane started.  Very annoying.

[ShyGuy]

So I played this game tonight. The intro level is fun and very well done. The game engine is very obviously Oblivion, but the character models aren't quite so hideous. Once you get topside though, the gameplay feels like a chore. So many options make me not want to do anything. The world is an unpleasant place to be as well. Maybe, I'm getting old, but spending 40+ hours among heaps of gray rubble just isn't a good time to me anymore.

[KnowsNothing]

I felt the exact same way, ShyGuy, until I actually started playing the game.  When I sit back and really think about it, there's no way I should like the game...but it's somehow compelling...I don't understand it.  While I would rather walk around the world of Oblivion, the combat was so terrible that I would dread dungeons because I hated to fight.  In this way the game became more of a photography game than anything since all I did (and still do) was walk around topside taking cool screenshots   With Fallout, however, I actually enjoy fighting and exploring a lot more...

If only the two games could be combined...

[Morari]

If only the two games could be combined...

User modifications - FTW!

[KnowsNothing]

Oh man my Oblivion game is loaded up the ying yang with user mods, and I'm sure Fallout will end up the same way.  Unfortunately, I dont think there will ever be a proper The Elder Fall IV: Oblivout III mod

Plus there's the whole console crowd lol.  They get screwed.