Welp, I've made 65 posts without any introduction (outside of my description), so here's who I am!! New-Obsessions-Daily (best shortened to Daily), or Mawce/Danny.
🗨, Pronouns: They/Them or Anything, I'm genderfluid so literally everything and anything works...as long as I can tell you're talking to me.
📝, Hobbies: One of my favorite pastimes is overly analyzing the media I consume! Be it through character studies, mild criticisms, or appreciation of details. I also enjoy creating art through both writing and drawing. I have several personal OCs (200+) not related to any specific fandoms, but if I ever end up posting them, I'll likely make them their own separate blog. I also enjoy writing fanfiction, but it isn't normally anything casual (usually I make lore and AUs instead of just writing a one-off scenario) Speaking of-!
🕸, Alternate Universes: I presently have two AUs that I plan to add to somewhat frequently,
Batmare - MLP×DC, where I take settings/concepts from Equestria and shove in various DC characters. I'm, at the time of writing this, still in the lore/planning stage, but I do plan to eventually write something similar to a script/fanfic. So if that interests you, for sure stay tuned!!
Young Justice: Generation - A concept for a season 5/reboot of the Young Justice show. The idea is that it focuses on the "next generation" of heroes aka Lian Harper, Damian al Ghul, Jon Kent, and more!
Knowing me, I'll likely end up with way more eventually!!
💌, Fandoms: As stated in my name, I have MANY fandom obsessions, they're my favorite things to talk about!! While I primarily started this blog to talk about DC Comics and its characters, but that's not the only think I have an interest in! There's also-
The Fallout Franchise (Fo3, FNV, Fo4, and FTV!)
Skylanders (As well as most toys to life games)
My Little Pony (G4, but also you could likely figure from the existence of Batmare)
The Bioshock Franchise (I've played every game)
Phineas and Ferb/Milo Murphy's Law
Musical Theater (Shucked, Heathers, Hamilton, Wicked, Cats, Into the Woods, etc)
AND MORE!! (I plan to add to this list as I post about more of my fandoms)
This very well maybe become a longer post, but I'm satisfied with this introduction for now!
If this has you interested in more about me, below includes various of my favorites. So if you agree with me there, I'm sure we'll be fast friends.
Feel free to reach out if you want!! 💟
💝, My Favorites: I figure, this category can exist just for anyone reading this to get to know me better, I'll include various favorites for my above fandoms...Because I need everything to be in exact categories for my brain to call anything a favorite.
📰DC COMICS🦇
Fav Villain: Harley Quinn
Fav Justice Leaguer: The Flash (Wally or Barry)
Fav Green Lantern: Kyle Rayner
Fav Member of the Batfam: Duke "The Signal" Thomas
Fav Robin: Damian al Ghul-Wayne
Fav Ship: DamiJon
⚙️FALLOUT SERIES☢️
Fav Game - Fallout: New Vegas
Fav DLC - Old World Blues/Dead Money
Fav Fo3 Companion - Butch DeLoria & Charon
Fav FNV Companion - Arcade Gannon & Veronica Santangelo
Fav Fo4 Companion - Nick Valentine & John Hancock
Fav FTV Character - Norm MacLean
🍎MY LITTLE PONY🍏
Fav Mane Six: Rarity
Childhood Fav: Fluttershy
Fav Background Pony: DJPon-3/Vinyl Scratch
Fav Song: Art of the Dress
🌌SKYLANDERS🌠
Fav Skylander - Sonic Boom (she was also my first figure and I adore her so much)
Fav Skylander Giant - Ninjini
Fav Smol Skylander - Terrabite
Fav Swap-Force - Rattle Shake
Fav Air Type - Whirlwind (it'd be unfair to count Sonic Boom twice)
Fav Fire Type - Hot Dog
Fav Water Type - Chill
Fav Life Type - High Five
Fav Earth Type - Flashwing
Fav Tech Type - Drobot
Fav Magic Type - Star Strike
Fav Undead Type - Cynder
I'm curious about how this one will pan out. Rahgot is faced in Forelhost, where he led the last remnants of the Dragon Cult, until it came under seige, at which point his poisoned most of his followers. He's a fire-focused mage with a Dragon Priest Staff (which casts Wall of Fire.) His name means "rage" in Dovahzul. Nahkriin is the only permanently missable Dragon Priest; fought in Skuldafn, if you run past him instead of fighting you'll never see him again. He guards the portal to Sovngarde with his unique Dragon Priest Staff, which casts Wall of Storms and is only yours to keep if you're quick enough. His name means "vengeance" in Dovahzul.
