Fallout 3 Van Buren Tech Demo Released

gbridge writes "Over eight years since the release of Fallout 2, the original (pre-alpha) tech demo of Black Isle Studio's abandoned Fallout 3 Van Buren project has made its way into the public domain. It's obviously a long, long way from being even beta quality but fans are rejoicing that they finally have something of the cancelled project to see for themselves. Bethesda have also given Fallout fans something to look forward to by announcing that a teaser video of their own interpretation of Fallout 3 will be released in 33 days time."

This matters how?

[ShadowsHawk]

I could be wrong, but I thought Bethesda announced that they were not going to use any of Van Buren. It might give us insight as to the original, but it certainly doesn't shed any light on the upcoming Fallout 3.

On that note, Bethesda:

1. Please make it turn based or KotOR style combat.
2. Sandbox style gameplay
3. Do not use the Oblivion style auto leveling.
4. SPECIAL

Re:This matters how?

[Anonymous Coward]

I am really looking forward to Fallout 3, but you people (the rabid Fallout nerds) who have these lists of what the game MUST be or they won't like it will be severely disappointed. It's been 10 years. The likelyhood of turn based combat is remote. Give it up. I hope for more than Post-apoc Oblivion with guns, but the idea that Bethesda will simply replicate FO2 with better graphics is ludicrous.

Fallout: Fans

[hansamurai]

I wouldn't be surprised if some clever fans of the series started tearing into this tech demo and used it as a basis for a full fledged, community built game.

Re:This matters how?

[Dan Slotman]

What I really appreciated about Fallout was the lovely skill system, the perk system, and character customization. As long as these traits are preserved (along with the humor), Fallout 3 will be fun, and the exact details of how the game mechanics play out don't matter.

Fantastic - and funny.

[pragma_x]

The tech demo guide is worth a read. It's good to know that those involved maintained that sense of humor that Fallout fans love about the game:

Corporal Armstrong and you will have to make due with what you can scavenge in case you encounter this threat. You will be safe once you reach the Vault, which has been created with the latest technology and incorporates redundant systems to prevent any possible malfunction.

http://www.nma-fallout.com/article.php?id=35862 [nma-fallout.com]

One very smart reason to release it...

[Bishopus]

is to shut up all the 'if only Van Buren had come out!' talk from the Fallout faithful, both now and after the Bethesda game ships. The fact that it's obviously a flawed, unfinished POS engine and toolset combo should lay some of the idealization of the 'potential' Fallout 3 to rest. And of course it gives the truly crazy Fallout fans, who would never buy the Bethesda version but would complain every inch of the way, something to chew on for the new few years. Brilliant!

Finally

[jonaac]

No Mutants Allowed has tried to make this public for over three years now, when I was still working with them. This will give some closure, now that the discussions have to be focused on Bethesda's Fallout 3, and allowed us to give a salute to the people of Black Isle Studios, this was a labor of love to them. There's no source, but if one takes a closer look in the files with the proper tools, one finds more models, scraps of files for a variety of purposes, even stuff from Baldurs Gate3: The Black Hound, the cancelled BIS game that Van Buren was using the engine. Those were good times