Fallout 4

[Yevrah]

If I didn't like them I wouldn't have bought the last three. In many ways the problem is how I play games but whatever.

Also, I review this shit. I've got a right to be pissy because I play a fucking lot of them.

But didn't review this, yet feel the need to keep popping in here belittling other's anticipation and now enjoyment of it.

It's quite Harold-esque behaviour and you know the score there - three posts, so I'm out.

[Shindig]

I kinda want to check out The Witcher beforehand.

[Dark Soldier]

The Witcher is superb, was a clusterfuck on launch.

[Dark Soldier]

But didn't review this, yet feel the need to keep popping in here belittling other's anticipation and now enjoyment of it.

It's quite Harold-esque behaviour and you know the score there - three posts, so I'm out.

Noted, no criticism in game threads.

[Yevrah]

This thread isn't for negativity Shindig, it needs to be a big old love in.

Criticism's fine. I didn't have a go at you when you did so DS, in fact I openly encouraged it. That you managed to do it without coming across as a complete fuckwit was the difference.

[Raoul Duke]

I don't mind people who are actually playing it critiquing it (without spoilers), or people commenting generally when it's just pre-launch stuff but when it's out to buy/play the discussion should be more about the actual gameplay.

DS/Phonics/Shindig have done nothing but post repeatedly about how they don't like the series. Ok, fine, but you don't need to endlessly bang on about it. I think PES is a load or arsewank but I don't post in there every day mocking their shit translations and assbackwards approach to licensing.

[Dark Soldier]

Actually I've read a post I missed and get what you mean, my bad.

EDIT: @Yev.

[Dark Soldier]

I don't mind people who are actually playing it critiquing it (without spoilers), or people commenting generally when it's just pre-launch stuff but when it's out to buy/play the discussion should be more about the actual gameplay.

DS/Phonics/Shindig have done nothing but post repeatedly about how they don't like the series. Ok, fine, but you don't need to endlessly bang on about it. I think PES is a load or arsewank but I don't post in there every day mocking their shit translations and assbackwards approach to licensing.

Nobody is posting every day, it started yesterday and you've had a few negative posts (primarily about Bethesda from me) amongst those having a great old time with it. I'll have it tomorrow and if I fall in love with it, I'll be delighted. You can have contrasting points pre/post release, and among the many many tales of wonder this game is bringing, there's quite a lot about game breaking bugs, glitches, missions not completing and all sorts of wonkiness.

As there was about The Witcher and seemingly every game on release this gen.

[Yevrah]

Back to the game, I've done the first couple of missions now on Survival mode and it's going just fine - that difficulty feels easier (so far) than New Vegas on hardcore mode, or Skyrim on Legendary, albeit VATS is pretty nerfed compared to how effective it was on FNV, let alone Fallout 3.

[The Bruce]

That intro is a thing of serious beauty and sets the ton perfectly.

I'm 5 hours in and just got back to my settlement for the first time, it's brilliant so far :drool:

[Raoul Duke]

It was simple up until I came up against those ghouls. I hate shit that lurches at you in games :( I'm definitely going to shit my pants while exploring some underground cave thing.

[The Bruce]

Feral ghouls launching themselves at you then killing them with VATS as they lie on the floor is great though. I'm in agreement about the shitting yourself in a cave down the line though, bit like the screaming zombies in Half Life 2 :|

[Alex]

You can have plastic surgery in Diamond City.

What I'm loving so far is the diversity of side quests. It's no longer just fetch, fetch, fetch. To give an example, in one quest I've just done I've had to have a bar fight, persuade someone to fall in love with another NPC and then chase down some greasers who have stolen Nico Bellic's identical twin.

I haven't arrived there yet, but this is good news. I faffed about with my character for ages before I left the vault but now I'm thinking that I'm looking a bit too boyish for the apocalypse.

I need some more intimidating clothes as well. I've still got my jumpsuit on, which makes me look like a janitor. I need to get a bit of a gunslinger look at the go, like Preston Garvey.

[Shindig]

Stuff I like, though. The general loot lust that seems to be going on. More variety in guns and such. And shooting free range is a bit more viable although I still look at it and think VATS is the way to go. Sounds like there's no major benefit to the base building so I can happily skip that or let places go to ruin.

[Yevrah]

Why does Power Armour have health and degrade, yet no other armour or weapons do?

Am I missing something?

[Yevrah]

Stuff I like, though. The general loot lust that seems to be going on. More variety in guns and such. And shooting free range is a bit more viable although I still look at it and think VATS is the way to go. Sounds like there's no major benefit to the base building so I can happily skip that or let places go to ruin.

Yeah, the settlement building is really for mentalists like me that get the immersion side of it.

Some of the menu and storage options in this aren't particularly intuitive, it has to be said.

[Demerit]

Preston Garvey is a complete dick. Anything I say or do that Jesus would frown upon, Preston disliked that. So I punched him in the face and he went back to Sanctuary.

Lone Ranger now.

I also can't leave my jumpsuit, but that's because I'm finding NPC's come out with some good lines when I'm wearing it and I've got a few side quests as a result of wearing it around town.

[Cord]

Well I've spent about 45 minutes just slowly searching through the first village you come to. I've done nothing and I bloody love it.

The very beginning of Fallout games are always so weirdly entertaining. Literally everything - toasters, footballs, a crappy suit - is exciting to me. Sooner or later the novelty will wear off, but I'm enjoying the shit out of this while it lasts.

[Yevrah]

Well I've spent about 45 minutes just slowly searching through the first village you come to. I've done nothing and I bloody love it.

The very beginning of Fallout games are always so weirdly entertaining. Literally everything - toasters, footballs, a crappy suit - is exciting to me. Sooner or later the novelty will wear off, but I'm enjoying the shit out of this while it lasts.

I did exactly the same. :D

[Ian]

Reminds me of how I spent about an hour and a half in the first mini-hub of Human Revolution snooping about people's flats and checking there was nothing I'd missed in some random alley.

[Yevrah]

I've just spent about an hour removing everything I can from Sanctuary and them I'm going to build a fucking barrier wall around the whole place.

Mental.

[Demerit]

Get most of your building and cleaning over and done with whilst you're there.

Later on you just don't have the inventory space for all the toasters and wonderglue that you need to build defense turrets.

I've got a box full of junk at my house in Sanctuary, waiting to be turned into water pumps.

That's enough for today, 18 hours in, one main storyline mission completed (I think that was actually the opening mission getting out the vault). The second halfway through.

I genuinely would say this is the most immersive world Bethesda have ever built, I've never taken things quite this slowly.

I'm also close to having a sexual relationship with a French robot..

[Sam]

I've died three times, shit myself in Concord and can't figure out how to do a damn thing.

I. Fucking. Love. It.

[Sam]

Wait, you can build up a place? How do I do this?

[Yevrah]

Wait, you can build up a place? How do I do this?

Go to Sanctuary and start scrapping stuff (ruined buildings, tires, trees) and build.

I've built a fuck off fence around all of Sanctuary for my first settlement, up to level 6 (4 perk points still to play with) and now I'm off to Diamond City in the hope of selling some shit and finding some proper ordinance.

[Shindig]

Okay, Giantbomb are giving PC and console versions of this separate reviews. 4/5 PC. 3/5 console.

[Sam]

Go to Sanctuary and start scrapping stuff (ruined buildings, tires, trees) and build.

I've built a fuck off fence around all of Sanctuary for my first settlement, up to level 6 (4 perk points still to play with) and now I'm off to Diamond City in the hope of selling some shit and finding some proper ordinance.

Had no idea that was possible, just picked the game up on a wim hah.

Will spend my night building my fortress then, as tbh, I end up getting slaughtered everytime I venture out currently.

[wullie]

I think I'll end up just reading about it and watching videos rather than taking the plunge, I can't really give timesink games like this the attention they require nowadays.

