Fallout 76

[Edward64]

New Fallout game!

Some nice screen captures in the article.

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/fallout-76-what-is-vault-76-and-everything-else-we/1100-6459293/
Bethesda has officially revealed Fallout 76, the next entry in its beloved RPG franchise. After a day of teases, it announced the game with a brief teaser trailer that gives us some hints at what to expect and its Vault 76 setting. But as Bethesda boss Todd Howard said just before it debuted, this was only meant as a tease--more is coming at E3 2018.

... there's not yet any word on a release date. That said, the company has made a habit of not announcing things far in advance, so it's reasonable to expect the wait won't be terribly long.

More will undoubtedly be revealed during Bethesda's E3 press conference, which happens on June 10. We'll also be hearing more about Rage 2 and whatever other projects the company has in the works--it's already teased that this will be its biggest show ever.
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Given the game's name and what we see in the trailer, Vault 76 is seemingly set to play a major role in the game. Although it's not a place we've visited before, this isn't the series' first mention of it. Both Fallout 3 and 4 reference it and, according to the Fallout Wikia, it was occupied by 500 people who were meant to be a control group. It was intended to be opened 20 years after a nuclear war. A poster seen in the Vault shows its existence was meant to mark the United States' tricentennial in 2076.

Fallout 76 is at least partially set in the year 2102, based on the date subtly displayed on a Pip-Boy in the trailer. In Fallout lore, the bombs fell in 2077, and the first Fallout game was set in 2161; Fallout 2 in 2241; Fallout 3 in 2277; New Vegas in 2281; and Fallout 4 in 2287. That would mean this game is set far earlier than any previous title, which could offer a different sort of perspective on the world. The specific date on the Pip-Boy is October 27, 2102; that could be pointing to a release date for the game.

The trailer begins with the Pip-Boy playing a song--"Country Roads" by John Denver. It talks about going home to West Virginia, which could perhaps serve as the location for the Vault 76 and the game.

[Edward64]

Apparently an on-line game.

https://kotaku.com/sources-fallout-76-is-an-online-survival-rpg-1826425333
When Bethesda announced Fallout 76 with a teaser trailer this morning, promising more information at E3, it was easy to assume that the new game would be a traditional single-player role-playing game. But Fallout 76 is in fact an online survival RPG that’s heavily inspired by games like DayZ and Rust, according to three people familiar with the project.

Those people, speaking anonymously so as not to damage their careers, confirmed that Fallout 76 is an experimental new entry in the longrunning post-apocalyptic series. When Bethesda first teased the game on Tuesday morning, fans and pundits speculated that it might be a Fallout 3 remaster or a New Vegas-style spinoff in a new location, but as Kotaku reported that afternoon, it is in fact something completely new and completely different. The teaser might lead Fallout fans to believe that this is a traditional entry in the series, but according to our sources, that’s not the case.

Originally prototyped as a multiplayer version of Fallout 4 with the goal of envisioning what an online Fallout game might look like, Fallout 76 has evolved quite a bit over the past few years, those sources said. It will have quests and a story, like any other game from Bethesda Game Studios, a developer known for meaty RPGs like Skyrim. It will also feature base-building—just like 2015's Fallout 4—and other survival-based and multiplayer mechanics, according to those sources. One source cautioned that the gameplay is rapidly changing, like it does in many online “service” games, but that’s the core outline.

[Izulde]

Well, my interest in this just tanked to 0. Wonder how many others they'll lose due to going online.

[EagleFan]

Oh crap, should have read the second post before getting too pumped... :(

[Edward64]

Well, my interest in this just tanked to 0. Wonder how many others they'll lose due to going online.

I kinda agree.

[CrimsonFox]

I still haven't played new vegas or 4 :P

[CrimsonFox]

LOL

I burst out laughing at the part...."The pepboy indicated the year 2102 but that could be the release date of the game"

hahahaha

[Julio Riddols]

I still haven't played new vegas or 4 :P

New Vegas is the best Fallout in my opinion. Fallout 4 has great visuals comparatively, but the game itself isn't as good from a story standpoint. There are some really cool side quests that are worth seeing but overall it just doesn't have quite the same "grip" that New Vegas manages to get on you.

This Fallout 76 thing.. I don't know what to think about it just yet but the online game idea is pretty unappealing on the surface. I feel like it is going to end up being something like Ark mixed with GTA but in the Fallout universe. Just not sure how going online makes it a worthwhile game except that it will enable Bethesda to cash in similarly to how Rockstar did with GTA V.

[Maple Leafs]

Oh good, I was worried the next real Fallout would come out in five years like they usually do instead of seven (and counting) like Elder Scrolls now that it's online.

[Groundhog]

If it's optional multiplayer/co-op, great. If it's an MMORPG... no thanks. I guess on the positive side, if there is base-building then it's hard to see it being an MMORPG type game, but I'm guessing it will be something more like RUST with a storyline.

[Honolulu_Blue]

If it's optional multiplayer/co-op, great. If it's an MMORPG... no thanks. I guess on the positive side, if there is base-building then it's hard to see it being an MMORPG type game, but I'm guessing it will be something more like RUST with a storyline.

Agreed.

[dubb93]

I haven’t played World of Warcraft in an expansion or so, but it went hardcore into base building so there could definately be base building and it still be an MMO. The way it would work is that everyone’s base is in the same spot and when you enter that area you zone into your own personal base that no one else can see. They would always enter their version of the base when they enter that area.

[cuervo72]

I haven’t played World of Warcraft in an expansion or so, but it went hardcore into base building so there could definately be base building and it still be an MMO. The way it would work is that everyone’s base is in the same spot and when you enter that area you zone into your own personal base that no one else can see. They would always enter their version of the base when they enter that area.

Pretty much how City of Heroes' superhero/villain bases worked (like, 10 years ago).

[Groundhog]

I guess it's been... yikes, maybe over 10 years since I gave up my WoW addiction.

[Thomkal]

Pretty much how City of Heroes' superhero/villain bases worked (like, 10 years ago).


:::sniff::: COH

[CrimsonFox]

If it's optional multiplayer/co-op, great. If it's an MMORPG... no thanks. I guess on the positive side, if there is base-building then it's hard to see it being an MMORPG type game, but I'm guessing it will be something more like RUST with a storyline.

but what you are describing is exactly an MMORPG...at least how they did Star Wars the Old Republic was like that. You could really just solo it (no pun intended) but there were certain quests that required multiplayer for that level or you could solo it at higher levels than the area. And there were certain flashpoints (aka dungeons) that had to be grouped up to do but they were also optional...

[Edward64]

Not quite Fallout 76 news but still relevant to FO fans.

https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/06/01/new-vegas-mod-fallout-new-california-due-this-october/
While the recently announced Fallout 76 might be diverging from series standards, it looks like fans of traditional dialogue and roleplaying-heavy Fallout adventures won’t be entirely left out this year. Originally announced in 2010 as Project Brazil, Fallout: New California is effectively a whole new Fallout game built on top of the New Vegas engine by modding crew Radian-Helix Media, and it’s due for release on October 23rd. Within, a quite dramatic announcement trailer featuring some decent enough amateur voice-work and a whole lot of shooting.

Right now, the main quest of Fallout: New California is finished – present, correct and playable from beginning to end. The developers will be looking for beta testers soon to help work out any kinks before the final release, as well as help them flesh out the mod with some side-quests. Apparently the branching main story (replete with 16,000 lines of dialogue, so say Radian-Helix) isn’t quite enough, so they’re aiming just that little bit higher. They also hope to squeeze in tweaks before launch so that less beefy PCs can run everything smoothly.

[Edward64]

Article is about modding FNV but I highlighted the relevant section.

Fallout 76 is expected this November just in time for Christmas.

https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/07/03/fallout-76-new-vegas-parody-mod/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rockpapershotgun%2Fsteam+%28Rock%2C+Paper%2C+Shotgun%3A+Steam+RSS%29
While Fallout 76 isn’t out until November, you can experience a taste of post-apocalyptic multiplayer survival today in a new mod for Fallout: New Vegas. Modder “funkySwadling” has blessed the Mojave Wasteland with the sort of folks you might meet online: jerks camping newbies, jerks spamming terrible sounds and shouting hateful epithets, and groups of players geared to the nines who’ll be tickled by your puny weapons. The Fallout 76 Experience continues the fine tradition of mods for old games parodying newer games in the series, and I… hated the bit I played, in the way I’m supposed to?

[JonInMiddleGA]

That's gold.

[Abe Sargent]

I can't tell you how happy I was to see this set in good ol wv. I was so happy! I knew various locations. Here is the Greenbriar! New River! Etc. I was so happy! I can't wait to play the CRAP out of this game. FOr that reason. And the Fallout thing too.

