Plot for Fallout 4

[flashman63]

It is not completely intact. The sheild gave towards the end, and a couple of blasts hit the city. So while mostly intact, it is still infested by raiders, ghouls etc

 

While I respect your idea, it still isn't going to convince many of the people here that it has real merit.

 

It has real problems.

 

Why was New York given this miracle shield and not D.C? Surely the nations capital should have had this magic shield to stop the nukes instead of NY? Also, a big mostly intact city of ghouls/raiders/mutant-pokemon/whatever is just not all that interesting to be honest.

 

In addition, New Vegas [the game & the place] really trashes this idea and makes it unworkable.

 

We know that Mr House predicted roughly a dozen or so years that WWIII was coming and prepared for it. Yet even House, with all of his wealth and massive laser canon defences, failed to stop nuclear fire from raining down on Vegas. So why then did a city get this [mostly] impervious shield and succeed from getting trashed while one of the most brilliant industrialists of his time, with a head start of 12 or more years, fail to properly defend his own city?

 

In addition, if there was a mostly intact city on the eastern seaboard, perhaps there'd be some mention of it in the fallout canon. From all of the game releases going from FO 1, 2 3 plus New Vegas, FO Tactics & Brotherhood of Steel and Van Buren [which never got released but much of it's design content has been used and an loosely be considered "canon"] we never hear of any place that's survived unscathed, except New Vegas and even then it has problem. NV is seen/portrayed as the least irradiated/damaged area and that's because Mr Houses laser defences mostly worked. This is why there's so much plant life in the area compared to the capital wasteland etc.

 

I understand your desire to pursue this concept but what does it offer to the player aside from having a city to explore and have things to kill? Where is the hook, the thing that a story is based on, which will draw the players in and make them want to go right through the game? You need something that is more than just a place, you need a narrative. It needs to be thought provoking and challenging and add texture and depth and emotional content.

 

I think you need to look at building a story first before the setting. Get a good story and the rest will follow.

Question 1: Because, New York was a major site of industry and trade. It had the infrastructure to rebuild the rest of American, not to mention the millionaires living there willing to invest in the wackiest solutions to a possible Atomic War. And they didnt have much to worry about with DC- they had fair waring to get the President up in the air and to Mount Weather, and the capital was largely symbolic at that point- all desicsionss went through the Military and the Enclave at this point. And the buildings were obviously strong enough to hold there own, so the symbolism was s till there.

 

Question 2: Because the US government and the collected wealth of several executives outweighed that of the CEO of RobCo. And obviously a force field is possible, we se them in Raven Rock. So they just werent widely available to the Publc, and Mr House decided that it would take to long to aquire the tech and install it,and so he went with the cruder Laser Defense.

 

It certainly did not go unscathed. After a while the sheilds broke down, and some lower grade bombs hit in various zones- and the outside of the city is Irradiated to s***, with almost no way in or out save for sewer tunnels, infested with Ghouls and Radgators. Most trade would go through a couple of small hazardous sewers with more going to the District on boats. Remember, in Point Lookout the ferry man said he went up and down the coast- must have been something worthwhile to allow him to do it for years before the boat went to s***.

 

And story. Good question. You people have convinced me the choice was stupid in Fo3 to keep the Enclave, so what is the Narrative?

 

New York is a mess. The BoS is starting to breach in from the south, and to the North, a greedy Institute is looking upon the Jewel f the east, New York, beleiving it can purify it of Raiders, Homonculs ( masses of fused together irradiated flesh) Super mutants, ad the countless others that plaue the ot skirts and the Dead Zones within the city. But the Nomads on the Great Garbage plains, the New Italians, the Grease gunners and the most powerful New amsterdam form an impromptu Militia on the ruins of the UN. You are caught in the middle of this conflict, from the innumerable factions within New York itsself and the Townes, slang for people from the burrows, the BoS and the mysterious Institute.

[Talwyn224]

@flashman63 -

 

now that is a much better proposal which has some intriguing possibilities.

 

The Radgators are a nice idea for a new monster, tying in with the urban myth of gators in the NY sewer system.