what was your first mainline comic and what do you primarily read now?
first pre-crisis, now pre-crisis
first pre-crisis, now post-crisis
first pre-crisis, now post-flashpoint
first post-crisis, now pre-crisis
first post-crisis, now post-crisis
first post-crisis, now post-flashpoint
first post-flashpoint, now pre-crisis
first post-flashpoint, now post-crisis
first post-flashpoint, now post-flashpoint
what do these words mean/i don't read comics
i was running out of space for options so i didn't differentiate new52 from rebirth but please rb if you have a more specific answer! i'm really interested in everyone's comic journeys
What was your first mainline comic and what do you primarily read now?
Y'know, it's kinda crazy that BETRAYING YOUR CIVIL WAR FACTION doesn't incur a bounty of any kind...Like- I could've just betrayed Jarl Ulfric and I can still walk into his house and complete quests??
While recently playing New Vegas (and listening to videos about Fallout 4) I got to thinking...
What if Fallout 3 and Fallout 4 were more like Fallout: New Vegas- at least in terms of writing? Taking the sometimes half-baked quests and unclear motivations...and attempting to fix some problems I remember hearing about when I first played these games. As well as adding back some actual RPG mechanics while often trying to keep as loyal to the source material as I can.
This'll likely be a larger series (I already have plans to talk about Fallout 3's companions), so for now I'll call this Part One!!
Disclaimer!! I've enjoyed the Fallout games since I was definitely too young to be playing them and I still enjoy these games today. In fact, I have hundreds of hours in Fo3, FNV, and Fo4.
Regardless of what I end up deciding in these, I still ADORE Fallout, and I'm in no way trying to claim I'm a "better" writer than the official writers of the Fallout games.
This is just how I'm choosing to showcase my passion and love for this franchise.
Tldr; The technical first quest of Fallout 4 ["When Freedom Calls"] has two (kinda three) big issues, and almost all of them can be easily fixed with small changes. These changes can also add details that connect it further with the games that came before.
[Actual breakdown under the cut]
Fallout 4, When Freedom Calls:
Deathclaws and Power Armor
Context, just in case this is the first post you've ever seen about Fallout, or if you just need a refresher. In Fallout 4 the FIRST QUEST you're sent on in-game has you equip Power Armor, rip a minigun from a vertibird, and fight a Deathclaw. A lot of fans of previous entries in the series had some issues with this choice. Largely because of what these objects were in previous games, and the level that you'd often be during When Freedom Calls (likely level 1 MAYBE level 2 if you get distracted real easy).
I'll go over my ideas for how to fix this, starting what I think is easiest, the Deathclaw.
In the other two 3D Fallout games, Deathclaws weren't all that common. In Fo3, their set location was in the upper half of the map, which the main quest rarely takes you to. Meanwhile, New Vegas used Deathclaws as a way to dissuade you from running straight to Vegas.
Meanwhile Fo4's immediately gives you the ability to completely destroy a Deathclaw (when you're barely level 5, the first level with an achievement). This serves to kill a lot of this tension and fear they worked to build for these wasteland monsters in the earlier games.
The Deathclaw is an apex predator made with FEV- a recently thawed lawyer should not be dominating such a creature.
