The combat itself, just got very tedious and repetitive for me. (May not have helped that I picked my group/etc originally for looks/etc, rather than combat effectiveness.... so I had my rogue & Leliana's rogue, plus Morrigan & Alistair (so terrible tank & little healing) at low level, or Shale & Wynne at higher level. No AoE, basically. So all the fights were tedious drawn out slugfests that I had to turn the difficulty down to minimum to survive. Even in my first playthrough, I just wanted the combat to be over already (oh, look.... yet another area filled with dozens of combats).

So the idea of having to go through all that again, even with a more effective group, just completely outweighed any desire to see other plotlines.


tl;dr - Unlike you, I didn't enjoy the combat system. Which kind of got in the way of the plot.

Well said, and a bit more balanced perspective than I presented. I come from the point of view of [censored] role-playing snob (could you tell?) But you're quite correct. It's not somehow "wrong" to play F:NV with the attitude of an FPS player or a stats munchkin, no matter how much I may care to look down on such players.

But I think we can agree that it's a bit ridiculous to play the game with a somewhat fringe ultra-Achiever approach, carefully calculated to drain and destroy as much replay value as possible, and then state that the game simply has no replay value.

However for me that was the reason i played it trough ...6 times? The battles played quite differently with differently specced character classes, mage that cherry picks the strongest spell lines makes a nuclear war look like a picnic. Of course the storyline choices and endings helped too.

I think i'll have a very similar relationship with New Vegas

I can understand where the OP is coming from. It shouldn't matter what platform you are on. Mods should not make the game last longer, just after 2 weeks of release? I remember playing Morrowind at least 25 different starts and some feel the same, but alot of others felt different if you took different paths.

I went south becuase I was roll playing and it felt right. I was thinking of heading North of Goodsprings to do something different. I am trying to stay away from spoilers, so this maybe a spoiler.

So yeah, being forced to go in one direction knowing what will happen for alot of people takes the replay factor away. I may not play the game after I finish it for the first time as well. At least in Fallout 3, I could do the "Rivit City Run" or go in any other direction wich I choose to do so. Sort of svcks, actually it does svck big time that you can't do that in New Vegas.

If FNV has no replay value, then what does?

Okay, to put some perspective here: 117 hours. If someone plays a game 117 hours they got incredible "bang" for their buck - the time from the release date is irrelevant. Any game that gives me 117 hours (4 hrs night = 29 nights! which is more time than anyone with real life obligations usually has to give) is a huge game.

FNV offers huge replay value - just maybe not the kind the OP wants it to offer. And, for the record, I was level 6 or 7 after completing the area around Goodsprings and I went north and discovered some awesome things before being forced to turn back, although with a stealth boy, you can sneak through fairly easily if desired. I don't like the invisible walls, but I'll take having parts of the world hand me my head on a platter any day. I remember in FO3 being level 8 and clearing (clearing!) the mall and capitol building! Ugh.

Theres no real need to confirm that fall out new vegas doesn't have as much replay value as fallout 3. Just look at the maps. Fallout 3 had the entire map filled with areas you can go.
This is the new vegas map. http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20101101084848/fallout/images/thumb/e/ea/Fallout_newvegas_piecemeal_map.png/541px-Fallout_newvegas_piecemeal_map.png/613px-Fallout_New_Vegas_Map_v0.01.png
Look at how dense everything is put together. You literally have an entire west side missing of the map that you can't explore. Almost about a third. Now compared to fallout 3. http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090807131055/fallout/images/thumb/0/03/Wasteland_Map_1.0.png/650px-Wasteland_Map_1.0.png
As you can see you have a lot more areas to explore because you have the whole map to explore.
Granted the new vegas map is slightly larger, but you can't explore nearly every inch of the map like you can in fallout 3.

I'm placed over 600 hours in Fallout 3 and I know for a fact that it has great replay value.
New vegas needs to unrestrict the ability to climb mountains, and unlock the full map for content. Then, it will definitely have a chance at a full map experience.

