I think this might be a productive first post after getting back.

Aside from my HDD dying and losing all progress of a Star Wars themed roleplay spanning multiple games and genres, I was also really let down by Fallout 4 in ways that I can articulate, and in some ways I can't.

I was so incredibly hyped. I even wanted the Pip-Boy edition, as I have every major collectors since Morrowind (including the little pewter Ordinator), and even the big box versions of the older Bethesda games (including Redguard with the rare comic). I've loved every single Bethesda game released by their TES/FO team. I also love the Black Isle Fallout games, every one, and even have the sort of affection you have for a lame pet for Brotherhood of Steel.

Yet I've played Fallout 4 for 'only' 270 hours, and am currently bogged down somewhere in Far Harbor, due to make the 'big decision' of the DLC. I've not touched Contraptions or the Vault DLC, and only dabbled with Survival. I've certainly had my money's worth with that play time, but let's be honest, it's nothing when you spent more on Morrowind, literally thousands of hours across platforms on Oblivion and Fallout 3, and replay FO1 and FO2 yearly. I suppose a trend is emerging; I actually spent only 260 hours in Skyrim over all, albeit because I'm not a fan of the province of faux-Viking culture.

I don't know if it's how few actual quests there are in the game. Whether it's the limitation on roleplay voiced and defined main characters impose. Whether it's the careless touch on lore that seems to be prevailing at Bethesda these days. I just don't know.

So, can I ask, what keeps you folks playing? What do you really enjoy about the game? I'm hoping someone livens it up for me again.

The only things that keep me coming back are the mods, settlement building and the soon to be released Nuka World DLC. There's not even close to as many engaging quests in Fallout 4 as there were in 3 and New Vegas. The world in Fallout 4 is way better obviously which is another thing that keeps my coming back. To this day I'm still discovering new areas and stories about certain places. The gun play is good too but that's about it and I enjoy settlement building.

The main story isn't that interesting, though I do like how you get to choose which faction you pick, ones of the features I adored in F:NV. I got way over my money's worth (298 hours, yeesh) but that's mainly because I made sure that I collected everything, did every quest, picked up every unique item, etc and because of building settlements.

http://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/12395/?
Nothing makes me go back to the commonwealth, when I feel like there is no point. Haven't played in a long while, but this mod will really spice up your game.

I haven't played Fallout 4 in months. I started a new character and was going to start a new play through but then got GTA V and haven't went back to it. I haven't played any video games for like 3 weeks. Honestly though the game is stale. I started using mods within the first week that the game was out. That's bad. I played Fallolut 3 and New Vegas without mods and I kept coming back for more, albeit that was on console. The game is stale. Most interiors are uninteresting and are major missed opportunities. It's more kill enemies, loot enemies, loot building, check building off, move on to the next one.

Story, the world, is uninteresting. The voice acting didn't have the weight that I thought it would. The "Hard" decisions pale in comparison to something like Mass Effect where you might spend a half hour mulling over whether to kill or release the Rachni Queen.

One thing I am happy with although even that has needed extensive modding is the settlement building, at least until you've done it for several other places and realize it's pointless and has no weight to it.

So rant over. What keeps me coming back to Fallout 4? Right now nothing. The amount of time it will take to update all my mods is not worth the hassle as there is little replay value left right now. I will wait till Nuka World has been released for a while.

The game is far from perfect, doesn't mean it's a convenience for me. This just means that there is a lot to mod and to add, to fix and so on...What keeps me playing it ? Mods of course, and i am curious to see the evolution of the game after several months. It has a great potential.

Nothing, I Haven't even managed to play all DLCs after the first one, just sat on my steam Account.

Too busy playing new vegas!

My 2 cents, to explore the new locations i haven't been to yet. Still i find it harder to return to FO4 then 3 and NV cause its hard to feel attached to your character when its so clearly not "you".

Still the mods coming out look great [ weapon animations finally! ] and i hope things keep getting better. The final DLC is on the way and while i'm upset they gave us so little compared to FO3 & NV i'm not surprised Skyrim had very little DLCs as well and it just seems to be the trend Beth games going toward. At least this means updates for FO4 will be over and modders can go all ham.

Personally i'm hoping there will be a complete overhaul to game, redo the quests and voice acting where needed to make it a proper fallout game but that such a pipe-dream.

Here's hoping the original creators of Fallout get to do another game ala "New Vegas".

