Fallout is a series of post-apocalypticrole-playing video games created by Interplay Entertainment. The series is set during the 22nd and 23rd centuries, and its atompunkretrofuturistic setting and artwork are influenced by the post-warculture of 1950s America, with its combination of hope for the promises of technology and the lurking fear of nuclear annihilation. A forerunner for Fallout is Wasteland, a 1988 game developed by Interplay Productions to which the series is regarded as a spiritual successor.
The series' first title Fallout, was released in 1997, and developed by Black Isle Studios. With the tactical role-playing gameFallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel, development was handed to Micro Forté and 14 Degrees East. In 2004, Interplay closed Black Isle Studios,[2] and continued to produce Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel, an action game with role-playing elements for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox, without Black Isle Studios. Fallout 3, the third entry in the main series, was released by Bethesda Softworks, and was followed by Fallout: New Vegas, developed by Obsidian Entertainment. The series' fourth main entry Fallout 4 was released in 2015, and Fallout 76 released on November 14, 2018.
Bethesda Softworks owns the rights to produce Fallout games.[3] Soon after acquiring the rights to the intellectual property, Bethesda licensed the rights to make a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) version of Fallout to Interplay. The MMORPG got as far as beta stage under Interplay,[4] but a lengthy legal dispute between Bethesda Softworks and Interplay halted the development of the game and led to its eventual cancellation, as Bethesda claimed in court that Interplay had not met the terms and conditions of the licensing contract. The case was decided in favor of Bethesda.[5]
Origins[edit]
The ideas of the Fallout began with Interplay Productions' Wasteland, released in 1988. At that time, Interplay was not a publisher and used Electronic Arts for distribution of the game. According to Interplay's founder, Brian Fargo, they wanted to explore a post-apocalyptic setting and produced Wasteland for that. Sometime after release, Interplay decided to shift focus and become its own publisher while still developing its own games. Fargo wanted to continue to use the Wastelandintellectual property, but could not negotiate the rights back from Electronic Arts. Still wanting to do something in the post-apocalyptic world, Fargo and his team decided to make a new setting and game, determining what aspects of Wasteland were positives, and then wrote and developed this new game around it, ending up with the first Fallout games, released nearly ten years after Wasteland.[6]
Games[edit]Main series[edit]
Fallout (1997)[edit]
Released in 1997, Fallout takes place in a post-apocalyptic Southern California, beginning in the year 2161. The protagonist, referred to as the Vault Dweller, is tasked with recovering a water chip in the Wasteland to replace the broken one in their underground shelter home, Vault 13. Afterwards, the Vault Dweller must thwart the plans of a group of mutants, led by a grotesque entity named the Master. Fallout was originally intended to run under the GURPSrole-playing game system. However, a disagreement with the creator of GURPS, Steve Jackson, over the game's violent content required Black Isle Studios to develop the new SPECIAL system.[7]Fallout's atmosphere and artwork are reminiscent of post-WWII America and the fear that the U.S. was headed for nuclear war.
Fallout 2 (1998)[edit]
Fallout 2 was released in 1998, with several improvements over the first game, including an improved game engine, the ability to set attitudes of non-player character (NPC) party members and the ability to push people who are blocking doors. Additional features included several changes to the game world, including significantly more pop culture jokes and parodies, such as multiple Monty Python and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy-referencing special random encounters, and self-parodying dialogue that broke the fourth wall to mention game mechanics. Fallout 2 takes place eighty years after Fallout, and centers around a descendant of the Vault Dweller, the protagonist of Fallout. The player assumes the role of the Chosen One as they try to save their village, Arroyo, from severe famine and droughts. After saving the village, the Chosen One must save it again, this time from the Enclave, the remnants of the pre-war United States Government.
Fallout 3 (2008)[edit]
'Prepare for the Future' promotional campaign at the Metro Center station in Washington, D.C.
Fallout 3 was developed by Bethesda Game Studios and released on October 28, 2008. The story picks up thirty years after the setting of Fallout 2 and 200 years after the nuclear war that devastated the game's world.[8] The player-character is a Vault dweller in Vault 101 who is forced to flee when the Overseer tries to arrest them in response to their father leaving the Vault. Once free, the player is dubbed the Lone Wanderer and ventures into the Wasteland in and around Washington, D.C., known as the Capital Wasteland, to find their father. It differs from previous games in the series by utilizing 3D graphics, a free-roam gaming world, and real-time combat, in contrast to previous games' 2Disometric graphics and turn-based combat. It was developed simultaneously for the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 using the Gamebryoengine. It received highly positive reviews, garnering 94/100,[9] 92/100,[10] and 93/100[11] averages scores on Metacritic for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game, respectively. It won IGN's 2008 Overall Game of the Year Award, Xbox 360 Game of the Year, Best RPG, and Best Use of Sound, as well as E3's Best of the Show and Best Role Playing Game.
