Themes in the Fallout series

	Rewrite or review needed (Additional references and encyclopedic tone required) The contents below require additional review. Information included may not meet Nukapedia's quality standards and may require rewriting, reorganizing, or adding references for unsourced claims.

In the Fallout series, there are many shared themes among many of the canonical games among their plots, location settings, and other game content.

Shared themes[]

War Never Changes[]

Fallout proposes the idea that no matter how much society and culture changes, war is a fact of life for humanity and is doomed to violence in all its forms. From some of the most prosperous to the most starved peoples, different cultures and groups will still go to war for anything; from petroleum to water, or land to ideologies, cultures will find their reasons to wage war.^[1]

Survival and society[]

No matter how or no matter the cost, people find their ways to survive. Whether it's through farming near desert-like land, scavenging the Old World, or taking what they need from others by force, people find their ways to survive. Humanity, despite having the worst thrown at it and even being toppled from the top of the food chain for a time, will survive the Great War. An emphasis in several games is also put on the food and water needed by people to survive and the difficulty in acquiring these resources after an apocalypse.^[2]

Recreating the New World in the image of the Old[]

History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce. Near every single faction has taken influence from previous cultures at various points in human history. In Fallout, culture has heavily regressed and taken on characteristics of long-dead, archaic cultures. Even one of the most technologically advanced cultures has modeled themselves after the knights of yore. Other distinctly regressed cultures are that of the town of Shady Sands, which aesthetically appears to be taking from ancient Levant culture, but their religion, Dharma, also takes from Buddhism. Even raider groups have modeled themselves after old cultures, such as the Khans which live the lifestyle of Mongol warriors. This theme is continued in most Fallouts with either recurring factions or new factions and locations, such as the New California Republic basing themselves off the long fallen United States, the Enclave which claims to be the descendants of the United States government from before the war, and Caesar's Legion which was modeled from the Roman Empire to just name a few. More often than not, the facade presented is a shallow one that picks and chooses the elements that best suit the new world, or at worst completely miss understands the culture being emulated.

However, there are also twists on this theme, such as Vault City, which on the surface could be seen as the perfectly realized retro-future sci-fi town imagined pre-war but falls into the same traps of the of pre-war modern society with rampant xenophobia, corruption, and bureaucracy. New Vegas also embodies this, with Robert House utilizing his knowledge of the Old World in order to fashion a semi-new one.

The greater good[]

Many characters in the series often engage in what could be considered ethically immoral actions for the greater good of humanity.

Fallout and Fallout 2[]

Given the short release window between Fallout and Fallout 2, it is not hard to see that the first two Fallouts tread similar ground. While Fallout laid much of the groundwork noted above, Fallout 2 expanded upon those themes and, at times, twisted those same themes into something entirely new.

Post-Post-Apocalypse[]

A term coined by Chris Avellone to describe the Fallout series, Fallout and Fallout 2 look beyond a society that is still suffering from the apocalypse of long ago, instead focusing on what has risen beyond it, and the success stories of those outside the Vaults. Some societies thrived, such as the growth of Shady Sands from a Vault 15 remnants settlement, into the New California Republic. Other stories feature the revitalization of cultures of different kinds, some good, some bad, from the Followers of the Apocalypse providing knowledge and culture, to New Reno's crime families investing in some area of the Old World, whether it's dealing with the Enclave, to the drug trade resurgence in the form of Jet. Minor groups can also be seen embracing their own societal progression, like the Khans, Shi, or Hubologists.

Fallout 3[]

Paranoia[]

Paranoia was, and still is, an ever-present feeling of the Old World American public, and wastelanders 200 years later. From the Chinese to the Enclave, suspicious characters and natures have taken their toll on the world.

Ethics and morality[]

Arguably the game with the biggest emphasis on the Karma system, Fallout 3 deeply examines what it means to be moral in the post-apocalypse. Throughout the game, one's morals are questioned in many of the major quests. Should Harold be put out of his misery or be kept alive and in unending pain, so he can bring plant life back to the Capital Wasteland?^[3] Should the people at Vault 112 who are under the thumb of Stanislaus Braun be put out of their misery or left as his playing things?^[4] Quests also subvert the morality of the path taken, such as the Tenpenny Tower quest in which the ending that requires the most work ends unexpectedly in the complete massacre of all human residents. Many of the quests simply test the morality of the player character by judging what they choose in a quest and how morally they behave.

