Was the Legion inspired by Stephen King's The Stand?

[Alienslayer2406]

In the late 70s Stephen King wrote a post-apocalyptic novel called The Stand, about a group of people starting a settlement after a global pandemic. Eventually they find themselves in a conflict with a man named Randall Flagg.

"Meanwhile, Randall Flagg, who possesses supernatural abilities, creates his own totalitarian society in Las Vegas with psychopaths as his lieutenants. His people worship (and fear) him as a messiah and submit to his iron-fisted dictatorship. He has drug addicts and others who incur his displeasure crucified."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stand

The above sounds uncannily similar to Caesar and his Legion. Of course there are some differences, as the Legion doesn't mind drug usage and don't actually occupy Vegas, but it makes me wonder.

There's also a woman named Mother Abagail, who provides religious wisdom and claims that God has sent her to do his will, which could have inspired Joshua Graham. But that could be a stretch.

[Vex Hilarius]

No

[Alienslayer2406]

Originally posted by Vex Hilarius:

No

Wonderfully constructed analysis, thank you.

[Vassago Rain]

Mad Max 2.

[Xea]

Caesar was inspired by warlord Charles Taylor of Liberia.

[Vermilion]

Originally posted by Alienslayer2406:

... as the Legion doesn't mind drug usage and don't actually occupy Vegas, but it makes me wonder.

Tell that to the crucified Great Khan in Cottonwood Cove

[Facetable]

Originally posted by Vermilion:

Tell that to the crucified Great Khan in Cottonwood Cove

Also the gate guard at the fort who will take all chems and medical supplies from you (Have to succeed a medicine check+lie just to even keep your stimpacks)

[miakisfan]

While it is likely based off something other than The Stand (which I happened to love BTW) I'd like to believe they left their origins up to us players to decide for ourselves where they came from.

Isn't that part of the Role Playing experience? To decide for yourself even if it was based off something else? It is your game ... play it your way.

[Stealth-Boy 3000]

Originally posted by Vermilion:

Originally posted by Alienslayer2406:

... as the Legion doesn't mind drug usage and don't actually occupy Vegas, but it makes me wonder.

Tell that to the crucified Great Khan in Cottonwood Cove

Yep

[Stealth-Boy 3000]

Originally posted by Facetable:

Originally posted by Vermilion:

Tell that to the crucified Great Khan in Cottonwood Cove

Also the gate guard at the fort who will take all chems and medical supplies from you (Have to succeed a medicine check+lie just to even keep your stimpacks)

Yep. Funny op doesn't know how much anti drugs the legion are!

[∆̷2̷∂̷∑̷R̷∞̷֎∦]

The story was inspired by historical events, Roman history and dictatorships they called kings that spread suffering for wealth, power and knowledge as a reward for destroying other cultures they conquered like the Greek's, there's an Easter egg in the game to the movie LIFE OF BRIAN a British comedy based on mocking all sides of history and culture.

ROME fell by the hand of the people they treated like animals and ruthless bad leadership.

[Alienslayer2406]

Originally posted by Stealth-Boy 3000:

Originally posted by Facetable:

Also the gate guard at the fort who will take all chems and medical supplies from you (Have to succeed a medicine check+lie just to even keep your stimpacks)

Yep. Funny op doesn't know how much anti drugs the legion are!

Are they really anti-drug? I thought they weren't. Then again, I haven't played in almost a year and only know a lot of the lore from Reddit, so...

[psychotron666]

Originally posted by Alienslayer2406:

Originally posted by Stealth-Boy 3000:

Yep. Funny op doesn't know how much anti drugs the legion are!

Are they really anti-drug? I thought they weren't. Then again, I haven't played in almost a year and only know a lot of the lore from Reddit, so...

Yes they are, there's multiple times in the game where that's established.

[FedEx Noelle]

Originally posted by Alienslayer2406:

Originally posted by Stealth-Boy 3000:

Yep. Funny op doesn't know how much anti drugs the legion are!

Are they really anti-drug? I thought they weren't. Then again, I haven't played in almost a year and only know a lot of the lore from Reddit, so...

Reddit is a cesspool for Fallout. Formulate your own opinions on them without reddit.
Anyways yeah, the Legion is anti-modern medicine, as far as I know they only use healing powder and couple other herb mixed medicines.

[FedEx Noelle]

The Legion could possibly be inspired by the faction in Stephen Kings Novel. I will have to give the book a go and see if I can see any more similarities myself, I work at a library so i'll see if we even have it. But yeah it's entirely possible. There was a lot of writers for New Vegas, and not everything in the game is original, so there's a lot of room for artist speculation regarding where they might've found inspiration for such a faction as the Legion.

[Shiroi Ren]

As far as I understand, all factions in Fallout are inspired by modern US society turned into absolute.