#fallout 4 theory

[kellygreeny]

I just read some fallout 4 theories and one stuck with me. Fallout 4 has some amazing fan theories, like the soul survivor is a synth.

But the theory I want to talk about is, that the mysterious stranger might be the original Nick Valentine. Sure, the theory falls apart pretty easily by the question, how did he survive so long without being altered at some point (like ghoulification).

I need to say, I really like to think about, that maybe this isn't the case, but Nick believes in that. Maybe, he remembered looking like this (which can also be a flawed memory, because we can get easily fooled by our memories.) I just found it interesting how desperate he is meeting the mysterious stranger and if there is a glimpse of belief in Nick that the mysterious stranger is in fact his former self, he really wants to meet him. Nick is looking for an answer about his existence and he hoped the institute could give him just that (which we destroyed by the destruction of the institute and I'm really sad, that there wasn't a quest, where we run around the institute and find out more about Nicks creation.) so his only straw to get answers is the mysterious stranger. And if it turns out, he isn't the original Nick Valentine, Nick solved one of the biggest cases in the fallout universe.

Seriously, I hope fallout 5 brings back my favorite synth detective (even in just name dropping or some lore). But that would be really awesome.

[elvishdemigod]

Some people have a theory that the SoSu is a synth, one of their evidence being you can use VATS before you get your Pip-Boy

Now, I don't believe the synth theory. I do have a theory though of why you're able to use VATS early.

Simple: Vault-Tec

We know they have power, we know how they want wars. The Annexation of Canada was around 2059, with Vault-Tec I think having official government backing in 2050

With this in mind, it makes sense that they could've and would've support the military and maybe even implant a VATS chip into soldier's heads to assist them.

Hence why you're able to use VATS Pre-Pip-Boy

Though that mostly stands for Nate. For Nora, it's just Bethesda not really working that out logically.

[chillfinity]

OMG, I just realised something about the ending of the Fallout TV show!

The management of all the big bad corporations are hiding in the Tops Casino in Vegas (of course they are there, narcissistic psychopaths...)! The ending of the show literally shows us this:

They are in the basement in the casino somewhere, sitting in their cryo pods.

"You'll dig us, baby! We are the Tops!"

🤯🤯🤯

[untitledgoosegay]

so like ... Preston's family has gotta still be out there, right? he's not from Quincy, and if they were dead I feel like it would've come up

what I'm saying is, not long after Radio Freedom goes up, the rest of the Garveys turn up at the Castle to tackle Preston and yell "WE THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD"

[somethingaboutmint]

Fallout theories ranking. If you're wondering about the placement of these feel free to ask but you will not change my mind

[artbyblastweave]

"If they put more superheroes in Fallout I'll talk about it more."

🔥 The Silver Shroud?

The Silver Shroud falls somewhere on a spectrum between genuinely really conceptually interesting and borderline meanspirited to me. As I've mentioned briefly before, the paradox of superheroes in the Fallout universe is that they aren't a fundamentally weirder class of person than any of the other 1950s genre pastiche archetypes that we're expected to take seriously, but the flip side is that superheroes would match with the rest of the Fallout idiom so perfectly, and are so modular in terms of what other genre elements they can incorporate into their own genre, that they could easily become the most overbearing element of the Fallout setting if steps aren't taken to keep them siloed. Fallout 3 and Fallout 4 share a throughline in that they both silo superheroism by portraying it as the product of arrested development.

