fallout minor factions (discuss and propose ideas!)

[Krizu]

What are your folks' favourite fallout minor factions? I'm not talking of the likes of NCR or Broterhood or whatever. I'm talking about the likes of caravan companies, bandit clans, one-location/one-quest factions, etc

Doesn't have to be a released one; something cool from the design documents is cool too. As long as it's something that either has been released in a fallout title, or was meant to be.

also, if you feel like it, feel free to throw in some dope ideas for new minor factions. Though your ideas may and/or may not be used for inspiration in upcoming RP and KS campaigns on my part, hope that's okay!

I'll start:

I love the design idea of the Vipers, from Fallout 1. I love the idea of tribals / bandits worshipping snakes, and using bone armor and poison weapons. Partially this is because of the "Venomous Vipers" mod for FNV; but I love the idea also (even though I don't think that's exactly spelled out in the docs), that they use bows, arrows and spears. You can go far with that idea, have bone daggers or shortswords and other cool stuff

I feel I like them, cause they feel like a group with a distinct culture. I don't think you can say the same of many bandit clans. Old Khans *maybe*, but the vipers as they appeared in NV, or Jackals, let alone bandits in *any* Bethesda game, they have nothing. Just meat bags for the player to shoot at.

As for my cool idea:

We know that intact and functional trains exits in the world, at least within the NCR. So, My idea is essentially the predecessor of Powder Gangers, the 215's rail powder gang (that was meant to appear in VB). However my idea would be, that instead of a roving gang of bandits with a vengeange towards the republic, these guys would've essentially occupied a stretch of a railroad with an armored train, y'know, Russian civil war style. 5 armored carriages, some light cannon and heavy machine guns, taking tolls on anyone within cannon range, and using the train as a mobile base to launch raids from.

Maybe it's the wargame enthusiast within me, but I find a confrontation between a gang like that, and the NCRA really interesting.

 

[Ugly Kid]

Personally I like the Followers of The Apocalypse. A humanitarian faction that cares not for government but instead their fellow man (or mutant). In a depressing world they act as a light in shining darkness, hope for a better tomorrow even if they can be misguided at times. Although they accidentally spawned Caesar’s Legion which are arguably one of the most evil factions but whatever.

I also enjoy Acadia from Fallout 4's DLC Far Harbor. They're just a well written version of both the railroad and the Institute. So much potential in that games story. I think they should've had Acadia take the role of the railroad in the base game and say random people are only replaced by them not the institute. The institute should only care about replacing important people like Mayor McDonough.

My idea for a small faction is a group of sapient tribal apes that have taken over mount Rushmore. According to Chris Avellone talking animals don't belong in Fallout but I don't care I love planet of the apes.

Another one is the Silver Rangers. My idea is that some of the desert Rangers didnt want to join the NCR so they went north into the great basin where they ran into an Enclave remnant squad or perhaps just an abandoned Enclave bunker. The two groups collided and merged into one. There isn't a whole lot of advanced power armor to go around so only their elites get it.

 

[Krizu]

Personally I like the Followers of The Apocalypse. A humanitarian faction that cares not for government but instead their fellow man (or mutant). In a depressing world they act as a light in shining darkness, hope for a better tomorrow even if they can be misguided at times. Although they accidentally spawned Caesar’s Legion which are arguably one of the most evil factions but whatever.

I also enjoy Acadia from Fallout 4's DLC Far Harbor. They're just a well written version of both the railroad and the Institute. So much potential in that games story. I think they should've had Acadia take the role of the railroad in the base game and say random people are only replaced by them not the institute. The institute should only care about replacing important people like Mayor McDonough.

My idea for a small faction is a group of sapient tribal apes that have taken over mount Rushmore. According to Chris Avellone talking animals don't belong in Fallout but I don't care I love planet of the apes.

Another one is the Silver Rangers. My idea is that some of the desert Rangers didnt want to join the NCR so they went north into the great basin where they ran into an Enclave remnant squad or perhaps just an abandoned Enclave bunker. The two groups collided and merged into one. There isn't a whole lot of advanced power armor to go around so only their elites get it.

fellow Follower fans assemble!

I think out of all FNV games I've finished, 90% come out as independent vegas endings lol. Not to go too deeply in that rabbit hole, but I feel like even with the risks and the initial violence and instability of an independent vegas, it's ultimately the only outcome with even a hope for a future.

also, very cool ideas! I think it's very much implied that not all rangers were pleased about being incorporated into the NCR, but that they went on to wander the wastes rather than migrating away en masse. My memory might be faulty, though.

Also, regarding the apes, I have a memory of there being a design document for sapient raccoons for either Fallout 1 or Fallout 2. A kind of FEV test subject that escaped and got to multiply, and has since formed a small tribe.

 

[TheNotoriousAMP]

Personally I like the Followers of The Apocalypse. A humanitarian faction that cares not for government but instead their fellow man (or mutant). In a depressing world they act as a light in shining darkness, hope for a better tomorrow even if they can be misguided at times. Although they accidentally spawned Caesar’s Legion which are arguably one of the most evil factions but whatever.

What I like in particular about the Followers of the Apocalypse is that they aren't flanderized. The Followers themselves admit that they've kind of hit a wall in terms of what they can conceive of for the future. Their science programs require the structure of the NCR (OSI) to really get going and the anarchist principles of the organization also mean that it's not unusual for people to go rogue like in the White Wash in a really counterproductive way. Basically, they can treat people and spread knowledge, but their role in the NCR is steadily slipping over time as the NCR develops and grows and there's a hard ceiling on their ability to really impact the wasteland. It's what makes Caesar such a fascinating character and a natural extension of what happens when someone of a Follower's educational background decides to use his knowledge to impose his will.

 

[Jakechi]

It's good to see creativity blooming on these forums.

As for what minor faction is my favorite, i don't know, never thought about it. I looked through the wiki to see all the minor factions of the three Fallout games i have played (3, NV & 4) and none of them really struck a cord with me. I guess Tunnel Snakes were my favorite when i was a teen and i still have a soft spot for them.
I am also the loyal kind of guy so i have always been loyal to Megaton, it's where my FO3 home is and home to my favorite character in the game (Moira).

Even when i wanted to see what would happen when i blew them up it was just for curiosity and i reloaded a save.

All in all Megaton has given me some of the best memories and experiences in my pre teen-teen years, with all the characters and quests, oh man oh man oh man, too much to list here.

As for my favorites in NV and 4, i don't know. When it comes to NV i never had any real attachments to any faction or location as i kept moving around and never even got to the Strip. To this day i never completed a playthrough of the game, never made it to the Strip as i was too busy with side quests. I regret not finishing what i started and i regret getting myself spoiled for everything i didn't experience first hand.

And when it comes to 4 i never even got to Goodneighbor, i defeated Kellogg, but i never bothered getting to Goodneighbor as i was too busy with Preston's radiant quests. Like NV i regret not finishing what i started and getting spoiled on everything but to a lesser extent.

 

[Iprovidelittlepianos]

I always wanted to know what the Union of Atomic Workers was like.

 

[Ugly Kid]

I have a memory of there being a design document for sapient raccoons for either Fallout 1 or Fallout 2.

Yeah the s'lanters from Fallout 1. Supposedly they were cut for not really gelling with the Fallout vibe. After reading the documents I agree. They feel too "fantasy" if that makes sense. I don't think they should've been cut entirely, rather they could've been reworked to vibe better. Another possible, more likely, reason they were cut is due to resource limitations.