"I'm starting to do casting for Real House-Ghouls of Radiant Hills in-game": Bill LaCoste talks Fallout 76 Ghoul RP, gameplay, and more (Exclusive)
Around the time of the launch of Fallout 76’s Ghoul Within update, we had a chance to chat with Bill LaCoste, Production Director of the hit MMO. It’s incredibly exciting to see that players can finally live their best Ghoul life in the Appalachian Mountains. Whether you want to take your main character and transform them or start from scratch, it’s all incredibly exciting. I’ve been a Fallout fan for years, so I’m pumped to get back in the game and unlock it for myself here hopefully soon.
It was also great to talk with Bill Lacoste about Fallout 76 and what it means to be a Ghoul. From Walton Goggin’s portrayal of The Ghoul, mechanics you should be aware of, Perks, and even examples of roleplay seen in the wild, there’s so much to love about this update. There’s truly never been a better time to be a Fallout 76 fan. I remember seeing the first teaser of this update last year! It’s so exciting to see it all come to life now.
Fallout 76 Ghoul Within chat with Bill LaCoste about the life, times, and struggles of the Ghoul
Q. First of all, thank you for taking the time to chat with us. For those who may not know what you do in Fallout 76, could you please introduce yourself?
Bill LaCoste: Yeah, my name is Bill LaCoste. I'm the Production Director for Fallout 76, and I work with John very closely because John is kind of the one who works with the design team to come up with the roadmap for the next few years of content that we're trying to put out.
So my job is to gather all the producers together and find a way for us to get all this stuff out — also find all the resources that we need, both externally and internally, to make sure we can pull off all this work. So, yeah, that's my primary job.
Q. I have to say, as a long-time Fallout fan, finally being able to play a Ghoul, outside of mods/hacks/etc, is a really great thing to see. How does it feel to be the first game in the franchise to allow it?
Bill LaCoste: I think it's great, especially because for the longest time, not only us internally, but players have always wanted to play as a Ghoul. You know, be able to not just play a Ghoul that already exists, but to play your own character as a Ghoul and customize your own character and also go around the wasteland and interact with everybody else as your own Ghoul. So it's great, especially because it lines up so well with how popular the TV show has been.
And just last year, we kind of finally put pen to paper on wanting to execute on playing as a Ghoul. And as you see from the release at this point, we didn't just give you a disguise. You can actually get a disguise in the game, but that's for a different purpose.
But we didn't just take the easy way out on this. We wanted to give players a new way to play [Fallout] 76. Give them new Perks and new Legendary Perks and new loadouts to look into different mechanics, even there with the Glow Meter and also the Feral Meter.
Those are different ways to play the game. But also we added, it's a short quest, to go through this process. But I think it highlights, again, the empathy and really, truly highlights the struggles that a lot of Ghouls go through in this world.
And so I think we handled all that really well with the story and the characters and how they reacted, how Humans react to the Ghouls and as well as how the Ghouls react to everyone else and then also other factions and how they react to Ghouls. So, like I said, we wanted to really give players a new way to play the game, but also go all out, and say, look, you've got new perks. You've got new skills.
You've got new systems to kind of work with that actually make you feel like you were playing a different type of character in a different type of race in the game. And that's and that's what we shot for. And I think we pulled that off pretty well.
Q. I have to ask, though — did Walton Goggins portrayal of The Ghoul have anything to do with the decision to make Ghouls playable in Fallout 76? Or was this in the works before that?
Bill LaCoste: So we had this kind of idea brewing and going and being designed out. And, like I said, it just so happens that whenever the TV show came out, Walton Goggins did such an amazing job with that character and has become very beloved by fans like they absolutely love the ghoul. And so and rightly so, because Walton plays that character so well and really brings out a lot of the characteristics that we expect out of some of the Ghouls in the wasteland.
