Choices in Fallout 3 vs Fallout 4

[RUGGERO DeCEGLIE]

Hello guys,
before buying the game I would like to know if the amount and relevance of choices that characterise a Fallout game are going to be found in the 4th installement.
To me it is quite important to find this element in the game, as it is the major thing that makes a RPG an RPG (to me at least).

The question is: will I be disappointed by the lacking of choices in Fallout4 ?

Thanks for the answers!

[Xiane]

If you're big into choices you're going to find FO4 a little barren in that department. The cost of paying a voice actor to do a set number of responses vs a text based choose your own playstyle kinda nipped choice in the bud.

Take choosing a side for example until a certain quest working for any of the factions has absolutely no effect on the relationship with the others. However once you do said quest you're automatically an enemy of 2 of the 4 choices (the minute men are neutral to everyone) and the choice is always the same regardless. Kill the other faction(s).

And the ending cenematic is always the same regardless.

So yeah FO4 is a very choice-lite itteration.

[ImHelping]

For all it's bugs, Fallout 4 does not have a large disclaimer saying "Fallout 3 is not optimized for Windows 7 or later".

I haven't played Fallout 3 since closer to it's launch with my retail copy, so I can't personally say how well Fallout 3 works or not for wiindows 7 and up.

Hopefully, someone else can chime in on that.

Choices wise though, for all the trimmed down roleplay bits compared to New Vegas, Fallout 4 has more endgame faction options and branches than Fallout 3.

[Kameraden]

Was there choice in Fallout 3? Well when it came to the main story there wasn't. There is far more choice in the Grand Scheme of things in Fallout 4 than say Fallout 3 in a story sense.

However, unlike 3 it isn't really in an RPG sense, just in the main story line. That being said though, Fallout 3 you could be an utter mean evil person if you wished to be. Fallout 4 trays to "Drag" you away from that possibility at around almost every corner, though it is possible to be a bad guy.

Example being, both the BOS and Institute you can be pretty much a bad guy based on your choices when working for those factions.

Outside of the main story though, there isn't much choice, a lot of NPC chats are just "False" choice chats... lol

[RUGGERO DeCEGLIE]

Originally posted by Kameraden:

Was there choice in Fallout 3?

Well the main quest was lacking real choices, but the real strength of f3 were the side quests. However, Bethesda games excel in creating a believable environment and likely sense of place, they kinda fail in the real RPG elements I think. I dunno you, but choices are probably the best role playing element.

[beans]

I haven't really played FO3, so I can't compare the two games that well, but so far there doesn't seem to be much choice in FO4. Compared to Skyrim, it's a lot more "modern;" it has a relatively detailed story cut out for you, and because the protagonist is voiced, a lot of things you say are either going to be generic re-used lines, sarcastic jabs, or questions. You rarely ever make a major choice, whether it's inside or outside the dialogue.

That said, if you want to play as the main character and not roleplay as someone else, you'll probably enjoy it anyway. You can join one of the factions, and you can do their questline. That's about the biggest choice you'll make in the entire game, and it's one of the few choices you'll make as well.

A lot of FO4 is about experiencing the content that Beth has prepared for you. This is a slightly different direction compared to their previous games, where you're usually given a light backstory and are then allowed to roam free and define your character yourself. It's not right to say that one style is better than the other, so I'll leave you with this: if you don't think you'll gel well with the main character and want to have a lot of choice, FO4 probably isn't for you. If you appreciate the dialogue, the story, and the content that's been made with the main character in mind, and don't care too much about making lots of decisions yourself, you'll probably like it.

Originally posted by I'm Helping!:

For all it's bugs, Fallout 4 does not have a large disclaimer saying "Fallout 3 is not optimized for Windows 7 or later".

I haven't played Fallout 3 since closer to it's launch with my retail copy, so I can't personally say how well Fallout 3 works or not for wiindows 7 and up.

Hopefully, someone else can chime in on that.

Choices wise though, for all the trimmed down roleplay bits compared to New Vegas, Fallout 4 has more endgame faction options and branches than Fallout 3.

Are you sure you didn't reply to the wrong topic?