Um. No it isn't. At least half the locations in the game are not indicated. Hoover Dam isn't even on there for chrissake.

Oddly, I think playing so much FO3 has diminished some replay enjoyment of NV. I'm so stoked about how many nifty bits are scattered all over the world that I have developed a kind of Obsessive-Compulsive urge to check every single nook and cranny, every desk, every container, every side canyon, every hilltop and valley. It takes me a crazy long time to get to the next stage of a quest, and by the time I get anywhere, I've picked up 5 new quests.

It's served me well, mostly. I've found quest-critical keys, notes, journals, unique weapons, valuable salvage, humorous and heartbreaking scenes, etc.

...but I think it does lead to burnout a bit. My Pip-Boy map looks like it has a ferocious case of acne, and some achievement popped up that said I'd been a ludicrous number of places. I started character #2, but now find myself wondering what to look at...

Still things I intend to try though: I love that all the followers have story lines, and I've only checked out 3.5 of those, which were great. I'm going to do more cooking, too. I'm about sick of 200 year old food.

And it's not that hard to go north or northeast from Goodsprings. I got to New Vegas by level 3, which meant some pretty desperate fighting and

You should have been a mage, they're fun as hell and own ALL.

My perception of a replay value is a pleasure of starting the journey all over again with a possibility of experiencing something new along the way. Despite the fact that I left an impression of being more of an FPS than RPG player, which is not actually the case, that feeling of walking the same path, no matter how much I tried not to, is what gives me a trouble role playing my second character.

The option to complete the quest in several different ways bears no meaning if it has no true impact on your journey. What I mean is if completing a quest in a certain way simply prevents you from doing another one but in fact doing any of the two still keeps you on the same track towards an end then in essence it really doesn't matter how you choose to complete them. To amke this clear let me ask you this, what makes the difference between helping and killing Great Khans besides losing an option to get quests from them if you chose to kill them. In my first run I chose to help them and I've seen what they offer, so what new experience will I get from killing them all on my second run? Will there be a new set of quests open to me for doing it? Not really, the only thing that will happen is losing an opportunity to take their quests again.

The reason it took me so much time to finish the game is my interest in exploring hidden places, terminals, notes and consuming all the quests and dialogues the game permits me to. However, what I cannot do is force myself to skip some of the content just for the sake of another replay. If the content is there for me then I want to be a part of it. I guess this is just my play style but I hope this makes it more clear why I chose to be on good terms with everyone (except the Legion for role playing purposes). If the game offered something new in a different case or simply prevented me to be on good terms with everyone at the same time, which would make perfect sense, then I guess I would still have something left to hold on for my second play through.

Thank you for all the comments guys. I've read them all and you've made a lot of good points on the subject.

I'm confused...

This is the highest replay value game since FO3

Oh an um... DLC

If you really think there are only 45 locations in the New Vegas map you obviously haven't actually played the game.

Like I said, some stuff will be inaccessible because you choose a different path, but there are things than open up. If you are playing the same personality type there will be few alterations to major events and the majority of changes will happen with side quests (I think).

If you can fight. I mean not use VATS and have a few skills then Stalker, the series may be worth a try, Endless replay-ability but quite brutal. Fallout is a nice friendly world compared to Stalker.

I'll dump anothre 30 - 40 hours into NV the back to my Stalker games. I have many hundreds of hours into each of them.

Ya, beat the game and don't feel like playing again. The novelty has worn off and I am very disappointed when compared with FO3. Sure there are a lot more quests, marked and unmarked, but the world is a lot smaller. There was nothing really hardcoe about hardcoe. In theory it was a good idea but didn't really work. They should have called it minor nuisance mode instead. The strip looks cool in the distance at night, when your coming up a hill, but is a huge disappointment when you actually get there. And no poker of any kind. The graphics I thought could have been more improved. The final battle was not as epic as the one in FO3. No evil companions, and Ed-E does not count as one. And we don't even have to mention the amount of freezing, black screens, bugs, and scripting issues in the game. I almost sold the game the other day. But I am hoping they bring out some good DLC. If I had a PS3 I would have definitely sold the game by now, seeing as they will have to wait for DLC.

