Fallout: New Vegas FAQ

[Tagaziel]

The Fallout: New Vegas FAQ, courtesy of The Vault (and Ausir).


What is Fallout: New Vegas?

Fallout: New Vegas is a futuristic post-apocalyptic cRPG set in an alternate universe based on 50s sci-fi pulp fiction, as if the world had stopped during the optimistic 50s and found itself in a dystopian post-apocalyptic reality. It will make use of not only the engine, but the gameplay style of Bethesda Softworks' Fallout 3, however, with a brand new story and setting.

Is it Fallout 4?

No, Fallout 4 will be a separate future project that will likely be developed by Bethesda Game Studios itself. For more information, see: Fallout 4 FAQ.

Will it be a MMORPG?

No, it will be a single-player game, like previous Fallouts. However, Interplay licensed the rights to a Fallout MMORPG from Bethesda in 2007 and is currently developing it under the codename Project V13. Bethesda recently moved to rescind the Fallout MMORPG license, claiming that Interplay is in breach of the agreement for failure to commence full scale development by April 4, 2009 and to secure certain funding for the game. Interplay disputes these claims.

Is it some kind of DLC?

No, unlike the Fallout 3 DLC packs, it will be a standalone game.

Who is making and publishing Fallout: New Vegas?

Fallout: New Vegas is being developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Bethesda Softworks.

What is Fallout: New Vegas rated?

To be announced. However, Fallout 3 was rated M (Mature) by the ESRB in the United States, and New Vegas will likely have the same rating.

When will it be released?

The game will be released in 2010.

What platforms will it be released for?

Like Fallout 3, the game will be released for the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Will it require Windows Vista?

Fallout 3 will work on PCs running either Windows XP or Vista. New Vegas might run on Windows 7 as well.

Is it being made by people who made previous Fallouts?

Yes, it is being developed by Obsidian Entertainment, which was founded by some of the people who worked on Fallout, Fallout 2 and Van Buren at Interplay/Black Isle Studios.

Who is on the team?

The known developers so far are:

* J.E. Sawyer - project director and lead designer
* John R. Gonzalez - lead creative designer
* Akil Hooper - designer
* Scott Everts - designer

Which other Fallout developers are at Obsidian?

Other people at Obsidian who worked on previous Fallout games include Chris Avellone, Feargus Urquhart, Chris Jones, Chris Parker, Darren Monahan, Brian Menze, Jesse Reynolds and Rich Taylor. At least some of them are likely to be on the New Vegas team.

 

[Guest]

Question: Is it using the Gamebyro 2 Engine (The same engine used for Oblivion and Fallout 3)?

 

[IAmAGuest]

Question: Is it using the Gamebyro 2 Engine (The same engine used for Oblivion and Fallout 3)?

Probably.

I don't see why not.

 

[GuestPostingIsAwesome]

They could make some changes to it, but probably not enough to warrant a different name.

 

[LoggingInTakesTooMuchWork]

Well, would they really be able to pull off a seamless isometric world using Gamebryo? I'm assuming they're going to be given all of Beth's tools which means seperate everything using 'cells'. I don't really want a repeat of Washington D.C with impassable rubble piles, and forced transistion through subways.

 

[Ausir]

It will be using the same gameplay style as FO3, that much is official.

 

[cronicler]

LoggingInTakesTooMuchWork: Civilization 4 uses GB engine too and its isometric. Any 3-D engine can be made into Isometric by fixing the camera. The problem is the fact that your 3rd person view needs to look at least decent. FO3 was all about skating so no it couldn't be played in 3rd person camera without puking.

Obsidian has produced Kotor games and they were not that bad looking in 3rd Person View. If they can inject that into the game than making the game into isometric just takes a small mod (provided that the game is decent at least.)

 

[danielje]

HOLY SHIT!!!!!

This better be awesome. To be honest, I think the reason why Bethesda is doing this is because they want to see what Fallout would look like if it were built on their game engine with the same format.


I'm predicting a game thats ten times better than Fallout 3, but gets tanked on reviews and doesnt win any GOTY awards.

 

[big brother]

Yes, Chris Avellone and all the other guys can work on this game, but I'm still expecting something extremely similar to Fallout 3. Since I've started here I've been saying Fallout 2 and 3 are not as different at the core and I think this will end up proving my point.

We'll have a good if somewhat short main story with tons of side quests, some weird characters, futuristic weapons, shitload of sand, 50's vibe and of course, random encounters. (The difference is that some of those "encounters" in a 3D living world have to be stationary. Houses and buildings with cool stuff... like the giant-trap/convinience store or the F-U door)

Where it could go either way is with the dialogs, humour and Fallout feel. I didn't think Bethsada did a bad job getting the good vibe, it felt mroe Fallout to me than Tactics and BoS... and they were made by Interplay. But anyway, dialogs could be a lot better and that in turn would help to create some memorable characters. I think this will be a little better than Beth's work but I don't think it will be that much more.

