Just made an account, so I'm unaware if this has been brought up before(I wouldn't be surprised if it has), but I'm curious as to whether or not there will be a Karma system? Or a reputation system? I haven't played the older of the Fallout games yet, though I intend to buy at least the first two soon, but I'm aware both exist at least in points of the series before the newer Fallout games. And although this is going to be a MMO, it is still of the Fallout genre.

I've never been really fond of the Karma system-that brings up the very question of morality. And although most can agree on some VERY basic ideas-like "killing is wrong"-there then is the matter of, "Is killing wrong no matter the reasons behind it?" It's too much based on personal opinion, and can easily make things too black and white, in my view.

The reputation system, on the other hand, I love-at least the very concept, if nothing else. Having interactions toward a character differ based on their actions toward factions/groups is awesome. It's a lot better than what worked for factions/groups in Fallout 3, in which if you acted in a harmful way toward a town, maybe even participating in a massacre, they'd seem to have obtained absolute amnesia about the event a few days later. There's no real consequence in that, which just svcks.

In either case, I was just wondering-I wouldn't even know if it's possible. I'm no game engineering expert in any way, and I don't really know the limits and abilities a MMO would have in comparison to a PC or console game.

Thou it seem so, am not answering, only add my voice to a question.
So, I saying - yes, surely it is! Not so difficult to implement, as all devs want to, Rep/Karma system allow so many things, that it can't be avoided. I have few thoughts about the ways how it can be implemented, I will definitely share it at later times here.

It hasn't been announced to my knowledge, but I'm thinking we'll get various reputations and such, tends to happen with MMOs.

I really dislike the fact that everyone is so hopeful that this title will end up looking and feeling like Bethesda's FPS. Is there anyone else out there who wants to see something original for a change?

Well, there are some fine aspects of Fallout 3 for a game to emulate. I certainly wouldn't say a wrong-headed attempt to apply black and white morality to the Fallout universe is one aspect worth copying, but some people desiring other things may not be too far gone and I'm sure still want the game to be original in other ways, although whether or not gamesas can achieve true originality and not just somewhat freshness is yet to be seen, I personally believe they can at least make a great game and that's why I'm here.

Haveing a very bad karma attached to your toon could make you appear quite formidable to others. Which would be cool!. On the other side of it, good karma players could get bonus xp for takeing you out. Which would also be cool!. Join my Fallout Online Facebook page.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=129704254139&ref=ts

Trying to join the raiders while having karma of an angel? forget about it.

Trying to join BoS while having your karma at the same level as kim il sung, forget about it

But if you twist them around they would probably embrace you with open arms (depending on faction status >_>).

Me personally i don't want for karma to be quite straight forward for example:

you have a choice to kill a innocent person or to spare his life. That for me is not to hard to chose
and you know what karma your going to get.

What i want to say is to make it more difficult. To put options that isn't really right or wrong but more
different ideological believes . Like how far will you go save the wasteland. Will you kill people that are refusing to give you a resource that is important to the evolution of your faction.

I hope you understand what i mean.

Well I loved the Karma system in the F1 and F2, especially when you wander the wasteland and get a dialogue like:

"Hey, aren't you that no good sonofabich that goes around killing people?"
"Hell, yeah..."
"Well, sir may I say, it's a damn honor to shake your hand..."

Or something like that. But that was single play and the Karma system was a integer variable placed there for npc's response to the players character. But out there in the MMO, such things work a bit different since you interact with other players - your reputation is what you make it in the community and the way other players remember you.

I wouldn't mind some "deamon spawn" achievement though.

I'm not saying Karma or Reputation don't belong here, I'm sure there is a way to implement them, for example, Karma could still be used for npc's response and all, but if it's a player controled environment... I'm not sure.