The Erie Stretch

[darkjediknightmare]

I have another great idea for an add-on or companion to Fallout 3: it's called "The Erie Stretch". It covers the territory along the southern shore of Lake Erie, from Toledo, Ohio to parts (if not all) of Buffalo, New York and a possible extenstion (or add-on) for Ronto (Toronto, Canada).

Whether this is developed as a full game or as an add-on, you still get to play as The Lone Wanderer od the Capital Wasteland BUT you get to bring two of your followers with you, along with everything you've accumulated (weapons, chems, food, apparel, etc.), more skills and perks are added, plus the traits from New Vegas also become part of this and the cap level is raised to 60.

You'll start with another radio signal from Wernher after (and I do mean after) you've completed The Pitt, once again asking for your help, but this time it's to tell you to meet him at Rivet City, Megaton, The Citadel, or back at the Train Tunnel to The Pitt (programmer's choice). You meet him at the requested location and you travel back to The Pitt where you originally arrive and you have to help finish digging out the buried tunnel entrance on the other end of the train yard. (I suggested The Citadel for a reason: Wernher finds out that you're a Knight in the BoS and wants to enlist their help as well using Liberty Prime's weapons to blast through the rubble, then you're on your own. It would have to take place directly after the purifier for this part to wo be used, otherwise he meets you someplace else).

You encounter more of the same creatures (Super Mutants, Ghouls, Raiders, etc., but the Super Mutants are more like the ones in FNV (intelligent, well-spoken and civilized) and Fawkes finally find a home where they "cure" him so he won't become like the others in FO3, but he will still follow you if you need him. Or, if you choose to leave him in his new home, you can find Uncle Leo and bring him to The Stretch for the same cure. Then, you can bring any other follower you've had to accompany you thru your new adventures.

You start off in Toledo where you find a small detachment of BoS Knights and Paladins searching for tech and encountering the usual fare of monsters. They find out who you are and agree to help you if you help them.

Next is Cedar Point Amusement Park (doesn't have to be called that), where you find Desmond once again looking for information that his rivals have accumulated. This time he tells you that he's on to a cure to the "ghoul condition", which is what he didn't want to discuss with you the first time. Plus a few other side quests to flesh out the area.

Next, you have Cleveland (yay!) where Fawkes' condition has progressed to the point that he's a danger to all those around him (including you). He starts by attacking you during a battle and you ask him why he did it. He says he's losing his battle with the FEV and he's becoming more like the other Super Mutants. You happen to find The Cleveland Clinic where the BoS AND The Enclave are working together (yea, I said it) on a cure for this condition. This is because a lot of them have become Super Mutants themselves, but they're like the FNV versions. Something about the area caused a different type of mutation where they became more evolved (posibly a different version of the FEV or radiation or both, or something new altogether). New side quests are also available. Consult me for these as I'm still mulling them over.

Next is Mentor, OH, which is the hub for major slave trade in The Stretch and it's your job to shut it down completely. You'll only have Dogmeat (or one of his pups if you lost him earlier) to help you at first. Then, when you think you're about to be overwhelmed, in comes the cavalry, with Fawkes and his new band of brothers leading the charge (corny? yes, clique? oh, yea. but would you rather use the BoS? maybe, but only for armor and weapons repair parts).

You continue on to Erie, PA., where this city is the new industrial hub of the midwest, where they make weapons of any kind (kind of like Gun Runners), but these are state-of-the-art. This is the most advanced part of the Wasteland you've seen yet and you find out they're a spin-off from The Institute in the Commonwealth (which I have determined should be in Boston, Massachusetts). Here you find Dr. Zimmer and once again he's looking for his missing android (Harkness), but this time after giving him a l the info you've accumulated on Harkness, you can just give him the component you received from Victoria Watts and be done with it, because do you really want for Harkness to be taken out of Rivet City. If you do give him up, you become hostile to Rivet City and you have to kill everyone there. Now, you're asking how Zimmer is in Erie, PA. Simple: he sent an android lookalike with a bodyguard to collect Harkness (A3-21) to Rivet City. In exchange for the info you've given regardless of how much you've given, you are rewarded with a new perk and new tech, an upgrade to the A3-21 Plasma Rifle.

Fianlly, you make it to Buffalo, which is the chemical manufacturer for the entire Wasteland, making Jet, Psycho, Buffout, Med-X, Mentats, Rad-X and Radaway. This is where a lot of slaves go, but only if they're the smart kind (nerds) who know how to make things like this. It plays somewhat like The Pitt, where you have to double-cross the big boss there and you gain control of the whole city by liberating them from tyranny.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. This is the most I've written in years and I still have more ideas for this. Tell me what you think.