Fallout: New Vegas - Fall 2010

My character's name is Jango and he only uses standard pistols with a focus on intelligence, agility, repair, and sneaking.

In all 4 previous FO games I'd always first played focusing on rifles, then later in the game going over to energy weapons with a second playthrough focusing on melee or unarmed. I've never really used pistols expect when nothing else was available. Figured it was time I give them a solid try.

One thing I've noticed with NV is that I'm chewing through ammo a lot faster than I recall from previous games and I'm also doing a lot more real-time shooting whereas in FO3 I was almost exclusively firing in VATS.

Oh, and Lobster, I did the same thing you did against the guy in the burning town. I figured if he could stand by his convictions then I should stand by mine. Now that was one run and gun fight that took me a decent distance outside of town.

LobsterMobster wrote:
NathanialG wrote:

I was wandering through the fantasy section of a used bookstore when I came across the greatest name ever:
Wolf Dragonard.

Dragonman's got nards.

MONSTER SQUAD!

Jorge answers to no man.

And now we have a gang of Rat Pack wannabes. God help us if there's a Siegfried and Roy gang.

I think they improved VATS alot. In FO3, I never had much reason, besides just doing it for fun, to shoot anywhere but the head. Head shots did so much damage compared to limb or body shots that the math just worked in their favor even with a low chance to hit. It was, do a little damage consistently or do a lot of damage every other shot.

In NV, I find myself almost never going for head shots until I've closed the distance. I think they made the difference in damage much closer. Head shots still do more, but body shots and limb shots do significant damage and have much higher high chances. For me it was do a few leg shots to get good damage consistently and cripple the legs, or try for a slightly better head shot. (I'm not sure why head shots still do weak damage on enemies with armor when I use normal bullets).

Maybe its still better to just focus on the head all the time, but it doesn't suggest that by the UI in VATS this time. I've had a lot more fun trying to pick what to go for.

I also enjoy sneaking up on a bunch of enemies, lighting a stick of dynamite and blasting the whole group. The whole presentation and idea is much better than grenades. And when my 9mm does no damage to them, I just blow them up.

For melee weapons, does anyone know if the special attacks in VATS do more / less damage? This is "Y" on Xbox or Xbox controller on PC.

I also haven't found many weapons mods yet. Just some clip extenders for the Varmint (POS) rifle, and a barrel extender for some gun I've never seen.

oMonarca wrote:

Big, understandable bashing from Tom Chick...

Despite Bethesda saying that they plan on sticking with Gamebryo...

Jasonofindy wrote:
heavyfeul wrote:

Not really surprised that the game is buggy. This will probably be the nail in the coffin for Gamebroyo. Thank god!

I wouldn't be so sure. In this article from August, Todd Howard talks a bit about Bethesda's current unannounced project and says:

the technology for the new game was derived from the engine that powered Fallout 3, albeit with significant modifications. "Fallout 3 technically does a lot more than Oblivion. The new stuff is an even bigger jump from that," he said. "I can say it is on the existing platforms, which we're really happy with. You almost feel like you have a new console when you see the game."

...you got to think the cascade of negative press regarding the engine may push them to make the move earlier than they want. Unless they work some kind of magic with the tech, I probably will not buy the next Fallout if they don't switch. They make these great RPGs that completely break you from the experience when they glitch. Not only that, but the new game just does not look like a modern release. This dedication to a flawed inferior technology because it is cheap and easy is starting to piss me off as a fan of their games. They should want to make the best game they possibly can. They own a cutting edge graphics engine. Why not reap the benefits of that privileged position?

I know programmers (and the people who pay the bills as well) hate switching to new platforms, but it is time to move on already. They squeezed blood from a stone. Time to pat themselves on the back and start studying up on the Rage engine. I think they owe it to their fans.

heavyfeul wrote:

...you got to think the cascade of negative press regarding the engine may push them to make the move earlier than they want. Unless they work some kind of magic with the tech, I probably will not buy the next Fallout if they don't switch. They make these great RPGs that completely break you from the experience when they glitch. Not only that, but the new game just does not look like a modern release. This dedication to a flawed inferior technology because it is cheap and easy is starting to piss me off as a fan of their games. They should want to make the best game they possibly can. They own a cutting edge graphics engine. Why not reap the benefits of that privileged position?

