Hey, new member making first new post here--

Looking at Fallout 4 it's looking like it's definately going to be situated in Boston, making it in the "capital" I guess, of the Commonwealth (as seen on the fallout wiki's 'Commonwealth' page which encompasses New England).

Fallout 4 undoubtedly would stick to Massachusetts and the immediate area. But with regards to the larger scope in the post-nuclear setting, I'm wondering if the 'Commonwealth' -- with the United States now gone -- would naturally travel from New York in the south and NY/Quebec in the West all the way up into the Canadian Maritimes. I'm from the largest city (Halifax) myself and, frankly, if the current poltical borders got rearranged of both the US and Canada and Boston/Maine severed ties with New York and Washington (which has essentially happened in Fallout through no conscious poltical move but a consequence of the bombs), the Canadian Maritimes, or at least Nova Scotia's mainland would undoubtedly seek to sign on with Boston rather than stay in any sort of Canada.

There's ties to Boston in both history and heritage despite being on opposite sides during the American Revolution and even after the establishment of the US and Canada. I'm not sure what particular history the annexation of Canada entails, but frankly if Boston approached it independantly, a lot of the Maritimes probably would have welcomed them and after a post-nuclear incident I could easily see identifying with the Commonwealth or wanting to gain admittance.

The Commonwealth is likely just the remains of the pre-war state of Massachusetts.

I doubt people consider anything in like the remain of New York state, or anything up in the direction of Maine part of The Commonwealth.

Those areas would just be "the New York wasteland" ,"the Maine wasteland", etc. etc.

The Commonwealth is just referring to Massachusetts, possibly even smaller if they are just referring to the area around Boston, but it doesn't contain New York or any part of Canada.

If we're sticking to the pre-war state boundaries as where 'wastelands' begin and end, hey: it is what it is.

I'm just thinking of what the natural boundaries might end up being, and if Boston got its act together in being it's own thing and convinced Maine to join, they could probably get Nova Scotia and most of New Brunswick with minimal diplomatic effort.

I don't see Boston convincing a state that it doesn't even directly come in contact with land wise to join them. Same with those parts of Canada. We don't even really know how big the Commonwealth is. Boston is just a city in the Commonwealth, as New Vegas was a city in the Mojave. Not really a capital or anything as far as we know.

My guess is it's just Massachusetts, given that the full pre-war name for Mass (both in canon and in real life) is "The Commonwealth of Massachusetts."

Agreed that Maine wouldn't be part of the Commonwealth.

But Maine might have missed the worse of the war.

Portland looks like the only major target in Maine.

Plus if you compare the population density, Maine's is only 43 per square mile and Massachusetts is 840 per square mile.

Just to compare, New York state has a population density of 416.

So other than Portland and any major military bases the Maine area should be be fairly well preserved.

The low population density would protect against bioweapons.

It is even so far north that is should have avoided a lot of the fallout after the war.
The nuclear winter would have been bad, but once again this is Maine.

The only ones better prepared would be the Alaskans and they could have still fished.

But again it is Maine.

I do think Maine could make a great place to locate one of the DLC.

Actually historically empires and civilizations have often expanded faster by sea than by land. As can be seen in the progression of the Roman Empire, for instance.

If people are sailing in Boston, I don't see why they'd start heading North sometime soon. And if there's any hint of how things are today up north...

That said, I don't think the attitude is the same for places south of Boston. If New Yorkers were to try the same thing, I think the reception would be more lukewarm.

That may be true, but it's implied that the Commonwealth is more just a name for the region than say a country like the NCR. The Institute seems to be the strongest force in the region, unless the Brotherhood is giving them a run for their money. There will probably be mentions of the region as it's close enough to talk about, possibly even a DLC in Maine as it's not that far away. What did you say about Texas New York?

Maine also had Brunswick Naval Air Station and Bath shipyard. They could probably make a game featuring the entire state. Lots of wilderness.

