music by https://soundcloud.com/emiflake
i’m really happy with this one!
i think this is probably my favorite video i’ve ever made, it was an absolute blast to make. guess i might be discussing games’ writing more often in future.
patreon: https://bit.ly/3MKr02N
channel: https://bit.ly/3PHbhU7
the best stuff i’ve made: https://bit.ly/3ySzlgz
Why I have 400+ Hours in Fallout 4 (And New Vegas)
https://youtu.be/9YvSuZiUpiE
big things are coming.
source
One thing to add is that if you say no to Caesar enough when doing a legion playthrough, he'll actually threaten you and have his guards attack you if you don't do as commanded. As opposed to telling Maxson how much you hate him for three hours straight before doing exactly what he asks
Thanks for making this video, you really put into words how I've felt about the game since I beat it for the first time in 2015. It's always seemed so strange how the companion dialogue (for the most part) has way better writing than the main quests. I really hope that some day we can get a fallout, or fallout like RPG with a story as deep as New Vegas was, but with some damn good gameplay too.
yes, good video
so…. why do you have 400 hours in fallout 4?
Had to drop what I was doing
My favourite niche video essay youtuber uploaded
Now I wanna see about a mod that makes the gunners a faction
Bethesda in general just doesn't seem to understand time that well, this problem pops up in the TES titles as well sometimes, not just F3 and 4. Also, despite being VERY rushed, obsidian had the advantage of being able to use ideas from the cancelled Van Buren, I don't think that changes the point much, but I feel like it should've been mentioned. And I doubt they had plans to make gunners joinable, they really feel like Talon Company 2, that being generic raiders with better equipment. Also the point lookout footage cracked me up, because, honestly, replacing far harbor with point lookout would barely change anything, which kinda serves the point you're making in that segment. All in all I think you made a great video
edit: also what's the SMG mod in the footage of killing legionaries in nipton?
spamingus
Your explanation of Caesar is so on point.
I realized the son was dead/older literally during the intro cinematic and couldn't stand how it took 40 hours of play for my stupid protagonist to figure it out. Could never finish the game after completely losing interest in the main story. #justbethesdathings
Honestly I just don’t get how we couldn’t have just talked it out with kellogg
"The race to the Berlin being won by the Falkland islands" thats good
What's the name of the song that plays during Nick's speech?
Defending Bethesda a bit: Obsidian was working with the engine already done, and had a lot of leftover material from Van buren/Fallout Bible, while Bethesda was basically making things as they went.
Also, the Institute does explain its core belief system, they think they are so completely superior to the above world that they view it was a nuisance that at best needs to be controlled and at worst needs to be eliminated. In many ways they are similar to the Enclave in that they are extreme xenophobes except their main prejudice is against unintelligent people. They are super hostile to everyone because they initially tried to help others (as much as a sociopath can), but due to their insidious behavior and the "broken mask incident" (when the malfunctioning synth started attacking) they closed themselves off and became paranoid that others would try to destroy them. Overall the Institute isn't that poorly written as a faction, it's just that the fixation Bethesda had with the Father plot twist ended up making characters (specially Father himself) look really stupid.
Gonna be cringe and say. Ave True to Caesar!
I have 1500 hours in fallout 4 because of the base building mode and like 800 mod load order
The basic F4 conversation responses
Yes
No
Funny response
Yes but no
400 hrs? I had triple that on Xbox. Now I've been playing on comp since 2 years in and I am around 3000K hrs on that. LOL
this is very thought through. even tho you examined the same elements that has been already examined by other youtubers, you still managed to get new observations. great work on that one
Had me until the obligatory “Bethesda upset that obsidian was better” just beating a dead horse, the two companies like each-other I don’t get this weird idea. Not to mention, word of the NCR being shown in 4 at all is good, it’s a world of no high speed travel and no quick forms of communication lol the NCR hasn’t been around that long in its current form.
I have never understood why people would defend Caesar's Legion, making corruption and bureaucracy equivalent to slavery, active cultural destruction, and wanton murder.
400? Weak try 3000 on nv
I wanna add some things to your very good points!
