Fallout 3: Survival Edition! [Archive] - Quarter To Three Forums

DTG

11-01-2008, 07:16 PM

I am so pathetic.

This arrived 2 days ago:

http://www.amazon.com/Fallout-3-Amazon-com-Exclusive-Survival-Pc/dp/B0017QFX30

And yes, I've removed the shrink wrap. Even put the batteries in my Pipboy clock. It's nice when you're old and have disposable income. I guess it's not so good when you're so old you spend it on this. But it's making me smile, so all's good. Now time to play it.

[Edit]: Ack! Beaten to it!
http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,2845,2333483,00.asp

Equisilus

11-01-2008, 08:02 PM

If it had been available in Canada, I probably would have bought it, too, instead of the CE version I did get. I buy so few games in the run of a year that I almost always get the special, limited, collector's, etc, versions of games.

Glad you liked it more than the reviews it got so far on Amazon.com.

Desslock

11-01-2008, 08:06 PM

What's the pipboy, a watch? Amazon special that sold out fast?

I love crap like this - I still have a gas mask that came with Fallout 2.

Rock8man

11-01-2008, 08:10 PM

We need more details on this PipBoy DTG. Does it just tell time? Is comfortable on the wrist? Too heavy? What kind of wrist binding mechanism does it have? Does it do anything besides tell time?

Sam Jones

11-01-2008, 08:15 PM

Jonathan Crane

11-01-2008, 08:18 PM

We need more details on this PipBoy DTG. Does it just tell time? Is comfortable on the wrist? Too heavy? What kind of wrist binding mechanism does it have? Does it do anything besides tell time?

It is a clock, that's all. It comes with a stand that you can use to display it. It has a few little non functional dials, and something that looks like it was intended to be a compass. I haven't put it on my wrist, but I don't think that's something you would want to do - no padding, and I would imagine that it is pretty uncomfortable. It is solid plastic all the way through, so you would have to wear it like some sort of post apocalyptic battery powered bangle. Also, there are some great warnings on the box that this is NOT FOR WEARING!

Still, a pretty neat extra - it looks cool on my desk.

Funkula

11-01-2008, 08:53 PM

We tried it on around here, and only one person had a skinny enough arm for it to close properly. Also the edges are really sharp.

I'm not all that thrilled with it, personally. It's a digital clock, and nothing else. It doesn't even have an alarm.

Gendal

11-01-2008, 09:01 PM

I couldn't get the Survival Edition, but I did get the Collectors Guide, the hardback version of the strat guide. It weighs a ton, and has more words in it than the Bible. I've only flicked through here and there, but it seems very comprehensive and well written. There are a load of exclusive appendices as well, with designer notes and tips.
It's pretty impressive, but the lack of an index makes finding what you are looking for difficult if you are just wandering around, finding something, then wanting to look it up. You have to find the arbitrary section name in the TOC then look under there for the map name. Which generally has dungeon locations in another section making it even more of a pain.

If I just want a quick question answered I found myself wishing for a gamefaq searchable text file.

Marcus

11-01-2008, 09:05 PM

I have it and I love it. I think it looks pretty awesome.

Scrax

11-01-2008, 10:32 PM

I would buy the lunchbox.

Igor Muravyev

11-02-2008, 01:00 AM

The comments on Amazon really tear into the Pipboy.. for $50 I suppose it better be a real alarm clock, since you could buy one for far less at an electronics store.

Bahimiron

11-02-2008, 08:43 AM

I look forward to seeing Ben Heckendorn mod a PS3 into one of these.

Marcus

11-02-2008, 09:07 AM

The comments on Amazon really tear into the Pipboy.. for $50 I suppose it better be a real alarm clock, since you could buy one for far less at an electronics store.

That really doesn't make a whole lot of sense seeing as how its a replica of an in game item. I honestly think its pretty cool looking and for me well worth the 50 bucks.

Reed

11-02-2008, 10:16 AM

I look forward to seeing Ben Heckendorn mod a PS3 into one of these.
Better yet, mod it into a real PipBoy!

Desslock

11-02-2008, 12:24 PM

The comments on Amazon really tear into the Pipboy.. for $50 I suppose it better be a real alarm clock, since you could buy one for far less at an electronics store.

Largely jealousy at not getting one. Anyone into this stuff enough to get one is going to be satisfied solely by the fact that it exists,

NowhereDan

11-02-2008, 12:35 PM

I have mine proudly displayed on my desk (I put it there after trying to wear it for more than 30 seconds left a mark on my wrist). It's cool, but the clock is indisputably cheap... it's kind of difficult to read because the parts of the digits that are dark are still visible, so unless it's dark it takes a moment of staring at it before you can make out the time.

jeff3f

11-02-2008, 03:35 PM

I saw the lunchbox at the store but then cursed my impulsive self for having purchased the game on Steam the preceding day when the store was closed...

It's overpriced, but still neat. I'm glad they tried, in any event. Fallout's lineage goes all the way back to Wasteland.

Bahimiron

11-02-2008, 03:41 PM

It's overpriced, but still neat.

The regular ol' CE comes with the lunchbox, the bobblehead and the art book for only $20 more. Licensed lunchboxes of similar quality tend to go for $12+ by themselves. I remember back when Suncoast used to carry a lot more pop culture kitsch stuff, something like a Napoleon Dynamite lunchbox or a Knight Rider lunchbox could be $19.99.

merryprankster

11-02-2008, 03:46 PM

I look forward to seeing Ben Heckendorn mod a PS3 into one of these.

or at least a psp

Destarius

11-10-2008, 08:42 PM

I just got my Pipboy replica.

