Would You Consider This To Be A Clever Explanation? Or A Dumb One?

[TheKingofVault14]

So I found this on TV Tropes in the "Fridge Brilliance" page for Fallout 3, and as you can see, this gives an explanation as to why The Enclave doesn't just take out The BOS by simply obliterating The Citadel. Now before anyone says anything, no I'm not saying that this was Bethesda's intention all along when it comes to this plot hole, that's giving them WAY too much credit. What I'm trying say & ask is if this headcanon/fan explanation is either clever? Or just straight up stupid & filled with holes!?

Remnants of The Old World type shiz going on over here!

 

[PlanHex]

It's been a while, but I don't remember anything about the Enclave generally giving a shit about any other historical places or old world symbols

 

[TheGM]

That sounds like a cop-out more than anything. The Pentagon is a Symbol, a Symbol to whom? the local Muties? The fuck they care about yet another wrecked building. Considering that the Enclave are cartoon nazi levels of Evil they wouldn't have no problems cratering the HQ of the one group who can step up to them. So why does this ending option exist? the same reason the Huur I'm finna eat this Baby ending exists, Because Bethesda can only do evil at comic book levels of mustache twirling zaniness, so your one option to be the bad guy always comes down to the wacky evil guy.

 

[Hardboiled Android]

It's been a while, but I don't remember anything about the Enclave generally giving a shit about any other historical places or old world symbols

Well they do post up and fight over several historical monuments, such as the Capitol Building.

That said, no I don't think this is a sufficient explanation

 

[PlanHex]

Well they do post up and fight over several historical monuments, such as the Capitol Building.

Is there anything in the game about their motivation for this?
Again, I'm mostly asking because I don't remember at all and Bethesda rarely justifies stuff like this with other than rule-of-cool.

 

[Mirin Lurker]

There is literally less than nothing in the game suggesting this. There's actually very little at all about the enclave's actual motivations, like even by Bethesda standards.

 

[TheGM]

Their entire motivation is the water pump. He who controls the pump, controls the wastes because.....yeah. Somehow that involves blasting random people on the side of the road for the giggles. However President Chatbot wants to use the pump to kill everybody because......yeah. Sure they could release the anti-mutie virus via the air but that was in Fallout 2, so it has to be in a less effective method this time that makes little sense for creative purposes.

 

[R.Graves]

this would be a good explanation if it was actually written into the game anywhere but its not. the onus isnt on the audience to make a setting or story make sense

 

[Iprovidelittlepianos]

You guys are all just too stupid to understand Bethesda’s deep worldbuilding. Sorry Bethesda doesn’t spoon feed the Enclave’s motivations to you. Good writers SHOW, not TELL!

 

[Norzan]

Bethesda's writers are more advanced than most writers, they don't show and also don't tell.