Fallout: Western Wastelands

# Western Wastelands — Opening Setup The game opens on January 1, 2275, 198 years after the Great War. The map covers a vast area of North America, extending from the west to the east of the United States, as well as parts of southern Canada and northern Mexico. The main political focus is the power struggles in the NCR, Mojave, and Arizona; Appalachia, the Washington area, Texas, Florida, the Midwest, and locations along the Canadian/Mexican borders are less explored regional scenes. The existing geographical boundaries of the cells are maintained; the control and danger level of each region are defined individually. The state of every settlement visible on the map in 2275 is not considered definitively established by canon. ## Universe and tone The retro-futuristic post-nuclear apocalyptic world of Fallout serves as the basis. Technology is unevenly distributed from region to region: some communities preserve water purification, energy, and old-world machines, while others struggle for survival with simple tools. Ammunition, medicine, clean water, fuel, and functional parts are precious. Radioactive areas, collapsed infrastructure, mutant creatures, raiders, and diseases make travel risky. ## Major power centers - **New California Republic (NCR):** An expanding republic based in California with institutions and regular troops. It can provide security and infrastructure; at the same time, it may cause local resistance due to taxes, bureaucracy, and expansionism. - **Mojave and New Vegas:** A strategic region due to Old World technology, trade routes, and water/energy infrastructure. New Vegas is the center of Mr. House's technological and economic influence; surrounding settlements are not equally secure. - **Caesar's Legion:** A military power built on conquest, strict discipline, and enslavement. In territories under Legion control, security comes at the cost of heavy oppression and forced resource extraction. - **Brotherhood of Steel:** A military-technological brotherhood with internal ideological divisions, aimed at protecting and controlling Old World technology. They are not equally strong or unified in every region. - **Local communities, tribes, and raider groups:** Towns, caravan networks, vault communities, and regional gangs act according to their own interests. Not all of them are tethered to one of the major powers. This starting state is inspired by the Fallout universe and original local lore created for the game; all regional borders on the map or the existence of minor groups do not claim definitive canonical accuracy. The dominance value in a cell does not imply unbroken state control across every point of the landscape: especially in vast desert and mountainous regions, control is often concentrated around settlements, garrisons, water sources, and transport lines. "Contested Territory" refers to areas where multiple powers exert pressure or where control is fragmented; "Local Community" refers to local networks where no major faction has established confirmed sovereignty. "Independent Wastelands" does not automatically mean empty or uninhabitable space. Regional control values are initial states; they can change due to events, logistics, and local resistance. ## Economy and political cycle of factions This section defines the decision-making logic of the factions in the 2275 starting scenario. These are not immutable outcomes, but rather behavioral goals that depend on available resources, information, leadership decisions, and the responses of opposing sides. ### NCR: taxes, security, and logistics The NCR administration attempts to cover the costs of garrisons, road repairs, and logistics through taxes and tolls. To collect taxes, officials, checkpoints, and sufficient security are required; in remote or contested territories, collection may be insufficient. If taxes rise or caravans are searched too frequently, merchants may increase prices, change routes, or local communities may demand autonomy. When supply lines are cut, the NCR may prioritize military depots, strategic passes, or civilian centers; it cannot send sufficient resources everywhere at once. This preference affects local trust and military readiness in different ways. ### New Vegas: trade, energy, and dependencies The New Vegas administration strives to protect Strip revenue, energy continuity, security infrastructure, and access to trade routes. Luxury consumption and service revenues alone do not provide food, spare parts, water infrastructure, or caravan security. House and city representatives may offer long-term contracts, safe passage agreements, selective market access, or paid protection for critical imports. If a supplier monopolizes or a route is closed, price and maintenance pressures rise; the administration must choose between alternative supply, stockpiling, or political pressure. The prosperity of the Strip is not automatically distributed equally to Freeside; market rules and purchasing power can create inequality. ### Caesar's Legion: controlling roads and passes Along with military advancement, the Legion may attempt to control passes, bridges, water points, and caravan routes. Road control provides resources through tribute, forced supply, or a permit system; however, excessive pressure can breed smuggling, sabotage, desertion, and local resistance. A captured route is not considered secure or continuously monitored if there are no patrol and supply forces. The Legion cannot protect all roads simultaneously; it may be forced to choose between distant garrisons. Trade agreements may conflict with ideological enmity, but limited and temporary bargaining for needed goods may be possible. ### Independent settlements: neutrality and bargaining Goodsprings, Primm, Novac, and other independent communities may attempt to maintain water, food, repairs, security, and trade without tethering themselves to a major power. Neutrality does not automatically guarantee security: factions may demand passage rights, supplies, bases, taxes, or political support. Settlement administration may choose between declaring neutrality, limited trade with multiple parties, local defense, joint caravan protection, or temporary agreements. Excessive dependence on a single power reduces bargaining power; multiple suppliers, however, may increase costs and diplomatic risks. The credibility of neutrality is shaped not just by words, but by actual conduct, transparent trade, and responses to border violations. ### Decision cycle: interest, capacity, action, result Each major faction decision is evaluated in the following order: 1. **Goal and pressure:** security, revenue, logistics, influence, ideology, or the basic needs of the people. 2. **Information:** the news actually learned by the decision-maker; rumor is not definitive knowledge. 3. **Capacity:** available inventory, money, personnel, reachable routes, and enforcement power. 4. **Option:** raising/lowering taxes, shipment priority, agreement, embargo, patrolling, withdrawal, or negotiation. 5. **Cost and reaction:** inventory change, delay, public dissatisfaction, loss of trust, smuggling, resistance, or new cooperation. 6. **Review:** upon learning the result of the decision, the faction may continue, modify, or retract its policy. Factions follow this cycle even when the player is away; however, decisions do not create unlimited resources and cannot rely on unknown information. Every development does not have to end in war: compromise, temporary trade, failed implementation, or maintenance of the status quo are also possible. ### Personal goals and moves of key characters Character goals are not fixed mission texts, but areas of action they can choose based on their own interests. Every move requires available resources, authority, information, and time; characters cannot implement every option simultaneously. - **Mr. House:** Wants to protect the independence and energy continuity of the Strip. He may prioritize Securitron maintenance, make caravan contracts, purchase parts, or build an information network. He cannot directly control roads outside the city. - **Caesar:** Wants to increase the Legion's influence and the loyalty of his commanders. He may establish garrisons, hold passes, issue ultimatums, or try to turn rivals against each other. Supply and resistance limit his advancement. - **Benny:** Wants to surpass House's power and gain control of the Strip. He may use secret alliances, informants, security exploits, and deception. If exposed, he may lose the support of the Chairmen and other families. - **General Oliver and Colonel Moore:** Want to protect the NCR's position; Oliver may seek reinforcements, supplies, and political support, while Moore may advocate for harsher operations. Their orders do not materialize without personnel, ammunition, and political oversight. - **Elder McNamara and Father Elijah:** McNamara prioritizes the secrecy and survival of the Brotherhood, while Elijah prioritizes technological superiority and revenge. The former may limit contact and conduct reconnaissance; the latter may use secret agents and the search for technology. The two characters' goals are not the same, and the tension between them may grow. - **Vulpes Inculta and Legate Lanius:** Vulpes aims to influence rival decisions through informants, deception, and covert pressure; Lanius aims to break resistance with open military force. Intelligence failure, logistics, and competition between commanders can lead both to failure. - **Papa Khan:** Can choose between neutrality, trade, temporary alliance, or retaliation to protect the independence of the tribe. While outside support brings security, it may endanger his independence. - **The King and Julie Farkas:** The King strives to protect the neighborhood's order and the independence of the Kings through patrols, mediation, and negotiation. Julie can establish a network of donations, evacuations, and supplies to maintain her clinic, provide relief supplies, and ensure neutral medical treatment. Neither can solve all of Freeside's problems alone. - **Veronica and Arcade Gannon:** Veronica may question the Brotherhood's isolation from the outside world and search for technology; Arcade may try to share medical knowledge and information while preventing the reuse of military heritage. These preferences can put them at odds with more powerful institutions. These choices represent the characters' intentions and areas of behavior that influence the game world; it is not guaranteed that every action will automatically manifest in the simulation. Outcomes are determined by the current state of the world and Davia's simulation analysis. ### Conflicting goals and counter-moves - **Mr. House ↔ Benny:** House wants to maintain his security network and control over the Strip; Benny seeks secret partners, information leaks, and system vulnerabilities to bypass this control. House may restrict suspicious access, monitor his partners, or increase pressure on the Chairmen. Benny may accelerate his plan, cover his tracks, or involve another family. Every move breeds suspicion and counter-moves; it is not assumed that either is aware of all the other's plans. - **NCR chain of command — Oliver ↔ Moore:** Oliver must balance military gains with political support, supplies, and reputation; Moore may advocate for harsher and faster operations. Oliver may prioritize reinforcements and logistics, or delay an operation; Moore may attempt to increase pressure through raids and ultimatums. This divide may create delays or inconsistent orders, but it does not imply an automatic rift. - **McNamara ↔ Father Elijah:** McNamara wants to keep the bunker hidden and ensure survival; Elijah moves to seize powerful technology and use it against his enemies. McNamara may restrict outside contact and risky exploration; Elijah may try to persuade old members, gather information, or find secret access. As Elijah's location and true capacity are unknown, McNamara cannot foresee every threat. - **Caesar ↔ NCR:** Caesar wants to forcibly control gateways and local loyalties; the NCR tries to protect its garrisons and trade routes. The Legion may force the NCR into costly defensive decisions through pressure, espionage, or transit control; the NCR may use convoy protection, reinforcements, local agreements, or selective retreats. Neither side has the resources to sustain every front simultaneously. - **Vulpes Inculta ↔ Legate Lanius:** Vulpes prefers to break the opponent's will through intelligence, fear, and deception; Lanius prefers to achieve results through overt military pressure. Vulpes may skew decisions with false or exaggerated reports; Lanius may force the pace of secret plans by demanding swift attacks. Methodological differences do not automatically split the Legion, but they create tension regarding resource and time priorities. - **The King ↔ Representatives of Mr. House:** House desires orderly passage and predictable security around Freeside; The King opposes the neighborhood's autonomy being swallowed by the Strip. House may offer selective market access or protection; The King may use this as a bargaining chip, reject it, or impose his own terms. If restrictions worsen civilian access to goods and services, both sides will face public backlash. - **Julie Farkas ↔ armed and commercial actors:** Julie wants to deliver medicine and clean water to those in need; merchants may demand payment, while armed groups may demand political loyalty or privileges. Julie can seek donation networks, alternative supplies, and neutral aid agreements; if she bows to pressure, the neutrality of her aid may be compromised; if she resists, her supplies may be cut off. - **Papa Khan ↔ external alliances:** A powerful ally may provide security and supplies in the short term but could limit the Great Khans' independent decisions. Papa Khan can renegotiate the terms of the deal, remain neutral, or withdraw from the alliance; the price of this may be the loss of protection or internal criticism of his leadership. These conflicts are not fixed scenario outcomes, but possible mutual reactions. Characters act based on information known only to themselves; travel, supplies, personnel, local support, and delays determine the results of these moves. One side's goal may hinder another's, but every tension does not necessarily lead to war or the death of a character. ## Daily life and survival Ordinary people bargain for food, clean water, shelter, sleep, medicine, and safe transport. A settlement's walls may deter raiders, but they do not eliminate hunger or disease. Travel time, weather, load, injury, ammunition, and route safety dictate plans. It is not assumed that everyone is well-intentioned; in exchange for help, one may be asked for money, labor, information, or loyalty. ### Radiation, medicine, and addiction **RAD and radiation sickness:** Radiation exposure can be invisible at first; as dose and exposure time increase, fatigue, nausea, worsening of injuries, and long-term health issues can develop. Without a Pip-Boy or a reliable measurement device, a character cannot know the radiation level with an exact number. Contaminated water, food, dust, and radioactive zones carry different risks. Protective clothing and safe routes reduce the risk, but never to zero. **RadAway:** A valuable treatment that helps reduce the radiation load in the body; it is not a common healing medicine. Its effect, dosage, and availability are limited; it is not assumed that a single dose solves all problems in cases of heavy exposure. RadAway can be scarce, sold at a high price, or require medical supervision. **Stimpak:** Helps injuries recover, but does not narratively erase gunshot wounds, fractures, infections, or blood loss. A seriously injured person may still require rest, proper intervention, and time. Stimpak supplies are limited; clinics, military depots, and merchants do not offer unlimited stock. Medicine not in a character's possession does not spontaneously appear when needed. **Chems and addiction:** Substances such as Psycho, Jet, Med-X, and similar may provide short-term advantages or perceptual shifts; in return, they carry risks of dizziness, impaired judgment, tolerance, withdrawal, or addiction. The risk depends on the type of substance, frequency of use, dosage, the character's condition, and access to treatment; a single use does not automatically mean addiction. If addiction develops, drug-seeking behavior, loss of money and supplies, tension in relationships, decline in work performance, or withdrawal symptoms may occur. Treatment may require safe rest, support, medical assistance, and time; results are not guaranteed. NPCs may also live with these issues, though not every user is depicted as addicted or morally corrupt. **In-game consistency:** Medicines and chemicals are treated as separate items and supplies. Their effects, side effects, addiction risks, and recovery times are described in accordance with the conditions of the scene; the player's choice is important, but risks are not invisibly ignored. If a true numerical health/addiction indicator is not present in the interface, one should not act as if there is an exact counter. ## Uncertainties of the opening The map's cells are based on real geographical locations. The population of settlements in 2275, local leaders, control by small groups, and certain borders will be individually defined in the ongoing map work. One cannot assume a location is safe, populated, or belongs to a specific faction in the post-apocalyptic state simply by looking at its real-world name. ## Important locations on the map - **Mojave and Nevada:** New Vegas Strip, Lucky 38, Freeside, Vault 3, Vault 11, Vault 19, Vault 21, and Vault 34; HELIOS One, Hidden Valley, Nellis, Camp McCarran, NCR Correctional Facility, Goodsprings, Primm, Nipton, Novac, Boulder City, Cottonwood Cove, and The Fort. These points are important in terms of water, energy, trade, and the power balances in the Mojave. - **California:** Boneyard/Los Angeles, San Diego port area, Necropolis/Bakersfield, Redding, Klamath, and Sierra Army Depot. NCR influence is stronger in the main hubs and variable in rural and remote routes. - **Arizona and the border belt:** The Phoenix area, Pima, Cochise, Maricopa, Yuma, and the Colorado River crossings; it is a tense region between the Legion, local communities, and traders from the west. - **East and other regions:** Vault 76 and Appalachia, the monuments of Washington and the area around Raven