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EXCLUSIVE: Fallout: New Vegas Community Interview
by Chris Hawke
10.10.10

Yes, yes, it's been a while. But better late then never; that Fallout: New Vegas Community Interview we did all the way back in May has been through hell, but finally arrived at our virtual doorstep brimming with exclusive information and only slightly burnt around the edges. A big thanks goes to the men and women at Bethesda and Obsidian, and without further ado, we present our community-driven Fallout: New Vegas interview, courtesy of Gamer's Guide to Life.com.


Have there been any graphical updates to the game engine? Did you always plan to use the Fallout 3 engine?

Fallout 3's engine was the natural choice for us, given the timeline we we had and what we wanted to accomplish with the game. While we haven't made direct changes to the engine to support enhanced graphics, we worked on the texture resolutions and made performance tweaks.


Did you enjoy Fallout 3? Are you trying to improve upon it, or just make your own game of the Fallout universe?

I think pretty much everyone on the team enjoyed Fallout 3! I think the latter questions aren't independent of each other - we wanted to both make our own game in the Fallout universe, and improve upon what Fallout 3 did. I think we succeeded on both accounts.


Can you modify and look down the sights of every single firearm? Are there any new types of weapon - we've seen flame, plasma and ray guns in Fallout 3, but will you add any new ones?

Yes, every firearm has 'true' ironsights (this is actually a mode that can be disabled, for players that prefer the 3rd-person shoulder cam). And as far as I can recall, every firearm has at least a couple of mods. Overall, we’ve got about double the guns that were in Fallout 3. Players will also be able to use different ammo types with weapons.


Are gambling activities like Poker or Blackjack just mini-games, or will they sometimes play important roles in missions or game progress? Will lockpicking return?

I think enough of us complained about 'mandatory' mini-games that we shied away from the idea of forcing the player to play them. There's more to be won at the tables than just caps, though! Lock picking will definitely return in Fallout: New Vegas.


Will there be any sort of multiplayer/online component? If not, why not?

There is no multiplayer or online component to Fallout: New Vegas. While there's a lot of potential there, that wasn't what we wanted for our game; it's definitely tailored to be a solo experience (though of course you'll have NPC companions). To have multiplayer or online components, I think it's important to decide what aspects you'll have and how to implement them very early on, and we decided against this.


In Fallout 3, the most populated place was the slightly barren Rivet City, with only a small handful of NPCs. Will there be much larger settlements in New Vegas, with many more interactive NPCs?

Since the Strip (and a lot of the surrounding region) didn't get hit by nukes, you'll find more intact settlements, and more people overall. In fact, the first town you wake up in (Goodsprings) has a decent number of folk, and you'll find more populated areas as you explore the wasteland. Overall, we've got a ton of NPCs.


Will there be any major differences between platforms? Are you planning to include exclusive DLC, and will the G.E.C.K. return for PC?


There shouldn't be any major differences, no. While we're tinkering with things here and there, we're trying to keep the differences minimal (they're done solely for performance reasons). There will be DLC but we can't talk about specifics yet, but PC modders should look forward to an updated GECK release.


Will there be new stealth systems?

No, but Sneak (like most skills) can be temporarily boosted by skill magazines, a new item that gives you a small temporary bump (as opposed to Books, which give you a permanent bonus).


How long will Fallout: New Vegas be? Can you continue playing after the main storyline?

It's hard to give an estimate because of how many different ways you can play the game, but rest assured that there's plenty of content for the Fallout addict! You won't be able to play after you've finished the main storyline, but you'll be given clear warning before you pass that point, so you can go back and mop up any threads you left open.


How many perks from Fallout 3 will reappear, and how many of your own are you adding? Could you possibly spill any examples?

The majority of Fallout 3's perks are back (some are modified, some were removed), and we've added quite a few of our own. We should have more information on that soon.


Is there a new side-quest system, or ambient events like Red Dead Redemption, or are set quests only given to set people?

There isn't a new 'system,' but there are a number of side quests. There are also ambient events that you'll see occurring in the world around you, triggered by various things you've done. We're committed to making quests feel unique and "make sense" in the world, so we always associate quests with specific NPCs.


Are there any sly hints at past Fallout games?

Maybe a few. ;)


Will there be a weather cycle?

No. We did, however, completely redo the sky and times of day, so look forward to some scenic sunsets!


Will it be possible to max out all skills in one playthrough? Will there be many different endings (not just variations on a few opposite ones as in Fallout 3)?

If it's possible to max out all your skills in one go, no one's done it yet! There is more variation to our endings, as they depend on your reputation with various factions, actions you've taken, and companions you've recruited.


Will Dogmeat return, and will companions have more character, with detailed pasts, etc?

Dogmeat isn't around for this adventure, but the companions each have their own personalities, back story, and some of them have their own motives and quests they'll want you to give them a hand with.

To round off, a few quick-fire ones from the community:

Can you play as a ghoul?
Nope, you can't play as a ghoul. Sorry!

Will there be vehicles present?
You'll see different wrecked cars, but no vehicles you can ride or drive.

Are there destructible environments?
No destructible environments, but some stuff still blows up when you shoot at it.

Is there a Level Cap?
Yes, the level cap is 30.

Will the Metro play as important a role as Fallout 3 (ie. Will you constantly have to go down there to reach new places?)
We don't have the Metro. There's something similar, but you don't have to explore it at all if you don't want to.


We hope you enjoyed the interview, and you can pick up New Vegas on the 19th October 2010. Stay tuned (via Twitter) to Gamer's Guide to Life.com for more Communinty Interviews on upcoming AAA titles.

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- Chris Hawke

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