I would consider NYC a definite location for a potential DLC setting.

After D.C., Vegas, and Boston, Bethesda isn't going to release Fallout: Middle of bum[censored] nowhere.

Expect popular/well known cities like

-Seattle

-Miami

-New Orleans

-Detroit

-Houston

-Atlanta

and nothing else

I was under the impression that the pre war US was no longer 50 states, but divided into 13 Commonwealths. Is this not what the OP was asking about?
The NE commonwealth is everything east of NY, from CT north to Canada. This includes Maine.
http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/New_England_Commonwealth

The 13 commonwealths thing is true.

However, the actual name of Massachusetts is "The Commonwealth of Massachusetts"

Kentucky, Massachusetts, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, are the 4 states that are commonwealths IRL.

That is a good list for possible F5 locations.

What about Chicago?

But Maine would make a good DLC location.

And Point Lookout and Honest Hearts were both rather BFE.

On another note, I liked the point of Nilan8888 about the sea travel being being one of the fastest and most efficient ways to transport cargo up and down the East Coast.

And if you want to use sails you don't even need a motor and the New England area has a long history of building and sailing ships.

I can just see some New England sailors in a whaling boat after the Great Rad Whale.

Chasing him in the dark by the glow of his skin and their rad detectors.

Bethesda is not one to retread ground, unless its in a DLC. If we get Chicago, it will be as a DLC for Fallout: Detroit or something.

As for HH and PL, yeah, those are BFE locations, but those are DLC. I was referring mainly to base games with my comment.

In regards to Fallout 5, I suspect it will be in North Carolina, along the Outer Banks tourist area, since they made reference to it in Fo3, and again in Point Lookout, as being the southern most stop for both land and water based travel along the coast.

Boston/The Commonwealth was the north most stop for trade, The Broken Banks was the southern most stop, and The Pitt was the furthest west stop.

This is correct. But the OP was asking about the New England Commonwealth. Not about a state that was dissolved before the great war happened.. Just pointing it out, since many of the people replying don't seem to be making that distinction.

That raises a good question.

Just how big do you think Bethesda will make the harbor area around Boston?

Will there be local fishing vessels operating?

What about true sea going ships down south?

Perhaps a transcontinental ship from Europe, Africa, or South America?

The Institute has to be the best source of new tech on the North East Coast.

Boston has a large well shielded harbor so even with the wreckage, there would be safe places for ships to ride out a storm or be repaired.

Boston missed the worse of the bombing so it has to be one of the largest ports on the East Coast.

Since the Capital Wasteland only had the Duchess Gambit, a river boat working up and down the Potomac river, I guess any vessels that are sea going would be a huge step up.

Until Project Purity started and the super mutant issues is dealt with, there was nothing to really attract a trading vessel to the DC area.

Just traveling up the Potomac in non flat bottomed boat would be risky.

What I'm saying is more an extended world point than anything someone sees in the Game. Similar to how the Pit DLC makes mention of "Ronto" (that being formerly 'TOR-Ronto') and other locations nearby Pittsburgh. Just world-building.

Essentially since the Instititute is a major player in the region, along with/part of the Commonwealth, I tihnk it just makes sense on thinking what it's natural borders will or would wind up being. And since there's not really anything up in Maine/NewBrunswick/Nova Scotia except people that share a lot in common with New England except a few pockets of Francophones, it would end up making sense that after the war, that all eventually becomes part of their territory after the current political borders are a thing of the past. Especially if it's not clinging to any identity of the former United States. If it was, then that might be a problem if any of the current mind-sets are still kicking around.

I'd say that doesn't apply to New York though, since south of either Massachusetts or Conneticut, it's not quite the same.

Go to the Maritimes and if you're from Maine or Massachusetts, there's probably a different feeling you'd get than if you were from anywhere else in the States (or probably the rest of Canada, even). If you're from New York, you're American. Just like someone from Toronto is from Toronto or someone from Quebec is from Quebec.

