Fallout 76 » Discussions


Fallout 76 B.E.T.A. thoughts so far (spoiler-free)

  • November 2, 2018

    Hey, everyone. I was able to play the PC beta some yesterday (roughly 4.5 hours, levels 1-7) and thought I would share some spoiler-free notes and thoughts. Some of these will be common knowledge to anyone who has read or watched anything related to Fallout 76 gameplay.

    Basics:

    1.  Your S.P.E.C.I.A.L. stats all start at 1. They max out at 15. You can increase one stat of your choice one point every time you level up, up to level 50. Thus, you will have 49 points to spend.
    2.  You gain random perk cards every time you level, and perk card packs at level 4, 6, 8, 10, and then every fifth level increment (e.g., 15, 20, etc).
    3.  Many perk cards have player level requirements.
    4.  Most perks seem to have multiple levels (e.g., First Aid, an Intelligence perk, has 3 levels), allowing you to combine perk cards to increase the level of the perk. However, this also increases the minimum level of the attribute needed to use it by 1. Using First Aid as an example, it can be slotted with an Intelligence of 1. If you combine two First Aid cards to increase the perk's rank (and, therefore, power), the minimum intelligence you need is now 2. If you aren't careful, you can level up a perk and then be unable to use it due to it's new attribute requirement.
    5.  You will hit level 2 by the time you exit Vault 76.
    6.  Some good information regarding the perks in Fallout 76 can be found here: http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Fallout_76_perks


    Gameplay:

    1.  The keyboard controls (again, PC here) are very similar to Fallout 4. If you haven't played Fallout 4 recently, you might want to play it some to re-familiarize yourself with the controls. It took me a couple of minutes to remember how to toss grenades, for example. Thankfully, there is a help feature built into the menu that can sometimes assist you (I'm looking at you, C.A.M.P.!)
    2.  The area near Vault 76, where I spent all my time, has a lot of interesting locations. While the small towns are pretty sparse building-wise (compared to places like Concord in Fallout 4), many of the locations are able to be entered.
    3.  Some places are pictured on your map but don't have compass markers, while some locations have compass markers but aren't pictured on your map. And some places have neither compass markers nor map pictures. I encourage you to look around everywhere!
    4.  Given the B.E.T.A. test was new to most PC players, there were often players relatively close by, especially at main quest locations. However, very few players seemed to actually be teaming up. When I went off the beaten path, I was alone.
    5.  I mentioned looking everywhere for locations, but you need to search everywhere, too! There are a ton of notes and holotapes to be found!
    6.  Speaking of holotapes, you auto-play them when you pick them up. Some locations have multiple tapes lying around, so be careful. If you pick one up while one is already playing, the new one starts automatically.
    7.  Whenever you are close to another player, their microphone becomes audible to you. Their witty banter will even be heard over holotape messages. And, yes, you can mute that pestering player who seems to follow you around while colorfully describing every thought going through his head (gameplay related or not).
    8.  Stutter has been a big issue. I was playing on Ultra settings at the max "good" resolution (Fallout 76 seems to work properly at 2560 x 1440) with very little stutter.  I did try to run at my native 4K resolution, but the text would not appear on the screen. I played around with windowed and borderless for a bit, but eventually returned to 2560 x 1440. Hopefully, this will be resolved prior to launch.
    9.  The graphics are nice, though sometimes the extra effects (bloom and such) would make the daytime very bright. Nighttime and indoor locations were especially dark, and I typically found I had to use my Pip Boy's light indoors day and night. I never adjusted the brightness settings.
    10.  There are lots of mini-quests in Fallout 76 (called Challenges), like harvesting wood and boiling water. They reward you with Atoms (the Bethesda microtransaction currency) instead of caps.
    11.  Certain resources are harder to find than others. Depending on how you play (crafting, weapon choices, etc), this might affect you. Learn what is what during the early levels and be on the lookout for the resources you need.

