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Roleplaying Discussion: Nora and Nate

• SpookyBorn2021

  

  Member
   

  January 28, 2016

  So, I don't know if this is just me, but I have a huge problem with Fallout 4, that makes it very difficult for me to set up a good backstory, and just as difficult to set up a Roleplay for my character.

  This problem, is the fact that we are given a backstory for both Nora and Nate. We know that no matter how we start, Nora has a Law Degree (Even if you give her 1 intelligence) and Nate was in the military, we know they're both married to each other, have a child. These are massive barriers for me to get around when designing a character, and it makes little sense for Bethesda to have chosen this path.

  Let's look at it this way. Fallout 3, gave us a bit of a backstory, but growing up in the Vault is so vague, you could pick exactly what you did there, you could've been just about anyone (Sure your dad is a scientist, but that's about it), New Vegas you're just a Courier, that's it...Skyim, Oblivon and Morrowind all only give you the knowledge that you are a Prisoner for some reason.

  Bethesda hasn't done this in any of their big games, but suddenly did it for 4, and it's just such an odd choice. (I did know about it pre-release, it's just only recently hit me how much of a barrier this is.)

  So what do you think, is the Backstory good or bad?

  So, I don't know if this is just me, but I have a huge problem with Fallout 4, that makes it very difficult for me to set up a good backstory, and just as difficult to set up a Roleplay for my character.

  This problem, is the fact that we are given a backstory for both Nora and Nate. We know that no matter how we start, Nora has a Law Degree (Even if you give her 1 intelligence) and Nate was in the military, we know they're both married to each other, have a child. These are massive barriers for me to get around when designing a character, and it makes little sense for Bethesda to have chosen this path.

  Let's look at it this way. Fallout 3, gave us a bit of a backstory, but growing up in the Vault is so vague, you could pick exactly what you did there, you could've been just about anyone (Sure your dad is a scientist, but that's about it), New Vegas you're just a Courier, that's it...Skyim, Oblivon and Morrowind all only give you the knowledge that you are a Prisoner for some reason.

  Bethesda hasn't done this in any of their big games, but suddenly did it for 4, and it's just such an odd choice. (I did know about it pre-release, it's just only recently hit me how much of a barrier this is.)

  So what do you think, is the Backstory good or bad?

• Vilhelm1138

  

  Member
   

  January 29, 2016

  I agree completely, the only way I've managed to RP without story constraints is by using a save right before leaving the Vault and ignoring the main quest-line until I can create a tenuous backstory where Shaun is somehow someone other than my son. It's doubly hard that most factions are tied to story progression, meaning I can't just join the Brotherhood fully until I progress far enough with the forced main quest. It's a great story, but I don't always want to be #1 Dad. I think the problem is the human element of having a son, which Fallout 3 also fell victim to. New Vegas, and most Elder Scrolls games use objects or impersonal ideas as a starting point, allowing the player to supply their own story, even with a restrictive intro. In Fallout 3 and 4, you'll always be part of a family that is the driving force of the story.

  I agree completely, the only way I've managed to RP without story constraints is by using a save right before leaving the Vault and ignoring the main quest-line until I can create a tenuous backstory where Shaun is somehow someone other than my son. It's doubly hard that most factions are tied to story progression, meaning I can't just join the Brotherhood fully until I progress far enough with the forced main quest. It's a great story, but I don't always want to be #1 Dad. I think the problem is the human element of having a son, which Fallout 3 also fell victim to. New Vegas, and most Elder Scrolls games use objects or impersonal ideas as a starting point, allowing the player to supply their own story, even with a restrictive intro. In Fallout 3 and 4, you'll always be part of a family that is the driving force of the story.

• Chris

  

  Member
   

  January 29, 2016

  I kind of like it. There are ways to basically state how they got what. One idea is that, perhaps Nora read up on law, and faked a degree, in order to marry someone and get with Nate. Another is she served with the military's legal department where she met Nate. Maybe Nate was only a private or something, or a hired merc. 

  I kind of like it. There are ways to basically state how they got what. One idea is that, perhaps Nora read up on law, and faked a degree, in order to marry someone and get with Nate. Another is she served with the military's legal department where she met Nate. Maybe Nate was only a private or something, or a hired merc. 

