House also seems the sort not to play, but also would have many associates who would be involved and be a thorn in House's side, forcing him to be involved
I’ve never really thought much about it before but it must be miserable to go from a living breathing human being before the war, to losing your body and becoming nothing more than a brain floating in a jar for hundreds of years in a world completely torn apart and ruined by nukes.
As someone with a failing body and more health complications and body aches then i care for, who is currently hoping robot bodys become a thing in my short time left. I gotta say, there are deffinetly atleast a few of us who would love being able to exsist as an unfeeling brain in a jar. Make me a robobrain and start calling me tin can, ill consider it a gift.
being a robobrain whit mine memories intact no problim ore what mr house got going on but being just a brain no way to interact whit anything i think u would just break after a amount of time
The Mysterious Stranger is not likely a player in the Great Game. That is- if he WAS a time traveler. If he was a player with the ability to time travel, he would have went back and killed all other players before the game would have even started.
@@3123對more likely the Mysterious Stranger as a time traveler would be guiding the player specifically. After all you never see him fighting against you in combat, only with you.
"The Great Game" is a euphemism for espionage and covert operations to further the goals of Nations and, sometimes, singular people. But it's mostly espionage, sometimes for the sake of espionage. Desmond is a fromer agent of some nation and he is hunting down the last couple of adversaries of his time as one before the war, probably to settle old scores. I don't know if you knew that, but if you did, you should have mentioned what the great game is.
It's more of a nod mate, 'The Great Game' IRL was a very specific conflict between the British and Russian Empires in the 19th century over their holdings in Asia. All done via proxies and espionage and didn't boil over into direct war between them. In Fallout it's clearly a reference to that but doesn't seem to be nation specific, rather its powerful individuals. As Desmond is British I doubt it was a conflict between the US and England.
@@aa-tr9xt Thanks! No you aren't, and I would have to double check this, but from memory the Resource Wars in Europe was mostly infighting between European nations and then taking a leaf of the US's book after invading Mexico, a 'European Commonwealth' invaded the Middle East for resources. After that the US annexed Canada and then obviously the Sino-American war. I think the details are left deliberately light but the inference to me at least, was the UK wouldn't have been much of a player on the international stage compared to the US.
@@UraniumFever76 The 'Great Game' in the fallout context likely is a reference to this and would have similarities. We know Desmond is British and likely MI6 and is working against Americans, who weren't on the best of terms with Europe pre war as far as we know. From this it can be assumed through Occams Razor (which is a weapon in fallout 3 btw look it up) that the pre war UK and US were engaged in espionage battles, over what or why though we do not know.
I strongly feel that the show using the words "The great game" during the corporate cabal meeting with a shadowy figure looking down(representative of the enclave imo) was meant to be a direct reference to this.
I was thinking about that myself, that maybe these are members of the game or people who found out about the game and started "playing" themselves in hopes of controlling the future if they win.
Its the main plot of fallout 2 and 3 as well. Its the end state of unregulated capitalism - the State is the Company and the Companies are the state. The Shareholders are Officeholders - ending the resource war with a peace and the introduction of 2 (2!) successful cold fusion generators from both Moldaver and Mass Fusion would have destroyed the political and economic basis of the whole system For the Buisnessmen and Government officials, it wad either social revolution leading to their execution, or dropping the bomb and starting fresh
Considering this and the video EpicNate released, I believe the great game is far larger than even Desmond knows. Shadow governments, aliens, eldritch entities, strangers, and some lucky or unlucky nobodies; who knows how big the great game really is? It may also be a clever way for the devs to pat them selves on the back for the back story they have written.
@@dominickruziki2281It is more of the implications of this video and Nates latest video about Dunwich. Also considering how Bethesda likes to write complex background stories that are not directly told to the player but are inferred, an allegory, or played out in a smaller scale for the player to interact with.
I made a theory ages ago that house was part of the great game, I'm glad someone else not only sees the same thing as I but also expands upon it and shines light on things I never thought about.
