Fallout

Overview

Fallout is a 1997 post-apocalyptic PC/Mac RPG from Black Isle Studios and Interplay. A vault dweller - a descendant of the people who took to one of the enormous fallout shelters before the nuclear apocalypse - is forced to head out into the toxic wastelands to find a water chip: a vital piece of Vault technology that keeps water purified and drinkable.

Fallout focuses on an open-world approach: though the player is tasked with finding the water chip as soon as possible, following leads from settlement to settlement, they can actually head in any direction and see what awaits them. Often, they must rely on their wits and charisma than brute force and firepower. They can recruit AI-controlled helper NPCs along the way, who will assist in combat and provide other benefits.

The game was well-received enough to lead to multiple sequels. Fallout 2 directly follows from the first, with an eighty year gap, and the other sequels take place in other parts of the United States.

Story

Taking place in the year 2161, the story of Fallout begins 84 years after a short but disastrous world war devastates the Earth and human society. Atomic war was occasioned by "Resource Wars" for petroleum and uranium. The game puts the player in the shoes of the Vault Dweller, an inhabitant of one of a series of government fallout shelters referred to as Vaults. This particular Vault, #13, is located in Southern California, and was intended to remain shut for 200 years. Unfortunately the water purification system of Vault 13 failed, and the Overseer sent out the Vault Dweller to find a new water chip. The vault has enough water in reserve to last them a 150 days, which means that the Vault Dweller must find and return a water chip in that time frame.

Eventually the Vault Dweller finds the water chip in the ghoul city of Necropolis, but also learns of the existence of Super Mutants. When he returns to the Overseer, the Vault Dweller gives him the new, working water chip, and also makes a report on Super Mutants. The Overseer views their presence as a threat, and asks the Vault Dweller, to once again go into the wastes, and find and destroy the source of the mutant army. (prior to version 1.1 there was a time limit of 500 days for eliminating the mutant threat, if the player failed to do so, the mutants would find Vault 13 and destroy it)

The Vault Dweller finds that the Mutant leader, The Master is located in Boneyard (Los Angeles) in the Cathedral, the headquarters of a secretive cult that unbeknownst to most, works to further the cause of Unity and therefor, The Master. When speaking with the master it is revealed that he seeks to unify humanity by creating a new race of mutants. He believes that in order for humanity to prosper and for peace to be obtained, everyone must be forced to undergo an evolution, this is core of his plan, Unity.

The way new mutants are created, is the same way the man known as Richard Moreau was turned into the master. Richard Moreau was a scientist and doctor in The Hub and was hired by a caravan master named Harold to uncover the source of the mutants that were attacking Harold's caravan. Their travels eventually led them to the Mariposa Military Base, where a pre-war virus, created by West-Tek at the orders of the U.S. Army was located. Somehow both of them were exposed to this pre-war virus, known as the FEV (Forced Evolutionary Virus). Harold was rescued by his Caravan, but Richard was never found. Moreau was pushed into a vats filled with FEV, he remained in it for a month. After, as he gained consciousness he realized that he was transformed into a blob-like creature. He discovered that he could absorb biological creatures, as well as computers. As he absorbed his intelligence increased greatly and he formulated a plan for unification of the wasteland. The Master began dipping other humans into the vats, but they came out horribly wrong, as mutants that were barely able to speak. The Master absorbed them, rather than letting them live. In the early years of the 22nd century, the master perfected the creation of Super Mutants. He created a super mutant army with a single goal in mind. The forcing of every human to evolve into a super mutant and the unification of the wasteland.

The Vault Dweller defeated the Master and ruined his plan, after which he traveled to Mariposa Military Base to destroy the mutant army, by destroying the vats and therefor the creation system of super mutants. After all of these events, the Vault Dweller returns to Vault 13 and the Overseer. His reward for securing the water chip, destroying the Master and his mutants and saving the vault, was exile. The overseer argued that if the Vault Dweller was to return to the vault, everyone would want to leave, and follow in his footsteps. It would be better for the vault, and everyone in it if the Vault Dweller simply left. He did, and wandered the wastes for a while before founding Arroyo.

