Fallout 76 - PC version

TechGromit

I got the game yesterday in the mail from Amazon, the case just had a paper CD in it with a activation code. I had to create an account, activate the game and download it to play. Took about 90 minutes to download. When the game started, it wasn't full screen. I created a character, but the screen issue was too irritating to continue playing, I couldn't figure out how to exit the game to make display setting chances, so I crashed the game with task manager. After making adjustments, it still wasn't full screen, and it didn't save the character i created. After some fiddling around I found if you opened the map, and press Z for the menu you can exit the game that way. I made the game resolution lower and it resolved the full screen issue. It just would have been nice if the limited documentation with the game stated this. I did watch a number of youtube videos familiarizing myself with the basic mechanics of the game and none of them mentioned this. 

As for the game play it's self, Id get occasional pausing of the screen when looking around, not a lot, but after only a few hours of game play, I had that vertigo sickness feeling, and had to stop playing. My experiences with other games, this happens when the game play isn't smooth. My system meets the recommended system CPU speed requirements (interesting enough they are the same as the minimum requirements), my video card is one step below the recommended card (NVIDIA GTX 780), I have a 760, but it's better then the minimum requirements. 

As for game play, I was a little surprised how few other players I saw, (they show up on your map), not sure how the server instances are arranged. I know with WoW, you can pick a server and if you want to play with friends, you have to be on the same server. There was nothing i could see that indicated this I can't believe only 10 players were playing the first day the game was available. The game is similar to Fallout 4, it's more colorful then the bleak wasteland desert feel of Las Vegas and Boston. Made it to level 4, but if i keep getting sick playing it, I can't see it being a favorite game, i'll have to see if something they have to address with the game, or I have to upgrade. but at the lower level of graphics, I can't believe my card was the issue. 

shochan

I would make sure ALL of your drivers are up to snuff on your system (Video, BIOS, NIC, Chipset, etc), also DirectX needs to be up date (if that is still being used in games today, not definite).  Some times there are GPU firmware/BIOS updates for video cards - definitely check that too.  I have even had to install the monitor driver before to get the display to view properly.  Just a few troubleshooting things you can try...you may have already done this.  Cheers!

McxRisley

This game was on my watch list but I have seen far to many negative reviews and streams to consider buying it at this point. It has potential to be a great game though. I feel like if they could get it on par with Elder Scrolls: Online that this could be the greatest Fallout ever BUT whether that ever happens or not is yet to be seen and it will take a TON of work.

TechGromit

I noticed some bugs as well, but I think they will iron them out over the next couple months. Bethesda Game Studios has a lot riding on this to allow it to fail. Online gaming subscriptions gives a software company a steady revenue stream, instead of investing millions of dollars into a product for years before any kind of pay off. I've seen OK games that could have been great games, but they were rushed to market because the company need income NOW.   

TechGromit

In a recent development, you can get the Fallout 76 game for $34.99 on Amazon, a Cyber Monday special. Honestly it looks really bad a game released two weeks ago is being sold at a 40% discount. If the game is on the discount shelves already, I have my doubts the game will ever be "fixed".  I'm mildly disappointed, not upset. After all $60 to me isn't the same as it was when I was earning half as much salary wise.  Despite all the bad reviews and bugs, I still enjoy playing the game, for now.    

McxRisley

If you enjoy it then thats all that matters. I think they should have handed this over to Zenimax like they did for Elder Scrolls Online. They have everything figured out already and the game is still growing and releasing new content years later.

TechGromit

Unfortunately the games stability issues have only gotten worse, not better as they patch it. I often get disconnected from the server and lost experience because of it. I was one maybe two good kills from leveling up to Level 30. My game locked up in the middle of a fight with a super mutant, I log back into the game, now I'm at the beginning of level 29 with no experience.  As for the multiplayer experience, talking on the Mic worked the first few days of the game, I haven't heard anyone talk since. You can't even text other players. Not to mention there's no GM to write a ticket to when you have issues. Sadly it's only a single player game far as I can see, sure you see other players, and I guess if you used something like TeamSpeak you could work together, but working together to solve a goal otherwise isn't possible. I've noticed they dropping features as well, used to be when you dropped stuff, it be a little bag on the ground you could pick it up again. Not anymore, dropped stuff just disappears. I'm going to have to stop playing it, otherwise I'm going to put my fist though the monitor some day soon out of frustration.

TechGromit

They had another patch at on Jan. 10th I think, it seemed to help with the server stability issues. I haven't been kicked since, as for my Character, after I got two kills, I leveled up to 30, so even though the experience bar didn't indicate it, it didn't lose my experience.