Definitely think House could've been a member of the Great Game. It makes too much sense for a man of his caliber, but I'm not terribly sure about Bradburton. If he truly were a member of the Great Game, he wouldn't have been sidelined by the Walt Disney treatment(I had to make the reference, lol). He would've had plans in place, a wider network or some way to control things. That being said, I feel like the Great Game would've had maybe only one person from each nation. Perhaps some sort of Illuminati or Freemason-adjacent shadow organization? Calvert was the American member, Lockhart was the British/U.K. member. Braun could be another one, being the German member, but I don't think he would fit. He's content to play god in his simulation, he has no ulterior motives for the world at large. He doesn't even seem to care about the Vault Experiments themselves, and he's "supposedly" a large driving force behind a lot of them.(I could be confusing actual lore with lore-friendly mods here). Of course, if my hypothesis is true, that leaves us to question how many "nations" took part in this Game, but it's a possibility, even if it's a small one.
I totally understand what you are saying about Bradberton. What I would say though, is taking in to account what he thought he was getting from this deal; a living biosuit that would allow him to function as normal. He was fiercely competitive and awful lol but how his ambition would have translated to a post-war environment I'm unsure. The Great Game as a concept is a nod to the proxy conflict between the British and Russian empires in the 19th century, but I feel like in Fallout it's more focussed on individuals rather than institutions.
bradburton was very close to having his own new vegas hey had a robot army (hey clearly got because hey saw the nukes coming), clone machine , secret science team if hey had enough charisma his former employees turnt ghouls so sad to see the potential wasted of nuka world
@@silent_hunter515 Bethesda lore developed ultra jet for ghouls iirc, I think there's a side quest in 3 where a ghoul asks you to get jet and some other item to create ultra jet cause regular jet doesn't do anything for him
@@nahman3836 yeah for ghouls drugs both do and dont work the same, since their immune systems are canonically so good that it filters out the drugs and they need to macrodose to get even the normal effects, and for obvious reasons radiation drugs just inherently have no purpose
House is absolutely the kind of guy who would high-mindedly claim to be above such trivialities, but would absolutely turn all of his power towards it if he found another viable player. Its basically what he does in the Mojave already, he just does it with people and groups that haven't been around as long as him.
I like the idea IF Mr. House is participant in Desmonds entante game then Mr. House views this as "a simple side quest I can do once Mojave is free from NCR and Legion" If Mr. House ending ends up being canon, would be cool to be his employee and help him finish this lil game
I used the “game” as inspiration for a homebrew campaign in NYC. Decided one guy tried FEV to become immortal and now rules the whole enchilada. Never could decide on a good name though.
I'm writing an RPG inspired by the fallout universe where you would play as NASA and have to survive after a nuclear war before escaping to Mars, long story short you'd have spies and assassins after you the whole way trying to get you and the space program back in line
Cabot, think tank, and house. If the story permits maybe someone in the divide if anyone survived. Also he is British. So maybe someone from the other countries as well. Also do program on civil war. NCR vs the east coast bos. Might be a good video.
Braun probably wouldn't because he's too arrogant to play with others and tricked the General who previously had the resources to build the Vault under threat of convincing-lie, which sadly all Vault were built ON! Barberton, or Mr. Soda in my head, would be beneath notice to many players except to House, Vault Tec Pres and Finance.Advisor, due to their different built minds. This is simply a game of who has the bigger cock and gets to rule the wasteland like a God in their petty delusions while aware that people suffer is actually HAPPINESSS?!
I loved that the fallout tv show addressed the great game and what it was but am sad that not many are talking about it. I loved that the great game was as many predicted the great game of survival saying that "you can be the richest person in the world when all other rich people are dead"
I love the various ways the contestants of the great game learned how to extend their lifespan. Desmond became a Ghoul, House preserves his whole body, The Think Tank and Prof. Calvert preserve their brains.
Thanks mate! Really appreciate that and thank you for checking the video. I really enjoyed making this one, as this questline was one of my favourites.
Now I'm imagining all these pre-war movers and shakers meeting at a gala or something a few months before the War. Bradberton and House were just about to get put into their coccoons, Desmond was toying with radiation treatments, and everyone else was thinking about the best way to put their brain in a jar.
Mate haha that's a great image. Would love there to be a pre-war scene in something like that at some point. Maybe in the tv show? I'm sure all these characters would have brushed shoulders at some point.
The great game is played by "powerful" people the elites just like irl and consider a "conspiracy theory" that the factions, gangs, groups & cults in various Companies & Governments are also playing such a game and the game is who gets the world.
Love it, only through is that Mr. House is still part of the great game. The great game is basically about politics and statecraft, and he runs the whole strip which is really influential.
