User:DingeryDong/sandbox
Fallout 4 is a cancelled action role-playing open world video game, that was being developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. The game would have been the fifth major installment in the Fallout series, and will not be released on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on November 10, 2015.[3]
Gameplay
[edit]Fallout 4's gameplay is similar to that of Fallout 3, with a camera that can switch from first to third person view, but is supposed to feature more appealing gameplay, featuring a split-piece armor system, base-building, a dynamic dialogue system, in depth crafting system which implements every lootable object in the game, and much more. Enemies such as mole rats, raiders, super-mutants, deathclaws, and feral ghouls will also return to the series, along with Dogmeat, who is incapable of dying.[4]
Players have the ability to roam anywhere on the map, or leave a conversation at anytime. They also have the ability to customize weapons; the game includes over 50 base guns, which can be crafted with a variety of modifications, such as barrel types and laser focus, with over 700 modifications available. Power Armor has been redesigned to be more like a vehicle than an equipable suit of armor,[5] and can also be modified, adding items such as a jetpack or selecting separate types of armor for each part of the suit.[6] A new feature to the series is the ability to craft and deconstruct settlements and buildings. Players can select some in-game objects and structures, and use them to freely build their own structures. In addition, the towns can be powered with working electricity, using a dynamic power line system. Merchants and non-player characters can inhabit players' towns, for which players must provide sustenance by growing food in makeshift patches and building water spouts. Players can build various defenses around their settlements, such as turrets and traps, to defend against random attacks.[7]
In the game, players obtain a Pip-Boy, a computerized wristwatch which allows the player to access a menu with statistics, maps, data, and items. Players can also find game cartridges, which can be played on the Pip-Boy. Another returning gameplay feature is the Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System (V.A.T.S.), which plays an important part in combat. While using V.A.T.S., real-time combat is slowed down, and action is played out from varying camera angles in a computer graphics version of "bullet time". Various actions cost action points, limiting the actions of each combatant during a period of time, and the player can target specific body areas for attacks to inflict specific injuries; head shots can be used for quick kills or blinding, legs can be targeted to slow enemies' movements, and opponents can be disarmed by shooting at their weapons. Unlike in previous games, in which the player had a random chance to inflict a critical hit, they can now be done at will with a button press. However, the option requires a recharge afterwards.[8]
When players starts the game, they are given points to spend on a character progression system called the SPECIAL system. The system represents seven statistics, namely strength, perception, endurance, charisma, intelligence, agility and luck. When players gain enough experience points to elevate to a new level, they can unlock a new ability. When players allocate more points to a stat, more abilities can be unlocked. These perks can also be upgraded to improve the protagonist's efficiency and to further unlock new abilities.[9] There are about 275 perks available for players to unlock. In the game, players can recruit companions, who stay and accompany players and provide assists. Players can only take one companion at a time.[10] There is a total of 12 companions that can be recruited, and some of them can be romanced by players.[11]
Plot
[edit]Setting
[edit]Fallout 4 takes place approximately 200 years after a war over resources that ended in a nuclear holocaust in 2077 – roughly the same time as the events of Fallout 3. The setting is a post-apocalyptic retro-future, covering a region that includes Boston, Massachusetts and other parts of New England known as the Commonwealth. Unlike previous titles, Fallout 4's story begins on the day the bombs dropped: October 23, 2077. The player's character (voiced by either Brian T. Delaney or Courtenay Taylor) takes shelter in Vault 111 with their family, just to mysteriously awaken 200 years later unaged and as the vault's sole survivor.[12]
Development
[edit]Rumors and hoaxes
[edit]In 2008, Pete Hines of Bethesda Softworks stated: "The whole reason we went out and acquired the license and that we now own Fallout is that we clearly intended to make more than one. This is not something we're going to do once and then go away and never do it again. When that will be or how long that will be God only knows, but we acquired it specifically because we wanted to own it and develop it and work on it like we do with The Elder Scrolls."[13]
On January 8, 2013, Fallout 3 voice actor Erik Dellums hinted via Twitter that his character, Three Dog, would be returning.[14] In a follow-up tweet, he stated, "I was given permission to release that tease".[15] This was widely interpreted by the gaming media as a sign that a Fallout 4 announcement was imminent. However, in July of the same year, Dellums tweeted that the game he is working on is not being produced by Bethesda Softworks, therefore it was not the anticipated new Fallout title.[16]
On November 13, 2013, an alleged ZeniMax Media-funded website, thesurvivor2299.com, was created. The site contained several coded messages and morse code, and most notably a timer believed to be counting down to an announcement or teaser trailer for Fallout 4, which was also done with Fallout 3; the messages and morse code was in turn translated by several Fallout fansites. On December 6, Bethesda responded in regards to the site stating; "PSA: If you don’t hear it through an official channel like this, assume all rumors and speculation are false."[17] The site was revealed to be a hoax shortly after.
