Was Bethesda Able to Sell Fallout 76 at Their E3 Conference

Bethesda's conference has arrived, and there isn't a publisher in the industry that's able to celebrate themselves like Bethesda does. With the conference focusing on devs and gamers alike. With a focus on games like Rage 2, Doom Eternal, Wolfenstein Young Blood, and most importantly Fallout 76. Was Todd Howard able to sell sceptical gamers like Joseph on the multiplayer focused survival RPG?

[Barneyco]

If I can play offline without interference from other players I'm in, otherwise this is a pass.

[PhantomS42]

They said on stage it's online only. You can play by yourself but you will still be online.

[Barneyco]

That sucks. Thanks for the info.

[Kane22]

you arent really solo either...cause the other players can attack you at ant time which i dont like at all...its forced pvp in a pve environment..

[Razzer]

“you arent really solo either...cause the other players can attack you at ant time ”

What? Is that true? Then what he said about playing alone was a flat out lie.

[MuddyWaters]

I don't mind the always online if the world is constantly changing but I don't want PvP in my single player games. Too many idiots online. They do say your save progression goes with you (and your account) but to me it sounds like GT Sport where you can only save to the servers.

[-Foxtrot]

Anytime a developer says something like "but...you can still play solo" as a finishing thought it usually means that it'll be half arsed as it's not aimed at you, a way to secure more sales.

Heard it before with Destiny, The Division, Wildlands, For Honour and hearing it with Anthem...what it means is that you can but you won't get full experience, you'll get a half arsed one where you'll still be online and won't have functions like the single player games do.

[UltraNova]

Guys instead of consuming yourselves just wait for the game to release let some reliable reviews come out and decide wether to get the game or not. Forget pre orders and day 1 stuff if you dont like the idea of a shared online half assed SP prospect and whatnot. Its as simple as that.

[-Foxtrot]

@UltraNova

Free country...

[Palitera]

"Players can attack you at anytime":
There's a source for it? In the conference it is never said you can attacked while playing SOLO.

"Half arsed SP":
It's a MP game, no doubt. You can play it solo, but MP is how devs imagine/balance their MP games. Even coop games are not "meant" to be played alone.
There are a few exceptions, like Borderlands and Diablo, but everyone expecting a full Fallout (lots of heavy choices, lots of big consequences etc) out of this is probably going to be severely disappointed.

It's a MP game.

[fiveby9]

What is the difference if the occasional player is human controlled or game AI? Is it really that different than running across an NPC in a traditional SP game? If anything it makes the challenge better. I think running across other players may not be constant anyway as the map is very large and only a relatively small number of players will be on map at the same time.

[Palitera]

@fiveby9
The difference is so huge I won't even explain.

Just a tip: if you encounter another player, there's around a 50% odd that you'll either kill or be killed. This is very very far from the odds of a single player game, where you also make your own pace.

[Elwenil]

@Palitera,

That is kind of the point. If this setting were real, if there was a real apocalypse, and people were struggling to survive and competing for resources, this is how it would be. Just like the "Dark Zone" from The Division was in the beginning before Massive screwed it up, you could cooperate, or go adversarial. You had to keep your guard up and protect what was yours, but at the same time, you might not have wanted to risk an unnecessary battle that you might lose. I think it creates an interesting tension to the game and not knowing if a player is friendly or not or is going to betray you or not is a good game dynamic. It adds an extra layer of depth to the conflict. Unlike a competitive shooter where you know who your friends and enemies are, in the wasteland, you won't know and they won't know. You could possibly trade with them to the benefit of both, you could kill them to wipe out their settlement, you could team up to take on a Deathclaw, or you could just shoot each other on sight. I'm sure there will be some of the latter, but then 90% of the enemies in any of the Fallout games will try to kill you on sight. Raiders, Super Mutants, various factions, etc.

For me it all depends on how the players and Bethesda handle it. It could be a very interesting dynamic or it could turn into the cowardly troll-fest that GTA Online turned out to be. But I am going to give it a chance since I love Fallout and I like the idea of everyone starting from scratch and not knowing who they can trust. I'm sure there will be frustrating moments and moronic players who just want to be a childish pain in the ass, but I think it can be managed.