 

I think you're on the right track with the idea of the Capital Wasteland BoS and The Institute starting to clash over territory. Obviously there needs to be more than 2 factions at odds though.

 

The shield should have only covered Manhattan island and the island is cut off. The city should be moderately damaged to show that while the shield mostly worked, once it collapsed, the city was effected by a stray low yield nuke or 2.

 

I think the real prize in NY should be knowledge. You've got university campus' there with their massive libraries plus the NY city library and museums. Then there are all the corporate offices which may hold tech that was never released etc.

 

Yet while the premise is good, what is the player doing there? Why are they needed to go into the city? Is the player a local or an outsider? Aside from the clash of major factions over the spoils that are in the city, what is the ultimate end or outcome to be achieved here? In FO3 there were a number of goals but mainly get the purifier going, defeat the enclave and save the wasteland. In New Vegas the goal is to back a faction and resolve the conflict over the Mojave. In your game-concept you need something new and different to be your plots conclusion if its going to have any chance of succeeding. I think you've got a great start here however you need to think what the story arc for the player is going to be. Where do they start, what challenges do they have to overcome, what setbacks are going to affect them, what do they hope to accomplish at the resolution of the game?

 

Once you've worked out the end, all the rest will fall into place :thumbsup:

[flashman63]

@flashman63 -

 

now that is a much better proposal which has some intriguing possibilities.

 

The Radgators are a nice idea for a new monster, tying in with the urban myth of gators in the NY sewer system.

 

I think you're on the right track with the idea of the Capital Wasteland BoS and The Institute starting to clash over territory. Obviously there needs to be more than 2 factions at odds though.

 

The shield should have only covered Manhattan island and the island is cut off. The city should be moderately damaged to show that while the shield mostly worked, once it collapsed, the city was effected by a stray low yield nuke or 2.

 

I think the real prize in NY should be knowledge. You've got university campus' there with their massive libraries plus the NY city library and museums. Then there are all the corporate offices which may hold tech that was never released etc.

 

Yet while the premise is good, what is the player doing there? Why are they needed to go into the city? Is the player a local or an outsider? Aside from the clash of major factions over the spoils that are in the city, what is the ultimate end or outcome to be achieved here? In FO3 there were a number of goals but mainly get the purifier going, defeat the enclave and save the wasteland. In New Vegas the goal is to back a faction and resolve the conflict over the Mojave. In your game-concept you need something new and different to be your plots conclusion if its going to have any chance of succeeding. I think you've got a great start here however you need to think what the story arc for the player is going to be. Where do they start, what challenges do they have to overcome, what setbacks are going to affect them, what do they hope to accomplish at the resolution of the game?

 

Once you've worked out the end, all the rest will fall into place :thumbsup:

Thank you very much. I think that the prize of the city should either have to do with A The Empire State building or a similiar version called Colombia Tower, At the top of which is the control for several Pre-War satelites, or the Generator that ran the Dome, which is still running for a purpose that will be revealed later in game...

 

Another possibility is that an Atomic Dirigible, owned by the US to go on massive bombing runs with Fatman grade atom bombs in case the Chinese ever penetrated beyond the occasional spy. This one is a little more iffy, but like a lot of people I like Dirigibles so this one appeals in some way.

 

I've thought of onecharacter persona. You're people live underground, and worship some srt of machine, which you are to keep running for all eternity. But as mechanical failures start to occur, the player can either take advantage of the situation and escape or if you are pious you volunteer to go to the surface to find parts. Both of which you have to escape through the bowels of this mysterious Vault, fighting Albinos and Radroaches (Much larger a nd Numerous in New York). Both lead to different starting points.

 

If pious, you start in side the new york subway in a station that has been sealed off from the rest of the world. The first settlement you come across is a slaver camp which enslaves traders, wanderers, and most non evily aa race of Trog like creatures that adapteed to the subway tunnels of new york but could never grow adapt back to the surface, at least in the day or outside of the dampest darkest buildings.

