Morality/Ethics Question: "Come Fly With Me"

[Unorthodox Outlander]

So, I recently started another play-through of New Vegas, and as I approached Novac I was wondering about something. Namely, Davison and his band of nightkin.

I can't help but wonder which is worse: Killing off the nightkin--considering that Davison is fairly reasonable and doesn't go complete murder-hobo and the rest aren't exactly in the best state of mental health--or letting a band of violent nightkin go running off back into the wasteland and possibly killing innocents as a result of their madness.

To put it in more simple terms....

Put them out of their misery and prevent any potential harm that could be done, or leave them to their own devices?

 

[NMLevesque]

Not sure. Though, I don't know that they're all that violent. The presence of ferals could have played a role in the hostilities. In such an ignorant world it's hard to fully blame them if, after defending themselves justifiably they failed to notice the difference. Alternatively, the lucid ones could have attacked the nightkin after seeing them kill ferals. As for the nightkins' mental illness, well, IRL that kind of thing doesn't actually make people more likely to be violent. Further, in a world where most normals and ghouls would shoot them on sight regardless, if they are killing wantonly, can we really blame them for it? So, I don't think I could erase reasonable doubt and as such, can not advise executions, let alone a proactively.

 

[DarkLaplander]

it depends. we don't know much about their activities or overall level of peaceability.
from a purely utilitarian standpoint, I believe it is better to kill them, if only to be safe. I cannot see how their presence would be beneficial to anyone, even if they are not outright violent killers. I can easily imagine them slaughtering a tiny settlement and moving in just because "Antler" commanded it.
personally, I chose to let them be, I favor compassion for its own sake.

it's interesting to me how Davison, Tabitha, and Dog have constructed a kind of substitute Master in lieu of their connection to him. it's almost as if nightkin can't function without a Master of sorts (that definitely seems to be what is implied with Dog).

I seriously doubt Antler would order something like committing mass murder for no real reason. When we meet Davison, he is paranoid and about to attack us, but Antler tells him to stand down and open dialogue instead with player instead. I like Antler, he seems like a cool imaginary friend.

 

[CT Phipps]

I let them go because there's a cure for Nightkin schizophrenia you can work on.

 

[peadar87]

"Oh Antler, you trust so easy"

 

[Black Angel]

I'd like to propose discussing morality/ethics question on the quest Hard Luck Blues, instead.

 

[Unorthodox Outlander]

You mean the whole thing with how you resolve the vault situation?

Eh, I try to think of it from a "greater good" perspective. On one hand, you have what appears to be only three remaining survivors that you can save.

On the other... Those farms are kind of a necessity, as it were. From a House or Independent ending, that's food for the citizens of new vegas--and considering the state of Freeside, an extra source of food is nothing to scoff at, especially if there ends up being a population boom post-game (as in, after the initial chaos dies down and the securitron army secures the city).

For an NCR ending, those sharecropper farms are already stated to be supplying soldiers at Hoover Dam (and possibly other local garrisons as well). When the NCR moves in, it's going to need to keep it's own forces supplied as they consolidate the area.

For a Legion ending... admittedly this is a bit uncertain, as I can't say how valuable the farms would be to Caesar/Lanius's plans for the Mojave at large. Food is still food, though, and having a little extra is probably something of a luxury in a desert region.



Really, my main aggravation is that there's no option to do both; so you mean to tell me that I can route control of the whole system, but I can't send a message along with it to shut down the reactors before they leave, making it clear what consequences the radiation is having on the surface?

 

[NMLevesque]

That's more of a 'do you want to do the thing that feels right, or run the hard calculations' kind of thing. If they make less food, then way more than three people starve.

 

[Black Angel]

Yeah, despite of my dilemma during my initial encounter with the quest, it's clear what obvious choice one should choose every time. It's unfortunate we don't have some kind of follow up with those vault dwellers if we rescue them. We don't get to know them, who they really are, what kind of person they are, what's their expertise and if they can find a place in the middle of the conflict between the NCR, New Vegas, and the Legion. Sad.

 

[Unorthodox Outlander]

It's unfortunate we don't have some kind of follow up with those vault dwellers if we rescue them.

Well, according to the wiki they show up at Aerotech Office Park. There isn't much that comes of that, though, aside from getting food sanitizers every so often.

 

[Black Angel]

Well, according to the wiki they show up at Aerotech Office Park. There isn't much that comes of that, though, aside from getting food sanitizers every so often.

Yeah, I've already met them and tried talking with them before. That's what I meant with we don't get to *know* them, because there's not much interaction aside from them thanking the Courier and giving food sanitizers every now and then.

 

[NMLevesque]

I would make it possible to report the source of the radiation, suggesting that it could be fixed another--more difficult way. Then it would be muddy enough to argue either side. Save people now, and prevent farming losses later OR prevent farming losses now in the hopes that it leads to fewer losses overall.

 

[President_Peaches]

Really, my main aggravation is that there's no option to do both; so you mean to tell me that I can route control of the whole system, but I can't send a message along with it to shut down the reactors before they leave, making it clear what consequences the radiation is having on the surface?

The conclusion of the quest should have worked a bit like how Necropolis' water situation is dealt with in FO1. If you decide to free the survivors, then you can either turn in the quest for a reward from the survivors (having a look at the wiki, it appears that the food sanitizer was originally intended to be given to you), and the fields end up abandoned, or you can take on a longer, optional part of the quest to inform the NCR authorities and help them fix the radiation problem.

 

[MPPlantOfficial]

Went with choice #1. Under Davison's leadership they are a ticking timebomb.
Don't forget there already was a lone Nightkin mutilating Brahmin in Novac.
I don't think the "there is a cure" argument can really apply here since the nightkin would have to make the journey from the Repconn Site to Jacobstown.
A lot could go wrong in say two days (give or take) travel time.

 

[Mekt]

The Nigthkin in question have already committed multiple murders, which is enough motivation for most of my Couriers to put them down, and the rest are not interested in listening to what they have to say for various reasons. I'm pretty sure that I've never let them live tbh...

Edit: There is also the fact that they attack on sight and will gladly take the PC's head off if given a chance... you have to actively go out of your way to sneak to a specific location to speak with a specific NPC in order to even have a chance at a peaceful solution, but there is no way for the PC to know about this outside of metagaming... so yeah, the peaceful conclusion to this quest isn't something that I'd be willing to pursue without some changes to the setup, such as moving Davison to a more obvious location or having non-hostile Nightkin with the first one you meet being surprised at seeing a human and asking that you follow it to their leader (since they were specifically told to be on the lookout for Ghouls, the guard is confused or something).

 

[NMLevesque]

The Nigthkin in question have already committed multiple murders, which is enough motivation for most of my Couriers to put them down, and the rest are not interested in listening to what they have to say for various reasons. I'm pretty sure that I've never let them live tbh...

Edit: There is also the fact that they attack on sight and will gladly take the PC's head off if given a chance... you have to actively go out of your way to sneak to a specific location to speak with a specific NPC in order to even have a chance at a peaceful solution, but there is no way for the PC to know about this outside of metagaming... so yeah, the peaceful conclusion to this quest isn't something that I'd be willing to pursue without some changes to the setup, such as moving Davison to a more obvious location or having non-hostile Nightkin with the first one you meet being surprised at seeing a human and asking that you follow it to their leader (since they were specifically told to be on the lookout for Ghouls, the guard is confused or something).

As per my above comment, their ghoul murders could have been due to the ferals which they had to fight to get inside. A heavily armed normal, most of which have shot at them in the past on sight, appearing without warning has a very predictable outcome.