 

[100LBSofDogmeat]

HOLY SHIT!!!!!

This better be awesome. To be honest, I think the reason why Bethesda is doing this is because they want to see what Fallout would look like if it were built on their game engine with the same format.


I'm predicting a game thats ten times better than Fallout 3, but gets tanked on reviews and doesnt win any GOTY awards.

I do agree that this game will probably be better than "Fallout" 3, way better more than likely. And yes, it probably won't get as many awards, sadly but expected in this climate of b.s.

I kind of expect BethSoft to rip-off anything and everything Obsidian does to Fallout 3; hence they they want it using their shitty engine and gameplay style. I mean, everything from "Fallout" 3 was directly lifted and stolen from Fallout 1/2/Tactics/Van Buren, in the worst way possible.

Sadly, I don't know if Obsidian is "allowed" to correct all the mistakes in the lore that BethSoft has created.

 

[makemeasammich]

HOLY SHIT!!!!!

This better be awesome. To be honest, I think the reason why Bethesda is doing this is because they want to see what Fallout would look like if it were built on their game engine with the same format.


I'm predicting a game thats ten times better than Fallout 3, but gets tanked on reviews and doesnt win any GOTY awards.

I do agree that this game will probably be better than "Fallout" 3, way better more than likely. And yes, it probably won't get as many awards, sadly but expected in this climate of b.s.

I kind of expect BethSoft to rip-off anything and everything Obsidian does to Fallout 3; hence they they want it using their shitty engine and gameplay style. I mean, everything from "Fallout" 3 was directly lifted and stolen from Fallout 1/2/Tactics/Van Buren, in the worst way possible.

Sadly, I don't know if Obsidian is "allowed" to correct all the mistakes in the lore that BethSoft has created.

It was a sequel to all of those games. How can you say Fallout 3 "stole" elements from them when they're part of the same series and the same universe? That makes no sense.

 

[goffy59]

It was a sequel to all of those games. How can you say Fallout 3 "stole" elements from them when they're part of the same series and the same universe? That makes no sense.

 

[makemeasammich]

It was a sequel to all of those games. How can you say Fallout 3 "stole" elements from them when they're part of the same series and the same universe? That makes no sense.

And what, good sir, did I say that prompted you to roll your eyes at my statement?

 

[TheMutantMe]

It was a sequel to all of those games. How can you say Fallout 3 "stole" elements from them when they're part of the same series and the same universe? That makes no sense.

A lot of the things taken from the previous Fallouts in FO3 shouldn't have been there, sequel or not. A lot of the plot elements were lifted right from older games, like the water chip, the FEV, talking the president into killing himself and so forth. Also, factions like the super mutants and BOS shouldn't have been present either, as they don't fit into the story without the use of contrived, clearly retroactive, explanations.

Small references and re-used minor plot points would be fine as homages, but not the re-use of entire plot elements and the cramming in of everything even remotely iconic about the past games regardless of whether it fits.

If the original developers had done what Fallout 3 does in regard to borrowing from older games, then people would accuse them of just recycling old ideas, but since Beth aren't the original developers, accuse them of stealing.

 

[cronicler]

makemeasammich: Lets count, Shall we?
Vault 101: Original. would have liked to spend a whole chapter there to feel something for father and etc but I get to spend about 10minutes there.

The Escape: one does not compute moment after another. I was this close to beating Butch down last I saw him? How the hell did those get into the heart of the Vault and into private rooms FFS? Shooting people coming near locked doors? Where the hell is the Guard post to the entrance FFS? Housing unit, Computer room and Guard room side by side... Eh? Why the hell did they kill him? and how did't they find holodisk in his pockets? Secret Tunnel??? I mean they could at least use an old supposedly sealed loading dock or something....

Megaton: Copied from Fallout Tactics' Megaton.
Rivet City: Xenophobic people hiding from the world (Many locations) meet drifters occupying a tanker....
Paradise Falls: Another old memory from Tactics...
Little Lamp Light: So good game means insta kill barriers and immortal gatekeepers...
Downtown: I thought I had finished the battlegrounds versus Mutants in FOT.
N+1 Quest locations masqrading as villages on map: Look, these were insufficent in Oblivion (and people modded the hell out of them, adding tons of new stuff to these locations)) and they are still insufficent. 3 houses and an Outhouse does not make a village. It does not evem make a farm....

New Bos vs Old Bos... DnD Paladins are not what BOS is. Those guys are called paladins becouse like the French Knights of the era, those guys' armor is UNstoıppable without a rocket launcher or five.

The Simulation was Original, the gas vault was so so. (logic errors bonanza but enjoyable), FEV Vault was... I mean come on, at lest they could have made that a military bunker ffs. You don't put civilians near WMDs.....

