So I'm trying to figure out how a vault would look like if for some reason nobody ever set their foot in it after being built. Would it look brand new or would it have some signs of age? As far as I understood the vaults are pretty much sealed so there shouldn't be anything that would cause major damage to them.
Vault: What would it look like if it was never used
- Thread starter Baron
- Start date
I always imagined that they were built years, probably decades before the bombs fell so there would probably be robots cleaning and maintaining them the entire time until people moved in. If this is the case, it would look great as the robots would be cleaning it until the end of time.
Depends really. Is there air conditioning, are there robots as mentioned to clean up...
But i would image it as a big clean storehouse, of course would have to find passcode to enter it first. Unused shelter...something like in "The Road" book and movie. Clean, full of stuff and has a shower.
But i would image it as a big clean storehouse, of course would have to find passcode to enter it first. Unused shelter...something like in "The Road" book and movie. Clean, full of stuff and has a shower.
Assuming it's perfectly sealed off from the outside world, there should be very little signs of wear on a Vault. Very little dust or rust to be seen.
That said, the computer systems may have failed by the time an explorer finds it. Fallout 1's opening implies that not only has Vault 13's water chip been struggling for a while ("finally given up the ghost"), but that the vault dwellers have dealt with failed hardware before ("too complicated for a work-around").
That said, the computer systems may have failed by the time an explorer finds it. Fallout 1's opening implies that not only has Vault 13's water chip been struggling for a while ("finally given up the ghost"), but that the vault dwellers have dealt with failed hardware before ("too complicated for a work-around").
Hmm, well lets assume that this vault for one reason or another was actually to be maintained by the human inhabitants and thus there were no robots.
It was however perfectly sealed off of outside world and somehow thanks to Fallout magic and superior engineering vital technology like reactors and air conditioning are still working somehow.
It was however perfectly sealed off of outside world and somehow thanks to Fallout magic and superior engineering vital technology like reactors and air conditioning are still working somehow.
Really just be a question of moisture levels wouldn't it? If it remained relatively dry, it shouldn't be rusted out or anything.
WillisPDunlevey
Mildly Dipped
Radius Engineering makes their own "bunkers" sized with a capacity ranging from 5 people to 2000.
Their bunkers are plastic shells that are buried underground. Some of their designs have open spaces large enough to allow for the construction of "buildings" (more like tiny 3 story apartment blocks) for people to live in.
The outer and inner walls of these structures can not rust. They also have environmental systems that will maintain temperature and air quality for 5 years (food stores for that long as well).
If someone was to lower the number of "residents" and stock in lots of freeze dried food, they might have food for 25 years (if there is enough space for the food). The plan would have to call for eventual underground food production.
The main problem at that point would be power. Rather than use nuclear power, geothermal electric generating turbines might be more viable. Efficiency is not much of an issue when need is the most important factor. Electricity must be provided (or slaves to turn lots of hand cranks) Ember used an underground river. This might also be a viable power source.
If all the lighting was LED power draw would be low.
Growing new food would take up lots of power, but using the new Sulfur bulbs that produce near full spectrum light using about the same amount of power as LEDs (as opposed to Metal Halide grow light bulbs), the residents may be able to grow their own food.
Plant crops, berries, and even Mangos would be useful (mangos grow quick and produce wood useful for building. The trees are usually chopped down and replaced quickly because they only fruit for a few years.
Lots of herbs and spices would be good for flavor as well as adding vitamins and nutrients.
Fish and chickens or small goats would be good for meat.
Vat grown protein like Quorn brand would be immensely helpful for varying diets.
Appliances would have to be kept to a minimum. TVs would probably have to be concentrated in the Pub(s) or common areas. Likewise, fans, hair dryers and other electrical draws would have to be carefully planned for to avoid brownouts.
A single movie "theater" with a huge DVD collection and projector would be more efficient than everyone having their own home movie night.
If human, plant and animal waste is recycled either to grow crops or in a methane digester, they would also have access to a gas that could substitute for LP or natural gas and would allow cooking without using electricity.
