Fallout 76 features engine code and scripts that were taken directly from Fallout 4 and Skyrim

DSOGaming writes: "The controversy surrounding Fallout 76 is huge, there is no doubt about that. When the game initially came out, a lot of players found some mechanics and visuals that looked similar to both Fallout 4 and Skyrim. And now we can safely say that Fallout 76 does in fact feature engine code that was taken directly from Fallout 4 and Skyrim."

[neutralgamer1992]

not surprised this is Bethesda. They said the only reason they are not making a new engine is because community like this engine and it's easy to mod. Modders do the work bethesda copies and makes money

[-Foxtrot]

Sad thing is even when they copy they don’t do it right

Think of all the cool mods we’ve seen since Oblivion and even then they’ve never added or don’t better 90% of the stuff out there.

Take the home building DLC in Skyrim to all the cool heavily detailed house mods which came out within a month or two of the core games release

[-T9X-69-]

You also have to remember a large majority of those mods are exclusive to PC. The platform with a keyboard that has 101 keys. Where as a the PS4 controller has 16 buttons. Many of those mods have you custom map your controls or have multiple key combinations to allow them to work. That doesn't even include things from a technical standpoint. On topic with the engine code, well it's the same engine...... Why on earth would you recode something to do the same thing? This isn't anything new, many developers do this. You don't need to code "Press X to interact" a different way for each game. That's just stupid. Now if the code is causing issues (Them mentioning Morrowind code found) and it's nostalgic for them? Cool, copy and paste it into a text document and look at your nostalgia from there and fix the issues for your community.

If they were able to get the game running (even ES6 and Starfield) a constant 30 on consoles with more up to date textures, models and no hitching, then I'm fine with keeping the engine. The engine does allow heavy interaction with a large portion of objects in the game unlike most open world games. I've also worked with the engine for a few years now, it's very convenient has a ton of tools and allows for serious creativity. But they NEED to get the performance and visuals up to date.

[UltraNova]

T9,

Serious question since you say you have experience with the Creation engine. Can this engine be updated to present day and next gen standards (at least as seen on W3) while being optimised and stable at least @30fps? If yes, then why would Bethesda, after knowing for a fact,l that we wanted better looking Fallout/ES games, would release such a dated looking/playing game?

[-T9X-69-]

Well working with an engine and completely recoding an engine isn't the same field. But do I think it's possible? Yes. Both Bethesda and modders shown progress in that aspect. However I also think it's an extreme amount of tedious work, but that's their fault. I think it would be so much work that it would be easier to create or use a different engine. This engine uses Papyrus scripting. So when the devs were saying everything is scripted for "The player" its something like this;

"Event OnTriggerEnter(ObjectReference akActionRef)
if(akActionRef == Game.GetPlayer())
If AAMyQuest.GetStage()<99
AAMyQuest.SetStage (99)
EndIf
endif
EndEvent"

Notice the "Game.Getplayer". Fundamentally this is why Skyrim and Fallout 4 operate identically. So when you complete an objective in either game (Pick up sweet roll is your objective) this script will run and complete that objective (stage 98) and change it to the next objective (stage 99) which is "take sweet roll to Todd"

There's hundreds of thousands lines of code referencing the player. Now that they gone through and reworked that, you have a Fallout game that fundamentally plays exactly like the single player, but an online game. This is also probably why so many quests are bugged. One line or period in that code could break a quest. Example (Game.Getplayers) just adding an s would cause that quest objective to be bugged. Because "Players" isnt a reference, only "Player" is.

I believe they will essentially have to do the same thing with the engine code and tediously go through and look for these things and also rework old coding tied to present day issues. That doesnt excuse how 76 launched, but if they plan on using this engine for their next game. I believe 76 will be the "test project" for them while at the same time trying something different and testing things in 76 that could work is ES6 or Starfield.

[AAWELLS09]

That's not the "only" reason. That's just ONE of the reasons. I don't like what they're doing either but let's not lie about it.

