Online Fallout: 76

[dagobaking]

I think it's pretty clear now that Bethesda's business strategy is being driven by marketers, over-estimating their standing with players and milking their titles beyond capacity.

 

In the short term, 76 will make them more money. But, in the long-term, they are opening the door for other companies to step into the open world, moddable space at the same level.

 

I predict that new open-world games from other companies with strong mod communities will over-shadow the release of TES6 and FO5.

[Ilsigi]

 

"The game is set in West Virginia, which director Todd Howard called one of the most important and interesting places in America

 

Clearly he's never spent any time IN West Virginia. :wink:

 

I've suddenly found myself $60 richer. Minecraft with nukes. Um, no.

 

My sentiments exactly.

 

It looks like they took all the things the community were most critical of for FO4 and doubled down on them while removing most of the parts that were actually decent (I realize that last vague quantification is purely subjective). On the one hand, I really don't care for the direction the company (and series) has been trending in. Like many other companies and their franchises, it seems like they're trying to make their games be/do too many things to cater to more people rather than going with improvements and advancements on the things the players loved about their previous titles and refining them on new experiences. On the other hand, as much as it leaves a bad taste in my mouth when I see beloved game franchises doing this sort of thing it becomes a relief as I'd have neither the time nor the money to play all the sequels I'd want to play if they were all actually anything like what I wanted them to be.

 

My positive takeaway (aside from saving time/money) - I can keep playing FO4 with some level of certainty now that the modding community will remain active for some time to come. :smile:

[JimboUK]

I had zero expectations for this and they still managed to disappoint me.

[Mavkiel]

Only upside is the size of the game. 4x the size, might mean there is one decent game in there. I'd like to see is some sort of survey where folks had an option of player created mods, or multiplayer. (I loath the idea of randoms in my gaming experience.)

 

I am curious to know how they will handle the market place. It'd be rather annoying if fallout 4 micro dlc didn't get ported over to vault 76. (No, I didn't buy jack from them, but I do snag the mods when they are free.)

[AlarictheVisgoth]

I HAVE A GIFT OF PROPHECY.

 

In the fiasco of a joke presentation yesterday that was Fallout 76, it was reveled that Bethesda got WOKE. And discovered a way to making their own Benjamin money vault the way Rockstar did 4+ years ago. And so has finally begun to channel the decrepit spirit of The Exceptional A$$h@les

By making F76 a 100% online game, Bethesda has finally declared war on the PC modding community IMO. Because as we all know, you CAN'T have a pervasive online game AND the ability to customize the game with your specific mod deck at the same time (YES TODD. Solo Player is NOT equal to Single Player). Online game worlds require standardized environments to function. So the dev has to massively restrict the sourcing of MODS to maintain the integrity of the game world environment. ESO is the perfect example of why this is. Players are limited to the most primitive 3rd party mods in ESO i.e .lua) which do the most menial scripting. Because of this inherent technical restriction, any and all mods must come from a dependable, reputable source. Hmm....wonder what that could be?

 

Oh yes, that's right. It's a good thing they thought to make the Creation Club! The perfect source to control and distribute mods for F76 and ALL future games with online components. Like future TES 6....

 

So bye bye to your FREE, highly customized game world you've been spoiled with over the last 18+ years. Bye Bye to Nexusmods. Bye bye to any sandbox freedom you thought you'd be able to enjoy with this latest radically groundbreaking, new Fallout title. Bye bye to FREE access to epic scale DLC mods the scope of a Beyond Skyrim Bruma series, or a Frostfall/Campfire, Project Nevada, Project Brazil. Unless of course, they're coming from Bethesda's official micro transaction and mod restricted CC. And by providing a technical and legal means for prohibiting 3rd party/unofficial mod sources like Nexusmods, Bethesda has transformed itself into the Exceptional A$$h@les. So much for Single Player because it's all leaning toward Solo Player. <--see what Todd did there?

 

By diversifying the Fallout/TES labels (into SSE, VR, Fallout Shelter, Blades/mobile platform, Nintendo Switch etc. etc. and God knows what else) they've started down a dark road IMO. They're now on a perilous path of dangerously diluting BOTH single player TES & Fallout franchises (great for the dev software coding end as everything is being dumbed down to conform to hardware standards. Bad for gamers who were accustomed to high quality RPG/sandbox game play).

