Gameplay of the Fallout series

The Fallout series has a rich and varied gameplay, characterised by a high degree of freedom and depth of role-playing, and the following are its main gameplay elements:

Exploration and world interaction:
- Open World Free Exploration: the game provides a vast map of the wasteland world, and players are free to walk and explore in various areas. Whether it is an abandoned city, barren desert, eerie underground bunker, or a secret base hidden in the mountains, all waiting for players to discover. During the exploration process, players may encounter various random events, such as encountering enemy raids, discovering hidden treasures or triggering special missions.
- Scene Interaction: The scenes in the game are highly interactive. Players can search various buildings, abandoned vehicles, crates, etc. to find useful items such as weapons, ammunition, medicine, food, etc. It is also possible to interact with some of the facilities in the scene, such as operating computer terminals to obtain information, opening closed doors or starting certain machines.
Character creation and growth:
- Attribute and Skill Setting: Players are required to create their characters and set their attributes and skills when they start the game. Attributes include Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility, Luck, etc. These attributes will affect the character’s various abilities, such as Strength affecting weight bearing and melee damage, and Perception affecting shooting accuracy and the ability to find hidden items. Skills, on the other hand, include firearms use, melee combat, medicine, repair, eloquence, etc. Players can choose to develop different skills according to their own gaming style and preferences.
- Upgrade and Growth: As the game progresses, the character gains experience value by completing missions, defeating enemies, etc. When the experience value accumulates to a certain level, the character will be upgraded. After upgrading, the player can obtain Skill Points, which can be used to enhance the character’s attributes and skills. In addition, the character can also obtain special props or complete specific quests to obtain additional ability enhancements, such as learning new skills, obtaining special equipment, or transforming his/her body.
Quests and Plot Advancement:
- Main Quests: every Fallout game has a main plot story, and players need to complete a series of main quests to advance the plot. Main quests are usually highly challenging and story-driven, with players facing a variety of powerful enemies, solving complex puzzles or making tough choices. Completing main quests allows players to understand the backstory and main plot of the game world.
- Sub-quests: In addition to the main quests, there are a large number of side quests in the game. The contents of the side quests are rich and varied, some of them are to help a certain survivor to solve his personal problems, some of them are to explore a certain mysterious place, and some of them are to investigate the truth of a certain event and so on. Side quests not only provide the player with additional experience value and rewards, but also allow the player to gain a deeper understanding of various corners of the game world and the stories of the characters therein.
- Plot Choices: In the game, the player’s choices will have an impact on the development of the plot. For example, when facing some moral dilemmas or power conflicts, the player’s choices will determine the attitudes of different powers towards the player, as well as the ending of the game. This multi-branching plot design increases the playability and repetition of the game, and players can experience different plot developments through different choices.
Battle system:
- Multiple Weapons and Combat Styles: The Fallout series offers a rich selection of weapons, including pistols, rifles, shotguns, energy weapons, and more. Players can choose the right weapon according to their preferences and combat needs. Combat styles include both long-range shooting and melee fighting. During the battle, players need to pay attention to their weapon ammo level, life value and stamina, and other statuses, and reasonably use their weapons and skills to defeat the enemy.
- V.A.T.S. System (Shelter Technology Assisted Targeting System): This is the signature combat system of the Fallout series, where the player can pause time in battle to access the V.A.T.S. system and select an enemy body part to attack, with each part having a different hit rate and damage. Using the V.A.T.S. system requires a certain amount of action points to be consumed, and players need to decide whether to use the system or not based on the actual situation.
Base building and management (present in some games): In some Fallout games, players can build their own bases or shelters. Players need to collect resources, such as wood, steel, food, water, etc., and then use these resources to build and upgrade various facilities in the base, such as constructing houses, growing food, and setting up fortifications. At the same time, players also need to manage the residents in the base, assign jobs to them and ensure the normal operation of the base.
Socialising and Trading:
- Interacting with NPCs: the game has a wide variety of non-player characters (NPCs) with whom the player can interact and learn about the game world, accept quests, or trade through dialogue. The player’s eloquence skill affects the effectiveness of interactions with NPCs; a highly eloquent player can more easily persuade NPCs, obtain more information, or better trade terms.
- Trading System: Players can buy and sell various items at in-game shops or by trading with other NPCs. The price of items will be affected by factors such as the player’s eloquence skills, relationship with NPCs, and the economic conditions of the region. Players can trade to get the items they need, or sell the items they don’t need for money.