Topic: Fallout 3

[Quemaqua]

Retail releases of DLC spotted.  That's good news.  Hopefully this bodes well for the future.  I'll wait until they're "done", most probably, then devote myself to a couple more weeks of gaming.

[MysterD]

Retail releases of DLC spotted.  That's good news.  Hopefully this bodes well for the future.  I'll wait until they're "done", most probably, then devote myself to a couple more weeks of gaming.

Yeah, I seen them in store, too. But, never is OA/Pitt Package on sale -- always $19.99.

I'll probably wait until ALL FIVE of the DLC are released on disc in one box or something (OA, Pitt, Broken Steel, Point Lookout, Zeta) -- hopefully all 5 get released on disc and all. Zeta is supposed to be the last of the DLC -- but really, we'll see if it'll really be the last and all, down the line.

[Quemaqua]

They may not actually do that if they're releasing small packages already.  Still, I'll wait for them all to come out and see, and then get a complete package or just buy all the individual ones.

[Xessive]

They'll probably release a GOTY or Gold edition with everything bundled.

I've played Op Anchorage and The Pitt. While they're both quite good, The Pitt is is more fun and offers more content. I read somewhere that Point Lookout is even bigger, almost comparable to Shivering Isles.

[MysterD]

They'll probably release a GOTY or Gold edition with everything bundled.

I'll be happy if they box ALL the DLC in one box.

If they do a re-released of FO3 w/ all the DLC in some sort of GOTY or Gold Edition, I'll wait til that hits Expansion Pack pricing probably.

[Quemaqua]

I didn't hear good things about Op Anchorage, but The Pitt looks pretty fantastic, and I expect the future ones to be on an equal level with that since Bethesda is usually good about listening to feedback and providing more of what people want.

[MysterD]

All of those after OA look pretty good.

But, more than anything, I can't wait to see what BethSoft does with Zeta. With that kicking-off with an alien abduction just sounds too fuckin' cool.

Side NOTE: Prey does the best alien abduction introduction ever.

[wizall]

I played OA, and while it wasn't particularly amazing, it was pretty fun. If you get it bundled with others I highly recommend playing it still. It's primarily combat-orientated, which is enough. There's also some amazing loot at the end.

I just picked up Broken Steel, essentially for the level cap raise since I hit 20 before the end of the main campaign.

[Quemaqua]

I hit level 20 before I even got a third of the way through the main campaign.

[Xessive]

Yeah, I leveled up fairly quickly too the first time around especially since I initially went for all the experience and skill-raising perks. This time I've focused more on practical skills perks i.e. commando, sniper etc.

OA wasn't fantastic but it was alright. It provided a good change of pace.

[Quemaqua]

I find that I really don't care about level in the game at all.  It got a bit old in some of the Elder Scrolls games when you weren't really making that much progress, but I find Fallout 3 fully engrossing just because of what it is.  I like the perks and stuff, and it's fun to feel you're progressing, but I think it's more to make your character have a gimmick or two, or differentiate themselves from some others, not because the game itself needs to constantly give you stuff to keep you interested.  What's there is utterly fascinating.

[Xessive]

I find that I really don't care about level in the game at all.  It got a bit old in some of the Elder Scrolls games when you weren't really making that much progress, but I find Fallout 3 fully engrossing just because of what it is.  I like the perks and stuff, and it's fun to feel you're progressing, but I think it's more to make your character have a gimmick or two, or differentiate themselves from some others, not because the game itself needs to constantly give you stuff to keep you interested.  What's there is utterly fascinating.

That's very true, but it all also depends on how the players immerse themselves in it. I think the first 10 levels are critical to even have a chance at some of the stuff you'll encounter. I mean by the time you reach level 10 you've defined your character and class, beyond that it's all a bonus.

[MysterD]

Jeff Gardiner of BethSoft says there will likely not be any more level cap increases for FO3.
He do feel it would unbalance the game, in a number of ways.
And that the game was meant for multiple run-throughs with all kinds of different character types.

[Xessive]

I feel like playing Oblivion now. I just have to remember where I put my quick-install customization folder!

[MysterD]

Info on Mothership Zeta

Speaking with Jeff Gardiner, who has been at the helm of the "Fallout 3" DLC content, I was curious what sort of weapons we'd be seeing in Mothership Zeta, the upcoming alien-centric expansion. Thankfully it looks like there is plenty to keep our trigger fingers humming:

"Mothership Zeta is full of the most high tech weaponry in the game. It includes a Shock Baton for melee fighters, multiple new firearms including an Alien Atomizer, a pistol, and the Alien Disintegrator, a new rifle. There's also a new grenade type, a Cryo Grenade, which freezes enemies for a short period of time. On top of that there are new unique weapons, and a new heavy weapon."

