Things Fallout 76 did right 1#: The Brotherhood of Steel

[CT Phipps]

The Appalachian Brotherhood of Steel retcon was remarkably simple in its execution. If you have to have a BoS chapter on the East Coast, why not come up with this simple fix:

"It's a chapter of the US Military that talked with the BOS over the radio."

No need for a massive cross-country journey.

 

[sesom]

Yeah how convinent a sattelite radio is. These idiotic Enclave people didn't know about it. It would have been so easy with sattelite radio. Also Maxsons scribes are really evil or total incompetent they didn't warn Elder Lyons about this big dragons in the sky over Appalachia.

I disagree.

 

[Norzan]

Not sure if you're serious but if you are, you're wrong. This creates so many problems is not even funny from no mention of any BoS sattelite in any of the Fallout games that come after in the timeline, to the fact the few times BoS was without communications and yet, they apparently had a satellite radio.

This contradicts Bethesda lore. It has gotten that bad that the company that raped lore established in games before 3 is now contradicting Fallout 3 and 4.


I genuinely do not care what Bethesda does with the lore at this point: everything they do with the lore is idiotic, nonsensical and it has a complete lack of understanding basic continuity. My point is people actively defending this bullshit like these retcons make any sense.

 

[The Dutch Ghost]

I am still trying to think of any explanation on why Maxson's people would go out to try to recruit other former US military as none of that was ever mentioned in Fallout 1.
I guess it would make sense to a degree but in this regard I hold Fallout 1 lore over that of any follow up Fallout games.

One can say that lore should remain flexible but I am just tired of lore retcons in order to explain introductions like these.
There is to much "we want to improve on the established" mentality going on and the results in general are unnecessary, disappointing, and sometimes quite frankly insulting. Because if we continue on this route it could be excused that there are now BOS chapter all of the US, even the moon if Bethesda insisted upon it.

I know this is perhaps not the decision of the designers themselves to insert the Brotherhood yet again but this type of mentality shows how creatively dead game studios (well not just them, many media producers actually are).

I strongly believe that a lot of beloved franchises at this point should be put on hold until the currently recycling mentality in the media industries has died out.

 

[AmericanRed]

Yeah. because listening to propaganda over a comm sattelite turns you into a loyal BoS knight, complete with equipment and fully-ideologically driven.

Really...?

 

[CT Phipps]

Yeah how convinent a sattelite radio is. These idiotic Enclave people didn't know about it. It would have been so easy with sattelite radio. Also Maxsons scribes are really evil or total incompetent they didn't warn Elder Lyons about this big dragons in the sky over Appalachia.

I disagree.

People had this thing called a radio....it worked quite well in WW2.

Not sure if you're serious but if you are, you're wrong. This creates so many problems is not even funny from no mention of any BoS sattelite in any of the Fallout games that come after in the timeline, to the fact the few times BoS was without communications and yet, they apparently had a satellite radio.

This contradicts Bethesda lore. It has gotten that bad that the company that raped lore established in games before 3 is now contradicting Fallout 3 and 4.


I genuinely do not care what Bethesda does with the lore at this point: everything they do with the lore is idiotic, nonsensical and it has a complete lack of understanding basic continuity. My point is people actively defending this bullshit like these retcons make any sense.

I have no idea what your objection is. Especially since we have the BOS communicating with the Eastern and Western branches in both F3 and Fallout 4. Mind you, you have to be crazy to think you can't communicate cross country with radios.

I am still trying to think of any explanation on why Maxson's people would go out to try to recruit other former US military as none of that was ever mentioned in Fallout 1.

I imagine it was Maxson himself.

Probably so to expand their mandate and protect the world against future incursions. Not much point if they can only do it in one place.

I know this is perhaps not the decision of the designers themselves to insert the Brotherhood yet again but this type of mentality shows how creatively dead game studios (well not just them, many media producers actually are).

I strongly believe that a lot of beloved franchises at this point should be put on hold until the currently recycling mentality in the media industries has died out.

So the sole objection is the BOS is there?

Yeah. because listening to propaganda over a comm sattelite turns you into a loyal BoS knight, complete with equipment and fully-ideologically driven.