[Yevrah]

How do you build a contained room for a shitter in your house?

[Boydy]

You have to build a toilet in your house? :D

What is this, The Sims?

[Yevrah]

You don't have to, but you can.

Sorted now anyhow.

[Cord]

I thought I'd pretty much ignore the settlement building, but it's actually quite a good little diversion. I think I'm going to spend some time tarting up Sanctuary, and most importantly, finding something cool to wear before doing the missions.

Just had my first nuclear storm too, which was a nice touch.

[Sam]

I think I might clean up Sanctuary first before exploring further than Concord, assuming I've got a nice 'base' to travel back to would be great. As a total novice at this, can one create vaults and such? I've generally just been going into every house and place I could find picking up junk.

Must say aside that the game looks fucking stunning as well.

Please say someone else shit themselves when the Deathclaw appears in Concord? I got the power armour and went full Rambo to clear out the Raiders then the fucking thing just jumped over a building, made me yell 'Oh shiiiitttt!' hit run and head straight back to the Commonwealth :D.

[Raoul Duke]

I think I might clean up Sanctuary first before exploring further than Concord, assuming I've got a nice 'base' to travel back to would be great. As a total novice at this, can one create vaults and such? I've generally just been going into every house and place I could find picking up junk.

Must say aside that the game looks fucking stunning as well.

Please say someone else shit themselves when the Deathclaw appears in Concord? I got the power armour and went full Rambo to clear out the Raiders then the fucking thing just jumped over a building, made me yell 'Oh shiiiitttt!' hit run and head straight back to the Commonwealth :D.


Kinda -I recognised it was coming from one of the pre-launch videos. I just mini-gunned it to pieces while it dealt with the raider plebs. Luckily it was too preoccupied with them, but fuck meeting one of those on a cold wed night in the middle of the wasteland :D

I've found a second set of PA but it's locked away. Started putting some focus into my lock picking so I can go back and get it.


Started messing around with building power stuff. Pro tip: stuff needs generator + pylons in order to work in proximity (e.g. lights). Some things need to be connected directly with wires.

[Yevrah]

Regarding that encounter.



Playing on Survival it beasted me a few times (I got it down to about 10% of its health on one occasion) before I realised I could hide in the building to the right of the tunnel it comes out from and it was too big to follow me through the door.



Here's Eurogamer's guide to settlement building which is quite handy if anyone's struggling.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvgEA2LDNWM

[phonics]

Fiarplay, that little FMV sequence at the beginning might be the best thing Bethesda have ever written. The rest of the intro, less so.

[Yevrah]

Yep - That and the first hour's play sets the scene so well.

[Sam]

Yep - That and the first hour's play sets the scene so well.

Agreed, the first hour sucked me right in, before I knew it I'd put sunk 4 hours into the game and it was 2am.

Much appreciated for the building guide as well.

Assuming this game is one that isn't linear, appears to quite a few side quests I've gathered so far, albeit the one at the flooded quarry showed my tiredness. Managed to think that jumping into water with power armour on wouldn't lead to me sinking to the bottom and certain death.

[Dark Soldier]

All the jazz before you get out into the wasteland is horrible. Enjoying scavenging everything currently, it all feels a bit clunky but I can get around that.

[Sam]

All the jazz before you get out into the wasteland is horrible. Enjoying scavenging everything currently, it all feels a bit clunky but I can get around that.

Are you playing windowed mode?

http://www.postcount.net/forum/showthread.php?164584-Fallout-4-fixes-and-improvents-(Terminal-Bug-FOV)

Fixes for the fps drops that made it clunky there.

[Dark Soldier]

I'm on PS4. I meant clunky as in using the pip boy, and that whole building a base thing which having spent five minutes with I won't be bothering with again.

[Yevrah]

Downtown Boston. :drool:

On the downside, some of the criticisms about fps issues (or Slowdown as I like to call it) are starting to rear their head and they're not great - certainly worse than anything in F3, FNV or Skyrim.

[Byron]

General verdict chaps? Do I pick it up on payday or wait for the inevitable patches and updates?

[Yevrah]

I've only put in 20 hours and have still barely scratched the surface, so it's too early to judge fully, but from what I've experienced so far, it's very very good.

[Dark Soldier]

Engine is awful, animation/lip-syncing and all that is laughable, but in general its fun if dated. VATs is still rewarding and looting as ever is addictive.

[Shindig]

I caught a glimpse of their ghoul models yesterday. Its like sentient rice pudding. Thinking about giving the PC version a shot at some point.

[Yevrah]

The art direction (if that's the right term) makes the most of what are probably modest (but not that bad) graphics and as a result it's stunning to look at a times and feels really immersive.

[Dark Soldier]

Yeah there are moments where it looks stunning, and then moments where its a bit nah pal, thanks for the effort.

[Boydy]

So are Bethesda not taking advantage of the new gen consoles (they still seem new to me despite having been around a while) or are the consoles themselves just not that much of a leap forward?

[Dark Soldier]

They're a hell of a leap forward (see Bloodborne, Witcher 3 and others), its just a generation of games half borked on release.

[Yevrah]

So are Bethesda not taking advantage of the new gen consoles (they still seem new to me despite having been around a while) or are the consoles themselves just not that much of a leap forward?

The graphics are fine (not as good as GTA V on this gen, but better than The Witcher 3, for example), but it's still early days in the life of this gen, so I suppose we might expect a similar leap between this and Skyrim's sequel as we had with Fallout 3 and Skyrim.

[Dark Soldier]

All in all a fairly positive opening four hours. There are the issues I expected, but the world feels very well built, some lovely little touches in places. The combat isn't too bad, the non-VATs gunplay is manageable. I've only done three quests so far, but I can see me sticking with it for the long haul. Streamlined levelling system is a bonus, I can map what I want easily. Companion system is alright, but I mainly use them as walking storage. The whole building minigame can get to fuck, I've set up water, food, defences and I'm done with that side of things.

[Mazuuurk]

Well fuck, I need to buy a new computer :moop:

[Cord]

Anybody have any experience with raiders nicking their power armour? Some cheeky nonce seems to have had a go at stealing mine, got into and walked about two yards before being downed by the pathetic pistol wielding settlers of my town, but though I can take the individuals bits back off his corpse, I can't remove the actual frame, which leaves me somewhat screwed.

Anyone encountered a way of getting it back?

[Ian]

Why weren't you wearing your power armour at all times????

Also: While I wouldn't do anything this drastic out of the box I do like that PC modders are already banging out graphic mods.

[Cord]

Why weren't you wearing your power armour at all times????

Power armour is one of the big things they've changed in this. It's more like a vehicle now, where you need to have a constant supply of batteries to keep it going. Basically it means you should be using it on special occasions rather than plodding around in it all the time.

The settlements all have a special holder thing for keeping it on, though it seems NPCs can't be trusted to defend the fucking thing. Time to design ludicrous defences to keep the bastards away.

[Ian]

Well boo to that.

When I play this I'm going to spend so much time pissing about building stuff to defend my loot. I'll probably build my defences before I have anything worth defending if this is what I have to worry about. :moop:

[Shindig]

Frig that. I rarely used power armour in 3 so why start now?

[Ian]

I just like the option with these things.

I'll probably initially attempt to be a talky stealthy type until I realise the game is mocking me for doing it.

[Demerit]

21 hours in and I've just started using the power armour, and my god so I feel safe and cosy in it.

[Yevrah]

My Power Armour's fucked. I think only the helmet works now - a mission to clear out the Corvega factory ruined it. :moop:

[Cord]

That's good to hear, I think I'm off there next.

I've started to encounter some more varied baddies now. Just ended up in a car park full of feral ghouls (much better animations for them this time), and had an encounter with some mirelurks, which seem to have been made creepier. Positive so far in that respect.

