# Fallout 4: Now Playing **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** video-games-e-games\ **Created:** [November 9, 2015, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-4-now-playing/737122 "2015-11-09T18:01:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 18
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-4-now-playing/737122/341 "2015-11-20T05:57:42Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > That’s cute - new to gaming? Not at all, no. Which is why I expected better. Your hurt feelings on Fallout’s behalf are noted, though. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-4-now-playing/737122/342 "2015-11-20T06:08:03Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > The point is for you, the player, to be able to build things and do things that you want to do and be the one in control of the virtual world. That’s the central concept of basically all video games and is far more important than “from a role-playing standpoint, would my character be qualified to handle an arc-welder?”. Yeah, a basic tenet to video games is to instill the player with a feeling of ultimate power and world control by having them plant potatoes for the helpless townspeople. :rolleyes: Of course, these things aren’t mutually exclusive. You CAN actually not only have the character perform actions but also make those actions seem plausible and fit intelligently into the game world. You know, if you’re interested in building a decent game world and all. Not that I’d know, being so new to video games and all :rolleyes: **Thelurkinghorror** pretty much nailed it though. It should have been New Vegas v2.0 but we got Fallout 3 v2.0 instead. ---
**Author:** ![Garula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ea666f/32.png) [@Garula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garula)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-4-now-playing/737122/343 "2015-11-20T06:17:02Z")
There are certainly a ton of flaws in the game and I could spend hours criticizing it, but the truth is I’m really enjoying it for what’s there. Yeah, the quests are simplistic kill fests and the writing and story are pretty lacking, but it scratches that exploratory itch I have like pretty much nothing else. It happened to be released just as I was coming down with a cold, so I’ve put in a truly unhealthy amount of time into the game over the last couple weeks. The settlement system is a surprisingly ingenious addition to the Bethesda formula. Their games have always been plagued by a feeling of pointlessness after you acquire a decent set of gear. You explore and you gather more loot and money, but you don’t have anything to spend it on so it pretty much just goes into a big hoard that would make Smaug jealous. Having settlements is a surprisingly effective way to prolong the exploration and looting cycle without just increasing the grind. I haven’t really upgraded my equipment in awhile, but I still feel the compulsion to fill my pockets with junk because whatever I find I can use to build more doodads at my settlements. Does it really do anything? No, not really, but it’s still neat. In previous games, it’s always felt weird decorating player homes. Unless you take screenshots, no one else is going to see it. But even though they’re nameless and have no personality, having settlers wander through my creations feels a tiny bit like I’m sharing my work, which makes it much more compelling. It’s silly, I know. I’m really looking forward to what the modding scene puts out in the next couple years. For the first time in a Bethesda game, I actually think the core systems are really solid. The leveling system is solid, the perks are decent, the crafting system works well, basic amenities like sprinting and a grenade hotkey are already in place. I don’t look at these systems and think they need to be fixed, but do see lots of interesting ways they can be expanded. Modders did an impressive job adding new functionality to previous games, but this time it seems like so much can be done within the existing system that I have high hopes for future additions. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-4-now-playing/737122/344 "2015-11-20T13:29:32Z")
So many of the settlements are pretty much already settled, so that I feel sheepish deciding that it’s time to expand without consulting the people who have already been living there. I mean, they get free turrets, but they also get a bunch of drifters suddenly moving into their small family situation. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-4-now-playing/737122/345 "2015-11-20T14:10:36Z")
Has anyone else seen an airplane or UFO crash? I saw/ heard it after leaving Diamond City once, and I can’t find where it actually ended up. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-4-now-playing/737122/346 "2015-11-20T14:30:26Z")
I saw what looked like a UFO crash while at the quarry east of Sanctuary & north of the drive-in, streak southwards. Spent a bunch of time looking for it but haven’t found it. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-4-now-playing/737122/347 "2015-11-20T14:32:49Z")
I’m not really feeling the town building aspect. So far I’m pretty much just planting crops to make vegetable starch. Maybe once I take the Local Leader perk, things will liven up. I decided to start a new game on survival difficulty to see how different it is. It’s not too bad so far, apart from the deathclaw. Maybe I’ll go back to my first character and at least wrap up the main story line once on normal mode, then go for a more completionist playthrough in survival mode. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-4-now-playing/737122/348 "2015-11-20T14:51:28Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > Has anyone else seen an airplane or UFO crash? I saw/ heard it after leaving Diamond City once, and I can’t find where it actually ended up. I watched a Brotherhood of Steel vertibird fight a bunch of super mutants at an area I was investigating. I don’t know whether it was a scripted event or a random one. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-4-now-playing/737122/349 "2015-11-20T15:31:46Z")
Why was Fallout New Vegas not Fallout 4? Isn’t this kind of Fallout 5? ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-4-now-playing/737122/350 "2015-11-20T15:38:02Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Why was Fallout New Vegas not Fallout 4? Isn’t this kind of Fallout 5? Maybe because it was by a different studio so Bethesda wanted to differentiate it a bit. Or maybe because it was using the same engine as FO3 so they didn’t think it should be a full step forward. Just guesses though. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-4-now-playing/737122/351 "2015-11-20T15:38:34Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Why was Fallout New Vegas not Fallout 4? Isn’t this kind of Fallout 5? _New Vegas_ was basically another helping of _Fallout 3_; it used the same game engine with minor refinements. Plus it was made by a different company. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-4-now-playing/737122/352 "2015-11-20T16:07:06Z")
