As I'm very new to discussing Fallout: New Vegas I wanted to ask the more senior users with more insight what exactly changed since Fallout 3 and what's still the same.

My primary concerns are:

1. Leveling (will it be like in Fallout 3 or Oblivion)
2. Modding
3. Companions
4. Complexity
5. Casualness

There are probably some other things that haven't come to me... yet.

Well I'd really advise you to do a tad bit of research, at the very least go to the fallout wikia, you can basically find everything you want there. Though if you're looking for conversation that's a tad bit for me to explain on. I'll give you the last one though, I think the game will be considerably less casual than the last, as well as the added hardcoe mode that you can toggle which further increases well hardcoe play.

In short- Alot

In length- Alot more Pre-War interaction,IE the Las Vegas Strip, Weapons are moddable, within logical expectations (No scoped silenced miniguns), revival of older factions, different story, different character. I could go on and on. x_x

If you let me wait until I play the game, I could give you much better answers.

However, the Fallout Wiki does have most of the availible information gathered there. You should look at that then come back and ask about specifc aspects that come to you after reading it.

http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Portal:Fallout:_New_Vegas

Hit up youtube and start watching interviews with the devs and stuff too.

You forgot the sigh of relief that Fallout New Vegas doesn't have that god awful system Oblivion called leveling. :tops:

Well, the Oblivion leveling system wasn't bad per se but it was extremely hardcoe. Too much for a perfectionist like me to handle anyway.

And I actually LOVE the Fallout wiki but didn't consider looking for information there first. I'll do that now, thx

What?

The strip, IMO it's an Oasis of pre-war luxury.

I'm just the type of gamer who likes leveling up and putting the points in the places I want no hassles and complications with a system like that, I don't want to make the game into some sort of chore having to do cartwheels up and down staircases to get Athletics skill, or Sneak against a wall for an hour and a half to level up Sneak skill. Life is complicated enough, I don't need more complications in my games. :tops:

1. Fallout
2. Fallout and Oblivion... really, the tools and methods are about the same
3. Deeper than F3, even with characters(!) instead of blank cannon fodder with catchphrases.
4. With hardcoe, deeper. Even without, mods and bigger skill influence on anything you do add up.
5. Probably about the same. Pick up and play will be as possible as in F3 and Oblivion. Which is not much, I would figure.

Some of the new features:

Companion wheel
Companion perks
Weapon mods
hardcoe mode
More quests
New factions
Gambling
Traits
Binoculars
Night/Thermal vision
Nightkins
Snow
More Freindly Super-Mutants
Different guns
More joinable factions
Reputation
New drugs
Repair kits
Doctors bags.

Keep in mind that the game isn't released yet, so this is pretty much based on prerelease material, which obviously doesn't tell the whole story.




In a way, neither. Skill points are a lot less plentiful than in FO3, which means that even at level 30, one character may be much different than another, unlike FO3 where by level 30 every character basically had most skills maxed out.

It's closer to FO3 than Oblivion though.



It should be pretty much the same, with the caveat that the NV GECK includes NV features, like DT (also has DR as an available field...), as well as some improvements like a better dialog editor and higher dialog character limit.

Should be NVSE compatible when NVSE is released, assuming it doesn't include all the FOSE script functions natively.



Massively improved across the board. Now to command them you have a simple and intuitive wheel instead of having to wade through menus. Also, each companion gives you a perk when they're following you (eg Raul slows weapon degradation, Eyebot lets you see stealth/cloaked enemies more easily, etc), and they've also got their own stories, characters, and quests.



It's doubtlessly gotten a lot complex. In terms of gameplay we have the new survival mechanics in hardcoe mode, several new ammo types, a large number of new guns, the ability to modify weapons with scopes/silencers/extended mags/other mods, plus the fact that companions are now more than just a walking storage bin and gun platform.

In terms of story it's also a lot more complex. We've got the conflict between Caesar's Legion and the NCR, with Mr. House lurking in the shadows. We've got sideplots galore, and they've promised us real Fallout 1/2 style endings with consequences, making each decision you make matter, unlike the garbage in FO3.



Eh... Nobody knows. I'm inclined to believe it's less casual than FO3, but FO3 was so casual it was stupid, so this is an improvement to me.