[ent|ty]

Originally posted by IRRATIONAL VINCE:

Hello guys,
before buying the game I would like to know if the amount and relevance of choices that characterise a Fallout game are going to be found in the 4th installement.
To me it is quite important to find this element in the game, as it is the major thing that makes a RPG an RPG (to me at least).

No, there is not. There is no RPG in this game whatsoever.

Unlike F3 and earlier, you will not pre-assign skill points but instead only be able to choose from a Perk System in F4.

You are a father looking for his son, and are ex military. If you talk to anyone or anything in the game, your RPG will be non-existent, shallow, and your actions will have NO effect on the world whatsoever.

Much like Skyrim, nothing you do matters to anyone.

There is no karma, there is no reputation gain or loss for your actions, and only amount to black and white "You're either with us or against us" corrupted logic in order to move the game forward one way or another.

Due to this, replayability will be non-existent, unless you enjoy playing the same quests over and over again, and being forced to listen to the same chats and stories in order to progress in the game.

As always with any Fallout installment, exploration is the funnest aspect of the game.

I found the quests to be the most boring and shallow aspects of the game, and I've played 400+ hours so far - mainly on settlements, arming settlers, exploring, etc.

Originally posted by Xiane:

Take choosing a side for example until a certain quest working for any of the factions has absolutely no effect on the relationship with the others. However once you do said quest you're automatically an enemy of 2 of the 4 choices (the minute men are neutral to everyone) and the choice is always the same regardless. Kill the other faction(s).

Yep. No room for talk, no room to explain your choices to the other side, no room to make peace, no room to negotiate, no room to ask questions or make each faction prove it's accusations against the others.

"Join us or you are against us" is the only logic applied in Fallout 4.

[RUGGERO DeCEGLIE]

Originally posted by ent|ty:

Much like Skyrim, nothing you do matters to anyone.

Ok, it quite answers my question. Thanks for your answers, I don't think I will be getting into it any time soon. For now, TheWitcher 3 seems to be the RPG of the year (or decade?)

[Dchella]

I ran into 3 choices, of that only 1 changed the ending (by a slide).

Your choice doesn't matter, let alone consequences.

[Lucas]

You have choices, but with little consequences about your "character-rpg-sheet".

For exemple, in a Fallout 1 side quest if you refuse to help Aradesh each time he ask you, he will attack you and all the town will turn hostile each time they see you you cannot trade/speak to them again because they will attack you on sight.

Another exemple : In a Fallout 4 side quest if you kill the son of a rich man in Diamond City he will send killers to attack you, but you can stop it by killing him/pay 2000 caps.

In Fallout 4, the choices you made concern story of people around you, and mostly the loot you can get.

[jeslyck]

It is the first Bethesda "RPG" I felt like I was forced into a bad guy role because it was such on rails (just finished)

[Hippy]

Fallout 3 has multiple big decisions
Fallout new vegas lets the courier became a psyco and murder everyone in the game
Fallout 4...You can uh...Um...Plant corn here or a few feet to the left.

Seriously though,There is only 2-3 choices that make a diffrence in fallout 4 :\

[EXPLODENSTEIN]

No one seems to understand what "on rails" even means.

[RUGGERO DeCEGLIE]

Originally posted by EXPLODINSTEIN:

No one seems to understand what "on rails" even means.

Of course. Besically Skyrim or Oblivion, and it seems Fallout 4 too....

[Whargoul]

By "choices that matter" these guys mean end game slides.

[ent|ty]

Originally posted by IRRATIONAL VINCE:

Originally posted by ent|ty:

Much like Skyrim, nothing you do matters to anyone.

Ok, it quite answers my question. Thanks for your answers, I don't think I will be getting into it any time soon. For now, TheWitcher 3 seems to be the RPG of the year (or decade?)

If I remember correctly, the earlier fallouts had you worried about even entering a town with Jet in your inventory.. you had to ditch that stuff, or get arrested or killed.

Now I can walk into a settlement, or even the Railroad itself, dressed in entire Synth armor and helmet, wielding and Institute Rifle and wearing X-82 Brand Cologne, and they don't even notice and just stick to their sound file rails.