The World Building of Fallout: New Vegas.

The World Building Community brought out a Post, asking us to talk about one of our favorite pieces of world-building, whether it's something we've made, or something from a film, tv show or game.

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Fallout: New Vegas
There's so much rich world-building in the world of this game, one thing I love though if I was to pinpoint one aspect of it, which is pretty hard to do if I'm honest.

The Great Khans
This faction wear kind of biker gear and are known for creating and selling Chems, which is a blanket term to describe all drugs, whether good or bad, in the Fallout world.

They hate the New California Republic (NCR) who are trying to install an old-world government into the Mojave Wasteland and are also in a stand-off with Caesars Legion. Who are a bunch of Roman-inspired slavers, who consolidate any small faction they conquer.

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Even though they don't particularly want to join the Legion, the Khans see it as their only choice, undenounced to their leader Papa Khan, they don't really know that they will lose their own identity by doing so, something which you the main character can find out and tell them while playing the game and talking with others in the world.

Why Do They Hate The NCR, So Much?
While playing the game you can talk to many people, and after each interaction, you can't help but think they are real. They have real fears, likes, and dislikes and everyone seems to have had interactions with one another in the time before you came along. Making the world feel alive, the Khan's history is only one faction, but there are many more just like this.

One companion you can get is a man called Boone, who used to be an NCR Ranger. Little by little he opens up about his past and why he hates the Legion and really, that's a story all to itself. But, one aspect of his life he opens up about is The Bitter Springs Massacre. Before learning about this, you can take Boone to Red Rock Canyon, which is the home base of The Great Khans. Everyone you walk past up there while traveling with Boone will make comments, they won't be hostile, but they won't waste time telling you things like. "You know you're traveling with a murderer, right?"

The Bitter Springs Massacre
After traveling with Boone for a while, He'll open up and tell his side of the story. He's not the only person you can hear this story from however, The Khans have their version, members of the NCR of high and low ranks will also tell you about it if you ask them. But, Boone's story goes into a bit more detail.

The Khans years prior had been ravaging the wasteland, attacking NCR Civilians, ambushing patrols, and raiding settlements and caravans. They are not innocent by any stretch of the word. The NCR had enough of it and had to do something to protect their own people. So, they sent soldiers up to Bitter Springs, which was The Khan's base.

The troops attacked from the main entrance, but, Boone and other Rangers were posted at a small exit, waiting to cut The Khans off if they were to flee. But, there was a miscommunication and the Rangers were told to fire upon fleeing women, children, the sick, and the old. It was a massacre and The Khans never forgot, what was left of their faction moved up to Red Rock Canyon and they never recovered, unable to raid like they used to, they now spend their time making and selling Chems, contemplating joining the Legion, to have one last stand against the NCR.

Another interesting thing is, if you go there and didn't know the story about it, you would find the graves of the people who died there, laying on some of the graves are Great Khan helmets and armor pieces.

Like any other RPG, you don't have to explore, you don't have to talk to anyone and more so, the game doesn't force you to listen to these side stories. They're there for you to find or ignore. This, to me, is pretty amazing, as so much effort has clearly gone into the writing of this game.

The Khans History
Another interesting thing about The Great Khans is that they appeared all the way back in the original Fallout Game, where they are just a small group of raiders who you end up killing in order to rescue the daughter of the leader of the first NCR city. So, the Khans and the NCR's history goes back much further than either of them can remember.

World Building
So, this game has rich lore, backstories, and factions who have all had good and bad interactions long before you the player comes along, I think even today over 10 years later, it's still one of my favorite games, particularly for the writing. Fallout: New Vegas should be on the list of everyone who enjoys great stories.