IGN - What We Want From Fallout 4

Oh yes, absolutely. TDE was soooooo stat-heavy, but there was a lot in it that really made a character feel absolutely unique. There were stats for different phobias, and diseases, and personality traits. That was really win.

And you're right in that there has to be more that makes a character unique than just their appearance. And I agree that stats can help you do that.

Originally Posted by Fluent
But hey, fun story-lines that enhance the role-playing from a narrative aspect are great, too! I think lore and story are also very important elements to a good RPG. Lore especially. I love knowing there is some deep, dark, long history in the game I am playing.

I think this is the single thing that makes the very best RPG's. It creates mood, and no amount of heavy, cutting edge graphics will ever replace that!

I tend to think that if they supply a highly detailed method of customizing your character, then your PC should be spending more time in front of the camera. As in the Mass Effect 2 cut scenes, for example. Skyrim had an amazing amount of facial customization, but it was rare to actually see your character's face close up during the game.

Re: Appearance customization. Personally, I feel my character is defined by his actions and choices, not his/her appearance. I think back to the Gothic series. The only time the character's appearance changed was when the armor and weapons changed. Totally fine with me. When you play 1st person, you never see anything more than a hand or a weapon. Even in 3rd person, it's usually the back of the person, unless you do a fly-around.
I react in game to how I'm treated, not by appearances. It may sound strange and borderline kinky, but in FO3, I was somewhat attracted to two female ghouls because they had attractive personalities, not faces. Call me weird, but looks, even my own in games, are very minor considerations.

Originally Posted by Aubrielle


I think this is the single thing that makes the very best RPG's. It creates mood, and no amount of heavy, cutting edge graphics will ever replace that!

Absolutely! A deep, engrossing lore is the absolute foundation to a great RPG (and possibly a great RPG series).

I want the ability to play as a Ghoul or Super Mutant.

Basically, I want the following in order of priority:

1. Cooperative multiplayer. Let 2-4 players share that great experience.

2. Better mechanics: No level scaling, traits added, expanded and elaborate hacking, advanced stealth, more perks, realistic combat (skills shouldn't impact damage - that's what the weapons themselves are for - and make combat LETHAL, where every single bullet counts), and the option to play "hardcore" style - beyond FO:NV. Make scavenging into something you REALLY need to do - to survive. Don't let the first couple of hours be enough to live happily ever after - and make everything scarce where it makes sense, and don't have a ton of stuff lying around where bandits have roamed a million times before, as in: reward people for finding hidden stuff.

3. Fewer locations but with a lot more depth and detail. I want the world to feel more handcrafted and interconnected, instead of being an open landscape with a lot of "cool" places. I want to find old vaults full of lore, personal logs, and just more stuff to explore/figure out - rather than just killing things.

4. Better writing and a compelling main narrative. Don't go Obsidian with pretentious try-hard-to-be-serious stuff and don't stick with Bethesda over-the-top zany crap. Also, don't go Hollywood melodrama like Bioware. Look towards games like Last of Us or Bioshock Infinite for how to write compelling stuff.

5. New technology - as the Gamebryo/Creation engine is getting really quaint. Take advantage of PC hardware - and implement TRUE streaming, rather than dividing something like Vegas into a zillion cell segments. At the very least, make all major locations be single cell areas.

6. C&C with a significant impact on the world - and with a good mixture of both grey area decisions and clear-cut decisions. Don't spell out the consequences, but let them dawn on the player through dynamic chances in the game world.

I…agree with pretty much everything Dart says, and have nothing to add. Kudos. I'll go to bed now.

I agree with 2-5 of Dart's posts too. I don't want co-op, but don't care if it is there either. C&C, I don't mind if there is some, but it shouldn't impact the world; just the local area makes a lot more sense. You might knock out Al Capone, but it really only truly affects Chicago, outside of the headlines

New Engine. A Real new engine.

Originally Posted by crpgnut
I agree with 2-5 of Dart's posts too. I don't want co-op, but don't care if it is there either. C&C, I don't mind if there is some, but it shouldn't impact the world; just the local area makes a lot more sense. You might knock out Al Capone, but it really only truly affects Chicago, outside of the headlines

Same as if you knock out the President, right?

But I'm talking C&C that impacts the world - not the entirety of the world.

Originally Posted by crpgnut
I agree with 2-5 of Dart's posts too. I don't want co-op, but don't care if it is there either. C&C, I don't mind if there is some, but it shouldn't impact the world; just the local area makes a lot more sense. You might knock out Al Capone, but it really only truly affects Chicago, outside of the headlines

Oh wait, you're right. Multiplayer in any form is not something i desire nor would use. Forgit that one while reading through the others nodding to myself…

I don't think you have much to worry about. Bethesda have been quite clear on wanting to focus on singleplayer for the TES/FO series.

Yes, but since ESO is out there they might try expanding that install base by adding some type of multi-player to their new games. Time will tell…

Originally Posted by crpgnut
Yes, but since ESO is out there they might try expanding that install base by adding some type of multi-player to their new games. Time will tell…

I don't think Zenimax want to mess with a 20+ million sales formula because of ESO, which didn't do as well as they were hoping for.

I know the xenophobes get paranoid when multiplayer gets mentioned, but I don't see the suits establishing a separate MMO developer (ZOS), only to start forcing their singleplayer superstar developer into going that way after what happened with ESO.

Maybe they will add cooperative multiplayer one day - but not in a way that would change the heart of what TES is about, which means it would be entirely optional.