I know programmers (and the people who pay the bills as well) hate switching to new platforms, but it is time to move on already. They squeezed blood from a stone. Time to pat themselves on the back and start studying up on the Rage engine. I think they owe it to their fans.

The thing is, it's not as though it's a new thing, going back to Morrowind it's been janky (except you could argue it didn't matter as much as most games were), people knew FO:NV was on the same engine and bought it regardless. I can see a decent amount of people playing it on steam right now so it hasn't been a sales failure in it's first few dats. If Fallout4 came out tomorrow with the same engine people would still buy it. What's their pressing motivation to switch?

Scratched wrote:

The thing is, it's not as though it's a new thing, going back to Morrowind it's been janky (except you could argue it didn't matter as much as most games were), people knew FO:NV was on the same engine and bought it regardless. I can see a decent amount of people playing it on steam right now so it hasn't been a sales failure in it's first few dats. If Fallout4 came out tomorrow with the same engine people would still buy it. What's their pressing motivation to switch?

Excellence. It sounds a bit like a platitude, but that is what should be driving them. They have a great reputation as an RPG maker, it is time for them to make a technical leap, so that the worlds they create will be as fully realized as they deserve. I know gameplay is god, but their technology hems in their capabilities and the glitches break that proverbial "fourth wall." Look at what Bioware did between Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2. I want a similar across-the-board leap forward in Fallout 4.

New Vegas is an interim release (despite what marketing claims) and I can overlook the flaws in this game to experience the new gameplay elements, but if these games continue to look like this the experience will continue to degrade for me. If any genre needs cutting edge 3D graphics it is RPGs. It really does make the role playing more satisfying.

With whatever their current project is, I am not sure how they can. If they have been working on it for the two years since Fallout 3 shipped, I would guess they are targeting a Holiday 2011 or March 2012 release date. I see no way they hit that date if they decide to switch engines right now. If you push to Holiday 2012 or spring 2013, the risk of getting screwed by the inevitable next console transition seems like it would be really high and a potential financial nightmare.

Fallout 3 came out in Oct 2008, the last DLC Oct 2009.

Jasonofindy wrote:

With whatever their current project is, I am not sure how they can. If they have been working on it for the two years since Fallout 3 shipped, I would guess they are targeting a Holiday 2011 or March 2012 release date. I see no way they hit that date if they decide to switch engines right now. If you push to Holiday 2012 or spring 2013, the risk of getting screwed by the inevitable next console transition seems like it would be really high and a potential financial nightmare.

You guys may be right, but I will be extremely disappointed if that is the case. They considered Fallout 3 a significant technical leap forward, so statements to that same effect for Fallout 4 provide me with no comfort. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Bethesda's talent, but I honestly do not think I can support another release of this quality. Fallout 3 was so new and fun that the technical issues were excusable, but now that the game is successful and an established franchise, it needs to be at the same technical level as the other big names on the block.

I think the engine speaks for the entirety of Bethesda's current RPG production, and they're in a very uncomfortable place with the pressures of AAA game production. People are more and more noticing the details that break the illusion such as the variety in the voice cast, the copy and paste assets, glitches in the world (Oblivion was 16 sq miles/41 sq km according to google, FO3/NV are each 30% smaller) in which everything has to be hand placed. The type of game they make is a monumental task, yet with ongoing developments they need to do it better and more of it. Also because of the type of game they make they can't really charge more for it, only collectors editions and DLC. You've also got mod teams making content at a similar level to them, if not better in some respects, for free.

It makes me think that to continue what they're doing, they need to change how they do it. I would be interested to see them use procedural content, or make smaller games but more of them. I guess FO:NV would have been a bit cheaper to make, as there must be a fair amount of asset reuse from FO3 (a guess because I haven't got it (yet...)), and I presume making FO3 in the same engine as Oblivion allowed some reuse.

