» Thu May 03, 2012 4:47 pm The first game I ever played by Bethesda was Fallout 3 in 08. I had gotten the game after playing Fable 2 and falling in gamer love with the open-world RPG genre. Fallout 3 struck out to me like no other game before; its post-apocalyptic setting, open-world gameplay, and karma choices drew me in instantly and created a loyal Fallout follower. Since then, I have purchased Fallout 3 for every platform. The first was for the Xbox 360 (Broken Steel DLC later), then a vanilla copy for the PS3, and a GOTY edition for PC. After spending countless hours in the DC ruins (and other places), I longed for a new wasteland to explore and this need was met with New Vegas. New Vegas was vastly different from F3 and while I greatly enjoyed the game, it failed to pull me in the way F3 did. My last Bethesda title, Skyrim captivated me with its graphics and fantasy-medieval style gameplay. However after playing Skyrim, a wasteland hunger arose in me that only F4 can curb. This is why I'm here.
My quest for F4 info quickly lead me to the Bethesda forums, where for the past week I have read other's ideas and suggestions. Most of these ideas are thoughtful, and all reflect the taste and desire of each poster. With that, I would like to give my own ideas and suggestions for Fallout 4 in a fresh and unique thread (my first) that would show the community how I feel the next Fallout should be.
Thank you for your patience, lets begin
Suggestion #1: Fallout 4 should be set in Chicago and include St. Louis
Reason: Chicago would be the perfect setting for the next Fallout. This post-apocalyptic melting pot is host to a multitude of factions (Enclave, BoS, Super Mutants, Raiders, Ghouls, Wastelanders, etc) that could all be interacted with depending on the race, karma, and faction standing of the player. With the last known Enclave establishment, this could be the factions last real appearance in the series and thus should be included. St. Louis has a large and powerful group of Super mutants that could be exploited to create a powerful Super mutant faction. If it's too far include a transportation system, similar to the Pitt and Point Lookout. Include BoS, Raiders, Ghouls and all that fun stuff
Suggestion #2: Vary the wasteland depending on the area (The Good, The Bad, The Ugly, The HELP ME!!!!)
Reason: People complained about F3 because it looked too wastelandish for a game set 200+ years after the Great War. Others like me, complained about New Vegas because it was too safe (mostly) and social for a wasteland. Fallout 4s wasteland should vary greatly depending on the area your in.
For example, in Fallout 3 a "good" area was anywhere you wouldn't get shot and could find a merchant. Paradise Falls was bad if your a good karma character, but otherwise "good" for evil karma characters. The wasteland in general was Ugly; you ran into hostiles every 2-3 mins and had to fight for your life constantly. Vault 87 (with Broken Steel added SM Overlords) and Point Lookout, fall into the HELP ME!!!! category because even with PA and a good weapon you still had a high chance of dying.
In Fallout 4, players and NPCs should recognize these extremes like lines on a map. Good areas should be safe, patrolled by armed soldiers, and have residents and merchants with a better disposition than none safe areas. Bad areas should be dangerous, have a few hazards (traps), and a "normal" amount of lootable supplies, but still have a random armed patrol that could save your life (ECBoS Outcasts for example). Now the Ugly areas should be extremely dangerous, have plenty of traps and hazards, be war-torn between two rival factions, and have scarce amounts of supplies for the player. The HELP ME!!!! areas should be exactly has they sound; suicide mission dangerous, hold countless fatal traps and hazards, be devoid of any supplies to just pick up off the ground, and be equally as feared by NPCs not affiliated with the faction dominating that area.
Suggestion #3: Give multiple racial options in Fallout 4
Reason: Humans aren't the only species in the wasteland, so why not give players the option to play as some of the others? I'm certain I don't stand alone on this one.
