Fallout: New Vegas Info Lurches Into View

[DoctorFinger]

Bethesda and Obsidian have begun peeling back the shrouds covering this Fall's Fallout: New Vegas. First we had the teaser trailer, now we have a 6 page feature in the new PC Gamer which is shedding some light on the game.

- You play not as a Vault dweller, but as a courier.
- Since it's so far from most other cities, Vegas wasn't hit with many nukes, so it's more or less intact.
- There are three main factions in the game: the New California Republic, Caesar's Legion and the residents of New Vegas.
- There will be special melee attacks in the VATS system, including a golf club to the groin.
- Something called "realism mode". In this mode you need food and water to survive, ammo and stims count towards your weight total and healing takes time. This is, of course, optional.
- New, smarter super mutants.
- A more intricate dialogue system, with bigger benefits for having high skill levels in bartering and negotiation.

Lots more details at the links.

Fallout: New Vegas is set to hit the PC, 360 and PS3 this fall.

Sources - All Games Beta (http://www.allgamesbeta.info/2010/02/rumor-frist-fallout-new-vegas-info-from.html); Duck & Cover (http://www.duckandcover.cx/forums/viewtopic.php?t=23694); VE3D (http://ve3d.ign.com/articles/news/52922/Fallout-New-Vegas-Details).

[Ghostbear]

Nice. Realism mode sounds interesting, maybe something I would mess around with on a second play through.

[maharahaj]

Fall 2010 can't come soon enough!

[pomeroy]

Jeez, I should play Fallout 3 already (I had started and then quit). I got the GOTY edition for Christmas...

[J Arcane]

Fall seems awfully quick, especially for a company with a known history of not finishing games on time.

[Farsight]

Fall seems awfully quick, especially for a company with a known history of not finishing games on time.

1) We don't know when they started work on it, do we? It could easily have been before FO3 was complete.

2) The re-use of assets and engine will help a lot.

3) "Fall 2009" meant "Spring 2010" for most games last year. I expect that to hold true this year as well.

The reputation, dialogue and hardcore mode additions remind me why I've always loved the work of these guys... even if every game they've ever made has required a patch to become playable. :)

[carnage11]

So the city is "mostly" intact. That could be very interesting and a nice change from the bland, gray, ruins of FO3. It will be fun sliding down the Luxor Casino. :D Also, the realism mode sounds REALLY interesting. That should be fun, having to eat and drink to stay alive. As long as food and water are in abundance. I don't want to have to micromanage or ration supplies, but it could be fun, perhaps on the second playthrough as Ghostbear said.

[jpublic]

Fall seems awfully quick, especially for a company with a known history of not finishing games.

Fixed that for you. :D

Obsidian hasn't released a single product that wasn't a clusterfsck on some level. Here's hoping Bethesda can rope them in.

[J Arcane]

1) We don't know when they started work on it, do we? It could easily have been before FO3 was complete.

2) The re-use of assets and engine will help a lot.

3) "Fall 2009" meant "Spring 2010" for most games last year. I expect that to hold true this year as well.

The reputation, dialogue and hardcore mode additions remind me why I've always loved the work of these guys... even if every game they've ever made has required a patch to become playable. :)
#2 was what was keeping me hopeful as well, but then I realized they had the same situation for KOTOR2, and look how that turned out.

[Panthera]

#2 was what was keeping me hopeful as well, but then I realized they had the same situation for KOTOR2, and look how that turned out.

Far better than the original in nearly every way?

[Mot Wakorb]

So the city is "mostly" intact. That could be very interesting and a nice change from the bland, gray, ruins of FO3. It will be fun sliding down the Luxor Casino. :D Also, the realism mode sounds REALLY interesting. That should be fun, having to eat and drink to stay alive. As long as food and water are in abundance. I don't want to have to micromanage or ration supplies, but it could be fun, perhaps on the second playthrough as Ghostbear said.

Realize - this takes place at a timeline switch that started in the 1950's - so I wouldn't count on the Strip being the Strip you know, I'd count on it being more of the look of the Sands, Flamingo... those sorts of casinos.

