My Idea for Fallout 5

[HWP2001]

Introduction:​

This is a collection of my ideas for the next game in the Fallout franchise. I intended it to be the ‘spiritual successor’ to FNV, and took inspiration from multiple different projects (such the cancelled FO3 by Black Isle Studios, Fallout Tactics, and the Fallout Lonestar mod for FO4. However, most of these similarities are largely superficial, and could easily be changed in name. Please read the whole text before offering constructive criticisms, and feel free to ask me any questions about my idea. I may or may not add to it in the future.

Setting:​

Fallout 5 takes place in the Front Range wasteland in the state of Colorado, in the year 2297. The main urban hub is ‘Dog City’ (also known as ‘Dog Town’), the post-war remains of the Denver metropolitan area. To the south is the city of Colorado Springs, to the north is Boulder and Longmont, and to the west are the Rocky Mountains. The below image shows the boundaries of the game, as well as major points of interest.

Factions:​

There are 3 major factions with which the player can align themselves with (or otherwise go independent), as well as a number of smaller factions who the player can convince to join them.


Caesar’s Legion
In 2278, Legate Lanius (Caesar’s second-in-command) led a campaign to conquer the city of Denver, in order to construct a stronghold east of the Great Continental Divide. However, the conquest was a pyrrhic victory, due to the harsh climate, poor supply lines, and lack of tribal stock to replenish their slave population. The brutal and costly campaign left a strong impression on Lanius, but Caesar chose not to punish him, and instead gave the command of the barren city to a young commander named Tiberius. At the Second Battle of Hoover Dam in 2281, Lanius was spared by the Courier (who succeeded in fighting for an independent New Vegas), and began plotting his vengeance against the West. In Caesar’s absence, Lanius declared himself the Imperator of the Legion; he held absolute control over the faction, but tried to unify it using the deity-like image of Caesar, refusing to disclose the previous dictator’s true uninspiring demise. Legate Tiberius began building up his stronghold within Colorado, and soon became the Legion’s largest supply of weapons and attack dogs, leading to the city’s new moniker: Dog City. However, the damage of Caesar’s death was done, and he began plotting to secede from Caesar’s Legion in order to form his own faction – the New Legion, which Tiberius envisioned of correcting the errors of the old ways. He believed in moral reform, such as the better treatment of slaves and women, and the further use of pre-war technology. As of 2297, he is still plotting his secession, with which the player can assist or expose to the centurions still loyal to Lanius, and thus replace him with a Lanius-friendly Legate.

Lonestar Confederacy
Originally formed by the descendants of enterprising Texan businessmen, the Lonestar Confederacy is the largest faction in the American South. Designed to echo the tried and trusted ways of the Old West, unlike a federal republic (such as the NCR), the Confederacy was founded in 2197 as a loose association of independent settlements within the remains of the Lonestar State. Every settlement created its own laws and elected its own Sheriff, but all were willingly bound together in a military and economic union by the Article of Confederation. The Sheriffs came together to form the Sheriff Council, which made collective decisions on external affairs. In order to push the frontier further north and establish new settlements, each Sheriff contributed to the upkeep of the Lonestar Rangers – an elite group of law enforcement officers and militiamen, commanded by the Chief Marshal. As of 2297, the Chief Marshal (a veteran named Carson Holt) has been ordered by the Sheriff Council to establish a new settlement in Colorado Springs and destroy the residing Caesar’s Legion, as they believe they pose a threat to the Lonestar way of life. The resulting conflict has led to tensions between the Confederate settlements, who are reluctant to commit to the costly war effort. However, a temporary cease fire has been achieved, and the two sides lay silently on either side of the demolished town of Castle Rock, both preparing for a pre-emptive strike.

