Enclave: A Place And Not A Faction!

[RetroAmerica]

I've been thinking about this for a while, and I've come to the conclusion that the use of term Enclave in reference as an organization is wholly incorrect!

If we examine Fallout 2, we'll notice that the the only times in which the "Enclave" is referred to is with reference to the Poseidon Oil Rig, and not as the organization.

1) Gecko: While on the computer terminal in the nuclear plant the Chosen One pulls up the Poseido-Net and underneath the headings (NORAD, Iron Mountain, Enclave etc....), which references that the term refers to a place, not an organization. Also, if you get far enough into the computer you'll then be able to call-up the Oil Rig, whereby they'll say: "Enclave here, why isn't...." (generally most of the time when one is answering something, they answer by location not by name).

2) Camp Navarro: If you attempt to walk onto Camp Navarro, you'll be told that you're trespassing on "Federal Property", not Enclave property.

3) Enclave Control Company: A unit tasked with security aboard the Oil Rig, and no seen elsewhere(which makes sense as the Enclave is only the rig itself).


Also, if you look at a lot of general conversation, they refer to themselves as Americans, Citizens of the United States etc., even so far as to when you discuss with President Richardson, he refers to himself as the POTUS, not the President of the Enclave.


So what do others think about this subject, is this just a mistake made larger by Bethesda's Fallout 3, or is the organization actually the Enclave?

 

[lujo]

Yeah, they see themselves as the US. Well, technicaly they ARE the US. I'm more surprised they'd be considered as the enclave by other folks because of what "enclave" means. I always thought it ment a part of a sovereign state not coneceted to the main territory but surrounded by foreign borders. Since an oil rig is technicaly an artificial island, and it's not in anyone's bordes as far as I know (is it?), and the Navarro base is in the teritory of the united states, how are they an enclave?

But eh, name must've been catchy or omionus enough or something

 

[Yamu]

The only things I can think of off the top of my head that run counter to your theory are the fact that the guards on the stretch surrounding Navarro are called "Enclave Patrols" and the fact that the ex-Enclave tanker captain refers to the rig as the "final base of the Enclave," or something functionally identical term. We're talking about game entity naming in the case of the patrols, though-- it's not like they were walking around wearing badges that said "Hi, My Name Is Enclave Soldier."

It's plausible enough that I'm going to choose to make it headcanon, anyway. With all respect to the devs, I always thought "The Enclave" was kind of a cheesy name for them.

 

[lujo]

I think Metzger also reffers to them as such, and it might've just been a codenam for the Oil Rig. In a practical consideration, I think they needed a mysterios name for them as not to reveal right away who the enemies are. The fact that the vaults were just an experiment and that the world was less devastated by the war is kind of a big twist (and also possibly enormous retconning and, well, probably the most non-sensical wtf moment in the whole series (not that I mind that after all, abandoned/doomed vaults make for awesome locations to explore)). But they couldn't really throw it out there, the fact that there is an actual president of the united states, since it's quite a bit trippy if you're coming from Fallout 1. I know my reaction to it, when I first saw it ages ago, was - "you've GOT to be kidding me, what game am I playing here?" Shocked me more than Fallout 3 did years later

Anywho, they had a really controversial villan/plot explanation, they needed a name for those guys. Also, it's (or was) easier to market a video game where you fight a nebulous atom-punk evil organization called "the Enclave" than where you fight the evil goverment of the united states. "The goverment is evil, it caused the end of the world, condones slavery, genocide and experimenting on people and only a hero can reach and shoot the prezident of the United States" - say that out loud, it makes for a reaaaaaaly controversial tagline. It was even pretty controversial in-universe, but take it out of context and boy... Better refer to these guys as Enclave, then

Anywho, the choice of "Enclave" actually got me in mildly amusing trouble, since that was the first place in my life I encountered the term as a kid. Ended up thinking it means a "secluded island" for a while, got corrected during an examination in school

 

[naossano]

The mainland maybe inherit the culture of USA, but is not anymore part of the USA, as there is no government that rules the whole of it.

There are mutiple tribes (Arroyo), city-nations (Vault City, New Reno, New Vegas etc...), some bigger nations (NCR) and many other lands that have not been reclaimed by any nation/faction.

Plus, those who have mutated (have at least 1% of radiation in their blood) are not even considered humans by the Enclave.

Sure, the Enclave is the true heir of the previous administration, but they don't control the mainland and consider it occupied by strangers/mutants.

So, the only part that are considered by them as still americans are those they control directly (The Oil Rig, Navarro, Black Rock etc...). Everything around are barbarian lands. Also, their own territories are not all in the same area. To go from one territory to another, they have to walk/fly territories that they don't own, so all their own territories are enclaves surrounded by barbarians lands. When all the mainland will be conquered again, this will be USA. But for the time being, the territory that the organization controls is still an Enclave or actually a sum of multiple enclaves. It is a reminder to every Enclave members that they have still work to do if they want to be called USA again, and not just the Enclave.

If somehow, someone else (NCR for instance) manage to conquer all the mainland and call it USA, it would not be USA yet, are the citizens are considered as mutants, not true humans, at least from the Enclave point of view. (from my own point of view, that nation should be called new usa, not usa, as it is a new nation, not a continuity, since the link was broken)

At least how i seen it when i played Fo2.


In a more objective point of view, United States America doesn't exist any more in the Fallout world. The states are not united. They don't even exist. Same for the (13 i think) commonwealths. Sure, the north american landmass still exist, but the nation itself has ceased to exist, for long. Even if some wastelanders still believe themselves as americans, that statement has no value, as other nation have replaced the usa. Plus all the non-ghoul population was born after the USA were extinct.

It's like we meet today a serbian saying he is from yugoslavia or a tunisian saying he is a citizen of the roman empire, or even someone born in New York saying he is british or dutch or myself saying i was from gaul instead of france. Those nations are from the past. Even if the territory was part of the nation before, after they lost it, the territory got his own fate different that the nation.

Also, considering the nature of the fallout world and the fact that even Obsidian consider the core region as too civilized, the unification of all states with their previous borders would never happens. USA is dead, that's it.

 

[John McDonnell]

I can't speak for Fallout 2, but in Fallout 3 President Eden seems to be trying to win over the people of the Capital Wasteland. Maybe they adopted "Enclave" there because that's how people knew them? I know the Enclave have bad press, but what sounds worse; "Yes, we're the Enclave, but we've cleaned house and we are not as bad as some people make us out to be", or denying they are the Enclave altogether, only for people to discover they are and then spread the word? If they're fighting a PR campaign, that kind of revelation would shoot it down.

 

[TheChosen1]

Well the game does state that you've encountered an Enclave patrol though.