Royce's Random Thoughts

Show begins at 7pm sharp (hopefully)

Just watched Bethesda's E3 presentation for Fallout 76, and I have some thoughts and concerns.

1. It's an MMO, breaking from the pattern of previous Fallout games. Supposedly there'll be plenty of solo content, which I'm interpreting as "I get sniped 30 seconds after leaving the Tutorial Area."

2. There was no mention of micro-transactions. Which means there will be micro-transactions.

3. Looks like you'll also have to defend your base. Which means I'm going to be doing a lot of repairing. A Lot.

4. Even Bethesda is admitting their Fallout games are notoriously buggy. I'm betting the B.E.T.A. will be released on July 4th just for the giggles.

5. Who's bright @#$%ing idea was it to allow players access to NUCLEAR MISSILES in the game? Supposedly finding the launch codes will be an involved group effort, which I'm guessing means it'll be done less than an hour after the game goes live. :(

6. On the plus side, at least Fallout Shelter is now out for the PS4.

Conclusion: Barring Star Wars Battlefront levels of idiocy, I'm probably going to get it. Because it's Fallout.

Last week I spent some of my mad money and took advantage of a sale Sony was offering on their PS VR system. Since I already had the PS4 stereo camera and then got a second Move controller from my friend Jim, I was able to just buy the headset for a mere $150, picking it up from Walmart, which is a steal compared to its original $400 price. After a week of fooling with it, I think I can give a decent evaluation.

Installation:   Sony advertises their VR system as Plug and Play, and it is. Aside from the headset itself, it comes with a separate processor and the usual HDMI, data, and power cables. Since I already had the camera, installation was just a matter of rerouting the cable running from the PS4 to the TV into the processor, and then hooking up two separate cables from the headset to the processor. Then I just flicked it on and followed the setup instructions.

Comfort and Fit: The PS VR headset had a reputation as being one of the most comfortable ones around, and I can attest that's accurate. The forehead and back head rests are heavily padded, and the visor is easily adjustable to make room for your glasses, if you wear them like I do. It takes a bit of testing to find the optimal viewing distance so everything is clear, but that only take a few minutes.

Resolution:  Okay, it's important to note up front that the resolution for the VR system is not going to be as good as will see on a standard HDTV. Given that you're viewing thingd with two small TV screen an inch from your eyeballs, that's understandable. However, it's about as good as an old high def tube TV, so I don't think it's that bad. Everything was smooth, and the 3D effects were convincing, even given I was running it through a standard PS4 and not the Pro system. 

Controls: Using the Move controllers, I was able to play the games I was able to download effectively. There's been some comment that the Move controllers don't allow as much accuracy as dedicated VR controllers, but they seemed to work well for me, though I'll admit I have no basis for comparison.

Games: I'm still playing the freebie stuff I downloaded from my PS+ account, so I don't have much to go on yet, but some quick first impressions:

Job Simulator:  In the distant future of 2050, robots have taken over all work, so now you experience what "work" was like in a (ahem) VR simulation. I've only played the brief demo so for, but even that was pretty amusing, as I wreaked havoc in my office cubicle, drinking "addictive stimulants" (ie: coffee) deleting emails, and throwing paper airplanes at other cubes. A definite buy.

Rush of Blood:  A literal Rail Shooter, you're seated on a roller coaster, passing through a series of increasing horrifying environments as you shoot at targets ranging from plates and vases, to charging killer clowns and demonically animated pig carcasses. It's a cheesy horror carnival ride, and it plays up that aspect nicely, though the difficulty levels ramp up pretty quickly.

PS VR Worlds: Again, I've only played the demo for this one, which was limited to a trip deep into the ocean, watching the fish go by. A passive experience, but a very soothing one.

A brief broadcast I did this morning.

...and I'm still in the Tutorial basically. Liking it so far though.

( Some thoughts and spoilers behind the cut )

I shall be attempting (offspring willing) to do a Fallout 4 livestream around 7:30 or 8pm EST tonight. This will be my first time playing so you can see my honest reactions to the game.

Streaming now. Actual gameplay to begin at 7:30pm EST

Will post link jut before it starts.

Writing discipline remains shite. Currently transcribing more words down on The Quisling's Tale after completing Batman: Arkham Knight. [1] Definitely got the "I'm not a REAL writer" bug niggling at the back of my brain.

[1] Short Review: Excellent game overall with extraordinary writing, but derailed badly by a Batmobile with shite controls and too many car related puzzles