Even if your doing the same objectives, different builds equals different game play, which equals replay value.

But, what game have you played that isn't like that except world building sims or open games like ALPHA CENTAURI and FLIGHT SIMULATOR?

Gimme an example of a game where the journey itself can be radically altered by game decisions, so I can get where you're coming from. I supposed we'll have to agree on "journey" first. I don't call the experience of, say, traveling across Vvardenfell a "journey" - but if you do, it will mean something very different to you and me.

P.S. I assume that 1/0 questing extends to character builds - in BIOSHOCK you may end up with radically different builds but the journey is exactly the same from start to finish. As is SYSTEM SHOCK2, my very favourite game of all time.

you can go with a different build for the next playthrough and theres a semi-different story line... so i say yea theres some replay value. dont talk in absolutes if you want me to take you even slightly seriously.

One more thing: there is "replay value" for me in Beth's games just by virtue of liking to be in that world. I keep coming back / restarting OBLIVION, FALLOUT, DAGGERFALL because I enjoy losing myself in those places.

That is not what the OP is talking about, I think (I guess) but it is REplay VALUE to me. I've spent 500+ hours and three characters in DC, that is the very definition of value to me.

It's why I buy certain movies: I'll watch them more than once, "replay" them if you will. Yet movies, unlike games are in every way exactly the same each time you play them. It's US who change; certain movies suddenly "talk" to us, others we get bored of and never watch again. The experience is not quite the same, hence replay value.

I read LORD OF THE RINGS three times. It was the same story but not the same experience, even though it was all the very same words. Value.

What RPGs do you consider to have lots of replay value TC?

That's a good question. I'm not sure about the Great Khans having diverse experiences that await ... although playing through their camp with three different characters, I found new quests each time and every character had at least one unique experience in resolving them. My peaceful character never killed off the Fiends, so she was able to do the drug runner quest. My gunslinger character discovered Melissa's quest to fetch the briefcase that my peaceful character missed. My violent character (my first) was allied with the Legion, so she basically took a quick look around and then left, it's true.

But let me suggest that using a different approach on your part can make things very fresh. When my violent character got to the Tops, I told myself at the beginning of the game, when anyone mouths off to this character, she kills them, and I followed through with it, which resulted in this exhilarating and really fun sequence and several others like it. It was great.

Ever tried going through Vault 34 without firing a shot? My peaceful character did it. Her idiom for the entire game is to never hit the attack button or open VATS. She's made it to level 26 so far. I'm here to tell you, it's not the same game from a new angle, but perfectly playable and loads of fun.

What changes in your behavior did you decide on for your second playthrough? Did you just make the same well-rounded character again and say, OK, now I'll do it all all over again and pick different speech options? Or did you have some kind of idea in mind on how you would do things really differently?

Gotta agree with the OP too.
FO3 just seemed to have much more longevity.
The quests were spread out, is the main thing.
In NV, playing the main storyline knocks out almost every quest and causes you to see most of the wasteland, knocking out that "Explorer" feel to it that came with FO3, where there was still a hole wasteland to explore after you finished the main quest.
That, along with having a bunch of meaningless locations, knocks out the desire to explore, and therefore cuts down it's main replayability pitch.

if you dont like doing the long linear cooridor southward from the start, get a stealthboy (schoolhouse safe) and go to sloan. Then use it to sneak past the Deathclaws and then head off to New Vegas.

ta da, linear corridor gone.

Very true. To expound further on what I said about different approaches, my three characters of course have very different skill sets. The pacifist character obviously plays crazy different. But even my cool-headed gunslinger and my wild melee girl are worlds apart in gameplay. Approaching every combat situation with a hammer instead of a rifle makes things very very different. Practically a whole new game.

Half the replay value of FNV is changing what's on your character sheet.