[ElektroDragon]

Bethesda and Oblivion? :confused:

[Codicier]

Bethesda and Oblivion? :confused:

"Bethesda and Oblivion haven..." get it right pal. ;)

I think he meant: "Bethesda, developers of Oblivion, have..."

Sounds good to me, especially realism mode and deeper dialogue from good writers. I'm optimistic about quality. Alpha Protocol was pushed back this past Fall, so they seem to be taking polish seriously.

[Nameless]

Far better than the original in nearly every way?

Well, the original one was finished, so there's that! ;)

Seriously, though, I liked KotOR 2, I just wish they'd had time to do everything they'd wanted to. This game not being finished is a legitimate concern, I'd say.

Also, while a golf club to the groin is cool, it's nowhere near as awesome as a football to the groin.

[Cit Phil Cit]

I have a concern. Will it include boats'nhoes? FO2 had a very large boat and featured many hoes, I do not want to see this trend to end.

[Farsight]

I have a concern. Will it include boats'nhoes?

One of the articles mentioned a topless revue, so there's that.

I'd welcome the return of a little sexual content to the Fallout universe. The one thing that felt really off in FO3 was having the Vault Dweller be a eunuch. It's hard to get fully immersed in a world where the prostitutes lay next to you and watch you sleep.

[CES]

I wonder if the Realism mode was put in because of a highly popular Fallout 3 mod that did the same.

[BigJonno]

I wonder if the Realism mode was put in because of a highly popular Fallout 3 mod that did the same.

Oblivion and Morrowind have similar mods. I'd say it was a definite case of "Well, people obviously want this stuff because they keep modding it in."

If only they'd continue pre-empting the modders by making character models that don't look like ass.

[Narradisall]

Count me into the interested in realism mode.

Another tool in our training to survive in an apocalyptic wasteland

[Wedge]

I'm still playing Fallout 3. It is my go-to game when I'm in between games, so to speak. After finishing Mass Effect 2, I went through The Pitt-expansion. When I finish Dante's Inferno, I'll probably do Mothership Zeta, saving the point Lookout Expansion for last and after I finish Dragon Age.

A Fallout from parts of the original team makes my giblets tingle with joy. I hope they insert the stuff that was missing from Bethesda's effort, while building on the good stuff.

[Rock Bandit]

- Something called "realism mode". In this mode you need food and water to survive, ammo and stims count towards your weight total and healing takes time. This is, of course, optional.


Also known as FrogGodHero mode.

[tacitus]

If it is modable I will be happy.

[Ink Asylum]

Realism mode reminds me of a joke in Mass Effect 2 where a game seller laments modern RPGs, fondly remembering the days when you had to eat food in a game to survive.

[Jeffool]

I'm very uncomfortable with this feeling I have... "Looking forward to a game." *shudder*If it is modable I will be happy.Fingers crossed.

[Wasson_]

Wouldn't be nuked? Now that's just straight-up bullshit. Nellis AFB is right there on the northeast corner of the city...that place would get hella nuked.

[MagGnome]

I hope this turns out well. It could be great!


Wouldn't be nuked? Now that's just straight-up bullshit. Nellis AFB is right there on the northeast corner of the city...that place would get hella nuked.

That struck me as an odd comment as well. Cities wouldn't get nuked based on their proximity to other cities. They would get nuked based on their strategic value.

[Drayven]

Also known as FrogGodHero mode.

That's exactly what I was thinking.

[Lekon]

Wouldn't be nuked? Now that's just straight-up bullshit. Nellis AFB is right there on the northeast corner of the city...that place would get hella nuked.

Yes but the house was betting that Vegas wouldn't get blasted. And the house never, ever loses.

[Mdot]

Here's hoping the Spearmint Rhino still stands.

[Talanvor]

I really need to play Fallout 3 at some point, I even have all of the DLC addons!

[Superman's Dead]

Why would Nellis get nuked? I think it's pretty much just good for training and ferrying people and planes other place around the country. Plus, it's much better for the game if it's still around.

We'll get to see suburbs in the Fallout world! Also, I have high hopes for organized crime.

[itchyeyes]

I think he meant: "Bethesda, developers of Oblivion, have..."
More likely "Bethesda and Obsidian have..." Since Obsidian is the developer on New Vegas.

