Fallout 1 - What city type would you add?

R

Radman

It Wandered In From the Wastes
Hey all,

Just completed the original Fallout (for like the 100th time) and in my mind there is no doubting that the original fallout is an awsome game and in my opinion is much better then Fallout 2 when it boils down to story and overall atmosphere.

However (theres always a 'however' though isnt there? ;) ) Fallout does lack on one thing when compared to the beast that is Fallout 2 and that one thing in my mind is content. Fallout 2 is FULL of content, some fun, some silly and some just plain fantastic! (the first time you entered the Sierra Army Depot or Vault 13)

I'm throwing this question out to the community, what city/town would you have added to the game if you had developed Fallout back in 1997?

Please consider the following:

  • How would it 'fit' into the world?
    *What 'crisis' does the town have? (Junktown had Gizmo/Killian and the Boneyard had the Regulators/Blades)
    *Who would populate your town?
    *What Quests would you add?

I only ask that no-one throws up 'The Burrows' that area was cut for a reason (a really good reason in my mind)

Just a bit of fun, i'm currently writing my ideas up now and will post it up later.

Have fun!

Rad
 
For me, Fallout 1 is perfect as it is. I would know of no (content) modification for it.
 
I might have wanted to add a location with surviving scientists, most likely Vandenberg Air Force Base as that is closest to Los Angeles.

It would be more of an optional place than a plot important place but it could add a lot of background details for people who want more.

They would either be the descendants of an original group of scientists or perhaps hibernating scientists and technicians that have woken up a couple of years ago.
Most likely not any soldiers but floating eyebots, Mr Handy's, Brainbots, those security bots (if they are in it), robot turrets to protect the base and the scientists.

Perhaps even (re)using the space shuttle object, with the scientists wanting to use it to leave for another planet.

(if the idea of the Master being on board an orbiting space station was implemented as mentioned in an earlier draft, the space shuttle would be the plot device to reach the station)

The player could help them out or convince them that they should stay on Earth and try to help society recover.

They too would be interested in what is to be found at the Glow and some of the Scribes at Lost Hills would be really curious what research the scientists possess.

Outside the BOS and the Gun Runners they would also have energy weapons.
 
I don't know. Doesn't sound like it would fit into Fallout 1, imo. Heh, I wouldn't really mind it in Fallout 2... but thinking about Fallout 1, it just doesn't fit into the general atmosphere for me.
 
The idea would be that they like the BOS are strictly isolationists, being terrified of whatever is out there in the wasteland.

Perhaps only a handful of traders are allowed to approach their base but always in a special designated area with robots constantly being on the lookout for 'aggressive' or out of place behavior.

Most of Vandenberg itself would be in decay, exceptions being the parts of the base, and perhaps underground base levels the scientists use.
And of course the launch runway or launchpad of the space shuttle.
 
I think its a difficult task to design just the right amount of content for a game. The guys who built Fallout 1 always said it was slightly too small, the stuff that got cut seemed rather wacky for a wasteland setting and therefore probably deserved to go. Another town the size of the Hub, and a few smaller locations wouldn't go a miss.

If you think about the missions in Fallout 1, the two that stand out are - finding the water chip, and destroying the Master - everything else is fairly minor (the Glow was pretty cool though). But every small encounter helps flesh-out the experience, and story.

Some coastal villages wouldn't go a miss, and an extra Ghoul location.
 
I personally prefer it as it is. The only thing which I could maybe like is the coastal village Pixote described.
 
Yeah, but you don't see much water on the map itself, more on worldmap/encounters in the boneyard area. ;)
 
I like The Dutch Ghost's idea, preferably having it function more like a place to get a better feel for history than much else, where descendants (Remember what happened in Sierra with the guy you can revive) of scientists, who can fill you in on information, maybe with quests from the Followers or Brotherhood, to scavenge the place for supplies/info, maybe looking for other scavengers or recruits who went missing. You find some security turrets, fight your way through it, find the place, and can end up making a decision to leave the place alone, reveal it's existence, etc.

As for why it's never been discovered before, it could be a mixture of the defenses, the location itself being mostly destroyed (I'm assuming they're hiding in a bunker/shelter of decent size. They've only relatively recently come out/opened up (radiation levels, repairs needed, etc).
 
It has not been necessarily said that all cryogenic hibernating people turn to mush after being thawed out like that soldier at Sierra Army Depot, but I can understand that people (gamers) might find it out of place of having healthy Pre War people around that aren't Ghouls.

My other idea was that the place might be raided by various factions of salvagers, perhaps even a combination of both ideas that the scientists are afraid of the salvagers that are going through the ruins of Vandenberg, threatening the secrecy of their shelter and their space shuttle which has become a target.
 
The Dutch Ghost said:
It has not been necessarily said that all cryogenic hibernating people turn to mush after being thawed out like that soldier at Sierra Army Depot, but I can understand that people (gamers) might find it out of place of having healthy Pre War people around that aren't Ghouls.

My other idea was that the place might be raided by various factions of salvagers, perhaps even a combination of both ideas that the scientists are afraid of the salvagers that are going through the ruins of Vandenberg, threatening the secrecy of their shelter and their space shuttle which has become a target.
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I personally don't particularly care for the whole ability to go into space. Maybe being able to launch a ICBM or something, but I'm not keen on the idea of the space shuttle or something like that. Doesn't fit right to me. I do much more like the idea of it being some last bastion of Prewar learning and knowledge; both scientifically and culturally.