Midwestern Brotherhood of Steel
Separated by distance and ideology from the main Brotherhood forces, the Midwestern Chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel has remained the dominant force from Illinois to Kansas since the 2190s. Despite its small numbers, the faction has been able to establish a harsh rule over towns and villages all over the Midwest, thanks to its reliance on advanced technology (such as Power Armour and restored pre-war vehicles). They have suffered many trials and tribulations, from the war against the Calculator’s robotic army, to the ongoing conflict with Enclave Remnants within the ruins of Chicago. The Chapter is currently stretched to its uttermost thinnest, with only a small scouting force situated in Longmont, led by Paladin Avalon. However, the faction considers both the Legion and the Confederacy to be dangerous organisations, and the stronghold is currently being reinforced by troops from Bunker Alpha near Chicago, in order to deal with the threat. Although this Chapter is more inclusive than its West Coast counterpart, it is not afraid to sacrifice innocents in order to protect the sacrosanct of technology.

Plot:​

Fallout 5 has a non-linear story structure, similar to New Vegas’s, allowing for maximum roleplaying and replayability. It focuses on themes regarding both ethics and ideologies, with many impactful choices for the player to make.

Act 1
At the start of the game, the player wakes up inside a prison cell, within the Van Buren Quarantine Facility (VBQF), which is run entirely by robotic guards. The player walks up to the cell’s mirror, with which the character can customise their appearance and SPECIAL stats. However, before long, the prison goes into lockdown mode, and muffled gunfire can be heard in the distance. An explosion destroys the wall of the cell, and multiple individuals armed and dressed in hazmat suits are seen rushing past. One steps inside the cell and knocks the player unconscious with his assault rifle. A little while later, the player regains consciousness to find themselves strapped to a gurney, and being transported by a team of the attackers outside of the prison. The gurney is set down behind some foliage, next to several other captured prisoners. The player is able to see one of the men operating on the captive next to the player, who is screaming in pain. A man asks “Have you retrieved the tracker yet?” in a gruff voice, to which the operator replies in the affirmative, and pulls out a small device from the prisoner’s belly, prompting him to lose consciousness. The operator then moves onto the player, but the group of men is attacked by robotic guards before he can retrieve the device, and so the men flee. The player goes into shock and loses consciousness, and the introductory cinematic plays.

Act 2
When the cinematic finishes, the player wakes up in broad daylight, and struggles to stand up; they weren’t injured deeply enough to bleed out and die, unlike the other prisoners. They take a Pip-Boy and a handgun from one of the attacker’s corpses, and are now given complete agency over their actions, but with the main objective of finding the identity of the attackers. The first ‘starting town’ is the small village of Elizabeth, in which the player can do a number of small quests and tutorials. It is revealed that the VBQF, designed as a demonstration of robotic prisons, has been functioning autonomously since the Great War, capturing unsuspecting travellers for unknown and mysterious purposes. When the player departs, the suggested route is the road directly west, which leads to Castle Rock. Here, they are exposed to both the Confederacy and the Legion, and can decide to either venture north or south, depending on which faction they intend to align with.

