Encumbrance . . . And Mods.

[zrochance]

I'm referring to realism mod authors.

 

This problem isn't new to Fallout 3. Nearly every FPS game suffers from it. But what is the deal with being able to carry 200+ pounds of gear around? Anyone ever do a reality check on this?

 

Average modern soldier carries 65 lbs of gear fully outfitted. And general consensus is that this is entirely too much for optimum effectiveness. Ask any soldier that has packed that much around all day and they will tell you that it is very fatiguing.

 

A rifle, a pistol, knife, a couple of grenades, body armor, and ammo is a full load. Not 12 assault rifles, 3 combat shotguns, 2 mini-guns, a rocket launcher, etc, etc.

 

Every mod I have found dealing with encumbrance actually INCREASES the amount of weight you can carry. That is just nuts. Survival is about making the right choices. C'mon people, leave the gun, take the cannoli.

 

Ammo should not be weightless. Say 20 pistol rounds = 1lb and 10 rifle rounds to a pound. Grenades don't weigh 1/2 pound, they weigh 5 pounds. A landmine would likely be 10lbs. Accordingly they should be much more lethal so that you don't have to throw a dozen of them either. Same for the weapons, a couple of well placed rounds and fight is over. Better use stealth and cover.

 

Anybody out there dare to tackle this one? Would require a re-balance of the weapon damage and pricing structure of the game. Would also require that corpses rot within say 24 hours. But it would force the player to choose gear wisely, stash items in containers, and rely more on bartering skills.

[Asrayl]

There are a few threads about this already but I'll toss in my two cents;

 

1 - it's more akin to 65 rounds/pound for a handgun, and 32/pound for .556 NATO

 

2 - We aren't soldiers. We're survivalists trying to make the most of a barren and inhospitable land. Furthermore, who said the unit of measurement we were currently using was the pound? Cheeky Americans... :rolleyes:

 

3 - A soldier is expected to be able to march, all day, tirelessly through rugged terrain. I may be carrying twice as much as a soldier from time to time, but I don't march and fight all day. Nor am I expected to be able to.

 

4 - A grenade's weight is varied almost as much as ammunition. A flash-bang might weigh a pound while a fragmentation device would weigh closer to two and a half. They're grenades, we're trying to clear a room not play shot put.

 

5 - I agree that the weapons are all on the weak side, but to make them properly deadly wouldn't be conducive to game play IMO. It's fair and balanced so long as each side gets the benefits, however, I would personally be pissed off every time I lost two hours time because I didn't get behind a tree before some raider with an assault rifle put three in me.

 

Furthermore, I agree that there should be a weight and encumbrance limit, however, it should be functional, and in my opinion tiered. Limiting one's weight to 65 pounds or similar will not serve to make things realistic, but rather, serve to make them difficult without proper analysis.

[Gorbachev]

I'd like to see Fallout 3 a realistic and harsh wasteland as well. I completely agree with everything you've said.

 

It is possible to make this game balanced and fun while falling in line with everything you said, but it would be a massive (or just tedious) undertaking.

 

Edit: You replied while I was typing so here goes.

 

Quick saving is a good way to ensure you don't get screwed over. It does break the immersion though.

 

Taking 3 rounds at most could be playable and possible with some tweaks to the way AI behave. Mostly, if you're crouched and taking your time cautiously across the wasteland and see them before they see you, you generally make it OK. They AI in the wasteland seem pretty decent as is in this respect. AI in Combat would need to be tweaked. I am currently sick of them running right at me and standing in front of me as we exchange 50 bullets. Why don't they protect themselves? They do not convince me that they care and fear for their life.

 

I want to have to pack food when I go on an outing or starve to death. No fast traveling.

 

Nothing else is coming to mind at this moment.