Bethesda's Fallout 76 [edited title]

The Game Room
301

Thank ya Sir.

302

Anyone else been playing? I definitely appreciate the Wastelanders update. It was hard to motivate myself to even load up F76 given its state when I left, but I’m glad I did. It’s arguably a better game than F4 at this point (which may not be saying much…). There’s still no big overarching plot, but that’s there are a number of smaller questlines that are reasonably satisfying.

The community seems better, too. The vending machines in particular encourage people to build nice bases and put them in accessible locations. So I have the option for visiting a CAMP instead of scrounging for ammo, for example.

I don’t bother at all with the events at this point. Endless grind for no reason. Hopefully Bethesda can keep putting out reasonable single-player content.

303

Haven’t been keeping up, last I checked you could not do a private server with only selected players. Is that a thing yet?

304

You can, if you pay for it. I haven’t.

I agree that this is still the biggest missing piece of the whole thing. But my complaints before revolved around there being no persistency in F76 (aside from your CAMP).

The Wastelanders update actually improves this: the new quests do have lasting changes in the world, at least from your perspective. Since it actually has characters now, said characters remember previous interactions. Several of the characters hang around your CAMP, too, so there’s incentive in building that up. Although I haven’t finished yet, I believe some things will permanently unlock when I finish the main quest line.

Also, many/most of the new quests used instanced locations. I only play solo, but if you show up with a group in these locations, it’s a bit like a private server–nobody else will bother you.

305

Oh ok cool. How much is it /what do I need to buy? Might pay with kiddo and/ or wife once we finish BL3.

306

You just need the base game–the add-on content has been free (so far). Copies seem to be around $15 right now. I guess you probably need one per family member.

The private servers are more expensive–$13/mo, or $100/yr. Seems expensive to me, but maybe justifiable for a month or two if you have a group you expect to play with.

307

Ok, thanks…we might give it a shot.

Just watched this review of the Wastelanders release:

I love this guy’s reviews, he’s hilarious.

308

I had been playing Fallout 76 for a while, and have subscribed for about the last 4 months. Given how much I play each month, the subscription is well worth it to me. I’ve played The Elder Scrolls Online, which also has an optional subscription with similar benefits (unlimited crafting material storage, for example).

I’ve been a big fan of the Fallout series (particularly starting with 3, then New Vegas), so this game is right in my wheelhouse. With the “free” copy the existing PC customers got on Steam, I’ve now swapped over mostly to that launcher; dropped my Bethesda-direct monthly subscription and purchased one year through Steam. I think it works out to $8.33/month; I may not play hard every single month, but I know I’m a fan of the franchise so it’s a safe purchase for me.

My take on the subscription: obviously I like it well enough to pay. The big features for me, in descending order:

  • unlimited crafting material storage (“junk” in the Fallout parlance). Note: not unlimited storage; only crafting materials. Your guns, armor, ammo all take up a finite amount of space.

  • private world - if I want to go loot a place like Sugar Grove for those sweet desk fans, I know in a private world they’ll be there, unlooted, when I get there. Also, sometimes I just don’t want to deal with other people. I have the choice; I can also have up to 7 of my friends join me on that server when I’m playing. Also, private worlds’ performance seems a bit better.

  • mobile campsite - fast travel to your own CAMP is free. A subscription gets you a mobile tent that you can drop pretty much anywhere. It includes a cot, stove, and storage containers, and fast travel to it is free. There is no cost to move it.

  • a pot of Atoms (aesthetic shop) included each month, which if bought separately would cost almost as much as the subscription. I rarely buy “skins” for my armor or weapons, but I do buy enhancements for my CAMP (new wall styles, new outbuildings, etc).