Act 3
After completing a number of quests for whatever faction they join (and thus gaining their trust), the secret about the attackers is revealed – that they are the personal mercenaries of a prestigious Confederate scientist, named Victor Presper, gone rogue. The Confederacy tells the player that Presper is a traitor who aims to destroy the Confederate base in Colorado: the VBQF was actually constructed as a testing facility for a biological weapon known as Limit 115, and its robotic guard personnel was capturing prisoners in order to test the weapon on them, in the absence of federal orders. Every prisoner was fitted with a tracking device, which was monitored by an orbital station known as Ballistic Orbital Missile Base 001 (B.O.M.B. 001) – the station was equipped with one reserve nuclear missile in the event that the Limit 115 became exposed to the public (a precautionary measure designed following the New Plague, when the weapon was released by Chinese spies throughout Colorado, prompting the first ever national quarantine). Presper discovered that the nuclear missile could be remotely armed if the station detected exposure of Limit 115 to an urban area. So, he ordered an attack on the VBQF in order to obtain access of the prisoners’ tracking devices, which would allow him to fool the station into believing that a pandemic had occurred. He then planned on using a rocket from the Boulder Dome Research Centre (within the decimated town of Boulder) to reach the station and target Colorado Springs with B.O.M.B. 001’s nuclear missile. The Legion tells the player that Presper aims to instead destroy Dog City, and the Brotherhood of Steel wishes to make contact with him. In any case, the player is sent to Boulder Dome, where they discover they are too late – Presper has already departed in a Delta X prototype rocket. The player follows him via a second rocket, and confronts him on the station, which is when Presper’s true motivations are revealed – the Limit 115 weapon was being refined by the US Government within the Cheyenne Mountain Complex in Colorado Springs, and the Confederacy’s Chief Marshal was under strict orders by the Sheriff Council to obtain and manufacture the weapon en masse. However, the only means of manufacturing Limit 115 lies in the factories of Dog City’s industrial centre, which is under strict Legion control. Presper is in fact a Confederate patriot who aims to destroy Dog City, in order to protect the Confederacy against the threat of destruction, but also to ensure that no one could ever make use of the biological weapon, despite directly contradicting the Sheriff Council’s orders. The player is face with a moral choice – is it acceptable to nuke Dog City (which is surrounded by a vast sea of civilian slums) in order to protect the Confederacy, and is the use of biological weapons tolerable? If the player wishes to side with the Confederacy, they must kill Presper and either sabotage the missile or destroy the Brotherhood. If they wish to side with the Legion, they must kill Presper and either sabotage the missile or destroy the Confederacy. If they wish to side with the Brotherhood, they must spare Presper and either sabotage the missile or destroy one of the other 2 factions. The player then returns to Earth as the nuke detonates.

Act 4
The player must now help whichever faction they joined to assert dominance over the Front Range, leading to another moral question – which faction is best ideologically suited to run the Front Range? If the player sides with the Confederacy, this involves invading Dog City and then using the Limit 115 to destroy the Brotherhood. If the player sides with the Legion, this involves destroying the remaining faction(s), either by brute force or by using the Limit 115 (if they invade Colorado Springs first). If the player sides with the Brotherhood, this involves destroying the remaining faction(s), and/or by using diplomacy to convince the Confederacy to leave Colorado. If the player chooses to go independent, this involves simply destroying all remaining factions. In every case, minor factions can be convinced to align themselves with the player’s faction. When the main questline is completed, a short ending cinematic (similar to Fallout 4’s) is played. The player can then continue after the ending of the game to experience the effects of their actions on the Front Range. If and when they want to end the game, the player can select an option to see the ‘true’ extended ending cinematic, detailing the long-term effects of their actions, similar to the endings of all other Fallouts.

 

[HWP2001]

Gameplay:​

The gameplay takes a very different approach compared to previous games, refraining from typical RPG tropes and focusing instead on increased realism. Enemies are no longer bullet sponges – difficulty is created via more numerous, smarter, and better equipped enemies, as well as scarcity of supplies. The difficulty levels are Very Easy, Easy, Medium, Hard, and Very Hard, and alter these aforementioned factors. All items have weight (excluding quest items), and your character moves slower depending on how much of their inventory is filled. Stats are measured in either percentages or actual measurements (e.g. health and stamina are percentages, damage and threshold are measured in joules, effective range is measured in metres, carry weight in kilograms, rate of fire in RPM or Hz, etc.) – hit points and action points have been deprecated. VATS has a lore-friendly explanation, and now functions as ‘bullet time’ (the explanation being that the player’s Pip-Boy injects a chemical that increases brain activity and ‘slows time’, but requires more energy and thus depletes stamina), but the combat is smooth enough to play without it. Power Armour functions like a vehicle similar to Fallout 4, but requires training and is extremely rare (to counter this, it doesn’t break over time, and doesn’t require a fuel source). Survival Mode returns, but as an optional mode instead of a difficulty setting, similar to Hardcore Mode from FNV. It adds hunger, thirst, fatigue, realistic carry weight, and equipment durability, and removes fast travel. All marked quests and sidequests have multiple solutions – at least one combat solution and one non-combat solution, in either case making use of a wide range of skill checks. The protagonist is not voiced, and the dialogue/speech check system is very similar to that of FNV’s. Horses are now available, and function similarly to the horses in Skyrim. This is because the game world is very large (perhaps around 200 square kilometres), in order to counter the issue of every landmark being in close proximity – i.e. a large amount of the map is forest or wasteland, although there are enough locations to make exploration worthwhile. Equipment modification is non-linear, similar to Fallout 4, but the individual mods themselves are impactful, and usually have at least one negative effect (e.g. longer barrel increases weight, faster rate of fire decreases accuracy, suppressor decreases muzzle velocity, etc.) to counteract the beneficial effects.

