Fallout 3 Main Quest

» Wed May 02, 2012 4:55 pm

I've been thinking, and I'm not sure if this has been asked earlier... but is it possible that the Main Quest really isn't *about* the capital wasteland, but more of a coming-of-age story?

*WARNING- SPOILERS!*

Spoiler

Think about it... The Lone Wanderer leaves Vault 101 around the age of 18 or 19 (usually associated as the transition between childhood and advlthood) to find their father. They travel the Capital Wasteland in search of their father, overcoming trials that are pushed upon them (Megaton, Big Town, etc.)

After a long period of time, the Lone Wanderer is given the choice to follow their father's example by sacrificing themself for the greater good (thus becoming an advlt) or to reject their father's example and teachings (and failing to grow as a person.)

Any thoughts on this?

» Wed May 02, 2012 11:46 am

By 18 or 19 years old (Lone Wandere is 19) you're already an advlt. So, to all those 18 year olds thinking you are still a kid.. Grow up! :stare:

So on that alone I don't feel its a coming of age story.

The game is totally based in the idea that you are going to follow in his footsteps (Following in his Footsteps if the main quest title). You have to go find him even if your character hates him.

» Wed May 02, 2012 6:22 pm

If that's the case, I certainly threw it out the window.

I'm not sure dear old daddy would appreciate me siding with Eden.

» Wed May 02, 2012 11:24 pm

I'm sorry, but at 19 most people are still kids, not nearly fully developed in terms of maturity. Particularly if you've lived a cloistered existence.

I'm not saying the FO3 MQ is a coming of age story, but it's a viable angle.

» Thu May 03, 2012 12:26 am

I'm not sure dear old daddy would appreciate me siding with Eden.

Well we really don't know what dads views are about mutants. Does the Enclave explain to the Lone Wanderer that he to is a mutant? Richardson really stuck it to the Chosen One. I was suprised Eden and his guys didn't do a DNA test on the Lone Wanderer.

I'm sorry, but at 19 most people are still kids, not nearly fully developed in terms of maturity. Particularly if you've lived a cloistered existence.

That's why I said they need to grow up. Life is hard and if you are 19 years old and acting like a kid, you're in for a world of hurt.

» Wed May 02, 2012 2:49 pm

No, it wasn't a coming of age story. Like what Styles has said, it's about your PC following in your father's footstep which is one of the main reasons why FO3 was hard to swallow as a Fallout game. In the original Fallout games (and FONV) it was never about your PC; it was about the towns/villages/cities and factions you had encountered and what came of them due to your actions.

Spoiler

Fallout 1: The Vault Dweller = Vault 13------>Due to trying to save his vault he encountered many towns and factions that would lead him to destroy the Master's Army and the biggest consequence? The formation of the New California Republic due to him saving Shady Sands and Tandi.
Fallout 2: The Chosen One = Arroyo------>Due to trying to save his tribe he encountered many towns and factions that would lead him to destroy the Enclave's Oil Rig which gives the NCR a window of opportunity to overrun Navarro and grab schematics and weapons that would help them in the coming years. The biggest consequence? He allowed the NCR to become powerful and arrogant.
Fallout 3: The Lone Wanderer / Father(?)------->Uh....due to trying to find the father who abandoned him....the LW encounters other towns....but there are no consequences to your actions....and factions....BOS and Enclave?.....yeah.........Project Purity activated and he does the same as his father even though there are other options....he destroys the Enclave Remnants....and gives fresh water to the Capital Wasteland......hmmmm.....even though there is fresh water in the West Coast....

The only big thing that was made a huge impact was fresh water being available to everyone but since the towns were so pathetic and uninteresting it didn't matter in the long run. As a result, the ending slides didn't mention the specific towns you encountered and what came of them; it was all about the PC.

It should have have been more like this: (these are just examples)

Canterbury Commons (if the LW paid Uncle Roe to have the caravans under one umbrella): With the starting money that the LW gave, the town of Canterbury Commons prospered. They also could have transformed into the trading center of the Capital Wasteland like what the Hub is in the NCR.

