Fallout: New Vegas - Pt 5 - Freeside, the Followers and Actual Anarchism

(I am getting frustrated a little on here as my paragraphs keep moving around as I hover over it, and my pictures keep highlighting themselves and not showing up. grr! That's in Safari, as it won't show up in chrome at all! I cannot see the images on my last post)

I was following Victor across the plains, towards the Strip, as I say. The robot managed to get itself stuck on the land map, trying to go up a cliff through the side of a bridge. But glitches are part of what makes Open World games fun. Except when they don't.

Right Now they DONT

But it was okay this time. I arrived outside a shack which was the Gun Runners place. Now whilst not one of my primary anarchist interests in this game, these are the most interesting of all the merchant companies for various reasons we will find out as we go. There is a guy stood outside called Isaac. He doesn't have a lot to say, but he seems pretty cool. When I ask who is in charge of the business, he responds "Out here none of us have bosses." I'm getting to appreciate this game a lot more at this point. I wasn't expecting much so soon after meeting Ignacio Rivas. Its hard to say right here whether when creating the Gun Runners the company are aiming to promote a more market libertarian vibe, or a co-op collectivist or syndicalist thing, which is just trying to survive under capitalism, or whatever system you can call it in this post-apocalyptic world. They use trade and money more directly rather than "mutual aid", allocating to each depending on their needs in this society, so I'm going to call it capitalism. I'd talk more about them, but I'm not allowed in right now. I'm sure later in the game I can find out more about them and work closer with them.

This group increases the diversity of factions interested in libertarian and co-operative methods quite a bit. Their primary creation is weaponry and guns. They take great pride in creating the best. Whilst anarchists generally try to put the bulk of their time and effort into helping people and creating a better world, we can't all be doctors and farmers and educators. Of course it would be nice to apply practical skills to create more positive things, there is a real driving force in our nature towards mastery of an ability; Being able to make the best, from the best materials, and have it look amazing, and be compensated for doing that, though not necessarily with money. Appreciation and an audience can be enough. Although guns are a necessity out in the wastelands, as very little plant food is growing, and there are constant fears of raiders - never mind large fascist factions and slavers - being weapons dealers puts them on opposite terms to the Followers of the Apocalypse, who are all about helping people, and are ardent pacifists. Whilst I'm not sure whether the Gun Runners would necessarily apply any politics to their structural choices at all, it puts them up for analysis all the same. I'm hoping to get some insight into how their money is distributed, if they have any semblance of families, and whether they take interest in helping the outside world or are merely individualistic, and using libertarian workplace practices to get results, as many large companies actually do. 

From here, I very quickly entered Freeside. It was a surprise to me, as I was expecting to come across the Strip in this chapter. But this is exciting to me. I've been anticipating meeting the Kings and the Followers of the Apocalypse pretty badly, and see what the most Libertarian town with the most humanitarian and communistic people are like. Its cool that the Gun Runners are nearby this area. I felt they would fit in, though, actually all the caravan companies are in this area. 

So what vision of Liberty is before me? Kids chasing a poor rat with a stick because they're bored and hungry. Almost want to put the poor thing out of its misery, but I don't have the stomach for it right now. Kids playing in the street with guns. Yes, GUNS. Bought it from one for a thousand. Why not? its a useless toy gun, since I didn't activate the weapon at Helios One. But that's fine. I bought it because I thought he was playing with a real gun and I was being helpful.

What else? Bodyguards lined up the side street for 100 caps. Drug dealers. 'Thugs'. Vagrant homeless who can barely talk. Drunks who talk plenty... I knew this place was a poor area but it's a long way from what id pictured and hoped for.

YEAH! ANARCHY!

 Van Graffs have their store in town. They are supposed to be pretty cut throat, so I'm a bit sad that they picked this place to live. It seems out of character, but maybe it isn't.

 Atomic Wrangler is the big casino in town. A vendor in the smaller, local weapons shop told me they have "whores", which is a lovely way of putting it. I don't have an issue with sex workers in games, and I know this is a realistic way people speak about them, but I really do cringe at this use of language. I really associate it with being a horrible shaming insult, which treats women as degenerate and damaged goods. Perhaps it is unfair, as there is no etymological issue with the word meaning. It simply means sex worker. But it has been used to disparage women who are not in the industry. And with that in mind, I don't like hearing it used on anybody seriously.