Fallout 4 (2015)[edit]
Mister Handy exposition at E3 2015
Fallout 4, developed by Bethesda Game Studios, was released on November 10, 2015. On June 3, 2015 the game's website went live revealing the game along with its box art, platforms, and the first trailer.[12] The game was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One and takes place in Boston, Massachusetts, of the in-game New England Commonwealth and features voiced protagonists.[13][14][15][16] The Xbox One version has been confirmed to have mods as of 2016. Bethesda also confirmed mods for PlayStation 4, after lengthy negotiations with Sony.[17] A virtual reality version of the game was released on December 11, 2017.[18]Fallout 4 takes place in the year 2287, ten years after the events of Fallout 3. 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), dubbed as the Sole Survivor, takes shelter in Vault 111, emerging 210 years later, after being subjected to suspended animation. The Sole Survivor goes on a search for their son who was taken away in the Vault.
Spin-off games[edit]Fallout: New Vegas (2010)[edit]
New Vegas exposition at E3 2010
Fallout: New Vegas was developed by Obsidian Entertainment and released on October 19, 2010.[19] The development team included developers who previously worked on Fallout and Fallout 2.[20][21]Fallout: New Vegas is not a direct sequel to Fallout 3;[22][23] rather, it is a stand-alone product.[22][24] Events in the game follow four years after Fallout 3 and offer a similar role-playing experience, but no characters from that game appear.[23] The player assumes the role of a courier in the post-apocalyptic world of the Mojave Wasteland. As the game begins, the Courier is shot in the head and left for dead shortly before being found and brought to a doctor in the nearby town of Goodsprings, marking the start of the game and the Courier's search for their would-be murderer. The city of New Vegas is a post-apocalyptic interpretation of Las Vegas.
Fallout Shelter (2015)[edit]
Fallout Shelter is a simulation game for Microsoft Windows, iOS, Android, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch. The player acts as the Overseer, building and managing their Vault and its dwellers, sending them into the Wasteland on scouting missions and defending the Vault from attacks. Fallout Shelter was released for iOS on June 14, 2015, Android on August 13, 2015, and for PC on July 15, 2016. On February 7, 2017, Bethesda launched Fallout Shelter on Xbox One. On June 10, 2018, Bethesda announced and launched Fallout Shelter on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4.
Fallout Pinball (2016)[edit]
In late 2016, Zen Studios developed a virtualpinball game based on the Fallout universe as part of the Bethesda Pinball collection, which became available as part of Zen Pinball 2, Pinball FX 2[25] and Pinball FX 3,[26] as well as a separate free-to-play app for iOS and Android mobile devices.[27]
Fallout 76 (2018)[edit]
'Our Future Begins' promotion at gamescom 2018
Fallout 76 is the first online multiplayer game in the franchise, with a choice to play solo if the player wishes. It is set in West Virginia, with a majority of monsters and enemies based on regional folklore. When the game was released, there were no human non-player characters in the game. Some robot NPCs do exist, but the player does not have full dialogue options with these characters. It was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on November 14, 2018.[28]
Non-canon games[edit]Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel (2001)[edit]
Tactics is the first Fallout game not to require the player to fight in a turn-based mode, and it is also the first to allow the player to customize the skills, perks, and combat actions of the rest of the party. Fallout Tactics focuses on tactical combat rather than role-playing; the new combat system included different modes, stances, and modifiers, but the player had no dialogue options. Most of the criticisms of the game came from its incompatibility with the story of the original two games, not from its gameplay. Fallout: Tactics includes a multiplayer mode that allows players to compete against squads of other characters controlled by other players. Unlike the previous two games, which are based in California, Fallout Tactics takes place in the Midwestern United States. The game was released in early 2001 to generally favorable reviews.
Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel (2004)[edit]
Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel became the first Fallout game for consoles when it was released in 2004. It follows an initiate in the Brotherhood of Steel who is given a suicidal quest to find several lost Brotherhood Paladins. Brotherhood of Steel is an action role-playing game, representing a significant break from previous incarnations of the Fallout series in both gameplay and aesthetics. The game does not feature non-player characters that accompany the player in combat and uses heavy metal music, including Slipknot, Devin Townsend, and Killswitch Engage, which stands in contrast to the music of the earlier Fallout games, performed by The Ink Spots and Louis Armstrong. It was the last Fallout game developed by Interplay.
