Fallout: I want to hear your ideas and suggestions

[Puni/Void]

Hi Ghost,

Thanks for the reply. Check your PM inbox.

[nightrain]

One thing that is missing from RPGs in general is a more aggressive, interactive police force. NPCs are not vigilant enough when it comes to thieving and murdering. Example from Bethesda's Morrowind game: I can kill and rob six people in the first town I go to and get away with it completely. Nobody hears the screaming and fighting. Nobody cares about the dead bodies lying on the ground. Nobody cares that the places have been broken into and robbed. There's no follow-up ever from guards or citizens.
To make the game more immersive, the NPCs should be more aggressive about coming after the main character with accusations and criminal charges. Being in trouble with the law is hilarious and exhilirating. I remember the Bounty Hunters used to chase me around in Fallout 1. In Fallout 3 there should be Bounty Hunters, aggressive cops, crooked cops, and vigilantes that won't put up with the looting and murdering we find ourselves doing. It adds to the excitement of robbing and murdering people that you have to clean up after yourself and make sure there aren't any living eye witnesses if you don't want to be hunted by the law.

[Harrison]

That is a very good point and something that developers have always had problems with. Getting the NPCs to feel believable and realistic to the player. The problem is that in creating a justice system within a game you can end up making it very hard to play and enjoy.

One that did include law enforcement is the Baldur's Game series. I remember the first time I played the original first game in the series I began by doing what you do in every other RPG, going through the belongings of everyone in the inn, and in the town. The problem was that one of the NPCs discovered missing items and I was sprung. And on fleeing to the next town some magicians were waiting for me and killed me on the spot as I entered the town. Nasty! But cool too.

Another was the Thief games. Being discovered or an NPC finding a dead body meant others were alerted to your presence. The MGS games are another example of a similar system, and many Ninja games also include similar systems.

Oh and welcome to the forum nightrain

[Puni/Void]

One thing that is missing from RPGs in general is a more aggressive, interactive police force. NPCs are not vigilant enough when it comes to thieving and murdering. Example from Bethesda's Morrowind game: I can kill and rob six people in the first town I go to and get away with it completely. Nobody hears the screaming and fighting. Nobody cares about the dead bodies lying on the ground. Nobody cares that the places have been broken into and robbed. There's no follow-up ever from guards or citizens.

Hi Nightrain and welcome to the Classicamiga forum. Hope you'll have a good time here!

As for Morrowind, I don't agree completely about the law enforcement factor. All towns, like Balmoro, Vivec, and so on, does have a form of police in the guards. These guards patrol the streets and they are fighting crime. If you try to steal someone, or maybe you decide to attack an NPC, they will respond and thereby try to arrest you. You can of course try to avoid this by using sneak mode, or attacking an NPC at a spot were no guards are around. If you get caught, you'll have to spend time in jail, which will reduce your stats.

There is also a bounty-system, and the bounty goes up and up depending on how much crime you are comitting. I believe the bounty-system is also implemented in Oblivion. Beside this, I would also like to mention that in Morrowind and Oblivion, there is is a reputation level which will influence what other characters think of you. Therefore, if you commit crime, non-criminals will be reluctant to help you out for example.

Anyway, I understand your viewpoint, and I think it would be nice with an RPG were such a system was more developed.

[Harrison]

That is true regarding Oblivion. If a guard spots you trying to break into a house, or you are caught trying to pick someone's pockets then the guards are instantly attacking you and throwing you in jail.

Another game with a good justice system was Frontier: Elite 2.

[Puni/Void]

Yeah, Frontier had a law-enforcement system that worked well. If you by mistake fired a cannon or launched something at a city or spacecenter, they would come for you right away.

[Demon Cleaner]

The first Elite also had that feature, a bit annoying was, when you were in a fight, and hit the space station only one time with your fire, the cops immediately swarmed out with their vipers, and you couldn't dock there anymore.

Welcome nightrain, nice to meet you.