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Setting of Fallout 4 - Where, if not Boston?

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The California Literary Review has its second part on where Fallout 4 should be based in order to best reflect the character of Fallout. In its first part they argued that Fallout was both a western and post apocalyptic, and that Fallout 3 based in Washington DC did not convey that appropriately.

In the second part they suggest several alternative sites including New York, New Orleans, Colorado and Santa Fe as locations that would make a better setting.

Yes, yes, I know. I just spent a whole article saying western states are the heart of Fallout. But aside from the plot considerations I alluded to, there’s a major reason why the Boston rumor has as much credibility as it does.

Not only is the Northeast mostly untapped in the Fallout world, but considering the popularity of the game (and the supposed “lackluster” success of New Vegas) a direct, linear progression from Fallout 3 makes so much sense from a sales perspective that Bethesda would have to be pretty dumb to not follow up with Fallout: New Fan Service. Say what you will about their abilities as game designers – lord knows I have – they’re damn smart businessmen.

It seems that’s what happens when you dump all your points into Barter and Luck!

My argument for New York as opposed to Boston is simple: why settle for the opening act, when you’re really waiting for the headlining band? Like John Lennon said, New York City IS the Rome of the modern world, and there’s little reason this status would’ve changed by the time the bombs fell, so it seems inevitable that a Fallout game will get here eventually. If there’s going to be (ideally) alternating locations for the Fallout series, some in the East and some in the West, let’s just get to the Manhattan Project everyone’s expecting!


Discussion about the first article can be found here.

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  1. WastelandLoner
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    I think Alaska would be a good place, a change from the scorched desert wasteland to a harsh frozen one (think metro 2033 city)
    Also before the nukes it had already seen a 10 year war, and there would be weapons, equipment, power armour. Chinese remnants could play a bigger role in the plot. It would also have a feeling of taking it back to where it all began, this is what set the world on a course for the apocalypse.
  2. ricer888
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    Well Ny is an irradiated crater with absolutly nothing left so that wont work.
  3. boboteabaggins
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    China, OMG can you imagine being the remanant forces oh the USA in a hostile country in an already hostile land.plus if it was in Bangkok, once she has you she will never let you go
  4. sandman5
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    honestly, the setting, i can go either way, i dont care. what i really want out of a new fallout game is stability and maintain mod-friendliness. i hate the freezing, the ctds, especially when it freezes at the loading screen, which doesnt always allow me to bring up task manager to end program, which in turn forces me to shut down my comp by holding the power button and i HATE having to do that. because of that i run the program windowed to avoid doing that, but since i dont exactly have a top-of-the-line gaming pc, i'm limited to run it in 1024x768, which is a suitable window size but lags quite a bit. as for steam, why the hell is required to run in the background to play a SINGLEPLAYER game? even in offline mode in eats up a lot of memory doing God knows what, (offline, my ass). i can understand needing steam for downloading DLCs and updates, but that should be the only need to run it, otherwise we dont need it to play the game. anyway, bethesda, obsidian, or whoever/whatever buys you out, i hope you read these forums, dont think like a corporate idiot, just make the game with some stability this time, i dont care if it takes place bumfuck, egypt, (dont know if thats how you spell it, but i dont care). anyways, sorry to others for the venting on here , but i just felt the need to get this out, just frustrated.


    the only reason i have not bought NV is steam! if fo4 has steam, i most likely wont buy if ether, i hate steam. but if i do, i to would like to see more stability less CDTs, more diverse voice acting. more diverse weapons, i was quite unhappily surprised at the lack of selection, at least add all the ones from the other fallout games. more possible companion NPCs. i dont really care where it would take place, though i do think west of the mississippi would be a better choice, but that may be because i played everything from wasteland to fo3. i fear fo3 will be the last for me <img class=">
  5. metalhead808
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    FALLOUT HAWAI'I!!!!!!!!!! lol
  6. DavidYokosukaJapan
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    My guess is that Boston'll be picked due to its 'new' history from Fallout 3 that could make compiling a storyline that matches with Fallout 3 well easily... The Commonwealth, the mysterious Institute, Boston's somewhat close proximity to DC (maybe BoS, Enclave, or a new techno-warrior faction presence), large enough city (with a subway system) to make those who liked FO3's Capital Wasteland atmosphere happy, and surronded by enough wilderness to make NV fans happy.

    Let's hope the FO4 Dev Team took cues from the modding community and added the cool, Fallout-Lore-Friendly stuff into the game (FWE, MMM, Busworld, DC_Interiors, some EVE stuff - no glowing weapons plz!) and crash free.
  7. SNiiPeZ
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    I cant belive no one said Chicago. The Windy City has a real diverse weather system from 3 feet of snow in the winter to 105 degree heat that feels like 120 with the heat index in the summer. Not to mention the lakefront skyline would look pretty B.A. if it was falloutarized lol. Bandits and raiders would be at home due to my cities current gang propblems, and the mafia mission from FONV would thrive here with the whole history of Al Capone and all the towns(suburbs) his crew astablished. All in all the windy city, the big apple and beantown have my votes for top three, they are probably gonna pick beantown though
  8. BloXboX
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    Lol at people recommending towns that aren't in the US.

    Seriously people, Fallout is a parody of the 50s in US. Not Russia, China and whatever you guys are recommending
  9. laurinaattori
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    why not whole world?? i really would like to see what my home looks at 2290 or something
  10. Ben231
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    Not again a Town. I have really seen enough muties and single sided enemy presence.

    I had never recogniced there was an enclave at all until shooting their boss with Fallout2.

    Would be nice having such 4

    I would love a Fallout World, where i can Nuke Europe and fight the Sony armed security forces xD

    New Vegas is great: It's fresh and faster than any former fallout, almost as B.O.S. and still sustains a large world, even i don't comprehend why this is to e a single map| could be much more vast with multiple global maps sithout even adding more content, like scaling it to 0.25 stnglt.