How do you RP a guy that refuses to throw a grenade if it could save his life?

Yes indeed. Do what you want, be what you want, when ever you want, the game will comply no questions asked.

But seriously, is it really a problem if one can't stick or pebble a walking tank to death, that one needs to use some other means to dispatch something like that (environment, companions) or just live with his character build? Is it really a "but muh roleplay" kind of thing?

By rp someone who prefers to shoot things with a scoped rifle instead? Or someone who prefers to get up and close with a hammer? Some players have very specific playstyles.

Doesn't need to be a stick, just saying, would be nice if I say could super sledge a PA, or use the stealth dmg to represent shooting in the gap between plates, etc. Ya can still make the PA tought without forcing one particular playstyle on folks.

Then you RP someone who is unable to adapt to a situation and gets dead.

I'm pretty sure even the most well-versed sniper would go for a bunch of explosives or a rocket launcher over seeing his shots ping off the heavy armor time and time again.

As I've said before, they'd be used as can opener. What you do after the can is open, is up to you.

We know that powered armor can be damaged so it may very well make the character invulnerable to small arms fire, taking the damage itself until it falls apart and the player is forced to abandon it. It may even have a chance to explode if the player doesn't abandon it soon enough. Depending on how difficult the stuff is to maintain, the armor taking damage may even be a higher cost to the player than the character taking damage will be.

Just because you prefer to deal with things in a certain way doesn't mean it is, or should, always be viable. Sometimes the player (or character) will have to adapt to the situation, try a different tactic. Unless you're roleplaying a character with very low intelligence, I guess...

I'd only be in favor of this if there was some sort of active buff we could activate that would consume power more, rendering the power armor inoperable sooner. Otherwise, all you are doing is making small arms obsolete and making power armor obligatory. Perhaps I'm the only one, but I don't necessarily want to be forced to wear power armor, especially if I'm going for a particular playstyle. Power armor is for the tank-type run and gun characters. It's not exactly something you'd tip toe around in if you are a sniper or a scout.

Again, unless you want to rp someone who doesn't know how to handle or feels like using those kind of can openers, ironic this is the one time players shouldn't have options *points at your sig*

You forgot mentioning being hurt by knives or even bare hands when wearing power armor. That's REALLY illogical.

The point of roleplaying is to play according to your character and his/her limitations. It's up to you to deal with that which ever way you can (and in this particular case it's not even the game that limits you, it's you yourself).

Yeah, that's what I meant. The power armor itself should take damage over time but it should protect you from most damage. Then you have to go fix it up, recharge the batteries and whatnot.

It being much more of a vehicle also will limit it's usefulness (which I think is good.) You won't be able to sneak in power armor (at least I feel you shouldn't.. have no idea if that's a reality), you probably won't be able to go into a lot of buildings with power armor as it'd be too big to fit through doors. I hope there's a lot more restrictions and bonuses to having power armor.

No, that's being limited by a semblance of reality.

You still have option, you just need to be real about what's a viable way to solve a situation and what amount to a waste of ammo, time and stimpacks.

It also introduces some strategic gameplay, something I feel the game really could use.

You're going against a group of enemies and you know there's a PA in there somewhere - bring out something to crack him/her out of the shell quick, cos you won't like the consequences if you don't. Use some heavy guns, explosives, roast him/her inside with a flamethrower, EMP the thing or hammer away with a power sledge - there's choice. But it's not endless and it needs to be appropriate to the situation.

Using a hunting rifle just cos you like hunting rifles shouldn't mean it can kill everything. That, in the end, would limit the game the moment you find the hunting rifle.

The other side works similar - you are in a PA yourself - better take out those enemies wielding the stuff that can hurt you and ignore the small arms fire plinging off your shell.

Suddenly it's not about the closest enemy, but the ones most dangerous. Strategy/tactics ensue. (And your followers will remain stupid in Fallout tradition and still run into your careful aim and shoot you in the back.)

IF this is the case, then power armor needs some serious draw backs to accompany it.

If we're going to get the protection that the Armor has lore wise, we need it's draw backs lore wise i.e. the more common/ old the suit model, the faster the power supply drains.

The better the power armor, the harder the pieces should be to find. It should be difficult to repair the suit.

Stuff like that should even it out. Personally, I like the approach they're taking to power armor. It always felt a little silly in the other games, now it's the tank it should be.

I just hope that IF we get faction warfare, and can choose sides (I really hope we do, fingers crossed for no one-sided, "railroaded-to-fight-for-the-good-guy-faction" Bethesda stories like FO3 or Skyrim), that there's a way for the player to actually fight the britherhood of steel. There needs to be some way for the player to take them on. Same with the death claws we saw in the trailer, otherwise it's insta death if you run into these enemies without power armor on.

Yeah, I like the idea of PA being immune to small arms, and definitely to things like ghouls scratching and biting you.

At the same time, things like a pulse grenade should just fry your armor and either kill you or force you out of it.

As for not being able to go indoors with it, no I hate that. It was designed to fit in vehicles and fight in urban environments.

Agreed, but I'd also like exceptions from that rule. Some small places that require you to exit the PA and jimmy through a tight tunnel. Personally, I'd love that AND the option to hammer/blow the opening wider but also potentially destroy whatever is at the end of the tunnel/gateway.

Self-imposed limitations are limiting?

Who'da thunk it?

THAT would be awesome.

I will admit though, I sort of wonder about breaking game balance and I hope beth makes this have plenty of drawbacks. Because being immune to ghouls completely removes their fear factor, and immunity to small arms means most enemies are a joke now. Unless of course heavy weaponry, armor piercing rounds, and pulse grenades are very common in boston. Which is very possible given the institute.

In case it hasn't been stated already, I would think that fire-based weapons like a flamer or incinerator should have at least some effect on power armor. "Cooked in the can" as it were.

If we consider Power Armor to be a "tank", historically tanks have always been vulnerable to close assault by infantry. Armor crews don't like to go into battle without infantry support for that reason.

If Power Armor is to be impervious to small-arms fire, then some extra anti-armor weapons like shaped charges or single-shot rocket launchers should probably be included to balance the game.

Small arms shouldn't do much of anything against PA unless you get a critical hit; and even then it should only cause a small amount of damage.

Watching the xbox E3 presentation, the small arms fire just tinked off the power armor, doing no damage....

I don't wear PA so I'm not too invested either way but if we're gonna go the realistic route it should have realistic drawbacks like someone upthread mentioned. Also, can't put a completed suit in your inventory and carry it around like it ain't no thang.

well he had god mode sooo......

He'll still be downed, meaning if you want him back in the fight you'll have to go over and stick him with a stimpak.... otherwise he's out of the fight until the end anyway.

You know what I would like to see? In Mechwarrior 4/Mercenaries (and maybe even MW3, I forget) there were different options for defending against specific types of weapons. You had "Ferro-fibrous" which was general purpose, "Reflective" which was stronger against energy weapons, and "Reactive" which was stronger against ballistic type weapons. I would like to see different power armor sets equipped with specialized armor for particular types of weaponry, or perhaps even the ability to mod it yourself to be like that.