[morganfell]

"For me it all depends on how the players and Bethesda handle it. It could be a very interesting dynamic or it could turn into the cowardly troll-fest that GTA Online turned out to be."

Let's be honest. Think about the nature of a great many gamers. Which do you think it will be? See? People will love to get together and just spend all their time robbing and killing the people that want to explore, build, and experience something besides continually looking at the You Have Been Killed screen. Pretty soon the only way to survive is to commit the same actions. Now it isn't Fallout, its The Road Warrior.

Of course if you are having to fight a lot it makes those add on packs of weapons, materials, sentry guns, etc etc a lot more tempting to purchase.

[GrizToof]

That’s exactly how I feel, not really into playing mp let alone a fallout game in mp so if I can play offline by myself then I’d consider getting this game during a sale. I have a feeling this game is gonna be full of MT’s unfortunately.

[Thunder_G0d_Bane]

Well it’s not for you and that’s ok.

I on the other hand was not expecting a sequel to fallout 4 cause it’s too soon an elder scrolls sequel is due beforehand.

So this is a welcome surprise for me an online only fallout. I’m sooo in for this.

[fiveby9]

I am intrigued. I would like to know more. Frankly my console is always online so being online for me is about the same as saying I keep the electricity on. I'm fine with Bethesda taking some risks. Maybe some people won't like the changes and that's their choice. I won't pre-order as I can just wait till November to see what the game is like before purchasing. But I am hopeful the game could be fun. Frankly, I enjoy co-op games and 'some' pvp. Bethesda did say it was not some amusement park type of gameplay. We shall see....

[Kane22]

but heres the thing. bethesda just like other companies are still trying to get solo players to buy their game...

[Thunder_G0d_Bane]

@kane

And I agree, I really think they should be absolutely clear about what type of game to expect. Same with Anthem.

Problem is, that publishers care about profit margins and want everyone they can to buy the game.

Sad for us unfortunately. But this is why it pays to be a well informed consumer.

[nucky64]

you just stated my thoughts exactly.

edit- thanks for the info below guys. it's a pass for me.

[DevilishSix]

Sorry Barneyco its an always online game according to Todd Howard. You can play solo be its primarily an online multiplayer survival game or at least that was my take from the show.

[manabyte77]

I’m kinda surprised nobody has brought up the absence of the V.A.T.S. system. That combat really set the game apart from other FPS. It was noticeably absent from the trailers, Todd Howard didn’t say a word about it, and I’m not sure how you’d implement it in an all online world. That’s one of the best mechanics in Fallout, and it’s actually a bigger deal breaker for me than being pure online.

[Thunder_G0d_Bane]

Well obviously VATS can’t be used in an online game. You can’t freeze time with other players in the same world.

And how easy would it be to get kills if you can target someone’s head each time with VATS.

This isn’t fallout 5. It’s a fallout mmo basically.

[Nineball2112]

Sorry if this has already been discussed, but could you even use the V.A.T.S. system if it's an online game?

[deckardreplicant]

They kinda did and didn't it's polarising for sure

[Thunder_G0d_Bane]

I thought Todd Howard did a great job detailing the game. I’m so amped for it.

This is what BioWare needed to do with anthem. Cause we didn’t get any real details about what the aim of the game is. I was left confused about anthem. It’s obviously a destiny like game but they gave us nothing.

[fiveby9]

I thought the presentation was very good. I am interested and not upset it has an online requirement. That just doesn't bother me anymore. Looking forward to seeing more about FO76 and am cautiously optimistic.

[--bienio--]

No!! Only online?? Passs

[Opinionatedlovesme]

Why? Why is there so much hate on N4G for online games? I never get it. This will be the same Fallout we all love and enjoy. Now your friends can actually join you in that fun of exploring. People have been asking for years for a coop fallout.

[Barneyco]

I don't hate online its just not my jam. I hope the people who want the online fallout experience have fun. I just wont give them my money and move on.