I remain steadfast in my belief that players should be given the choice of race when first creating their character. These racial options should include: Wastelander ("Normal" mutated human), Ghoul, Super Mutant, and (drum roll)....Enclave (Pure Human)
Some might disagree with me saying my ideas don't fit with the lore. So just incase that happens I cooked up this in the kitchen...Ghoul lore: As humanity recovers from the Great War and the human population increases, the Ghouls of the wasteland found themselves increasingly discriminated against by the humans of the wastes. In the NCR, ghouls were expelled from all territories under the flag of the republic. Likewise on the East Coast, after Lyon's BoS tamed the Capital wasteland and secured its residents a fresh water supply, the human population soared. While at first the people of the Capital Wasteland tolerated its ghoul population; eventually they too grew skeptical of the ghouls and demanded they leave. The ghoul populations of both the East and the West Coast, soon found their way northwest in search of a new home. They eventually settled in (or on the outskirts) of Chicago, and the sudden massive increase in ghouls lead the MWBoS to persecute them and purge them from their ranks. This time however, the ghouls would not flee. Under the leadership of a highly intelligent and violent ghoul named Shredder Bob, the ghouls of Chicago organized themselves into a formidable force and replelled the Brotherhood's onslaught. For once, the ghouls of the wasteland enjoyed a taste of victory and loved it. However during their battles with the Brotherhood the ghouls resources were severely drained and needed immediate replenishment should they remain as Chicago's strongest power. In an effort to promote good relations between the humans and ghouls of Chicago, Shredder Bob attempted to open free and secure trade routes between ghoul and human settlements. To his suprise, the "Chicago smoothskins" stubbornly refused to trade with "zombies". Enraged by the universal tendencies of humans to discriminate ghouls, Shredder Bob changed his mission entirely. Under his orders the ghouls were to pillage human settlements for resources (effectively becoming raiders), and place a heavy tax on all human merchants.
To keep the humans from leaving his lands and weakening his extortion-based economy, he sent a large force of ghouls to Pittsburgh to recover "an interest" and had the remainder of his forces guard the human settlements to prevent any escapes. Within a few weeks this forced had returned, and his "interest" was in fact 50,000 explosive reusable slave collars that he promptly gave to the humans of his territory. Having secured his people's place at the top of Chicago's food chain, Shredder Bob expanded his territories to absolute maximum. His borders clashed with the BoS's and the two powers, weary of each other, remain at a stand still. The Brotherhood's numbers soared after the ghouls actions and it remains to be seen what becomes of the entire event. As a Chicago ghoul, you are free to make your own choices; be careful for you never know how your actions may shape Chicago's future...Yea!
Super mutant lore: {Time-skip to after initally reaching St. Louis} In the year 2187, after a long trek across the American wasteland, the super mutants under former Unity commander Neptune, finally had found a home in the city of St. Louis. Upon exterminating all the ghouls residing in the city, he promptly ordered his troops to arm and barricade the exterior of the city. Later on an exploration mission, a super mutant recon team rushed back to Neptune to tell him that a large pool of the "green stuff" was in the southwest part of the city. It would appear that a West-Tek transport plane carrying FEV, had crashed sometime during the Great War. Absolutely elated at the find, Neptune ordered a large wall constructed around the entire city, with extra protection on the gates by the FEV pool. Using his experience with Mariposa FEV, and some tech he had salvaged from a Brotherhood raid; he was able to conclude that the FEV in this pool was self-replicating and could grow, and replenish itself without outside hinderance. He waited paitently until the walls were constructed around the city to announce his new mission, capture the humans of the wasteland once more and make them super mutants. The results of this were astounding, the overall success rates for irradiated humans becoming super mutants was 4/6, and (it seems) 100% for Pure humans (Happened upon a waster with pure ancestory). There was also an increase in intellegent super mutants that greatly improved the state of his army. sixual aspects remainded largely visible and un affected, with the exception of severe muscular growth; and for the first time ever: a few super mutants were born non-sterile (2). This was unheard of and Neptune quickly began experiementing with this new discovery; breeding them with deathclaws, wastelanders, other fertile super mutants, and ewww... even a ghoul.
The results were horrifying, resistant, and deadly. Although the BoS would later try to invade the city and attempt to intervene in the super mutants growth, they were easily repelled and left the mutants alone. Going about his new mission of complete wasteland domination with a zeal even greater than when under the Master, it seem as though none could stand against this new rising super mutant army. As a St. Louis super mutant, you are among a new, and directed generation. You are free to roam the wastes and do as you please, but Neptune's ambition it seems will not be stopped...Saved the best for last... Enclave all the way!