Rivet City (LOL; what does Rivet City have that would have shaped their future; bah...poor writing....*sigh*): Due to Rivet City's pride of having their scientists help with Project Purity and being the ones delivering the water to towns, they demand the BOS to hand over the purifier. After the BOS refused they used the Enclave weaponry given to them to start a war. Only time will tell who will come out victorious.

Vault 101 (if the LW helped the vault open their door): Amata establishes trading connections with Megaton after more than three decades of no contact with them. In exchange for supplies and protection, both parties have created an Alliance that would gradually grow as the years go by...

Due to how the game was poorly written, certain results wouldn't have make sense. I mean, Vault 101 has fresh food, can create their own medicine while Megaton doesn't look like they can provide anything so what will the Vault benefit? The only thing I can see is people but with how these Vault Dwellers view Wastelanders and with how the Wastelanders aren't use to living in such "strict", tight, and clean lifestyles it would be nearly impossible for any peaceful collaboration...logically...

Plus, there isn't really any specific quest that has something to do with Rivet City; there are only a few that really doesn't "benefit" the city itself as a whole. However, I did find it interesting that BOS gave them Enclave weaponry to help them deliver water throughout the Capital Wasteland. Too bad it wasn't expanded on.

See?

Poor writing.

» Wed May 02, 2012 10:09 pm

What i believe is that there is more to just following in your fathers foots steps. If you had just been exactly like your father you would never have gotten [censored] done for yourself in the wasteland. The game shows in its own way the even when humanity has succeeded in destroying everything it held dear and driven off from a clear path it can be given a second chance to start anew and learn from its mistakes. That is why The Lone Wanderer goes up and beyond his father to make sure humanity gets this chance.

» Wed May 02, 2012 7:04 pm

That's why I said they need to grow up. Life is hard and if you are 19 years old and acting like a kid, you're in for a world of hurt.

This is largely a semantic argument, but one can still be green without behaving like a child. With rare, rare exception, no one is the person they will ultimately become when they are 18-20. There's a ton of room for maturation, personality development and character building in even the most "mature" 20 year old. You're certainly not fully equipped to deal everything life has to throw at you when you're that age, unless you've had a really, really hard knock life.

And if you have a cloistered 19 year old coming out of a vault for the first time, then you could easily and believably spin the LW's wasteland experience into a coming of age story.

» Wed May 02, 2012 4:04 pm

What i believe is that there is more to just following in your fathers foots steps. If you had just been exactly like your father you would never have gotten [censored] done for yourself in the wasteland. The game shows in its own way the even when humanity has succeeded in destroying everything it held dear and driven off from a clear path it can be given a second chance to start anew and learn from its mistakes. That is why The Lone Wanderer goes up and beyond his father to make sure humanity gets this chance.

Except we don't know to what extent of what "chance" is given to "humanity" as a result of the LW so-called courageous deed.

You say humanity but in reality we are talking about the people of the Capital Wasteland. The only time humanity is ever mentioned is when the narrator gives us background information or talking about humanity as whole.

Okay, fresh water is important but...so? The only thing that affects the Capital Wastelanders is that they can have fresh water.

And?

What happens to Canterbury Commons? Does the LW give them the money to combine the caravans so that more profit can come to town? Did they establish decent trade relations with other towns like the Go-To-Lucky Caravans or the the Crimson Caravan in the NCR? Did they become the trading center for the Capital Wasteland?

What happens to Arefu? Did they get the bodyguards? Did they move away? Were they decimated?

What about Rivet City? Do they betray the BOS because of all the stress they have delivering fresh water throughout the Wasteland? Did Rivet city began a sort of expansion? Do they want to control the purifier? Do they establish a sort of "nationality" that could develop into some sort of body of government?

What happens to the Vault 101 Dwellers? Did they live? Did they die? If the vault is open, are they prospering? Or were they doom to fail anyway?

How about the Reilly's Rangers, the Underworld with their Ghouls, Galaxy News Radio, the BOS, Vault 87, your followers, and so on and so forth. What became of them?

See, THESE are what should have been given to us, not if the LW succumbed to the vices or not. The LW is not "humanity" and he is also does not speak for the entire populaton of the Capital Wasteland.

