With rumors and
sadly fake trailers circling the web about an upcoming sequel to Bethesda's new age take on PC gaming's best RPG series ever, it's hard not to speculate what might or might not make the cut in the final edition of the fabled Fallout 4. Though no company has made any official claims that a third installment to the Bethesda Fallout line is or will be in the works, Bethesda was quite clear in 2008
when they told TVG that they intend to make several Fallouts. Now, with Fallout: New Vegas losing its steam, and Skyrim still generating new DLC, but beginning to slow down, Bethesda turns its attention to other projects.
Their website currently only lists Prey 2 and Dishonored as their current titles in the works, but as fans of the company know, Bethesda doesn't abandon successful properties. They let them sit for a few years, and then announce to the world that they have been quietly working on a new installment, presumably while flying around in a magic sleigh pulled by flying reindeer. That's how I envision Bethesda, by the way. So, if an eventual sequel to the now world famous series does get made (whether it be by Bethesda or a company which purchases license to produce the game), what massive improvements would we, the audience, need from it? How can a great game be made better? What mistakes could be fixed? Why am I typing questions to myself? Well, ladies and gentlemen, you'll find the answers to all these questions (except one) if you read on.........
9. Increased Customization
I know that's a pretty broad request to make, but don't worry, I've got plenty of ink and paper with which to flesh out the details. Some people might say that Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas already had a decent amount of customizable options, what with all the beards and perks. Grant it, the recent additions to the Fallout series have had so e level of customization, but with a game as expansive as the Fallout series the character's options must be as daunting as the options the rest of the world presents. If the character feels limited, then the limitless game universe feels like it has artificial restrictions in it. Enough complaining on my part. How about some examples of how it could be improved. A) Stats One of the only true complaints I've had with the new Bethesda made Fallouts is the stat system. Every character I made felt streamlined into one of two roles. A lot of that had to do with the companion system limiting players to a simgle buddy (not including the dog) and the lack of chances to talk your way out of trouble. But an expanded stat system would give players more options, such as specializing in a certain weapon, lying/bullying/offering sex instead of just a speech skill, or using poisons to tip their melee weapons. B) Clothing There is absolutely no doubt that the clothing options in Fallout 3 (F3) and Fallout: New Vegas (FNV) looked awesome. The raider clothes made of old tires and other junk not only pleased the eye, but offered tangible products of a post apocalyptic fight for survival. But when I learned I couldn't fashion my own makeshift armor from refuse lying around in the derelict landscape, I was heart broken. I wanted to nail a tire to my shoulder myself, damnit. I wanted to wear combat boots, pink panties, and a bunny mask. But alas, I could only wear that amazing outfit in my room while playing. There are obviously rendering/clipping, memory, and programming time issues to take into account. However, ideally in Fallout 4 the player would be able to build makeshift armor pieces one at a time. That means they could fashion gauntlets, shoulder pads, a chest piece, a helmet, boots, and pants that were all to their liking and combine them into whatever pattern they felt fit their fashion needs. That said, I would hope that Bethesda would at least include a few pre made craftable armor sets for us to enjoy searching for. D) Race Plain and simple. I want to be a friggin super mutant. I've been waiting for he opportunity for years. Do it, Bethesda. Do it, right now. Need a few extra years to develop the skins for armor for a mutant? I don't care. Do it. Need to charge me 5% more on top of the price so you can afford to render 50 selectable ghoul faces? I don't care. Do it. C-7) Weapons One of my favorite parts of Fallout 2 and F:NV was the ability to add pieces to your weapons. The hunting rifle could be equipped with a better scope, you had the option of obtaining an extended clip for the 9mm, etc. With the modded weapons available, my rifle was no longer just a rifle; it was Betty. And Betty didn't take any crap from anyone. Period. Unfortunately, the system was limited to a few specific modifications for a few specific weapons. That's not to say the system was bad, it just felt a bit hollow. Adding a few dozen more mods would be the obvious answer to the problem, but why stop there? If Bethesda were to add an increased number of craftable mods, or even better, allow the player to customize their weapons extensively, then Betty and I could really get down and dirty. And then....then I would be truly happy.