The glaring flaw that is Megaton

[NFSreloaded]

So without shelter, they sought refuge in a large crater made by a large megaton bomb (though not due to an explosion of the bomb) and a large commercial aircraft.

So, they were hiding in a wrecked airliner, which apparently crashed on top of a nuclear bomb (or the other way around, result's the same). In there they survived two hours of nuclear madness (US capital = more nukes) and atleast two years (without supplies and proper shelter) of waiting for the fall-out (and ofcourse the FEV) to settle. My take on Megaton's founders' fate? Ghoulification or annihilation.

Or perhaps the bomb was dropped from satellite orbit? Farfetched, but from orbit or at least very high up, a non explosive device can still cause a huge crater from impact alone.

Don't count on it, since aircraft bombs are usually not shot from orbit and will disintegrate in the atmosphere as DexterMorgan already said. ICBM's are possible, but that's another piece of (semi-)canon that Bethesda ignored when they created FO3.

Also, the people in Megaton are NOT the same people who tried to get into Vault 101. They can't be, since that was 200 years ago.

Never said they were. I just used ''we'' as in a regular Megaton inhabitant, either from Megaton's founding years or the present. Nothing ever changes in the Capital Wasteland anyway.

 

[Alphadrop]

Don't count on it, since aircraft bombs are usually not shot from orbit and will disintegrate in the atmosphere as DexterMorgan already said. ICBM's are possible, but that's another piece of (semi-)canon that Bethesda ignored when they created FO3.

Ironic considering ICBMs were designed in the 50s which Bethesda has a fixation about.

Guess they weren't as awesome as 40s designed bombs.

 

[DaPinkMadCow]

Mabey they didn't build the city around the bomb but put the bomb inside when the crater and people were already there.
why would they do that? they wanted to get to the valut and to do it they planned to use the nuke. Probably decided door could hold the blast so mabey wanted to dig and detonate the nuke in the tunel under the valut. People of megaton started to build the city to protect they key to the better future but never managed to get inside 101. Perhaps with developement of megaton the social structure changed so mutch that citizens weren't interested in wasting time on on such risky plan. They were no longer looters.
The bomb is so old school cuz stealing antique was easier than some new stuff.
But yeah, the fact that nobody tries to get this nuke is damn stupid! "NO NO! you have to defent the game, man!"
...[lie] Ok, so... Everyone try to get the bomb, it's just super-secret...

 

[NFSreloaded]

Mabey they didn't build the city around the bomb but put the bomb inside when the crater and people were already there. why would they do that? they wanted to get to the valut and to do it they planned to use the nuke. Probably decided door could hold the blast so mabey wanted to dig and detonate the nuke in the tunel under the valut. People of megaton started to build the city to protect they key to the better future but never managed to get inside 101. Perhaps with developement of megaton the social structure changed so mutch that citizens weren't interested in wasting time on on such risky plan. They were no longer looters. The bomb is so old school {Beat me like a baby seal "cuz" I am STOOPID!} stealing antique was easier than some new stuff.

Nah, that's just pure speculation. FO3 canon already states that they build the town around the bomb, which was already there. Apparently the only reason they left the life bomb in the center of their settlement was because of the bomb-worshipping cult which helped building Megaton, but didn't serve any purpose afterwards (kill 'em and get rid of the bomb, I'd say).

OFF: Your vault-nuking conspiracies would perfectly fit the Fallout Fanon wiki, though.

 

[chaosapiant]

It's also quite possible that the people were simply retarded, lol. The original point of my post was that I can get along fine with it and it doesn't diminish my enjoyment of the game. Though, if it made more sense, perhaps it would strengthen my enjoyment of it as well. Personally I think the worse thing about Megaton itself, is the motives and reasons why a character would blow it up. That has me scratching my head.

 

[drgong]

the use of cranes at air plane factories is due to not wanting to damage delicate parts more then the weight, if weight is just a issue, a truck can carry large bits of planes if it does not have to fly again.

 

[Crni Vuk]

Don't count on it, since aircraft bombs are usually not shot from orbit and will disintegrate in the atmosphere as DexterMorgan already said. ICBM's are possible, but that's another piece of (semi-)canon that Bethesda ignored when they created FO3.

Ironic considering ICBMs were designed in the 50s which Bethesda has a fixation about.

Guess they weren't as awesome as 40s designed bombs.

I think it simply has more to do with it that Bethesda didnt really understood the references to the 50s and its future in fallout. If you look at all the "50s" stuff that they have in Fallout 3 it literaly is jumping in your eye everywhere. It wasnt that prevalent in Fallout 1 and 2 but rather much more subtle example the hairstyles in Fallout 3 which simply screams for "this is 50s!" which never was anything like that in Fallout 1 for example.

 

[sabar]

Nuclear bombs are part of the nuclear triad. They may be dated but they allow secondary strike capability. The modern nuclear powers all have bombs/icmbs/ssbns even though the first two are obsolete with submarine launched warheads. Bombs and bombers are cheap and can fly around the clock compared to the cost of rockets that need to attain orbit and be manned by a team of hundreds of people.