Canceled games[edit]Fallout Extreme[edit]
Fallout Extreme was in development for several months in 2000 but was canceled.[29]
Fallout Tactics 2[edit]
Fallout Tactics 2 was proposed as a sequel to Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel, although it was originally conceived as a sequel to Wasteland, the video game that inspired the Fallout series. It was developed by Micro Forté, but the production was cancelled in December 2001 after the poor sales of Fallout Tactics.[30]
Van Buren (Black Isle Studios' Fallout 3)[edit]
Van Buren is the codename for the canceled version of Fallout 3 developed by Black Isle Studios and published by Interplay Entertainment. It featured an improved engine with real 3D graphics as opposed to sprites, new locations, vehicles, and a modified version of the SPECIAL system. The story disconnected from the Vault Dweller/Chosen One bloodline in Fallout and Fallout 2. Plans for the game included the ability to influence the various factions. The game was cancelled in December 2003 when the budget cuts forced Interplay to dismiss the PC development team. Interplay subsequently sold the Falloutintellectual property to Bethesda Softworks, who began development on their own version of Fallout 3 unrelated to Van Buren. Main parts of the game were incorporated into Fallout 3 and its add-ons as well as Fallout: New Vegas.
Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel 2[edit]
Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel 2 is the canceled sequel to Brotherhood of Steel. The development of the game started before the completion of the original, and its development caused the cancellation of the 'Van Buren' project. Like its predecessor, the game would have used the Dark Alliance Engine. It was targeted for a Christmas 2004 release date.[31] It featured fourteen new weapons and ten new enemies. The game would have used a simplified reputation system based on previous entries; depending on whether the player was good or evil, the game would play out differently. Each of the four characters that were playable had a different fighting style, therefore every new play-through would have been a different experience. It had two player co-op action for players to experience the game with their friends. The Dark Alliance Engine would be fleshed out to refine player experience. A new stealth system would have been added to the game. This system would have allowed players to stalk enemies or stealthily assassinate them with a sniper rifle. For characters that could not use the sniper rifle, Interplay added a turret mode allowing those characters to use turrets.[32]
Fallout Online[edit]
Fallout Online (previously known as Project V13) is a cancelled project by Interplay and Masthead Studios[33] to develop a Fallout-themed massively multiplayer online game. It entered production in 2008.[34] In 2009, Bethesda filed a lawsuit against Interplay regarding Project V13, claiming that Interplay has violated their agreement as development has not yet begun on the project.[35] On January 2, 2012, Bethesda and Interplay reached a settlement, the terms of which include the cancellation of Fallout Online and transfer of all rights in the franchise to Bethesda.[36] Since then, Project V13 has been revived as a completely different project called Mayan Apocalypse, unrelated to Fallout.
Gameplay[edit]SPECIAL[edit]
Fallout Tacticscharacter creation uses the SPECIAL system
SPECIAL is a character creation and statistics system developed specifically for the Fallout series. SPECIAL is an acronym, representing the seven attributes used to define Falloutcharacters: Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility and Luck. SPECIAL is heavily based on GURPS, which was originally intended to be the character system used in the game.
The SPECIAL system involves the following sets of key features:
The SPECIAL system was used in Fallout, Fallout 2, and Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel. A modified version of the system was used in Fallout: Warfare, Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas, and Fallout 4. Fallout Shelter, the only mobile game in the series, also uses a form of SPECIAL.
Aside from Fallout games, modified versions of SPECIAL were also used in Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader (also referred to as Fallout Fantasy early in production), a fantasy role-playing video game that involved spirits and magic in addition to the traditional SPECIAL features, as well as the cancelled project Black Isle's Torn.
The Pip-Boy and Vault Boy[edit]
The Fallout series' aesthetic is represented in the user interface of the Pip-Boy computer, and the frequent occurrences of the Vault Boy character, illustrating perks and mechanics.
The Pip-Boy (Personal Information Processor-Boy) is a wrist-computer given to the player early in Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas, Fallout 4, and Fallout 76 which serves various roles in quest, inventory, and battle management, as well as presenting player statistics. The model present in Fallout and Fallout 2 is identified as a Pip-Boy 2000, and both games feature the same unit, used first by the Vault Dweller and later inherited by the Chosen One. Fallout Tactics contains a modified version of the 2000 model, called Pip-Boy 2000BE, while Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas uses a Pip-Boy 3000. Fallout: New Vegas also has a golden version of it, called the Pimp-Boy 3Billion that is given to the player as a reward for completing a quest in a certain way. Fallout 4 contains a modified version of the 3000, called the Pip-Boy 3000 Mark IV. Fallout 76 also contains a modified version of the Pip-Boy, called the Pip-Boy 2000 Mark VI, which is another version of the Pip-Boy 2000.
The Vault Boy character is Vault-Tec's mascot, and is a recurring element in Vault-Tec products in the game world.[37] This includes the Pip-Boy, where the Vault Boy illustrates all of the character statistics and selectable attributes. From Bethesda's Fallout 3 onward Vault Boy models all of the clothing and weaponry as well.[38] The character was originally designed by Leonard Boyarsky, based partly on Rich Uncle Pennybags' aesthetic from the Monopoly board game, and drawn for Fallout by George Almond for the first few cards and by Tramell Ray Isaac, who finalized the look of the character.[39]
Series overview[edit]
Fallout's U.S. flag shown here is inspired by the Cowpens flag, but the center star is enlarged to represent the nation as a whole.
