obviously the skills we know from FO2 will be changed/adapted, gamesas was thinking about few changes already van buren but mostly its will be because of the transition from SinglePlayer lone wanderer to MMO social platform.

any ideas on what possible additions/changes/adaptations will be made in the FO MMO world ?

I like FO\FO2s skill table a lot better than VBs, because it's more comprehensive.
I also believe that it would translate well into an MMO with very little change.

obliviously its wont, starting with outdoors man, in an open world there can not be random encounters so its obsolete and gambling skill was always pointless, luck should be used instead(or even int if you can count cards)

there is also balance issue, from the top of my head how do you handle Barter? because i can see a future where no one spends anything on it and getting a secondary char a supper trader and "working" the system...

also Sneaking was mostly pointless skill in FO1/2 now i assume its will play a much bigger part, definitely more than steal as you probably guess that you wont be allowed to strap a whole town bare with quick save/load and with all the none pvp safe zones, besides its usually faster to kill the guy.

mechanics or engineer skill sound way more appropriate than repair and entitle much more gameplay options, from building mech dogs or placing small turrets as support member in group.

First Aid was basically pointless to invest in beside the few first aid books found, at least doc skill was required for some quest but in MMO there should be given some thought to this skill, to make it useful for a party and in the same time not too accessible to everyone else.

and what if crafting and professions will be introduced...

Well yeah, because there is no way to save/load a game in MMO's, skills like gambling and steal would be a bit tricky to use..
Finally, using them would be a real risk.

I could imagine outdoorsman skill being useful in -for example- finding food and water, and other general surviving, in the wasteland.. Just for the reason that there can not be individual random encounters for everybody in an open world. In Fallout 3 that wasn't a problem, because there was no multiplayer. But we are talking about an MMORPG here..

Sneak skill would finally be useful, but how about in PvP?.. Would it be just the generic "duels", or could you really use dirty means to deal with a character you don't want to face head on?

And the thing about barter. The problem with the secondary characters for all the trading would be eliminated simply, by creating an individual bank account (if such things will even exist) for each character, not for each account.

Well lets say they leave skill system as it is. With no classes. You will make your own class by picking your primary skills or 1 primary 2 secondary or something like that.

So if we look on FO 1,2 skills only skills that will be useless are stealing like mentioned before and maybe speech ( depends from how many conversations you could do and how important will they be) but if it will be like in other MMO's it will be useless.

Repair will be good only if there will be equipment degradation or stuff you could repair. Like doors or turrets. Maybe some quests where you will need it.

If they will implement manufacturing/crafting skill for that will be nice maybe even more comlex skill system for that depending from how important and complex will crafting be.

Maybe some tactics or leadership skill for party bonuses.

Hmm and maybe also implant skills So you can implant yourself like in FO 2 . Dermal implants for physical and fire ressistances. Skill and stats implants. You will have more anvantages and less disadvantages with higher points in skill.

There are a lot of skills you could have but for that i will need to know how will be game mechanics made.

Sneak skill would finally be useful, but how about in PvP?.. Would it be just the generic "duels", or could you really use dirty means to deal with a character you don't want to face head on?

PVP should be far from typing /duel to the console. Or like old everquest pvp. And you should be rewarded if you focuse on pvp.

Outdoorsman skill

Food, water, danger sense (for those NPC possibe encounters)

Also why not use it to aid in outdoor combat
The difference between your outdoor skill and other players gives you a zero to positive defensive bonus.

Say you have 55% and they have 31% you would have a defensive bonus of 12% (assuming you are completely outdoors take 55-32=24 divided by 2).

Outdoor skill could also warn you if you are near a camp or place of civilization.
It would/could tell you the direction of the location and if high enough if it is a small group, large group and/or perament location (city, camp, ruins, etc.)

If you are trying to evade someone in the complete outdoors, you skill could aid in your chances to escape them. (slightly different than combat)

Outdoor skill could also allow you to travel faster across the open outdoors.

Dave Chase

I like Dave's idea for the outdoors men skill. Sounds like it could be used for a lot of fun.

I think they should keep gambling, for fun purposes only. Barter would still be nice to have for NPC interactions, but I could see them getting rid of it.

