Fallout 3 Magazine Previews

[GameBanshee News]

NMA pulled out the French magazine CanardPC from amongst the European previews as containing a few new tidbits of info.

* Teen age gives you access to a few quests which will have an impact on how you are perceived within the Vault
* While travelling across the Wasteland, you can come across a few caravans, each heading to precise locations.
* There are three difficulty levels, as well as an "autolevelling difficulty" mode.
* A few new weapons : Cryolator allows you to freeze ennemies while you can hypnotize them with your Mesmetron. [these weapons were also mentioned in the NMA preview, though their functions unknown]
* Also a new perk, Daddy's Little Girl, which gives a Science bonus to female characters.

Same for PC Format.

Choice quotes:
"Bethesda's last title, Oblivion, was a huge slice of freeform joy."

"[The prospect of Bethesda making Fallout 3 is] as close to a dream game as anyone has managed so far."

"[...]and there's a vociferous (and presumably faintly insane) minority that's convinced this game is a slight on the previous two and will simply be 'Oblivion with guns'."

"It seems that rather than be discouraged by the negativity, the team is spurred on by it."

New info (or at least info that I haven't seen before):
The Behemoth is based on some concept art that Adam Adamowicz drew. Originally it was to use a car battery on a chain as a weapon, instead of the hydrant.

Certain perks can only be taken by certain karma levels.

[DesR85]

Teen age gives you access to a few quests which will have an impact on how you are perceived within the Vault.

This child-to-adult idea came from Fable, alongside the dog idea from the upcoming Fable 2. Not very original.

There are three difficulty levels, as well as an "autolevelling difficulty" mode.

Auto-levelling? Why should that even be included in the first place? Won't that make the game inconsistent?

[kyle]

1. Fable is not the first CRPG to use that idea (childhood to adulthood).

2. As you haven't played the game yet, why complain about the autolevelling difficulty mode? Maybe it'll work, maybe it won't.

[DesR85]

Originally Posted by kyle

2. As you haven't played the game yet, why complain about the autolevelling difficulty mode? Maybe it'll work, maybe it won't.

Just merely stating my opinion. Nothing more, nothing less. Think about it: Hard in some parts, easy in some others. How is that consistent?

[Brother None]

Originally Posted by DesR85

Auto-levelling? Why should that even be included in the first place? Won't that make the game inconsistent?

It worked for Realms of Arkania.

This is the RoA skill list, excluding spells: unarmed, edged weapons, pointed weapons, swords, axes, pole arms, two-handed weapons, missile weapons, throwing weapons, acrobatics, climb, physical control, ride, stealth, swim, self control, dance, hide, carouse, danger sense, perception, convert, seduce, haggle, streetwise, lie, human nature, evaluate, track, bind, orientation, herb lore, animal lore, survival, alchemy, ancient tongues, geography, history, ritual, tactics, read/write, arcane lore, tongues, train animals, drive, cheat, treat disease, instrument, locks, pickpocket.

So yeah, auto-levelling made sense there.

I wouldn't worry about inconsistency, but with a fairly basic and intuitive system like SPECIAL, one would think it unnecessary.

[DesR85]

Originally Posted by Brother None

It worked for Realms of Arkania.

This is the RoA skill list, excluding spells: unarmed, edged weapons, pointed weapons, swords, axes, pole arms, two-handed weapons, missile weapons, throwing weapons, acrobatics, climb, physical control, ride, stealth, swim, self control, dance, hide, carouse, danger sense, perception, convert, seduce, haggle, streetwise, lie, human nature, evaluate, track, bind, orientation, herb lore, animal lore, survival, alchemy, ancient tongues, geography, history, ritual, tactics, read/write, arcane lore, tongues, train animals, drive, cheat, treat disease, instrument, locks, pickpocket.

So yeah, auto-levelling made sense there.

I wouldn't worry about inconsistency, but with a fairly basic and intuitive system like SPECIAL, one would think it unnecessary.

Not sure if I understood but auto-levelling as in the game automatically choosing the skills for you? I thought that auto-levelling mentioned in the first post is referring to the difficulty level (as in the easy, medium, hard sort).

[Brother None]

Originally Posted by DesR85

Not sure if I understood but auto-levelling as in the game automatically choosing the skills for you? I thought that auto-levelling mentioned in the first post is referring to the difficulty level (as in the easy, medium, hard sort).

Yes. And I assume they mean that there will be three difficulties, easy-medium-hard, and then an extra difficulty or option to make the game do the levelling up for you, as was done for RoA.