What's New?

So What's New?

First of all, Tactics uses a brand new engine almost completely written from scratch. Now capable of running at resolutions up to 1024x768 with 32-bit color, Tactics looks much better than either of the first games. True elevation has been incorporated into the game. You can climb ladders or stairs to reach upper or lower levels of buildings and structures. Line-of-sight has been added, so you can't see people around corners or inside closed buildings. Before, the computer controlled everyone but your main character. Now your whole squad is user controlled. Another addition is drivable vehicles in combat. Yes, running people over is a viable tactic.

The most drastic change is in how battles are carried out. In previous Fallout games, enemy encounters were turn-based. Your character had Action Points that determined how many actions they could perform in one turn. Moving your character cost one point per square, shooting a gun or throwing a punch typically consumed four to five points. After every character had taken their turn, Action Points would be replenished. In Tactics, battles are in real-time. While you can move freely without penalty, Action Points still determine how often a character can perform an action. Since there are no turns, Action Points regenerate over time. This new gameplay style adds a lot of action to the game, but for old school Fallout fans and turn-based strategists, the original control style is a selectable option.

Trash talk

Well positioned sniper

To add more strategy to battle, you are able to change the stance of your characters. A standing character can run, but has the least accuracy with his gun and a better chance of getting hit by a projectile weapon. Prone characters crawl at a snail's pace along the ground but possess the best weapon accuracy, the smallest chance of getting hit by gunfire, and are the least detectable. On the down side, if a character comes at you with a knife or other melee weapon, you'll have very little chance to defend yourself. Characters can also crouch, which leaves you with a mix of both the pros and cons of the other stances.

Since you now have to control a group of people, the sentry feature has been added, which lets your characters act autonomously if they run into an enemy. Defensive mode will have characters alert you if they see an enemy, and they will return fire if attacked. Aggressive mode has your character fire the instant he encounters an enemy. If you don't wish to have your characters do anything unless told to, then select normal mode. This really helps keep your team organized and effective during battle. You can have a sniper set to aggressive looking out a second story window while the rest of your team moves in. The rest of the team would be set to defensive so not to alert an enemy if they pass by unnoticed, but would open fire if provoked.

Splat!

Line it up

The Spice of Life

Fallout has always been known for its wide assortment of weapons and items, and Tactics is no exception. With over 135 different weapons, ranging from sniper rifles and machine guns, to flame throwers and rocket launchers, to baseball bats and toilet plungers, there is no shortage of ways to eliminate your opponents. Other, non-lethal items litter the wastelands. Some are useful, such as medical kits and books, which your characters can learn from. Some are not so useful, like bottles of vodka, which just get your character drunk. Whether you use them all or not, there are a lot of toys to play with.

Players will be able to control nine different types of characters. You'll have your standard humans, but now you can control many of the more interesting characters of the Fallout universe. Mutants, Ghouls, and even dogs are able to join your squad. When it comes to blowing the heads off things, there is an abundance of different creatures for you to experiment with. You'll face off against 45 different types of evil. Radscorpions, Super-Mutants, and not-so-evil things such as Brahmin are just waiting for you to riddle them with lead. There will also be a wide selection of environments for you to do battle in. Combat action will take place in desolate wastelands, tribal villages, industrial ruins, fallen skyscrapers, and even inside a Brotherhood of Steel fortress.