» Thu May 03, 2012 8:01 am Imagine Fallout's map in first person 3D (It'll be FPP/tpp). Imagine 15 (+/-) major settlements and locations on the map, separated by a weeks' walk or more ~each.
With this in mind, imagine that the game streams in cell by cell of procedurally generated wastes, wrecked suburbs, abandoned farms, collapsed bridges, torn up roads, overgrown rest-stops and road side diners... and all of it with the slight chance of random encounters and/or unspoiled loot; random (hand crafted) set-pieces too ~like a well stocked bomb shelter, or a paper mill, or refinery; or even an amusemant park like a Fallout 50's Wally World with animatronic Pip-boys spouting Rob-Co ads and demanding to see proof of admission (with 20 seconds to comply)... And they might be the only thing there ~or there could be more to it. Maybe an NPC or two live there. The purpose of it all being a plausible wasteland that's actually explorable if you want, but that the main game is really still in the major settlements and locations.
If you walked it, the town would eventually stream into view just like any other procedural or set piece location.
All this stuff could be bypassed via the overland map travel. The PC would set off on a forced march and resume 170 miles away in the next populated town ~missing anything of interest along the way unless they were ambushed or lucky enough to have noticed something during the trip. And if they were ambushed the game resumes at the location of the attack (mid-way somewhere between towns); afterwards the PC could walk out (all the way), or use the overland map for condensed travel.
If there were drivable vehicles, this would allow you to drive the 170 miles in real time; run over a few raiders or rad scorpions along the way ~or maybehttp://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj125/Gizmojunk/bad_idea.jpg.
My preference would be that the really weird encounters have to be stumbled upon in real time; though the player could use the overland map at will, to go even just a few miles and then walk some more in realtime. My other preference would be that the map is not accurate enough to mark a location to within a ? mile unless it's a known settlement ~so no back tracking to special encounters that may or may not have been real or where you think they were.
**Edit:
That pretty much sums up my feelings on how it should be done.
I thought it might be about time i showed my face again,
So welcome back!