At this point, these are the things I would most like to see: 1. The ability to reprocess ammo. I’d be happy with doing it as just a type conversion as done in DLC from 3. The reloading options from NV would be better. 2. Fewer insects. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-4-now-playing/737122/353 "2015-11-20T16:08:56Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > 1. The ability to reprocess ammo. You can, at least, modify your weapons to use different ammo types. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-4-now-playing/737122/354 "2015-11-20T16:10:07Z")
There is a mod out that allows you to craft ammo…[here](http://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/1018/?). I haven’t tried it (or any mods) yet, but looks like it might be interesting and that it should have been in the game to be honest. ETA: There is already a Fallout 4 Mod Manager you can get [here](http://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/news/12660/?) as well. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-4-now-playing/737122/355 "2015-11-20T16:33:15Z")
Settlement management is a nightmare. We need mods to make this even remotely fun. I mean it starts out fun, but an hour in and it’s like: where’s the info I need?? And why isn’t this easier to do? Who’s got x resource assigned? Is this settler out of 10 on defense duty? Salvage? Crops management? And which crops? Nothing is well explained, and a first person perspective isn’t the best way to handle a lot of these types of interactions. Assigning a settler to a resource often times involves me hunting that settler down for like 2 minutes, then running all the way across the settlement back to that resource. It quickly devolves into micromanagement hell. I need a list of resources, I need a list of settlers, I need to be able to assign settlers to resources directly from that list, etc. I’m hoping mods can straighten this out. Maybe an RTS perspective that makes building easier and more fun. And also a way to see and filter assigned vs unassigned resources as well as to assign settlers to those resources and a way to see what resources are assigned to particular settlers. I’m done messing with this aspect of the game until mods fix it. It definitely feels like something that was tacked on at the last minute. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-4-now-playing/737122/356 "2015-11-20T16:37:25Z")
> [@Kinthalis](#): > > Settlement management is a nightmare. > > We need mods to make this even remotely fun. I mean it starts out fun, but an hour in and it’s like: where’s the info I need?? And why isn’t this easier to do? Who’s got x resource assigned? Is this settler out of 10 on defense duty? Salvage? Crops management? And which crops? > > Nothing is well explained, and a first person perspective isn’t the best way to handle a lot of these types of interactions. Assigning a settler to a resource, often times involved me hunting that settler down, then running all the way across the settlement back to that resource. It quickly devolves into micromanagement hell. > > I need a list of resources, I need a list of settlers, I need to be able to assign settlers to resources directly from that list, etc. > > I’m hoping mods can straighten this out. Maybe an RTS perspective that makes building easier and more fun. And also a way to see and filter assigned vs unassigned resources as well as to assign settlers to those resources and a way to see what resources are assigned to particular settlers. > > I’m done messing with this aspect of the game until mods fix it. It definitely feels like somethign that was tacked on at the last minute. I think it was something they were trying to make like their vault mini-game on the iPad (which I never could get into). You are right, it really doesn’t work well. I’ve found that I just generally abandon the other settlements out there except to ensure that they are all linked so I can get to their resources. It’s too much of a pain to try and figure out who is doing what (some of my friends suggest putting different hats/head scarves on different people doing different things, but this is a manual process and a pain in the ass, IMHO). About all I do is if I put someone on defense I give them armor and weapons so they stand out and leave it at that. Hopefully someone will do a major mod to overhaul this system as it’s one of the weak points in the game. (I’m still having a blast playing though :)) ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-4-now-playing/737122/357 "2015-11-20T16:38:27Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > You can, at least, modify your weapons to use different ammo types. Right now, the common .38 ammo is pretty useless to me. Imma check out that rloading mod when I get home. Reprocessing the mountain of .38 ammo into 5.56 or .44 would be totally sweet. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-4-now-playing/737122/358 "2015-11-20T16:55:12Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > Right now, the common .38 ammo is pretty useless to me. Imma check out that rloading mod when I get home. Reprocessing the mountain of .38 ammo into 5.56 or .44 would be totally sweet. Let us know how it works…might be the first mod I load. What I’ve been doing with .38 is using it as caps. Basically one round = 1 cap, so you can buy other types and spend your .38 (I had over 10k of the useless things since I only used it for the first hour or so in the game, yet I’m one of those who can’t resist picking stuff up when I see it). ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-4-now-playing/737122/359 "2015-11-20T17:01:07Z")
The infuriating thing about .38 ammo is that when I use it, and I have some high end .38 guns, it is notably ineffective against anything tougher than a bloat fly. Yet super mutants and other enemies armed with .38 POS pipe guns just tear my shit up, even power armor. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-4-now-playing/737122/360 "2015-11-20T17:06:30Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > The infuriating thing about .38 ammo is that when I use it, and I have some high end .38 guns, it is notably ineffective against anything tougher than a bloat fly. Yet super mutants and other enemies armed with .38 POS pipe guns just tear my shit up, even power armor. Yeah, I often wish I got to shoot whatever it is that they are. They hide the things after they die, however, and plant POS guns on their dead corpses to taunt me! Dirty bastards! 😛 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-4-now-playing/737122.md?page=17) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-4-now-playing/737122.md?page=19)