Speculation: Fallout 4 and SPECIAL

[Nas92]

Given that BGS removed attributes in Skyrim to make the game more accessible, it is a worry for many people that SPECIAL will be done away with in F4. How high is the chance of that happening? Also, how would you feel if SPECIAL were to be removed and replaced with a simplified system like in Skyrim?

 

[Genocidicles]

It wouldn't be Fallout without SPECIAL. Of course if they bugger Fallout even more then there's always Wasteland 2.

 

[Roxas1359]

I'd honestly be quite upset because SPECIAL is to Fallout as turn-based combat is to Pokemon. I just hope that Obsidian are the ones making it and that Bethesda just publishes it. I know Obsidian makes buggy games, New Vegas was indeed buggy, but they in my opinion capture the feel of the old Fallout games while still modernizing it like how Bethesda did to Fallout 3.

 

[DustyDrB]

That would suck hard.
I like my XP for completing quests, and I like tinkering with the numbers myself. Though I've already decided I won't be getting the next Fallout if Bethesda makes it. I like Skyrim, but I despise their take on Fallout.

 

[Tayh]

Bethesda's SPECIAL is already a bastardization of the original SPECIAL, so why does it matter if they remove it? Your own reflexes, accuracy and controls are way more important, despite that the game is called an RPG.

 

[Gergar12_v1legacy]

I would miss my weapons perks. I prefer to hit something vs spamming bullets at it so smgs are easier to be used however my nightmare would be for fallout to be like mass effect 3 because it would ruin the somewhat turn based feel of fallout. If the combat is too smooth it would make vats a tad useless.

 

[Vault101]

why would they do that? this looks like wild speculation on the OP's part

its a shame bethesda would be doing it...I didn't mind falout 3 but they seriously can't do the kind of RPG I would want to play

That would suck hard.
I like my XP for completing quests, and I like tinkering with the numbers myself. Though I've already decided I won't be getting the next Fallout if Bethesda makes it. I like Skyrim, but I despise their take on Fallout.

I probably will because I really like fallout...and the setting alone will perhaps be enough, though when you think about it Fallout 3 was a bigger divergence from their usual "bethesda" style

-the PC was more defined
-there was actually role playing dialouge
-the story was more involved and personal

mabye Bethesda CAN actually do a story driven game? one can hope....

 

[Mr.PlanetEater]

If they remove SPECIAL then I will just shrug, and go back to playing New Vegas, Tactics, Fallout 1, and Fallout 2. Then wait for them to inevitably sell the franchise to Obsidian following a massive fan outrage campaign, and hope to god Obsidian do the sensible thing and pick up where Tactics left off.

 

[Mycroft Holmes]

It would change nothing because Fallout 3's SPECIAL system did absolutely nothing. Its a veneer, a Potemkin village, it had little to no effect on the game. My Fallout 3 character had 1 perception and was a fantastic sniper, had 1 charisma and was well liked and easily capable of talking people into anything I wanted.

There is no danger in them removing the SPECIAL system, because they didn't really use it in the first place. It was placeholder graphics so that they could say 'see this is totally just like how Fallout games look;' despite the fact that only intelligence/agility really mattered at all for anything except perks. So honestly I couldn't care less what Fallout 4 does so long as Bethesda licenses the rights to Obsidian to make the next game so that they can fix SPECIAL and make it mean something again like they did with New Vegas.

 

[Jfswift]

I don't think it will disappear. With the Elder Scrolls series, they've changed the leveling system with every iteration however with the Fallout series the changes haven't been that significant. The basic skill and perk system has remained mostly unchanged throughout all of the titles.

 

[Nas92]

Yes, I understand that, unfortunately, SPECIAL didn't matter as much as it should have in F3. To defend F3 though, SPECIAL wasn't perfect in the original Fallout games either, for instance Charisma has been usless in almost every game. However, at least with SPECIAL we can have attribute related dialogues, the perks and whatnot. Sucky or not, it would be a shame if they removed it and Todd Howard would come out and say that it's too spreadsheet-y or something.

 

[Sir Thomas Sean Connery]

The leveling system in Oblivion was absolutely terrible, so it made sense to mess with it.

As for SPECIAL, it's a classic part of Fallout and I see no reason why they would remove it.

Sounds like a lot of wild speculation.

Also, welcome to the Escapist forum. Stay out of the basement. Daystar Clarion is our lord and master. That is all.

 

[loc978]

...they'd better not. The way they had SPECIAL set up in F3 and Vegas made it easy to tinker with and turn into something approaching the spirit of the original games. Wanderer's Edition and Project Nevada proved that.

Hell, maybe they'll just include a "classic mode" that does something similar so you console folks can experience it the way it's supposed to be. Here's hoping.

 

[felbot]

well I am not going to get it anyway if Bethesda is making so it wouldn't matter to me, though I would probably be pissed anyway.

 

[Souplex]

Bethesda's SPECIAL is already a bastardization of the original SPECIAL, so why does it matter if they remove it? Your own reflexes, accuracy and controls are way more important, despite that the game is called an RPG.

That's what makes it an action RPG. Your stats have impact, but so do your skills as a player.

 

[Rawne1980]

I think the main reason behind their removal in Skyrim was because Oblivions system was not the best for players new to the series.

The levelling system was plain awkward having to make sure you levelled up certain skill to make sure you got the right stat increases on level up or you were fucked at higher levels.

Yeah it kinda "dumbed down" a bit for Skyrim but people honestly hated the levelling and stat system in Oblivion so I see why they did it.

Whereas the SPECIAL is an integral part of your character build. I don't see how they can do away with it or how they can justify it if they do.

 

[Sande45]

Well the difference between SPECIAL and Elder Scrolls attributes is that SPECIAL doesn't completely suck. So I doubt they'll get rid of it.

I'm a little surprised with the Bethesda hate here. Bethesda was pretty obviously just dipping their toes into Fallout franchise to see what's what (considering the short-ish dev time and overall limited size and depth of the game). With Fallout 3's (and New Vegas') massive success I'd say they're making more of a full-fledged game this time. At least I really hope they're making a Fallout game next because the combat would be decent at worst (unlike Skyrim).

 

[Thomas Hirst]

Actually Its important to note that if Bethesda does go down the same route as Skyrim with Fallout 4 special might become more important then ever. If they use it almost like the ward stones in which it say influences the speed of skill upgrades through usage or the maximum point spending per skill in each level then perhaps characters will have to be built entirely around special.

But the odds of this working is nigh on non-existent.