What do you think about the Pip-Boy 3000?

S

Say Apple!

First time out of the vault
I'm curious as to why Bethesda couldn't have gone with the 2000, or the Lone Wanderer modified his own Pip-Boy or something? It's cool and all but not very canon friendly and is a bit annoying to use on PC sometimes.
Also, sorry if this has already been posted as I could see someone else asking this question.
 
I don't really care a lot about the pipboy, but I'd expect the same model to be a standard on all vaults, so yeah, it's kind of weird that there is a new pipboy for Fallout 3.
 
Say Apple! said:
I'm curious as to why Bethesda couldn't have gone with the 2000
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The wonderful world of dev diaries can illuminate many such queries. It's remarkable how many questions posed by players about FO3 were actually answered by Bethesda BEFORE the game ever launched... In short, the Pipboy 3000 was purely a "redesign for the sake of being new and cool" on Bethesda's part, nothing more. There wasn't any insightful reasoning as to why go with an "updated" wrist-mounted personal data assistant rather than the classic model. They just wanted to do different things cause... they could.
 
Though it is unergonomic, it is a smart idea. Wrist-mounted information storage, with some kind of GPS system? It makes sense a Vault trying to prepare it's dwellers for the outside world would be equipped with them.
Very useful... though a really horrible mechanic in an RPG to guide the player everywhere... the hand-holding seemed a lot more obvious in NV than 3, actually.

Oh, also, biometric seals: worst idea ever.
 
Well I'm assuming the only reason you can't take it off is because its your only menu and is what gives you vats and what not, but I for one would have liked it if when you were in Raven Rock to try and make it around without the help of any Pip-Boy related stuff.
 
Say Apple! said:
Well I'm assuming the only reason you can't take it off is because its your only menu and is what gives you vats and what not, but I for one would have liked it if when you were in Raven Rock to try and make it around without the help of any Pip-Boy related stuff.
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It's stated in Operation Anchorage, IIRC, that it's at least very, very hard to take, and that it's only functional for its first user. The BoS Outcasts had problems to acquire one, and even tried by chopping a Gary his arm, IIRC.
 
In New Vegas they come off pretty easily, but then once you leave the vault and find yourself in bandit country you might figure it's best not to be seen with this quite useful and valuable piece of technology, which would lead to bright sparks learning how to hack the things, whereas in the vault they're apparently useful for something/everything.

That or the guy who says you can never take it off in Fallout 3 was lying or wrong.
 
Atomkilla said:
Wumbology said:
Oh, also, biometric seals: worst idea ever.
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It can be taken off, actually. Apparently, there's a trick to it, but it can be taken off.
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Even if it's "simply" hard is an idiotic idea. I don't understand why Bethesda came up with it, really, it adds nothing.

It's stated in Operation Anchorage, IIRC, that it's at least very, very hard to take, and that it's only functional for its first user.
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It does? Well, New Vegas retconned that it seems. Also if true Vaults like 101 should have had a mountain of Pip-Boys (instead of a thousand) since they would have to discard them afterward.
 
SnapSlav said:
Say Apple! said:
I'm curious as to why Bethesda couldn't have gone with the 2000
Click to expand...
The wonderful world of dev diaries can illuminate many such queries. It's remarkable how many questions posed by players about FO3 were actually answered by Bethesda BEFORE the game ever launched... In short, the Pipboy 3000 was purely a "redesign for the sake of being new and cool" on Bethesda's part, nothing more. There wasn't any insightful reasoning as to why go with an "updated" wrist-mounted personal data assistant rather than the classic model. They just wanted to do different things cause... they could.
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and in turn create a lot of strange problems ... where even if you use armor like the power armor the pip boy and the wrist/hand are always visible ... :roll:
 
Oppen said:
It's stated in Operation Anchorage, IIRC, that it's at least very, very hard to take, and that it's only functional for its first user. The BoS Outcasts had problems to acquire one, and even tried by chopping a Gary his arm, IIRC.
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According to Stanley Armstrong, biometric seals prevent the device from being removed, and Gary 23 in the Outcast outpost had his arm cut off because the Outcasts needed his Pip-Boy to unlock a weapons vault in the add-on Operation: Anchorage. However, this portrayal is notoriously inconsistent (not to mention illogical), as clothing in Fallout 3 is depicted as fitting under the Pip-Boy, with sleeves coming out on the other sides, while in New Vegas this issue is not mentioned at all. The Courier receives Doc Mitchell's old Pip-Boy and can freely switch between the regular and the Pimp-Boy 3 Billion version; the 3 Billion also appears loose on the player's arm. Ricky in Honest Hearts wears a Pip-Boy he claims to have found, though he doesn't mention the biometric lock.
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From the Vault.
 
