So I was looking at retro robots and I found a robot that looked…familiar.
The robot pictured is the Mobot Mark II, making it's debut in 1961. It was created by the Hughes Aircraft Company, a company founded by Howard Hughes. And then it dawned on me…Howard Hughes, the man that Mr. House was based on? Holy shit! No wonder it looked familiar! The arms and claws reminded me of a Securitron!
I’m almost sure that the Fallout design team took at look Hughes's robots and incorporated some design elements from his past inventions. Some other similarities between the Mobots and Securitrons:
Both moved around on wheels
Both had the label of Mark I and Mark II models/upgrades
Both could be operated remotely (exclusively in the Mobots' case and with Securitrons being directed by Mr. House)
TV monitors on the Securitrons might be inspired by the TV signals that were used to operate the Mobots remotely, the TV cameras that the Mobot used to "see" or maybe by the TV/computer monitors that were used by remote operators.
And while they were never used as weapons, the Mobots were invented to perform jobs too dangerous for humans (such as handling radioactive material), with the hope that one day, they would be sent into space!
Also apparently their “touch” was quite gentle. So take that as you will Yes Man/Victor fans. :)
I'll put more pictures of the Mobot under the cut, if you're curious! (Apparently it was dexterous enough to paint fingernails and brush the model's hair, so I like to think Securitrons are capable of doing that too):
I want to talk about shipping, tropes and Ghoulcy for a moment.
For context, I’ve shipped Ghoulcy from the moment the Ghoul said “Well I ain’t torturing you sweetheart, I’m using you as bait.”
I know, I know—basically the moment they met. When Lucy bites his finger off and he cuts hers off to match…well that just sealed the deal for me.
And I know what some people see. A violent, toxic relationship between two diametrically opposed people. How could you ever ship something like that? Well for one, it’s fantasy. For two, it’s Fallout and not a single character or faction has ever been the perfect example of moral goodness.
But let’s not pretend that Enemies-to-Lovers isn’t still one of the MOST popular tropes in literature and media to this day. The fanfiction and book community is built upon it. People are constantly asking authors to write this trope in its truest form. Because people actually want the characters to nearly kill each other before they get together. Anger and desire burn at the same temperature and it is always so fun to watch it consume everything in its path.
Intentional or not, Ghoulcy is written with that formula. The opposing views and hatred, forced proximity, begrudging respect, the banter and the budding trust mixed with vulnerability. The inevitable betrayal. Even down to the fact that Lucy and Max are dangled in there as a safer, sweeter, alternative relationship. Those are all check boxes on the list of how to write that trope well.
I’m not saying you have to ship it. Hell, the writers might even pivot at the last second and say “Oh no, just kidding. We were just teasing you with that.” I’ve seen it before.
But I’ve also read, analyzed and reviewed enough books to know when the writers are using that trope as opposed to the cut and dry ‘found family’ father/daughter trope people like to reference when talking about this ship. It’s just not written that way.
The Lone Wanderer sacrificing themself at Jefferson Memorial hits me even harder when I remember their life both started and ended in the same building. It’s actually tragic, because they were just following their father’s footsteps the whole game unaware that they’d lose both their remaining parent and life.
Norm is absolutely one of my favourite characters in the Fallout universe. The fact he loves his family and wants what's best for them being what drives him to look for the truth of what has happened to them and why is fantastic. The ultimate difference between him and Chet, too, is a great show of his character. It began with him choosing to help his sister find their father and ends with him coming to the same realisation as she has – their father was not the man he said he was and much of their life has been a lie. Watching him decide to take the hunt for the truth into his own hands, even when it could be the end of him, is incredibly compelling.
What makes Norm so enjoyable to watch, too, is just how human he is. All of the characters in the show are that way, which is part of what makes it great (yes, even the ghouls as they were at one time human). The distress he feels at seeing what happened to Vault 32 being swept under the rug, and the anger he feels towards Betty and the others for doing it seemingly out of a desire for control and power more than anything else is tangible. The fact it drives him to take the risk of sneaking into Vault 31 shows his bold and couregous side, and also that it's driven by not only his own curiosities but his desire for the truth. It’s a great parallel trait he shares with Lucy and, as she comes to find out, their mother. The anger he feels towards his father and also the desperation he feels to survive are a great contrast of his truth seeking and his baser humanity.