Gameplay

Character Creation

Fallout is a turn-based role playing game, featuring a customizable character with basic attributes that can be improved over time using a system designed specifically for the game called SPECIAL (Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility and Luck). The player can also learn from 18 individual skills (which are partly derived from the SPECIAL configuration of the character), governing aspects of social interaction, healing, weapon use, and so on. Additionally, the game also tracks the moral/ethical qualities of the player through karma, and the game will react to the player differently depending on how the player has acted throughout the course of the game. For example, if the player has killed two or more children, a group of tough bounty hunters will be set loose to find and kill the player.

S.P.E.C.I.A.L. (Primary Statistics)

The S.P.E.C.I.A.L. system is basically the attributes system of Fallout (the attributes are referred to as primary statistics). It stands for Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility and Luck - S.P.E.C.I.A.L.

Fallout was originally supposed to use Steve Jackson Games's system called GURPS (Generic Universal RolePlaying System). The early working title for Fallout was "Vault 13: A GURPS Post-Nuclear Adventure" and later "Fallout: A GURPS Post-Nuclear Adventure". Due to licencing problems the developer was forced to create the Special system. There are some similarities with GURPS, but it's largely an original creation.

No primary statistic can be raised beyond 10, or below 1 (if the Gifted trait is taken, primary stats can't be below 2). Many of the perks in the game require a certain level of each statistic and/or skill. Apart from that, each statistic modifies and effects the player character in some way. Strength, for example, determines the weight one can carry and the damage someone can do with melee attacks. Agility modifies action points, which are used in combat. Each action requires a certain amount of action points, and so on.

There are also ways to increase primary stats in-game permanently or temporary. The "Gain" perks increase an attribute by +1 permanently, for example Gain Strength increases strength by +1. Power Armor also increases strength, but by +3. Mentants increase Charisma by +1, Intelligence and Perception by +2, etc.

For more information on primary statistics see below.

Name and Image	Description and Use
	Raw physical Strength. A high Strength is good for physical characters. Modifies: Hit Points, Melee Damage, and Carry Weight. Perks that require Strength Slayer (8) Strong Back (6) Bonus HtH Damage (6) Strength also determines the effectiveness of using a weapon depending on its strength rating. Ways to increase: Gain Strength +1 Adrenaline Rush perk +1 when Hit Points>50% Power Armor +3 (Advanced Power Armor increases it by +4) Buffout +2 (temporary) Heave Ho perk increases Strength by +2 for the purpose of determining throwing range Weapon Handling decreases Strength requirement by -3 for weapons Bruiser trait increases Strength by +2 but lowers Action Points by 2
	The ability to see, hear, taste and notice unusual things. A high Perception is important for a sharpshooter. Modifies: Sequence and ranged combat distance modifiers. Perks that require Perception Sniper (8) Scout (8) Sharpshooter (7) Healer (7) Empathy (7) Bonus Rate of Fire (6) Better Criticals (6) Earlier Sequence (6) Night Vision (6) Ranger (6) Awareness (5) Friendly Foe (4) Ways to increase Perception: Mentats +2 (temporary) Gain Perception +1 Sharpshooter perk increases perception for the purpose of determining range modifiers of firearms by +2
	Stamina and physical toughness. A character with a high Endurance will survive where others may not. Modifies: Hit Points, Poison & Radiation Resistance, Healing Rate & hit points gained per level. Perks that require Endurance Toughness (6) Pathfinder (6) Survivalist (6) Rad Resistance (6) Faster Healing (6) Flower Child (5) Lifegiver (4) Snakeater (3) Ways to increase Endurance: Buffout +3 (temporary) Gain Endurance +1
	A combination of appearance and charm. A high charisma is important for characters that want to influence people with words. Modifies: NPC reactions, and barter prices. Perks that require Charisma Cult of Personality (10) Master Trader (7) Presence (6) Ways to increase Charisma: Gain Charisma +1 Mentats +1 (temporary) The Singer random encounter. Speaking to Patrick the Celt increases charisma permanently by +1
	Knowledge, wisdom and the ability to think quickly. A high Intelligence is important for any character. Modifies: the number of skill points gained per level, dialogue options and many skills. Perks that require Intelligence Sharpshooter (6) Bonus Rate of Fire (6) Educated (6) Healer (5) Empathy (5) Animal Friend (5) Smooth Talker (4) Swift Learner (4) Ways to increase Intelligence: Gain Intelligence +1 Mentats +2 (temporary)
	Coordination and the ability to move well. A high Agility is important for any active character. Modifies: Action Points, Armor Class, Sequence, and many skills. Perks that require Agility Silent Death (10) Sniper (8) Slayer (8) Pickpocket (8) Bonus Rate of Fire (7) Bonus HtH Damage (6) Healer (6) Bonus Ranged Damage (6) Bonus HtH Attacks (6) Silent Running (6) Action Boy/Girl (5) Bonus Move (5) Quick Pockets (5) Better Criticals (4) Dodger (4) Ways to increase Agility: Gain Agility +1 Buffout +2 (temporary) Psycho +3 (temporary)
	Fate. Karma. An extremely high or low Luck will affect the character - somehow. Events and situations will be changed by how lucky (or unlucky) the player character is. Modifies: Critical Chance Perks that require Luck Fortune Finder (8) Scrounger (8) Mysterious Stranger (7) Better Criticals (6) More Criticals (6) Toughness (6) Bonus Ranged Damage (6) Ways to increase Luck: Gain Luck +1 Chuck in Boneyard can increase the player's luck by +1 via the mysteries of the Tarot

