Fallout is a futuristic post-apocalyptic CRPG on an alternate universe based on 50's sci-fi pulp fiction, as if the world had stopped in the optimistic 50's and found itself on a dystopian post-apocalyptic reality. Early development of the game was done with the GURPS role playing system but this eventually fell through and the SPECIAL system was created. The setting and game was created by a team of developers at Interplay, and its success led to the formalization of the division, which was named Black Isle Studios. BIS was responsible for many of Interplay's CRPGs in the late 90s, and also assisted Bioware with the Baldur's Gate series. BIS also developed Fallout 2.

Two other Fallout games were published by Interplay, but Black Isle Studios had a minimal role in their development and neither spin-off was a CRPG. Fallout Tactics was developed by Microforte, with the support of 14Degrees East, Interplay's tactical games division. Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel, was developed by an in-house division of Interplay and was part of their consolidation around console development.

Bethesda licensed the Fallout setting from Interplay in 2004, although the game remained in pre-production until after the release of TES IV: Oblivion. Recently Interplay sold all rights to Bethesda, and is now licensing the setting from them in the development of a Fallout MMORPG.

Eventually we would like to include an overview of all four games in this thread, but in the meantime here are some general links:

Wikipedia's article on the http://www.gamesas.com/redirect.php?site=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallout_series#Fallout

http://www.gamesas.com/redirect.php?site=http://www.falloutvault.com/index.php?title=Main_Page, a fan-made Fallout Wiki

Per Jorner's comprehensive walkthroughs for http://www.gamesas.com/redirect.php?site=http://user.tninet.se/~jyg699a/fallout.html and http://www.gamesas.com/redirect.php?site=http://user.tninet.se/~jyg699a/fallout2.html

The Official websites for http://www.gamesas.com/redirect.php?site=http://www.nma-fallout.com/fallout1/official_site/, http://www.gamesas.com/redirect.php?site=http://www.nma-fallout.com/fallout2/official_site/, http://www.gamesas.com/redirect.php?site=http://www.nma-fallout.com/fallout_tactics/official_site/, and http://www.gamesas.com/redirect.php?site=http://www.duckandcover.cx/official/fobos/ as well as the original http://www.gamesas.com/redirect.php?site=http://www.duckandcover.cx/official/gurps/ and the http://www.gamesas.com/redirect.php?site=http://www.duckandcover.cx/official/bible/. These have been archived on http://www.gamesas.com/redirect.php?site=http://www.nma-fallout.com/ and http://www.gamesas.com/redirect.php?site=http://www.duckandcover.cx/.



I would also like to thank Briosafreak and MrSmileyFaceDude for their assistance with this overview.

Welcome to the World of Fallout
A few pointers for those new the Fallout universe

Introduction:
The Fallout games are a series of Role Playing Games that take place in a parallel universe after an atomic war. They are known for their freedom of character development, their gritty setting, mature themes, humor and memorable dialogues.


Index:
1. Setting
2. History of Fallout 1 & 2 (contains spoilers, read at your own risk)
3. Major players and power factions of the past
4. Characters worth mentioning
5. Creatures and critters
6. The S.P.E.C.I.A.L. system
7. Fallout 3
8. LINKS for more in-depth information


1. Setting
Before
The world of Fallout is similar to our own - sharing some mutual history and figures - but broke off from and developed in it's own unique ways somewhere around the 1950s. It is basically build upon the views a man (or woman) of the 1950s had of the bright new future up ahead. Meaning clean atomic energy, household robots, chrome and laser weapons and many other bright inventions that made life more easy and enjoyable.
However - this bright new future didn't quite work out. In Fallouts universe, not quite unlike our own, the oil reserves began to run out and the world ran into a crisis of major proportions. While Europe lost itself in an internal war over resources the United States and it's big counterpart - China - came to war over the the last remaining oil field in Alaska. It finally reached it climix on October 23, 2077 - the day the world almost ended. It is not known who pushed the button first - but that hardly matters. The atomic war lasted a mere 2 hours but wage on a scale previously unknown. Much of humanity was wiped out and the world itself didn't fare better.

The Vault Project
When it became apparent that the energy crisis took a turn for the worse the United States Government advertised a new program to safeguard it's population from extinction in case of an all-out atomic war. Gigantic underground shelters - known as Vaults - were constructed. These Vaults were supposed to be self-sustaining for up to ten years and could support a maximum of 1.000 men, women and children.

After the Great War
The world has changed. What was once a hospitable planet full of life took on a new twisted form. Those unlucky souls and creatures who didn't make it to the safety of shelters or vaults perished or mutated for the most part. The land itself is dead in many places, irradiated and poisoned.
But humanity survives, adapting itself and the lands and creatures to it's own needs.

2. History of Fallout 1 & 2 (contains spoilers, read at your own risk)

• Fallout 1
  In Fallout 1 the player finds him-/herself as inhabitant of Vault 13 - and Vault 13 is in peril. The water chip, an essential part of the life support system, is broken and without the means to recycle the vital liquid all of it's people are doomed. The overseer sends the Vault dweller out into the wastes to search for another vault and a replacement.
  Over the course of the game the player finds him-/herself in a world full of danger and opportunities. Many pathways present itself to do good, bad or something in between.
  
