But I believe we talked about that before. They did during the game to fight the calculator. But that could have ended once the war ended. Fallout Tactics by now is around a hundred years ago.

I just talked to him. There is an option to ask where the Prywen was built. He tells us it was built at Adams Air Force Base. It took them two years to design and four years to build. They had lots of scrap metal and other resources after they defeated the Enclave. He then goes on to say the Brotherhood had built ships in the past. Not as advanced but they did build them.

So he actually does say they built them?

I've only talked to the guy like once, but that's interesting.

Been about a year since I finished Tactics. Do they say they make it their "main base" or that they use the tech? Cuz there is difference. I mean, fact, not a "retcon" the place is nuked. Be my guest and try playing the mission and not take any Rad X and see what happens, cuz the entire area is rads central. Doesn't make for a good base.

Also, again, to backup what I said, look at map for FOT. There are three bunkers all in relative close proximity to one another around Chicago, Alpha, Beta, and Gamma. That is there PRIMARY location of power. There is no reason to think "they left", seeing how they have permanent bases in those locations. Not to mention you can travel back and forth between bases and I am basically 100% positive every time you move to a "new" base, the General, either Barnaky or Decker flat out states troops are remaining behind at the bases, which makes sense because you can go back and forth between them, if you desire.

So 1. Fact, Vault 0 is nuked. 2. They are permanent bases. 3. No reason to assume they left those bases and I'm 99.99% positive it is stated, in game, that they remain behind. 4. The main power of MWBoS is around Chicago, with 3 bunkers in relatively close proximity.

Now, as I said it been awhile to see what the BoS supposedly gonna do with Vault 0, so someone can feel free to look it up and paste it here if they like. Gotta remember though, the endings of the older FO games go over possibilities that can in some instances takes years and years and years to develop, and stuff has been changed before. For example, the good ending for the FoTA is cut from FO 1, but it is canon, even though it is flat out impossible to play the game and get it(the only ending being FoTA are dead).

I dunno what his exact words are or if there are different options that lead to different sayings. I can't remember if he said they built them, but he said they had them in the West and they had a fleet of em. To me, it doesn't matter if they built them or repaired them(there is no way they found them in pristine working condition, lets be real here, it would have taken SOME work regardless to get them up to par), it just a fact they used em for the MW BoS.

It is very specific in all 4 endings of Fallout Tactics that they make their new center of operation Vault 0 because of all the tech available there, there is nothing vague or fuzzy about it, they straight up say, word for word,

'The Brotherhood is quick to establish Vault 0 as its base of operation. Although much destruction was wrought here it still represents a massive storehouse of knowledge and technology. The ancient structure becomes the central hub or operations, coordinating between outposts far and near, and reinforcing their supply lines and transport routes across the countryside. Ironically mimicking the original purpose of their defeated enemy.'

It is available on YouTube if you don't trust me, but that seems about as clear as you can get that they are based out of Vault 0. That is the 'normal' ending that I quoted, but all the other say something to the same idea.

Cheyenne Mountain survived the first war, and it was supposedly hit by many nukes back then.

But I don't doubt that there were soldiers that stayed behind, it clearly says that in the game. I am just saying that over the next 20-50 years the eventually lost contact with headquarters and became rebels who had power armor and a big base, but no connection with the leaders of the 'Midwest' faction of the Brotherhood of Steel.

By the time Lyons got to Chicago, they were probably totally rouge, just a bunch of wasters wearing the power armor their grandparents had left behind, but with no real vision of what being Brotherhood actually means.

Of course, if we ever go to Chicago, nothing is preventing the Midwest Brotherhood of Steel from being a major faction there.

Yes he does say they built them. Ask him about where their ship was built. He tells you that they designed and built it at AAFB and it took them six years to do it using resources of the base. He then goes on to say the Brotherhood back in the West once built ships as well.

Like I said, I couldn't remember what it said word for word. But, in the ending it flat out says "coordinating with outposts far and near", and reinforcing their supply lines, which is only something that would be done if all the BoS bases were still in operation. But, a lot can change, like you said yourself, in the time of Tactics.

It doesn't make much sense to me to make Vault 0 your base when you nuke it. It isn't the nuke that destroys the place, that is not what I am saying, it is the radiation. That isn't going to disappear overnight. Which means logically for a good few years the place would be inhabitable.

Regardless, your assumption about what happened over the next 20-50 years is one assumption. Another assumption is that they just abandoned Vault 0 after 20-50 years after using everything that was salvageable from it and went back to Chicago. We don't know what happens after that, so your guess is not any better than anyone else. Clearly, what has been said so far in game, they are in Chicago, and anything around Vault 0 is the more remote members of BoS.

Also note that the endings have already been changed, because the game makes it out like the MW BoS is going to regain contact with the WC BoS, and yada yada. Well, that has never happened. Either a case that it can take upwards of 100+ years for canon events to happen, or it just been changed. After all, there is nothing that changes the game if BoS used Vault 0 for awhile then left it. That isn't a retcon, there are a bunch of possibilities, we only know what we know.

