Ulysses is a rather (slim) shady fellow, leaving us with only cryptic messages about what exactly is in the Divide. My assumptions are based upon his messages found in OWB, and I'll bet my bottom dollar (or pound...or euro) that there is a Vault of some sort hidden within the Divide...or possible a G.E.C.K. Ulysses comments that "the Old World sleeps there", suggesting there is something that can help his dream of resurrecting the Old World. However, it could be something of a different nature entirely... such as a book (Knowledge is POWER!).

Bare with me on this...the entire Lonesome Road plot revolves around You (the Courier) having some history with Ulysses. The "very superstitious...writing on the wall" at the canyon wreckage beckons the Player to "go home now Courier 6", suggesting that the Courier was originally from the Divide (OR Ulysses is remarking that the Divide is where the Courier BELONGS...as they say, home is where the heart is). This is reinforced when Ulysses comments that "The Courier knows the way", therefore the Courier must have travelled there (or from) some point in the past, this is likely because the nature of a courier is to travel.

Ulysses has two agendas. Firstly, You. Secondly, the Old World. Wheather You and his plans for the Old World are connected, remains hidden. Ulysses wants the courier at the Divide to "See what happened", indicating the Courier left the Divide after a major event that You (the courier) possibly (likely) played a hand in but left before seeing the consequences of events.

One final food for thought...Ulysses: "Got a message for [her/him], like the message [she/he] had for me", "People are like couriers...Sometimes don't even know the message they bring". You done something thet brought about consequences that were unforseen/unintended that affected Ulysses (what happened at the Divide), and now he's returning the favor.

Whatever the case, it is my medical diagnosis that Ulysses is obviously suffering from a case of "Old World Blues" that can only be treated with a healthy dose of "New World Hope"...the world You create at the end of New Vegas...

So, wadaya think? and I mad?

My thoughts exactly...

I wish they'd just give us a screenshot or something.

HA! that was nicely done, that made me laugh. And LongKnife is right, a picture is worth a thousand words.

There better be a [censored] Twinkie in The Divide, or someone is going to get axe'd.

He seems like a marginally more sane African-American version of Elijah. And if possible, I'd want to put a bullet in his head, just for stalking me around. A creepy courier/NCR/Legion infected with Old World Blues... And I thought my character was insane...

If i find a truck full of twinkies, thats where im moving to, screw the sink. T-Stan is on to something, stalkers are evil, even if your evil yourself, the evilest good thing to do is "cure" him with Lead poisoning.

Ulysses turns to look at you when you reach the final main quest point.

And..wait..OH MY GOD!

It's actually

All I can say is this: if I am forced to kill Ulysses, then I will go mentally insane. I'm not one to assume to kill something as I've said before--its too presumptuous and ultimately na?ve. Personally, I don't think the pre-Second Battle of Hoover Damn definition of Old World Blues is bad at all. Its only bad when deranged psychopaths (like Elijah) become obsessed with the Old World. One can be into something and not twist it into evil.

People sure are bloodthirsty on these forums. "SO HOW WILL YOU KILL MUGGY???" or "HOW WILL YOU KILL JOSHUA GRAHAM???" Both of which turned out rather poorly already.

I think Chris A will make him out to be a very wise, experienced person. Even Roger Cross said Ulysses is like the courier, but more experienced. I wouldn't say he has a case of OWBs yet, he may be on to something trying to rebuild America and reawakening the Old World. I can't even make a good assumption about what lies in the Divide, not enough evidence has been given for me to form a theory. Only a few more weeks left to find out!

Ulysses wants something that can never be. The "Old World" is gone, and America can never be resurrected. If he believes he CAN, then he is just as deranged as Elijah.

From a logistical standpoint alone, the US could never return. There would have to be either thousands of vaults with thousands of "Americans" that had managed to keep their "Old World" ideals intact, or Ulysses would have to do some massive damage to the societies that exist (like the NCR) in order for a small number of "Americans" to re-claim the former US.

My idea is that Ulysses is almost a cult leader figure - promising things he can never deliver. His voice on the OWB tapes even sounds cultish. Maybe he wants a book, or an artifact, that will help him form his own vision of "America" - similar to the way Caesar resurrected "Rome"

I also hope I get to kill him.

personaly i suspect some kind of vault "old world sleeps in the divide* either a underground vault or a military facility-ppl slept in a vault also not much of anything could survive above ground/also their might be a new enemy super mutant or other hardy creature

America can never be resurrected, but saying that you cannot restore what has been destroyed is too...eh, foolish. Fallout 2 was able to show us that with locations like Vault City. Things can be revived by equipment and effort. Restoring America sure is just a wish that most likely will never be achieved, but trying to restore something similar to pre-war times isn't far fetched if the other games and lore so far are any proof.