I'm curious, nonetheless, to see how they are treated by the casino owners here. Other than that, the vendors have not much else to say. After saying I don't work for the casinos, I am told "A polite society is an armed society. I don't work for the casinos, so I'm more trusted with special items." Which as far as I can ascertain, includes 'Naughty Nightwear!' It seems like independence from any state, group, party or company does you wonders in terms of trust from most people in this game. I really like that. Whilst the majority of the population are by no means anarchists, they are almost always skeptical of authority, the state, cults, visible corporations, or anybody looking to recruit them into a group for their own means. Many people resist any form or labelling, even when it is useful out of fear of being used to promote some group. This is accurate. In Skyrim also, many regular civilians were either disinterested in politics or fed up with both sides intruding on their lives. This game gives you the option to take a side with those people, rather than fucking them over whilst agreeing.

 So, there is a lot of stuff around here, but I'm gonna avoid stealing as much as possible from now on, as I can make my own money okay. Also, this is a poor area, so I cannot justify it that way either. For me this is actually going to be one of the harder tasks. Not that I'm a kleptomaniac in real life, but I'm used to making my game money through looting. Now I will only steal from the fascists or the rich, unless I have a necessity. Wish me luck!

 This town is quite atmospherically creepy. There is an eerie echo all around, which I think is coming from the Strip. A drunk lady asks for money, saying "I've got... er... 5 kids to feed!" It's quite comical, though I do hate the pushed idea that homeless people are all trying to con you. Addiction is clearly a big problem in this place.

Next someone attempted to set their gang on me down a dark alley. What a lovely place. They tried to run away when it was clear they would lose, but Boone killed them. It was almost sad really. Desperate people. If I didn't think they would only come back again, I would have tried to stop him. Maybe. But then they would just attack someone else. They seemed to be more into killing than mugging me, but I think that's just lazy programming. Weirdly, as I walked around, the thugs were friendly when I spoke to them. That is until I talked to the last one and they all jumped me.

This town has 2 criers. One of them is a lady seductively dancing for the casino, which just seems plain unsafe in this place, and the other is a little kid, working for the gun store I was just in. The main selling point seems to be that they sell illegal goods. There is a weird meat seller. None of it says 'human meat', or any kind of euphemism, but he gives off a creepy vibe.

 I'm relieved to find another Freeside within these walls, and the Mormon Fort. I walk past a water pipe, and it is being guarded. The King is charging for water. This is very disappointing to me. I had thought he was better than controlling resources. However, up further inspection, they are doing this to regulate usage, as they are worried that the NCR will shut them down otherwise. This makes sense, but I am sure there are ways of regulating which do not rely on discriminating against those with less or no money.

 So... Freeside or Mormon fort first? Well, I will save the best till last. I head over to the casino. I started the request to do with recruiting escorts. specific ones for fetishists. I've heard of this mission. I was told there were some caveats about making sure it was consensual and that they would be independent and all that, but maybe because I didn't pick the right conversation choices,  I didn't hear any of this.

There is a comedian at the door, talking to me. He implies stuck under financial control from this casino! This does not reassure me about the welfare of the escorts at all. It seems like a lot of people are indebted to the casino, often due to substance abuses. I hear something more promising from a bouncer: "get rough with the escorts and you'll be seeing the business end of my barrel". But unless I get to speak to these escorts, as far as I know, they bouncers are just protecting the goods from getting damaged.

There are no escorts around, however. Empty stage. Empty bedrooms. One locked door by the stage leading to the money exchange. Just the woman outside.

I hear a lot of comments about Boone being NCR. At least I hope they are about Boone. I'm accepted with the NCR so some may have got the wrong impression about my loyalties. I am really courting close to this liberal statist institution right now. I'm not the only one. It seems that the FotA also were close with them at some point before they became so expansionist. 

I figured it's about time to go see the King! The leader of this area's big gang, that is. I had to pay to see him, but he refunded me. His followers seem to act on their own somewhat, especially the one who was at the door. If you aren't aware, they are all dressed like Elvis and adopting his personality. The King didn't find one mention of Elvis' name in this School of Impersonation, and figures that he must have been some kind of god. He is just using the image because it suited him though.

