Fallout: New Vegas - Impressions and stuff

[skystride]

About 30hrs in and still really enjoying it.  I'm doing Camp McCarren (?) quests.

Minor pet peeve: Why does their inventory UI have to be such shit?!  Don't tell me it's consolitis because I've played JRPGs with very nice UI.  Why do I have to scroll through 500 items while in the barter screen?  Why can't they display stat comparisons when deciding to buy a new weapon/armor?  Why aren't crafting items separated for easy viewing?  I think they are just extremely lazy because programming those things in should be trivial.

[TiLT]

You can choose between several different categories when browsing your inventory (also while shopping), but I agree that there could have been more.

[Greggy_D]

There are new WHQL Nvidia drivers out.  Version 260.99 .  Supposedly fixes some things with FO3 and NV.

http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx?lang=en-us

[Razgon]

Damn... Both of my companions are gone - vanished...both times after I told them to wait and went somewhere else...

Oh, and man...the plotline gets kinda crazy there in the strip, doesn't it?

[Fuzzballx]

odd on the companions....if i tell em to wait they're like a statue till i come back....and i just tell em to wait at the lucky 38 if i wanna take a different companion...always works.

you can collect them in your suite at the 38.

The plot opens up....it doesn't get crazy neccessarily though it can appear that way at first glance cause until you reach vegas, it's pretty much a linear line of quests taking you south, east then north to the strip.  After the strip the game has zero linearity.  It's giving you all the overarching objectives and letting you go at them as you will.  You'll end up crisscrossing the map for the next 40+ hours of game time if you wanna do everything.

There's a zillion different orders and ways you can go about things at that point...some of which prevent others from being done....so there's definitely replayability for different types of characters (good vs evil).

[Razgon]

re companions and where I left them (has to do with legion)

Spoiler for Hiden:

I have Boon, but had him wait before I went there since I knew he'd start shooting once we get to Ceasars places - once there, I had Rex as well, whom I told to wait outside Ceasars tent - He was gone once I came out of the tent, and boon talked to me once I got back to him, about killing ceasar, then he vanished as well...a bit annoying, and something I've read happens to at least some others

re the strip and the storyline there

Spoiler for Hiden:

what I meant by crazy was that I now have ten gazillion options :-D Its all good, but man, sometimes I miss just shooting people in the face :-)

[KePoW]

There are new WHQL Nvidia drivers out.  Version 260.99 .  Supposedly fixes some things with FO3 and NV.

http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx?lang=en-us

Thanks.

[Turtle]

There's both. The original stranger, and the new Miss Fortune dressed like a vegas showgirl.

Sadly, it doesn't have the cool musical stinger whenever Miss Fortune shows up like the Stranger has.

[CeeKay]

stealing stuff.

[Dimmona]

So what's the verdict?  I loved FO3, but some of the reviews and bugginess is making me hesitate from clicking the buy button.   Anyone like it less than Fallout 3 at this point?

[Caine]

i am probably in the miniority here but i actually like it more than fo3 (minus the bugs of course).  it just brings so much more depth to the game than before. 

[namatoki]

I know I want to play New Vegas, but I want to make sure they patch it all up before I take the plunge.  Was there a patch that fixes most of the bugs yet?

[Daehawk]

I just noticed that FO NV installed into my Steam directory. I dont want it there. its not a Steam game. i want it in it's own directory so I can more easily manage my mods. I swear I chose it's own dir when i installed it but its not there. Why did it go into steam? I own the store bought disc version.

Gonna delete and try again.

[Turtle]

2 patches have come out that have fixed up the major game or quest stoppers, but there's still more weirdness.

FNV seems to be successful though, so it will get patched up over time if you're concerned about that. As I mentioned earlier, I think this might be one of the few Obsidian (and ex-Troika, and ex-Black Isle) games that gets patched up to stability like FO3 was.

It's about as good as FO3. It doesn't have that initial WOW factor of FO3's entrance on the scene, but a lot of the story and RPG elements have been refined.

All the companions and companion quests seem more interesting as well, and the addition of a non-human follower helps too.

[MaxSteele]

I just noticed that FO NV installed into my Steam directory. I dont want it there. its not a Steam game. i want it in it's own directory so I can more easily manage my mods. I swear I chose it's own dir when i installed it but its not there. Why did it go into steam? I own the store bought disc version.

Gonna delete and try again.

