Fallout 4 Wishlist

In the time since Fallout 4 was released I've had ample time to explore post-apocalyptic Massachusetts.  I also jokingly posted several over enthusiastic, gushing expressions of Fallout 4 love on Facebook that inadvertently lured a friend into buying it (you're welcome Bethesda!).  Now that the initial joy of the release has passed, I've again come to the same realization that struck me with the other games in the Fallout series...."war, war never changes" and neither do the Bethesda Fallout games.  They aren't about interesting characters or an exciting storyline...they're about slaughtering your way through the wastes and looting everything in sight.  I read an interesting article in PC Gamer (Fallout 4: Good Game, Bad RPG) that hit the nail right on the head.  I agree with Andy Kelly's analysis that Fallout 4 is like a giant puddle...huge, but not very deep.  I wouldn't call it a bad game, I've played much worse, but I also chuckle at the overzealous forum posts about "Game of the Year!"  Supposedly there is a patch coming out soon that will hopefully address some of the glitchier hindrances plaguing parts of the game.

This is a wishlist of things that I would like to see improved.  I will preface this list by saying that I still haven't played much of the main storyline so I won't be commenting on it.

1.) The settlement system.  For some completely ridiculous reason I've latched on to the idea of managing settlements.  There's something intrinsically rewarding about providing a safe home for all the good people of the wastes.  But what is the point?  Is there a reason to be saddled with managing numerous settlements?  I like to think that at some point I'm going to have my own personal army but know this is undoubtedly not true.  Currently I am managing 10+ settlements for the Minutemen.  I've invested points into charisma so I can have supply lines to help provided needed items all over the map.  My main irritation lies in the fact that so little about managing settlements is actually explained in the game.  I've had to Google and read up on the finer aspects of running a happy settlement.  I'm irritated by the fact that my largest settlements (Sanctuary Hills and The Castle) are limited to 18 settlers (the number of settlers you have is determined by the charisma level of your character--the higher your charisma, the more settlers you can have in any given settlement).  There's this huge, glaring bar that says "settlement size" but it's only partially filled up!  What does that mean?  It's confusing.

In Googling happiness in settlements I learned that building certain shops will help.  I hadn't really looked at the shops menu prior to picking up rank two of the "local leader" perk and realized that there is a clear explanation included with the shops that will increase happiness.  Another very important aspect is making sure that your settlers are assigned a task.  This can be a pain to track since you have to A.) track down your settlers wandering around your settlements and B.) figure out if they've already been assigned a task--this is not easy to do since there is no indicator to tell you--my general rule of thumb is to watch the food or defense numbers and see if they fall.  I really wish this was easier.

Another wish of mine is for the workshop menu to be easier to use.  If there was a way to search specific components rather than having to page through the entire menu it would save a ton of time (this has become a non-issue with supply lines but was a pain early on).  It can't be that hard to include a way to filter specific components, right?

The tools to personalize your settlements are such a pain to use that I've given up on trying to create anything unique.  Just slap down a pre-fab and call it good because trying to get all your walls, roofs, and various other items to line up properly is going to make you want to pull your hair out.  I decided to build a fence around one of my settlements and gave up halfway because the unevenness of the terrain made my fence float....which defeats the purpose of a fence.

I've also run into an annoyance with a certain quest that continually pops up in Sanctuary Hills.  One of your settlers has been kidnapped by raiders and requires you to rescue them within a set timeframe.  I completed the quest only to find that it never ends....the same settler is standing in the middle of the road an hour later asking for your help again.  My recommended course of action is to avoid walking near that settler so you don't wind up doing a time-limited quest several times.

Sometimes I wonder if they intentionally kept parts of the game, like settlement management, vague in order to push people into buying the strategy guide.  Capitalism FTW!

2.) Better factions.  Or indicators about factional happiness.  I've met the Brotherhood of Steel.  I've clearly embraced the Minutemen.  What about the Triggermen?  Or the Children of Atom?  I have no effing clue but I've killed many of them which I would think means they aren't overly fond of my character.  I don't know who loves or hates me.  My main indication is whether they are shooting at me.

The view from the top of Bunker Hill.  Bunker Hill would make a great faction.

