This, though I hope there's more to the wasteland than "well Fallout 3 was depressing to look at, so we wanted Fallout 4 to look like a rainbow".Though it could be just as dysfunctional as the CW with a shift in art style.

From my own over-speculation and looking at the known footage, I'm getting a real "Revolutionary War" sort of vibe from it all, probably a homage in it with a theme of "A fight for independence."

I dunno, Lonesome Road already had a lot more newcooler explosions than Fallout 3. And the base game had an orbital doomsday cannon.
They're going to have to really try to beat that.

Bethesda showed off a lot more at E3 than just explosions, in stark contrast to Obsidian which skipped over dialogue to teleport to a combat zone to show off their new weapons, and put out this trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-x-1fm2cq8

On Skyrim: I'd say there are thematic parallels between the Civil War, the Forsworn Uprising, the Dragon War, and even the Great War.

For Fallout 4, I'm expecting lots of Revolutionary War symbolism, maybe some colonial symbolism, and lots of Arthurian lore symbolism with the Brotherhood of Steel. So concepts of independence and self-determination would fit in with the androids, sure, but I still don't think synthdependence is going to be the focus of the main plot; it may be secondary to it, like the Civil War was in Skyrim.

They've also talked about the sense of loss, and how the player character's choices are designed to reflect their reaction to being Philip J. Fry'd into a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Will you try to restore what was? Or will you mourn the dead, and move on towards the future?

The same one every TES game has had, that the entire concept of destiny is [censored], even in a universe where items like the Elder Scrolls, which literally know the future, exist.

You are not the chosen one, you are not destined to succeed, and the world is not destined to be saved, even if the Elder Scrolls say it is, and even if you are divinely chosen by the gods, because destiny is [censored], even in the presence of all knowing and all powerful deity like beings.

That was the point of The Cavern of Failed Incarnates in Morrowind, the story of Pelinal Whitestrake in Oblivion, and the tale of Miraak in Skyrim. That is what Zurin Arctus meant when he said "each event is preceded by prophecy, but without the hero, there is no event", that is what Martin meant when he said "you shall be the scribe of the next Elder Scroll", and what Urag gro-Shub meant when he said of the Elder Scrolls "Each reader sees different reflections through different lenses, and may come away with a very different reading. But at the same time, all of it is true. Even the falsehoods. Especially the falsehoods." Its all [censored], all of it, even the Dragonborn prophecy is 100% bull.

It also serves as a meta commentary about how people blindly follow narratives in games because they are told to, when they could just [censored] off and do something else if they want, and when closer inspection would ultimately prove the entire idea of "you HAVE to do it because X!" is full of holes.

https://i.imgur.com/icDAkh.jpg

Tired of TES getting [censored] on for not having depth or whatever, thank you.

But on topic, I think even the short interaction between the protagonist and Codsworth ("As I live and BREATHE! MR.HOWARD?!") is demonstrating a sort of I, Robot/Blade Runner vibe of do robots actually feel kind of thing.

I'd say thats the baseline underneath every TES since Morrowind. The whole CHIM stuff of player characters having being the most supreme decider of their own destiny beyond that of almost all other characters in the world by the sole fact of them being a player character, and thus controlled by a player.

I'd say that every TES has their own themes on top of that. War seems to be the biggest in Skyrim, although not quite the act of war as much the realpolitik behind it. The whole grey conflict between the Stormcloaks and the Imperials is seeded by another force seeking to divide Tamriel to further their own ends. The Thalmor have a lot of parallels to some black long-coated supremacists of our own world, and one of the things that held true throughout our great war was divide and conquer. The whole Talos worship being a planned attack to divide people ideologically so they can be better subdued through military arms.

Fallout seems to be a lot about rebuilding, and as with TES the modern Fallout's all have that baseline of rebuilding with added game-specific flavour ontop of it. In Fallout 3 it was biblical symbolism manifesting in reality, with the water purification needed to jump start agriculture being heavily tied into the primary theme of rebuilding. New Vegas was a bit more loosely tied, with more focus being put on rebuilt nation states warring with eachother than the actual act of rebuilding, although the underlying theme of moving past the bomb with these nation states is still there.

