Other countries/locations in the Fallout universe

[Selfsurprise]

I've been reading a little bit about the coastal city of Saint-Malo in Brittany, France. It was heavily fortified over the course of the 16th and 17th centuries due to it being an prime frontline for English invasion, and became a notorious element of the English channel due to the rife piracy and buccaneering that went on in it's waters - hence the nickname "cité corsaire". One of the more notable features of the city are the military forts stationed on both the mainland and on several tiny islands off the coast, arranged in a "jawbone" shape that confounded many naval attacks and made achieving landfall in the city an extremely difficult proposition - this page goes into a little more detail.

 

 

This series of fortresses made me realize that a Fallout: Saint-Malo ought to involve them in some way, even if the ubiquitous war of the lore took place long after the necessity of said forts. What if each location was retrofitted to be an aquatic-chthonic vault in the advent of nuclear war? The collective and historical character of Saint-Malo seems to have the foresight and willingness to consider the worst possibility scenario. So in 2077 the bombs fall but the infrastructure and social planning of Saint-Malo meant that the brightest and best made it into one of the seven to eight vaults, and perhaps even some especially paranoid members of the citizenry made their own arrangements and survived. What sort of world would a post-apocalyptic Saint-Malo look like and what would reside there?

 

^ Illustration of Mourioche, source ABOC

 

On the marvellous blog entitled A Book of Creatures there are as respectable number of peculiar monsters native to the Brittany region that could have some serious mutant pedigree if artfully reinterpreted. There are the fearful and malevolent living spell books known as Agrippa, immune to practically all damage and only permit themselves to be read by strong and wilful individuals - a kind of sinister sapient mobile computer roaming the French wastes perpetuating some unfathomable agenda?

Then there is the legendary character Mourioche (see above image) he/she/it rumoured to have once been a mortal man/woman versed in the dark arts and rightly feared for his fey whims and cruel predilections - maybe a pre-war individual who lives on abhorrently through unethical genetic engineering whilst unleashing other hideous and less intelligent equine monsters onto the settlers and fort dwellers of Saint-Malo?

More chilling are the so-called lavandières de nuit (“washerwomen of the night”), Franco-British entities that fall somewhere between dangerous nocturnal fairy and a more corporeal breed of ghost - some bizarre variety of female-only ghouls with a collective obsessive-compulsive disorder?

 

"Neither French nor Breton, I am from St Malo." - Cities Motto

[Selfsurprise]

Given the August rumours in gaming news of a Fallout: New Orleans potentially in the works (I'm cautiously hoping they turn out to be true) what better way to revive this thread than ask the following question: What states or cities in ol' 'murica would make potentially great settings for a Fallout game? Rather than doing my usual historical rambling thing in order to justify my bizarre and non-lore friendly choices for locations, I'll leave the question open for now in the hope that anyone is interested in unburdening themselves of their imaginary forays. I'll hear you out!

[BTGBullseye]

Alaska... You'd get the nice winter landscape, and a host of bizarre critters. Besides, I want to see the real Anchorage in-universe. (my dad was stationed there at one point, so I'm interested in the location)

 

South Dakota. As one of the primary launching locations for nukes, and the least targeted by nukes, and with some of the best protection against windborne fallout, it would make for a nice change to see the mutated and unmutated creature compete for the extensive agricultural resources that would likely still be located there. (it has the absolute best farmland possible in the south-east, as that is all floodplains for the Missouri River) Plus there are all the old nuke silos, a couple military bases, and dozens of dams available for the tech-side of things.

[Selfsurprise]

South Dakota. As one of the primary launching locations for nukes, and the least targeted by nukes, and with some of the best protection against windborne fallout, it would make for a nice change to see the mutated and unmutated creature compete for the extensive agricultural resources that would likely still be located there. (it has the absolute best farmland possible in the south-east, as that is all floodplains for the Missouri River) Plus there are all the old nuke silos, a couple military bases, and dozens of dams available for the tech-side of things.