The Geothermal piping might also be useful for creating radiant heat cook ovens as well as a way to heat the building and run refrigerators without using electrical power (Methane could also be used to power LP camper refrigerators.
Spare parts for all of these things would be something that you could stock, but at some point they would start running out so a machine shop with a large supply of tools and bits as well as metal stock of all kinds would be very important to keep things running.
Just a few thoughts on the subject
WPD
Their bunkers are plastic shells that are buried underground. Some of their designs have open spaces large enough to allow for the construction of "buildings" (more like tiny 3 story apartment blocks) for people to live in.
The outer and inner walls of these structures can not rust. They also have environmental systems that will maintain temperature and air quality for 5 years (food stores for that long as well).
If someone was to lower the number of "residents" and stock in lots of freeze dried food, they might have food for 25 years (if there is enough space for the food). The plan would have to call for eventual underground food production.
The main problem at that point would be power. Rather than use nuclear power, geothermal electric generating turbines might be more viable. Efficiency is not much of an issue when need is the most important factor. Electricity must be provided (or slaves to turn lots of hand cranks) Ember used an underground river. This might also be a viable power source.
If all the lighting was LED power draw would be low.
Growing new food would take up lots of power, but using the new Sulfur bulbs that produce near full spectrum light using about the same amount of power as LEDs (as opposed to Metal Halide grow light bulbs), the residents may be able to grow their own food.
Plant crops, berries, and even Mangos would be useful (mangos grow quick and produce wood useful for building. The trees are usually chopped down and replaced quickly because they only fruit for a few years.
Lots of herbs and spices would be good for flavor as well as adding vitamins and nutrients.
Fish and chickens or small goats would be good for meat.
Vat grown protein like Quorn brand would be immensely helpful for varying diets.
Appliances would have to be kept to a minimum. TVs would probably have to be concentrated in the Pub(s) or common areas. Likewise, fans, hair dryers and other electrical draws would have to be carefully planned for to avoid brownouts.
A single movie "theater" with a huge DVD collection and projector would be more efficient than everyone having their own home movie night.
If human, plant and animal waste is recycled either to grow crops or in a methane digester, they would also have access to a gas that could substitute for LP or natural gas and would allow cooking without using electricity.
The Geothermal piping might also be useful for creating radiant heat cook ovens as well as a way to heat the building and run refrigerators without using electrical power (Methane could also be used to power LP camper refrigerators.
Spare parts for all of these things would be something that you could stock, but at some point they would start running out so a machine shop with a large supply of tools and bits as well as metal stock of all kinds would be very important to keep things running.
Just a few thoughts on the subject
WPD
Indeed. Still, I wonder what would happen to the furniture that'd be made out of wood, leather, fabric etc.korindabar said:
That was most useful information and gave me many ideas. The reason why I'm actually asking because I'm planning a mod for NV that'd involve a corporation that had access to Vault-Tec designs. They made their own vault design based on Vault-Tecs vaults and built few (3 or 4) vaults for their researchers and some other VIPs. It's still at planning stage but the information you provided is really useful. ThanksWillisPDunlevey said:
burningsnow126
First time out of the vault
I think the vault would be ruined if there was no one there. Remember vault 3 where the bottom level was flooded with water so that shows that the pipes need to be maintained.
my idea of a vault would have to be... well my inspiration is like 1950's so very clean and shiny but after bombs fell and people being stuck in there for such a long time probably look like shit cause people would go crazy and try to revolt from some sort of law that was in the vault so in my opinion the vault would be great looking for like a year and people would start to realize they were going to be in the damn place forever and well that beautiful 1950's shit would turn into what we see as America today
madplaysHD
First time out of the vault
Well most of the vaults in the fallout universe don't seem to be constructed to operate without humans for extended periods of times. There is, for example not a single robot in vault 13 and only one in vault 101.
Since large parts of the vault are made out of metal, they will rust while the moisture in the air is asymptotically approaching zero. However, if there are fresh water reserves, there will always be moisture in the air. All the metal rust, including the reinforment irons in the walls, causing the concrete to burst (because the reinforcement irons expand), ultimately resulting in structural failure.