I remember when Oblivion first came out it seemed to be everyone's standard for cutting edge graphics, similar to Crysis. Several years later it's just not cutting edge any more. Time to update.

I guess my questions would be, not can they do it, but will they? Will they just go and make a different type of game?

Scratched wrote:

I guess FO:NV would have been a bit cheaper to make, as there must be a fair amount of asset reuse from FO3 (a guess because I haven't got it (yet...)), and I presume making FO3 in the same engine as Oblivion allowed some reuse.

There is a lot of graphical assets from Fallout 3 being reused in New Vegas. They have added some nice touches, but the substantive changes are tweaks to the RPG system, which seem pretty solid on hardcore/hard settings so far, but the Caravan game exploit that completely breaks the economy has me worried about how it will hold up through the course of the game.

Anyway...it is hard for me to tell how good or bad this game is, having less than 10 hours of play time, but I am hooked to the new features. The problem is I cannot ignore the technical issues as they are so apparent. I have only had one crash, but the little glitches, hiccups, and low res. textures can't be ignored. I am hoping that as I get deeper in, that critical eye will get bored and just shut down. Not high praise for a game of this stature.

Also, I am not so sure the new color palette helps much. I prefer the cold bleak look of Fallout 3. It gave the images a finer edge.

- Like Heavyfeul, not too keen on all this brown and yellow. Kinda miss all the greys and blues of the capital wasteland.

- LOVING the old school Fallout ambient music

- Is it my imagination, or did they really tighten up the stealth, versus what it was like in F3? I seem to be much more consistently able to move around quietly and pick people off one at a time without the whole area getting alerted after the first kill. Also I seem to be able to get from [caution] back to [hidden] much easier too. And all this without stealth-boys or the cheat suit (aka chinese stealth suit )

- Not sure about the crafting / cooking systems at the moment, right now it feels like more trouble than it's worth to faff about with. Maybe that'd be different if I were playing in the hardcore mode (which actually doesn't sound as hardcore as they made it out to be).

- Also I'm not keen on having one big open list of crafting stuff available from the outset - I'd much rather have to either experiment to find out combinations, or have patterns and blueprints that you find around the place like the first game (maybe these are in it as well, I dunno).

stevenmack wrote:

Not sure about the crafting / cooking systems at the moment, right now it feels like more trouble than it's worth to faff about with. Maybe that'd be different if I were playing in the hardcore mode (which actually doesn't sound as hardcore as they made it out to be).

I find that the hardcore mode makes all the looting worth it. In Fallout 3 I just ended up with a house full of junk that I never really used. I basically I had to actively force my inventory down and only focus on essentials to jack up the pace. Hardcore mode sort of does that for you, since you can focus on crafting for essentials as needed, and take perks to facilitate survival out in the wasteland. So basically, in hardcore/survival mode, instead of provisioning for a foray into the wasteland you just take your skills with you.

Regarding the quest "I put a spell on you" that you get in Camp McCarran.
IMPORTANT IF YOU HAVE STARTED THIS QUEST AND WANT TO FINISH IT

Spoiler:

there is a part where you have to go into a control tower at a certain time and catch somebody after that you report back to the Colonel and tell him what happens. You then have to run to the monorail and defuse a bomb. If you defuse the bomb successfully the monorail will still take off and blow up. I have heard that if when you go into the control tower you listen to the entire conversation being had over radio before going up you can defuse the bomb and it wont blow up. So keep that in mind, I'm pretty much stuck in the monorail blowing up ending
Edit: more info here http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/I_Put_...
Edit edit: also, it seems this actually is NOT a bug. When you talk to the colonel after killing the spy it triggers a scripts which makes sure that the blowing up the tram script activates. When you enter the area with the monorail if you hug the railing you can enter the tram without triggering the take off script. In there you can defuse the bomb. When you leave the tram you are then in an area where the script triggers and the tram leaves and blows up. If you defuse the bomb and then warp back to Hsu or tcl through the back of the tram he doesn't even have any dialogue related to the finishing the quest. After talking to him after killing the spy the tram HAS TO explode. So after you listen to the spy run straight to the monorail.

