The following letter was sent to Bethesda in the spring of 2006, when I learned that they'd just started development on Fallout 3. It's an interesting read, now that it's possible to compare the suggestions to the finished game. (mind you, I may not agree on all the points my past-self are making...)
Concerning Fallout 3
I am a huge fan of the first two games, and have taken the liberty to send you some thoughts and ideas for use in the third.
Editor: A must, preferably user-friendly (Neverwinter Nights, but with more options in terrain construction). The Fallout community is vast, and there have been lots of attempts at creating new chapters in the Fallout story. Most of them have been severely hampered by the fact that the first two games aren't constructed to cope with additions. If you create a world the size of Morrowind (Or bigger, deserts are known for their lack of interesting features) and leave some empty space, perhaps even some areas designated for user created stuff, then you can be certain that the community will continue creating additions to the game, thus prolonging the interest and play time. A drawback to this approach is that you might find it difficult to sell expansions since some people will have an attitude of 'why spend money on extra stuff when you can download it free on the internet', but others might actually crave expansions more, since every expansion will bring with it lots of new items, areas, and possibilities, both in the game, and in the creator.
Inventory: I'd like to see some fresh thinking from you, the first two Fallout games left something to be desired, and as the game progressed, I found it increasingly frustrating to use the inventory. Too many things, not enough customisation options. Morrowind addressed some of the flaws of the Fallout games, but it's still time-consuming and frustrating to find a specific item (especially if you've created a heap of enchanted rings). My suggestion is that you start out with merging the two common inventory styles: Diablo style with little 'slots' to symbolize size and bulk of the different items, and Fallout style void of infinite room, only restricted by maximum weight limit (I am aware that the Fallout manual states that there is some sort of size limitation on the inventory as well as a weight limitation, but I've never encountered it). I like the concept of dividing the various items into different groups, like you did in Morrowind, and creating sub-inventories for the groups. Makes it a bit easier to find the item you're looking for. What I'd like to see in Fallout 3 is this: two Inventory options, one being the 'easy, non-simulator' version that'd be based on a merging of the 'slot' style and the 'void' style, perhaps with a different amount of slots for different things. And with a weight limit that's based on strength, and a size limit that's based on agility (It's a lot easier to carry a ladder if you're agile, and that spear that's strapped to your back won't get in the way nearly as often if you're good at weaving through difficult terrain (I see agility as a measure of how 'aware' you are of your body and your ability to calculate your extremities' position to the world. For example, if the axe that's coming towards you rather fast will hit you or not, and whether you shifting your weight over to the other leg and leaning backwards will change that.)). The other option would be 'for the person that likes to spend a lot of time sorting his inventory to optimise retrieval time when the chips are down' and should be based on which carry options are available to the character at the moment. What kind of clothes is the character wearing, does it have a lot of pockets, is the character carrying a backpack, a belt, a strap to hang his rifle in etc. there are two different ways of implementing this, one being the hidden, the other being the supercustomizable and most realistic. The hidden way would be to assign different carry capacity stats to clothing, backpacks, sacks and the like, and letting the AI do the math behind the scenes. The other way would be to make an inventory for each item of clothing the character is wearing, as well as for the backpack, the rifle, the specially crafted magazine belt that he got for finishing that quest etc, so that you could customize where you're carrying your knife (in your boot?), sidearm (shoulder holster or the bottom of the backpack?), your spare ammo (in your left thigh pocket?) etc.
I realise the complexity that an inventory of this kind brings with it, but if you want to create a game that truly brings the player into the world you've created, and want to maintain the suspense of disbelief as long as possible, then these are the small things that make the huge difference.
No matter if you choose to implement the inventory styles described above or not, there are still some things that you need to sit down and consider: How many rifles/full suits of armor/railguns/sidearms can a person carry through a scorching desert whilst maintaining the ability to fight what monsters he or she may encounter? Impressingly many, according to the old Fallout games, and most other CRPGs for that matter. In Morrowind it's possible to carry more than 20 shields while still maintaining the ability to fight. In fact, it doesn't seem to hinder the characters at all. Well, yes, they get tired a bit quicker, but that's about it. Here's something you might want to try. Make a call to the military, make arrangements to get a couple of interviews with soldiers who've seen real action, and then sit down and talk with them about gear (how much, what kind, where to carry it etc. you might also get a lot of good ideas for weapons/items to include in the game this way). Or, almost better, make arrangements to accompany some soldiers on a two-day exercise, carrying the same gear they are, camping in the wilderness and walking a lot of miles. Get a feel for what it might be like for a Fallout character to travel the vast desert of Falloutia… Then, while you're there, talk with a survival expert on the subject of desert survival. I've always been impressed with the way that the character in Fallout manages to survive in a barren, radioactive wasteland day after day, even if he, up until the start of the game, has been living in a sealed vault under a mountain. Outdoorsman has to play a much bigger part in Fallout 3. It must mean the difference between survival and restart. Or, at the very least, the difference between setting off towards your destination without caring whether you have enough food and water for the trip, and packing 6000 kJ worth of food and 3 gallons of water per day the trip's supposed to last, plus at least 4 days of food and water to spare. Make water a thing to worry about. Make the players restock on water every time they have the opportunity. Make sure that the characters eat something every day, and give penalties if they don't. Go without food for a few days if you need a reminder of just how important it actually is to eat. And what about sleep? It is pretty much impossible for a person to go more than a week without sleep, and we all know how we respond to even one night without sleep. Shouldn't the characters do the same? Or at least introduce a gizmo that makes it possible to go without sleep. Scientists are working on just such a device already, and although it won't negate the need for sleep altogether, it will decrease the need to just a few hours per night.