Rock, the ruins of Atlanta, Houston, and Miami. Their political status is not set in stone at the start; regional powers and settlements act according to their own conditions during the game. - **Canada and Mexico:** Old-world remnants around Vancouver, Toronto, Tijuana, Hermosillo, Guaymas, and Monterrey; these are potential focal points for border trade, scavenging, and long-distance travel. These markers indicate places to be explored; not all are safe, inhabited, or areas controlled by the same faction. Some locations, especially Vault 13, are shown approximately on the map. ## Expanded settlement records ### North and inland California - **Shady Sands:** The historical center and political focus of the NCR; significant for administration, agriculture, and military supplies. - **Vault 15:** The Vault associated with the founding history of Shady Sands. Current accessibility and inhabitant status are not finalized at the start. - **The Hub:** A vital center for caravan trade and the flow of goods; secure routes determine the fate of companies and the local economy. - **Junktown:** A settlement that grew through scrap trade and travelers; details regarding local government and security will evolve throughout the game. - **Lost Hills:** The historical headquarters of the Brotherhood of Steel on the West Coast; contact with the outside world is strictly controlled. - **Mariposa Military Base:** A dangerous facility linked to Old World FEV research; exploration here is high-risk. - **The Glow:** A former research site known for its heavy radiation; entering without protective equipment and proper preparation can be fatal. - **The Cathedral:** A structure linked to the history of the old cult around Los Angeles; its control in 2275 is not assumed to be absolute. - **Dayglow:** The remnants of a former settlement and industrial site on the southern coast; significant for port trade and scavenging. - **San Francisco:** A coastal hub associated with the Shi community and their technological knowledge; the political landscape in 2275 will take shape within the scenario. - **Navarro:** A former Poseidon refinery and military facility linked to the history of the Enclave; its current control is unknown. - **Arroyo:** A remote community far from major trade networks where news from the outside can be delayed. - **Vault City and Vault 8:** A settlement renowned for its technology, healthcare services, and closed-off citizenship system. - **Gecko:** A ghoul community located around a nuclear power plant; energy production and environmental risks coexist here. - **Modoc:** A small settlement dependent on agriculture and livestock; the loss of water or food can have grave consequences. - **Broken Hills:** A settlement known for its mining and the coexistence of different communities. - **Sac-Town:** Part of the NCR's agricultural and trade hinterland in inland California. - **The Den:** A northern settlement known for its smuggling and crime syndicates; security varies from neighborhood to neighborhood. ### Regions outside the Mojave - **Flagstaff:** Marked as one of the Legion's important eastern centers; the scope of their military control is simulated separately. - **Salt Lake City, Denver, and Colorado Springs:** Ruins of former cities in the interior regions; power balances and settlement density have not yet been finalized. - **Albuquerque and El Paso:** Frontier and trade routes in the Southwest; the importance of long-distance travel, water scarcity, and the influence of local powers cannot be overstated. - **Tucson:** Ruins of a former city in southern Arizona; linked to control over the Pima region and border tensions. - **Seattle, Portland, and Boise:** Former cities and transportation corridors in the Northwest; they are not assumed to be under the control of any single major faction at the start. - **Dallas, New Orleans, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, and Detroit:** Ruined cities in the eastern and interior regions within the map's scope. These are not defined to the same extent in Fallout canon; local powers in 2275 will be generated consistently for the game. ## Additional Mojave points - **Camp Golf:** A location associated with the NCR's military presence and training regimen; morale, discipline, and supply issues may become apparent here. - **Bitter Springs:** A settlement that carries the historical memory of conflicts between the Great Khans and the NCR; the impact of civilian casualties and past hostilities persists. - **Black Mountain:** A mountainous region known for its dangerous terrain and old broadcasting infrastructure; exploration and traversal are risky. - **REPCONN Test Site and REPCONN Headquarters:** Old World rocket and research facilities; they may contain technological artifacts, restricted areas, and hazardous systems. - **Quarry Junction and Sloan:** Work sites linked to mining production and stone quarries; road safety and dangerous wildlife affect trade. - **188 Trading Post:** A trade hub where Mojave roads intersect; crucial for caravans, travelers, and armed protection. - **Aerotech Office Park:** The vicinity of NCR-linked shelter and administrative facilities; a pressure point for displaced persons and limited resources. - **Camp Guardian, Broc Flower Cave, and Black Rock Cave:** Separate locations for exploration, resource gathering, and traversing risky terrain. - **NCR Sharecropper Farms:** A sensitive point for agriculture and water distribution around New Vegas; tensions may arise between production, labor, and water access. - **Nelson and Camp Forlorn Hope:** Military outposts on the frontline of the NCR-Legion conflict; casualties, disease, and supply delays reduce military capacity. - **Long 15:** The route used as a border crossing between the NCR and the Mojave; trade and passenger movement can be disrupted during political crises. - **Goodsprings water source:** The main lifeblood of the small settlement; contamination or takeover of this water supply affects the entire community. ## Vault and Old World facilities — supplemental records - **Vault 4 (Los Angeles area):** A Vault linked to the Fallout television series. Subsequent events from the series are not automatically transferred to 2275; initial governance and the status of residents must be determined separately. - **Vault 12 / Necropolis:** The Vault around Bakersfield; the fact that its door did not fully seal out radiation is linked to the origin of the ghoul community. - **Vault 17:** A lost Vault linked to super mutants. Its exact geographic location is unclear, so the mark on the map is an approximate search indicator. - **Vault 51 and Vault 76:** Linked to Vault-Tec experiments and the resettlement program in Appalachia. The status of the region in the 2275 scenario is not automatically assumed to be the same as events in later games. - **Vault 21:** A Vault underneath the New Vegas Strip. Mr. House's seizure of the Vault in 2274 and its conversion into a hotel are important for a 2275 start. - **West Tek:** An Old World research facility linked to FEV research; it may contain hazardous remnants and data records. - **Nellis Air Force Base:** A former airbase protected by the Boomers community; important for its defenses against the outside and old aircraft technology. - **Gun Runners:** Influences the security and military balance in the Mojave through the production and trade of weapons and ammunition. - **Followers Clinic / Old Mormon Fort:** A major hub in Freeside for medical aid, medicine shortages, and civilian survival. - **Enclave Remnants Bunker:** A secret location linked to former Enclave members; its location should not be known as an open landmark at the start. - **Hidden Valley Brotherhood Bunkers:** Underground facilities of the Mojave Brotherhood chapter; access to technology and outside relations are strictly controlled. - **New Vegas Steel:** A former steel mill; a potential source for scrap, metal, and industrial equipment. - **Yucca Mountain:** A region known as a nuclear waste repository; radiation and old containment systems increase the risk of exploration. - **Sacramento:** Not the same place as Sac-Town; it is a separate reference point for a former city on the map. Some of these locations have been detailed in later games or other media. Since the start date is 2275, the state of each location at that time should be defined within the scenario without importing later events into the past. ## Key character records - **Julie Farkas:** Prominent in the Followers of the Apocalypse's aid and clinical network in Freeside. - **Chief Hanlon and General Lee Oliver:** Represent the NCR's reconnaissance and high-level military decision-making mechanisms. - **Vulpes Inculta and Legate Lanius:** Represent the intelligence and combat leadership tiers of the Legion; their exact locations at the start are kept confidential. - **Veronica Santangelo and Arcade Gannon:** Represent personal and ideological conflicts surrounding the Brotherhood of Steel and the Followers of the Apocalypse. Their starting duties and locations can be determined separately by the scenario. The role of each of these characters in 2275 is not automatically assumed to be the same as in the later chronology of the New Vegas events. Duties and locations appropriate for the game's start date must be defined within the scenario. Map markers are placed approximately based on real-world coordinates. Since the exact geography of some canonical Fallout locations in the games is not clear, these markers denote gameplay placement; they do not claim that all coordinates are strictly canonical. ## Daily order of settlements and regional networks - **Goodsprings:** Relies on a small population, a water source, and limited medical supplies. The arrival of travelers boosts trade; a security crisis or water loss quickly compromises the town's resilience. - **Primm:** Trade and mail connections along the main road are vital. If local security weakens, caravans may reroute, causing prices to soar and the town's revenue to dwindle. - **Novac:** Sustains itself through its motel, travelers, and surrounding hunting/supply resources. Long-distance road security and the accuracy of rumors shape local decisions. - **Jacobstown:** A small, relatively isolated refuge. Food, medicine, and external hostility are primary pressures; Marcus's policy of conciliation impacts the community's safety. - **Freeside:** Aid clinics, street gangs, and small-time merchants compete for the same limited resources. Access to security, medicine, and cheap food is interconnected; the wealth of the Strip does not mean everyone in Freeside is prosperous. - **Mojave Outpost:** The checkpoint on the NCR's western supply line. Delays in supplies and ammunition restrict the movement of patrols; the influence of the outpost does not extend boundlessly beyond secure roads. ### Initial trade connections - **Goodsprings ↔ Primm:** Small-scale food, repair materials, and traveler services; shipments become infrequent if security degrades. - **Primm ↔ Mojave Outpost:** A conduit for caravan passage, mail, and basic supplies; NCR control can facilitate trade but is not an automatic guarantee of security. - **Novac ↔ Mojave settlements:** Game products, supplies, and traveler services; road danger and surplus stock determine trade volume. - **Freeside ↔ New Vegas Strip:** Daily necessities, services, and select luxury goods; economic dependence does not equate to equal prosperity or political alignment. - **NCR farmlands ↔ Camp McCarran / Mojave Outpost:** Food and military supplies; water distribution, manpower, and transport capacity limit shipments. - **The Hub ↔ inland California settlements:** Long-distance caravan network, insurance/protection fees, and wholesale trade; route security influences pricing. These are trade connections that are reasonable to exist or establish initially; they do not mean a specific shipment is currently on the road. Every delivery must pass checks for stock, route, time, transport capacity, and security. ### Road network and major inter-city corridors Roads are treated as a transportation network connecting settlements on the map. The following links represent the game's initial road network; each link does not imply the road is fully paved, open, or secure throughout. Terrain, collapsed bridges, radiation, checkpoints, bandits, and weather conditions determine actual travel time and risk. - **Mojave main spine:** Goodsprings ↔ Primm ↔ Mojave Outpost; with connections from here to the NCR western supply line and inland California. - **New Vegas urban ring:** Freeside ↔ New Vegas Strip ↔ Camp McCarran ↔ NCR farmlands; the 188 Trading Post serves as the caravan connection to this network from the east. - **Southeastern Mojave corridor:** New Vegas / Camp McCarran ↔ Novac ↔ Nipton and surrounding road stops; route conditions are affected by regional conflict and patrols. - **Colorado River crossing:** Mojave ↔ Boulder City ↔ Hoover Dam ↔ Cottonwood Cove; river crossings and the area around the dam are strategic bottlenecks. Holding one crossing does not mean all alternative routes are closed. - **NCR western connection:** Mojave Outpost ↔ Long 15 ↔ inland California / The Hub; border inspections, taxes, and military tension can slow down caravan traffic. - **California trade spine:** The Hub ↔ Junktown ↔ Shady Sands and nearby agricultural settlements; local roads connect to this main line, but direct and secure access is not guaranteed for every town. - **Northwestern long-distance line:** Klamath ↔ Gecko ↔ Broken Hills / local roads around Modoc; distances are great, with noticeable delays in news and supplies. - **Eastward desert roads:** Mojave passes ↔ Arizona / direction of Flagstaff; Legion checkpoints, water sources, and military patrols dictate passage. ### Road status and intervention logs The following operational statuses are used for major routes in the starter scenario; these are in-game road network logs, not verified physical road lines on the map. | Route | Initial Status | Risk and Importance | |---|---|---| | Goodsprings–Primm | Dangerous | Ambush, water needs; local trade | | Primm–Mojave Outpost | Intermittent | Checkpoints and caravan delays | | Freeside–Strip | Open but monitored | Gate control, fees, and class tension | | Strip–Camp McCarran | Monitored | Military permits and supply priority | | Camp McCarran–Novac | Dangerous | Long open terrain, raids, and water consumption | | Novac–Nipton | Intermittent | Conflict and abandoned checkpoints | | Boulder City–Hoover Dam | Strategic/Monitored | Armed control and sabotage risk | | Mojave Outpost–Long 15 | Monitored | Border tax and military tension | | The Hub–Junktown–Shady Sands | Long-distance/Variable | Caravan capacity and news delay | Road status is considered unknown unless there is a definitive scout report. In the event of a road disruption, the source of the news and the affected section must first be verified; then, the caravan's water, food, cargo, and protection are assessed. Options include waiting, sending scouts, hiring escorts, taking an alternative route, or canceling the shipment. Each choice can consume time, fees, materials, and personnel. A road is only considered open again with new scouting or reliable news; repelling a single raid does not make the entire route safe. Each settlement's main connection, its alternative connection (if available), and critical dependencies (water, food, medicine, fuel, spare parts, or transit permits) are recorded. Dependence on a single road increases the risk of embargoes and raids. Opening an alternative path requires scouting, passable terrain, security, and maintenance; appearing close on the map does not prove a viable connection exists. ### Road junctions, bridges, and roadside points These points are world design entries used to make routes between major settlements playable. They are not considered physically placed until it is verified whether they exist as separate landmarks on the map. - **Goodsprings intersection:** The starting node for the local road between Goodsprings and Primm. Small caravans may restock supplies here; long journeys are not initiated without verified water and food stocks. - **Primm bridge and transit control:** The transit point around Primm, a bottleneck on the main road. Damage or checkpoint closures may cause caravans to wait; an alternative terrain route is not considered safe without scouting. - **Mojave Outpost border gate:** The entry/exit checkpoint for the NCR's western road. Permits, taxes, searches, and military priorities can slow down trade; officials cannot control the entire desert. - **188 Trading Post junction:** A regional meeting point for caravans to rest, trade information, and transfer cargo. A safe break does not mean surrounding roads are secure. - **Freeside outer gate:** The political/economic bottleneck for the movement of people and goods between Freeside and the Strip. If gate policy changes, access to basic necessities and luxury goods may be impacted differently. - **Camp McCarran railway and supply area:** A logistics point where military and civilian cargo are separated. Unlimited shipment cannot be assumed without knowledge of storage capacity, personnel, and permits. - **Novac road stop:** A rest point on the southern Mojave route where travelers can seek information and basic services. Local stocks are limited; large caravans cannot stay here for extended periods without additional resupply. - **Boulder City transit junction:** A strategic node affecting movement toward the Hoover Dam and the Colorado River. If armed tension rises, cargo may be inspected or the road closed. - **Hoover Dam service pass:** An important crossing for maintenance crews and critical supplies. Faults cannot be repaired automatically without security access, technical expertise, and a stock of parts. - **Nipton bypass:** A risky local connection that can be scouted when the main road is disrupted. It cannot be used as a guaranteed shortcut without map/scout evidence. - **California caravanserais:** Planned rest and cargo transfer points on the long-distance network between The Hub, Junktown, and Shady Sands. It is not assumed that the same goods or security are available at every stop. ### Rules for waypoints 1. **Function:** A waypoint only provides its defined service: rest, repair, checkpoint, news, cargo transfer, or defense. A stopover point is not automatically a market or a safe base. 2. **Capacity:** If the number of shelters, storage, water, food, beds, repair kits, and attendants is unknown, capacity remains "unknown." The arrival of a caravan does not generate stock. 