[Edward64]

This is pretty cool. Nice job Bethesda.

https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2018-07-23-todd-howard-reveals-by-far-the-greatest-thing-bethesda-game-studios-does
The games are great but they're not, according to studio leader Todd Howard, the greatest thing Bethesda Game Studios does. That honour belongs to something the studio doesn't shout about, a fairly private thing. Every so often Bethesda Game Studios opens its doors to terminally ill children who wish to see where their favourite games are made. It's part of the company's quiet ongoing support of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

[Atocep]

meh

https://kotaku.com/21-things-we-learned-about-fallout-76-today-1828276548

[Galaril]

Yeah this mentioned in that article seem this will be basically a MMORPG

"Player versus player combat is opt-in. To initiate it, you shoot at someone and it does a small amount of damage. Howard likened this to “slapping someone at a bar.” If that person wants to do PVP with you, they fire back, and then weapons do full damage. Winning a PVP battle gives you some caps (the game’s currency) and some experience points based on your levels.
If you kill a player who never accepts your invitation to do PVP, you become a “wanted murderer.” You get no caps or experience."

[JonInMiddleGA]

But since they were too lazy to create a cast of NPCs, you can either deal with PVP griefers or wander around in a digital travelogue.

Rest in peace Fallout, the lazy bastards killed you :(

[Atocep]

Yeah this mentioned in that article seemsmthis will be basically a MMORPG

"Player versus player combat is opt-in. To initiate it, you shoot at someone and it does a small amount of damage. Howard likened this to “slapping someone at a bar.” If that person wants to do PVP with you, they fire back, and then weapons do full damage. Winning a PVP battle gives you some caps (the game’s currency) and some experience points based on your levels.
If you kill a player who never accepts your invitation to do PVP, you become a “wanted murderer.” You get no caps or experience."

It sounds like they're trying to keep both the PvE/Explorers and the PvP/blow shit up crowds happy and based on what they've explained in that article they're making a boring game where neither group is going to be particularly happy once the novelty wears off.

[JonInMiddleGA]

In #Fallout76, Perks are represented through Perk Cards. You earn them every time you Level Up.
Earn Perk Card Packs solely through leveling up. Every other level up to 10, and every 5 levels after.

Countdown to P2W starts .... now

[RainMaker]

They're just going to try to copy the GTA: Online model. I personally hate it but that game prints money so I guess it was inevitable.

At least we have Red Dead Redemption 2 coming which looks incredible.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/srUjOl_wBmU" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[JonInMiddleGA]

At least we have Red Dead Redemption 2 coming which looks incredible.

It does look awfully good, and I'm a fan of what they've done in the past (arguably one of the best stories, characters in a long time I think) ... but am I just completely alone in not being entirely comfortable with the story they've chosen to drop us into?

I mean, we already know these are the bad guys. And not in the lovable rascals kind of way.

I dunno, that just kinda cools my jets a bit (yeah, I end up playing as a Paladin in most games, no matter what my intentions)

[Edward64]

This is positive, sounds as if solo-play will be fun and productive.

'Fallout 76' preview: This isn't 'Fallout 5' (https://www.engadget.com/2018/10/08/fallout-76-preview-hands-on-bethesda/)
Are there any aspects of the game that require multiple people or a team?

The entire game can be solo'd –- and that's actually how I prefer to play. That said, certain things are easier if you work in a group. Definitely. Especially the end-game content, where you're trying to collect and decipher nuclear codes. So we encourage joining up, but we don't require it. What I've generally found is that even if you're solo'ing the game, the fact that there are other players in the world with you means you always have help within arm's reach if you need it

[Atocep]

This is positive, sounds as if solo-play will be fun and productive.

'Fallout 76' preview: This isn't 'Fallout 5' (https://www.engadget.com/2018/10/08/fallout-76-preview-hands-on-bethesda/)

The early impressions I've read are that it's different from Fallout games, but a good survival game. I really would like to get it and explore WV to see the areas I know very well, but I'm still not $60 sure I want it.

[Edward64]

The early impressions I've read are that it's different from Fallout games, but a good survival game. I really would like to get it and explore WV to see the areas I know very well, but I'm still not $60 sure I want it.

Deep down ... you know you want it. You know you'll cave in sooner or later. So spare yourself some grief and just get it.

Even if you conclude its not worth $60, you will be (if like me) still net positive on the other Bethesda games.

[Edward64]

Great idea on the partnership.

Forbidden (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/ahead-of-release-fallout-76-partners-with-west-vir/1100-6462485/)
The West Virginia Tourism Office has announced a partnership with Bethesda to promote Fallout 76, which is set in West Virginia (albeit a version of the state destroyed by nuclear war), and also encourage people to visit the state.

As part of the partnership, Bethesda and the Tourism Office will work together on new advertising campaigns that aim to suit the interests of both parties. The goal for West Virginia is to "educate players about West Virginia's unique landscape and culture," and get people to come visit and spend money, or potentially relocate there, while Bethesda gets to slap Fallout 76 on all the advertising materials.

[Edward64]

I'll play it but I won't be that hardcore guy so its good they are lessening the effects of PvP.

Fallout 76 multiplayer and PvP | PC Gamer (https://www.pcgamer.com/fallout-76-pvp-details/)
Ever since Bethesda revealed that Fallout 76 players will be able to nuke and kill each other, many Fallout fans have been worried that they won't be able to explore West Virginia without griefers constantly killing them and destroying their stuff. However, as Pete Hines explained earlier this year, nukes are hard to get and relatively easy to avoid, plus your personal camp can't be destroyed by them. And while players can technically kill each other at any time, there are several systems in place to rein in PvP and discourage the griefing seen in games like Rust and DayZ.

Most importantly, PvP level balancing is more even compared to PvE. If you're level 10 and you bump into a level 50 Scorchbeast out in the wilderness, you're probably going to die in a radioactive fire. But if you're attacked by a level 50 player, you'll be able to hold your own even if you're only level 10. High level players do wield some advantage thanks to their gear, but they can't one-shot or otherwise bully low level players. The amount of caps you get for killing another player also scales with their level, making low level players less desirable targets.

On top of flatter PvP level balancing, players are also protected by the murder system. As Bethesda's Todd Howard explained, when you initially attack someone, you'll deal greatly reduced damage until they return fire. Those opening shots are "like slapping somebody in a bar" and asking for a fight, as Howard put it. If you ask for a fight and the other person accepts, you two can duke it out like normal. If you win, you'll get a few caps—that's it. If you lose, you'll only lose some of your scrap materials—the adhesive, metal bits and other junk clogging your inventory—and can easily respawn nearby, so duels are really just for fun.
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If you attack someone who doesn't fight back and kill them, you not only won't receive any caps, you'll also be marked as a wanted murderer. While marked, you won't see other players on the map and you'll appear as a big red target on the map to other players. You'll also have a bounty placed on your head, and if someone kills you, that bounty will be taken out of your caps.

[CrimsonFox]

can they please just make another fallout 3 and be done with it???

[Abe Sargent]

I will be going into a deep dive into Fallout 76 and it won't even be pretty. One of my favorite game series and in my home state? A place I Love? A place I head to and vacation in still? I've been to all 5 counties, and their county seats. When I die, I have requested that my ashes be spread to all 55 counties of my home state.

That's my WV! And I can't wait!

[JonInMiddleGA]

can they please just make another fallout 3 and be done with it???

At this point, I'm afraid the answer may be "probably not".

Releasing the current abomination suggests to me that the creative well (or at least the creative will) at Bethesda is simply dried out

[Edward64]

A beta tester report.

The 'Fallout 76' Beta Makes Me Sad (https://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2018/10/24/the-fallout-76-beta-makes-me-sad/#7e5b95a07802)
Once I cycled through the first few initial quests, I….simply never saw anyone again. Probably three of the four hours of the beta was completely devoid of other players. I hit level 5 and got the opportunity to PvP, but I didn’t, and no one else did either, judging by the fact that no one got themselves a Wanted bounty on my server. You can see where other people are on the map if you really want to find them, but I tried to just play Fallout 76 like it was…a Fallout game.

But while you can do that to a certain extent, because the multiplayer aspect of the game exists, that has come with certain tradeoffs. Some of these I don’t find to be a huge deal, like you can’t sleep to insta-heal and skip time anymore, you literally have to lie in bed for a spell until your health fills up (it doesn’t take that long, it’s fine).
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The worst is easily the lack of VATS. I say “lack” because the new system may as well not exist at all, but perhaps “the gutting of VATS” is a better phrase. As shown in certain previews, because the game is happening on a live server with other players, you cannot slow down time for VATS anymore for obvious reasons. But rather than scrapping the system entirely, it exists in this bizarre state where the percentages pop up in real time and you simply pull the trigger and your bullets will magically fly toward your target even if you’re not aiming at them directly. Not only does this look incredibly goofy in practice, but it’s not even effective, even after investing some Perception points into upgrades. The percentages change too fast in real time to be useful, and unless you are literally the world’s worst shooter player, you are probably better off just trying to manually hit the shots yourself.
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With live servers and multiplayer you also lose the ability to quicksave, which is something I didn’t even consider until the beta went live tonight. If reach certain areas or complete certain objectives you will get “checkpointed,” but you can no longer save exactly where you want, when you want, and dying will not return you to your last save, but instead some arbitrary checkpoint and you’ll have to trek back and get your dropped loot
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Finally, however, what we’ve given up the most for multiplayer here is…life. While Fallout’s worlds have always been desolate, Fallout 76’s Appalachia is on another level with the total removal of all speaking, non-enemy NPCs outside of robots. While this does feel like a Fallout game in many ways, especially many of the missions, there’s this constant void when you’re constantly receiving all your instruction through holotapes and computer screens.
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I guess that the other players are supposed to make the world feel more alive but A) again, this map is so sprawling you can easily not see anyone else forever and B) they still don’t communicate with you like NPCs would, and lord knows I don’t want to know what most randoms would say to me over open voice chat anyway.


