An evening with Todd Howard about Fallout 3

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Post by Kashluk »

Well, you've got to give that guy some credit at least...
He's typed twice as much stuff on DAC in two posts than you have in eight.
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Post by DarkUnderlord »

Megatron wrote:
non-linearity in Morrowind (their biggest game to date) was non-existant (anybody remember the "You have killed an important character! You've stuffed up the main plot! You should reload!" dialogue box?)
Isn't that a bit of a lie? You can still play if you kill a main character. And morrowind was pretty non-linear.
Still play but for what purpose? You can't finish the game. It won't let you kill the Foozle without the magic weapons and you can't get the magic weapons unless you do all the quests (in order) before it.

There's a bit of a difference from "Get a GECK" to "Find out more info on the prophecy, get the dwemer puzzle box, get a skull, be named hortator, jump hoops for all the tribes to be named something by them, then talk to Vivec and get the widgets". Morrowind leads you from one quest to the next. Killing people ruins the main plot! You can't actually finish the game if you do (presuming you kill everyone as there's a back door way which if you kill him, you really are stuffed).

Taking your comparison, as has been said about Fallout 2, you can wander right down to Navarro and finish the game pretty quickly. The only thing stopping you is knowledge of where that area is and your ability to survive walking there.

Compare that to Morrowind where even if you go see the Foozle in the mountain when you're a level 5, he says "Go away, you aren't prepared". He won't even let you in without the magic widgets.

In both Fallout games the only people you couldn't kill were your starting Vault or tribe. You could waste everyone else and not only still finish the game (which is the point of playing) but you also wouldn't be subjected to a dumb "you stuffed up" message.
Megatron wrote:omg fallout 2 was so linear you had to do the temple of trials and then talk to the village elder wtf
Which is why Fallout 1 is better than Fallout 2 (I won't even get into the fact of why is there a Temple of Trials in the first place because marketing insisted on a "tutorial". Oops, I just did). Beyond that trial though, you only have to "get the GECK". Sure you're given leads but you don't have to follow them. Compared to Morrowind where you're railed down that path until you know about the prophecy, fulfil the prophecy and get the magic widgets.

Read the walkthrough for Morrowind if you want more detail. If you do, you'll note that killing a "main character" (of which there seem to a lot) you're only other way is to bypass everything and kill Vivec. Even then, you can kill someone at the wrong point and stuff it up completely.
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Post by hat_man99 »

so true
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Post by Megatron »

I wouldn't call morrowind linear though as you don't need to do that, you can just run around the wilderness. I didn't even bother with the main quest because there was so much to do non-quest related.

You're way to aggressive in the interview and just come off as total morans and fan-boys.
:chew:
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Post by Mr. Teatime »

Eh? The interview's questions were direct, but not overly direct and got good answers. I don't think they were aggressive at all, I didn't write them to be aggressive and going by Todd's answers he didn't take them as aggressive either.
DU's editorial was that - an editorial. It was his opinion on the subject, and it opened discussion up. I really think you're seeing things, megatron.
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Post by DarkUnderlord »

Megatron wrote:I wouldn't call morrowind linear though as you don't need to do that, you can just run around the wilderness.
Wow. The new non-linear RPG of the future.

"This game is great, you can just run around the wilderness". That's why we give it 5 thumbs up!!11!one ~Random Gaming Magazine
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Post by Rhombus »

Not just running around in the wilderness.. you could kill monsters too.. and level up.. w00t!

[/sarcasm]


Good interview, nice reading, hoping that Bethesda makes the game worth the Fallout name.

[rant]

...for their own good.. or I would.. like.. do something illegal or something.. copy Oblivion to cut down on their profits or something...

[/rant]
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Post by Wie »

Excellent interview. Too aggressive and non professional? He captured the general jaded attitude of the fallout fan base and set a tone representing the culmination of our past disappointments and addressed alot of our concerns regarding details of the game remaining true to it's fallout roots.....and he did so without calling him a stupid camping swell guy, crying about using a weak ass zerg rush, or accusing him of using wall hacks and duping items. There hasn't been an interview or speech given in years that haven't used these tried and true techniques for extracting or conveying information, whichever the case may be. Who cares

I think he did a good job. I walked away feeling better about the whole thing than when I initially heard. They at least sound like they might actually care what the fan base wants. Maybe we've reached a new era in gaming when they've finally realized that it is necessary to keep the base elements of a great game....the elements that made the game great in the first place and not to allienate the very fan base that is going to ultimately determine whether or not the game is successful. Then again maybe they just want to pacify us and shut us all up until they actually announce it's going to be a FPS where you may or may not wander around the wilderness pointlessly....the choice is yours! and then stand up at their stupid press conference, making fists to touch their rainbow rings together while arguing politely which one of them, in fact, is actually the man. Who knows.

I, for one, do hope it ends up iso 3/4....and not that it'd ever be considered or actually make it in....any of you ever play that game darwinian? A roaming view like that that you completely control would be a pretty goddamned slick alternative....especially considering the line of sight rules already in place I believe ie. if you can't see it, it's not there. Which would negate any arguments about being able to roam around with the camera etc. because if your char can't see it neither will the camera. But whatever.

I want black isle back. I want a fallout mmorpg. I'm tired of World of Warcraft. Wandering around pointlessly doing quests, camping for the drop you want (that never drops, btw), killing only whatever your lame level range happens to be for more experience to reach the next pointless level to do the same thing with no dynamic innovation or new and interesting ways to kill things.....and gee, even with the option of wandering around your section of the risk type game board (because god forbid you wander into new areas to quell the sheer goddamned boredom of it all in an attempt to see something...anything new....because you're going to get annhilated by the next level of ueber rabbits in the next country and it'll take 45 goddamned minutes to either a) use your hearthstone then try to get back to the area you were just in so at least you can level up or b) die and basically rez kill yourself over and over running a few more steps closer to safety each time)....well....is more boring than this goddamned post approaching infinite. yeah ok bye.