For Fallout 4 we've seen a fair bit of the rebuilding aspect. Quite literally in gameplay mechanics terms, with building our own towns out of the ruins. We know little about the game but based on the Steam blurb of "choosing between factions" I think we'll be seeing a similar thing in Skyrim with two grey factions to choose between while maybe we have a more clear cut main quest. We know so little about Fallout 4's story right now, I hope we get some more information in the future. Personally I could see one of the big conflicts between the Brotherhood and the Institute being Isolationism versus Expansionism. If it is Lyons BOS then I can see them creating a huge empire after their work in the capital is done, and MiT with its advanced technology and sealed environment being more of a target to raid for technology or create a new territory as part of the Expansionism aspect versus the Isolationism of the Institute wanting to stay hushed up in their big skyscraqer while building their own utopia free from the prying eyes of the outside world.

Once again though, we know so little about the game, but just based on the steam blurb mentioning joining factions I am sure that will provide the flavour theme ontop of the baseline theme.

From what we know about Fallout 4, my guess is that the underlying theme is freedom. Reasons ~

• The protagonist has a military background and they fight for our freedoms.
• The flag (the symbol of American freedom) is one of the first symbols we see in the trailer.
• The reporter Piper (freedom of the press, freedom of speech) is one of the companions we know of.
• The Commonwealth Minuteman (militia, 2nd amendment freedom) Preston Garvey is another companion we know of.
• The fact that it is set in Boston, the very birthplace of the American Revolution.

I believe you may have just hit the proverbial nail on the head

Plus the Railroad will be involved, a group involved in android freedom. So Revolutionary and Civil War (which some historians consider a sequel to the former) allusions. I think you're on to something too.

Damn Ya Myst,

Look at you being all big brained...

YOU WIN FLAWLESS VICTORY

Thank you Gkk7z, and RobCo Protectron.

Thank you, 2-Caps. Lol, big brained - wasn't that a perk in FO:NV?

If android self-determination is part of the main quest, I'd imagine it's just a piece in the larger overall conflict. Like, you can use a promise of independence at the bargaining table in order to get the synths to support you in whatever major conflict is going on.

I think the Android thing is key to this but I also think the game is trying to push .. are Synths/Androids more 'Human than Human'? The Humans we meet are flawed, full of vice/malice/other and yet 'we' try to build Synths in our image and these Synths might also be full of vice/ malice/envy etc. The created BECOME the Creators.

I certainly think Self Determination is a thing, but I think also Self Identity is ALSO a big one. We are the Sole Survivor of a Vault.. we dont have a lot to compare this to thematically bar I think Vault 11 in NV. In essence , Voice 1 is ALSO the Sole Survivor of that Vault, after we assume he drops the gun and leaves for the Wasteland. Sure we never find out what happened to him and yes it was all the human vices and such that did in ALL the other dwellers but I think tonally the Solve Survivor and Voice 1 are pretty similar.

Now the past is presented so A) The player knows what they have 'lost' and so you get some insight into that period. However its short and sweet and your main objective is to find out who you are WITHOUT them. You are the same person but essentially a new person who needs to build new relationships and find a new.. 'purpose'/

Which I think has always been the underlying theme of all the Fallout games. Discovery of self by Discovery of ones surroundings.

Family and freedom in a torn world and what you need to do to protect them.

Poor 2-Caps would not know being Brainless and all....... Seems my brain thought I touched myself a bit to often when I thought no one was looking and did not want back in my skull.......

And that folks is what T M I (too much info) is

(Yes it and Brainless were both OWB perks)

Looks like the theme will be again sacrifice.

Agreed, makes sense.

One can only hope. Being part of the creation of a new, post-apocalyptic society would be awesome indeed.

You don't really get that from Skyrim without secondary reading though. You are told you are the Dragonborn because you have magic powers for some reason, and therefore you must save the world from the dragon god who is suddenly evil and the retcon is only http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Alduin_is_Real and a single line of dialogue from a Greybeard who doesn't bother to explain himself.

