What happened to the USA after the great war?

[Sea Prince Gillywix]

Fallout 4 is the first fallout game I've played and one thing I was kind of curious about that I haven't really found a clear answer to thus far. I have noticed many destroyed US bases and technology through the USA. I saw the yangtze and see that some remnants of the Chinese are still around. But what about the US? Has everyone associated with the United States military been completely obliterated or is there still some remnants out there somewhere?

[HuskyDynamics]

The short answer is that the United States and its military have ceased to exist in any organized fashion, whether due to the Great War or the "fallout" (HEH) immediately afterwards. There are some factions that could be said to arguably be trying to preserve some of it, but the United States is no more.

The longer answer will require someone more familiar with the lore than myself to explain :/

[Empukris]

Originally posted by Sea Prince Gillywix:

Fallout 4 is the first fallout game I've played and one thing I was kind of curious about that I haven't really found a clear answer to thus far. I have noticed many destroyed US bases and technology through the USA. I saw the yangtze and see that some remnants of the Chinese are still around. But what about the US? Has everyone associated with the United States military been completely obliterated or is there still some remnants out there somewhere?

Yes they are the enclave which you slaughter in the past 3 games.

[A Random Nerd]

Originally posted by Empukris:

Originally posted by Sea Prince Gillywix:

Fallout 4 is the first fallout game I've played and one thing I was kind of curious about that I haven't really found a clear answer to thus far. I have noticed many destroyed US bases and technology through the USA. I saw the yangtze and see that some remnants of the Chinese are still around. But what about the US? Has everyone associated with the United States military been completely obliterated or is there still some remnants out there somewhere?

Yes they are the enclave which you slaughter in the past 3 games.

Past two games. Enclave only shows up as enemies in 2 and 3.

[Shadow]

Originally posted by Empukris:

Yes they are the enclave which you slaughter in the past 3 games.

Strictly speaking, the Enclave represents the remnants of the deep state. All the most crooked politicians, businessmen, intelligence officials, propagandists, etc. etc. All of them grouped up in a bunker, purged those who weren't corrupt enough, and dedicated themselves to continuing their great work. Which can be summed up as wipe out everyone on the planet who isn't in the Enclave so that they can finally rule over the ashes and build their great society.

There is another group though. The Brotherhood of Steel consists of the descendants of U.S. military survivors. They got it in their head that the cause of the great war and basically all of humanity's problems was misuse of technology. Therefore, they dedicated themselves to keeping advanced technology out of the wrong hands. Those hands, of course, being anyone who isn't in the brotherhood. Basically they are also self serving buttholes, but slightly more sane and safer to negotiate with than the Enclave. Which come to think of it isn't actually saying much.

Apart from that, the New California Republic is in essence trying to rebuild the U.S. in spirit if nothing else. They've got their own set of issues though. Suffice to say they're making a lot of the same mistakes that their progenitor nation did.

[Mofuji]

"On October 20, 2077, Captain Maxson declared his unit in full secession from the United States, attempting to force the government to respond to the situation at Mariposa. No response came. Two days later, he ordered the families of soldiers under his command to take shelter within the facility."

The BoS isn't really a remnant of the US or its military.

[Xenon The Noble]

If the Enclave wins, then the Fallout series is over. Simple as, so they have to be the perpetual enemy.

[carl.wear]

Originally posted by Shadow:

Originally posted by Empukris:

Yes they are the enclave which you slaughter in the past 3 games.

Strictly speaking, the Enclave represents the remnants of the deep state. All the most crooked politicians, businessmen, intelligence officials, propagandists, etc. etc. All of them grouped up in a bunker, purged those who weren't corrupt enough, and dedicated themselves to continuing their great work. Which can be summed up as wipe out everyone on the planet who isn't in the Enclave so that they can finally rule over the ashes and build their great society.

There is another group though. The Brotherhood of Steel consists of the descendants of U.S. military survivors. They got it in their head that the cause of the great war and basically all of humanity's problems was misuse of technology. Therefore, they dedicated themselves to keeping advanced technology out of the wrong hands. Those hands, of course, being anyone who isn't in the brotherhood. Basically they are also self serving buttholes, but slightly more sane and safer to negotiate with than the Enclave. Which come to think of it isn't actually saying much.

Apart from that, the New California Republic is in essence trying to rebuild the U.S. in spirit if nothing else. They've got their own set of issues though. Suffice to say they're making a lot of the same mistakes that their progenitor nation did.

From what I remember from either fallout 1 or 3, there was references that the enclave was living off the U.S. west coast. I think some were meant to be on oil rigs etc.

[Mofuji]

In Fallout 2, you find out that they have been living on a Poseidon Energy oil rig. They then founded a forward base at Navarro, which also belonged to Poseidon Energy prior to the bombs falling.

There are some mentions of this in Fallout 3, in Greyditch, where one of the dead residents was former Enclave who managed to make his way across the country, only to find another branch of the Enclave in the Capital Wasteland.

[carl.wear]

There was a place in fallout 3 where you had to take out the ghoulified remains of the Communist spies that were hiding in the capital wasteland when the bombs fell.

[Mofuji]

Originally posted by carl.wear:

There was a place in fallout 3 where you had to take out the ghoulified remains of the Communist spies that were hiding in the capital wasteland when the bombs fell.

