Fallout 5: Greater Orleans & Your Ideas

DaMailMan

DaMailMan

First time out of the vault
For whatever reason I've been thinking a lot about ideas and hopes for what the next game could (or should) be. I've played 3, 4 and New Vegas, and New Vegas is my favorite game in the series by far. I keep thinking how I would go about it if (for no logical reason) I were put in charge of Fallout 5 with very few creative limits.

I would have it take place this time around in the New Orleans area. There would be a ton of unique cultural influences to play with, and mutated gators, snakes, and turtles haunting the wilderness. Much of the Greater Orleans Wasteland would either be the urban ruins of the city itself or colorful, ominous, overgrown swamps. I also think it would be great to have a boating mechanic; you would get your own customizable ship and explore the bayou and the Gulf of Mexico, coming across islands and shipwrecks, fighting pirates, and avoiding mutant sea monsters.

I would also try and add in some kind of faction building mechanic, where you can take control of a town and grow it by bringing in resources and assigning tasks to your citizens, kind of building off the foundation of Fallout 4. Unlike 4 though, the emphasis is less on base building and more on leadership; you would have to decide how much liberty to give your people, how you dole out justice, and what ideas you set for your people to believe in. Once your little town has grown into a little nation, you can start diplomatically...or not so diplomatically...expanding your territory, until you clash with the big league factions, who won't be pleased to see a wild card enter the high-stakes political game they're playing.

What are your ideas? I'm curious to see what people want out of the next one, if they're hoping for a grand return to form with some spice like I am or maybe something totally different and experimental.
 
I would honestly like to see the Fallout Tactics 2 idea of a malfunctioning G.E.C.K. causing all the new mutated fauna and flora recycled into a proper Fallout game. That game was originally gonna be set in Florida, so it isn't out of place to put it in New Orleans, we're practically the same state separated by the anuses of Alabama and Missouri.

Also welcome to the site!
 
It is a good setting, You have a various of cultures going on, as well as a diversity of terrains.
Old White
Voodoo
Swamp Voodoo
Gubermint
'Hoy Pirate
The Rocketeers on Rocket Mountain of Orleans (think a massive Rocket or Helicarrier crash upside down onto the Laborde Mountain. A leadership community seat on this cliff and look down on the ants below of Greater Orlean.)
 
If they were to do a Deep South/another swamp like setting, New Orleans being the obvious example. They would have to reinvent on how they're going to present it, because of places like Point Lookout that have already fulfilled an exploration experience in a swamp. I'm open for a future Fallout game to take place in the Deep South, I'm just curious of what it's going to be like given that we've kinda already done that with Point Lookout. :confused:

Also @PaxVenire , yeah that would be awesome to see someone reuse Fallout Tactics 2's storyline of the mutated G.E.C.K. I like the idea of exploring the whole "Man VS. Nature" concept that Gareth Davies talked about regarding that idea! :ok:
 
I'd like to see something close to Legion Territory, preferably before the Legion got involved with the Mojave. Though that's unlikely, as Fallout games never seem to take place years prior. I mean, it would definitely help explain the lack of civilization in some places. My idea would be as a parallel to the events of FO2, instead of following the Chosen One in NCR Territory, we'd follow one of the Blackfoot tribesman when or shortly before Caesar took charge.
 
PaxVenire said:
I would honestly like to see the Fallout Tactics 2 idea of a malfunctioning G.E.C.K. causing all the new mutated fauna and flora recycled into a proper Fallout game. That game was originally gonna be set in Florida, so it isn't out of place to put it in New Orleans, we're practically the same state separated by the anuses of Alabama and Missouri.

Also welcome to the site!
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Thank you! Glad to be here!