The town is just a nod to our insanity and desperation in bad times. I imagine a bunch of nuts started worshiping the bomb and a town naturally would grow around their shacks. No sane people would actually start up a town around a nuclear device (or any unexploded ordinance) or in a hard-to-defend crater that is probably prone to flooding (does it even rain anymore?).

There's a lot of crazy stuff in fallout lore, but points should be picked with more discretion as there are many other things that make no sense. The whole DC area should of been ground-zero for several nuclear devices which would of leveled everything and left a flat plain of ash. Even if the government moved prior, it would of been worth nuking in its symbolic value. Why does it stand?

 

[wilsontheball]

Talk about beating a dead horse

I would like to thank Sabar, I was going insane reading this until I saw your post. Otherwise, before you assert some crap about nuclear weapons you should know about them.

Second, I feel is presumptive to think it's the same fat-man style bomb just because it looks that way. Leading to a greater point about the misunderstanding many of the posters seem to have regarding the style of Fall Out 3. Its set in the depiction of a world based on the views of the future that people had IN the 50's. All the cheesy technology that was predicted like crazy cars and robots and what not. The use of those references combines with what saber points out about the symbolism of the town to be a caricatured play on the insanity of civilization (especially cold war culture).

Also, LANL tests of the first bomb at the Nevada Test Site were nicknamed Trinity, there was one test before the bombs used on Japan were produced as weapons so the Fat-man/Little Boy were very much the direct corollary of those Trinity tests. That being said, Trinity is a reference to a poem by John Dunne about a god that is a paradox which destroys to create anew (inverting the logic steps of creating something, then destroying it). So it seems Megaton and the use of that model of weapon could well be a reference to the Trinity tests in that the destruction brought the creation of the town, around a crazy cult that affirms the power of creation held in the essence of the bomb no less.

Or...Bethesda could have just been using something that most people could readily identify as a nuclear bomb. Mainly because I don't think the major audience has any clue what a B61 (Primary U.S. weapon or Trident. Or for that matter the DF-31 Chinese weapon either.

Suspend the disbelief people...radiation also just causes cancer and death, not super-mutants and ghouls none of this is plausible, but its fun and over analyzing it, especially based off your incomplete understanding of things that probably have no answer (such as what kind of bomb is actually is, where its from, etc.) will leave you in frustration.

 

[Krieg]

Really?
Are we really debating on a issue like this?

Well, damn. I can't believe this many individuals can't enjoy a game (or not play it at all, and ignore it), without dwelling on every scientific flaw. When I entered Megaton, did I immediately think "OH HELL NO, HOW THE HELL DOES THIS WORK? YOU FAIL BETHESDA!", of course not, because I want to enjoy my game. Sure, let's not worry about how a 19 year old, who has had it REALLY, REALLY GOOD, can fight super mutant behemoths with his bare fists, why injecting himself with stimpacks every .5 seconds, but let's worry about a towns history.

 

[Khan FurSainty]

Really?
Are we really debating on a issue like this?

Well, damn. I can't believe this many individuals can't enjoy a game (or not play it at all, and ignore it), without dwelling on every scientific flaw. When I entered Megaton, did I immediately think "OH HELL NO, HOW THE HELL DOES THIS WORK? YOU FAIL BETHESDA!", of course not, because I want to enjoy my game. Sure, let's not worry about how a 19 year old, who has had it REALLY, REALLY GOOD, can fight super mutant behemoths with his bare fists, why injecting himself with stimpacks every .5 seconds, but let's worry about a towns history.

The game logic has nothing to do with the world logic. Nothing should look or feel out of place.

 

[Ali Legend]

The best bit about Megaton was when I blew it up in return for bottle caps.

I just laughed- people build a settlement out of dragged airplane parts around an undetonated nuclear device, while meters away from standing buildings (at Springvale), and when a 19 year old stranger who obviously has very little experience in explosives comes along they wholeheartedly let said stranger tinker with the bomb.
Furthermore, a 'Mr Burke' decides that it would be a good idea to pay this inexperienced 19 year old 500 bottle caps (because they will be infinitely more useful than, say, food or ammunition) to rig the bomb to explode, and then watch this from a few miles away where he'll probably be in range of the fallout.

 

[Peregry]

Actually, the dragging parts of planes from an airport bit is one of the areas Bethesda actually make a reasonable claim. Y'all seem to think that Dulles is the only major airport in the region and therefor are condemning them for making an unbelievable claim, but as a local to DC (specifically, I live in Northern Virginia), Megaton is situated pretty close to what is now called Ronald Regan National Airport (locally usually called by the older name of National Airport). Which predates Dulles by a bit and is much more accessible from the location (still off the actual map though, just south of the tidal basin).

There are some problems with Megaton, but claiming that dragging the airplane parts isn't really one of them.

