Pinnacle of Survival

The character construction stage is swiftly followed in the same vein of integrated storyline, by basic movement tutorials, attribute and skill selection for the character, as well as a demonstration of the choices that can be made throughout the game, particularly that of negotiation or force. Following the character appearance selection, this cut scene resumes, depicting the mother of the character going into cardiac arrest before cutting to a year into the future. This begins the next part of Fallout’s integrated character set-up, teaching the player the game controls through the narrative and forcing them to participate towards the intended solution in order to progress as the character is still a child at this stage and not capable of many controls apart from walking, running and interacting with NPCs (Non-Playable Characters) and objects. Furthermore, this participation shows up as a quest that the player must work towards the objections to achieve, leading to the player assigning themselves their starting primary attributes of Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility, and Luck. These choices affect the later skill sets that the player is able to level up that include Speech, Lock pick and Energy Weapons, which can all be adjusted depending on what traditional class of character the player wishes to adhere to. The game is once again fast forwarded to the age of 10 and then 16, where the character is respectively taught both how to shoot as well as placed in an interaction that shows the player that many fight situations “can be circumvented by careful negotiation.” (Pichlmair 2009, 109)

This set up provides a foresight into the set up of the gameplay to come throughout the game, and leads into the determination of the primary three skills through a test. The character is required to take a Generalized Occupational Aptitude Test, consisting of vague questions that, based on the answers given by the player will determine which three skills will be focused on. The completion of this step signifies the conclusion of the character introduction stage of the game. Unlike other games in which moral traits are “ascribed to characters rather than being earned… when making a character and thus exist before the character has actually done anything” (Schulzke 2009), Fallout considers this to be the beginning of the character and the player’s journeys, granting them the freedom of choice and consequence.