A Change in Story during Development of FO1

[Eternal]

I'm sure many many many of you have heard about this before, I however had not:

Wikipedia:

At one point in Fallout's development, in Junktown, if the player aided local sheriff Killian Darkwater in killing the criminal Gizmo, Killian would take his pursuit of the law much too far, to the point of tyranny, and force Junktown to stagnate. However, if the player killed Killian for Gizmo, then Gizmo would help Junktown prosper for his own benefit. The game's publisher did not like this bit of moral ambiguity and had the outcomes changed to an alternate state, where aiding Killian results in a more palatable ending.

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This is from the Fallout Bible according to the refrence on wiki, now I'm sure only a small portion of the people here have actually read the FOB, or at least MOST of it. So for those of us who haven't what do you think of this? Which way do you prefer the story, the way it was in development but changed, or the way it was shipped out?

I personally like the idea they had in development more, I only read about it recently myself but I think the outcome is a much more interesting one, and forces the player to think about how "true" their moral compass is all the time, not only that but it brings to light the question of "Is what is good for some good for all?"

Not that this really applies to me as usually I ended up just killing both of em lol... (Gizmo is a jerk, and Killian.. has some nice stuff, and lots of shelves to put my loot on and keep it sorted)


**edited for clarity on my preference**

 

[Ausir]

The original version was better, of course.

 

[SuAside]

i like Killian as is, but obviously the 'original' scrapped ending was the better one for the game. it would just fit in better and be more typical for Fallout.

 

[jupiter2]

I prefer the actual ending,maybe because i like perfect happy ends.

 

[bhlaab]

The original is better in theory, but killian doesn't really come off as a megalomaniac in the game

 

[Ausir]

Who said anything about him being a megalomaniac? The ending was:

With Gizmo out of the way, Killian enforces his brand of frontier justice on Junktown. The city remains orderly but small, as travelers steer away from his rigid sensibilities.

With the picture background behind Killian being a gallows with shadows of dead men hanging from it.

 

[nemo00]

Oh comme on, of course the official version was better I mean how could you kill McGayver, or col.Jack O'Neil, I mean he did selflessly save the world a bunch of times (oh yeah and if you didn't know Stargate actually happens, and the show it's just a coverup, )

 

[UnidentifiedFlyingTard]

could be a cool idea for a mod

 

[Eternal]

Who said anything about him being a megalomaniac? The ending was:

With Gizmo out of the way, Killian enforces his brand of frontier justice on Junktown. The city remains orderly but small, as travelers steer away from his rigid sensibilities.

With the picture background behind Killian being a gallows with shadows of dead men hanging from it.

Exactly, megalomania would be if killian did that AND decided to take over the hub... and poland...

He would have been more of a despot I think.

 

[4too]

'Deadwood' As Role Model

'Deadwood' As Role Model




The HBO show 'Deadwood' had many competing groups and it was fascinating how the seemingly unnatural alliance of Sheriff Bullock
and saloon, and (mostly) victimless crime boss, *entrepreneur* Al Swearengen became a realistic out come when common goals were recognized.

New Reno might have had lots of factions, like 'Deadwood', but those FO endings seemed winner take all also.
The Wrights Win had as sinister severity as Junktown, if the player character gave them the location of the pre war weapons.

Did SF have a chance for a greater growing community, or was that another finale for one party rule?

Any risky middle paths in FO, or was it all just a series of show downs and boss battles, just 'the quick and the dead'?

When the player character arrives in Junktown, it appears too late for a third way.
Gizmo's assassination attempt escalated the Junktown power struggle into a not so covert war.

The sugar coating of the Killian Wins ending seems a minor marketing intervention.
The ironic point is still asserted by the published possibilities,
faintly funny how the relative safety of frontier justice scares away as many potential constituents as it might likely attract.

Interesting that as the games industry claims to attain the money making potential of movies and television, it may be less able to fake good story telling unless it's the win/lose, black/white of FPS virtual gunplay, or an accidental survivor of production deadline editing,
(i.e.-Emile's candid admission of known FO3 plot holes is an example of no 'happy accidents' crawling out of that end crunch).






4too