I am of the opinion that to make a believable world, one that manages to suspend the disbelief of the observer/participator in a RPG, then you either have to include all the ordinary things of our own world, or provide a reasonable explanation as to why they aren't present. Why are there no toilets in Morrowind or Oblivion? No children? No need to sleep, eat or drink? More people than beds/places for them to sleep? Why aren't there at least as many guards off duty as there are on duty? Who grows all the food for them? Repairs their shoes? Builds their castles? Sleeps with them when they're lonely? Why are the bandits always scattered throughout their hideouts instead of posting a single sentry and then retiring to a common room? Why is the main character the only (alive) adventurer to explore the world? Why are all the houses designed so poorly with long, useless, unfurnished hallways and no sense of practicality? The examples are endless. Make a world that's believable not only to the senses, but to the mind as well.
Weapons: In the Elder scrolls, you have magic weapons. How do you substitute modern-day weaponry with that whilst still maintaining the continuous flow of better equipment as the character becomes better and better? Make a skill called weaponengineering/weaponsmith that allows the character to subtly improve and modify his weapons, just like he had the ability to enchant his weapons in the Elder Scrolls. Possibilities include, but are not limited to, precision drilling of the pipe, fine-tuning the trigger mechanism, bigger capacity clips, custom ammunition, weapon mounted laser sights, flashlights, lowlight scopes, red-dot sights, under barrel grenade launchers and shotguns, vertical close quarter handles, bipod support legs, bigger rails to mount things on, modification to a bigger or different type of ammunition, modification of the ammunition, manufacture of the ammunition, conversion to 3 round burst or full-auto mode, silencers, sound suppressors, barrel extensions, recoil vents integrated in the barrel, customisable handles, flip-up analogue sights if the scope fails or runs out of battery, camouflage paint, cooling system for the pipe and chamber, modification to allow pipe-change for full-auto support weapons, adaptation for bi- or tri-clips, folding stock, heavy duty buffer, faster cycling action, variable cycling action (rate of fire), more grooves in the pipe (longer range), heavier pipe, lighter materials, adjustable scope, night scope, holographic scope, flash suppressor… the list goes on, buy some gun magazines or talk to a gun-modding expert if you need more.
Perhaps it is also worth considering a schematics-based weaponmodding system, where you need the exact schematic (manual) for the weapon mod before you attempt the mod (example: I want to modify my Desert eagle to be able to fire 3-round bursts, to do this I need the Desert eagle 3 round burst modification schematic, when I've obtained this, I'll still need a high enough weaponsmith skill to succeed in the attempt).
Using weapons: In Fallout, you face the challenge of creating a skill/combat system that allows for progress in a setting where firearms will be the most common weapon, whilst still allowing for the odd pugilist. For close quarter combat, use a variation of the Elder scrolls system, where the damage caused by the melee weapon is calculated from strength (and the weapon skill) and the attack speed is calculated from agility (and again, from the weapon skill). For the firearms part of the combat system, creating a 'wobble' effect when taking aim. The worse the skill, the more wobble there is. On top of this, create a scatter effect of the bullets, so that they don't just hit the point the crosshairs are pointed at, but a variable area around the centre as well. Variable, because the calculations include skill level with the type of gun (perhaps have an overall weapon skill for handguns/sidearms, assault rifles and normal rifles, shotguns, heavy weapons, tranjectory weapons (grenades, RPG's, molotovs etc.) and exotic weapons) how many times you've shot this particular weapon (familiarity), wound level, fatigue level, windage, quality of the weapon and so on… Take a day or two at a shooting range trying out some different weapons to get a feel for the differences between shooting a Glock 17 compared to an M60 machinegun.
