Fallout 4's Script Is Bigger Than Skyrim And Fallout 3 Combined

[Steven Bogos]

Fallout 4's Script Is Bigger Than Skyrim And Fallout 3 Combined

When Bethesda said Fallout 4 was big... they weren't kidding around.

We all know that Bethesda Softwork's upcoming post-apocalyptic FPS/RPG Bethesda Twitter [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/tag/view/fallout%204?os=%20fallout%204] today gives you just a bit of perspective. "Many years of Fallout 4 voice recording complete," wrote the Tweet, explaining that the game has over 111k lines of voice acted dialogue. That's more than both Skyirm and Fallout 3 - already fairly massive games in their own right - combined.

You may recall that back in the leadup to The Witcher 3's release, CD Projekt Red also boasted about its game's script [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/140970-The-Witcher-3s-Script-Over-450-000-Words], telling us it had over 450,000 words. So... which is more? 111,000 lines, or 450,000 words? I guess if each line has more than four words in it, Fallout 4's script is bigger?

The absolutely massive script probably has something to do with the fact that the player character is fully-voiced - a first for the series - and for both male and female genders.

However, despite this boast, Bethesda games have run afoul of criticism in the past for re-using a mere handful of voice actors, meaning that while there are quite a lot of voice acted lines, most of them come from the same dozen guys. Let's hope there is a bit more variation this time around.

Source: Twitter [https://twitter.com/BethesdaStudios/status/639485780805578752/photo/1]

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[Irridium]

Doesn't matter how big it is if the end result isn't good. If it's on the same level as Witcher 3 in terms of quality then great. But given that I didn't really like Fallout 3's writing and felt Skyrim's was hit and miss... yeah.

Really hope it's good but I'm not getting my hopes up.

 

[Clive Howlitzer]

More words doesn't mean better writing. This isn't a county fair where you are trying to compare who has the largest pumpkin. It seems so pointless to even brag about the size of your script.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

gotta agree with the first two posts, size is not necessarily impressive at all, it's the quality of that quantity...which in the witcher 3's case, was fucking amazing that it was pretty damn good considering how much there was.

Still, it seems like they are staying ambitious with fallout 4, I'm intrigued but not ready to get my hopes up for it yet.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

Bigger than Fallout 3 and Skyrim, you say? Not much of an accomplishment really.

 

[Mister K]

Hey, it all could be filled with "fetch quest talk" for all we know. Quantity=/=Quality, Bethesda. But, I guess that is what you core audience wants: big open spaces where you can run around, but can do jack shit.

 

[Kyogissun]

And so begins the marketing campaign of 'It's like Skyrim/Oblivion/Fallout 3 but better/with X/In the Y engine' line of bullshit we got for skyrim.

Gameplay footage or fuck off is always my motto with anything associated with Bethesda as of late.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

This is how you can tell a game doesn't have good writing - when the writers boast not of the quality of their work, but of its girth.
Can you picture Cormac McCarthy trying to impress the news by claiming his new novel will have, gasp, over so many thousands of lines?

 

[IceForce]

Wowee, aren't we a cynical bunch today. What's up with these comments?

And what was wrong with Skyrim's voicework? Some of the dialogue and interactions between characters in that game was awesome. Like that peace meeting you have up in High Hrothgar; much of the dialogue there was great, as well as hilarious.

Anyway, as long as I can walk around in the nuddy and have everyone yell at me "Next time you might want to get dressed before leaving the house!", I'll be happy.

 

[Rastrelly]

In any case 80% of those lines are "Aaaaaaaa!!!" And "I'll cut yer throat!", so nothing will change that much.

 

[008Zulu_v1legacy]

When you enter town for the first time; I was going to be a vault dweller, but then I took a bullet to the knee.

 

[StormShaun]

Wowee, aren't we a cynical bunch today. What's up with these comments?

I concur with that statement.

It might be due to the fallout of the reveal/gameplay trailer.
After all, some people spend all of their happiness early. Or the possibility that people don't want to be optimistic about the game, so they can be happier when it is good, or feeling safe when it isn't. Heck, it could be that they're still influenced by The Witcher 3.

...Or they're just salty, I dunno.

Stating my own opinion.
They're only boasting the quantity, not the quality.
As many stated here in this thread, more isn't better.
I believe that they're responding to the people who requested more variation of lines from several NPCs. There will most likely be more voices this time due to the success of both Skyrim and Fallout 3 (I can imagine they're spending more). Of course, let us not forget that MANY of the lines will belong to the player character... Which will include both genders, as the article indicates.

Basically from this, we can say that they will have variation, thus more immersion (depending).
Will it be good? Only time will tell.

Apart from that, I'm still hyped. Although, it would be good to see some more gameplay, then my position will be set in stone.

EDIT:
As with everyone talking about the quality of the story.
I hope for the best when it concerns Fallout 4. I swear if I have to...

Spoiler: Basic plot spoiler. If you don't want to know ANYTHING concerning the game

Find my fucking spouse/child... I shall be annoyed.
After all, Todd did say you're the ONLY surviving member of the Vault. So I'll be angry if it is anything that basic.

...But if that is the case, I'll probably just sigh and continue with the game.

 

[eberhart]

Bigger than Fallout 3 and Skyrim, you say? Not much of an accomplishment really.

Oh, come on, being #1 on the list of Disco Greatest Hits counts!

 

[Treeinthewoods]

Wowee, aren't we a cynical bunch today. What's up with these comments?

And what was wrong with Skyrim's voicework? Some of the dialogue and interactions between characters in that game was awesome. Like that peace meeting you have up in High Hrothgar; much of the dialogue there was great, as well as hilarious.

Anyway, as long as I can walk around in the nuddy and have everyone yell at me "Next time you might want to get dressed before leaving the house!", I'll be happy.

See, I told you so!

I think this is cool from a technical perspective and it gives me an inkling that this game is going to be freaking huge and take up a vast quantity of my time when it comes out. My body is ready Bethesda, take my money and do what you want!

I might want to try pulling a Cartman and freezing myself until November at this point, I can't wait.

 

[SolidState]

Wowee, aren't we a cynical bunch today. What's up with these comments?

What you call cynical, I call cautious.

Too many people have been burned in the past by devs making bold claims and meaningless boasts. People are right to be skeptical.

 

[Politrukk]

"That's more than both Skyirm and Fallout 3 "

Skyirm

S K Y I R M

SKYIRM

Although that sounds pretty cool I don't think that's what the game is called

 

[LetalisK]

This is how you can tell a game doesn't have good writing - when the writers boast not of the quality of their work, but of its girth.
Can you picture Cormac McCarthy trying to impress the news by claiming his new novel will have, gasp, over so many thousands of lines?

Bragging about quality over size works for everything except for one's penis, sadly. "It's all about the motion of the ocean." Yeah, okay Micro Dick.

 

[voltair27]

When I saw the title I thought "Does that mean it has a longer story or just more stuff?" My mind didn't really go to the idea that it would be better. To be fair, Fallout 3 and Skyrim had some great stuff in them, but neither had very good plots.

I do want to see how this stacks up against New Vegas though. New Vegas has a great plot and explored some really damn interesting themes and paradigms and the DLC genuinely added something new and interesting to the game. If Fallout 4 can match it in story quality, then I'd be pretty happy.