He gives me an initial quest to test my metal. I'm supposed to hire one of the bodyguards who seems to be doing something dodgy, to find out what he is up to.  The King says he is not looking for unfair advantage for his men,  just looking out for them and making sure other competitors aren't dodgy. This seems fair enough. The King seems like a good guy, though nothing special politically.

I walk around his building, expecting to find some interesting people, but mostly they are all nameless lookalikes, except for this one hairdresser. There are no female Kings to be seen. If there are, then they are very well disguised indeed. In his bedroom there are two women in their lingerie night dresses. They are unnamed too. Their description reads "groupie." It seems in this town, a woman has to be an escort to get by. But these two aren't even being paid. I'm assuming they aren't just there because of his charisma, but because they are offered food and safety by being on the King's good side. And I suppose he has a pretty nice bed. I'm finding the gender a bit sad over here. At the very least, none of these guys are chatting me up or being leery or misogynistic. Though I'm tempted to shout at the NPCs " don't you 'doll' and 'lady' me, mister!"

They could at least have the Elvis Up-do!

I see a doorway to the Strip, which I am not interested in for now. Knowing how to get there, I don't mind putting the storyline off for a while. There is a man nearby who talks to me. Old Ben, warning me not to go through until I talked to the robots so as not to get vaporised. He seems like an interesting man. Has some beef with that butcher, and he has been a male escort amongst other things. He said he felt like a piece of meat, and that's why he left. It's interesting hearing that from a male character. I can already gather he is not interested as working as escort again for my mission, so I leave him be.

I can see why the FotA would focus their energy here. People need help. It really is a dive. I enter the mormon fort, and find a ghoul in a cowboy hat. Beatrix Russel. She says Freeside is made up of people who were kicked out of the strip and refused to leave. She's bored and into some dom sexy things, so I recruit her. She reckons that the NCR are just here to steal resources. She seems like a cool ghoul, and she's been around a long time. I like having an older and not conventionally attractive woman with a personality, sexuality and a past. It's sadly unusual in the media. I convince her into sex work along some very strict lines, starting from the standpoint that she can choose her customers. I'm hoping I am doing the right thing.

First actual member of the FotA I meet is Julie Farkas. She's the badass mohawked anarchist doctor. How cool can you get? She is a bit of an informal leader though. That isn't very anarchistic. I think that its largely due to this game's tendency to render everybody not available for quests as nameless, rather than her being officially in charge. None of the people in here seem to have an family. They are all just isolated individuals within their groups. This is weirdly common in this game.

No Monarchs! No Mohawks!

What does she believe in? Free exchange of ideas. A world free of war and poverty. Organised reconstruction efforts as well as food and meds and education for all. What more could I ask for? It's very ideological and not completely practical, which has many people thinking this group is at worst naive. She said that the Kings used to be sound, but the NCR has put them on edge, with the water and such foe example.

She sees the Atomic Wrangler casino as polluting and ruining the poor community with drugs and booze and gambling. And she says they are getting their guards addicted and indebted. This is a similar story to what the comedian says. Many companies do indeed make money out of poverty. There is nothing new or shocking about that. I can blame the business, especially if they are causing people to be sick and homeless, but I cannot fault them for providing these things in the first place, as Farkas seems to. When you don't have much in life, and you're in a post apocalyptic society, you try to escape it. There's no video games around. You can't blame people for wanting it and you can't blame a place for providing it. What worries me is this treatment of workers, especially if they are doing that to the escorts. I don't want it on my conscience.

I'm going to help smooth things between the NCR and the Kings in the grand scheme of things, and help the FotA with the townspeoples' addictions. I'd do anything for these guys, despite disagreement to be honest. A few disagreements which I may have with individuals' attitudes does not change how important they are. Not just for anarchists, but for any kind of socialists or humanitarians.

 Finally, I meet Arcade Gannon! I've heard about this popular gay icon. I've been looking forward to meeting him. I might replace Boone with him at some point in time. It would be good to have a companion with the same goals as me, though I'm not sure if he is really a fighter. He is a researcher, trying to create new medicines from scratch. Maybe natural ones or maybe not, as stimpacks and things from the old world can only be looted for so long. I think Maybe he is better off here after all. Helping people, rather than shooting them, at least for now.

