Quote from: Ghost Whistler;267592I don't know why they bothered with the silly pretend fps they used as it's utter fail.

Have you played either of the first two Fallout games?

Nope.

Played Bioshock though; awesome game.

Ah, see, that's why. The first two Fallout games were turn-based, and if they'd eliminated that element, they'd have been set on fire by the fanbase. So they tried to walk a line between, making each possible, but in my understanding only VATS is truly practical. I would be hard-pressed to say: my version of the game doesn't feature interactivity, as all I can do is stare at screenshots, which aren't as dynamic or interesting as the actual game. *sigh*

Non-VATS is not utterly impractical.  Quite often, when I'm low on AP and can't finish off a fight in VATS its simple and easy (and with some weapons actually ammo conservative!!!!) to squeeze off an extra shot or two (or on the god damn giant radscorpions!!! a dozen or more...) shots while my AP slowly comes back.

You CAN run and gun, but like Ghost Whistler, you'll probably not like it as accuracy is still based on skill in the game, not skill with the controller.  It IS an RPG, after all...

Quote from: Spike;267666Non-VATS is not utterly impractical.

Yeah, that was a bad bit of phrasing on my part. From what I've gathered, a mixture of the two is best, perhaps emphasizing VATS more than "freehand." Still, it's not like VATS is the only way to get through the game; it's just impractical to do well without using it pretty steadily.

Well, the game designers weighed in pretty heavily on that when pretty much all of the combat perks (other than just the ones that give you more skill...) all require you to be using VATS.  Want extra crits? Use VATS and this perk. Want more headshots? Sniper gives you a bonus... In VATS... want the mysterious Stranger to finish the job for you? Only in VATS...

So, unless all your perks are non-combat (easy enough: Take intense training ten times and the skill bonus perks for the rest....), you WILL be using VATS... a lot.

Except half the shots made in VATS miss.

Quote from: Ghost Whistler;267877Except half the shots made in VATS miss.

It's like you see the rules then completely go against them and wonder why they miss.  Vat's give you percentages to hit.  If you're percentage is less then 50% you'll miss more then half the time if it's over 50% you hit more then half the time.  If it's 95% often you can kill things in one or two hits, depending on what your shooting them with.

Vats works as it's intended to do.  Mind you so does the rest of the game.  There's no misrepresentation. It's an RPG played in first person mode where your characters skills effect their ability to get things done.  It's not a FPS that just want you to move a red dot onto target and press a trigger.

Well, VATS isn't entirely perfect.  I had a rad-roach that stood up to me (with my plasma gun) and my companion (with his gatling laser) despite a 95% hit rate until, in frustration I pulled out a random melee weapon and bitch slapped it. Also, very occasionally i've noticed that things you hide behind get in the way of hte shot without actually affecting the hit percentage.   Crouched behind a desk and shooting a seated target in the head on the other side? Sure, it SAYS 95%, but when you actually pull the trigger every shot hits the desk...

Aside from that one, random, radroach and the weird cover thing (which is common, actually...), VATS does hit as often as it says it will.  Nothing stops a run of 96%+ RNG rolls (three in a row once...) but they get offset by the times you hit three out of three on a 37%.  (quite often, actually...), never mind that damned Mysterious Stranger who doesn't care if you hit, miss, or shot the damn desk... if you attack in VATS he can pop out and kill it for you.... no matter what it is.  

MS: Stupid Perk (really...), but occasionally useful and/or humorous.  9 times out of 10 he shows up when you are one hit from killing the target (or, in some cases, KILLED the target) or its something pathetic (mole rats!) and 'finishes him off'... but that tenth time... There went a Super Mutant Master with a missile launcher who you just missed every shot on... there went that sniper that's been eating your lunch despite a 5% hit chance back...  there went that Giant Radscorpion (or Mirelurk King) that you just didn't have enough umph to kill before he bumfucked you...

One thing really bothers me ...

Psycho apparently boosts one's damage by 25% regardless of whether one uses melee or ranged weapons.


I can see how a drug could boost one's muscles, causing one to hit harder in melee ...

how could it make a gun do more damage?  Does it make hand-eye coordination better?

Quote from: riprock;269639One thing really bothers me ...
 
Psycho apparently boosts one's damage by 25% regardless of whether one uses melee or ranged weapons.
 
 
I can see how a drug could boost one's muscles, causing one to hit harder in melee ...
 
how could it make a gun do more damage? Does it make hand-eye coordination better?

Still haven't had a chance to play the game, but I'd guess that...
 
A psycho with an icepick stabs you in the eye.
A psycho with a gun shoots you in the eye.
 
...or whatever delicate part of my anatomy has 25% more ouch per cm^3.

Quote from: Malleus Arianorum;270226Still haven't had a chance to play the game, but I'd guess that...
 
A psycho with an icepick stabs you in the eye.
A psycho with a gun shoots you in the eye.
 
...or whatever delicate part of my anatomy has 25% more ouch per cm^3.

"Psycho" is a combat-drug in the drug that comes in an odd dispenser that looks like a pressurized hypodermic attached to an elastic bandage.

Apparently it boosts damage output for its taker.

And, having finished the game, I must say the main plot does not thrill me as much as Fallout and Fallout 2 did.  

However, overall presentation is less annoying than Fallout 2.