Traits removed from Fallout 3

New details and screenshots have slipped out about the upcoming Fallout 3 and the Fallout purists out there (like us) will no doubt be a little bit annoyed to hear about some of the changes.

Most notable of all the changes to Fallout 3 is that the traits and perks system has been completely over-hauled. In the original two games, players could choose optional traits when designing their character and could later choose a perk once every three or four levels.

The two were always very closely entwined, but roughly the traits would usually define basic aspects of your character - a tendency for critical failures in combat, increased resistance to radiation - whereas perks would showcase character development over time and the appearance of new abilities, such as being able to find random encounters more often.

Now though, Bethesda's Todd Howard has confirmed to Joystiq that the traits system has been completely removed from the game. Instead, the traits have been adapted into the perks system and players will instead get a new perk every level.

"That was a hard decision for us, and one that took, literally, years," said executive producer Todd Howard, who also said that if ranks were included then there were about 100 perks available to players. There's a levelcap of 20 in the game too, so you'll be able to pick up 19 of them on any given play-through.

If you want to hear more about how Fallout 3 is shaping up then you can check out our own preview right here.

Bethesda has also released new screenshots of the game showing the megaton bar, a robot fight and an image of the Pip-Boy skills menu. Take a look at them below and let us know what you think in the forums.