"Can we expect something similar to the work done on Morrowind, in terms of that style of game experience?
Pete Hines: Again, it's early to say, but it wouldn't be a leap of faith to say that we plan to use technologies in development otherwise. You could make some fairly safe leaps of faith that it would be similar in style. We're not going to go away from what it is that we do best. We're not going to suddenly do a top-down isometric Baldur's Gate-style game, because that's not what we do well." -- from the faq on NMA.

Suck. I hope they can pull it off but eh. Suck. I was hoping fallout would be the one franchise to hold on. The one franchise I wanted to hold on the most, at least. He was downplaying that it would be morrowind with guns, twisting and convoluting the issue by throwing the whole speech element into the mix when, in fact, it is going to be morrowind with guns.....and maybe 'deeper dialog' since apparently that's the 'big issue' he's willing to address. They probably clink their rings together everytime they pass eachother in the hallways, too...."you the man"...."No you are". Filthy rat bastards.
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Post by Burnov »

Bethesda + Fallout licence = D:

The average PC game enthusiast these days couldn't tell rat shit from rice krispies. In other words. The next Unreal Tournament or Fallout 3 will mean equally about as much to them.

The die hard Fallout fan is the only one who could really appreciate a third installment in the series. It's pretty obvious to me, in that interview, it was more of a diplomatic round-about way of saying "Yeah we know you like fallout, but we don't care that much. We're going to repackage and sell this sow of a title regardless of what you want".

So. Yeah. By the time this game will have come out. I will have probably made the decision to not purchase personal computers anymore. It's really not in my interest to pay the kind of money a good gaming machine costs when the market is saturated with such unrepentant rape of the classic titles of my youth.
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Post by Franz Schubert »

Todd wrote:The rendering technology can put cameras anywhere. But don't confuse camera angle with interface and interaction, they're two very different things.
That's a good point. But does anyone honestly believe they're still considering 3/4 Iso?
Teatime wrote:Will you be using the SPECIAL system in Fallout 3?
Todd's reply wrote:Yes, we have rights to it and plan on using it.
The question should have been "Are you planning on implementing SPECIAL in any meaningful way?" But I guess superficial-SPECIAL is better than no SPECIAL at all.

PS: Another killer interview Teatime.
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Post by S4ur0n27 »

A superficial SPECIAL is the same as no SPECIAL. (See BOS)
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Post by Retlaw83 »

Uh, BOS didn't use the SPECIAL system at all.
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Post by King of Creation »

Well, special in the mentally retarded sense.
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Post by rabidpeanut »

About bethesda:

IF THEY MESS THIS ONE UP.
Their headquaters will look like a certain cathedral I know of.

AND the had BETTER not use that crappy conversation system from morrowind. Fallout would be ruined completely by that stupid system.
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Post by Xi »

Fallout, such a great game! Yet, why did it never sell enough to keep a company a float?

The reason that interplay kept changing the fallout design was because they were trying to make something that would appeal to a wide enough audience to actually turn a notable profit. Sad but true. (Interplay what a bunch of fuckin donkies)

Still, you cock eyed fucking assholes have the nerve to talk shit about a great company like Bethesda? You are the same folks that can't be pleased by a naked super model bouncing up and down on your cocks! Why are you even here? It's fucking hopeless....

Every game has short commings - Fallout included! Why is it that the Fallout fans can only see that bad in a new project that has fallout in its title? Well thats obvious. Those fucking jerk off assholes at Interplay are to blame of course!

Now lets take a look into the future. If you think the next iteration of falllout - FALLOUT 3 - is going to be identical to its predecessers you might as well shoot yourself in the face right now. It won't be!

Will it be better then Tactics/BOS - Hell fucking yeah!

At least Bethesda is a company that never fails to deliver a great product. They raise the bar with each new game.

You ungratful cocksuckers had better be thankful for this one. Bethesda bought out a dying product and is going to breath new life into it. Had it gone any other way, your favorite franchise would never have seen the light of day - ever!

I'll leave you ungrateful fuckwads with that.
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Post by Blargh »

Xi wrote:I'll leave you ungrateful fuckwads with that.
We'll hold you to that claim, Xi. Five posts. Remember, five posts.

However, you, perhaps under a different name (OH YOU ARE SO WITTY, A DIFFERENT NAME !!1 AHAHA !11), a colleague, a 'friend', maybe a member of your genetically deficient family will no doubt return. Return to preach to the unenlightened, as it were. A 'good deed', as it were. How kind.

So, in anticipation of that, I can quite safely write the following - none but the cows (poor cows) care for your high and mighty tripe, you daft twat. We'll be fine, muddling along in the filth and the muck, frothing and raving at the most high Bethesda and their saintly software. You'll be fine, doing what you love, fellating the developers at Bethesda, in spirit if not in flesh, as it seems. Remember, five posts. :drunk:
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Post by Mephiston »

He is already up in 7 pests. :P



Edit: hmmm well are'nt I late on this one... I thought it stood 2006... LOL Dont mind me... im just a moron who cant read right. :P but he has posted 2 more times atleast...
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Post by S4ur0n27 »

Agreed :joy:
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Post by Blargh »

Not entirely misplaced, as I recall that Xi later decided not to honour his (?) word, hence the seven. Or perhaps I misremember. Frankly, I have not the shite to spare on concern.

Regardless, may your teeth grow e'er upward for causing me to remember such times, Mephiston. You blood belching cunt. :drunk:
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Post by VasikkA »

Whoa, I had forgotten DAC had content.

A new interview or two wouldn't hurt the site. How about it, admins?
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