POSTED BY

Brandon Boyer

AT 5:55 AM
Tuesday November 25, 2008

PC • Xbox 360

fallout 3

The Wasteland gets a little wider

fo3wash.jpg

The most devastating part of reaching the level 20 cap in Fallout 3 is losing that Paper Planes-like cash register ka-ching that punctuates each kill and discovery, but there's always been something alluring about the way your Pip-boy experience meter continues on to 21 that lets you know that you're not quite done just yet.

Which is true: Bethesda have announced the first round of downloadable content for the 360 and PC games, which will be spread throughout the first three months of next year, starting with "Operation: Anchorage" in January, which will let you "enter a military simulation and fight in one of the greatest battles of the Fallout universe – the liberation of Anchorage, Alaska from its Chinese Communist invaders."

Next will come "The Pitt," a "journey to the industrial raider town called The Pitt, located in the remains of Pittsburgh," and finally, the first round of content that will extend the main quest, "Broken Steel," in March, in which you'll "join the ranks of the Brotherhood of Steel and rid the Capital Wasteland of the Enclave remnants once and for all."

December will also see the release of the G.E.C.K., the "official editor for Fallout 3," which will open up the game to the modding community, which I believe means I'm going to have to start the game anew there to reap the rewards, and I'm honestly not sure I mind.

Fallout 3 [Bethesda, photo courtesy Duncan Harris's postcard-pretty set of images]

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16 Comments

Trent Hawkins

#1 – 7:05 AM November 25, 2008

is there going to be dog armor?

macisaguy

#2 – 7:18 AM November 25, 2008

If that simulation is done as well as Tranquility Lane, count me in. (And yes...I do miss the ka-ching I now know I took for granted.)

mark

#3 – 8:03 AM November 25, 2008

Hmm. I was imagining that the DLC would be adding new content to the existing map/DC area so you could do more quests and find more cool loot while still exploring the capital wasteland. Like a big Reilly's Rangers set of quests. Or maybe a ghoul civil war (which would be awesome).

These all seem to be working off of a completely different map, so all the character work stuff you've done is kinda lost. All the loot I stashed in my house is presumably going to be left behind as I travel across the country to fight these other battles. One of the best things about Fallout 3 is the amount of places on the map that you can visit but don't have to. I hope the DLC has this as well, not just a small set of quests on a much smaller new map.

Nate

#4 – 8:04 AM November 25, 2008

So, they really aren't going to release this stuff for the PS3 version??

SC_Wolf

#5 – 8:45 AM November 25, 2008

The editor's finally coming out? It's about damn time. Now I know I have to buy this game.



@Mark (#3):
It wouldn't be the first time Bethesda's put out an expansion for one of their RPGs that's been an entirely seperate map. Both the Tribunal expansion for Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, and the Shivering Isles expansion for Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion were completely different maps as well.


In both those cases, travel from the old map to the new map and back again was fairly trivial, meaning if you wanted to move all your loot to the new area, you certainly could, in whatever number of trips your character encumberance would let you get away with. Going from D.C. to Pittsburgh may just end up being the same kind of deal.


And for what it's worth, both those games featured DLCs that gave you more options on the main map, in addition to an expansion that takes you someplace new. It sounds like the DLC that they have scheduled for March, where you join the Brotherhood of Steel, is of that type as well.

Agies

#6 – 8:45 AM November 25, 2008

Yay Pittsburgh. I hope I can recoginze some of the locations.

mikeeyebeams

#7 – 10:03 AM November 25, 2008

While I'm excited to be getting some more longevity out this game, I am disappointed to hear that they are still going West with this game, I'd like to hear what happened to the East Coast during the Great War as it's never really been explored by the game's original creators in future installments of either the game or DLC.

PhiCancri

#8 – 11:23 AM November 25, 2008

#4- No, they're not and it stinks to high-heaven of pure bullshit. I understand that the industry is all about making money, but the fact that M$ most likely went to Bethesda and said "Listen, we'll give you X amount of money if when you create new DLC, just leave Sony out of the picture." just irks me. Believe me, I love what Bethesda has done in the past and adore what they've done with FO3, but this announcement really pisses me off. However, in my bitter rage and anger at the world let me just say I'm happy for all of you that aren't being screwed in this announcement. Honestly. Now I'm just hoping that PS3 owners will get the same DLC, but just way down the road.

Elvis Pelt

#9 – 1:47 PM November 25, 2008

Arrgh. After finishing the thing, in a misguided effort to get some work done, I took the whole shebang off my computer. Oh, well. Now I can look forward to many more hours of "ka-ching."


Plus, it had to go because that damn Danny Kaye song has been stuck in my head for weeks upon weeks now.

Anonymous Anonymous

#10 – 3:45 PM November 25, 2008

It'd be spectacular if you're able (or someone makes a tool) to take the elevation data and existing 3D models from, say, Google Earth to import into the GECK.

Rob Beschizza

#11 – 5:17 PM November 25, 2008

I live in Pittsburgh -- yay!

Rodneyoscopy

#12 – 5:25 PM November 25, 2008

Yes! Not only the Danny Kaye & Andrew Sisters song, but 'Butcher Pete' and 'Happy Time' have been hypnotically cycling in my head non stop.

I just finished the game today after putting an obcsene amount of hours into it, only to see this announcement of new content.

(Based on my experience with content add-ons for Oblivion and Morrowind, I trust that these will be excellent.)

Anonymous Anonymous

#13 – 5:46 PM November 25, 2008

I am waiting for a good modder to expand the game map to include NYC. Super mutants? Check. Empire State Building? Check. Brotherhood of Skyscrapers? Check.

Daemon

#14 – 8:20 PM November 25, 2008

Well, it's good that they're releasing a construction set... though I've pretty much already lost interest in F3. Oblivion just isn't that much fun without magic.

jahknow

#15 – 8:06 AM November 26, 2008

Alaska? Palin-huntin' anyone?

Anonymous Anonymous

#16 – 8:12 PM November 26, 2008

The Washington Monument is made of stone. The damage would look much different.

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