Fallout 4 Survival Mode Detailed

Have you been itching for a grittier, scarier, tougher Commonwealth? Well, you’re in luck!! Today finally marks the day that Fallout 4’s revamped Survival Mode arrives.

In beta. For Steam.

OK, OK, maybe that’s a bit of a downer for some people, but it shouldn’t be a shock if you know anything about Bethesda. They’re a PC first company, and if you also follow anything about Bethesda, you know that plenty of the fan base is part of that #PCMasterRace family (and man, do they love to let the world know about that). So us lowly console peasants have longer to wait, but honestly, I’m OK with that, and I know plenty of people who are, too. So, since that little bit of info is out of the way, let’s crack on to the good stuff.

Fallout4_Quarry_Exterior_Sketch_Fullsize — Were there always bats in this game?

Here are some of the highlights from the article:

Tough Choices

At a high level, we wanted to force you to make interesting choices. We did that by bringing more contrasting motivations to Fallout 4 using the type of circular systems you might find in a game like Dark Souls. (By which we mean, two or more systems that push against each other.) This resulted in four major pillars for Survival Mode.

Saving with Sleep: Manual, quicksaving and almost all autosaves are disabled. To save your game, you’ll need to find a bed and sleep for at least an hour. This means your fallback options are reduced, forcing you to be more concerned about what you are walking into and whether you’re prepared to handle it. Some fights you may deem above your level and decide to avoid. Other fights you may decide to go all in. Scouting and gathering information to make this decision can be fun in its own right. Also, when beds are your only means of saving, they become the Holy Grail. With that level of importance tied to them, you will scour the Earth to find the closest bed to your next chosen encounter – and in doing so you will likely discover things that you might have otherwise missed.

No More Fast Travel: Fast Travel is disabled. If you wish to be somewhere, you’ll have to get there the old-fashioned way. In other words, exploration is now mandatory, exposing more of the Commonwealth’s secret gems. This will also take you out of your comfort zone, but encourage you to take advantage of the well-placed workshops throughout the Wasteland. And, while Charisma may seem less important to your immediate survival, there are certain Charisma-based perks that make managing your bases less painful.

Everything Matters

It’s not just the big changes that alter the way you play in Survival Mode. We also made adjustments to all kinds of items and conditions.

Bed Types: The type of bed you’re sleeping in limits the length of time you are able to sleep, thereby limiting how much you can recover. Real beds – which are hard to come by in the world – offer the highest bonuses for sleeping; this rewards you for working out of a home base or even spending the caps for a good night’s sleep.

Also, finding a sleeping bag in the middle of a dungeon will feel great… finding a dirty mattress will feel even better… finding a real bed will be like winning the lottery. You know all those spots where you can use Workshop mode in the game? It’s time to start building beds.

Illness & Antibiotics: There are several different Illnesses that can affect you. Your base chance of getting sick increases as your average Wellness decreases. Antibiotics can be crafted, bought or found, and alongside doctors, can heal your current Illnesses. Certain things in the world, such as taking hits by certain creatures or using Chems, may immediately give you an Illness. Also, Stimpaks are no longer the fix-all miracle drug, so make sure you’re prepared!

CeuRwoQWAAE7HNx — Bethesda ain’t pulling any punches, though “Yao Guai Grylls” does seem more appropriate as pointed out by a fan.

Now, I didn’t post everything from the article because there’s a lot there worth combing over and I do think you should check out their page for the full info. There’s so much that is different than New Vegas’ Hardcore Mode. Some fans will be turned off, but I’m guessing most are frothing at the mouth at this new addition. So much about the way we’ve come to live in Boston is changing, and small little things you never thought twice about are now major concerns. Just like it would be in real life. In a way, I’m surprised at how much they are changing to make this mode tough, but at he same time, I’m not. Bethesda and Fallout have a lot to thank fans for, and this may just be the best way some players can think of. I just wish this was there from the get go, rather than months after release. Beggars can’t be choosers, I suppose, so later rather than never is acceptable.

Many complained Fallout 4 was too easy and/or not that great when it comes to feeling like you were actually in a post apocalyptic wasteland. Well, now you have your starting point. And if you sign up for the beta, they really do want your feedback, so please give it to them. Bethesda’s looking to make this mode incredible, and they want the fans to help get it there.