Technical Fallout Character System Specifications Revealed by Tim Cain Concerning GURPS Origins and the Final Transition to the SPECIAL Framework
Technical specifications have recently been disclosed by Tim Cain concerning a character system originally planned for the first Fallout game. Character system plans were originally revealed from a "forgotten notebook" of development diaries the game was originally developed under the title "Vault 13 A GURPS Post Nuclear Role Playing Game." Cain claims the papers were lost until now following his departure from Interplay Studios and the revelation of the notes has revealed character mechanics that predated the creation of the SPECIAL system.
The initial design called for using the Generic Universal Role Playing System, which includes four base attributes: Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence and Health. A player character would have spent character points on his build, whilst having the choice of picking one of a gargantuan amount of positive and negative traits. The unearthed diaries account for 22 positive traits, with ones such as common sense, good eyesight, good healing and tolerance of pain being some of those listed. Negative traits such as being an alcoholic, having a stutter, or being obese were also present in the design, in order to provide a harder survival experience.
Not only was the design focused on stats, it also featured physical and mental modifiers. Players could have selected for their character to be a berserker, or for the character to obey an honor code. Mental problems, phobias, or voices in your head were part of the design along with an incredibly granular scale to determine character appearance, ranking between not attractive to absolutely mutant. This was all intended to give players an incredible amount of freedom in their interactions with the post nuclear wasteland.
The designers then shifted to use seven attributes instead known as SPECIAL following the eventual cancelation of the licensing agreement for the Generic Universal Role Playing System, the seven attributes which have been the foundation for the franchise for the past 30 years include; Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility and Luck. Though the now common SPECIAL system has become a hallmark of the series, these newly found diaries indicate that the designers originally had much deeper aspirations for the depth of a player's character than what we see in 1997's final release. Cain says that these were records that were "kept purely by chance" given that the designers themselves were "ordered to destroy all their material" decades ago.