I love Fallout but this could have been made in China for less than 5 bucks. It's a fully plastic device that requires 3 AA batteries to power a very-hard-to-read LED clock with no other functions at all. I would probably still be ok if it were a serviceable clock, but it's quite unreadable in my office. On its base the battery casing is facing up, which is fugly.

For $15 to $20 you can get a pretty decent piece of kitsch made in China. I seriously feel quite ripped off.

Funkula

11-10-2008, 10:13 PM

For $15 to $20 you can get a pretty decent piece of kitsch made in China.

http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/6623/31rlel8jchlsl500aa280xm3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Gendal

11-10-2008, 11:43 PM

Woolen Horde

11-11-2008, 12:15 AM

I skipped on the Survival Edition, but I got the Lunchbox Edition. Was surprised when it came; I have the full-sized lunchbox and the ceramic bobblehead from last year and was expecting the same, the Collector's Edition lunchbox is smaller, and the bobblehead is a lot smaller (and it's made of plastic). Oh well, yay for really rare schwag!!!

Igor Muravyev

11-11-2008, 12:26 AM

But can you make a bottlecap mine out of it?

Marcus

11-11-2008, 02:19 AM

I don't know about hard to read, but the battery life sure is short on the PipBoy. The batteries that came with it died four or five days ago on mine. It's employment as a clock doesn't really seem practical unless you want to be constantly unscrewing (yes, unscrewing) the battery compartment every couple weeks and plopping in a pair of fresh rechargeables.

Wow so it wasn't just mine that also died really fast. I'm not sure I understand why the clock would die so fast. I haven't replaced the batteries yet but if they only last a month I won't be a happy camper.

Islanti

11-11-2008, 03:04 PM

Wow so it wasn't just mine that also died really fast. I'm not sure I understand why the clock would die so fast. I haven't replaced the batteries yet but if they only last a month I won't be a happy camper.I had mine die due to what I thought were dead batteries. Turns out brand new ones (two sets of 3) didn't get the clock back on.

Same thing happened to a co-worker.

Amazon is sending me a replacement.

Marcus

11-11-2008, 06:46 PM

I guess I'm going to try and replace the batteries and see if that is it.

Jaysun

11-11-2008, 06:51 PM

Wow, mine is broken too. I guess I better contact Amazon about it...

Marcus

11-11-2008, 08:26 PM

Replacing the batteries worked for now. I'm just going to hope that they gave us really shitty batteries.

EdPerkins

11-11-2008, 10:13 PM

Replacing the batteries worked for now. I'm just going to hope that they gave us really shitty batteries.

Yeah, the clock eats batts. I thought the included "Hi-Watt" batts looked a little questionable. So after they quickly croaked I put in some known good ones. The green LED display was super-bright like new.. a few days later and you can see the LED display is noticably dimmer.

I might rig up some type of wall plug mod to keep it running.

Marcus

11-11-2008, 10:18 PM

Yeah, the clock eats batts. I thought the included "Hi-Watt" batts looked a little questionable. So after they quickly croaked I put in some known good ones. The green LED display was super-bright like new.. a few days later and you can see the LED display is noticably dimmer.

I might rig up some type of wall plug mod to keep it running.

if that really is the case then it seems to me as though there is a problem with the way the clock is designed. A simple LED clock shouldn't be chewing through batteries like that.

Destarius

11-11-2008, 11:03 PM

if that really is the case then it seems to me as though there is a problem with the way the clock is designed. A simple LED clock shouldn't be chewing through batteries like that.

Also, the damned clock shouldn't read 02:01 when it already shows AM/PM. Why the hell are they lighting up the first 0?

jedwards

11-11-2008, 11:58 PM

Yes, my clock ate through the batteries in about a week. I also find the clock is also very hard to read in a well lit room. I like my bobble head and lunch box, but the extra money for the clock was a bad idea.

Islanti

11-13-2008, 10:54 AM

Got a replacement from Amazon. New and old clock worked fine with the included AA batteries but not with brand new Duracells. WTF? Apparently the included batts are magical alkalines or run at a higher voltage.

nKoan

11-13-2008, 11:43 AM

My batteries were toast in a week.

Put in some Rayovac (IIRC) batteries and things have been going strong for another week.

Islanti

11-13-2008, 04:01 PM

From Bethesda forums (http://www.bethsoft.com/bgsforums/index.php?showtopic=904090&st=60&p=13221359&#entry13221359):FWIW, I got mine to work by using some redneck engineering. I used slivers of aluminum foil to add some extra "contact surface area" between the batteries and the contact plates (not the spring, but the the metal plate for the positive side of the battery). Evidently this is a defect in the clock's "power supply design".

First discovered this sort of solution reading about the Neca Gears of War Lancer through amazon.com. It too, has a design flaw with the power supply, requiring some redneck engineering almost exactly like the above "fix". Note the similarities here; two "collectible" items sold as "amazon.com exclusives" both having some serious design flaws...I don't believe in coincidences...

DTG

11-16-2008, 05:54 PM

It's in stock again....if you're jonesing for a real cheap clock that's hard to read in a lit room....... but one that looks just like a "real" pipboy! Just don't try to wear it!

http://www.amazon.com/Fallout-3-Amazon-com-Exclusive-Survival-Pc/dp/B0017QFX30

[Edit]: I give Amazon credit. The photo of the clock w/ the bobblehead shows exactly how bad the clock display is. When I'm playing computer games, the room is dark, so it doesn't bug me. But this won't replace your bedside alarm (even if your wife would let you try).