Setting[edit]
The series is set in a fictionalized United States in an alternate history scenario that diverges from reality following World War II.[40] In this alternative atompunk 'golden age', the transistor was never invented. As such, a bizarre socio-technological status quo emerges, in which advanced robots, nuclear-powered cars, directed-energy weapons, and other futuristic technologies are seen alongside 1950s-era computers and televisions. The United States divided itself into 13 commonwealths and the aesthetics and Cold War paranoia of the 1950s continued to dominate the American lifestyle well into the 21st century.
More than a hundred years before the start of the series, an energy crisis emerged caused by the depletion of petroleum reserves, leading to a period called the 'Resource Wars' in April 2052 – a series of events which included a war between the European Commonwealth and the Middle East, the disbanding of the United Nations, the U.S. annexation of Canada, and a Chinese invasion and subsequent military occupation of Alaska coupled with their release of the 'New Plague' that devastated the American mainland. These eventually culminated in the 'Great War' on the morning of October 23, 2077, eastern standard time, a two-hour nuclear exchange on an apocalyptic scale, which subsequently created the post-apocalyptic United States, the setting of the Fallout world.
Vaults[edit]
Having foreseen this outcome decades earlier, the U.S. government began a nationwide project in 2054 to build fallout shelters known as 'Vaults'. The Vaults were ostensibly designed by the government contractor Vault-Tec as public shelters, financed by junk bonds and each able to support up to a thousand people. Around 400,000 vaults would have been needed, but only 122 were commissioned and constructed. Each Vault is self-sufficient, so they could theoretically sustain their inhabitants indefinitely. However, the Vault project wasn't intended as a viable method of repopulating the United States in these deadly events. Instead, most Vaults were secret, unethical social experiments and were designed to determine the effects of different environmental and psychological conditions on their inhabitants. Experiments were widely varied and included: a Vault filled with clones of an individual; a Vault where its residents were frozen in suspended animation; a Vault where its residents were exposed to psychoactive drugs; a Vault where one resident, decided by popular vote, is sacrificed each year; a Vault with only one man and puppets; a Vault where its inhabitants were segregated;[clarification needed] two Vaults with disproportionate ratios of men and women; a Vault where the inhabitants were exposed to the mutagenic Forced Evolutionary Virus (F.E.V.); and a Vault where the door never closed, exposing the inhabitants to the dangerous nuclear fallout. 17 control Vaults were made to function as advertised in contrast with the Vault experiments but were usually shoddy and unreliable due to most of the funding going towards the experimental Vaults. Subsequently, many Vaults had their experiments derailed due to unexpected events, and a number became occupied by raiders, mutated animals or ghouls.
Post-War conditions[edit]
In the years after the Great War, the United States has devolved into a post-apocalyptic environment commonly dubbed 'the Wasteland'. Download high compres call of duty mw4 window xp. The Great War and subsequent nuclear Armageddon has severely depopulated the country, leaving large expanses of property decaying from neglect. In addition, virtually all food and water is irradiated and most lifeforms have mutated due to high radiation combined with mutagens of varied origins. Despite the large-scale devastation, some areas were fortunate enough to survive the nuclear apocalypse relatively unscathed, even possessing non-irradiated water, flora, and fauna. However, these areas are exceedingly rare. With a large portion of the country's infrastructure in ruins, basic necessities are scarce. Barter is the common method of exchange, with bottle caps providing a more conventional form of currency. Most cities and towns are empty, having been looted or deserted in favor of smaller, makeshift communities scattered around the Wasteland.
Many humans who could not get into the Vaults survived the atomic blasts, but many of these, affected by the radiation, turned into so-called 'ghouls.' While they were given an extended lifespan, many lost their hair and their skin decayed. Often, their voices became raspy giving them a zombie-like appearance. Ghouls often have a hatred towards humans due to jealousy or in response to discrimination. Ghouls typically resent any comparison to zombies, and being called a zombie is viewed as a great insult. If ghouls continue to be exposed to high levels of radiation, irreversible damage to their brains can cause them to become feral ghouls that attack almost anything on sight, having lost their minds.
Factions[edit]
Although the wastelands of the Fallout series are home to innumerable self-supporting groups, there are a number of factions who have a significant presence across the former United States. These factions are often the major players in the larger events of each game's primary storyline. In Fallout: New Vegas and Fallout 4 the player's actions determine which factions emerge from the game's events victorious.