And in case you're cynnical/incredulous, to date they've now legalized all ESO lore as canonical dragon breaks. The bizarre mutated critter life they showcased in the updated F76 demo (like that giant flying bat? The headless mutated torso?) is another example. Far Harbor DLC had it's fair share of oddities in mutated critter life. But at least it was still based on the lore, with regional twist based on the marine environment. e.g. Mirelurks existed in FO3/NV lore. So Fall Harbor having Mirelurk Hunters from mutated lobsters was consistent with the lore. Oddly enough, why is it none of the critter mutants in the F76 preview existed 200 years after the bombs fell in the DC or Nevada wastelands? Is this discrepancy going to need the Fallout form of a dragon break to explain why these prequel critter mutants stop existing 200 yrs later?

So my paranoia now indicates this means the dev writers are now free to make crap up as they go with no regard to past 18+ years of TES/Fallout lore. So Bethesda is now in process of milking both TES & Fallout enterprises bone dry. Just like how the Exceptional A$$h@oles despoiled and ruined The Sims & Sim City franchises with pervasive online requirements and increasingly dumbed down game play. And for these reasons, I now get that same feeling of dread for Fallout with Fallout 76. Because it's clear Bethesda (just like EA originally did with SC5) has put a significant amount of dev budget & resources towards guaranteeing a seamless CoOp experience for players. Which Howard clearly indicated BGS hopes will be "a lasting title" just like GTAO, DoTA & CoD are. This dev focus and resource commitment to the online component, will likely come at the expense of any feature development that could've gone into the F76 Solo campaign. Which is exactly what Rockstar did to GTA V single player for GTAO....

So if 4Chan leak is credible, then Bethesda will use the success of F76 new test bed CoOp feature as their case to repeat the same bullsh#te game mechanics with TES 6. Note that THEY'RE ALREADY IMPLEMENTING THE NOW PROVEN FO4 WORKSHOP BUILDING MECHANIC IN THE TES ORIENTED BLADES MOBILE PHONE GAME BTW. They're already training the fan base how to use this mechanic in the TES universe. IMO another sneaky way to reduce player dependency on 3rd party home mods and mods in general....

They're now proceeding EXACTLY as the 4Chan leaker said they would be doing in the last Reddit leak. 4Chan leaker said FO4 was really a test bed for the Workshop/settlement build feature. If it proved successful, Bethesda planed on incorporating it in future Fallout game titles. This has already come to pass with F76 and Blades. Which now means TES6 is likely on the chopping block for this as well.

So moving forward, all Bethesda needs do to finally destroy single player and the free modding community is to prove:

1. There IS a dedicated, pervasive fan base market for CoOp gameplay with F76 and that

2. There IS sufficient player interest in wasting real $$$$ to proof their micro transaction CC store model (or grind away playing the game until same goal achieved) and

3. There IS a big enough segment of the Fallout (and TES) player base willing enough to make Bethesda PROFITABLE enough with the restricted DLC from the CC. And hope F76 will perform like GTAO, which has made Rockstar billions in cash flow profit to date.

If Howard (actually Pete Hines) can prove this to Bethesda's investors on Wall Street, TRUST ME when I say TES 6 WILL have 100% CoOp AND CC only features. And when this happens, the Nexusmods and other FREE mod sites like it on the web will be DEAD for good......... /end of vitriolic rant>

Spiteful edit #1:

From sheer diabolic anticipation: wonder how long it will take the PvE minded players to start crying foul about the 12 year old #yoloswag hackers/modders & script kiddies who (just as in GTAO) will inevitably infest F76? How long will the Bethesda.net forums take before it becomes flooded with complaint threads of lvl 1 players unable to play the game, because they're being held hostage from spawn camped griefer kiddie trolls outside their Vault door? Or why Bethesda won't do something about the psychotic 8th graders who keep nuking player settlements all over the map, because it took them some 20+hrs to build? Or why the server system (like in GTAO) is 100% incapable of protecting PvE mindset Solo players from griefer PvP mindset gamers every time they go online? :dry:

Spiteful edit #2:

Out of sheer spite, I can't wait to see how the likes of black hat modders & griefers like MrBossFTW will FUBAR the game. You're got to google this @$$hole as he's all over Youtube channel raking in thousands in USD income from cheater console script kiddies who worship him. :dry: /end of sour grapes rant>

Seriously, what was the point of Bethesda putting out what plays like an Anthem clone? A completely watered down, mini Rust, anorexic CoD clone when F76 will most likely be floundering in the ocean of many other superior FPS games with superior gun/combat PvP mechanics? Were they even WATCHING what Microsoft had revealed before Howard crashed their E3 demo earlier yesterday? IMO by making this radical move, Bethesda has explicitly indicated their intention to extend these radical game mechanic changes to the Fallout/TES franchises. In which case, the single player RPG genre we've come to love over the past 18+years--with its highly customized sandbox game play--is DEAD in the future. It's only a matter of time.... :down:

Edited June 11, 2018 by AlarictheVisgoth

[Gyzzidonth]

^ Man, I thought I was pissed.

