Maturity, humor, pulp and the original Wasteland

[phimseto]

The thing that trips me up is that WL's spiritual successor Fallout basically took this idea and made it its own. I'm not sure we need or want another post-apocalyptic game that wallows in goofy humor amidst a grim backdrop. I'd rather the game take a more serious tone and eschew its origins. Like it or not, that's Fallout's schtick now. I'd rather Wasteland find its own direction.

[TΛPETRVE]

I'm not sure we need or want another post-apocalyptic game that wallows in goofy humor amidst a grim backdrop. I'd rather the game take a more serious tone and eschew its origins.

For that, we wouldn't need Wasteland 2. If you want something different, make a completely new IP. Also, the sense of humour in Wasteland and Fallout differs greatly. Fallout had its fair share of silliness, but it was nothing compared to the "dead-serious nonsense" of Wasteland.

[BluPhenix316]

I have seen "A Boy and His Dog". I have it. I loved it, but that is Fallout out not Wasteland.

[Mathsorcerer]

Ever seen the movie A Boy and His Dog?

No, but I did read the original short story.

[Son of Max]

I'm new to the game, but after having watched a play through of the game, I got the same feeling as OP here and had to write a blurb about it. I also put up some fan-art there in case anyone's interested. After seeing this post though, I decided to play around with the visual...

That...what you've done there and on your blog...it just outstanding.

It's cool to see cherished memories of the past brought to life like that.

As to the OP: Amen, Brother! Go tell it!

[Woolfe]

The thing that trips me up is that WL's spiritual successor Fallout basically took this idea and made it its own. I'm not sure we need or want another post-apocalyptic game that wallows in goofy humor amidst a grim backdrop. I'd rather the game take a more serious tone and eschew its origins. Like it or not, that's Fallout's schtick now. I'd rather Wasteland find its own direction.

I think one of the key differences is the "Grim backdrop" its not actually that Grim in the WL world, sure lots of wasteland, but lots of living green areas as well. Its not a brown dead dangerous fallout universe, its a bright colourful dangerous Wasteland universe

[phimseto]

The thing that trips me up is that WL's spiritual successor Fallout basically took this idea and made it its own. I'm not sure we need or want another post-apocalyptic game that wallows in goofy humor amidst a grim backdrop. I'd rather the game take a more serious tone and eschew its origins. Like it or not, that's Fallout's schtick now. I'd rather Wasteland find its own direction.

I think one of the key differences is the "Grim backdrop" its not actually that Grim in the WL world, sure lots of wasteland, but lots of living green areas as well. Its not a brown dead dangerous fallout universe, its a bright colourful dangerous Wasteland universe

Yeah, about as legitimate a difference as the ones between McDonald's and McDowell's Restaurants in "Coming to America".

I get what you and the other poster are saying, but I remain convinced that it's the wrong tack to take. It could be me. After a decade of crap like "The Daily Show", the most recent Fallout games (which I loved) and an internet where snark is the cheapest, most lavishly-spent currency, I would like to play a game that has more in its narrative than an overdeveloped sense of irony. I realize how curmudgeonly that makes me sound, but...there it is!

[Woolfe]

The thing that trips me up is that WL's spiritual successor Fallout basically took this idea and made it its own. I'm not sure we need or want another post-apocalyptic game that wallows in goofy humor amidst a grim backdrop. I'd rather the game take a more serious tone and eschew its origins. Like it or not, that's Fallout's schtick now. I'd rather Wasteland find its own direction.

I think one of the key differences is the "Grim backdrop" its not actually that Grim in the WL world, sure lots of wasteland, but lots of living green areas as well. Its not a brown dead dangerous fallout universe, its a bright colourful dangerous Wasteland universe

Yeah, about as legitimate a difference as the ones between McDonald's and McDowell's Restaurants in "Coming to America".

I get what you and the other poster are saying, but I remain convinced that it's the wrong tack to take. It could be me. After a decade of crap like "The Daily Show", the most recent Fallout games (which I loved) and an internet where snark is the cheapest, most lavishly-spent currency, I would like to play a game that has more in its narrative than an overdeveloped sense of irony. I realize how curmudgeonly that makes me sound, but...there it is!

I don't quite get that. WL inspired and influence Fallout. But there were some differences between the 2. In a way FO was Grim and Gritty and dark. Everything was depressing in a way, the world felt ... well "fucked". Not just visually but also in the scenarios, things like the vaults were designed to be experiments, the nastiness to ghouls, the Supermutant problem, the Enclave etc. Just felt like everything was out to get you, and much of the humour played out like that (not all I will grant, but most)

WL on the other hand is a bright place, things are not only surviving, but in some cases starting to prosper. You kind of get the impression that if you weren't there things would have kept getting better anyway (well at least until the robots wiped everyone out). Oh don't get me wrong, there is bad shit all through it as well. But the underlying feel is different, not as hopeless. And in a way the humour reflected that as well.

Overall I always found WL to be more positive, even when it was being nasty.... (Caveat to that, I haven't played it in YEARS so rose coloured glasses and all)
That may have been due to the visual styling as much as anything, its much easier to be depressed when surrounded by browns than bright greens etc.

[Mandemon]

In Fallout 1, world felt "Having the Worst Hangover since ever". It was in sorry state, barely functioning. But the seeds of hope were there. Society was starting to get up again. However, there was a threat that threatened to snuff it.

In Fallout 2, society has come back, world was much better place. Survival was no longer matter of "where to get next meal", but "where to go from here". Once again, there was a threat that threatened to snuff the civilization out.

Same thing continues in Fallout 3. Fallout New Vegas is the first one not to have "society threatened by outside force".

[homeslice82]

In Fallout 1, world felt "Having the Worst Hangover since ever". It was in sorry state, barely functioning. But the seeds of hope were there. Society was starting to get up again. However, there was a threat that threatened to snuff it.

In Fallout 2, society has come back, world was much better place. Survival was no longer matter of "where to get next meal", but "where to go from here". Once again, there was a threat that threatened to snuff the civilization out.

Same thing continues in Fallout 3. Fallout New Vegas is the first one not to have "society threatened by outside force".

And New Vegas is arguably the one most inspired by Wasteland.

[Mandemon]

In Fallout 1, world felt "Having the Worst Hangover since ever". It was in sorry state, barely functioning. But the seeds of hope were there. Society was starting to get up again. However, there was a threat that threatened to snuff it.

In Fallout 2, society has come back, world was much better place. Survival was no longer matter of "where to get next meal", but "where to go from here". Once again, there was a threat that threatened to snuff the civilization out.

Same thing continues in Fallout 3. Fallout New Vegas is the first one not to have "society threatened by outside force".

And New Vegas is arguably the one most inspired by Wasteland.

Especially New World Blues. I mean, Roboscorpions?