Fallout 3 Enclave
Influences[edit]
Fallout satirizes 1950s and 1960s America's fantasies of 'post-nuclear-war-survival,'[42][43][44][45] thus draws from 1950s pulp magazine science fiction and superhero comic books, all rooted in Atomic Age optimism of a nuclear-powered future, though gone terribly awry by the time the events of the game take place. The technology is retro-futuristic, with various Raygun Gothic machines such as laser weaponry and boxy Forbidden Planet-style robots.[43] Computers use vacuum tubes instead of transistors, architecture of ruined buildings feature Art Deco and Googie designs, energy weapons resemble those used by Flash Gordon, and what few vehicles remain in the world are all 1950s-styled. Fallout's other production design, such as menu interfaces, are similarly designed to resemble advertisements and toys of the Atomic Age. Advertising in the game such as billboards and brochures has a distinct 1950s motif and feel. The lack of retro-stylization was a common reason for criticism in spin-off games.
A major influence was A Boy and His Dog, where the main character Vic and his dog Blood scavenge the desert of the Southwestern United States, stealing for a living and evading bands of marauders, berserk androids, and mutants. It 'inspired Fallout on many levels, from underground communities of survivors to glowing mutants.'[46] Other film influences include the Mad Max series, with its depiction of a post-apocalyptic wasteland. In the first game, one of the first available armors is a one-sleeved leather jacket that resembles the jacket worn by Mel Gibson in Mad Max 2.[47]
Tabletop games[edit]Fallout: Warfare[edit]
Fallout: Warfare is a tabletop wargame based on the Fallout Tactics storyline, using a simplified version of the SPECIAL system. The rulebook was written by Christopher Taylor, and was available on the Fallout Tactics bonus CD, together with cut-out miniatures. Fallout: Warfare features five distinct factions, vehicles, four game types and 33 different units. The rules only require ten-sided dice. The modifications to the SPECIAL system allow every unit a unique set of stats and give special units certain skills they can use, including piloting, doctor, and repair. A section of the Fallout: Warfare manual allows campaigns to be conducted using the Warfare rules. The game is currently available for free online from fansite No Mutants Allowed and several other sources. It has also been chosen for many awards and won game of the year.[citation needed]
Exodus[edit]
Exodus is a role-playing game published by Glutton Creeper Games using the d20 Modern/OGL system. At the beginning of the development this game was known as Fallout: Pen and Paper – d20 however all connections to Fallout were dropped after a legal dispute with Bethesda.
Fallout[edit]
A board game titled Fallout was announced by Fantasy Flight Games in 2017 for a November release.[48]
Fallout: Wasteland Warfare[edit]
The tabletop wargameFallout: Wasteland Warfare was announced by Modiphius Entertainment in April 2017.[49] It was released in March 2018.[50]
Legal action[edit]
Interplay was threatened with bankruptcy and sold the full Fallout franchise to Bethesda, but kept the rights to the Fallout MMO through a back license in April 2007 and began work on the MMO later that year. Bethesda Softworks sued Interplay Entertainment for copyright infringement on September 8, 2009, regarding the Fallout Online license and selling of Fallout Trilogy and sought an injunction to stop development of Fallout Online and sales of Fallout Trilogy. Key points that Bethesda were trying to argue is that Interplay did not have the right to sell Fallout Trilogy on the Internet via Steam, Good Old Games or other online services. Bethesda also said that 'full scale' development on Fallout Online was not met and that the minimum financing of 30 million of 'secured funding' was not met. Interplay launched a counter suit claiming that Bethesda's claims were meritless and that it did have the right to sell Fallout Trilogy via online stores via its contract with Bethesda. Interplay also claimed secure funding had been met and the game was in full scale development by the cut off date. Interplay argued to have the second contract that sold Fallout voided which would result in the first contract that licensed Fallout to come back into effect. This would mean that Fallout would revert to Interplay. Bethesda would be allowed to make Fallout 5. Bethesda would also have to pay 12% of royalties on Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas, Fallout 4 and expansions plus interest on the money owed. On December 10, 2009, Bethesda lost the first injunction.[51]
Bethesda shortly afterward tried a new tactic and fired its first lawyer, replacing him and filing a second injunction, claiming that Interplay had only back-licensed the name Fallout but no content. Interplay has countered showing that the contract states that they must make Fallout Online that has the look and feel of Fallout and that in the event Interplay fails to meet the requirements (30 million minimum secure funding and 'full scale' development by X date) that Interplay can still release the MMO but they have to remove all Fallout content. The contract then goes on to list all Fallout content as locations, monsters, settings and lore.[citation needed] Bethesda has known that Interplay would use Fallout elements via internet emails shown in court documents and that the contract was not just for the name.[52] The second injunction by Bethesda was denied on August 4, 2011, by the courts. Bethesda then appealed the denial of their second preliminary injunction. Bethesda then sued Masthead Studios and asked for a restraining order against the company. Bethesda was denied this restraining order before Masthead Studios could call a counter-suit.[53] Bethesda then lost its appeal of the second injunction.[54]
Bethesda then filed motion in limine against Interplay. Interplay then filed a motion in limine against Bethesda the day after. Shortly after, the trial by jury which Bethesda requested on October 26, 2010, was changed to a trial by court because the APA contract (aka the second contract that sold Fallout to Bethesda) stated that all legal matters would be resolved via a trial by court and not a trial by jury. The trial by court began on December 12. In 2012, in a press conference Bethesda revealed that in exchange for 2 million dollars, Interplay gave to them full rights for Fallout Online. Interplay's rights to sell and merchandise Fallout, Fallout 2 and Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel expired on December 31, 2013.