It's a bit of an odd quiet start to the game really. I've been going for a decent amount of hours, and not done anything much of importance and not really hit anything to knock my socks off yet. In 3 for instance you pretty much bumble into Megaton straight away and have loads of things to do, whereas in this I've popped out of the vault and mainly collected desk fans and built some fences in a small village. I must have talked to about five people in 10+ hours of game. It's a strange choice, as though I'm happily getting on with it, I'm not sure it would be a great introduction to the series for any newbies.

[Yevrah]

I was thinking the same on that note Cord. I don't know whether it's because I've pissed around more in this than I have in any Bethesda game before, but (the bit where you first get the Power Armour aside) it's all been quite low key so far and I've done a fair few missions over the 20 hours I've played it for now.

[Raoul Duke]

That Corvega mission is pretty tough - I probably should have tried to get the Power Armour working for it, rather than just tackle it with a dog :cab: Make sure you collect the Bobblehead from there too.

Some of the PA upgrades sound awesome (jetpack :drool:). From reading up on it people say you can pretty much roll full PA for the whole thing if you're advancing the story at a decent pace. Fusion Cores become more commonplace later on and there's a perk to make them last longer (which I will definitely be investing in).

There are some ace weapon mods too. Got myself a fairly punchy combat pistol, and also a nifty sniper rifle with which I picked off some raider gimp from miles away who was stood on top of a lookout post :drool:

[Cord]

I've wandered down to the city next to the Corvega factory, which looks an interesting place.

It's night, and so I spotted some guy on a raised platform overhead by the spotlight on his power armour (lighting effect looks great, people complaining about the graphics). I was just sneaking closer to see if I could ascertain if he was likely to be friendly or not when some ghouls dropped down onto me from above (they can climb, which is suitably creepy). My frantic gunshots attracted a whole army of ghouls, which I had to fight off while running into the nearest building for cover. I'm now stood on the roof of the building, watching the ghouls trying to assault the unspecified power armoured dude and his mates, who are firing off massive rockets into the street and surrounding buildings, all while a thunderstorm rages.

My first proper impressive moment.

[Sam]

Spent all night building Sanctuary into a fortress thinking that's was what was needed to get the 'build a defense' part of the quest completed. Turns out I needed to set a turret. Hah. Still looks awesome though.

As for any progress, ended up going to Lexington, found a factory, saw it was filled with a bunch of raiders and got scared off into the 'Super Duper Market' which I've cleared out before I had a crash (just) and released it's 1am.

Hmm...

[The Bruce]

Only an hour spent killing three Protecteron robots in the ArcJet factory down the road, all because I found a lift that needed power to work in the garage next door. Never did find a way to get it working :(

Diamond City is pretty swish looking and Mirelurks are bastards.

[Demerit]

How many cities are in this game? I've been milling in and around diamond city for a while now doing all sort of misc side quests.

I think there's still a whole load that I haven't even seen yet, I haven't been up in the posh side in the stands for example, can we get up there?

Spent last night after the pub doing the second main story mission and some brotherhood of steel stuff. I really love my power armour.

[Yevrah]

No idea how many cities there are Dem (I'd probably rather not know), but I spent a couple of hours running around the map last night and it's huge, so I'd expect there to be a fair few more.

[Sam]

The map seems massive, even getting to Diamond City has meant I've got side tracked into two little suburbs (where the Electrical store is and the Power Stations) as well as a few other locations dotted around the map. I'm going to imagine this will be a bloody huge map come the end of the game.

[phonics]

Fallouts map is the same size as Skyrim but can be covered much faster due to lack of mountains if you were looking for something to compare scale with.

Watched my friend playing this last night, it's absolutely infuriating with no control as you're just thinking 'Pick up that. Turn left, no not that way, that way. etc.'

[Yevrah]

Fallouts map is the same size as Skyrim but can be covered much faster due to lack of mountains if you were looking for something to compare scale with.

I'd heard that said before I'd played it, but now I have, I'm not so sure. I never understand how these comparisons work anyway. 30 square miles? How's that measured then?

[phonics]

It's how you generate landmass in a world. You have an algorithm that was player speed and such factored in and then it'll generate your hills and such to scale.

It's a slightly more advanced version of this;

http://nemesis.thewavelength.net/images/images/tg2.gif

[Yevrah]

What level are people at and what are they rocking?

Level and Special

Level 9

Strength - 3
Perception - 6 (+)
Endurance - 3
Charisma - 4 (+)
Intelligence - 3
Agility - 5
Luck - 8

Perks

Perk Chart Perks

Better Criticals Rank 1
Locksmith Rank 2
Toughness Rank 1

Other Perks

Astoundingly Awesome 8 (+5 AP)
Barbarian Rank 1
Junktown Vendor Rank 1

Weapons

Compensated Hardened 10mm Pistol (Damage 22)

Apparel

Leather Left Arm, Right Arm, Left Leg and Right Leg
Militia Hat
Raider Leathers
Lightweight Girded Leather Chest Piece

Overall DR of 25 (including perks)


The above is working quite nicely, but I could do with a better go to weapon to take enemies harder than raiders down. I've got 4 perk points to play with so I probably should use them, but I'm hesitant to chuck a couple of them into things that will only be a short term measure. e.g. I could do two ranks of gunslinger, which would increase my pistol's damage by 40%, but as soon as I find a better gun I doubt I'll use that again, so at this stage it'd be a bit of a waste.

[Demerit]

I'll check when I'm home but off the top of my head..

Level 17

Strength - 3
Perception - 3
Endurance - 2
Charisma - 10
Intelligence - 7
Agility - 2
Luck - 3

I've upped Charisma quite a bit with perk points as I wanted the intimidate perk.

Perks

Perk Chart Perks

Locksmith Rank 2
Hacker Rank 1
Intimidate Rank 1
Animal Friend Rank 1
Bloody Mess Rank 1
Scavenger Rank 2

Think I have one more..

Other Perks

Cannot remember for the life of me, I've got 4 bobbleheads and a few magazines.

Weapons

Rightous whatever it is
Heavy Sniper Rifle
Snubnose .44 Pistol
Sawn off Shotgun with Extended Magazine
Barbed Baseball Bat

Apparel

Vault 111 Jumpsuit
DC Guard Chest Piece
Hardened Raider Left Arm, Right Arm, Left Leg, Right Leg
Minuteman Hat
Hazard Suit for when I'm in a high-rad area.

Companion

Curie

I'm a smooth talking professor who makes up for a lack of combat nouse with a good range of weapons and by padding every part of skin I have with hardened armour.

Working a treat at the moment, I change into a t-shirt and trousers when in cities to make me a charisma machine so I'm able to bump up the amount of caps I get for quests by double (Preston Hated That!..) before I pad up to the nines. Able to talk my way through a fair bit of the story, which I like, I hate not having all the conversation options available.

I'll be focusing on hacking and lock-picking perks for now so I don't have to keep writing down safes and terminals I want to come back to later.

The scavenger perks are fundamental I find, I'm constantly running out of ammo so it helps to stock up with what I can.

[Yevrah]

Good shout on the T-shirt and jeans thing Dem.

I could be wrong (as I'm far from anything like as comfortable at this stage as I was with Fallout 3 and Vegas by the end) but I suspect that on Survival difficulty the key perks (other than the obvious damage/health/AP ones) will be the modding ones - the increases in Damage output and resistance from doing them (and I've not been able to do many yet) look unreal.

[Yevrah]

Changed into the Sea Captain's Hat for the +2 Endurance gain. Richard Gere's got nothing on me now.

[Demerit]

Also, after a few days I think I'm able to recap on what I think of the game.

Pros:

The game world is completely immersive, and its the most comfortable I've felt in a Bethesda world. I like it more than Skyrim, Oblivion and FO3. I never fell in love with the world in FO3 because it's a bit too dreary, but they've cleverly used colour to bring it to life a bit which I like.