• Each skill can also be raised in game with the exception of Charisma and Luck.
• The numbers in the brackets specify the level of the attribute required to take a perk.

Derived Statistics

Derived statistics, or secondary statistics, are directly influenced, modified and tied with primary statistics. There are several derived stats, and each one is linked with a primary stat. For example, carry weight, which is a derived statistic, is directly influenced by Strength, where as action points are influenced by Agility. There are also ways to increase or decrease derived statistics by traits, or perks. Strong Back raises the carry weight statistic, Action Boy raises action points by 1 point etc.

Name and Image	Descriptions and Use
	The amount of actions that the character can take during one combat turn. Every action, from shooting and reloading a weapon, to walking, to opening a door or container and accessing the inventory has a certain action point cost. The number of maximum points is calculated using the following formula. 5 + Agility / 2 Ways to increase the number of maximum action points in game, or decrease the required AP for completing an action. The Small Frame trait increases agility by 1 Action Boy/Girl increase max action points by 1, this perk can be taken 2 times. Bonus move increases action points by 2, each time this perk is taken, for the purposes of movement. Bonus Rate of Fire decreases the number of action points required for firing a weapon by 1. Fast shot does the same, although it eliminates the ability to use aimed shots. Bonus HtH Attack has the same effect as Bonus Rate of Fire, but only for melee/unarmed attacks.
	Modifies the chance to hit this particular character. Armor class determines the ability to dodge attacks. It does not decrease the amount of damage received. All armors increase AC, but generally speaking, heavier armor doesn't increase armor class as much as light weight armors. Every point of agility increases natural Armor Class by 1. Perks and traits that increase/decrease AC, Invest points into Agility. Use armor (every armor increases AC, even the heaviest). Dodger perk increases AC by 5 each time it is taken. HtH Evade increases AC while unarmed. Kamikaze decreases AC, while it raises sequence.
	The maximum amount of equipment the player character can carry, in pounds. It is directly influenced by Strength. Every character starts with 25 carry weight +25 per point of Strength. So 25 + Strength x 25. Unless the Small Frame trait in which case the formula is 25 + Strength x 15. Ways to increase carry weight, or decrease the weight of items. Invest points into Strength. Strong Back perk increases carry weight by 50 lbs for each rank. Pack Rat increases carry weight by 50 lbs.
	The chance to cause a critical hit in combat is increased by this amount. Critical chance is directly modified by luck. Each point of Luck increases the critical chance by 1. Critical hits obviously increase the damage done by a certain amount. Ways to increase critical chance, or the damage done by critical hits. Increase Luck. Finesse trait increases critical chance by 10%, while decreasing normal damage by -30%. More Criticals increases critical chance by 5% for each rank taken, up to three. Better Criticals increases critical damage by 50%. Aimed shots have an increased amount to cause a critical hit, eyes and head having the highest chance and limbs lowest. The Sniper perk increases critical chance by making a separate, behind the scenes role. Each point of luck, with the sniper perk, increases critical chance by +10%. 10 Luck would mean 100% critical chance.
