Fallout 3: A Different Kind of Treasure

[Juan Regular]

Being a major in English Lit, I often come at odds with myself wondering just why I had picked my major. Because I love writing is the obvious answer, but that doesn't explain why I'm in English. It certainly means I'll learn the technical aspect of writing better, and maybe even explore the creative and written parts to a more substantial degree. So, why did I spend so long at odds with the idea?

Analysis. I hate it. Something about slamming my face into a piece of media long enough to pull some meaning from it has never appealed to me. I'd often dismiss the discussion, always with the thought that there was something to it that I liked, that I was never able to put my finger on.

This article reminded me that there are more elements to analysis beyond seeking hidden meaning. How playfully exploring the surface and the details can be infinitely more full-filling than trawling the depths. Sometimes I miss a lot by staying light, but perhaps bogging myself down with too much. Atmosphere can create just as good a world as deep analysis.

Although, music did a lot to save the world some face.
I love those dear hearts, and gentle people...

I never thought I could agree with every single thing someone sais in a comment...
About the article: I'm not reallly that much of a weapon collector. I didn't even bother to pick up the somewhat better weapons you get sometimes (Like the TK-blabla plasma rifle), so the lack of loot was never a problem for me.
I'm an explorer and I love to soak a specific atmosphere in and that's exactly what Fallout does best.
Best RPG ever in my eyes.

 

[Art Axiv]

Hmm...

@OP

If you would add MMORPG into it, I think you'd love it. But uh, it isn't an MMO.

Speaking about the loot!
I never read a single thing in an article that you can see a drawer is empty or not in a glimpse of an eye. I laughed a bit.

 

[Susan Arendt]

I think it would've been helpful if you could've crafted more items from the bits of junk you found lying around the Wasteland. Even if it was something frivolous, like a lamp for your house in Megaton. Maybe with enough scrap metal, Nuka Cola bottles, medical braces and conductors, you could make a Nuka Cola machine. That would've been a good compromise - satisfies those of us hungry for loot, but doesn't break the realism of the game world.

 

[Art Axiv]

I think it would've been helpful if you could've crafted more items from the bits of junk you found lying around the Wasteland. Even if it was something frivolous, like a lamp for your house in Megaton. Maybe with enough scrap metal, Nuka Cola bottles, medical braces and conductors, you could make a Nuka Cola machine. That would've been a good compromise - satisfies those of us hungry for loot, but doesn't break the realism of the game world.

There is like 7 weapons you can build from the scrap metal and junk You know Susan.

 

[Lvl 64 Klutz]

I think it would've been helpful if you could've crafted more items from the bits of junk you found lying around the Wasteland. Even if it was something frivolous, like a lamp for your house in Megaton. Maybe with enough scrap metal, Nuka Cola bottles, medical braces and conductors, you could make a Nuka Cola machine. That would've been a good compromise - satisfies those of us hungry for loot, but doesn't break the realism of the game world.

There is like 7 weapons you can build from the scrap metal and junk You know Susan.

Hence her use of the word "more"

 

[Art Axiv]

Hence her use of the word "more"

Ehh, right, I need a nap. Thanks!

 

[Anton P. Nym]

There is like 7 weapons you can build from the scrap metal and junk You know Susan.

Pursuit of which made for an epic quest of my own, trying to track down a pressure cooker in order to build the Railway Rifle. I searched high and low for one until stumbling on one in a lab, I think it was the one where the guy was making Mole Rat Wondermeat. It took ages, but I did eventually get to build my little tooting gun of death.

And then I broke into that army base's mess hall / kitchen and saw a wall with a dozen of the things. Argh.

-- Steve

 

[seamusotorain]

I agree with the bit about how depressing the look of the game is, I've been playing Fable 2 over Fallout 3 for that exact reason.

 

[Sensenmann]

Yes, but the lore is that there has been a nuclear world war.

*POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING*
*POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING*
*POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING*




What would you do?

Rush for food, medical supplies (big bombs make shockwaves, reaching further than explosion, which would be a danger by glass)

Get a weapon (prehaps assuming the capital will be destroyed straight off), since theres the radio of the chinese propoganda about surrender, we can easily imagine the chinese went on American Soil.