The actions of The Lone Wanderer come to a head during both the midpoint of meeting up with James at Project Purity, where the current karma standing is evaluated approvingly with good karma or disapprovingly with bad karma, and at the very end of the game where the current karma standing directly affects the ending.

Sacrifice[]

The other narrative theme in Fallout 3 that is ever present is sacrifice. "But it was not until the end of this long road, that the Lone Wanderer learned of the true meaning of that greatest of virtues - sacrifice. Stepping into the irradiated control chamber of Project Purity, the child followed the example of the father sacrificing life itself for the greater good of mankind." The Lone Wanderer sacrifices himself/herself for the benefit of mankind, while Lyons sacrifices the old goals of the Brotherhood for new ideas that benefit the Capital Wasteland and not just the Brotherhood's greed.

Fallout: New Vegas[]

The two primary themes during the initial development of Fallout: New Vegas were "greed as a savage force" and "rigging the game."^[5][6] As development progressed, the new theme "Living in the past or embracing the future" was identified and became prominent in the writing organically. Obsidian Entertainment decided to hone in on this theme more and developed it further into one of the main themes of Fallout: New Vegas.

Greed as a savage force[]

"Money makes the world go round." Even 200 years after the Great War, this phrase is still as true as it was before. While worth is more subjective than ever in 2281, the want for more of what is not had is stronger than ever before. Greed encapsulates nearly everything; it is the monument that stands the tallest and casts the darkest shadow of daily life in New Vegas. Every form of greed is accommodated in Vegas, avarice, gluttony, lust, and sloth, are all on display. From the near unregulated lust and laziness of the Strip, or the unending hunger for more territory and more wealth from already prosperous nations and tribes. Greed knows every corner of the Mojave and touches every individual inhabitant with the fear of never having enough. The violence and absolute savagery caused by greed are all too common for the area, murder to keep water for crops,^[7] corporate dealings to destroy competitions,^[8], the abandonment of others in a death trap for more fame in an institution,^[9] and killing for insignificant bottle caps are just a few of the crimes caused by greed.^[10]

Rigging the game[]

Luck is for losers and only the lazy let life decide their outcome. The winners of this game stack the deck or load the dice. "The game was rigged from the start" is the line spoken by Benny as he attempts to execute the Courier. That is because Benny tipped the odds of finding the platinum chip by hacking a securitron that informed him on who had the package. He rigged the game in his favor. Of course, that is not the end for the Courier. A hunt for Benny is the initial driving force, and with careful and keen insight can turn the tables on Benny on his own turf at The Tops.^[11] But once the Courier's personal vendetta is achieved, the story becomes the game for Hoover Dam. Each faction questline focuses on "rigging the game" for Hoover Dam in the favor of each respective faction by either opening new avenues and closing alternatives for factions to take. And the game can be rigged both ways, and the Courier can be their own ace in the hole, just as they turned the tables on Benny.

Living in the past or embracing the future[]

The world of Fallout is stuck and it knows it, even before the Great War when the 50s American Dream mindset was dominating society into the year 2077. "Old World Blues or New World Hope?" This is the question never asked, but always addressed in Fallout: New Vegas, as the NCR, House, and Caesar's Legion all embody Old World nostalgia of various forms, the NCR of American democracy,^[12] House as RobCo Industries and capitalism,^[13] and the Legion as the Roman Empire,^[14] but also New World Hope in some ways, the NCR bringing order and justice in fair, if largely corrupt and taxing, ways, House bringing about a new age of technology and advancement at the cost of his authoritarian rule, and Caesar's Legion utilizing justice in the form of strength and harsh discipline.

