Because when I'm trying to reach new customers, amusing videos that don't give a lot of substantial information is clearly the best approach.

They actually showed off three perks, they just didn't tell us much about them.

"Keep doing your chin-ups and push-ups, because there's more that Strength can do for you. Swing for the fences like the pros..." (level 2 perk), "Crafting specialized protective gear..." (level 4 perk), "Building clever weapons to wield..." (level 3 perk).

Breaking News!

The Strength video has absolutely nothing to do with perks. The video is designed to show the effects of the stat. For this statement to be true, everything featured in the video should be available without taking a single perk in this category. Let's have a look at what we are shown:

• Increasing your Strength will allow you to carry more items
• Carrying too much weight will make you more vulnerable to attack
• Increasing your Strength will not prevent you from being killed
• Strength can help you when in close proximity to enemies
• You can use your fists, as well as a variety of hand-worn and hand-held weapons
• The higher your Strength, the more damage you will cause with any of the above

In addition to this, we are also shown the following 'short clips', which are not in fact perk related, but are once again features of the stat:

• "Swing for the fences, like the pros"
• "Crafting specialised protective gear"
• "Building clever weapons to wield"

The first tells us that the higher our Strength, the harder we can hit incoming objects, for example, when swinging a baseball bat.

The second tells us that with a high Strength stat, we can move faster and more easily whilst wearing 'specialised protective gear', in other words power armor, which we are able to craft/modify using the hydraulic lift shown in the E3 demo.

The third tells us that we are able to use heavy and/or powerful ranged weapons (such as the combat shotgun) more easily with a higher Strength stat due to reduced recoil. The reference to 'building clever weapons' is due to the fact that all weapon crafting is covered by Intelligence.

Further proof can be seen by the fact that, although they are shown in the first 'column' (ie next to the stairwells), none of these short clips display level numbers. And yet on the chart, we can clearly see L01, L02, L03, etc. Also, note that several details in each of the clips in notably different from the icons seen on the chart, including the one included in the video. This includes the clothing worn by VB whilst hitting the baseball, as well as the position and color of the 'canisters' in the background of clips 2 and 3. This confirms that the clips are not showing perks, but are in fact showing features of the stat.

Yet a few minutes ago I saw a video of a guy who had freeze frame anolysed the clip and could see that each of those three where in a neat vertical row under the pip boy image for the stat, so its looking like a part of the perk chart to me.

Edit: plus if they aren't perks, why did they use all the background elements of the perk chart? On top of that if you freeze frame when the pip boy guy unfolds the chart you can see those illustration on the strength row.

I'm with you on that. Looked like ranks 2, 3, and 4 to me.

Agreed, with a unarmed perk as the STR 1 perk (judging by squinting at that parly unfolded chart)

Which further proves what I have suggested. The features listed in the first part of my post are all covered in the official description of the stat, which tells us that:

"Strength is a measure of your raw physical power. It affects how much you can carry, and the damage of all melee attacks."

The features listed in the second part of my post are all additional features, which is why they have been shown in this way (as in first, second, and third additional feature), but without level numbers shown next to the staircase in each short clip.

Also, if these are perks, why are we not shown a close-up of the chart below Big Leaguer?

EDIT: the reason is because the icon immediately below Big Leaguer shows a replica of the Delta IX Rocket from the Museum of Technology, and Bethesda clearly want to keep us all guessing. If you don't believe me, have a really good look at the icon on the enhanced chart images and compare it with the image of the rocket shown on the wiki page.

gkk7z: These aren't perks.

Other person: Looked like they were lined up under the Strength pic and they look like perks we saw on the poster.

gkk7z: That proves they aren't perks!

...

Personally, besides the images looking like the ones on the perk chart, the fact that there's staircases to the left of the three pictures also makes me think that they're perks, especially when you see the perk booklet thing at the end of the video also showing the staircases to the left of the Strength perks.

If it wasn't against forum rules, I would be willing to bet my Pip-Boy edition that I'm right. Either way, we'll find out in six days when the next video comes out

Plus again tho its kinda squintovision all three pip boy images are visible on the partly folded out chart shown in the video, all indeed seen on the vertical row for strength.

And yet several details don't match up. This was a clever move on Bethesda's part, but the evidence is there. In six days, this shall be confirmed when we are shown the Perception video. Any features shown will be related to the base abilities of the stat, such as opening locks and safes, picking pockets, using explosives, and detecting enemies, but none of the features will be locked to any specific perk because this is not what the videos are about.

Wanna arrange something under the table?

Also, I don't get how you take words like "CRAFTING" and "BUILDING" and construe them to mean "USING" in total disregard of the actual meanings of the words.

