Fallout: New Vegas - Video Review @ IGN

IGN follows up their web review of Fallout: New Vegas with a video review, for those that would like a closer look at the game.
More information.

Fast travel is back... bla bla bla... makes me very happy... bla bla bla.

How can people like fast travel? It's screwing the main purpose of EXPLORING !!

No it doesn't, because nobody forces you to fast travel. It would quickly get frustrating to travel the same roads again and again and again. Especially during quests where you have to travel between two towns a lot.

bloodlover said:

Fast travel is back… bla bla bla… makes me very happy… bla bla bla.

How can people like fast travel? It's screwing the main purpose of EXPLORING !!

Click to expand...

When you design truly open and wide world I don't think it can be avoided. At least you need explore once to reach a fast travel point before using it, but that doesn't mean you explored well so it's not just about throwing many fast travel points on the map.

What follow is only from playing first parts of FNV, I think that FNV abused of them and used them too close to each other. It's particularly weird when you see next travel point and it seems rather close. I feel FO3 used this much better but probably could be improved. I also think that when fast travel use a story oriented system for fast travel that it's much better, for example the paid bird fly for fast travel in Morrowind was a nice system.

That's one reason why I prefer a design based on many area, then the fast travel becomes more logical.

bloodlover said:

How can people like fast travel? It's screwing the main purpose of EXPLORING !!

Click to expand...

I don´t like that some of F:NV´s quests rely on fast travel (aka you don´t get told directions in other manner), but I wouldn´t say it screws EXPLORING (!!) in this game.
In general, F:NV´s quest design actually encourages exploring - quests often make you travel all over the map and you have to "discover" locations on foot first before you can fast travel to them. Along with the game´s world design this results in player very likely discovering a lot of places on the way or straying off the path often, at least in the first half of the game or so.
Moreover, a lot of F:NV´s quests can be started in multiple ways, are often interconnected and on top of that include multiple solutions.

I totally love the fast travel from Morrowind for ex, but being able to teleport yourself just in front of the quest is lame. Where's the joy of looking for the exact location or NPC then? Fast travel in Oblivion was also screwed. Not to mention that it totally kills the gameplay and atmosphere...

Where has that joy ever been? Wandering around a town trying to find one person in it doesn't strike me as particularly fun.

Quick clarification: the review is a review of the Honest Hearts expansion, not New Vegas itself. That should be obvious to any RPG fan that is even somewhat awake... which I ain't on this cloudy, rainy, Saturday morning.

Well idk about you but I like to explore every corner of every place and talk to every NPC I happen to find along the way. This is the best thing of having a sanbox game after all.

DeepO said:

I don´t like that some of F:NV´s quests rely on fast travel (aka you don´t get told directions in other manner), but I wouldn´t say it screws EXPLORING (!!) in this game.

Click to expand...

I suppose you mean a point on the map because you can't fast travel to a point you haven't already explored.

I noticed in FO3 few plays around cursor quest and clear map locations, that was a quite pleasant surprise, and just a vague general area can be very tedious particularly if the game abuse of this. For example a quest not really pinpoint you a point on the map, but three and some hours information. Or in the main quest how reach a point clearly shown on the map involves a long non direct path and certainly multiple options.

It's not enough to remove the cursor quests or allow not show it, a simple position on map can be as worse. Designers have to play around that, not always but most often. A less precise area AND few NPC in that area that can help find the right direction and point. Multiple possible area. An area on map involving a weird non direct path and possibly some in game maps to help, I'm thinking of Metro maps ingame in Fallout 3. A path based on hints on ground like some special rocks or signs on tree. Path based on following something, a group of beast or people, sneaky or not. A path based on panels plus having information about usual behavior of a NPC so possible locations found easier with panels, and so on and so on.

bloodlover said:

Well idk about you but I like to explore every corner of every place and talk to every NPC I happen to find along the way. This is the best thing of having a sanbox game after all.

Click to expand...

Im confused you don't have to fast travel right? If you like to explore every nook and cranny then do so and if people want to fast travel they can.

I also like to explore everything but only once then I like fast travel.

A good example is the witcher 1 going back and forth over the same areas is not always a plus.