[shodan2020]

Sounds awesome. I still need to pick up the Collector's Edition of Fallout 3 and play it.


- Something called "realism mode". In this mode you need food and water to survive, ammo and stims count towards your weight total and healing takes time. This is, of course, optional.


Oh snap, FrogGodHero! Looks like someone was paying attention. :)

[shodan2020]

Also known as FrogGodHero mode.

Awwww, damn it Joe.

[Gerbs]

Awwww, damn it Joe.

Maybe if we make five posts in the thread referencing him directly he'll show up and say something, I also thought of him when I read "ammo has weight." I enjoyed Fallout3 on hard mode, so if there is an achievement for realism mode (and there should be) I'll totally start my first playthrough on it.

[Deadend]

Well, 2 years of time using an engine with a a quality editing kit should help things, as I never recall there being mods for Knights of the Old Republic. Neverwinter Knights 2 was crazy as it was adding all sorts of modern effects and things onto an old engine, and it showed, it also had to do things in terms of character and relations that the neverwinter engine couldn't handle without weird workarounds.

Kotor 2 started work around 365 days before it's release, and games have to go through cert and gold, which takes at least a month, so Kotor 1 had to be complete in less than 11 months.

New Vegas is happening because Obsidian is closer to the Fallout series than Bethesda is, or ever could be.

[[Jez]]

Contract was signed in April 09 so about 1.5 years in development, hopefully enough time to include an ending that makes sense.
I've always been a fan of Obsidian but they strike me as a mini version of Troika, excellent games that are always broken. :(

[tacitus]

Just a reminder - the fallout universe diverged immediately after world war ii. Nelis was there, las vegas downtown (without the roof) was there, hoover dam was there. Much of the rest of the man-made portion of vegas area was built afterwards. Many of the landmarks such as the stratosphere did not exist until the 1990s. Does not mean that they would not exist in the alternate universe but they probably will not exist in the same form; even the stuff that exists will probably diverge significantly. A classic example is the DC metro of fallout 3 where there are multiple stations in georgetown; but in real life there are none. Much of the metro itself feels very similar to current one.

[Widgetcraft]

Can't say I have a lot of faith in Obsidian, but I do like that they're trying to put more emphasis on charisma-based skills.

[BlackPete]

Realism mode sounds interesting, with one question: Exactly how realistic will it be when it comes to water? Most water in Fallout 3 was radiated... so you either drink and get sick, or don't drink and die of dehydration. :p

[ShivaX]

Why would Nellis get nuked? I think it's pretty much just good for training and ferrying people and planes other place around the country. Plus, it's much better for the game if it's still around.

We'll get to see suburbs in the Fallout world! Also, I have high hopes for organized crime.

Nuclear targets in the Cold War were pretty much EVERYTHING of value. All military bases, all large factories, all major population centers. You'd nuke an AFB. Hell the Russians targetted John Deere from what I understand on the off chance that it could be converted to military usage.

[Ink Asylum]

There are plenty of possible explanations. Perhaps the nuke targeting Vegas failed to launch or went off course in flight and it wasn't targeted again before the countries collapsed.

[DoctorFinger]

Or maybe Vegas in the 50s (when the nukes flew in the Fallout storyline) wasn't a big enough target for the limited number of nukes? Maybe that'll be a key point of the story.

[Gerbs]

I'd be surprised if they give any more explanation than "didn't get nuked."

[Widgetcraft]

Or maybe Vegas in the 50s (when the nukes flew in the Fallout storyline) wasn't a big enough target for the limited number of nukes? Maybe that'll be a key point of the story.

The war didn't happen in the 50's, it happened in 2077.

[Panthera]

The war didn't happen in the 50's, it happened in 2077.

The war didn't happen in 2077, it happened in what the 50's imagined the year 2077 would be like. ;)

[carnage11]

See, I thought it happened in the 1950's and everyone was in the vaults for 100 years. Though, it's been a long time since I played the game so I could be remembering wrong.

[Widgetcraft]

See, I thought it happened in the 1950's and everyone was in the vaults for 100 years. Though, it's been a long time since I played the game so I could be remembering wrong.