Mama Dolce's

[PeaceMaker]

Originally posted by Sea Prince Gillywix:

Fallout 4 is the first fallout game I've played and one thing I was kind of curious about that I haven't really found a clear answer to thus far. I have noticed many destroyed US bases and technology through the USA. I saw the yangtze and see that some remnants of the Chinese are still around. But what about the US? Has everyone associated with the United States military been completely obliterated or is there still some remnants out there somewhere?

It's always going to be unlclear. This is after a world atomic war. We would never really know, even if dumb shows try to tell us what we wouldn't know.

Anyway, immediately after the bombs dropped, the US Army fell apart. Command was no more, most soldiers simply left their posts (as in the one audio recording when you pick up the armor at the start of the game, plus other notes on other recordings).

Some were caught in fights with desperate civilians and killed. basic chaos.

Not unexpected, this is very likely what would happen in the real thing. You DO NOT WANT a nuke war, people.

After that you simply had them break up into separate groups, some just went their own way, some maybe kept a tiny army infrastructure going and became basically warlords, gangs, even early-type raiders, others just tried to start a new life elsewhere after fleeing. Typical stuff.

[carl.wear]

Originally posted by PeaceMaker:

Originally posted by Sea Prince Gillywix:

Fallout 4 is the first fallout game I've played and one thing I was kind of curious about that I haven't really found a clear answer to thus far. I have noticed many destroyed US bases and technology through the USA. I saw the yangtze and see that some remnants of the Chinese are still around. But what about the US? Has everyone associated with the United States military been completely obliterated or is there still some remnants out there somewhere?

It's always going to be unlclear. This is after a world atomic war. We would never really know, even if dumb shows try to tell us what we wouldn't know.

Anyway, immediately after the bombs dropped, the US Army fell apart. Command was no more, most soldiers simply left their posts (as in the one audio recording when you pick up the armor at the start of the game, plus other notes on other recordings).

Some were caught in fights with desperate civilians and killed. basic chaos.

Not unexpected, this is very likely what would happen in the real thing. You DO NOT WANT a nuke war, people.

After that you simply had them break up into separate groups, some just went their own way, some maybe kept a tiny army infrastructure going and became basically warlords, gangs, even early-type raiders, others just tried to start a new life elsewhere after fleeing. Typical stuff.

What doesn't help is Bethesda acquired the fallout franchise off a different company so alot of the original story would have changed from what was intended.

Something else I read was there was a lot of vaults so that there was the potential for multiple games.

A few years ago I did see a vid on youtube of all the known and referenced vaults within the fallout games.

[Thanathos]

Originally posted by carl.wear:

Originally posted by PeaceMaker:

It's always going to be unlclear. This is after a world atomic war. We would never really know, even if dumb shows try to tell us what we wouldn't know.

Anyway, immediately after the bombs dropped, the US Army fell apart. Command was no more, most soldiers simply left their posts (as in the one audio recording when you pick up the armor at the start of the game, plus other notes on other recordings).

Some were caught in fights with desperate civilians and killed. basic chaos.

Not unexpected, this is very likely what would happen in the real thing. You DO NOT WANT a nuke war, people.

After that you simply had them break up into separate groups, some just went their own way, some maybe kept a tiny army infrastructure going and became basically warlords, gangs, even early-type raiders, others just tried to start a new life elsewhere after fleeing. Typical stuff.

What doesn't help is Bethesda acquired the fallout franchise off a different company so alot of the original story would have changed from what was intended.

Something else I read was there was a lot of vaults so that there was the potential for multiple games.

A few years ago I did see a vid on youtube of all the known and referenced vaults within the fallout games.

One of the original makers of Fallout made a video on youtube that explains the vaults were ultimately built to test how humanity fared in isolation and their final purpose was the survivors to conquer space and live in other planets, thanks to their resilience in surviving nuclear fallout shelter.

[SkinGravel]

Originally posted by Thanathos:

Originally posted by carl.wear:

What doesn't help is Bethesda acquired the fallout franchise off a different company so alot of the original story would have changed from what was intended.

Something else I read was there was a lot of vaults so that there was the potential for multiple games.

A few years ago I did see a vid on youtube of all the known and referenced vaults within the fallout games.

One of the original makers of Fallout made a video on youtube that explains the vaults were ultimately built to test how humanity fared in isolation and their final purpose was the survivors to conquer space and live in other planets, thanks to their resilience in surviving nuclear fallout shelter.

Van Buren was going this route. Bethesda kept it close to Earth with its version of FO3. I could be full of sh*t. Many beers ago, but I think that's right. Could be wrong.

[carl.wear]

Originally posted by SkinGravel:

Originally posted by Thanathos:

One of the original makers of Fallout made a video on youtube that explains the vaults were ultimately built to test how humanity fared in isolation and their final purpose was the survivors to conquer space and live in other planets, thanks to their resilience in surviving nuclear fallout shelter.

Van Buren was going this route. Bethesda kept it close to Earth with its version of FO3. I could be full of sh*t. Many beers ago, but I think that's right. Could be wrong.

I hadn't heard about the space part but fallout 3 and 4 have alien spaceships in them. Fallout 1 I can't remember if that had a UFO in it and fallout 2 I haven't played.

Who knows, maybe there will be a secret vault on the moon that is in a future game?