I manage to arrange long term medical supply orders with the business she hates the most. Maybe they can influence each other. in time. She may see the benefits of what the casino is offering people, and they might feel the need to look at their ethics and practices. Perhaps not though, it feels pretty dirty as a means to an end. Anarchists with a business deal with a capitalist enterprise. *shudders* None of the trade options are exactly ethical though. This keeps the medicine coming and works in favour of the Greater Good. That's what I keep telling myself anyway. Gun Runners might have been an interesting option if it were available. The casino says "bad business to get people addicted. we care about our patrons" They may not be as bad as they seem... but, still. I'm not convinced at all.

The King keeps randomly sending me someone to give me stimpacks and stuff for helping people out. There's hope for him after all. It gives him a little place in my heart, enough to want to be loyal to him. 

I decide I will start his quest, and hired the guy the King wanted me to. It turns out he was faking some stuff to keep his customers sweet. Nothing which was a danger to anybody else. Hopefully the king won't be too mad with him. He said his gang will "pull him off the street when nobody is looking." Ain't sure what that means. It doesn't sound good. I wouldn't normally snitch for something like that but i want these guys on my side. I had thought he would be more merciful though, and this wouldn't be an issue, as the Kings don't seem especially violent. So I'm not entirely sure if there was something else I could have done.

After that the king asks me to find out some informationndition. I'm happy to help. The King does at least, seem to know the feud with the NCR is a bad thing. So I don't feel like I'm working against myself with these missions. He has told me that the belief of the Kings is thus: "Every man is free to follow his own path, to do his own thing [...] every man is a king in his own right" and that not respecting others is a no-no. This is some classical Liberal and Libertarian thinking, though I do hope it also refers to women as well.

After that, the King asks me to find out some information on some friends who were beaten up, which seems like a nobler task. One of them is in a pretty bad condition. I'm happy to help. I'm gonna get some advice off Julie Farkas on the matter, as is optional addition to the quest. She tells me to talk to an NCR leader named Elizabeth, as they are the primary suspects. I'm gonna help the King with his dog whilst I'm at it. It involves heading up to Jacobstown so more on that later. He makes a good companion running around with me and Boone.

I do have the speech points to talk to Major Elizabeth Kieran. She offers food for NCR citizens but not to anybody else. It's nice but i don't consider myself an NCR citizen thanks very much, though she seems to think so. She did give me food for a friend in secret, so she seems safe. They did apparently send an envoy to help relief for the res of Freeside to the Kings, but the envoy was beaten up and never got there, so help was reduced. As I go to tell the King, the other Kings gang up on me and say to keep my mouth shut. But he doesn't threaten me, only bribe. It was a strange request, as if they were going to beat be up f I said the wrong thing, but when I disagreed with them they just went away. So I tell the King as planned.

The King member who started with me starts an argument with the NCR. I go to smooth things out, but it seems it turned very violent. Its clear it was basically suicide for the Kings involved. Once I talk to Major Kieran and sort out their communication issues, I tell the King. He offers me a choice of rewards. I'll save it for a later quest. I'm still not entirely clear who beat up the King's friends. Wiki says it was NCR after all. Not entirely sure why.

I'm finally neutral rather than evil, which is nice!

It seems the local drug dealer has been pushing hard on the addicts in Freeside. no surprise there. I am to help cure a couple of them in order to help the FotA. I somehow doubt that it'll be anywhere near as hard to cure addiction in this game as in real life. I talk to this dealer. He seems to find addicts hilarious. Asshole. Apparently its because they were previously NCR. Figures he wouldn't care so much given the tension. I threaten him to stop selling to these two addicts and it gets through his head. Talking to the two addicts, they aren't especially pleased to be going cold turkey and expect me to fix them up with something. The regular 'cure' is a bit much, but I can find a way with the science skill to make a good fixer instead. The game gives me the option of just shouting at  them that drugs are for the weak. I appreciate having my speech skills make things easier, but seriously, if that cures addiction then I don't even... esp by attacking their masculinity. Fuck that. That is not how addiction or other mental illnesses work. You don't just tell them to go away. I manage to find what I need eventually after digging around the area.