Reception and legacy[edit]
The Fallout series has been met with mostly positive reception. The highest rated title is Fallout 3 and the lowest is Fallout 76 according to review aggregator Metacritic.
Controversy and fandom[edit]
Not all fans are happy with the direction the Fallout series has taken since its acquisition by Bethesda Softworks. Notorious for their vehement support of the series' first two games, Fallout and Fallout 2,[73][74] members centered around one of the oldest Falloutfansites, No Mutants Allowed, have cried foul over departures from the original games' stories, gameplay mechanics and setting.[74] Minor criticisms include the prevalence of unspoiled food after 200 years, the survival of wood-framed dwellings after a nuclear blast, and the ubiquity of Super Mutants at early levels in the game.[74] More serious criticisms involve the quality of the game's writing, a perceived lack of verisimilitude, the switch to a first-person action game format, and the reactiveness of the surrounding game world to player actions.[74][75][76] In response, Jim Sterling of Destructoid has called fan groups like No Mutants Allowed 'selfish' and 'arrogant'; stating that a new audience deserves a chance to play a Fallout game; and that if the series had stayed the way it was back in 1997, new titles would never have been made and brought to market.[77] Luke Winkie of Kotaku tempers these sentiments, saying that it is a matter of ownership; and that in the case of Fallout 3, hardcore fans of the original series witnessed their favorite games become transformed into something else and that they are 'not wrong' for having grievances.[74]
The redesigned dialogue interface featured in Fallout 4 received mixed reception by the community.[78][79] Unsatisfied fans created mods for the game, providing subtitles and allowing the player to know what their character would say before choosing it as it was in previous games in the franchise such as in Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas.[80][81] Though even taking the mods into account, Patricia Hernandez of Kotaku still criticized the writing of the game in her review, describing it as 'thin', 'You never have particularly long or nuanced conversations with the other characters. I like to play a Charisma-focused character, and I was disappointed.'[82]
Film adaptation[edit]
In 1998, Interplay Entertainment founded the film division Interplay Films to make films based on its properties, and announced that a Fallout film was one of their first projects, along adaptations of Descent and Redneck Rampage. In 2000, Interplay confirmed that a film based on the original Fallout game was in production with Mortal Kombat: Annihilation screenwriter Brent V. Friedman attached to write a film treatment and with Dark Horse Entertainment attached to produce it.[83] The division was later disbanded without any film produced, but Friedman's treatment was leaked on the Internet in 2011.
In 2009, Bethesda Softworks expressed its interest in producing a Fallout film.[84] After four extensions of the trademark without any use, Bethesda filed a 'Statement of Use' with the USPTO in January 2012.[85] In next month, instead of a Fallout film, a special feature was made, entitled 'Making of Fallout 3 DVD',[86] which was accepted as a film on March 27 of the same year.[87] This action removed the requirement to continue to re-register that mark indefinitely. In the DVD commentary of Mutant Chronicles, voice actor Ron Perlman stated that if a Fallout film was made, he would like to reprise his role as the Narrator. In 2016, Todd Howard stated that Bethesda had turned down the offers of making a film based on Fallout, but that he did not rule out the possibility.[88]
See also[edit]References[edit]
External links[edit]
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fallout_(series)&oldid=903734637'
Every other Monday, Dominic gives you a reason to dust off one of your old games and dive into its mods with Modder Superior. This time it’s Fallout: New California, a massive mod for Fallout: New Vegas created by Radian-Helix Media.
Fallout 76 might have turned out a faintly radioactive dud, but Fallout fans after a fresh serving of post-apocalyptic roleplaying and big choices could do a lot worse than Fallout: New California. It’s practically a whole new Fallout game, and free to boot. Here’s how you can get it, Wot I Thunk of it, and some tips on extra mods to make this return trip to the desert a memorable one.
Setting up Fallout: New California is as easy as it gets, thanks to a new version released recently with a smart installer. All you need is Fallout: New Vegas installed (DLC optional but recommended), and to run the New California installer from Mod DB. Launch the game as normal and you’ll be greeted by a new title screen, and the New Game option will give you the choice to start either the New California story or a regular New Vegas campaign. New California also includes a Fallout 2-styled interface revision, making dialogue and inventory screens nicer to look at.
