Let's Play Fallout HoI 2: The TRUE Brotherhood of Steel

[Vaarna_Aarne]

Vault City is a very powerful faction in the West, since they have good tech teams and over 60 Industrial Capacity.

 

[anus_pounder]

It probably goes without saying, but what about the NCR?

 

[eklektyk]

Nice. Kill'em all twolegged vault dwellers!

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

It probably goes without saying, but what about the NCR?

I guess it's on the same level. BoS has 10 more IC and a few brigades of Power Armour troops (probably two Powered Scout brigades, like the Enclave), but they have only a single province surrounded on all sides and limited manpower.

As far as I can tell, the six major powers of the West Coast (NCR, BoS, Shi Empire, Arroyo, Enclave and Vault City) are roughly on even footing with some different types of advantages (ie, Enclave has a very good position for expansion, since they can take out an entire major faction through a tiny border (Arroyo). Enclave has the disadvantage of having to make immense preparation for 1945 though, since they will end up having a lot of enemies all around them at that point if they stop at taking Arroyo (or even if they don't take Arroyo, which is pretty stupid).

East Coast always seems to go down between Dark Cathedral, Manitou Tribes and the Mutant Army. RCC rarely does anything, Spiders cannot into winning their first war, the FUSA gets buttraped by the civil war 90% of the time and Caesar's Legion and God's Republic of Texas (though in my redux of the Enclave campaign, Caesar's Legion almost became a power by nearly defeating the Manitou Tribes who were also at war with Texas, but then Kansas buttfucked them only to be buttfucked by the Mutant Army) get buttraped by Manitou Tribes (who are for some reason really good at kicking ass despite being minor).

Anyway, completely finished conquering the Kwa, Canada and Middle-America as the Enclave. Gotta say, after I beat the alliance of Vault City, New Reno, Den, Robot Nation and West BoS, it was easy sailing (with the exception of the Mutant Army managing to put up a fight on a few occasions). Next I'm going to finish my Mutant Army campaign, and then start as either Necropolis or Reservation.

 

[Yeesh]

 

[Infantryman]

Enclave has the disadvantage of having to make immense preparation for 1945 though, since they will end up having a lot of enemies all around them at that point if they stop at taking Arroyo (or even if they don't take Arroyo, which is pretty stupid).

What happens in 1945?

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

Enclave has the disadvantage of having to make immense preparation for 1945 though, since they will end up having a lot of enemies all around them at that point if they stop at taking Arroyo (or even if they don't take Arroyo, which is pretty stupid).

What happens in 1945?

Just watch the LP.

 

[Cassidy]

New Arroyo also can easily ally with both the Shi Empire and NCR, together with weaker neighbors too like Redding, Broken Hills and Pioneer Alliance(Klamath and Modoc), making a very strong bloc more than capable of defeating Enclave together, but the AI obviously doesn't take advantage of such detail. I tried playing with New Arroyo first, and did exactly this. Lets say that by endgame New Arroyo annexed all hostile countries to it, had 90% of North and Central America under either its or allies control and just made an alliance with the BROtherhood of Diversity. In other words the game was won already.

Also Former USA is much more powerful than what the inept handling of it by the AI suggests. I've played with it and crushing the Dark Cathedral was not really difficult thanks to the fact they start with a single armored division, and most units in early game have 0 hard attack and much lower Org. than the few armors. And Caesar's Legion quickly fell afterwards too.

(probably two Powered Scout brigades, like the Enclave)

They actually start with two Powered Marines batallions capped at 40 maximum strength, that are much stronger than powered scouts. Also, speaking about powered marines, one of the coolest attachments to units are actual jetpacks in late game.

The very late game implies the beginning of an actual reconstruction of a futuristic civilization with eventually power armors becoming standard body armor for the armies and the restart of a proper industrial society and thus would no longer feel like Fallout in style, but more like, say, the Earth 2140 RTS which happens in a post-nuclear world, but one where highly advanced technology and major powers still exist.

=============================

One war to define the future of the Wastelands

The enemy shall have no peace. Rock Springs shall be retaken at any cost, and then, as soon as this brutal war of attrition for it is over, everything will be ready for subjugating these vile Vault City scums. The glory of the Hivemind will know no boundaries.

The army continues to grow exponentionally, and although the war has reached a stalemate, sooner or later Winter shall be over, and things will then definitively turn in favor of the Under-Nation. The enemy shall never have peace, dignity or sovereignty again.