Just ask the addiction to go away!

As I head off towards Jacobstown, I can't help but notice that Freeside's streets are heavily littered with dead bodies by now. Thugs and Kings mostly. What a place!

Intro

Pt 1

Pt 2

Pt 3

Pt 4

In Your Face, Caesar!

I came across a Cracked! article in my Facebook feed, which was looking at various warrior women from ancient societies. (i t would be nice if game designers look to them for armour design!)

The first example on the list was Roman Gladiators. It got me thinking that not only would I struggle to play Fallout New Vegas as a Legionnaire, but that I genuinely have bad thoughts about the people who do. Now I don't mean people who play the game as evil characters, or roleplaying, per se, but players who have no problem with Caesar's Legion, and pick it as the most stabilising force to reduce crime, and feel that that rebuilding society in this way just makes the most logical sense. Any old means to an end. 

What kind of privileged bastard would you have to be to think that slavery and oppression of women is fine, because SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST BITCHES!?

Sorry, but Darwin has long been taken out of context, and people should have a good read of Kropotkin's Mutual Aid: A Factor of Evolution, to get a different side. (Available at Freedom Bookshop ;) )

Survival of the fittest has been adopted, not only to excuse atrocities of the past, but to push the idea of the Free Market as a necessity in the natural world. Free Market libertarians are not inherently sexist or fascist, though it is something Mussolini had a strong faith in, and it ends up linking together well, as it tends to benefit those with natural benefits, by arguing either that the natural benefits do not exist, or that those with the natural benefits are supposed to outlive those without. The latter of course works into the ableist side of eugenics.

Archaeologists and scientists believe that there WERE TOO female gladiators, Caeser, you pig! Not that I'd want to fight for some patriarchal fascist army, but ya know.

It took a while to uncover, because scientists and historians mostly just presumed the nature of the patriarchy at the time, and that women would not be able to do these things, and reasoned out that things they found were actually something else. Take this sculpture for example. They presumed this to be a cleaning instrument at first.

After finding clearly female remains in gladiator tombs however, they had to reassess their ideas. 

BUT ANYWAY

"Manas believes the woman is holding a sica, a short, curved sword associated with a type of gladiator known as a thraex, or Thracian. Thraexes typically fought in plumed helmets, with small shields and metal leg guards called greaves. Their unarmored backs were particularly vulnerable—and were likely ripe targets for sica.

Experts had previously interpreted the curved implement as a strigil, which Romans used for scraping the body clean.

The woman's pose, though, doesn't support that explanation, Manas said."

If our modern day scientists and historians took so long to figure this out, it is hardly surprising that the information available to Caesar after nuclear fallout is scarce. Caesar is not an idiot though. As the courier is strong, she may join the Legion, regardless of gender, but she will be the only exception, and she still cannot participate in the arena. This is unlike the Roman Empire.

However, so long as you are a member, you will be constantly put in your place as a mere woman and get tons of misogynistic comments.

I have no idea how the ancient Roman men talked to women. I daresay that women who did so well as to earn their place didn't get constant sexist comment though, as the sexist views were the norm and there would be no reason to bleat on about ones superiority. This kind of forcing and reinforcing roles is the clear fascist element.

Despite the 1950s America theme of the pre-war world, women have come a long way. They've had to. They've survived. Try running around the dangerous wastelands with period cramps or whilst heavily pregnant!

I'm highlighting this because so much of the modern day sexists who label us a "feminazis" see themselves sometimes as conservative traditionalists, but more often as progressive dudes who are just following scientific truisms about sex. It involves a lot of cherry-picking specific reports and research which back up their beliefs. Feminists do this too. (other vegans certainly do this!)

But, things which back up the status quo beliefs are pulled in as truisms, even if this particular study was exceptional. Lots of reports which could be taken to mean many different things are narrowed down as evidence for modern day ideas of gender roles.

It is very common for anthropologists from all backgrounds to come to a range of conclusions, many of which being radical, feminist, or female-worshipping, but on the other hand evolutionary psychologists often come out with opposing views.

