So after seeing all the other "zones" in the game like those Faction bases ie Airport, Forts and Freeside which were so large and detailed, I found the strip to be completely underwhelming. Why is the strip just a few tiny zones? It should be one open area, not tiny zones with gates.

i couldn't agree more.....i was expecting a whole lot more with the strip

Because House walled most of it off. The Strip is just the casinos, but the city of new vegas has sprawling urban decay all around it, which in some ways is just as interesting as the strip itself.

That may be the "official" response but that doesnt exactly make the strip look as good as it could. Not to mention i noticed in the intro cinematic there was no gates on the strip, it was as it should be, just one sprawling road.

They probably walled it off so they could add more NPC's to every part of the strip. Engine doesn't handle these things too well if the strip wasn't walled off I'm afraid.

Dear god I was almost overwhelmed at just how underwhelming it was. I mean this place is supposed to be the most interesting spot in the game!

*gamebryo*

Thats exactly what I though! This place is suppose to be the main geographic feature of the game, meanwhile I've seen half a dozen more impressive locations by the time I got to the strip. Freeside is a dungheap of a slum and I found it more interesting then the strip.

cool story bro

yea i felt the same way about all of DC in FO3, was all excited to explore this huge sprawling city just to find i can walk down like 2 streets cause everything else is blocked off by walls of rubble and debris


i understand if the hardware can't handle it, but if thats the case don't choose these enticing settings if you can't actually deliver them!

hardly ever encountered gates and barriers in the cities of morrowind or oblivion

The strip is ok in my opinion. Sure most of it consists of Casino's, a vault gift shop, and the NCR embassy. But fortunately, There are a numerous amount of activities you can do to earn a -censored-load of caps. Just last night, i played blackjack in "The Tops" before they banned me XD, and i made around 600 caps.

Not to mention there are like 2 or 3 areas you can set up your own little safehouse in the Strip.

Yeah, I'm really not digging the "Zones" either. But I still like the city of New Vegas. I find it fun and pleasurable to hang around and explore. It's also very fun to point and laugh at the drunks. I'm suddenly reminded of the movie "Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas".

Still, I do wish it were like the previews and trailers without the zones. Would be much better that way.

What made them change it?

I like the strip. I think it's a well developed and fun location. I spend a lot of time there and enjoy the environment. Yes, it would be nice if the engine would allow for it to be a much more open area, though I don't feel cheated in any way. They did what they could, and what they did is more than satisfactory.

I have not been to the strip yet, I have been taking my time just doing side quest and exploring areas in zone 4 and zone 5. I am excited to go to the strip though I will be impressed no matter what , doesnt have to be huge, but i cant wait to walk through the gates.

Dont be surprised if you change your mind when you get there, it takes 10 seconds or less to walk from gate to gate in the strip. I know its a different game engine, but Dead Rising 2's version of the strip was much more impressive in that it looked like what you'd expect the Los Vegas strip to look like.

I haven't even been to the Strip yet - and I could have told you this just by watching all the trailers.

I could tell from the trailers that I was going to be very disappointed with the Strip. They *really* try to hype it up in the videos and trailers, but you can just tell how small and honestly not very exciting it is. They keep comparing it in the videos to Vegas today, full of life, etc. I didn't get that feel from the trailers at all.

So I haven't built up any expectations of this area of the game, for when I get there.