[elazz]

If code is directly copy pasted then I think most employees are working on elder scrolls 6 or the other Sci fi game. If that's not the case then wow :o what do you let the subteams do to make this monster.

[GameBoyColor]

Funny thing is, es6 will use the same engine and have the same bugs.

[loxim]

Lmao, I was just gonna mention this exact thing. That's why Bethesda games are usually trash for the first year or so, they are identical copies of each other with the same shitty engine and the same bugs pop up in all of them. I mean seriously, just make a new engine already, god damn.

[UltraNova]

Ioxim,

Seriously stop buying their games if you want them to, you know, listen to us... seriously!

[fishaz780]

I guess you are playing the game already.

[GameBoyColor]

Mr fishaz, Look at their track record dating all the way back to morrowind. The same problems keep appearing. And Howard has already stated that they'll be using the same engine so I already know what to expect and that modders will once again, be fixing the damn game for them.

http://www.pushsquare.com/n...

[Swiftfox]

Wasn't this known during the "beta"? The red flags were the same glitches found in Fallout 4 and Skyrim making a return in 76. The community managed to fix those glitched, so it's rather sad Bethesda couldn't even be bothered to apply the fixes themselves for this release fully knowing they were there and would happen again.

[EazyC]

And not only that, but people went out and bought the damn thing! Now I know most people aren't into reading games websites, but even as a consumer surely you'd perform the due diligence?

[Soc5]

sad...todd howard is looking more and more like a con artist to me

[Baza]

Code from Fallout 3 as well. You would think this engine would be perfected from how long they have been using it. Disgrace.

[Vrabstin]

Ok....? I don't expect them to start from scratch.

[dumahim]

Yeah, there's nothing wrong with using what works. The problem is when they're copying stuff that has been a known issue for years and didn't bother fixing.

[Sciurus_vulgaris]

Modders and Data Miners have found files and code from Skyrim in both Fallout 4 & 76 that doesn’t really do anything. Bethesda from an optimization standpoint is so incompetent that bugs fixed by modders in Fallout 4 have reamerged in Fallout 76 due to the company’s copypasting of assets.

[Sm00thNinja]

Is this worse than the Mass Effect debacle?

[badz149]

NOTHINH ELSE comes close

[KillZallthebeast]

Wouldn't be so sure since mass effect bombed so incredibly hard ea actually cancelled it's dlc.

[dumahim]

If you add up all the crap that's going on, I'd say it's rivaling No Man's Sky launch.

[Outlawzz]

I used to like Bethesda, such a shame how far they've fallen

[Gravesinger_]

A Bethesda game using code and scripts from other Bethesda games, I'm shocked, absolutely stunned.

[Kumakai]

so confirmed to be old as dirt code.

[kevnb]

That’s not really a big deal or out of the ordinary, game is still trash.

[LunaMoona]

Many games use old code from previous games. Now people are just looking for anything to complain about for clicks.

[BlueBlue]

Many games use previous code but with usual updates, they don't copy and paste code. It is the case here (evident by the comments provided beside the code which is provided by the article).

[Vegamyster]

The game was based on MP for Fallout 4 so them reusing some code isnt shocking. I think the problem is they got a unproven studio in Battlecry studios (Bethesda Austin) to help them work on this game and it was just too much, the game looks, runs and performances worse than Fallout 4 which is crazy, it's just a mess.

[Dragonscale]

So lazy bethesda. Pretty obvious this is a cut n paste job. Even Skyrim a 9 y.o. game looks and plays better than this travesty lol.

[Doomster1971]

Oh, come on. The only reason Bethesda is still using this engine is that it costs money to write a new one. There is nothing stopping them from making a new one that is mod friendly, If they keep updating and use this one it'll be more buggy. There's more bug's in the new fallout than there was in Morrowind.

[fishaz780]

It’s also bigger than mirrowind

[Gaming_Guru]

Using old code is what all companies do especially if money is involved, it saves time. It’s rare for any company to start from scratch for every project like every final fantasy game.