All things considered, Norm's competing feelings of a desire for truth, a desire for safety, curiosity, and a love for his family are what make him a great character. The fact he shares those traits with Lucy but expresses them in different ways creates a strong parallel narrative for their characters, and also does a great job showing the two sides of courage. The fact neither he or Lucy are impervious or shy away from moments of weakness and subsiming emotion latch onto the naivety from their upbringing and also their humanity. With them both now having to reckon with the truth about their father, a reunion between them will I'm sure be great and also remind them that not all of their family members are bad. Reckoning with the truth about their mother and Lucy's love for her being what compelled her to end her suffering before breaking down at the gravity of it is another layer of complexity to their family dynamics that both of them will need time to sit with. The contrasting feelings of how they knew their father versus what they've come to learn about him serve well to separate them from others like Chet; where he, their cousin, chooses to remain wilfully ignorant, they chose to put aside their fears and look for a truth they knew was out there.
Chet is a coward because he chooses to ignore the truth he has seen with his own eyes.
Lucy is brave because she is willing to go to any and all lengths to find her father and is then willing to end the suffering her mother is under because of him; she is openly emotional and driven by that and the love she feels for her family and is horrified and shattered by her father being a different man than the one she had always known.
Norm is brave because he is willing to do anything for his sister and father and, when faced with the choice to stay in blissful ignorance, because he chooses to seek out the truth even when it could hurt him; he, too, doesn't shy away from the pain the truth about his father causes him and, like Lucy, has to learn to live with the competing memories of their father and the reality of who and what he is.
Hank is a coward because, while he goes to the extremes to attempt to preserve himself and his family, he refuses to accept the fact his actions have consequences for the way his children (and, previously, their mother) had seen him and instead tries to force things to go back to the way they were before his children could learn of his ability to be selfish.
And Rose was brave because she loved her children so much that she would and did do everything for them, even when she had to put her love for their father aside and risk herself so that she and her children could have a chance to live in truth rather than lies. Her children share that with her, even though they didn't know it, just as much as they share her love, empathy, and desire for the truth even when living in wilful ignorance could have been easier.
Tl;dr – the entire MacLean family being driven by love for each other but expressing it in different ways that ultimately drive them apart is not only great at showcasing the different sides of courage and cowardice but showing the way Lucy and Norm are so similar and are driven by their love for their family just as much as their desire for the truth and that neither Lucy or Norm shy away from their emotional and impulsive reactions to it presents them as not only fully human but two sides of the same coin; they are both couregous even though they take two different paths to the truth.
I love thinking about equines and all their potential uses in the Fallout universe so I finally decided to write it out! Equines(horses, donkeys, mules) have been essential tools and companions for humanity for a very long time, and their roles in the tough Fallout universe would be no different!
I have a lot of thoughts and general headcanons that I've complied into a list that is in no specific order! :)
*horses could be used in many different ways! But caravans, farms, and soldiers would probably use them the most. Horses are best at carrying a rider and traveling long distances. They're strong and hardy and can be more than just mounts. They can drive(pull carts, plows,etc) and even be used in a variety of ways for farming and other labor!
*Donkeys and mules are more common for hauling weight/being pack animals, but they can also be ridden and used for pulling carts or plowing fields! They are both known to be more intelligent and more surefooted than horses, making them great companions for rockier areas. Mules and donkeys are also fierce protectors and can be used as livestock guardians!
*Every equine can have multiple uses, but mules and horses are the most desirable due to being the ideal ride. Mules are a bit more stubborn than horses and aren't nearly as willing, so horses are always preferred by the majority.
*Horses and their special body types were all bred for different reasons. They can be used for almost anything under the sun! Some were bred for war, or race, or heavy work, or leisure riding, or simply just for a pretty color and good temperament.
*So, different kinds of horses have different uses. For example, larger and more muscular horses like draft breeds are used more hard work like plowing and driving carts. The horses of average size would be used more for personal mounts. The horses with smaller and more lean builds would be used mostly for riding. Horses like that are usually faster and made for endurance, while drafts and similar are bred for their strength.
*Smaller donkeys would be perfect for people living in and around canyons, or even just traveling through. They are incredibly sure footed animals and do the best in the desert areas where you find most canyons. Their small tough feet are perfect for small and precious canyon lands. I highly recommend reading about the history of this, like the donkeys and mules who work(ed) in the Grand Canyon
*Horses and donkeys both do fine in any kind of weather, but horses do have better coats to support them in the rain and cold. Where donkeys do not have as much water resistance in their coat. So regions make a big difference in what kind of equines you would see.