Starting as a new hero in Vault 18, Fallout: New California almost feels like a Choose Your Own Adventure at first. Before picking out an appearance or a name, you’re given a massive binary choice. During your last big Vault Ball game of the season, you’re being charged by the other team’s heavy – tackle or dodge? Chosen from a dialogue box, this choice wildly alters the next few hours of play, determining whether your initial quests, skills and perks will be combat or intellectual. Characters regard you differently, dialogue changes and more – NC does big choices.
Within either of these branches, smaller sub-branches exist. My affable meathead, Slab Bulkhead, got swept up with his sports coach’s talk of patriotism and restoring America to glory and ended up semi-reluctantly working alongside the fascistic Enclave. Even though all roads lead to an escape from Vault 18 early on, who you’ll be, what abilities you’ll have and what companions are willing to follow you is down to player choice. New California’s story isn’t a long one, and some key events happen each time, but which of the many sides you stand with (if any) is your call.
New California is a war story, and you can just hear New Vegas groan and creak under its bigger battles. Dozens of troops on each side pummel each other, while Vertibirds swoop overhead and artillery rains down. Call Of Duty-esque action isn’t the best fit for New Vegas’s wobbly combat (though improved by Project Nevada — more on that later), but it’s a fun excuse to bust out rockets to clear enemy swarms. If you chose to go the more academic route, stacking your points into Science will net you some sturdy robot pals to make up for your lack of beefiness, but there will always be some fighting.
Things slow down and return to something more akin to regular New Vegas after a point, and that’s where the cracks begin to show. New California’s map is enormous, but it’s mostly empty desert punctuated by random roaming packs of raiders, NCR troopers and the occasional giant scorpion. Side-quests and companion story arcs are pretty threadbare, too, although more are in production for later releases. New California is at its strongest when it’s doing its own thing, telling its condensed Fallout story heavy on set-pieces that push the game to its limits.
Some clumsy swearing aside, the mod’s fully voiced script mostly matches New Vegas in tone. There’s a large cast, and aside from some characters whose voices don’t quite fit and a few lines that are obviously from a second take, it feels like a professional production. Similarly, when you’re not roaming the desert, the environment design is impressive. Vault 18 is a large, complex space built around a central hub that may push older PCs too hard, and the raider’s multi-levelled fortress is just plain massive. Aside from the occasional bit of glitchy geometry (save regularly), these are good places to explore.
All in all, it’s more proper, story-driven Fallout filled with significant character choices. Some parts might be a bit thinner or rougher than the whole, but this is a well-portioned (10 hours, give or take), highly replayable story — a must for Fallout fans not feeling the call of West Virginia. All of these opinions are based on a gun-heavy vanilla playthrough of the mod, but Radian-Helix Media recommend some secondary mods to help flesh out the experience, although setting it all up will take a bit more legwork. While their full list is here, my recommended picks are:
Vortex Mod Manager by Nexus Mods – setting up multiple Fallout (or Elder Scrolls) mods can be a pain. This takes most of the sting out of the process. Follow its instructions and it should make the rest of this process easy. It even catches download links from Nexus sites, handling downloading and unpacking for you.
New Vegas Script Extender by the NVSE Team – A prerequisite for many more advanced Fallout mods. Does nothing by itself, but adds new scripting features for modders. Once installed, run New Vegas via its ‘NVSE_loader.exe’ file instead of launching via Steam.
Stability Enhancer and Stutter Remover For Windows 10 by Team Moki – A plugin for the Script Extender. While your mileage may vary (it is a positively arcane bundle of tweaks), it makes the game run considerably smoother for me, with more responsive mouse controls.
Solid Project by TommInfinite and friends – A bundle of new animations and control tweaks to make New Vegas’s world feel a bit more tactile and weighty, adding rifle-butt melee, sprinting and other things you expect from a modern shooter, but weren’t found normally in the game. Requires NVSE, and the Vortex Mod Manager should handle the installation for you.
Project Nevada by PN Team – A complete overhaul to New Vegas’s combat and RPG systems, adding features like bullet time as an alternative to using VATS targeting, using explosives to pick locks and a complex cybernetics system. Many quest mods, including New California, are designed with Project Nevada’s changes in mind. NVSE required, and Vortex makes setup a cakewalk.
For my second run through New California, I’ll be taking the more intellectual and scientific approach, and will likely use RobCo Certified, as recommended by Radian-Helix. Not tried it myself yet, but apparently it opens up a lot of fun robot tinkering options if you’ve got a high enough Science skill. They also recommend the ENB Series graphics overhaul, although my brief experience with it was a bit bumpy. Even with a good PC, the performance hit was just too much, but your mileage may vary. My screenshots were taken without ENB, and I think it looks fine.
There’s more coming in Fallout: New California’s future, too. Radian-Helix are working on additional side-quests centred around the NPC companions, and of course the door is open for mods to be made using New California’s massive map as a foundation. Depending on what ending you get in New California, your character can continue their life as The Courier in New Vegas proper, and the upcoming Fallout: The Frontier will let you extend that story further north. Combined with New Vegas’s excellent DLC, you might be in the wastes for a while – I’d pack strong sunscreen.
