Yup. I forsee Beth taking the easy route and covering everything with dull white snow, with only a few places that have a fun to explore enviroment.
:sadvaultboy:
I mega-disagree. The reason they did that with Fallout 3 was because it was an unknown; the reason fallout remained and was picked up was due to a powerful fanbase (myself included) being mostly unpredictable, and not wanting to pour resources into a potential failure.
You don't design a whole new engine if you're going to not use it. And Bethesda is already putting a LOT into this one. I see no reason to believe they wont continue on thier path of making better, more fun games.
Plus, have you ever lived in cold climate? I spent my life growing up in Colorado and Wyoming, at the foothills of the Rocky mountains. These areas are Cold Deserts, And believe me: these places are anything BUT icy wasteland. When done correctly, boreal settings are among the most beautiful places you will ever see, after rock deserts. Red lichens, blue/green and brown grasses, astounding, heartbreakingly beautiful wild flowers. Ever greens and wide skies, peircing mountains, lush valleys and rolling meadows. Thick hardy wildernesses, not like the wild brush in other climates. Grand rivers and huge peaks, mountains held together by rock alone. In Wyoming, there are numerous areas where you drive between sheer cliffs of amazing height.
Wasteland? Not in the slightest. This will be done right, I guarantee you. The only troublei s the trouble that will always remain: Its virtually impossible to render realistic snow. Just as with sand, dust and fur, the problem is the same: To be realistic, every particle must be wholly unique from every other particle. This is next to impossible.