They fight bravely to ensure their victory shall be worth, but unfortunately they are too exhausted by the cold to succeed, and thus Vault City once agains succeed at advancing against Rock Springs, and once again everything will start over again.

Suffering heavy losses, their ambitions crushed and Anaconda lost, Vault City desperatedly begged for peace, attempting to solve their issues with the rats through diplomacy after attacking them without any real justification. There was fear in the eyes of the diplomat who made the offer, eyes which know are part of a creepy collection of body parts the Founder mantains to remind himself of those who were conquered.

Unfortunately the Ghouls of Gecko once again have dared to rise against the Hivemind. They shall pay dearly, very dearly for this. The executioners and torturers along the Under-Nation were having new ideas to implement, to make examples of. They would make a new form of torture by using the Forced Evolutionary Virus to transform ghouls into organic trees and torture them at their new, miserable existence.

Where did I see this before again?

Slowly the reintroduction of scavenged pre-war and new technologies were turning the military of the Under-Nation into an equal to the militaries of the early 21st century. Proper equipment for soldiers was already being researched, and soon the glorious army would deserve being called a professional military force proper, equipped with real uniforms and body armor instead of how it currently looks like. It is ironic that the rats are forced to use men as their puppets, unable to conquer on their own. Meanwhile, Pinky and Brain began to research the introduction and adaptation of Pre War computers for rats to use.

The year of 2249 begins with a second offensive against the Vault City occupation of Rock Springs, to show them that the will not give up until Vault City falls and Lynette becomes their bitch. It was a matter of honor to destroy Vault City and subjugate their self-centered citizens. Once again Vault City strategists foolishly send too few of their men to hold Rock Springs.

And another thing happens in this new year together with a new victorious advance against Rock Springs, which may not succeed at holding it, however. The Rat Council becomes stronger through the purest form of natural selection. The strongest and smartest, as always, prevail. The rats grow smarter with every new generation, and this may be the beginning of a new age in Earth, an age where Dinosaurs and humans will be alike and a new species shall rule the world.

In their foolishness to declare war against Caesar's Legion while fighting the God Republic of Texas, the Tribals of the southeast Kwanzania are finally subjugated by the forces of kingcomrade and the Trannies of Battle under the leadership of Kaiserin and forced to convert to their fanatical and fundamentalist Church. The God Republic of Texas thus becomes a major power(Now I think I should have included it in the poll as the "kingcomrade" option, but then it would be too predictable the result of the poll).

The highly intelligent but physically frail and mostly blind rat that the Founder has chosen to secretly protect and support becomes a great genius within the Under-Nation. Known as cross-eyes, he learns of new methods to drastically raise the life expectancy of rats and manboons alike, becoming a very valuable asset which shall soon begin to research advanced medicinal technologies.

Tired of the boasting from the remnants of the Enclave in Navarro and Alaska, the Shi Empire decides to take actions to crush what they consider right now to be the greatest threat to their sovereignty. Kwanzania has never seen wars waged at such scaled within its territory since the Amerikwan Civil War times, wars that shall definitively have a major involvement in defining the future of this land.

The feral and brain-eating ghouls never were completely defeated. Only driven back, but their legions proved too formidable to be properly exterminated by the existing wasteland armies. Even the BROtherhood of Diversity was having difficulties against such a foe, in spite of their access to advanced technologies. The region around the post-ITZ Cleveland once again hosted another ITZ as it was taken over by the Zombie ITZ.

Meanwhile, acknowledging the threat of the theocratic power next to them that viewed them as heathens and scum of the Earth to be cleansed with blessed fires and burned at stakes, the slavers of Caesar's Legion decided to preemptively declare war against the God Republic of Texas in wake of their recent conquest of the Manitou Tribes.

It is the 23rd Century, and in the Grim Darkness of the Wastelands, there is only War. War never Changes.

Separated by distance and ideology from the main Brotherhood forces, the minority was free to forge a new BROtherhood of Steel, one that reflected the ideals they strived for all along. However, one's future in the Wasteland is never certain, for a New Power has awakened, also bent on making this land its own.

Life in the Brotherhood is about to change...

 

[Yeesh]

 

[Infantryman]

Are you finished with Vault City yet? War on two fronts might be quite a challenge, especially with such an enemy.

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

You've got a lot of manpower. How come you don't have a garrison in each of your provinces to free up regulars for battle?

 

[Cassidy]

You've got a lot of manpower. How come you don't have a garrison in each of your provinces to free up regulars for battle?

