FALLOUT 4

[Mr. Analog]

https://twitter.com/BethesdaStudios/status/605744940006670337

THE HYPE IS REAL
http://fallout.bethsoft.com/

20 HOURS 13 MINUTES TO GO

[Thorin]

Oh no.  We're going to lose you for two weeks, aren't we?

[Mr. Analog]

I'm gonna take some days off for the release, whenever it is, yeah!

Bethesda's E3 conference is Sunday July 14, I'm hoping we get more details then. I don't know what to expect tomorrow morning, but I am excited FOR ANYTHING

Bethesda [1]    6:30pm PT    June 14 - 7pm PT / 10pm ET

It's been almost 7 years since Fallout 3, and 5 since New Vegas. I'm expecting a release date in October which has been the release date for the series since Bethesda took over and is also a significant month in the Fallout universe (October 23, 2077)

[Mr. Analog]

OFFICIAL TRAILER:
https://youtu.be/GE2BkLqMef4

[Mr. Analog]

A Bostonian?s guide to every famous landmark we see in the Fallout 4 trailer
http://bgr.com/2015/06/03/fallout-4-trailer-boston-screencaps/

[Mr. Analog]

...the Bethesda store (which is actually ThinkGeek FYI) had some new stuff

I now own said new stuff

THE ADDICTION IS REAL

[Mr. Analog]

Available for Pre-Order on Steam

[Thorin]

So...  You've already pre-ordered, right?

[Mr. Analog]

So...  You've already pre-ordered, right?

I moved the mouse so fast across my desk there was a flame trail and a spinning vanity plate with "OUTATIME" written on it

[Melbosa]

So did you get the collectors with the pip boy option?

I'm now interested after the E3 video.

And I downloaded Fallout Shelter on my iPad

[Darren Dirt]

OFFICIAL TRAILER:
https://youtu.be/GE2BkLqMef4

lotsa callbacks and references in there! Couple of "analyzed/desconstructed" 15+ minute videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pnt2cy5MWyw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avTVVbNYWDc

[Mr. Analog]

So did you get the collectors with the pip boy option?

I'm now interested after the E3 video.

And I downloaded Fallout Shelter on my iPad

I pre ordered on Steam last week, at the time there was no option for it. If it comes with an art book too then I'm sold otherwise I was really surprised by the build quality of the PipBoy and the app

When I get out of bed here I'll link some more videos, the reveal on Sunday had SO MUCH to cover

[Mr. Analog]

Ok, so first here's Bethesda's E3 presentation on Fallout 4 in its entirety:

https://youtu.be/D5esyZPt5Jo

But what I will do is break it down to the interesting bits:

1. Artists concepts:
https://youtu.be/D5esyZPt5Jo?t=2m57s

They talk a little about obsessive detail, which has always been a big part of the series but then there is a massive slideshow of concept artwork. Now I'm sure most of the concept stuff we see is not in the actual game but there are a few little interesting things if you pause and look at some of the images (like at 04:28, which appears to be a small sized version of Liberty Prime tied to a post like a guard dog)

2. The game starts in the Old World (pre-war)
https://youtu.be/D5esyZPt5Jo?t=5m5s

The next part shows the character creation process, and that you start in the pre-war world of 2077. You can play as male or female and there are extensive character creation options. All the NPCs in the game were created this way. It is hinted at that your character is a veteran (most likely of Operation Anchorage), whichever character you leave the mirror as is who you play.

