Lecture Notes: Classic Fallout Games and Salt Lake Stories Mod

Introduction

• Personal Affinity for Fallout Series
  • Classic Fallout games hold a special place alongside New Vegas.
  • The games are formative and remain in personal top 10 of all time.

Perception of Classic Fallout Games

• Praise and Criticism
  • New Vegas is widely recognized and praised.
  • Classic games often overlooked, even when praised.
  • Criticism often due to unfamiliarity with old gameplay ("skill issue").
• Specific Elements Overlooked
  • Risk of learning wrong lessons about RPG development.

Introduction to Salt Lake Stories Mod

• Overview
  • Mod for New Vegas with a focus on classic Fallout design elements.
  • New world space, characters, lore, stories, and guns.

Gameplay and Structure

• Game Start
  • Begins at a truck outside Goodsprings, Utah setting.
  • Mickey's Motors serves as a tutorial zone.
• Quest Structure
  • No immediate objectives; non-linear progression.
  • Importance of NPC dialogue for lore and quest details.
• Quest Log System
  • Journal-like, encourages listening instead of relying on GPS markers.

Writing and Dialogue

• Use of Van Buren Design Documents
  • Incorporates lore from Van Buren, enriching the mod's narrative.
• Challenges with Voice Acting
  • Voicing extensive dialogue is expensive; mod relies on volunteers.

Mod Mechanics

• Vehicles and Travel
  • Highwomen serves as a mode of transport and storage.
  • Travel system inspired by Fallout 2; janky but functional.
• Zone Design
  • 15 open zones, each with unique lore, function like mini open worlds.

Notable Locations and Quests

• Bowie Town
  • Quests reminiscent of classic Fallout; themes of capitalism vs communism.
• Arid Creek and Claw Peak
  • Feature unique characters and quests, evoke classic Fallout locations.
• Carter Farm and Swamp Community
  • Themes of slavery and community, with options for player intervention.

Limitations and Challenges

• Cut Content
  • Cannot visit Salt Lake City or New Canaan; these areas are mentioned but not accessible.
• Main Quest Structure
  • Lacks a grand finale or ending, focusing on non-linear storytelling.

Conclusion

• Overall Experience
  • Salt Lake Stories is a love letter to classic Fallout titles.
  • Appeals to fans of older RPG mechanics and storytelling.
• Desire for Expansion
  • Hope for more mods that continue to expand on classic Fallout ideas in a modern engine.

Final Thoughts

• Mod Success
  • Despite its imperfections, the mod successfully brings classic RPG elements to New Vegas.