I'm confused by towns like Goodneighbor.  Other than them being another place to buy and sell stuff, what is the point?  I did a few minor side quests for some people in the town, but really didn't see any major plot points there.  It would be so much better if you had some sort of reputation (wasn't that a thing in the other games?) system.  It would make it more RPGish too.

3.) Companion perks.  Every once in awhile I do something that results in the fun, but boggling, messages of "X Loved that."  Apparently your companions take note of your actions and can either approve or disapprove of the things you do.  Umm, great!  So far I've determined that this matters for exactly nothing.  I'm ecstatic that Codsworth loves it when I make new weapons mods!  /sarcasm.  If you're going to include a system for companion approval/disapproval it needs to mean something.  Include some special perks for increasing their approval or make it possible for a companion to abandon you if they find your actions appalling.  Maybe unlock unique items, skins, or interactions with higher approval ratings?  Just give it some meaning!

4.) Better characters or storylines.  The addition of a main character who talks is interesting but the dialogue is so hollow.  I wish that I felt more invested in the other characters in the game.  Some sort of engaging storyline for the Minutemen or even for individual settlements like Goodneighbor.  I really like the whole societal rejection angle in Goodneighbor and feel like it could be fleshed out in an interesting way.  What if each settlement had it's own unique story and questline?

Right now I'm going to keep wandering the wastes and sneak-sniping multitudes of super mutants and raiders.  I'm crossing my fingers that things will get more interesting.

Edit:  I really hope they fix the annoying bug I'm calling the invisible weapon/weapon switching bug.  If you haven't experienced this yet you are lucky--your weapon will completely disappear (as in it's actually in your hands but you can't see it and can't use it) for a brief time while swapping weapons.  Most of the time this can be remedied by quickly zooming out to third person and zooming back into first.  As a stealther I tend to switch from a suppressed weapon to regular weapons all the time.

Double Edit:  I spent quite a bit of time messing around in my settlements and learned a few things.  The building design tool isn't quite as bad as I initially thought it was.  I've figured out how to get walls to slap right into place and other things to line up correctly.  My lack of engineering skills or knowhow means that all my buildings are ridiculous looking...but hey, my settlers don't seem to care.  I also learned that there is a way to figure out what tasks settlers are assigned to.  All you have to do is mouse over them while you're in workshop mode and the task they are assigned to will be highlighted.  This works well if you are in the vicinity of the thing they're assigned to...it works like crap if you're in a building or far away.  I still wish it was easier to tell.  Oh and I also finally solved the mystery of the repeat kidnapping!  If you're in The Castle the radio will announce that there is a kidnapped settler in Sanctuary Hills.  The quest requires that you talk to a settler and then go through the whole rescue scenario.  After turning it in to Preston Garvey the problem seems to be solved as I haven't seen the same settler standing in the middle of the road.

Wandering the Wastes--Some tips!

Initially I wasn't really that excited about Fallout 4.  I will cop to completely falling for the pre-release hype (the commercials were just so great!).  The transition back into the vast and extremely dangerous world of post-apocalyptic Massachusetts has turned out to be highly enjoyable.  I still haven't delved into the main storyline very much but am having a blast exploring the region and improving my settlements.  I thought I would share some handy tips...you know because there aren't already five billion other articles with Fallout 4 tips.  Here we go!

1.) Some items are more useful than they appear.  In past games there was a lot of junk just laying around wasn't particularly useful.  Now, those items are well worth picking up and lugging around.  Here are some that you should definitely grab:
--Duct tape/Wonderglue:  Breaks down into adhesives which are used in both weapon and armor mods.  It's a good idea to keep a good supply on hand so you can pimp out any new gear you find.

--Aluminum Cans/TV Dinner Trays/Trays:  Early in the game you gain access to some Power Armor.  Power Armor is great but it requires more maintenance and items than regular armor.  Unlike regular armor it also requires repair which is done primarily with aluminum.  Keep your eyes peeled for those silvery cans and dirty TV Dinner Trays and be sure to pick them up.  The fish packing plants (I've come across two--the Four Leaf Clover plant and another one in the far northeastern corner of the map) are a great source of trays for aluminum.