 

[Enclave Patrol]

Nuclear bombs are part of the nuclear triad. They may be dated but they allow secondary strike capability. The modern nuclear powers all have bombs/icmbs/ssbns even though the first two are obsolete with submarine launched warheads. Bombs and bombers are cheap and can fly around the clock compared to the cost of rockets that need to attain orbit and be manned by a team of hundreds of people.

Nuclear bombs haven't been part of the triad since mid 60's. Free fall bombs require very deep penetration of enemy airspace and heavy bombers haven't been able to do that for long time. First those were replaced on bombers with short range stand off weapons like SRAM's and Blue Steel. Those were replaced by ALCM's in 80's.

Free fall nuclear devices still in use are small tactical weapons used by mostly fighter bombers like Su-24 and F-15E.

Triad is strategic deterrence and remaining free fall weapons are tactical tools. Triad consists of ICBM's, SLBM's and bomber carried cruise missiles.

Submarine launched missiles doesn't make rest of systems obsolete, those complement each other. First of all, SLBM's didn't have needed accuracy to strike hardened targets until quite recently. ICBM's are much more accurate and hunter-killer subs cannot hunt down silo field. Bombers too have their niche to justify their existence, they can be used to send signal of intent without collapsing whole house of cards. Missiles with suborbital trajectories can only be either used or not used, bomber can turn back once being sent on mission. Besides air defense wouldn't that huge problem as ICBM's have already taken care of that and bombers would only be used in clean up of rest of targets. SLBM's are there to ensure retaliatory capability as those cannot be taken down completely by surprise attack like land based systems.

 

[Random Turnip]

Well, i guess the bomb being undetonated in a crater is sort of believable. But how would it survive and airplane crashing into it with enough force to create a crater. Or if the bomb was there after, why the hell would you build a town around a freaking bomb?

It's pretty clear Bethesda included Megaton for more of a "wow, that's cool" factor than anything else.

 

[ENCLAVECOMMANDER]

My theory on how Megaton was developed: The developers had a brainstorming session, and some young hotshot said "WOULDN'T IT BE TOTALLY COOL TO HAVE LIKE THIS CITY AROUND A BOMB". Everyone else agreed, and so the hotshot was given free reign to design the city in question, henceforth the inaccuracies.

 

[Crni Vuk]

The best bit about Megaton was when I blew it up in return for bottle caps.

I just laughed- people build a settlement out of dragged airplane parts around an undetonated nuclear device, while meters away from standing buildings (at Springvale), and when a 19 year old stranger who obviously has very little experience in explosives comes along they wholeheartedly let said stranger tinker with the bomb.
Furthermore, a 'Mr Burke' decides that it would be a good idea to pay this inexperienced 19 year old 500 bottle caps (because they will be infinitely more useful than, say, food or ammunition) to rig the bomb to explode, and then watch this from a few miles away where he'll probably be in range of the fallout.

thats not the point I think. No one is complaining that they used parts of airplanes to build some village.

What is strange is that they did that when all the needed materials to build a village are no 10 meters away from Megaton.

But thats now really nitpicking. I could not care less if they used airplanes or wood or stones or cars or wat ever there is lieing around. Megaton was a pretty bad village in my eyes. It feelt to small. The idea of the nuclear bomb was realy bad done (I expected some kind of real cult and temple and what ever, maybe with ghouls worshiping it ... kinda like in Fallout tactics with the great Pultonius ). Some strange walks around messing with the nuke and it doesnt every bother anyone.

 

[Michael of the Wastes]

Has anyone considered that maybe it's a United States bomb that was a last ditch effort to blow up a chinese landing position? There are numerous military sites in game where it appears they hastily made defences only to be nuked to death.

 

[Enclave Patrol]

Has anyone considered that maybe it's a United States bomb that was a last ditch effort to blow up a chinese landing position? There are numerous military sites in game where it appears they hastily made defences only to be nuked to death.

Sure, it's very logical to nuke the target that you are trying to protect. I there is those truck, sand bags and tent places, those aren't defensive positions, those are checkpoints. There is difference between those two. Then there wasn't Chinese landing in Washington, Chinese remenants were special forces operators, troops like that monitor enemy activities and sometimes conduct sabotage operations. Checkpoints usually tend to be effective at reducing mobility of enemy special forces, they cannot attack one without alerting much wider audience.

Fact that checkpoints were still there is after 200 years, is quite illogical. Military tent that stays up more than week without maintenance like tightening ropes is miracle. Trucks that are seemingly undamaged would be amongst first thing that would be looted.

There is plenty of reasons why bomb would be there that are far more logical than nuking your own capital.

 

[Michael of the Wastes]

In the last hour, everything went to hell, hence it being a last ditch effort. And I'm not sure.. but Mama Dolce's is filled with Chinese Soldiers transformed into Ghouls, wearing Chinese uniforms with Chinese weapons.. so.. troops were present I believe.

Besides, we're all looking at this bomb here with outside information.

In the game world, who knows? A bomb is there, and for whatever reason, the BoS doesn't want it.