[Spoilers] Fallout 4: Worldbuilding Discussion. Need feedback for a mod I'm developing called It's A Small Wasteland.

[dantefettman]

Spoilers on this post!

Hello, everyone.

I would like to start a discussion about the worldbuilding of Fallout 4. Namely the lack of it. I am currently working on a mod that aims to add more NPC content to the game - more NPCs to interact with, more quests, etc. Think of mods like Interesting NPCs, Citizens of Tamriel, Inconsequential NPCs, etc. The name of the project is It's A Small Wasteland.

Pitch of the project:

Series of quests, activities, encounters, characters, and locations that are not only connected to vanilla game events, but to each other as well. The main goal of the project is to have this new content fit seamlessly with the world, and not feel like their own one-off additions that feel disconnected from the rest of the game. This means some quests will not be available unless certain conditions are met, with some characters only being fully interactive after completing certain quests. It will expand upon the world in smaller and bigger ways, whether it's adding a new minor faction or just adding a singular NPC to an area. The mod has no ambitious aims of editing the main quest, side quests, and NPCs. It only aims to compliment and add onto the worldspace, not change it. It's a mod that is meant to take a backseat, not be in the front row.

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Playing through the game several times, I've noticed there are a real lack of quests to play through, NPCs with meaningful interactions outside being vendors and/or quest givers, and lore that addresses a lot of the logistics and economics in the Commonwealth.

Now, I'm not necessarily talking about the main story and its factions, as that topic has been addressed aplenty by fans and modders. I personally don't want to discuss that here. What I would like to discuss about is the lack of worldbuilding for areas like Diamond City, Goodneighbor, Vault 81, Bunker Hill, etc. These areas appear to be big and complex but upon further viewing lack any real depth when it comes to lore.

So for me, one complaint I have was how there are a lack NPCs with job titles, and a lack of real businesses. So people like scrappers and architects, brothels (There is pretty much no prostitution in Fallout 4, which was a first for the series when it came out), a courier service (Though there are couriers in the game. Dead ones, at least), electricians, professional prospectors/scavengers, etc.

Basically, how are a lot of the residents in towns like Diamond City, Goodneighbor, and Bunker Hill making a living? How are they making an income. We all know there are farmers, mercenaries, doctors, merchants, caravanners and the like. However, I always felt the game just lacked a real economy in terms of lore. It felt like the basic post-apocalyptic jobs were covered and nothing else was expanded on.

So, what I'd like to ask you all is what are your opinions on the worldbuilding of Fallout 4? Where do you think it can be improved? What lore do you think should've been addressed?

Edited October 2, 2021 by dantefettman

[Zorkaz]

I mean there are caravans wandering around so there is that.

 

But I feel that are lot of trees around DC should have been cut down to be used as firewood and construction material

[Haanjo63]

You can easily see the structure at DC, Bunker Hill and Goodneighbor and how they make a living.

All of the infrastructure is there, everything is in place to give the appearance that people interact - except nobody is ever seen coming/going from those locations - except you.

Then again we saw that in Skyrim too. You never saw anyone go through the gates at any of the cities, except people who lived there.

[Zorkaz]

I always assume that a lot of infrastructure has been there. But it has been demolished after the fall of the Minutemen and the infiltration of the Institute

[Haanjo63]

By infrastructure I mean what is offered at those locations - not what buildings are there.

Place to sleep, place to eat, place to get a drink and relax, a doctor for some healing, a marketplace to buy something - etc.

They all have that, save Goodneighbor doesn't have a doctor (well they do but not the healing type) and Bunker Hill, which doesn't have a place to sleep - but since mostly caravaners come and go - they don't need that anyway - they won't be there that long.

 

When you think about it, they should have had Doc Weathers go to Goodneighbor instead of Bunker Hill, since Bunker Hill already had a healer of sorts there.

Edited October 4, 2021 by Haanjo63

[HeyYou]

By infrastructure I mean what is offered at those locations - not what buildings are there.

Place to sleep, place to eat, place to get a drink and relax, a doctor for some healing, a marketplace to buy something - etc.

They all have that, save Goodneighbor doesn't have a doctor (well they do but not the healing type) and Bunker Hill, which doesn't have a place to sleep - but since mostly caravaners come and go - they don't need that anyway - they won't be there that long.

 

When you think about it, they should have had Doc Weathers go to Goodneighbor instead of Bunker Hill, since Bunker Hill already had a healer of sorts there.

Doesn't one of the bartenders (that wants to join the railroad) rent rooms?? (Bunker Hill.)

[romalight]

Hello. the first thing i think about this new mod you want to do, is to rebuild the destroy buildings of the main city at this game. i think there is a mod that stop develop about, and the name is i think, as it was. if you want to make all the things you want and rebuild Commonwealth map, I think it would be extremely difficult because there would have to be a serious intervention in how several buildings work, as well as in how certain characters behave. That is, if they enter some buildings and how these buildings are connected to some quests.

I also believe that many here will say that intervention is generally needed in the intelligence of the game characters so that everyone works differently, something that only the game developers can change. Personally, I would like to see several things in all three maps change in terms of realism and communication, but I find it almost impossible to do. We would be talking about a situation that might not affect the main missions in the game, but would require a lot of effort to build as mod.

Well if you have the dream and the time, do it. That's all. Thanks.

[fraquar]

 

By infrastructure I mean what is offered at those locations - not what buildings are there.

Place to sleep, place to eat, place to get a drink and relax, a doctor for some healing, a marketplace to buy something - etc.

They all have that, save Goodneighbor doesn't have a doctor (well they do but not the healing type) and Bunker Hill, which doesn't have a place to sleep - but since mostly caravaners come and go - they don't need that anyway - they won't be there that long.

 

When you think about it, they should have had Doc Weathers go to Goodneighbor instead of Bunker Hill, since Bunker Hill already had a healer of sorts there.

Doesn't one of the bartenders (that wants to join the railroad) rent rooms?? (Bunker Hill.)

 

And those rooms would be where exactly?

At some point things need to coalesce - i.e. I have rooms for rent AND I have physical rooms to rent.

Which brings us back to square 1 - does what I see make any sense?

At Bunker Hill, what your are left to digest is it's a resupply /stopoff. There is no facilities for extended rest.

[HeyYou]

 

 

By infrastructure I mean what is offered at those locations - not what buildings are there.

Place to sleep, place to eat, place to get a drink and relax, a doctor for some healing, a marketplace to buy something - etc.

They all have that, save Goodneighbor doesn't have a doctor (well they do but not the healing type) and Bunker Hill, which doesn't have a place to sleep - but since mostly caravaners come and go - they don't need that anyway - they won't be there that long.

 

When you think about it, they should have had Doc Weathers go to Goodneighbor instead of Bunker Hill, since Bunker Hill already had a healer of sorts there.

Doesn't one of the bartenders (that wants to join the railroad) rent rooms?? (Bunker Hill.)

 

And those rooms would be where exactly?

At some point things need to coalesce - i.e. I have rooms for rent AND I have physical rooms to rent.

Which brings us back to square 1 - does what I see make any sense?

At Bunker Hill, what your are left to digest is it's a resupply /stopoff. There is no facilities for extended rest.

 

I don't know. My character is an insomniac, and never sleeps. :D Certainly not in a rented bed......