And in other news, the California mod is out for FNV

Fallout: New California mod released for folks who crave single-player - Polygon (https://www.polygon.com/2018/10/23/18013656/fallout-new-california-mod-project-brazil)

[CrimsonFox]

can a mod please delete that big link i posted? that was an accident. i don't know what happened

But i can't delete it

[Antmeister]

It is now done.

Sent from my BLN-L24 using Tapatalk

[RainMaker]

A beta tester report.

The 'Fallout 76' Beta Makes Me Sad (https://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2018/10/24/the-fallout-76-beta-makes-me-sad/#7e5b95a07802)


So they took Fallout and removed most of the fun stuff so that I can maybe run into another stranger every few hours and fight.

I love me some Fallout but this seems terrible.

[Atocep]

I will be going into a deep dive into Fallout 76 and it won't even be pretty. One of my favorite game series and in my home state? A place I Love? A place I head to and vacation in still? I've been to all 5 counties, and their county seats. When I die, I have requested that my ashes be spread to all 55 counties of my home state.

That's my WV! And I can't wait!

I just found out Camden Park is in the game. I'm sold.

[Bee]

I just found out Camden Park is in the game. I'm sold.

That's pretty awesome. I used to go to Camden Park when I was a kid.

[Edward64]

Well? Any early adopters?

[Edward64]

The article you have shared here very awesome. I really like and appreciated your work. I read deeply your article, the points you have mentioned in this article are useful

Mutilate A Doll 2 (http://mutilateadoll2game.com)

Thanks! I just might click on your link.

[cuervo72]

Show me on this human where the doll hurt you...

[Atocep]

Well? Any early adopters?

I've played about 15 hours or so.

I'll open by saying it's not a bad game. Definitely not as bad as some (most?) of the reviews make it sound. Most people would have preferred Fallout 5 and it's definitely not that. The fact that it's not Fallout 5 seems to be influencing a lot of the reviews I've seen. Some of the less mainstream reviewers are trying to see if they can out-meme everyone else in their review, while even some of the mainstream reviews are fairly poor.

With that said, also definitely not a great game by any means and it struggles a lot of times to be good. Right now it's filling a nice niche in my gameplay rotation as a relax and explore kind of thing. In that sense I'm actually enjoying it quite a bit.

You can solo most of the content in the game, but not everything. You don't necessarily need a group to do the public quests in the game, but you do need others in the area to help you out. Most of those I've done so far are solidly done, but nothing groundbreaking. The daily quests tend to be the fetch and return type and those every bit as boring as they are in every other game that's ever done them.

The game world is hands down the best ever in a Fallout game. Seriously, the size, scope, and detail of the world easily surpasses 3, 4, and New Vegas. The world is the star of the show here and it being set in my home area makes it that much more enjoyable for me.

No real NPCs does hurt the game. I get why they did what they did, but I think it would have been much better for the game overall if they found a way to incorporate NPCs into the game world (even on a very limited basis) to help bring more life to it and mix up the gameplay a bit.

Base building a crafting are every bit as well done as they are in Fallout 4. You can plop down a camp and build just about anywhere. Whether or not what you build survives depends on location and the resources you put into it. On that note, I thought I ran into my first major bug last night, but it's actually just a quirk based on the game's design. My camp disappeared and after googling a bit I discovered what happened was it was put in storage because the server shard (or whatever they're calling them for this game) already had a camp where my camp was. Because of that I had to move my camp, check the storage tab in build options and could simply place my home back down free of charge. Very annoying in that it's not explained anywhere in the game what happened or what to do, but not as terrible as I thought it was going to be.

If you really want this game to be Fallout 5 and aren't willing to have an open mind it's probably a 3/10 type game. If you can look past that and accept that it's a survival game set in the Fallout Universe then it's probably a 6.5 to maybe 7.0/10 type of game. With some work in the coming months Bethesda could get this up to a 8 or so, but they're going to have to accept the fact that some of their design decisions were wrong.

PCGamer's review is probably the most fair out of the online reviews I've read so far:

https://www.pcgamer.com/fallout-76-review/

[Maple Leafs]

No real NPCs does hurt the game. I get why they did what they did, but I think it would have been much better for the game overall if they found a way to incorporate NPCs into the game world (even on a very limited basis) to help bring more life to it and mix up the gameplay a bit.
Why don't they have NPCs? If I'm understanding things right, it's at least a little bit like Elder Scrolls Online, which is crawling with NPCs. It feels like they just made a marketing decision -- every human you see is a real person! -- and they stuck with it even as it became clear it was hurting the game.

[Atocep]

Why don't they have NPCs? If I'm understanding things right, it's at least a little bit like Elder Scrolls Online, which is crawling with NPCs. It feels like they just made a marketing decision -- every human you see is a real person! -- and they stuck with it even as it became clear it was hurting the game.

They were going for an experience similar to DayZ or Rust. I expect an update later on will add maybe Enclave and Brotherhood of Steel NPCs on a limited basis as their way of dipping their toes in and testing how NPCs work in the world they made. Those factions are already in the game and you're able to join them so the world is already built for it.

I feel they wanted PvP to be a significant part of the game and probably felt NPCs may take away from that experience, but PVP just isn't happening. They built a system that's kind of stuck in the middle on PvP and since the risk/reward just isn't there no one is really doing much PvP as far as I've seen. It's like they wanted to capitalize on the popularity of a PUBG, Fortnite, DayZ, and other primarily pvp games but didn't want to alienate their core player base. Instead, they created a system that doesn't really cater to either group.

There are robot NPCs that give quests. I did a quest chain last night that came from one of the robots. The entire quest chain took me a couple of hours and the writing on it was excellent. Experiences like that are why I know I'll get my $45 out of the game, but the potential is there for a lot more if they bend on some design decisions.

The NPC thing isn't what bugs me the most btw. No typed chat system at all really sucks. Voice chat is on by default and is the only way to communicate other than emotes. It's annoying.

[Edward64]

Just bought from GMG for $35 and downloading now.

Did ask my son if he wanted a copy for early Christmas present. He said no, it would be too distracting ... pleasantly surprised.

[RainMaker]

I've played about 15 hours or so.

I'll open by saying it's not a bad game. Definitely not as bad as some (most?) of the reviews make it sound. Most people would have preferred Fallout 5 and it's definitely not that. The fact that it's not Fallout 5 seems to be influencing a lot of the reviews I've seen. Some of the less mainstream reviewers are trying to see if they can out-meme everyone else in their review, while even some of the mainstream reviews are fairly poor.

With that said, also definitely not a great game by any means and it struggles a lot of times to be good. Right now it's filling a nice niche in my gameplay rotation as a relax and explore kind of thing. In that sense I'm actually enjoying it quite a bit.

You can solo most of the content in the game, but not everything. You don't necessarily need a group to do the public quests in the game, but you do need others in the area to help you out. Most of those I've done so far are solidly done, but nothing groundbreaking. The daily quests tend to be the fetch and return type and those every bit as boring as they are in every other game that's ever done them.

The game world is hands down the best ever in a Fallout game. Seriously, the size, scope, and detail of the world easily surpasses 3, 4, and New Vegas. The world is the star of the show here and it being set in my home area makes it that much more enjoyable for me.

No real NPCs does hurt the game. I get why they did what they did, but I think it would have been much better for the game overall if they found a way to incorporate NPCs into the game world (even on a very limited basis) to help bring more life to it and mix up the gameplay a bit.

Base building a crafting are every bit as well done as they are in Fallout 4. You can plop down a camp and build just about anywhere. Whether or not what you build survives depends on location and the resources you put into it. On that note, I thought I ran into my first major bug last night, but it's actually just a quirk based on the game's design. My camp disappeared and after googling a bit I discovered what happened was it was put in storage because the server shard (or whatever they're calling them for this game) already had a camp where my camp was. Because of that I had to move my camp, check the storage tab in build options and could simply place my home back down free of charge. Very annoying in that it's not explained anywhere in the game what happened or what to do, but not as terrible as I thought it was going to be.

If you really want this game to be Fallout 5 and aren't willing to have an open mind it's probably a 3/10 type game. If you can look past that and accept that it's a survival game set in the Fallout Universe then it's probably a 6.5 to maybe 7.0/10 type of game. With some work in the coming months Bethesda could get this up to a 8 or so, but they're going to have to accept the fact that some of their design decisions were wrong.

PCGamer's review is probably the most fair out of the online reviews I've read so far:

https://www.pcgamer.com/fallout-76-review/

How often do you run into other players and is it a big part of the game?

[Atocep]

How often do you run into other players and is it a big part of the game?