[TheColbertinator]

Yeah we know. Bethesda haven't built a new engine in decades.

[rainslacker]

This isn't really out of the ordinary for any game developer. There is no reason to reinvent the wheel with every game, and if you have code that did what you need to do in your next game already built, why not just reuse it.

Ideally, some time will be spent improving the code if its necessary, so the issue here isn't the reused code, but the fact they didn't bother to improve on that code where it was necessary.

[mastershredder]

Yawn.

When gamer fanatics front the dev talk. Just don't.
No Shi7 looking under the hood exposes familiar things. Too bad you have no idea what you are taking about.

If these idiots ever learn how to code (or what's in it/borrowed/old/etc. their little gamer world will get shattered, lol.

[XxINFERNUSxX]

Not surprised more recycled crap.

[Stanjara]

It's an old engine going back to Morrowind. I don't get what's so shocking. All the bugs are result of hevie modifications throughout the years and code being all over the place.

[Pyrofire95]

Yeah they're working on the same archaic engine since 3D rendering was invented.

[jjb1981]

Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V, 76.

[demonicale]

To nobodies surprise!

[SuperJay182]

No issue with them re-using code, that's just being effiicient and saving time.

The criminal aspect is not optimising it, given the bugs that Skyrim and Fallout 4 had.

How many times till they improve it?

[Shakengandulf]

They wont make any drastic improvements anytime soon.. people have complained about the engine for a while now.

[fishaz780]

Todd confirmed in interview that the engine is so heavily modded that it may as well be a new engine

[plmkoh]

OMG how dare they use their own digital assets /s

[philm87]

Shock horror!!! I've heard some dirty rumours that Fifa 19 used some of the code from Fifa 18 too. I'll investigate the Battlefield games and get back to you.......

[RabbitFly]

I am sorry, but this is not news. Nor is it controversial.

Bethesda, as all other devs, have the prerogative to reuse code and scripts. It is not a reflection of laziness nor the quality of a title.

Code gets reused all the time. And it is not a big deal.

Fallout 76 might not be up to everyones standard, but this is just grasping at straws.

[Cmoney007]

Bethesda: We got the glitches for the players! It is usually part of our games!
Modders: We will fix your shizz! Maybe you should hire some of us?

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

"...and Skyrim."
This explains SO MUCH...

[MoshA]

Another multiplatform cash grab lazy company down along with Blizzard. We pretty much only have Bandai, Ubi, EA & Activision left. It's just a matter of time. Now that even Microsoft will get off their 600 billion dollar lazy butts and fund some games, even Xbox casuals will stop playing Cod/Fifa/Battlefield etc.
Things are looking way too good for next gen.

[william_cade]

More like Toilet Rim and I thought 76 was going to be Destiny mode, but even Destiny is better lol...They need to give refunds without court intervention, if they are interested in any kind of damage control.

[Phils_Libra]

Reusing code is not the problem. Fallout New Vegas was also a spinoff, blatantly reused code from Fallout 3, but was a critical success despite being a buggier game too. Granted, Bethesda & Obsidian were more upfront about reusing engine/assets for New Vegas at the time, which is part of the problem with 76 today.

The real problem though is Bethesda is gradually losing sight of what made their past games great: RPG mechanics & storytelling through side-quests & characters in an interesting open world. I feel Fallout 4 was lacking compared to Fallout 3 & New Vegas in these areas; and 76 just took this even further where I even passed on buying it.

My hope is that Bethesda doubles-down on single-player story and RPG mechanics for all their future games.

[NerdBurglars]

why is it "hilarious" that they reused the dragon code from skyrim on a similar style flying monster from fallout? Seems like a very logical thing to do. They own the code, why write it again from scratch? Fallout 76 has its flaws but this article is just scratching the bottom of the barrel for stuff to throw at this game

[Valiar]

Bethesda its a joke after Skyrim. Their success blinded them