This is a matter of personal taste. Everything you pointed out and critisized I think is actually a step in the direction of being more awesome. Specialization would only concern me in a more teamwork oriented game. So if I was actually travelling around with like 5 companions, each with their own special set of skills, I could understand the emphasis on teamwork and need for specialization rather than just having a single character superstar do everything while everybody else just stands around doing nothing. As it is, though, all Fallouts currently in the series places a lot of emphasis on the player's PC, firmly placing him in the spotlight at all times, and thus all games can be completed without recruiting a single companion (and often I found them to get underfoot more often than be helpful). With so much emphasis on the individual player character, my view is that it's a good thing the PC is able to get such a broad spectrum of knowledge by investing in only one skill category. It makes me feel less limited in what I am able to do in the Fallout universe, and have a greater impact on the environment since I know how to do so much.

I have no problem with limiting my self, or using my imagination. This is a Role Playing game after all. Plus I'm used to playing D&D. We will agree to disagree. It doesnt invalidate either of our opinions, because they are just that, opinions.

Does it matter? The skill dictates proficiency regardless of handicap.

Well, yeah.

Let's just take this line "Consider that now you cannot create a sharpshooter who is not also a minigun expert"
Aaaand change it: Consider that you cannot create a gunslinger who is not also a sniper expert
Consider that you cannot create a gunslinger who is not also an automatic rifle and SMG expert
Consider that you cannot create a gunslinger who is not also a shotgun expert
Pistols handle differently from sniper rifles, just cause you've spent your entire life dedicating yourself to pistols and ONLY pistols does not mean you know how to handle a shotgun or sniper rifle.
So, let the STR stat take care of it.

(Big Guns was the most laughable one of them all, good riddance.)

Its not preference, its character based RPG's. The single most common complaint about Oblivion was that making a character that excelled at everything, and mastered all guilds was all but unavoidable (as well as being incredulous).

**If you had a team of five specialist, and four of them were killed, the remaining PC would be limited to what they knew (as it should be); and you can start an RPG like that with one PC, and play the character for all their worth.


This method always results in simplified roles.

But training raises all of your weapon proficiencies equally (FO1 was bad enough, but this is combining combined groups).

Richard "dike" Mantis: My quintessential noir alcohol driven private eye.

"Old Bone Tooth": The wiley hermit prospector-esque survivalist.

Xarnac The Conqueror AKA "The Scourge of Betelguese": My titular character is inspired by an alian Orson Welles with an orange tan (Since hes from the Betelguese System) and a blue pompadour.

Dr. Strangeglove: An eccentric scientist who strives for results, foregoing ethics and danger in the process. A neo-noir Frankenstein?

Dominic The Whale AKA Nicky Pork Chops: A stereotypical mobster, cold and calculating. A sociopathic degenerate gambler, who has more bastard sons than Zeus.

Edgar Lumis: A drug addicted thieving scumbag, whos only motivation is a quick fix. His demeanor gets him into lots of trouble that his quick tongue gets him out of. He would be more dangerous if he wasnt such a coward.

How will any of my "Roles" be simplified, they will be the same characters they always were.

You lost me.

How many of those stepped out of the Vault?


Adding skill points to to a combined skill multiplies the benefits because you gain expertise in every weapon covered by the group regardless of how unrelated they are. Small guns improved by 10 gives you improved marksmanship with every possible pistol and rifle you can find... Now in [New Vegas] this extends to every firearm in the game including weapons your PC has never seen, and specialized military weaponry.

You say you shouldnt have to pretend but to run around fighting with your fists in Fallout 3 you had to pretend there werent weapons everywhere and anywhere.

They all stepped out of the vault technically but again I role play their backgrounds etc. How would Xarnac a orange tanned alien come from a vault? Obviously he couldnt of. With this new Fallout I wont have to imagine so much since the PC background is a mystery... for now anyways.

Adding skill points to to a combined skill multiplies the benefits because you gain expertise in every weapon covered by the group regardless of how unrelated they are. Small guns improved by 10 gives you improved marksmanship with every possible pistol and rifle you can find... Now in [New Vegas] this extends to every firearm in the game including weapons your PC has never seen, and specialized military weaponry.

Isn't their background the role? (that being an infant who grew up in a tin cave ruled by patriarch, and escaped to search for their father)

I role play, like a lot of people do. having every character be a Vault Noob is boring. If you dont like role playing/making up different backgrounds other than the one provided, thats your prerogative. Neither of us are right or wrong, its what we like or dislike to do.

Im the DM, I can do what ever I want to do. My characters are more interesting/unique than anybody elses I have seen. Anyhow Boardwalk Empires is about to come on, so im off of here. Ill leave you with this to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZrB--1Mk6c.

Well... for me, roleplaying is endeavoring to play the role.
While I don't think anyone is wrong to play their game however they see fit, I don't see how it is possible
to play out of context PC's and not break continuity and screw up the story. :shrug:

(Take Planescape as an example.)

Its not preference, its character based RPG's.

So what if I WANT to play a character who is good at a wide variety of different things?

Good?
I guess you could raise all skills to 65.

I agree, you've got great characters.

I think unarmed will have a wide variety of attacks and that it should have the lowest AP cost of any weapon. Also no wear and tear on fists.

And yes melee/unarmed should effect knockout with a specific key sequence.

I think the reintroduction of damage threshold will make unarmed a lot more viable.

How? Unarmed isn't exactly the best play style for punching through armor.