So far (I'm level 20) I rarely run into other players. Most people seem content to go off and do their own stuff. It sounds like some of the higher level stuff does require a group, but other than a couple of public quests where people have helped out I haven't felt the need to group with anyone. Even then I haven't grouped officially. They were just part of the public quest i was doing.

You can always see where other players are on the map (and what level they are) so if you wanted to find people to play with or really just wanted to avoid people it wouldn't be difficult.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I'm just hoping that the 2nd price cut means that the game is failing Bethesda as hard as they deserve.

[CrimsonFox]

https://comicbook.com/gaming/2018/11/26/bethesda-reportedly-rescinds-offer-for-fallout-76-pc-refunds/

Apparently they won't give refunds if you download and it doesn't work

[CrimsonFox]

Price dropped to 35 already lol

[Edward64]

Played it some, am at Level 7. I am enjoying the game so far. Everything is somewhat new and enjoying the FO universe again. It may get repetitive from what I've read in reddit. But I'm sure I'll get my $35 worth.

Just some initial thoughts


I have not encountered any noticeable bugs on my PC other than for some animals stuck through a couple walls. But I was able to walk through them
Way too much eating and drinking needed. Getting some perks to help that but it really distracts from the game
I've only seen 4 other players so far, worked with one on the Feed event
Haven't used the guns much, instead using my machete and baseball bat for most
Found a Power Armor frame but no fusion cores yet to power it.
Haven't played much with CAMP but I've seen some pretty cool pictures on reddit


FWIW - I recommend you buy it (yes, this means you JiMGA also). At $35 its a no brainer to me.

[Atocep]

Played it some, am at Level 7. I am enjoying the game so far. Everything is somewhat new and enjoying the FO universe again. It may get repetitive from what I've read in reddit. But I'm sure I'll get my $35 worth.

Just some initial thoughts


I have not encountered any noticeable bugs on my PC other than for some animals stuck through a couple walls. But I was able to walk through them
Way too much eating and drinking needed. Getting some perks to help that but it really distracts from the game
I've only seen 4 other players so far, worked with one on the Feed event
Haven't used the guns much, instead using my machete and baseball bat for most
Found a Power Armor frame but no fusion cores yet to power it.
Haven't played much with CAMP but I've seen some pretty cool pictures on reddit


FWIW - I recommend you buy it (yes, this means you JiMGA also). At $35 its a no brainer to me.

I've done a couple of quest chains that are better than anything in a Bethesda Fallout game. I didn't start running to those good quest chains until around level 15 though.

I should probably be higher level than I am considering the time I've spent so far, but exploring WV is a blast. I visited my hometown, Camden Park, and Prickett's Fort (which I went to on a school trip in 7th or 8th grade) along with a ton of other areas I'm familiar with.

[Edward64]

I've done a couple of quest chains that are better than anything in a Bethesda Fallout game. I didn't start running to those good quest chains until around level 15 though.

I should probably be higher level than I am considering the time I've spent so far, but exploring WV is a blast. I visited my hometown, Camden Park, and Prickett's Fort (which I went to on a school trip in 7th or 8th grade) along with a ton of other areas I'm familiar with.

Cool. Did you luck out and find your house? or find the approx location and set up a CAMP.

[Atocep]

Cool. Did you luck out and find your house? or find the approx location and set up a CAMP.

I initially set up camp and built a small shack in the middle of nowhere near the starting area to see how it worked. Then I payed about 15 caps to move it to the south-central part of the map and expanded things to be a bit more permanent. I also blueprinted all of it which was convenient because not an hour later it was flattened by a level 50 scorchbeast. So I just used the blueprint to put everything back where it was and no issues since.

Being able to fast travel for free back to my camp for repairs and drop off my scrapped junk is very convenient.

[chinaski]

Drew my girlfriends nephew for xmas, and he's been playing this a bunch. What should I get him thats F76 related? Im assuming there are some sort of mtx for the game?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Im assuming there are some sort of mtx for the game?

Okay, educate me. Some sorta what?

edit: My guess is that it's something along the lines of "merchandise"

[Atocep]

Okay, educate me. Some sorta what?

edit: My guess is that it's something along the lines of "merchandise"

Micro transactions.

They do have a store that you can purchase emotes, paints, and costumes with their "atoms" currency. I honestly haven't really looked through it to see what's there though.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Micro transactions.

#smdh

thanks

[chinaski]

Micro transactions.

They do have a store that you can purchase emotes, paints, and costumes with their "atoms" currency. I honestly haven't really looked through it to see what's there though.


Thanks!

[JonInMiddleGA]

One of my go-to YouTuber's, Gopher, does a great job of articulating the situation with F76.

Basically calls for Bethesda to completely reset themselves, to listen to the fan base, and to quickly return to making what they're good at.

He absolutely nails it.

I'll note that the sales for F76 have bordered on abysmal (20% of F4 at same point). When your release is getting No Man's Sky caliber heat, I think the situation they've created is pretty clear.

[RainMaker]

For what it's worth I think Rockstar is the blueprint for what Bethesda should want to do. Give your loyal fans the great single player experience they've come to expect. Build a crazy fun landscape. Then later on put out an online mode and scrape up all the microtransactions you want from the crowd that enjoys that shit.

GTA V and RDR2 are great examples of having your cake and eating it too.

[Groundhog]

For what it's worth I think Rockstar is the blueprint for what Bethesda should want to do. Give your loyal fans the great single player experience they've come to expect. Build a crazy fun landscape. Then later on put out an online mode and scrape up all the microtransactions you want from the crowd that enjoys that shit.

GTA V and RDR2 are great examples of having your cake and eating it too.

Hard to argue with this. And they probably could have saved themselves a lot of effort by just doing something similar with FO4 as a major expansion.

[Edward64]

Still enjoying the game, the newness hasn't warn off yet. Here are some more notes


I now have 3 sets of power armor frames, one with only 2 armor pieces found on one. I am using it even without armor to help with the over encumbrance and base armor defense pts
I found seven fusion cores in a box by a railway station. They were 50% but still a nice find. There is a bug where if you have a core in the power armor and exit the game, when you come back in it'll be at 100%. Yes, I took advantage of this and continue to do so
Found a place where I've gotten repeated power cores. Hope it stays relatively unknown so I can take advantage of this vs at the airport
There are random "daily events" that keeps the game somewhat fresh
Somewhat undecided about the economy system. I have a lot more stuff to sell and there seems to be less to buy so am scraping a bunch of stuff. Haven't found a good way to get rid of excess ammo and chems
Some players have tried to connect with me through voice but I am ignoring them. I have only seen one red octagon which indicates the other player has shot another player. Stayed away from it.
I am surprised at the lack of other players (indicated by round circles). The ESO had other players everywhere. Not sure what this means e.g. there are alot of servers/other worlds out there or just a lack of players?
So far am good with the scaling. The scorchers are more difficult to hit and to kill at higher levels. Too many darn moles though
Its very satisfying to snipe at mutants with a high powered .308 and taking one down with a single head shot!

I have noticed the lack of NPCs and the reduced immersion. I am okay with the lack of NPCs with story lines but I don't get why they don't have more "humans" at the train stations or at farms. It does reduce the immersion somewhat by not having a human face to interact with.




.

[Atocep]

The servers are capped at 24 players per map.

[Edward64]

I'm at Level 31 now and visited some of the tougher areas. Still a lot of fun for me even without NPC storylines, lots to do and see.

Some notes


Looking forward to the patch that will expand storage from 400 to 600. This is in additional to my personal carry of about 205. I was north of personal carry at about 800 at one point but I decided to cut it way back (primarily so I can do fast travel). I hope 600 works, I want to store the "junk" to build things but still want to keep some nice weapons/armor in storage
I had 7 powered armor chassis but I decided to "drop/give" 4 of them away. I've been reading that others have been "dropping" their excess so others can pick them up and decided to do the same. I had my PA standing on overhangs and tall buildings, hope they are put to good use
Speaking of PA, I have my T-45 all set except for a missing right arm. I have 3 pieces for a T-60 but I "dropped" them as I can't use them until a much higher level (I figure I'll find other T-60 pieces as I continue leveling up)
Built my first half-way serious CAMP. Its on top of a hill overlooking Morgantown/airport/trainyard from the West. I was reflecting on life tonight, enjoying my camp fire, and saw a scorcher lurking around the trainyard. I took it out with a single shot. I want to build a more fortified CAMP and place it closer to more scorchers!
Its just like Fallout 4 without the NPC's. I've heard there are many bugs but I haven't really experienced them (all but for one, the fusion core bug which works to my favor). Not sure what all the angst is, I think this is a great initial rollout

[Groundhog]

Its just like Fallout 4 without the NPC's. I've heard there are many bugs but I haven't really experienced them (all but for one, the fusion core bug which works to my favor). Not sure what all the angst is, I think this is a great initial rollout
[/LIST]

Hmm, well, to me, Fallout 4 without the NPCs is... well... it's not really Fallout.

[Edward64]

Hmm, well, to me, Fallout 4 without the NPCs is... well... it's not really Fallout.

We interact with "robots" and the story lines are still pretty good. I play FO games primarily for the action and you have that in spades with FO 76. Give it a chance ...