	Any damage taken is reduced by this amount. Damage Resistance can be increased by wearing armor. Damage Resistance is directly influenced by the armor a character wears. There are several types of damages, and therefor several types of resistances. These types are Normal (physical damage done by bullets or melee weapons) Fire Explosive Plasma Laser 10 DR in any of the damage types decreases the damage received by 10% Ways to increase DR Toughness by +5 for each rank taken. Wearing better armor. Using armor piercing ammunition against heavily armored targets increases damage done.
	At the end of each day, the player character will heal 1 HP for each point of healing rate. Upon resting, the player character heal every six hours. Healing rate determines how quickly a character recovers from wounds by waiting. It is directly influenced by Endurance, 1/3 of endurance = healing rate. So 9 endurance means that the healing rate will be 3. Ways to increase Healing Rate Fast Metabolism increases it by 2. Faster Healing perks also increases it by 2.
	How much damage the player character can take before dying. Once HP equals 0, the player character will die. Hit points are a statistic that determine how much damage a character can take before death. Initial hit points = 15 + Strength + 2 x Endurance. Each level a character gains 2 + Endurance / 2 hit points. Ways to increase hit points Leveling up. Lifegiver +4 hitpoints each level with this perk.
	The amount of bonus damage the player character does in hand-to-hand combat. The amount of bonus damage done with melee or unarmed attacks, in addition to the damage done with the weapon. Initial level is equal to every point above 5 Strength, 7 Strength equals 2 Melee Damage. Ways to increase Melee Damage Increasing Strength above 5. Heavy Handed increases Melee Damage by 4, while decreasing critical chance by -30%. Bonus HtH Damage increases it by 2. Slayer upgrades every melee hit to a critical one, regardless of critical chance.
	The amount of levels the character will have to gain in order to gain a perk (lower is better). Every character gains a perk every 3 levels, which means that the perk rate is 3. There is no way to decrease the perk rate in Fallout, only increase it to 4 by taking the skilled trait.
	Reduces poison damage by this amount. The damage reduction is percentage based. It also decreases the chance to be poisoned. Initial level = Endurance x 5. Ways to increase/decrease poison resistance Taking the Fast Metabolism decreases this statistic (as well as radiation resistance) to 0. The Snakeater perk increases Poison Resistance by 25 for each rank taken.
	The amount of radiation the player character is exposed to is reduced by this percentage. Radiation Resistance can be modified by the type of armor worn, and anti-radiation chems. As said, this stat decreases the amount of radiation taken. Immunity is granted at 100%. If a character reaches a radiation level of 1000 they will die after a few days. Initial level = Endurance x 2 Ways to increase/decrease Radiation Resistance Rad Resistance perk increases it by 10% for each rank. Rad-X increases it by 50%. Taking 2 increases the resistance above 100, effectively making the character immune to radiation. (temporary) Fast Metabolism decreases Radiation Resistance (along with Poison Resistance) to 0.
	Determines how soon in a combat turn the player character can react. After the surprise turn, sequence determines who will go the turn after. The higher the sequence value, the better. Initial level = Perception x 2. Ways to increase Sequence Kamikaze trait increases it by 5, although it decreases natural armor to 0. Earlier Sequence perk increases it by 2.
	The number of skill points players will be able to allocate each time a level is gained. Each time a character gains a level, he/she gains skill points. The amount is determined by 5 + Intelligence x 2. Tagged skills are increased by 2 for each skill point, where as other skills are increased 1:1. Ways to increase Skill Rate Increase Intelligence , Educated perk +2 for each rank, Skilled trait +10% to each skill, +1 perk rate.

