Original Fallout designer expresses concern for Fallout MMO
by Shawn Schuster 
Oct 8th 2008 at 7:00PM
Filed under: Sci-fi, Interviews, MMO industry, Opinion
What could possibly be a bad idea about an impending MMO based in the Fallout universe? We've heard the rumors, and we're very excited about the possibilities. So why would it be a bad idea? Well, according to original Fallout designer and newly-promoted Carbine Studios Design Director Tim Cain, "It's not necessarily the direction I would've gone."Cain's main concern with a Fallout MMO is that the original game was designed to make you feel like you were living in a post-apocalyptic world. In other words, there's not going to be 100+ other players running around you killing (Oh God, please no!) the same 10 boars as you in the same area. Although Cain doesn't really offer any alternatives to this, would a Guild Wars-style instanced world be the solution? We'll have to wait and see what Interplay has up their sleeves.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
ScytheNoire said on 8:08PM 10-08-2008
Sounds to me Tim Cain might need to take it in the proper direction. If you consider how well the first two Fallout games still hold up (graphics aside), he should be listened to. Sounds like they might just be trying to make another theme park MMO, which there are plenty of.
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deadlock said on 8:11PM 10-08-2008
Anyone remember that car wars like MMO? Auto assault or something. The postapocalyptic setting was ruined by too much activity. There was too many NPCs to shoot, too many quests. Few but difficult encounters is the way to go in postapocalyptic settings, but I do not see that happen in MMOs where advancement is dependent on gathering xp.
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Bryan S. said on 8:53PM 10-08-2008
Please please please no hardcore instance based MMO just for the sake of preserving the Fallout universe. He's totally right, and a Fallout MMO just sounds stupid to me.
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Gylfi said on 9:23PM 10-08-2008
Jesus! If the Fallout MMO is yet another WoW-Everquest type of MMO, and there's a quest "go fetch me 20 brahmin balls" I'm gonna kill myself and THEN kill interplay folks..
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Reader said on 3:12AM 10-09-2008
Then sing the song that ends the world out of one of your six mouths.
Gylfi said on 8:04AM 10-09-2008
LoL...
online. craft.
Reader said on 3:13AM 10-09-2008
Yeah I don't see this working too well. Maybe if the world was enormous, but even then people would naturally concentrate into certain areas. I suppose it's possible, maybe cut down on the NPCs. 2k people or so for a whole world really isn't that ridiculous, even if it's post-apocalyptic. Just make it feel empty enough.
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mikejl said on 8:57AM 10-09-2008
It’s refreshing to read this. Not all single player games make good MMOs. Fallout is a great example.. so is a KOTOR MMO a bad idea.
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ScytheNoire said on 9:11AM 10-09-2008
I'd say yes if it was PC only, but being a LucasArts property and being BioWare, it means it's also going to be coming to the consoles (or at least one of them).
Right now the PC market is flooded with subscription MMO's, and unless you are very different with a well established founding (Warhammer 40K or World of Darkness will work), or have something vastly different, it's not worth coming out.
This is why I hope we see games go for different business models beyond the over done subscription fee. Or do something like Sony's pass (looking at you NCSoft), a system like Guild Wars, or offer life-time subscriptions like LotRO (but don't get rid of it, keep offering).
It's all about the business models from now on as to how well they will work out. Monthly fee's is reaching it's breaking point.
Hot$auce_Magik said on 10:37AM 10-09-2008
I really don't think a fallout MMO would work. If we are to assume the new direction of fallout is F3, you can't really have a time stopping factor such as VATS (which takes the place of the strategy based fighting in the 3d setting)
It just wouldn't work. Fallout is always going to be a strategy game to me and I'm greatly looking forward to its new iteration, but I can't see how an MMO format would work for fallout.
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