Being a really big Fallout Fan and a major dork, I have played the all of the fallouts multiple times.

After having played them so many times I wonder to myself "What gives FO games such great replay value?"

The answer for me is "S.P.E.C.I.A.L."

This simple system allows for so much character variation and specialization that it is impossible to make a character that is good enough to do everything (you could make a character that is kinda mediocre in a broad selection of skills, but even then you miss alot of stuff late game). So in order to experience an FO game to the fullest you had to play through it with multiple characters.

This is why FOOL is gunna be a great game.

No-one plays an MMO so they can play by themselves. Sure there are people who solo, but why would they play an MMO when they can get a much better single player experience in a single player game? No, they're just uncomfortable with the idea that they want a little social contact in their games. What better system to have in an MMO then one that requires you to cooperate with other players in order to experience the game to the fullest?

In other MMO's you have to group up to handle Bosses and Dungeons. Because of "S.P.E.C.I.A.L." you might want to group up to do pretty much everything. Because (This is all speculative ofcourse that the developer's stick to a system based on special and the base skills) you're gunna have a hard time convincing the elder to let you take the job that is the most worth-while if you don't have someone with good speech in the group. You'll also have a hard time finding the place if you don't have someone with outdoorsmen in the group. You'll certainly have a hard time defeating those raiders if you don't have a few people who can shoot straight in the group and you're certainly not gunna open the locker containing the uber tech gizmo you've been searching for if you don't have someone in the group with lockpick (or ungodly strength and a crowbar). If you want to sell that tech gizmo for all it's worth you also need someone with good bartering skills and if you want to stitch up that gun shot wound without visiting the local doc you're gunna need some medical supplies and someone with doctoring. You kinda get the point. If everyone in the group above has focused on one combat skill (i.e. Small guns/Energy wep/Melee) then you're looking at a group of 3-4 (based on the number of different skills needed to do all of the things above) players to complete this mission to the fullest.

The system that Fallout has ridden on since the beginning is an amazing system for multi-player games and gamesas knows it (I think Bethesda knows it too, which is why they made such a stink).

Stick with "S.P.E.C.I.A.L." and good ol fallout humor/story and FOOL is gunna be the best MMO in a long time.

If anybody cares to account how many times they've played FO2 go ahead. My number is 6. Another drunk conquistador conquering the governor's ball...

I agree that there are a lot of possibilities for using the skill system to its fullest, and that this means a lot of grouping. I do think that there should be at least a little "character classification" going on in order to assist group-making. The game should look at the player's tag skills and call them something easy to classify. Like anyone with a weapon skill, first aid / doctor, and basically any third skill should classify as a "Medic". I know this may "pigeon-hole" people into playing a certain style by virtue of their tag choices, but realistically a good group needs to know that it can rely on it's people to fill a roll.

I think I can claim 3 playthroughs on FO1, 7 playthroughs on FO2, 1 on Tactics.

You make it sound bad for the solo-players. Why play the game if you can't get/make the most out of it? Well I guess we're just a couple of problem solvers

That wasn't my intent, but it is still certainly true that no one plays MMO's to play by themselves.

And the S.P.E.C.I.A.L. system will still works for someone who sticks to themselves, but like in any other game they will find it hard to do everything (which certainly isn't a downfall to the system, infact I think it is a positive effect) especially in an MMO.



I've play FO1 twice. Another drunk conquistador conquering the governor's ball...

As long as the S.P.E.C.I.A.L system works like in Fallout I, II and Tactics it′s all good. What they did in Fallout 3 made some stats useless (Useless stats, skills, abilities ruins any game). Strength for example you could use a minigun with strength 1 and you could carry 19.200 lbs and still be able to move around.

So actual investment in a stat when deciding if you can use a gun,armour etc or not. Not the added bonuses for wearing Power Armour etc. The strength increase bonus for wearing that armor should be exclusive to the armour itself not towards the total wieght capacity. More total strength (with bonuses) better flexibility when moving around in the Power Armour etc.

In Fallout Tactics due to perk choices taken at a specific pattern you could have Perception 11 or 12 even if the cap was 10. That type of exploit shouldn′t be possible.

I Agree, although we won't know what their planning untile we see some Beta action really. I am pretty certain Perks will play a big part in what defines how a character archetype works.

I doubt we'll see anything Fallout 3 like considering the current legal issues.

I've played Tactics 4 times. Definitely my favorite. Another drunk conquistador conquering the governor's ball...

Wrong I'm a bad ass in real life too.

Wrong I'm a bad ass in real life too.

Alright... but if you're playing by yourself how do we know it's true???? Another drunk conquistador conquering the governor's ball...

We and I talk to Grumpy Bone like that Sulik Tribal.

I love the idea of using the old school skill system, however I would tweak it a bit for the MMO audience.

Perhaps have a few "classes" that get bonuses to their "main" skill.
examples could be something like shootist, medic, hacker, hulk, doctor, professor, whatever.
Just something to let people know when filling a group what everyone is "best" at.