Armor: Keep the system from Fallout 1 and 2, but expand upon it. Make it possible to carry a combat armor helmet with a leather jacket if you so choose. Perhaps you should implement the armor skill system from Elder scrolls as well, so that your ability to utilise the armor increases with the skill. I suggest that you sit down and have an enlighted discussion regarding Hit Points vs Armor. We all know that if you get shot with a gun, you get a nasty wound, and you'll most probably die from it. CRPG's usually promote the Nietche view that the more times you're shot and survive, the less damage you'll receive from later gunshot wounds. I'm not a big subscriber to this approach. The thing that saves a persons life in a combat situation is what bodyarmor he wears, not how long he's spent in the gym. Granted, a welltrained person would perhaps be able to cope with the trauma, his heart might be able to function for longer, and he'd perhaps be less susceptible to succumb to chock, but a fragmentation vest with ceramic inlays would soak up the bullet completely, merely winding the person (provided the bullet hit the armor instead of the extremities).
So, less focus on the hit points, more on armor and the right equipment for the job, it makes for a more believable world. And it leads to more interesting game play as well, since people won't just charge in, certain that their high-level character has the hit points to soak up the damage from the bandits' lowly .223 caliber rifles. A combat system based on Hit points ultimately leads to the situation where the experienced, high-level, but very elderly retired adventurer with heart problems and a general bad health still has many times the Hit points of the young, strapping, 18 year old ox of a man who's just setting out to be an adventurer. A ridiculous situation.
Oh, and allow for additions to the armor as well, better inlays, modifications to allow the character less penalty and more mobility while wearing it, nightvision goggles mounted on the helmet, safety boots with metallic inlays (more kicking damage…).
And keep the varying effectiveness against different damage types. Kevlar is very, very effective against bullets, but not nearly as effective against edged weapons. And it makes good gameplay that the player has to think about which armor to wear against which threat, or if he should rather opt for a compromise he can wear the whole time.
Enemies: should have all the gear they're depicted as having, as well as all the gear it would be logic for them to have, the limiter should be what the character can carry, not what the game balance says. View the enemies as persons/characters, what would a character of that class and level be carrying, which clothes, how much food and water, camping equipment, ammunition, personal items etc. Take a look at what a typical player character is hauling around, downsize the amounts a bit, then equip the bad guys with the same. It should be the players choice whether he wants to risk another trip to the bandit camp in order to carry all the loot home. And perhaps somebody else has been there and looted the bodies in the meantime? Or the rest of the bandits have returned from their raid… Just make certain that the world is alive, that the character always has the feeling that things happen, lives are lived, tasks are completed, that the world moves on whether the character is there or not. I remember being severely pissed off the first time I tried to take over the water merchant enterprise in Fallout 1, and finding out that 1: it wasn't possible, 2: that the corpses would just keep lying there, nobody else moved in and took over or even looted the bodies.
The World: Should be comprised mostly of mountains and desert. Not necessarily with a lot of features, more preferably desolate, bleak, rocky desert with the odd ruin now and then. Fallout would and should be a lonely world. Create remnants of roads here and there, make a few caravan routes between the cities, perhaps with a small hamlet positioned roughly at a day's travel between eachother alongside the caravan route, and then make quick travel possible with the caravan. Raider camps could lie hidden close to the caravan routes, and secret villages, research laboratories and the odd hermit's hut could lie scattered about the wasteland.
Have you consulted a nuclear physicist on the aftereffects of a nuclear holocaust? Most likely the dust thrown into the atmosphere would kill off most of the plant life that'd survived the initial blasts, and most animals and people would soon follow. It is quite possible that a nuclear holocaust would cause either a drastic increase or decrease in temperature, with corresponding deserts or ice ages. Perhaps half of Falloutia is covered in a vast, radioactive glacier? Entire communities could live in carved-out towns beneath the icy surface. And most deserts in temperate parts of the world are bitterly cold during the night. Do some research if you haven't already.
Things I'd like to see implemented in Fallout 3: Huge maximum viewing distance.
Money: I liked the idea of different cities having different currencies, it just wasn't utilised enough in Fallout 2. I think that the world should have several different currencies, and that the character would have to either exchange his money upon arrival in a new area/city, or rely on barter for the duration of the stay. And make sure that the merchant gets a fresh supply of warescontinuously, with the possible exception of quest items mistakenly sold to a merchant (or make a new quest out of the accidental sale: "that radio? I sold that to a bloke travelling through here a week ago, can't really remember where he was heading, but he stayed at Tanya's place, perhaps you should try to talk with her…")
Character generation: First name, surname, nickname
Sneak: backstabs.
Small communities the most logical society structure, think feudal Europe. Perhaps different gang lords controlling different areas.
Functioning cars. Fuel?
Military still existing?
Planes?
Areas that aren't affected by the radiation?
Areas with high radiation
Radaway?
How many monsters?
Mood of the game: simulator, silly or first fallout? Gammaworld?
How big human population?
Ghouls and mutants?
Footprints
Viewing distance
. The American marine corps encourage bodybuilding, and go to great lengths to ensure that they have the most muscular soldiers possible, because the extra body mass might allow the soldier to carry on fighting after he's been hit the first time. However, most special operation team members are small, wiry men with stamina and endurance instead of explosive force/strength. So, although it
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