Topic: Fallout 3

[W7RE]

There were several days where I just played for hours on end, but I managed to get distracted and never really got far.

I think the stats and perks I've chosen suck. I wanted to go the stealth/hacking/pickpocket route, and it seems like most of these are pretty useless. (maybe I just need to level up?) I'm always seen anyway when I sneak. Killing is easier than pickpocketing (and in areas I'd get raped for killing someone, I fail at pickpocketing anyway). The stuff I get from hacking/lockpicking really only serves to make up for lost health and ammo from getting my ass kicked in firefights.


level 5
30 lockpick
27 medicine
47 repair
30 science
60 small guns
44 sneak
29 speech

perks: Educated, Gun Nut (2), Lady Killer, Rad Regeneration

Usually I use up all my AP on mostly misses, then just run and gun because of lack of options. There's some annoying mousesmoothing going on too, which makes those times even tougher. (I found a fix on the bethesda forums for this)



EDIT: just to clarify, I'm not bitching about the game. I love the game. I just think maybe I spread myself too thin, or I'm shooting too many random people in the face for a sneaking character. Also all my quest I'm getting seem to be combat based.

[PyroMenace]

I mainly concentrated on 4 skills when I leveled to prevent from spreading myself out too thin. 2 of those were weapons skills: big guns and explosives, and the other 2 were speech and science. That combo worked pretty well for me. I'm not sure how the sneaking part of the game is but I know that hacking is a pretty damn valuable skill. Not only is it good for bypassing security and unlocking doors, you can also find alot of backstory stuff on characters and locations, so I would definitely keep pumping points there.

I know combat with guns is a bit tricky, at takes alot of points to be good at longer ranges so your gonna want to play some hide and seek with guys. Let them come to you then come out feed them some bullets to the face. I also recommend explosives, it has good range and what the fuck is gonna survive a grenade at their feet?

[W7RE]

Well, fixing that annoying mouse issue will go a long way in gunfights when I run out of AP. Also the small guns/explosives combo does sound more like how I've been playing.

[Quemaqua]

I'd try to help, but I'm so tired my brain is totally fried.  I'd have to have a list in front of me of what's available when since I forget, but I'm sure you could do a bit better than what you've got there as far as build-specific stuff.

Still, you should be killing stuff fine with 60 in small guns.  Are you using the right weapons?  At your level I'd imagine you'd almost have to be since there isn't much but small guns.

[W7RE]

It's not so much that I'm having trouble, as it's that I'm annoyed with how uneffective sneaking and lockpicking seem to be. I think the 60 in small guns is due to me thinking my damage sucks and pumping it for the last couple levels. I was mostly using a rifle I think, with an assault rifle of sorts thrown in for when I run out of rifle ammo, as well as a semi-auto pistol. Oh and I'm constantly running back to town to sell because I've got nothing in STR and can't hold shit. I really want to SPOILER, but I need access to Megaton to sell stuff.

(click to show/hide)

I want to blow up those assholes in Megaton

Really it's just that the game (so far) is much more combat oriented than I expected and I feel I'm inefficient if I don't build for combat.

[Quemaqua]

Well, bear in mind that you don't always have to fight.  There are tons of situations in which a nimble character can just run the hell away.

Your sneak and pickpocketing stuff just aren't very high yet.  Sneak does work, but don't expect it to work in broad daylight, and pickpocketing is much harder than sneaking generally.  At least from what I messed with.  My character was more of an explorer and survivalist.  But if your sneak was as high as your small guns, you'd be doing better.  And as you go you'll find gear that will help, too.  There's a lot of equipment in the game that'll boost your stats.

Though that's another point - you can never boost stats past 100, so be careful about how high you go if you plan to wear gear that'll boost something.  You won't get an added bonus over 100.

[K-man]

Yeah just stick it out.  There's a tipping point around level 10 or so in which your character really starts to hit its stride.  You'll find better gear along the way, and some quest items will be given as well.

My concentrations ended up being at level 20:

Energy Weapons -83
Lockpicking - 100
Small Guns - 100
Repair - 100
Speech - 65

This served me very well, but I was dumb as a rock when it came to computers.  I originally had energy weapons as a tag skill, but I went through so much of the game without finding any energy weapons to speak of that I just started putting points into small guns.  They're plentiful and plenty deadly.  You'll get more accurate in VATS as time goes on, to the point to where you're almost guaranteed a headshot provided you've got the right perks.

[K-man]

Apparently Broken Steel didn't roll out smoothly for the PC this go round.