Fallout: New California is still growing, but all of its core story arc is complete and well worth playing, in my opinion. Grab it here on Mod DB. You can grab Fallout: New Vegas with all its DLC on Steam, Humble and GOG. New California not what you’re looking for? Check out our guide to the best Fallout 4 mods.
Fallout New Vegas Nexus
This is it! The final update before Fallout: New California, an incredibly ambitious fan-made project years in the making, finally releases to the public! But before we dive back into the total conversion passion project, there's a lot you need to know about the years leading up to its grand debut. That's where this comes in!
The team took to one final update on Moddb for a final Dev Diary detailing the road thus far. Keep in mind that this isn't the end, there is so much more to come, but this is a helpful guide as to what kind of work went into this mod and what players can expect.
Let's get started!
NCR Fallout New California Menu Theme -- Pablo Cortina - Mod DB
'It is very exciting times around here,' began the mod's creator in the latest diary post. 'FNC has been testing since last May with a small group. This week we've been testing with a larger group. Basically just finding any last minute things we can polish off to take some rough spots out of the otherwise glassy finish on the mod. BETA 200 won't be perfect, but it'll be damn close. We're still relying on open beta to have the community join us in making patches and reporting issues. Still worth downloading and playing day 1, but if you want to check back in after a month or two, our final 1.0 vesrion will go live December 14th-15th.'
To get everything in working order, the team compiled a list of frequently asked questions and this is a composite of them all.
The answer is no, simply. They did add, 'The amount of effort porting FNC to Fo4 would equal the time spent making it. Roughly: 6 years. Not happening. Unless you have a stack of dollars and your name rhymes with Ethesta and you want Fallout 5 to be in New California. Then hire me, the answer is yes.'
The Super Mutant Victory March Theme - Mod DB
The team has mentioned quite a few times that this couldn't ever make its way to console. People forget that console support is still relevatively new for mods and this project has been 7 years in the making, it began before mods were possible on both Xbox and PlayStation. To make a change now would be virtually impossible, 'If you can figure out how to make it work, more power to you, but I'd imagine it would be outstandingly difficult if not impossible. The licensing fees alone would be devastating, so even if you could do it, it'd violate EULA.'
Fallout: New Vegas IS required to play but there is a start up menu that gives an option to play the vanilla game, or the mod. 'You can start New California or New Vegas. FNC is not like a DLC, it's basically a new game. New start, new world, new player character, all new map -- never even touches New Vegas til the end.
And yes, you will be able to travel to New Vegas after our ending credits. No, you will not be able to take your New Vegas Courier back in time 20 years and play as the Star Player.'
The team explains, 'Set in 2260, 20 years before New Vegas and 10 years before Fallout 3,you are the Star Player. An adopted tribal wastelander living in Vault 18. That is where you grew up, surrounded by the events following Fallout 2 just a few decades before you were born.'
Players will be able to choose their narrative path by choosing Tackle or Dodge in the opening sequence, 'Tackle starts you on the Path of the Warrior and reshapes your story in Vault 18. Who you are, what people think of you, and how you behave are all up to you after that. You open up the option to join Vault Security or Maintenance in this path.'
'If you Dodge, you start the Path of the Scientist. You wake up injured with a busted leg and limp through the prequel, helping your robotics teacher repair the Vault's computer network and discovering another side to the story not seen in the other path.'
Once the story progresses, the Vault ends up exploding and the real journey begins. Players can choose to play a Free Agent, a Raider Slave, a Psychopathic Killer, or an Enclave Sleeper Agent.
This mod adds over 48 new quests, 8 new companions, 2 main quest paths, 5 NCR main quests with 3 endings, 5 Raider main quests with 2 endings, a chance to switch from Raider to NCR, a New Reno Bishop Family Mod quest with 3 endings, and so much more with yes - even more endings. This mod is very choice-heavy with loads of replayability potential.
The mod itself also can take up to 30 hours to complete, depending on completition. It's also 6.9GB to download, an additional 3.3GB for high resolution textures. If you want the best experience, you can also check out these recommended mods as well!
Fallout New California Enclave Companions
Yes, and they have an entire list detailing which mods are safe to use during Fallout: New California. If it's not on the list, you can always reach out to the team via their Facebook page for any specific questions in case something was missed.
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And that's a wrap! The team ended the latest post by saying, 'Some people grossly underestimate how massive FNC is! Some people gross overestimate it. But in the end, you'll just have to play it. It is very rich with Fallout lore, packed with characters that are memorable and interesting, has many deeply immersive moments, epic battles, wild plot twits, it looks great, and players will be hapy, I'm sure to finally get a rich non-linear single player role playing game back in the original West Coast close in spirit with Fallout 1 and 2, between 3 and New Vegas.'
Less than a week to go! October 23, mark those calenders!
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