Sepherose Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 When I first heard of Ulysses I was thrilled. When Honest hearts came out, I remained thrilled. When OWB came out, I started to be concerned. I was worried that the story writers might force a specific, completely filled out background on your character, no matter if it went in direct contradiction of what you thought your character was like. A friend and I sat down and talked about potential repercussions of that and how cheated we, and others, might feel. In the end though, the full circle of that personal story was grand and didn't force much of anything on you as a player. I loved that it was simply you using The Divide as a route which you traveled along regularly that brought civilization to that area. I also loved the fact that delivering one small package is what brought it abruptly to an end. It fits perfectly with the idea of your character being a courier in my opinion. What are other users thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marharth Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 Worked out fine for me. You were already a courier, you obviously had to travel some path to get to new vegas. I don't think it forces a background anymore then the start of the game forced a background. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sepherose Posted September 23, 2011 Author Share Posted September 23, 2011 Worked out fine for me. You were already a courier, you obviously had to travel some path to get to new vegas. I don't think it forces a background anymore then the start of the game forced a background. That is exactly what I think :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rimland Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 (edited) what background? a background would be something like: you're from Hopeville, had a cousin with a mutated toe who became a member of the Slags who lent you the money for Courier School in Vault City. While visiting you during Winter Break he meets, by accident, a giant talking mole rat, who ends up giving your cousin a package because he lost a poker game. This then leads to you taking the package to the Divide as your first job. that's a background! here's my point. how about instead of a Courier, you're a lumberjack... so you cut down trees... and one day you cut a tree down and outta it came mutated butterflies which went on to reek havoc across that land by cocooning everything it their path...or a fisherman who catches a shark with lazer beams on its head which then vaporizes a city... the Courier's "background" was defined simply by their profession. not a lot of imagination put into this is what i'm saying anyways, i still love Lonesome Road but... no family? no friends? like you end up nuking your home, Courier's Mile, and um.... ? like what about friends and family? and enemies or rivals (like Butch in FO3)... ? never existed? killed because of you're delivery and you never got word? amnesia from a bullet to the head? lame ! you know what would have been cool? if Courier Mile wasn't nuked and you could go and punch your cousin in the face ! i.e. see where the Courier came from and meet people from their past or what's left and who survived for me... the REAL story of Lonesome Road was Ulysses, ED-E, Dr. Whitley, and in some ways, the Enclave more so than the Courier's back story therefore, in some ways, Lonesome Road was kinda like a big F-you to the NCR and the West. Nuked you again, as we're (bethesda) done with you because the REAL story turns out to be the focus of events in the East... Ulysses's travels in Denver, ED-Es travels through Chicago ("what's a Chicago?"), eastern enclave science projects... perhaps foreshadowing things to come? that's all i could think about while playing...so much emphasis on things in the East and not so much about the Courier's background... (see how much Bethesda's marketers are in our heads, they're brainwashing us !) the Courier is no more than a catalyst that sparks things into motion, like in real life, you get deliveries and don't know nuttin about the person but, that delivery can be a world of change. Couriers get a quick glimpse into your "house" (Ulysses, ED-E, Dr. Whitley) but they know nothing about "you" (the Courier's back story) the "house" we glimpse is the east and the east "don't give a hoot about the delivery boy" (courier's home and ostensibly his background being nuked !) so long as the package is on time Edited September 23, 2011 by Rimland Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sepherose Posted September 23, 2011 Author Share Posted September 23, 2011 I would have to disagree that it has little to do with the Courier. Ulysses decided to do what he does because of the Courier's actions. A background story, or a history, doesn't have to be fully fleshed as per your example. The Courier and Ulysses have a history together, and that premise leads to the risk of shoehorning a fleshed out story, as per your example, into the plot. I was simply stating that it was simple. Also, Ulysses tells you that a home can also be someplace you bring life to, which is what the Courier did to The Divide. It wasn't a home in the conventional sense ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minngarm Posted September 24, 2011 Share Posted September 24, 2011 Its not your home in that sense, as Ulysseys says, exact wording off im sure. Home isnt always a place your born or a place you live, but a place you breath life into. When you delievered the detonator that set off the divide, it brought forth the storm ridden sky, and the constant quakes in the ground, the tunnelers below and the marked men came about also as a result of it. You brought life into the divide, thus it is home, not that you ever lived there, or did anything but deliver a package or a few packages at or through it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marharth Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 What the above said. You didn't really do anything on purpose, but by delivering packages you opened up trade routes that in effect gave life to the area. You also delivered a device that blew up the divide. That's my understanding of it anyways. Is it ever said who gave you the package to blow up the divide? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sepherose Posted September 25, 2011 Author Share Posted September 25, 2011 What the above said. You didn't really do anything on purpose, but by delivering packages you opened up trade routes that in effect gave life to the area. You also delivered a device that blew up the divide. That's my understanding of it anyways. Is it ever said who gave you the package to blow up the divide? No it isn't stated who gave it to you... That... is a whole other questions that needs answered >.< Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minngarm Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 10 to 1 says it was a enclave agent who sent it. they would have the knowledge of it what it does and where its needed, also a huge grudge against the NCR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sepherose Posted September 30, 2011 Author Share Posted September 30, 2011 10 to 1 says it was a enclave agent who sent it. they would have the knowledge of it what it does and where its needed, also a huge grudge against the NCR. Well, they would have to be a lone wolf type considering the enclave was destroyed quite a while ago on the west coast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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