*Equines would do lots of caravan work. They can haul carts and packs just like Brahmin. Mules probably end up doing a lot of hauling since they are extra sturdy. Caravan guards could be mounted on horseback too, riding solo on their own mounts would be so beneficial. Like larger field of view for being up high, intimidation, and they can travel much further for longer chunks of time than on foot.
*If you're asking what I mean by intimidation; Horses can be very scary. First off, they're huge animals with a nasty bite and even nastier kick. Also, trained war and riot horses have no issue with running people and things down. Horses are very dangerous and can do a lot of damage if needed.
*I love love LOVE the idea of NCR rangers using horses to travel! Maybe some of the ghoul rangers have some extra hardy ghoul horses.
*Maybe the NCR and other groups have a specialized cavalry?? There are a lot of possibilities with this thought!
*The NCR would probably save the horses for higher ups and specialized groups like Rangers.
*Caesar's legion would so use horses to do a lot of work and to travel. Horses are very resilient but can also die very very easily. I could see the legion working a lot of horses to death and using them in odd shows of bravery and glory. I also picture legionary spies and other specialized members like assassins using horses to get places fast.
*The commonwealth Minutemen would be unstoppable if they had horses! They could help others and spread even faster with the help of horses. I love picturing them sharing the skill of horsemanship to the rest of the commonwealth as they spread and grow.
*I love picturing the minutemen having stables at a few of their settlements, maybe even one or two have training areas.
*Horses would be very helpful to the big Brahmin ranchers out west. I could go on and on for reasons why, but mainly they would be best for helping herd and to travel the large farms and grazing land quickly.
*Ranchers/farmers of any sort would def have horses or at least a mule or donkey. There are lots of farm animals that aren't shown in the games that definitely survived and have a number of uses. Like goats, sheep, and pigs.
*I love picturing old world ranches and ranchers surviving and building their ranches back up in the new world. Their herds half mutated and ghoulified but still strong.
*Thinking of surviving ranches and ranchers, I always picture a ghoul cowboy and his loyal ghoul mule mount. Maybe he even has a loyal herding dog that tags along!
* Riding horses isn't just something can do with no prior knowledge. You can try, but If you want to survive your first ride and not have your incredibly valuable animal die on you; you'd have to learn at least the basics of riding and horse care.
*Equines need a lot of training before they can do any sort of work. It's also considered unhealthy to ride a horse and work them hard before they are fully grown. (It can cause joint and growth plate issues, along with a million other things) Horses are not full grown until the age of five. Horses can live well into their twenties and even thirties, while donkeys have an even longer life span and can live past the age of fifty.
*As someone who works with horses at a horse rescue, I have seen it all. And one thing I know for certain, these majestic animals can die so fucking easily. Even in today's world it can be rare to have a horse die of old age. Most die of problems like damage in their legs and feet, and tummy troubles. Horses would have to toughen up quite a bit to survive in the wasteland! But I still bet they wouldn't live very long lives.
*Ghoul equines would be on a whole different level. They would be extra strong and fierce, toughened by the wasteland. perhaps even mutating to grow extra long 'wolf teeth' for a more ferocious bite. Their skin and whats left of their hair toughed by the world. Maybe their vision is even better than before, their eyes glowing in the dark.
*Horses would be incredible assets to tribals and similar. I could see the skill of horsemanship passed down through generation after generation. There would for sure be some tribes whose ways of life revolves entirely around their horses and the nomadic way of life they can build around them.
*The wasteland is cruel, no matter if you're on the east coast, west coast, or somewhere in between. Equines would be almost everywhere. Horses would be much more common in the midwest. No one needs a horse in the ruins of Boston or DC, not that they'd survive a trip into the dangerous old world cities. They'd be much more common and useful out on the big open spaces like the plains and deserts.
(*If you want a more fallout "realistic" picture of where horses would be since they'd be more rare: They'd only be in very specific areas that have the things horses need to survive like abundant grazing land. So they'd mostly be herds and groups scattered throughout the midwest and west coast. Appalachia and the Deep South would have a lot of horses as well, but they probably survive the best in the midwest. They'd be in little pockets out in the in the wasteland, more than likely protected by people who keep them thriving in the wasteland. )
*Everyone loves the idea of mutated zebras and their tribal riders surviving in the bombs. I've thought a lot about zebras in the apocalypse and talk about them in this post!
