Do you just play the game as it is, or do you create rules and limits for your character and possibly even stories, not allowing yourself to do things that are seemingly out of character

(not including only not using fast travel, since that is purely there for convenience and time saving for the gamer).

I noticed there is a divide in how people play Fallout, so I was wondering what the ratio is.

If you do both, choose the one you do when you play it the first time.

Oh jeez, I dunno. I guess I set self-imposed rules, but for me they're more along the lines of "don't fast travel, so you can check out all of the cool random encounters and exploration", or "you got that perk last time and it was pretty sweet, but it doesn't really fit this character so go ahead and try something else". They're never strict, or based on how much challenge/balance I want in the game. Just on what I think is more fun, and whatever I can justify my current character rolling with.

Sure there are 'out of character' moments, but you really have no idea if you'll even be able to keep the original idea for the 'in character' until you see how the story unfolds. For ye not know what you are getting yourself into, yet.

Hidden option: I will use cheat, command or mods( later ) to ignore or break the rule and limitation

I chose the set impose rules, because I play like I'm there. For example I walk around settlements and talk to people, listen to what they have to say, and don't use fast travel except for unloading full inventories. Yeah, I know I might get criticized for using fast travel but it is what it is.

For my first playthrough I will stick to limits based upon my character and how I imagen he would act, but beyond that, no other limits, later pkaythroughs Ill add some themed restrictions, like say do a gunslinger character who can only use pistols.

If fast travel is the only limitation, then choose the first option, since it's only there purely for time saving. Otherwise from your response you just play it normally.

I just play it normally. I've tried to play Fallout 3 without fast travel but i'm on Ps3 so ......yeah that didn't work.

my first few characters will be experimental to get me accustom to missions and area. Then once I know what mission does what and what area has what I create a more restrictive play character.

I'm going to not fast travel this time, I didn't do it in Witcher 3 and I found and experienced a lot of random things, plus great scenery.

Q: did Witcher let your fast travel to places you haven't been yet? Or just between major cities? Or what? (just curious)

----

edit: as for the main question - play the game as is, since I'm considering the basic "pick a playstyle/character 'class' and alignment" thing to be part of playing the game as is, rather than some self-imposed rules.

(Things I'd see as SIRs are not using fast travel, only saving under certain circumstances, limiting my ammo supply to a certain amount, only carrying two guns..... and yeah, I don't do that kind of stuff. But deciding whether your character will be male or female, small guns or energy, good or evil? That's a basic part of the game.)

I try to maintain a sense of realism. When I leave my [manor], I bring only enough weapons to fill appropriate slots (a couple thrown, a couple pistols for each each, a couple of rifles, one melee) that would make that I would be able to carry all of them. Plus enough food (or supplies) to last a week.

I really hope there is a hardcoe mode in this game.

As for character decisions, my first playthrough I typically play it as "What would I do?" and then on subsequent playthroughs, I play it as "What would my character do?" As my first character is pretty much myself in there.

First run when everything is new? I just play it as it is to learn about everything I can.

After that I tend to create specific builds and personalities in my head and keep to them to make the role-play more fun.

I usually play the game as is, but the last play through of Fallout 3 and New Vegas I decided to not sell any drugs I find to anyone but Doctors and I don't pick up or sell cigarettes. I know it's not much but it mirrors my philosophy about not doing harm to innocents.

I try to play a good person. When I attempt evil, I'm pretty bad at it. It was hard for me get evil followers to join me in F3.

How will I play, the same way I alway play, I shoot people and then I eat them.

@kiralyn2000

They have notice boards in some towns and tell you about a certain town/locations so you can fast travel too them. Everything else just becomes a question mark and you have to travel to them on foot or horse.

I play as if I am my character so sometimes make decisions I , myself know are stupid. I only carry what I feel to be a fairly reasonable amount of gear. ( Skyrim , I had a mod that made Favorited weapons show up on me and only carried the stuff that would show up for example). I eat drink and sleep. Very rarely use fast travel because I like what I randomly find in the world.

At least that's my normal plan. I'll have to actually see the game to know what I'll do.

I don't set character oriented rules ... my character can do or learn whatever I feel is appropriate at the time. But I do set some personal game play rules. For example, in addition to not fast traveling I have my own rules for handling death and save scumming. My character attempts to sleep every night and when he wakes up from that sleep I make a 'waking save' that becomes the only save I can revert to for any reason other than a crash or simply quitting for a while. This gives death a little sting without having to go as hardcoe as 'dead is dead', and gives me incentive to allow bad things that happen in game (death of an NPC or bad outcome to a quest) because the only save I can revert to might undo hours of play if I haven't slept for a while.

I roleplay, therefore I set self imposed rules and limits to my character.

I have a few rules, but they're mostly rough guidelines on how I want my character to turn out - so take that how you want.

Main things:

1) Eventually be focused on energy weapons.

2) React to my interpretation of what is morally right and take the consequence that comes my way. Sometimes this means taking pay; sometimes it means passing it up. I generally try to avoid killing unless it's justified, then I will dispense justice. The main thing is, even if a situation doesn't go how I wanted it to, at least I know I stayed true to myself and did what I thought was right (a particular quest from witcher 3 involving a baron comes to mind).

3) Don't worry about min/maxing too much - at least until I've got my build the way I want and have beaten most or all of the game.

In the same way I played Fallout 3 and New Vegas - I will play as female, I will explore, I will learn about everything in the game as I play, I will probably die a lot until I learn how to survive a lot better and learn the environments better, I will take my sweet time playing the game since I don't see the point in rushing around and finishing the game within hours and hopefully I will have a lot of fun playing the game.

Drunk.

I guess I do self impose some little rules.. I like playing a thief but I definitely play more of a robin hood type thief. I don't just ransack everyone. It's a decision I seem to make on the fly when coming across a new character.. "ahh, they seem nice, I'll not take their crap."

I also really like trying to build unique fun characters and then trying to remain true to that character build.F3 and NV made this really hard to do as level ups were forced on you. Eventually you'd get to a point where you had to stick points into something you didn't want.

I stick to my self made moral codes. The situation calls for killing I kill. If the situation allows for forgiveness I forgive. Though each play through my moral compass breaks that much more.

Only rules I follow

NPCs can be only killed if

A.they are a huge dike
B.they have a weapon I want
C.im being payed to
D. I can actually kill them before they kill me.

Everyone els I leave alone unless they start shooting at me or harm my dawg