Often they are working to a confirmation bias. As are many feminists, but with the "evolutionary" label, their theories are often understood as scientific fact despite that it cannot be falsified. Sometimes the articles published in the newspapers have not even been fact-checked against basic history, science, neurology or sociology knowledge. "Women like pink because they picked pink berries" cries one, whilst 200 years ago pink was considered a colour only suitable for boys!

There has been a movement to reclaim and nuance eve-psych in the opposite direction. Just for the record: We have never been binary!

I'm off track, but I wanted to point out that many who let off Caesar's sexism on the grounds of it working are making a fascist ideological statement in presuming his binarist methods to be the best for achievement. Not that it isn't effective. Mussolini was highly effective. But the imperialist notion of spreading "our" people as far as possible and dominating them, enslaving them, forcing them to have Legion babies...

This wasn't all that there was to the ancient Romans and other imperialist nations. But more than that, not every society did these things, and there is nothing to say that conquering is inherent to our nature. People who support the ideas of the Legion need to understand their eugenic logic for what it is.

You will find far more hateful and consistently bigoted opinions on most MRA forums than if you trawl gender and race politics in Storm Front. Because they are backing up their ideology and personal pains with this world, with some form of science and "that's just how it is, man!" they are far more confident in their assertions about gender, sexuality and even race.

Feminists are known for using analogies as proof, but go on any MRA site and look at how they talk about Black people, or women. Or Black women. Or don't because its painful.

I'm not going to link to their trollish sites and give them views. If you've played through as Caesar's Legion, let me know your thoughts on why. Or if you can't bring yourself to it also!

Fallout: New Vegas - Pt 4 - Come Fly With Me into that Lucky Old Sun

Welcome back! This is the first time I have written one of these along with playing it, so it should be a little more detailed but cover less. Should be okay as I hadn't met any of the really politically interesting characters up until this point. So, where was I?

Well Boone has been as asset so far. Patriotic NCR type though. I'd like to think I could change him, but for now he will do. He is doing  good job at keeping the ghouls at bay. Sounds like the post-modern stereotypical view of marriage! So as I'm in Novac, it seems a good time to finish up on some of the quests I've been given for the area. A lot of ghouls have been wandering around by the test site, so I'm off to investigate!

I do wonder if the Fallout universe stretches into space

I'm entering the REPCONN test site. I haven't found any kind of radiation suit as of yet, so I'm hoping radiation isn't too severe. I know I have to sort some things out in order to get my best endings for Novac and for another group who will appear in this quest. Plenty of loot to take on the way in. Dead non feral ghouls all around. I take their clothing. And NightKin. Not a great sign. After I'm told to go a specific direction by an intercom, I ignore it, and explore the building. There aren't THAT many feral ghouls. I kill a few but try to head in the right direction. I go to the basement and kill a few night kin lurking there. After that I headed upwards to where I was supposed to go. I meet the Bright Followers and Jason Bright. A bunch of should led by a glowing one. Apparently I shouldn't have shot down the feral ghouls as they are part of his clan. One guy is convinced he is a ghoul when he isn't, and he is key to their plans. I wonder how he gets on with the ferals!

Bright Followers are a cult who believe as many cults seem to, that ghouls are somewhat sacred, and don't belong on this planet, where they are treated badly, and instead are destined for better things. The human is their engineer, and they need him for their venture. After sorting out various business for them in the quest so that they can begin their journey, (and I won't spoil every irrelevant detail, save that I did it peacefully) the moral quandary arises: Whether to try and convince the human of who he is, or let him keep believing he is a ghoul.

Why WOULDNT you get in a rocket with this guy?

Now regardless of politics, the most foundational ethical thing would be to tell him the truth, and then let him believe what he wants to, and convince him to not be vengeful about it, seeing as the Bright Followers did initially try to convince him of his humanity, but in his refusal, honestly believe he was sent to them for a purpose. Their overarching goal being to aid the Followers to fly off in a rocket ship, you have to wonder whether it is the "greater good" to ensure he helps the Followers. Never mind that you never can trust a charismatic church leader not to be pretending to believe things to take advantage of the situation, and get approval from their congregations.