Gardiner continued, saying that there will also be a new perk to unlock, called "Xenotech Expert."

"It increases the damage you do with alien weapons, including the Alien Blaster if the player had found that in the wasteland."

The perk will be mission-specific, though, since this DLC (along with all forthcoming DLC packs) doesn't increase the level cap.

Once you've finished with the Mothership main quest, you'll still be able to return to the alien ship. There's definitely a reason to journey back, as the ship houses an item called "Alien Epoxy" which can automatically repair an item by 25%, even if you don't have a duplicate. Great news for all the Gauss Rifle fans who have only been able to repair it to 50% with vendors.

[wizall]

I hit level 20 before I even got a third of the way through the main campaign.

Well, I guess I did, too. I hit 20 just before

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rescuing Pop in Tranquility Lane.

Though I'm not sure how far that is exactly in the main story just yet.

And, now that I think about it, now at 21 or 22, I've already pretty well maxed-out the stats I use the most, partly because I'm obsessive about bobbleheads and a high early Int. So, in other words, 20 seems just fine for this game.

[MysterD]

Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition slated for release in Mid-October.
Coming to the PC, X360, and PS3.
And yes, it will come w/ Fallout 3 + ALL Five DLC's.

[ren]

I just started playing this today and I'm loving it. In the last few years the only game I've tried to play has been GTAIV and that left me pretty disappointed. Fallout 3 has brought back the joys of gaming in all its glory.

Really early (in the vault) spoilers:

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I just killed Amata's dad, the Overseer, by accident and she's making me feel bad about it. I want to do undo it. I panicked! I didn't mean to kill anybody.

[Quemaqua]

Awesome.  It really is quite a game.  One of the better things I've played over the last few years.

[ren]

I'm now about 17 hours in at level 8 and I don't think I've stumbled across any of the main quest yet. I just found

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the Galaxy News guy and he told me he'd help me find my dad if I help fix his satellite dish.

Question: Do I ever get to sell any stuff? As things are now I just keep dropping things everywhere. I've found a few places where I can buy items but nowhere to sell them.

[K-man]

Anyone you can buy from you can also sell to.  you just have to click over to your inventory in the sale screen

[Xessive]

This early in the game basically any quests involving your Dad are part of the main plot.

You should be able to sell to practically any merchant, you just have to check how much cash they have and how good of a price they'll give you. Certain merchants will give you better prices for certain items. Certain items will also be more valuable to certain characters i.e. scrap metal sells for 1 or 2 bottlecaps to the average merchant however if you find a character who needs scrap metal like the old dude in the water pump station in Megaton he'll trade you each on for 10 (or is it 5?) bottlecaps. Books that are in good condition can also be traded in to the Scribe in the National Library for 10 caps each. If cash is a problem keep an eye out for these little opportunities.

[K-man]

Another avenue to some quick cash is to sell ammo you don't need.

[Ghandi]

Basically just look at the cost to weight ratio and you can figure out what to carry and what not to carry. Anything less than 10-1 or 15-1 isn't worth carrying around.

[ren]

I don't need cash. I've managed to collect almost 2000 bottlecaps so far and have basically nothing to do with them. I just felt wasteful throwing away all the extra items.

[Cobra951]

I'm now about 17 hours in at level 8 and I don't think I've stumbled across any of the main quest yet. I just found

(click to show/hide)

the Galaxy News guy and he told me he'd help me find my dad if I help fix his satellite dish.

Question: Do I ever get to sell any stuff? As things are now I just keep dropping things everywhere. I've found a few places where I can buy items but nowhere to sell them.

It seems you missed a place that I found early on, though at first I did wander aimlessly through the wasteland.  That is:

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the town of Megaton, with the usual RPG fixtures--tavern/inn, merchant, NPCs to talk to and get quests from.  One quest there will solve your current problem.

Buying/selling, item storage and even a place to hang your hat are all in the cards for you.  I cheered when I finally got dependable storage of loot.  I was spending WAY too much time trying to decide what to sell or drop and what to carry around.

I'm at Level 6 now, and on my way to 7.  I just did the part in your spoiler, and I'm now on a quest for someone in my spoiler.  It took me a while to find my legs in this game, but now I seem to have settled into it nicely.  I still stumble into firefights that lop off a lot of HP.  As a result, I have become an accomplished save whore.  I should get recognition of that with some official game perk, like a Quicksave skill. 

I'm extremely impressed.  The world is huge, and everywhere I go feels different in a meaningful way.  Exploration so far has always been rewarding.  My official game time is about the same as yours.  I'm playing on Normal difficulty.

Edit:  Oh, wait.  I guess you did find it, but didn't realize you could sell.  What K-man said.  In order to sell while in the bartering screen, press LT (or equivalent if not 360) to move over to your inventory.  Anything you select will go for sale.