Fall in morale would mean looting, murder, theft as people blame others (as predicted for world war II).

These are evident in the game world (almost).

 

[Damolition]

Haha, Keen observation.

In hindsight you are absolutely right. The only worthwhile loot was caps, and those would be sold almost solely for medpacks.

 

[Geamo]

To be honest, I find this game to be great. At this point in my playing (The Waters of Life, level 10) I still find myself using the standard Hunting Rifle. And I frickin' love it. VATS made this game for me, and I adore how I can stage an assault on an abandoned building full of super mutants and then blow them away with headshots.

Perks were a cheerful and enjoyable part of the game, and it helped style the kind of gameplay I used. However, after doing the Reilly's Rangers quest, I find myself chock-full of ammo and caps, and I do agree that there should be something *awsome* to buy with a LOT of caps. I usually only switch to my Chinese Assault Rifle when there's a load of Super Mutant Brutes or Masters, and I hardly use the Rocket Launcher and Minigun. The Fat Man is my behemoth-killer.

 

[nathan-dts]

Ah yes, that's what was missing. I picked up Fallout 3 due to hype and it was Oblivion-esque but I was angry there was no Rockhammer for me to pummel people with. No posioned arrows that would kill an enemy in one fatal shot.

 

[JWAN]

Loot is the only reason I go back to Oblivion and usually you can find some humorous weapons or one of a kind weapons

 

[B-lockdown080]

I kinda like what loot they had even though it was a small selection. I was intrigued by some of the weaponry that they had thought up( a sword on fire, a gun that shot railroad spikes, a rocket launcher that fires teddy bears and other rubbish that you found lying around) and enjoyed finding and crafting each and every one, even if it was kinda easy for finding some of the weapons(go to building in the middle of nowhere and get or steal)but still fun to find as usually the place to where they are placed had some kinda back story.

 

[cikame]

See this is where i start to think i'm weird, if what you say is true, Oblivion has no loot either.
In Oblivion, i picked up a sword, used it till i found a better sword, same way that as in fallout 3 i used a pistol till i found something better.
You have my permission to say something like "but, but in Oblivion you get rings", and i'll agree with you, till i get to throw stats giving clothes and sunglasses in your face, i've spent more time searching for loot in fallout 3 than i ever did in Oblivion.
Everything was delivered to my feet in a pool of blood in Oblivion and sometimes that is also the case in fallout, like my 'Vance's Leather Coat' and 'Kneecapper', but i had to hunt down my 'Lucky Shades'.
Diablo 1 and 2 have given me more than enough loot grabbing than i needed in my entire life, any time anyone says something about loot being an integral part of a game, i vote burn them at a stake for talking bollocks.

 

[Susan Arendt]

Hum, Oblivion was exactly the same, you could find the most powerful sword and armor, then you're off, atleast in Fallout 3 you need to find ammo to power your killings...

 

[Nurb]

I'm a big story nut first, but loot comes in a clooooose second, so understand the author's lament. So MY biggest disappointment was the craptacular ending. Bethseda CANNOT DO ENDINGS TO SAVE THEIR LIFE


"WAIT, thats IT? What a gip!"

 

[O maestre]

i understand the author's points and i agree about the scarcity of loot, however i think its a good thing. the capital wasteland is dangerous, and the fact that you are not encouraged to grind like in many other games is exceptional. many rpgs seem to adhere to a very basic formula that im getting sick of grind->lvl up->kill big monster->Get weapon->kill boss->meet new monster->grind->lvl up...ect constantly having to grind to kill a monster to get a weapon from the monster so you can kill a boss

everything should be possible from the get go, but its got to take some degree of skill, not just macros and keybinds

oddly enough though, on my second playthrough(played more natural e.g. evil) i was constantly tripping over ammo, caps and weapons, which kind of broke the game experience for me.

 

[BallPtPenTheif]

There's loot but it's just not obviously apparent. Like I found this recorded message from a dead guy to his daughter... found the daughter and she gave me a sweet stat pumped 10mm sub machine gun.

I can also kill another woman to get a sidekick ghoul.

I mean, you are right.. there isn't loot in the traditional sense but between the schematic built weapons and unique gear from bizarre side missions and odd found objects that lead to quests.. well.. there's some stuff to be had.