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The best part of Fallout: New Vegas

jdinatale

Cipher
Joined
Sep 28, 2013
Messages
422
The supposedly "wild west" mostly existed as series of loose cities and territories that tried to impose local business owned government in lieu of the real thing due to historical circumstance and a young democracies lack of interest in the west until later in the century. You might say that the territory between the NCR's reverse manifest destiny eastward and the Legion's burgeoning Pax Romana reflects the same historical circumstance in an entirely different setting but with the people between the two states serving a similar function and having the same attitude of those in the wild west.

The denizens of New Vegas in the smaller towns and areas are weary of both of the bigger super powers encroaching on their territory and want to be left alone. Much like the the romantic west they want to hold on to a fleeting lifestyle between the wars that they know will end but they're too attached to anyway to not want to keep.

If you can take a hint and see past a few jokes you may have noticed earlier that I stated the circumstances of the game reflect the current circumstances of modern day times. Corrupt Democracies in the west face fanatical regimes in the Mideast in wars over resources while speculators and opportunists like Mr. House Reap all the benefits.

Well while I do think that allegorical situation is their intended one, one can also say the circumstance between the warring factions reflect those of other conflicts like seeing things through the western setting, Cowboys and Indians. Obviously I don't mean that interpretation to be taken literally or even as the correct one, but merely to be seen as a possibility given the dense nature of the themes and the setting. This possible interpretation is reinforced slightly by an expansion Honest Hearts, but more on that later.

Many of the quests and characters outside Vegas and one of the expansions I will talk about later are dedicated to the western themes and flavor the game tries to convey. That is to say it not merely tacked on to make you feel like a Clint-Eastwood style action star in the west. They thought about these themes what similarities they might have to the world they were creating and tried to lay them out accordingly.

You may have asked yourself while playing this game why are there Roman cosplayers in my post-apocalyptic nuclear role playing game? The answer is easy when you consider the allegory above as New Vegas being a stand in for among other things middle eastern foibles. It was called the "Near East" in Roman times, but it ended their eastward expansion and caused problems that reverberated throughout the rest of the empire. Rome was a plunder and intimidate empire, their economy relied on plunder and constant expansion to keep the cash flow and resources needed to maintain its large size and relative prestige. This means that when they lost the various skirmishes in the mid east their options for plundering other states and empires large enough to be useful to them in terms of resource gain and wealth became rather short dooming the the economy to implode inward among a sea of other problems.

What this all means in terms of the game is that NCR and Legion may seem different on the surface but their problems and faults mirror each other in certain historical lights and circumstances. The NCR's corrupt democracy is reminiscent of our own and the US's economy built on constant expansion is not just modeled on the Roman one of plundering resources at home and abroad but we also force countries to buy our products and use our currency. The US's empire also feels compelled to secure the middle east for resource gain and as a tactical fortress to further military excursions throughout other parts of the world. The point is the two factions are mirrored opposition empires who might fall due to a desert quagmire over resource distribution.

All of this historical context is again used not just to make the game seem more "heady" but was actively used in constructing the world and characters the games constituent parts rely on.
 

aeroaeko

Learned
Joined
Oct 19, 2018
Messages
159
is there a game like new vegas thats just as fun with branching story lines / factions?
 

Swigen

Arbiter
Joined
Dec 15, 2018
Messages
1,014
is there a game like new vegas thats just as fun with branching story lines / factions?

Yeah! ELEX! You know about this game? Lemme tell you about this gaem. This game has it all, factions, storylines, c&c and I haven’t even mentioned the settings yet! You know about the settings? Lemme tell you about the settings. There are forest settings, snowy settings and even a desert wasteland setting, but that’s not even the best part! The best part is the jet pack! That’s right, straight from the get-go you have access to a jet pack! After you use the jet pack you’ll wonder why every gaem doesn’t have a jet pack! Check it out, you won’t regret it.
 

Infinitron

I post news
Staff Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2011
Messages
97,228
Codex Year of the Donut Serpent in the Staglands Dead State Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Wasteland 2 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 A Beautifully Desolate Campaign Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Pathfinder: Kingmaker Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture I helped put crap in Monomyth
The supposedly "wild west" mostly existed as series of loose cities and territories that tried to impose local business owned government in lieu of the real thing due to historical circumstance and a young democracies lack of interest in the west until later in the century. You might say that the territory between the NCR's reverse manifest destiny eastward and the Legion's burgeoning Pax Romana reflects the same historical circumstance in an entirely different setting but with the people between the two states serving a similar function and having the same attitude of those in the wild west.

The denizens of New Vegas in the smaller towns and areas are weary of both of the bigger super powers encroaching on their territory and want to be left alone. Much like the the romantic west they want to hold on to a fleeting lifestyle between the wars that they know will end but they're too attached to anyway to not want to keep.

If you can take a hint and see past a few jokes you may have noticed earlier that I stated the circumstances of the game reflect the current circumstances of modern day times. Corrupt Democracies in the west face fanatical regimes in the Mideast in wars over resources while speculators and opportunists like Mr. House Reap all the benefits.

Well while I do think that allegorical situation is their intended one, one can also say the circumstance between the warring factions reflect those of other conflicts like seeing things through the western setting, Cowboys and Indians. Obviously I don't mean that interpretation to be taken literally or even as the correct one, but merely to be seen as a possibility given the dense nature of the themes and the setting. This possible interpretation is reinforced slightly by an expansion Honest Hearts, but more on that later.

