Hey guys, haven't seen this discussed yet (sorry if it has) even though it's a major new concept in the game.

Judging by E3 footage and the way it worked in Fallout Shelter, the health bar in Fallout 4 seems to incorporate radiation poisoning now. It looks like your maximum health is determined by how irradiated you are, as the more radiated you are the less maximum health you can have at any one time. Correct me if I'm wrong. If anyone can explain it better please do.

I think this is an awesome move by Bethesda. It makes radiation an actual consideration in the game now, and I look forward to having to desperately scavenge for Rad-X and RadAway in addition to Stimpaks now. I think it will add an extra element of fear and tension to exploring heavily irradiated areas, such as the Glowing Sea.

What are everyone else's thoughts - anyone dislike the change?

Also, do we know if our health will regenerate by itself over time yet?

It's a wonderful change that makes radiation mean something.

In FO3, so long as I hoarded enough Radaway (not difficult),

popping some Radaway when I was irradiated enough was a trivial task, given that radiation had no other particular impact.

Clever change Bethesda.

Oh man the first time playing fallout 3 was brutal I never played a game with survivor aspects in it before so micromanaging things like radiation and scauaging for health and bullets was new to me it was fun untill i got to a higher level I hope with 4 bethesda can make the suviving aspect matter throughout any level of a characters playthrough.

I like it, as you say it makes radiation an actual consideration and gives a more direct impact on your character (also judging by the fact armor have by default a value for how much radiation it protect it feels like radiation will be a more prominent danger)

I'm hoping there are both short- and long-term effects.

What!? They nerfed Rad Child!?

Seriously, it's a great addition. Before I never worried about radiation until my rads reached 400, or until I just couldn't stand looking at the little reminder in the corner for minor radiation poisoning. I'll actually have to pay attention to this now. I just hope that it still comes with stat penalties as well at higher levels.

Now I'm just waiting for someone to come along and tell me why this is 'dumbing down'

because its bethesda.....

That's a good point; hopefully there are long-term effects.

In fact now that you mention it, I hadn't considered whether radiation will affect your SPECIAL attributes. I hope it does, although only at higher levels or indeed after a long period of time. It was annoying being over-encumbered because a little bit of radiation you'd been carrying around has given you -1 STR.

In the previous games I always went for the regenerating rad perks. In 3 I would do Moira's radiation experiment as early as possible and in New Vegas getting Rad Child was the only reason to train survival. My characters lived with advanced radiation poisoning.

I don't see how it's a direct nerf to rad child.

If it lowers max health, it won't have any effect on the health regeneration of rad child.

I personally like the idea. If Fallout 4 follows Skyrim and has an automatic Health Regeneration mechanic, long term effects might impact the rate at which you regenerate Health or AP. Since AP is a core stat of the system, it might even reduce the max AP to be rad poisoned. Run speed, weapon spread/damage, and carry weight can also be effective ways to demonstrate that your character is sick and not performing to maximum capacity.

SPECIAL impacts are also viable. I was just providing alternatives.

I really like this change. In FO3 I often didn't even know I was irradiated, nor was I particularly aware of what negative effects it might have. It certainly didn't seem like an important thing to worry about, given that it was buried in a submenu in the Pipboy. Seeing it on the health bar HUD makes it much more immediate, and the max health reduction gives it a tangible impact even at low levels.

It was a joke. Not a good one, obviously, but a joke nonetheless.