[Quemaqua]

I'm totally shocked.

Read: I'm not totally shocked.

[K-man]

360 got it last time.  It's only fair that Bethesda spread the love

[K-man]

Looks like the 360 version suffers from other issues according to this thread

http://www.bethsoft.com/bgsforums/index.php?showtopic=986322

PC version looks to have been yanked temporarily.

[Pugnate]

I guess Beth. still haven't gotten used to the console culture of where you RELEASE SHIT THAT WORKS FROM DAY 1.

[MysterD]

I guess Beth. still haven't gotten used to the console culture of where you RELEASE SHIT THAT WORKS FROM DAY 1.

They'll always be a PC company -- what the hell do you expect from them?

[K-man]

I just played through the ending on 360 with zero issues.

I have to wonder what's causing the hiccups on the console side.

[Xessive]

Here's a little something I did not know about Broken Steel:

In our third DLC, “Broken Steel,” we’ve come up with a way of allowing the player to continue on past the game ending… by changing it! You will not have to load in a new game to play any of the DLC material – though you will have to finish the main quest to experience most of what “Broken Steel” has to offer.

It also raises the level cap from 20 to 30. So, pretty cool.

[W7RE]

So the core game has a level cap of 20? Is the Swift Learner perk worth grabbing? I was thinking the level cap was like 100 or something and Swift Learner seemed like a must have to keep leveling from taking forever at the higher levels. I guess what I'm asking is, will the perk slots taken up by Swift Learner be missed?

[scottws]

Yeah, the level cap is 20 in the main game.  It sucks because I hit it early.  That's why I quit playing.

[Quemaqua]

Which is silly.  There's tons of stuff to do beyond just leveling.  This isn't an RPG like some.  Statistics aren't the main draw.  I played for countless hours past 20 and it never once bothered me because I was still seeing new things, fighting in new places, finding crazy new items, new unique scripted stuff, and since I had done so much off the beaten path, even watching the world change as I progressed to the last parts of the main story.  Few RPGs can accomplish that.

[K-man]

So the core game has a level cap of 20? Is the Swift Learner perk worth grabbing? I was thinking the level cap was like 100 or something and Swift Learner seemed like a must have to keep leveling from taking forever at the higher levels. I guess what I'm asking is, will the perk slots taken up by Swift Learner be missed?

I was level 15 when i was ready to finish the main quest in the original game.  I had two points in swift learner.  I'm thinking those could have been better utilized elsewhere.  it's not terribly hard to level in this game, but all indications suggest that going from 20-30 is going to take some initiative.

[K-man]

Which is silly.  There's tons of stuff to do beyond just leveling.  This isn't an RPG like some.  Statistics aren't the main draw.  I played for countless hours past 20 and it never once bothered me because I was still seeing new things, fighting in new places, finding crazy new items, new unique scripted stuff, and since I had done so much off the beaten path, even watching the world change as I progressed to the last parts of the main story.  Few RPGs can accomplish that.

Absolutely.  Completing the main story is fun, and becoming more powerful by allocating skills and perks is neat, but the reason I'm still playing the shit out of this game is because I find something new every time I play.

Do not, I repeat, DO NOT take the explorer perk at level 20.  It kills it.

[Quemaqua]

Actually, I disagree.  I took that (after much internal debate, because I was worried about it being a bad thing), and I've had a great time.  It helps me know what I've seen and what I haven't, and doesn't really kill the sense of exploration unless you work it that way.  Seriously, I don't think it's that bad.  It just lets you know how many places you haven't been, making it easier to eventually find them all.

[Xessive]

I admit when I first found out about the level 20 cap I was disappointed. I thought it would really bother me by restricting any possibility of improvment beyond that. However, after reaching level 20, well before I reached the final stages, I realized that my character was quite capable of taking on any challenge in my playing style (stealthy, smooth talking sniper) and I could focus more on adventuring than leveling up. I killed less and snuck around more because I didn't care as much about the exp. The level cap didn't bother me as much as I thought it would.

[K-man]

Actually, I disagree.  I took that (after much internal debate, because I was worried about it being a bad thing), and I've had a great time.  It helps me know what I've seen and what I haven't, and doesn't really kill the sense of exploration unless you work it that way.  Seriously, I don't think it's that bad.  It just lets you know how many places you haven't been, making it easier to eventually find them all.

Yeah we'll have to just agree to disagree there.  Most of my fun now is being had with the fact that I'm randomly discovering these neat places without knowing they exist.  The Explorer perk would ruin that for me.

