Exploration vs. main plot: how did you do it?

[PeeperStorm]

Nobody's denying there's any copy and paste- the identical grocery markets are but one example, but complaining that shelves all look alike is going rather far into inanity IMO.

Sorry that I didn't feel like listing every example of the copy/paste in the game. Thanks for picking out one example and making a big deal out of it. Screw it, forget I said anything. The game's completely and utterly perfect. There's nothing more to discuss.

[dethtoll]

Hahaha you accuse me of making a big deal because I pointed out the inanity of something, then you get all passive aggressive on me? I love TTLG.

[gunsmoke]

I just realized that I played this game just like Oblivion and Morrowind before it. Tackled about 1/5 of the Main quest line, then just ventured out on my own, writing my own storyline. I would return to the Main quest for a second run, break back out on my own (possibly completing DLC/Expansions) only to return for a mad dash to finish the MQ in one final sweep when I am pretty much burned out, have done about all I can find to do, or am just maxed out.

[mothra]

FO3 has a plot ? ah, that's where you talk to those animated sticks with shoes....
I bought FO3 after at least 2 patches were out and enough mods to fix the game. Then I did the "plot" last, it was clear from hour1 that bethesda won't win even a kindergarden contest with their screenplay and dialouges. But what you can do in the "open" world was good enough to hold my interest long enough to get to a high level, see ~ 80% of everything on the map and finish the main quest in a quick sweep only to be convinced that Bethesda is still the most overrated dev out there. BUT
Unfortunately not many devs do those kind of games and somehow the success of FO3 made Obisidians NewVages possible so I'm grateful for their work, they just could .... I don't know....replace 60% of their staff with .... talented people or remove a few decision makers that seem to f***k up the product somehow. Or maybe they really are that mediocre in design, animation, dialogue and plot.Maybe it's just nobody out there wants to do all the extra work that goes into an open world and bethesda - though bad - reap all the accolades since there is no competition. If an FPS is released, it's easy for me to skip it, eg BFBC2 because there are just so many of them out and upcoming. But with open-world RPGs I always HAVE to get them since there are only 2-3 titles a year if at all. At least FO3 had some dorky humor as opposed to "oh-so-serious" GTA4 with better production values but an - for me - totally unbelievable main character. I'd rather take "blank face" from FO3 than Niko "emo-mass murderer" Bellic.

all my hope goes to NewVegas.

[dethtoll]

I can't even read that.

[Jason Moyer]

I don't think I've played a game that had as much story stuff going on as FO3 did. I mean, sure, you can beat the main questline in 5 hours, but that's about 1/20th of the game.

[gunsmoke]

I can't even read that.

Me neither.