Firstly, they plan to leave him behind when they fly off, as the radiation would kill him. He won't be endangered if I do not convince him of the truth. He will be emotionally hurt. He will feel this even if I tell him, however. Secondly, is the Courier helping them to their saviour or to their deaths? I am not in favour of religion, and a god in the Fallout universe must work in some very mysterious ways to justify the world being how it is. He would have to answer to worse than Stephen Fry!

There are a lot of different cults in this game. You aren't expected as a player to believe in any of them. I'm aware that telling him would gain me karma, but I don't have the speech points. I never manage to get enough speech points! I don't even have average lock pick skills yet, and I do that a lot. So I can happily skip the issue. Hopefully that isn't too disappointing for you. He doesn't take it well but is pretty easily won around to go live in Novac after.

I'm expected to help get parts for the rocket instead, which I may do now, or later. I can get rocket fuel easy in Novac, and the other parts are nearby so I'll get on with it now.

I wonder if he had just seen a mirror...?

Speaking of Novac, ever notice that except for security, the Dino Park is ran in a capitalist fashion, as a hotel? Of course you did, however did you also notice its the only secured sheltered part of the town? All the other houses and shacks around are open and exposed to raids, with little to no protection. (A lot of the towns in New Vegas are surprisingly open considering the threats actually. They should fix that up.) My point is, having one person in charge of the only safe housing is what gave her the power to give Boone's wife away to the slavers.

Anyways, they all fly off effectively, and the human relocates.

Next I wander onto nearby Helios One, which is a disused power station. Seems NCR had a showdown with the Brotherhood of Steel, who were previously stationed there. Interesting as I would lump the 2 together as much the same kind of agents. But the original Brotherhood would keep any tech for themselves, unlike the branch from the Capitol Wasteland.

I told them I was a scientist so that I can get in. Ridiculously easy. Might pick the lock anyway to get my skills up. My karma is evil anyway. Looking at the computer there is a pre-war file called "Can I tell Him?" I had thought it was from the NCR and was annoyed at them before I realised. It has extremely sexist response towards telling information to wives about women chattering shit to everybody they know. 

""Can I tell my wife?" Well, let's say you do. You tell her not to tell anyone. Your bond is sacred. But a woman's idle tongue is the devil's plaything. No sooner do you leave for work the next day than she's on the phone telling her best friend Candy. Then Candy tells Gertie, Gertie tells Maxine, Maxine tells Lulu, and while Lulu is telling Doris, a Chinese agent posing as an American operator listens in, and the next thing she's on the line with the Forbidden City, singing like a treasonous canary. The following day you and your wife are bound in shackles and China is sitting at the controls of our entire arsenal."

Not only the sexism annoyed me in it,  but the extreme anti communist sentiment. This is what gave away that it was pre-war so I calmed the fuck down. Apparently "your children will be working in forced Labour camps, right next to you and your beautiful young wife, who's now wrinkled and homely [shock] since the communists have banned makeup because it expresses individuality" LOL. The writers on this game capture the pre-50s America only too well. Poseidon Energy indeed. Oh well, moving on! That's what you get for reading other peoples' emails. 

I find the scientist downstairs, who is either pretty chauvanistic or just hasn't been laid in a while. He is absolutely useless, rather than Fantastic, as his name implies. I can see exactly how thy let me into the building just by claiming to be a scientist.

Well this explains a lot. I can hardly wait to see the NCR choice of police and judges

 Then I meet his wonderful friend, Ignacio Rivas. Ignacio is the real brains behind the business, as he isn't working for the NCR. He is there to make sure that the plant isn't weaponised, or used for evil. He gives me all the advice I need. He's the first person I've met from the Followers of the Apocalypse, and he does not disappoint. Amongst other instructions and checking I'm not with any of these power hungry groups, he tells me if I restore the power I shouldn't just aim it at the thriving areas but to all the communities which need it fairly. "For us, territorial boundaries mean nothing. And prosperity has to be for everyone." He is speaking my language! I agree,  Not necessarily about evenly, but enough for every community. He is definitely someone I will get along with. But it is not to be, alas!  it's possible to flirt further with him only if male, which is kinda cool for progress. But not for my character. All the best men, aye? I love this guy. Hopefully I can win the favour of some of the other FotA one day!