But if you're from Boston/Maine, you're from Boston/Maine and you just happen to also be an American. That's the difference. Don't get me wrong: Bostonians won't get people coming up wanting to be best friends or anything and there's crappy people everywhere, but there'd be a slight difference, I think, in your experience.

It would be cool to see some DLC flesh out the FO worlds commonwealth. Montreal is just north of it. Just saying

The OP is saying that because of the bombs, would the regions listed be in the Commonwealth/ Join the Commonwealth. As far as we really know, the Commonwealth is only the region where Boston is, similar to the Core Region, and it doesn't seem like regions will be joining it.

This is a fair point: if the 'Commonwealth' is just Massachusetts, then this is all a moot point for the start of the game. However I think it's something to consider for either the end-game or if the post-war Commonwealth is bigger than Massachusetts.

It makes sense to think about it since currently canon has, say, potentially 3 or more 'nations' in this time period in the American SouthWest (NCR, New Vegas and Caesar's Legion -- at least if you go with a Mr. House or Independant Vegas ending). And while the Capital Wastleand is sort of too blasted to be in the same league, the Commonwealth may not be, or if it is, the fact the institute seems to be cranking out lifelike androids would make one wonder if it soon will be.

And since New York is a big questionmark and I'd say traditionally is not thought of as the same 'region', I'd think the Commonwealth would natually expand beyond the previous international borders until it ran into resistance -- probably in form of either Quebec, New York, or the Atlantic Ocean.

Given that we have, in canon, known places/factions in basically every possible direction from NYC, and still no one mentions it in Fo3 or its DLC, I think its safe to assume there is nothing there of note.

Not really- There is no Massachusetts and hasn't been one in the FO universe since the end of the 1960's.

I agree that Nova Scotia, for instance wouldn't necessarily join them, but there is no commonwealth of Massachusetts.

I dunno. with the OP saying "as seen on the fallout wiki's 'Commonwealth' page which encompasses New England" with the context that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts being dissolved sometime later than WWII and earlier than the Virgo II launch, What context do people have to call Mass the Commonwealth?

....Though, i suppose the same could be said for he NCR. Hmmm..

Exactly -- they just didn't mention it because why lock themselves in?

No doubt there's a reason nobody's mentioned New York: either there's some faint, overall idea of a 'Fallout:New York' someday, or the place has been more or less nuked out of existance like the LA boneyard (and I guess DC more or less was and that was a game -- or at least it seemed more blasted than even most of the other 'Fallout' game settings -- so there you go). And even in the latter case, that's probably enough for a natural boundary.

Coming from NS, I think they would. Unless the Canadian annexation left a bitter taste (and we don't know if that went differently in different regions of Canada -- it would be interesting to think of that very opening shot from the original fallout with those two troops executing that Canadian happening on the streets of Montreal or Quebec city... it would make sense they'd be the most militantly opposed to an American takeover), or if the Commonwealth was somehow tied into a wish to re-establish the United States like the Enclave.

But if it's not, if it's it's own thing, and the Maritime mindset is not far removed after the apocolypse, I could easily see it. If the Commonwealth wasn't evil for evil's sake and was out to kill them just because. Heck, after the end, even if the Commonwealth WAS evil, the Maritimes might still sign up. Because they're probably no less evil than any of the other big factions would be, and the Maritimes couldn't probably stand on its own -- same goes for Maine.

And sure, Maritimes is thinly populated generally, but Halifax region is somewhere over 400,000 people. Over a million in NS itself. New Brunswick has even more than that, although more spread out. not a lot of people (plus Halifax would probably have been nuked, being a big naval base historically) but enough to probably interest the Commonwealth.

Trust me: Canadian identity is thin as it is and the major thing unting it the non-Francophone areas is not wanting to be part of the US for various reasons. Take that away and unless there's some new reason, I think the Commonwealth would have an easy time with northern expansion.