I wonder if The Great Game might be some international political shenanigans continued. Our rude Ghoul is a military intelligence agent; the refers to The Great Game as a "microcosm" which is a smaller version of a larger thing (school is a microcosm of society, for example). Perhaps there are a few international movers-and-shakers connected to the intelligence world still trying to bump each other off. Perhaps when he says he's going North, he's going to find his ghoulified opp in Canada? I don't think it's the sort of thing House would get involved in, he is in a totally different gamespace
What about Tenpenny? I know it does not really fit him, but u think, especially with three easy he treats the people below his tower, he feels like a player.
I feel like there’s two Games running in sync. The Pre-War Game, with Desmond and the other survivors. It’s got a shrinking player group, and they all play for keeps. The Post-War Game is possibly what Tenpenny is playing. A different group of players, with the same motivations but maybe slightly less “at any cost” survival instincts. I can’t see Tenpenny ghoulifing himself just to get an edge on the others; but there’s multiple Pre-War individuals that did horrific things to themselves to see the other side of the war and keep going. I feel like the Pre-Game players have a slight superiority complex over the Post-Game players, like grown adults or old survivors of crime families watching children play at Cops & Robbers.
I guess the real question I really want to ask is, what does our secret agent Ghoul even want out of this Great Game? Is he just tying off loose ends because they’re all he has left? Or does he believe the people he kills off are potential, existential threats to Humanity in the long run?
maybe you get luck from cannibalizing mr house w/ meat of champions because, oh, I dunno, he owns VEGAS??? And all its casinos?That’s like Vegas’ whole thing. I don’t think it has anything to do with house himself being lucky
Great video and it’s kinda neat to have these types of fan theories and thought experiments. I think Bradberton being a part of the great game actually makes some sense. I’d be inline with his character and Desmond does say he needs to “head north” when you last speak to him so I can definitely see that. House tho I really don’t see, he says it himself that he doesn’t care what other people do and just wants to advance the world for what he sees as the better. And while I don’t think everyone out there both in game/lore or even fan wise agree with House’s goals, he doesn’t strike me as someone who would care about something like the Great Game.
Thank you! Appreciate you checking out the video. Bradberton also had his own private army in Nuka World with all of the very advanced robots. I think the next stages of House's plan after New Vegas could include eliminating anyone who would stand in his way of one day building colony ships to escape Earth (interestingly a very similar to the motivation of the Enclave). But yeah don't think it would be like Desmond or Calvert crossing names off a kill list per say lol.
I think Daniel Littlehorn the guy you meet by taking the Contract Killer perk has a hand in the great game as well, his dialogue when you inquire about why he wants random peoples ears implies as much.
Just to add on. In the new 76 update there’s a unfinished thank you note on the overseer’s wife’s terminal in vault 63 to prof. Calvert and mentions a discussion presumably the three of them had over dinner at some event and it also mentions Desmond and the fact the Calvert tampered with his invite to the event or long those lines. Seems like Bethesda could be playing with the idea of further releasing lore around the great game
The Mysterious Stranger, i think he's just a guy trying to lookout for people. Maybe even some kind of role passed on to different people throughout the post-war wasteland? They potentially stick around the Lone Wanderer/Courier etc as they recognise them as someone very important, a mover/shaker who's changing things up? Also amusingly his influence extends past Fallout into other games where similar characters exist, like Middle-Earth: Shadow of War with Forthog Orc-Slayer showing up to save Talion, always mysteriously showing up to help. Just like the stranger.
It seems to me that if Robert House was a player in the Great Game, then at some point he said: “Not bad, I guess I’ll pass.”. And left his seat at the table to play his game on the sidelines. Or perhaps (given his character it is more than possible) - he always played a game of his own, not wanting to be part in the delusional projects of the Enclave and Vault-Tec (and others).
the mysterious stranger could be a time traveller or a secret organization like they teleport around just like how the institute would and since there is a mysterious magnum in new vegas so might be not prewar
He was going North after one of his rivals. Maybe there were ideas of making one of the Institute a player of the Great Game that were cut or something? Or maybe he was going after Bradberton before learning that his foe wasn't in the game anymore.
It almost sounds like this game is a reference to the movie highlander which is about a subrace of humans that the only way they can die is if their head is cut off and they slowly find and fight each other throughout history to win a game that grants the last survivor omniscience
I’m think that the mysterious stranger is an organization of people that operate across the US that have gained magical powers (Similar to Oswald the Outrageous from Nuka World) and have people that like Mama Murphy, have “the sight” that is used to identify key figures that will affect the course of the wastes that the Mysterious Strangers will protect.