I honestly seen more details not matching up in your explanation then the current, quite common sense assumption that they where perks.

At no point during the video is it suggested that we craft or build anything using Strength perks. Note also that the clips have been cut together very carefully so that we have no idea what was said before or after each one. If I'm wrong, then why focus on the first few 'perks' only? Do you not find it more than a little odd than nothing higher up on the chart is even hinted at? Not one single perk is actually mentioned, but the video does talk about 'using your natural strength' and 'your innate vigour'.

Such as?

That's some powerful denial you got going on there, considering you quoted the lines.

"...There's more Strength can do for you. (tear) Swing for the fences like the pros. (tear) Crafting specialized protective gear to keep (tear) Building clever weapons to wield (tear)"

The fact that those are listed right after the narrator says that "There's more Strength can do for you" I think is a pretty clear suggestion that they are things that Strength covers, and the fact that the images look like the ones in the perk chart we've already had a slight look at suggest that they are in fact perks. If those were things covered by other stats like Endurance and Luck, it would be meaningless to have them in a Strength dedicated video, and if they weren't perks, they probably wouldn't have been going with the "Column of Vault-Boys in an otherwise featureless room" model the perk chart uses.

As for not showing more perks, remember when I clearly expressed how annoyed I was by the lack of actual information?

And yet this also suggests wearing specialist protective gear and wielding weapons more effectively. It still doesn't claim that we craft or build them using any of the Strength perks. And it is not meaningless talking about a feature of the Strength stat in a video about the Strength stat. Note that the video also tells us that "some moments require more than muscle", which is clearly referring to both armor and Endurance. Also, the 'column of Vault-Boys in an otherwise featureless room' is merely a way of listing the additional features I have mentioned.

How will you find out in 6 days? The next video isn't going to be an explanation of this one. It's going to likely be a video about perception and will likely suggest what perception does or what perks it has (depending on your outlook of the video) just like this one was about strength. Therefore I doubt anyone will have confirmed answers next week either.

I think it's clearly saying that no matter how strong you are, you can't punch your way out of everything. I wouldn't be surprised if every video has a similar caveat (such as "You can't talk your way out of everything!").

It might suggest wielding and wearing, but it outright states building and crafting.

In terms of narrative, it makes sense to begin by showing what the Strength stat itself governs (that is to say, the stuff of Vault-Boy out in the Wasteland), when they begin saying "There's more Strength can do for you" heavily implies we're getting into the territory of perks, going from the macro of "This is what Strength will do for everyone" to the micro "Those focusing on Strength can..." The general to the specific.

On a slightly related topic, http://i.imgur.com/W7giRHE.jpg a larger version of the perk chart that isn't in your reference list.

You'd think the fact that they're showing a chart that looks exactly like the perk chart is clear enough that what they were talking about were perks at that point in the video. Not to mention the three perks that were shown (and even the small glimpses of Perception perks) in the video match the blurry shots of the actual perk chart well enough.

Seriously, it's not that complex.

And I don't even know how "Crafting specialised protective gear" came through to you as "we can move faster and more easily whilst wearing 'specialised protective gear'".

Sweet find, bookmarking that link.

Because of the format of the video and what will be included. Or more importantly, what won't be included. The series will more than likely feature the same format throughout, and so it will be very easy to confirm what I have stated once the Perception video has been shown.

Thanks for the link to the image. The first one listed in my thread is the same format and resolution, but the contrast makes it a bit easier to see

As for the mention of building and crafting, as well as the 'similar' appearance between the chart and the video clips, it's important to remember that Bethesda are trying to keep as much as possible under their belt. And this isn't just based on a 'what if', the evidence is there. Including the fact that any close-up shots of the chart have been cut to avoid showing the actual images for P3 and P4. Also, I agree with you 100% about the wasteland section, because this is showing the main features of the stat, which are also listed under the official description. The second part of the video will make a lot more sense once the Perception video has been released.

As a final word, I am not simply trying to avoid changing any of my predictions. I have in the past made a number of changes to the perk line-up based on newly discovered evidence as well as suggestions from others. All I am doing is presenting what I see as the most likely scenario based on all available evidence.

Except they aren't cut, you can, unmistakably see the welding tanks at the 3rd and 4th spot in the video, so we clearly have evidence that is "better" then yours, dude you are wrong, its a fact, face it already.

I'd seriously advise retooling your perks now, particularly things like Crushing Blow. A lot of the images frankly don't synch up with what you claim the perk will do (Vault Boy looks at table : You can smash armor!) and the available evidence suggests you are radically altering messages like "craft x" and "build y" to things that are completely different. It's less Occam's Razor and more Arkham's Razor.

Presenting the new Batman villain, the crazy Arkham's razor!