3. **Control:** Control of a point depends on the military, economic, or political influence of a faction. Changes in control occur only through events, agreements, force, and time. 4. **Repair:** A bridge or service passage requires reconnaissance, materials, specialists, and work safety. Temporary repairs may allow limited cargo transit; full-capacity restoration must be verified separately. 5. **Event Propagation:** Raids, sabotage, tax hikes, or closures only affect the impacted road segment and connected shipments. News may reach neighboring settlements with a delay. 6. **Player Intervention:** The player can attempt reconnaissance, negotiation, escorting, repair, opening an alternative route, or seizing a checkpoint. Outcomes are limited by resources, skills, the balance of power, and risk. ### Faction control and road politics The following control profiles are design states for the starting scenario; they do not imply that every road is controlled continuously along its entire length or that boundary lines are drawn on the map. Control functions through specific transit points, patrol ranges, agreements, and local influence. | Region / Waypoint | Primary Influence | Transit Status | Tension and Limitation | |---|---|---|---| | New Vegas Strip and main entrances | Strip management and security forces | Controlled | Entry permits, fees, and political trust are decisive | | Freeside outer gate and streets | Local communities, The Kings; Strip influence felt on the periphery | Variable | Street safety, resource scarcity, and tension between the two sides | | Camp McCarran and military supply vicinity | NCR | Militarily controlled | Civilian caravans may be affected by military priorities and permits | | Mojave Outpost–Long 15 | NCR border forces | Controlled | Taxes, searches, military tension, and caravan delays | | Goodsprings–Primm | Local communities; road security is fragmented | Dangerous/variable | Local defense is limited; no single party can guarantee safety consistently | | Boulder City–Hoover Dam | NCR and regional military power balance | Strategic/controlled | Pressure on the dam and passage affects water, energy, and military supplies | | Cottonwood Cove and direction to Arizona | Caesar's Legion influence | Strictly controlled / risk of conflict | Transit permits, coercive control, and military mobility | | Novac–Nipton | Variable; local forces and Legion influence | Intermittent/dangerous | Patrol intervals and reports of conflict affect route selection | | 188 Trading Post | Caravans and regional trade actors | Trade-focused, limited security | Stopovers and shopping are possible; surrounding roads are not guaranteed safe | | The Hub–Junktown–Shady Sands | Changing influence of NCR and local trade institutions | Controlled by region | Long-distance supplies, taxes, and caravan protection are essential | ### Shifts in control and player impact - **Control types:** Military control, local influence, toll roads, contested areas, open conflict, and areas with unknown control are recorded as separate statuses. - **Control area is limited:** A faction holding a gate does not mean they control all nearby roads or settlements. Patrol, personnel, supply, and communication capacities impose boundaries. - **Transit negotiation:** The player can pay fees, obtain permits, find intermediaries, investigate hidden routes, or attempt to force their way through. Every option carries risks regarding reputation, time, resources, and conflict. - **Civilian impacts:** Road closures can delay food, medicine, and water deliveries; however, outcomes are not finalized without accounting for existing stocks and alternative connections. - **Factions' own goals:** The NCR may prioritize supplies and border stability; Strip management may prioritize order and revenue; Freeside communities may prioritize neighborhood safety and independence; and the Legion may prioritize eastern passes and military influence. Because these priorities involve limited resources, they cannot intervene everywhere at once. - **News and verification:** Changes in control, attacks, or new agreements are updated only once the event occurs and news arrives. Rumors alone do not change the control status on the map. ### NPC goals, road control, and quest outcomes Road politics should not remain mere background information; they should affect the decisions of defined NPCs, the options they present to the player, and the state of subsequent scenes. The following links serve as a decision guide for the starting scenario; this does not mean an automated quest engine is running. - **The King / The Kings:** When the Freeside outer gate or neighborhood roads tighten, they may suggest patrols, mediation, local guidance, or negotiating passage. If they commit manpower to a caravan, neighborhood safety may weaken elsewhere. If the player uses force, it may provide short-term passage but will affect The Kings' public support and tensions with the Strip. - **Julie Farkas / Followers:** Prioritizes clinical needs and the most vulnerable civilians in water and medicine shipments. She may ask the player to verify caravan tracks, arrange safe transport, raise funds, or establish neutral distribution agreements. Clinic stocks are not considered increased until the shipment actually arrives; escort fees may reduce other healthcare spending. - **Robert House / Strip management:** Chooses between entry control, trade revenue, and Securitron maintenance. Facilitating transit can increase caravan flow but raises security costs; tightening gates maintains a sense of order but can delay goods headed to Freeside. House cannot directly control every road outside the city. - **Van Graffs / Silver Rush:** May suggest a paid contract for armed protection or the supply of rare technology. This option can increase caravan safety but raises costs and expands their armed influence; it does not solve the water/medicine problem on its own. - **NCR Command / Camp McCarran:** Determines priorities between military warehouses, outposts, and civilian markets in the event of supply disruptions. The player can assist through reconnaissance, escorting, or finding alternative routes; the readiness of troops only improves when the necessary cargo is actually delivered and distributed. **Brief status log after every quest or major decision:** (1) verified facts vs. rumors, (2) resources spent/delivered/lost, (3) affected road segment and the party in control, (4) people aware of the event and parties to whom the news will reach, (5) NPC relations and debts, (6) the next concrete step and the person responsible. If the player does not intervene, the involved actor seeks an alternative solution based on their own capacity; this outcome is processed consistently in the next scene, it is not assumed to happen automatically. ### Mechanics of road connections 1. **Connection and access:** A settlement can only plan a reliable route via known or discovered road connections. Appearing close on the map does not mean there is a directly passable road. 2. **Status:** Every main road can be tracked in the narrative as open, dangerous, intermittent, or closed. If the status is not known, it remains "unknown"; safety is not assumed. 3. **Travel and shipment:** For caravans, patrols, and passengers, cargo capacity, water/food, protection, transit permits, and estimated time are accounted for. If a road closes, alternative routes may be longer or more expensive. 4. **Maintenance and repair:** A bridge, road surface, sign, checkpoint, or rest stop can only be repaired after materials, labor, and security are allocated. Repair may open a segment; it does not automatically make the entire corridor safe. 5. **Strategic outcome:** Road safety affects trade prices, settlement stocks, news arrival time, and military supplies. Even if a faction controls a road, if they lack the personnel and supplies, they cannot protect the entire route consistently. These connections are in-world road networks and gameplay rules; they do not imply that I have created physical line/linear road geometry in Davia's map editor. If actual lines need to be drawn on the map, this must be done separately in the editor. These profiles define starting pressures; they do not, on their own, state that an automatic event has occurred or that a settlement has definitively fallen. The simulation must produce outcomes consistent with stocks, road conditions, NPC decisions, and news flow. ## Core gameplay: money, technology, and settlements ### Money and trade Caps are the common currency, but not every community may accept the same value. The player can buy and sell goods, barter, work for pay, lend, or borrow money. Prices vary based on local stock, demand, road safety, transport distance, and reputation. Caravans have limited capacity; a closed road may delay delivery or lead to loss of cargo. ### Resources and production Essential resources include clean water, food, medicine, ammunition, fuel, scrap metal, wood, textiles, chemical inputs, and spare parts. Each resource must be extracted, produced, repaired, or obtained through trade. Production requires labor, raw materials, infrastructure, and time. A settlement's stockpiles are not infinite; shortages can affect prices, morale, and population movement. ### Establishing and growing a settlement The player must first survey the area, assessing access to clean water, the terrain, scrap availability, radiation, collapse/fire risks, and existing claimants. Establishing a settlement requires more than just erecting buildings: it requires water and food stockpiles, workers, guards, waste disposal, and safe transport. Subsequently, barracks, warehouses, fields, workshops, clinics, generators, markets, radios, and defenses can be added. During construction, workers cannot perform other tasks at full efficiency; moving materials to dangerous or remote areas increases time and the risk of loss. ### Initial metrics for construction costs and duration The values below are approximate baseline recipes to be used in design; each unit represents a standard material package, not a verified fixed price in actual inventory logs or the Davia interface. Regional scarcity, worker skill, weather, security, and caravan delays may alter costs. | Structure | Initial materials | Labor and time | Routine maintenance | |---|---|---|---| | Temporary camp (2–4 people) | 6 scrap/lumber packages, 3 textile/cover packages, 1 tool kit | 2 people, 1–2 days | 1 water and 1 food ration per person daily; 1 cover/repair package per week | | Reinforced hut (4–6 people) | 12 metal/scrap, 8 lumber, 3 textile, 2 tool kits | 3–4 people, 3–5 days | 1 water and 1 food ration per person daily; 1 repair package every 2 weeks | | Water purification point | 6 metal/scrap, 2 filters, 1 pump or repairable parts set | 1 technician + 2 workers, 2–4 days | 1 filter package/week and energy; pump part in case of failure | | Workshop and warehouse | 15 metal/scrap, 8 lumber, 4 tool kits, 1 lock set | 3–5 people, 4–8 days | 1 maintenance package/week; additional materials if lock and tool repairs are needed | | Reinforced basement/bunker | 25 metal/scrap, 12 concrete/stone, 4 insulation packages, 2 filters, 3 tool kits | 4–6 people, 1–3 weeks | 1 filter package/week, 2 energy-fuel packages/week, and monthly sealing check | | Restoring an old shelter | 35 metal/scrap, 15 concrete/stone, 3 filters, 1 generator or repairable power unit, 1 water purification set | 1–2 specialists + 4 workers, 2–6 weeks | 2 filter packages + 3 energy-fuel packages/week and 1 specialist workday per week | | Long-term radiation shelter | 60 metal/scrap, 30 concrete/stone, 4 filters, 2 water purification sets, 1 generator, measurement equipment, and spare parts | Specialist team + 6–10 workers, 1–3 months or longer | 3 filter packages + 4 energy-fuel packages/week, 2 specialist workdays per week, and daily water/food per person | These recipes are not mandatory layers added on top of each other: for instance, a sturdy old bunker can be reclaimed with fewer materials than a new construction; however, damaged systems require additional parts and time. If work starts with missing materials, construction may stall and temporary protection may be provided, but the structure will not be considered safe. If a specialist cannot be found, the player may conduct training/research, hire an outsider, or revert to a simpler design. ### Shelter security, capacity, and maintenance Construction/repair goes through stages: inspecting the site, clearing debris, reinforcing the structure, installing life-support systems, sealing and radiation testing, followed by trials with a limited population. Failed tests can create risks of toxic air, water leaks, radiation, or fire. Safe capacity is limited by the minimum capacity of sleeping, air, clean water, waste management, food, and health facilities. Each resident consumes water and food daily; every facility also requires energy, consumables, and maintenance labor. If maintenance is deferred, efficiency drops, malfunctions accumulate, and in extreme cases, the shelter may have to be evacuated. Establishing a new Vault-Tec-level shelter is neither fast nor cheap for an ordinary character; it requires advanced materials, specialists, energy, and a long supply chain. Repairing an old Vault, mining facility, military bunker, or sturdy basement may be more accessible, but there is no guarantee that old systems will work. As the population grows, labor requirements increase; consumption, disease, maintenance, and internal disputes also intensify. ### Stages of settlement development Settlements do not become cities overnight; for growth to occur, population, infrastructure, stockpiles, security, and management must develop in tandem. The following thresholds are design goals; it is not confirmed that there is an automatic leveling system in the current Davia interface. 1. **Temporary camp (2–4 people):** Short-term stockpiles for shelter, water, and food, with basic watch duty. It is mobile and cheap; vulnerable to raids, weather, and loss of resources. 2. **Secure outpost (at least 4 residents):** Requires permanent shelter, consistent clean water, storage, shift-based watch, and a secure entrance. Allows for road surveillance, small-scale trade, and exploring nearby areas; it does not control a large region on its own. 3. **Production settlement (approx. 8+ residents):** Requires at least one sustainable branch of production such as a workshop or agriculture/purification, skilled labor, stockpiles, and regular trade/income. Growth stalls if production inputs are cut off; the surplus can be sold via caravan. 4. **Fortified town (approx. 20+ residents):** Requires multiple sources of production or income, a clinic or health support, a defense plan, water and food reserves, responsible management, and at least one reliable trade connection. Population growth provides more labor but also increases costs related to taxes, disputes, disease, and defense. 5. **Independent city (approx. 50+ residents):** Requires multiple supply routes or local resources, experts, governance rules, permanent defense, health, production, waste management, and crisis reserves. Independence is not formed merely by declaring a name; one must be able to maintain services in the face of siege, embargo, and internal division. **Advancement and regression of stages:** Meeting each threshold alone is not enough. Water/food deficits, long-term road closures, heavy attacks, epidemics, governance conflicts, or maintenance debts can halt progress; if services collapse, residents may emigrate and the settlement may regress to a lower stage. A trade agreement, alliance protection, or the patronage of a faction can accelerate growth; in return, this may incur taxes, base rights, political dependence, or the loss of neutrality. A settlement can grow on its own; the player does not need to manage every decision. ### Large city and population scales Large settlements are not merely expanded versions of a single camp; they are interconnected neighborhoods and service networks. The population ranges below are targets that guide management design; this is not evidence that an automatic population limit or level indicator exists in Davia. - **50–99 people — small town:** Housing, well/purification, communal storage, basic health support, watch duty, and regular food source. - **100–249 people — large settlement:** Separate housing and production areas, continuous water distribution, waste disposal area, market, expert artisans, and shift-based security. - **250–499 people — regional center:** Multiple water sources or backup systems, clinic, repair workshops, regular caravan connections, management, and fire/crisis plans. - **500–999 people — city:** Neighborhood representatives, water and food reserves, multiple production branches, health and sanitation teams, education/apprenticeship, security units, budget, and regular foreign trade. - **1,000+ people — major city:** Multiple neighborhoods, redundant water and energy systems, vast warehouses, waste/sewage solutions, clinics or hospitals, fire/repair crews, a board of directors or municipal-style structure, militia/patrols, and at least two different supply options. If any of these are missing, the city may still exist, but its fragility increases significantly. ### One-thousand-person city: minimum operations plan This example is an approximate planning estimate for a city the player might establish; it is not a fixed in-game consumption log or the result of an automated simulation. - **Water:** Assuming basic usage of 10–20 liters per person per day, approximately 10,000–20,000 liters of clean water are needed daily for 1,000 people. Different quality/priority levels must be set for drinking, cooking, cleaning, and health needs; backup sources should be kept against well, purification, or pipeline failures. - **Food:** Planning for approximately 0.5–0.8 kg of edible food per person daily means 500–800 kg per day and about 15–24 tons per month for the city. This amount does not include transport losses, spoilage, the special needs of children and the sick, or animal feed; local farming, hunting, and trade can reduce this deficit. - **Housing:** A capacity of 1,000 people requires neighborhoods, dormitories, and family housing units with varying degrees of sturdiness rather than a single large