Recently some exciting news slipped out for those looking forward to Fallout 4, which is probably just about everyone who's ever played Fallout 3 or Fallout: New Vegas. While there's still a shocking dearth of information about just what it is we'll be seeing and facing down in the Boston area come November 10, a new little bit has emerged from the folks at Vault111.com. While it's not conclusive, it's still an exciting notion: a means to start building your character ahead of the release date.

The character builder offers up a set of seven sliding scales, one for each of the key seven SPECIAL attributes, Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility, and Luck. Users start with one point in each attribute, and can use sliders to put points into each. Once the 21 points available are distributed accordingly, the system will then display the total number of hit points the character will have, along with available action points and carry weight. That's interesting enough, but selecting the perks tab above the sliders shows a whole new world of possibilities.

Essentially, the perks system corresponds to the SPECIAL system, assuming it all works this way in the final game. Depending on the number put into each point of SPECIAL, that opens up a new perk. For instance, a SPECIAL setup of 3 - 3 - 3 - 2 - 7 - 7 - 3, in order, generates a character with 95 hit points, 130 action points, and a maximum carrying weight of 230. Said character also gets access to brawler, big leaguer and rocketeer perks for the strength category, and a host of others throughout the continuum.

While not all of the perks are currently known--the Vault111 system has no idea just what V.A.N.S is, for example, despite being a level one intelligence perk--but many common perks to the series seem to be in place. Lead Belly still provides benefits against drinking irradiated water, a key point of value in the wastelands of the Fallout universe, and some new perks have likewise slipped in like Tumbler, a perk that makes it easier to open locks. This won't be the end-all-be-all guide to making Fallout 4 characters by any means, but it's still a good look at what will be available when it does hit. Gets you thinking a little in advance, and that's welcome.

If there weren't already reason enough to look forward to Fallout 4, this would likely do the job. It's going to be a fantastic game, when it arrives, and I'm certainly among the masses looking forward to a return trip to the vast Wasteland.