Fallout 76 is one of those games that you never completely give up on. After the announcement of a Fallout title in multiplayer at E3 2018, the hype was huge, and the disappointment during B.E.T.A. and at release was immense. What has happened since then? MeinMMO takes you back in time and shows what has happened in the two years.
The story of Fallout 76: Fallout 76 had a rough start and faced much criticism. Even the beta and the subsequent release were plagued by complications. Numerous bugs, partially poor performance, and crashes made Fallout 76 unplayable for many players.
Many players rightfully criticized such errors or even stayed away from the game altogether. The hard core of fans and hopefuls remained and accompanied Fallout 76 through two years and numerous patches and updates that have continually improved the survival MMO.
Now, two years after the release, Bethesda continues to provide the game with updates. In addition to gameplay changes, there is regularly new content, and the story continues.
Fallout 76 makes a crash landing at release
This is how the release of Fallout 76 went: Numerous players could not connect to the servers, and many bugs from the B.E.T.A. found their way into the final game. The community was angry, and the hype turned into rage and despair. Missing NPCs, which make the Fallout universe so diverse with funny dialogues and exciting stories, were absent. At release Fallout 76 received just 49 out of 100 points on Metacritic and a devastating user score of 2.7.
The main criticisms of Fallout 76 at release were:
- Only playable online
- Boring due to missing NPCs
- Performance problems and crashes
- Insufficient communication from Bethesda after launch
- Released too early
Players desired an online mode for Fallout. However, the fact that Fallout 76 can ONLY be played online also upset players. Building and exploring peacefully was not possible due to the PvP aspect despite grief protection. When exploring, players quickly realized that holotapes and story in text form did not work well for them. The absence of NPCs was quickly noticeable.
Due to poor performance and many crashes, many lost interest. Voices were raised that Fallout 76 was released at least a year too early. This gradually improved.
Wild Appalachia – The first improvements
Wild Appalachia shows what Bethesda can do: Despite the bad start of Fallout 76, Bethesda continued to stick with the title. In March 2019, the first major update “Wild Appalachia” was released. The MMORPG received a new quest line and players became brewers.
With the quest “Crashed on Nukashine,” players went through a new quest line to uncover the secrets of the notorious illegal Nukashine and could unlock the brewing and distilling system. The new quest line made it into our “The 5 most beautiful quests in Fallout 76” on MeinMMO.
Bethesda also introduced another round of balancing changes to energy and heavy weapons with the update, increasing damage and extending durability.
In the update announcement, a new creature was prominently teased, the Sheepsquatch, a type of mutated super-sheep. It even got a “copycat” as a boss, which has been responsible for the deaths of thousands of players. Over time, more and more creatures found a place in the world of Fallout 76.
Fallout 76 experiments with Nuclear Winter
A Battle Royale in the Fallout universe: The “Nuclear Winter” update in June 2019 caused a surprise. In addition to endgame content for groups, a battle royale mode was introduced, which was presented with a free-to-play event. Since the release of Fallout 76, there have been repeated free-to-play events, which are particularly interesting for players who are still skeptical about the MMORPG.
In Nuclear Winter, the player experiences the final days of Vault 51 and is up close in the fight for the title of overseer in the vault.
Vault 51 no longer has an overseer, and the survivors from Vault 76 are to slash each other in a proper battle royale until only one remains to take over rule. The mode is now so popular that it remains permanently after its test.
Nuclear Winter was the second major content update and brought new locations into the game and deepened the story. Additionally, Bethesda introduced four new vaults to Appalachia with the update. Exploring vaults is particularly thrilling in the Fallout series. The experiments conducted on the vault dwellers prompt headshaking or the occasional chuckle.
These vaults came with Nuclear Winter:
- Vault 51: Has no overseer and is managed by the supercomputer ZAX
- Vault 63: Currently inaccessible, could become part of daily operations in the future
- Vault 94: Introduced as a raid and tests the adaptability of non-violent ideological groups when confronted with a post-apocalyptic society
- Vault 96: Also a raid, is one of the largest cryogenic storage facilities in the world, where about ten thousand animals were kept
In a group, Vault 94 can be explored and saved from a catastrophic explosion. Together, a critical system error must be fixed that would otherwise destroy the entire vault.
