Fallout: New Vegas

Fallout: New Vegas is a 2010 action role-playing game developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Bethesda Softworks. It was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. Set in the Mojave Desert 204 years after a devastating nuclear war, the player controls a courier who wakes up after being shot in the head by an unknown assailant. While tracking down their assailant, the courier becomes embroiled in a larger conflict between different governing factions vying for control of the region.

Quotes

You’ve made your last delivery, kid. Sorry you got twisted up in this scene. From where you’re kneeling, must seem like an 18-karat run of bad luck. Truth is, the game was rigged from the start.

To your untrained eyes, it may look as though mankind is making a comeback. In the NCR, you have something that resembles a nation-state. Savage as it is, in Caesar's Legion, you have an organized society. But neither of these offer a future. They're regurgitations of the past.

First, do not assume because Daniel is a missionary he is incapable of or unwilling to defend himself. Second, if you harm Daniel or any of the Sorrows or Dead Horses, I will find you. Make no mistake. God willing, you will not leave this valley. Lastly, waging war against good people is bad for the soul. This may not seem important to you now, but it's the most important thing I've said.

My coming would have saved you, set your people free in ways they cannot see. War would have tested them. Broken the weak with its violence, yet allowing the strong to arise. Violence gave you that strength, awakened you. I can see it upon your face, where two bullets left their mark.

Benny

• [Before shooting the Courier] You’ve made your last delivery, kid. Sorry you got twisted up in this scene. From where you’re kneeling, must seem like an 18-karat run of bad luck. Truth is, the game was rigged from the start.

President Aaron Kimball

• [Closing his speech at Hoover Dam] Not far from this spot, a monument stands as a tribute to the sacrifice made by those who came before us, the men and women who fulfilled the promise we made to the Desert Rangers. Its back is inscribed with the names of the troopers and rangers who carried the weight. And because they made the most noble of sacrifices, it did not break us. Four years ago, we held this dam. Four years ago, we carried the weight. Four years ago, we drew a line through the Mojave as clear as the Colorado River, a line that Caesar cannot cross. Today, you stand here with our brothers and sisters to hold that line. Today, you honor all Californians by carrying that weight. Today, you are the waves of the Pacific, pushing ever eastward. You are the sequoias rising from the Sierra Nevadas, defiant and enduring. You are the great western light of California, torchbearers in the darkness, living reminders of all that is best in our Republic. Thank you. Thank you. [To his bodyguards] Okay, let's get the fuck out of here. What the hell are you waiting for – do you think I want to get shot? Let's go.

Robert House

• To your untrained eyes, it may look as though mankind is making a comeback. In the NCR, you have something that resembles a nation-state. Savage as it is, in Caesar's Legion, you have an organized society. But neither of these offer a future. They're regurgitations of the past.

Dialogue

[Note that many lines are optional and vary widely based on player choices]

The Courier: This building is... interesting. What do you know about it?

The King: [in a distinctive accent] Near as I can tell, it was some sort of religious institution. Oh, I know it says "school" out front, but everything in here seems to be related to the worship of some guy back in the day. People used to come here to learn about him. To dress like him, move like him. To be him. If that's not worship, I don't know what is.

The Courier: Tell me about the Kings.

The King: We're different than other gangs, and not just because we dress better. We're not just a group of thugs looking for our next fight. The Kings are about an idea, you see? Where every man is free to follow his own path, do his own thing. Where every man is a king in his own right.

The Courier: So why isn't every man in Freeside in your gang?

The King: The kids love us, but the old-timers tend to shy away and keep to themselves. They probably couldn't pull off the look, anyway. As for the others, some people just plain don't respect others, and that's a no-no. If there's one thing I won't tolerate, it's lack of respect.

---

The Courier: How about I go find dear Daniel and shake the information out of him?

Joshua Graham: There are many reasons why that would be a bad idea. I will illuminate three. First, do not assume because Daniel is a missionary he is incapable of or unwilling to defend himself. Second, if you harm Daniel or any of the Sorrows or Dead Horses, I will find you. Make no mistake. God willing, you will not leave this valley. Lastly, waging war against good people is bad for the soul. This may not seem important to you now, but it's the most important thing I've said.

---

[Caesar gives his final orders to a Legion-affiliated Courier before battle]

Caesar: Lanius will be waiting for you. Your arrival will signal to him that it's time to launch the attack. As for what to expect, it's going to be the greatest battle - and victory - mankind has seen since it almost wiped itself off the face of this Earth. Tactically, it's simple - kill and kill some more. I may have a few surprises in store for the NCR, but that won't concern you.

The Courier: It will be an honor to fight for the Legion.

Caesar: Good. "In hoc signo taurus vinces." Report to Legate Lanius immediately. He'll brief you on the plan of battle. Come back victorious- or don't come back.

---

[An NCR-affiliated Courier and the Legate Lanius meet during battle]

Legate Lanius: And who are you to come before me? You bear the insignia of the Bear, yet you do not wear it as a soldier of the West wears it.

The Courier: What, Caesar giving orders beyond the grave now?

Legate Lanius: Caesar's will is the will of the Legion. And the West- all beneath the flag of the Great Bear exist to test the will of the Legion. The West shall fall as the East fell, and all the tribes that stretch to the setting sun shall bear the mark of the Legion.

The Courier: Maybe you're willing to listen to reason.