This is further driven home by the companions. All companions are haunted by their past and need the help of an outside force to either living with their past mistakes and traumas or letting go and moving on. Craig Boone is remorseful of his time in the NCR and his part in the Bitter Springs Massacre and is further tortured when his wife and the only person who eased his mind from his crimes is taken from him by Caesar's Legion.^[15] Arcade Gannon is torn between his Enclave origins and his upholding his father's legacy or forging his own path in life through medicine.^[16] Rose of Sharon Cassidy has tied her self down to her failed business in the Mojave and can't even think of letting it go or else she will lose one of the last connections she has to her father.^[17] Veronica Santangelo has been looking less and less fondly at the Brotherhood of Steel chapter she grew up with that refuses to look past the Codex and do anything about their situation.^[18] Raul Tejada is stuck between moving on from his past as an avenging hero Vaquero of the wastelands or moving on and making the world better through the work he does repairing machines.^[19][20] Lily Bowen is in a twofold battle with her past human life and life under the Master, she takes psychotic depressants to keep her mind in check, but she enjoys seeing her grandchildren more than anything else.^[21] Rex's old brain is degrading more and more as time passes and needs a replacement to stay alive. Replacing, however, would mean a new Rex with a different personality.^[22] And ED-E is a remnant of the dead Enclave that must be chosen to help either the Brotherhood of Steel or the Followers of the Apocalypse - two antithetical groups that represent both regression and progression.^[23]

Fallout 4[]

Mankind Redefined[]

The ever-present boogeymen of the Commonwealth, the Institute and their synths are the omnipresent factor in Commonwealth life throughout Fallout 4. The Institute has created these synthetic humans and has been using them to replace normal people, largely in leadership positions throughout some groups and settlements, which in turn has created a cloud of paranoia within the Commonwealth. The existence of synths has been demonized and vilified in various incidents and stories as the "robotic" killers of the Institute that bends the Commonwealth to their will. The Institute's Coursers and replacement operations are also a constant fear of the average wastelander. This has affected the culture of the Commonwealth into one of suspicion of one's own family and friends.^[24] Although many cases turn out to be tragic cases of mistaken identity, this hasn't stopped groups like the Covenant from acting on their own to rout out any possible synths they find, ^[25] and the Brotherhood of Steel mounting a war against the Institute and the synths that they view as an abomination unto humanity.

While the Institute made the synths, the synths are nothing but slaves to them; Father claims the idea of sentient synths to be ludicrous and only views them as robots incapable of true emotion. Fallout 4 often leaves it ambiguous to how "human" the synths can be perceived. To the Railroad, synths are people and are capable of free thought, forming their own opinions, feeling pain and a range of emotions, and caring for other beings than themselves. Evidence for this is seen through all the escaped and memory wiped synths in-game that have all chosen radically different paths in life and have forged their own identities outside of the influence of the Institute.^[26] It is also observable in Danse, a synth who is adamant in his Brotherhood taught ideals.^[27]

Family[]

Family is the one thing you will always have, but can always be taken from you no matter what. Throughout Fallout 4, families are united, created, destroyed, or torn apart, including the protagonist's, first with their spouse at the hands of Kellogg, then their son, Shaun. This is the case for Kellogg himself, whose personality and outlook on life has been shaped by the loss of his family. Another example of a family's fate left in the hands of the player is the Nakano family, particularly Kasumi Nakano.

Out of place and out of time[]

"Fish out of water" is a phrase which describes the protagonist's sudden transition from a peaceful Saturday morning with their spouse and child to nuclear war to waking up 210 years after the war. The protagonist also has lost time regarding the last shreds of normality they had, including the loss of both their spouse and child. Along their journey, the Sole Survivor will encounter echos of this with Nick Valentine who is an exact copy of a pre-war detective, and Curie who has been trapped in Vault 81 (though not in cryostorage) for as long as the Sole Survivor. Even quests and locations echo this back at the Sole Survivor, like the quest Kid in a Fridge where a kid trapped in his refrigerator for 210 years needs to find his family, and Jamaica Plain's treasured time capsule.