There were 150 or less Vault Tech vaults in all Continental US. 4 of them are within 8 hours of each other? Seriously? I thought US was a bit bigger than that... (The point is not "could have been" what is so hard about writing a cohersive story and saying that this place was a private owned Vault, that place was something else... No time spent on writing some story =\= good story.)

The rest of the Main story was just a mismatch of the high/important points of previous fallouts including POS.

I mean sure, copying it and not fixing it, Just putting in stuff for the cool factor,...

Level Scaling is a broken tool. It was modded out of Oblivion. It is still here. Want a check? Go kill a raider with heavy weapon at lvl 2 or 3 then go kill one with the same weapon at lvl 15. Compare the dropped item durability and NPC damage.

If you are so used to bite sized little morsels fed to you, why do you even bother with other people who don't sing the party line?

 

[100LBSofDogmeat]

HOLY SHIT!!!!!

This better be awesome. To be honest, I think the reason why Bethesda is doing this is because they want to see what Fallout would look like if it were built on their game engine with the same format.


I'm predicting a game thats ten times better than Fallout 3, but gets tanked on reviews and doesnt win any GOTY awards.

I do agree that this game will probably be better than "Fallout" 3, way better more than likely. And yes, it probably won't get as many awards, sadly but expected in this climate of b.s.

I kind of expect BethSoft to rip-off anything and everything Obsidian does to Fallout 3; hence they they want it using their shitty engine and gameplay style. I mean, everything from "Fallout" 3 was directly lifted and stolen from Fallout 1/2/Tactics/Van Buren, in the worst way possible.

Sadly, I don't know if Obsidian is "allowed" to correct all the mistakes in the lore that BethSoft has created.

It was a sequel to all of those games. How can you say Fallout 3 "stole" elements from them when they're part of the same series and the same universe? That makes no sense.

Well, if you had played the first two games and paid attention, you'd understand what I'm talking about. Though cronicler did a good job.

However, tt's not that BethSoft continued the lore, they straight jacked terms, names, and locations to insert into "Fallout" 3. Regardless of buying the name and assets, they just harvested it for parts.

- Rivet City was lifted from the tanker in San Fran (FO2).
- Harold walked over 2000 miles to get stuck in Maryland?!
- The Regulators, well, just play Fallout 1 again and we'll talk about that later.
- Do you remember who Zimmerman was? Hint: look above.
- Arefu was a twist on Modock, just less effort.

I could go on and on, and I believe I do have a list somewhere, but this is supposed to be discussion on New Vegas.

 

[the lone deathclaw]

This has some potential. But I swear to Cthulu if I see Angela Bishop as head of the New Vegas mafia and her daughter is a sex crazed addict I'm gonna snap.

However lets be honest, the Fallout Series even before Fallout 2 was built with a wide variety of homages to things that came before and popular culture. The arguments the fans of the older games are making is that Fallout 1 paid homage to a Mad Max-esqe world but it did not make you fight in the god-damn thunderdome as part of the vital quest.

Something I would like to encounter in New Vegas would be Marcus or at least remnants of any fellow mutant communities he went out in search for at the end of Fallout 2. The sad part is because of getting an AO rating for pushing the envelope with Sin City, I feel it will be more toned down than the Cat's Paw rather than Mass Effect. I'm not saying the game should be focused on sex but it would be hard not to incorporate some of the darker/lustier elements of fallout 2.

A side note, please please please....do not make Yucca Mountain secretly filled with F.E.V. and not nuclear waste.

 

[RedConversation]

Well, would they really be able to pull off a seamless isometric world using Gamebryo? I'm assuming they're going to be given all of Beth's tools which means seperate everything using 'cells'. I don't really want a repeat of Washington D.C with impassable rubble piles, and forced transistion through subways.

Actually, the whole self-contained cells were a choice. Oblivion's engine was based off Morrowind's engine, and in Morrowind, outside was outside. It was still divided into cells, sure, but they were (for the most part) seamless. I don't know why they refused to do that with Oblivion and Fallout3.
I'm completely confident, it's possible.

 

[coliphorbs]

It's been done with Oblivion by modders, yeah.

 

[Guest]

I have actually prayed to god (not kidding) that this game will finally be a propper successor to FO 1&2. I have just spent some time with the Van Buren demo and felt that pleasant, tingly feeling in my chest wich I last felt playing FO 2, that feeling that sais "this game gives me the sensation of beeing where the writer wants me to be". Comparable to reading a good book that enables its reader to forget his surroundings and immerse himself into the story. And if anywone can pull it off again, then its J.E. Sawyer and his team, cause they done pulled it off 3 (counting Van Buren demo) times before.

Just a thought which I wanted to share with you guys.