History VideoGame / Wasteland

* BettingMiniGame: The casinos in Vegas provide these. [[RealityEnsues Naturally, they generally do nothing but drain your cash.]]

* OptionalSexualEncounter: The three-legged hooker. [[RealityEnsues Naturally, she gives you herpes.]]

* CriticalExistenceFailure: Dropping below 0 hit points results in a number of progressively serious wounded states, and unless the Medic or Doctor skill is applied, the character is [[FinalDeath gone for good]].

* CharacterCustomization: Name, gender, and nationality, none of which affect the game in a meaningful way.
** Gender is actually used in just one case.

The game's story takes place in 2087, generations after a global nuclear war in 1998 destroyed most of civilisation. In what was once the Southwestern United States, the Desert Rangers -- a [[TheRemnant remnant]] of the US Army Corps of Engineers -- are valiantly trying to keep the peace and enforce some semblance of law and order for the people of Arizona. As the story begins, a small squad of Desert Rangers have been deployed by Ranger HQ to investigate some strange disturbances near the old California/Nevada border. As they scout the area, the Rangers discover evidence of a larger menace threatening to exterminate what is left of humankind...

The game's story takes place in 2087, generations after a global nuclear war in 1998 destroyed most of civilisation. In what was once the Southwestern United States, the Desert Rangers -- a [[TheRemnant remnant]] of the US Army Corps of Engineers -- are valiantly trying to keep the peace and enforce some semblance of law and order and protect the people of Arizona. As the story begins, a small squad of Desert Rangers have been deployed by Ranger HQ to investigate some strange disturbances near the old California/Nevada border. As they scout the area, the Rangers discover evidence of a larger menace threatening to exterminate what is left of humankind...

The game's story takes place in 2087, generations after a global nuclear war in 1998 destroyed most of civilisation. In what was once the Southwestern United States, the Desert Rangers -- a [[TheRemnant remnant]] of the US Army Corps of Engineers -- are valiantly trying to keep the peace and enforce some semblance of law in an attempt to protect the small new communities and towns in their area that has been built since the collapse. As the story begins, a small squad of Desert Rangers have been deployed by Ranger HQ to investigate some strange disturbances near the old California/Nevada border. As they scout the area, the Rangers discover evidence of a larger menace threatening to exterminate what is left of humankind...

The game's story takes place in 2087, generations after a global nuclear war in 1998 destroyed most of civilisation. In what was once the Southwestern United States, a old remnant of the US Army, called the Desert Rangers, are valiantly trying to keep the peace and enforce some semblance of law in an attempt to protect the small new communities and towns in their area that has been built since the collapse. As the story begins, a small squard of Desert Rangers have been deployed by Ranger HQ to investigate some strange disturbances near the old California/Nevada border. As they scout the area, the Rangers discover evidence of a larger menace threatening to exterminate what is left of humankind...

''Wasteland'' is a 1988 CRPG that was groundbreaking in its combination of a gritty post-apocalyptic setting with a nonlinear play style. Notably, the designers sacrificed more modern graphics for extended detail in the gameplay and created a rich backstory that appeared in the game's CopyProtection - a "Paragraph Book" which contained necessary and plot-relevant information, with passages being referenced by number at various points in the game. Woven into the book were numerous RedHerring entries that were never referenced in-game, in order to keep players from skipping to the end of the story.

An enhanced version of the original ''Wasteland'' with smoothed out depixelized graphics, optional music, voice-overs and an integrated paragraph book has been released on UsefulNotes/DigitalDistribution sites (including UsefulNotes/{{Steam}} and [[Website/GogDotCom GOG.com]]) in order to coincide with the release of its 2014 sequel, ''VideoGame/Wasteland2''. A full remastered version with [=3D=] graphics, mouse controls, and illustrated cutscenes[[note]]despite these fancy graphical and UI upgrades, the game plays pretty much identically to the original version; it is decidedly a ''remaster'' and not a remake[[/note]] was released on February 25, 2020, a few months prior to the third entry in the series, ''VideoGame/Wasteland3''.

An enhanced version of the original ''Wasteland'' with smoothed out depixelized graphics, optional music, voice-overs and an integrated paragraph book has been released on UsefulNotes/DigitalDistribution sites (including UsefulNotes/{{Steam}} and [[Website/GogDotCom GOG.com]]) in order to coincide with the release of its 2014 sequel, ''VideoGame/Wasteland2''. [[https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/06/14/wasteland-remaster-looks-a-whole-lot-like-a-remake-and-im-not-complaining/ A full remastered version]] was released on February 25, 2020, a few months prior to the third entry in the series, ''VideoGame/Wasteland3''.

An enhanced version of the original ''Wasteland'' with smoothed out depixelized graphics, optional music, voice-overs and an integrated paragraph book has been released on UsefulNotes/DigitalDistribution sites (including UsefulNotes/{{Steam}} and [[Website/GogDotCom GOG.com]]) in order to coincide with the release of its sequel, ''VideoGame/Wasteland2''.

[[https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/06/14/wasteland-remaster-looks-a-whole-lot-like-a-remake-and-im-not-complaining/ A full remastered version]] was released on February 25, 2020.

* UpdatedReRelease: The digital distribution version of the game, released in 2014 to coincide with the release of ''Wasteland 2'', smooths out the game's original pixelated VGA-era graphics with a higher-res de-pixelated image quality, adds music and voice acting, and incorporates the game's paragraph book into the game itself instead of having to refer to a physical book periodically throughout the game for major plot events.

** Finster Leviathan, fought at the end of [[spoiler: the Mind Maze]], has considerably more health than any other enemy in the game (except for the Night Terror), and is essentially the game's ClimaxBoss. However, his lack of armor makes him quite beatable.

