A lot of criticism regarding Fallout 3 involves the lack of realistic means of sustaining the people and places we see in the Capital Wasteland. Probably the most glaring example of this issue is Megaton. And so I asked myself a question:
How did Megaton begin?
A sustainable population of, ideally, several hundred people must come from somewhere. Given Megaton’s proximity to Vault 101, I think that Megaton’s re-imagining must include Vault 101’s re-imagining as well. Instead of being the Vault where “no one enters and no one leaves,” I think Vault 101’s existence should be simple: like Vault 8, Vault 101 is a control Vault intended to stay closed for, say, 20 or 30 years. After the Vault opens, the inhabitants head out into the wastes, prepared to begin a new life with the Vault’s GECK and simple human perseverance. Of course, disagreements crop up between various groups of Vault Dwellers; the Overseer, no longer having a Vault to oversee, is unable to stop the squabbles. Factions form and split off from the main group, either wandering off and dying from one of thousands of dangers or forming the basis for the Capital Wasteland’s raider factions. Those that do stay near Vault 101 number only in the hundreds but their GECK and other Vault technology give them the edge in surviving in the Wasteland.
Oh, I should mention now that there is no unexploded atomic bomb or any of that nonsense. Instead, Megaton forms over Vault 101’s underground fusion power plant, using the plant to provide electricity for machinery and various other equipment. Megaton’s buildings are a combination of mud bricks and metal scavenged from Vault 101. By the time basic housing is in place, Vault 101’s remaining food and water supplies are starting to dwindle. So with two basic needs covered (power and shelter), the Vault Dwellers move on to new needs: food and water, obviously. Vault 101’s best and brightest plan out Megaton’s continued expansion based on the needs of copious farmland and the ability to tap underground water supplies. Megaton and its agricultural industry grow with one another, each one spreading out into the best lands for their respective purposes. By the time the Lone Wanderer (whose origin is obviously different than what is in Fallout 3) finds Megaton, it is a peaceful community with attractive yet functional architecture, a fascinating combination of Vault technology and natural materials and sprawling farmlands which provides more than enough fruits, vegetables, meats and dairy for the population.
.
.
.
And I’m pretty sure that end result would run just find on most computers and Xbox 360s.
How did Megaton begin?
A sustainable population of, ideally, several hundred people must come from somewhere. Given Megaton’s proximity to Vault 101, I think that Megaton’s re-imagining must include Vault 101’s re-imagining as well. Instead of being the Vault where “no one enters and no one leaves,” I think Vault 101’s existence should be simple: like Vault 8, Vault 101 is a control Vault intended to stay closed for, say, 20 or 30 years. After the Vault opens, the inhabitants head out into the wastes, prepared to begin a new life with the Vault’s GECK and simple human perseverance. Of course, disagreements crop up between various groups of Vault Dwellers; the Overseer, no longer having a Vault to oversee, is unable to stop the squabbles. Factions form and split off from the main group, either wandering off and dying from one of thousands of dangers or forming the basis for the Capital Wasteland’s raider factions. Those that do stay near Vault 101 number only in the hundreds but their GECK and other Vault technology give them the edge in surviving in the Wasteland.
Oh, I should mention now that there is no unexploded atomic bomb or any of that nonsense. Instead, Megaton forms over Vault 101’s underground fusion power plant, using the plant to provide electricity for machinery and various other equipment. Megaton’s buildings are a combination of mud bricks and metal scavenged from Vault 101. By the time basic housing is in place, Vault 101’s remaining food and water supplies are starting to dwindle. So with two basic needs covered (power and shelter), the Vault Dwellers move on to new needs: food and water, obviously. Vault 101’s best and brightest plan out Megaton’s continued expansion based on the needs of copious farmland and the ability to tap underground water supplies. Megaton and its agricultural industry grow with one another, each one spreading out into the best lands for their respective purposes. By the time the Lone Wanderer (whose origin is obviously different than what is in Fallout 3) finds Megaton, it is a peaceful community with attractive yet functional architecture, a fascinating combination of Vault technology and natural materials and sprawling farmlands which provides more than enough fruits, vegetables, meats and dairy for the population.
.
.
.
And I’m pretty sure that end result would run just find on most computers and Xbox 360s.