The combat has certainly improved, trying to aim down the sights on a small target is still a nightmare and I usually resort to VATS for radroaches etc but it's perfectly good (and not just for a Bethesda game).

I absolutely love the fact the main character has a voice. I was on the fence beforehand but I think having a character rather than just being essentially a voiceless camera has helped the immersion for me massively.

The depth and variety of locations are again excellent, you can really get lost for hours after planning to poke your nose through a doorway, but you get lost because it's constantly interesting, not because you feel you have to. This was an issue I had with previous games, I felt I was sometimes exploring because I needed to because "that's what you're meant to do in these games", whereas with this one, I'm exploring because it's genuinely interesting and there's always something rewarding at the end.

Cons:

Dialogue options. I'm not a fan of the vagueness of the dialogue choices you have, they're often misleading and not actually what I wanted my character to say. All it has done is massively make me want to play Mass Effect.

I also wish they'd make it clear which options move the conversation on, and which bring you back to the same set of options. Sometimes I'll ask something because I want to probe a bit, expecting to be able to come back and move the conversation on, but it'll progress me onto the next set of options instead.

Camera angles during dialogue. Not had many glitches, but I've had two or three now, usually when people are sitting down, there the camera decides to either look up at their chin or glitch itself inside the person.



That's actually it I think. The important stuff, the gameplay, the world design, the enjoyment factor are all there. If the dialogue was up to Mass Effect's level it would be a 10/10 for me (it's a really important aspect for me the way I play these games), because it's not it's more 8.5-9/10, which makes it a bloody good game by my reckoning.

[Yevrah]

I'll hold fire before passing full judgement, but what I will say is that it's rapidly becoming the most immersive game I've ever played. Not least for some of the reasons you've listed Dem.

[Yevrah]

Just killed my first legendary beastie. :cool:



It was only a radroach

[Cord]

Obtaining a sea captain's hat has been my main priority for a while now, so far no luck. My current setup:

Level 8

Strength - 5
Perception - 4
Endurance - 4
Charisma - 6
Intelligence - 7
Agility - 4
Luck - 3

Perk Chart stuff

Lady Killer lvl 1
Medic lvl 1
Locksmith lvl 1

Magazine perks

Barbarian lvl 1
Covert Operations lvl 1
Wasteland Survival 8 (5% less damage from melee attacks)

Weapons

Heavy Pipe Revolver Sniper Rifle (damage 26, range 203)
Short Double-Barreled Shotgun (damage 45)
Glow Sighted Calibrated 10mm pistol (damage 24)

Apparel
Army Helmet
Road Leathers
Pocketed Girded Leather Chest Piece
Metal Right arm
Leather left arm
Boiled Leather Right Leg
Leather Left Leg

For a total of 32 damage resistance. I've yet to find any suitably cool charisma enhancing threads. I like to think of myself as a sort of Mad Max/Man with No Name wandering badass, so I refuse to wear anything that isn't cool.

I'm currently taking Dogmeat around with me, as I'm impressed at just how realistically annoying they've managed to make the German Shepherd, and it brings back memories.

[Demerit]

I've officially lost Dogmeat, I sent him to Sanctuary and have never seen him again.

I wish I could lose Preston.

[Sam]

Wish the UI for the workshop was a bit better, clearly have consoles in mind.

Don't know how this would be possible to play on a console, the amount of qbinds I have is unreal.

[Yevrah]

qbinds?

[Dark Soldier]

Dogmeat should be in a doghouse, there's two already at Sanctuary. Took me a while too. And if camera glitches during conversation, hold left on the pad/mouse whatever and it'll glitch back to 1st person view.

[Yevrah]

I scrapped the doghouses in Sanctuary. Better get one back then....

[Cord]

My dogmeat finding tip for sanctuary is to get rid of the doghouses out back of all the random houses and put one down somewhere central. He should end up there should you need to send him back.

I'm tempted to use Codsworth more, as he was a bit of a badass the one time I used him, and also brings a bit of levity to proceedings.

[Yevrah]

Oh and as no one's mentioned it so far (unless I've missed it), how good is the music?

The crescendo in the main theme. :drool:

[Yevrah]

Can you have the dog as a companion and someone else?

[Cord]

Oh and as no one's mentioned it so far (unless I've missed it), how good is the music?

The crescendo in the main theme. :drool:

The music is great, but I do wish they'd put some GTA style effort in and get some more songs for the radio. I had to do a medium length over encumbered slog back to the gas station this morning, and I'm pretty sure I looped through the songs twice. I'd imagine a lot of the stuff they'd be after would be out of copyright as well, so there's no excuse that I can see.

The dog is technically a companion, so you can only use him on his own.

[Yevrah]

Yeah, I've always found the radio stations to be a bit shit.

[Dark Soldier]

I used the dog to get the locked gun out of the vault and have been going lonesome ever since.

[Sam]

qbinds?

Quickbinds.

E.g. Have R as reload etc.

[Sam]

I scrapped the doghouses in Sanctuary. Better get one back then....

I left one in the main house, where I made a garden and kept the swing set for the kids.

Literally went full blown into making this a home from home base, surrounded the whole of it with guardtowers and fences to stop any wannabe intruders and then gutted every house apart from the main one.

[Yevrah]

I left one in the main house, where I made a garden and kept the swing set for the kids.

Literally went full blown into making this a home from home base, surrounded the whole of it with guardtowers and fences to stop any wannabe intruders and then gutted every house apart from the main one.

I did exactly the same. :D

Sporting some caged armour now - I look like bad Rimmer from the Angels and Demons episode of Red Dwarf.

[Baz]

Hooray my game has arrived.

... however my PS4 pad is at my mates. Left it there on Saturday. :cry:

Will borrow one of Mike's over the weekend.

[Raoul Duke]

Level 11

Strength - 3
Perception - 5
Endurance - 6
Charisma - 4
Intelligence - 6
Agility - 3
Luck - 3

Perks

Aquagirl
Armourer
Locksmith
Toughness
Lifegiver
Medic
Gun nut
Scrapper
Scrounger


Weapons

Molotov cocktails
Hardened Pipe Revolver Sniper Rifle
Compensated Hardened 10mm Pistol
Short Laser Musket
Machete

Apparel

Insulated Vault 111 Jumpsuit
Assault Gas Mask
Raider shit elsewhere


Companion
Dogmeat



Oh and as no one's mentioned it so far (unless I've missed it), how good is the music?

The crescendo in the main theme. :drool:

The Wanderer is such a badass song. Loved it in the trailer and it goes down a storm now when you're in the midst of a firefight.

[-james-]

Alright, I've just been on this for four hours having never played a Fallout game before. I have little clue what I'm doing. Fun tho.

[Alex]

Nick Valentine. :cool:

After I got him out of the vault that "Skinny Malone" character confronted us and gave us until the count of ten to make ourselves scare so I shot him in the face. :cool:

Now I'm strolling round in his tuxedo and bowler hat.

[Yevrah]

Anyone been to Swan's Place?

[Raoul Duke]

Oh christ, I didn't realise ghouls could crawl in through the fucking walls :uhoh:

Cleared out the Super Dart Mart. Also found a secret elevator behind a bookcase in a nearby place, but couldn't get it to work...

[Ian]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJQ_7jKIm24

[Yevrah]

Ghouls are a right bastard in this.

[Cord]

All the beasties, even Bloatflies and mole rats, seem to be capable of giving me some trouble in this. I don't remember that being the case from the previous games.

I've done some exploring further south, which has quite a significant amount more interesting stuff than the starting corner of the map, which continues to make Bethesda's decisions regarding the start look a little odd. Sadly I've collected a load of stuff and the dog, who I was relying on to carry it all, has fucked off somewhere, so I'm now slowly trudging my way back up the map.

