Let's say in most cases players can avoid this by taking a different path to their objective and/or wearing the proper gear. In other cases, their might be situations(the most dangerous and rewarding) where even the finest of gear can't completely protect a player... forcing a choice.

Mutations could be both good and bad.

Lifetime exposure levels could play a role.

Some mutations might be reversed.... Log in to find your character has 3rd arm growing out of your back... surgery!

In typical MMORPG fashion, I see radiation as a type of de-buff. Maybe with prolonged exposure or lack of medical treatment, it leads to mutations which may have their plus and minus. (ie. Strength increase - Charisma decrease).

I don't think anything should lead to permanent alteration of your character. Sometimes bad choices are made (ie. drunk fat chicks) and you don't want to be stuck with them.

mutations could also be awesome, look at x-men! :p In gaming terms... Life's a die, then you bich.

Mutations should be simple like extra regeneration, increased strength, etc. With, of course, a downside to each. I.e., reduced charisma, an in increase of damage type A taken, etc.

Permanent mutations should need to be a decision by the player and not something that can "accidentally" happen. In those lines, it would make sense to have two types of mutations: Permanent, which could be acquired through a leveling system, and temporary, which could be effects from the environment/creatures.

Either way, what's Fallout without radiation as a danger and radiation as intentional effects?

mutation without the exposure of FEV (Forced Evolutionary Virus, the green goo in the VATS room) would most likely be a handicap if you look at fallout and real life (well vats doesn't exist in real life but radiation does).

Mutants/ghouls was made out of being dipped/exposed (I can't say the quantity of the exposure) in VATS, humans with low radiation levels would become mutants, humans with high becomes ghouls.

And fallout 1,2,3 also only have downsides for high radiation exposure.


http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Radiation
I read through the mutation article a bit down and it said that people from vault 12 was exposed to radiation, but it did not mention FEV, then I cross referenced with the fallout bible in which it mentioned them being exposed to both FEV and radiation.

So let's say, if you have been expose to radiation, there are 5 stages:
1: Last 1 hour. 50% penalty to health regen, AG -1, AP -1.
2: Lasts 1-2 hours. 50% penalty to health regen, AG -1, AP-1.
3: Lasts 1-2 hours. 60% penalty to health regen, PE -1, AG -1, AP -2.
4: Lasts 2-3 hours. 70% penalty to health regen, PE -2, AG -1, AP -3, CH -1 (you are puking right?)
5: Lasts 3-4 hours. 75% penalty to health regen, PE -2, AG -2, AP -3, CH -2.

The affects are to illustrate how the body reacts to radiation, in a way where it would still be possible to play (or would you spend 2 weeks ingame in a hospital bed?). The illness could be threated at a hospital\clinic\shaman\witch doctor or whatever, but the more severe, the more expensive. You could of course pay off 1 level if that is all you want to. I see no reason to actually gain something from radiation. Radaway could work, but imo it shouldn't remove 1 level.

SO BRING YOUR RAD-X!

Radiation should stick to temporary ailments, and shouldn't mutate you.

ok how about getting scratched by a ghoul exposed to radiation ,then growing two extra arms .
all the better to shoot you with EAGLES MAY FLY HIGH, BUT WEASLES DONT GET svckED INTO JET ENGINES

i like the idea of the debuff from radiation exposure. if theres a mutation it should be really miner and generally not be in your favor. there should be a system to fix mutations that are really bad also it would svck to be stuck with something. you could actually use the mutations to add some humor in the game like your character grows antlers or starts to glow or something.

i do agree the radiation should be done in levels though severity though. the worst cases from radiation leading to sever sickness ( bad debuff) and death which would reset you rads.