What Game Are You Playing At The Moment?

[Incognito]

Originally Posted by andsoitgoes

As for Fallout and walking - if you're going to make an expansive, IMMERSIVE world - then why allow for "quick travel" from one location to another

Eh, a minor perk in case a quest asked you to go from point A at the far SE of the map and then back to point B at NW.

It removes that whole idea behind it. And I highly, HIGHLY doubt that people are just wandering all over the place.

In a nuclear winter environment, one could figure that supplies would soon be exhausted, so thus, people would have to keep moving about, either hunting for additional supplies, shelter, or signs of life.

Okay, more things then...

• Why when I'm looking anywhere at something that COULD be taken, when it's thieveable do I immediately get random people chastising me for looking at a cup on the table.

I believe that is how the karma system operates in a way. The worse off you are, the more instigating people are against you. In a world without factories to produce supplies, you might get a little overprotective if someone was eyeballing your favorite mug. Even if you have great karma, it could be a glitch of some kind.

• WHY is there no reaction to serious events that occur around these people, except for maybe a one-off situation?

• There is NO emotion shown on the faces of the enemies you fight, it's either on or off, and there's a serious lack of emotion shown on the faces of most NPCs

Desensitized? There's only so much horrible shit to happen to make a person jump in fright.

• I understand bleak and deserted wasteland. But look at bioshock, THAT is how to do destroyed 50's era. I know that the size of Fallout is far lower than Bioshock and that the world is "destroyed" but fer fucks sake, Mad Max looks like a Looney Tune cartoon in comparison. The only color I see is when I try to pick up something that I'd steal, or the odd spurts of blood from someone's head.

I loved Bioshock as well, but you must remember that in that game, it was a very closed off environment; there was only so many places you could go and if you've been to it before, nothing changed. In Fallout 3, you could have returned to a burned out church you once visited, but could have came across someone who discovered it and was using it as shelter. A nuclear wasteland is not going to be bursting with colors you see in Willy Wonka's factory, so I half-expect the landscape to look like corrugated rusted steel.

• And I'm sorry, the character models make up a HUGE portion of immersion in the world. It's why I don't think I can get into Uncharted. I'd PREFER text based over this "milquetoast" world.

Fair enough, no game is 100% flawless.

• BUT REALLY, why can I steal a cup? Or a saucer? WHY?? If you go on about how it adds realisim, please see all previous points that remove any sense of realism from the game.

Because you can. It touches that inner pack rat in us. "I don't really need this bent tin can, but hey, what if I need to build a regenerating plasma rifle with nuclear tipped rockets and the only part I am missing is a bent tin can."

Fallout 3 is not perfect, I'll agree to that, but the minor setbacks are overshadowed by other positive qualities. I can deal with the minute details that might otherwise hinder an enjoyable title.

[Mundane Soul]

Your doubts about wandering are incorrect. I use quick travel about half of the time when I'm working on a particular quest or need to get somewhere to heal up or sell fast when I'm in the middle of something. Otherwise, I'm walking from place to place, and most of my best moments in the game have come while wandering.

As for the "serious flaws" you listed, I don't see them as that at all. You're exagerrating and nitpicking. There are certainly problems with the game - I don't think anyone is claiming that it's perfect. It's just that, in this case, the positive aspects of this game far outweigh the negative.

Mass Effect had terrible texture-loading issues, a lackluster good/neutral/bad conversation path system, and a ridiculous inventory system, and yet it's still a fantastic game.

[andsoitgoes]

Originally Posted by Incognito

In a nuclear winter environment, one could figure that supplies would soon be exhausted, so thus, people would have to keep moving about, either hunting for additional supplies, shelter, or signs of life.

oh, sorry - By "people" I meand the players of the game, sorry

Originally Posted by Incognito

I believe that is how the karma system operates in a way. The worse off you are, the more instigating people are against you. In a world without factories to produce supplies, you might get a little overprotective if someone was eyeballing your favorite mug. Even if you have great karma, it could be a glitch of some kind.

Yeah, I was about as anti-bad as you could be at the time that was happening. I actually don't think I'd "stolen" anything.

Originally Posted by Incognito

Desensitized? There's only so much horrible shit to happen to make a person jump in fright.

I don't buy this. I simply think it's a flaw in the system itself.

However, even REGARDING being desensitized, there would STILL be a flippant message about this happening. But instead, it was like it never existed.

Again, I understand there are some limits to this open world an environment. But really.

Originally Posted by Incognito

I loved Bioshock as well, but you must remember that in that game, it was a very closed off environment; there was only so many places you could go and if you've been to it before, nothing changed. In Fallout 3, you could have returned to a burned out church you once visited, but could have came across someone who discovered it and was using it as shelter. A nuclear wasteland is not going to be bursting with colors you see in Willy Wonka's factory, so I half-expect the landscape to look like corrugated rusted steel.

But just because it's a wasteland doesn't meant that it has to be completely without any emotion or color. Hell, there was no color even in the Vault! You'd think they'd want to preserve some of that. And if it was different from Oblivion, I'd have some appreciation for it.

Everything is just so vacant from anything. Fine, have a mostly "bland" environment, but look at a previous Fallout screenshot:



I'm sorry, but that looks freaking cool. Fallout 3 just has one shade. There's no contrast.

Originally Posted by Incognito

Because you can. It touches that inner pack rat in us. "I don't really need this bent tin can, but hey, what if I need to build a regenerating plasma rifle with nuclear tipped rockets and the only part I am missing is a bent tin can."