 

I've always liked the shape of South Dakota's borders, it looks like a rectangle that got slightly bored before it finished the bottom right-hand corner of itself... :3

 

All of those monuments and parks would make for interesting state to explore in a post-apocalyptic setting, and the points you cited about the state's arguably safe position in the US would give players the impression of being in a relatively untouched wilderness, that is until they stumble upon the evidence and consequences of experiments conducted in the regions many military facilities. Some sort of vast underground network of interconnected vaults could add another dimension of complexity to the setting. Also, South Dakota may have little in the way of mutated wildlife, but it does have a horrifying trench coat wearing bigfoot/evil spirit hybrid monster called the Taku-He.

[BTGBullseye]

Also, South Dakota may have little in the way of mutated wildlife, but it does have a horrifying trench coat wearing bigfoot/evil spirit hybrid monster called the Taku-He.

I just thought that was my neighbor getting home from a long night at the bar...

[Selfsurprise]

Also, South Dakota may have little in the way of mutated wildlife, but it does have a horrifying trench coat wearing bigfoot/evil spirit hybrid monster called the Taku-He.

I just thought that was my neighbor getting home from a long night at the bar...

Drunken Trenchcoat Bandits could be South Dakota's equivalent of the Legion... :3

[rairii]

Given the August rumours in gaming news of a Fallout: New Orleans potentially in the works (I'm cautiously hoping they turn out to be true)

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD PLEASE GIVE THIS ONE TO OBSIDIAN

[Selfsurprise]

Given the August rumours in gaming news of a Fallout: New Orleans potentially in the works (I'm cautiously hoping they turn out to be true)

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD PLEASE GIVE THIS ONE TO OBSIDIAN

I actually prefer the Bethesda games, sorry to be contentious but I'm a console pleb...

[BTGBullseye]

I actually prefer the Bethesda games, sorry to be contentious but I'm a console pleb...

I'm not a fan of consoles, but otherwise I agree.

[rairii]

I actually prefer the Bethesda games, sorry to be contentious but I'm a console pleb...

I'm not a fan of consoles, but otherwise I agree.

You're a man of poor taste so nobody is surprised.

[Heliocentrical]

I'm not a fan of consoles, but otherwise I agree.

Anyone who does not follow the path of the PS2 and Sony are heretics that must be purged of their sins.

 

All analog sticks must be in the center of the controller, one right next to the other. The Xbox controller is utter heresy used by perverse deviants that have fallen from the grace of our lord Sony. I mean what in the name of the holy PS2 is going on with it's left analog stick? Okay imagine the Xbox 360's controller scheme as a person's face. Do people normally have their left eyeball over on the leftmost side of their forehead and rotated 45 degrees? No! they don't and why is the d-pad in the left analog stick's spot? It should be in the left portion of the controller as mandated by our lord and savior Sony. For their sins our lord Sony has inflicted seven red rings of death upon the Xbox heretics. They know what they did. Xbox Controllers may be designed by heretics but like the Borg they're atleast somewhat human I think anyway. Nintendo controllers meanwhile are Lovecraftian nightmares constructed by Cthulhu himself and anyone who takes an unfortunate glimpse into the eyes of these unholy manifestations will be forever tainted. At which point there is no salvation for them.

 

Speaking of which I've been meaning to get one of those older models of PS3s with some PS2 hardware so I can play my older games. Dark Alliance 2 was amazing.

[BTGBullseye]

I actually prefer the Bethesda games, sorry to be contentious but I'm a console pleb...

I'm not a fan of consoles, but otherwise I agree.

You're a man of poor taste so nobody is surprised.

And you're incapable of not trying to insult me in particular. I think you need to see someone about your obsession with me.

 

I'm not a fan of consoles, but otherwise I agree.

