Check this post out from February 2012, on the topic of "Fallout 4: Speculation, Suggestions and Ideas". Bethesda totally used my proposal to create exactly what I requested...!
http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1352810-fallout-4-speculation-suggestions-ideas-thread-54/?p=20403125
Here is what I wrote:
"Here is my Fallout 4 idea.
You start off as a character during the great war. Not fighting on the front lines, but back in the good ol' US of A. Perhaps involved in some corporate intrigue or trying to hunt down Chinese spies. It would be great to experience pre-war america. But only for a short while, like less than 20% of the game. Because it's 2077 and the bombs inevitably fall. But after much drama you get into one of the Vaults or a military bunker where you enter cryogenic storage.
When you de-frost you enter the fallout world we are more familiar with, after the events of the more recent games. Your character has a 'chosen one' level of special significance because you are a living representative of the Old World. Revered, hated, it's not going to be normal. Some people want you to be the leader and lead the world back to its former glory. Others see you as something to vilify.
Anyway, a prequel and a sequel all in one game."
Obvioulsy I'm immensely flattered. However, what about something to acknowlege my inspirational input, like a Vault-tec lunchbox or a Vault 111 jumpsuit?