• Drakon

  

  Member
   

  January 31, 2016

  Here's a idea for nate. Maybe he could have been a agent or assassin for the U.S government and his time in the military could have been a cover. Or maybe during his time in the military he could have gone to do milatrty research for weapons and such. There are difrrent ways to "Spin" the backstories    

  Here's a idea for nate. Maybe he could have been a agent or assassin for the U.S government and his time in the military could have been a cover. Or maybe during his time in the military he could have gone to do milatrty research for weapons and such. There are difrrent ways to "Spin" the backstories    

• SpookyBorn2021

  

  Member
   

  January 31, 2016

  To me the problem is your still restricted to a Military Background for him (Unless you just skip over it). Regardless he'll still have that as his Backstory, it's mentioned throughout the game.

  You can twist it however you want, but it's just not a fluid character like previous examples. The spoken dialogue, and more limited options pile up on that, but your still left with military Nate and Law-Degree Nora. 

  And the other part, is that your still a widower once you get out. You don't really have the choice to just pretend the other one didn't exist. You have to have been married to a person with a set story, and I find that really limiting. 

  To me the problem is your still restricted to a Military Background for him (Unless you just skip over it). Regardless he'll still have that as his Backstory, it's mentioned throughout the game.

  You can twist it however you want, but it's just not a fluid character like previous examples. The spoken dialogue, and more limited options pile up on that, but your still left with military Nate and Law-Degree Nora. 

  And the other part, is that your still a widower once you get out. You don't really have the choice to just pretend the other one didn't exist. You have to have been married to a person with a set story, and I find that really limiting. 

• SpookyBorn2021

  

  Member
   

  January 31, 2016

  That is a pretty nice idea, though I'd probably just try and skip the Main Story completely, though from what I've heard (I still haven't gotten any further than tracking down the Synth Courser and killing him) the main quest restricts some of the Factions and other quests. 

  That is a pretty nice idea, though I'd probably just try and skip the Main Story completely, though from what I've heard (I still haven't gotten any further than tracking down the Synth Courser and killing him) the main quest restricts some of the Factions and other quests. 

• Chris

  

  Member
   

  January 31, 2016

  True, but you can technically "remarry" by giving someone the wedding ring

  True, but you can technically "remarry" by giving someone the wedding ring

• ProbsCoolerThanYou

  

  Member
   

  February 11, 2016

  At first I don't think I even minded this, but the more I think about it, the more it pisses me off. I realized after I took a break from the game for awhile that all my characters had been veterans with slightly different post-war motives. The premade backstory was so prevalent and inescapable that I didn't even try to make my own. I can't wait till the CK is out so I can have a real RP start. Let's pray that's sooner than later.

  At first I don't think I even minded this, but the more I think about it, the more it pisses me off. I realized after I took a break from the game for awhile that all my characters had been veterans with slightly different post-war motives. The premade backstory was so prevalent and inescapable that I didn't even try to make my own. I can't wait till the CK is out so I can have a real RP start. Let's pray that's sooner than later.

• SpookyBorn2021

  

  Member
   

  February 11, 2016

  Same thing happened for me, at first I thought, eh this is kinda close to Fallout 3, but then as I started really seeing how integrated the Main Quest is to everything, that just makes it basically impossible.

  I'm definitely with you on the CK, but, as a PS4 player I'm not hopeful that any mods will come out that alter the game enough. 

  Same thing happened for me, at first I thought, eh this is kinda close to Fallout 3, but then as I started really seeing how integrated the Main Quest is to everything, that just makes it basically impossible.

  I'm definitely with you on the CK, but, as a PS4 player I'm not hopeful that any mods will come out that alter the game enough. 

• ProbsCoolerThanYou

  

  Member
   

  March 4, 2016

  Oh, dang, I didn't see this until just now. 

  Yeah, from your perspective things are looking pretty grim. I don't doubt that an alt-start mod could be released on the PS4 or XBone, but the thing is, you would have to change about 3/4 of the game to accommodate it. And the fact that every faction's progression is tied to the main story doesn't help.

  Oh, dang, I didn't see this until just now. 

  Yeah, from your perspective things are looking pretty grim. I don't doubt that an alt-start mod could be released on the PS4 or XBone, but the thing is, you would have to change about 3/4 of the game to accommodate it. And the fact that every faction's progression is tied to the main story doesn't help.