 

If you escape, you end up in a portal like situation where you end up in a series of offices which were never meant to be opened. You start to uncover clues about what the mysterious vault is, but as a trade off you dont learn as much anout the wastes at first. You take an escape pod, and you find yourself in a forest logcabin. You meet a kindly mister handy how rescued you and he gives you various tasks, which lead back to the main quest.

 

The game starts out as an attempt to discover what the Generator is still powering, but ends up in an all out battle for New York, or as some have taken to calling it, New Amsterdam.

[kgocb001]

Fallout: Republic Commando

 

Set about 20 years after NCR victory and anexation of Mojave/Vegas into NCR.

 

At the beginning Player is a commander of NCR rapid response unit starting inside NRC airbase (build on old Enclave base from Fallout 2). He can move around the airbase and maybe to a nearby town for R&R. The game itself would be similar to New Vegas (player character development, perks, experience, quests) but much more tactical (you build and choose your team, develop team charactes skills, issue orders on the battlefield) because apart from you, you can take up to 3 team members for mission (4 person fireteam). additionally the game would be expanded by drivable vechiles - like motorcycles, jeeps, truck and even APC (tanks were obsolete in USA due to Power Armors).

 

The strong point of Republic Commando is that to protect NCR interest you have to move a lot via Verbird - so you can have multiple locations all across Noth America - From Alaska to D.C, from Canada to Mexico, so you don't have to be tied by all the same landscape for whole game - you can visit frozen Alaska, ruined D.C, Mojave desert and Florida Swamps.

 

Early Factions:

NCR - your initial faction, albeit in some point of the game you could defect (to other faction, or become freelancer/raider) if you want. At the time of game NCR become dominant state in post-war USA. With 5 million citizens, strong military and infratructure it's aim to to unite American teritory.

(NCR) South-west BoS - with cease fire and their support in battle for Hoover Dam the BoS could once again start to operate in NCR teritory. However learning from it's past BoS had to drop it's way of protecting technology from everyone else and evolved into mix of Paramilitary and Research organization working strictly for NCR benefit.

Legion Remnants - very numerous partisant groups operating mainly on NRC occupied home Legion teritories.

Raiders - meat to shoot in order to gain respect for NRC among border towns population.

Enclave Remnants - last Enclave Remnants operating form their fortress in Alaska. However due to losses in previous game they rarely operate outside Alaska fortress due to lack of resources and fear of revealing their existence to NCR and BoS.

 

Mid Game factions:

Capital Wasteland / D.C - Due to positive events in FO3 the comunity of D.C mannaged to develop and expand over large part of eastern coast and population of almost 1 milion. Between FO3 and present time local BoS collapsed (mentioned on F:NV) and blend into the comunity. the whole state is much less solid than NCR but still pose some thread especially for eastern operations.

New Commonwealth - North USA/ South Canada, small state but very wealthy due to fertile lands, limited nuclear wastelands and very developed trade routes. would be greate addtion to NCR, but openly resist any unification atempts.

Mexico Empire (pop 8 mil) - in some way very similar to Ceaser Legion, exept there is no slavery and build based on XIX century imperial monarchy. quite large population, openly hostile to NCR. Their army is based more on numbers than quality (light infantry).

 

End Game factions:

In some point of game NCR will notice the external, far more powerful threads to it's existence. In order to survive agains them NRC must defeat/ally/annex the early/mid game faction to form reborn North America.

 

European Federation (population 100 mil) - the biggest danger to NRC and the main foe. European Commonwealth collapse in Resouces wars with Middle East long before the greate war. However that collapse was the reason why almost no bombs hit Europe in greate war. Soon after resource wars Europe collapsed into dark age anarchy and infights. this would rage for ages if not the external thread of mass influx of hungry and angry refugees from Middle East and Africa. In order to survive Europe had to stand united and it did. However once the thread was defeated Europe was still in poor condition due to lack of oil, resources, famine and most of population devolving into medieval conditions. Newly formed European Federation started to develop technologies that could compensate lack of resourses and fossil fuels like renevable energy sources, new materials, energy, syntetic fuel and fuel efficency. These technologies were finally developed and begun to be introduced to the population when the nuclear bombs fell. The exposition to radiation and FEV was minimal in Europe, because to USA and China Europe was failed state not worth to nuke (and even more both stated planed to settle in Europe as contingency plan for Nuclear war, so both USA and China were interested in minimal dammage to Europe). However nuclear winter and famine took a death toll acros Europe. Fortunately there regions that already introduced new technology mannage to survive quite intact and help other regions to survive and rebuild. 300 years after "greate winter" EF mannage to end rebuild and is now most technologicaly advance and effective state spanning over whole Europe, Greenland, Middle East and North Africa where most of it's citizens have average XX century living standard and all big cities are connected with fast railway. Some of them are even connected by airports but they are still considered to expensive for wide civilian use.