TheKingofVault14 said:
If they were to do a Deep South/another swamp like setting, New Orleans being the obvious example. They would have to reinvent on how they're going to present it, because of places like Point Lookout that have already fulfilled an exploration experience in a swamp. I'm open for a future Fallout game to take place in the Deep South, I'm just curious of what it's going to be like given that we've kinda already done that with Point Lookout. :confused:

Also @PaxVenire , yeah that would be awesome to see someone reuse Fallout Tactics 2's storyline of the mutated G.E.C.K. I like the idea of exploring the whole "Man VS. Nature" concept that Gareth Davies talked about regarding that idea! :ok:
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Dang, I haven't played any of the DLCs, I didn't realize that was what Point Lookout was about! (Just looked it up, I love the look of it btw) To avoid repeating the swamp environment then, I think that's where we could incorporate the malfunctioning GECK. Perhaps it transformed the bayou into something else entirely, maybe a more jungle-type environment, with plants and animals that are a fusion of weird GECK mutation and 200 years of evolution in this unnatural jungle biome. Man vs Nature would be interesting, I was also thinking of going for a leadership theme to go with the faction building element; the two ideas would complement each other nicely.
 
laclongquan said:
It is a good setting, You have a various of cultures going on, as well as a diversity of terrains.
Old White
Voodoo
Swamp Voodoo
Gubermint
'Hoy Pirate
The Rocketeers on Rocket Mountain of Orleans (think a massive Rocket or Helicarrier crash upside down onto the Laborde Mountain. A leadership community seat on this cliff and look down on the ants below of Greater Orlean.)
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I love that Rocketeers idea!
 
eissa said:
I cannot help myself but to recommend this fanfic (not exactly a story, but more like fan ideas for a game):

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10448257/1/Fallout-Orleans

That one was written before Fallout 4 release, so even better idea.
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Dude, I wish this person was hired by Bethesda back then. Not only did they have a lot of the same ideas, they even have that French Revolution influence, which is brilliant. The changes I would make are to make the bayou environment less like a swamp and more of a jungle or rainforest, since as TheKingOfVault14 said the swamp biome has been done before, and as much as I like the Enclave, I'd rather introduce all entirely new factions. I was thinking a Mesoamerican Mayan and Aztec inspired kingdom would be cool, or maybe one that for some reason has samurai that wear power armor and ninja that wield stealth boys (though that would take some finagling to fit into an American South setting :confused:).
 
Traeger91 said:
I'd like to see something close to Legion Territory, preferably before the Legion got involved with the Mojave. Though that's unlikely, as Fallout games never seem to take place years prior. I mean, it would definitely help explain the lack of civilization in some places. My idea would be as a parallel to the events of FO2, instead of following the Chosen One in NCR Territory, we'd follow one of the Blackfoot tribesman when or shortly before Caesar took charge.
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Related to that, how would you feel about a game where you built that Great Khan Empire they talk about at the ending of New Vegas, facing off against the Legion and splinter factions?
 
DaMailMan said:
Related to that, how would you feel about a game where you built that Great Khan Empire they talk about at the ending of New Vegas, facing off against the Legion and splinter factions?
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The Khans have been around since the beginning of Fallout, and while I find them interesting. They almost exclusively exist for the purpose of being slaughtered, or as Yes Man put it "kicked around a lot". That's just my opinion though. Maybe there could be a story told about the Khans having to deal with the Legion seeking RETRIBUTION for the loss at the dam.
 
DaMailMan said:
Related to that, how would you feel about a game where you built that Great Khan Empire they talk about at the ending of New Vegas, facing off against the Legion and splinter factions?
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I don't think we need to see the Khans ever again. They had a good send-off in New Vegas. They're just not interesting enough to be retrod a fourth time, at least if the timeline continues into the future, I could be interested in seeing them between Fallout 2 and New Vegas, or Fallout 2 and Fallout 1 for that matter.
 