So, yeah, a lot of it just kind of just happened to be happening at the same time. But certainly the success of the game, you know, at this point, and also I would say the level of excitement around The Ghoul and from players, certainly goes along with the fact that the TV show is successful. And there's such a great character in that TV series that is The Ghoul.
Q. On that note, because I know there are a lot of cosmetics in Fallout 76, how hard do you think it would be for a player to sort of replicate the look of The Ghoul?
Bill LaCoste: Previously, we gave out a duster and a hat. And so we've historically had a ton of pistols, especially like the Western revolver, for example, that comes into play. So there's a lot of utility there for people to create, something very similar to Walton Goggins Ghoul. But what I've also seen is a lot of people just kind of create their own thing. They're doing a lot of RP on their own. They want to have their own Ghoul.
And so they're dressing themselves up the way they want to. And I think that's great. I've seen a lot of really cool characters out there, not just not just an NPC or not just another character running around in the world, but people playing their character the way they want to play their character, talking in open chat, as a Ghoul. It's pretty cool.
Q. From a gameplay perspective, we know there are some differences, such as having a “Feral meter” and “Glow Meter” instead of Hunger/Thirst. How do you stave off the craving to go feral, and what happens when it triggers?
Bill LaCoste: So you get a couple of Chems at the end of the quest there. One is called The Fix or sorry, you just get The Fix and that allows you to increase your Feral Meter so it doesn't so it doesn't drain or — Sorry, let me rephrase. Not that it doesn't drain so that it replenishes back up to full.
But basically, the Feral Meter works exactly like it did with the Hunger and Thirst Meters originally, where they were subtractive, meaning there's a drain, or actually the way even they work right now where there's a drain on that meter.
It's just that as you let your hunger and thirst go down as a human, you don't really get penalties. You mostly just get bonuses if you keep it maxed out. So the feral meter, however, there are those five thresholds that still exist.
As it continues to drain, you start to get detractions or deductions to certain systems within the game, meaning your AP is going to get affected by it. Your endurance is going to be affected by it. Your charisma at some point is going to be affected by it.
Also, your ability to aim your guns is going to get affected by it. But at the end, you actually do gain quite a bit of melee damage as well. And that's how I run my character right now is a Feral Ghoul.
And with the Glow Meter, basically, it's pretty simple. You know, once you're past 100 or once you're at 100 percent HP, once you start taking on more radiation, whether you're sitting by some Rad Barrels or some or sitting in a lake or a stream or even just eating, like raw meat, in the world. You're going to basically get that next level of health bar, which is the Glow Meter at that point. And you're going to add glow to there.
And then, as you continue to improve your amount of Glow there, there are other attributes or effects that can kick off, which are basically just enacted by whatever Perks you may have assigned at the time.
Q. The longer a Ghoul is alive, it seems like it becomes harder and harder to stave off those animalistic instincts. Will it become harder to fill your Feral Meter in Fallout 76 the higher a character level grows, and if so, will there be any kind of cap?
Bill LaCoste: No, it won't become harder as you level up. Also, we have to take this from the approach of it being a game, but also being a game that is going to last for a number of years, too. So if somebody were to play right now, I think in five, seven years down the road, I'm not so sure that would be too much fun to play if you're constantly having to just create Chems and constantly hit up Chems at that point.
So, just from the perspective of just trying to keep it a little bit simpler on that front, there may be some stuff in the future that will help accelerate the reduction or the decrease of your Feral Meter or . . . that's hard to say. Is it the increase of your Feral Meter or the decrease of your Feral Meter?
Jason Parker: I think it's the decrease. [Laughs]
Bill LaCoste: Yeah. So the decrease of your Feral Meter, that's something we'll be discussing, kind of for the future. So right now it just kind of has that continuous drain. So if you come into the world and you want to play as a Feral Ghoul, you kind of have to wait a little bit right now for it to actually drain out.
But in terms of just keeping that meter up, it's just Chems. There's a certain number of Chems there that you can use to keep that going. And The Fix is one of those that you get at the end of the class.