Vault 0 could be a their main base in the Colorado area. I picture the MWBoS having main bases throughout the territory they captured during the events of Tactics.

The ending in which the Calculator just dies it is stated that the MWBoS lose control of parts of their territory: "Not all of the wasteland's inhabitants are sharing the same noble purpose, opportunistic raiders and bandits enjoy the fruits of a recovering war torn Brotherhood. Patrols are scarce and in smaller numbers than the thieves remember encountering in the past, as the Brotherhood focuses on consolidating its power base. Several frontier outposts are lost as the Brotherhood finds they are fighting a guerrilla war without the support of large numbers."

The endings would need changing to some degree or another. The Brotherhood become weakened. They try to replace their ranks quickly. In doing so they put themselves at risk of taking in the wrong people. They don't have time to teach them their ways of life and thus many don't learn the history of the Brotherhood. That would cause problems.

I could see the MWBoS breaking up into semi-autonomous regions a long the lines of chapters. Some stronger than others. It is one of the reasons I like the Barnaky Ending. He rules the strongholds via a link to the bunkers. At least his image on a screen and someone acting on his behalf.

Maybe some hybrid between the ending in which the calculator is destroyed and the Barnaky ending. As in mutants get rejected from the Brotherhood. The elders are unable to stop their people from attacking mutants. The mutants and some humans in response form into the Mutant Liberation Army, many of which were trained by the Brotherhood. They fight a guerrilla war against the MWBoS.

As time goes on more an more of the Brotherhood see their mission as wiping out mutants and those who support them. A long the lines of "Barnaky was right!"

One way the MLA fight back is to attack and free people in the various work gulags the MWBoS have. Showing the people of the wastes the horrible things the Brotherhood do to people. The Brotherhood see that as the MLA siding with criminals, raiders, bandits, cannibals and so on. Which just fuels the anti-mutant hate.

And thus the MWBoS find themselves trying to hold on to a vast area of land with fewer people, less trained (indoctrinated) people and are forced to consolidate into areas that they can control.

Well, there ya go. Calculator dies then is probably the ending, and they probably don't stick around Vault 0 for too long, seeing how it is so remote and so far away from any of their other bases. That makes sense why they would consolidate their power around Chicago.

Vault 0 is in Legion territory, so it is pretty obvious that they are no longer inhabitants of Vault 0. But I am not willing to retcon the fact that their leaders were stationed there after the events of tactics.

I believe there is a faction left in Chicago, but they are only Brotherhood in armor and nothing else. The great-grandchildren of the once mighty Brotherhood, now just simple minded wastelanders who use their power armors to assert their will on the locals and manage to survive up until the point where the Enclave, with their superior power armors and more organized and advanced combat forces come to town after being pushed out of DC.

So a Chicago with a faction of wastelanders, a faction of rebel Brotherhood, and the fleeing Enclave from DC seems like an interesting hotbed of action. There is probably some other secret faction in Chicago I don't even know about yet.

But the true 'Midwest' Brotherhood of Steel, that 'The Warrior' and General Dekker led to victory at Vault 0 lead, I am willing to bet that there remaining forces would be in Oklahoma or Kansas after being pushed out of Vault 0 by the Legion, or maybe long before after using up the technology there.

If I were to introduce the 'Midwest' Brotherhood as a faction, I would have them stationed at Tinker Airforce Base in Oklahoma City, where they rebuild pre-war Vertibirds and then can fly them to the Commonwealth.

My personal opinion is that Chicago is not the most logical target to have a mod take place, especially after Obsidian hinted at the Enclave being in Chicago, and Obsidian having pretty much full support by Bethesda.

But, I speak purely as a mod author who wants to make the best mod possible. What I say in no means declares what is cannon or not, I am just going to go with the best possible solution from the perspective of someone who is writing a mod.

The Enclave stayed on an oil rig for a century and then in Raven Rock for 40 years.

They do not like interacting with Wastelanders.

It isn't a retcon when the Calculator destroyed ending, as Styles pointed out, flat out says they left their more remote bases. It doesn't get any more remote than Vault 0.

"as the Brotherhood focuses on consolidating its power base. Several frontier outposts are lost as the Brotherhood finds they are fighting a guerrilla war without the support of large numbers"

no retcon needed.

The main power base of MWBoS was around Chicago, three bunkers in the area.

You can see this here:

http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/fallout/images/e/ea/Map.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20060410214132

it doesn't get any more remote than Vault 0 and Bunker Epsilon, which are hundreds of miles apart, and hundreds of miles away from the main MW BoS bunkers. Even Bunker Delta is potentially lost, but that is still a possibility.

I would also say they left Vault 0 long before the Legion even existed. The BoS you describe, is more what the BoS is like that Legion found, not knowing BoS history, etc. I think you have them flip flopped, and that is backed up by what we know is canon, described in 3, NV, and 4.