[Quemaqua]

Why?  The explorer perk does nothing more than show an icon.  It tells you nothing about the place fundamentally, only that it's around, and all the places are so different, you never know exactly what you'll find.  Besides, even if you have it you don't have to stare at it and constantly plan every trip.  I rarely do that.  It's just nice to know what areas of the map I haven't dug into as much.

[MysterD]

I didn't get the Explorer perk.

Does it show say places/locations on the map that you have NOT explored in a different color so you know what places you have NOT been to yet?

[Quemaqua]

Yes.  And you can't fast travel to them if you haven't hoofed it there in the first place, just like normal, so it isn't going to make everything completely easy on you.

[MysterD]

Oooh, that's cool.

[MysterD]

OXM Interview w/ Pete Hines.
Apparantly, all of the FO3 DLC has sold EXTREMELY well.

[MysterD]

FiringSquad - DLC Info
PS3 owners will get Fallout 3 DLC in July.

The next two DLC's for PC, X360, and PS3 will be:
--Point Lookout, which is planned for June.
--Mothership Zeta, which is planned for July.

EDIT:
IGN has some DLC Info and interview with Todd Howard
Linked here from IGN

Point Lookout DLC

IGN: Is Point Lookout a reference to Point Lookout State Park in Maryland? Is that where the DLC takes place?

Todd Howard: Yes, yes it is.

IGN: Does the substantial history of Point Lookout State Park play a role in this expansion?

Todd Howard: In some ways, yes, such as the civil war stuff. Its modern incarnation is different, since we do treat it as we see it from the Fallout timeline, post 1950. More of a seaside vacation town with a boardwalk.

IGN: Without spoiling too much for us, what is the general plotline of Point Lookout's new quests?

Todd Howard: Yeah, I really don't want to spoil it yet. It has a swampy-horror vibe. It's the brainchild of Joel Burgess and Nate Purkeypile, two of our best people here. Their pitch was, "picture backwoods Maryland, where the bombs didn't actually fall, but the world has left it behind." It's also big. Really big. It's a mini wasteland swamp to explore. It has a main quest, side quests, etc.

Mothership Zeta DLC

IGN: What about for Mothership Zeta?

Todd Howard: If you poke around Fallout 3, you can find a crashed UFO with an alien inside that is broadcasting a signal your Pip-Boy picks up. This is where you can get the alien blaster. Well, Mothership Zeta is answering the distress call. You get abducted and the whole thing takes place on a giant alien spacecraft. It's one of those classic 50's B movie type things, but with a harder edge.

[MysterD]

Clinton was the original plan to have in FO3 as The Pres??!?!
One of the earliest plans for FO3 was to have Bill Clinton do the voice for The President (Eden).

He rejected it.

Hmmmm...that would've been interesting and cool, to have a former REAL President play one in a game.

Regardless, I thought Malcolm McDowell was fantastic as Eden.

[Quemaqua]

I'm glad he didn't accept, as I'd have had the urge to shoot him every time he spoke.

[Xessive]

I kinda liked Clinton. He kept US forces minimally invasive on my side of the world The only major incident was in Sudan.

I am glad he rejected the role though. Malcolm McDowell is excellent. I think he's awesome in almost every role he lands.

[MysterD]

Malcolm McDowell is excellent. I think he's awesome in almost every role he lands.

Agreed

[MysterD]

Fallout 3 - Point Lookout (DLC) Trailer.

[scottws]

I should try to put this game back on my computer since I installed Windows 7.  Maybe it won't crash anymore, but I'm not holding my breath.

[MysterD]

I should try to put this game back on my computer since I installed Windows 7.  Maybe it won't crash anymore, but I'm not holding my breath.

What is "it"?
Windows 7? Fallout 3? Or both?

[scottws]

Fallout 3.

http://www.overwritten.net/forum/index.php?topic=625.msg67696#msg67696
http://www.overwritten.net/forum/index.php?topic=625.msg67701#msg67701

[MysterD]

Fallout 3.

http://www.overwritten.net/forum/index.php?topic=625.msg67696#msg67696
http://www.overwritten.net/forum/index.php?topic=625.msg67701#msg67701

Holy crap. That really freakin' sucks. How the hell did I miss that?

Did you have any issues w/ G4WL, too?

[MysterD]

Ashley Chang of BethSoft here talks about The GameBryo Engine and Fallout 3 in this interview w/ GameObserver.com.

[MysterD]

Fallout 3 - Mothership Zeta DLC is coming on August 3rd to XB Live and G4WL for 800 MS Points