‘Fallout 76’ for the Anti-Online Player

We recently had a chance to play Fallout 76 with the devs over at Bethesda during a media preview event and we’ve got to admit, it was a lot more single-player friendly than we thought it would be.

Bethesda has mentioned numerous times already that the upcoming online game would not abandon their single-player fans despite being online only. This much was evident in the way the entire game felt as a player and is also shown through the many ways Bethesda has tailored the gameplay experience to different styles.

From the ability to turn off Area Chat, to dealing with Grievers, Bethesda outlined just a few of the ways this social experience can be enjoyed even by the lone wolves in the player base.

Area Chat

We touched on this topic earlier this week, but the ability to not be forced into human interaction is pretty important for the players looking to explore the Wasteland how they see fit. 

With our hands-on time with the game, it was easy to hop into a party chat with my teammates through Xbox Messaging. But it’s not just about party chat. Bethesda confirmed to me that Area Chat would be available on Day One but it’s totally voluntary. Don’t feel like listening to all of the things twelve-year olds want to do to your mother? Mute is always an option.

Essentially, players can choose whether or not they want to participate in Area Chat or not. Since server sizes won’t be bigger than 24 people at a time – and private servers coming at a later date – the chat feature won’t be totally abused, but the team didn’t want it to be mandatory either. Turn the Area Chat on, turn it off, or mute it – it will be entirely up to the player as to whether or not it will be used.

With the Pip-Boy’s radio stations no longer having a DJ, which the reasoning for was explained earlier this week during this same interview, the Wasteland can get a bit lonely. Craving human interaction not done through holotapes or with robots? Flip that Area Chat on – you might even make a new friend. Plus … if the random players like you, they are less likely to nuke your stuff. Bonus!

Passive Mode

In an effort to prevent Grieving, especially early on, the team also implemented what’s called “Passive Mode.” This makes it to where a player at level 5 or lower won’t accidentally fire at another player. Friendly fire happens, so this mode helps prevent that while lower level players learn the ropes of West Virginia. 

Once the level for Passive Mode is surpassed, the team still has safe guards in place for those that don’t willingly engage in PvP. You can learn more about that in the video at the top of the article from earlier this year. 

The Feel of the Game

Fallout 76 very much feels like a single-player at times. Though I was in a team of four taking on quests and learning more about the new map, I often found myself wandering off by my lonesome and exploring on my own terms. Taking down Super Mutants, playing the banjo, or just walking around collecting holotapes to hear other human voices – I didn’t feel like I was lacking anything off by myself. I could still fight, I could still take part in events, I could still learn more about the world – I could do what I wanted, how I wanted. 

Despite being a multiplayer game, it felt lonely at times and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s structured to explore. Just like in real life, of course that is easier with friends but it’s not necessary, and I didn’t feel punished by the game for going off on my own. 

Holotapes

I touched on this a little bit earlier, but there are holotapes players can find all over the map. It’s true, there are no human NPCs in-game. This is because the team wanted you as a player to feel alone until you sought out another player. A true sense of exploration with unpredictable side effects. 

But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a story and players can learn more about the more sordid side of survival through listening to survivor recollections via these taps that can be played through the Pip-Boy. This made me feel engaged, like I was truly uncovering something important. It’s also great for lore hunters and for those craving deeper meaning. 

Quest Progression

Quests in the game, though the focus is more on the social aspects of the Wasteland, will be given upon arrival much like Skyrim. According to the studio, this was because Bethesda wanted to retain the sense that this was very much a “game” and not just a survival throwaway. 

Since many were worried that online meant a total skeleton of a beloved series, the “load ’em up” quest mentality will help give a sense of purpose and drive within the game. 

Since the map is so huge, even larger than that of Fallout 4, those quests will be more than enough to keep players busy. 

The map in Fallout 76 will be the largest yet and will be divided up into 6 different regions. Some of these areas will safeguard against PvP, while others are designed to be an incredible challenge. 

Another important aspect of this is that the zones scale, so for those higher level characters – the world will adapt to them. This also goes hand in hand with Bethesda’s early confirmation that there will be means in which they control griefing and unwanted PvP. 

Private Servers

We already knew that Bethesda had plans for private servers but now we know they are confirmed to be a priority for those absolutely uninterested in online play. Even better, these private servers will allow for mod support to make that RPG experience even crazier, we can already see all of the Thomas the Tank additions to the Wasteland. It’s the rule of modding, you can’t fight it – it’s science.

Bethesda has said time and time again that they were going to offer private servers post-launch. This will allow players to lock in their own server, only allowing players in via invite. This means if you want to play by yourself, you can – or with a hand-selected group of gamers of your own choosing. 

It’s not offline play, but it is a way to control who you run into in the game. 

We’ve got tons of Fallout 76 coverage pouring in! To stay up to date on the latest news, check out our full community hub right here to stay in the know 24/7! As for the game itself, the next entry into the Fallout series debuts on November 14th on Xbox One, PS4, and PC.