  Spoiler

  Eventually the player will find a replacement and save his home from this danger - but another, greater danger looms over the horizon. Strange new creatures appear all over the wasteland and kidnap humans, never to be seen again. These Super Mutants pose an increasing threat to the safety of the vault and instead of a well-earned rest the Vault dweller finds himself venturing into the wastes again, trying to find out the truth.
  In the end he/she finds the Master - a grotesk Mutant and Mastermind behind the Super Mutants. The Master intended to speed up humanity to the next evolutionary step, seeing as how this humanity failed in itself and almost destroyed itself and the world completely. Upon realizing that his plan is doomed to fail as the Super Mutants are all steril he commits suicide. The remainder of the Super Mutant army leave for the unknown areas to the east.
  Vault 13 is safe, once again. But not entirely, as you're told by the Overseer. There is still one threat and it is you that poses it. The adventures and experiences in the wasteland have changed you, the Vault dweller and whoever you are now - you pose a threat to the peace and society of Vault 13. You're expelled.
  
  
• Fallout 2
  In Fallout 2 the player finds him-/herself as tribal, member of a small group that traces it's origins to the Vault Dweller. You're tibe is in peril - crops have failed and the lifestock and the people are slowly dieing. A sacred artefact the Vault Dweller once mentioned, the G.E.C.K., could safe the village and so you must venture out and find it to safe you friends and family.
  
  Spoiler

  Through much adventures and encounters the player finally ends up with a Garden of Eden Creation Kit in his/her hands - but upon returning home finds the village destroyed, the people gone. Only Hakunin, the shaman, remains, barely alive. He tells of strangers in flying machine coming and taking the villagers away to the west. Once again you must venture out, to find and rescue your tribe.
  It soon becomes apparent that there's a new power in the wastelands - the Enclave. A ruthless military organization that's shrouded in mystery and wary of strangers like yourself. Through means of your own you collect information and secure means to travel to the heart of the Enclave - an oil platform far out into the pacific ocean. There you confront the leaders of the Enclave and finally destroy it before fleeing with your rescued tribesmen.

3. Major players and power factions of the past

• Brotherhood of Steel
  The Brotherhood of Steel (BOS) is a techno-religious organization, with roots in the US military and government-sponsored scientific community from before the Great War.
  The BOS is one of the few factions that posses knowledge of pre-war technology and they are single-minded in their quest to gather and collect more technology and knowledge before it's forever lost or falls into the wrong hands.
  
• The Enclave
  The Enclave represents the remains of the United States Government. Vastly superior in technology they ruthlessly use their power in an attempt to lay the foundation for a reborn America. One of the first goals on that path is the eradication of mutation and mutated lifeforms - and most of those humans still alive are mutants to a degree.

4. Characters worth mentioning

• the Vault Dweller
  A name commonly used for the hero of Fallout 1, but also a name that is used by wastelanders for those lucky few originating from Vaults.
  
• the Master
  The mysterious figure behind the Super Mutants. Genius or Madman? It's up to you to decide.
  
• the Overseer
  A title referring to the leader of a Vault. Usually used in reference to the leader of Vault 13, where the original Vault Dweller (and hero of Fallout 1) originates from.
  
• Harold
  A memorable Ghoul remembered for his distinctive humor and the tree growing out of his head.
  
• Tandi
  A character one encounters in both Fallout 1 - as a young woman - and later on in Fallout 2 - as an old woman and leader of the NCR.
  
• Dogmeat
  A canine companion that stands by the side of the Vault Dweller in Fallout 1 and makes a mysterious comeback in Fallout 2. Much beloved by Fans of the series.

5. Creatures and critters

• Gecko
  A mutated form of lizard, growing to roughly half mansize and packing a nasty bite. Several sub-species are known - silver, gold and fire geckos - one more deadly then the next.
  
• Deathclaw
  Another mutated lizard - this time the species it originated from is known: Jackson's chameleons. They are known to grow larger then man and posses strength, cunning and speed. They are of the dealiest creatures one can encounter in the wastelands.
  
• Radscorpion
  Scorpion grown to the size of dogs or even calfs with a thirst for life prey. Not only are they armed with enormous claws that can rip muscle and bone but they also pack a deadly venom.
  
• Floater
  A creature you'll regulary find if your opposed by centaurs. Looking quite unlikely anything you've ever seen these creatures are deadly on their own right.
  
• Centaur
  Centaurs are creatures formed through the use of FEV - the Forced Evolutionary Virus. They originate not from one singular creature but from several unlucky creatures that for lack of a better word melded together to form a new misshapen entity.

6. The SPECIAL system

• What is Special?
  The games of the Fallout series share one common rule-system - SPECIAL. SPECIAL stands for Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility and Luck and these are the stats that play a part in determining what character you play.
  