Steam release and Wastelanders save Fallout 76
What happened with Wastelanders in Fallout 76: Despite many new content, Fallout 76 lacked something essential: NPCs. Bethesda had repeatedly hinted that NPCs were not planned for Fallout 76 and also had no special focus. This changed abruptly with the Wastelanders update in April 2020.
The new story includes at least 15 hours of gameplay and convinced MeinMMO author Benedict Grothaus. He says: “Wastelanders is now the game that Fallout 76 should have been.”
At PAX East, Bethesda presented the new update for the first time, which makes Fallout 76 basically feel like Fallout 4. Wastelanders takes place a year after the victory over the Scorched Beasts, and new players wake up after a year of sleep in Vault 76 while the rest of Appalachia has been cleaned up. In the first dialogue options, players can upset NPCs with false statements and will be treated accordingly.
Upon returning, the player is greeted by two NPCs and immediately confronted with a quest. The dialogues were excellently voiced and impressively demonstrate how much the Fallout series lives on dialogues and NPCs.
The dialogues indirectly influence the game; through dialogue decisions, alliances can be forged, the reputation of factions can be increased, or alternative solutions to quests can be found.
Two new factions fight for dominance in Appalachia, the Settlers and Raiders. Within the established questline, players gain reputation with the respective factions. Both factions lay claim to Appalachia after players have made it habitable again through months of hard work. They do not know you and regard you with suspicion. With Wastelanders, seven reputation levels were introduced:
- Hostile
- Suspicious
- Neutral
- Neighborhood
- Friendly
- Ally
Additionally, it is possible to hire companions. Companions already played an important role in earlier installments of the Fallout series. It is possible to get to know NPCs so well that they fall in love with you. This is also the case in Fallout 76.
The NPCs, however, are not full-fledged companions. They do not accompany you on your travels and do not fight with you. Instead, they wait for you at camp and fill it with life. Those who make enough effort can even enter into a romance.
It’s good, but it will get better
I have played Fallout 76 continuously since release, only with small breaks. What I have seen in terms of changes over the last two years has already been very pleasing to me.
One Wasteland is definitely a challenge for new players, but for veterans, it is just right in my opinion. Nevertheless, it is more of a foundation for what is to come.
With Steel Dawn, the story of Fallout 76 continues and brings the most famous faction into the game. I am sure that this will please nerds like me and motivate newcomers to take another look at Appalachia.
Story and lore are things that keep Fallout 76 and every MMORPG alive. I am therefore confident: The future will be bright. Pun intended.
In addition to the NPCs, over 40 new locations were implemented with the update, and Fallout 76 was released on Steam. Anyone who had already purchased Fallout 76 for PC through Bethesda received the game on Steam for free after linking their accounts. The reviews after the release on Steam were very positive.
Fallout 1st received a lot of criticism: In October 2019, “Fallout 1st,” a paid subscription model that allowed players to play on private worlds, was released. The price of €14.99 per month or €119.99 annually, including a 34% discount, sparked massive criticism from the community. Private servers had already been promised before the release for 2019. Back then, there was no mention that they would cost extra. As early as June 2018, MeinMMO reported on private servers and the possibility to play alone. At that time, Todd Howard stated that private servers would come and each player could decide who could join those servers.
In addition to private worlds, players receive additional benefits, such as 1,650 Atoms for the in-game shop, prices of which were already under criticism. At that time, the criticism of the subscription model was greater than that of the game itself, as MeinMMO editor-in-chief Schumann has illustrated well in his opinion.
Fallout 76 impresses in 2020 with new content
Fallout 76 gets seasons: At the end of June, the fourth major update “The Legendary Run” was released for Fallout 76, bringing seasons into the game.
With the introduction of the season pass, there was increased criticism from the community about the grind to get through the first season. Bethesda quickly reacted and announced extensive changes to the S.C.O.R.E. system. In the blog post, it was stated:
In the further course of The Legendary Run, we want to offer further daily challenges of this kind. For example, we plan to add some daily and weekly bonus challenges that should be included in the final season week.
