The new update 16 has brought a new bug after Fallout 76. This has currently caused a huge uproar on reddit, but not among the actual players. Our author Benedict says: This is becoming ridiculous, how they’re attacking Fallout 76 and Bethesda.
This is the bug in question: With the Update 16 from December 10, Fallout 76 received some new content, events, and bug fixes. However, new bugs were also introduced:
At the moment, it can happen that legendary armors lose their effectiveness when players reload their weapons:
- Apparently affected are armor pieces with the affixes “The Vanguard” and “Unyielding.” Update: Apparently, multiple or even all affixes are affected.
- Additionally, sets from the new Raid Vault 94 are said to be affected.
Moreover, some weapons and armor parts are now said to break disproportionately quickly.
Actually, this bug with the legendary armor is quite a specific bug that, according to many players, isn’t even reproducible.
Still, it is causing a shitstorm – even among people who don’t even play Fallout 76.
Small bug, big shitstorm
This is how people are reacting: The bug was picked up shortly after the release of Update 16. The US site Polygon reported on it, and some threads have appeared in various subreddits.
The largest of these threads has appeared in the Games subreddit, the largest gathering of gamers on the platform with over 2 million members. Here, the corresponding post has already received over 6,600 upvotes and hundreds of comments.
The top comment by DouDouCiceron is:
I wonder at what point the game stops being a Fallout game. The armor pieces barely coherently function as actual armor.
Many users agree and accuse Bethesda of having used the name “Fallout” just to sell the game. It has sold more than it deserves, and Fallout 76 is not even a real Fallout.
This is the basis for the excitement: The curious thing is that the linked video has only 215 likes, but over 39,000 views.
The uploader of the video has uploaded only two videos in the past three years – this one and one about Fallout 4.
Additionally, the uploader has only 19 subscribers. That the video went viral through its reach is highly unlikely.
Nevertheless, it provokes such hatred from a community that even in a place where hardly anyone plays, it is being attacked.
Fallout 76 – The Eternal Controversy
How did this happen? Since I have been taking care of Fallout 76 for MeinMMO and playing it myself, I have observed how the discussions about the game have developed. They were already quite large at the beginning, after all, Fallout 76 does not meet the expectations of Fallout fans.
Meanwhile, it has become clear that many more people are participating in discussions about bugs in Fallout 76 than are actually affected by them. This is very evident here, but has also shown elsewhere.
After the recently introduced Fallout 1st subscription, a huge uproar occurred in the entire realm surrounding Fallout 76:
- The subscription and the associated features did not meet expectations
- People found the price outrageous, the services brazen
- There were even rumors of a class struggle between “poor and rich”
From the rumors, a player-designed event eventually emerged. Ultimately, the whole shitstorm became larger than the game itself. For me, it always seems as if people look for something to kick.
With Fallout 1st, there might be some justification as a sign against “greedy publishers,” but to inflate a bug based on a video from a tiny streamer is exaggerated.
Community of Fallout 76 Stays Calm
This is how it looks in the community: If you take a look at the subreddit of Fallout 76 itself, the bug does not seem to cause nearly as much excitement. The currently largest threads there are:
- Demand for a “free” filter for the shop (1,600 upvotes)
- Request for strengthening the development team (459 upvotes)
- “Aliens stole my Brahmin” (337 upvotes)
In the discussion about the developers, it is indeed about the bug, but mainly about the fact that Bethesda is sending wrong signals. The company is acquiring studios while faulty patches like Update 16 are coming. This irritates the players.
This is what players are saying about the bug: Only another thread from the previous day with 960 upvotes addresses the bug once again. Here, people are discussing what triggers the errors, how to play safely, and how to help fix it.
In general, there is a strong desire among the Fallout 76 community to be able to help. That’s why players have long been calling for a test server, which is also set to appear with one of the upcoming updates.
There are still some discussions about whether such a bug will drive away players who want to check out Fallout 76 for free starting December 12. However, these have mostly received less than 100 votes – and the bug would not affect newcomers anyway.
No reason to put Fallout 76 aside
How bad is the bug really: The impact of the bug is manageable. It mainly affects “power gamers”, meaning players who want to enhance their character with every little bit of power. The bug does not affect:
- Players who simply explore Fallout 76 or build their C.A.M.P.s
- New players, for whom legendary items still seem unattainable
- Many users of power armors
- Roleplayers
- Players who play the battle royale mode Nuclear Winter
The bug itself is not even reproducible, so not all players from the affected group are harmed. However, those affected are significantly hit. Therefore, determining a real relevance is difficult.
Does the bug make Fallout 76 unplayable? That the biggest topic is a feature for the shop and that discussions about abducted two-headed cows are almost as large as discussions about the bug shows its impact on Fallout 76: hardly any.
Apparently, many players are not affected by this or don’t even notice it while playing. They have other problems or simply enjoy the game. I personally also cannot determine that I have noticed anything from it.
Shortly before Update 16, I started playing more Fallout 76 again. I cleaned up my quest log, polished my C.A.M.P., and explored the forests for new guides on wood and steel. I played for many hours. Apart from minor issues with controls, nothing bothered me.
I absolutely do not understand why such a fuss is being made by people who apparently don’t even play themselves. Fallout 76 certainly has some bugs, but it’s still fun. And 2020 could even turn out to be really good:
