'Fallout 4' Beta Patch 1.3 Now Available On Steam: New Features, Gameplay Fixes, Quest Fixes And More

The developers of massively popular open-world title Fallout 4 at Bethesda have announced that the beta patch for the game is now available on Steam.

The beta patch, which takes the game to version 1.3, can be downloaded by all gamers who are interested to see possible changes to Fallout 4 that Bethesda itself is still also testing.

Bethesda noted that the beta patch is a work in progress, so gamers who would like to try it out are recommended to first back up their saved games. Gamers trying out the beta patch are also requested to provide the company with feedback through the beta forums of Fallout 4.

The beta version of patch 1.3 introduces a variety of new things and improvements to Fallout 4, and here are some of the things that testers can expect. For the full list of fixes, gamers can head over to the Fallout 4 thread on the Steam forum that announced the beta update.

New Features

Patch 1.3 beta adds a new ambient occlusion setting to Fallout 4 named HBAO+, along with adding new effects for weapon debris for gamers with Nvidia cards. The beta patch also adds a status menu for settlers in the player's settlements, along with the ability to rotate objects that the player is holding. In addition, the support for the remapping of ESDF keys while in Workshop mode has been improved.

Gameplay Fixes

In addition to improvements to Fallout 4's memory and stability, the gameplay fixes included in patch 1.3 beta make up a long list, with some of the notable ones being the improvement of performance when the player is looking through a scope, the fix on an issue where players warp to different locations while aiming and the removal the problem of companions remaining stuck with radioactive poisoning.

Other gameplay improvements include the fix on an issue with MacReady's Killshot perk that was wrongly calculating headshot percentages, a solution to a problem on resistance not properly lowering damage when added by mods and the addition of the robotics expert as usable in combat.

Quest Fixes

The fixes applied to quests in Fallout 4 are as numerous as the improvements made in gameplay. Some of the notable issues addressed include a glitch in the "Taking Independence" quest that has the remaining minutemen not gathering in the Castle, a problem in the "Reunions" quest where Dogmeat stays at Fort Hagen and a bug in "Underground Undercover" that prevents players from talking to Desdemona to complete it the quest.

Other quests that saw fixes being applied to them include "The End of the Line," "Unlikely Valentine," "Confidence Man," "Human Error" and "Tactical Thinking."

Workshop Fixes

The list of Workshop fixes is not as lengthy as the lists for gameplay and quest improvements, but the changes are important nonetheless. Some of the fixes address bugs that display the wrong settler counts, prevent players from setting up supply lines in highly populated settlements and permanently shut down powered items if the power source is taken out.

In addition, building wires will no longer need copper, settlers that have been assigned to the weapons stand will now be standing next to it and repairing items will consume the correct amount of resources.

Trying Out Patch 1.3 Beta

Gamers that would like to try out the beta version of the upcoming patch can download it on Steam by logging in to their accounts and then right clicking on Fallout 4 in the library. Gamers should then select Settings, and then Betas, where a drop-down menu will appear. The Beta Update option should be selected and confirmed, with the update for Fallout 4 supposedly kicking in a few minutes after that.

Once the process is done, Fallout 4 will appear as Fallout 4 [beta] in the library.

After trying out the beta version, gamers that would like to revert to the stable version of the game can follow the same instructions, but at the drop-down menu under Betas, they can simply choose the option to opt out of all beta programs.

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