Thanks for the input folks. Sadly I didn't get the 'magic' draw that I missed, as sadly I have explored pretty much everywhere and found it pretty lacking in that regard (and ghouls in this game are really, really irritating.) Modding might be the answer, but if that's the case, it means the game has already lost to me. I've always been able to enjoy Bethesda games sans mods. I mod my games very lightly, fixing mechanics, and adding things (like Lighsabers) for the theme I'm roleplaying.

What brings me back is just the simple exploring, I love to just pick a direction and go. Any new locations I come to I check them out. It's especially better with an ENB because it makes the world so much more beautiful looking and more enjoyable.

First post in awhile, but this topic caught my eye. For me, due to my family situation I dont get out much :p, never did as much before but still got out, FO4 I find rather fun.

The Settlement building I do from time to time when I feel like making a tiny town. I know theres settlement building mods for FNV and FO3 but I never quite got a handle of those....Also my FO3 is modded all to hell so I cry when I stare at the mash of plugins that needed ordering.

Ive played FO3, FNV, Skyrim, and FO4 at least 1000+ hours and each time what brought me back was the mere fact that they are more open world than some games I've come across and is the only game that offers a level of customization that I love (mods included).
I RP as much as I love, Hoard as much as I love, and simply take different routes in doing things. FO3 I completed at least twice, FNV 3 or 4, Skyrim only twice as I kept getting blocked by mod conflicts over time >_>.

FO4 now, at least....2 to 3 times, im on my 4th atm. Each playthrough I do something different, wear something different, and then take my time with actual travel and questing *Survival Mode has made it fun*. What has kept me going with FO4 is the mods, watching their development has been fun, specially the new tales of the commonwealth mod *just started it* and now were finally getting animations soon! I've kept a consistent character across all 3 games so far, She is the same individual with some wacky details as to how it is the same person.

But what really keeps me coming back is the freedom to play how I wish, no one said you HAD to do the main quest. Its a sandbox game correct? Like a real sandbox, you make your own fun and thats what keeps me coming back. To which im really looking forward to an updated Skyrim, gonna mod the hell outta that too and continue where my same girl left off!

Edit: On a side note, thanks mookachalupa for linking to that mod. THAT...thats gonna make travel on foot interesting.

To check out new enb settings.. to see if my fps increased or decreased with every new patch.
To start a new roleplaying idea that ends a soon as the main character starts speaking..
And most of all my ctd keeps me going back to fallout 4.

Promised myself I'd beat one Bethesda game before the year is over :/

Oh this is a great question...though for me; I can't answer it, as that would imply I have left FO4 in the first place...and I haven't

I won't bore anyone with my "play history" however here are some bullet points and you can just infer things based on the following: (it's probably true in some respect)

I've yet to play through the main quest & DLC

I have yet to find the "railroad" (seriously WTF)

No idea who Curie or Cait are

I want to kill danse...but I want to kill Reese more

I've played with "mods" since day 1 of my playing FO4


So what really entices me about this game is the freedom...I can man up and go anywhere I want...if i want to go "over there" I can damn well do it...or die trying (full disclosure; when i first started playing i didn't go anywhere until I was sure i wouldn't die when i arrived...I figured if i died I'd have to start over...an italian plumber taught me that in the '80s)

I keep coming back because I love Fallout. Fallout 4 isn't a bad game, just overhyped and a bit disappointing. I like using different companions, doing certain play styles, and exploring.

Of course, all the armor, weapon, quest, and gameplay mods are what I love as well.

mods, just like the other Bethesda games. btw i wonder why there's barely no animation mods

@xuanviet122 I think its because bethesda hasn't released a program to change the animations for Fallout 4 yet

The Main drive that keeps me playing fallout 4 is the DLC and the mods. While Fallout 4 has been overhyped. Its certainly not a bad game but its not the best fallout game either. I still enjoy playing it though

My character, taking pics, the fresh mods maybe.

Because my Fallout NW install is broken, and I'm too lazy to fix it again.

It's actually depressing because I still love the game, but I can't play without mods.

Honestly.. DLC, Settlement Building and to download/check on the mods at BethPorts.net and to play with them IF there is something good (PC Can't run a bunch of games, so I assume it can't F4 - thankfully I have an Xbox One).

Other than that though nothing brings me back to it really. I would still much rather play Fallout 3/NV (more so 3) or even Oblivion or Skyrim.