Recently I got the chance to speak with Jeff Gardiner, lead producer for Fallout 3 DLC about the latest addition to the multi award winning game.
GVK: What is the background and setting for the new material?
JG: Operation: Anchorage is allows the player to discover the location of a secret military installation housed deep inside of Washington, D.C. The Brotherhood of Steel Outcasts are trying to requisition top-secret military technology from a long dead war… But the only way to open the safe is by successfully completing a training simulation in which the player will have to liberate Anchorage, Alaska from an invading Red Chinese occupying force. This battle played out hundreds of years ago, and is a staple of the Fallout 3 canon. Once inside the sim the player will have to utilize stealth and combat cunning to overcome a huge military presence; they’ll even have the opportunity to outfit and order their own Strike Force in the process!
GVK: Do you need to finish Fallout 3 in order to access the new material and how will it fit in with the storyline of Fallout 3?
JG: No, Operation: Anchorage allows the player to access the content at any time once they’re in the Wasteland. The story itself weaves in both the Brotherhood Outcasts as well as other pre-war Fallout lore, but does not impact the main story of Fallout 3 itself.
GVK: What made you decide to release the new content in this format rather than a full add on?
JG: Releasing DLC as several smaller packs allows a player to pick and choose the content they like to play and utilize in order to customize their experience. The downloadable distribution itself is a great way for people to quickly and seamlessly add in functionality to their game with just a few clicks.
GVK: Will new weapons and items be included and if so what will they be?
JG: Yes, there will be new weapons and items! There is a new scoped energy weapon, the Gauss Rifle – the most powerful sniper rifle in the game. Also, the player will be able to find a Chinese Stealth Suit – which will allow stealth players to better ply their craft…
GVK: What sort of new enemies will players face?
JG: Operation: Anchorage features new Chinese Combat Troops, a Chinese Screw Tank – a massive vehicle that drives through deep snow on screws, upon which is mounted a massive energy canon.
GVK: Roughly How long will it take to play through the new content?
JG: Operation: Anchorage itself lasts about four to five hours. New weapons, items and armor acquired upon complete on the simulation are usable by the player throughout the rest of the Fallout 3 world, however.
GVK: Where do you see the series heading in terms of future chapters? More DLC, an add on, or a new game?
JG: There are two more pieces of Downloadable Content in addition to Operation: Anchorage in the works. The next installment is entitled “The Pitt,” and will send the player to Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, disguised as a slave in order to join, or usurp, a tribe of raiders that have taken over the steel yards there. The third DLC is called “Broken Steel.” This DLC will change the ending of the main quest of Fallout 3 and allow the player to continue their quest in the wasteland. It also raises the level cap to 30, add new foes, weaponry and allows the player to irrevocable alter the wasteland in profound new ways.
