Fallout 4 First Impressions [no spoilers]

Sue77 wrote:

Thanks BZ.  All the DLC's and the Season Pass are on offer too.  Time to check my daughter's haven't already been Christmas shopping on Steam!

Almost forgot, there's also the Vault-Tec DLC but I don't have this one, because I've got a vault building mod that works better. From what I have seen, you can do experiments on your vault dwellers and such but it's said to be about the same length as Automatron.

If you get a decent price for the season pass, go for it, otherwise if you must pick and choose my recommendations still stand.

Currently at half price it's a wash and getting the season pass is probably the right move if you want more than the two big DLC.

Mods can be better, no argument there, but official DLC also come with assets that can serve as the basis for mods. I made an extensive use of DLC assets when I used to tinker with the Geck making modifications for FNV.

Still, most modders try their best to offer versions that are compatible with the base game but unfortunately that's not always possible.

EDIT green man gaming has a better deal than Steam for the F4 season pass (and there is the BLACKFRIDAY10 voucher for 10% off). It's 40% off on Steam which is ok but it's almost 48% off on GMG with the voucher.

By the fact you got Automatron and the base game, I assume you've decided to pick and choose your DLC, Sue? Feel free to hit me up if you want suggestions for good mods.

Yeah, it was partially dictated by pocket BZ, but I read the reviews of all the DLCs and many of them were terrible.  Also they, and the seasons pass, were 40% off which didn't compare to 67% off the main game.  I'm going to give the 2 you recommended a try when their price is around the 75% off mark.

The Automatron DLC interested me due to your comment about how you can use them on your settlement.  This appeals to the loner which sits comfortably inside my psyche.  In addition I'm not a fan of having a 'follower'.  They irritate the heck out of me.  I'm already worried about my dog, wondering when I'll be able to sleep in a bed, have a home and tell it to wait for my return!  If I find a mission so difficult I need backup, I'd much rather take a robot.  If it gets blasted to bits my RPG conscience is clear and I can rebuild.

I'll certainly shout if I want any mods.  I'll play the game and my one additional DLC vanilla first to see what I feel is lacking.  

Contraptions, Workshop and Vault-Tec are terrible and are all things that can easily be replicated with mods. They're not worth their price and if I was a season pass holder and had gotten said pass for full price, I would be pissed.

Word of advice - Ignore the main plot. Whatever you do, leave Gravyboat and his bunch of useless, whiny, pissy followers to rot right where they are. You don't need them to build settlements. Suffer the settlers, gather resources until you can begin Automatron, then kill the useless bastards and replace them with robots. You'll also be able to take a robot as follower and they can be built into walking death machine, and not to mention robot settlers won't piss and moan and give stupid radiant quests like rescue some helpless bastard, kill zombies/super mutants and shite like that.

Just treat it like any other Bethesda game, i.e. as your own private sandbox to do whatever sounds fun to you.

The season pass is definitely not worth the new price tag. I grabbed it when it was less expensive but I do resent the fact they increased it the way they did.

The good news is that the base game has enough content to offer without worrying about any of that.

As for mods, less is more, especially when starting out. There are some pretty excellent mods out there but getting a feel for the game first is never a bad idea.

I've pointed at a few that may be useful in the mod thread. The one that gets rid of the cash register sound is the most important mod as far as I'm concerned.

I've also found that turning off the in game music (not the radio) made for a much better experience. It's a very simple thing but as far as immersion is concerned it's a boon.

I agree that less is usually more with mods - that's the approach I've always taken with Skyrim and Oblivion. I find it's best to get to know the vanilla game first, what it does well and where the shortcomings are. Then it's a question of how I want to play it next time and what I think will add to that experience.

I usually avoid the main plot in open world RPG's as I find it more fun to explore and stumble across stuff, so no worries there

And oh yes - turning the music off is a good idea.......

One game which used music really well for a tough battle sequence was the first Witcher game. I cannot tell you how many times I reloaded and replayed that battle just because the music made it brilliant. Heavy metal for a tough fight - YES!!

I hated that particular music in the Witcher. It completely ruined the moment for me.

The music in the first Witcher was splendid.

My favourite soundtrack is still Mark Morgan's for Fallout 1. It is absolutely outstanding.

I can't believe Bethesda didn't see fit to hire him for the new games instead of going for the same artist who's made Fallout 3 and 4 sound like Oblivion and Skyrim.