I'm imagining that some science types, researches, working on some bomb/plane prototype kinda thing (laser cannons on fighters and what not), who went into a bunker/shelter when the bombs fell; or that may have been their research center, built to be protected from the bombs, and they (and presumably their families) stayed in there until recently. This would work better with the suspended animation thing; they stuck themselves in the freezer for a period of time, and only recently have they come out due to attacks by scavengers and maybe mutants into their defenses. I, personally, much more like the idea of balancing protecting the small scientific group, or exposing them to wastes, which while proving undoubtedly detrimental to the scientists, could greatly benefit the wastes. It'd probably provide for some interesting endings.
 
Tagaziel said:
I would put in a city of sentient, intelligent raccons.

<_<
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No!!!!

Not the Burrows!... ;)

In all fairness to the people who scream 'fallout is awesome the way it is leave it alone' yeah the story and atmosphere is bang on... BANG on.

But the game itself is tiny, really small in comparison to Fallout 2 so much that there isnt much to do outside of the main quest line, which is a shame in my opinion (the only real epic exception to this is joining the Brotherhood by exploring The Glow.)

My town would be as described by some previously, add in a coastal town/fishing village that is perhaps having problems with trade due to raider involvement (add in a nearby viper camp that you have to sort out) add in some little filler quests such as acting up as the local sheriff and running out a local gang, finding lost property and solving a murder.

My other town idea, I dont know how well this is going to go down but add in another 'control vault' (ie a vault that was designed to function properly and not part of the vault experiments although im not a huge fan of the vault experiment idea anyway.)

The vault recently opened and its inhabitants are struggling to survive in the harsh wastes (upon entering their vault you see they have had to reverse engineered most systems just to survive the outside world - including their water chip (Doh!.)

The town topside would have a perimeter fence with some shacks cobbled together and it would be your job to negotiate a trade agreement between the vault and the hub merchants in order to ensure their survival (the vault dwellers would be able to trade engineering expertise for food and water, until they can get their feet on the ground.)

Their tech level would be about the same as Junktowns, the guards would be wearing Vault Tech Armour (much like leather but blue in colour) and be equipped with pistols, hunting rifles and shotguns.

Just a few ideas...
 
It wouldn't be possible in Fallout since it's always set in America, but a castle would be pretty cool. I'd like to see people living in it in an imitation of a Feudal society, resurrecting the old Medieval Europe way of living.

In order to get it to work in an American-set Fallout, you could actually put a novel twist on it where it's a castle from a theme park (like the Disney one, though I know they won't be able to use that name) that has been re-purposed as an actual castle. All the people in there will be Americans, of course, but will be behaving like they're all lords and ladies of Middle Ages Britain. Maybe one of the guys could trace his ancestry back to some old king. Either way, all the jewellery, the throne, clothing etc is all fake. Either from a costume shop or actually just a toy (like a plastic crown and sceptre for the king).

So some interesting social commentary, potential humour in the satirical Fallout style, and a good way of using a castle setting without making it feel like Fallout just turned into Baldur's Gate.
 
Export said:
It wouldn't be possible in Fallout since it's always set in America, but a castle would be pretty cool. I'd like to see people living in it in an imitation of a Feudal society, resurrecting the old Medieval Europe way of living.

In order to get it to work in an American-set Fallout, you could actually put a novel twist on it where it's a castle from a theme park (like the Disney one, though I know they won't be able to use that name) that has been re-purposed as an actual castle. All the people in there will be Americans, of course, but will be behaving like they're all lords and ladies of Middle Ages Britain. Maybe one of the guys could trace his ancestry back to some old king. Either way, all the jewellery, the throne, clothing etc is all fake. Either from a costume shop or actually just a toy (like a plastic crown and sceptre for the king).

So some interesting social commentary, potential humour in the satirical Fallout style, and a good way of using a castle setting without making it feel like Fallout just turned into Baldur's Gate.
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Hmmm Disney's Castle with a king called Walt who uses descendants of chinese of slaves in producing cheap things and is overall evil? :lol:

I somewhat doubt that the whole 'lords and ladies' aspect would be really that cool. But it's just a feeling where i can't point exactly to the reasons why.
 
Bad_Karma said:
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I somewhat doubt that the whole 'lords and ladies' aspect would be really that cool. But it's just a feeling where i can't point exactly to the reasons why.
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Well maybe you're picturing the lords and ladies element too much like they'd be in a Disney cartoon or Shrek or something. There are two ways of doing it. On one hand you could make it a parody of America basically making a giant plastic castle to attract visitors whereas in Europe, Euro Disney seemed kind of silly because we already have castles. Real ones. Same as how they re-appropriated older European tales and sanitised them enormously. In this case, the lords and ladies acting like American TV versions of themselves would work because it's a parody. Do it wrong, however, and it just won't work and will feel silly.

Or you can play it straight. In a serious context, having a fake king and fake lords and ladies, with various levels of society under them, is no different than any of the other organisations in Fallout. If you've watched more realistic portrayals of that part of history, you'll see that they were no more than gangsters and, like gangsters, it was to do with family, inheriting responsibility (one of the major themes of the Godfather) and maybe putting on a polite façade while actually trying to fuck each other over in secret.
 
I like your idea Export. Likewise, whether in some fake, imitation castle, or just a building made to look like castle or something. For more novel twists, make them the descendants of some ren-fair, who basically said "fuck it" and raised their kids like that. Unless you want them to actually just adopt english accents (which may or may not be irrelevant), dress, and behaviours, but ditch it in private?
 
I don't think there's anything in particular I would add either. The way the world is set up in the game feels really good I think.

If anything, if I had the power to add things to the game, I would add more content/unique characters to some of the locations.
 
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