The upcoming mod, Fallout: Vault 13, aims to bring the classic gameplay and locations of Fallout 1 to life within the Fallout 4 game engine. The mod mirrors Fallout 1 in numerous ways, including familiar settings, quests, and also similar tones and aesthetics.
In a recent interview, The Best War Games spoke with Culinwino, the co-project lead of Fallout: Vault 13. In the interview, Culinwino discussed various features of the mod, including the dialogue, SPECIAL skills, and music. Since the mod is a Fallout 1 remake, he explained that the team has worked hard to ensure that Vault 13 retains the same aesthetics as the original game, giving players a new gameplay experience while also immersing them in a familiar environment.
The Origins of Fallout: Vault 13
Fallout 4 and the Bethesda community at large are well-known for modding. Vault 13 is one of the newest mods that offers a full-fledged recreation of the original game Fallout 1, which was originally released in October 1997 and is set in a post-apocalyptic Southern California, starting in the year 2161. The game's main character, known as the Vault Dweller, is entrusted with the mission of retrieving a water chip from the Wasteland to replace the broken one in their subterranean shelter, Vault 13.
The project started in February 2021 when Culinwino decided he wanted a new and challenging project. According to Culinwino, he decided to create a few map prototypes to see if a Fallout 1 remake project was feasible or not. After teaming up with Kreb, the uploader of a video related to the project, they combined their systems to create Fallout: Vault 13.
“Even though Kreb isn’t active on the project anymore, Fallout: Vault 13 would not have been possible without the skill system he created, which we still use to this day,” Culinwino said.
Remaking Fallout 1 in Fallout 4's System
The upcoming mod seeks to recreate the classic Fallout locations, gameplay mechanics, and storyline of Fallout 1 within Fallout 4's game engine. The development team has taken several measures to ensure that the mod stays true to the original game while also introducing new features that enhance the overall experience. These features include updated graphics, a modified skill system, and a revamped dialogue system. While these changes would seem to impact on how one plays, that's not the case according to Culinwino.
“While we have expanded some of the environments by a fair amount, players can still rely on original game strategy guides to successfully navigate the world."
That said, to provide a fresh take on the dialogue system, the mod incorporates the Extended Dialogue Interface (XDI) framework. This is a significant departure from Fallout 4's dialogue system as it enables players to choose from more than four dialogue options. The use of XDI also enables the mod to include all the branching dialogue and complex skill checks that made the original game so compelling. With these features, Fallout: Vault 13 will offer an unprecedented level of depth and complexity to the gameplay.
The skill system in Fallout: Vault 13 has undergone significant modifications from the original game, including the combination of certain skills, such as the First Aid and Doctor skills into a single Medicine skill. The values of these skills rely heavily on the player's SPECIAL attributes, similar to the original game, placing higher importance on starting SPECIAL values compared to Fallout 4. “Your skill values will affect combat and your interactions with other characters significantly, with an impact on your character that you might expect,” Culinwino said.
Remaining Faithful to the OG Fallout
Although the team is creating the mod with the Fallout 4 engine, Culinwino explained that the team is trying to remain as faithful to the original game as possible, especially in terms of recreating a similar atmosphere and familiar Fallout locations in the mod. The upcoming mod is set to bring back some of the most iconic locations from the original Fallout 1 game, including Shady Sands, Necropolis, Junktown, and Vault 13. These same locations were present in Fallout 1, but with improved graphics and gameplay mechanics, they will be more immersive and realistic. Other locations in Fallout 1 like the Hub, the Boneyard, and the Cathedral, while familiar, are yet to be determined whether or not they will make an appearance, but it’s likely many locations, quests, and various other elements will make cameos in Vault 13.
Moreover, according to Culinwino, the development team of Fallout: Vault 13 has also utilized music to evoke the same aesthetic as in Fallout 1. To achieve this goal, the team collaborated with several talented musicians to compose the soundtrack for the mod. These composers have even analyzed songs from the original game's soundtrack to understand how the samples and instruments work together to create the music that players still adore today.
“The fact that everyone on our team is obsessed with Fallout helps a lot when it comes to bringing the atmosphere of the game to life, especially when it comes to the soundtrack.That extra step of looking closely at how the original soundtrack was put together definitely gives our composers the edge when it comes to making new tracks.”
The Fallout: Vault 13 mod aims to retain the same atmospheric elements that made the original Fallout game a classic, but this has proven to be a challenging task for the development team. Despite the limitations of the medium, the team is determined to preserve the bleak and desolate feel of Fallout 1. As a Fallout 4 mod, the game has certain inherent differences, but the team is taking various factors into consideration to create a similar atmosphere. Lighting, audio, and environment design are all crucial elements that contribute to the game's overall tone. The team is working tirelessly to ensure that each element of the game fits into the overall aesthetic of the original Fallout.
“Keeping the atmosphere similar to Fallout 1 has been a challenge, given the limitations of the medium we’re working in,” Culinwino said. “At the end of the day, Fallout: Vault 13 is a Fallout 4 mod. I don’t believe any amount of work can change that.”
Fallout 4 is available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One with PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions on the way in 2023.