--Abraxo Cleaner:  Breaks down into antiseptic which is one of the main components to craft your own stimpacks.  You can find a fairly steady supply of stimpacks out in the world, but if you plan to use them as your main source of health replenishment you may want to grab lots of Abraxo.

--Build Items/Spec Items:  By this I mean specific items related to the type of build you are going for.  I like to sneak around a lot so I try to find a lot of cork in order to make my gear as light as possible.  I've also modded out my gear so that it is shadowed which allows even better sneaking.  I loot every single globe that I see because they are a great source of cork.

--Hot plates, telephones, desk fans, typewriters:  These items tend to break down into a lot of different and very useful parts.  The downside is that they are generally heavy.  If you intend to build happy settlements grab all that goofy pre-war stuff.

--Armor/Weapons with special components:  The build for my current character didn't involve the skills or perks that allow for both full weapon and armor modification talents.  As a result I've resorted to pinching useful mods from looted weapons or armor.  My advice is to pick up any items that have a mod that you might be interested in.  If a piece of loot has a particularly long name it's probably worth grabbing just so you can cannibalize it for mods.

--Meat:  Preparing food requires no special skills.  Most prepared food also gives you a handy buff for a specific amount of time.  Cooked food contains no radiation unlike most of the other food you will find in the world.

Those are the main items I can think of at the moment.  I'm sure there are way more that I'm forgetting.

2.) Your settlement doesn't have to be fancy.  Settlers are completely fine with sleeping in a sleeping bag which requires few components compared to building a bed.  They also take up less space.  Building the basics for your settlement is good enough.  (I'm not content with simply slapping down some sleeping bags and have, for completely no reason, tried to decorate and make my settlements a weird version of Martha Stewart-esque Fallout zones.  My settlers don't appreciate my sense of post-apocalyptic style and are stuck at 80 happiness)

Dogmeat with his cute lil' bandana.

3.) Dogmeat can equip certain items!  This took way longer to figure out than I care to admit.  There are a variety of dog related items that you can loot in order to give your canine companion a unique look.  Bandanas, collars, chains, and even dog armor can all complete the look for Dogmeat.  I was very excited when I came across my first set of dog armor...only to realize that it's purely cosmetic and doesn't do anything.  My Dogmeat sports a fun red bandana as seen here!

4.) You can buy another dog!  Last night I found a guy walking near the Red Rocket Gas Station (the first one you discover near Sanctuary) and he offered to sell me a dog for 250 caps.  I managed to pass a low-level charisma check and convinced him that I would take care of the dog.  After purchasing the dog you can send it to any of your settlements.  Having a dog in your settlement will provide 5 additional defense.

5.) Recon scopes are handy.  Even if you don't intend to do any sniping, grabbing a rife with a recon scope will allow you to mark enemies on your HUD.  This has been very useful in planning attacks from afar.

6.) Your companions are basically pack mules...use them accordingly.  Poor Dogmeat is usually burdened with all the junk and weapons I don't want to carry around.

Fallout 4 is Upon Us.

Fallout 4 made a grand entrance onto the gaming scene earlier this week.  It has been seven years since Fallout 3  re-birthed the beloved post-apocalyptic RPG and fans have been chomping at the bit for the next entry into the series.  I managed to restrain my pre-ordering tendencies...and made it right until pre-loading was available.  I've pried myself away from wandering the wastes of the Commonwealth to cobble together some thoughts.

If you're looking for a Fallout game that is vastly different from it's predecessors, this is not it.  Fallout 4 brings back and improves on all your favorite aspects of the various wastelands--a massive area filled with numerous creatures, raiders, super mutants, deathclaws, and other baddies to destroy; tons of unique building to explore; a plethora of lootable items including funky weapons; and many interesting characters to fight by your side.  The graphics are great and give the Commonwealth just the right amount of post-apocalyptic creepiness.

Diamond City.   I'll make it there someday.