Progression:​

Fallout 5’s progression system takes heavy inspiration from the Elder Scrolls ‘practice makes perfect’ system – the main method of increasing skills is by using those skills, which makes for a more realistic and immersive experience. Furthermore, skills only change the player’s statistics realistically (e.g. no skills can magically increase the damage that the player’s guns do) – the only exception to this are luck skills, to which there is no discernible workaround. Progression is divided into 4 parts: SPECIALs, skills, levels, and perks.

SPECIALs
SPECIAL attributes are chosen at the start of the game, and can only be increased by purchasing cybernetic enhancements or by taking the Intense Training perk. They act as a multiplier for the rate at which the player learns skills (i.e. 1 is the base rate and 10 is ten times the base rate), and represent your character’s genetic predisposition towards a certain playstyle. Each SPECIAL has 3 associated skills which the multiplier affects:
· STRENGTH – muscle, melee, toughness.
· PERCEPTION – accuracy, awareness, stealing.
· ENDURANCE – health, resistance, survival.
· CHARISMA – speech, barter, leadership.
· INTELLIGENCE – science, medicine, craftmanship.
· AGILITY – speed, stamina, stealth.
· LUCK – looting, criticals, training.

Skills
As mentioned before, the main method of increasing skills is by using them. However, clothing and skill magazines can provide temporary bonuses (e.g. a food item with the effect ‘+ 10 STR’ increases the player’s strength skills by 10 points each), and the player can pay for training. Most skills are measured as a percentage increase from the base rate of a statistic, with 0% being the base rate and 100% being twice the base rate (e.g. 0% speed means that the player moves at the base speed, whereas 100% speed means that the player moves at twice the base speed), whilst some skills only make a difference in increments but are more common as skill checks (e.g. speech and science). However, increasing a skill to 100% takes a very long time, and is unlikely to be achieved before the main questline is finished. There are 3 skills for every attribute, making for 21 skills overall:
· MUSCLE – increases the player’s carry weight – increased by travelling with a full or nearly full inventory.
· MELEE – increases the player’s damage with melee weapons and in unarmed combat – increased by using melee weapons and fists.
· TOUGHNESS – increases the player’s resistance to limb damage – increased by taking limb damage and then healing said limbs.
· ACCURACY – decreases the amount of sway and recoil the player experiences – increased by using firearms.
· AWARENESS – increases the range of the player’s compass and VATS information – increased by eliminating enemies at distant ranges.
· STEALING – improves the player’s ability to lockpick and pickpocket – increased by successfully lockpicking and pickpocketing.
· HEALTH – increases the player’s resistance to damage – increased by losing and then refilling health.
· RESISTANCE – increases the player’s resistance to hunger, thirst, addiction, radiation, bleeding, and poisoning – increases by being subjected to said effects and then recovering.
· SURVIVAL – increases the effects of food and drink items – increased by using food and drink items.
· SPEECH – allows the player to use speech checks to persuade NPCs – increased by using special dialogue options, such as skill/perk/reputation checks.
· BARTER – increases the prices the player can sell items for and decreases the prices offered by vendors – increased by making transactions.
· LEADERSHIP – improves the statistics of the player’s companion(s) – increased by progressing whilst travelling with a companion.
· SCIENCE – allows the player to hack terminals, craft high-end equipment mods, and use science checks – increased by performing said actions.
· MEDICINE – increases the effects of chems and medicines – increased by using chems and medicines.
· CRAFTSMANSHIP – improves the player’s ability to repair equipment and craft weapon and armour mods – increased by repairing and modifying equipment.
· SPEED – increases the speed of the player’s movement, reloading, and weapon drawing – increased by sprinting.
· STAMINA – increases the player’s amount of stamina, allowing them to sprint and use VATS for longer – increased by draining stamina and then replenishing it.
· STEALTH – decreases the likelihood of the player being detected whilst crouching – increased by successfully performing stealth actions.
· LOOTING – increases the chances of the player finding useful loot whilst exploring – increased by exploring and looting unexplored locations/dungeons.
· CRITICALS – increases the likelihood and damage of critical hits – increased by achieving critical hits.
· TRAINING – increases the rate at which the player learns all other skills – increased by reading skill magazines.