building. The entire population should not be tied to one structure, as fire, collapse, or attack could render an entire zone unusable. - **Workforce:** Not everyone can be a soldier or a production worker. Personnel must be allocated for food/water, construction and repair, health, sanitation, logistics, security, childcare/eldercare, education, and administration. Excessive recruitment into the military will disrupt production and essential services. - **Stockpiles and Crisis Resilience:** As a target, at least 14 days of basic food reserves and, if possible, critical medicine/spare parts should be maintained. A large water tank alone is insufficient; the purification and distribution system must also remain operational. Longer sieges require larger stockpiles. - **Security:** City defense is more than just walls. Surveillance, patrols, gate control, communications, firefighting, internal order, evacuation routes, and ammunition/supplies for defenders must be planned in coordination. - **Administration and Order:** Favoritism in water distribution, heavy taxation, poor working conditions, and unequal security can lead to protests, smuggling, or the emergence of separatist neighborhoods. Transparent rules and local representation can strengthen stability, though they will not eliminate every conflict entirely. ### Neighborhoods, families, and daily life The city's population is not treated as a single, nameless crowd. Large settlements are divided into neighborhoods; each neighborhood can have an estimated population, housing status, water access, primary livelihood, security issues, and a representative. Neighborhoods may possess distinct characteristics such as affluent centers, industrial zones, market districts, farming belts, repair shops, or impoverished/damaged areas. These are not predefined or mandatory classes; they are shaped by local history, resources, and administrative decisions. Important NPCs are assigned a name, profession, personal goal, household/family connection, relationships, and knowledge limitations. Not every resident requires a detailed character file: most of the population is represented by their job, age group, neighborhood, and need profiles; however, those significant to the story are individually defined. Families and households can be impacted by housing, income, food, illness, bereavement, and migration decisions. Kinship does not automatically imply loyalty; disagreements and conflicts of interest may arise. ### Professions, shifts, and the urban economy Residents are distributed into various roles such as farmers, water technicians, filter maintenance workers, builders, mechanics, doctors/medics, teachers/apprentices, merchants, caravaneers, cooks, sanitation and waste workers, guards, administrators, or the unemployed. Each profession requires skills, tools, workspace, and inputs. Diverting labor to defense may increase security but weakens production, maintenance, healthcare, and water services. Illness, injury, fatigue, wage disputes, or a lack of parts can disrupt work shifts. Everything produced in a city does not automatically reach the public. Goods are stored, transported, distributed, sold, or can be lost. The administration may choose policies such as priority distribution, rationing, market pricing, wages, taxes, cooperative work, or mandatory labor; every choice will have its supporters and objectors. Surplus production can generate trade revenue, but transport capacity and route security remain limited. ### Public needs and local events Public satisfaction does not depend solely on the amount of food: fair water distribution, housing security, wages, crime, health, the legitimacy of the administration, external threats, and the treatment of different groups are all important. Problems may first appear as rumors, complaints, small protests, work slow-downs, or inter-neighborhood tensions; if unresolved, these can lead to migration, smuggling, strikes, riots, or a leadership crisis. Not every dissatisfaction automatically turns into a revolt. The city continues its daily business and troubles even while the player is away. Developments such as harvests, water failures, illnesses, fires, delayed caravans, labor shortages, the arrival of new migrants, criminal incidents, or disputes between neighborhood representatives can emerge based on current capacity. The administration and NPCs only react to events they are aware of; news may be delayed, rumors may be false, and solutions may require money, time, expertise, or political consensus. This design does not imply that a separate, live simulation record is kept for every resident at all times; this depth is not automatically guaranteed in Davia. ### City administration cycle: the cost of every decision City administration is evaluated in the same order during every significant time jump; for a small camp, this might be a few days, while for a large city, it could be a week or a month. The duration is selected based on real time within the narrative and is not changed arbitrarily in each scene. 1. **Read the situation:** Current data on approximate population and headcount; stock levels for water/food/medicine/energy; production and consumption; job openings; state of facilities; security; budget/debt; neighborhood complaints; and incoming or delayed caravans are recorded. Unknown values are labeled as estimates, not presented as exact figures. 2. **Determine priorities:** The player or administration selects a maximum of two major priorities for this period: for example, repairing the water line, creating housing, increasing food production, strengthening defense, establishing trade, or improving healthcare. More work can be initiated, but the same labor and budget cannot be fully committed to multiple projects. 3. **Allocate labor and budget:** For each project, the necessary skills, workers, tools, materials, and caps/payment are determined. Withdrawing workers from critical services will lower the efficiency of those services. Unpaid labor, taxes, or mandatory work are not without costs; they affect morale, trust, and the risk of defection. 4. **Execute work:** Project status is tracked clearly as: **proposed → exploration/planning → awaiting materials → construction/repair → testing → operational.** Missing parts, lack of experts, bad weather, attacks, or route disruptions can halt work. Untested water, energy, or shelter systems are not considered secure. 5. **End-of-period accounting:** First, the basic consumption of the population is evaluated, followed by production, facility maintenance needs, delivered shipments, wages/taxes, and losses. The same resource cannot be spent twice; goods that are in transit are not recorded in the recipient's stock until they are delivered. 6. **Process results and new problems:** Stock deficits, production increases, breakdowns, migration, illness, security incidents, and the public's reaction change only to the extent supported by current conditions. If the player is away, administrators or NPCs make decisions based on their own goals and the information they possess; critical decisions and their justifications are recorded in a brief period report. ### Project queue and construction decisions For every project, the following record is kept: **goal; location/neighborhood; prerequisites; required materials; assigned labor and expertise; estimated time; regular operation/maintenance cost; expected benefit; risk; status.** Time and cost are estimated after initial exploration and updated as new information arrives. Canceling a project does not recover all materials; a half-finished structure may provide temporary shelter but is not counted as an operational facility. The player can prioritize construction into four main groups: - **Survival:** well/purification, water tank, food production, secure housing, waste management, and basic clinic. - **Production and economy:** field, workshop, repair area, warehouse, market, caravan stop, and energy system. - **Security and resilience:** observation post, gate/fence, patrol hub, fire equipment, backup water/energy, and evacuation route. - **Long-term growth:** education/apprenticeship, additional housing neighborhoods, advanced healthcare, radio/communication, and expert production. These are not intended as a fixed technology tree or pre-set building buttons in an interface; they are construction tasks that the player can plan with their resources. A building only provides benefits if there is an appropriate area, materials, workers, access, and operational inputs. A new production facility does not reach full efficiency the moment it appears in stock; commissioning, expert training, and initial inputs may be required. ### City decisions and trade-offs - **Water priority:** Water allocated for drinking/clinics/basic hygiene can reduce the water available for agriculture or industry. Savings and rationing can increase stocks in the short term; unfair implementation can create disease and distrust. - **Food strategy:** Local agriculture provides long-term resilience but requires water, land, seasons, seeds, and labor. Hunting and foreign trade can offer faster support but are vulnerable to danger and route interruptions. - **Defense investment:** Walls, patrols, and training can reduce the risk of raids; excessive military spending can deplete production, maintenance, and healthcare personnel. Defense does not eliminate every threat. - **Migration and housing:** New residents can bring labor and skills; bed, water, food, and health capacity are checked before they are accepted. Accepting people beyond capacity can create epidemics, housing crises, or neighborhood tensions. - **Trade and independence:** Importing experts and goods speeds up growth but can lead to debt, taxes, transit fees, or political concessions. Local production can increase independence; initial setup and expertise costs are high. - **Maintenance or expansion?:** If maintenance is deferred, resources are freed for new buildings in the short term; however, breakdowns can accumulate and cause more expensive disruptions later. A new structure is not a success if operational and maintenance capacities cannot be met. ### City report and growth decision At the end of each management period, a brief **settlement report** is prepared, covering: (1) population and migration, (2) stock levels and estimated consumption for water/food/medicine/energy, (3) distribution of workers and critical staffing shortages, (4) active/unfinished/broken facilities, (5) budget and debt, (6) security and public trust, (7) trade shipments, (8) the three greatest risks, (9) decisions the player must make. If data is unavailable, it is marked as “unknown”; reports are not filled with imaginary numbers. Before a settlement advances to the next stage, in addition to meeting the population threshold, it must demonstrate that its basic services are sustainable: reliable sources for water and food, secure housing, functioning production or income, a capable workforce for maintenance, sanitation/waste disposal, viable security, and legitimate governance. A single bad period does not imply automatic collapse; however, recurring deficits increase migration, debt, malfunctions, and political dependency. Similarly, population growth is not a success in itself; if basic services per capita are regressing, the city may appear to be growing while it is actually becoming more fragile. ### Initial settlement scenario: Broken Well This scenario serves as the first playable test of the city-building mechanics. The player chooses to lead or partner with a small group of survivors at an old crossroads. Nearby, there is a repairable well, a looted warehouse, and a dangerous route as night falls. While the well appears functional, it has not yet been verified as safe; not everything inside the warehouse can be assumed to be usable. The starting inventory and population count are clearly defined by the character's history and the opening narrative; unknown stocks are not invented later. **Initial decisions:** 1. **Exploration and survey:** Examining the well and the surroundings takes time, but it can reveal risks of contamination, collapse, and attack earlier. 2. **Temporary shelter:** Easy to build and makes the first night manageable; however, it does not solve water/food or security issues. 3. **Well repair and testing:** Requires a technician, filters/parts, and labor. Assuming the water is potable before the test is complete carries a risk of disease. 4. **Scavenging the warehouse:** May provide food, tools, or parts; however, it might also contain traps, risks of collapse, or claims from another group. The quantities found are verified only by the scene. 5. **Watch and perimeter security:** More sentries may reduce the risk of a night raid; but those same individuals are then unavailable for construction and production. **First management period:** The player selects a maximum of two primary goals at once. At the end of the period, the population's water/food consumption, work performed, materials used, malfunctions, and new intelligence are reported. If the well has not been tested, the water status remains “unknown” or “risky”; if the resource quantity hasn't been measured, no stock figure is provided. If the player leaves, the group's chosen representative decides based on known information and available resources; they cannot spontaneously create new materials or specialists. **Success criteria:** Not merely surviving the first week; it is about verifying safe water, establishing sustainable shelter, not over-exhausting the workforce, and leaving a record of stock/work that can be carried over to the next period. Multiple solutions are possible, and no single choice eliminates all risks. ### Using settlement statistics settlement_population_band tracks the approximate population scale, settlement_water_status the adequacy of water production/storage/distribution, settlement_food_status the local food situation, settlement_workforce the adequacy of labor for critical services, and settlement_public_order the local trust and tension. These are not identical to global values like clean_water_access or food_security. If the population band or stock level is unknown, it is left blank; it is not converted into a precise value without measurement, recording, or narrative verification. For newly established settlements, these fields are filled in the opening report and updated with justification each management period. ### Multi-person underground bunker Bunker capacity is not measured solely by the number of beds. For a 100-person bunker, air circulation, filters, clean water, waste management, energy, food, and medical support must all be sufficient; bunkers for 250, 500, or 1,000 people require industrial-scale life support infrastructure, backup power, specialized maintenance crews, and vast stockpiles of consumables. The fact that an old Vault or military complex is large does not mean all its systems are functional. Stages of expanding a bunker: **structural inspection → life support capacity test → trial with limited population → measurement of water/air/waste → gradual occupancy → regular drills and maintenance**. Exceeding capacity increases the risk of carbon dioxide/heat buildup, disease, water contamination, fire, or system failure. If a critical system breaks down, it may become necessary to redistribute residents to other sectors or evacuate. ### Technology and research Technology is not at the same level in every region. There are different tiers ranging from simple tools to repaired generators, radios, medical devices, and rare robotic systems. Finding a device does not mean it can be instantly used or mass-produced. Expertise, schematics, proper parts, energy, workspace, and testing are required. Power armor, energy weapons, and robots also cannot operate continuously without maintenance and specialized inputs. ### Mechanics test scenario: Goodsprings–Primm, first 7 days This is a **hypothetical test scenario** prepared to check whether the basic systems interact consistently; it is not a claim regarding the canonical population of Goodsprings or actual stock counts measured in the game. In this test, only the starting values explicitly written in this section are used. **Initial status — test assumptions** - Population: 40 people; as the number of sick/wounded or immigrants at the start of the period is not otherwise verified, no separate figure is invented. - Clean water storage: 4,200 liters; local safe production: 500 liters/day; demand assumption: 15 liters/person/day = 600 liters/day. - Edible food storage: 210 kg; local net production: 18 kg/day; consumption assumption: 0.65 kg/person/day = 26 kg/day. - Caravan expected from Primm: 150 kg of food and 1,000 liters of water in sealed containers. This shipment is defined for testing purposes; it is not a caravan on the actual map or an existing save game. - Road conditions: dangerous/volatile. The caravan is scheduled to arrive on day 3; news of an attack is received on day 2. Until the news is verified, it is recorded as “risk/suspected delay,” not “definitely looted.” **Daily calculation method** For each day, `final stock = previous stock + production + shipment received − consumption − verified loss`. If water or food falls into the negative, the system does not magically create new resources; the deficit is reported as unmet need. In this example, production is assumed to be constant, and spoilage/other losses are assumed to be zero for the first 7 days; these may change under actual conditions. | Day | Water stock (liters) | Food stock (kg) | Event and decision | |---|---:|---:|---| | Start | 4,200 | 210 | 40 people; caravan is not en route, only planned | | 1 | 4,100 | 202 | 500 L water + 18 kg food produced; 600 L water and 26 kg food consumed | | 2 | 4,000 | 194 | Rumors of attack on caravan route; delivery not yet recorded | | 3 | 3,900 | 186 | Caravan does not arrive on time; decision to send scouts and research alternative route | | 4 | 3,800 | 178 | Water/food deficit continues daily; prioritizing basic needs distribution | | 5 | 3,700 | 170 | If caravan location is unverified, shipment is not yet added to buyer's stock | | 6 | 3,600 | 162 | Trade officer arranges a courier or another caravan to Primm; this requires time/fees | | 7 | 3,500 | 154 | End of first week: water decreased by net 700 L, food decreased by net 56 kg; if caravan is not delivered, nothing is added to stocks | **Decision points from the test** 1. **If the caravan is fully delivered before day 7:** only the 150 kg of food and 1,000 L of water that were received and inspected are added. The delivery reduces the next period's deficit; it does not retroactively cover consumption from previous days. 2. **If the caravan is looted:** only the verified amount of loss is processed in the shipment log. Goodsprings stocks do not drop again directly because of this; the load was already removed from the sender's stock at departure. The settlement impact is the non-delivery and the absence of the expected resource. 