3. Stat creation:
https://youtu.be/D5esyZPt5Jo?t=7m28s

No more GOAT for you, this quickly and easily sets your stats and also sets into motion the story. You have been "selected" by VaultTec to participate in Project Safehouse, now for Fallout fans this should signal DANGER because to even get into a Vault you had to go through a rigorous selection process and pay a quite hefty sum of money to reserve a spot for yourself and your family, to have a guy just show up and tell you you have a free ticket is peculiar to say the least. (NOTE: the VaultTec representative looks very much like Tod Howard)

4. Waking up:
https://youtu.be/D5esyZPt5Jo?t=9m44s

Something happens (it's implied that there's story that happens in the Vault) and somehow your character has been asleep for 200 years, you wake up, escape the Vault and survey the landscape. One notable feature is that the dialogue no longer locks you into space, you can hold a conversation in 1st or 3rd person as well as do things while people are talking, for many of Bethesda's previous games you were always locked into speech trees. They also claim that the dialog will be much more fluid so you get a more natural feeling dialog between characters

5. Dogmeat:
https://youtu.be/D5esyZPt5Jo?t=12m11s

You can find a canine companion in the game (as with previous versions) the dog can be directed much more easily and can do things like fetch stuff for you. This was in previous games but it wasn't executed in real time like this seems to be. Not sure if there are human (or otherwise) companions, but it's neat nonetheless.

6. VATS is back:
https://youtu.be/D5esyZPt5Jo?t=13m4s

Obviously this game looks like your standard run n' gun on the surface BUT it IS still an RPG and stats still matter, and with combat oriented stats comes VATS which let's you slow the action down and puts those skills you've earned into use. Seeing VATS return was a big thing for me (your character can be a better shot than you are, so it's handy!)

7. In-game montage:
https://youtu.be/D5esyZPt5Jo?t=13m27s

Some of the locations and things you will see on your journey

8. The new PipBoy + App:
https://youtu.be/D5esyZPt5Jo?t=14m50s

Some interesting things:
1. Layered armor
2. YO DAWG WE PUT GAMES IN YOUR GAME SO YOU CAN GAME WHILE YOU GAME

As discussed above this comes with the collectors edition, the app itself is going to work in-game as a two-screen experience via your LAN connection as a PipBoy

https://youtu.be/D5esyZPt5Jo?t=16m43s

9. The mobile Vault game "Fallout Shelter":
https://youtu.be/D5esyZPt5Jo?t=18m25s

10. Crafting and world building:
https://youtu.be/D5esyZPt5Jo?t=23m22s

All items in the world can be used as crafting components, nothing is useless anymore and you don't have to hunt so far for important parts, importantly you can use materials to build your own settlement. Build defenses, start farms, trade caravans, set up a power grid, build your own house, etc

11. Weapons and weapon mods:
https://youtu.be/D5esyZPt5Jo?t=26m18s

There are more than 50 base weapons and over 700 mods, so you can really get creative with your weapon modifications. This uses the same crafting system as above and again, lets you build mods with raw materials rather than specific in-game items.

Modding also extends to armor:
https://youtu.be/D5esyZPt5Jo?t=28m16s

12. Action montage:
https://youtu.be/D5esyZPt5Jo?t=29m21s

Shootin' stuff is one of the fun things in the game, but what's even more fun is dressing up in a goofy outfit, finding that right rockabilly song and then letting loose the mayhem

13. Release Date
The release date is set for November 10th 2015, which is WAY earlier than everyone was expecting. Turns out the dev team really has been working on this since Fallout 3 was completed (they started in 2009) so it's really far along and in the final stages now.

Suffice to say I am excited

[Thorin]

Wait, is this a game you'd like to play? I can't tell if you're excited or not.



Crazy to think they've been working on it for six years, if they started back in 2009. Plus all the DLC they made for Fallout 3...

[Mr. Analog]

Wait, is this a game you'd like to play? I can't tell if you're excited or not.



Crazy to think they've been working on it for six years, if they started back in 2009. Plus all the DLC they made for Fallout 3...

That's for sure, they also found time to put out Skyrim et al as well

They did hand off New Vegas and all its DLC to another developer (Obsidian the spiritual successor to Black Isle), but yeah they not only kept it completely under wraps for 6 years but they knocked our socks off on Sunday with just too much to absorb.

My only concern at this point is the specs required, I want to stick with PC and I'm pretty sure if it's made to run on an XBone / PS4 I should be able to handle it, but still, getting the right settings for GTAV took a little digging