Kent Connolly is a sad, sad guy, with good reason. He's been trying to keep his hobby alive for centuries- terminals in Fallout 76 reveal that he's been adjacent to attempts to make superheroes a real thing for over 200 years, and it has never, ever worked over the long haul, and yet he keeps on trucking, trying to make everyone else see what he sees in these characters. The Shroud is a significantly different archetype of pulp hero from the ones who show up in Fallout 3- rather than a pastiche of the bloodless, stakeless four-color capes of the golden age, he's a more directly a pastiche of The Shadow- the 1930s radio-show proto-superhero who was significantly more willing to use gun violence as a conflict resolution tool than his successors would be. This dovetails with the gameplay loop- In Fallout 3, the entire point of the superheroes is that they're engaging in a significantly more limited playfight compared to what the Lone Wanderer gets up to on a typical Tuesday, but the Sole Survivor, when adopting the Silver Shroud persona, doesn't really have to change their MO at all in order to embody the (admittedly somewhat exaggerated and retroactively attributed by later writers and audiences) retributive ultraviolence of the Shadow's pulp archetype. They're doing their normal thing in a funny voice. And the extent to which you're just doing your normal thing is what really puts the screws to the idea that doing it in a costume is actually adding anything here. You are, at best, making a slight detour to slightly brighten a shut-ins day, and that adds a fundamental air of sadness to the entire outing. But at the end of the day, you do briefly embody the archetype. You do kick down the door and save the hostage from the gangsters. And as a result it does end up briefly straddling the line between deeply silly and deeply cool. The other thing about The Silver Shroud is that in a roundabout way it re-enforces my standing theory that Fallout 3 was originally meant to take place within living memory of The Great War. Of the three Fallout games that directly feature living superheroes, two of them- 4 and 76- are associated with characters who were directly enmeshed in pre-war pop culture. The Mistress of Mystery and her cohort adopted the superheroic aesthetic because it would still be legible to a plurality of survivors; Kent Conolly's rock to roll uphill forever is that he's one of the only people left to whom any of this means anything. But in Fallout 3 the two superheroes just sort of....materialize, after 200 years, with their shticks fully formed. Furthermore, in the Hubris comics office in downtown DC you can find a pre war letter to the editor extolling the relatability of the fictional AntAgonizer, and doing so prior to starting The Superhuman Gambit gives you a unique option for talking down the real one. My strong suspicion is that in an earlier draft of the story, The AntAgonizer was written as a pre-war character who sent that letter to the editor herself as a teenager or young adult, and adopted the AntAgonizer persona after living through the war as a coping mechanism.

[stoat-party]

Fallout 4: Where is the Lone Wanderer?*

*a vague conspiracy theory which doesn’t actually answer the question at hand. We all have our own ideas of how the lore should go, and I’m sure yours is very canon-compliant and valid, but this is mine and I have support for it. Looooongpost.

First off: What do we know about the canon Wanderer?

We know they activated Project Purity (or had a companion do it) without the FEV and were inducted into the Brotherhood. We know they’ve met with MacCready (you can’t finish the game if you don’t), and he has dialogue indicating they had further contact. They also took the Brotherhood’s side at Adams Air Force Base.

We don’t know what happened with The Replicated Man, but since the canon Wanderer appears to have good karma, and info from 4 implies Zimmer’s disappearance was more recent than ten years ago, it seems likely they took the boring ending, which secures their membership in the Railroad.

Why aren’t they in Fallout 4?

The Doylist answer is that they’re highly customizable, and so they have no canon appearance, personality, gender, etc. But in-universe? Something happened.

“Accepting outsiders like yourself has proven disastrous in the past.” - Kells

“I've seen other soldiers come and go. Some were brave, some were honest... hell, some were even downright heroic.” - Danse

“Every doctor I've talked to was worthless. [] I don't need them... I need someone like you.” - MacCready

When Duncan first got sick, “someone like you” would have meant the Wanderer. This suggests (to me) that they’re not in the Capital Wasteland anymore. But they’re certainly not in the Commonwealth either.

The weird thing is that the Lone Wanderer is all over this game - they’re the namesake for a male hairstyle, a perk, a DCR song, a motorcycle brand… and the codename of Deacon’s mission to save the Railroad from certain destruction by recruiting the Sole Survivor.

Someday We’ll Find It, the Deacon Connection

Oh yeah, I’m going here. Desdemona’s terminal entries confirm it was always Deacon’s plan to get you onboard and use you to destroy the Institute. There are Railroad lookout posts near 111/Sanctuary and Red Rocket, and of course he followed you in Goodneighbor, Diamond City, and Bunker Hill (at least). His court jester vibe hides it a bit, but he’s manipulating you more than he’s manipulating Desdemona in the intro scene. And do you notice he rarely gives you a firm verbal disapproval unless you’re hurting the Railroad?