Enclave lore: Although presumed to be dead, none know the actual truth of the fate of the Enclave. After the destruction of the Oil Rig, when the Enclave's forces were scattering around to the different bases around the mainland, a small group of the refugees made its way to the Chicago outpost; after an offer of asylum upon hearing the news about the rig's destruction. Soon with the destruction of Navarro, remnant forces from that base also made their way to the Chicago Outpost; seeking asylum and security from the NCR and Brotherhood forces pursuing them. When Lyon's BoS destroyed the Enclave base at Raven Rock, and personnel were ordered to make their way to the Mobile Base Crawler, a small number of those fleeing made their way instead to the Chicago outpost. The same fate later occurred at Nellis Air Force base; with the destruction of the MBC the remaining Enclave persons made their way to the Chicago Outpost. When the last Enclave member from the MBC entered the Outpost, Chicago Enclave leader Derrick Wesker lll ordered the base sealed. From there his scientist were to assess the remaining strength of the organization and figure out the most effective way to restore its power. After carefully calculating the numbers (supplies, troops, facility space, mutant populations), his scientists declared that the Enclaves main weakness came with its lack of numbers. Using his personal ZAX super-computer, Derrick was able to find an old government file describing previous US plans to find a new world and quickly populate it using experimental fertility treatments. Deciding that this was the last chance for the Enclave to both remain pure and boost its numbers, he ordered the project reinstated and for all scientific-research personnel to begin researching. Within weeks, the scientists had successfully produced a fertility serum that would more than triple the reproductive potential of those induced (ex. Octomom). From there on Derrick's only orders to the Enclave would be to procreate as quickly as possible, for it was "for the good of humanity." 50 years have passed since that order, and the Enclave have found their current numbers to be adequate enough to begin working towards their goals. As a citizen of the Enclave and one of the wasteland's last pure blood humans, it will be up to you to see to the rebuilding of America'a future today. By any means necessary...
What about the wastelanders? (1950s children voice)
Well in the words of the Lieutenant "I won't even dignify that with an answer".
Suggestion #4: Include multiple time-skips in the game that reflect the players actions
Reason: At the end of every Fallout they tell you how your actions impacted the wasteland. The problem with this is: I HEAR it but I don't SEE it.
F3 got it right with Broken Steel. After injecting the modified version of the FEV in the water supply, the wasteland medical centers become filled with FEV patients holding their stomachs in agony. And Doc Church even has a new dialogue saying, "it'd be damned ironic if we were so used to the crap we had been drinking that actual pure water is killing us". Things like this help the player better understand the consequences of their actions. On the brighter side of the table, if your just purified the water no FEV, then you got to see the wasteland become a significantly better place.
Nevertheless, in F4 there should be time-skips in the game that greatly alter the wasteland depending on your actions, faction affiliation, etc. However, these time skips should NOT be like Broken Steel; and instead be more like the F3 childhood to advlt time-skip scenarios. They should state how many years have passed, but never go so far as to make the player older appearing than what they create in the beginning.
Suggestion #5: Start new Human characters of as children
Reason: Never in any other games have I connected to my character like I did in Fallout 3 and Fable 2. Starting off as a child does wonders when it comes to character immersion. Being a ***hole as a child then growing up to be a NV Boxcar; makes more sense than the Saint, always-cheerful Courier who got shot in the head. Make your actions as a child affect those around you, and their disposition toward you for the rest of the game.
For example, Billy the Wastelander is a child bully grows up to be a sadistic raider. Stephanie who grew up with Billy, hears that he wiped out some small settlement up north. When asking her how she feels about that she should react along the lines of, "Billy? He seems like the kind of sick punk to do something cowardly like that. I'm not surprised at all by that." Interactions like these going on around the wasteland will better help the player FEEL like their character, and not some person in the wasteland.
Suggestion #6: Bring love (and children) to Fallout 4
Reason: The wasteland's a lonely place, but it doesn't have to be that way. Love would bring a whole new feel to the wastes.
In Fable 2 (sorry to use a non-Bethesda example), you could find a lover, get married, and have a child. Albeit the child could only grow up to be 10, you still could have a child nonetheless. In Skyrim you could get married, although marriage in the game was very dull and basic (sorry).
In Fallout 4, you should be able to find love among the many denizens of the wasteland. Then through some special means be able to get married and from there build a relationship with that character. Certain characters should be off limits or very hard to get for certain types of players though. A raider for example, should never be able to marry a BoS paladin. And an Enclave citizen should face many obstacles when trying to convince their colleagues that they fell in love with a wastelander, and would like to have them come stay at the Enclave outpost for their protection.
If children are included in Fallout 4, I would like for Bethesda to take an entirely different route than Fable did. I would like for children to respond to their parents actions (to a degree), and eventually grow up and reflect what their parents are. If I am a wasteland doctor and my wife is a merc, my child should be a Merc who knows his medicine. Lastly, make your children (when advlts) recruitable companions.
Suggestion #7: Flesh out companions
Reason: Companions in F3 were just there, in NV they had stories and backgrounds this should be in F4, except this time be much deeper.
In this field I feel that Bethesda could learn alot from Mass effect. In those titles, the companions act almost as real, living people do; taking notice of the players abilities, and actions. This would be a great addition to the Fallout universe.
With that, I conclude my suggestions and ideas for Fallout 4.
I thank all who read my post and hope to engage in meaningful dialogue with you all. Take care and God Bless!!!
"It's your job to be you, it's my job to be awesome. Our jobs are the same"