Levels
Instead of being dependent on arbitrary experience points, Fallout 5’s levels are based on the player’s skills – every time the player increases by 33 skill points, a new level is obtained, allowing the player to choose a new perk. There are 3 perks per skill, making for 63 perks, and thus 63 levels overall (the player starts on Level 0). By the time the player reaches Level 63 (although this is very difficult, as most players tend to specialise in only a few skills, and each skill can only offer 3 levels), they will have 2079 skill points out of the total of 2100 (i.e. 100% completion is not required to reach the maximum level). In this system, levels provide milestones for the player’s progress, and can be compared against quest level recommendations and against enemies, who are also ranked out of 63 levels. However, in the case of enemies, their level instead represents their SPECIAL attributes – the number of the level is equal to the NPC’s total number of SPECIAL points minus seven (to account for the fact that the minimum level for attributes is 1 and not 0). Therefore, a Level 0 enemy has all attributes at 1, and a Level 63 enemy has all attributes at 10. Attributes determine NPC’s statistics and behaviour, and their level determines how advanced their equipment is. However, depending on their role and/or faction, the distribution of an NPC’s SPECIAL points can be biased towards one or two specific attributes.

Perks
When the player levels up, they are allowed to choose one perk to invest in. Perks are small ‘gimmicky’ benefits, some of which scale (i.e. improve) as their associated skill increases, which have no tiers and no level requirements. However, as level-ups tend to be few and far between, the player must usually make a decision to prioritise some perks over others. They may choose to invest in perks that complement their chosen playstyle, or perhaps choose to invest in perks which help in areas where the player is lacking. Overall, there are 63 perks, each associated with a skill:
· PACK RAT (Muscle) – halves the weight of all objects under 1 kilogram.
· LONG HAUL (Muscle) – allows the player to fast travel when over encumbered.
· WEAPON HANDLING (Muscle) – removes all strength requirements for heavy weapons.
· PARALYZER (Melee) – gives the player to chance to paralyze enemies when using melee weapons.
· CIRCUS ACT (Melee) – allows the player to throw melee weapons at enemies.
· SUPER SLAM (Melee) – gives the player the chance to knock enemies down when using melee weapons.
· STONEWALL (Toughness) – removes the possibility of the player being knocked down.
· DEEP SLEEP (Toughness) – allows the player to heal limbs by sleeping in owned beds.
· PAIN TRAIN (Toughness) – allows the player to knock enemies down whilst sprinting.
· RUN ‘N GUN (Accuracy) – removes the accuracy penalty for firing whilst moving.
· STEADY AIM (Accuracy) – gives the player the ability to hold their breath whilst aiming.
· HEAT SEEKER (Accuracy) – gives the player the ability to ‘lock-on’ to targets within their field of view.
· LIVING ANATOMY (Awareness) – gives the player information about enemies when viewing in VATS.
· EXPLORER (Awareness) – reveals all locations on the map.
· NIGHT VISION (Awareness) – gives the player’s vision the ability to slowly adjust to dark settings.
· INFILTRATOR (Stealing) – gives the player a second attempt after failing to force open a lock.
· PRANKSTER’S RETURN (Stealing) – gives the player the ability to place a live grenade when pickpocketing.
· MASTER THIEF (Stealing) – gives the player the ability to attempt to steal equipped items.
· RAD CHILD (Health) – allows the player to regenerate health when irradiated.
· SLEEPING BEAUTY (Health) – allows the player to regenerate health whilst sleeping in owned beds.
