AeonG
First time out of the vault
TL;DR: Why don't we just play along with Bethesda's fan content acceptance and make a new unofficial diverging fan controlled Fallout Universe where we get to come up with new ideas and people willing to spoil themselves vote on what happens? Bethesda won't care as long as people buy their games to get the fan content.
My apologies if this has been suggested before. I know this is quite a lot I'm throwing at you all, but please at least hear me out and give me criticism if you disagree:
The situation: The future of Fallout is pretty dire. Bethesda doesn't really give a shit about the little intricacies that make Fallout..well..fallout, and the series is just going to decline further as Bethesda gets hungrier for money and slowly turns into EA.
The potential: Right now Bethsoft is accepting of fan content. At the very least they aren't going to send their legal team on modders as long as they can get a piece of the action and make shittier versions of peoples ideas in their own games. Right now there are also a lot of dedicated modders who are making their own fangames. There is also a sizable chunk of Fallout fans right now who don't like where bethesda is taking the series.
The problem: None of these fan games are connected as far as I know, and with that, people won't care enough to stay engaged in Fallout. They are also made by people who have their own idea of what they want fallout to be, and thus there are things in them that don't make sense in a fallout game, like the Anti-NCR station in project brazil that sounds like a modern radio station. The anti-bethesda side of the fandom may be big, but as time goes on and no good Fallout games come out, it will shrivel up as most people move on for something new.
A solution: Why can we as a fanbase not take fate into our hands and make a new diverging continuity, one of fan comics, Tabletop Campaigns, and fan games? As long as we actually buy the games that support these mods, Bethesda probably won't care enough.
Fans can get together and discuss where they want to take the series. They can discuss new ideas, and things that the most people agree on can become new projects, big or small. If people fade out, new people can come in and pick up where they left off. As projects are being developed, "beta testers" can pop in and look at the developers progress for inconsistencies, plot holes especially in regards to other fan projects, general bad writing, unfun quests, and things that don't really fit in a Fallout game, and if we really put our hearts into it, the series will regain it's integrity. Some people wont like certain things, but as long as the majority agrees, is it that bad? Other fans who don't want the magic ruined for them can stay out of the discussion and consume the media when it's released. If a project turns out to be bad regardless, fans can for the most part not consider it as part of the new canon.
We can also retcon some of Bethesda's changes, for example:
1. No more bethesda power armor. The T51-B is the last power armor that made it out of the prototype stage before the bombs fell.. If the T-45D actually exists, it should resemble the T-51b more.
2. The X-01 suit was made entirely by the Enclave after the bombs fell. Whether or not they finished up the vertibirds or made the X-02 suit is up for grabs.
3. Myron is the sole inventor of jet, not the prewar world.
4. Ghouls can look more like they used to in Fallout 1 and 2. No more gradual hollywoodification on Ghouls. Since we aren't appealing to a mass audience, we have no need to make them look more aesthetically pleasing.
I realize this is very idealistic and would be a big undertaking however:
1. We can always start off small, with connected comics and fanfiction.
2. Even though not everyone would be happy with how some things turned out, wouldn't it still be better to have a story driven by passionate fans than a money hungry developer?
Surely we can make something work out, even if there are some bumps in the road.
My apologies if this has been suggested before. I know this is quite a lot I'm throwing at you all, but please at least hear me out and give me criticism if you disagree:
The situation: The future of Fallout is pretty dire. Bethesda doesn't really give a shit about the little intricacies that make Fallout..well..fallout, and the series is just going to decline further as Bethesda gets hungrier for money and slowly turns into EA.
The potential: Right now Bethsoft is accepting of fan content. At the very least they aren't going to send their legal team on modders as long as they can get a piece of the action and make shittier versions of peoples ideas in their own games. Right now there are also a lot of dedicated modders who are making their own fangames. There is also a sizable chunk of Fallout fans right now who don't like where bethesda is taking the series.
The problem: None of these fan games are connected as far as I know, and with that, people won't care enough to stay engaged in Fallout. They are also made by people who have their own idea of what they want fallout to be, and thus there are things in them that don't make sense in a fallout game, like the Anti-NCR station in project brazil that sounds like a modern radio station. The anti-bethesda side of the fandom may be big, but as time goes on and no good Fallout games come out, it will shrivel up as most people move on for something new.
A solution: Why can we as a fanbase not take fate into our hands and make a new diverging continuity, one of fan comics, Tabletop Campaigns, and fan games? As long as we actually buy the games that support these mods, Bethesda probably won't care enough.
Fans can get together and discuss where they want to take the series. They can discuss new ideas, and things that the most people agree on can become new projects, big or small. If people fade out, new people can come in and pick up where they left off. As projects are being developed, "beta testers" can pop in and look at the developers progress for inconsistencies, plot holes especially in regards to other fan projects, general bad writing, unfun quests, and things that don't really fit in a Fallout game, and if we really put our hearts into it, the series will regain it's integrity. Some people wont like certain things, but as long as the majority agrees, is it that bad? Other fans who don't want the magic ruined for them can stay out of the discussion and consume the media when it's released. If a project turns out to be bad regardless, fans can for the most part not consider it as part of the new canon.
We can also retcon some of Bethesda's changes, for example:
1. No more bethesda power armor. The T51-B is the last power armor that made it out of the prototype stage before the bombs fell.. If the T-45D actually exists, it should resemble the T-51b more.
2. The X-01 suit was made entirely by the Enclave after the bombs fell. Whether or not they finished up the vertibirds or made the X-02 suit is up for grabs.
3. Myron is the sole inventor of jet, not the prewar world.
4. Ghouls can look more like they used to in Fallout 1 and 2. No more gradual hollywoodification on Ghouls. Since we aren't appealing to a mass audience, we have no need to make them look more aesthetically pleasing.
I realize this is very idealistic and would be a big undertaking however:
1. We can always start off small, with connected comics and fanfiction.
2. Even though not everyone would be happy with how some things turned out, wouldn't it still be better to have a story driven by passionate fans than a money hungry developer?
Surely we can make something work out, even if there are some bumps in the road.