1. The reason Arthur Maxson is the Elder now is because he's a direct descendant of Rodger Maxson, the original founded of The Brotherhood of Steel. I think the real issue is that, ten years after Fallout 3, suddenly everyone in the Lyon's Pride who were trying to help the wasteland instead of hiding away inside a bunker all suddenly decided to, without fail, go back to their old ways? It doesn't make sense and I feel like there should have been a huge schism in The Brotherhood when Maxson decided to return to the ways of old.
2. The Institute blandly seeing the Synths as less then them I think does make sense. Yes, their obviously intelligent like people but–In real life, so were plenty of groups who have seen horrific things done to them by other groups for merely being different. I agree 100% the Railroad shouldn't be a major faction and how they could effect other factions views of synths. But I think the fact even your character could see them as being "lesser" merely by existing has an establishment in real world racism and bigotry.
The Virgin Railroad vs The Chad Gunners
i didnt like new vegas
Well the Minutemen were a strong force as the Institute actually I think that they both can go toe to toe with Caesar's Legion and don't forget about the Children of Atom and the Gunners.
The reason the Legion pronounces Caesar like that is because that’s the actual pronunciation, not because of the word Kaiser.
Kaiser itself is the germanization of Caesar.
You was 13 years old playing a game ment for adults – yup relatable…
But on one occasion Caesar actually says the truth – it's when he gives his opinion on the BOS…
With the different pronunciations of "Caesar", the way we say it, the way Graham says it, comes from an old French dialect. Whereas "Kaisar" is straight from Latin. Though its pronounced slightly differently; because, ya know, its Latin lol The specific sounds/letters needed for it to sound correct we dont have in English. Theyre both the same word though (king/leader/emperor), they just took different linguistical routes.
Not saying anything you said was wrong, just thought Id throw that info out there 😀
New Vegas completely relies on exposition dumps from every major NPC. Caesar does a whole villain monologue and explains his entire ideology and goals to some mailman he just met. It's so clunky and forced. it's a joke people think that game is well written. Oh, and House does that too, and teh Think Tank does that too, and well, pretty much every major NPC in the game just explains everything directly at you the moment you meet them. And you think its well written?! lmao…
There is zero nuance or subtly in NV's writing, its just shoved in your face the moment you meet an NPC.
New Vegas Literally lacks a narrative motivation for the protagonist to even be involved in the faction war. Seriously, ask yourself why the Courier is doing the faction war. There isnt a reason. You just do it cus the game tells you to. Theres no stakes, theres no personal involvement, theres no story or connection. Its just "do quest cus quest here".
And dont give me that "its an RPG, you make your own reason" cop out answer. Literally no other story based RPG does that. And no other Fallout game does that. If you're playing a narrative focused game, if you're constantly asking "why is my character doing this?" the writing has failed. And if you have to head canon your own reason for why they're involved in the main conflict of the game. The writing has failed.
And you claim its better written? Why is this trash in my recommended lol.
Also, the NCR is like 3000 miles away from the commonwealth in wasteland of a world. why would people in the commonwealth mention the NCR? Most people wouldnt even know it exists. Why would they?
bad bandwagon opinion video is bad. This is seriously such a bad faith, sloppy video with bandwagon hate. Just awful.
Fallout 4 would be much better game if Bethesda made right handed guns and real life ammo variants, instead of writing a funfic to H.P. Lovecraft,and focused on the plot. But it's probably never ever happening, 'cause when big studio can't make a good lever action rifle in game about mostly shooting guns – that shows a lot.
Honestly, I really don't like the Institute. Like you said, they are comic book villains (though I'd argue at least comic book villains are better since they tend to actually be fun), they have no goal, they create needlessly complex machines that are on the verge, if not are sapient, just to do basic chores, infiltrate societies they purposely antagonised by doing needlessly evil shit, and despite suppose to a part of the "smart" faction, they don't recognise or refuse the recognise the obvious sentience in their androids, without any actual explanation except "They must've glitched idk".
How I would've written the Institute is this:
The Institute make and sell synths because they find it more ethical that the slave trade of humans (which is a common practice in the wasteland). They believe rogue synths happens directly due to the Railroad's theft and interference (particularly the memory wipes). And they actually have influence over the commonwealth, with physical representatives and several locations outside their main bunker. They are still known to replace people if it can serve to protect their interests, though this is tolerated with some factions (mainly their main customers such as Diamond City), though they are very feared outside their main influence, especially in Minutemen controlled territory.