But any presumptions that Ulysses wants to fully restore America itself is fallacious in and of itself. We won't really know until we see it to be honest. He wears the flag of America on his back and wants to meet the Courier in the divide to witness the Old World within the ash of the Divide.

I don't see him as cultist--let alone a leader of a cult--at all. I will be flat out honest with you. Ulysses sounds like he has the Charisma of yellow snow. Cult leaders need to have some sort of Charisma in order to persuade followers and deceive them. The same could be said of any and all religions. If people don't like you, they will not follow you. At least, in my opinion. Also, he hasn't promised anything from what I can remember, but if you are using this simply for comparisons sake, disregard that completely.

Also, Caesar merely modeled the Legion after the Roman empire, I remember no claims in trying to resurrect Rome. I could be wrong, though.

As long as we aren't forced to kill him. I'm fine with any player choice. Even if their is a battle, I hope it isn't solely for enigmatic and generic reasons. If we are required to kill him in an epic fight, I hope an explanation--a lengthy one--is provided.

Maybe if we don't choose to kill him, we can recruit him as a companion?
I mean, he was originally scripted as one, but cut from the main game.

The two Couriers, roaming the Mojave Wasteland and taking down any foe they come across

I agree. I was only responding to those who have stated that he wants to restore America. Many people seem to think that is his goal.

As for Caesar - I don't want to sound like a snob, but that's why I put Rome in quotes - not because he was trying to actually resurrect Rome, but that he was creating his own vision of "Rome".

There are many unanswered questions. Many people refer to Christine's end dialogue from Dead Money "where the two messengers, the two couriers, fought beneath an ancient flag" - which could be interpreted to mean they fought against a third party, but usually not the Dog/God alive ending where they say "The battle between the two couriers..." - which implies very strongly that they will be enemies.

The cult leader thing was a comparison - Ulysses himself, at that point, had NO idea what might be in the Divide - but he was very sure that he was right and Christine was wrong.

Also, if he is relying on the Think Tank, who were unable to remember that the things on our hands are fingers, he is apt to be very disappointed with what he finds!

Technically you're stalking him. He was in all of the locations before you.

I'm looking forward to meeting him and if we have to fight him to the death it's going to make me mad.
I'm also perplexed by folk who want to kill NPCs rather then interact with them.

I've had it with these motherf***ing Cazadores in this motherf***ing game!

Just a thought, but could it be something like the Boulder Dome from VB? I know there won't be an actual dome, but the people there were cyrogenically frozen. Could that be what they mean by the Old World "sleeps"?

I honestly hope that there is something "big" hidden within the Divide, and I did think about referencing the quotes at the end of Dead Money, but I hope I will not be made to Kill Ulysses, I even had second thoughts about killing Benny (because i loved his Chrisma haha). When the word "battle" is mentioned, it could mean a physical fight, but it can also mean a battle of ideologies, where you use words (or experience) as your weapon, but for those of you who may not be able to pass a speech check, you use your experience of the Mojave. I am determined we will not be made to kill Ulysses *SPOLIER STARTS DO NOT READ UNLESS YOU WANT TO: Take EVERY major enemy, except Elijah (EVEN then you could sneak out and not kill him personally) , that were not directly related to the main New Vegas Quests. We were given the chance to let them live; Benny, Salt-Upon-Wounds, Doctor Mobius, the Think Tank, Mr House and probably a few others, but you get my point dont you? *SPOLIER ENDS*

The likelyhood is that the courier in some way wronged him, and because of the Couriers unfortunate accident involving a head full of shrapnel, forgot about it.

I always had hoped Ulysses would be ex-Enclave because of his fascination with the US flag.

Well, for most of the shot him first ideas, I kinda think the game's playing to much into any animosity between them. It'll turn out that he was a tribal you saved after failing to save his village. The guy was built to be a fully developed companion in the game, I doubt that companion interface on his character will be used frequently, despite the whole "lonesome"-thing. The long road could be a trail of evidence he leads you past, like Cass' companion quest could be said to follow a long (if oddly bent) road.
So you'll probably even have the option of shooting him on sight, but that'd screw up the main quest of the DLC, like those that accidentally shot a ally when starting Honest Hearts.
As to the setting, we've seen in the New Vegas DLCs: a casino stasis locked in poison cloud, a national park mostly spared nuclear effects, and a den of mad scientists kept in check with emp towers laid like fencing posts, pretty much all places of extreme isolation. So I'm kinda hoping for a Museum of History type of outpost, someplace that has more than the six or so which is usuallly the population of a small outcove of humanity, that place had enough life that it felt viable as a community.

Good idea

I'm going with Ulysses has a time machine.

Also related: if this turns out to be right, I'm going to be PISSED.