CRPG Corner- Fallout: A Post Nuclear Roleplaying Game

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Nowadays, RPGs are more closely associated with video games than their pen and paper origins. At this point, the two forms of roleplaying have evolved so much over the decades that it’s impossible to judge which one is “better.” However, the earliest RPG video games (termed CRPGs) were essentially computerized versions of pen and paper systems. Aside from having the usual advantages of being a video game, the other distinguishing feature of CRPGs was how the game itself served as game master. Besides similar mechanics, these CRPGs did their best to offer the narrative freedom provided by the games that inspired them. Even now, games can’t be programmed to match the nearly endless amount of choices offered by a competent GM. But in trying to capture the atmosphere of their pen and paper origins, early CRPGs ended up offering a level of freedom to its players that even modern video games struggle to offer. Nowhere is this better seen than the first Fallout.

As the name suggested, Fallout was set in the nuclear wasteland that was once California. The bombs fell on a world that was technologically advanced but socially regressive, in line with the series tagline of “war never changes.” The player character (later referred to as the Vault Dweller) was born in Vault 13, a self-sustaining bunker that’s guarded its occupants for almost a century. The Vault Dweller are sent out into wasteland to retrieve the computer chip needed to fix the vault’s water purifier, before their home is rendered uninhabitable. They quickly discover that those who have survived the wasteland are slowly rebuilding civilization. Unfortunately, these efforts are threatened by raiders, mutant wildlife, and worse. The Vault Dweller’s journey has them stumble upon an army of Super Mutants, whose dreams of a new world threaten to wipe out every remnant of the old one. 

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Fallout: A Post Nuclear Role Playing Game was released by Interplay Productions in 1997. Unlike its better known successors, it had turn based gameplay, with movements costing a certain number of “action points.” Fallout used an isometric perspective and required the player to click on most objects to read a description. The game also offered in depth character creation centered on the 10 point SPECIAL system, which affected a number of statistics, skills, and traits you could choose to prioritize. At the start of Fallout’s production, the game was licensed to use Steve Jackson Games’ GURPS system.

Interplay would eventually lose the license and Vault 13: A GURPS Post-Nuclear Adventure would become Fallout. While the game created new mechanics as a part of that transition, most notably the limb targeting V.A.T.S. system, GURPS’ influence remains apparent in the final product, primarily through Fallout's combat system.

The creative freedom offered by Fallout is apparent from the very beginning, as new dialogue and story options could be unlocked through the decisions made during character creation. The most well known example was how a high Charisma and Speech character to talk their way through most of the game’s major conflicts. Under the right circumstances, even the monstrous final boss could be talked into surrendering. It’s unsurprising that in a game as clever and engagingly written as Fallout, talking is just as good an option as going in guns blazing. Like any good pen and paper RPG campaign, Fallout made sure a character’s mechanical choices affected the story and provided the player with plenty of options.

 

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Even outside of the options offered through character creation, there was rarely only one way to resolve a situation. This was true in terms of both gameplay and story. Your choice of weapons was often second to who you chose to side with and how creatively you approached the matter. One of the easiest to miss but most satisfying moments in the game was using a walkie talkie to trick a super mutant patrol into leaving their post. The overall storyline was fairly linear but could be influenced by your individual choices along the way. Characterful NPCs and memorable dialogue made the rest of the plot interesting enough to keep your attention. The game ends with a slideshow and accompanying narration describing the fate of the communities you came across, with the outcome determined by the Vault Dweller's actions. While future CRPGs handled this in a more substantial way, Fallout still gave its players a way to have a meaningful, tangible impact on its setting.

In contrast with the later Fallout titles, the wasteland had a much more unique atmosphere and aesthetic than the homogenous retro-future Bethesda would settle for. The 1950s aspects were meant to signify that the America destroyed in the nuclear exchange was ruled by paranoia and oppression. The few callbacks were presented alongside contemporary details like Desert Eagles, and overtly futuristic ones through the vehicles and architecture. Fallout presented its pre-war future whose technological advancements was hampered by stagnant, ruthless culture. That carried considerably more nuance than the one note, nuclear powered Americana presented in future titles. Fallout’s graphics are dated and it’s user interface even more so, but it created a distinct but still familiar post-apocalyptic world. And it’s hard to give a wasteland personality. 

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Fallout is hard for many modern gamers to stomach. Most people’s introduction to the series was through the fast paced and exploration focused first person titles. Next to that, Fallout's turn based gameplay can seem obnoxious or just dull. The handful of voice acted characters are accompanied by puppet like talking heads. Which might be charming to me but goofy to most. And there’s few things more annoying than getting stopped on your travels to fight a dozen rats. But Fallout was an intelligently written game with strong core gameplay and that’s kept it fresh. It lacked the expansive worlds of Fallout 3 and 4 but it made up for ta by being considerably better written. Most importantly, the game gave the player real, meaningful options, even with the technological limitations of the time. Fallout is one of the few games to properly emulate the feeling of playing a pen and paper RPG and the freedom that medium offers.