At least it's given me time to appreciate the Diamond City radio DJ, who is ace.

[Yevrah]

which continues to make Bethesda's decisions regarding the start look a little odd.

What else makes you think it's odd?

I really like that you start in a corner, with the whole map stretching out before you.

[Yevrah]

Question Time done and booting up again when I should really be going to bed.

This game is going to fucking ruin me.

[Demerit]

I've forced myself off it for tonight.

I keep clearing out places which I'm sure will be used in quests later on down the line so I hope I'm not voiding them by pre-clearing.

The brotherhood blimp :cool:

[Demerit]

First play through I always play as 'Me', making decisions that I would make, a character that resembles myself appearance wise.

Second play through I am always a complete dick to everyone, and I'm making my character Walter White http://kotaku.com/the-best-character-recreations-in-fallout-4-1742087916

[Yevrah]

That Putin recreation. :D

[Shindig]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dejO6aiA7bs

Sounds like PC's the way to go, then. Months from now. £33 at CD keys. Hmmmmm.

[Sam]

Who's done the first Brotherhood of Steel quest? Retrieving the deep transmitter.

Oh my at that reward, fucking lazer beam bone dissolving gun! Synth's were an utter ballbag to kill with a machete however, seem to have massive issues finding ammo at the moment. Fun quest never the less.

Beyond that started on my artifact hunting for the Brotherhood, will have to post a picture when I get in from work, even on low details this game just looks spectacular.

[Ian]

I'm too useless with those face slider things to actually make a specific person and so just muck about until I settle on one I can tolerate.

How much does the player character speak? I've just seen the female voice actor is the woman who did, amongst other things, Jack in the Mass Effect games and she was pretty good in that. If I've got to listen to somebody a lot the actor can make a difference in what I decide to play if there's a good one. Going femShep in Mass Effect and getting Jennifer Hale definitely made a different when I restarted the first game the third time and didn't play as a man and get subjected to Generohero Smith.

[Disco]

PC players, is there an FOV option in by default and on a more general note how buggy is this at release?

[Sam]

PC players, is there an FOV option in by default and on a more general note how buggy is this at release?
Issues with windowed mode that have been fixed but other then that it runs really smooth without any FPS drops at all.

[Disco]

Thank you, do you know if it will run in a borderless window?

[Sam]

Thank you, do you know if it will run in a borderless window?

That's how I play, there is a fix released to get the best out of it.

[-james-]

I did it as soon as I installed it, so I'm not aware of the difference, but this (http://files.shanelenzen.com/fix-fallout-4.html) is worth a look for PC users, and addresses the FOV concern.

The camera glitching in dialogue that demerit mentioned, and Paladin Danse spinning around in a circle every so often when he's meant to be leading me somewhere are the only bugs I've encountered.

Just scrapped almost everything in sanctuary, was strangely enjoyable once I figured out that you can confirm with 'e' instead of enter. The workshop menu had me pretty baffled initially but I quite like it now. They're not going to moan that I've got rid of all the sofas and rugs, are they?

[-james-]

Also, is there a more efficient way of scrapping all of my junk than tossing it all on the floor?

[Cord]

Also, is there a more efficient way of scrapping all of my junk than tossing it all on the floor?

I just stick it all in the workbench, and then I think it just uses stuff up as you build things.

[Sam]

I've just been littering the landscape with my junk and taking up anything that seems important. I've got bugger all weapons though.

[Alex]

Yeah, like Cord says, just periodically travel back to Sanctuary and dump it all in the work bench. That's what I've been doing anyway.

[Alex]

I've also only just realised, 17 hours in, there's an armour workbench right next to the power armour station in Sanctuary. :mood:

So I've finally done a bit of armour crafting. I might invest in a few of the perks related to that, I feel like it might be handy. I've gone back to wearing my vault suit too because, even though I think it looks rubbish, I've yet to find anything I can wear under my armour that looks cool and has half-decent stats.

[Raoul Duke]

You people are mental. Don't bin your junk - put it in the workshops and use it to build shit.

Also - my pro tip for today: there's a light available on your Pip-Boy. Hold Circle on PS4 (it even projects something cool onto walls!).

[Yevrah]

I've got so much junk that I really need to put together some sort of table as to what's useful and what isn't.

[Raoul Duke]

Adhesive/copper/circuitry/nuclear stuff is all good

[Yevrah]

Yep. What I need to be doing is selling of the stuff I've got a surplus of to generate caps to buy (more of) the things I need.

[Alex]

So after wandering the wastes for a long enough length of time to feel like a bit of a big man I decided to take Preston Garvey up on his proposal of taking back the Minutemen's castle from whatever took it off them in the first place. I couldn't see it being a problem. Just steam in and clean out whatever's in there. The plan was going OK, until I came across the Mirelurk Queen. :serious:

Fuck that. Keep the fucking castle.

[Yevrah]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dejO6aiA7bs

Sounds like PC's the way to go, then. Months from now. £33 at CD keys. Hmmmmm.

What version did the reviewers actually play? I ask because (playing on Survival) I had numerous goes at that first Deathclaw encounter before I did it and didn't once experience the jank with that part that his clip highlights.

In fact, in 30 hours play I've seen once sprite disappear through a floor.

The way some of these reviews are banging on you'd think it was a regular occurrence. Am I/are we benefiting from the day 1 patch, while the reviewers didn't?

[Yevrah]

So after wandering the wastes for a long enough length of time to feel like a bit of a big man I decided to take Preston Garvey up on his proposal of taking back the Minutemen's castle from whatever took it off them in the first place. I couldn't see it being a problem. Just steam in and clean out whatever's in there. The plan was going OK, until I came across the Mirelurk Queen. :serious:

Fuck that. Keep the fucking castle.

Just think, they'll be a legendary one of those somewhere...

[Shindig]

He's playing PC, Yev. Also worth noting it's a pre-release build. They dropped a day one patch on consoles and (maybe) PC. I'll say this video looks like an extreme case but then I'd imagine playing for review is one hell of a stress test.

[Ian]

Yep. What I need to be doing is selling of the stuff I've got a surplus of to generate caps to buy (more of) the things I need.

Given you like to play for challenge isn't this going to get your more quickly to the point where you're overpowered and have enough money to actually crown yourself High Overlord of the Apocalypse?

I can't remember from your Skyrim posts whether you intentionally make life harder on yourself to counter the inevitable weakness of open world video game economies or not.

[Ian]

For people who are into such things there are no less than two new multi-part AARs which have posted their first entry on Rock Paper Shotgun within the last five hours.

[Yevrah]

He's playing PC, Yev. Also worth noting it's a pre-release build. They dropped a day one patch on consoles and (maybe) PC. I'll say this video looks like an extreme case but then I'd imagine playing for review is one hell of a stress test.

Why is he reviewing a pre-release build? That's ludicrous.

[Ian]

I've never heard of that reviewer, which probably plays a part in why he's doing that. Trying to get the jump on the other reviewers, I imagine.

[Raoul Duke]

They normally review pre-release code. There's a bit of a delay between the game being finished, the disks being made and the patches being released.

I got distracted while on my way somewhere and ended up meeting up with Paladin "Charles" Danse. Top lad. Ended up fairly well kitted out after our little jaunt and am now pretty capable. Came across my first Super Mutants as well. Those suicide ones :|

Also - another tip: in your Pip-Boy, there's a thing where you can check on what an individual settlement needs under the Data/Workshops tab. Found out I was woefully understaffed in the security department so spent some time beefing up the amount of turrets and stuff I had set-up.

[Alex]

Paladin Danse sounds so much like George Clooney that, even though logic told me it was massively unlikely, I had to check online that he wasn't being voiced by him. Anybody else get that, or just me?

[Cord]

Paladin Danse sounds so much like George Clooney that, even though logic told me it was massively unlikely, I had to check online that he wasn't being voiced by him. Anybody else get that, or just me?