Q. Are there any restrictions that come with being a Ghoul? Is radiation the only way to heal, for example, or are there types of gear/weapons they can’t use?
Bill LaCoste: Yeah. Just the normal effects that you would affect or you would assume are not relative to Ghouls. So you can still get in power armor, for example.
But obviously, the radiation resistance that you have there is not going to be usable for you. So some people may still get in them for the set bonus that they may have with that. But I've seen most of the people I've seen running around as a Ghoul are just wearing normal armor or no armor at all.
And then there's a number of Human Perks that are just specifically for humans. So whenever you go into the perks, you can actually see the list there and it'll show you that it's locked because that's just specifically for human characters.
And then we have, again, 30 total Perks specifically for the Ghouls, and two of those are legendary perks. You have Action Diet and Feral Rage, and then we have some other Perks or 28 other Perks that are just specifically for the Ghoul. So, yeah, that's kind of the rundown.
Q. What can players expect from the various factions in the game as a Ghoul? If they don’t hide their Ghoulishly good looks, can they expect hostility or even attacks from important factions?
Bill LaCoste: Yeah, absolutely. This kind of takes on exactly how factions feel towards Ghouls. So if you try to run up to Atlas and hang out with the Brotherhood of Steel, they are going to open fire on you. So, yeah, and same with Enclave. You know, you try to go into the bunker and you'll be met with some pretty good resistance.
Q. I saw that you can “unGhoul” once per character — is that just a choice they make, or will there be a quest or something connected to it?
BIll LaCoste: Yeah. So when you're in the character select, it'll show you an icon next to the character that you have specced as a Ghoul. And then from the menu there, you can un-spec so you can basically return to human form.
Jason Parker: Okay, so there's nothing complex about it. If you just know it's just not for you. Exactly.
Bill LaCoste: It's real quick. You engage in the process. You return to being human. All your stuff is back to the way it was before. And if you decide that you want to go through the Ghoul process again, though, we do have an item in the atomic shop right now that you can buy. And it's a Thousand Atoms and allows you to go back into a Ghoul. And part of that is just so that we can kind of enforce the importance of the decision that you're making to go from Human to Ghoul.
Jason Parker: I can kind of see why someone might change their mind because it sounds like it could be a little more difficult at the start, but it also sounds like a lot of fun at the same time.
Bill LaCoste: Oh, yeah, absolutely. Myself, I rolled a brand new character to play as a Ghoul because I've got about 200 hours — on my human character, I have certain play styles and min maxes that I've already kind of tried to take on. I just wanted to play as a Ghoul from the beginning, and starting this character is something I wanted to kind of take shape of. And also my human character has the worst RNG in the world. So I'm hoping that if I reroll as a Ghoul, it'll be a little bit better.
Yeah, people would be surprised that, again, having close to a thousand hours, if not even more, if I count, you know, back in the days of the Bnet time, you know how many recipes I still don't have because I just never get the RNG for them.
Jason Parker: Oh lord, do I ever know that feeling! [Laughs]
Q. Other than simply for roleplay purposes, or because it’s something new, what do you think would inspire someone to play a Ghoul in Fallout 76? What’s the appeal, in your opinion?
Bill LaCoste: I think the play style is different, especially with all the different perks and all the different systems that we have in there from the Glow Meter to the Feral Meter and the management of that.
I just find that that play style is different enough that I want to keep engaging with it. But also, as I said, I almost feel like the big thing here for a lot of our players, especially our content creators and stuff is the RP value like roleplaying as a Ghoul is pretty neat. I'm already seeing camps from humans that say “No Ghouls Allowed” and have signs up for them.
And so knowing that that is also an element that we've been able to bring into the game from the RP standpoint, that makes it attractive as well. People will want to play the Ghoul and they'll want to interact with humans in a way where it feels like there's that tension or that conflict, between the two races. And I think that's just been a really, really fun thing to see across the world.
Q. There are 30 brand-new, Ghoul-specific Perks — can players still use regular, human Perks too? If so, are there any really cool combos you might suggest players look into?
