Cyber Cowboy in the Uncanny Valley

[BadPenney]

http://www.zoomentertainment.com.au/images/entertainers/cm-cowboy-lasso.gif

 

I find it confusing when Fallout lore is portrayed as a future world that is locked in a 1950’s cultural atmosphere. There were plenty of references to 1950’s American Red hysteria and science fiction in the original Fallout alright, but also references to other times. Many of the NPCs in the first game looked like 1980’s punks, heavy metal freaks with dayglo Mohawks, GI Joes with combat accessories and Robotech warriors in power armor. References to Mad Max and William Gibson’s Neuromancer cyber cowboys are obvious too. So I’m wondering how far in the direction of cyber-punk can I take a mod and still be considered canon?

 

My mental picture of cyberspace when reading Neuromancer was like a cityscapelike of black-as-night sky, glowing roads of data, neon skyscrapers representing servers wrapped in translucent anti-hacker black ice like ablative armor that could actively pursue a hacker that tried to penetrate it and literally fry his brains if he wasn’t skilled and well equipped. I think it would be interesting to attempt to create a worldspace similar to that image in which to have a showdown with a self aware AI. Abundant glow maps and Bladerunner dark alleys would be fun if I could pull it off. Could this still be considered lore-friendly though? It seems pretty borderline to me, maybe even over the borderline. What could I do to make something like this fit in with the Fallout universe better?

[rickerhk]

Well, FO3 has the alternate reality simulation technology - TL and OA for example, and self aware AI like president Eden, so it's not too much of a stretch in my mind for something like what you describe to be credibly part of the FO3 universe. Some (very rich) pre-war people could have been using these sim-tanks for recreation (like going to a movie, except being in it). Some of them could have used the sims with the safeties off, for thrills.

[Quetzlsacatanango]

I think when they brought in the space aliens as anything more than a ha ha easter egg, it threw it wide open for pretty much anything you want to do.