I've just done that quest, and had exactly the same reaction.

I assume this is now the point that happens in all the Bethesda games I've played, where I join all the various factions despite them otherwise kicking the shit out of each other. I/us all are even in charge of one of them, somehow.

[Ian]

Dialogue options. I'm not a fan of the vagueness of the dialogue choices you have, they're often misleading and not actually what I wanted my character to say.

Already reconsidering my plans to play this as a smooth-talker if this is true. Are we talking Dragon Age 2 levels of misleading?

[Raoul Duke]

I've not found it too bad, but overall the 'persuade' options haven't come over too well. Seems pretty random.

Lock picking is my new fave skill. Easily one of the most useful.

[Cord]

Already reconsidering my plans to play this as a smooth-talker if this is true. Are we talking Dragon Age 2 levels of misleading?

Never played Dragon Age, but I'm not a particularly massive fan of the way they've done it here. Generally speaking you'll have an obvious 'yes' 'no' and 'unsure' option, and then a random something else. Often just labelled 'sarcastic'.

For example I just encountered a robot with slightly weird speech patterns. I got the reply options of yes, no, unsure and 'game show host'. It does seem a little unlikely that you'd be sure what that's going to lead to.

[Ian]

The 'sarcastic' options in DA2 were the worst thing to ever happen to RPG dialogue. Rather than being a jokey dick you often came across as a cackling lunatic.

'What would be a good, smartarse response to the player's sister's dialogue at this point?'
'Oh, how about "I HOPE YOUR TITS CATCH FIRE YOU HAG LOLOLOL"?'
'Perfect!'

[Cord]

The settlement stuff is slightly getting on my tits at this point.

I wandered into one of the settlements the game had insisted I set up just to check everything was alright, only to be greeted by some new fella whinging at me there wasn't enough food and I should do something about it. This despite there being many wild food plants in the same patch of land I'd used to plant a couple of farmable plants. Apparently I need to harvest the wild plants and then replant them in exactly the same place or the retards will starve.

I think it was the point at which I was sneaking into one of my 'rooms' in the dead of night to remove the mouldering corpse that was in there when I liberated the place, carefully dragging the body inches past one of my sleeping settlers, that I realised the game has succeeded in turning me into a post apocalyptic Basil Fawlty. With a robot Manuel.

[Shindig]

I've never heard of that reviewer, which probably plays a part in why he's doing that. Trying to get the jump on the other reviewers, I imagine.

Nah, he's a relatively prominent youtube personality and PR companies are leaning more towards those guys because they're easier to deal with and can reach an audience that conventional media might not touch.

[Baz]

Do you get more trophies for playing on a harder setting (like COD, with its Veteran achievements) or am I free to play it on whatever the middle setting is called and not regret it at the end?

[The Bruce]

Taffington Boathouse is my new stronghold. What a place :drool:

I also met the Brotherhood chap last night, I always feel like I should like them but the characters have been dicks in all three of the games I've played. Lone Ranger FTW.

[phonics]

I repeatedly set the room on fire with Paladin Danse. Not realising that I was the one setting the room on fire. Took a few goes to figure out.

[Ian]

Do you get more trophies for playing on a harder setting (like COD, with its Veteran achievements) or am I free to play it on whatever the middle setting is called and not regret it at the end?

I'm not trying to sound like That Guy (although I probably am him) but why don't you forget the trophies and play on whatever level feels most fun?

[phonics]

Not sure I've had a quest that isn't 'Walk into room, kill everyone, walk out' yet.

[Baz]

I didn't really listen to instructions so used all my minigun bullets before discovering deathclaw. After many deaths and contemplating starting again cos all 3 saves were after wasting the bullets, he got stuck in a hole so I pistolled it to death for a minute. So satisfying.

I've settled for hard. Although whazzed it to survival temporarily to see if I got a 'kill deathclaw on survival' trophy. I did not.

[Yevrah]

Not sure about PS4 Baz, but there are no additional achievements for playing on Survival on XB1 though.

[Yevrah]

Given you like to play for challenge isn't this going to get your more quickly to the point where you're overpowered and have enough money to actually crown yourself High Overlord of the Apocalypse?

I can't remember from your Skyrim posts whether you intentionally make life harder on yourself to counter the inevitable weakness of open world video game economies or not.

I made stuff intentionally harder on Skyrim because I didn't start playing on Legendary mode until I'd finished the game on Normal, at which point I knew where most good things were and how everything worked.

No such luxury here.

[Yevrah]

Just came up against a Legendary Ferral Ghoul Stalker. :eek:

It's going to be a long time before I can kill shit like that.

[Yevrah]

Anyone bothered with a scavenging station? If so, are you getting much from it?

[phonics]

I've finally found a quest that isn't involving murdering everyone.

Travis is a loser. Do we think the Borborov Brothers are the same voice actor as your cousin in GTA?

[Shindig]

John DiMagio? Bender from Futurama and Marus Phoenix.

[Yevrah]

I've finally found a properly good gun.

Say hello to my little Hunting Rifle. When I get back to Sanctuary Hills I'm going to mod the shit out of it. :drool:

[Yevrah]

55 Damage. Short Powerful Hunting Rifle. :drool:

30 hours in and I'll finally be able to kill things. At least until I run out of .308 calibre bullets.

[Raoul Duke]

Anyone bothered with a scavenging station? If so, are you getting much from it?

I've set up a couple to test them out. Not noticed anything particularly yet.

[Yevrah]

Thinking about it, if they find junk for you then I've no chance of noticing that among all the other crap in my workbench.

[Yevrah]

Just noticed the game has all the SPECIAL videos on a loop when you load it up to the main menu. :cool:

[Raoul Duke]

Just got to Diamond City and my quest list has exploded. I want a decent companion so I'm going to prioritise Valentine's missions.

[Baz]

I've also just got to Diamond City.

First stop: Dugout Inn :D Has Yev got shares in this game?

[-james-]

The water purifier is the only worthwhile thing I've built so far. Handful of purified waters in the workshop whenever I head back, quite nice.

[Yevrah]

I've also just got to Diamond City.

First stop: Dugout Inn :D Has Yev got shares in this game?

Me and Todd Howard, we're like that.

[Demerit]

Gonna load this up soon, think I'm going to have a wander around the East side of the map tonight. I've got the whole week off next week

[Yevrah]

Bit of a selling spree (having worked out what I'd like to keep) and we're up to 7,158 caps now.

[Raoul Duke]

I seem to perpetually have about 1k.

I upgraded to Gun Nut 2 and now have a sniper rifle that does 55 damage, with a bunch of upgrades I still want to add to it :drool:

I've got that, the laser rifle you get of Danse, a shotgun and a pistol which is pretty beastly as well.

[Baz]

I honestly reckon I'm the worst in the world at this game.

Dizzy heights of level 7 woo.

[The Bruce]

Anyone been to the very bottom of Dunwich Borer's mine pit?

Fallout at it's absolutely fucking finest :drool:

[Yevrah]

My favourite thing about this so far is the legendary monsters with a unique item as a reward for killing them. Absolute masterstroke.

[The Bruce]

My 'Junkies Tire Iron' that has a damage modifier based on how many chems you're addicted too is a great example of that. Kept it as my last resort weapon when I've ran out of ammo :D

[Yevrah]

Found my first Deathclaw outside of the first one you meet.

It'll be a long time before I'll be able to kill that.

[phonics]

I'm wondering if I should start over and just make a Charisma 10 character. I'm failing so many persuasion checks.

[Yevrah]

I thought about starting over yesterday for similar reasons, but after 30+ hours just couldn't face it. It will be interesting to play this again with a different SPECIAL build though.

In the meantime Phonics, just get yourself a suit (+2 charisma) and a nice hat (+1 charisma) to change into when you're not fighting or exploring the wasteland.