Skills

Combat Skills

Skill and Image	Description
	For Operation and maintenance of really big guns. Miniguns, Rocket Launchers, Flamethrowers and such. Base Skill: 10% + Agility
	The care and feeding of energy-based weapons. How to arm and operate weapons that use laser or plasma technology Base Skill: 10% + Agility
	Using non-ranged weapons in hand-to-hand, or melee, combat. Knives, sledgehammers, spears, clubs and so on. Base Skill: 55% + (Agility + Strength) / 2
	The use, care and general knowledge of small firearms. Pistols, SMGs and rifles. Base Skill: 35% + Agility
	The skill of muscle-propelled ranged weapons. Throwing knives, spears and grenades. Base Skill: 40% + Agility
	A combination of martial arts, boxing and other hand-to-hand martial arts. Base Skill: 65% + (Agility + Strength) / 2

Active Skills

Skill and Image	Description
	The healing of major wounds and crippled limbs. Without this skill it will take a much longer period of time to restore crippled limbs to use. Base Skill: 15% + (Perception + Intelligence) / 2
	General healing skill. Used to heal small cuts, abrasions and other minor ills. In game terms, the use of first aid can heal more hit points over time than just rest. Base Skill: 30% + (Perception + Intelligence)
	The skill of opening locks without the proper key. The use of lockpicks or electronic lockpicks will greatly enhance this skill. Base Skill: 20% + (Perception + Agility) / 2
	The practical application of the Science skill. The fixing of broken equipment, machinery and electronics. Base Skill: 20% + Intelligence
	Covers a variety of hi-technology skills, such as computers, biology, physics and geology. Base Skill: 25% + (2 x Intelligence)
	Quiet movement, and the ability to remain unnoticed. If successful, the character will be much harder to locate. Players cannot run and sneak at the same time. Base Skill: 25% + Agility
	Can be used to steal from people or places. Base Skill: 20% + Agility
	The finding and removal of traps. Also the setting of explosives for demolition purposes. Base Skill: 20% + (Perception + Agility) / 2

Passive Skills

Skill and Image	Description
	Trading and trade-related tasks. The ability to get better prices for both sold items and bought items. Base Skill: 20% + (2 x Charisma)
	The knowledge and practical skills related to wagering. The skill at cards, dice and other games. Base Skill: 20% + (3 x Luck)
	Practical knowledge of the outdoors, and the ability to live off the land. The knowledge of plants and animals. Base Skill: 5% + (Endurance + Intelligence) / 2
	The ability to communicate in a practical and efficient manner. The Skill of convincing others via communication. The ability to lie and not get caught. Base Skill: 25% + (2 x Charisma)

Traits

Optional traits describe the player character in more detail. All traits will have positive and negative effects. Players may choose up to two traits during creation.

Chems last half the normal amount, but the chance of getting addicted is also lowered by half.

Trait and Image	Description
	Violent death animations, affects the ending of the game.
	Gain +2 strength at the cost of -2 action points.
	Recovers faster from addiction, but also increases the chance of becoming an addict.
	+2 healing rate, poison and radiation resistances start at 0%.
	Eliminates the ability to make aimed shots, but firing a weapon costs 1 action point less.
	+10% critical chance, -30% normal damage.
	+1 to each S.P.E.C.I.A.L. attribute, -10% on all skills and -5 skill points per level.
	+15% First Aid, Doctor, Speech and Barter, but -10% Small Guns, Big Guns, Energy Weapons, Melee Weapons, Throwing and Unarmed.
	+4 melee damage, -30% critical chance.
	Both the player character and enemies experience more critical misses.
	Armor rating bonus from Agility set to 0, but +5 to sequence.
	+1 Perception during nighttime, -1 Perception during daytime.
	+20% to hit with one-handed weapons, -40% to hit with two handed weapons.
	+10% to all skills, perk rate increased to 4.
	+1 Agility, but carrying weight reduced to 25 + 15 x Strength.