[Palitera]

It's a Fallout aimed for MP.
How can this be the "same Fallout we all love and enjoy".

I'm probably gonna buy it mostly because of its novelty factor, but it's not the same game at all.

[nucky64]

being online isn't really the issue for me - having to engage in pvp over and over is the problem. if the game can be played without interference from other players, i'm all for it.

[BuildTheWall]

Many people don't have a stable internet connection , fast enough internet for online gaming & if they do have a stable internet connection that is fast enough for online gaming they don't want to put up with the douchebags commonly encountered online!!!

[Nikjames]

Because of the amount of online griefing. Multiplayer games especially ones where there is a pvp encounter tend to be very toxic.

Really bummed about it because the co-op looks fun. But pvp pushes this game back for me. I wont purchase at full price. But maybe when it hits $20.

[dumahim]

Did you watch the same presentation I did? The same Fallout that won't have VATS? No NPCs, dealing with random assholes online instead of taking my time, no hint of a story and pausing for a couple minutes when I want?

I understand some people like this kind of thing, but why turn Fallout in to this? Make something different instead.

[Veneno]

They didn't communicate very well what the experience will be like. It was so vague. Im thinking this will be disappointing to a lot of fans.

[Lighter9]

Most online games have Private and Public Sessions. I'm sure this one will too.

[Antnee534]

This game imo does not work with online the game looks like just a generic multiplayer shooter not even like fallout.

[CrystalFantasy]

Meh

[Dancryer]

He made a point of saying you'll be able to play with Dozens of people and not hundreds, making me think it's a very limited multiplayer. more along the lines of you can play with you friends IF you want.

Frustrating that he didn't say more considering its quite the major change, Fingers & toes crossed its not FalloutFortnite!

[ziggurcat]

"He made a point of saying you'll be able to play with Dozens of people and not hundreds, making me think it's a very limited multiplayer. more along the lines of you can play with you friends IF you want."

Yeah, but it being entirely online means that you can't truly play the game solo... plus he also made a point in saying that everyone is a real person in the game.

I just think this is opening the door too open for people to be able to grief other players. Unless they have something in place where people who want to continue playing Fallout as a SP experience can actually do that without being bothered by trolls trying to ruin their experience.

[Cobra951]

He spoke about a concept they couldn't shake at Bethesda: Make a game where every person is real. By that, I take it they wanted to populate the vault with real players, in all capacities needed by a vault. I don't know if they achieved this lofty goal, because he didn't elaborate enough. It doesn't seem practical, and I'll guess the reality will fall far short of that. And unless the game only involves an established group of friends, I can see it quickly deteriorating into the usual immature shenanigans.

[CP_Company]

i am interested, but i am going to play Beta, and after that i will decide what to do.

[luckytrouble]

I have questions about a lot of things:

Is the story and questing organized more as a single player or multiplayer experience?

If I build an area, could another player just nuke it and destroy my work?

If I’m completing story quests in an area and another player nukes it, what happens? Do quests and thus progression become inaccessible for a certain “fallout” period?

Do quests and battles scale based on party size? Can I complete everything as one player that someone else can complete with four?

Are you stuck in a constant state of PVP, at the mercy of anyone running around who’s a bit bored and has strong weapons?

At the moment, Fallout 76 just sounds like a game with an identity crisis. I can’t figure out if it’s single player focused with multiplayer elements, or multiplayer focused with some single player capability. Neither side of the coin was well defined at Bethesda’s conference.

[CorndogBurglar]

It sounds to me like a MP game through and through. There is no offline mode where you are the player.

And if you are always in a world with other human players that means you can be attacked by them at any time.

I think the only piece he mean when he said you can play solo is that you can go off on your own without a party. But that doesn't mean you won't run into other players.

[Atanasrikard]

Did you watch the conference lucky? To answer your questions about the nuking... From the way they explained it, gaining access to nukes will require groups of people working together to unlock the nuke facility. Then, they will get a one time nuke launch at an area of their choice. An area that is nuked will then create special materials that can only be obtained from a nuclear blast. I don't think you are going to see one person running around dropping nukes on everyone else.

