It is no secret that Bethesda’s Fallout 76 had a messy launch. A lot of promises were made, with little to no follow-through. Though this is not without Bethesda trying to turn things around. The question now is how hard is it to do so when the masses perceive the title as dead?
Let me be the first to say, I was one of those eager few excited about Fallout 76. Being a fan of open-world survival games, the Fallout universe seems like the perfect match for the genre. This would also mark the first time the Fallout series introduced multiplayer in any facet. Unfortunately, as more news came out about the game, it became clear that the title would have to go through some growing pains. Nearly all MMO-style games go through this phase. What made things worse for the game is that the franchise has a very active fanbase. For Fallout 76, the bugs, lack of NPCs, and broken promises were too much.
Wastelanders and Fallout 76 Free Weekend
Bethesda was not going to let Fallout 76 fall without a fight. After some months, and changing the roadmap to the game, Fallout 76 seems to have found it’s bearing with the release of Wastelanders. You can see our post from the original roadmap here. After diving in myself, I can attest, the nuclear Wasteland is brimming with life. There were even recent events of the new NPCs getting sticky fingers and lifting gear off of players. Personally, I think that should be a permanent feature, but that’s an argument for another article.
Currently, Fallout 76 is getting the try before you buy treatment. You can try out the game with the latest Wastelanders update on all platforms until May 18th. Should you decide to purchase the game, all progress will follow with you.
Fallout 76’s New Roadmap
Sometimes plans change. Bethesda is no stranger to this when it has come to some of their titles. Fallout 76, for instance, had to delay the Wastelanders update, and it has turned out to be a great decision. In the new roadmap, players can expect both new and old content. Seasons will be introduced as a complement to “Season Passes” free to all. Then players will be introduced to a new questline over the fall that will include balancing. Finally, in the winter, The Brotherhood of Steel will make their return to Appalachia!
Seasons Are Inbound to Fallout 76
Like many games in the MMO-sphere, players need to feel that their time is not being wasted. Currently, ‘challenges’ let players earn Atoms that you can use in the Atomic Shop. Additionally, Bethesda will implement a completely different way to earn rewards and help you drive forward in the game. Using a board game style scenario, players will complete 100 round progression in the inaugural season. Rewards will feature everything from cosmetics and consumables to scrips and weapons.
Instead of having to take a picture of another player in a Rad Storm, you may be asked to “Earn 1 Level-Up,” “Complete a Public Event,” or “Kill a Legendary Creature,” among others.
So how will players progress in the season? By completing challenges that are undergoing a revamp to let you earn by doing a variety of tasks. This will add to your overall S.C.O.R.E., as well as doing things you already do like simply earning XP. For those who might have fallen behind, Bethesda will allow players to move forward on the board for 150 Atoms. While it seems like a play-to-win system I think we can all agree that everyone gets a way to earn the final prize. The first two weeks of the season will not allow for payment to progress, nor will paying allow you to instantly jump forward to the current progression. That means each individual space on the board game will require 150 Atoms each! So either you can have fun playing or pay up!
How Will You Be Rewarded?
Seasons and progressions will be tied to a player’s account, but rewards can be given to a chosen character.
When you unlock consumables, like Repair Kits, or in-game currencies, like Caps, they will only apply to one of your characters. Make sure to select the character you want to receive them before unlocking consumable and currency rewards on the Season screen, as Ranks are account bound and their rewards cannot be earned more than once per Season.
So, for players that use more than one character, this will allow you to combine your S.C.O.R.E. progression in a season. All characters will be able to benefit from cosmetics. However, consumables will obviously be limited to single characters.
Overall, it looks as if Bethesda has finally found their bearings with Fallout 76. The question is, will players be willing to give it another shot?
You can see more about Seasons on Bethesda’s official post.
