Fallout: New Vegas - Unveiled in OXM # 57

...And this time, it's right. OXM has kicked up a preliminary cover for issue #57 - the one after the one just about to hit news stands - and Fallout: New Vegas is the cover feature.
On a related note, Blend Games has a wish list for FO: New Vegas. There are odd items in there but others would certainly be on my list:

A fixed version of V.A.T.S.

As a nod to the series' turn-based roots, Fallout 3 employs a combat mechanic called V.A.T.S.. In the middle of a fight, you're able to pause the action and queue up shots at specific points on an enemy. Rather than complementing the real-time FPS-like combat of the game, V.A.T.S. completely overwhelms it. By the end of the game you'll have enough Action Points to almost exclusively use V.A.T.S. in battle. It's just so much easier and more ammo efficient than real-time combat. V.A.T.S. isn't a bad feature but it needs to be tweaked so that you can only use it a handful of times per fight. Or perhaps it could be altered so that, say, aiming for a headshot is more complicated than simply selecting an enemy head and clicking on it. Maybe put a time limit on selecting your shots or make the damage scale with how quickly you queue them up?

Click to expand...

More information.

Well, it seems that we will get a lot of new infos on FNV in near future. I for one look forward to that.

At least they seem to be headed in a positive direction.

I am excited that Obsidian is making this game. Much better dialogue here we come.

Que the entry of NMA, this should get interesting...

I hope they don't listen to most of this guys suggestions on how to improve VATS. A better way to enhance it would be to lower percentages to hit (like FWE does) and make it so you can do more actions in VATS like using a stimpack and have it cost AP. If they want to make drastic improvements have an overhead map of the area selectable in VATS where you can select enemy and maybe implement movement by selecting the point you want to move to.

EX. you go into VATS and you select the map and choose the position you want to go to. (have dotted lines on how the enemies are going to move based on your perception) Then select the enemy you want to attack first and select your shots. (If you want to attack more then one enemy either go back to the map to select or push the over arrow like in Fallout 3) You then start the round as normal and your character would do things in the order you selected them in. When your next turn comes say you are damaged but not enough to worry about now. You would do your next round as usual but since you are damaged and going through half a round might get you to critical condition you decide to put in a stimpack half way through your selection and start the round after finishing with your selections.

PS. I want the ability to automatically go into VATS when encountering an enemy.

I called VATS an 'exploit' in my review and stand by that .. it was too easy because of the way the system was set up.

It does work well with some mods and isn't an exploit but is a viable alternative to real time combat. (mods lower the VATS percentages and also can change the speed of VATS to make it so enemies can do more damage to you in VATS)