Ripping off a bit of Van Buren for backstory, but bear with me. Also, apologies in advance for the long read
Following the events of Fallout 2, the BOS Realizes its inability to act against the Enclave could have cost thousands of life's and more importantly, technology as the Enclave reclaims the mainland. While the leadership ponders on a course of action to return them to their former glory, restless elements within the BOS have come to the same conclusion, as well as realizing that an Enclave resurgence could lead them to have a very uncertain and potentially short, future. As more and more BOS units began voicing their discontent at the organizations failing strength, Jeremy Maxson and the leadership concede and decide it is in there best interests to become a military strength once again. Initiating a war with the NCR To reclaim what they felt was there's led to discomfort and eventually a uprising by the remaining pacifist troopers, effectively finished the war within years of it starting.
50 Years later, one of the leaders of the initial uprising to begin strengthening the BOS became High Elder. He now had the power to order another attempt to strengthen their ranks. This was however, received badly by the now quite powerful NCR. Initially, the new high Elder knew he was no match for the might of the NCR and had intended to slowly and peacefully recruit and expand. The NCR however, had not forgotten the events 50 years past and began a extermination campaign to eliminate the remaining BOS Members before it can become a threat again.
Hampered by the military power of the NCR, the remaining BOS members begin to head towards the Nevada desert to escape the patrols looking for them where they encounter another problem. Bands of disheveled mutants which headed to Nevada after the Masters defeat had old wounds cut open, the more aggressive of their number remembering the man who had slain their leader years ago, their memory's prompted by the T-51B Armor these newcomers wore. Putting two and two together, they realized that human years ago must have had assistance from this band of men. Despite numerous protests from the human settlements they had come to live with and respect, as well as other peaceful super mutants, a group took up arms against the weakened Brotherhood. By now, the Brotherhood's pre-war Fuel cells were running empty on their mighty power armor and replacements were proving difficult to manufacture or procure, therefor they were unable to engage the plasma, laser and other heavy weapons the mutants had brought with them and slipped underground into sleeper cells.
Late one night, the new elder and a cell of Knights accompanying him discover a well hidden bunker housing a Anti Ballistic Missile system and with it, detailed Military Documents from prior to the war. Among them, he discovers the ABM system was built in secret from the world to defend Las Vegas's nuclear power plant and an automated underground Factory in the guise of a Vault that was to produce units of T51-B in mass numbers and other weapons to fuel the war effort with China that was powered by the plant, as well as records indicating that while the area had sustained significant Fallout, the ABM system had intercepted and destroyed the two ICBM's bound for Las Vegas, indicating that the region may still be mostly intact. Within the bunker, he finds a armory still filled with weapondry and Combat armor. Enough to make a push for this facility and enough armor, weapondry and vehicles to create a Brotherhood of Steel force that could hold its own when it expanded back to its rightful territory on the West Coast.
Unknown to the high elder, the looser recruiting policy's he had enacted in order to expand the BOS had allowed the NCR to plant a number of Spys within the organization, one of which had accompanied him to this Bunker. After the High elder had informed the knights and Elders of his discovery, one of these spy's found the still functional communications system and relayed this information to the NCR. When discovered doing so, he was executed before he was able to transmit coordinates, but not before he was able to give the NCR Details regarding the discovery.
Sadly for both the NCR and BOS, the arms factory had been plundered years ago by bandits who discovered it searching for Vault technology and while the secure facility for producing heavy weapons and power armor remained secure thanks to its robust security systems and blast proof doors, the Small arms and light Vehicles facilitys had been stripped bare, leading to a extraordinarily well equipped bandit and raider organization in the region with their base squarely on top of possibly the largest Armor and Weapon cache in America, still sealed securely behind the blast doors in Factory mint condition, produced until the facility had run out of raw materials.
Upon arrival to the region, the NCR discovered an heavily armed mutant band as well as dangerously well equipped group of Bandits. The leadership of the NCR became immediately concerned about a possible threat from these, as well as the possibility of a restrengthening of the BOS, so immediately moved forces to its outlying outposts and within months, had established a powerful force which began combating the Slaver and Mutant presence while attempting to free the occupants of Vegas from the grasp of the raiders and discover the location of this Factory.
The only Faction with the exact location of the Facility and ability to disarm the defenses was the only one weak too weak to make a push for it, so quietly, the Brotherhood began recruiting from outlying Villages, demonstrating the power of their still working suits, waiting for the right time and additional leadership to make their move.
As a young man living with your father on the outskirts of Vegas, you meet a Paladin one day while out searching for scrap metal near your home. Enthralled by his massive suit of armor, you accompany him to his group where you are enlisted to their ranks. The zealotry of the ageing High Elder concerns you however and you are unsure of your devotion to his cause. Returning home before moving into your BOS Cell, your father hands you a bulky wristband with a screen. He explains he found it on a wounded man in the wastes. Despite his efforts, the man died before he could ask what the device did and has spent the time since your birth attempting to fix it as a way to distract himself from your mothers death during childbirth to no avail. Upon returning to the BOS base, one of the scribes familiar with prewar Technology gets the pipboy working and explains its purpose.
Filling the Pipboy is the diary of a person from a place called Vault City, filled with excitement and tales of exploration and details of wondrous amounts of technology. Inspired by this Pipboy, your a fresh recruit who is doubting the adventure the BOS offered you, so you look to more promising aspects, such as the NCR Forces stationed in the Nevada desert or the excitement of being a Slaver. Perhaps you could even throw your hand in with the mutants, i hear they have become tolerant of normal humans since the masters defeat? Whispers are filtering through the lower ranks of the Brotherhood of Steel about a excursion into the wastes and weapondry of great power along they way though, so you might stick around just yet....
But I agree, it just can't be a main plot element anymore. It gets tiresome, boring and predictable. Also I never want to see the Enclave again in a big, evil army kind of way.