[phonics]

In the meantime Phonics, just get yourself a suit (+2 charisma) and a nice hat (+1 charisma) to change into when you're not fighting or exploring the wasteland.

Psh, this IS how I fight/explore the wasteland. With classical radio on at all times obviously.

http://i.imgur.com/ZoSzSUb.jpg

edit: Bloody hell, that screenshot came out quite well didn't it. That framing.

[Yevrah]

Yep, what a screenshot. :drool:

[Cord]

Who are people using as a companion at the moment?

Dogmeat got the hook because he was pretty buggy (kept going AWOL) and annoying even when he was there. Codsworth has been a marked improvement in terms of remaining present, and I enjoy him interjecting into some of the conversations (though again buggy, the game kept playing his bits over the NPC lines when I went to Diamond City). He now likes me so much I got a free perk, which probably means it's time to get rid and try someone new.

Diamond City has been a very welcome change of pace. I do hope there are some other places like it out there.

[Yevrah]

I've used Dogmeat for 30 hours, but just flipped to Codsworth.

[Ian]

So what exactly do the companions do?

Help in combat, chirp in during conversations and say stuff when you come across landmarks and the like?

[Yevrah]

Bullet Sponges
Carrying Mules
Prevent you getting through doorways easily
Occasionally kill people

To name a few.

[Ian]

I imagine as well as the doorway thing they're quite keen on getting clipped into scenery in general.

[Yevrah]

I imagine as well as the doorway thing they're quite keen on getting clipped into scenery in general.

Perhaps in some of Shindig's propaganda videos, but not so far in my experience.

[phonics]

I just got a Super Mutant Companion :cool:

He's an absolute melee beast. Any time it gets too much I run behind him as he smashes them. The only issue being his size, at least I could jump over the dog when he decided to ram me into a corner.

Highly reccomend the Travis/Bobrov Brothers questline you get in Dugout Inn once you go in there a couple times. Good stuff. Although I did have to push one NPC out of a wall so he would talk to me.

[Cord]

I'm still struggling to find some cool armour to wear (this is deeply important to me). I'm starting to put together a vast cool hat collection, but there seems to be a rule on this that if something is useful as armour, it has to look shit.

I might have to kill that Preston fella to get his gunslinger outfit.

[Yevrah]

You can't kill him Cord.

[Cord]

Fuck sake. I wonder if he'll trade for one of my collection of postman outfits.

Related to his immortality, it does seem to be near on impossible to play this game as a bad character as you could in the previous ones. You can do sarcastic arsewipe, but I don't think I've had any evil options presented to me so far.

I always play these things as the most heroic guy in the world, but it would be nice to have the option.

[Ian]

I think in one of the two RPS AARs they tried to kill him for basically that reason. They certainly tried to kill somebody who's unkillable.

[Alex]

I'm still struggling to find some cool armour to wear (this is deeply important to me). I'm starting to put together a vast cool hat collection, but there seems to be a rule on this that if something is useful as armour, it has to look shit.

I might have to kill that Preston fella to get his gunslinger outfit.

I think if you just speak to him and select the "trade" option you can make him just give it to you.

[Yevrah]

I can't speak to Preston at Sanctuary Hills. Is that a bug?

[-james-]

Nick Valentine is my companion at the moment, just for the novelty of him being able to hack any terminal.

Just killed Kellogg. Came across a grenade launcher in a room earlier, no chance I was taking him down if I hadn't had that to instantly take him down to 30% with. Got his gun, its the bollocks, if a pain to get ammo for.

[Baz]

Anyone fought The Swan near the combat zone? Tough bastard but Piper and I lay him to rest in the end. :cool:

Was gonna trade her for Cait but can't be arsed with the faff of getting all the armour, ammo and weapons off one to give the other. So Piper remains.

Also I think the brotherhood of steel quest line has broke because college square is empty, including the subway station, yeah that dickhead keeps telling me to go away. Plus I've no idea where to get this "artifact" cos the marker to help the recon team is just at the police station. Shame cos that Danse guy seems badass.

[Yevrah]

I have an explosive bullet submachine gun now. :cool:

[Cord]

Did a bit of exploring of the southeast of the map today, which receives a score of noooope/10 on the prestigious 'fuck that for a game of soldiers' scale.

Took ages to fight/flee like a big girl through all of the most horrible beasties in the Fallout universe to make my way to the farm the minuteman fella wants me to help. Turns out it's just one bloke with a couple of small kids. Sadly the dialogue wheel didn't have a 'no way you big spastic, you're a mentalist!' option when he asked me to help him out.

[Yevrah]

It'll no doubt shit itself at some point, but the story in this is so fucking good at the moment.

[Demerit]

So I've been wandering about today. Decided to help Curie out with her companion quest line, do not click the spoiler if you don't want to know about her.

She gets put into a relatively attractive woman's body and then you can violate her in power armour

I've got one issue at the moment, I get power armour withdrawal symptoms.

I also get too used to carrying loads of shite around with me when I'm in the power armour and I'm now hoarding loads of guns. I think I have a selection of 10 that I keep thinking "oh I'll definitely need that in five minutes, so I'll just keep it on me"

They have to add sorting by ammo type onto the next patch.

The memory den in Goodneighbour is very cool. Going to plug through a few main story missions tonight. Then I have all of next week off :drool:

[phonics]

I'm thinking Strong might be straight up OP now. He just absolutely batters everyone for fun.

[Yevrah]

I'm thinking Strong might be straight up OP now. He just absolutely batters everyone for fun.

Probably makes up for Nick Valentine and Piper being absolute dirt then. The dog I like, but those two? Fucking useless.

[-james-]

I definitely found that I only managed some of the earlier fights because I had the dog/Strong tanking stuff while I shot from a distance. Playing on a harder setting and with Valentine now and I'm fairly happy with the difficulty level. Level 15 and I've only just bothered to go find some power armor though. :whoops:

[phonics]

I stole Prestons hat in solidarity with Cord.

[Yevrah]

The Glowing Sea. :drool:

[Demerit]

I hated the glowing sea with a passion, I encountered two Alpha Deathclaws and two normal ones.

[Yevrah]

45 hours in now and I think I've seen enough to judge this, and it's an absolute masterpiece.

The world, the rpg character progression (with all of its elements), the story, the music, etc. all combine to make something that's so unbelievably immersive that when I'm not playing I'm thinking about what I next need to do in Sanctuary Hills as if I've actually been there. The gunplay is vastly improved on F3 and FNV and the gun I'm using at the moment might be the most satisfying one I've ever used in a game.

If future patches sort out the occasional slowdown parts in downtown Boston (which is poor) and the jankyness/unexplained nature of building settlements then it'll jump ahead of F3 and Skyrim as my favourite game ever. Actually, it may do that even if they don't.

[Yevrah]

I hated the glowing sea with a passion, I encountered two Alpha Deathclaws and two normal ones.



I thought it was absolutely amazing. Ok, not particularly fun to play in given you're constantly having to fend off radiation and a series of nasty beasties (none of which I could kill at the level I'm at/difficulty I'm on), but as someone who was keen to see how they'd represent the area where the bomb dropped, I thought the game absolutely nails it.

The feeling when you're fighting through the area and see the silhouette of a Deathclaw at the edge of one of the peaks in the distance (and you know you'll have to fight one soon) was so good.

[Baz]

I've lost Dogmeat :(

[Dark Soldier]

My new baby, its so fucking beautiful:

http://i.imgur.com/Vm91wBm.jpg

[Bam]

I've lost Dogmeat :(

Doesn't he respawn in the kennel?

[Yevrah]

Exploding bullet guns are so fucking awesome eh DS?

[Dark Soldier]

Yes, yes they are.

[Baz]

Doesn't he respawn in the kennel?