Speech, one of my favorite skills from FO1 and 2, should still be left in. Maybe we can convince the master to actually kill himself this time, and do a better job of it.
Plus I like the idea of outwitting an NPCs to do something for me.

I wonder if they will use the pilot skill that was in FO:T, that would be interesting for mounts and what not. You have a 20% pilot skill, you lost control of the car and crashed into a building.

Personally I cannot wait to see what they do with this game, I am anxious to see if they keep they same kind of humor from the older games.

I also want to see lock pick and steal still in the game. Maybe steal can only be used on NPCs, or do what they did in WOW and make it so if someone steals from you, you can kill them and get the money back.

Plus, will the skills go up to 200% again?

this can work, better outdoors skill will put new location and warn you of close encounters near by so you can avoid that.


gambling yes gambling skill no...


i hope they will but i dont see anyway how it will be more than just a easter eggs or at best let you avoid a huge boss fight (and his loot and exp), so if no one ever put one point in it, they will still finish it and lose nothing...

Im sorry guys but I think almost all skills are going to change drastically, and stat customization will not exsist in FO1 and 2 style. Character balance would be a nightmare, MMOs have a tough time balancing character classes that you can count on your hand let alone the insane amount that would come from skill customization.

Classes and Talent trees are pretty much guarenteed in any MMO, because it allows for the best customization and balance.

I would imagine classes will have preset SPECIAL stats, and all skills will be turned into Professions or be raised by use not by level.

Perks and Traits work pretty well with Talent trees, and imagine the use of a "gene splicer" could be used to rewrite them.

I've thought about this for a while, and i think all "sneaking" should work like the chinese stealth armour in F3. Partially (more invisible with higher sneak) cloaked, only visable to your faction.

There would always be a "stop pickpocket" button, so a paranoid player could constantly hit the button to avoid being pickpocketed (no different than always looking behind you to make sure), but a careless player may not see a sneaking enemy pickpocketing them. Of course a higher perception on the pickpocketee would make the pickpocketer less cloaked.

Outdoorsman skill would be useful for setting up camps so you could safely log off in the waste with lesser chance of you being robbed in your sleep. or something.

Lockpick, i think should be in. You can invest in better locks for your house etc, and maybe even work up to a key that would make your house unable to be broken into without someone pickpocketing the key off of you first,

The way i think this game should work, your home should be in your factions territory, so any of your faction that are online (or even NPC guards) could take care of someone should they try and fail to break into your house. If you are a drifter, then the wastes would be safe to sleep/log off in as long as you build camp, with the exception of a molerat or 2 stealing some of your food while you sleep.

that pretty much obvious skill trees are one of the way to plan motivate and give you feeling of progression while spending points with some unknown benefit just doesnt work in MMORPG's

yet skill trees or not, its basicly the same concept they replace 100 points in weapons to 10 levels each level gives you the same thing giving it 5 point and you can choose specialization, small/heavy laser+ some special kinds of attacks or something similar... so the basics will be kinda the same.

still the question is not if you think they are going to change but what and how or your own ideas ...

Here is a list of Skills from Fallout games

Code: Select all



Skills            MMO?

Small Guns         Yes
Big Guns         Yes
Energy Weapons      Yes
Unarmed         Yes
Melee Weapons      Yes
Throwing         Yes
First Aid         Yes
Doctor            Yes
Sneak            Yes
Lockpick         Yes
Steal            Yes
Traps            Yes
Science            Yes
Repair            Yes
Speech   (FO 1,2)      Yes
Barter   (FO 1,2)      Yes
Pilot   (FOT only)      Yes
Gambling         Yes
Outdoorsman         Yes



Why Speech?

Not only for NPC's but If you have a higher speech level, you should get a leadership bonus.

Why Barter?

Not only for NPC's but if you have a higher barter level than the other player, you get a bit more information on the items that are placed up for barter (like a seperate window is used to show what is up for barter.
Barter should be different than just giving someone something and hoping that they will give you something back. It's laying the items out on the braham hide and dicussing what will be traded for what.

Why Pilot?

Why not.

You could automatically drive a car in the FO games, and you needed pilot to do better driving in FOT, so why not allow everyone some skill in pilot with the higher skill giving you better reaction times (or such) during combat or tight quarters.


