Research Narrative As most people would see it, Fallout: New Vegas is just a video game.

I see it a little differently, I see it as the imagination of game developers reflecting past and/or current events into possible futures based on potential outcomes of the events they are relating to. The most basic principal of this game is portraying everyday life in a horrific post-apocalyptic America. As the main character (The Courier) you encounter and interact with new era factions that each have their respective histories involving development after the "Great War" as the in game nonplayable characters, or NPCs for short, call it. This paper considers how Fallout: New Vegas mirrors real life events, past, present, and future; more specifically I will compare historical and present day events and discuss how the game replicates real life political/military factions in an attempt to project how these outcomes may materialize in the future.

Comment [Z1]: In the end or for title use "War never changes" quote Comment [Z2]: Mention the platform I play the game on and a little on how its played

Comment [Z3]: Use citation summary to talk about and expand on the lifestyle in the future

The Great War that is discussed above and will also be mentioned later within this paper is a prelude to every game in the Fallout series (including four games and three spin offs). The Great War itself you learn about all throughout the entirety of the series. It began October 22nd, 2077 and ended October 23rd the same year. The fighting alone lasted less than two hours, focused primarily between the United States, China, and the USSR, along with other smaller nuclear capable countries causing immense damage and destruction all over the Earth. Given historical and contemporary evidence, I truly feel that anything is possible, and that if we look back in history at any one major event, such as the Cuban Missile Crisis, being slightly different, we would be living a completely different life today. Take into consideration the outcome of the Cuban Missile Crisis; The Cold War ended and America and Russia removed their respective military technology out of effective range of each other, effectively bringing peace to the world for a time. Now imagine for a moment that the cargo ship carrying the Soviet missiles were to have passed the blockade and been destroyed by U.S. forces ultimately plunging the world into all out nuclear war between Russia and North America. We would for a fact be living very different lifestyle if the latter had occurred that day back in 1962. It's ideas such as this one that intrigue myself as well as the developers and artists that create these games and their oddly beautiful landscapes and storylines. Terms: The Followers of the Apocalypse: They tend to the inhabitants of the wasteland, and also ensure that the horrors of the Great War are remedied and never repeated. To that end, they serve as protectors of knowledge in an era when it is so loosely appreciated. The reason I find this group specifically interesting is because it is unique. It is unique because it is very relatable to modern day groups such as doomsday theorists and even humanitarians.

Comment [Z4]: Explain resource war, and how that lead to the great war Comment [Z5]: Cite and discuss Iran Iraq war and the gulf war in relation to the resource wars

Comment [Z6]: Good in visionary!

Comment [Z7]: Vivid imagery

Comment [Z8]: Title the sections of the paper to break apart what you're looking at Comment [Z9]: Add summaries for citations

The New California Republic: The New California Republic, or NCR for short, is a democratic federation based in California, with holdings in Nevada, Oregon, Mexico (Baja) and along the Colorado River. The NCR emphasizes many old world values, such as democracy, liberty, and the rule of law. Though most would speculate that the Republic cares most about its' money. By post-apocalyptic standards the NCR's economy and standard of living are vastly superior to anything anyone could have dreamed of upon its founding in the year 2189. The Crimson Caravan Company: Started out as a small caravan outfit that specialized in high risk jobs that include delivering water to incredibly dangerous areas surrounded by high radiation and almost certain unavoidable conflict with the harsh environment and the creatures that thrive within it. Other caravan drivers considered them insane, but with a combination of high pay and specific hiring standards for their caravan guards, this meant that they were able and willing to .provide services that others simply refused to. This ultimately benefited them as they grew to become one of the most influential and powerful caravan companies in the wasteland. The New Vegas Strip: Originally known as Las Vegas in the Wasteland before Robert House revived its reconstruction. It is a city built upon the remains of Las Vegas, located in southern Nevada. Unlike the other major cities of the United States, Vegas emerged from the atomic fire of the Great War relatively unscathed, with most of the major damage caused by the downfall of society in general. The survival of the city itself is owed to Robert House, who in 2065, predicted that nuclear conflict between the USA and China would ensue within the next 15 years. Fearing he was correct, House focused his considerable number of resources toward protecting Las Vegas. Using his considerable intelligence and vast wealth, House built an army of Securitrons; some to tend to the strip, but the bulk of them were hidden away to be used at a later date for another purpose. He also had his own casino, The Lucky 38, outfitted with radar jamming systems, a laser defense network, missile arrays and life support systems. He alone is the only reason that the great city survived and is the central economic hub of the entire Mojave Wasteland.

Comment [Z10]: Define what these are and how they operate Comment [Z11]: Go into detail with the families, and describe relationship to Mr. House

Comment [Z12]: When writing conclusion describe relative comparisons between the game and societal war and real life