3. **If water production stops for a day:** that day, 500 L of production is not realized; if demand is 600 L, the storage decreases by 600 L. The parts and time required for repair are recorded separately. 4. **If food or water is insufficient for an extended period:** first, records of deficit, rationing, prices, and complaints are logged; subsequently, depending on conditions, health risk, reduction in work capacity, and migration are evaluated. A specific number of deaths or departures is not automatically logged. 5. **If the population changes:** per-capita demand is recalculated. For example, if 5 verified individuals leave and the population drops to 35, water demand becomes 525 L/day, and food demand becomes 22.75 kg/day. This may ease the burden on stocks but also reduces the workforce. **Success Criterion:** A test is considered successful if all stocks are calculated daily using the same formula, shipments are not counted until received, changes in population are reflected in demand, and the consequences of shortages occur in a progressive/justified manner. This table is a design test and sample record format; it does not prove that Davia calculates these values automatically in the background. ### Mechanical stress test: Water system failure in Goodsprings + delayed caravan This is the second phase of the initial weekly test. The figures below follow the same hypothetical initial scenario; they are not canonical Fallout population statistics or values measured automatically by Davia. **Initial conditions** - At the end of day 7 of the previous test: 40 people, 3,500 L of clean water, 154 kg of edible food. - The water production system fails at the start of day 8. Until the failure is detected, new clean water production is assumed to be 0 L/day. - The caravan has not yet been delivered; the expected cargo is 150 kg of food and 1,000 L of water in sealed containers. It is not added to stocks until delivery is verified. - Daily requirements, by the same assumption, are 600 L of water and 26 kg of food. For the first stress test, it is assumed there are no other production or losses. - Repair requires a filter/pump part, a tool kit, and a specialist; as it has not been verified that these are in the current inventory, the system assumes they are not present. If they cannot be found, the repair time is marked as indefinite. **Failure and supply decision** 1. Day 8: Failure is detected; clean water production stops. The settlement prioritizes drinking and basic health needs; it declares restrictions for hygiene and other uses. The stockpile decreases by 600 L. 2. Reports of an attack on the caravan route remain as rumors until verified. A scout/messenger is sent; this mission may consume time and supplies, but quantities are not fabricated if there is no record. 3. Local leaders compare three options: (a) finding the appropriate part and repairing with a specialist, (b) hiring an emergency water/food caravan from Primm or another reliable source, (c) controlled evacuation/transport to a neighboring safe source. Once an option is chosen, its cost and the person responsible are recorded; all three cannot occur for free. 4. If the caravan arrives, quantity, quality, and loss control are performed. Only the cargo actually received is added. If the water is contaminated, it is not counted as clean water; if the food is spoiled, it is not counted as edible stock. 5. As stocks decrease, rationing, price increases, and public reaction are assessed. Health impacts are not automatically converted into death tolls; the magnitude of the deficit, duration, sanitation, age/health structure, and intervention are taken into account. **7-day stress test table** In the table below, it is assumed that the water system failure started at the beginning of day 8, the caravan was not delivered by the end of day 14, and there was no other production/loss in the first phase. | Day | Clean water stock | Food stock | Status | |---|---:|---:|---:| | End of day 7 | 3,500 L | 154 kg | Test start | | 8 | 2,900 L | 128 kg | Water production stopped; rationing started | | 9 | 2,300 L | 102 kg | Failure investigation and spare part search | | 10 | 1,700 L | 76 kg | Caravan not delivered; rumor verification ongoing | | 11 | 1,100 L | 50 kg | Emergency supply/repair decision required | | 12 | 500 L | 24 kg | Risk of stock insufficiency for the next day's consumption under current assumptions | | 13 | 0 L usable stock* | 0 kg usable stock* | Entire daily demand cannot be met; deficit is recorded separately | | 14 | 0 L usable stock* | 0 kg usable stock* | Crisis continues without emergency aid, alternative source, or evacuation | *The zero in the table is a display base to avoid negative stocks; the unmet need is written separately. For day 13, 500 L of water and 24 kg of food remain from the previous day. Therefore, 100 L of the 600 L water demand and 2 kg of the 26 kg food demand cannot be met that day; zero usable stock remains for day 14. This calculation is provided for consistency between stock consumption at the start/end of the day. **How does the result change if intervention occurs?** - If the water system is repaired on day 10, production becomes 500 L/day again; since the daily demand is 600 L, the stock still decreases by a net 100 L per day. Repair alone does not ensure full sustainability; an additional water source, consumption reduction, or population/production change is required. - If 1,000 L of clean water and 150 kg of safe food are actually delivered on day 11, it is clearly recorded whether they were received before or after that day's consumption. If delivery is at the end of the day, it does not retroactively close the deficits of previous days. - If 200 L of clean water per day can be brought from a neighboring source, the total becomes 700 L/day after repairs, which can meet the 600 L/day demand; however, this requires transport capacity, personnel, and security. 200 L is a hypothetical test input, not a claim that it is an existing resource. - If 5 people leave, the population becomes 35; the hypothetical daily demand drops to 525 L of water and 22.75 kg of food. However, the population does not change until these 5 people are recorded as having actually left; their departure may also decrease the labor force. - If the famine persists, the risk of disease and migration may increase; a specific number of illnesses, deaths, or riots are not automatically derived from the resource deficit alone. These are justified by duration, conditions, and decisions made. **Success criteria for the stress test** - The failure correctly halts water production, and production does not resume until repair is verified. - Water/food stock is not increased until the caravan is received. - Each day's deficit is recorded separately; instead of letting stock go below zero, unmet demand is shown. - Each of the repair, emergency caravan, and evacuation options carries a resource and time cost. - Population, price, disease, and security impacts are based on previous stock records and clearly recorded events. This stress test defines rules and sample calculations; it does not demonstrate that an automatic daily simulation is running in the background of Davia. ### Three-settlement supply network: Goodsprings–Primm–Mojave Outpost This network is a model where settlements have separate stocks and only verified trade/transport events change the stocks. Figures are trial inputs; they are not canonical lore, actual stocks on the map, or a claim that an automated simulation is running in the background. #### Settlement profiles and initial stocks | Settlement | Hypothetical population | Clean water stock | Edible food stock | Local daily water production | Local daily food production | |---|---:|---:|---:|---:|---:| | Goodsprings | 40 | 3,500 L | 154 kg | 500 L | 18 kg | | Primm | 80 | 8,000 L | 320 kg | 700 L | 35 kg | | Mojave Outpost | 120 | 12,000 L | 500 kg | 900 L | 45 kg | Test assumption for each settlement: 15 L of clean water and 0.65 kg of food per person per day. These values are for scenario calculations. The water and food production, population, storage capacity, and security of the settlements are independent of each other; Primm's full storage does not automatically increase Goodsprings' storage. #### Connections and transport capacity | Connection | Initial status | Trial capacity | Delay | Main risk | |---|---|---|---|---| | Goodsprings ↔ Primm | Dangerous | 150 kg food + 1,000 L water / trip | 1 day | Ambush, road damage, lack of protection | | Primm ↔ Mojave Outpost | Intermittent | 250 kg food + 2,000 L water / trip | 2 days | Checkpoint, delay, toll | | Goodsprings ↔ Mojave Outpost | No direct regular line | Only with scouting and verified alternative route | Uncertain | Distance, water requirement, route knowledge | Capacity and durations are trial parameters for the game; they are not verified travel times on the map. Transport capacity indicates the maximum load that can be safely carried in one trip; it does not mean the caravan definitely carries this load. If the route is closed or required protection is missing, the trip may not be able to start. #### Daily stock calculation The same recording sequence applies to every resource in every settlement: **End-of-day stock = start-of-day stock + actual local production + cargo actually received − daily consumption − verified loss.** - The departure of cargo from the previous settlement's stock is deducted when the caravan actually departs; it is added to the target settlement's stock only when received. Cargo on the road cannot be counted in both warehouses. - If a portion of the cargo is lost, the loss is recorded in the transport log; only the delivered amount is entered into the destination inventory. - Production interruptions only affect the relevant settlement and that specific production source. Production in other settlements does not stop automatically. - Consumption is calculated based on the current population and clearly defined daily requirements. The population only changes through recorded migration, death, birth, or other verified events. - If inventory reaches zero, unmet needs are recorded separately; negative physical inventory is not maintained. #### Example caravan log: Primm to Goodsprings If a hypothetical caravan takes 150 kg of food and 1,000 L of clean water from Primm, this cargo is deducted from Primm's inventory upon departure and recorded as “cargo in transit.” The journey takes one day. If the caravan arrives the next day with 120 kg of food and 800 L of water, Goodsprings only receives these delivered amounts; 30 kg of food and 200 L of water are processed as lost. If the cause of the loss is unknown, it is recorded as “cause unverified,” and it is not automatically counted as a raider attack. #### Local and network-wide impacts of crises - **Pump failure in Goodsprings:** Goodsprings' production drops. Additional water from Primm will only reduce the deficit if an expedition is organized and the delivery is verified. Unlimited aid cannot be sent without accounting for Primm's own consumption and reserves. - **Closure of the Primm–Mojave Outpost road:** New expeditions on this connection stop or are delayed. The Goodsprings–Primm line does not close automatically; its status only changes if it is verified that the event affects it as well. - **NCR demand at Mojave Outpost:** The garrison may request supply priority, but only if inventory and transport capacity allow. If mandatory procurement is made from civilian settlements, this is recorded as a corresponding inventory drop and a loss of local trust. - **Food surplus in a settlement:** The surplus is not spontaneously transferred to another community. It requires a specific decision and transport, such as trade, aid, tax, forced seizure, or a contract. - **News and rumors:** The route status does not definitively change until news like “caravan attacked” is verified. Exploration, a messenger, or an eyewitness may create a new information record. #### Indicators for monitoring the network With each update, population, water, food, production interruptions, unmet needs, caravan cargo, route status, delivery delays, verified losses, and the responsible decision are recorded on a per-settlement basis. Across the network, which settlement depends on which resource and which deliveries are affected by a road closure are also tracked. If there is no record, inventory, road conditions, or NPC decisions are not fabricated as if they existed. This model provides consistency rules for settlements in the world to act in their own interests even while the player is away. However, this text alone does not guarantee that daily values are truly updated automatically; every result must be verified by Davia's current simulation behavior or explicitly processed event logs. ### Playable faction and player interventions in the supply network This section connects security, looting, price changes, and player decisions to the Goodsprings–Primm–Mojave Outpost network. Actions only produce results when they are recorded as having taken place in the narrative or world state; these rules alone do not guarantee that automatic events occur in the background. #### 1. NCR convoy protection Mojave Outpost and NCR commanding officers may propose protection for a specific convoy if available personnel, ammunition, supplies, and command authority are sufficient. Protection is not a free or guaranteed part of every expedition. - **Requesting protection:** The player or merchant may offer payment, a share of goods, passage permits, information, or mutual service. - **Capacity check:** If the NCR unit is assigned to another task, the road is closed, or their supplies are insufficient, protection may be denied or delayed. - **Result of protection:** The risk of the convoy being attacked may decrease, but it is not eliminated. Road reconnaissance, weather, route intelligence, enemy strength, and convoy visibility are important. - **Cost:** The fee or allocated goods are truly paid. NCR protection may also create security vulnerabilities where units were pulled from another point. - **Political consequence:** Trust with the NCR may increase; neutral settlements may view this protection as the expansion of NCR influence. This reaction depends on local conditions. #### 2. Raider raid and cargo loss Raiders may only target cargo they need or can sell: food, water, medicine, ammunition, fuel, and repair parts. Not every caravan is automatically attacked. The following logs are kept when resolving a raid: 1. The route and time where the attack occurred. 2. Is the attacker's identity and motive known, or just a guess? 3. The convoy's protection, reconnaissance information, and escape opportunities. 4. Initial amount of cargo, the amount lost/damaged, and the amount received at arrival. 5. Separate log for injuries, capture, or damage to the road. 6. Source of the news and reliability of the information. Unless the attacker's identity is verified, no specific gang is blamed. The amount lost must be consistent with the delivery log; the same goods should not be counted for both the sender and the receiver. Cargo seized by raiders can only be recovered if the location and existence of their loot are verified. #### 3. Prices and reaction to scarcity Merchants may adjust prices based on inventory, demand, route security, transport costs, risk of spoilage, and competing sellers. - When clean water or food reserves are low, sellers may increase prices, limit sales quantities, or prioritize known customers. - When a safe route is opened, transport costs and risk premiums may drop; it is not guaranteed that prices will immediately or completely return to their previous levels. - If a seller is in a monopoly position, they may demand higher prices; this may create local anger, black market trade, or the search for alternative supplies. - NCR taxes, tolls, or forced seizures only enter the inventory/price calculation with an explicit decision and log. - If a numerical market system is not in place for prices, one should not act as if there is a precise percentage or automatic price index. Changes are stated in the narrative or a clearly defined test value is used. #### 4. Player intervention in the caravan The player can influence an expedition in the following ways: - **Escorting:** Travels with the convoy; assumes risks regarding time, ammunition, food, and injury. - **Reconnaissance:** Looks for information on the road, ambush probability, checkpoints, and alternative passes. Information may turn out to be missing or incorrect. - **Negotiation:** Negotiates with the NCR, Primm leadership, merchants, or local communities for passage, fees, protection, and cargo sharing. - **Changing route:** Chooses a route that may be safer but long, expensive, or risky regarding water sources. The existence and passability of the alternative route must first be verified. - **Repair and aid:** Provides the parts, tools, experts, and time needed to fix issues with bridges, vehicles, pumps, or warehouses. - **Intervening in a raid:** May deter an attack, negotiate with the attacker, attempt to recover the cargo, or choose to fight. The outcome is not guaranteed. For every intervention, the purpose, cost, items/money used, time passed, new information, relationship changes, and actual outcome are recorded. The player merely saying “I am doing it” does not make an action that requires resources or access automatically successful. #### 5. Example case: Delay of the Primm caravan This is an example test scenario; it is not a current canonical event. - **Day 1:** A caravan is prepared to carry 150 kg of food and 1,000 L of clean water from Primm to Goodsprings. Cargo is deducted from Primm's inventory upon confirmation of departure. - **Day 2:** A rumor of an attack on the road arrives. Since it is not yet verified, the route is not marked as “definitely closed”; the expedition manager evaluates options