It's not a "theme" in the sense it's something you would grasp from just playing the game. It's just a subtext that happens to exist vaguely in the game. You can bet any Android Emancipation plot is going to be overracted like hell to ensure everyone gets the point.

"War... War never changes"

Except you do.

In one the key moments in the game, the player finally reaches the Greybeard's leader Paarthurnax, in order to find out how to get the dragonrend shout, only to discover that he is a dragon. Paarthurnax says he will tell you how to learn the shout, but first you must answer a question, that question being "why", "why do you want to learn this shout".

You respond by saying
Dragonborn: I need to stop Alduin.
Paarth: Yes. Alduin... zeymah. The elder brother. Gifted, grasping and troublesome as is so often the case with firstborn. But why? Why must you stop Alduin?

Then you can respond with either
Dragonborn: The prophecy says that only the Dragonborn can stop him.
Paarth: True... But qostiid - prophecy - tells what may be, not what should be. Qostiid sahlo aak.("Prophecy is a weak guide") Just because you can do a thing, does not always mean you should. Do you have no better reason for acting than destiny? Are you nothing but a plaything of dez... of fate?
Dragonborn: What better reason to act than to fulfill my destiny?
Paarth: If you can see your destiny clearly, your sight is clearer than mine. Dahmaan - remember, Alduin also follows his destiny, as he sees it. But, I bow before your certainty. In a way I envy you. The curse of much knowledge is often indecision.

Or
Dragronborn: I like this world. I don't want it to end.
Paarth: Pruzah. As good a reason as any. There are many who feel as you do, although not all. Some would say that all things must end, so that the next can come to pass. Perhaps this world is simply the Egg of the next kalpa? Lein vokiin?(world unborn) Would you stop the next world from being born?
Dragonborn: The next world will have to take care of itself.
Paarth: Paaz. A fair answer. Ro fus... maybe you only balance the forces that work to quicken the end of this world. Even we who ride the currents of Time cannot see past Time's end. Wuldsetiid los tahrodiis.("the whirlwind/vortex of time is treacherous/turbulent") Those who try to hasten the end, may delay it. Those who work to delay the end, may bring it closer.

No matter what you say, Paarthunax either
A. Calls you out for being an idiot, who only blindly follows the "destiny" laid out before you, while simultaneously pointing out Alduin is doing the exact same, which makes you exactly like him, and while also pointing out that prophecy only says what CAN happen, not what should.
B. Calls you out for kind of being a selfish dike for trying to stop the natural cycle of destruction and creation, thus preventing entire worlds from being born like they should, and he suggests that in trying to stop the end of the world, you may end up hastening it, which you do by defeating Alduin, preventing the world eater from eating the world, allowing the next world to be born, thus dooming the world to a final death that lasts forever instead of it being reborn by Alduin.

Its literally part of the main quest one cannot avoid.

Try again

http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Varieties_of_Faith_in_the_Empire

"Alduin (World Eater): Alduin is the Nordic variation of Akatosh, and only superficially resembles his counterpart in the Nine Divines. For example, Alduin's sobriquet, 'the world eater', comes from myths that depict him as the horrible, rauaging firestorm that destroyed the last world to begin this one. Nords therefore see the god of time as both creator and harbinger of the apocalypse. He is not the chief of the Nordic pantheon (in fact, that pantheon has no chief; see Shor, below) but its wellspring, albeit a grim and frightening one."

This book first appeared in Morrowind, nearly a decade before Skyrim came out. Its very old lore that Alduin was a world eater and seen as a destroyer.

So, in short, you apparently didn't pay attention to what happened in the game, and didn't even bother to read the lore. Its not surprising you missed something that you had no intention of looking for in the first place.

I have to agree with Turns-The-Page on this one, I did need a secondary reading to reach that conclusion AwesomePossum (well, to be honest, a similar one, I had some self-fulfilling prophecy added to my mix).