    1.  Combat is very Fallout 4-esque. The one thing that you need to remember is that time is always moving forward, including while in V.A.T.S. and when swapping weapons! Hot keys are invaluable! Getting beaten on while manually searching through your inventory is much less valuable.
    2.  Combat at the lower levels is mostly safe. I came close to dying only once because I took my eyes off my health meter while fighting a large group of robots.
    3.  Melee weapons are nice, pistols seem pretty weak at first, shotguns are effective, and I love hunting rifles (sniping).
    4.  Explosives are very powerful. I found grenades to be really good, though mines less so. Many monsters lunge at you (like a mini-blitz), thus activating mines but not staying in their blast radius when they detonate. I haven't tried placing them down and then shooting them yet.
    5.  Stealth is very effective, as most low-level creatures seem pretty unable or unwilling to look for you at first.
    6.  When entering a new location, one of the enemies you fight usually has a larger pile of loot.
    7.  Sometimes you will encounter "boss" enemies. They might be slightly tougher than the others (I didn't really notice at the low levels), but there is an in-game hint that says they can spawn additional enemies so you should kill them quickly.
    8.  Overall, I wasn't very impressed with the enemy A.I. You could sneak pretty close (even during the day in the middle of the street) before they notice, and then they often don't react as you would expect. They can get stuck in the environment, too.

    1.  Perk cards are random. At level 2, you will get a perk card related to the S.P.E.C.I.A.L. attribute you level up. Keep that in mind, as it will be a nice little bonus to start off with.
    2.  Until you get your perk card pack at level 4, you will likely only have 1-2 perk cards (from levels 2 and 3) slotted. By level 6, you will likely have a perk card slotted in most, if not every, S.P.E.C.I.A.L. attribute.
    3.  Planning a specific perk card build is rough (save for maybe higher levels, when you have access to many more cards), as the random nature (and how new cards appear to be linked to the S.P.E.C.I.A.L. attribute you level) is very unpredictable. I never found a weapon-related perk (Licensed Plumber doesn't count) during my first 7 levels, though I did only raise Intelligence (6) and Charisma (2).
    4.  Lockpicking (Perception 1) and Hacking (Intelligence 1) perk cards can be slotted without investing in those attributes. I had both perk cards slotted by level 5, I believe.

    1.  Food and water use seems a little harsh, as you don't notice you need to eat or drink until the meter turns red. Then, you quickly devour several items to bring it back up.
    2.  Food (meat and veggies) rot, so if you harvest a lot (like I did), you need to purge the rotten stuff from your inventory on occasion. It's dead weight as far as I was concerned.
    3.  Food is fairly plentiful, and you will use empty bottles to fill up with water (just like in Fallout 4's survival mode).
    4.  Rads were never a problem, though food/drink, certain monsters, and some locations (like traversing a stream) will irradiate you a little. I never felt the need to use RadAway, if that helps.
    5.  RadAway and StimPacks are pretty common. Purified water seemed fairly common, too.
    6.  Alcohol and chems are quite common, with alcohol being very common. Certain chems are more common than others, though (I'm looking at you, Buffout).

    1.  Various workshops are scattered across the wasteland, though they do lean more toward chemistry, weapon, and armor crafting stations. The tinker's workbench (ammo and explosives) and power armor workbench seem less common.
    2.  Everyone starts with the ability to craft most basic items and weapons. You learn weapon mods by scrapping weapons. Some items require perk cards to craft.
    3.  Stash boxes, which you can find in major locations (and can build in your C.A.M.P), allow you to store and retrieve items at any other stash box.
    4.  Weight limits are a bear! You can move while over-encumbered, though moving constantly drains your AP. When it reaches zero, you walk until it reaches about 50%, when you return to your usual "jog" pace. And no sprinting while over-encumbered.
    5.  Weapons are quite common, though armor seems to be fairly rare. I did find a wooden armor piece once.
    6.  Putting on an outfit replaces your clothes and armor with just the costume. I was walking around in a t-shirt and jeans for most of the game, though I think it breaks immersion. I wish it would have been under my leather armor instead.