DaMailMan said:
Dude, I wish this person was hired by Bethesda back then. Not only did they have a lot of the same ideas, they even have that French Revolution influence, which is brilliant. The changes I would make are to make the bayou environment less like a swamp and more of a jungle or rainforest, since as TheKingOfVault14 said the swamp biome has been done before, and as much as I like the Enclave, I'd rather introduce all entirely new factions. I was thinking a Mesoamerican Mayan and Aztec inspired kingdom would be cool, or maybe one that for some reason has samurai that wear power armor and ninja that wield stealth boys (though that would take some finagling to fit into an American South setting :confused:).
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While Enclave can be easily replaced with another faction, I do have the same concern as yours of keeping the whole thing fitting to the thematic feels of The Deep South.
All I could think is and of course this is pretty much same cliche: Civil war era Confederate style slave state, whoever ruler of Texas basically sending their colonial settlers ala NCR ( but with more closer to southern culture than west coast mindset, if you know what I meant), and the much more egalitarian but still oppressive pirate-mafia as in the fanfic Blue Water Company. All of them are the place where slavery is 100% legal but with different degree of regulation. It can be said that Napoleon and Republic of Texas (let'just call it that for now) have more "reformistic outlook" that treat slaves humanely. As seen in fanfic, Orleanis society even viewed slavery as just temporary setback in the state of social service to the people and the means of emancitipation is abundant.

There is also a possibility of influence from Cartel, Narco or any regime from Southern America and Central America (Which would make great introduction to the lore of those region, them being pretty much could have survived the great war due to being the centre of influences as in IRL).

Tbh I have nothing against Enclave, if you take the idea of them being akin to Federal Government trying to reaserting their influence over a problematic region swarmed by political paramalitaries, cults, militia movement, organized crimines, etc. I kept having Far Cry 5 & 6 in mind for that and maybe Cyberpunk 2020/77 lore.


DaMailMan said:
I was thinking a Mesoamerican Mayan and Aztec inspired kingdom would be cool, or maybe one that for some reason has samurai that wear power armor and ninja that wield stealth boys (though that would take some finagling to fit into an American South setting :confused:).
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In that fanfic link above, the author basically have such faction having conflict for the total control of Panama canal, against with Blue Water company while them being secretly supported by NCR (or imho whoever won at Vegas and Mojave). And thus it would be akin to DLC content for that, not in main game.
 
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Hardboiled Android said:
I don't think we need to see the Khans ever again. They had a good send-off in New Vegas. They're just not interesting enough to be retrod a fourth time, at least if the timeline continues into the future, I could be interested in seeing them between Fallout 2 and New Vegas, or Fallout 2 and Fallout 1 for that matter.
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I've always thought a well-made sequel set after New Vegas that canonizes them pushing northeast and carving out a new territory in Wyoming would be really neat. There's a pretty neat concept video regarding this with some cool ideas:



I think it'd be cool to see a faction that's been getting their ass kicked to hell and highwater for decades finally find their promised land and become a major player, the eventual clash between the NCR and a more stable and formidable Khan Empire could even make for an establishing conflict for an even later sequel.
 
eissa said:
While Enclave can be easily replaced with another faction, I do have the same concern as yours of keeping the whole thing fitting to the thematic feels of The Deep South.
All I could think is and of course this is pretty much same cliche: Civil war era Confederate style slave state, whoever ruler of Texas basically sending their colonial settlers ala NCR ( but with more closer to southern culture than west coast mindset, if you know what I meant), and the much more egalitarian but still oppressive pirate-mafia as in the fanfic Blue Water Company. All of them are the place where slavery is 100% legal but with different degree of regulation. It can be said that Napoleon and Republic of Texas (let'just call it that for now) have more "reformistic outlook" that treat slaves humanely. As seen in fanfic, Orleanis society even viewed slavery as just temporary setback in the state of social service to the people and the means of emancitipation is abundant.


Tbh I have nothing against Enclave, if you take the idea of them being akin to Federal Government trying to reaserting their influence over a problematic region swarmed by political paramalitaries, cults, militia movement, organized crimines, etc. I kept having Far Cry 6 in mind for that and maybe Cyberpunk 2020/77 lore.