Stanislao Moulinsky said:
It does? Well, New Vegas retconned that it seems. Also if true Vaults like 101 should have had a mountain of Pip-Boys (instead of a thousand) since they would have to discard them afterward.
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I'm aware of all of that. I do think Beth had a really stupid idea, not only about that, but about redesigning the pipboy at all. There is no reason why DC vaults would have different pipboys than any other vaults. I mean, the only argument I can think of for something like this would be prioritizing the capital city, but then your priority should lead to "get them ready first", and that comes at the cost of newer models being available only for the later ones, not for them. Else, you lose your time playing catch up, not a smart way to prevent the collapse of society, and not a smart way to design your social experiments. You know, why lose time on pointless thingies when you have to actually design your experiment and get it to completion.
Though, I do think since Fallout is now Beth IP (or at least that's the way I think it is, if anyone who knows more can clarify, I'll be thankful), it's likely that canon from now on will be defined by Bethesda games. I hope Obsidian games keep ignoring the stupidity introduced by Beth.

Tagaziel said:
Snip.
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Thanks, but you don't have to point out Beth makes no sense, I'm fully aware, as you can check on most of my posts around here.
 
Also from the Vault: http://fallout.gamepedia.com/Pipboy_3000

While wearing the spacesuit in the Mothership Zeta add-on, the player is still wearing the Pip-Boy 3000's fingerless glove. While one would imagine this extremely dangerous during EVA, and is poor practice during such, this is actually only liable to give a person frostbite, and perhaps decompression exploding the hand off at worst, as the sleeve on the suit goes into the pip-boy, which is airtight.
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Seems to be that the biometric seal is definitely illogical.
 
Maybe the 3000 model was simply another model alongside the 2000. Standard issue weaponry varied in the second world war. The 3000 may simply be substitute standard.

That being said, it makes sense to give to Vault Dwellers- particularly those in control vaults- to reinforce the belief they'll be sent out within a few generations, as they're useful exploration devices.

SnapSlav said:
purely a "redesign for the sake of being new and cool" on Bethesda's part, nothing more. There wasn't any insightful reasoning as to why go with an "updated" wrist-mounted personal data assistant rather than the classic model. They just wanted to do different things cause... they could.
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This is a bad thing how? The Lil Pip was the same idea.
 
Radiation suits don't cover the hand either which wouldn't be to great either. Is the Pip-Boy glove attached to the Pip-Boy itself or are people just to lazy to take the glove off for full protection?
 
Wumbology said:
This is a bad thing how? The Lil Pip was the same idea.
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because it wasn not needed. To change the pip is "ok", sadly Bethesda made a really bad UI and inventory ... but thats the typical consolitis ... changing the vault doors though, was a stupid move in my opinion.
 
This may sound a bit dumb because I've been playing FO way before Bethesda came into the picture. But before FO3 I always thought the Pip-Boy was bulky PDA device you keep in your pocket or strap across your shoulder like a satchel.
 
It's a stupid design (the switches and knobs should be on the other side, in reality you would be covering your screen with your arm when using them)its massive and obnoxious, and was clearly designed around consoles.

There are some elements to it I actually prefer, like the inventory system itself, but the actual physical design is shit.


I would prefer a 2000 fixed into a thick leather wrist band.
 
Crni Vuk said:
but thats the typical consolitis ...
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It wasn't "consolitis" at all. Bioshock was far, FAR more simplified compared to its immediate spiritual predecessor, System Shock 2, which WAS a symptom of "consolitis", but it didn't take away from the game at all. The fewer weapons and lack of inventory management didn't destroy an otherwise great game had it not been watered down for consoles. No, it was an amazing game. The crap Bethesda doesn't isn't because consoles required it; they did it because they're pretentious retards who don't realize a terrible idea when they see/conjure it. FO3 doesn't have issues because it was made to be playable on consoles. It has issues because the developers don't have a clue what's a good idea, and what's shooting yourself-in-the-foot stupid.

Like I already pointed out, Bethesda admitted to MANY of its bad decisions as being conscious efforts to just "do something new", purely for the sake of doing something new. Not that they were required, or that new would be better. Just... cause. They didn't think about it, they just impulsively did it.
 
Wait, wait.

How is the Pip-Boy 3000 at all "consolitis"

and

why is the Pip-Boy 3000's inventory management bad?
 
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