Now Main EF objective in North America (east coast):

1) secure new teritory for "second colonization"

2) secure advance pre-war military and non-military technology (like energy weapons, AI, robots, Power Armors etc.) that could secure European World domination (European high-tech is much more focused on economy and efficency than power/firepower).

3) secure all nuclear wepons that left in odrer to ensure that it cannot be used against EF (working ICBM with nuke could be a way for NCR and it's Allies to force EF away from USA)

 

European Federation forces is heavily based on elite medium infantry with exteremely effective and lightwell conventional firearms (no energy weapons) suplemmented by wide range of vechicles from LAV, APC (compensate the lack of Power Armors tech) to planes and helicopters (most deadly but also most rare due to biggest fuel consumption)

 

New Russia (population 30 mil) - rise from ashes of Soviet Union. Despite the fact that during greate war Soviet Union was neutral (with unofficial friendly relation with USA), the fallout from China, as well as very extreme nuclear winter hit Russia very hard. Now New Russia mannged to more or less recover and start to expand into old China teritory and USA west coast in seek for tech and resources. It seems that Russia is allied with Europe which confirms in fact that both powers appeared in both coasts of old USA in the same time.

The fact that in post war syberia is firmly in Russian hands means that Russians use more vechicles that other sides (like tanks that would be obsolete to USA/BoS/NCR and far to fuel hungry to EF), especially on relatively near west coast of USA and Alaska.

Main objective of Russian in USA:

- secure the alaska oil fields

- secure USA/Canada border fertile land zone

- create a large buffre zone between Alaska and the rest of USA.

- secure any useful tech and military equipment.

- (in long run) split the USA teritory between Russia and Europe.

 

looking at those objective the cooperation with Enclave Remnants to hold Alaska would be a good way to discourage Russians (especially when the have whole China/Asia for themselves).

 

South America Alliance (population 200 mil) - on paper the biggest and most powerful state on the globe. No nuclear dammage in greate war and quite soft nuclear winter gave this region a large headstart in post-war condition. Unfortunately South America was always politically unstable. Technologicaly speaking it was a dead zone and relatively soft post-war condition didn't forced any political and technological changes. When others had "greate fire", "greate winter" or "greate collapse", the South America had none of them. However global nuclear war killed South American economy that was heavily based on export. With almost no war death tool and 90% unemployment the whole continent soon descented into total anarchy far greater than even European and with no external thread the fights raged for almost 300 years and took almost 300 mil dead. Right now the situation is in fragile peace due to formation of SAA 50 years ago (SAA formed by "rich" 10% against poor 90%) but still one spark can ignite total civil war (a way for NCR to defeat them). This also force that almost all of vast SAA forces are tied in peacekkeping operation insida SAA teritory.

 

SAA sent big expaditionary force to north to scout for possible land for expantion and seek of of advance technology that SAA badly need to improove living conditions (which are on average similar to present day slums/favelas). This expedition forced Mexico Empire to press into NCR teritory (the fact unkown in the begining, but possibility to form alliance with Mexico in later game).

 

 

I think the good point of this set is that none of the main factios is definetly "good" or "bad" and each have it's reason to do what it need to do. It fits "War never changes" too.

You start as NCR to unite north America, but you can decide if you want to fight for NCR or run away in early game (like a mission where you have to kill innocent people for NCR).

If you run away you can decide to become raider/neutral or freelancer and support one of the factions.