Tell me more Ignacio; Whisper collectively owned sweet nothings!

Following the directions from my lover, I had to kill NCR dogs to get to the computers. I don't know why they didn't just grant me access. I don't wanna kill dogs =( It makes me sad. I swear they let me in there to do this, so they shouldn't be blocking it from me? 

After that, I battle through the tower to change the mainframe. I have to fix a few things first. Once I get onto the mainframe, as well as the options to distribute evenly, or flood energy to the NCR strongholds, as I was asked by Fantastic, I actually have the option of putting the power into only the poorer regions, where the Followers are. That is so tempting, especially as i know there will be many breakdowns when the power is strained over the whole state. It would be good to keep power out of the hands of those with too much power already and direct it to those who need it. However, fair is fair, and I'm trusted. The FotA prefer this option anyway, though it may be a little short sighted. You think what they could do with the power to run things their way, but then power does corrupt. It certainly wouldn't be an anarchist force unless they were creating the power themselves, or stealing it from an already corrupted govt. That said, I wouldn't trust the NCR not to tax it all once in charge.

I now have good rep without having actually met the FotA. Better than I would have if I had picked the other option. Awesome start. There was also another option to weaponise the building and kill everybody. I wouldn't get much out of that, and obviously I chose not to. However, seeing as I didn't have the option of deleting the data, you could argue ruining the site and keeping this tech out of anybody's hands could have some potential.

Decided to get on track with my main quest after that, and head on up towards Boulder City from there. On my way, I met the Lonesome Drifter. Whoever he is. His daddy left him alone with a guitar that he carries. I didn't have much I could do for him but I have a feeling we will meet again.

It's all blazing saddles from here

The city is pretty small but its alright. By alright, I mean it has a Saloon. Its supposed to be clearly derelict from a battle over Hoover Dam, but the thing is that the whole country looks derelict and destroyed. It's not that obvious what was destroyed during the war or what was destroyed after the war. There's rubble and sand and broken buildings all around.

The NCR have locked down one area, as the Great Khans, who I am here to intercept, have taken some members hostage in order to escape. So I'm trying to talk with the Great Khans. I have no loyalty to them, but no specific qualms, so if I can do it peacefully, why not? I mean he did try to kill me. lol. But apart from that. If they aren't hostile, which they aren't, I'll "be the change I wish to see". He was set up by Benny. I don't have the speech points to bargain, but maybe with a magazine... yep! With the magazine, I successfully convince a trade-off. The alternative peaceful way would be paying off the NCR, but I'm not sure where that leads the hostages. Regular diplomat, me though!

Except that the NCR have orders to take them out anyway. I'm going to convince the leader to have integrity. You don't back down on deals. Plus I agree with the Khans about having to face NCR justice. Why should they do slave labour in NCR prisons? Who made them judge and jury?

Not in our Anarcho Syndicalist Collective mate!

Gained me points on both sides in the end haha. I'm usually shit at negotiation games. It makes a change for the anarchists to be favoured by most people instead of reviled. The game was clearly making a specific effort to define anarchists a specific pacifist way, which is interesting. Although I think they had voluntarist anarchism in mind. An amusing contrast is the magazine you can read for improving explosives - The Patriot's Cookbook! Makes an amusing parody, and actually makes it fairly clear, both that far Right are guilty of terrorism, and that the regular patriotic, nationalistic state is guilty of terrifying acts of mass killing. I mean, I don't know if thats what they meant by introverting the Anarchist Cookbook and having pacifistic Anarchists, but it amused me anyway. At the same time, if you read it, it isn't that at all. It is saying that the real patriots are the ones who undermine the rules to protect themselves and their country. It isn't obvious whether they are to attack themselves from food rioters or against the government. Its open to interpretation.

Actually reading the books? It's like Skyrim all over

I was going to do some random tasks after that before bed, but Victor the robot appeared. Apparently following me again, and was heading to the strip after. I saw him speeding off, pulled up my gun, and  thought hey, if I follow him, he will clear my path all the way to the strip! He got stuck on the mapping for the floor, and left me at the foot of a big farm. From there I ended up at the shack for the Gun Runners. But that's another story, for another day.

Intro

Pt 1

Pt 2

Pt 3