What could have caused Deacon’s interest in you, unless he’s made the connection between you and the Lone Wanderer? He’ll vouch for you if you haven’t accomplished anything yet, or even if you’re a Brotherhood member. A Pip-Boyed stranger emerges from a vault in the middle of a crisis, gaining friends, skills, items, and special abilities at a suspicious rate? Probably with the same gender and playstyle as the previous one? Heck, when he first heard the rumors, he probably thought you WERE the Lone Wanderer.

There are other indications the Railroad has been in contact with them — Desdemona mentions the Capital Wasteland as their primary destination for synths, and Deacon references Harkness’s recall code. If you refuse to pick a codename, Desdemona even assigns you “Wanderer.”

So what happened, then?

I think the answer lies with the Brotherhood, specifically in Deacon’s hatred of them. Sure, ideology is enough to hate them for, but Deacon sure seems suspiciously happy if you nuke their base of operations. (Some of) his comments on that:

“The Brotherhood... well, I met them on an op in Capital Wasteland a few years back. But now with Elder Maxson... Let's just say, not a fan.”

“That bastard Maxson really screwed them up. The Brotherhood used to be the good guys. Well, goodish.”

[Who’s Elder Maxson?] “He’s a piece of work, is what he is.”

And on his time in the Capital:

“Did I ever tell you about the time I was in Capital Wasteland? Now there's a tale.”

“Capital Wasteland. Exports: purified water, some decent tech, oh, and an insane suicidal cult that worships radiation. Thanks, guys.”

“I miss Capital Wasteland. You can actually drink the water there.”

And a few lines I’ve decided (with no evidence) directly refer to LW:

“Last partner I had wound up going... well, a little insane. I think it was all my show tune medleys.”

[After Maxson orders you to hunt Danse down] “See? This is what the Brotherhood's really about.”

And my favorite: “I’ve been looking forward to kicking the Brotherhood’s teeth in. I owe them.” This line comes before Glory is killed, so he’s not referring to that. The Brotherhood only recently arrived in force in the Commonwealth. He’s talking about something that happened in the Capital Wasteland.

So Here’s What Might Have Happened:

In early 2286, Deacon moves to the Capitol Wasteland for awhile, probably to get a face change and lay low for a bit. He contacts the Lone Wanderer, who has barely heard from the Railroad in nine years. They begin to work together.

(In context, this journal entry looks like he’s somehow gathering intel to predict when Vault 111 will open, but I can’t think of a way for him to get that information or know why it’s important, so I’m not going to believe it just yet.)

The Wanderer is still a knight, maybe a paladin. Maxson has been elder for 2-3 years and is monitoring the Institute. Meanwhile, the Lone Wanderer and Deacon are setting up infrastructure to receive escaped synths.

And then the Brotherhood finds out about one of the safehouses. With their limited understanding, they believe that the Institute is holed up there and attack. The Wanderer intentionally throws the mission — maybe disobeys orders, maybe downs a vertibird or collapses a subway tunnel, or maybe even attacks their brothers to protect the synths.

And, well-

Either they were killed, or they escaped court martial and execution by a hair’s breadth and fled the Capital, leaving Deacon to believe Maxson had them killed.

There you have it. That’s why they aren’t in Brotherhood dialogue or records. Their accomplishments couldn’t be recognized because they’re a traitor. And that’s why it’s personal for Deacon.

[exitoath]

Danse was a Courser

Paladin Danse is later on revealed within the game Fallout 4 to be a synth (sorry for spoilers but it came out nearly 10 years ago) Danse had no idea he was a synth, and because of that it is likely he had lost his memory due to the railroad OR that the institute put him there as a sleeper agent as they have replaced people before. The only problem with this is that individuals who have been replaced by the institute aren't given as much of a highlight as people who escape or people who believe they are synths or people who are believed to be synths. The only individuals we seem to interact with otherwise are mostly people who have disconnected from the institute via the railroad, there are reports that individuals do get replaced, but those tend to be from people who actually are working for the institute and not individuals who are aware of this.