If you decide to join the factions you can choose to either:

- unite North America (under banner of D.C, New Commonwealth or Mexico Empire)

- join invaders (European Federation, New Russia, South American Alliance).

Edited August 15, 2012 by kgocb001

[scottym23]

@scottym23 -

 

I'm glad you like the idea of starting in pre war America. I thought it'd be a great place to start as we've only seen the aftermath of the war but never what America was like before the bombs fell. This would be a unique opportunity to show case a modern town or city with all the people walking about, cars rolling by, all the tech on display, adds for Vaults on TV screens etc, plus the shadow of martial law with heavy police and military presence on the streets.

 

The player would be on an Army base but would get at least one day free to wander around the town located near the base with a 24 hour leave pass before being snap frozen. There'd be some small side quests, nothing combative but rather speech and puzzle based ones. Time would also be important as well as player would be under a constraint and can't linger for too long or there will be consequences :devil:

 

I have the opening movie sequence all planned out as well. It'd start with this track playing in the background while the title and credits roll across the screen:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CK15L55CtGc

 

The camera would pan around an army barracks at night, showing sleeping soldiers, zooming in on a calendar showing the date [ Oct.15 2077 ] and various pin up girls and propaganda posters. The camera would track slowly towards a light in the far corner of the barracks room where the player is sitting at a desk terminal, typing an email to their loved one. We don't see the face of the player initially. Then Ron Pearlman's voice cuts in with his opening narration,

 

"War... war never changes. Since the dawn of time it has always been the burden of the young to fight the wars of the old. The leaders of each society demand obedience from their youth and the youth have to make the sacrifices that their elders demand of them. Nothing has changed and it never will."

 

[then the player is allowed to determine their gender, sexual orientation, avatar look etc.] The music kicks in once more as the camera pans back to show the player busy writing a final letter to their beloved.

 

A picture of the loved one is in a photo frame showing them in a vault suit [ a shot of an person who is the preferred gender of partner for the player ] Then the lights would come on and an army drill sergeant [my dream would be to have R.Lee Ermey doing the voice acting for this role] come barging in yelling at the recruits to get out of bed and start their first day of basic training....

 

So that's the very opening scene.

 

Also in regards to you point about finding the loved one, well it is the main quest but it has a twist: they are not dead. A while back I remember reading somewhere [i can't recall where] about a concept for a vault whose purpose was to convince the occupants that they were on a space ship heading towards a planet to start a new earth. This is where the twist comes in. There is indeed such a vault and it's occupants have been alive and well for the past 200 years piloting a space ship. How I hear you ask? The Vault has the living crew which, using alien teleportation technology reversed engineered from the crashed ship at Roswell plus help from Big Mt, move back and forth between the vault that on earth and the colony ship full of colonists who are in Cryostasis. This is where the loved one is, frozen but alive. Of course it takes a lot of game time before the player can get to this stage but its one of the main plot paths of the game and major twists. The player has to find the clues in the 1st half of the game, discovering the nature and purpose of the vault in which their loved one went into as well as other vaults which had a far more sinister role. And yet there are even further twists and revelations regarding this but I'll hold them back for now.

 

I wanted to avoid having a major battle being the deciding factor or denouement of the game. It's been the case for the past 2 games so perhaps something different should be tried here instead. There was to be factions fighting on Earth, in and around where the game takes place and the player can choose to aid any of them as they see fit but that isn't going to be the prime focus of the game.

 

I also wanted to focus on some more of the super natural/horror themes like we saw with the Dunwich Building and in Point Lookout. Definitely wanted to include more monsters from H.P Lovecrafts Cthulhu mythos and perhaps that is one of the major threats facing humanity.

 

I also wanted a huge WTF moment/plot twist that would floor the player and perhaps even a 2nd one which was the result of their actions in the 1st chapter but I'm not saying anything more on that here. :devil: It'd be a special ending if certain things happen at the start, which 1st time players would be unaware of. Of course spoilers would get out eventually but I'd hope most people would avoid reading about them.

