Vault 111 = a cryogenics experiment.

Now we've got a submarine.

No wait--a yellow cryogenic submarine--with doors....that have circular access levers.

Illuminati confirmed.

edit: whatever it is you've been smoking OP, I want some.

Light bulbs found inside vault = illumination confirmed

Also, don't you watch public services announcements? Smoking is bad for you

The point is, there is very clear evidence to support the idea of Vault 111 being built around the concept of a submarine. Once it becomes confirmed that the protagonist couple are actually a Navy SEAL and a US Marine, this will make even more sense. And for the record, I have never suggested that the vault itself will go anywhere, it is a conceptual design required as part of the cryogenic process as I have outlined elsewhere in this thread. But now you mention it, there is a lot of yellow on the vault door...

If the theme were submarine, it wouldn't have stairs. It would have ladderwells.

Well, in the e3 footage he stands there and looks about. The vault doesn't appear to be near any water and is on top of a hill. While it's definitely not a type of vault entrance we've seen before I'm not sure if it meas that the depth of the vault is that deep or not... of course who knows, there could be a long elevator ride to reach the top. Pressurization controls would be there just to keep the inside atmosphere constant and safe from outside atmospheric change.

most likely, there is no mountain in the area to horizontally build into for a "normal" vault entrance. So they have to make a vertical entrance down into the earth.

In a submarine, every square inch of space has to be maximised and overall weight has to be minimised. Using ladderwells in an actual sub therefore makes perfect sense. But in a vault designed to protect against nuclear attack, incorporating ladders would be potentially very dangerous. Let's say there was a surface impact at relatively close proximity whilst vault inhabitants were climbing down a ladder, such an event could end up killing everyone in the ladderwell, or the ladder could end up being partially damaged. But using a stairwell would make more sense, because of the reduced chance of death or injury in the result of such an impact, and the fact that a stairwell would be much stronger and less prone to damage. In addition to this, a nuclear vault/bunker has the luxury of being able to incorporate concrete into it's design, and so a concrete stairwell (as per the chart) would actually add to the overall structural stability of the vault.

Even though previous vaults would have required a certain level of pressurization in order to keep the outer door sealed, no other vault has even been shown to incorporate such an elaborate door design. As detailed in the OP, this includes an enormous purge valve, as well as a very clear warning instructing anyone accessing the vault to "stand 10 metres back during initial purge bell", which suggests the kind of pressure that can kill. This is most certainly not a conventional vault.

I appreciate what you're saying, but I'm quite sure if Bethesda wanted to, they could have added some kind of rock formation that would have been able to support a vertical door. Or they could have just built the vault entrance at the base of the hill. The fact that they haven't done this is highly significant, and suggests that the horizontal door design is quite intentional. Also, if you look topside of the vault post-war, there is a red circular handle similar to the ones seen on the doors on the chart. Even the dome shape of the vault is similar to the exterior design of a sub, complete with an access 'hatch' in the form of an elevator.

...Or stairs, well. Because it is a bunker, and not a submarine. That's the point. Concrete, stairs. Hatch doors without knee knockers means they aren't hatches you'd find on a vessel. None of this has anything to do with anything nautical.

And, sure. They could have built some rocks or something in... But, what looks better, that or a shot when the bomb falls with people- your spouse and child- standing out in complete openness, with nothing to even crouch behind? Paints a picture. Doubly for when you return to the surface 200 years later and upon emerging, can look at the destruction in a full 360 degrees, shouting, "Wwwwhhhyyyy!?!?!"

I even posit that the reason the PC is able to live to see 200 years later is because he went down into the entrance, and the blast wave passed over him. Had it been built into the side of a mountain (and being able to see the mushroom cloud drop), the blast wave would have pushed into the entrance, unless the PC gets in and the doors are sealed unrealistically fast. So, perhaps it just wasn't practical to have the same kind of entrance, for the visual presentation they wanted.

Don't you see? They only reason that they didn't use ladders is because it would be impracticle, certianly nothing to do with it not being a submarine, they'd have done it if it was practical to fit the theme I tell you! Ignoring the fact that the hatch itself isn't even that practical, about as impractical for a shelter that one might need to access in a hurry as Vault 19 where the hatch was in one of those little check-in booths at a carpark.

Thank God an actual military man is here and knows all the damn terms like knee-knockers and so forth.