[RainMaker]

I might pick it up when it drops a lot in price. I'm talking $20. It feels like a heavily stripped down Fallout game with the same dated engine.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I play FO games primarily for the action

I think that's pretty ... unusual.

I don't mean that as a shot or anything, it's just not something I feel like I've seen said all that often. And without a proper working VATS, it's not something I can ever imagine saying.

[CrimsonFox]

I think that's pretty ... unusual.

I don't mean that as a shot or anything, it's just not something I feel like I've seen said all that often. And without a proper working VATS, it's not something I can ever imagine saying.

<3

[Thomkal]

I too am waiting on a price drop. I've never played a Fallout game, but this version seems to be like a Fallout MMO to me, which is right up my alley.

[CrimsonFox]

I too am waiting on a price drop. I've never played a Fallout game, but this version seems to be like a Fallout MMO to me, which is right up my alley.

:eek:

[Thomkal]

I know shocking! I tried the first one but it was a let down graphics wise and I didn't get far.

[Edward64]

I think that's pretty ... unusual.

I don't mean that as a shot or anything, it's just not something I feel like I've seen said all that often. And without a proper working VATS, it's not something I can ever imagine saying.

I haven't played with VATS (I didn't do that much with FO4 either).

Shotguns are a blast for short range. I used to just shoot-and-shoot but now, especially for the mutants, just aim for the face. The heads blowing up like pumpkins are great effects.

I haven't had much issue playing a sniper either. There is a "range limit" (e.g. too far out) when sniping isn't practical due to damage reduction but I've still been able to use it quite effectively

[Edward64]

I know shocking! I tried the first one but it was a let down graphics wise and I didn't get far.

Me too. I didn't play FO 1 or 2.

[JAG]

Me too. I didn't play FO 1 or 2.

FO2 was the last one I played. It was pretty fun (and quite challenging) back in the day.

[RainMaker]

I think that's pretty ... unusual.

I don't mean that as a shot or anything, it's just not something I feel like I've seen said all that often. And without a proper working VATS, it's not something I can ever imagine saying.

I can't imagine playing a Fallout game without VATS. The manual shooting has always been terrible in Fallout games.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I can't imagine playing a Fallout game without VATS. The manual shooting has always been terrible in Fallout games.

Pretty much me.

[Edward64]

Wandered over to Watoga at level 35 and got my ass handed back to me. Died a couple times, lost my non-weapon loot. Used up all my stimpacks, shotgun ammo, several weapons broken etc. Had to drop a bunch of stuff (including 2 extra PA that I found) so I could fast travel back to CAMP with my tail between my legs.

I was carrying a fatboy and 4 mini-nukes. I launched the nukes randomly around town just out of spite before dropping the fatboy and saving about 30+ lbs.

I'll have to regroup, fix stuff, resupply ammo at the Morgantown area.

Also, the nice CAMP I built in the nice location overlooking Morgantown airport and train station got displaced. I know that happens from the forums but still pretty annoying. I did build a nicer CAMP in a more isolated area this second time around.

[Drake]

Admission of guilt: I've never played a Fallout game where I didn't cheat my balls off.

I mean, I'm notorious with my kids for cheating at every video game I play. I mean, I cheat the shit out of video games. I spend more time figuring out how to cheat the game mechanics than I do actually playing the game, in many cases.

My philosophy on this is that I derive no joy from being frustrated. The thrill of overcoming a video game obstacle doesn't give me a rush. I play video games to relax. If I want a challenge, I'll do something that pays me money for my effort. My sweet spot is cheating into what I call the Illusion of Peril. My prime example here is firing up something like the old Neverwinter Nights games and just bumping my character up to level 5 or so to start. (You can still die if you're a complete idiot, but it's unlikely.)

I wouldn't know how to play a Fallout game without cheating, let alone without VATS.

ETA: For the record, this is also the reason I don't play online games. Cheating for my own amusement is one thing. Cheating in a shared universe is bullshit.

[Atocep]

I'm still playing. I'm still finding a great relax and explore game.

I've also never felt Bethesda does NPCs and NPC writing very well. It's probably their biggest weakness as a developer. So a fallout game without NPCs does feel weird, but a Bethesda game without NPCs is some ways is an improvement.

[Edward64]

FO 76 has six regions.

I think I just wandered into the Watoga region before I was high enough level. The Morgantown region is where you start and its a lot easier.

Pretty much restocked up now after re-doing/exploring the easier places where the monsters & "junk" repopulate. But I'll leave Watoga regiona alone for now.

I would prefer some humanoid NPC's but I'm having fun without it. Hopefully in a future DLC.

[Edward64]

I'm still playing. I'm still finding a great relax and explore game.

I've also never felt Bethesda does NPCs and NPC writing very well. It's probably their biggest weakness as a developer. So a fallout game without NPCs does feel weird, but a Bethesda game without NPCs is some ways is an improvement.

Build a CAMP yet?

[Bobble]

Admission of guilt: I've never played a Fallout game where I didn't cheat my balls off.

I mean, I'm notorious with my kids for cheating at every video game I play. I mean, I cheat the shit out of video games. I spend more time figuring out how to cheat the game mechanics than I do actually playing the game, in many cases.

My philosophy on this is that I derive no joy from being frustrated. The thrill of overcoming a video game obstacle doesn't give me a rush. I play video games to relax. If I want a challenge, I'll do something that pays me money for my effort. My sweet spot is cheating into what I call the Illusion of Peril. My prime example here is firing up something like the old Neverwinter Nights games and just bumping my character up to level 5 or so to start. (You can still die if you're a complete idiot, but it's unlikely.)

I wouldn't know how to play a Fallout game without cheating, let alone without VATS.

ETA: For the record, this is also the reason I don't play online games. Cheating for my own amusement is one thing. Cheating in a shared universe is bullshit.

I do this to some extent as well, for the same reasons. I've got a lot of games and less time. I don't want to spend 20 minutes figuring out which combination of turning which statues unlocks the secret door. Let's just assume I'm clever enough to eventually figure it out and let me move on.

I've got a couple of mods for Dominions 5 that are overpowered for my playstyle but not overtly enough to take my enjoyment away. I can jump in there and crank out a couple of turns with little to no stress.

[thesloppy]

I also tend to play vidz by telling myself I want to be challenged, but I actually only want the illusion of challenge, and I'll get rather frustrated rather quickly if a game death actually causes me to lose my progress and go back and re-try some exact process I've already done. Plenty of games these days manage to alleviate that frustration by allowing the player to keep some manner of progress, even if you're character dies, but it's a fine line for me, and I stay away from most games that are hyped particularly for difficulty.

For whatever reason it seems like sports games bring out the abuser in everybody......pretty much everybody who played Tecmo Bowl was more than happy to pick the Raiders every time and run Bo Jackson around, trying to win every game 100-0. Nowadays, sports games seem more likely to aim for challenging, realistic play, and yet a lot of the 'My Team/Player' modes still kind of encourage that kind of abusive, absurd play where you're just trying to pile up a ton of scores against weak opponents.

[Edward64]

I don't want to spend 20 minutes figuring out which combination of turning which statues unlocks the secret door. Let's just assume I'm clever enough to eventually figure it out and let me move on.
.

Yes, that is me. I google on the solution for those.

I do also look to see what good loot there may be in a place after I've cleared it out.

[Edward64]

Just joined a team to kill off a bunch of legendary baddies in a nuked zone. It was fun, can't just do solo, have to be part of a team to stand a chance. Interestingly, the Scorch Queen did not show up and I thought she does when there was a nuke. A little disappointing as I've read battle with her is climatic.

So I am still enjoying the game and I'm not close to finishing the main story line. There is a lot to do. Some notes ...


Even though FO 76 is supposedly much larger than FO4, it doesn't feel that way to me. I think its because in FO 76 its do this quest one after another whereas with FO4, with its NPC story lines and interaction, it is more "varied" and seemingly more "open"?
I do miss the NPCs. Its pretty boring just interacting with Bots, Computers & Holotapes. There are some quests that says go find out what happened to a person(s) and you already know, they are dead. What you find are letters or holotapes from them
When I joined up with the team that did the nuke zone, I did not participate in voice but I could hear them talk. It was good team work. I can see myself eventually talking with other players
I hate how I get my weapons the way I like them and then I hit a new 5 level milestone and my weapons are now outdated by new version with more damage points
I'm playing passive mode which means I can shoot and shoot but won't "hurt" another player (e.g. in the nuke zone it was a furball). However, I picked a lock at a workshop owned by another player and got a "wanted". I hate this aspect of the game, it should at least warn you before
I'm getting better at CAMP building but I see some others and they are much, much nicer than mine. Higher levels = bigger CAMP building budget and they spend the Atoms to buy CAMP accessories


I monitor the Bethesda and the Reddit forums. There's a lot of bitching but for the most part, a lot of sharing going on. I've read that sales nos. are bad but I think they've done a pretty good job so far.

[Maple Leafs]

I hate how I get my weapons the way I like them and then I hit a new 5 level milestone and my weapons are now outdated by new version with more damage points

Interesting that this works on five-level milestones. In ESO it's basically every level, and yeah, it pretty much kills any interesting in crafting or even finding good loot.