Fallout 76[]

Rebuilding society and working together for the betterment of all[]

"For when the fighting has stopped, and the fallout has settled. You must rebuild." America has collapsed, and must be rebuilt, and can be viewed as both the best and worst of society, with the ultra-patriotic Enclave, who created a majority of the threats to Appalachia in a vain attempt to nuke China once more. In Fallout 76, to the Responders and Brotherhood of Steel, typical American citizens and Armed Forces members who happened to have the same goal of rebuilding America in their own image, but inevitably ended up conflicting in various methods and ways. No faction could set aside differences and work together for the greater good, which ultimately led to the deaths of almost all humans in Appalachia apart from the Vault Dweller still inside Vault 76.

Many aspects of the game also help to re-enforce this theme. The multiplayer format and the fact that other real human beings are players adds a sense of companionship to many players. Players are encouraged to share and trade resources, and try to protect their teammates during tough fights. The C.A.M.P. system is another example of rebuilding society.

Belonging[]

Many characters struggle with their identity and sense of belonging, and the theme is especially prominent in Fallout 76. Due to the game being set less than three decades after the Great War, much the game's older characters have had their sense of belonging and comfort destroyed. A strong example of this is Sofia Daguerre who faces a similar predicament to the Sole Survivor of Fallout 4.

The Vault 76 overseer, for example, struggled with her decision on whether or not to prioritize a life with the the Vault-Tec Corporation, or to report the organization's plans for the Societal Preservation Program and live a life with Evan. Other characters mention they are dissatisfied with the lifestyles they were born into such as Yasmin Chowdhury, Colin Putnam and Libby Wen.

Feelings of belonging can also be viewed as not simply where someone lives, but the connections people have to their loved ones as well. A lot of the characters in the game have come to Appalachia as a place of mourning or for a sense of closure due to missing their loved ones; Maggie Williams, Dontrelle Haines and Jonah Ito are examples of characters who deeply miss their family members. For many of them, they view Appalachia as a place to peacefully die as well.

Fallout 76 also explores the ramifications of what a lack of belonging can do to people. Meg Groberg mentions a lot of people, such as her mother, chose to took their lives after the Great War. Lucky Lou also became suicidal. Abigayle Singh, who mentioned everyone she knew is dead, struggled with her mental health. Marcia Leone's displeasure of living with the Brotherhood of Steel pressured her to abandon her little brother.

A weapon is as only as good as its user ("Atomics for Peace")[]

In the universe of Fallout 76, scorchbeasts are a threat spreading a plague that could make humanity extinct. They populate underground and in order to lure the queens out from their hives, only nukes can vibrate the earth so much that they are lured out for Vault Dwellers to defeat them. Vault Dwellers have the ability to launch nukes at the fissure sites to draw out the queens and help prevent the plague. The game was also updated so that nukes can be used to fight Earle Williams and his wendigos. Though a rare occurrence, the game also gives players the freedom to nuke anywhere else, such as at other people's C.A.M.P.s

The controversial theme was written into the story as well. As heard in a holotape, Elizabeth Taggerdy wanted Roger Maxson to consider using the nukes to fight the scorchbeasts, but he denied it, viewing the idea of using the weapon which destroyed their world to be morally abhorrent. Forced to rely on their current weapons instead, the Brotherhood of Steel launched Operation Touchdown to see if they could kill the scorchbeasts without nukes, but died in the process; Maxson may be viewed as being responsible for the deaths of Elizabeth and her squad. The Vault 76 overseer will leave a disgusted holotape for players who launch nukes away from the fissure sites. Daniel Shin and Sheena also have some anti-nuke comments. Hex refers to the "nukes all over" as one of Appalachia's problems. In contrast, Maggie Williams suggests the idea of launching a nuke at the Monongah Mine to break the entryway so she can learn more about her father.

Before the game was released, Bethesda did not communicate that the nukes in the game were primarily to fight off the beasts and their virus, and kept the existence of the scorchbeast queen a secret. Before the game launched, Tom Nichols, a professor at the U.S. Navy War College and the author of "No Use: Nuclear Weapons and U.S. National Security" had proclaimed nukes are not fun or funny. The idea of launching nukes in a Fallout game proved divisive and controversial among the playerbase; some felt it was antithetical to the themes of the series, while others viewed the idea as a bold example of the moral ambiguity the series is known for.