Damn , this guy making a run at ox.... well done sir. Pretty rare i see somebody put out fallout lore content on par with ox...i might prefer this presentation better actually.
I think that the Mysterious Stranger has his explanation in Fallout 76...specifically through the Order of Mysteries. Although the agents of their group were all women, we see a similarity in the weapons, tactics, and even the name given to the Mysterious Stranger. I would be willing to bet that the Mysterious Stranger is actually a group, and that they either come from survivors of the betrayal of the Order - possibly even Frederick Rivers, the sole male member - or someone who found the Order's headquarters later, as the player does, and copied their tech and training.
Lol as someone from Maryland id like to clear up a common misconception with its pronunciation. Its Mare-lend, ive heared people from the US call it Mary-land so you're not alone 😂
Lol I've learnt the hard way! Of course its one those where in the UK we also have a Maryland (multiple) and is definitely not pronounced like that. But you've got to go with the one in question! I will be making sure to get that right in future!
We wouldn't be so lucky to have a good central plot for Fallout 5. No, Bethesda will have to remind us again how much they really want to make another Terminator game with the base game and leave all the good bits for DLCs...
I believe there is one person you might’ve forgotten that is not on the list the name to add to your list of people who might’ve been a participant in the great game I believe a good candidate was Frederick Sinclair He had lots of political and financial power as well as many things I believe he would personally fit in perfectly.
House is a player for sure. The whole new vegas game was all about introducing him. Imo , the most likey canon is house winning, just due to the fact the courier is not a vault dweller and is a product of the wasteland psychologically and physically and would be far more prone to side with House and the luxury that come with. I feel the fallout show will also head this direction to a Mr house operated Vegas not only for spectacle but easy plot opportunities.
So... House had the same endgame as vault tec? I believe the experiments in the vaults were (at the beginning) executed to test different extreme situations in an enclosed space (spaceship/spacestation) because they believed the great war is inevetable. The show kinda retconed this unfortunatly... always gave the Zetans a bigger role in the shadows... hope they kinda hint on that and dont retcon it copletly
thinking about it now, while i think the great game is all about multiple rich people of status fighting for being *The* one with power, i think it might just be private rivalry between desmond and his significant enemies, instead of a literal grand challenge between tons of important people that stayed alive for hundreds of years, and it would make a bit more sense that way imo, if its more private it would explain why its only mentioned by a single character and not a plotpoint for atleast some important greatwar survivors we see
I think Desmound would very much get a lot of information from the think tank, since he could remind them quite strongly about the past, they would tell him everything he need know about lunch codes and other possible players, and I think the goal of the great game is simply to eliminate and neutralise other attendees as the world to them is serve on a silver plate. also I can imagine house would be the toughest opponent Desmound would face, house has pretty much succeeded on his own goals, and it very likely house would either give desmound what he wants, or offer the ghoul the opportunity to work with him in the shaping of the world
First off, great video! I'm deffinatly going to try this mod when I get Fallout 4 on pc. Second, whenever I play FO3 and the DLC they both lose. I side with Desmond to defeat Calvert then stab Desmond in the back. Neither character would be good for the wasteland and they proove it in their actions. From the jump Desmond proves it by tricking you into killing people that are only agressive because two others have caused them to be that way. Once learning what is going on, Desmond doesn't care and is fine with them just being colateral damage. Calvert proves it by being one of the aformentiond two that uses that tribe for his own ends. Calvert could have befriened the tribe by helping them and then giving those that wanted to join his war the oprotunity to do so.
I'm more curious to know where Desmond went after. He mentions going north to pursue his next target, and I've always been so curious about that. Almost as if it is some kind of long tease. Plus, he's a ghoul, so we may yet see him in the future. I hope so, as I've always had a soft spot for no-nonsense, hard-ass characters like Desmond.
Perhaps I missed you talking about this, but I believe M.O.D.U.S. could and would be one of the largest players in the Great Game. I believe he mentions a sort of "Game" that they and the Enclave were involved in, and similar to everybody else- got turned into Robobrains or brains in jars that control a facility.
Jack Cabot would have dabbled in this "great game" if only for the sake of checking threats against his own plans. Lorenzo Cabot was taken off the board long before the bombs dropped, but if he is set free, that changes.