With this in mind, it is likely Danse was a synth who managed to escape and be part of the Railroad. How did Danse get into the brotherhood and become a paladin? If the Sole Survivor can become a sentinel within a year (likely less) , the authority that is above Danse, then Danse could've gotten there pretty quickly himself.

Now let's compare Danse to some of the other cast. Knight Rhys for starters, Danse is not only in a position above him as his commanding officer, but also Danse seems to be a lot more level headed and has more disciplined of a character who cares just as much for the brotherhood identity as Rhys does, but in such a way that is not fueled by intense emotions. Danse welcomes you in if you do well, which you do, and Rhys wants to push you away because he simply doesn't have a good feeling about you. (and rightfully so because you could easily turn your back on the brotherhood, but he doesn't know that.)

What about another synth? All the synths, whether or not they escaped with the railroad, are very different from Danse. Their temperaments range from anxious to friendly, they adopt the culture they have been given or are existing within. Nick is a detective, Dima develops a kind heart whose goals are equitable with the Railroad, Glory is rough around the edges but is overall a mellow individual, so on.

X6-88 and the other coursers however, they seem to match the personality of Danse perfectly. Danse already talks like a robot, his common lines are "outstanding" or "affirmative", carrying out orders perfectly as assigned - even to the point where when he finds out he's a synth he allows you to kill him. X6 has a similar problem too, he obviously feels something outside of what Synths are supposed to, he's human in that way, but he maintains his identity alongside the institute, that's just who he is.

You can only pick up a single courser chip from Z2-47, and they are known to be very difficult and rare to collect from Coursers alongside that. Other coursers don't drop these.

Danse, alongside his skill set and personality, is perfect to be a courser.

Now, alongside the railroad theory, how is Danse not recognized by the other members of the Railroad? Well, for starters, you don't meet everyone you find in the Railroad. The Railroad expands their horizons as far out as the capital wasteland from the commonwealth, it's likely that the people who did work to rescue Danse are either dead, weren't the big players you know now, or simply in a different location.

Imagine Danse clearing out railroad headquarters, hunting for rouge synths. Capturing one, "outstanding."

[synthbiosis]

"Does this mean you'd be there to hold me too" WHY ARE THESE FLIRT DIALOGUES SO FUNNYYYYYYYYYY

[labotor]

"Have you ever questioned your humanity?"

[puppys-teeth]

Very funny that people label certain games as Cozy Games but I find them stressful as fuck sometimes.

Unpacking: what the fuck is this blue box where does it go?? oh my god there’s so many fucking boxes I’m tired just looking at it

Minecraft: A bit more on the fence but kinda just mind numbing running around to do this and then I have to do this and let’s go mining and let’s make potions and I hate the nether but I need potions and

Stardew Valley: haven’t played it yet but it kinda just looks like more Minecraft except I get to kiss people so that’s cool

Meanwhile, an actually cozy game for me is fallout 4. It definitely helps that FO4 is my special interest but,,, I love going around and shooting and building in my settlements and exploring the world despite having done that a hundred times before. I literally have 1,300 hours on this game

Silent Hill 2 is a close contender until I get to a boss fight and I feel like I’m abt to shit my pants but it’s mostly cool and fine. Puzzles aren’t hard, normal enemies aren’t hard, and the atmosphere is awesome

[alethianightsong]

My fan theory after seeing the trailer

Walton Goggins's character was a Ronald Reagan-esque actor who did commercials for Vault-Tec under the impression that he and his family would get a spot in one of the company's vaults. Instead, he was left outside to die and after "ghoulifying," he keeps a chip on his shoulder against Vault-Tec. Maybe he learned that the vaults weren't havens but unethical human experiments, so he turned to drug abuse to numb the pain of knowing he encouraged people to trust the company, shedding his pre-War identity to become the fictional cowboys he always played.

[some-brave-apollo]

Fallout 4 fans, where do you see the political leanings of the Minutemen? Assume vanilla game, no mods installed. You can consider non-game material like the game guide and Winter of Atom if you wish but it's not essential.

Reblog for a wider audience!!!