Fallout 76 encourages players to question their morals and it is their choice whether or not to engage in the nuke launching, as well as to consider how pragmatic they want to be in this unusual scenario. The quest I Am Become Death can also completed as long as a player in a group launches a nuke. The storyline of Fallout 76 is still being worked on, and the effects the constant nuking and radiation had on Appalachia is not entirely known, although it is hinted that Appalachia faced a nuclear winter in the future, as seen in the update Nuclear Winter, though the canonicity of the now-removed game mode is unclear. It nonetheless re-enforces the idea that Appalachia may have been doomed from the start, leaving the Vault Dwellers in a troubled morally grey position to either condone the nuking and risk losing only Appalachia to a nuclear winter, or to fight the scorchbeasts using traditional gunfire means, but risk the scorchbeasts multiplying enough to send the virus elsewhere.

The end of the Steel Reign also echoes this theme. Farha and her group of scientists want to release their modified FEV into the atmosphere, believing the experiment could help build immunity towards radiation and help defeat the creatures, although Odessa Valdez points out that it could become part of the water cycle and affect the rest of the planet. This calls back to a moral challenge in Fallout 3 when John Henry Eden encouraged the Lone Wanderer to use the FEV into the purifier, for the purpose of destroying all mutation.

Exploitation, automation, and enshittification[]

Appalachia represents not only itself but also the extremities of the entire nation. Like the West Virginia coal wars of the early 20^th century, the mid-late 21^st century had its own share of benefits and depravities for the common man. Already reeling from economic devastation, the miners were continually abused, used, and mistreated by the less scrupulous corporations. The natural resources of America were likewise exploited rapidly for profit, with corners cut and attempts made by such companies to cover their tracks, avoiding responsibility or liability.

Such was the case with Hornwright Industrial, and Atomic Mining Services. The former developing a model of Protectron to completely automate mining cutting out the miners completely, while the latter tried to seize the town of Welch when Ultracite was discovered emanating from an abandoned mineshaft into their town. The groups went as far as utilizing the National Guard, riot troops, and specialized "Strikebreaker" robots to suppress the riots they caused with violence.

Another instance was the Watoga Inc. project by Atomic Mining Services and RobCo Industries. Built on the site of an old ghost town,^[28] the project aimed to create a "city of the future" and was designed to be fully automated. Civil services and municipal management were handled by a variety of carefully programmed robot models, to operate the city cleanly and efficiently. It did neither, its revolving mayoral leadership and complete automation only hindered actual governance and responsibility. Its people would become maimed and killed while its automated bureaucracy couldn't deal with problems like house fires or theft. One robotic response even killed an innocent bystander, and there was no recourse. All these abuses would prompt some to take matters into their own hands. One would even go so far to sabotage the entire system itself.

Following the Scorched Plague laying waste to those who called the region home, additional people began to return to the region one year later, lured by the rumor of treasure and plenty. Settlers would again try to tame the land and make homes for themselves, while raiders would come to feed off of their labor.

Both groups consisted of native Appalachian residents as well as foreigners from both outside the region and America, with the Crater raiders a direct successor to the Diehards. Their origins created a sense of entitlement within the group, and members are open about their parasitic inclinations and unwillingness to work. The settlers, undeterred, begin to build again. Both of the groups are unaware of the Scorched Plague, and its vaccine the Vault Dwellers of Vault 76 managed to finish by combining the work of the former factions of the region.

Guns and schools[]

Watoga High School is the furthest pre-War interior from Vault 76, and therefor ostensibly the final such location in the base game's story. The large, comfortable school environment is mostly unremarkable, aside from the conspicuous overabundance of guns and armed security robots.

In the Nuclear Winter version of the map, a US Army tank had ground to a halt on the lawn of Morgantown High School. These tanks were deployed in the region to suppress the secession of the Free States.

Fallout: The Roleplaying Game[]

War[]

The defining feature of Fallout is the wasteland. No matter where one goes in the United States of America, there is a wasteland left by the Great War. Conflict did not end when the bombs fell, however, and as they say, “War Never Changes.” Smaller conflicts play out over the wasteland as raiders and civilized groups attempt to grab at power, while the relics of wars long ended are scattered across the wasteland, ready to be discovered and reactivated by anyone with the patience and knowledge to do so. This conflict and attempt to rediscover old hardware is epitomized by the Brotherhood of Steel, who continue to attempt to remove all weapons from the hands of wasteland citizenry in their mission to control all technology in the region.

