Wonky V.A.T.S.

This is a minor gripe, considering that we can’t get enough of blowing the heads and arms and legs (and where’s the crotch shot?) off any lifeform that unfortunately comes across our path, but V.A.T.S. is at times finicky when it comes to percentages. Occasionally, one foot means the difference between a 72% and a 85% chance at a headshot. There’s usually a reason for it, like an enemy that’s covered by a structural column, but sometimes it's just too erratic.

More of an error is that V.A.T.S. doesn’t take the line of sight into consideration – a 95% chance at hitting a super mutant’s torso is entirely nullified by the random metal pipe or jutting corner. Either the percentage should be 0% or your character should sidestep, jump, or roll, any movement that makes the shot’s path straight and clear. Because if there’s anything better than landing a headshot, it’s diving inches off the floor while landing a headshot.

Followers, Please Follow

Followers are supposed to provide support – cover fire, a diversion, extra storage capacity, or another scavenger – but more often than not, they are relegated to being just pack mules for Power Armor who also just happen to have a smidgeon of attack power. And let's not even talk about stealth - no matter how much you babysit, they still have the mindset of rushing in and destroying everything in their path. Being limited to only one follower also doesn’t build from the ability to form a team in Fallout 2. It’s understandable since Fallout 3 is a first-person or third-person real-time RPG, but that still doesn’t excuse the restriction of a two-man party.

Though followers die and can’t be revived, which makes perfect sense and maintains tension in combat, preventing them from falling to their graves is more strenuous than it should be. When I bring the badass ghoul Charon into Girdershade at the edges of the wasteland, I would like it if his path programming did not lead him to no man’s land. Moreover, there’s no way to monitor your follower’s health unless you waste time moving your reticule over your follower, and you can’t give orders unless you’re within talking distance. They don't even use a stimpak if you give one to them.

Over-Power Nap

Has your arm been crippled? Has your head become a bullet sponge? Has your heart begun to pound straight into your eye sockets due to severe blood loss? Well, put your stimpaks and Buffout away, because we’ve got the perfect cure and it won’t cost you a single cap: It's the one-hour nap! All you need to do is find a vagrant mattress, clear the area of enemies, lay down for an hour, and voila!, your limbs and health are in perfect condition.

Not only does sleep make doctors pointless as well as reduce the multi-functional home infirmary to its Rad-healing feature, it takes a bit away from the thrill of combat. Why bother worrying about getting hurt when there are essentially regeneration stations strewn about the wasteland in cities, tunnels, tents, outposts, and even subway shafts.

Better Pace for Leveling

With the announcement that the third downloadable pack, Broken Steel, which will lift the level cap to 30, has been delayed a month to April, I’m surprised that we didn’t see more fans question why the first DLC, Operation Anchorage, wasn’t replaced with Broken Steel. Most players have stopped exploring and taking on additional side-quests, including DLC, because they have already reached the Level 20 cap. What’s the point of extra credit if you’re not rewarded for, err, the credit?

But it’s less about reaching the level cap, which easily occurs about three-fourths into the game on normal medium difficulty, and more about having a better pace for leveling. With the Here and Now perk (gain one extra level immediately), three possible ranks of the Swift Learner perk (up to 30% extra experience), and sleeping in your bed for the Well Rested condition (10% extra experience), just roaming about the wasteland and completing a few side quests can lead you to Level 10 in less than 20 hours, if not less.

Moreover, scaling the amount of experience points you earn for killing enemies to the difficulty setting turns what would seem like a reward into a ticking bomb of "turning the game off". The more experience you receive, the faster it takes to reach the level cap and thereby hit that point where you stop playing. Instead, killing enemies should yield a constant and preferably low amount of experience no matter the difficulty. A higher difficulty setting should instead yield perhaps bonus content, special dungeons, or better Achievements.

You should also have the ability to decide when you wish to level up, just as in Oblivion where you must sleep before reaching the next level. Since some perks have skill and S.P.E.C.I.A.L. requirements, you might want to postpone leveling up so that you can nab those permanent stat-boosting Bobbleheads, skill books, and quest-specific perks.

But at the end of the day, there shouldn't be a level cap at all. Even with Broken Steel's Level 30 cap, once you reach it, you'll stop playing. Instead, you should be able to level as much as you want, with you still gaining skill points and perks.