A new skill possibly is Leadership.
Why such in a MMO?
It could/would give bonuses to those who choose to follow said character. Bonuses like initative in combat, avoiding traps/obstacles, morale, etc but only 1/10 of the leaders actual skill level in that area. A leader with Small Arms at 81% would/could confur a bonus of 8% to those that are following him/her.
Leadership would allow more followers based on two factors. 1} higher leadership allows higher number of followers (1 per each 2% of leadership skill.) 2} allows a additional followers of the same faction at a 1 per 2% of leadership skill level. These would be in addition to the regular followers.

Another reason for having Leadership skill (or perk of it) is Once you achieve X number of followers who attach them selves to you for X amount of game time (all players must be logged in at the same time and attached for the same length of time), the player would gain additional titles.

Example, if you had 50 players attached to you for 4 hours of game play (same 50 players over the 4 hrs) the leader player would gain the title of Captain. This would require either a leadership of 100% or a Leadership of 50% with ? of the 50 attached players being general run of the mill and the other ? being of the same faction as the leader player.

A High leader skilled player could also get benefits (or negative if faction opposed) due to awe/curtsey of rank.


Science (and Crafting/modying weapons/equipment)
To improve or build any equipment (particularly weapons) one would need certain level of skill in the said general field. To make a pipe pistol or rifle, not only do you need the parts (quest/adventure/trade/steal) you need a min of Science 25%, Small Guns 25%. To build a new bolt action rifle Science 40% Small Guns 30%. To build that .50 cal rifle bolt action, you need Science 75%, Small guns 50% or Science 50% Big Guns 50%

Want to create a higher security program on that working computer you just fixed, You will need Science 50%, Traps 50% or Science 75%.

Something like that for crafting/building from the ground up. Note this is different that Repair which just fixes something that already exists.


A Twist to repair is make parts.
You find a broken item or weapon and don’t think you can fix it, Or that if you are seen carrying it, some one might attmept to take it from you, Or the item is too big for you to haul off your self, then make parts out of it.
The higher your Repair skill, the more and possibly better parts you can salvage from it.


Well anyway just some of my thoughts on skills



Dave Chase

How should it be implemented?

There should be several races and each race should have its own unique class. Each class can fill roughly one of the 3 roles of MMO's tank healer and DPS.

Each class has x amount of weapon skills available to them, with more use of the weapon they gain more skill points.

Each class has preset SPECIAL stats. SPECIAL can be altered by certain perks but in a preset way, such as a sniper charcter can choose the loner perk lowering their charisma by 1 but increasing their perception by 1. SPECIAL stat x level x Y variable= base HP, Combat Resource, Attack Power etc. ie.

Very Roughtly:
S= Melee Attack Power
P= Ranged Attack Power/ Ranged Accuracy
E= Health Points
C= Modifies Pets
I= Modifies Resource Regeneration /Generation
A= Modifies Resource Regeneration/Generation
L= Critical Strike Chance/Armor Penetration

Obviously certain classes would use certain SPECIAL stats differently then others.

A Mutant beserker has 10 endurance and is level 50, 50 x 10 x 10 = 5000 base HP.
A Human Hunter has 10 Charisma and is level 50, 50 x 10 x 2.5=1500 Pet Base Attack Power, HP, and Combat Resource
A Synthetic Sniper has 10 Luck and is level 50, 50x10x.5= 250 Base Armor Penetration


Every level you gain a point to be spent in a perk/trait tree.

You can choose x amount of crafting skills, skinning, tinkering, doctor, gunsmith, science etc. These skills allow you to harvest resources and craft items. You gain skill points by harvesting/crafting.

i dont like "classes" very much unless its more in SWG sort of way

i would also like to see some sort of crafting system, the good old get the materials, put them together and wait, materials should have different type of quality and crafters should be able to customizing the final products, products which will be from cloth armor, weapons and ammo to even vehicles and faction buildings.

It would be so cool to work on the Repair/Mechanics skills. To modify weapons and armor in order to try and improve them would also be great and to actually learn how to create a weapon from scrap parts that are found. That along with a skill that lets you make ammunition, those would be such wonderful trade skills.