In December 2013, Kotaku reported that Fallout 4 was indeed in development, having obtained leaked voice casting documents which they had confirmed to be real. The leaked documents indicated that the game would be set in Boston and described a mission set in "The Institute", a post-apocalyptic version of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The documents also referenced areas mentioned but not shown in previous Fallout titles. The voice script page that was leaked begins with the usual introductory line spoken by Ron Perlman for the stories in the Fallout series: "War. War never changes."[18] In February 2014, Bethesda game director Todd Howard, asked about new game announcements, said: "We don't have a timeframe for our next game announcement, but I think it's gonna be a while."[19]
Following the announcement of Fallout 4, there was renewed interest in a June 2014 Reddit post by a user named SandraReed, who claimed to have played Fallout 4. She stated that she used to be a Bethesda employee and was fired for leaking information about the game. In her post, SandraReed stated that the protagonist would have a speaking role and that the game would support the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Kotaku noted that many of the details have proven to be incorrect, and most of those that were correct had already been covered earlier in the leaked details from Kotaku's 2013 article.[20]
Announcement
[edit]On June 2, 2015, Bethesda published a countdown timer scheduled to expire on June 3, 2015 at 14:00 UTC.[21] The game's official website went live slightly ahead of schedule, revealing the game along with its box art and platforms. The game will be released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.[1][22] The site was taken down later but was put back up again at the scheduled time. The official trailer was released when the countdown timer expired,[23] and the game has been confirmed to take place in Boston and its surrounding Massachusetts countryside, as suggested by earlier rumors.[24][25] More details were given during Bethesda's E3 2015 press conference on June 14, 2015.[26][27][28][29]
Design
[edit]Unlike the previous two titles (Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas) that used the Gamebryo engine, Fallout 4 uses a highly modified Creation Engine, evolved from the engine previously used in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The new engine includes a revamped character editor system that allows freeform creation of faces without the use of sliders seen in previous games. Instead, the player can click and drag each feature of the face to accurately customize their character, which can either be a man or woman as the previous Fallout titles have featured.[30] Bethesda announced that the game will run at 1080p resolution and 30 frames per-second on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.[31] Bethesda also revealed that mobile devices would be integrated into the game as a form of second screen, acting as a display for the iconic Pip-boy.[32]
For the first time, the player's character, the Sole Survivor, will be fully voice acted and will be able to have dynamic conversations akin to that of Mass Effect.[33] Fallout 4 lead writer, Emil Pagliarulo announced on his Twitter, that Brian T. Delaney and Courtenay Taylor will be voicing the player character.[34]
Todd Howard revealed that mods for the PC versions of the game would be usable on the Xbox One version, and that the team hoped to bring them to the PlayStation 4 version eventually.[35][36] When asked about the failed effort to add a paid mod system to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Howard stated that there were no plans for a similar effort with Fallout 4.[37]
Marketing
[edit]Fallout 4 became available for pre-order immediately following the product announcement. The release date was set for November 10, 2015. Along with the standard edition of the game comes the collector's edition which includes a wearable replica of the Pip Boy. This is able to house a smart phone device, cannot hold any iPhone after the fifth generation where the pip-boy housing for iPhone 5 and older , which can then run the second screen functionality of the game.[38]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Hussain, Tamoor (June 3, 2015). "Fallout 4 Officially Confirmed for PC, Xbox One, PS4". Retrieved June 3, 2015.
- ^ Cowan, Danny (June 17, 2015). "Fallout 4 is so expansive, even its creators haven't seen everything". GamesRadar. Future Publishing. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
- ^ Kohler, Chris (June 15, 2015). "Apocalypse Almost Now: Fallout 4 Will not Drop in November". Retrieved June 15, 2015.
- ^ Seitz, Dan (June 17, 2015). "Good News, Pet-Loving Gamers: Dogmeat Can't Die In 'Fallout 4′". Retrieved June 17, 2015.
- ^ Bethesda Softworks (June 15, 2015). Fallout 4 -- E3 Showcase World Premiere (Youtube). Bethesda Softworks. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
- ^ Sykes, Tom (June 15, 2015). "Fallout 4 screenshots show jetpacks, mutants, more". Retrieved June 15, 2015.
- ^ Hernandez, Patricia (June 14, 2015). "Fallout 4's Crafting System Looks Awesome". Retrieved June 15, 2015.