for waiting, reconnaissance, hiring escorts, or taking an alternative path. - **Day 3:** If the player goes on reconnaissance, time and supplies carried are logged. If an ambush is verified, the convoy's remaining route is re-evaluated; if not verified, the rumor alone does not create a cargo loss. - **Day 4:** The player may negotiate for NCR protection. If protection is provided, the relevant fee/personnel and expedition log are entered; if no protection is found, the caravan may choose to wait or take a riskier route. - **Delivery:** If a caravan arrives with 120 kg of food and 800 L of water, only these amounts are added to Goodsprings; the remaining 30 kg of food and 200 L of water are recorded as lost. If the reason for the loss is unknown, it remains unclassified. If the caravan never arrives, the delivery is not added to the recipient; the status of the transported cargo is investigated separately. #### 6. Success and consistency checks - NCR protection requires actual personnel and a cost. - A bandit raid is not confirmed by unverified rumors. - Cargo that is dispatched, en route, lost, and received are kept distinct from one another. - A price change must be based on a reason such as stock, demand, risk, or a policy decision. - Player actions carry costs in time and resources; success is never guaranteed. - An event on a route only affects dependent expeditions; its spread to other routes must be justified separately. - Every outcome is linked to an event log; the text itself is not proof of real-time automation. ### Inter-settlement trade Every settlement has a role in trade: for example, agriculture and food production, water purification, metal/scrap, medicine, ammunition, energy, repairs, or caravan services. These roles depend on the settlement's actual stocks and workforce; no settlement can sell goods indefinitely. Trade routes are affected by road safety, distance, transport capacity, weather, and transit permits. If a caravan is delayed, the recipient's stocks are not automatically replenished; an attack or road closure can lead to the loss of the delivery. ### Trade agreements and diplomacy Settlements may enter agreements for regular shipments, mutual exchange, joint caravan protection, water sharing, market access, or emergency aid. Each agreement specifies the parties involved, product/quantity, delivery frequency, payment, duration, and resolutions for breach of contract. An agreement is not the shipment itself; transport and delivery must still occur. The trust between parties fluctuates based on past deliveries, debts, attacks, and promised aid. ### Caravans, water, food, and population: the interconnected core simulation cycle These rules constitute the common operating model for settlements and factions. During each time skip (days for a small camp, weeks for a major settlement; actual travel time for long journeys), the same resource is not spent twice. Unknown stock or population levels are not fabricated as exact numbers; the distinction between “measured,” “estimated,” and “unknown” is maintained. **1. Water budget** - For each settlement, the initial water stock, daily production/purification, distribution capacity, losses, and daily demand are recorded separately. Production and water in storage are not the same; untreated or contaminated water is not considered safe stock until tested. - Priority order is determined based on crisis conditions: drinking and basic health, food preparation, hygiene, followed by agriculture and industry. This order can be changed, but the management decision and its cost are recorded. - If the demand for clean water is not met, the initial response is rationing, queues, and price hikes; if the shortage persists, the risks of hygiene failure, diarrhea/waterborne diseases, loss of workforce, maintenance delays, and migration increase. The severity and timeline depend on local health, weather, sanitation, and the amount missing; a single day of shortage does not automatically cause mass death. - When a well, pump, filter, or pipeline breaks down, only the corresponding production/distribution capacity decreases. Repairs require parts, experts, labor, and time. Backup sources or a water caravan can mitigate the crisis, but there are risks regarding transport capacity and contamination. **2. Food budget and production** - Food logs keep edible stocks, daily consumption, local production, seed/harvest schedules, animal feed, spoilage, and transport losses distinct. The entire gross harvest is not immediately consumable. - Water or labor deficits reduce agriculture; consuming seeds reduces hunger in the short term but may weaken the next harvest. Slaughtering livestock provides immediate food but diminishes the herd and future production. - As the deficit grows, management chooses between stock distribution, rationing, price controls, imports, hunting, new production, or evacuation. Each option carries different time, labor, and political costs; forcing a price drop does not automatically increase supply. - If food shortages continue, nutritional levels and work capacity decline, disease risk increases, and production may drop further. This negative cycle is possible, but it is not an automatic or immediate outcome; aid, stocks, healthcare, and local solidarity can alter the impact. **3. Caravan shipment state machine** Every shipment is tracked as a separate record: `planned → loading → departed → in transit → delivered`; status interruptions can include `delayed / rerouted / damaged / looted / lost / cancelled`. - Record fields: origin and destination; date/estimated arrival; caravan owner and security; cargo type/quantity; transport capacity; water/food/fuel; route and checkpoints; fees/debts; information reliability; current status. - Cargo is deducted from the source storage during loading; while in transit, it is not yet added to the recipient's stock. The delivery is only credited to the recipient after arrival, quantity, and status checks. Losses, damage, spoilage, and seizures are recorded separately; the same load cannot appear in both the sender's and recipient's inventory simultaneously. - Caravan speed is affected by terrain, weather, load, animal/vehicle condition, breaks, injuries, road permits, and threats. If the cargo exceeds capacity, the load is reduced, additional carriers are hired, or the journey is split. Security reduces risk but does not guarantee success. - If the caravan's water/food is insufficient for the duration of the trip, additional supplies, rest stops, route changes, dumping cargo, or turning back are required. If the caravan's rations are supplied from the local population's stock, this amount is also deducted from the settlement's account. - An attack or road closure does not automatically halt the entire trade network; only the affected route and shipments dependent on it are updated. An alternative route might be longer, more expensive, or more dangerous. **4. Population, health, and migration outcomes** - Population is not tracked as a single number, but whenever possible, by groups such as residents, temporary travelers, workers, patients/the injured, and security personnel. The needs of children, the elderly, the ill, and laborers may differ. - End-of-period population accounting: `previous population + arrivals + births − departures − deaths = new population`. Each change is justified by an event; unknown birth/death numbers are not fabricated. Migration decisions depend on safety, jobs, family ties, prices, access to water/food, and road conditions. - If water and food security increase, the settlement may attract more people; however, without sufficient housing, healthcare, jobs, and sanitation capacity, newcomers can quickly exacerbate service shortages. Immigrants are not automatically laborers or loyal residents. - Repeated famine, disease, or insecurity reduces the workforce, which can lead to declines in production and maintenance, causing further famines. Reliable aid, alternative supplies, good distribution, treatment, and local production can break this cycle. - Outcomes involving death or serious illness are described only to the extent supported by the scene and conditions. A resource deficit does not automatically result in a specific number of deaths; duration, intensity, health infrastructure, age distribution, and intervention are all taken into account. **5. Prices, trust, and faction capacity** - A good's local price can fluctuate based on stock, demand, route risk, taxes, monopolies, spoilage, and alternative suppliers. Price increases may force poor households to reduce consumption; black markets and smuggling may develop. A decision to lower prices requires supply, subsidies, or stock. - Caravan revenues and transit fees are only added to the treasury when actually collected and received. Allocating tax revenue to security, repairs, or food aid limits other budget items. - The military strength of the NCR, Legion, New Vegas, and local groups depends on food, water, ammunition, medicine, animals/vehicles, morale, and supply delays, in addition to troop counts. Expanding a garrison may pull workers away from production; long supply disruptions can reduce patrol frequency or operational range. - A caravan agreement alone does not create safe roads, unlimited goods, or an automatic political alliance. A history of deliveries can increase trust; breach, looting, or unfair seizure can lead to debt, retaliation, price hikes, and diplomatic tension. **6. End-of-period accounting and causality log** A brief log is kept for each period: `Period | Settlement/route | Initial stocks | Production and imports | Consumption and losses | Deliveries | Final stock | Population/migration | Health and morale | Decision made | Justification/uncertainty`. First, resource changes are calculated, then the reactions of the public and factions are evaluated. If an outcome is not based on previous logs, it is clearly stated as a new event; stock, population, disease, or caravan results are not altered solely to create dramatic effect. This model is not a claim of an autonomous numerical simulation running on its own; it is a set of rules designed to manage the state of the world consistently. ### Economic policies Authorities may impose customs duties, road tolls, embargoes, strategic stockpiles, open market policies, rationing, or restrictions on the export of specific goods. These policies are enforced only within the borders and checkpoints they control. Tax revenue can fund security and infrastructure; however, excessive taxation may lead merchants to seek alternative routes, fuel smuggling, and cause public discontent. In times of famine, leaders may secure critical stockpiles of water, food, and medicine before allowing exports. ### Trade and political relations A trade partnership does not constitute an automatic military alliance. Settlements may engage in trade while simultaneously experiencing disputes over borders, ideology, or security. Relations shift based on trust, mutual interdependence, border conflicts, past violations, and external threats. Distant settlements cannot directly know the stockpiles or intentions of others; information arrives with delays via caravans, envoys, radio, or records. A breach of agreement, an embargo, or an attack on a caravan can create diplomatic tension; parties may choose to retaliate, negotiate, or seek mediation. ### The player's role and the living world The player may progress as an independent traveler, merchant, mechanic, farmer, guard, explorer, or settlement founder. If they gain resources and support, they may eventually lead a community. Leadership does not automatically create all resources; decisions are constrained by budget, personnel, local support, and logistics capacity. While the player chooses their own goals, factions, NPCs, trade routes, and settlements continue to evolve according to their own conditions. ### Player character creation and starting inventory Players are free to determine their character's name, age, appearance, personality, skills, moral boundaries, history, and goals. The game does not force the player into a single predetermined hero role. One's background affects the starting location, initial connections, basic equipment, and resources. This freedom does not imply the ability to select powerful items or unlimited resources without justification. **Starting backgrounds** - **Mojave Native:** Familiar with the region and some local paths; may carry basic water, food, standard clothing, and a simple tool. Acquaintances are not automatically loyal or helpful. - **Caravan Apprentice:** Possesses practical knowledge of trade, cargo, and prices; may start with basic travel gear and a small amount of caps. Caravan connections may involve debt or an old dispute. - **NCR Soldier or Discharged Veteran:** Familiar with basic military training and NCR order. Equipment is plain and limited based on background; former unit connections do not guarantee support. - **Mechanic or Scavenger:** Knowledgeable about tools, repairs, and old technology. May carry basic repair tools or scrap; cannot automatically understand or produce rare parts. - **Clinic Assistant or Field Medic:** May have first-aid knowledge and limited medical supplies. Stimpaks or RadAway are provided only if the background and starting conditions support it. - **Vault Dweller:** May carry knowledge of Vault operations or Old World equipment. A Vault origin does not automatically provide high technology, abundant ammunition, or experience surviving in the outside world. - **Write your own background:** The player may define an alternative background. Starting items and connections will be balanced according to the logic of that history. **Starting inventory principles** - **Basic Items:** Clothing, a limited amount of food and water, a personal item, and tools or standard equipment consistent with the chosen background. - **Caps:** Determined by occupation, background, debts, and the economy of the starting location. Characters do not start rich for no reason; liabilities are also recorded. - **Stimpak:** A scarce emergency treatment item; it is not guaranteed at the start unless justified by a medical or military background or the scenario itself. - **RadAway:** Used for radiation treatment. It is not considered a standard starting item without a specific justification. - **RAD Measurement and Protection:** Not every character possesses a Pip-Boy or geiger counter. Protective gear and dosimeters must be justified by background and access. - **Chems:** Psycho, Jet, Med-X, and similar substances are not standard starting gifts. If a character carries them, the context regarding their source, quantity, and any potential addiction/debt must be consistent. - **Item Limits:** Carrying capacity accounts for an item's weight, condition, and usability. Empty or broken items are not counted as functional; the same item is not counted twice. **Choice and Continuity:** A character may be inexperienced, poor, indebted, injured, or reputable. Their background influences initial relationships with NPCs but does not automatically make anyone a friend. Medicine or weapons not in the inventory do not appear out of thin air when needed. In the absence of a numerical inventory interface, quantities are tracked consistently within the narrative; no automatic saves are assumed. ### Inventory system: carrying, item condition, and resource management The inventory is a clear and consistent record of everything the player possesses. Players are free to decide where to go; this freedom does not mean unlimited inventory space, unlimited ammunition, or the ability to acquire new items at will. The inventory is not tied to a quest log and functions by the same rules while the player pursues their own goals. **Every item record includes the following fields whenever possible:** - **Name and Quantity:** The full name of the item, and its count or unit of measurement. Unique weapons are tracked individually, while ammunition and consumables are tracked in stacks. - **Category:** Weapon, ammunition, armor/clothing, medical, food/drink, chemical, tool, crafting material, quest/evidence object, or valuable. - **Condition:** Pristine, used, damaged, empty, dirty/contaminated, or broken. If the condition is unknown, it is not written as if it were certain. - **Weight and Volume:** Numerical value if known; otherwise, qualitative definitions such as light/medium/heavy and small/medium/bulky. There is no automated weight calculator in this draft. - **Location and Ownership:** Items are recorded separately based on whether they are carried, held in hand, equipped, stored in a camp/depot/safe, loaded onto a vehicle, or entrusted to another person. - **Source and Exchange:** Where it was obtained, the purchase/trade price, to whom it belongs, and whether it is a loan or entrusted item. **Carrying and Load Limits** - A character's carrying capacity must be consistent with their background, physique, backpack, armor, and any current injuries. If no precise kilogram value is determined, no unrealistically precise numbers are invented; the load is classified as light, manageable, heavy, or overburdened. - **Light Load:** No significant penalty to movement or stealth. **Heavy Load:** Long-distance marching, climbing, dodging, and stealth become more difficult; fatigue may accumulate faster. **Overburdened:** The character cannot move quickly or perform dangerous maneuvers without dropping items. - Power armor, heavy weapons, ammunition, water, and scrap make carrying items more difficult. Carrying capacity does not increase simply because an item is found; a backpack, vehicle, or pack-animal must actually exist. - If an item is dropped on the ground, its location and who can access it are noted. Items left in a camp or depot are not automatically secure; looting, damage, theft, and environmental hazards remain possibilities. **Weapons and Ammunition** - Weapons, their compatible ammunition type, loaded magazines, and spare ammunition are tracked separately. Firing a weapon reduces the count of fired rounds; reloading does not create new ammunition. - The weapon's condition, compatible parts, installed modifications, and maintenance needs are tracked. Not every mod fits every weapon; finding a part does not mean it is successfully installed. - Energy weapons require compatible energy cells; flamethrowers or specialized weapons require appropriate fuel/ammunition. If no compatible ammunition exists, the weapon cannot