Legit go watch him in the first encounter with the mole rats, he jumps on one rolls it over and kills it. Then watch the xbox gameplay video..see where he's fighting the raiders..he jumps on one and rips the raiders jugular out....he will go everywhere with me lol

I hope they explain dogmeats' constant reappearance and apparent immortality at some point

Well, he's not Dogmeat (different breed), although why he's so healthy and intelligent MIGHT deserve an answer --- there was a dialog option along the lines of "Where's your master?"

As long as he doesn't bolt ahead to rip into raiders while I am quietly creeping through the raider camp, he could be useful. Depends on how smart the companion AI is, or how detailed our control is.... I never use Companions in Fallout-3, although come to think of it, I DO in New Vegas. Not sure if they're smarter there, or I just like the companions more and WANT to be around them, even if they are morons.

I confess I already have a mild affection for the little guy.

Maybe I've seen "A Boy and HIs Dog" one too many times.

He also handles feral ghouls as well, he can be seen taking one down in the atom bomb bit......although the ghoul is armless.

Well, if he killed Raider Scum by chomping on their ankles, I'd be a little disappointed. I always prefer a canine as a companion in both games and reality. He'll be my number one. "Yes, you will! Who's a good boy, Dogmeat? You are. Sit."

I never used companions in 3 either, but I took ED-E and Boone everywhere with me in New Vegas. I don't think they were actually smarter in New Vegas, but they were more useful because you had some limited control over them and they were easier to interact with. And it's been awhile since I played 3, but I think companions stole your EXP if they got the kill instead of adding it like in New Vegas.

Boone always stole my [censored] thunder..ede had so many good perks

I remember my time with Charon...and his really tragic death in a situation where re-loading a save would have set me back three hours. I tend to get rather attached to companions I like. And Charon...Charon was a good'n. A merc with a code of honor, but had his opinions. Who under all that silence and gruff was a noble gent.

RIP, Charon. Laid to rest in a long forgotten subway tunnel leading to the Enclave Airfield, may his remains go undisturbed, and the Fancy Lads that surround him be every moist...

That is weird I lost Charon on the same mission, the Enclave crawler was his funeral pyre.

Aside from early unpatched dogmeat jumping headlong into the path of every bullet, energy blast and missile, Charon was the first companion I lost in Fallout 3.

It's not one dog, it's just a name that's used for numerous dogs. Like a title.

Exactly, Vargrin.

"My father was called Dogmeat, my grandfathers were called Dogmeat, my great-grandfathers were called Dogmeat. And many of 'em were the same dog, even. So don't you go telling me I can't be called Dogmeat!"

Apologies to Terry Pratchett and Gaspode.

What xbox gameplay video?

Link?

I assume he means the E3 footage.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5esyZPt5Jo

and the microsoft footage

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3nYFn-aIno

this footage exactly.. apologies for no link

No worries, I've never seen the Microsoft footage

I do like the way he goes for things and takes them down.

I hardly ever took companions with me in Beth's games, they usually get in the way or ruin stealth. The only one I could tolerate was the dog. And at least with DM (no not dangermouse) you can shoot over him.

I think I will take him with me first playthrough, for a while at least. Though no doubt he will eventually start to do things I don't want him to and become more trouble than he's worth.

I just use them as pack mules.

Im an obsessive hoarder in FO

Let's just hope he doesn't run into forcefields.

I'm still mad about Mariposa for it.

I noticed how effective the dog is in combat & I'm hoping the dog will provide a practical use also. As we saw in the e3 show, he can retrieve items for your character. I'd like there to be situations where certain objects are just out of reach for your characters grasp, like a key for instance. The hole is too small for you but the dog can squeeze in nicely. Go fetch it boy! Now I can open that frigging door.

he attacks threats that threaten his new master? Sounds like what any large dog would do with a pack mentality.

As far as combat effectiveness goes he had some good animations for attacking human/ghoul and animal physiology. That is why I believe he is a different breed this time around. Videogame mocap has a lot of resources already developed for the german build. It would seem to be more cost effective.

Seems like he has different attack "styles"
-throat tear
-bites leg and pulls down
-attack different enemies with a different animation
-will probably grab a enemies gun hand and occupy him so you have a little less resistance

I personally can't wait to have him trip up a enemy as I gun him down with extreme prejudice