sounds reasonable

The 270 includes attribute perks, so it would be about 242 levels assuming you start with no perks. As long as it would take way longer than I would ever play a character I'm good.

what are "attribute perks"?

Spending a perk point to bump up a SPECIAL stat instead of taking a perk. The blog post implies that the ~270 number includes all of the chances we get to raise our SPECIAL (which would be about 42 times, not counting any potential SPECIAL bonuses as quest rewards or something).

Some musings on perk ranks, and perks that might have been rolled into ranks of other perks:

- S5 is obviously Big Guns, but if they split Small Guns into Rifleman, Commando, and Gunslinger do you think it's possible that Sniper is a "skill" perk for Sniper Rifles?

- Toughness has five ranks; I bet the second rank adds +10 Energy resistance, but what could the other ranks add?

- Could Rad Absorption be an additional rank of Rad Resistance?

- I'd bet you a six of beer that E9 doesn't visibly ghoulify our characters, but adds a series of buffs to our character as they get more and more irradiated, like Rad Child, Atomic!, and Rad Regeneration.

- I bet they rolled Math Wrath (10% reduced AP costs) and Nerves of Steel (faster AP regen) into ranks of Action Boy. Just a guess.

ah I see

and where is that 42 number coming from?

You have a total of 28 stats for your initial SPECIAL setup and you can have a maximum of 70 stats (7 SPECIALS * 10 levels). So 70 - 28 = 42.

For some reason I thought that when you level up, you will get to increase a stat point AND choose a perk.

So I guess I was wrong and you just get a perk when you level up, which you can use to increase a stat instead?

That's correct. If we got both, we'd max out all of our SPECIAL stats before we even meet the level requirements for some of the perk ranks.

btw are the "comic book perks" like the barbarian perk that was mentioned included in the 270 number?

From my understanding those are separate -the books give you unique perks that you can't get from leveling up.

What was they saying about game magazines? Like each magazine collection (Grognak the Barbarian, Fixing Things) will have their own perk with ranks ranks? I think "Grognak the Barbarian" will increase you melee critical strike for some portion, or was it your melee attacks speed?

One of the things that grabbed my attention, was the "Toughness" perk seen in the video. A single rank gave +10 Damage Resist, and there are 5 ranks. Looks like we're back to Fallout 3's DR only system, where high damage, low DPS weps svcked in comparison to low damage, high DPS weps. SMG > Bazooka. Now that's pretty sad.

Yeah, DT system is much better.

Unless they capped DR around 95-99%, but i doubt that, it will around 80% which is dumb.

With DR system given enough time a mole-rat will kill a guy in the power-armor, no to mention a raider with a rusty smg.

Just because the first rank is +10 DR, doesn't mean that they all are. And we know there's different damage types. So there may be some additional "taking damage" systems beyond basic DR. We'll have to see.

But you'll have to take the SPECIAL upgrades in order to qualify for the high-level perks, so you will need 275* level-ups to max everything (not considering bobble-heads or other means of raising stats or gaining perk points).

*The number of perks is 275, not 270. In some interviews and articles they've said "over 270", but in few interviews, Todd has used the number 275 with no ambiguous qualifier.

It is a hard balance, since smg's were almost pointless in NV, although I guess it could be argued using the correct ammunition could make up for it, I never really tried since I usually play with scarce ammo mods. I did enjoy the DT system, but I can see a DR system being balanced by criticals that are proportionate to your base damage. A critical on an smg would be much less effective than a critical on a hunting rifle.

Personally, I would prefer a system where the outer layer provides the DT and has potential to be knocked off the target (much like how you can shoot a weapon off a target) while layers that cannot be knocked off provide DR. I actually wouldn't be very surprised if the power armor worked sorta like this.

hey so I know it was stated that we get a respec when we leave the vault

will there be other respec opportunities later on?

We don't know. Bethesda added a few ways in Skyrim to respec, so it's in their design philosophy, but at the same time I don't know if there's actually any point to it in Fallout 4. In Skyrim you can get your perks refunded but you're still beholden to what you skill levels are - but in Fallout 4 XP is XP, and without a level cap you can't really "waste" a perk point. If there was a respec option, it will probably come at a cost.

well if you get to a high level and decide you dont like your build, even though there is no level cap then it may take ages to get all the perks you needed

Great! An opportunity to make a new character and play again!

(I'm fine with a "wait, I don't want to start like that" chance at the end of the tutorial. The idea of a later-game respec just seems wrong. )

I think I would be okay with a system that only allowed you to increase SPECIAL every 10 levels or something like that. Either way they do it, every level up you can increase or every set number of levels you can increase SPECIAL, I will work with it. My plan is for my first PC to become MOAT after a very long time. It is going to be interesting after 100 or so hours to see how a character has progressed and how close it matches what you may have planned for your character.

yeah but on the other hand making it too easy to respec will just have people respec every time they go to different area to get best build for that area for example

If there is another respec (I am fine with not having more respecs) then it should be VERY hard to get that respec

I think one respec (when exiting the vault) is enough, otherwise your perk point choices will appear insignificant

I would be fine with no respec option. As the poster above me stated.. too many respecs and your build means nothing. "hmmm.. I didn't pass the speech check when talking to that last npc. I guess I'll reload and respec my character."

Don't forget that each attribute starts at 1. You only have to get 9 of each attribute to max them out, so it would be 63-28, for 35, yes?