.
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I know slavery fits the southern theme, and it's my own personal, subjective taste, but I think exploring a slave civilization as the primary setting would be just too darn depressing. I mean as far as I've played them there's slavery in every Fallout game, but in 3 and 4 at least the slavers are just one faction of many and far from the most powerful, and in New Vegas we know what the Legion is like but we don't have to dive deep into their territory. I mean obviously Fallout is full of depressing locations, but at least I can rest easy knowing people can avoid or leave those places for somewhere else. I guess I would rather the culture of the setting be composed of a patchwork of garbled traditions and wild interpretations that survivors made about a Deep South they've never seen, instead of the real history repeating itself.

Yeah I think there's so much potential to the Enclave beyond just making them evil and more evil, as much I enjoy them as villains. I would like to see a faction of them or something that is actually a benevolent heir to the feds, trying to reunite America into a functioning democracy. Their goal would be very noble, and their methods much cleaner, but I think it would be interesting to see them maintain a bit of that arrogance and disgust. They would be enraged by the "barbarians", as they would call the wastelanders, and try to get them to act "properly". They would train wastelanders to stop using post-apocalypse lingo, force out bottle caps as a currency, demand that people start calling themselves "Americans" instead of the name of the their tribe or creed. This way there's some gray to them, and they provoke questions about what it means to be "civilized" or a "barbarian", or if anyone has the right to erase a culture.
 
DaMailMan said:
The changes I would make are to make the bayou environment less like a swamp and more of a jungle or rainforest, since as TheKingOfVault14 said the swamp biome has been done before
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In my opinion, the Bayou is too important to Louisiana to remove or change entirely just because a swamp was used in the Point Lookout DLC. Fallout 1 and 2 use a desert biome, New Vegas didn't see reason to change the Mojave into a savanna because of that. Not to mention the Louisiana bayou and Maryland swamp are very different as is:

swamp.jpg Maryland
bayou.jpg Louisiana

Furthermore, the bayou makes way for some really cool mutant ideas. I'm gonna share one idea I had for a gator mutant:

PaxVenire said:
Caimán:

The Caimán, or formerly known as the American Alligator, is a sneaky predator that roams the Sunshine State. While radiation induced mutation has given some animals a larger figure, the opposite can be said for the Caimán.

Once a large apex predator in fresh waters, they are now much smaller, the size of what one would grow to in reproductive size.

In trade for its grandiose size, it’s gained the ability to run on its hind legs as well as camouflage itself.

Caiman.png
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I wish Fallout 4 didn't introduce the "Gatorclaw", because I found it to be an uninspired reskin of the Deathclaw, and now if a New Orleans Fallout is ever made I know for a fact they'd throw those in everywhere. I thought it'd be better if the alligator were to be evolved in a way where they could sneak up on you and be quite deadly like they are in real life rather than have it be another case of "animal, but bigger".

Also, because this is a Fallout New Orleans general ideas thread, I'll share some old faction ideas I had. Keep in mind this is old, so they don't represent exactly what I'd do, but just serves as a basis:

PaxVenire said:
Les Gris (The Grey Ones) - A French-speaking tribal raider faction that practices their own post-war version of Louisiana voodoo. They are isolationists who only come out to attack when a caravan or wastelander comes too close to their territory. They are for the most part a boogeyman faction of sorts as people who go near them seldom return to tell about it. The further away settlements are from them, the wilder the stories get. In reality they just want to be left alone. They live in a shanty town of sorts they made deep in the bayou.

Red's Rangers - A faction seeking to provide all sorts of aid to settlements in post-war Louisiana. From guarding caravans, clearing out raiders, pest control, settling territorial disputes, or even stationing as lawmen. Anything settlements new or old might need, the rangers will help -- for a price. Headquartered in the middle of former Baton Rogue, their settlement, named Ft. Red is one of the safest in the Cajun Wasteland. It was terraformed by a G.E.C.K. extracted from an abandoned vault. The only people living in the fort's walls are those who can afford the outrageous rent prices. They recruit only from settlements who pay to have them stationed.