[ranger-danger]

What if. What if I made my sole survivor trans. House wife lawyer turned themself in the wasteland. What if. What if I did that.

Like you’re no longer burdened by your pre-war self. A miserable person, though loving of her husband, who never got to be who they wanted to be. Or maybe never thought about it to begin with. But the wasteland? well all the structures of society that held her back before aren’t there anymore. No one knows who you are, only that you’re someone looking for your lost son and maybe that you were cryogenically frozen. Your husband is dead. Your kid wouldn’t know whether or not you’re his mom or dad, he’s a baby! It’s a clean slate isn’t it? Codsworth wouldn’t give a damn, if anything he’d put on that cheery voice qnd be proud of you…

Might make you seem less frail to the people who stole your son? Maybe they don’t recognize you, or rather, maybe they see the wasteland hasn’t killed you so much as hardened you to a fine point. I mean there’s a film noir detective running around, a zombie as mayor of an entire town, huge green dudes, and giant fucking murder lizards around. You’re only going to be half the freakiest thing around. Besides! People are getting swapped out for fakes, you’re all starving and dehydrated, radiation poisoning is constant threat, and people constantly attack each other to get any resources they can. You’re hardly their biggest worry at the moment, right?

Now that I think about it, the sole survivor is a fun character to make trans. Hmmmm.

[lockheed-martin-unofficial]

I’ve been playing Fallout 4 again, and does anyone else think Cait is a reference to Charon?

Both characters are working for a ghoul in a suit under contract. They hate their guy, and are living a life they don’t enjoy. Not-technically-slaves, but they don’t have a say in who gets the contract and can’t just leave. Their main thing is being good at fighting. Cait’s a whole ass cage fighter, and Charon’s contract only encompasses combat related services.

Not to mention the red hair, that’s like the main thing. And the complaining. I’m not sure how much Cait complains, I wasn’t paying attention, but I think she does even just a little bit?

I can’t help but wonder if this was intentional, the developers’ way of elaborating on a Concept of Guy they left mostly vague in Fallout 3, or even giving a hint about what Charon’s backstory and even his future alongside the Lone Wanderer could be like.

[stoat-party]

If you’re not weird like me about Fallout lore, feel free to go ahead and ignore this post. Because some people play video games to play them, and not to systematically piece them together as a cohesive whole. And you don’t have to be a perfectionist about something before you’re allowed to enjoy it. But if you’re still reading, I’m forced to correct two Fallout theories I see all the time:

Deacon is not the Lone Wanderer.

Courier Six is not the Lone Wanderer.

A lot of people accept these headcanons and even build them into their OCs, which is why I was hesitant to rain on their parades. But my parade is being anal about lore, so allow me this little timeline dive. The Lone Wanderer left Vault 101 in August 2277, at 19 years old. The earliest confirmed Deacon sighting was late 2273, when he was already a full-fledged Railroad agent. There’s a pretty strong theory that he joined the Railroad much earlier, but regardless, he’s an old, old man (affectionate).

The Wanderer, of course, was studying for the GOAT at this time, so it’s hard to square the two without some serious shenanigans. The Courier’s past is a little more complex, but they have to have been active as a courier in early 2277 at the latest. According to Joshua, the Divide’s destruction happened before the First Battle of Hoover Dam, which took place in 2277:

There’s a reading I’ve heard where the Lone Wanderer finishes up the events of Fallout 3 before 2278 begins (which would just barely be possible with DLCs) and travels west in time to deliver the package. But Ulysses indicates that the Courier had an active involvement with the Divide for some time before it was destroyed.

So between August and January, the timeline would have to be: Leave Vault —> Finish all of Fallout 3 including Broken Steel —> Travel to California for some reason —> Become a mailman —> Travel enough to develop a city —> Blow up that city by accident —> Hoover Dam.

The only other explanation is that Ulysses is confidently wrong and he’s thinking of a different courier. Which is hilarious, and more power to you if you accept it as a headcanon, but it does do some violence to the Themes and whatnot.

(If you’re interested, here is my personal theory re. Deacon and the Lone Wanderer)