Just got the latest update, playing on the 360, and now the game freezes every time I go into VATS, not sure what to do now. Anyone else have a similar problem or know of a solution?

Kosars wrote:

Just got the latest update, playing on the 360, and now the game freezes every time I go into VATS, not sure what to do now. Anyone else have a similar problem or know of a solution?

Try clearing your cache, that should clear it up.

Considering how elite the rangers are supposed to be there sure are a lot of them.

Not reading this thread because of spoiler possibilities.

But, 7 hours into the game, I think Fallout:New Vegas may be the finest computer RPG I've ever played.

The writing is immensely improved over Fallout 3. So far the game strikes exactly the right balance between funny/silly and creepy/dark. The game is deep and involving and thoughtfully paced.

The geckos are adorable.

FedoraMcQuaid wrote:

Considering how elite the rangers are supposed to be there sure are a lot of them.

If you figure that they're so elite they survive battles when the regular grunts don't, I suppose you can chalk it up to survival of the fittest.

Also: Felicia has a deep back story. (no out of context theatre please) Do all recruit-able followers have mission-rich back stories?

Montalban wrote:
FedoraMcQuaid wrote:

Considering how elite the rangers are supposed to be there sure are a lot of them.

If you figure that they're so elite they survive battles when the regular grunts don't, I suppose you can chalk it up to survival of the fittest.

Also: Felicia has a deep back story. (no out of context theatre please) Do all recruit-able followers have mission-rich back stories?

That's actually a pretty good point.

And from what I've seen the companions have some really good back. The only one I've found lacking so far is Lily.

polq37 wrote:

The geckos are adorable.

Yes! I get a big goofy grin everytime they run at me with their OWN big goofy grins
Almost a shame to shoot them in the face.

Almost.

(Fast little blighters too).

Also...was it just my imagination or did a bunch of Rad Scorpions actually try to flank and outmaneuver me? I could have sworn a couple of the smaller ones were side-stepping around to attack me from behind while I was busy with their larger friend.

That's it. I'm not going within 100 yards of a Cazdor ever again.
Damn hard to hit, fast, move in swarms, always just behind a hill so I can't hit them at range, do TONs of damage on top of poison, and have lots of health. They also seem to make a beeline for companions.
I hate them SO much.

If you're walking and a bunch of red lines moving around erratically come up on your compass, GO AROUND.

Man if you have the Weathered 10mm Pistol from Pre-Order DLC do not mod it on the 360. Can't speak for PC or PS3 but when I mod it it dissapears and I have a giant red rectangle with a white ! point on it. I think its just a database issue that that piece of DLC doesn't have the modded gun textures assigned to it. Pretty stupid mistake by Obsidian, but then again it is Obsidian. Can't seem to register on the Bethesda forums for FNV but read others are having same issue. Anyway I felt the need to vent it somewhere.

FedoraMcQuaid wrote:

That's it. I'm not going within 100 yards of a Cazdor ever again.
Damn hard to hit, fast, move in swarms, always just behind a hill so I can't hit them at range, do TONs of damage on top of poison, and have lots of health. They also seem to make a beeline for companions.
I hate them SO much.

If you're walking and a bunch of red lines moving around erratically come up on your compass, GO AROUND.

I've lost more Stimpacks trying to fight Cazdors than any other type of enemy right now. I fast traveled to a Cazdor cave at night and died in an instant before I even knew what hit me.

Started playing yesterday. The CE is pretty epic, the bonus goodies are well-made. Kept myself busy leafing through the graphic novel while the game installed.

Game-wise it seems to be more coherent and stringent than Fallout 3. I'm about 6-7 hours in, just stepped into the missile facility with the ghouls (that's where I thought 'f*** you too, Fallout'). The engine is clearly showing its age though, and in those 7 hours the game crashed on me twice (as Fallout 3 and Oblivion used to). I am getting into the habit of hitting the quicksave key ever so often because having to repeat even ten minutes of game time can drive me up the wall.

Hardcore mode adds an interesting facet to the game though. But the inventory fills up way too fast

Raul is the man.