Fallout 4 impressions

[PZ]

I started the game last night and took a few screenies which I was too tired to post, but will soon.

I felt right at home having played FO3 - like coming home.  The graphics are really good in comparison though.  Definitely not as good as GTA5, but really good.  The game automatically set my graphics to Ultra as it detected my hardware, which I confirmed in the settings.

When I watched some of the FO4 videos, I was a bit worried about graphics because it looked like stuff in the distance was blurry and only cleared up as you neared them.  I was pleased to discover that is not the case - the distant objects are as in focus as nearby things.

I've already met my dog, he has helped me kill some nasty things and I've had to use a stimpac on him when I was in my workshop and did not realize he was being attacked outside.

There is so much to explore, and always 4 options to channel the conversation when you speak with someone.  I must admit that I immediately though of mandru while playing the game - it appears to have limitless opportunity to discover and explore while collecting things and building your empire.  Might keep mandru busy for a long time to come.

[Dweller_Benthos]

I've seen some people complaining about video quality for FO4 videos on Youtube. I think to keep up with the flood of videos, YT has lowered the quality in order to get them up as fast as possible.

[PZ]

Could be - the video in my game is fluid and flawless in game play

[mandru]

I too have been watching a lot of the YT vids (mostly the un-narrated play through series you suggested on another thread) and I've got a couple questions about your play time experience.

I'm accustomed to the smoothness of character control in the last couple FarCry series and I was wondering is the control over your in game character (his movements, ability to aim a weapon and actually hit a target, etc...) is as clunky and unwieldy as the videos make it out to be?

I'm also interested to know if you are having any success using melee combat?  Those situations when the fighting gets too close or if you are low on ammo for a preferred weapon.  Maybe you just enjoy the exploding head animation of an enemy upon the delivery of a well tempered punch?

The guy in the play through series I mentioned above really seems to be unaware of simple tactics like utilizing the terrain to his best advantage or not sucking at stealth.  ???

I've seen a lot of seemingly good hand to hand accessories picked up by the guy playing that series.  Axes, bats, damage boosting gloves for both bare hand and power suit applications and while he collects those items I'm up to part #30 of the series and in two situations has he shown evidence that melee is programmed the game.  In one situation he was being charged by two ghouls of equal levels.  the guy playing was trying to move to get a better aim and he hit something in his controls that one-hit splashed the first ghoul's head but the second ghoul (who was a few steps further away) he put down with a magazine and a half's worth of ammo and because of the longer exposure time to the second ghoul's attack he took far more damage from both injury and radiation and that's not accounting for loss of bullets sprayed away ineffectively into the far end of the darkened tunnel.  :D

Some of his play choices make me grit my teeth.  There's a car nearby or an embankment that would allow some protection of the ankle biting radioactive mutant mole rats and rather than use that advantage to send dog meat out of harm's way while picking the attackers at his leisure he slogs through them firing at random.


Another video I watched showed a guy in a power suit handily slap the life straight out of a Deathclaw with just a pool stick and by knowing when to skip out of the way and dodge took actually very little personal damage.  But the movement mechanics seemed clunky.  While I don't know what buffs and power ups he had engaged at least it made the melee part of the game seem not only possible but even desirable in some applications if there are enemies that are more susceptible to blunt force damage over having lots of holes poked through them.

[fragger]

I haven't yet watched any FO4 videos but what you reported mandru doesn't surprise me greatly. I have watched vids of other shooters being played and some of these people couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with a hammer. They seem to be totally clueless as to the concept of cover, too - they'll run around out in the open getting themselves well and truly peppered and they'll be all "Why am I getting hit all the time?"

You have to wonder sometimes... ????

[PZ]

Yes, it can be frustrating to watch someone else play when they have no movement (or thinking) skill.

I'm using some kind of energy weapon that had a powerful scope - hold left alt to hold your breath - aiming appears to w@&k well.  I like using VATS on occasion, but mostly do not find the need to do so unless being overwhelmed with the speed of the attack.

Meelee seems to be okay - press left alt (when not in aiming mode) and you swing your weapon against anyone close.

Stealth is cool - there is a HUD display: [     Hidden     ] in which the brackets move closer to each other seemingly when the threat becomes more imminent.

Mostly for me so far it seems like a vamped up FO3, and I'm enjoying it quite a bit.  I like the side games of creating and maintaining settlements.  There is so much to do and so many places to go that I never feel bored because I can simply change my focus.

I love the F5 quick save and F9 quick load features because I can experiment all I want and return to the earlier quick save.  It only does not w@&k when you are in a conversation (I think) because I have used it within missions.

The Pip-boy app on my Galaxy Tab is also fun to use - I can keep an eye on the environment on the PC monitor while using Pip-boy features like dropping junk or changing weapons

The bottom line: I think if you liked FO3 you'll enjoy FO4 even more.  Of course, as always, gaming is such a personal experience.

