At Gamescom 2015, Gamespot reporter Danny Dwyer was able to spend some time with Fallout 4 and dropped major details on some of the upcoming changes to expect in the game. First off was adjustments made to the S.P.E.C.I.A.L. stats system used in previous games; apparently as points are invested in each, the character skill tree will pop up, offering further areas to invest in.They're ranked and also upgradeable and total over 70 in number.
From the footage he was privy to, Danny speculates that at some point the player will be using a baseball bat to actually hit a ball, a detail that might be minor in the scheme of things but one that mirrors content cut from Fallout 3, where thrown or hit baseballs were to act as a weapon.
He also detailed the improved AI, saying that ghouls will now climb out of windows and act more responsive to the player's presence than in games past. As he moves on to discuss the smoother shooting experience, he mentions that VATS no longer stops time, it merely slows it, and the process and kill animation are no longer as time consuming or clunky. He also describes being able to shoot off limbs and body parts from approaching enemies, whereas previously those would go unaffected and remain intact despite sustained damage. As a result of the improved and speedier VATS experience, battles can now be much bigger, no longer limited to the handful of aggressors of combat scenarios in Fallout 3 and New Vegas.
The loot system also seems to be improved, with the contents of a dead enemy's pockets will hover over their bodies so you know what they're carrying before you bother to pop into the menu. You can also command the dog to do it for you, and communication seems to be much simpler and easy to use compared to the chunky dialogue trees of the past.
One feature he mentioned that I'd really like to know more about is the new "execute critical" command, which happens during combat. Danny wasn't sure what triggered the prompt, but it's definitely something new to the Fallout experience. Apparently the kill animations on those are pretty fun and elaborate.
Fallout 4 comes out on PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 on October 10, 2015.