Really...?

Well, their equipment is the US military's and plenty of players join the BOS willingly.

 

[AmericanRed]

Would you join a faction or political ideology and risk dying for it just because a radio transmission "inspired you"? I wouldn't. The BoS took some time and events to transform in what they were in Fallout 1 and 2. It takes time to build a proper believable faction. BGS could've gone with "US Army Soldiers" and/or build an entirely new faction. But no, they rather reuse the BoS over and over and give some badly thought out explanation.

 

[CT Phipps]

Would you join a faction or political ideology and risk dying for it just because a radio transmission "inspired you"? I wouldn't. The BoS took some time and events to transform in what they were in Fallout 1 and 2. It takes time to build a proper believable faction. BGS could've gone with "US Army Soldiers" and/or build an entirely new faction. But no, they rather reuse the BoS over and over and give some badly thought out explanation.

Uh...after a nuclear war, I'd probably join any organized faction that promised a way out of this mess.

It's ridiculous to believe they'd remain independent versus joining with other groups to build a stronger united national group.

 

[Hassknecht]

Yes, it's great, now we can be sure that every location in the Fallout universe has a delegation of wasteland paladins going for them.
Seriously, it's just trying to avoid having to come up with new factions and organizations.

 

[AmericanRed]

Uh...after a nuclear war, I'd probably join any organized faction that promised a way out of this mess.

It's ridiculous to believe they'd remain independent versus joining with other groups to build a stronger united national group.

It's not an organized faction, It's an empty promise based on nothing, pretty much propaganda over the radio. They had way more options besides joining. They could create their own faction with their own ideology or joined some REAL group near them, but I guess that's way too much for BGS to write.

 

[Hassknecht]

Uh...after a nuclear war, I'd probably join any organized faction that promised a way out of this mess.

It's ridiculous to believe they'd remain independent versus joining with other groups to build a stronger united national group.

So you'd listen to some bozos over the radio telling you to paint silly symbols all over the place (did they describe them over the radio in heraldic terms? "Steelblue sword vertical over three cogs in a mechanically silly configuration and something between olive branches and wings on silver background. What? No, COGS, with a g, you absolute pillocks! Fuck it Brother Captain, these frat guys from Texas University are making a mockery of us!") and adopting pseudoknight lingo despite them doing absolutely nothing for you? That's worse than deriving supreme executive power based on a farcical aquatic ceremony!

 

[CT Phipps]

It's not an organized faction, It's an empty promise based on nothing, pretty much propaganda over the radio. They had way more options besides joining. They could create their own faction with their own ideology or joined some REAL group near them, but I guess that's way too much for BGS to write.

That's moronic since they use the ideology as a basis to build their chapter and become the most powerful faction in the region. They just have the benefit of Roger Maxson's advice as well as leadership. They're part of an pan-national organization in the making versus a bunch of raiders otherwise.

So you'd listen to some bozos over the radio telling you to paint silly symbols all over the place (did they describe them over the radio in heraldic terms? "Steelblue sword vertical over three cogs in a mechanically silly configuration and something between olive branches and wings on silver background. What? No, COGS, with a g, you absolute pillocks! Fuck it Brother Captain, these frat guys from Texas University are making a mockery of us!") and adopting pseudoknight lingo despite them doing absolutely nothing for you? That's worse than deriving supreme executive power based on a farcical aquatic ceremony!

I'd furthermore kill what leaders who wouldn't fall in line because Roger Maxson has a vision for the Wasteland. The idea of just sitting around and doing nothing versus reclaiming the Wasteland from the US government remnants and keeping technology from the idiot masses? BAH! THEY WILL SERVE THE CODEX.



But seriously, people love Caesar's Legion. This is no different and much less silly.

 

[Hassknecht]

That's moronic since they use the ideology as a basis to build their chapter and become the most powerful faction in the region. They just have the benefit of Roger Maxson's advice as well as leadership.



