Fallout 76 turns the gaming trolls into targets

[HEXUS]

Those that kill a player who wasn't looking for a fight will get a self-paid bounty on their head.

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[MrJim]

I've been wanting a co-op version of Fallout since I first played Fallout 3, but I really wish it was PvE. I'll wait and see how the reviews go, but I doubt I'll be buying '76.

[Spud1]

I did have this pre ordered, then they announced it's not going to be available on steam. I'm not installing another store-client...its bad enough needing three (Blizzard/Steam/Origin). Really annoying that Bethesda wants to be greedy and now share any of the revenue with Steam...just smells like they are expecting a lot of micro transaction sales to me and they want 100% of it. A double blow for gamers!

When/if they release to steam I may end up picking it up..we'll see

[spacein_vader]

I did have this pre ordered, then they announced it's not going to be available on steam. I'm not installing another store-client...its bad enough needing three (Blizzard/Steam/Origin). Really annoying that Bethesda wants to be greedy and now share any of the revenue with Steam...just smells like they are expecting a lot of micro transaction sales to me and they want 100% of it. A double blow for gamers!

When/if they release to steam I may end up picking it up..we'll see

So it's ok for Blizzard, EA and Valve to keep all the money from their game sales but not anyone else?

[Ozaron]

GTA V also implemented a bounty, and a few other, checks against "trolls". They are player-activated though, so can be used on anyone, including random innocents in a game session. They also implemented a "passive mode" which renders a player immune to direct offense by other players and inhibits their ability to do damage back. In general, it all works fairly well but there are flaws in GTA V. Such people generally have a habit of either cheating or leveraging (friends / ridiculous weaponry a new-amateur player can't get / verbal taunting) to get others out of passive mode and spawn kill them. Worse still, making real money in GTA frequently requires that you play in a public lobby and remain out of passive mode, so new players and grinders don't get the choice of relief from "trolls" whether any of these anti-troll features are in use or not. Inversely, the game actively encourages players to hunt down others who are attempting to make money, even for very meagre reward... Implementation is everything.

I've been wanting a co-op version of Fallout since I first played Fallout 3, but I really wish it was PvE.

You, me, and a very long queue of others. I have no idea how Fallout has existed for so long and failed to get a standard co-op game at any time.

I did have this pre ordered, then they announced it's not going to be available on steam. I'm not installing another store-client...its bad enough needing three (Blizzard/Steam/Origin). Really annoying that Bethesda wants to be greedy and now share any of the revenue with Steam...just smells like they are expecting a lot of micro transaction sales to me and they want 100% of it. A double blow for gamers!

Agree with wanting fewer libraries, and stores, etc, but the rumour mill is coming out with some interesting things about the inside of Valve's development structure. There were plausible accounts from ex-Valve exployee(s?) saying that company culture revolves around making new features for existing things, both for financial advantage and job security, and tasks such as maintaining and securing existing products and services were (are?) valued far less. It's a games company who (I can't count Artifact until it's purchasable) hasn't released a game since 2013 (2012 if you argue that IceFrog does all of the heavy lifting in Dota 2) and exists by selling digital cosmetics and leeching from other game developers and publishers. Steam isn't even impressive as a piece of software. This kind of pressure is long overdue, whether we like the hassle or not, IMO.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Fallout is an RPG series,and Vault 76 was a control vault,so suddenly every one is out to kill each other?? Also the lack of private servers too??

This could have been implemented so much better,ie,you play as a Vault "team" who has to work together after leaving the Vault,and secure and protect resources over a period so you can survive in the new world. If you don't work together it makes it harder to survive,etc.

[Spud1]

So it's ok for Blizzard, EA and Valve to keep all the money from their game sales but not anyone else?

No, but there is a limit to how many of these platforms I want installed on my PC. Blizzard and Valve both got there via stealth (via WoW and Half Life/Counter strike), Origin in a forced fashion as they started to only release their AAA games via the platform, but enough is enough.

I am not going to install yet another client, with yet another friends list/chat system/whatever for a single, non AAA spin off game.

. Steam isn't even impressive as a piece of software. This kind of pressure is long overdue, whether we like the hassle or not, IMO.