Legate Lanius: I see you fight with words, like all beneath the flag of the Bear. Let us hope your skill with weapons proves greater.

The Courer: This battle is decided, that's why I'm here.

Legate Lanius: So, you seek quarter? Terms of surrender? Our roads into NCR are hung with the bodies of those who tried to "negotiate" with us. Save your speeches. We will take the Dam and move forward until our feet crush the setting sun beneath them.

The Courier: Move forward? The Legion spent years trying to take Hoover Dam.

Legate Lanius: Hoover Dam has never seen the massed strength of the East. Only Legates such as Graham... who deserved the fire Caesar blessed him with. Now I am here, and make markers of your people as the Legion carves its way West.

The Courier: And then what of the East?

Legate Lanius: You speak in circles. What of the East? I am the East, and I will prove it this day.

The Courier: If you need all the East to crush the West...

Legate Lanius: The victory here shall be swift. Our forces shall take the dam, secure it, then build a road west on the bodies of the NCR. The East will hold. Once across the Colorado, nothing to rival Hoover Dam remains.

The Courier: Well... except Vegas.

Legate Lanius: Vegas will fall.

The Courier: Really? I hope you're not counting on the Omertas to help you.

Legate Lanius: I count on no one.

The Courier: Good, because the Omertas' plan was stopped, Vegas is as strong as ever.

Legate Lanius: A plan by Vulpes... Treachery is a weapon one should never rely on. I can only hope that the Omertas died when their treachery was exposed; to have the plan succeed only would have sullied the Legion. It does not matter. Victory shall be ours. It shall be swift, and it will be honest, purchased with blood.

The Courier: It is not the strength of the West that will slow you, it is their weakness.

Legate Lanius: Your weakness? You seek to thwart me by claiming that the Legion is too strong for you?

The Courier: NCR's weakness is it's size- it'll take your entire army to hold the West.

Legate Lanius: That does not mean we would not succeed.

The Courier: Eventually- but moving your whole army West means losing the East. You can't hold both.

Legate Lanius: [considers] The East was a hard-fought campaign. Even now, Caesar drew too much of the Legion's blood needed there for... this. Hoover Dam is but a place. I will not have it become the gravestone of the Legion, whether quickly, or slowly, as you describe, by attrition.

The Courier: There is victory in wisdom, Legate.

Legate Lanius: As for wisdom... there is wisdom in your words, Man of the West. Know that I shall return East. I shall not remain there forever. On that day, the strength of the Bear shall be tested. If the West is one day filled with ones such as you, perhaps it will be a worthy fight, indeed.

The Courier: If you feel that war matters that much, perhaps you will see differently in time.

Legate Lanius: Hnh. My coming would have saved you, set your people free in ways they cannot see. War would have tested them. Broken the weak with its violence, yet allowing the strong to arise. Violence gave you that strength, awakened you. I can see it upon your face, where two bullets left their mark. Perhaps it is unfortunate Vulpes was not here to hear your words... something tells me you would be more than his match. Until the day when our armies meet again, NCR- I shall wait for you on the battlefield.

About Fallout: New Vegas

• Brian: FNV does indeed have a Googie-style influence. We wanted to give the audience a real sense of Vegas and the time period, so we felt it was important to go that route and partially it's what anyone would expect Vegas to be. We pulled (just a little) from the 60s here and there as well, but Goog,ie is what influenced us most.

Joe: The Art Deco movement started in the early 20s, during a period when many of the eastern cities were prosperous and growing. As a result it really influenced the skylines and the design movement moved to other areas, vehicles, furniture and appliances. So in many ways it captures the optimistic 50s period for which the Fallout franchise is known for, it nicely contrasts against the dystopian wasteland.
The west coast development really expanded during the automobile revolution and so not only was it a different time period, the nuclear age, but cities where now designed for folks traveling by car rather than by foot.
Since the real strip didn't really get fully developed until the early 50s, most of the hotels where designed in the Googie architecture style, a futuristic "Meet the Jetsons" type of architecture. In older cities, buildings are the visual focal point and building signs are small in comparison and more aesthetic then functional in their purpose. On the strip, the sign is the focal point and in many cases is as big if not bigger than the building itself. With folks now moving at fast speeds it was important for casino operators to catch people's attention well in advance to lure them in.
This is what we based all of our visual designs on for the hotels, so yes the heritage of Vegas is indeed reflected in the Strip of New Vegas.

• Brian: I don't believe we ever had a problem with weapons feeling out of place. Inherently, we approached most weapons with the characteristics of the Fallout universe in mind. I remember we would occasionally find an arbitrary prop here and there that would seem too "modern", but those would quickly get dealt with. Once you have a room filled with items influenced by a 1950s era aesthetic, it's easy to spot a chair, rug or trash can that doesn't belong.
• Joe: Other times we try to tack on items to give it a more improvised look and reflect the dystopian reality of the wasteland. I'll give you an example for an old shotgun; the gun stock is cracked from being dragged around the wasteland, it has been fixed with a clothes hanger wire and to replace the cushion on the butt, a sandal has been fastened to it and holding the grip onto the barrel is a screw clamp. This mix and max of odd parts, as well as the history, add the right ingredients to make it fit in a world where nothing is pristine.

• Art director Joe Sanabria and lead concept artist Brian Menze, Fallout: New Vegas Interview, by Brother Non, Game Banshee (November 3, 2010)