To immediately remedy this issue, I think we should remove the Concord Deathclaw as a whole. It doesn't serve any grander purpose to be there, other than be jingling jangling keys for people that haven't played a Fallout game before- which I'd argue is a larger, much both bothersome issue in media as a whole, short attention spans and a need for instant gratification. However, I can understand a want to have a first miniboss upon meeting the your first end-game faction. To fill this position, I have three ideas on how to replaced the giant lizard,
Yao Guai, this was a replacement that season one of the show already did. Nevermind, Honest Hearts also made the decision to leave the Deathclaw in the Mojave in favor of these irradiated bears*. There's also more variation you could get away with, like making it a Stunted Yao Guai. Yao Guai are also often found within the cities of the Commonwealth, often in pairs, which could be mimicked for this first quest. This would also keep the game more "grounded" for those who aren't sure what to expect from Fallout just yet. Having your first enemies be some raiders and an irradiated bear as opposed to FEV-based foes that you'll later meet closer to Downtown Boston.
If the idea of Power Armor and Big Monster fight are to be abandoned altogether, you can make Gristle a tougher fight. He's important enough to have a name, yet I didn't even notice him for years. He has a few lines of dialogue, that could easily be drowned out in the fight for Concord. He's also directly connected to the Minutemen by way of Jared, and as it stands is widely overshadowed. You could easily give him a gimmick, like the other Fo4 Raider bosses, and maybe crank up his level a bit.
Moreso just for fun, but actually have a sort-of major meeting moment where everyone that's been chasing the Minutemen end up in the same place. So you leave the Museum of Freedom to Raiders, Gunners, and Ghouls (Oh my!) -> This one is less a genuine recommendation, and more something I think is funny given how unlucky the Minutemen really are up until you show up.
I also plan to get more into this after the Power Armor segment, but I also wish you could have more of an idea and be more involved. To showcase more of the leadership skills of a general, so it isn't just MC=The Boss. All three of these options could add to that. I personally vote to both Make Gristle slightly stronger, and replace the Deathclaw with a Yao Guai.
Furthermore, for the Deathclaw to save face and have a scripted first encounter, I'd suggest Robotics Pioneer Park. As that's where I remember hitting before I entered the glowing sea for the first time. With this you'd have a cover, and there's a chance you might even be less defended than usual (given the nearby Radiation hot spot). Of course, there's always a chance you'd run into them before randomly, or have met the one within the Museum of Witchcraft. Either way these encounters could still be scary, and depending on how it goes, it primes you for the next Deathclaw outside of Virgil's cave.
Now, the part that requires a bit more changing with the mechanics of Fallout 4, Power Armor
There was a similar case with the use of Power Armor in this first quest.
If Fallout 4 is the only Fallout game you've played, you likely wouldn't know that previously to even wear the armor required a perk.
There was also functionally no difference between wearing Power Armor and Normal armor in previous games, besides the buffs and aforementioned needed perk.
I think to fix the use of Power Armor there are two primary routes we could go. But to start, I'd like to explore how the changes made to Power Armor in Fo4 could lend themselves to keeping the Power Armor Training Perk,
In Fo4, entering power armor gives you access to a new HUD, it's also implied that your VATS and Pip-Boy menus are taken over by your Power Armor suit.
My proposal for a modern version of the training, is to take this from you. You lack knowledge on how to properly pilot Power Armor, so the dials would be blank, and the Sole Survivor wouldn't know how to open the menus for VATS nor your inventory.
I think the only features that should still be operational is the suit screaming at you for when armor breaks/when you're low on power. Though, I think these sounds should be identical to further keep the player in the dark of what they mean.
You also wouldn't be able to improve/mod any power armor before you have the training perk, beyond giving it a new color scheme. Since, to modify it, you'd require an understanding of how the system works**.
I also believe, like in the show, Power Armor should be completely inoperable without a power core (this is coming from someone who never puts power cores in their armor).
However, once you receive the needed training (from the Brotherhood, Atom Cats, or maybe even the Institute), these dials can now be read.