* DamageSpongeBoss: The [[spoiler: Night Terror in Finster's Mind Maze.]] [[SkippableBoss Thankfully, he's avoidable.]] Many late game enemies are grinds unless the party is equipped with energy weapons.

* VideoGameRemake: ''Wasteland Remastered'', released in early 2020, is a complete overhaul of the game, with more modernized graphics, interface, and presentation, while still maintaining the art style and basic gameplay of the original. It now looks like a high-production value modern Indie game rather than a product of the 1980's.

An enhanced version of the original ''Wasteland'' with optional music, voice-overs and an integrated paragraph book has been released on UsefulNotes/DigitalDistribution sites (including UsefulNotes/{{Steam}} and [[Website/GogDotCom GOG.com]]) in order to coincide with the release of its sequel, ''VideoGame/Wasteland2''.

[[https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/06/14/wasteland-remaster-looks-a-whole-lot-like-a-remake-and-im-not-complaining/ A remastered version has been announced]] with currently no set release date.

''Wasteland'' is a 1988 CRPG that was groundbreaking in its combination of a gritty post-apocalyptic setting with a nonlinear play style. Notably, the designers sacrificed more modern graphics for extended detail in the gameplay and created a rich backstory that appeared in the game's copyright protection - a "Paragraph Book" which contained necessary and plot-relevant information, with passages being referenced by number at various points in the game. Woven into the book were numerous {{Red Herring}} entries that were never referenced in-game, in order to keep players from skipping to the end of the story.

An enhanced version of the original Wasteland with optional music, voice-overs and an integrated paragraph book has been released on UsefulNotes/DigitalDistribution sites (including UsefulNotes/{{Steam}} and [[Website/GogDotCom GOG.com]]) in order to coincide with the release of its sequel, ''VideoGame/Wasteland2''.

** Much of the game's context, backstory, and even basic features are left unexplained in the game proper, and no version currently available contains the game's manual. This means that modern players will typically have to hunt down game guides in order to figure out how the game's stat system works, and even what you're supposed to be doing in the first place.

An enhanced version of the original Wasteland with optional music, voice-overs and an integrated paragraph book has been released on digital distribution sites (including Steam and gog.com) in order to coincide with the release of its sequel, ''VideoGame/Wasteland2''.

* SaveScumming: Since the game was on floppy disks, the player had to create copies of the discs to actually play on (as the game discs were read only to prevent someone from permanently wrecking their playthrough). This led to the ability to "regenerate" entire towns, and even Base Cochise, to loot over and over, allowing players to stockpile large armories of weapons that were considered unique. Doing this properly will allow all of the PCs to wield Meson Cannons and Power Axes while being decked in the finest Power Armor. Unfortunately, the 30 space inventory limit prevented truly epic levels of stockpiling.

** In Vegas, Fat Freddy asks the Rangers to kill Faran Brygo for his Onyx Ring.

* AKA47: Played with. Some weapons use their real-life names, and the [[AllThereInTheManual manual]] explains that some of the fictional ones are simply future versions of then-contemporary firearms, but many of the game's weapons are still entirely fictional.

* BigDamnFireExit: Big damn escape pod, actually.

* CloningBlues: If you take the time to learn the associated skills, you can clone any of your party members. This can be used either to invoke WeHaveReserves should you manage to lose one of them in battle OR to outfit your team with a carbon copy of your toughest Ranger to increase the team's overall ferocity.

* CriticalExistenceFailure: Averted. Dropping below 0 hit points results in a number of progressively serious wounded states, and unless the Medic or Doctor skill is applied, the character is [[FinalDeath gone for good]].

* DamageSpongeBoss: The [[spoiler: Night Terror in Finster's Mind Maze.]] [[SkippableBoss Thankfully, he's avoidable.]] Many late game enemies are this unless the party is equipped with energy weapons.

* DumpStat: Charisma. It affects almost nothing of any value, whereas other stats can be game-changers if balanced correctly

* GunsAreWorthless: Played straight during the first half of the game, when a decent Brawling skill lets you deal way more damage; partially averted after the party reaches Las Vegas and finds assault rifles. The [[AnAxeToGrind Proton Axe]] is still a valid alternative until the end of the game, though.
* HealingPotion: Averted. There is no way for characters to regain health except by resting.
* IFoughtTheLawAndTheLawWon: Averted. You ''are'' the law, and in the few places that you're not, you can still beat out the competition if you have high enough combat skills.

* LateCharacterSyndrome: Mort, Ralf, and other Party Members tend to suffer from this. Averted with [[spoiler: [[EleventhHourRanger VAX.]]]]

* ThePasswordIsAlwaysSwordfish: Played straight in most of the locations you can go to and with memorization, you can walk through like you belong. Subverted in Ugly's Hideout as you enter the normal way. [[spoiler:The password for his hideout is NOT the same as it is in the town courthouse. If you have been paying close attention to the details, then you'll eventually find out that Ugly's goons have changed it for security reasons. Otherwise after that, the new password for his hideout remains the same.]]

* RPGsEqualCombat: ZigZagged. While most of your experience will come from combat, successfully using noncombat skills can earn experience as well. In at least one place this can be abused for [[GameBreaker infinite experience]].

* WizardNeedsFoodBadly: Subverted. The only time this becomes important is when your party walks into a spot of hot, barren desert and you begin losing HP by dehydration unless you have at least a canteen in your inventory to prevent it.

* OnlySixFaces: Because of used and available technology, each type of enemy has standard portray attached. Rangers themselves have limited and randomly assigned ones.