No, the bombs dropped in 2077.

http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/The_War

[CES]

See, I thought it happened in the 1950's and everyone was in the vaults for 100 years. Though, it's been a long time since I played the game so I could be remembering wrong.

The bombs were dropped in 2077. Fallout 3 takes place in 2277. The 1950's is just where the Fallout universe broke off from the regular one.

[FrogGodHero]

beetlejuice...beetlejuice...beetlejuice!

So happy about the hardcore mode and will do it first play through. As you can tell by the comments I spent many hours bitching on XBL about the lack of weight of ammo. I hope the food/water aspect works out also as the idea of drinking toilet water in fallout3 was interesting it never factored into gameplay. I look forward to having to micromanage my food and water while balancing my rad count as a requirement to survive.

[Cerebus]

The bombs were dropped in 2077. Fallout 3 takes place in 2277. The 1950's is just where the Fallout universe broke off from the regular one.

The perfect example of this is displayed in the Museum of Technology in Fallout 3. From http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Museum_of_Technology

"The Virgo II Moon landing mission's lunar lander on display in the museum illustrates the gradual divergence of the Fallout universe with the real one. The lunar lander module that we see in the game is called Valiant 11, while in the real world, it was called the Eagle and belonged to the Apollo 11 Moon landing mission. Also, the design of the lander in the museum is not that of the NASA LEM (Lunar Excursion Module), but that of the Soviet LK or Lunniy Korabl (Lunar Lander) as seen here. The names of the astronauts who made the first landing are different than those in our universe."

The Wright Brothers flyer is there, but the moon lander is different, which makes sense if history diverged in the 50s

[Gerbs]

beetlejuice...beetlejuice...beetlejuice!

So happy about the hardcore mode and will do it first play through. As you can tell by the comments I spent many hours bitching on XBL about the lack of weight of ammo. I hope the food/water aspect works out also as the idea of drinking toilet water in fallout3 was interesting it never factored into gameplay. I look forward to having to micromanage my food and water while balancing my rad count as a requirement to survive.

I had the most fun in Fallout 3 for the first six or seven levels on hard mode. Having to drink after fights to heal meant having to locate sources of water and constantly mitigate the radiation I was absorbing. If this feeling can persist throughout a whole game on hardcore mode it could be great. On the other hand it could just end up as one more thing to carry around in your inventory.

Ammo having weight I'm on the fence on. I can clearly see how the limitation could add to the game, as long as the developers balance it properly.

[crazyD]

Realism sounds cool. I never felt like I was a survivor in Fallout 3, just some dude wandering around killing things. This could be interesting.

[MagGnome]

;481013']Contract was signed in April 09 so about 1.5 years in development, hopefully enough time to include an ending that makes sense.
I've always been a fan of Obsidian but they strike me as a mini version of Troika, excellent games that are always broken. :(

Didn't Troika come out of Black Isle as well? It makes sense that both they and Obsidian share some development traits.

[carnage11]

The bombs were dropped in 2077. Fallout 3 takes place in 2277. The 1950's is just where the Fallout universe broke off from the regular one.

Now, I'm confused....:confused:

[Widgetcraft]

Now, I'm confused....:confused:

Fallout 3 is both alternate history, and futuristic science fiction. Things were the same as our timeline up to the 1950's, when things diverged; only slightly at first, but the differences grew. The Great War took place in 2077 of their timeline; hence the reason they have so much advanced technology. Fallout 3 takes place a hundred years later, in 2177.

I'm surprised by how many of you guys don't seem to know more about the Fallout setting <.< Go read the wiki, it's got a lot of interesting content.

[CES]

Now, I'm confused....:confused:

The entire Fallout universe is based off 1950's projections of what life would be like in the future (those World of Tomorrow displays) The main divergence seems to be that while our world focused on the microprocessor and transistor, the Fallout universe pursued alternative nuclear technology (nuclear powered cars, radiation weapons)

The nuclear age/cold war mentality also never faded out in the Fallout universe like it did here, which you see with Liberty Prime's anti-communist quotes, which are quite awesome.