There could even an option to gain access to other features like setting up Stimpaks to auto-inject, or in a survival mode being able to set water to auto drink at a certain level.
Because of how much context the game gives you for Nate and Nora, the Sole Survivors, there could be an argument made on why Nate should be able to Pilot Power Armor already. However, it doesn't make much sense to offer such a massive bonus in the first quest to the player's chosen gender. To remedy this I would propose:
Making the Veteran whichever character you're playing (I plan to get into this in a separate post all about Fo4's intro) - No need for Perk
Say Nate just forgot how to pilot it, you could even have slightly altered dialogue along the lines of, "Guess that would've been a good thing to remember from Basic Training..." - Both Soles need to get the Power Armor Training Perk before piloting
Just don't care about the difference and give Nora more of a chance to show off her previous life as a Lawyer somewhere else in game - Nate gets training to start, Nora does not. But instead, she gets more use for her Pre-War profession
There's also the option, like with the Deathclaw, to fully eliminate the use of Power Armor in this first quest. However, I think it'd be more interesting to keep it around but as one of several options for how to get the Minutemen out of Concord.
The following is going to be my attempt at keeping Fo4's more basic dialogue system, except I tried to add a more "RPG" element. (Which I plan to expand further at the end of this post):
Preston has his, "Man, am I glad you showed up" dialogue, but mentions how he's not sure the two of you can take on the next wave of raiders by yourself. Sturges tries to bring up his idea (the crashed Vertibird), but Preston shoots him down saying something along the lines of "Tech's too complicated, none of us can use it"
Then, the Sole Survivor gets a chance to talk, (Note: I'm using the PlayStation controls, since that's what I play on)
△ Triangle - Vertibird?
You inquire further about the Vertibird.
Preston is a bit annoyed since he views it as false hope, but he allows Sturges to explain the plan. It's the usual vertibird on the Roof stuff, pretty much exactly as base game.
Then, Preston cuts in to explain that you'd need serious training to operate the Power Armor, and (no offense) but normal Wastelanders don't have access to that. - Sturges could also say something along the lines of "Training or not, it could still pack a punch"
From here, you either have the player character to say something to the effect of, "That's too bad" (and pick another plan) OR if you've gotten power armor training before coming to concord [/if it's decided Nate can have it automatically], you can mention how you do have the training needed for power armor
Without training, you could also have it be a more difficult speech check to just try the power armor plan without training -> Difficult speech check because Preston doesn't want to risk your life on a plan he's not confident in
☐ Square - Get out of here
You suggest causing a distraction so the Minutemen can escape through a back entrance/the roof using the Vertibird to escape via the church
Distractions could range, but if you fail to distract them and just enter basic combat, the Yao Guai takes care of it attacking the raiders first.
⛌ Cross - What do they want?
Offer to bribe/charm your way out of the fight with Gristle, but keep the fight with the Yao Guai
Depending on how you handle the dialogue, you can range from fighting the Yao Guai alone to having the full raider crew back you up
If the Minutemen aren't going to be the "Yes Man" faction, then this could also give a chance to ruin your relationship with them, and if you don't want this to be a base game option, it could be something extra added with the Nuka-World DLC. Something akin to recruiting them, or even offering up some of Preston's bunch (Jun and Marcy Long) to take
〇 Circle - I think we can take em.
You don't come up with a plan besides "Kill them and don't die"
This would be a dialogue check to convince Preston to join you down in the fight.
Where it exists in the story, this could also introduce you to the Humanoid Companions system, since you'll likely have Dogmeat
This first moment of planning would allow the later title of General to make more sense to the player. Since, of course you're the general, you helped come up with the plan to get them out of Concord
Minigun Bonus Round! I think giving the player a minigun is a mistake in this first quest, because generally the "Big Guns" (receiving a significantly more powerful weapon) is reserved for difficult boss fights, and with the changes I've proposed...This won't be one. You can save the "Big Guns" moment for later with the Minutemen when you retake the Castle.