Perks

Perks are similar to Traits except that they do not have any drawbacks. Players get to choose one every three levels - unless players have the Skilled Trait - and some can be chosen multiple times. There are a total of 53 perks available to the player in the game. Here's a list, displayed in alphabetical order.

Combat

The battle system in Fallout is turn-based, but certain factors determine the amount and type of actions that a player is able to perform per turn. When combat mode is entered, a player's actions per turn are limited by their AP

(Action Points). The number of AP a player gets per turn depends on their Agility attribute. Certain weapons use more AP than others, but the player can also choose to take a targeted shot with their weapons, using one more AP but potentially causing more damage or inflicting conditions onto the enemy. Other actions that consume AP are walking, accessing the inventory, and interacting with items in the game world (such as doors).

Non-Combat Skills

Although the combat system is usually a large portion of Fallout's game play, what is often said to set the game apart is the fact that players can explore the entire game rarely (if ever) fighting anything, should they choose to do so. Skills such as Speech (which allows the character to have more dialogue options and a greater influence on NPCs) and Science (which allows the character to interact with computers throughout the game world) allow players a greater freedom in how they interact with their environment.

Weapons

Ranged

Small Guns

Pistols

Submachine Guns

Rifles

Shotguns

Big Guns

Energy Weapons

Pistols

Rifles

Throwing Weaponry

Melee

Common Melee Weaponry

Powered Melee Weaponry

Unarmed

Explosives

Armor

NPC Followers

In Fallout, the Player was able to recruit a couple of NPCs, who helped in his journey. Special requirements were needed to make them join. Charisma also played great role in number of available companions.

Many criticized Fallout's team system, because of the teammates' poor AI and clunky system of inventory management. Despite that, gamers and critics alike praised the fact that NPCs in Fallout were characters worth remembering.

Here's the list of all available NPCs:

• Ian - Found in Shady Sands. Skilled with knives, pistols and sub-machine guns (well, in theory, as giving him SMG often resulted in couple of bullets in player's back). Joined, if the player paid him.
• Tandi - daughter of an elder in Shady Sands, kidnapped by Raiders. She followed the protagonist until he returned her to her father. Not very skilled in combat.
• Dogmeat - Dog found in Junktown. Joined if the player character fed him or showed up in Mad Max style leather jacket. Considered by many as one of the best NPCs in video games history, not only for his surprisingly good combat skills, but also for his lovable loyalty to the player. According to Fallout canon, Dogmeat died in Mariposa Military Base, but he can be befriended again during one of the Random Encounters in Fallout 2 and returns again as a recruitable character in Fallout 3.
• Tycho - Shotgun specialist from Junktown. Joined the team to get rid of scums in his city and followed the character after the quest was finished.
• Katja - member of the Followers of the Apocalypse, found in "Blades" Section of Boneyard (ruined Los Angeles). Character had to have pretty high speech skill and Charisma to make use of her talents. Her weapon of choice was spear and a pistol (and she was better at shooting than Ian)

Communities

Fallout's towns and communities are quite memorable, each displaying unique types of social organization and economic development as a response to life after a nuclear apocalypse. Some communities are more like factions that are major players in the storyline and game universe. The way each community is structured in turn affects the attitude of the town's inhabitants towards outsiders and what kind of quests the player can take on.

Vault 13

The Vault in which the protagonist has been raised and is compelled to leave could be considered a utopia. Compared to the rigours of the Wasteland, the vault is well-ordered, able to provide for the needs of its inhabitants, free of radiation and typically lacking in social problems. If anything, the vault dwellers have a tendency towards hostility towards the outside world, wishing to have nothing to do with it for fear of contamination. As the Vault Dweller spends more time outside the vault, the less he is able to continue to fit in to this closed society. Technology has a vital role for sustaining those who live inside the vault. Computers transmit and preserve information, and take care of essentials like water supply and food production. Every inhabitant has a role that contributes to the good of the whole under the benevolent guidance of the Overseer who provides direction. The jumpsuit, the iconic uniform of Vault 13, indicates that it is (at least in principle) a classless society.