Oh I agree - when Steam was first launched and Valve tried to shut down WON I was very vocal about how awful steam was ("A steaming pike of *****" was my main comment at the time I think ) but as it stands it's one of the best of a bad bunch. If someone wants to launch a better platform and can get the support of other publishers...then great that would be awesome

[spacein_vader]

No, but there is a limit to how many of these platforms I want installed on my PC. Blizzard and Valve both got there via stealth (via WoW and Half Life/Counter strike), Origin in a forced fashion as they started to only release their AAA games via the platform, but enough is enough.

I am not going to install yet another client, with yet another friends list/chat system/whatever for a single, non AAA spin off game.



Oh I agree - when Steam was first launched and Valve tried to shut down WON I was very vocal about how awful steam was ("A steaming pike of *****" was my main comment at the time I think ) but as it stands it's one of the best of a bad bunch. If someone wants to launch a better platform and can get the support of other publishers...then great that would be awesome

From around 2000 onward many pc games had a little launcher.exe that started before the game proper and allowed you to do things like pick resolution and graphics settings and sometimes even checked for patches. Nobody cared about an extra program tied to each game then, why start now?

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

From around 2000 onward many pc games had a little launcher.exe that started before the game proper and allowed you to do things like pick resolution and graphics settings and sometimes even checked for patches. Nobody cared about an extra program tied to each game then, why start now?

Having a million online accounts is the issue. In the old days you didn't need to do that.

Plus it takes up more space and you end up with too much stuff auto starting too.

[EvilCycle]

I don't mind a companion app to a game that registers ownership with the device on first run. Hell I even like many of the features steam has to offer (I was also forced into using it in the Half Life 2 days but grew to like it as PC alternative to a console ecosystem for creating parties etc.).

What I do mind is having so many different store apps that I have multiple different friends lists and usually have to close down one app and open up another if I decide I want to play something else.

[Ttaskmaster]

"people who kill unwilling victims will get bounties on their heads. "

They are player-activated though, so can be used on anyone, including random innocents in a game session.

That was what I wondered - What stops people from just marking innocent players as griefers, or carebears from just crying over legitimate kills?

No, but there is a limit to how many of these platforms I want installed on my PC.

So people complain about how naff Steam, Uplay, Origin, et al, are... and yet when someone refuses to sign up to the 'foul practices' of those comapnies and decides to go it alone, they get slammed too?
Cake and eat it....?

[Spud1]

From around 2000 onward many pc games had a little launcher.exe that started before the game proper and allowed you to do things like pick resolution and graphics settings and sometimes even checked for patches. Nobody cared about an extra program tied to each game then, why start now?

Its not quite the same thing though - and its already common now with games that you can buy on steam. It's a different concept imo.

Each to their own mind - it bothers me and it's lost them a sale, but if you are OK with it then great

[outwar6010]

I've been wanting a co-op version of Fallout since I first played Fallout 3, but I really wish it was PvE. I'll wait and see how the reviews go, but I doubt I'll be buying '76.

I've been wanting a co op version of their elder scrolls game(those wow like ones dont count)

[flearider]

so you have to ask someone or a team if you want a fight ? .. come on it's a wasteland your fighting for your life ..

[Iota]

Really annoying that Bethesda wants to be greedy and now share any of the revenue with Steam...just smells like they are expecting a lot of micro transaction sales to me and they want 100% of it.

Steam take a not insignificant 30% cut. While admittedly they have a large install base for PC players, not every developer will want to lose 30% of any sales revenue that could be put toward directly developing and supporting existing games. I can understand the industry wide move to have their own storefront where they get to keep 100% of the revenue towards future projects and more importantly online services for games that tend to have them now.

Others do this, as pointed out;

Blizzard / Activision - Blizzard Battle.net
Ubisoft - Uplay
EA - Origin

It doesn't detract from the multitude of other storefronts that don't have clients involved, and being honest most games have their own launchers on PC, much like they always have. If that launcher has evolved to launch more than one game, how is it an issue? Doesn't stop you adding it into Steam to launch via that client does it?

[philehidiot]

This stuff puts me off buying a game. I find it infuriating that I have to download a massive update to play single player offline. It's pointless and just wastes time, bandwidth and the 20 minutes I've found to dip into a game. These forced updates sometimes break the game. I'd much rather go back to ME managing my installed games and not having clients which need their own updates and ram ads down ytour throat all the time. Grump grump.