Forum:Brotherhood of Steel - Allegorical of the Fallout Fan Base and History?

This may sound stupid, but I'm curious if anyone else finds my idea valid, or if it at least makes sense. That idea: the Brotherhood of Steel represents the Fallout fan base and the history of the series. I had a different version of this a while back, but was smaller and I came up with this one.

Basically, the Western Brotherhood of Steel from the original Fallouts would represent the fans of the original Fallout games. I don't mean that in the sense that they're complete dicks who send you to underground facilities filled with radiation where you're supposed to die as a joke. I mean it in the sense that they do things the original way.

As apparent in Fallout 2, the Brotherhood is in decline and certainly much smaller than it used to be. This can be interpreted as a reference to Interplay, the publisher of the original Fallout games who, despite once being a venerable publisher, has been in decline for quite some time. Despite that the Brotherhood was a shadow of what they used to be, the Brotherhood sent a squad out east to Washington D.C. This could be a reference to Interplay's selling of the Fallout IP to Bethesda. In order to pay off their debt, Interplay sold some of their assets. This included the Fallout franchise, which they sold to Bethesda. Interplay was founded in California on the West Coast and Bethesda in Maryland on the East Coast, the former of which is where the BOS was from, and the latter where the squad was going.

So now we have the Eastern BOS, which is representative of Bethesda and the fans of Fallout 3. The Eastern BOS was not like the original BOS, in that the former was much more concerned with protecting the people of the Capital Wasteland, a new mission for the BOS. This is akin to the new direction that Bethesda took the Fallout franchise in. However, just as the Eastern BOS' decision was looked upon unfavorably by the Western Elders, who cut off contact with them, the original Fallout fans by and large have looked unfavorably at many aspects of Fallout 3 (the most extreme of which have shunned it). Additionally, there were those within the Eastern BOS who did not look favorably upon the new mission and left the BOS, being branded as Outcasts and attempting to re-establish contact with the Western BOS and continue the original mission. The Outcasts are representative of those who were introduced to the Fallout series by Fallout 3, but then went on to play the original Fallouts and found them to be the superior titles. Thus, they have integrated themselves within the original Fallout fanbase, while ousting themselves from the Fallout 3 fanbase. The Outcasts are not entirely like the original BOS, but they are much closer to it than the Eastern BOS. Comparatively, the Fallout fans introduced to the series by Fallout 3, but like the original Fallouts better, cannot claim to have grown up with the series or had a long-standing affection for it (although they may wish they did and often know enough to justify such a desire). However, they are still original Fallout fans (if only for a year or two) and thus, have been integrated into the original Fallout fanbase. The whole Outcast-Eastern BOS thing was my original analogy, with the Outcasts representing Fallout 3 and the Eastern BOS representing the original Fallouts (not based on viewpoints, just that Fallout 3 was a departure from the original Fallouts in the same way that the Outcasts left the Eastern BOS). The Outcasts could also represent Fallout: New Vegas: it's like the original Fallouts in its story elements, setting, etc, but still not entirely the same because it has the gameplay style of Fallout 3.

So where would the Midwestern BOS fit into all this? Well, they could either represent Fallout fans who like both the original Fallouts and Fallout 3 (middle of the country, middle of the fanbase), or just the fans of Fallout Tactics. As for Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel (a.k.a Piece of S***), it would represent all the fighting within the Fallout fanbase between the different groups because no matter how different two Fallout fans are, they can both mutually agree that they hate Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel. All of the hatred targeted towards this game is probably equal to the about of quibbling between Fallout fans about Fallout vs. Fallout 2, or the original Fallouts vs. Fallout Tactics, or the original Fallouts vs. Fallout 3, or Fallout 3 vs. Fallout: New Vegas, and anything in between, but there is always the Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel vs. the rest of the Fallout series debate (which is really just every Fallout fan new and old ganging up on the game).

So there you have it, my allegory fully explained. Does anyone agree with me, or at least think my point is valid? Or is my idea stupid or flawed? Or am I not the first one to realize this? Seriously, let me know, but please put your comments in the comments section so that they don't get mixed in with my explanation - MaulYoda 05:31, March 12, 2010 (UTC)

Comments

 * TL; DR. HughesJohn 10:32, March 12, 2010 (UTC)


 * But, seriously, don't you think maybe you're reading too much into a game? HughesJohn 10:32, March 12, 2010 (UTC)

One word. Epic. Makes a lot of sense though. Sheepbiter 11:30, March 12, 2010 (UTC)

Good Lord, dude. What you're saying sounds like it makes sense but how long did it take you to think that all through? Methinks somebody has way too much time on their hands. Raymorn 19:30, March 12, 2010 (UTC)

I don't know how long it took to write (not that long), but I honestly thought of it all in about ten minutes. The fanbase parts weren't that hard to work out, and then I noticed some other stuff as I went along. Obviously, I'm reading into it a little too much, but I just find it humorously coincidental that things worked out the way they did - MaulYoda 21:30, March 12, 2010 (UTC)