Shady Sands

Shady Sands is a struggling agricultural community and it is generally the first settlement the player encounters on his or her travels. The community has not reached a particularly high state of technological advancement; although they farm, which provides their subsistence, they have not even heard of crop rotation. Besides farmers, the town is inhabited by a town leader, guards, and a doctor. Due to the low degree of social stratification the community appears relatively unified and harmonious. However, because of their peaceful ways and technological inadequacy, Shady Sands is quite vulnerable to outside threats. This leaves them slightly on edge when it comes to interacting with outsiders, although they are not entirely unwelcoming if one's intentions are peaceful. The player can if desired help the town deal with its two main problems: the Khan raiders and radscorpions.

The Raiders

Not much is known about the Khans, a clan of Raiders, as they are extremely hostile to outsiders unless they prove themselves to be as psychopathic and violent as they are themselves. Borrowing from films such as Mad Max, this group represents a regression into tribalism and lawlessness. They are led by a patriarchal leader who commands based on strength and fear. Except for a few female Raiders, women are enslaved as prostitutes, showing the contempt they have for those they capture. Instead of producing anything for themselves, the Raiders pillage from others to satisfy their wants. The interaction that the Vault Dweller can have with the Raiders is unsurprisingly limited, short of challenging the leader or wiping them out entirely.

Junktown

Although still a relatively small town, Junktown is considerably more advanced than Shady Sands. Social differentiation is more obvious: a bar, casino, doctor, sporting bouts, trading, a hotel and so on indicate the beginnings of a capitalistic economy, particularly leisure industries. However, agriculture remains important. With increased size and prosperity also comes social problems. Killian, as mayor of the town, is struggling against the organized crime boss Gizmo as well as the gang violence of the Skullz. Junktown has something of a Wild West feel to it, showing some signs of technological advancement but still with an element of lawlessness. The player can decide to tip the balance towards lawfulness or crime, however.

The Hub

The Hub, as suggested, is the center of trade in the region. The city is mostly under the rule of law, and its prominent bodies are various merchant guilds. These are mostly trading companies that send guarded caravans to transport goods throughout the wasteland, but also providers of services such as the Water Merchants. The Hub has a sophisticated trade in books, pharmaceuticals, weapons, loans, and other such essentials. Although The Hub still has a strong agricultural base, it has much more severe social differentiation. Besides the prosperous merchants there are also drug addicts, slum-dwellers and other such signs of class division. There is also a much more well-organized crime boss, Decker, who attempts to maintain some control over the Hub's affairs. The Hub is extremely well-policed, indicating that the rule of law is still quite strong, in order to defend the interests of the various capitalistic organizations.

Boneyard

Similarly to the Hub, the Boneyard displays a considerable degree of technological advancement. it has knowledge of chemistry and smithing, and is able to grow crops hydroponically. However, it is is a police state. Surrounded by a cage, farmers are forced to work are forced to work for the benefit of the armed soldiers ruling them and the mayor, a figurehead for the oppressive social order. The Razors just outside of the city proper are a gang, but one based on mutual support rather than criminality. They wish to see the soldiers overthrown and the Boneyard freed of their tyranny. Unsurprisingly, the rulers do not view outsiders in a friendly fashion, wishing to keep things as they are and monitoring closely for signs of dissent.

Followers of the Apocalypse

Akin to a monastic order, the Followers wish to preserve the knowledge that has been mostly lost since the war. Their goal is primarily to spread enlightened ideas throughout the region and prevent the recurrence of such conflict. They are closely monitoring the Brotherhood, as they do not take their religion at face value. Although they have a matriarchal leadership structure, there seems to be no rigid social divisions to speak of; like Vault 13, the Children could be considered a utopian community based on the mutual pursuit of knowledge.