You bought the store copy of a Steamworks game.  Fallout: New Vegas on PC is a Steam game.

[KePoW]

I just noticed that FO NV installed into my Steam directory. I dont want it there. its not a Steam game. i want it in it's own directory so I can more easily manage my mods. I swear I chose it's own dir when i installed it but its not there. Why did it go into steam? I own the store bought disc version.

Gonna delete and try again.

Actually it *is* a Steam game.  What MaxSteele said.

You can install any mods that you want without a problem, so don't worry about that.

[CeeKay]

I know I want to play New Vegas, but I want to make sure they patch it all up before I take the plunge.  Was there a patch that fixes most of the bugs yet?

there's been patches, but there's still oddness.  i've kind of backburnered it for now until Im done with fable 3 and Oblivion.

[CeeKay]

i am probably in the miniority here but i actually like it more than fo3 (minus the bugs of course).  it just brings so much more depth to the game than before. 

you're talking about hardcore mode, right?  I nuked that before I put the game on hiatus, I was getting bored with having to worry about food and water.

[CeeKay]

Damn... Both of my companions are gone - vanished...both times after I told them to wait and went somewhere else...

didn't they have this issue with dog in the first game too, where he'd up and disappear, never to be seen again?

[Sarkus]

i am probably in the miniority here but i actually like it more than fo3 (minus the bugs of course).  it just brings so much more depth to the game than before. 

You're not in a minority from what I've seen.  A lot of people seem to like the game even more then Fallout 3, though the technical issues on the 360 are probably hurting it with the console crowd.  PC users seem pretty happy.  They fixed a lot of stuff in that first patch and by disabling the Steamcloud save thing.  It's very playable in its current form on PC from what I can see - a poll over on QT3 with 96 respondents on the PC side has 87 of them saying their game experience has not included any major technical issues. 

[Razgon]

Damn... Both of my companions are gone - vanished...both times after I told them to wait and went somewhere else...

didn't they have this issue with dog in the first game too, where he'd up and disappear, never to be seen again?

no clue - a bit annoying, though...

[Tscott]

Damn... Both of my companions are gone - vanished...both times after I told them to wait and went somewhere else...

Are you playing hardcore mode, and did you leave them where there may be hostels? I'm just guessing here, but maybe they died while you were away? 

[TK-421]

did you leave them where there may be hostels? I'm just guessing here, but maybe they died while you were away? 

Or maybe they are resting comfortably at one of the hostels.

[Razgon]

Damn... Both of my companions are gone - vanished...both times after I told them to wait and went somewhere else...

Are you playing hardcore mode, and did you leave them where there may be hostels? I'm just guessing here, but maybe they died while you were away? 

Nope - I told one to wait outside a place I knew he would try to tear up if I took him with me...I know exactly where it is - The other one waited outside a tent, where I was told I had to enter alone - both of them had the order to "wait here"...

both are just..gone

[TiLT]

Nope - I told one to wait outside a place I knew he would try to tear up if I took him with me...I know exactly where it is - The other one waited outside a tent, where I was told I had to enter alone - both of them had the order to "wait here"...

both are just..gone

That should teach you to treat your employees better!

[Razgon]

I am a harsh mistress indeed!

;-)

[CeeKay]

Nope - I told one to wait outside a place I knew he would try to tear up if I took him with me...I know exactly where it is - The other one waited outside a tent, where I was told I had to enter alone - both of them had the order to "wait here"...

both are just..gone

That should teach you to treat your employees better!

heck, I would have left you too Raz, but more due to hoping to come back and loot your corpse later than anythign else.

[Caine]

i am probably in the miniority here but i actually like it more than fo3 (minus the bugs of course).  it just brings so much more depth to the game than before. 

you're talking about hardcore mode, right?  I nuked that before I put the game on hiatus, I was getting bored with having to worry about food and water.

well, that's the biggest aspect of it of course, but I am also referring to the new stuff. Crafting and the survival skills, weapon mods, ammo types and reloading, and the multiple factions. It's that plus hardcore mode which raise NV to a level approaching Gothic in how immesive the world is. It's not all the way (nobody gets pissed if you wake them up in their house at 2am and threatens to attack you, and loading for caves/buildings takes you out of the game) but within the engine, the reality of the world has improved.

I am glad to hear it's done so well as that means we can expect some patches and dlc.  