All analog sticks must be in the center of the controller, one right next to the other. The Xbox controller is utter heresy used by perverse deviants that have fallen from the grace of our lord Sony. I mean what in the name of the holy PS2 is going on with it's left analog stick? Okay imagine the Xbox 360's controller scheme as a person's face. Do people normally have their left eyeball over on the leftmost side of their forehead and rotated 45 degrees? No! they don't and why is the d-pad in the left analog stick's spot? It should be in the left portion of the controller as mandated by our lord and savior Sony. For their sins our lord Sony has inflicted seven red rings of death upon the Xbox heretics. They know what they did. Xbox Controllers may be designed by heretics but like the Borg they're atleast somewhat human I think anyway. Nintendo controllers meanwhile are Lovecraftian nightmares constructed by Cthulhu himself and anyone who takes an unfortunate glimpse into the eyes of these unholy manifestations will be forever tainted. At which point there is no salvation for them.

I said I wasn't a fan of consoles, so you go on a rant about the various console controllers that I don't particularly like?

 

Really, there are only 2 things that console controllers are better at... Simplified analog joystick input, and an all-in-one control system. Everything else is easier to use mouse+keyboard or dedicated joystick/racing wheel for. What I'm saying is that controllers are good for platforming and simplified racing/flight games, everything else is better served by not going into controller territory. (this is coming from someone who has extensively used every console and controller that has been on the market since the original Atari)

[Heliocentrical]

I said I wasn't a fan of consoles, so you go on a rant about the various console controllers that I don't particularly like?

Yes, I mean it sorta worked didn't it?

 

Anyway I have some of my earliest gaming memories with the PS2. It's only console I ever owned and I loved that damn thing. My PS2 was Mine. I eventually transitioned over to PC but I still long for a PS2-like controller for my PC. I got an Xbox one controller for my PC and I hate it. Firstly it feels light and flimsy in my hands as if I could break it with little to no effort if I wanted to. Not to mention it has the worst wired connection I've ever come across. If I sneezed in the Xbox one controller's general direction it would magically disconnect from the wire I plugged into. You really have to jam the micro usb connector into the controller's micro usb port in order to get the controller to even connect in the first place and the wire doesn't even go in all the way . Overall not a good experience. I would love to get a beefy, weighty gamepad with a PS2 like control layout for my PC.

[rairii]

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Edited September 23, 2016 by Guest (see edit history)

[Heliocentrical]

Don't kid yourself, everybody here hates you.

If only you were a little more self-aware.

BTG is awesome, come at me bro.

[rairii]

look, i'm tired and upset and i literally just got out of bed to delete that message because i felt it was way too harsh but i guess it's too late for that now

"everyone hates you" is a huge exaggeration but a good chunk of the folks here (active and inactive) have a problem with you because you're incredibly persistent in what you say no matter how objectively wrong or questionable it is

i could make a list of every time you've said something completely wrong, but i don't see why i'd go through the effort of reading through 12k+ posts only for you to still insist you're somehow correct

i suppose being upfront with you is worth a shot but part of me feels like this is just wasted effort, a little self-awareness wouldn't kill you though.

[Heliocentrical]

"everyone hates you" is a huge exaggeration but a good chunk of the folks here (active and inactive) have a problem with you because you're incredibly persistent in what you say no matter how objectively wrong or questionable it is

i could make a list of every time you've said something completely wrong, but i don't see why i'd go through the effort of reading through 12k+ posts only for you to still insist you're somehow correct

i suppose being upfront with you is worth a shot but part of me feels like this is just wasted effort, a little self-awareness wouldn't kill you though.

Yes exactly, that means I'm right all the time, everytime. If no one argues against my points that means I've won the argument by default.

 

OT: I've had some ideas for creatures I'd Like to see in the Fallout Universe. Keep in mind that I did this mostly for fun and it's probably inconsistent with existing lore.