The Mardis - A well-known nomadic raider faction that leeches off caravans, settlements, and unlucky wanderers alike. Disguised in masks used for the pre-war Mardi Gras celebration, and due to their nomadic nature, no one's been able to pinpoint their exact base of operations.

The Tinmen - Nestled in downtown New Orleans, The Tinmen are the lawmen that police the city. They are named after their uniform of Combat and Power Armor which are rare in post-war Louisiana. Despite having smaller numbers than the rangers, their armor alone is worth a squad of them. The fear of them usually keeps people in line.
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PaxVenire said:
Élu de Legba

When the bombs dropped in 2077, those lucky enough to have a reserved spot in a Vault deep in the Bayou of Louisiana were spared the horrors above. Unbeknownst to them however, the Vault that spared them was under the influence of an outside party. Although the Vault had enough rations for everyone for four years until the Vault was meant to open, in every room, ration ticket dispensaries were placed, creating the illusion that rations were tight. Something about the Vault noticeable from the get-go was that everywhere around the rooms and halls contained books and papers and posters all about the practice of a new strange religion. This wasn’t any actual known form of religion, but a twisted and warped type of voodoo created with the sole intent of corrupting the dwellers and study how fast it would take otherwise freshly civilized people to trade their way of life, and even their own religions and cultures for that of a savage lifestyle. People who partook in these dirty practices were left alone to live their days in the Vault safely, while those who didn’t cooperate found themselves having a hard time with their accommodations. At first the TV wouldn’t turn on or the hot water during their showers would turn ice cold, later the air conditioning in their room would go bust or if they really didn’t get the message by then, maybe their ration tickets wouldn’t dispense some days. Little things like this add up to big problems fast for someone living in isolation yearning for homey comfort. Eventually, they’d be forced to rely on the help of their converted neighbors who seem to be happy and live stress-free. Over time they pick up a thing or two from their neighbors’ practices and eventually finally start looking into the materials provided to them from the beginning. When they start getting into the practices, those little problems start to go away, one by one over time as the Vault gains more and more coverts. By the time of the all-clear signal, the Vault is all but converted and the dwellers are ready to build a new world in the name of their Father. In a sense they already come out of their vault as proto-tribals. Generations later, the mutated sons and daughters of these vault dwellers are fanatical religious isolationists who will protect their holy ground if anyone dares to come too close. The Vault is repurposed into a huge temple/shrine, and “missionaries” are sent in war parties to attack settlements nearby and convert who they can, kill who they can’t. Usually the later.

The gang is known around the Louisiana/Mississippi Wasteland for their distinctive tribal warpaint as well as masking themselves behind repurposed custom Mardi Gras masks that were part of the Vault’s inventory for the special time of year.
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Every swamp look the same. The only difference is that Point Lookout appeared in the old days so hardware can not satisfy its demands (fog, bubbles, high grass, LOTS of 3D assets)

If they do swamp nowaday they can afford to make shits more intense, like a bubbles can explode in small green gas fire, or sudden swamp vortex can suck you down 10 feet under muddy water, or swamp fog doing its shit with light.
 
Alright, full confession, I've been having a TON of fun in my spare time cooking up some design and lore for my version of Fallout 5 in Louisiana since I made the initial post, and I love all the ideas I've gotten just from this discussion alone. If I new posted the first few pages of a design document, would any saintly soul be willing to take 10-20 precious minutes of their day...
and waste them on my work? If so, I'll pour some real elbow grease into it to make it at least a tolerable fanfiction, and I'd love to hear critiques and your ideas for changes and improvements. If not, I'll let it disappear into the recesses of my computer forever, where only myself, God, and my FBI agent can gaze upon its folly.
 
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