 

Well said AlarictheVisgoth.

[MrJoseCuervo]

 

I HAVE A GIFT OF PROPHECY.

 

In the fiasco of a joke presentation yesterday that was Fallout 76, it was reveled that Bethesda got WOKE. And discovered a way to making their own Benjamin money vault the way Rockstar did 4+ years ago. And so has finally begun to channel the decrepit spirit of The Exceptional A$$h@les

By making F76 a 100% online game, Bethesda has finally declared war on the PC modding community IMO. Because as we all know, you CAN'T have a pervasive online game AND the ability to customize the game with your specific mod deck at the same time (YES TODD. Solo Player is NOT equal to Single Player). Online game worlds require standardized environments to function. So the dev has to massively restrict the sourcing of MODs to maintain the integrity of the game world environment. ESO is the perfect example of why this is. Players are limited to the most primitive 3rd party mods in ESO i.e .lua) which do the most menial scripting. Because of this inherent technical restriction, any and all mods must come from a dependable, reputable source. Hmm....wonder what that could be?

 

Oh yes, that's right. It's a good thing they thought to make the Creation Club! The perfect source to control and distribute mods for F76 and ALL future games with online components. Like future TES 6....

 

So bye bye to your FREE, highly customized game world you've been spoiled with over the last 18+ years. Bye Bye to Nexusmods. Bye bye to any sandbox freedom you thought you'd be able to enjoy with this latest radically groundbreaking, new Fallout title. Bye bye to FREE access to epic scale DLC mods the scope of a Beyond Skyrim Bruma series, or a Frostfall/Campfire, Project Nevada, Project Brazil. Unless of course, they're coming from Bethesda's official micro transaction and mod restricted CC. And by providing a technical and legal means for prohibiting 3rd party/unofficial mod sources like Nexusmods, Bethesda has transformed itself into the Exceptional A$$h@les. So much for Single Player because it's all leaning toward Solo Player. <--see what Todd did there?

 

By diversifying the Fallout/TES labels (into SSE, VR, Fallout Shelter, Blades/mobile platform, Nintendo Switch etc. etc. and God knows what else) they've started down a dark road IMO. They're now on a perilous path of dangerously diluting BOTH TES/Fallout franchises (great for the dev software coding end as everything is being dumbed down to confrom to hardware standards. Bad for gamers who were accustomed to high quality RPG/sandbox game play).

And in case you're incredulous, to date they've now legalized all ESO lore as canonical dragon breaks as an example. Which means the dev writers are now free to make crap up as they go with no regard to past 18+ years of TES/Fallout lore as an example. So Bethesda is now in process of milking both TES & Fallout enterprises bone dry. Just like how the Exceptional A$$h@oles despoiled and ruined The Sims & Sim City franchises with pervasive online requirements and increasingly dumbed down game play. And for these reasons, I now get that same feeling of dread for Fallout with Fallout 76. Because it's clear Bethesda (just like EA originally did with SC5) has put a significant amount of dev budget & resources towards guaranteeing a seamless CoOp experience for players. Which Howard clearly indicated BGS hopes will be "a lasting title" just like GTAO, DoTA & CoD are. This dev focus and resource commitment to the online component, will likely come at the expense of any feature development that could've gone into the F76 Solo campaign. Which is exactly what Rockstar did to GTA V single player for GTAO....

So if 4Chan leak is credible, then Bethesda will use the success of F76 new test bed CoOp feature as their case to repeat the same bullsh#te game mechanics with TES 6. Note that THEY'RE ALREADY IMPLEMENTING THE NOW PROVEN FO4 WORKSHOP BUILDING MECHANIC IN THE TES ORIENTED BLADES MOBILE PHONE GAME BTW. They're already training the fan base how to use this mechanic in the TES universe. IMO another sneaky way to reduce player dependency on 3rd party home mods and mods in general....

They're now proceeding EXACTLY as the 4Chan leaker said they would be doing in the last Reddit leak. 4Chan leaker said FO4 was really a test bed for the Workshop/settlement build feature. If it proved successful, Bethesda planed on incorporating it in future Fallout game titles. This has already come to pass with F76 and Blades. Which now means TES6 is likely on the chopping block for this as well.

