I think “The Lost Patrol” is an oft-overlooked quest that I think is one of the best in Fallout 4.
For a variety of reasons. I feel like THe Lost Patrol is how most quests, in any game, should be designed. Sure, it is rather simplistic, but it has a few elements to it that really adds depth to it.
Namely:
- The quest can be started in a variety of ways. You can come across the distress beacon yourself, find one of the killed recon members, or get it from Paladin Danse or Captain Kells. Many RPG quests have multiple endings, but I think multiple starts should be more frequent.
- You actually have to do some exploration on your own rather than just follow the quest marker, in that you have to trace a radio signal to its source. It is a bit basic, but it’s different.
- Then, when confronting Brandis, you can actually fail to convince him to return by way of three speech checks. And they get harder each time. An actual, impactful choice, because if Brandis does come back, he becomes a Paladin again and participates in future Brotherhood quests. If you aren’t a member of the Brotherhood yet, you can’t convince him to return, but if you return later after being inducted, you can. That’s thinking ahead.
- Finally, Paladin Danse is interwoven into the quest, as he has dialogue not just about the fallen knights but with Brandis himself. It makes him more than just your tag-along.
Sure, many quests in Fallout 4 leave a lot to be desired, but I really liked this one, as it proves Bethesda has the capability to write engaging, interesting quests.
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