[CeeKay]

it's possible to beat the game without killing anyone.

[Gryndyl]

For those with companions gone missing issues you might want to check back at their origin point. I once sent Rex back to the 38 and discovered a few game days later that he was AWOL. Went back to the King's and he was hanging out there. As soon as he saw me he zipped out the door and went to the 38, which was actually pretty funny.

[CeeKay]

odd little video: Wild Wild Wasteland.  may have some small spoilers.

[CeeKay]

looks like we'll be seeing another patch next week.

[Razgon]

For those with companions gone missing issues you might want to check back at their origin point. I once sent Rex back to the 38 and discovered a few game days later that he was AWOL. Went back to the King's and he was hanging out there. As soon as he saw me he zipped out the door and went to the 38, which was actually pretty funny.

There is an elevator in Vault 22 that seems to work for everyone who lost their companions. Just ride it, and woosh, they are back with you - Magic elevator!

[TiLT]

I got frustrated with a bugged main quest yesterday. I managed to get through it simply because it had so many solutions that at least one of them ended up working. This is a quest where being thorough in Freeside earlier comes back to screw you over. The quest is called King's Gambit. Spoilers for the quest below:

Spoiler for Hiden:

The quest has you talking to the Kings in Freeside to stop hostilities between them and NCR. There are several ways the quest can be solved:
- Earn a favor from The King and use it to stop hostilities. I wasted my favor earlier after waiting to see if anything of interest popped up. It didn't seem like anything would ever happen that would be worth using it for.
- Put Psycho into Pacer's Jet. One of the worst solutions, but even this one I couldn't do. Pacer's Jet stash just didn't show up in his room, despite having gone through all the rumors from the Freeside ghoul. Clearly a bug.
- Same with making the Van Graffs kill him. You still need access to his stash, and it just wasn't there.
- Another option is to take the job as a guard for the Van Graffs and kill Pacer as he starts messing with you. This keeps you protected from the repercussions and places the blame solely on the Van Graffs. I had already done that job, so no luck.
- The last option is to kill him yourself with an energy weapon. The problem is that this enrages the entire Kings gang, and that's not ideal at all. Since every single other option was closed to me, this was the one I had to do. Turns out it's possible to get out of this safely if you sneak into Pacer's room, place a live plasma grenade in his pocket, then avoid being seen for about half a minute afterwards. The Kings will turn hostile, but if they don't find you in the immediate aftermath they won't be able to pin the blame on you, keeping your karma and reputation unaltered. If you don't have a reasonable sneak score, you're likely to be screwed over here as well.

All in all, a frustrating experience that luckily ended up well in the end. It's a good thing most of the rest of the game is solid. I've put in about 50 hours so far and am about to hit level 25.

[Razgon]

There's actually even more solutions for that one, Tilt - pretty impressive, actually

[TiLT]

Yeah, I forgot to mention those since I didn't consider them a realistic alternative. I wanted to avoid going down that path with this character as it would have undermined a lot of what I've accomplished so far.

[CeeKay]

looks like the game is doing well.

[Ralph-Wiggum]

looks like the game is doing well.

Good for them. While I wish there were fewer bugs in the game, this game is the bee's knees.

[CeeKay]

new patch:

    * Companions now show up as waypoints on the map
    * Companions will always fast travel with you, unless told to wait or sent away
    * Fix: DLC error/save corruption
    * Fix: Stuttering with water effects
    * Fix: Severe performance issues with DirectX.
    * Fix: Controls temporarily disabled after reloading Cowboy Repeater while crouched
    * Fixed crash using the Euclid C-Finder while having the Heave Ho perk
    * Fix: Entering the strip after Debt Collector causes crash and autosave corruption
    * Fix: Using Mojave Express dropbox can cause DLC warnings
    * Fixed crash when buying duplicate caravan cards from a vendor in a single transaction
    * Crafting menu should filter valid (bright) recipes to the top of the list
    * Fix: Sitting down while looking down a weapon's ironsights leaves player control locked
    * Fix: If a companion is knocked unconscious with broken limbs they stay broken on respawn
    * Fix for varmint night scope effect persisting in kill cam
    * Fix for giving companions armor that adds STR does not increase their carry weight
    * Fix NPC Repair menu displays DAM as DPS
    * Having NPC repair service rifle with forged receiver decreases CND

[MonkeyFinger]

Does this silly game display a version number anywhere?