Ghoul Within: Bethesda Developer AMA (All Questions and Answers)
[Update 17th Mar 2025] Correction by Bethesda: There won't be a 6th char slot on tomorrows update
Yesterday, March 14, 2025, a live stream with a Q&A session took place on the official Bethesda Discord. There were some interesting answers to topics we'd previously only been able to speculate about.
Reddit user "fmk89" has documented all questions and answers. Thank you for your work! Bethesda's questions and answers are quoted here. You'll find my comments in between.
Will ghouls be overpowered at launch?
No, they will be different from humans, each with their own strengths and weaknesses.
See also [PTS] Ghoul Perks: All new Perk Cards
Will there be a way to accelerate going feral?
Not at launch, but it is planned for the future.
That's a real shame, since as a feral melee ghoul, you should avoid using chems altogether. Otherwise, the melee bonus is immediately lost.
Will masks or other apparel work as a disguise?
No. The only effective disguises will be applied and removed by the NPC Jay. However, you can still use Power Armor while disguised.
That's actually sad. For me personally, this is a reason not to play the ghoul as my main character. I like the look of the ghoul and don't want to visit an NPC and walk around with a bag on my head every time I want to buy gold plans or enclave plans.
What character customization options can we expect for ghouls?
Just as robust as human characters, with plans to further expand customization after release.
Can ghouls deal radiation damage?
Yes, perks that spend Glow will add radiation effects and damage to attacks.
Will Assassin’s legendary effects work against ghoul players in PvP?
No, you’ll need to use Ghoul Slayer’s for the same effect.
This could be a new challenge for PvP players if they can't tell whether someone is playing a ghoul or a human and then have the "wrong" equipment ready.
Will transforming into a ghoul keep my character’s face morphs?
No, you will have to create your ghoul persona from scratch. Reverting back will restore your previous human appearance.
That's good news. I haven't been able to test it myself yet, as I'm still testing things as a ghoul. Some players have spent hours or maybe even days on character customization, so if that were to be reset, it would be very bad.
Will feral ghouls react differently to ghoul players?
In general, they will remain aggressive, but some unique interactions may be introduced in the future for lore reasons.
I've also been surprised to discover this on the PTS. Even if there's a feral ghoul, you'll still be attacked by feral ghoul NPCs. You could see this in some PTS videos, like the one with the new locations. Honestly, I find it a bit illogical.
Will daily challenges be adjusted so ghouls can complete them?
Yes, that was taken into consideration.
I'm curious about that. I guess we will still need to "re-roll" some of the challenges as a Ghoul.
Will camp allies comment on your transformation? Will there be ghoul-related companions in the future?
Probably.
Can ghouls receive food and drink buffs?
Yes.
Yes, you already saw that in the video about the "Feral Melee Ghoul." The buffs work the same way as before. Both the herbivore and carnivore buffs. This also applies to the mutations, by the way. The only difference is that as a ghoul, you don't receive mutations from radiation. So you don't even need to use the "Stached Genes" perk card.
Will the update include the new Onslaught game mechanic?
Yes, along with reworked perks and the pistol refactor.
I'm really looking forward to that. Rifles will work very well in combination with pistols with the charge mechanic.
Will the update include the two new vendors at Milepost Zero?
Issues are being investigated on caravan bugs, no further comments other than that.
Too bad. No further information on Windy and the Purveyor in Milepost Zero.
Will switching to a ghoul cost Atoms?
The first transformation via the quest is free. You can revert if you want, but further re-transformations into a ghoul will cost 1,000 Atoms.
Wow, that's more than I expected. So you should think carefully about whether you really want to become and remain a ghoul. I would definitely recommend it for melee characters. I'm still undecided about other builds.
Will additional character slots be added?
Yes, one more slot will be added, bringing the total to six.
Good news! This makes it possible for veterans who already use all characters to test out the Ghoul. However, you'll always have to level up a new character to 50 before you can become a Ghoul. There's also a paid boost available in the Atomic Shop for this.
Will there be ghoul-specific legendary effects in the future?
Yes, there are plans to add more effects related to different character types.
I'm already curious about that.
Will more radiation weapons be added in the future? Will radiation damage become more useful?
Very likely.
Also very intereresting. Maybe we already see those new weapons on the next PTS.
Will future content be tailored specifically for ghouls?
Yes. Players can expect more challenging and rewarding content going forward.
Will there be ghoul player voice types?
Not at launch, but there are plans for that in the future.
Will ghouls have unique dialogue options in the future?
Yes.
Source: Reddit
Conclusion
An interesting round of questions, I think. As PTS testers and data miners, we already know some things, of course, but some things, like Atom Shop prices, can't be found out in advance. I'm really curious to see how many players actually become ghouls after the release. I'll definitely turn my melee character into a ghoul.
Feel free to write in the comments what you plan to do.
Comments:
Ich finde es nur sehr schade dass Fernkampfghule quasi nicht lohnend sind... ich mochte " den Ghul" aus der Serie wirklich sehr ;) 16.03.2025 at 11:45:32
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