» Tue Apr 12, 2011 11:45 pm What if for the next Fallout Bethesda held a contest to "design a vault" where the community sent in contest ideas and backgrounds for different vaults and experiments and what ended up happening to them.
First place has their vault implemented into the game as a full fledge vault/quest location (similar in scope to say Vault 34).
Gets to visit Bethesda HQ and see their vault being put in/meet the writing team/staff.
LE version of the next game signed by creators.
Overseer named after them (if contestant wanted)
klondike bar
Fallout Swag
Second place has their vault implemented into the game as a location, but not really significant. (similar to say vault 21)
LE version of the next game signed by creators.
Overseer named after them (if contestant wanted)
pack of starburst
Less Fallout Swag
Third place has their vault mentioned by an npc as filler conversation/history. (similar to Vault 73)
LE version of the next game.
Overseer named after them (if contestant wanted)
tootsie roll
A Fallout Keychain.
I don't see this causing much extra work on Bethesda part, as they probably have a lawyer on retainer who could draft up the contest rules.
We've seen fan made stuff implemented in custom mods done by one person, and they've made full fledge vaults as shout outs (vault 19). So this wouldn't be that much of an increased stress workload. (heck thirdplace could probably be whipped up in 20 minutes if not less)
They can have their interns read submissions and pick out a couple, then have an internal vote.
Cost for them would be minimal (cost of plane ticket + hotel for 1 person, is what 1200 if you bump him to "business" on the plane?), 3 copies of the game LE edition. Maybe 200 in Swag in total.
And you get a bunch of relatively inexpensive advertising from word of mouth going around the gaming blogs/sites saying that Bethesda is having the contest ect ect.
You build a stronger relationship with the community
because it will be fun.