However, to be blunt most of the towns were just plain awful and didn't provide a story and purpose. What sort of economy did they have? How did they sustain themselves? Did they have some sort of connections with other towns? I find it ridiculous that everything they ever got is scavenged. Even with fresh water provided to them it won't change anything. They still will be a bunch of mindless idiots with their tail between their legs.

So tell me, what good will come to these Wastelanders as a result of having "fresh water" provided by the LW's due to his noble deed?

» Thu May 03, 2012 12:31 am

All I can say is, cant wait for FO4.Skyrim will hold me till then.

Let bethesda build the map, let obsidian do the writing.

» Wed May 02, 2012 11:51 pm

How does following you fathers example make you an advlt, if anything you're still a depedant child - albeit a now orphaned one.

That's why I said they need to grow up. Life is hard and if you are 19 years old and acting like a kid, you're in for a world of hurt.

I'm 19 and I do exactly that, act like a kid. Ain't seen no world of hurt yet, there are times where being mature is needed but a lot of the time it's only done to please others and their stuck up views, anyone that changes how they act during the informal parts of their life to suit others really need to take a look at themselves as well.

» Wed May 02, 2012 6:47 pm

How does following you fathers example make you an advlt, if anything you're still a depedant child - albeit a now orphaned one.

In this case, James represents what is good and moral- he's not *just* a father figure, he's something that all people should strive for; someone who can look at the big picture and do what's right, even if it means one sacrifices themself to do so. To make someone else go into the radiation-filled chaimber at the end is ultimetly a selfish decision- you feel that your life is more important than theirs. At least, that's how the game was originally designed (and it was sad that it refused to allow anyone but you or Sarah to go in, which could've allowed for a *better* ending where *nobody* had to die. But that's beside the point.)

Besides, most people do follow the examples given by their parents; does this mean that they aren't advlts as well? The only people who truly are advlts are those who go on to lead worldwide movements, both good and bad, or commit mass murder?

» Wed May 02, 2012 7:16 pm

I'm 19 and I do exactly that, act like a kid. Ain't seen no world of hurt yet, there are times where being mature is needed but a lot of the time it's only done to please others and their stuck up views, anyone that changes how they act during the informal parts of their life to suit others really need to take a look at themselves as well. :wink:

If you're a kid at heart thats one thing, but if you act like a kid in all aspects of life, it will come back to bite you in the ass. As in if you expect your parents to take care of you till you're in for 40s.

As for the Lone Wanderer, correct me if I am wrong, but don't they start putting kids to work at ten years old?

» Wed May 02, 2012 7:43 pm

By 18 or 19 years old (Lone Wandere is 19) you're already an advlt. So, to all those 18 year olds thinking you are still a kid.. Grow up! :stare:

So on that alone I don't feel its a coming of age story.

The game is totally based in the idea that you are going to follow in his footsteps (Following in his Footsteps if the main quest title). You have to go find him even if your character hates him.

You don't grow up, you grow old. I've seen it personally. People think they are too old and cool to be watching Spongebob, or try a game of Pogs or eat a bowl of Dino Eggs. Those people are also not fun to be around.

» Thu May 03, 2012 1:36 am

Well we really don't know what dads views are about mutants. Does the Enclave explain to the Lone Wanderer that he to is a mutant? Richardson really stuck it to the Chosen One. I was suprised Eden and his guys didn't do a DNA test on the Lone Wanderer. That's why I said they need to grow up. Life is hard and if you are 19 years old and acting like a kid, you're in for a world of hurt.

wow i pity you. your life sounds sad and far too serious. i mean yeah by law you are an advlt but at this time its a persons first chance to be independant and that usually involves some more growing up as you see the world for what it is. the fact is your teenage hormones are still kickin to full effect so yeah you are still a kid if you consider a 16 or 17 year old a kid as well and in most cases shall we say "come to your senses" and realize your "grown up" until a few years later. its really the last end of childhood where you have responsability now and need to find what you can do to make it work.

as someone before me said some pople grow old and think they are too mature to enjoy certain "childish things". and that is sad as it to me speaks of a need to display superiority and in the process you svck the fun out of your own life.

Fallout 3 Main Quest - More symbolic than we think?