Pre-War Capitalism[]

Many of the buildings and features of the wasteland, from billboards to frontier towns, from the vaults to the city’s largest towering skyscrapers, are there due to the wealth and prosperity created from the golden age of America’s capitalism. The cultural stagnation of America in this age brought with its haves and have-nots, and those who had the greatest power often started to become corrupt with their own influence. This can be most significantly seen in the morbid experiments done by Vault-Tec even as they suggested to those who stayed in their vaults that they would be kept safe. Still, the ongoing need for profit drove the creation of many inventions across the Commonwealth in the run-up to the Great War, and all sectors of the pre-War culture which can be found bear these marks.

Brand Identity[]

Many people before the War would ascribe to specific brands. Consciously or unconsciously, they would drink Nuka Cola, watch their favorite teams play baseball, purchase their favored food brands and interact with the world in a million ways which show how they are loyal to a specific brand.

After the Great War, some of that remained. With the proliferation of such identities across the U.S.A. it was inevitable that it would draw some people to such safe and secure symbols. Collectibles, uniforms, and tokens of brands have become symbols for people to rally around. The baseball-themed identity of Diamond City is the epitome of this in the Commonwealth, although plots involving people excited about other warped brand mythologies could inspire many stories.

History[]

Boston itself is inextricably linked to its history in the form of the War of Independence. Due to this, many locations are named, themed, or otherwise aligned with the American heroes of the conflict. These themes repeat in many plots across the wasteland. Both the Brotherhood of Steel as well as the Institute seek to take over the Commonwealth by invading obviously or acting behind the scenes, whereas the Minutemen protect the general citizenry from such forces. Repeating history by battling an occupying force would fit well in any game run in the Commonwealth and allow players to feel like they are doing their part to ensure a safe and independent future for the Commonwealth’s people.

Emancipation[]

While Boston was not heavily involved in the Civil War of America, the freedom of enslaved individuals is a strong theme for plots in the Commonwealth. In-fact, the underground slavery railroad of history did go through Boston itself, freeing slaves by secreting them to free states or Canada. Synths trying to escape from the Institute are aided to this day by a modern version of the Railroad. As such, many conflicts involving the freedom of those held in bondage would be ripe pickings for any gamemaster attempting to provide plots which will make the player characters feel like obvious heroes, although care should be taken to ensure players at the table are comfortable with plots involving slavery and metaphors for black history in their game.

Power[]

The wasteland is dangerous. Creatures roam during day and night, people prey on those who have what they want, and even the water itself has radioactive particles that could kill anyone who drinks from unpurified sources. For this reason, any amount of power is something many people desperately cling to keep a sense of safety from such dangers. Raiders steal, settlers try to maintain a defensible and stable homestead, and just about everyone has a weapon of some kind. For this reason, many people search through the secrets of the wasteland to find things they can use to gain, secure, and keep such power. It would be correct to say that anyone who asks the wastelanders to search for something in the Commonwealth does so for their own, selfish reasons. Make sure it is clear what those reasons are and try to work out what would happen if such an individual lost that power, for they might then act in desperation instead of safety.

Fallout Tactics[]

Freedom in exchange for security[]

During Fallout Tactics, the player will protect several towns and settlements from various threats, but by doing so the town needs to pay a "protection" that introduces a permanent Brotherhood of Steel presence to the town and martial law. The fascist practices of the Midwestern Brotherhood are explained with General Simon Barnaky who lost his wife, Maria Barnaky, to the perils of the world and thus dedicated his life to making the world safer for everyone, but to do so would be the sacrifice of freedom. Simon's view is inflexible and similarly, the Calculator is just as inflexible due to its programming and seeks to eliminate all life to protect itself and the world.

See also[]

• Conspiracy theory
• Slavery
• Religion
• LGBT representation in the Fallout series
• Disability representation in the Fallout series

References[]