Fallout 3 is not perfect, I'll agree to that, but the minor setbacks are overshadowed by other positive qualities. I can deal with the minute details that might otherwise hinder an enjoyable title.

I guess. Maybe I'm just more a Mass Effect/Gears/Gemstone guy

[andsoitgoes]

Originally Posted by Mundane Soul

As for the "serious flaws" you listed, I don't see them as that at all. You're exagerrating and nitpicking. There are certainly problems with the game - I don't think anyone is claiming that it's perfect. It's just that, in this case, the positive aspects of this game far outweigh the negative.

I don't think I'm exaggerating them, and I know that, albeit there's a smaller portion of people, others agree with me.

So maybe, to a person who loves the game that much, I am nitpicking...

Originally Posted by Mundane Soul

Mass Effect had terrible texture-loading issues, a lackluster good/neutral/bad conversation path system, and a ridiculous inventory system, and yet it's still a fantastic game.

And yet I loved it that much more than Fallout. There was something so expansive about Mass Effect and a story that actually CAPTIVATED me.

I just felt a huge, huge disconnect in any of the story. The only thing I really, really enjoyed was the idea of the VATS system. But I felt that wore off fairly quickly.

Anyway, shurg... It is what it is.

/hopefully hasn't turned Vudell off from buying it

[Vudell]

Originally Posted by andsoitgoes

/hopefully hasn't turned Vudell off from buying it

not a bit! it takes a lot for me to not like a game...

[madeyeshawn]

Why all the arguing about fall out 3?

The game is Oblivion with a new skin.

Oblivion/Fallout3 is not for everybody.

A lot of people were dissapointed with what alot of games like mass effect and fable1 promised which is game altering consequences in an expanse deep open world. Those games were great if all you want is rich fleshed out cinematic dialogue, a great linear story but with limited exploration.

Other rpg gamers want a game that throws every option and possibility in a giant world with endless opportunities and re-playabillity with the sacrifice of quality voice acting, and story (FO3 trys but i do agree i dont give a fuck about my fathers whereabouts/situation)

Also the quick travel can only be used once you been to that location already. So the game developers do in fact force you to see the huge world they created. And not everything is on the map and available for quick travel.

Imagine if everybody who bought GTA3 only wanted to play it for its missions and never have the urge to explore and fuck off... Game developers have an idea of what way they want their audience to be entertained. Sometimes that misses the mark and you shouldn't take it so personal.

I never blamed Capcom for making me hate a great series like resident evil. I understand the game is popular for a reason, but my gaming style just does not work with that games formula. (I will shamefully admit that Nintendo's infamous "Super Mario Bros." is in the same category)

Fallout3 is a great game, when in the hands of its intended audience.

[standardman]

Well said. To me, Fallout 3 is Oblivion in a setting I'm more interested in, but then I love me a wasteland to explore (see also S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Shadow of Chernobyl with the Oblivion Lost mod).

[madeyeshawn]

Originally Posted by standardman

Well said. To me, Fallout 3 is Oblivion in a setting I'm more interested in, but then I love me a wasteland to explore (see also S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Shadow of Chernobyl with the Oblivion Lost mod).

If you dont like Fallout 3 (oblivion) but want an open world fps game to enjoy, I have heard good things about Far Cry 2.

Its on my "games to save for summer" list along with Fable2.

Left 4 Dead update: I got my money back on the game that never came, and have just now won another one for the same price from a different user. I will hope for better results and massive teamwork zombie killing coming soon.

I hope some of you did not get burnt out on zombie killing, I appreciate your patience future team mates

[unrealrob]

To Madeyeshawn: you are going to have to join me and a few other of the forums members in our fight against the hordes of undead.

To andsoitgoes: there is really no reason to beat a dead horse here, but I'm going to anyway. I completely agree with you on your Fallout 3 points, and your take on Mass Effect as well.

I liked the previous Fallout games, like any gamer worth his salt in the 90's. But this latest chapter just didn't cut it. To me, nothing in terms of the story really felt connected with anything else. The combat and VATS wasn't really as revolutionary as we all hoped; although it did help overcome some of the shoddy game mechanics. And on and on.

Oblivion had a ton of problems. Fallout 3 probably has less. But, the people working on Fallout 3 did little to nothing for fixing any of the glaring problems present in Oblivion - we all know them.

Mass Effect had its problems too. But it was so much more atmospheric and fluid than Fallout 3 could ever possibly be, regardless of how many expansions it comes up with.

But hell, maybe I've just grown out of the whole post-apocolyptic, war-torn, nuclear fallout scene.

[unrealrob]

To Madeyeshawn: you are going to have to join me and a few other of the forums members in our fight against the hordes of undead.

To andsoitgoes: there is really no reason to beat a dead horse here, but I'm going to anyway. I completely agree with you on your Fallout 3 points, and your take on Mass Effect as well.

I liked the previous Fallout games, like any gamer worth his salt in the 90's. But this latest chapter just didn't cut it. To me, nothing in terms of the story really felt connected with anything else. The combat and VATS wasn't really as revolutionary as we all hoped; although it did help overcome some of the shoddy game mechanics. And on and on.

Oblivion had a ton of problems. Fallout 3 probably has less. But, the people working on Fallout 3 did little to nothing for fixing any of the glaring problems present in Oblivion - we all know them.

Mass Effect had its problems too. But it was so much more atmospheric and fluid than Fallout 3 could ever possibly be, regardless of how many expansions it comes up with.

But hell, maybe I've just grown out of the whole post-apocolyptic, war-torn, nuclear fallout scene.