Many of the quests and characters outside Vegas and one of the expansions I will talk about later are dedicated to the western themes and flavor the game tries to convey. That is to say it not merely tacked on to make you feel like a Clint-Eastwood style action star in the west. They thought about these themes what similarities they might have to the world they were creating and tried to lay them out accordingly.

You may have asked yourself while playing this game why are there Roman cosplayers in my post-apocalyptic nuclear role playing game? The answer is easy when you consider the allegory above as New Vegas being a stand in for among other things middle eastern foibles. It was called the "Near East" in Roman times, but it ended their eastward expansion and caused problems that reverberated throughout the rest of the empire. Rome was a plunder and intimidate empire, their economy relied on plunder and constant expansion to keep the cash flow and resources needed to maintain its large size and relative prestige. This means that when they lost the various skirmishes in the mid east their options for plundering other states and empires large enough to be useful to them in terms of resource gain and wealth became rather short dooming the the economy to implode inward among a sea of other problems.

What this all means in terms of the game is that NCR and Legion may seem different on the surface but their problems and faults mirror each other in certain historical lights and circumstances. The NCR's corrupt democracy is reminiscent of our own and the US's economy built on constant expansion is not just modeled on the Roman one of plundering resources at home and abroad but we also force countries to buy our products and use our currency. The US's empire also feels compelled to secure the middle east for resource gain and as a tactical fortress to further military excursions throughout other parts of the world. The point is the two factions are mirrored opposition empires who might fall due to a desert quagmire over resource distribution.

All of this historical context is again used not just to make the game seem more "heady" but was actively used in constructing the world and characters the games constituent parts rely on.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/916373-pc/77623909 :hmmm:
 

Trashos

Arcane
Joined
Dec 28, 2015
Messages
3,413
OK, the analysis in the OP is confusing. If the point is that in New Vegas we see Western Civilization against itself (modern Western Civilization vs Roman Western Civilization) then I will half agree (I would agree more if Obsidian hadn't fucked up the Legion beyond recognition). But it is not clear that this is the point being made.

I do agree that New Vegas/Hoover Dam may correspond to the Near East. Good catch.
 

DalekFlay

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Oct 5, 2010
Messages
14,118
Location
New Vegas
OK, the analysis in the OP is confusing. If the point is that in New Vegas we see Western Civilization against itself (modern Western Civilization vs Roman Western Civilization) then I will half agree (I would agree more if Obsidian hadn't fucked up the Legion beyond recognition). But it is not clear that this is the point being made.

His post is kind of rambling but I think the point is that the core of the Western genre in movies and whatnot is very Libertarian, people just trying to live their lives without big government or company coming in and telling them what to do. New Vegas has that same spirit and vibe, despite it's lead designer being a commie.
 

laclongquan

Arcane
Joined
Jan 10, 2007
Messages
1,870,144
Location
Searching for my kidnapped sister
Bitch please~

The small communities always want to be left alone until bandits raid. And Legion is nothing but the strongest, most thorough pack of bandits: loot all, sell the survivors, crucifice the resisters. Atleast with the small bandits they leave the peeps alive to work for the next harvest.
 

DalekFlay

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Oct 5, 2010
Messages
14,118
Location
New Vegas
Oh I agree, in real life I think it's a balance. But there's no question the Western genre is very Libertarian leaning, and that New Vegas has a bit of that vibe. But you're right, it also shows the consequences. Another reason it's a great game. +M
 

Lurker47

Savant
Joined
Jul 30, 2017
Messages
721
Location
Texas
OK, the analysis in the OP is confusing. If the point is that in New Vegas we see Western Civilization against itself (modern Western Civilization vs Roman Western Civilization) then I will half agree (I would agree more if Obsidian hadn't fucked up the Legion beyond recognition). But it is not clear that this is the point being made.

His post is kind of rambling but I think the point is that the core of the Western genre in movies and whatnot is very Libertarian, people just trying to live their lives without big government or company coming in and telling them what to do. New Vegas has that same spirit and vibe, despite it's lead designer being a commie.
Oh I agree, in real life I think it's a balance. But there's no question the Western genre is very Libertarian leaning, and that New Vegas has a bit of that vibe. But you're right, it also shows the consequences. Another reason it's a great game. +M
Libertarian media is the best media. +M
 

Jack Of Owls

Arcane
Joined
May 23, 2014
Messages
4,270
Location
Massachusettes
I don't know what the best part of FNV was was but the most memorable part for me was entering Mr. House's preservation chamber and killing him. Why did I kill him? Because he was there! Most people who played the game probably never saw this because it requires a certain drastic choice and consequence.
 

Tse Tse Fly

Savant
Joined
Dec 26, 2017
Messages
622
N8XvABv.jpg

The worst part of Fallout New Vegas
 

Jack Of Owls

Arcane
Joined
May 23, 2014
Messages
4,270
Location
Massachusettes
I liked both of them (Fallout 3 & New Vegas). My childhood affinity for robots was just too strong for me not to have loved Fallout 3 despite it being a 1st Person Shooter/adventure game hybrid with pretensions to being an RPG rather than a real RPG.
 

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