[Art Blade]

mandru, if "that guy" is MKIceAndFire then I can tell you a little about him. He's from Spain and playing through as fast as possible usually leaving everything left right and centre alone as long as it isn't absolutely necessary to progress the main story line. He's got good reflexes and usually is a good shot. Even if you think that he takes far more damage than you'd allow yourself, he usually manages to survive anyway and therefore doesn't care much about it. Also, as he's one of YT's more important uploaders, he receives copies of games earlier than we ever could (read: a few days before the official release) and the goal among those types of youtubers is to be first to publish and to finish. Guess why it was him you were watching and not some random guy -- speed is the key. They make a living doing stuff like that and get paid quite handsomely, too.

[mandru]

Yeah, that's the poster.  :)

[Binnatics]

I heard a friend complain about the clumsy shooting experience, something that seems to be hard to get used to whe you've been playing other shooters. Different engines give different looks at targets and the aiming works differently. Always something that needs a little time, but nevertheless it might be a little worse on this title. Well, the game isn't really a shooter after all 8)

[PZ]

This is what "God" wrote

http://www.gamespot.com/forums/system-wars-314159282/is-fallout-4-even-a-rpg-confirmed-30-fps-best-on-p-32163641/

[PZ]

I heard a friend complain about the clumsy shooting experience, something that seems to be hard to get used to whe you've been playing other shooters. Different engines give different looks at targets and the aiming works differently. Always something that needs a little time, but nevertheless it might be a little worse on this title. Well, the game isn't really a shooter after all 8)

Here's a tips/tricks video that just happens to show shooting in the game as I experience it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2e-XGuFFgk

[mandru]

Obviously the Old Testament (Book of Law) God not God 2.0 of the New Testament (Book of Love)  :-D

Concerning melee and hand to hand skills.  My hopes for melee went way up while I was watching one of the MKIceAndFire FO4 series (it was up in the 30's range).  There was a moment when Piper (the newspaper reporter) grabbed an enemy, used a hip pivot and slammed them to the ground following up with a head stomp.

After following that link and reading it over a couple times I'm now hoping that is not a combat option limited only to the companions.  ???

Edit additional: I watched that tip vid in the post right above this.  You slipped that in as I was preparing to post.  It's good stuff and answered a couple questions and create a few new ones. 

[PZ]

 :-X  :-()

I'm still new in the game and an immersed in the story and have not done much in the way of combat (except the basics to stay alive).  There is so much to do I am trying all kinds of bits and pieces and just having fun in general.

I like the way you meet people and then end up with some kind of quest to go on which remains tracked in Pip-boy while you do other things.  I've been doing a bit of free roam, but mostly sticking to the story - kind of unusual for me these days  ;D

[Art Blade]

Don't worry, PZ, you'll forget about that soon.  :-()

[PZ]

I know I will - that's why I can watch the same movie over and over  :-()

[Art Blade]

in an endless loop because when the credits start rolling you're already wondering how the heck it started? :-()

[mandru]

I've got a question.  When you've cleared the mutants and monsters out of a location do they stay cleared out or do they respawn the next time you go through that area?

It would be nice if it was a genuine mop up operation in the long game.  :)

[PZ]

That's a good question for which I do not have an answer.  I recall discussing this in FC2 and the guard posts.  Clearing them out permanently makes for a dead world with no excitement.  However, having NPCs respawn too frequently is also annoying.  For me, the ideal would be that a game would take into account how the world was changing and adjust the number and types of NPCs automatically.

[Dweller_Benthos]

Yeah, I've seen that in videos, where certain areas can be "cleared", but it seems other areas can't, so I dunno. It may have something to do with which areas you can build in, as those are restricted. You can't just build anything anywhere. I think you can collect scrap anywhere though, but might be wrong on that. I haven't seen any videos where someone collected scrap outside the area they were building in. If you wanted to do some extreme builds, you'd think you'd run out of materials in the limited areas you can build in, and getting scrap outside would be the only way to go.

[Art Blade]

"you can build anything you want. If you find the material needed, that is.."

[PZ]

I think you can collect lots of scrap in lots of areas.  I've already seen a mod that lets you build anywhere, and as large as you want.  Their only caution was that if too large, performance is affected.  However, if you have an equally large performing PC, then....

[Art Blade]

"..the game crashes?"  ????

:-()

[PZ]

nah... you can build a base as large as you like  :-()

[Art Blade]

 :-X :)

[PZ]

Was wandering around last night and ran into a nest of super mutants, one of which was named "Hammer"

He had this weapon:

Spoiler

A super sledge that delivers 80 hit points of damage.  I hit a rad scorpion and killed it with a single blos and sent it flying at least 30 feet.