Knee knockers aside (which are disliked even by sailors due to their tendency to cause knee and shin injuries, hence the name), there are still a number of elements that would suggest a design based on the principles of a submarine, including the fact that there are valves shown on the doors that would prevent untimely access to an area that could result in death. Also, the concept of high pressure/low temperature fits with the idea of cryogenics, and so this theory still stands. One ironic point is that, if the devs had straight up told us that the protagonists are in the Navy and the Marines, that there will be extensive underwater exploration, and that the Glowing Sea is in Boston Harbor and was caused by a sunken nuclear sub, then the submarine theory would actually be more widely accepted. I suppose we will have to wait until November 10th, although with all evidence pointing to an overall nautical theme, I am more than a little confident that I will be proved right

So they're still submarine doors, expect for the parts that aren't submarine doors, and gate valves which are in no-way exclusive to submarines are you evidence?

Why does the theory of pressure fit in with Cyrogenics, a process which doesn't exist in-terms of being able to keep someone in suspended animation. How is the pressure of a room going to affect the pressure inside a sealed cyrogenic pod? There's a cyrogenic pod in Fallout 2 that doesn't rely on pressurising the entire room. I mean you talk about the safety of ladders and stuff but in your theory if there's a breach in the Cyropod the occupant gets killed by the pressure of the room? That's hardly safe either. There's already a Cyrolator pistol in Fallout 4, you can see it in the gameplay trailers, do you think that that's a pressure gun or more probably an ice gun?

It would hardly be ironic to accept the Vault Submarine if the devs had explictally told us a whole list of nautical themes, it would just be reasonable.

At no point did I claim that they were submarine doors. What I said is that they look very similar to doors found in a Naval vessels, including submarines. The fact that they differ slightly in their design would not prevent them from performing the exact same function.

Also, gate valves do indeed have multiple uses, and are commonly seen on HVAC equipment, especially in plant rooms. Their entire purpose is to control or contain the flow of gas or liquid. The first one we have seen related to Fallout 4 is the red valve next to the lift, which is no doubt connected to the multiple yellow pipes that can be seen around the top of the vault. This would be used to depressurize the lift-shaft prior to the lift itself descending into the vault. But gate valves on doors are far less common. This would signify the need to keep something out, such as extreme high pressure.

As for the cryogenics part of this theory, I have explained this extensively throughout the thread. The only difference being the presence of liquid inside the pods, which would aid the process further. And if you design a system to run flawlessly for, let's just say 20 years, and it ends up running for in excess of 200 years, then you can expect there to be some kind of failure somewhere along the line. There are countless other examples of delicately balanced systems that perform a valuable function when working correctly, and yet can prove to be deadly in the event of failure, such as aircraft.

I don't expect you to suddenly change your mind and accept my theory. But I do stand by this as being a perfectly plausible explanation as to the design and function of Vault 111.

http://i.imgur.com/UGwGN68.png

Screenshot I just took from Fallout 3 trailer, the one with your favourite bit about hints of Fallout Sheltler. Door with gate wheel and porthole no less. Significance to Fallout 3's Vault or Fallout Shelter? None, doesn't even appear in the game. Obvious stylistic choice by Bethesda that they've clearly been using since 2008? Certainly.

Obviously they aren't submarine doors because Vault 111 isn't a submarine, but your certain with the fact that they look like naval doors and ergo Vault 111 will have some nautical connexion built heavily into its design. Which I've just shown not to be the case, they're just a design style.


And as I have mentioned earlier in this thread, Vault Doors in Fallout 3 svck in air when opened indicating a pressure difference which, also, had no affect on the Vault's purpose or indeed anything in game-play. Vaults are huge, why is it "no doubt" connected to the Vault Door we've seen in trailers? Why might it not be "no doubt" connected to the big hatch door on the surface that it is right next to?


If it's a sealed pod then the pressure outside will not have an affect on the inside.

I definitely don't need the lowdown on knee knockers. I've knocked my knees on plenty, whilst cutting circles in the ocean.
Nothing about that perk chart has anything to do with anything nautical. (Again)




Thanks for finding a pic of that door from the F3 promo stuff, Enclave.
I was looking for something similar last night. was thinking along the lines of the vent we blow in NV, or the rattling air vent in F2.
Anyway... those air vents are round and have bolts/rivets around them as well.

No submarines. Subterranean is the word.