Because they can't be ever used to back up existing offensives at the expense of sacrificing internal security from marauders and thus are way too inflexible. I don't like garrissons, specially because in this mod as it takes a long time for strategic redeployment to become available. Had I used Garrissons I'd have nothing available to attack the other Brotherhood of Steel(besides Mutant expeditionary forces), for example. Also IC is already being mostly used for regular forces construction.

Are you finished with Vault City yet? War on two fronts might be quite a challenge, especially with such an enemy.

Not really. The poor infrastructure of most provinces(as expected from a post-nuclear wasteland) tends to work in favor of defenders because most times the attackers will be completely exhausted of organization by the time they arrive, but in any case it's not impossible to secure Rock Springs, it'll just be costly.

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

Finished my Super Mutant campaign, didn't bother with full conquest this time (and I got a crash while saving anyway).

Seriously, the Hero Companions attachment is OP as fuck.

 

[LusciousPear]

I have nothing but for this LP.

 

[exe]

This LP made me check out the mod

Started a game as the Robo Nation, I have a weakness for killbots :D I'm having like 30+ IC in supplies at the end of 36, 2/3 of that is to trade for ressources for my factories I had to annex your rats right away (before they could build more units, I could only build garrisons) since I was in dire need of rares.

Unfortunaly I have only seen to two or three robo faction-specific starting events so far. Hope there will be some, but I doubt it, since I only have 3 robo leaders, the rest are vanilla japanase

I play with counters, but I guess there are no new flags for the factions?

The only problem so far was with the marauder spawning in the wastelands. I had to pause and fullcontrol everytime so I could stop the AI from attacking them imediately before they could take over the province.

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

This LP made me check out the mod

Started a game as the Robo Nation, I have a weakness for killbots :D I'm having like 30+ IC in supplies at the end of 36, 2/3 of that is to trade for ressources for my factories I had to annex your rats right away (before they could build more units, I could only build garrisons) since I was in dire need of rares.

Unfortunaly I have only seen to two or three robo faction-specific starting events so far. Hope there will be some, but I doubt it, since I only have 3 robo leaders, the rest are vanilla japanase

I play with counters, but I guess there are no new flags for the factions?

The only problem so far was with the marauder spawning in the wastelands. I had to pause and fullcontrol everytime so I could stop the AI from attacking them imediately before they could take over the province.

The Japanese leaders are there for robots because you didn't delete all files in the vanilla leaders folder. The nations in the mod use vanilla tags, so you end up with Italian leaders added to West BoS, British leaders for Enclave, etc, etc.

Resources for almost everyone are in the "almost enough" category without tech advance. My Mutant Army never had full positive resource flow. Meanwhile, due to the good conquest path to South straight to Gecko, Redding, Pioneer Alliance and Arroyo, along with their excellent base resources, Enclave had an overwhelming amount of resources.

All factions have their own flags and new sprites (from Tactics), but not new counters. Personally, I changed Enclave sprites to BoS sprites, since it looked silly to see them stroll around like commoners.

 

[Cassidy]

Having to race with neighbors to secure again or seize land from Marauders is part of this mod specific land-grabbing mechanics, cheating to bypass it is



Now the beginning of the real deal.

====================

All quiet in the Eastern Front.

Two details worked in favor of the Hivemind. First the Mutants willingness to trust much their forces to the command of the Under-Nation, and second the presence of pacification forces in the eastern border, that now were being redeployed to begin military operations with the goal of at least halting the threat the Brotherhood represents.

Fighting against the hordes of ITZ, the Brotherhood of Diversity seemingly was caught unprepared for what was coming, and many of their border territories lied undefended. Immediately mutant and Under-Nation forces began to move to take this opportunity while it existed.

Cross-Eyes begins to research advanced medicine, in the hopes that in the future super-soldiers might yet be raised through his expertise and research, which was his ultimate plan, to pay back fully to the Founder for the fact he protected him when he was frail and vulnerable.

A bunch of shit, hastily recruited tribals were sent to a pointless defense of Cedar Rapids, one that would change nothing. For now the forces of the
"Pact of Monsters"(as propaganda would call this unholy alliance between the Under-Nation and the Remnants of the Master Army) were pushing the BROtherhood and winning, as they wondered why the full might of the Brotherhood was not right there.