Bill LaCoste: Yeah, there's still a number of I guess we would just call them, regular Perks. They're not assigned to Humans or Ghouls. They're kind of in the middle that are just universal. So, yeah, there's still a number of Universal Perks. A lot of them are typical, like Slugger, Master Slugger, Rifleman, and all the standard stuff there that any race can use.
Jason Parker: Do you think there might be any really cool interactions between the two types of perks that maybe players might miss that you can recommend?
Bill LaCoste: Oh, that's good. That's a good question. I don't think there would be an element of like, oh, I missed this perk because the Ghouls actually have maybe a comparable version of that sometimes.
Like with Action Boy, Action Girl, there's Ghoul Action, a comparable version of that. So nothing is being missed out there. But in that particular case, you do have to have a high Glow, for that.
And so those are just little changes there. But I don't think so far, at least when I've been playing with the Ghoul, I haven't come across anything in the Perks themselves where I've been like, oh, man, I wish I still had this on the human.
Because even at the same, even if there was something like that, I would try to understand whether or not it made sense for the Ghoul to even have that. And that plays into part of just the differences then between the two races as they are.
I think Ghoul-specific perks are great to have. One of them for me is like Brick Wall. So when your Glow is high, it actually makes you immune to Stagger. And that's fun. You can just continuously swing or auto-axe or whatever, whatever your weapon of choice is to run around and not have to worry about getting staggered. So there are things like that that really kind of make the Ghoul setup a little bit different.
Q. What’s next for Fallout 76? I know that’s such a loaded question, but I’m curious! Is this Ghoul update a one-off, or will Ghouls get other buffs, updates, or even story-related quests in the future?
Bill LaCoste: Yeah, great question. That was another pillar that we started off with when we started talking about Ghouls.
So anything past this point will take Ghouls into account because they're officially a race in this game now that you can play. You can play human, you play Ghoul. So content going forward, it's a much bigger lift for us in terms of the content we create, but that's what makes this special is the fact that we aren't just leaving the Ghoul to its own elements going forward.
You know, we're actually taking the Ghoul characters, the faction interactions between the Ghoul. There will probably be other quest givers in the world or characters in the world that don't look kindly upon humans going forward. So there might or might not be issues, but there may be situations like that where Ghouls will continue as we go forward to have a very prominent place in the game.
We expect that to be going into the future. As for what's next, I mean, we've already talked a little bit about Fishing. You know, that's coming soon. And then, past that, all I can say is we've got a good, healthy three-plus years of content lined up for everybody. So again, we're full steam ahead. It's a thing on this team because we are a live product and we ship things out every 12 to 14 weeks.
We launched this. We take some time to rejoice in the delivery of this type of game. But we are immediately on to 60. And also, again, looking at the issues that may arise, from Live, we're still ingesting those as we go forward. But, we historically work anywhere between six and eight patches ahead at any point in time. So we're actively working on content.
And like I said, we'll look at what we did live triage yesterday for the Ghoul. There are a couple of things we probably want to fix in the short term here. We'll let people know about those as we get closer to next week. But yeah, we're just full steam ahead on all the other content coming up. And we're excited. It's it's a lot of good content.
Jason Parker: I’m very much looking forward to Ghouls in Fallout 76. I think it’s going to be a blast.
Bill LaCoste: Yeah, it's already a lot of fun. Like I said, I always keep open chat or area chat open just so I can listen to people doing their thing. And I run across camps all the time and I'll see four or five humans along with a couple of Ghouls and they're chatting and they're doing a little RP.
And it's just cool, man. It's really good to see. So I'm excited to see where players take this. I made a joke the other day that I'm starting to do casting for my Real House-Ghouls of Radiant Hills in-game. So, yeah, it's a lot of fun.
Fallout 76’s latest update is live and is called Ghoul Within. It brings with it the ability for players to tackle the life of a Ghoul, once they reach level 50.