Fallout 76 will be getting pets as an expansion of existing content within the game. The next update coming after the launch of the Wastelanders update will add pets, as well as new companions, enemies, events, and areas to explore.
The latest patch to the ailing wasteland of Fallout 76 actually made it something resembling a Fallout game. Wastelanders made it so that NPCs were finally a thing in the game. In addition, players found new quests tied into an entire reputation system with those new NPC factions that also took over various areas of the game world. But there was still a ways to go to make Fallout 76 something worthy of the legacy of the franchise. And while adding in four-legged friends won’t be nearly enough to do that, adding things that players want is a sign of a development team that clearly has the drive to do more.
And in a Reddit AMA, project lead Jeff Gardiner and lead designer Ferret Baudoin showed more of the plans that team has for the future. With the companion system now in the game, players can expect it to get more iteration in the future. Gardiner confirmed that pets are on the way to the wasteland, but that’s not all. Players can also expect more integration between the existing gameplay systems and the new NPC elements in future patches.
Players were curious, as they should be, and the question was raised if there would be options to turn the player-controlled C.A.M.P.s into something resembling fully developed settlements like in Fallout 4. The response came back negative but hopeful, “While we would love to do this there are numerous issues that would need to be addressed. Doubling the amount of NPCs in the world comes at a heavy cost!” The team did say that companion customization is coming though, as a first iteration of the system.
The development team is planning further tweaks to existing content as well. Bosses will be getting more attention from a balance perspective for one thing. The various crafting and questing elements of the new survival game will definitely need some attention soon, as players discover inconsistencies and other issues within the game logic that allows them to exploit the system in some way. It always happens, there’s some weapon or gear combination that completely annihilates balance and becomes the de facto choice for many players. It seems like Bethesda wants to prevent that from happening to a degree.
Going into detail, the team teased a more thorough balancing and bug fixing pass in 2020. The team is “looking to re-balance the entire game, or ‘normalize’, later this year,” which will “eliminate a lot of the rough edges” and “create a more measured and balanced experience for players of all levels.” It is also possible that there will be new areas to explore, and the Brotherhood of Steel is said to be “watching the wasteland of West Virginia very closely…”
The AMA was pretty well received, and players can expect more news soon. “We’re working on a roadmap right now and hope to have one to you very soon,” stated Gardiner. “It will include content for the entire year!”
Fallout 76 is out now for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