[Edward64]

Feeling sleepy.

Was going to bed but there was a nuke event at Whitesprings at about 1am so had to keep on going. This is the second nuke event I participated in, got 3 nice legendary weapons but only 1 really practical for my build.

Got kicked out of the server which was annoying but TBH saved my ass. It was at the tail end where folks were wandering about the area. I went solo and found like 8-10 of them who gang rushed me.

Got into a small room to fight them off 1-2 at a time and was hitting my stimpaks quite a bit. Wasn't looking good for the good guy(s) when the server kicked me out. I gained 3 levels from that 30-40 minutes.

[Atocep]

Forbidden (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/fallout-76s-first-month-sales-heres-how-the-game-d/1100-6464002/)

While the NPD Group's reports now contain digital sales numbers, this only applies to some publishers. Bethesda doesn't share digital game sales, so Fallout 76 ranking fourth with only physical sales accounted for is a more impressive achievement.

Fallout 76's physical sales in the US in November amounted to the third highest launch-month sales in the history of the Fallout series, only behind Fallout 4 and Fallout: New Vegas.

So it turns out Fallout 76 is actually selling pretty well.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Forbidden (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/fallout-76s-first-month-sales-heres-how-the-game-d/1100-6464002/)


Lagging behind 4 & NV is not what they were looking for, I assure you.

There isn't a pit in hell warm enough for the bastards behind this afaic, I'd prefer to see the company go under than to see this f'n bastardization.

[Atocep]

Lagging behind 4 & NV is not what they were looking for, I assure you.

There isn't a pit in hell warm enough for the bastards behind this afaic, I'd prefer to see the company go under than to see this f'n bastardization.

Keep in mind this is physical sales only. Almost all preorders would have been placed digitally on the Bethesda store and GreenMan opened up preorders about a week before release.

I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if it's actually outsold 4 and NV.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if it's actually outsold 4 and NV.

Then I welcome our alien overlords, or a damned meteor.

And -- more with regard to my previous post than this one -- y'all do you.
I ain't pissed at anybody who plays this damned thing.

There isn't a pit in hell warm enough to contain the sheer hatred I have for ever exec who greenlighted it however. I have zero religion when it comes to what I truly, genuinely, sincerely wish on every single one of them.

[Edward64]

Just give it a try. Wait for a sale and it's worth the $35 I bought it for.

I think there is a fair chance NPCs will come around in later DLCs.

[Edward64]

A couple executions ...

Happened a couple nights ago. I was in a nuke zone with several others (don't know them) at Whitesprings. After the action died down, I went back to my CAMP by a small pond in Whitesprings golf course where I was regrouping - checking out the stuff I got, repairing my shotguns etc.

A armored guy came into my CAMP. He had a 'wanted' flag and knelt down in front of me (only way to get rid of it is to be killed by another player). Brought up my level 50 combat shotgun and shot him up to be re-spawned somewhere close by.

Surprisingly, another 'wanted' came right after, same thing, knelt and I shot him.

Two public executions in a span of 5 minutes.

[Thomkal]

https://www.pcgamer.com/fallout-76-players-will-get-fallouts-1-2-and-tactics-for-free-next-month/?utm_content=buffer722c9&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=buffer-pcgamertw


Anyone who logged into Fallout76 in 2018, gets Fallout 1, 2, and Tactics free next month.

[CrimsonFox]

Fun to watch video reviews of this game.

[CrimsonFox]

Just give it a try. Wait for a sale and it's worth the $35 I bought it for.

I think there is a fair chance NPCs will come around in later DLCs.

You have to pay more to get nocs... And this is okay with you. That is what I'm hearing :)

[Edward64]

You have to pay more to get nocs... And this is okay with you. That is what I'm hearing :)

nocs = npcs in future DLC? Sure, I'm good with that. If the DLCs are too expensive, I'll wait for the inevitable sale.

[Edward64]

FWIW, I've only been participating when Whitesprings has been nuked. Last night, I joined others when Top of the World was nuked.

It was a pretty sad affair, Whitesprings had many, many more to kill and more challenging. I'm not sure the logic behind this, I would like to see other areas nuked but if its the same experience as TotW, I can understand why Whitesprings is the #1 choice.

[BYU 14]

I am slacking in terminology, but what are 'NOCS'

[Edward64]

I wasn't sure either. I think a typo where NOCS = NPCs

[Edward64]

Some news on future plans.

I am surprised they apparently do so much with micro-transactions. I have not found the need to contribute.

Bethesda Teases Upcoming New Content for Fallout 76 (https://www.vgr.com/bethesda-upcoming-fallout-76-content/)
Bethesda has adopted a different release model for post-launch content with Fallout 76, using micro-transaction earnings to fund the development of DLC. As a result, all DLC will be free to download. Due to that change, it’s currently unknown whether the studio plans to release large expansions, as they have with previous Fallout titles, or a steady stream of smaller add-ons. (Or indeed, some measure of both.)

Whatever the case, Bethesda does tease a few upcoming features; “We’re also building an incredible list of future updates that we can’t wait to share,” says the studio; “including new quests, weekly in-game events, new Vaults opening, a new PvP mode, Player Vending and much more”. Some of these features have been mentioned in previous posts, such as the new PvP mode. As of yet, Bethesda hasn’t confirmed release dates for any upcoming new content. However, it sounds as though things could come sooner rather than later.

[CrimsonFox]

I wasn't sure either. I think a typo where NOCS = NPCs

lol yeah it meant to say NPCs

[Edward64]

Welp, finished all the main quests except for the last one where I nuke someplace. I tried it earlier and got my butt handed to me (I know better now what to expect).

Got pretty much a collection of all the armor except for the X-01. Raider, T51b, T60, Excavator, Ultracite but for some strange reason, can't find plans for the X-01 (although lots of mods)

Got some nice weapons but never found an explosive weapon. Not sure what I did wrong or missed

Scorchbeasts don't intimidate me now. I can take them out along with all of the other WV legendary monsters (including the Moth Man!). Haven't fought the ScorchQueen yet ... I was hoping for an explosive weapon first before joining a team at the nuke site

So in retrospect ...

1) Like FO 4 except missing the NPC's
2) Lack of NPC's does lose something - the depth, variety (?) of the story line(s)
3) FO 4 NPC's seem to make the world bigger even though FO 76 is much larger
4) Certainly got my $35 out of it. I will buy the DLC's as they expand

Other

5) I've read on boards many negative experiences with bad PvP actors. TBH, I've not experienced any. Maybe its the PC world vs XBox/PS?
6) I've experienced some bugs but nothing major other than being disconnected from server more often than I would have liked

Some dings (excluding NPCs)

1) There needs to be more variety in the re-spawning of baddies and things to pick up. Way too predictable
2) More options to interact with other players (e.g. text chat)
3) Ability to display your stuff (e.g. weapons, armor) in your CAMP. You can build shelves, stations but can't do much with them

Only $40 now.

[Edward64]

Classic, on my Jan 1 post I talked about doing my last main quest with the nukes.

Glad I didn't yesterday!

https://kotaku.com/fallout-76-starts-off-2019-with-glitched-nukes-1831436569
It’s the beginning of a new year, the perfect time for fresh starts. And one of 2018’s more disappointing games, Fallout 76, is in dire need of one. Unfortunately, the multiplayer survival game has kicked off 2019 with another problem: players are currently locked out of its nuke silos.

Players discovered this yesterday on January 1, the day of the game’s weekly reset. Instead of silos re-opening after use, players found that the silos were locked with a new countdown timer of 9,999 hours.

[Edward64]

NPCs ... of sorts.

Fallout 76 players find human NPC and unreleased items in secret 'dev room' | PC Gamer (https://www.pcgamer.com/fallout-76-players-find-human-npc-and-unreleased-items-in-secret-dev-room/)
Via this report from Eurogamer, you can see a video of a player exploring the purported 'dev room' here, though I expect it may be taken down at some point so I've made some gifs. You'll see the various chambers, shelves, and footlockers crammed with weapons, plans, food, and other items. The level 1 human NPC, named Wooby, is hanging out in there too.

[JonInMiddleGA]

NPCs ... of sorts.

Fallout 76 players find human NPC and unreleased items in secret 'dev room' | PC Gamer (https://www.pcgamer.com/fallout-76-players-find-human-npc-and-unreleased-items-in-secret-dev-room/)

Yeah, I think the dev rooms were all posted from F4 (3?) at one point. Some pretty freaky shit in those.

[Atocep]

So in retrospect ...

1) Like FO 4 except missing the NPC's
2) Lack of NPC's does lose something - the depth, variety (?) of the story line(s)
3) FO 4 NPC's seem to make the world bigger even though FO 76 is much larger
4) Certainly got my $35 out of it. I will buy the DLC's as they expand

Other

5) I've read on boards many negative experiences with bad PvP actors. TBH, I've not experienced any. Maybe its the PC world vs XBox/PS?
6) I've experienced some bugs but nothing major other than being disconnected from server more often than I would have liked

Some dings (excluding NPCs)

1) There needs to be more variety in the re-spawning of baddies and things to pick up. Way too predictable
2) More options to interact with other players (e.g. text chat)
3) Ability to display your stuff (e.g. weapons, armor) in your CAMP. You can build shelves, stations but can't do much with them

Only $40 now.