- ^ Ingenito, Vince (June 14, 2015). "E3 2015: Fallout 4's First Gameplay Details". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
- ^ McElroy, Griffin (July 24, 2015). "How Fallout 4 handles romance, character progression and more". Retrieved July 25, 2015.
- ^ Livingston, Christopher (July 25, 2015). "Fallout 4 will have a dozen companions for you to romance". PC Gamer. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
- ^ Hensen, Steven (July 24, 2015). "Fallout 4 has 12 companions, you can romance all the human ones". Destructoid. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
- ^ Stuart, Keith (June 15, 2015). "Fallout 4: release date and details, plus Dishonored 2". Retrieved June 15, 2015.
- ^ Leyton, Chris (August 1, 2008). "TVG: Fallout MMO Planned". Totalvideogames.com. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
- ^ "Twitter / ETDellums: To all my #Fallout3 and #ThreeDog". Twitter.com. January 8, 2013. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
- ^ "Twitter / ETDellums: @ToastTheRabbit How was that". Twitter.com. January 8, 2013. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
- ^ "Twitter / ETDellums: New game is not with my friends". Twitter.com. July 17, 2013. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
- ^ "Bethblog twitter". Twitter. December 6, 2013. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
- ^ Schreier, Jason (December 12, 2013). "Leaked Documents Reveal That Fallout 4 Is Real, Set In Boston". Retrieved June 3, 2015.
- ^ Greyson, Nathan (February 18, 2015). "Apparently We Won't Hear About Fallout 4 For 'A While'". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
- ^ Schreier, Jason (June 4, 2015). "Popular Fallout 4 Rumor Sure Seems Like BS". Kotaku US. Retrieved June 14, 2015.
- ^ Karmali, Luke (June 2, 2015). "Fallout 4 Countdown Clock Appears, Runs Out Tomorrow". IGN. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
- ^ Karmali, Luke (June 3, 2015). "Fallout 4 Officially Revealed With In-Game Trailer". Retrieved June 3, 2015.
- ^ "Fallout 4 - Official Trailer". Bethesda Softworks. June 3, 2015. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
- ^ Hernandez, Patricia (June 4, 2015). "All The Juicy Details Hidden In The Fallout 4 Trailer". Kotaku. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^ Lee, Dave (June 3, 2015). "Fallout 4 confirmed for release by Bethesda - BBC News". BBC News. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
- ^ Karmali, Luke (February 10, 2015). "Bethesda Hosting its First Ever E3 Conference in 2015". IGN. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
- ^ "Much more on #Fallout4 coming at the #BE3 Showcase on June 14th. Follow Bethesda on Twitch and Tune in on 6.14". Twitter. June 3, 2015. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
- ^ Griffin, Andrew (June 3, 2015). "Fallout 4 announced: trailer and details revealed ahead of E3 launch". The Independent. Independent Print Limited. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
- ^ Sugrue, Emer (June 4, 2015). "New Fallout 4 trailer leaves almost everything to the imagination". Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^ Houghton, David (June 15, 2015). "Fallout 4 kind of still uses the Oblivion engine, but do not fear 'Bethesda face' - GamesRadar". Retrieved June 15, 2015.
- ^ Hussain, Tamoor (June 22, 2015). "Fallout 4 Will Run 1080p/30fps on PS4, Xbox One, "PC Not Limited in Any Way"". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Retrieved June 23, 2015.
- ^ Tassi, Paul (June 15, 2015). "With 'Fallout 4,' Bethesda Uses Mobile As An Asset, Not A Gimmick". Retrieved June 15, 2015.
- ^ Kato, Matthew (June 14, 2015). "Fallout 4 Gives Voice To Vault Survivor". Retrieved June 15, 2015.
- ^ Hillier, Brenna (June 23, 2015). "Meet the voices of Fallout 4′s not-silent protagonists". VG247. Retrieved June 23, 2015.
- ^ Velazco, Chris (June 15, 2015). "Your 'Fallout 4' PC mods will work fine on the Xbox One, too". Retrieved June 15, 2015.
- ^ Jones, Gary (June 15, 2015). "Bethesda E3 announce 2015 release date and modding for Xbox One and PS4". express.co.uk. Retrieved June 15, 2015.
- ^ Bogos, Steven (June 19, 2015). "No Plans For Fallout 4 Paid Mods, Says Bethesda". Retrieved June 19, 2015.
- ^ Miller, Ross (June 18, 2015). "Here's a first look at Fallout 4's Pip-Boy wearable". The Verge. Vox Media. Retrieved June 19, 2015.