T w e n t y S i d e d

Josh is on vacation this week. By some strange coincidence, someone else is on vacation next week. I can’t remember who. Oh! That’s right. It’s Josh. Again.

Now, if it was any other cast member I’d suggest we just keep doing the show without them. But since Josh is the one with all of the save games, recording software, editing software, special equipment, and the souped-up computer, we can’t just cut him out of the deal. If we did, the show would consist of Mumble, Rutskarn and I all showing up and watching a blank Livestream window for an hour, not recording anything, and then releasing no content whatsoever.

So, the show is taking a break. I promise to pick up the slack by maybe linking to some YouTube videos or some crap. If I remember.

Shamus Young is a programmer, an author, and nearly a composer. He works on this site full time. If you'd like to support him, you can do so via Patreon or PayPal.

It’s sad to run into quests like this. Do we give Obsidian a pass for striking out because they were swinging for the fences? Does than mean we’d rather game developers not dream big? (Although both approaches are better than Fallout 3, where the story aimed low and it still failed.)

This plot of this quest alone is larger and more complex than some games. The number of parties and viewpoints is large and there’s a lot going on. There are several points where you have lots of choices on how to proceed. But in the end, the whole thing is broken and your choices don’t make a lot of sense. (I wonder how many people got frustrated and just killed everyone because they didn’t know what to do next.)

My experiences with Obsidian games always end up conflicted like this.

Shamus Young is a programmer, an author, and nearly a composer. He works on this site full time. If you'd like to support him, you can do so via Patreon or PayPal.

When I went through the game, I didn’t even notice that Mr. House didn’t pay you for a majority of the work that you do. By that point in the game I had lots of chips and I just sort of assumed that each quest turn-in was putting some caps in my pocket.

I believe there are four endings to the game: House, Legion, NCR, and Wild Card. Within those endings, some of them have options, like what to do with the dam and Helios One.

Out of curiosity, which ending(s) did everyone go for? Did anyone do them all?

Shamus Young is a programmer, an author, and nearly a composer. He works on this site full time. If you'd like to support him, you can do so via Patreon or PayPal.

I have written a script for you readers. Just read this aloud while watching this episode:

If you’re looking for the casino, you’re going the wrong way, Josh. No, the other way. Ah! You missed it. It was that door. No, now you need to go back upstairs now. You’re still… ARG. STOP. GO LEFT. What are you doing in the basement?!?! YOU’RE GOING IN CIRCLES! YOU JUST PASSED IT FOR THE THIRD TIME! ARE YOU BLIND? ARE YOU DOING THIS ON PURPOSE? What are you, tormenting us!?!?! On purpose! Is my total red-faced rage and frustration your aim, sir?

You know… maybe it is. Maybe it is.

Shamus Young is a programmer, an author, and nearly a composer. He works on this site full time. If you'd like to support him, you can do so via Patreon or PayPal.