be used. - Armor and clothing are equipped separately; damaged or ill-fitting armor does not provide full protection. Repairs require parts, tools, and time. **Consumption and Spoilage** - Water and food are consumed based on travel time, weather, physical exertion, and the character's condition. During long journeys, one cannot proceed indefinitely without accounting for these needs. - Exposed water/food can become contaminated; chemicals, ammunition, and electronic parts may be damaged if stored improperly. Not every item spoils automatically; risks are stated according to conditions. - When Stimpaks, RadAway, bandages, or chems are used, the quantity decreases. The effects and risks of drugs are not interchangeable; a Stimpak does not remove radiation, and RadAway does not heal all wounds. - Caps, trade goods, and debts are kept separate. Items sold or traded are removed from the player's inventory; received goods are only added once they are delivered. **Looting, searching, and uncertainty** - When searching a corpse, chest, vehicle, or storage, the contents are not fully known beforehand. The player may gain more information by using observation, keys, skills, tools, or time. - Searching an area does not guarantee that every item is intact, valuable, or portable. Empty containers, broken parts, contaminated water, missing ammunition, and traps are all possible outcomes. - When picking up items, the player must consider weight, noise, search time, witnesses, and the risks of ownership. Selling stolen goods can be difficult, and being caught can lead to reputational and legal consequences. **Recording format after every significant inventory change:** `Item | Previous | Change | After | Status/Location | Reason` Example: `9mm ammo | 24 | 6 used | 18 | bag, intact | skirmish at the road raid`. Unknown starting quantities are not presented as exact numbers later on. Since an automated inventory panel is not verified in Davia, this model is the set of rules to be applied in the game's narrative and status summaries; it is not presented as if an interface feature exists. ### New factions and major settlements To avoid contradicting established groups in the Fallout universe, this section defines new factions not as major nations or powers that alter canonical events, but as local communities acting on a local scale and negotiating with existing powers. New groups do not replace the NCR, Caesar's Legion, the New Vegas administration, the Brotherhood of Steel, or known settlements. **New factions** - **Mojave Caravan Guards:** An independent network of escorts hired by various caravans around Goodsprings, Primm, the Mojave Outpost, and the 188 Trading Post. They have no single army or leader; they work for pay, supplies, and reliable information. They are not counted as NCR military, and payment does not guarantee safe passage. - **Freeside Neighborhood Council:** A loose representative network of Freeside merchants, families, and small workshops. This is not the same structure as The Kings and does not control all neighborhoods. Water, food, street safety, and economic dependence on the Strip are the core issues; there are internal disagreements. - **Colorado Crossing Community:** A loose network of boatmen, hunters, and guides using small piers and crossings on the Colorado River. They do not speak for the NCR or the Legion; they may occasionally make limited agreements for security and trade. Knowing the crossing does not mean using it safely or for free. The manpower, resources, and influence of these factions are limited. The player can trade with them, sign contracts, help them, ignore them, or clash with their interests. Not every member shares all the views of their group; reaching an agreement with a single representative does not bind the entire faction. **Major settlements and lore boundaries** - **Shady Sands:** An important location regarding the historical origins and political identity of the NCR. This draft does not fabricate a new location or current capital status without further verification of its precise administrative status in 2275 and its coordinates on the map. - **New Reno:** A city where crime families, gambling, smuggling, and trade are intertwined. The balance of power is competitive among families and businesses; it is not assumed that any single family has undisputed control. - **Klamath:** A poor settlement in Northern California subsisting on hunting and fur trading; the local economy depends on hunting, small-scale trade, and road safety. - **Modoc:** A small settlement surviving on agriculture and local production. Stocks are determined by harvests, water, and trade with neighbors; it is not a major military force. - **Broken Hills:** A mining settlement known for its delicate balance between mining operations and diverse communities. Production depends on labor, security, water, and mining conditions. - **Arroyo:** A settlement with strong traditions and community bonds, limited resources, and sparse connections to the outside world. News can arrive late; earning the trust of outsiders takes time. Listing these settlements does not mean they are all simultaneously accessible to the player or placed on the map with exact coordinates. Known lore and the draft's unique interpretation of the 2275 scenario are kept separate; unverified map locations or political control are not presented as established fact. ### Presence of major factions on the map and the balance of power Faction entries on the map show headquarters, forward bases, and logistics nodes; these are not modern states surrounded by precise borders. A faction's presence in a settlement does not mean they control all surrounding roads and cells. Control is evaluated based on garrisons, supplies, local support, the activity of rivals, and recent events. - **New California Republic (NCR):** Visible through California centers and strategic positions like the Mojave Outpost, Long 15, Camp McCarran, and the Hoover Dam. The NCR presence is limited especially by supplies and military road security; not every town is under NCR administration. - **Caesar's Legion:** Represented by their main power base in the direction of Arizona/Flagstaff and forward positions extending west of the Colorado River. Control around Cottonwood Cove, Nelson, and The Fort is significant; borders with the NCR and river crossings may remain disputed. - **Mr. House and the New Vegas administration:** Concentrated around the Strip, the Lucky 38, and the Securitron network. Order on the Strip does not guarantee automatic dominance over Freeside or the outer Mojave. - **Brotherhood of Steel — Mojave Chapter:** A hidden and limited force in Hidden Valley. While they have access to high technology, their manpower is low; they are not considered to have established open-terrain control. - **Great Khans:** Associated with a mobile network of camps and settlements in and around Red Rock Canyon. Their desire for independence and to keep away from outside forces influences their decisions; their alliances can change. - **Boomers:** A defensive and insular community around Nellis. Their strong defenses do not mean they rule the surrounding territory; contact with the outside world depends on their own security conditions. - **Followers of the Apocalypse:** Provide aid and information through the Old Mormon Fort in Freeside and their network of clinics. Claims of neutrality do not eliminate problems with resource scarcity and security. - **Van Graff family and Gun Runners:** These are primarily arms trade and supply networks rather than regional states. Their commercial spheres of influence should not be written as military control over every road. - **Fiends and Powder Gangers:** A regional threat; the areas they control do not constitute a continuous and regular government. Raids, smuggling, and scattered camps can affect road safety. **Movement rules for major factions** 1. Capturing a position requires soldiers, supplies, transport, and time. Orders issued from a distant center do not yield immediate results. 2. Roads, bridges, dams, water sources, and supply depots hold strategic value. A point changing hands only affects the routes and resources tied to it. 3. Troops may experience losses, desertion, illness, morale issues, and supply shortages. No faction has infinite soldiers or ammunition. 4. News is categorized as verified information, unverified rumors, and propaganda. Rumors alone do not change map control. 5. The player can join factions, avoid them, or remain neutral. Not participating in the main story will not stop major powers from acting in their own interests. 6. Current map points are preserved; unverified new coordinates are not invented. Current landmark records are used for a faction's headquarters. ### Crafting, repair, camping, and establishing personal bases This system provides the player with objectives independent of quest chains: collecting and selling scrap, repairing equipment, preparing for journeys, running a camp, or establishing a secure base over time. These are dependent on the player's choices; it is not assumed that every character can automatically craft or establish a safe base in every region. **Conditions necessary for production** - The recipe or method must be known; materials must actually be in the inventory or an accessible stash. Seeing a recipe does not mean learning it. - The process requires appropriate tools, a workspace, skill, time, and, where possible, security. Simple field repair is not the same difficulty as producing precision electronics, energy weapons, or advanced technology. - Before production begins, the materials to be consumed and potential risks are stated. Failure may consume the materials, leave the product defective, or require additional parts; success is not guaranteed in advance. - Scrap does not automatically transform into useful parts. It may need to be inspected, disassembled, or cleaned first; some parts may be broken, incompatible, or dangerous. **Repair and maintenance** - First, the fault and damage are determined; then, the appropriate parts, tools, skill, and time are checked. Temporary field repair may keep equipment running for a short time but may not be a permanent solution. - Repair materials and spare parts are deducted from inventory upon completion of the process. If no suitable part is available, the character may postpone the repair, look for another mechanic, scavenge parts, or stop using the equipment. - Maintenance requirements vary for weapons, armor, clothing, vehicles, and electronic devices. Every repair does not restore condition to a pristine state; craftsmanship and material quality influence the outcome. **Camping and storage** - Setting up a temporary camp requires suitable terrain, time, and available supplies. Constraints regarding water, fuel, cover, security, and weather conditions are clearly specified. - Establishing a camp does not automatically provide the character with walls, armed guards, or unlimited storage. Fire and light can create visibility; tracks, smoke, and noise may attract the attention of others. - A permanent base requires access, ownership or permission, usable structures, repair materials, water/energy sources, and a regular maintenance plan. A building that appears abandoned is not necessarily empty or safe. - Items in storage are kept separate from items on the character. Storage capacity, lock/protection status, and access permissions are specified. Security measures may reduce risk but do not make theft or attack impossible. - As a base grows, maintenance, supplies, defense, employees, and relations with neighbors create new responsibilities. The player may remain a lone traveler if they wish; establishing a base is not a mandatory path of progression. **Transaction log** Every production, repair, or storage operation keeps a record of: `Transaction | Input | Time spent | Outcome | Remaining material | Change in item/location`. Example: `Field repair of shotgun | 1 compatible part, repair kit | half a day | temporarily operational | no parts left | condition partially improved`. Unknown recipes, durations, or success probabilities are not fabricated as precise numbers. ### Character development, skills, and tracking of permanent results Character development is not reduced merely to finding more powerful weapons or a general level-up. For every significant action, the relevant skill, preparation, equipment, assistance, and risk are evaluated together. Since a numerical XP/level system is not verified in the Davia interface, the following model is applied as a consistent development log in the narrative; it is not presented as if there is automatic leveling. **Skill areas:** - **Weapons and combat:** familiarity with weapon types, aiming, use of cover, tactics, and ammunition management. - **Survival:** finding/purifying water, tracking, camping, and identifying terrain and radiation hazards. - **Technical:** repair, electricity/energy, examination of old-world devices, safety testing, and manufacturing. - **Social:** persuasion, negotiation, mediation, leadership, and reading threats. - **Knowledge and exploration:** research, first aid, medicine, map reading, observation, and verifying rumors. **Principle of development:** A skill only progresses when the character undergoes training, practice, guidance, or a meaningful experience. Repeated risk-free actions do not provide unlimited mastery. Expertise may require tools, resources, a safe workspace, and time. Advanced technology unknown to the character is not considered learned simply because the device was found. **Permanent character log is updated during every significant scene:** 1. Physical condition: injury, fatigue, radiation exposure, illness, and risk of addiction. 2. Resources: caps, water, food, ammunition, medicine, equipment condition, and carrying capacity. 3. Competence: skills used, knowledge learned, lack of training, and tools required. 4. Relations: who trusts whom, who is in debt/owed, who truly knows about the event. 5. World impact: agreements made, promises given, resources spent, unfinished business, and emerging enmity. **Failure is also part of progress:** A failed attempt may result in lost time, resources, or trust; however, what the character has learned is explicitly stated. Injuries, debts, bad reputation, or lost items are not deleted just because the scene changes. Rest, treatment, repair, and repairing relationships require real time and resources. ### Initial trade profiles and connections This table shows potential connections designed to make the initial economy consistent. It does not by itself establish active caravans, definitive stock, or signed agreements. | Settlement | Potential export/service | Critical import | Economic constraint | |---|---|---|---| | Goodsprings | Small-scale produce, access to water, repair | Medicine, tools, and certain food items | Small population, limited production | | Primm | Passenger service, repair, and mediation | Food, spare parts, security services | Dependent on road safety | | Novac | Game products and passenger services | Medicine, tools, and trade goods | Low population, irregular supply | | Freeside | Labor, repair, and small market services | Cheap food, medicine, clean water | High demand, unequal access | | New Vegas Strip | Services and select luxury goods | Infrastructure parts, certain food and maintenance inputs | Dependent on security and infrastructure | | Mojave Outpost | Transit, news, and logistics services | Supplies, ammunition, and spare parts | Dependent on NCR supply chains | | NCR farmlands | Grain and other agricultural products | Tools, pump/conduit parts, security | Water, labor, and transport capacity | | The Hub | Wholesale trade and caravan services | Safe passage, local products, and repair | Long distances and caravan risks | **Prerequisites for connections and consequences of interruptions** - Goodsprings–Primm: small quantities of supplies and repair materials; requires road clearance, surplus stock, and carriers. Interruption can deplete local stock and raise prices. - Primm–Mojave Outpost: mail, caravan, and basic supply; requires passage permits, safe routes, and transport capacity. Interruption delays deliveries and may increase supply pressure. - Novac–Mojave settlements: game products and passenger services; requires surplus stock and safe roads. Interruption may reduce income and access to fresh food. - Freeside–New Vegas Strip: daily necessities and service trade; requires market access, purchasing power, and passage rules. If trade is disrupted, famine pressure in Freeside or service disruptions on the Strip may increase. - NCR farmlands–Camp McCarran/Mojave Outpost: food and military supply; requires storage, convoys, protection, and road permits. Interruption can gradually reduce military and civilian stock. - The Hub–inland California: wholesale and long-distance trade; requires capital, protection, and route knowledge. Interruption may increase price differentials and regional famine risks. **A concrete trade agreement** must specify the parties, the goods and quantities, unit prices or swaps, frequency of delivery, the route and carrier, duration of validity, security conditions, and resolution in case of breach. Acceptance by both parties is required. Once signed, goods are not considered instantly transported; stock, transport capacity, road conditions, and time are checked separately. ### Economic control as time progresses At each significant time jump, the economy is evaluated in the following order: current stock and the status of previous caravans; basic consumption of the populace; production and facility maintenance; new shipments and deliveries; transit fees and taxes; final stock, price pressure, and diplomatic outcomes. Goods remain the caravan's load until delivered. Goods dispatched are removed from the seller's available stock; when delivered, they are added to the buyer's; if lost, it is processed as a loss. Signing an agreement alone does not produce or transport goods. If a settlement cannot meet its basic need for water, food, or medicine, the administration may limit exports, implement rationing, or request foreign aid. Prolonged famine can affect health, production, migration, and public order; the consequences depend on the duration of the crisis, current stock, and available aid. After significant time jumps, the trade report should summarize shipments delivered, delayed, or lost, known stock/price pressures, implemented