Fallout: New Vegas

[OKBANANA]

So if you're an avid Fallout player, you may know that Fallout: New Vegas is to be released in Fall 2010.

What is everyone's thoughts?

I for one cannot wait to play this, I loved F3!

[PM-R33]

Wow did not know about this, will have to look into it

[Yo-Yo]

fallout 3 was good but lacked the humour of fallout 2 which was what I liked about the game most of all

will look into this

[PM-R33]

I also hope they make it a bit more difficult and make the levels higher. I found it to be a bit of an easy game and hit max level fairly easily.

[bozodos]

yep hoping for a higher level cap! can't wait though

[3PointJ]

Ah shit. I'm still slogging away at Fallout 3 + Expansions.

I'm just slow as f**k I guess. Get to busy being sidetracked and exploring killing shit

[OKBANANA]

Some information about Fallout New Vegas:, that is confirmed.

Gameplay]

# There is an optional hardcore mode, the character needs to drink water, ammo has weight, healing isn't instant etc.

# Normal mode is more similar to Fallout 3 gameplay.

# There are special moves for melee weapons in VATS - specifically a move for a golf club called "Fore" which seems to be a groin shot.

# A character generation shot showing a "vigour machine" instead of the skill book.

# Skils have a bigger effect on conversation choices. E.g. someone with a high Explosives skill may be able to have a coversation about explosives where appropriate.

# There is a Reputation system in addition to Karma.

# Both karma and reputation are tracked. If I'm reading it right there's separate reputations for each of the settlements, as in 1 and 2.

# All dialogue options are shown to all players, regardless of whether you have the stats to succeed or not, though there's no punishment for failure.

# Bartering is not just lower prices but negotiating for better rewards.

# Followers can be managed through a context-sensitive menu, with orders like "follow", "stay" or "attack".

# There is a "reputation system", in which all three factions (NCR, Ceasar's Legion and the locals) will either see you as good or bad toward them individually.

# From what I read, the "all dialog" thing seems to imply there will be failures for skill checks as well as speech checks, though, as the mag states, there is no penalty for failing a skill check. In fact, the mag gives an example: A woman who the player tried a Sneak skill attempt on in conversation failed when convincing her an ambush would help the town be rid of a gang of raiders. She simply says "Good luck with your, uh, ambush"

# Regardin dialog (J.E.Sawyer): This is how it works. Each skill-based dialogue option has two different texts: one for high skill (which will result in success) and one for low skill (which will result in failure). If you do not meet the required threshold, you see the latter.

There are a few reasons for including this:

* In the same way that a locked safe beyond your Lockpicking skill indicates, it lets the player know that there's an option here.

* Some of the NPC responses to low skill checks can be pretty entertaining.

I also do want to clarify what is meant by "no penalty for failure". All it means is that you won't wind up in a worse position than you were before selecting it. If a dude bursts in and is intent on killing you, he's still going to want to kill you if you fail the Speech check to talk him out of it.

# The reputation will be important to the ending

# You can only target Nightkin in VATS when they're visible.

# Level cap confirmed as 30, no clear details as to how easy/hard it is to reach it yet.

# New areas will open up for the player depending on your reputation (probably armouries and hq's).

# Hardcore is separate from difficulty and is more of a mechanical shift as opposed to just bumping up HP - he (Sawyer) compares it to Ninja Gaiden.

# There is a dehydration meter which, as the radiation meter, will have an impact to the player (most likely drop in stats).

# Being out in the desert in the day, as opposed to night, will have a greater effect on your need for food and water (supposedly).

# Pete Hines says this in the OXM podcast: "Having a little symbol pop up that tells you, that the weapon you're using is less effective against the target your shooting with it. ... Oh yeah, I should stop shooting with this because the game tells me it doesn't work very well".

# According to the OXM video interview, your character's factional reputation can also change the rewards you get from completing quests.

[story/Quests]

# The storyline is focused on the New California Republic vs. Caesar's Legion (slavers from the east) vs. New Vegas residents (Possibly the denizens of Vault 21).

# You are not a vault dweller but are given a Pip-Boy by someone who is one.

# There is a quest to rescue a ghoul from some super mutants. The ghoul can then become your companion.

# You're a courier, wounded and left for dead in a shallow grave. A friendly robot, Victor, digs you out, and his doctor owner Mitchell patches you up. You take a "vigour test", which is some sort of electric parlour game. This decides who you are and sets up SPECIAL. You can also take some Rorschach tests, but the mag says this is for fun. The Doc then gives you a Pipboy as he was once a Vault dweller.

# "Hoover Dam", and "Helios" (a solar plant, confirmed by the mag to have been built by Poseidon) are fought into and then you can direct the power to wherever you choose. In the case of Helios you can also keep the plant for your self, use the energy to call down a powerful laser, or even try to distribute to all equally, however there is a risk of overloading the reactors.

# On the Tabitha/Raul quest, you rescue Raul, a ghoul who Tabitha kept alive to fix her favourite robot. He appears to be a follower, as the mag says you can give him items, and also commands, such as "stay, follow or attack", and also tell him to switch to melee, in which case he'll mutter "sure, I'll put awaymy rather effective gun, and switch to this piece of um, metal tubing here".

# Doctor Mitchell, the one that revives the PC at the start of the game, lives in a town called Goodsprings (described about as "a few shacks with some mutated sheep"). He might also be a ghoul since he says he lived in a vault before the war. He might also own Victor the robot, aparently the one that is digging up the sand in the teaser trailer - and, very probably, the game's intro.