And yet the fact that Fallout Shelter is referenced in this video suggests that Bethesda knew exactly what they wanted to do seven whole years ahead of time. Do you not think it a little odd that the very same style of doors seen on the perk chart are also shown in your screenshot? As you said yourself, they were not used in Fallout 3 or Fallout Shelter. They must have been intended to be used somewhere, so why not in Vault 111? And as for your claim of it being 'just a design style', this sounds like the many people who said that the first glimpse we were shown of Fallout 4 was 'just a trailer'. This was later proved not to be the case once the E3 footage was released, after many features such as the pre-war tutorial and the connection to the in-trailer family were confirmed as fact. Note that, after the trailer was shown, I stood by my claims in spite of others trying to 'prove' that I was being ridiculous, and yet it turned out that I had been right the whole time.

Looking at the much stronger emphasis on pressurisation as per the images of the Vault door, as well as the gate valves on internal doors as suggested by the perk chart, it would be foolish to simply disregard this as being insignificant. There is clearly a purpose as to Bethesda's very deliberate design choices. And the fact that there is a nautical theme in many aspects of what we have been shown (the setting, the pictures in the player home, the release date, the underwater shots in concept art, as well as many other clues) adds even more weight to this theory. I have not simply plucked this idea from nowhere, I have studied the available materials as I did with the trailer.

A high enough level of external pressure would ensure that the pod remains intact by preventing expansion, as well as ensuring that anything inside does not simply freeze, which would alter cell structure and would outright kill any subject inside the pod.

I have no intention of disrespecting your first-hand experience with regards to nautical matters, but I stand by my theory. At the same time, I respect both yours and Enclave's opinions as being different from my own. Speculating as to the meaning behind various elements of official materials is one of the reasons we're all on the forum in the first place, and as such I would like to think that, whatever the outcome, we will all end up enjoying Fallout 4 immensity when it is released in November

No I don't think it's odd. I just think that's what Vault-Tec put in their animated material. So what? They had the idea for Vault 111 being a submarine-themed before Fallout 3 was even released? It's just a cartoon of a door that they had used before and your honestly going to try and claim that this is all part of some plan? Your right though, they are reusing the asset/design, it was a background image in 2008 and it's still one now. That's all.


I'm not saying that there's going to be nothing to do with the ocean in the game, they have concept art for a squid so one can presume that its in the game somewhere. The difference is that I'd say, "Okay so they've mentioned the ocean a bit and there's a squad, so there's going to be something there" where-as your going "Well there's pictures of boats in the players house and the doors in this vault look nautical so there's going to be a big nautical theme". Your drawing rather disperate and not necessarily connected things together as if everything in the game is part of some theme somewhere along the line when that's just silly. One of the perks represents an telescope because they're an observatory in Boston. There's a Vault Boy in baseball garb (again!) and that ties into Diamond City, there's a valve gate on a door and that's nautical. It just looks like your grabbing at straws or just trying way to hard.


It's Fallout dude. Not IRL.

As much as we could keep this going indefinitely, it may be wiser simply to agree to disagree. I do value your feedback, as you definitely put forward a strong argument. I just hope that when the game releases, at least one of us is right. I have a feeling we could both end up being surprised!

Damn you for being reasonable . I know I probably appear aggressive but that's cause I'm used to going up against immovable objects in these matters. But your right, let's just be British about this and agree to disagree amicably.

Sounds like a plan. Have a great weekend

no no and no. Whole thing is off. There were dozens of people entering the vault waaaaaaay before you get there. There are already technicians inside the vault as well as security staff and the overseer. You are in the last group to get inside. From there everything falls apart.

Have to say, I'm really looking forward to seeing how close I am with this theory (as well as my many others)

Only 14 days to go and we all find out...

I guess we all live in yellow submarine.... a yellow submarine... a yellow submarine.

SOOOOO BORED wish time move faster

If those details about the plot are accurate there are two major plot-holes.....how did the people who went into stasis not get crushed by pressurization....and if they did survive in stasis under such extreme pressure how did they not blow up when exposed to the depressurized surface atmosphere? Maybe most didn't survive pressurization explaining why only our protagonist and maybe his/her family survived........and may yet be android/s.

The release of the achievements really puts a sinker to this theory (and other theories you've had), since not a single one is nautical-themed. It's not confirmed-dead, but it's heading there fast.

The only way we'll know for sure if my theory is a hit or a miss is by playing through the tutorial. Still too early to call it, but either way this game will rock