Fallout 76 is still not fully graspable for many players, as most developer explanations are vague. The game aims to take new paths. Here, the PvP system plays a crucial role.
PvP or not PvP? That is the question
What is Fallout 76? Bethesda wants to create an online experience with Fallout 76 that offers multiplayer but does not stray too far from the original Fallout player experience. That means it is not supposed to become an MMORPG, as Fallout 76 takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where there are only a few survivors. It is also not meant to be an online shooter. Bethesda aims to create a unique gaming experience that many players, however, can hardly imagine.
PvP becomes the crucial point. Fallout 76 essentially offers open PvP among players, but it is subject to rules and restrictions. For example, if someone constantly attacks a player, a high bounty will be placed on their head, and they will be marked on the minimap so that other players can hunt them. However, many players do not believe that this will work for several reasons:
- What happens if a player causes another player to unintentionally attack someone by constantly jumping into the explosion of a grenade or running into the line of fire? Will that player then be marked as a “griefer”?
- Players could conspire to collect the bounty. Player A attacks Player B repeatedly until the bounty is placed, then allows themselves to be taken out, and Player B collects the reward. Then the roles are reversed.
- Griefers often do not care whether a bounty has been placed on them. In EVE Online, for instance, these players even brag about the amount of the bounty.
- Other players simply enjoy finding ways to trick such systems, discovering loopholes and weaknesses.
- Many just enjoy ruining what others have built. It brings out the child who destroys other children’s sandcastles in the sandbox and takes pleasure in it.
Bethesda stated that they want to ensure fairness and are trying to calm players down. However, this is difficult to implement.
Player behavior only shows in live operation
Live operation is always something different than focus tests. On paper, supposedly fair game systems – especially in terms of PvP – always sound good. And this can work during internal tests and small groups. But as soon as a game goes live, such systems reveal weaknesses. Fairness is something that rarely works online. There are some players whose enjoyment comes from ruining others’ fun. They do not care about rules and game systems. They even boast about being “the bad guy”.
Anyone playing games with open PvP quickly finds out how it works there. Other players’ fortresses are repeatedly attacked, or weaker players are constantly victims of the stronger ones. Just look at the MMORPG Worlds Adrift. There, newbies hardly stand a chance because the veterans repeatedly attack them in the starting area.
The MMORPG classic Ultima Online nearly failed because griefers drove away other players. Only by splitting into two worlds, where one made PvP more difficult, could the online role-playing game survive.
Open PvP is a niche. Open PvP can function in a game designed for it. As it directly targets players who love this type of play. Then you know exactly what you are getting into when you play. However, this type of MMORPG usually only targets a niche. They rarely reach the mass audience. However, Fallout 76 does not want to be a niche product:
- It wants to offer open PvP to attract PvP fans and create a certain danger in the game world
- Moreover, it wants to reach the casual player who perhaps has nothing to do with PvP.
And that could become a problem. Fallout 76 offers quests, exploration, resource gathering, and fortress building. If players are constantly attacked by others and have no fun, they are sure to lose interest sooner or later and turn their backs on the title. This is exactly what Bethesda wants to avoid.
No easy task for Bethesda
A balancing act. Finding a system that appeals to both PvP fans and does not ruin the fun for everyone else is extremely difficult. Furthermore, Fallout 76 is supposed to have a story and offer quests – even if only from computer terminals or robots. This means the focus is not solely on PvP. PvE and story are included in the mix. Players who are constantly attacked by others during a quest may become frustrated and give up. However, it is understandable that the danger posed by PvP should play a role.
- With too many rules and security systems, PvP fans will quickly lose interest. They then feel restricted in their freedoms
- With too weak rules or too many loopholes, the PvE fans will eventually get annoyed
- The middle ground could also be aimed at too few players, which would again make Fallout 76 a niche product
What does Fallout 76 want to be? Another point is that many players are simply not sure what Fallout 76 wants to be. An online game focused on PvP or a PvE title. Especially since there are many burnt children who have lost interest in many games due to griefing, many cannot imagine that a combination would work well. So is Fallout 76 in an identity crisis? Would it be better to split the game into PvE and PvP servers? Bethesda wants to create a new gaming experience that mixes both. The development studio currently holds on to this.
Whether that will work, we will see in live operation – not in internal tests and probably not even in beta tests. Only when the masses play will it show how many griefers exist, how they react to the rules, and whether they find loopholes. Therefore, the PvP system of Fallout 76 could be the deciding factor for the success or failure of the game. From November 14th, we will know more when Fallout 76 is released.