Bethesda will be Bethesda. And Bethesda are idiots.

Cara, do you mean the music in the first Witcher was splendid apart from that battle?

I played the first Witcher game 4 times in a row. Loved it. I have yet to experience this with a Fallout game

Fallout 1 will blow your mind. It is a trillion miles above the abortions known as F3 and F4.

Yes, that's what I mean.

It's not that the battle music for that scene was bad, it's just that I think it was totally out of place.

The first Witcher is my favourite in the series. I wasn't able to get into the second that much and as much as I've enjoyed the third at times I still prefer the first.

To think that it was built on the Aurora engine (the one used for NWN) is absolutely amazing.

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I have yet to experience this with a Fallout game

Have you played the original Fallout?

It's the best computer roleplaying game I have ever played by far and it may very well be the best game I've ever played.

I should give that another go. I got free copies of that, Fallout 2 and the tactics game from GOG when they had a hissy fit over them being removed from their catalogue.

If you have a copy of F2 definitively try the Resurrection mod

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It's the best computer roleplaying game I have ever played by far and it may very well be the best game I've ever played.

What he said. It's definitively in the top 3 for me.

Don't play the mod first! Don't play Fallout 2 first either. F2 is Fallout and the Monty Python's, it may improve the gameplay but it's too tongue in cheek.

Fallout 1 is the definitive Fallout experience and it should be played first.

Forget about Fallout Tactics. It's a tactical squad mission game and not an rpg.

F1 & 2 are also games that can be completed without killing (although it can be tricky).

The only mod you need is the one that patches the resolution for modern screens if the lower res bothers you too much.

I meant play Resurrection after playing F1, numbskull

I get your point about F2 but this doesn't change it's still a great game in it's own right, sure, it might not top F1 but some series like to tinker and try something slightly different with the sequel and F2 is a case in point.

And I have to disagree on Tactics -- it's not too dissimilar to Wasteland 2, I feel. It's nowhere near as good as the two original games, and true, it's not an RPG but it's also worth a play, though I'd put it at the bottom of the list. Though that's entirely up to whenever tactical squad missions are your thing or not.

You're the numbskull.

The mod may be cool it's always best to know what the original is like.

As for Tactics, I disliked it because what I wanted back then was more of the original game and certainly not a tactical squad game without much in the way of roleplaying. Considering how much you've enjoyed Wasteland 2 I can totally understand the point you're making and that may in a way explain why both games didn't really click with me (I need to go back and finish Wasteland 2).

Fallout 2 is absolutely great BUT it's also the biggest disappointment in my entire gaming life. I wanted a better Fallout 1 and what I got was a technically better game (the changes in traits and perks and the addition of weapon mods were all great) but despite Fallout 2's incredible depth (to this day I haven't seen anything that can rival it) ironically it is also one of the less immersive game ever created... In fact I would go as far as saying that as far as immersion is concerned the only game that is even worse than Fallout 2 is Divinity Original Sin with all the mind numbing puns.

Fallout 2 keeps making jokes, pushing clever one liners and references to movies, cartoons, the Monty Python's, Cthulhu, Star Wars, the Blues Brothers, Terminator... It never takes itself seriously which can either be fun (if you're in that particular state of mind) or absolutely jarring (if you wanted to roleplay). It has some clever moments when it breaks the fourth wall and to be frank it's never dull but all that nonsense got old pretty fast and left a bad taste.

In comparison the first Fallout (while still being humorous) has a much tighter narrative with translates as a more memorable experience. I wish the gameplay additions that F2 brought to the game were included in Fallout 1 but to this day I feel that there is absolutely no argument when it comes to the story and the original is still the better game because of that.

I could go on forever but the most important thing is for Sue to give Fallout 1 a try. Go in blind without looking for information on the net and enjoy the mystery and awesomeness of that first playthrough. You're in for a real treat.

You're the numbskull for misunderstanding my post and thinking I said to fo for Resurrection first and of course I meant go for F1 first, doing otherwise would be heresy!

You didn't finish W2? Did you at least make it to the second part of the game? That's where it gets better, I like the part in Arizona but the different landscape is a refreshing change. Not to mention the ridiculously awesome weapons you pick up -- Minigun, .50 Sniper rifle

I can see why W2/Tactics' combat system might not be for everyone. But to be fair there is a tactical element involved in a lot of RPGs, like the BG series when you can set the game to autopause and think your tactics through. I will defend Tactics and argue that it is worth at least one playthrough.

And as for F2, I mostly agree with you but sometimes a game that takes the piss is a refreshing change. I had a blast with the game but that's probably because of the foggy weather back then. And who can forget Arch Dornan and Frank Horrigan

Also, fuck Bethesda for releasing the TRAAAAAAAAAAAAASH "F3" we got instead of Van Buren. But we've already debated how terrible Bethesda and it's "Fallout" games are (except for NV but that thanks to Obsidian) so I don't feel the need to reiterate.

So yeah, admit the wall of text, I agree, go in F1 completely blind and prepare to have your mind blown. Then play Resurrection and get your mind blown again. Then play F2.

Heads up, though -- after playing those classics you might find your liking for F3 and F4 diminishing. Both games, are after all, watered down pisswater compared to the greatness of F1 and F2.

Na, sorry mate but you're the numbskull for posting that Sue should play Fallout 2 with this mod considering she hasn't played Fallout 1 (or 2) yet.

For the record it's not the tactical element that offends me, hell I love squad based games. It's the fact that a Fallout game should be a lot more than just a tactical squad game. Tactics may be a good game but it won't alter the fact that it's still the red headed stepchild of the old Fallout games.

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except for NV but that thanks to Obsidian

Except it would have been a lot better if it wasn't made in the image of Oblivion with guns. An isometric FNV would have been quite something especially without the silly stuff that came from F3 (like the fact that your character can be good at everything for instance).

As for losing interest, I think it may not be the case. F4 doesn't scratch the same itch so to speak. Bethesda games may suck at telling stories (and F4 is probably still better than Skyrim and F3) but the sandbox/exploration is their forte. As long as we don't go in expecting anything more then it can be fun.

I think I'm going to replay the old Fallout. It's been a while.

Nope, you're still the numbskull, Resurrection is basically Fallout 1.5 and takes place between 1 and 2 so F1 -> Resurrection -> F2 is the sensible route. And that's what I suggested.

As for Tactics, like I said sometimes franchises like to tinker with the formula and experiment with something new, some people will like said changes and some won't. Take the Zelda games, for example -- 1 is a timeless classic, while 2 tried something new and changed things up to have combat in side-scrolling environements, and the overworld map to move around. It's been slammed as a bad game because it strays from what made Z1 great, but truth is what it does it does well and in some aspects outshines Z1. But Tactics being the red-headed stepchild? May I remind you about this trash?



Tactics is golden compared to this trash. Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance was trash and BoS is in the same vein and is equally trash. THIS is the red-headed stepchild.

As for F4 I know the Steam counters aren't accurate but I have sunk much more hours in than you, Kana and my brother. I'm starting to get bored honestly which is why I am tinkering with mods so much. F4's map might be dense but when it comes down to it it's still pretty small.

Are you serious? It was made for CONSOLES years later, it's not even worthy of the Fallout name. Hell, Bethesda's Fallout 3 is more worthy than that piece of trash:


Doesn't change the fact that years before back when Tactics came out nobody wanted a game like that and it failed not because of its gameplay (which is worthy of praise) but because what we wanted was another real Fallout game and not a spin off so limited in scope (let me remind you that Fallout 1 and 2 can be completed without violence if you want to).

Oh and newsflash, you are twice the numbskull I am because Resurrection is a freaking fan made mod so the fact that it's set some time between 1 and 2 is irrelevant. 2 should be played first if only because it's the real deal and not you know, well, a mod.

I don't have that much time in F4, that's true but Steam counters say I have 257 hours in FNV when I have probably spent more than twice that time in the Geck alone.

F4 didn't grab my attention long enough which is the only reason why I'm not burned yet. These days a game has to be pretty special to get my undivided attention especially considering I usually don't have the time for more than an hour, two at most. I can tell you that it's a real drag when it comes to strategy games which take that much time to get started which is why I've been going down to casual town lately. Good things the holidays are coming. I need to sink my teeth in some deep turn based strategy games!

By the way the gog version of Fallout 1 comes with an in game resolution fix so you don't need to download any third party mod to adjust the resolution for modern PCs.

Bah, fine, whatever, keep on ranting

It will only get worse with the years so get used to it!