I was just wondering if anyone could provide some further explanation to the Lonsome Road. I can't really seem to get a hold of the whole big picture behind how in Ulysses' words the courier is responsible for the divide and how he is traveling home and all that. I know since they were both couriers what he means by they have walked the same path, but i was just in need of some more insight from fellow wasteland wanderers out there.

Ulysses means a lot of things in Lonesome Road.

He argues that the Courier is building a new nation in the Mojave, and provides counterarguments for why whichever nation the Courier chooses will fail.

-If Independent, he will argue that symbols make nations. As the Courier follows nothing, has no symbol, the new nation will mean nothing & ultimately collapse in destruction like all others.

-If NCR, he will argue it is necessary for nations to understand what they are and where they are going. As the Courier supports a people blindly following in the footsteps of the power primarily responsible for the crapsack nature of the Fallout world, the Courier must necessarily be blind & will only bring destruction to humanity again.

I haven't seen the Legion/House dialogues, but here is the bigger picture as I understand it:

The Courier took a small community in Hopeville under his/her wing, built them up. Ulysses found this community while scouting for the Legion, and concluded it was something new, something which stood the best possible chance of changing human nature and preventing another Great War. The Courier, working for NCR, delivered a package to Hopeville. NCR wanted it there because they didn't understand what the thing did, and felt they could figure it out there. The device detonated the Divide's nuclear missiles. The Courier was long gone when this happened. Ulysses survived thanks to the symbol of America he wears, and decided to use what the Courier had taught him about shattering nations to influence the course of humanity for what he hoped would be the better.

It's player choice as to whether the Courier intentionally destroyed the Divide or accidentally did. Either way, Ulysses argues the blame rests on you regardless. That's what I understand, at least.

If Longknife enters this thread, though, you ignore everything I just said and listen to him. He's our expert.

-Nukeknockout

Ok that helps explain alot about why he says all of that. Thanks

The Courier, from some reason, built up Hopeville, a place that Ulysses called home. However, the Courier brought a package from the NCR who salvaged it from the ruins of Navarro. The package was brought to Hopeville and turned out that it was a detonator/beacon. The Courier didn't set it off (at least it isn't assumed that he did)but he delivered it and afterwards, it signaled to the hundreds of nukes in the area.

They detonated, destroying Hopeville and the surrounding area. Ulysses survived because of the symbol of America on his back (Medical Robots).

His meaning to the Courier through a two part meaning.

Part One is that he tells the Courier that one man can change the world, for better or for worse. This is shown throughout the main game as the Courier is the driving force of one of the armies. Not to mention Ulysses saw this first hand with the Courier's delivery of the detonator.

Part Two is criticism of the factions the Courier sides with, because of all their faults.

- NCR - It's part of old world values that caused the bombs to drop. Not to mention that the fly their flag of democracy so broadly and openly without knowing its true meaning. Especially since the NCR is ripe with political strife amongst their own politicians.

- House - Ulysses also hates Mr. House as much as NCR. He sees it as reawakening a dead value that isn't really needed in this new wasteland. Especially the fact that Mr. House is stuck in the past and resurrecting the Old World more blatantly than the NCR ever did.

- Caesar's Legion - Ulysses shows less hate but still points out failures. That if Caesar dies and there's no heir, they'll crumble. But a massive eye opener here is the idea of an Empire. Although it's flawed, it makes sense. When the Legion attacks the NCR and takes it over and have nowhere else to expand to, they'll turn on themselves. While there's a vast eastern area to conquer, it still makes sense. Once Caesar expands to its Legion's limits, they'll kill themselves.

- Independent - Never done independent. My current playthrough is going indie so

yeah i guess i must of missed the part where the courier delivered a package that caused hopeville to get destroyed, which is why I was so confused.

Trust me, I was extremely confused when I played through LR the first time. I was like WTH is that guy babbling about? I never even seen the Divide, how the heck did I cause so much destruction? LOL
The further along I went, the more things became clear. Ulysses blamed me, the Courier, for delivering a package. A military package. I tried to argue the point that I didn't know what it was, but I think Ulysses carried so much hate around with him, for so long, he wouldn't or couldn't see that the Courier didn't mean any harm.

That nobody intended for this outcome. Well, I actually blame the Enclave, for developing such dangerous technology at Navarro (hear that Pistolero? =p LOL)

But yea, I was able to talk sense into Ulysses at the end and we stood together and fought against the Marked Men. I don't blame Ulysses for hating the Courier. Imagine what he went through when all those nukes went off. When he had to witness the destruction of a young, developing community. Ash and fire rained from the skies, and the Divide became a place of death.

I felt bad, really bad, to think that my character did something like that, knowingly or unknowingly...

LR is deep, it's scary and tough, but I love it!

It has its own reward, something that isnt about money, or helping some specific faction. Im of course talking about the knowledge of the couriers past And the weapons and armor were nice too

Yeah i agree. In a way this is a more meaningful ending to the actual hoover dam battle i feel. At least it's more deeper of one to me. When you finish this it actually feels like you made your last delivery, and i honestly felt like it wasn't a bad add-on at all like the many people that say otherwise. And that scorched sierra power armor is pretty nice

Touché