    Helpful Hints:

    1.  Search every location you come across whenever possible. Areas around corpses often have notes that can lead to quests or other useful pieces of information (like safe combinations).
    2.  Hot key your weapons.
    3.  Spend a minute looking at your control layout (and adjusting it as necessary) before you get very far. For example, "G" (on the PC) brings up the emote menu.
    4.  Weight limit is often limiting! You have been warned!
    5.  Government supply drops are wonderful!

    Bottom Line:

    Fallout 76 was quite enjoyable to me. I don't think that I will be teaming much (save for large challenges), as I really want to explore the game, read the notes, learn the lore, and relax. That desire seems to be diametrically opposed to regular teaming.  This issue alone has me really thinking about how I want to build my character and play.

     

    If you have any specific questions, let me know.  I will do my best to answer them.  Please note that I steered clear from providing certain information due to possible spoilers or personal strategies/habits/playstyles.  If you want to hear those things (no spoilers will be given), just ask.

  • Member
    November 2, 2018

    Thanks for this info! have you had a chance to try out any of the 'exotic weapons' yet? like bows, crossbows? 

  • November 2, 2018

    Crooks said:

    Thanks for this info! have you had a chance to try out any of the 'exotic weapons' yet? like bows, crossbows? 

    No, not yet.  You can craft throwing knives immediately, but not any exotics.  The perk card seems to unlock at level 8 (based on the Fallout Wiki page I linked above), and I haven't encountered that card yet.  That implies that they are higher-level weapons.  However, I am very interested to try them out when possible.  I will continue to work toward that with my Intelligence build during Saturday's B.E.T.A. and update you with anything I find out.  I really want to put an arrow in someone's knee!  :-)

  • Member
    November 2, 2018

    Feint said:

    Crooks said:

    Thanks for this info! have you had a chance to try out any of the 'exotic weapons' yet? like bows, crossbows? 

    No, not yet.  You can craft throwing knives immediately, but not any exotics.  The perk card seems to unlock at level 8 (based on the Fallout Wiki page I linked above), and I haven't encountered that card yet.  That implies that they are higher-level weapons.  However, I am very interested to try them out when possible.  I will continue to work toward that with my Intelligence build during Saturday's B.E.T.A. and update you with anything I find out.  I really want to put an arrow in someone's knee!  :-)

    haha! It would be great if they had an achievement relating to arrows and knees.. little knod to good ole skyrim.. but yeah let me know how they are if you get to play with a bow/crossbow!

  • November 2, 2018

    A lot of this sounds really good to me :) There's some really interesting stuff here Feint, so thanks for dropping in and listing it all. For me I'm specifically interested in seeing how the AI improves, because it does sound (and seem) like it's a bit off at times. Other then that, the darker nights/brighter days seems like a really nice change.

  • Member
    November 4, 2018

    Has anyone else encountered any Wanted players? I've run into one in each Beta I've played and killed them both; the first went down to a pitchfork in the back and the second I blasted with a shotgun. But other then those two most of the players in my sessions are fairly friendly.

  • November 4, 2018

    Golden Fool said:

    Has anyone else encountered any Wanted players? I've run into one in each Beta I've played and killed them both; the first went down to a pitchfork in the back and the second I blasted with a shotgun. But other then those two most of the players in my sessions are fairly friendly.

    During my first test (Thursday), there were at least two Wanted players.  It was funny, as right before the B.E.T.A. ended, they were next to each other.  I am guessing they were a "team" of grievers.

    During the second (Saturday) and third (Today) test, I didn't notice any Wanted players.  I wasn't actively looking, though, as I was off exploring areas all by myself.  I also wasn't on for the duration of either yesterday's or today's testing due to previous commitments.  Everyone else seemed friendly, though the guy with an open mic who followed me around was a little annoying.  Perhaps I should have muted him.