I'll admit that I haven't delved into the main questline very much.  It's really easy to get sidetracked.  Here's what I'm liking so far in Fallout 4:

1.) Settlements--Rather than simply having your own house to decorate you can have an entire settlement!  Once you've unlocked a settlement you gain access to a workshop that allows you to build new structures and items.  The downside of having a settlement is that it requires some management.  Your settlers aren't content just milling about your town and require food, water, and defense.  In order to accommodate them you must salvage items to build the things they need.  Remember all that junk you would never pick up in Fallout 3--coffee cups, clipboards, teddy bears, etc.?  In Fallout 4 almost every item can be turned into various useful parts.  That coffee cup turns into ceramic, that clipboard turns into wood and a spring, and that cute lil' teddy bear turns into cloth.  You will often find yourself looting junk to access various parts.  You're also responsible for defending your settlement(s) from periodic raider attacks.

I have enjoyed managing my settlement but have spent a lot of time salvaging and building.  It's not as exciting as fighting a big pack if super mutants but it's satisfying seeing your settlement grow.  The one aspect of the settlement feature that I don't like is the structure building tool.  You can build your own unique buildings in the settlement and the tool features numerous floors, walls, roofs, and assorted parts.  I found the tools difficult to use as you must rotate and align each part of the structure.  Fortunately, you can also choose from several pre-fab buildings that can be plopped anywhere within your settlement.

2.) New refined talents/perks system--No longer do you have to choose from a huge list of perks!  The points you put into your basic SPECIAL abilities will influence the perks you can unlock.  I made my character into a sneaky/sniper-y type with points in perception and agility.  In the agility tree I can unlock perks that help me sneak more effectively or increased the number of action points I have to spend.  The perception tree offers lock-picking improvements as well as perks to make sniping easier.  This much more streamlined system makes choosing more straightforward than it was in the past.

3.) New and improved baddies to kill--I entered a small cabin that I stumbled upon and found several ghouls lumbering about.  The Fallout 4 ghoul isn't the ridiculous lumbering creature from earlier games and now will charge right at you with impressive speed.  Ghouls also like to play dead and you should never trust that a ghoul laying on the ground is a corpse.  Upon entering the Super Duper Mart in Lexington I found that the store was littered with numerous ghoul bodies.  It was very unsettling making my way through the store and trying to figure out which ghouls were actually dead (I don't want to spoil it for you....just be prepared).  You might get lucky (or unlucky) and find yourself fighting an enemy with a star by it's name.  These are "legendary" creatures and are much tougher to kill but they will always drop a piece of "legendary" loot.  I have only encountered two legendary enemies so far but have read that they are much more numerous on higher difficulty levels.  If you're looking for a good fight with some good loot...crank up the ol' difficulty.

Enemies in Fallout 4 seem to be a lot tougher than in previous games.  I've found myself in pitched battles with creatures who were complete pushovers in both Fallout 3 and New Vegas.  They've also wised up and adopted new fighting strategies that include "suicide" runs.  If you hear the beeping...run away!  It's either a bomb-laden molerat or a mini-nuke wielding super mutant preparing to send both you and it to the big Vault in the sky.

Even though I've really enjoyed my time playing Fallout 4 not everything is perfect.  One thing that is slightly irritating (or great, depending on your perspective) is the lack of tutorials.  Early on you will see a small window pop-up with some friendly advice about how to do something.  The settlement building aspect is very poorly described and I spent time Googling how things worked (I still haven't completely figured out how you connect power to lighting).  Maybe we're in an era where games don't really need tutorials anymore--anyone can write a guide or Google how something works.

Besides this very minor irritation I am finding Fallout 4 to be an enjoyable adventure.

Happy N7 Day!

In the midst of all the daily chaos I completely forgot that it's November 7th, the day that we celebrate the Mass Effect series.  My Facebook feed was filled with N7 day messages and events.  You can tune into Twitch and watch a marathon event celebrating the games or simply opt to enjoy some Shepard time on your own.  One interesting question that was posed on several of the posts from BioWare was "what does N7 mean to you?"  I've been trying to think about what N7 and the Mass Effect games really mean to me and why I love them so much.