With the first season, more players returned to the game and with the previous integration of NPCs, Fallout 76 felt more and more like a full-fledged MMORPG.
One Wasteland – The major turning point
One Wasteland causes problems for solo players: With “One Wasteland for All,” Bethesda introduced dynamic enemy levels in mid-September 2020. Legendary perks were also introduced for all players above level 50. The first vanguard of the Steel Brotherhood appears in Appalachia with One Wasteland. They prepare everything for the arrival of the Brotherhood. Most likely, this will arrive on December 1, 2020, in Appalachia and will reset the balance of power.
The dynamic enemy levels make teamwork easier. However, for new solo players, it poses a challenge, as MeinMMO author Florian Franck analyzed in his opinion article on One Wasteland.
With “One Wasteland for All,” Bethesda lays the foundation for the future of Fallout 76. Players of various levels can more easily team up in groups and complete quests more easily. Thanks to the dynamic adjustment of enemies, there is always a challenge guaranteed.
More RPG in the MMO: With the release of One Wasteland, all players above level 50 could unlock legendary perks with new cards.
The legendary perks are special perk cards that are even stronger than the regular ones and can be used in addition to one’s own build. The legendary perks bring unique advantages, stronger stats, or useful traits.
A comprehensive list of all legendary perks and their special features can be found in our complete Legendary Perk List:
In December, the future of Fallout 76 is decided: “The Steel Brotherhood is the best thing that can happen to Fallout 76.” This opinion is shared not only by MeinMMO author Benedict Grothaus but also by Fallout fan and MeinMMO author Florian Franck:
Personal Opinion on Fallout 76
I love the Fallout series, especially part 3. I have always wished for a multiplayer experience, and with the announcement at E3 in 2018, I could hardly wait to explore the post-apocalyptic world of Fallout with other players. The B.E.T.A. brought me back down to earth. I missed NPCs and the special atmosphere that made Fallout 3 and 4. Disappointed, three friends and I canceled our pre-orders and turned our backs on Fallout 76.
Through Wastelanders and One Wasteland, I gave Fallout 76 another chance and it captivated me from the start. The NPCs and the extensive story have convinced me about Fallout 76 after two years. I try to rebuild my C.A.M.P. for at least an hour every day and to progress in the story. I am more than hyped for the return of the Steel Brotherhood in December and can hardly wait to complete quests for the new faction.
Florian Franck
Freelance author at MeinMMO
One Wasteland tweaked the gameplay, Steel Dawn focuses primarily on the story. After the death of the original members, the Brotherhood now tries to establish itself again in Appalachia. The Brotherhood’s task is to preserve humanity’s knowledge while ensuring it does not fall into the wrong hands. The members want to prevent a nuclear war from repeating or humanity’s technology from being used against them on a large scale.
Why the Steel Brotherhood is so important for Fallout 76: The Brotherhood is one of the most important NPCs in the entire Fallout series and has appeared in every installment so far. With their arrival, players learn more about the Brotherhood’s past and why they became so powerful in other installments.
Fallout 76 takes place before all other Fallout installments. This means that we can explore the origins of the series and possibly even establish missing links in the story.
It’s good, but it will get better
I have played Fallout 76 continuously since release, only with small breaks. What I have seen in terms of changes over the last two years has already been very pleasing to me.
One Wasteland is definitely a challenge for new players, but for veterans, it is just right in my opinion. Nevertheless, it is more of a foundation for what is to come.
With Steel Dawn, the story of Fallout 76 continues and brings the most famous faction into the game. I am sure that this will please nerds like me and motivate newcomers to take another look at Appalachia.
Story and lore are things that keep Fallout 76 and every MMORPG alive. I am therefore confident: The future will be bright. Pun intended.
Fallout 76
Fallout 76 is the first MMO of the popular Fallout series and was released on November 14, 2018. Fallout 76 tells the story of the inhabitants of Vault 76, who ...