 

I will give a tiny hint. The end credits would play to this tune:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61QNNSPZ81w

 

edit:

 

I had given some more thought to your suggestion that the search for the loved one be a large but not main quest and I think I agree here now. It'll be one of the main narrative pillars that guide the player but finding the loved one is not the ultimate goal. I think instead the ultimate goal is seeing to the survival of humanity and if that's achieved by starting a "New Earth" then why not? The choice will be up to the player: go with the colonists to a alien world or stay on Earth & rebuild a shattered world. Each would have their consequences as well.

 

;)

Woah that was almost too much for me to take in at one sitting haha, had to take a bathroom break in the middle of reading that :P. But man was it worth reading, that's truly an amazing plot. I'm all for plot twists too and the small things you do in the beginning that seem like menial unimportant tasks actually having a large role in your fate is an idea I am a huge proponent for. I also wanted to say thanks so much for posting on the threads I make, you have awesome ideas on many topics and I highly respect your opinion :).

[RicardoRs199302]

I found the storyline that you created amazing, maybe you could add the enclave not as a major invading faction, but as a few runaways and survivors hiding and trying to survive, and since you're a US trooper they might be inclined to help out. On the vault subject I honestly think that the spaceship and alien planet plot are a little too much, maybe a vault where people where put into stasis with cryogenic tools and equipment is good, maybe adding a GECK to the vault and create a new land with it would be more realist within Fallout. Well, these are my 2 Cent's anyways...

[RicardoRs199302]

Oh, and as for the NY game plot, maybe there could be US military remants residing in Governor's Island, where Fort Jay is located, or maybe a small branch of the Enclave, maybe explore the remains of the Max. security prision on Riker's Island.

[trob1000]

Big things that Bethesda shouldn't do are set the game in New York, bringing back the Enclave, having a BoS group that descends from the West Coast Brotherhood. New York is too much of a cliche in games. Almost every new game is either in New York or has a mission in New York. The Enclave are pretty much gone and other than a small outpost (Chicago) or remnants. The Enclave should be at best a side faction and not a plot driver. The West Coast Brotherhood has been pretty much dead after the NCR went to war with them. The Mojave chapter was pretty weak and the East Coast can't get resupplied. Set it about year after NV or during the same year.

 

My pick would be the Pacific Northwest or San Francisco. San Francisco is geologically diverse, the Shi can be brought back, and there are North/South tensions in California now. This can be interesting because the NCR can have a competitor. Also exploiting the North/South tensions in CA. If the NCR is brought back the faction money should be used instead of caps. New Vegas introduced the other types of money and it should be used.

 

The Pacific Northwest would force the developers to create new factions. It is too far north for the current factions and would be hard to justify bringing any of them back in a major role. There could be some anti US Canadians in Vancouver. Since computers can cram large areas into a game, like Skyrim or Cyrodiil. More new factions could be a northern equivalent to the NCR and a military dictatorship, not the Brotherhood. Having these faction fighting over the future is a good combo. Seattle has industrial areas, there are rural areas and Canada. Also the northern areas will have a different climate. The lack of targets in the northwest would have made it like NV and have few nuke hits. The NCR can't be brought back because it has never been established that the NCR has land in Oregon. It has also been established that the NCR is moving south and east. If the Legion could take everything east of the NCR from AZ to WA, they could just take the NCR. The Brotherhood can't come back because of their WEAK presence is San Francisco in Fallout 2. It would be hard to justify going to Seattle ahead of SF because SF is closer and just as technologically important. Also sending an expedition after Fallout 2 wouldn't have made sense because the Brotherhood would have been having tensions with the NCR.

[ghijt]

If they should go back in time with fallout 4 before the great war and the story would involve the war before the bombs the fall of the bombs and the aftermath. that would create a new experience and would answer most of the players questions. but not all ;)

[Deleted666657User]

Don't have the enclave or brotherhood as main/opposite forces and don't repeat events of the past i.e. don't make us be a vault dweller having to leave the vault again, and remove the pip-boy from our wrist(or anywhere on the PCs body) and UI while you are at it, two times is enough. Other than that if they pick up some competent writers and take some lessons from NV(more choices in quests, no railroading like skyrim) they'll be fine. Edited August 28, 2012 by Guest