The Second Rat Council also becomes in their first research project with the goal of improving night combat tactics and equipment for the armies of the Hivemind, while news arrive of the New California Republic declaring war against Mexican illegal immigrants Raiders. Meanwhile, the development of Mechanized attack tactics will be a major boost to the war capabilities of the Under-Nation. And then a new offensive was about to begin against Rock Springs, just as the snow melted.

Victories after victories happen, as strangely the Brotherhood continues to underestimate the threat right over their borders and sending meager defense forces at best, compared to what they are presumed to possess in regards to military might.

As more reports came of an incident that always happened one way or another, there was an important day the Founder wondered... "how will I continue to rule the world forever, if these manboons are growing more and more suicidal? Eventually there will be nowhere else to buy new slaves from because I'll rule everything, but then they will kill themselves and our empire shall crumble? No, I cannot allow this, even if I must disappoint those who find the suffering of humans amusing rather than irrelevant among us."

And he enacted ways of making the life of the human slaves just a little less horrible than it has been lately, seeing no other alternative in the long term, slowly increasing the length of the leash, until they can be fooled the horrors are over. Causing suffering just for the sake of it was stupid, and he knew it. If a situation came where improving the living conditions of the manboons would be beneficial to his plans, of course he'd do it.

Meanwhile more heads of rebelling rats rolled as they tried to push themselves as more important than the Founder.

Just as a new advance was about to reach Rock Springs, an abortive assault was launched Boise. The enemies were too numberful there, proving that this war with Vault City may be very tough, in the end. Yet they shall win, one way or another, they will.

The BROtherhood of Diversity lost Cedar Rapids, and soon would lose another one, however, after crushing at last the undead menace in Cleveland, the bulk of their forces began to head for this front. Things would become more difficult soon.

And thus the strategic situation of this major conflict as of now. The war against Vault City stagnated, but perhaps this time Rock Springs will be successfully secured for many of the forces about to reach it were in good organization to hold it off properly against the counter-attack. Meanwhile, the Super-Mutants just seized more territory from the BROtherhood and isolated part of their forces in a single province.

Along the edges of the Under-Nation, new borders were established with the God Republic of Texas, New Arroyo, Redding, they mysterious God-Machine that still did nothing, but whose mighty robotic legions were growingly closer to the borders every day and the savage Warriors of Ice, mutated man-eating beings that are even less human than Supermutants, extremely cruel and brutal.

Thus it began.

 

[anus_pounder]

Inspired me to start playing as New Reno.

 

[exe]

The Japanese leaders are there for robots because you didn't delete all files in the vanilla leaders folder. The nations in the mod use vanilla tags, so you end up with Italian leaders added to West BoS, British leaders for Enclave, etc, etc.

I didn't read anything about that in the readme. Any other files to delete?
But on the other hand, the robot faction only has 3 leaders, which isn't even enough for the starting units :/

Having to race with neighbors to secure again or seize land from Marauders is part of this mod specific land-grabbing mechanics, cheating to bypass it is

That's not what I meant. The antipartisan duty-order makes units attack adjacent spawning marauders immediately. That way they can't turn the wasteland into marauder territory and the AI faction can't expand properly.
I still have to race with the AI for territory.


Can't wait to see Power Armor in action, they have ridiculous firepower :D

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

Robots get more leaders as the years go by through events, I think. They start off with a few, since they have the natural advantage of low softness.

 

[LusciousPear]

Currently awaiting ITZ.

 

[Jick Magger]

DL'd the mod myself yesterday and began playing as the NCR. Thus far I've set up one big alliance with the Shi Empire, New Arroyo, The Pioneer Alliance, Redding, and believe it or not, the West BOS.
So far the game's just been made up of trying to avoid pissing the BOS off (because once they're mad they'll steamroll through your territory like a hot knife through butter, and they're way too well dug in to the Mojave for an invasion early in the game), and annexing surrounding territories (Mostly taken from the Hub, Mexican Raiders, and Necropolis).
So yeah, I'm assuming NCR is easy mode.

 

[anus_pounder]

Not to derail the topic, but is there any other good mod for HoI2 apart from this and Kaiserriech? .

EDIT: Is there any point to human soldiers if Ghouls are available to you? If I'm reading the stats right, ghouls have better organization and morale along with superior toughness.

 

[oscar]

Really playing any halfway major power when you properly learn the mechanics in HoI is a "I win" button (same with most Paradox games really). The AI is just no way near as efficient as you.

 

[anus_pounder]

Holy shit. 1944, shit just got real. Please continue the LP.