Opening up a vault even before the failure could be very dangerous, because of potentially deadly mold spores.
Since large parts of the vault are made out of metal, they will rust while the moisture in the air is asymptotically approaching zero. However, if there are fresh water reserves, there will always be moisture in the air. All the metal rust, including the reinforment irons in the walls, causing the concrete to burst (because the reinforcement irons expand), ultimately resulting in structural failure.
Opening up a vault even before the failure could be very dangerous, because of potentially deadly mold spores.
Wintermind
Vault Senior Citizen
That's assuming that they didn't take steps to prevent that from happening, either automatically or in the inherent construction of the place. Keep in mind, every vault that's been open and exposed to the air has rapidly turned into a shithole. Every vault that hasn't, has looked pretty good, even without robotic maintenance. That said, I expect there probably would be robots in there, handling maintenance because otherwise you'd have already had to have had people living in the vaults to keep them clean and intact whilst waiting for the bombs. And once they fell, why would you retire your perfectly good robots?
There has been at least some basic maintenance in Vault 8 even after leaving.Farmerk said:
Wintermind
Vault Senior Citizen
I forgot about Vault City. But it certainly seems to be well maintained, presumably in case the citizens of Vault City had to run back inside nad hide.
The Enclave 86
Look, Ma! Two Heads!
shadybob said:
Indeed. I never did understand the Vault Dweller's facination with abandoning them. Hmm should we try and build a settlement somewhere in the post-apocalyptic ruins of one of the most populated cities in America or should we maybe stay close to the demo Vault? Same goes for Shady Sands, that came back to bite them in the ass later on though.
Seriously, a fortress that provides water, food, clothing, heat, shelter etc or some patch of scrubland a few miles to the West?
Vault City was one of the few vaults that wasn't abandoned shortly after opening. Technically, all of the vaults would be great starter points for a city. It really doesn't make any sense that most of the people would set off and leave them behind, unless there was a valid reason for doing so (vault failed to continue working properly?).
I'm playing Fallout 1 right now, and this is what I've noticed;
Vault 15 caved in - I don't think there's anything they could have done to prevent that. Structural integrity was broken with their vault, unlike others that were abandoned in great condition and just let rot.
Vault 13 was still around up until the end of Fallout 2, so it's quite possible that the city they built from the GECK turned out to be much like Vault City was, so they may not have abandoned it.
Necropolis stayed in relatively good condition. It's hard to determine why those people left unless they were part of some "vault experiment" later introduced in the story. The ghouls may have been from the Vault, were released early and "ghoulified", so they may have just stuck around, not really caring about comfort or anything else considering they're ghouls, and just reaped its positive benefit of moving water.
COTC was also in relatively good condition, all things considered. I can't remember exactly what the deal was, but it's likely it took a turn for the worse when the Master took it over. Also, most of the people on the surface (except for those in Adytum, maybe) don't even know it's there.
I'm playing Fallout 1 right now, and this is what I've noticed;
Vault 15 caved in - I don't think there's anything they could have done to prevent that. Structural integrity was broken with their vault, unlike others that were abandoned in great condition and just let rot.
Vault 13 was still around up until the end of Fallout 2, so it's quite possible that the city they built from the GECK turned out to be much like Vault City was, so they may not have abandoned it.
Necropolis stayed in relatively good condition. It's hard to determine why those people left unless they were part of some "vault experiment" later introduced in the story. The ghouls may have been from the Vault, were released early and "ghoulified", so they may have just stuck around, not really caring about comfort or anything else considering they're ghouls, and just reaped its positive benefit of moving water.
COTC was also in relatively good condition, all things considered. I can't remember exactly what the deal was, but it's likely it took a turn for the worse when the Master took it over. Also, most of the people on the surface (except for those in Adytum, maybe) don't even know it's there.
The Necropolis vault (Vault 12) was designed to not seal up properly, allowing radiation in and turning the population into ghouls.
The LA Vault was a demonstration vault and worked properly, the inhabitants formed the Boneyard after they left.
The LA Vault was a demonstration vault and worked properly, the inhabitants formed the Boneyard after they left.