· SOLAR POWERED (Health) – allows the player to regenerate health whilst in open sunlight.
· COLD TURKEY (Resistance) – allows the player to lose addictions over time.
· RAD ABSORPTION (Resistance) – allows the player to lose rads over time.
· MITHRIDATES (Resistance) – allows the player to lose poisoning over time.
· FAST METABOLISM (Survival) – makes food and drink items take effect immediately.
· MASTER CHEF (Survival) – allows the player to craft food and drink items.
· CANNIBAL (Survival) – gives the player the ability to consume corpses.
· TERRIFYING PRESENCE (Speech) – allows access to special ‘threat’ options in dialogue.
· CONFIRMED BACHELOR/BACHELORETTE (Speech) – allows access to special dialogue options with the same sex.
· LADY KILLER / BLACK WIDOW (Speech) – allows access to special dialogue options with the opposite sex.
· SALESMAN (Barter) – allows the player to sell previously worthless items for money.
· BRIBERY (Barter) – gives the player the ability to bribe guards and lawmen to ignore crimes.
· MASTER TRADER (Barter) – all vendors gain 1000 more caps to barter with.
· FEROCIOUS LOYALTY (Leadership) – removes the possibility of dealing damage to companions.
· ANIMAL FRIEND (Leadership) – makes most small animals friendly to the player unless attacked.
· PACIFIST (Leadership) – allows the player to attempt to pacify human/ghoul enemies in combat.
· COMPUTER WHIZZ (Science) – gives the player a second attempt after being locked out of a terminal.
· ROBOTICS EXPERT (Science) – gives the player the ability to hack and deactivate robots.
· CYBORG (Science) – allows the player to purchase cybernetic enhancements.
· CHEMIST (Medicine) – allows the player to craft medicines and chems.
· CATALYTIC (Medicine) – makes medicines and chems take effect immediately.
· QUICK DIAGNOSIS (Medicine) – allows the player to see enemies’ health in combat.
· JURY RIGGING (Craftsmanship) – allows the player to repair and modify equipment away from a workbench.
· VIGILANT RECYCLER (Craftsmanship) – allows the player to craft ammo using empty shells/casings.
· ICE COLD (Craftsmanship) – removes the possibility of weapons overheating.
· LIGHT STEP (Speed) – removes the possibility of setting off traps.
· RAPID RELOAD (Speed) – allows the player to use a speed loader when reloading revolving firearms.
· TUNNEL RAT (Speed) – removes the speed penalty for moving whilst crouching.
· REBREATHER (Stamina) – removes the depletion of stamina whilst breathing underwater.
· MOVING TARGET (Stamina) – confuses enemies and decreases their accuracy when sprinting.
· HYPERVENTILATOR (Stamina) – increases the rate at which the player replenishes stamina.
· SILENT RUNNING (Stealth) – makes running as quiet as sneaking/crouching.
· MISTER SANDMAN (Stealth) – gives the player the ability to instantly kill sleeping NPCs.
· HOLDOUT (Stealth) – allows the player to retain some small weapons in weapon-free zones.
· SCRAPPER (Looting) – allows the player to obtain rare components when scrapping certain items.
· FORTUNE FINDER (Looting) – makes it possible for dead enemies to explode into a shower of caps.
· ENCOUNTERABLE (Looting) – increases the chances of random encounters occurring.
· MYSTERIOUS STRANGER (Criticals) – makes it possible for the Mysterious Stranger to appear when in VATS.
· GRIM REAPER (Criticals) – makes it possible for critical hits to replenish the player’s stamina.
· BLOODY MESS (Criticals) – makes it possible for enemies to die an instant and bloody death.
· INTENSE TRAINING (Training) – allows the player to permanently increase an attribute by 1 point.
· TAGGER (Training) – allows the player to ‘tag’ a skill, increasing it by 10 points and making it increase faster.
· RETENTION (Training) – makes skill magazines increase the player’s skill permanently by 1 point.