I'd furthermore kill what leaders who wouldn't fall in line because Roger Maxson has a vision for the Wasteland. The idea of just sitting around and doing nothing versus reclaiming the Wasteland from the US government remnants and keeping technology from the idiot masses? BAH! THEY WILL SERVE THE CODEX.



But seriously, people love Caesar's Legion.

I forgot that you have an english literature degree, so uncritically following propaganda broadcasts comes natural to you.
As for Caesar's Legion, well, they brutally conquered every tribe they encountered and forcefully eradicated their identities. That's a bit different than some random HAM operator telling you to paint a crest on your door and calling yourself "Brother Knight" or something.

 

[TucoMerc]

Satellite based comm would work. Faction with similar outlook could be recruited without eye-to-eye contact also. You would just need to promise them something appealing enough. These would be desperate times after the armageddon and people would do anything to survive. Slapping the Brotherhood logo on already existing PA's and other stuff would be child's play.

 

[CT Phipps]

I forgot that you have an english literature degree, so uncritically following propaganda broadcasts comes natural to you.
As for Caesar's Legion, well, they brutally conquered every tribe they encountered and forcefully eradicated their identities. That's a bit different than some random HAM operator telling you to paint a crest on your door and calling yourself "Brother Knight" or something.

Option 1#: Contacted by a high ranking military officer who has a clear concrete plan for rebuilding the United States and can coordinate other groups across the nation into a single cohesive force.

Option 2#: Tool around the Wasteland and die because you're useless.

Apparently, the idea of someone coordinating a rebuilding effort is too crazy for you to believe.

 

[TucoMerc]

Also working satellite(s) do exist in Fallout universe. Archimedes II (NV) even fires a bloody Ray of Godly Annihilation down to Earth.

 

[AmericanRed]

That's moronic since they use the ideology as a basis to build their chapter and become the most powerful faction in the region. They just have the benefit of Roger Maxson's advice as well as leadership. They're part of an pan-national organization in the making versus a bunch of raiders otherwise.



I'd furthermore kill what leaders who wouldn't fall in line because Roger Maxson has a vision for the Wasteland. The idea of just sitting around and doing nothing versus reclaiming the Wasteland from the US government remnants and keeping technology from the idiot masses? BAH! THEY WILL SERVE THE CODEX.



But seriously, people love Caesar's Legion. This is no different and much less silly.

That's all wrong. "Ideology" doesn't build anything by Itself, and Maxson didn't even send them anything or do anything to help them, just propaganda over the radio. Stop trying to justify Bethesda's laziness. It's badly written retcon to the lore.

 

[Hassknecht]

Option 1#: Contacted by a high ranking military officer who has a clear concrete plan for rebuilding the United States and can coordinate other groups across the nation into a single cohesive force.

Option 2#: Tool around the Wasteland and die because you're useless.

Apparently, the idea of someone coordinating a rebuilding effort is too crazy for you to believe.

But they're not rebuilding. They don't have a clear, concrete plan for rebuilding the US. Unless you think "shutting themselves in and hoarding technology while literally giving no shit about outsiders" is a clear, concrete plan. Especially since the BoS has no ties and traditions concerning the United States, they explicitly distanced themselves from the US by deserting. Hell, that's why they're the Brotherhood of Steel and not the Enclave.

Seriously, I think Fallout 76 is too bad even for your considerable headcanon-a-golden-veneer-on-this-turd powers.

 

[naossano]

Lore... Fallout 76... Can't seem to find a connection between those two concepts...

 

[CT Phipps]

That's all wrong. "Ideology" doesn't build anything by Itself, and Maxson didn't even send them anything or do anything to help them, just propaganda over the radio. Stop trying to justify Bethesda's laziness. It's badly written retcon to the lore.

You're stating thing which are untrue and making any actual argument against it incoherent. Basically, you are ruining your own side. Maxson provides them new orders, an organization, a rallying cry, leadership, and a mission. If you call that propaganda, you're using the word wrong.

Seriously, if you can't be bothered to actually give an argument against something then don't bother. Say why you think they'd reject it or why you don't think it works but don't just say, "it's lazy."

Any argument that goes, "Bethesda is lazy" fails when you don't say WHY it's lazy.