*Cooper Howard is clearly an expert horseman who seems like he was born on horseback. He's probably gone through his share of mounts while surviving out in the wasteland. He's still got his spurs on and his saddlebags, he's just waiting for the next horse he finds suitable
*Raul Tejada knows how to ride a horse well. I don't think he was an actual Vaquero, but he for sure has a few skills in horsemanship. I like to think that he would be quite found of horses.
*Some groups would be drawn to horses, but I could see some completely avoiding them. Like how the Rust Devils and Gunners from Fo4 prefer their robots for labor instead of animals.
*I imagine the Brotherhood of Steel and other developed groups like the Institute and Enclave would not find horses worth their time
*Super Mutants probably treat them like any pack animals, so they'e probably seen as food. Unless someone out there(Enclave) tried and succeeded in putting FEV into horses. They did it to dogs with the mutant hounds, so it seems possible in the Fallout universe! A super mutant horse would be scary af
*Groups of raiders using horses to raid caravans and homesteads would be super interesting. I could see a group getting into horsemanship just because they started stealing horses from the NCR.
*The Fiends probably eat horses or sell them for drugs. So it really depends on which group of raiders/tribals you get. The Great Khans would probably respect horses and maybe even use them, but the fiends do not.
*horses require routine care like hoof trimmings and dental work for longevity. This means a lot of things! There would need to be people who specialized in horse health. The most important requirement is hoof care by a professional called a farrier. They do a number of helpful things, but mostly, they put shoes on the horses hooves to keep them protected and strong. Wild horses break down their always growing hooves on rocks and stuff by all the traveling they do. Domesticated horses don't wear down like that so they need routine work.
*Farriers in the fallout world would probably specialize in metalwork as a whole. Making their homes and shops in cavern towns where the most livestock traffic comes through. I could see some Farriers even specializing in horse health as a whole, so they also do dental and other vet work.
*Equines are incredibly strong, with hooves and teeth that can pack a real punch. So many ignorant people would be killed by these animals, which can happen very easily if you can't ride well and don't know anything about horse body language
*I love horses with all my heart. I think they are wonderful and intelligent creatures. They are some of the best companions I have ever had the honor of knowing, they are just incredible.
BUT, they can spook at things and throw your ass in a heartbeat. Sometimes they even do it just because! But more often than not, horses act up because of pain and discomfort. Like a saddle that doesn't fit right or a bit that causes pain. Maybe even the rider is making them uncomfortable by pulling on the reins or giving improper signs the horse doesn't understand. A lot of things like this need to be taken into consideration when it comes to horses and work. These incredible animals are very high maintenance, and I haven't even mentioned how much water and food they consume in just a damn day! Or how they need to build muscle and stamina just like humans do! A lot of these things would make equines not really worth the trouble for a lot of people and groups.
*
These are just some of my most coherent thoughts!
If you have any thoughts or anything please share! I love to think what others think about topics like this!
Obviously we see the NCR and BoS utilizing dog tags for their soldiers, but honestly I imagine that the Followers of the Apocalypse would utilize them for their doctors, too. I can’t imagine that an organization committed to providing aide in the inhospitable wasteland wouldn’t want an easy method of identifying the bodies of their deceased doctors & other members, especially where death from a variety of causes is a constant possibility.
Happy birthday and uh Happy New Year. *throws some Fallout Louisiana lore at you*
Do I have multiple projects and assignments to do? Yes. Am I going to make up lore for an entire region in the Fallout universe for fun? Also yes. (I am on the Autism spectrum.)
I’m gonna dub this pet project “Fallout 5” and refer to it for ease of reference, but if I made this into a real game, I’d call it Fallout 5: Old Orleans so it could be somewhat of a spiritual successor to Fallout: New Vegas 😋
Anyways, the map unsurprisingly spans across New Orleans up to northern Louisiana, the border ending by Shreveport. However the map would also include a small part of Mississippi and Alabama, specifically to Gulfport and Mobile (by request of my friend whose family is from Mobile). It would look something like this:
The entire region has two different names: “The Parish” as it is officially known, and “the Bayou Wasteland” as it is more commonly called among locals. You will hear pre-war Ghouls complain about it being called “The Parish” since Louisiana uses parishes instead of counties. It’s called the Parish post-war because it sounds cool.