We all know that N7 represents the highest level of elite special forces in the Alliance military.  Commander Shepard attained this rank, he/she (let's say "she" because we all know FemShep is the best Shep) represents the best of the best that humanity has to offer.  It's not just about the elite of humanity protecting the galaxy, but the elite of the galaxy working together for the good of all species.  To me N7 represents hope--hope for the future, hope that all species could unite, hope that in the bleakest of times the strong would look out for the weak, and hope for a brighter future.  Commander Shepard is the beacon of hope.  Whoever comes after Shepard will take up this mantle as the new beacon of hope.

The best Shep!

N7 also represents Shepard herself.  The female version of the Commander is exactly the type of female gaming hero that I love to see.  FemShep isn't about sex appeal and the stereotypical female characteristics that tend to populate a lot of games.  FemShep is a soldier, a commander, and a leader.  I know that a lot of it had to do with BioWare's strategy of using an almost identical script for the male and female characters, but it works for me.  I liked that when Kasumi dressed FemShep up during her loyalty mission that you got a sense of awkwardness.

My initial Mass Effect adventure started on a lark.  I hadn't heard of Mass Effect but it was part of a Steam sale.  The original Mass Effect is such a great game.  It manages to portray a sense of wonder at this amazingly imagined galaxy and also immerse you in the dangers within.  Rolling around in the Mako exploring ruins or wandering around the Citadel wondering at the size and scope of the massive structure.  The part of the game that really pulled me in was the sense of unity on Shepard's team.  It didn't matter that you crewed your ship with a bunch of aliens, they were your crew.  As the game progressed you could take the time to interact with them and form a bond.  BioWare's real talent is for writing characters so good that you actually care about them.  Sure, Ashley's poetry obsession is a little annoying, but you still cringe when you have to make the tough decision about who to leave behind on Virmire.  By the time I watched Shepard crawl out from under that huge piece of debris, I was completely enamored of Mass Effect.

When Mass Effect 2 rolled around in 2010 I was excited.  I have to admit that at first I wasn't overly excited about some of the concepts contained in ME2.  Cerberus?  You're working for Cerberus?  They're the bad guys!  I also wasn't really sold on the whole idea of Shepard dying but essentially being resurrected by Cerberus.  It's still one part of the game that I'm not wild about (I understand why it had to be this way but it doesn't mean I have to like it!).  After I got over my initial hesitation at the storyline in ME2, I was completely sucked in.  The whole concept of building a crew, earning their loyalty, and forming this amazing team to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds was marvelous.  I've played over 400 hours of ME2 because it never gets old--working together with your team, chatting them up on the Normandy, and saving the galaxy.  It doesn't get much better than that.

And then came Mass Effect 3.  Here's where you should expect me to say something really negative.  Whenever someone mentions Mass Effect 3 people immediately jump to berating the ending.  In these arguments they forget that the game leading up to that very controversial ending is phenomenal.  Sprinkled throughout the game are so many great moments--awkward conversations with EDI about human behavior, a giant worm taking down a massive Reaper, saving (or dooming) the Krogan, helping Tali take back her homeworld, forming an alliance with the Geth, and the battle for Earth....and, of course, saying goodbye to Commander Shepard.  Sure, there were some things not to like about the ending, but the trip to get there was completely worth it (and, amazingly, BioWare actually listened to fan feedback and took steps to make the ending better--something that I greatly appreciated).

After feeling horribly depressed about the ending of ME3, BioWare did a solid for the fans of the series by releasing the "Citadel" DLC.  This content allowed players to have an extremely enjoyable and goofy final voyage with all the unique characters Shepard accumulates throughout the three game series.  The culmination of the content is a hilarious party with the entire crew.  This was a fitting farewell to our hero and all of our favorite characters.

Now, the question looms about what's next in the series.  Will we get another hero who's as memorable as Commander Shepard?  Will the next game manage to capture the essence of the three previous games--we will get memorable new characters to fight alongside and fall in love with?  Will we have a ship like the Normandy, a ship that felt like...well, home?

Today BioWare released a new teaser trailer that will hit any fan right in the gut.  Recognize that voice?  Yep, it's Jennifer Hale who voiced FemShep.  This new trailer hints at exploration being a theme.  I thought I had gotten over the loss of Shepard and then this video made me tear up.

I can't wait to hear more about Mass Effect:  Andromeda.  Have a great N7 day and remember your favorite Mass Effect moments.