  • Member
    November 4, 2018

    Feint said:

    During the second (Saturday) and third (Today) test, I didn't notice any Wanted players.  I wasn't actively looking, though, as I was off exploring areas all by myself.  I also wasn't on for the duration of either yesterday's or today's testing due to previous commitments.  Everyone else seemed friendly, though the guy with an open mic who followed me around was a little annoying.  Perhaps I should have muted him.

    I've spent most of my time exploring on my own, the only reason I encountered those two is that I've built a shack just north of the Super Mutant infested lumberyard and am in need of suplies and item schematics from the main quests. I did encounter another player who I "teamed" up with to kill a Grafton Monster and a swarm of Mirelurks (including level 28 mirelurk hunters) before going our seperate ways.

     

  • November 8, 2018

    So, I got my hands on FO76 beta the other day and it was not a pleasant experiense for me personally not in 2018 at least. Today I saw this and from what I can gather here is that they will adress these problems in "the future" but these are all very basic problems that should not have been there in the first place with the game release I believe.

    https://www.reddit.com/r/fo76/comments/9v0886/beta_thankyou_and_addressing_your_feedback/

    First of all I haven't played any FO game so I wouldn't be as passionate as someone who has played and really likes the franchise in general would be. That being said I have played all types of mmos for many years so I will say my experience with FO76 from this point of view and not as a fan of the FO games in general. Apologies if this makes anyone upset. :P

    From what I see with this reddit post the game will come live as it is right now in beta which was something I expected. From my gameplay on PC the game just felt bad for me and I even felt uncomfortable looking at it at some point after like an hour of playing. It lacks some of the most basic options you would expect any mmo game to have fov, 63 fps lock?!?, DoF is horrible, radial blur is also horrible and so on and so forth. I won't go into more details but for me personally the game at the moment at least its technical side is a trainwreck. FO fans might like it but for players like me that always customize game options and pay attention to visuals and some of the most basics in this case it will be a turn off, I couldn't even bind my keys properly. That being said there are ways to go over this with third party programs and ini file changes and some other types of sorcery but why do I have to go into all this trouble to do something like that in 2018, I did it back in 2006 when I was a teenager nerd and felt like a b0$$ but this is 2018... This is another big issue, at the end of the day the one that knows how to best "customize" the game will be the one to have an edge on it. Also if you look around a bit there are already hacks and exploits out in the open even on reddit. Not to mention the lack of a chat, the open mic which they say they will fix etc but why these things be there in the first place? Also I really got the feeling that this game was built leaning more towards consoles and it was just poorly ported to a PC version.

    All in all this could have been a great survival game but it looks like they just rushed it out which is something they probably did from what I see at the moment. They should have kept the game at the very least a few more months in development, make several BETA testings and then deliver a much more polished product.

    Again sorry if that makes anyone upset but that was my experience and opinion of the game after playing the beta which from the looks of things is what we get as live version. I hope they will improve the game for all the FO fans out there but I think I will skip on this one.

  • November 8, 2018

    Duvain said:

    Again sorry if that makes anyone upset but that was my experience and opinion of the game after playing the beta which from the looks of things is what we get as live version. I hope they will improve the game for all the FO fans out there but I think I will skip on this one.

    Duvain, I don't think anyone will get upset with your opinion of Fallout 76!  I missed the B.E.T.A. on Tuesday, and will likely miss a lot of it today.  Oh well, that's life.  I do hope that when they say "near future" (in your reddit link above) they are likely referring to pre-launch.  That is implied in a few of the items, at least.  We've already had a 30 GB download after the initial 50 GB B.E.T.A. download, so they don't appear to have released the "final launch version" yet.

    I am by no means a Fallout "fanboy," though I do enjoy the Fallout games.  One thing that sits in the back of my mind is that Fallout 76 seems to contradict a lot of the already established lore (mostly timelines).  I can overlook this while playing, though that nagging truth will always be there.