So let's talk about Vault experiments.

I don't think Vault 21 was "wacky" at all! It was just another vault with an idea in mind that, like the nude Mormon vault, was EXPECTED to end up in catastrophic failure, but unexpectedly yielded a very prosperous community. Even from a consumer standpoint, I can't imagine anyone who took up residence in the vault thought anything of the vault's layout, or the fact that it featured so many gambling amenities. Typical of Vegas, I'd say.

 

I think if the Enclave and the whole shadow government thing was done in a more serious and realistic tone, it would have worked better. My main problem however is that the Enclave never created any real urgency. It was not before they sacked Arroyo that you REALLY had a reason to go for them. I mean they really had not much of a role outside of killing everyone with the virus and thinking about everyone as mutant. Would have been better if they actually tried to infiltrate everything, the BoS, the NCR and turning them against each other killing them from the inside with corruption rather than to just use a virus. I mean they could have kept this virus thing, as a Plan B or something!

But hey! those are my 5 cent.

 

Yeah the Enclave was never an interesting faction beyond their cool tech. Now they are even worse because they are the Galtactic empire of the Wasteland....

 

Agreed, the enclave were your typical cartoon villian. Genocides and meglomania FTW.

Like many here have mused, the hallmark of a great villian is that they are often Grey in alignment (pun intended).

I would have enjoyed the infiltration story as well. We discover enclave plants within NCR and BoS, actively encouraged war instead of diplomacy.

BoS, already filled the shoes of a faction with superior tech yet lacked manpower and intelligence in the wastes. Thats why they ended up with many small outposts to gather info while staying as un-intrusive as possible.

 

I was actually quite sad at the step down by the Brotherhood of Steel. They were by far my favorite faction, yet rendered useless in the second Fallout (basically). However Bethesda handled them no better, but New Vegas had them done relatively well but the ones in the first game were the best, a balance between xenophobic and selfish, while being almost well meaning.