Additionally, most of the settlements were borne out of pre-war cities and towns, most of which were not bombed directly. New Orleans was the only city in the state to be bombed, and was not as heavily targeted as Los Angeles, New York, or D.C.
The entirety of New Orleans is now nicknamed “Old Orleans” because that’s exactly what it is: old! Imagine being a post-war scavver traveling to the city and seeing buildings from the 1800s that are still standing. Though I imagine there’s a few pre-war French Ghouls who hate the name.
The city itself has been split into two sections: Eden, which was built out of pre-war Uptown, and made from Vault 42’s G.E.C.K. It has sprawling forests and meadows not characteristic of the region. The second section is called Vient Vieux which literally translates to “comes old” 😭 but is derived from uahh something I forgot to write notes about (I will add to this section later)
Fun times! Let’s move on to CHARACTERS! Yippee!
I’ve come up with several options for companions, including:
Anthony, an ex-Legionary with daddy issues from Caesar and Lanius
Eddie, a pre-war Ghoul and former Bluegrass singer with an inferiority complex because of his scratchy ghoul voice
Ben Gadot, a seemingly unassuming caravan guard from the Commonwealth with a slight Bostonian accent and an annoyingly high Charisma/speech stat
Patience Goodwin, an excommunicated Vault 42 dweller who insists they’re a cult
Marnie Juneau, a “clairvoyant” who makes money by telling people their fortunes in Vient Vieux
Hazel Mendoza, a young BoS scribe rescued from The Pitt who has an irrational fear of all Ghouls and Super Mutants
Claude Fontenot, another pre-war Ghoul who’s stayed in his Bayou-front home for the past 200 years and seems like a stereotypical Cajun guy, except he’s actually a genius and was accepted into four Ivy Leagues in his day (and turned them all down)
Anita, a Super Mutant hired gun who was transformed all the way back in California, although she really just wants to feel pretty again.
Domino, a Great Pyrenees who you can rescue from a flood and is also especially aggressive towards raiders
I have several ideas for NPCs as well, more specifically,
Antoinette Rose, a pre-war Ghoul woman and former environmental lawyer who is now the de facto leader of Vient Vieux and the Bayou wastelanders
Dominic Dolton, the overseer of Vault 42 who is from their Evangelical Christian family (more on that later)
Elder Adrian Vargas, the same Paladin Vargas from Fallout 3 now promoted to elder of the BoS’ Parish chapter
Cliff Strickland, yet another pre-war Ghoul turned radio host after quitting his raider lifestyle
Jamila Adler, singer who was adopted by Cliff as a kid, and leads The Big Easy Brass
Ahh! Quick subject change again! Here’s the lore in bulleted form because I’m tired and lazy:
Vault 42 actually consists of several different families, all selected by Vault Tec before the war for their dedication to their respective faiths
Although they ended up putting mostly Christian denominations in the vault so of course that won out
Patience is actually descended from the Baptist family that was put in there. She’s still very religious but disagrees with the vault’s mission.
Speaking of which, Vault 42 is a designated control vault, and their supposed goal is to resettle the Wasteland and preach faith back to the lost little wastelanders to save them.
Vault Tec’s scientists actually anticipated all the families to kill each other or something lol but they made it to the 200 year mark and finally got to leave
As you might expect, the local wastelanders aren’t too happy about Vault 42’s “salvation” mission, especially because they opened their G.E.C.K. and cut off a big part of the city
The BoS and Enclave don’t have as much sway here. In fact, the Enclave is basically nonexistent, while the BoS is a lot more passive thanks to Elder Vargas and the small team that Elder Maxson deployed to the region.
Despite people’s general distaste for Vault 42 dwellers’ religions, many people within The Parish are very spiritual, to the point where Traiteurs (faith healers) are considered essential to have in a settlement
Basically Cajun, Creole, and Abrahamic faiths collided with fear and desperation after the bombs dropped, leading the beliefs to change to something almost unrecognizable to a pre-war person
The Parish also has a lot of its own mutated creatures much like post-war Appalachia. For example, there are these very hairy feral Ghoul-like creatures, dubbed rougarous by early bomb survivors. And there are giant scary mutated alligators called “snoligators” (derived from the urban legend about the snaligaster)
I don’t know I have a lot of thoughts. And will keep coming up with more maybe. Let me know guys (I’m procrastinating,)