 

Treant Ghouls

It always kind of bothered me that Harold was the only ghoul that was fused to a tree. This got me thinking, there's got to be more ghouls out there like Harold. So imagine that you're walking around this forest and it all seems quiet at first. But then all of a sudden eyes start to emerge out of the trees and next thing you know you're surrounded by hundreds of treant Ghouls which completely engulf you with their roots. These like Harold in Fallout 3 they make excellent camouflage because who would've thought that the tree stuffed itself with dead bodies? Also like Harold they can't move.

 

Chinese Super Mutants

So what if China developed it's own version of the F.E.V virus and injected soldiers with it in order to give them an edge in combat? These Chinese Super Mutants are much more dignified and intelligent than regular Super Mutants. They have deep belief in honor and often carry a massive 6ft long katana on their backs which can easily slice down any foe they come across.

[Selfsurprise]

I love BTG and Helio, but then again I am one of those filthy console plebiscites previously alluded to, so if anyone disagrees with my sentiments feel free to disregard my unworthy pedestrian opinion.

 

OT: I've had some ideas for creatures I'd Like to see in the Fallout Universe. Keep in mind that I did this mostly for fun and it's probably inconsistent with existing lore.

 

YOU CAN'T HAVE FUN ON THE INTERNET HELIO! LORE IS SERIOUS BUSINESS!

 

:3

I especially like your Oriental Super Mutants idea. There could be traitorous offshoot faction called the Wangliang (after a particular variety of countryside-roaming demon believed to cause fevers) and are considered outcasts by other super mutants due to their dishonourable practices and usage of poisoned weaponry.

[Selfsurprise]

I was reading up on some recent colonial history and I got to thinking about Sierra Leone. It might be a somewhat contentious setting for a Fallout game, but when have I ever let real world sacred cows or even the franchise lore inform my decisions? :3

 

Britain isn't exactly a world superpower in the Fallout universe, but Sierra Leone's history is heavily involved with post-American revolutionary war resettlement and politics (the country's capital is named Freetown due to a founding colony created for emancipated black African Americans) and it could've theoretically happened in the franchise lore context. It isn't much of a leap to suggest that America had retroactively made an exception of the country and invested no mean measure of its commercial and military might in the nation, which quickly went to shit and resulted in numerous bastardized offshoots of the country's already fractious armed forces.

 

When the bombs fell in 2077 it was the military that had predominate access to vaults and bunkers and thus results in a "contemporary" Sierra Leonese population descended from various armed groups. Many of these grew into diverse post-apocalyptic secular/Christian/Muslim/West African tradition populations just trying to survive and thrive. The isolation however caused some of these vault descendents to become ideologically bizarre and warped, resulting in aberrant in terribly corrupted belief systems that could include strange fixations on certain forms of media, US subculture, cannibalism, violent animism, etc.

 

Sierra Leone has plenty potential for enemies, power groups, allies and factions. The aforementioned warped militant groups, rad hippos, numerous species of oversized butterflies (that might not be as aggressive as other "giant bugs" in Fallout games), Mende minority secret societies, rad-resistant Temne minority denomination of Kurumasaba worshippers, flying or otherwise mobile governmental broadcast radio-bots with a cheerful yet pedantic disposition, unusually intelligent monkeys that escaped experimental labs that mimic the warmongering behaviour and flamboyant apparel of human soldiers, multiheaded ferocious warthogs, an African wild dog equivalent of Dogmeat, a race of anthropomorphic Hyena people (who might also simultaneously be a non-to-subtle reference to the Gnolls of Dungeons & Dragons), a benevolent and powerful giant spider called Aunt Nancy, beautiful yet loathsome Tingoi monsters resembling rotting women, any number of sci-fi inflected interpretations of West African monsters and spirits.

 

Just a thought...

[Selfsurprise]

Fallout: Recife - Brazil's sixth largest city known for it's vibrant graffiti scene and unusual public art. I just think it would be interesting to see so naturally colourful a city in ruins. I'd imagine that even in a post-apocalyptic state the place would be pretty well inhabited and the locals creative as ever. And who wouldn't want there to be a faction of psychotic carnivàle raiders?