• Skills
  The Special system provides a multitude of skills - ranging from weapon skills such as Small arms and Unarmed to more stealthbased ones such as Steal and Lockpicking, the educated ones such as Doctor or Science and finally the social ones such as Speech and Barter.
  
• What are Traits?
  At character creation the player has can choose up to two traits to further define his or her character. Traits usually offer a bonus to one area in exchange for a malus in another - e.g. the trait One hander
  
• What are Perks?
  Perks are special abilities gained by the player character during the game.
  Examples are Gecko skinning which allows the player character to skin slain geckos and loot their hides or Thief which gives boni to skills like lockpicking and sneaking.
  
• Experience
  Fallout uses an experience point leveling system - in order to advance to the next level the player has to amount a certain amount of experience.
  Experience can be gained by fighting - however the series is known to equally reward players seeking alternative means. Fallout 1 & 2 provided ample opportunities to use skills such as doctor, speech, repair and steal to advance more non-violent characters.

7. Fallout 3
A new chapter begins. Once again you play a Vault dweller - this time you hail from Vault 101.
Your father, a doctor, has mysteriously left the Vault and you're accused of having a hand in it. The future in the Vault doesn't look very bright to you and you decide to follow your father out into the wastelands...

• http://fallout.gamesas.com/eng/info/faq.html
  
• http://www.gamesas.com/bgsforums/index.php?showtopic=755135 - 25 questions about Fallout 3
  
• http:/// - not done yet (will be updated)

8. LINKS for more in-depth information

• http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page - vast amounts of Information about anything related to the Fallout games

After seeing the large number of ''Help with quest x in FO1'' or ''strange colour patterns in FO2'' threads being created in the forum, I have decided to create a specific help thread aimed at answering all the questions you may have regarding the original Fallouts.

The majority of problems such as car bugs, distorted colours, and so on, are usually adressed by these patches. Therefore it is highly reccomended you install them first before playing.

Note: It is highly reccomended you read the game manuals if you are unfamiliar with the original games. The game mechanics and interface are not exactly complex but not very easy either. I got stuck once without reading the manual and gave up on Fallout 2 for years. It will take you 2 minutes and you WILL be grateful for it.


Fallout 1

• Patches:
  - 1.2 by Team X (must be installed first) can be found http://www.nma-fallout.com/forum/dload.php?action=file&file_id=1076
  - 1.34 by Team X can be found http://www.nma-fallout.com/forum/dload.php?action=file&file_id=1075
  - Note: These are the latest patches. They are UNNOFICIAL. However, they include all the official fixes plus numerous other fixes.
  
  
  
• Manual:
  - http://www.nma-fallout.com/forum/dload.php?action=file&file_id=33
  
  
  
• Walkthrough:
  - By Per Jorner of NMA: http://user.tninet.se/~jyg699a/fallout.html

Fallout 2

• Patches:
  - http://www.nma-fallout.com/forum/dload.php?action=file&file_id=704 (Latest)
  - Restoration Project 1.2 by Darek of NMA and many others: http://www.nma-fallout.com/forum/dload.php?action=file&file_id=1097 (See below)
  - Note: Killap's Patch includes all the official fixes and over 800+ other fixes. It is the LATEST patch. Restoration Project 1.2 is technically a mod, but includes all the fixes in Killaps Patch, plus content originally planned for the game but cut out due to time restraints. If you want the full Fallout 2 experience, then this is HIGHLY RECCOMENDED!
  
  
  
• Manual:
  - http://www.nma-fallout.com/forum/dload.php?action=file&file_id=65
  
  
  
• Walkthrough:
  - Also by Per Jorner http://user.tninet.se/~jyg699a/fallout2.html

Fallout Tactics

• Patches:
  - Available http://www.nma-fallout.com/forum/dload.php?action=file&file_id=210
  
  
  
• Manual:
  - Available http://www.nma-fallout.com/forum/dload.php?action=file&file_id=204
  
  
  
• Walkthrough:
  - Available http://www.nma-fallout.com/forum/dload.php?action=file&file_id=209

Specific Bug Fixes:

• Refreshing Black Screen Problem (Fallout 1 - 2)
  - Having to move the curson about to 'clear' or 'refresh' a constant black screen on your game? Solution is http://translate.google.ru/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.labo-asso.com%2Fphp%2Foutils%2Ffallout.php&sl=fr&tl=en&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

If you have installed all these lastest patches and still have questions, then visit the troubleshooting section at http://www.nma-fallout.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=8 However, do read the stickies there before posting as most problems have already been solved. Also, note that this particular link applies ONLY if you have the lastest patches installed. If you do not, I reccomend you install the latest patches as outlined above.

Enjoy Fallout

If you're looking to purchase Fallout 1&2, as well as Fallout:Tactics, you can download them http://fallout.gamesplanet.com/game-fallout-trilogy2-interplay.html or purchase the disc version of Fallout Trilogy at sites like http://www.amazon.com/Fallout-Triology-3-Pack-Compilation-Pc/dp/B001V9PTVE/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&s=software&qid=1246471594&sr=8-11.