In the Elder Scrolls games you can pretty much keep exploring for as long as you like if you want but in Fallout it can be rough to explore if you're low on stim packs and if you're low on ammo. You can swing a sword and shield all you want but in the Fallout games it's really about survival and sometimes running it's not always a good idea to just wander around especially at the early levels

I for one prefer more need for survival management, wouldn't mind more dangerous TES. It's too easy to survive in TES, too easy money at early levels, too easy potions, too easy enemies. A hardcoe mode would be great, optional like FNV. In the Gothic games going off the beaten track is pretty punishing, and that doesn't subtract from the feeling of exploration, on the contrary, harder makes it even more rewarding.

That's the point. TES is about exploration and ego stroking, Fallout is not (and will hopefully remain as far from that as possible.)

Why and how is TES about ego stroking?

It is present in Fallout, but I take it that there's a certain "Look at my character, they look awesome, have the awesomest armor, done all of the awesome quests, use all of the awesomest weapons, and the awesomest spells! Awesome!"

Personally, I agree that TES is far more inclined towards this sort of thing.

Have you payed attention to the stories and dialogue? I half expected the Skyrim game disc to pop out of the console and go down on me during the High Hrothgar quests. Everyone telling you over and over how special "you" are, and how awesome "you" are, and how powerful "you" are. It was ridiculous.

Just my opinion, but it came off very strong in both of the last TES games.

It's interesting. I play Fallout 3 and New Vegas with difficulty enhancing mods, adding the need to drink/sleep, making supplies (ammo/food/healing) scarce, enemies tougher, etc. but I don't feel the need to play it hardcoe survival in TES games.


That goes to some extend in Morrowind as well though. At lower levels you definitely want to avoid daedric shrines, the dunmer strongholds, vampire dens, sixth house bases, and the whole of red mountain.

There's also less ego stroking.

That too, though it is also in Fallout. Particularly with the Chosen One. If that is going to happen in a game, I want it to be based on merit, like the Courier. Inherent specialness is bothersome, especially considering how unoriginal it has become.

In Oblivion you were basically a sidekick to Martin, and nobody ever really praised you, they just sent you to do the dirty work. Same in Fallout 3, the Lone Wanderer is actually the unluckiest of all the Fallout heroes.
In Skyrim, yeah it's a bit different, but even there the game let you know that in the end you were only a pawn. No army particularly praised you, even if you just won the whole Civil War for them, and barely anyone acknowledges that you defeated Alduin - a good thing really, since there is no way the ordinary citizen could know that you just went to Sovngarde and killed him. I actually felt more "ego stroked" in NV while playing a female Courier. That's to be expected I guess, given the Obsidian team's political views.

Everyone outside of your backwards tribal village that misinterprets advanced technology as holy artifacts and thinks the Vault Dweller ascended to heaven makes fun of the Chosen One title though. Even the player character can mock it.