Generally agree. I took a break from playing sometime before New Years but I definitely feel I got my money's worth.

A great world. The best they've done for a Bethesda Fallout game. The lack of NPCs does hurt the experience, but not as bad as I initially thought when details of the game were explained.

The smartest thing Bethesda could do IMO is plan an expansion that has the Brotherhood of Steel and Enclave moving in on the area. I think interest in an expansion like that would be significant and energize the player base.

[Edward64]

Well that was an interesting walk.

Took a stroll on the road from Watago to Robotech HQ and back. First fight was with 2 Scorched Beasts, Wendigo & Hermit Crab at the same time. A squad of level 60+ mutants with a minigun and a Moth Man next. On my way back, another Scorched Beast & Wendigo, and then Grafton monster with some ghouls.

I've never experienced so many big baddies before in a short amount of time.

Good loot but no really good legendary stuff.

[JonInMiddleGA]

So the "dev room discovery" is getting more interesting.

Players are apparently being banned for accessing it but with (allegedly, I guess) an offer to have their account reinstated ... IF they'll tell Bethesda in detail how they got into the room.

Meanwhile eBay is becoming the marketplace for pretty much any item you want - for real world cash - including the items found in the dev room.

What a glorious c.f. this has been.

[Edward64]

Still playing FO 76 here and there. They have come out with a Survival mode for PvP. I'm not really into that but I think I have to try it out just for the experience.

Player vending in May will be pretty cool in addition to ability to rename your equipment (... I've got 7 PA sets and need to know which ones are what). They are starting to put out content (albeit the recent ones are small "missions") but larger ones have been announced.

The "tone" of the reddit boards have definitely gone more positive on patches & releases (rallying cry on "hey we aren't as bad as Anthem") which is a good sign. There is a big uproar right now about buying repair kits in the Atom store but that's more about broken promises vs game play.

Anyone else here still playing it?

[Edward64]

At Level 170+ now. New content with the Burrows & Sheepsquatch since my last update. Nothing too major, just "missions" that you can play over and over to add to some variety and get some legendary weapons & armor.

They've added some promising stuff like the ability to learn new recipes and brew your own alcohol which is fun (but limited). Other content requires players to work with each other.

I'm pretty optimistic about FO76 and think it can be successful (albeit too slowly for my liking). Unfortunately, I think this lowers the odds of a FO5.

They do need to expand beyond WV IMO but that will probably a few years.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I'm pretty optimistic about FO76 and think it can be successful (albeit too slowly for my liking). Unfortunately, I think this lowers the odds of a FO5.

Yeeeeah.

The only way they don't have to come back with an FO5 is if they don't want to save the company. Your optimism is utterly bewildering for one of the most universally panned outings by a (previously) reputable gaming company in years.

[Edward64]

Yeeeeah.

The only way they don't have to come back with an FO5 is if they don't want to save the company. Your optimism is utterly bewildering for one of the most universally panned outings by a (previously) reputable gaming company in years.

Haters will hate.

Give it a try, just a little try ...

[Atocep]

Fallout 76 will become a real RPG with NPCs, a new main questline, full dialogue trees, and choices and consequences sometime this fall.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Fallout 76 will become a real RPG with NPCs, a new main questline, full dialogue trees, and choices and consequences sometime this fall.

The result should be LOLtacular.

An add-on from a studio with no remaining soul nor brains in the vain attempt to save an abomination ... so that their long-planned battle royale mode might have a few players.

[Thomkal]

Fallout 76 will become a real RPG with NPCs, a new main questline, full dialogue trees, and choices and consequences sometime this fall.


And the game will have a free trial starting tomorrow and lasting until the 17th.


Forbidden (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/fallout-76-free-trial-revealed-at-e3-2019-starts-w/1100-6467572/)

[Edward64]

Fallout 76 will become a real RPG with NPCs, a new main questline, full dialogue trees, and choices and consequences sometime this fall.

Nice add. Going in the right direction.

[Thomkal]

And the game will have a free trial starting tomorrow and lasting until the 17th.


Forbidden (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/fallout-76-free-trial-revealed-at-e3-2019-starts-w/1100-6467572/)


Free trial should be starting now, of course you have a long download ahead...

[Edward64]

A little more info on NPCs. Baby steps ...

You'll be able to romance your Fallout 76 companions, but they won't follow you around | PC Gamer (https://www.pcgamer.com/youll-be-able-to-romance-your-fallout-76-companions-but-they-wont-follow-you-around/)

"We're going to keep the companion details loose, I'll be honest with you," said Jeff Gardiner, project lead for Fallout 76, when we spoke with him E3. "But the general gist of it is: they'll be romance-able, you'll be able to get quests from them, advance their storyline."

But even if you romance them, they won't trail you around the entire map. "The following part, right now, they're basically going to be in your camp. Or in towns. We have technical limitations there, frankly."

The new human NPCs in Wastelanders won't really be wandering around outside in general, either, but will typically be stationed in instanced areas like towns, due to the multiplayer nature of Fallout 76. "Obviously, if I kill [an NPC] in the game, other people need to be able to interact with that NPC," said Gardiner. "So they will be in closed areas, frankly, and other areas where we can control the environment better than an exterior."

Unlike the exterior world, your companions will be able to accompany you on small quests in these instanced areas. "There will be little bit of that," Gardiner says, "but it won't be like Lydia carrying your burdens."

Gardiner wouldn't say if companions could be leveled up or if you'd be able to give them some of your gear—"We're working those out right now," he said—but companions will approve or disapprove of the actions you take as in earlier Fallout games.

[Edward64]

Just a PSA. I'm actually amazed they sold 20,000 of these.

IGN Error 403 - Unavailable (IFW-U02) (https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/09/24/20000-fallout-76-power-armor-helmets-recalled-for-mold-exposure)
A previous version of this story said the collectible helmet was from the $200 Power Armor collector's edition. It is instead from a different line of collectibles sold through GameStop. Here is Bethesda's statement on the matter:

"The helmets that are being recalled are not from our Fallout 76 Power Armor Edition, but are instead a different line of helmets sold exclusively by GameStop. The Fallout 76 Power Armor Edition helmets are unaffected. Consumers should visit the product recall page for instructions if they have purchased the GameStop helmet"

Getting back into this game some. Looking forward to the Wasteland DLC.

[Edward64]

Just a PSA. I'm actually amazed they sold 20,000 of these.


Now this makes much more sense.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexkane/2019/09/24/gamestop-is-recalling-20000-fallout-76-collectibles/#661eed334766
Chronicle Collectibles, a manufacturer in Irving, Texas, is recalling its GameStop-exclusive Fallout 76 helmet. As reported by ABC27, the T-51b Power Armor Helmet was recently found to be a risk for mold exposure.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission posted the recall—which affects “about 20,000” units—on September 19. “Mold can be present on the fabric insert inside the helmet, posing a risk of respiratory or other infections in individuals with compromised immune systems, damaged lungs, or an allergy to mold,” the alert warns.

“The recall only involves the Fallout 1:1 Power Armor Nuka-Cola Helmets that have a red painted finish with white-colored exterior tubing around the sides,” Chronicle told me via Twitter DM seven hours after this story was first published. Crucially, “only 32 units of the recalled helmets were actually sold and shipped to consumers, and all of those consumers have been identified and notified directly about the recall. No other models, editions, or colors of Power Armor Helmets are involved in this recall.”

[Edward64]

Tonight was a pretty good night. Went server hopping and got into 4 different SBQ fights (lousy Legendary drops though but that's what the Purveyor is for I guess).

On one of them, there was some guy on the mic and I overheard him say "the kid has the suppository".

I was thinking WTF and then thought people should really mute their mics unless they are talking.

[revrew]

FYI, I just picked up the original Fallout board game at a Half-Price Books store. Definitely enjoyed my first play-through.

Admittedly, I haven't played the Fallout video game. And I already see some flaws in that I'd like there to be more scenarios to choose from, a greater variety of characters, monsters, weapons, and gear ... but the game play engine itself is unique and outstanding. I've enjoyed comparing the gameplay to a "choose your own adventure" kind of book from years ago, and that's a big compliment.

[Thomkal]

I wish we had a half-price books in Myrtle. :(

[Poli]

That's pretty awesome.

[Edward64]

BTW, I'm getting to the stage where I buy nice legendary weapons just to spend my caps. Let me know if anyone here needs something ... I'll be glad to give you a deal if I have it, or I'll start looking for you.

I've got my non-PA set for Combat Armor & Metal done. Going to start completing my Urban & Forest armors.

Its just grinding and server hopping for SBQ fights. Looking forward to the Wasteland DLC to keep my interest.

[Edward64]

Reddit forum is definitely in an uproar over this. The price is too high for me but I"m okay with them trying to make money. I'll be surprised if they make much, it would have been better at a lower price point.

Getting free DLC's so can't complain.