I am quite intrigued with this game and looking forward to learning more. My questions are more, how are servers going to be set up? Todd said it isn't massively multiplayer, you would only have 10's of people in your area, so how is that going to work? What happens if someone gets put with a group of griefers, how do they get out of the situation?

I am a fan of these types of games, as long as they can balance things so it isn't just a pvp gankfest with a bunch of griefers.

[ziggurcat]

"From the way they explained it, gaining access to nukes will require groups of people working together to unlock the nuke facility."

There are also going to be millions of players playing this game, and I would imagine a lot of them are going to try to get those codes so what's the map going to look like after a month or two when potentially dozens of missiles have been launched? How will that effect the main story quests when it's in an area that has been obliterated by a nuke, and all of the NPCs have been killed?

[Atanasrikard]

@ziggurcat

It doesn't matter if millions are playing the game when only 10's of people are going to be on your map. But this is the point of a beta, to better answer these questions, including my own. Of course there will be people trying to get those codes, these are things that will be tested in the beta.

I strongly suspect you won't be able to destroy any areas that are needed for story quests. Or, you will be able to nuke the area but it won't eliminate your ability to complete said quests. I am sure they have thought about these things and are looking to test them in the beta.

[dumahim]

I'm not even sure there will be a story or quests.

[MONOLITHICIDE]

What i always wanted in fallout. Just need some form of vats confirmed.

[dumahim]

You can't do VATS with multiple players.

[MONOLITHICIDE]

You never know. Max payne 3 pulled off slow mo on in multiplayer. Was meaning some form of vats system. Obviously it couldnt be as robust as the single player offerings. Something simple.

[MONOLITHICIDE]

https://wccftech.com/todd-h...

[Smokehouse]

I don’t know how I feel about 76 yet but doom eternal got me moist.

[DevilishSix]

PVP is not what I buy Fallout for. Sorry Todd maybe Fallout 5 will be a buy for me but not 76 the way it was explained.

[ziggurcat]

I think this is pretty much Fallout 5... and even then, the next one will probably try to expand upon the online/MP stuff they're pushing with this one.

[Cobra951]

That would make 4 my final Fallout, a depressing thought.

[BuildTheWall]

Bethesda can suck my balls.

[lelo2play]

NO.

[SpaceRanger]

Yeah I’m on the fence with this one. Love their games and I play them to death, but I’m still not sure just yet.

[BLAKHOODe]

Yes! But I'm from WV, so, of course.

[xtheblackparade]

If the world is persistent i'm sold. But i'm not sure. Basebuilding indicates it is, but i've heard people say there will be lobbies so that doesn't add up.

[ziggurcat]

I am not confident enough that they were being genuine when Todd Howard said you could play the game solo... yet it's always online... which means other people can grief/troll you when all you're trying to do is enjoy the game by yourself - especially from people who are just going to go after those nukes, and carpet bomb the entire map.

Also, base building... ugh... that was the worst part of 4, and they seemed to put a lot of emphasis on that part of the game in this one.

[Kosic]

I wasn't so keen on the gameplay trailer. It looks more of the same unfortunately, while fallout 4 was alright it wasn't that great title I've been waiting for. Not sure I could do what looks the same game with a coat of paint over it.

[shewbrookj]

Bethesda has been very clever with their naming of the title. Calling it Fallout Online would have made it obvious it was an MMO set in the Fallout world. Fallout 76 however, gives it much more ambiguity. The acid test I guess will be when the time comes to order the game and it turns out to be subscription based or free to play with DLC. Then we will all know for sure what it really is. I hope they don’t think the fan base are that foolish and that they are attempting to try something genuinely different. Rockstar for example, with GTAV, gave us both - a deep solo player experience AND an online world to play If we wanted to a PVP / PVE experience.

[Cobra951]

Not to me. Still online only; still no sale.

[Davidgr2]

Fallout 76 should’ve offered Online multiplayer as an option. Have a private online session where u can invite your friends only. I really hope they don’t do this to Elder Scrolls VI