[ren]

You were right the first time, I missed the place in your spoiler. I have found a few other places to buy and sell but didn't realize you could sell as well.

So we're at roughly the same point in the main quest with only one level difference between us. That's encouraging, I was beginning to think I was leveling up way too fast.

[Quemaqua]

If you plan to play the game in any real meaningful capacity (meaning if you want to see much of it), just ignore level.  You'll be max level long before you ever finish seeing everything there is to see.  Fortunately, the game is totally compelling just based on the content alone, without the carrot-on-a-stick of RPG leveling stuff.  I played dozens upon dozens of hours after being fully leveled and never gave it a second thought.  Scott is the only person I've yet seen actually say that they got irritated at hitting the level cap.  Most people seem to be content to just see new things.  It certainly worked for me.

Glad to see you two enjoying it.  Despite being a huge big-name title, it's one of the few games in the last few years that I think really and truly deserved every penny it made.

[ren]

I had it in my head that the game ended when you maxed out. After reading your post I looked around and saw that it's not when you max out levels that the game comes to an abrupt end but when you finish the main quest. That makes way more sense than what I was thinking, no idea where I got that idea from.

This game is awesome though. I tried to play the original Fallout a while ago when it was on sale at gog.com and couldn't get into it. In a few weeks I'll be without an xbox until next december so at that point I'll give it another shot now that Fallout 3 has sucked me into the universe.

[Cobra951]

I played a long time last night again.  Since I'm only where the Xbox is for a couple of days a week, it's hard to tear myself away.  I've been causing some mayhem with big guns.  The fat man is pure hilarity.  The gauntlets are getting tough.  Downtown DC is a bitch so far.

I'm having a tough time choosing how to level up.  The perks in particular befuddle me.  There are so many to choose from, and only one of them can be bumped per level.  With 20 levels max before the DLC, it seems like so many will get nowhere.  I'm trying to bump up early the ones that might benefit me during later level ups, but it's mostly guesswork.

[Quemaqua]

That's why they're perks.  They just... perks, interesting facets to make the character different, not really something you should think too much about mechanically.  Pick what seems fun and different.

[Schlotzky5]

Yeah, I picked more of the fun stuff then just stuff that gives bonus stats.

[scottws]

I did that "Mysterious Stranger" one.  Kind of odd and funny, but the dude kicks all kinds of ass and saved me a couple of times from certain death.

[Quemaqua]

I was a big fan of that one too, heh.

[Cobra951]

I grabbed the +50 lb perk as soon as I was able to.  That's probably the most useful one so far.  I also like the +3 to level-up points.  I'm trying to up side skills like lockpick and repair without having to spend too many points on them directly.  But as more interesting perks open up, it just gets harder to choose.

I'm at Level 8 already.  Does anyone know how the +10 to level cap with that one DLC work?  Can I install that anytime and get it, or does it only apply to the DLC?  Does it only work if the DLC is there from the beginning of the game?

[Xessive]

I'm at Level 8 already.  Does anyone know how the +10 to level cap with that one DLC work?  Can I install that anytime and get it, or does it only apply to the DLC?  Does it only work if the DLC is there from the beginning of the game?

It works anytime. As soon as you activate the DLC it becomes a part of the game. Broken Steel's content is only available after you complete the main quest anyway. The level cap is raised from the get-go and all its perks are available to you as well (the new perks are all for level 22 and above anyway).

It's a very easy-going system. Not sure what would happen if you deactivate the DLC when you're above level 20 though. Not that you'd want to, it really is an expansion to the core game, kinda like a nice big patch with extra content.

[Cobra951]

Perfect.  Thanks for the info.  I guess the first thing I'll do when I get a chance to play again (next week) is install Broken Steel.  I'm interested in the rest of the additions on the 2nd disc too, but now that I've installed the game itself to the HDD, I only have 1.6 GB left, which is what I read that the 2nd disc takes up if you install everything.

[Xessive]

Perfect.  Thanks for the info.  I guess the first thing I'll do when I get a chance to play again (next week) is install Broken Steel.  I'm interested in the rest of the additions on the 2nd disc too, but now that I've installed the game itself to the HDD, I only have 1.6 GB left, which is what I read that the 2nd disc takes up if you install everything.

Installing Broken Steel first is a good idea because it also prevents the game from "ending" hence halting the adventure. All the other plugins you can install later as you free up more space. The core game has a handful on its own without the extra content anyway!

[ren]

What's the deal with sleep? One hour seems to heal me perfectly and I haven't noticed anything different when opting for a full night.

[Cobra951]

Right, there's no difference.  Just sleep as long as you need in order to make the time of day what you want afterward.  If you sleep in a bed you own or rent, you get a well-rested bonus of +10% to HP gained, until it wears off.  Time slept still makes no difference.