Extra Notes that aren't really "Fixing" this quest:
For the Dialogue: I believe Fallout 4 OVERALL could do with some more RPG elements, so something like each changing with certain perks (beyond the use of Power Armor training):
☐ Square [with Sneak, rank 2 or Stealthboys] - I know how to leave without being detected
You Sneak them out of the city, avoiding the combat encounter all together, maybe when you're almost out of Concord you hear
⛌ Cross [with Intimidation] - I'm sure I can talk with him.
This isn't too different from the Charm/Bribe option, but it starts to stray from X just being the "friendly" option.
Could maybe have a drawback where you have to fight the Yao Guai alone- BUT when you're sent to Covega Assembly to deal with Jared, half the raiders are scared off because of how you spooked Gristle
〇 Circle [with Lone Wanderer] - I think I can handle them alone.
You go it alone, maybe with some occasional help from Preston.
This would play out pretty much how this fight goes in base game, sans the Power Armor
*Yao Guai of Fo4 feel/are smaller than in Honest Hearts - You could add some Loading Screen info that says like, "In some places across the wasteland, the Yao Guai are the apex predator of their environment. However, they haven't had much success with their Commonwealth competitors, the Deathclaw"
**This would have one exception. As seen in New Vegas with the NCR, if you cut all the important parts from power armor, anyone can use it without training. This is the role that Raider Power armor could/would serve, it's been gutted of all the components that make it difficult to use. However, that also means you wouldn't get nearly as many benefits, it would be like wearing a heavier, stronger armor. It protects you from a lot, but lacks a lot of the benefits from normal Power Armor. -> This could also serve to be a difference between the Gunners and Raiders, as Gunners could have the intelligence to learn how to use actual power armor.
The Ghoul barely paying attention to House as he talks on his Pip-Boy feels like a spiritual successor to Ulysses hijacking Ed-E to speak with the courier
I was working on a larger post, but while thinking about the weapons you get from factions quests, I realized something...
3/4 Endgame Factions of Fo4 use Energy Weapons as their signature.
Picking up the laser musket is the first objective of When Freedom Calls and former Minuteman, Clint (in Quincy), carries the unique energy weapon, Good Intentions.
Danse gives you Righteous Authority (a unique laser rifle) for completing Call to Arms, and then you can later receive Survivor's Special for completing The Lost Patrol - Also, it's the Brotherhood of Steel. Technology is kinda their whole thing.
I don't actually remember the Institute ever giving you a weapon BUT— In Fo3, you get a unique Plasma Rifle for siding against them, and in Fo4 your Synth Son, Shaun, gives you Waser Wifle post-game...Also their entire Faction uses energy weapons (My personal favorite since I like the blue blast from their guns)
The Railroad meanwhile (while they could also get credit for the Fo3 Replicated Man reward, since you get that for aiding them), doesn't have that kinda connection??
Tommy Whispers, found in Tradecraft, carries The Deliverer (a unique pistol), Tinker Tom Special is a unique rifle, and the last notable Railroad weapon I can think of is the Railway Rifle.
Anyways...Something something, "Fallout 4 factions can sometimes blend together" something something.
So recently, my sister and I were discussing the fear episode of Supernatural (Season 4, Episode 6 if you're curious), and my dad mentioned that Dean only got infected "because he's a dick"
So then, later in the conversation, I was my usual self, and my sister said, "You'd be infected by the fear disease." We later mentioned this to my mom, and she agreed that I act like a dick enough I'd be in the same boat as Dean.
So for the past few days, the joke has been:
I say something in a more dick-ish way
My mother says, "You WOULD catch Yellow fever"
Well yesterday, we had that same exchange again, and when my mother mentioned that I could catch Yellow Fever, responded, "It's funny that I relate to Dean so much, because Sam's always been my favorite"
And she sat there for a bit before saying, "Well that just proves you're like Dean"