# And it seems that the body in the sand is the Player Character.

# The action takes place 3 years after the events in Fallout 3.

# One of first quests seems to involve dealling with some geckos - probably the standard "kill the rats" quest.

# It seems radio stations are back and one of them is the mutant radio station at Black Mountain, run by their leader, Tabitha. She took control of the place two years before. Every day, on air, she threatens to kill the ghoul - Raul - mentioned somewhere above but stops when he promises he will fix her favorite robot. This probably leads to the quest about helping Raul and making him a follower.

# Your quest in the wasteland involves finding out who tried to murder you and what was in the package you were carrying .

# In Goodsprings, there is the option of joining with the Powder Gangers and ruining the town.

# You can covince Tabitha that the dumb mutants are planning a revolt against the smart ones, and that causes a battle between the two factions, leaving you to go and grab up Raul.

# Poseidon Energy was developing a solar weapon called Archimedes II. The plant is currently controlled by NCR, and they've placed a guy named Fantastic in charge of the plant, he hasn't figured out how to activate the plant or the weapon yet. But, if you're good enough, then you can. You can divert power to the wastes, or use the weapon for your own ends.

[Locations/Factions]

# The Hoover Dam is in the game and is supplying electricity to the city.

# Some location screenshots include a huge model dinosaur advertising a hotel, some satellite dishes, an array of solar panels.

# NCR base is the McCarran Airport, Caesar's Legion is based in the Vegas Strip, while super mutants are based in a place called Black Mountain.

# There is also a town called Fremont and another called Primm. A topless reuve is mentioned as being in the latter.

# Vegas itself is mostly intact.

# Set in the Mojave wastelands. Vegas didn't get many nukes. More intact buildings, as well as desert vegetation.

# About Area 51 (Jason Bergman, Bethesda): The Area 51 thing was pure speculation on PC Gamer's part. We did not show it or confirm whether or not it's in there. PC Gamer put it in because it's Nevada, and they think that means it will be in there.I'm not saying it is or isn't, just that we haven't said either way.

# A new minor faction is in, the Powder Gangers, which will give some trouble to the player, at least at the start of the game.

# Vegas is under construction.

# Helios One is an abandoned solar energy plant built by Poseidon and is currently owned by the NCR. A little description says: "a refractor mirror that could power the Strip and a giant frickin' laser". The NCR want the secrets and weapons (and energy for their base at McCarran Airport) of HO so they hired a screw-up scientist named Fantastic for the job. This leads to a quest and the PC can choose what to do with the energy. It seems if he chooses to keep it for himself he gains acces to Helios' secret weapon, Archimedes II - a "Giant Frickin' Laser". As long as the sun is up, he can call down lasers for an attack.

# The Brotherhood of Steel will make an appearance, but won't be one of the main factions, unlike the New California Republic and the Caesar's Legion.

# There are both dumb and intelligent super mutants, including the elite Nightkin. On at least one occasion you can convince them to fight amongst themselves.

# Nightkin have been turned schizophrenic through prolonged use of Stealth Boys, they deactivate their camo before attacking you, with a club.

# A Vault 21 suit spotted (possibly the inhabitants of New Vegas - speculation).

[Weapons/Armor/Misc objects]

# There is an assault rifle looking like the M4.

# NCR Ranger armor is similar to a brown combat armor with sleeves, there are concept arts of a Ranger.

# Weapons also now have knock-back upon death, with shotguns sending people flying.

# Looks like dynamite might be in as a weapon.

# One of the weapons that we know of until now is the Varmint rifle.

# There is a screenshot of three Capital Wasteland mutants running toward the player, who is wielding what *looks* to be a heavy incinerator, but has a TV screen and no flamer fuel tanks. He's also wearing NCR combat armour, which is in gold/mustard colours.

# A grenade machinegun is mentioned.

# Customization - Scopes on pistols is one example. It also affects the guns performance, add a large magazine to a weapon, and you'll notice longer, but fewer reloading times.

# Not all weapons have mods.

# "You only buy mods from stores" - once bought you hightlight the weapon you want to add it to in your inventory and apply it - and they will cost money, as in quite a bit.

[Engine/Tech stuff]

# First-person action RPG with the same engine as Fallout 3.

# The colors look more vibrant.

# Animations seem to be very similar to the ones in F3;

# The models also look very similar, not only the mutants, but pretty much all of the models and enough assets look almost exactly like the ones in Fallout 3 (of course, this doesn't say much about the final quality of the game, just mentioning).

[Miscellaneous]

# There is a screenshot of a vault suit as well.

# The Geckos are back.

# Some super mutants look similar to the ones in Fallout 3, while others are new. There is e.g. a female super mutant with a 1950s hairstyle who apparently is one of their leaders.

# Screenshots include a guy with a beard and straw hat, a ghoul and an NCR Ranger.

# The only picture of New Vegas itself is concept art and not a screenshot.

# There are two separate screens of supermutants that look to be more local, grey skin, and the two are wearing very different clothes. One is Tabitha, who is hearing a blonde wig and love heart glasses. The mag implies she's "not all there".

# Special attacks in VATS are performed by pressing Y (For 360).

# The Pip-Boy in the game is the Pip-Boy 3000 from Fallout 3.

# SPECIAL descriptions are back: If you have 1 Endurance, your Endurance description is 'Basically Dead' and with 10 Charisma you are 'Cult Leader'.

# Also, here is the list for Strength descriptions:

1: Wet Noodle

2: Beached Jellyfish

3: Doughy Baby

4: Light Weight

5: Average Joe

6: Barrell Chested

7: Beach Bully

8: Circus Strongman

9: Doomsday Pecs

10: Hercules bigger cousin.

# Inon Zur is back for the official soundtrack.

[PM-R33]

Wow there is a lot to it. Level cap at 30 though sounds like it will be fairly easy to hit