So moving forward, all Bethesda needs do to finally destroy single player and the free modding community is to prove:

1. There IS a dedicated, pervasive fan base market for CoOp gameplay with F76 and that

2. There IS sufficient player interest in wasting real $$$$ to proof their micro transaction CC store model (or grind away playing the game until same goal achieved) and

3. There IS a big enough segment of the Fallout (and TES) player base willing enough to make Bethesda PROFITABLE enough with the restricted DLC from the CC. And hope F76 will perform like GTAO, which has made Rockstar billions in cash flow profit to date.

If Howard (actually Pete Hines) can prove this to Bethesda's investors on Wall Street, TRUST ME when I say TES 6 WILL have 100% CoOp AND CC only features. And when this happens, the Nexusmods and other FREE mod sites like it on the web will be DEAD for good......... /end of vitriolic rant>

Spiteful edit #1:

From sheer diabolic anticipation: wonder how long it will take the PvE minded players to start crying foul about the 12 year old #yoloswag hackers/modders & script kiddies who (just as in GTAO) will inevitably infest F76? How long will the Bethesda.net forums take before it becomes flooded with complaint threads of lvl 1 players unable to play the game, because they're being held hostage from spawn camped griefer kiddie trolls outside their Vault door? Or why Bethesda won't do something about the psychotic 8th graders who keep nuking player settlements all over the map, because it took them some 20+hrs to build? Or why the server system (like in GTAO) is 100% incapable of protecting PvE mindset Solo players from griefer PvP mindset gamers every time they go online? :dry:

Spiteful edit #2:

Out of sheer spite, I can't wait to see how the likes of black hat modders & griefers like MrBossFTW will FUBAR the game. You're got to google this @$$hole as he's all over Youtube channel raking in thousands in USD income from cheater console script kiddies who worship him. :dry: /end of sour grapes rant>

Seriously, what was the point of Bethesda putting out what plays like an Anthem clone? A completely watered down, mini Rust, anorexic CoD clone when F76 will most likely be floundering in the ocean of many other superior FPS games with superior gun/combat PvP mechanics? Were they even WATCHING what Microsoft had revealed before Howard crashed their E3 demo earlier yesterday? IMO by making this radical move, Bethesda has explicitly indicated their intention to extend these radical game mechanic changes to the Fallout/TES franchises. In which case, the single player RPG genre we've come to love over the past 18+years--with its highly customized sandbox game play--is DEAD in the future. It's only a matter of time.... :down:

 

 

Nonsense. The war on Modding was initiated long ago. Bleh-thesda has lost the interest in the art of making games. They are just another jagoff company now.

[MissingMeshTV]

I had zero expectations for this and they still managed to disappoint me.

Pretty much the same here. They certainly seem to have forgotten their whole Save Player 1 thing from last year with pretty much everything they presented having a multiplayer aspect. Funny how things can change in such a short time. In hindsight, WTF was even the purpose of that? Positioning letting "players create their own story" as a selling point to me sounds an awful lot like FU76 will simply have no story.

 

Still, would have liked to have tried the beta to have a glimpse of the supposed single player game but having to pre-order to get access is a no-go. Yeah, I could cancel the pre-order, but...no.

 

On the bright side...we can take screenshots of our team with all sorts of nifty emojis! :facepalm:

Edited June 11, 2018 by RedRocketTV

[AlarictheVisgoth]

They didn't forget. They LIED.

 

Howard blatantly LIED to the fan base back then. Made said lie official as of yesterday.

Edited June 11, 2018 by AlarictheVisgoth

[SKKmods]

Altman - ZeniMax - Bethesda sure know how to produce content that makes good money from the consumer entertainment market. If their target diverges from single player modding, no amount of bitching from us will make a dent, roll with it. Like Sony blocking assets on the Playstation, it will be a billion dollar corporate direction.

 

Online subscription models are the future of everything, coupled with the proven stickiness of networks they cough better and more predictable annuity revenue than spiky unit sales. I foresee the CC scaling to in game micro transaction mods delivered through an App Store or Minecraft marketplace type quality enforcement publishing mechanism (which I totally approve of).

 

As a single player mod author focussed on NPC spawning and ai behaviour the symptoms so far look inconvenient, but there will be opportunity.

 

PS My concern is no first person iron sights aiming (dumbed down for VR ?) ... then I’m oooot.