Brotherhood of Steel

As indicated by their ranks (knight, scribe, and paladin) the Brotherhood combine a medieval social structure with a religious fervor for technology. A militaristic order, besides preserving technology they also devote significant resources to training, weapons R&D, medical research for physical enhancement, and so on. Although they are by far the most technologically advanced community in the wasteland, they jealously preserve their knowledge and do not willingly share it with others. They are also simply not interested in having dealings with outsiders except for merchants. They send the Vault Dweller on what is presumed a suicide mission if he wishes to join their order. The medievalism of the Brotherhood is reflected in its rigid command structure. The leader of the Paladin, Rhombus, and the Elders command lower ranking members under military discipline. They also have a head librarian, Vree, dedicated to the preservation of knowledge and research. The Brotherhood is a strictly regimented military organization, and this is reflected in how their base is laid out. Although they are not self-sufficient, the Brotherhood trades some of their technology in return for the necessities of life.

Children of the Cathedral

Like the Followers, the Vault, and the Brotherhood, the Children value order highly. However, they also happen to be religious fanatics that seek to impose unity not just on their own community but also on everyone else. They have a typical religious leadership structure. This community is the most actively hostile towards the others in the region, demonstrating a medieval level of tolerance (or lack thereof) for differences of opinion.

Special Encounters

In the barren wasteland the player can discover special encounters, depending on the Luck skill. These range from rare items to amusing (but useless) sequences.

Bob's Used Car Mart

Bob has, unfortunately, had a little too much radiation for his own good. He will try and sell the player a "used car" that has gone through his patented "100 point service"; these cars are all junk and useless. But if the player explores Bob's hut they will discover two BB guns and ammo.

Crashed Alien Spaceship

Half buried in the sand, two alien skeletons lie beside the ship. On these bodies can be found the "Alien Blaster" arguably the best weapon in the game; although it is not the strongest, it is lightweight and so is its ammo.

The Giant "Three Pronged" Footprint

A single large three pronged footprint imprinted in the sand. In the center is a squished mass of body-parts; on this unrecognizable body can be found "the stealthboy."

The Wild Brahmin

A random herd of Brahmin (two-headed cows), as the player gets closer they speak phrases like: "Moo" and "Moo, I say." Amusing, but utterly useless.

The Over-Turned Nuka-Cola Truck

Depending on the Luck skill, the player can find in a crate, up to 10,765 caps (the currency of Fallout). With a low luck skill players may only find 1 cap.

The Police Box

In a reference to the "Tardis" from "Doctor Who," as the player gets closer it disappears leaving a motion detector in it's place.

Voice Acting

The Game features the iconic voice talent of Ron Perlman as the narrator. One of Perlman's lines from the prologue became a catchphrase for the series: "War. War never changes." Many other well known actors appear in the game, such as: Clancy Brown as Rhombus, CCH Pounder as Vree, Tony Shalhoub as Aradesh, Richard Dean Anderson as Killian, Keith David as Decker and Tony Jay as The Lieutenant.

Critical Reception

Although Fallout came out more than a decade ago and is thus hard to find many reviews for, a Gamerankings average of 91.92% and Metacritic of 89 suggests a high degree of critical acclaim (both from a sample of 12 reviews). According to Desslock's review on Gamespot, Fallout "oozes style", is destined to become a classic, and is easily one of the best role-playing game of the past few years (8.7/10). This opinion is echoed by other gaming sites that consider Fallout a standout for RPGs in the '90s (PC Gamer 90/100, Electric Playground 90/100).

Though the game received near-universal praise, one common point of criticism was leveled at the main quest, which could end the game prematurely if not completed within a certain number of days. Many reviewers found the time limit on the main quest, as well as the possibility of failing the game outright, to be unnecessarily restrictive. Due to the number of complaints, a later patch removed this time limit, allowing the player more freedom to approach the game at their own pace.

Soundtrack

The original score for Fallout was written and composed by Mark Morgan.

PC System Requirements

• CPU Type: Pentium
• CPU Speed: 90 MHz
• Hard Disk Space: 80 MB
• OS Version: 5.0
• RAM Required: 16 MB
• Graphics Type: SVGA
• Graphics Resolution: Multiple Resolutions