Fallout 76 now has a premium membership for $12 a month | PC Gamer (https://www.pcgamer.com/fallout-76-now-has-a-premium-membership-for-dollar12-a-month/)
Bethesda has launched private servers for Fallout 76, alongside a membership subscription that you need to buy if you want to use the feature. The membership programme is called Fallout 1st, and it's available now.

Fallout 1st will net you additional benefits, too, including unlimited storage, a tent that acts as a fast travel point and simple base, a monthly stipend of Atoms, New Vegas' coolest outfit, icons and emotes.

Originally, the plan was for Fallout 76 to only sell cosmetic items, but that ship sailed almost immediately, so this doesn't come as too much of a surprise.

Private worlds have been requested since launch, according to Bethesda, and while you'll need to subscribe if you want to make one, you'll still be able to invite friends who aren't members. Only the owner needs to pay up. The game will otherwise be the same as regular Adventure Mode, but private.

[Atocep]

Reddit forum is definitely in an uproar over this. The price is too high for me but I"m okay with them trying to make money. I'll be surprised if they make much, it would have been better at a lower price point.

Getting free DLC's so can't complain.

Fallout 76 now has a premium membership for $12 a month | PC Gamer (https://www.pcgamer.com/fallout-76-now-has-a-premium-membership-for-dollar12-a-month/)

Private servers should be free. That's standard on PC if you're going to offer them.

Overall, this continues to show that they don't understand their audience and are completely out of touch with reality when it comes to this game.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Bethesda making a serious run at being as likable as Konami at this point.

[Edward64]

A massive hack has gone live on the PC. The hackers can steal your in-person inventory (apparently not your off-person stash though) for Legendary weapons, armors etc.

Lots of people suggesting staying off FO76 until Bethesda fixes it. Others are playing their alt-character with no Legendary stuff.

I've not been playing FO76 seriously recently so I'll probably just stay off the servers for now.

[Edward64]

DLC with NPCs (finally!) is coming out in April 7.

I'm looking forward to it but know the initial rollout won't have all the nice stuff that I would want. However, I think Bethesda has done a solid job in rolling out new stuff although their bug fixing still needs help.

Also, FO76 is coming out in Steam.

Fallout 76 Wastelanders: release date, human NPCs, dialogue, and everything we know | PC Gamer (https://www.pcgamer.com/fallout-76-wastelanders-trailer-npcs/)
Shortly after Fallout 76's release in 2018, it became clear that one very pivotal part of Fallout was missing: the humans. Talking and negotiating with other folks trying to make it in the wasteland is a large part of Fallout's charm, players felt. Bethesda agreed, apparently, and began working on the foundations for the Fallout 76 Wastelanders update shortly after the original game launch in November 2018.

The Wastelanders update will deliver a new story quest, branching dialogue, choices and consequences, and unique companions, as players will meet and interact with two new human factions: settlers and raiders. Things are about to get a lot more lively in Appalachia.

[Edward64]

Haven't played the new DLC yet and good thing. Would not want my prized go-to weapons being stolen.

Fallout 76's new NPCs are stealing weapons from dead players | PC Gamer (https://www.pcgamer.com/fallout-76s-new-npcs-are-stealing-weapons-from-dead-players/)
Friendly as they are, however, some of these new NPCs have been displaying a disturbing habit for thievery. Several players have reported that during events like Riding Shotgun and Radiation Rumble, NPCs have been stealing from them. Specifically, on more than one occasion when a player was killed during the event, they respawned only to find their best weapon—and all of its ammo, sometimes thousands of rounds worth—was now in the hands of an NPC.
:
:
Surprising AI behavior like this is normally pretty cool to see in games, but these NPCs are unfortunately not giving the weapons back when they're done with them. That's a big problem for players who have spent untold hours acquiring legendary gear that isn't easy to replace.

[Edward64]

First time playing the new DLC this weekend. Big change is the addition of NPCs.

It's kinda weird interacting with them as I've only spoken to robots and listened to tapes & radios for the prior year and half.

Haven't gotten too far but I think its great! It is definitely more immersive IMO and only hope they continue similar DLCs.

[Edward64]

Still haven't finished Wastelanders yet but definitely enjoying the addition of NPCs. I think Bethesda has done a pretty good job despite a slow start after launch.

Roadmap below.

Fallout 76 | Fallout 76: Inside the Vault – Introducing The 2020 Roadmap & 76 Seasons (https://fallout.bethesda.net/en/article/fPSas0ftnlgD0FcZNnMoL/fallout-76-inside-the-vault-introducing-the-2020-roadmap-and-76-seasons?utm_medium=twitter&utm_content=Bethesda%20Game%20Studios&utm_source=Community&sf122357656=1)

[Edward64]

Welp, I've finished the Wastelander DLC which allows me now to collect Treasury Script so I can convert into Bullion so I can buy new cool plans for Weapons & Armor.

I like this new addition to the 'economy'. The old economy was getting pretty boring for me so at least now I have a new purpose. I hope they add to this in the future.

FO76 brought back the Fasnacht event for a couple weeks, one of the more popular events as it was hourly (e.g. predictable), relatively easy, gave pretty good rewards, and most importantly, brought pretty much everyone on the server to work as a team. I think they should make it harder (its okay for us to fail more) and more randomized but overall a fun event.

I find myself mindlessly playing FO76 right now. I am going to have to give it a rest and play other games.

[Edward64]

Not a lot of info. Hope it happens.

'Fallout' TV Series From 'Westworld' Creators in the Works at Amazon | Hollywood Reporter (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/fallout-tv-series-westworld-creators-works-at-amazon-1301570)
Based on the video game, the drama is currently in development but has a series commitment penalty attached.

Westworld creators Lisa Joy and Jonah Nolan continue to line up new projects as part of their nine-figure overall deal with Amazon.

Amazon Studios has licensed the rights to the best-selling video game franchise Fallout, with married writers and showrunners Joy and Nolan attached to oversee the potential TV series. The project is currently in development but has a series commitment penalty attached. That means that if Amazon execs like the script, Fallout would bypass the traditional pilot stage and go directly to series (or if it is passed over, all involved would be paid out as if it had). A writer is not currently attached.

[Maple Leafs]

Oh man, Game of Thrones viewers thought it was annoying when George R. R. Martin was slow on updating the books, wait until they start making a TV series about Bethesda games.

[Edward64]

Whew, just finished the Legendary Run. It was fun for a while and then it got to just playing it every day to get the points to progress on. I'm glad its done and don't think I'll get sucked into doing the next Run (whenever that is).

FO76 did introduce Earle and I always join the event even though he is one bad bad MOFO. I'm normally in a team to take him down but today, for the first time, no one joined me and I finished him solo.

They introduced NPCs about 4-5 months ago. It was fun to finish that storyline but nothing added to NPCs since then.

Bottom-line. FO76 is progressing okay and, as a new player, I would be overwhelmed (in a fun way) by all the things I could do.

However, as a pretty experienced player, who have done 98% of everything, I wish new content would be pushed out quicker. IMO they also really need to randomize things much better.

Ready to put FO76 down (again) and focus on CK3.

[Edward64]

I've not touched FO76 for about 2+ months now. But I still do visit the Atom Shop to see what's out there.

Slower than many people would have wanted, but Bethesda is definitely headed in the right direction.

Fallout 76 is planning Fallout 4-style off map expansions | Rock Paper Shotgun (https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/12/09/fallout-76-is-planning-fallout-4-style-off-map-expansions/)
Given Schneider’s mention of new places to explore, I ask about planned map changes. Fallout 76 already made significant changes to its overworld in the Wastelanders update by adding two huge cities for the Settler and Raider factions. Steel Dawn has added another dedicated to the Brotherhood Of Steel. Will Fallout 76’s map continue to change over time?

“To be honest with you, we’ve saturated it pretty well now with Wastelanders and Brotherhood Of Steel,” Gardiner says. “We are looking at Expeditions to be a way to maybe do something off map. […] We have a big list of locations. We’re settling in on one right now. So we are looking at those to be the ways for people to experience different areas of the Fallout universe.”
:
:
Off map, he says. So is this potentially entirely new, open world areas? Yes, Gardiner says, that’s what they’re hoping. He likens it to other Fallout expansions like Far Harbor in which you interact with a vehicle and head to an entirely separate map. “We know that those are some of our most successful expansions for our previous games and we want to be able to bring that experience to Fallout 76 for certain,” he says.

[Edward64]

Starting playing FO76 again. Lots of good DLCs since I stopped. It took a week to get back into it and re-learning stuff.

Good simple fun.

BTW, if there are any FO76 players out there that needs some nice weapons, willing to donate. I'm more of a heavy gunner & shotgun person.

[Edward64]

i've had a 3 week spurt replaying FO76 and some of the new content. Enjoying it for the most part but still struggling with some stupid aggravating quality of life stuff.

But I do like how FO76 have committed to a roadmap and is bring out new content. Not as fast as I would like (never will be) but shows that FO76 is being supported.

Starfield is coming out this Nov. It's a single player. I know that FO76 had a rough debut but I kinda wish Starfield followed the same MMO model. If is fun interacting with and supporting other players in non-PVP environment (e.g. during the SBQ and Earle fights).