I sent him to Sanctuary but there's no sign of him there. I'm sure he'll resurface.

[Alex]

Try the Red Rocket gas station maybe? That's where he originally turned up isn't it. He might be back there.

[Baz]

Good thinking. I'll look tomorrow. I've got a collar and some goggles to try and put on him. :D

The game is awesome so far, there's always so much to do. Like just now I went somewhere with the intention to find someone for a quest, and ended up wandering off and doing a completely different one that I forgot I had. I was just randomly following a red line on the path, fending off super mutants along the way, and before I knew it a new line of quests opened up. Boss.

[Ian]

Read the second RPS Michael Radiatin' AAR. I like that he started as a naked wanderer (with rules of walking around the perimeter of the map) and found a spare suit of power armour within half an hour.

[Yevrah]

I'm looking forward to my second playthrough where I nerf myself as much as possible.

[Dark Soldier]

The more I play this, the more I feel I'm not really gonna bother with any quests. Finding it way too much fun wandering about and just discovering areas and locations. Will probably trade it once I've found every location.

[Yevrah]

It's weird that there's no Explorer perk for that.

[Sam]

I'm just playing from one quest to another, got everything in Diamond City now setting about doing it all.

[Yevrah]

Found my first Fatman and killed my first Savage Deathclaw. :cool:

[Baz]

What level are you all? I think I'm 12.

[Sam]

Found my first Fatman and killed my first Savage Deathclaw. :cool:

Assuming that the big nuke weapon Yev?

Albeit I've got a weapon of the same name that I seem to have had for ages.

[phonics]

Interesting article

http://www.wired.com/2015/11/fallout-4-bugs/

I had no idea the team size was so small.

[Ian]

Mod out for this which tells you what you're actually going to say rather than having to play Am I A Cunt Today? if you fancy anything other than good guy or maniac dialogue options.

Sadly they haven't (yet) included exactly how it's being said so guesswork would still be involved for certain options.

[Yevrah]

Interesting article

http://www.wired.com/2015/11/fallout-4-bugs/

I had no idea the team size was so small.

Interesting stuff and explains why it takes them so long to release each title.

Oh and it's not that buggy.

[Ian]

I'm sure I've read much less about bugs and stuff this time.

Did just see this in the latest RPS diary though and it amused me:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoHpzXbhNiY

:D

[phonics]

The load times on this. My word. I have a good PC and it feels like I'm playing fucking Bloodborne.

[Shindig]

If Yev finds the settlement quest that bricks his save file, I'll lose my shit.

[Dark Soldier]

Selling this tomorrow, 25 quid. I really do enjoy a lot of it but its too much of a timesink and I have that currently with FM. First Bethesda game I've genuinely been happy with though.

[Baz]

I've realised I hate the brotherhood of steel. Sure, paladin Danse gave me my best and favourite gun, but he's a jobsworth c-word and I hate his stupid alliance.

So I've left my power armour back in bay 3 on their stupid plane boat thing and pissed off back to diamond city with Cait to buy noodles from a Japanese robot.

[Yevrah]

My Agility is at (-1) and I've no clue why. Any ideas?

[Yevrah]

I'm guessing it's an addiction, but there seems no way to tell in this now.

I've also misplaced by Captain's hat. :moop:

[Raoul Duke]

Can't you get some of the magic drink to clear it?

[Yevrah]

I'll just hit the doc in Diamond City soon.

Gutted about my hat though.

[phonics]

Yev will jiz at this


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxSw6iDSujg

[phonics]

Completed the Doctor Amari quest and then the sequence got locked and I had to reload and shit through Bethesda's idea of a cutscene again.

I thought it was really good the first time...

[Raoul Duke]

Just been through Vault 81, which was pretty cool. Now ransacking the place :drool:

Up to level 20 now and pretty close to having most of the main perks I want (aside from just levelling up existing ones).

[The Bruce]

Curie :wub:

I've bumped the difficulty back to Very Hard as it was becoming a bit of a procession.

[Raoul Duke]

Went back and picked up that other suit of power armour in the wrecked train. I've still not actually used it in a mission yet, but will give it a go when I go to do the Minutemen one about their fort.

[Townsend]

Ooh I am loving this. Real risk of investing a disgraceful amount of time in settlement building though.

[Yevrah]

Curie :wub:

I've bumped the difficulty back to Very Hard as it was becoming a bit of a procession.

It's not that difficult even on Survival, so christ knows how easy it must be on normal and the like.

[Yevrah]

Have put in a fair bit of time over the last couple of days, so may as well update the vitals:

Level: 20
Caps: 12,080

SPECIAL

Strength - 3
Perception - 5
Endurance - 3
Charisma - 3
Intelligence - 3
Agility - 5
Luck - 8

All of the above is before temporary bonuses.

Perks

Armorer - Rank 2
Better Criticals - Rank 1
Critical Banker - Rank 1
Grim Reaper's Sprint - Rank 1
Gun Nut - Rank 2
Life Giver - Rank 2
Locksmith - Rank 2
Toughness - Rank 2

Weapon(s) of Choice

Explosive Powerful Automatic Pipe Rifle
Hunter's Advanced 10mm Pistol
VATS Enhanced Advanced Double-Barrel Shotgun

Apparel

Cunning Studded Leather Chest Piece
Dirty Army Fatigues
Formal Hat
Lightweight Polished Metal Right Arm
Lightweight Polished Metal Right Leg
Sunglasses
VATS Enhanced Buttressed Raider Left Arm
VATS Enhanced Studded Leather Left Leg

and a Dirty Tan Suit at all times for the Charisma boost when trading.

Spent the last few hours doing loads of Garvey/Minutemen quests which at this stage I'm a bit overpowered for and have shot up about 5 levels as a result. Have 6 perk points to play with, but shan't use those until the game starts to pinch a bit again.

[Yevrah]

I'm beginning to think Preston Garvey wants to fuck me.

[The Bruce]

It's not that difficult even on Survival, so christ knows how easy it must be on normal and the like.

Probably the most disappointing thing about it really. The early levels when I just survived Dunmore Borers by the skin of my teeth and copious sleeping to heal up, I've yet to come across anything I've been unable to kill fairly easily. Including a Behemoth.

Super Mutants in particular are weak as fuck.

[Yevrah]

Just play it on Survival, it makes for a much more realistic challenge.

[Disco]

Survival mode should require sleeping and eating, possibly even a long term wound system. Sounds like they've just upped the HP and nerfed your damage, which is a bit weaksauce.

[Yevrah]

Yeah, that's all they've done (as far as I know), a proper hardcore mode would have been nice.

No doubt a future mod will offer one, but it'll no doubt be a bit shit.

[The Bruce]

I really don't get the idea of going balls deep in the weapon crafting system and taking out weapon condition at the same time, batshit move that.

Also the karma system biting the dust is gash too.

[Yevrah]

I never really got the Karma system. It seemed to have a really limited impact.

Agree with you on the weapon and armor degradation though and it doesn't even make sense internally. I have to repair the strongest armor in the game in Power Armor, but my leather chest piece will last forever. Ok.

[phonics]

I've found a skull bandana :cool: My character is the epitome of ballin' at this point.

[Yevrah]

10th settlement taken and up to level 21 now. Absolutely smashed it this weekend.

[The Bruce]

I've started avoiding speaking to people (Preston Garvey in particular) as I hate my quest list being full of "go one shot all of these shit enemies at this place we want you to take that you won't visit again".

Just entered the Institute though which should hopefully hold my interest.

[Raoul Duke]

How have you got so much cash Yev?

I've unlocked the ability to build stores and shit at my settlements so I'm hoping to sort out my finances in it. Once you open up the ability to connect your settlements together it makes the whole thing much more manageable: just pile your stuff into one of the workshops and it appears everywhere.

I think I'm level 21 now and have three sets of power armour. Cracking stuff so far.