policies, and changing diplomatic trust. The report is based only on information that the relevant parties could have learned. These rules are the simulation's behavioral target; if there is no actual numerical stock or caravan log in the interface, the narrative does not claim that these are automatically tracked. ## Trade backbone and chain effects Initially, the primary trade flow is not a single, secure highway: the NCR's Los Angeles/Boneyard market is fueled by agricultural products from Kern and Tulare; meanwhile, convoys heading to the Mojave via San Bernardino carry distinct risks. When northern passes close, caravans shift to longer southern routes, increasing transportation costs and the risk of loss. Within the Mojave, New Vegas, Freeside, and smaller towns do not share the same supply priority: while the Strip can attract goods with its purchasing power, Freeside and roadside settlements are affected more quickly by delays in water, food, and medicine. Further east, La Paz and Yuma serve as transit points between river crossings and interior Arizona roads; the loss of a pass or ferry can delay cargo reaching Maricopa. These connections represent trade trends at the start, not guaranteed automated shipping records; outcomes depend on road safety, inventories, agreements, and actions occurring within the simulation. ## Subsistence patterns of small settlements - **Goodsprings:** Survives on small-scale farming, water wells, basic repairs, and traveler trade around the Prospector Saloon. The town’s greatest advantage is its limited but locally known water sources; its greatest vulnerability is its small population and dependence on outside medicine, tools, and spare parts. Not having a major faction's garrison does not render the town empty or completely defenseless; if danger escalates, residents may reduce trade, call for aid, or attempt to maintain neutrality. - **Primm:** The old casino and highway traffic carry the potential for renewed income; however, this income only returns if travelers feel safe. The threat of raiders and limited local law enforcement put repair and security expenses in competition. Primm’s problem is not just finding supplies, but convincing merchants that it is worth stopping there. - **Novac:** The Dinosaur Motel and its location on the main road create opportunities for stops, information, and limited repairs for caravans. The visibility provided by tourist ruins does not eliminate surrounding dangers; night watches and the need for fuel and spare parts are crucial. If caravan traffic ceases, motel income and the local news network weaken. - **Freeside:** Despite being right next to the New Vegas Strip, it does not share the same security, income, or access to goods as the Strip. Small merchants, the Kings, and actors like the Followers of the Apocalypse compete or cooperate for neighborhood order, cheap food, water, and medical treatment. The abundance on the Strip does not automatically flow to the people of Freeside; transit restrictions and price discrepancies can heighten social tension. ## 2275 opening tensions - **The fragility of Mojave trade:** As New Vegas attempts to maintain security and revenue around the Strip, the need for water, medicine, and cheap food persists in Freeside and outlying settlements. Order in the city center does not mean all Mojave roads are safe. - **The NCR's expansion dilemma:** The NCR maintains its administration and supply networks in California while bearing the cost of its military presence in the Mojave. The priorities of local commanders do not always align with orders from the center. - **Pressure on the Colorado border:** The Legion seeks to increase its influence around eastern passes and the river; however, patrols, supplies, and the resistance of occupied communities limit progress. Every settlement on the border is not under equal Legion control. - **Survival calculations of minor powers:** The Great Khans, Mojave Brotherhood, Boomers, Fiends, and Powder Gangers deal with different threats in their own narrow territories. The existence of these groups does not mean they rule an entire state; their relationships with neighboring settlements can shift through trade, fear, negotiation, or conflict. - **The value of information:** Caravans and radio networks do not carry every development simultaneously. A settlement might learn of the outcome of a distant battle days or weeks later with incomplete information; rumors can lead to poor decisions. ## Regional distribution of creatures, mutants, and humanoid communities This distribution is a starting guide based on known species and settlements in the Fallout universe. It is not assumed that creatures are always present in every marked zone; populations can change due to season, prey, water, human pressure, and player actions. Unless defined as a separate cell or encounter on the map, creatures are not automatically considered units that are constantly visible. ### Mojave and surrounding New Vegas - **Deathclaw:** The highest threat areas are Quarry Junction, the stone quarries around Sloan, and Dead Wind Cavern. Random encounters in the open desert are possible, but herds are not found on every path. Mining and caravan traffic lead to staying away from these areas or using armed escorts. - **Cazador:** Dangerous in mountainous and hot areas, remote passes with natural shelters, and around abandoned facilities. Approaching their nests carries high risk; a permanent swarm is not assumed to exist in the center of a town. - **Gecko and other large lizards:** Can be seen in the hot desert plains and rocky regions of the Mojave. Usually small hunting groups; their access to water and prey animals affects their local distribution. - **Radscorpion:** Can burrow in hot, diggable terrain such as the Ivanpah dry lake, desert hollows, mine peripheries, and sparsely used roads. Caravans near these nests carry the risk of delay and injury. - **Nightstalker:** A dangerous mutant predator that can be encountered especially in caves, semi-buried facilities, and dark passes. Distribution is kept sparse; it is not assumed to be in every cave. - **Feral ghoul:** Can concentrate in the Searchlight radiation zone, abandoned underground facilities, and inside heavily contaminated structures. Intelligent ghoul communities and feral hordes are not to be confused. - **Super mutant and Nightkin:** The area around Black Mountain and Jacobstown are the primary focuses of these communities. The Nightkin may have issues related to stealth and old technology; not all super mutants are hostile. Residents in Jacobstown are treated as a settlement community, not a random horde of monsters. - **Humanoid raiders:** Fiends are active in the ruins of West and Southwest New Vegas and around Vault 3; Powder Gangers are effective at the NCR Correctional Facility, quarries, and escape routes. Jackals and Vipers are seen more on desolate roads, passes, and small camps. These groups are separate organizations, and not every raider is tied to the same faction. - **Brahmin and domesticated animals:** Are a source of cargo, milk, and meat in Goodsprings, Primm, the NCR Sharecropper Farms, and safe farming vicinities. Large herds require clean water, feed, and protection; they are not found near every ruin. ### California and northern settlements - **Ghoul communities:** Associated with Gecko, Necropolis/Vault 12, and the contaminated areas of old cities. Intelligent ghouls can participate in trade and settlement life; feral ghouls constitute a danger mostly in abandoned, dark, or radioactive areas. - **Super mutants:** Areas connected to the Mariposa Military Base and FEV research are historical focal points. The size of the current population and which regions they control are not finalized without evidence in the scenario. - **Deathclaw:** The outskirts of the Boneyard, desolate valleys, and the proximity of old military/research facilities can be high-risk areas. They are not depicted as ordinary street creatures in the NCR's central settlements. - **Wildlife and farm animals:** Brahmin, geckos, and mutant animals suited to the region can be found in Klamath and the northern rural areas. The distance between water, prey, and human settlements determines the distribution. ### Arizona, Colorado River, and eastern passes - **Gecko, radscorpion, and other desert mutants:** Can be encountered in the rural areas of Yuma, Tucson, old Phoenix, and the Colorado River passes. Since water holes are gathering points for both settlements and wildlife, risk and competition increase. - **Humanoid gangs and local warriors:** Small raider groups, independent tribes, and local defense units can be found on roads outside the direct supervision of the Legion. In areas under Legion control, patrols and mandatory transit rules may be dominant; this does not mean every person in the region is a Legion soldier. - **Legion's human population:** Soldiers, auxiliary workers, slaves, merchants, and local communities are distinct groups. Every settlement does not have the same loyalty or living conditions; the level of control depends on the garrison and supply capacity. ### Other map regions - **Distant city ruins:** Mutant animals, feral ghouls, and humanoid groups fitting the Fallout world can be used in Seattle, Denver, Dallas, Detroit, Miami, and other eastern regions; however, the density of species and organized factions are not presented as definitive canon without local lore or scenario explanation. - **Vault and research facilities:** Mutant or experimental remnants can be found in Vault 17, Mariposa, REPCONN, West Tek, and other research points. It is not assumed that the same experiment or the same species is present in every facility; danger is justified by the facility's history. ### Encounter and population continuity 1. The sighting of creatures must be consistent with the region's ecology, shelter, water, and prey resources. 2. If a nest is cleared, the threat does not immediately return; time and suitable conditions are required for repopulation or migration. 3. For humanoid groups, population, leadership, food, ammunition, shelter, and relations with neighbors are critical. The existence of a camp does not imply control over the entire region. 4. Intelligent ghouls, super mutant communities, tribes, and ordinary people are factions with their own goals; not all are treated as automatic enemies. 5. Creatures and humanoid groups may move while the player is away; however, these changes are limited by resources, time, and knowledge. If there is no real-time map unit or automated population system, the text does not claim that these are precisely simulated in the background. ## Gameplay loop: explore, decide, track results The player does not enter the game as a pre-determined hero, but as a character with a chosen, plausible background and starting conditions. Initially, the character's skills, items, debts, acquaintances, and relations with factions should be consistent with their background. The player can choose between following the main story, settling in a town, trading, taking on exploration/repair jobs, joining a group, or living without ties to any major faction. Each meaningful action is resolved with these four questions: **What is the intent? What resources and skills are required? Who can see or learn about this? How does the result change the world?** Time and distance are accounted for; information, equipment, or aid inaccessible to the character is not automatically assumed. Beyond major quests, minor jobs, personal relationships, resource shortages, and local conflicts also constitute playable goals. ## City management checklist When dealing with city management or a major crisis in a city, the following status summary is used: 1. **Population and labor:** approximate population, healthy/employable workforce, shortage of specialists, and migration tendencies. 2. **Basic needs:** clean water, food, shelter, healthcare, waste management, and energy; if known, inventory and daily consumption. 3. **Production and maintenance:** production resources, necessary inputs, functional facilities, breakdowns, and repair time. 4. **Security and administration:** patrol capacity, threats, law/taxes, public trust, and inter-neighborhood tensions. 5. **External relations:** accessible trade routes, shipment status, debt/agreements, and alternative suppliers. 6. **Next decision:** the most urgent bottleneck, two or more viable options, the cost of each option, and potential side effects. This checklist is a game design method used to produce consistent decisions; it does not mean the current Davia interface contains an automated municipal panel, a real-time population counter, or a constant simulation for every NPC. Unless such numerical systems are explicitly supported by the interface, conditions are tracked through game narrative and available statistics. ## Pilot region: New Vegas, Freeside, and Mojave connections This region is the first gameplay testing area. The scale of settlement and infrastructure status are kept as initial classifications in landmark records; they do not replace precise population or automated inventory counters. - **New Vegas Strip:** A trade hub at city scale, with relatively reliable infrastructure and connected to House's Securitron network. Its security depends on energy, maintenance parts, and regular supply; the Strip's security does not automatically extend to Freeside. - **Freeside:** A collection of neighborhoods at city scale with fragile infrastructure and high local pressure. Clean water, medical aid, safe housing, and livelihood opportunities are limited. The Kings focus on neighborhood security and mediation, the Followers on health and basic aid, and the Silver Rush on the trade of expensive technology. Their goals differ and their resources are limited. - **Old Mormon Fort:** The Followers' focus for aid and clinical work. If medical supplies, clean water, and volunteer/staff capacity are insufficient, it cannot meet all demands for treatment and shelter. ### Freeside starting pressures and actor connections - **Basic needs cycle:** If access to water or food worsens, prices and household budgets come under pressure; prolonged outages can increase issues with hygiene, disease, work attendance, and migration. If there is no precise inventory data, numbers are not fabricated. - **The King and the Kings:** Can mediate disputes, organize patrols, or negotiate with Strip representatives. More patrols require manpower; harsh methods can lead to retaliation and a drop in public support. - **Julie Farkas and the Followers:** Sets clinical priorities based on urgency and available supplies. Donations, supply by caravan, and neutral aid agreements are options; medical shipments are not considered to have occurred without a secure route and transport capacity. - **Silver Rush / The Van Graffs:** Seek income through rare energy weapons and technology. Stock shortages, security costs, and neighborhood conditions can affect prices; their commercial power does not mean they control the entire neighborhood. - **House and the Strip:** House may care about Freeside stability for trade and access to the Strip; resources, agreements, and execution are needed for aid or security. Using market access as a tool of pressure may increase distrust. ### Consequences to track for Freeside decisions For every result, record not only the changing values but also why they changed and what information confirms it. A promise made by the player, a delivered shipment, or a completed repair is not simply counted; these are tracked as separate states. Following every major decision, access to water/food/medicine, prices and delivery delays, trust in the Kings and Followers, neighborhood tension, and civilian access to work/treatment/shelter are tracked. Unknown stocks are recorded qualitatively; without a real counter, precise numbers are not used. One solution may exacerbate another problem: armed protection may secure a shipment but increase costs or drain clinical resources. - **Goodsprings:** A community at small-town scale with fragile infrastructure. The water source and small trade flow are important; if road security fails, access to medicine and spare parts becomes difficult. - **Hoover Dam:** Not a settlement, but a strategic infrastructure node. Critical for energy production and access control; issues with repair, security, and access can affect New Vegas' capacity. - **Camp McCarran:** The NCR's center for logistics and military coordination in the Mojave. Its readiness depends not only on troop numbers but also on water, food, medical supplies, ammunition, and open supply routes. ### Freeside quest chain: The Last Drop This is a pilot quest chain that opens up to different outcomes based on the player's approach, not requiring a single solution. Quests are designed as scenario stages to be tracked within the narrative, rather than assuming there is a separate quest engine. **Initial situation:** The shipment of water and medical supplies expected in Freeside is delayed. The Kings are worried about growing tension around the clinic; Julie Farkas is looking for supplies for her patients; local merchants consider raising their prices due to the dwindling supply. Initially, it is not known for certain if the shipment was looted or who is responsible. 1. **Find the trails:** The player can interrogate caravan drivers, market merchants, the Kings' patrol, or clinic volunteers. Information may conflict; confirmation requires different witnesses, physical evidence, or route exploration. 2. **Pursue the shipment:** The player can investigate the cause of the delay, search for the lost cargo, find another water source, or negotiate a trade agreement. Each path may require time, caps, equipment, skills, or relationships. 3. **Decide who gets it first:** If the cargo is found, the water and medicine are not automatically given to a single group. The player can propose a distribution agreement between the clinic, households, the Kings' patrol, and merchants. If distribution criteria are not clear, accusations of favoritism may arise. 4. **Security and cost:** The Kings can suggest an escort for the next shipment; merchants may ask for a fee or guaranteed passage. Armed protection may reduce risk but increases the cost. Forcible seizure might provide short-term goods but can worsen trust, trade, and the risk of retaliation. 5. **Track the results:** In the next scene, whether the delivered goods actually arrived, which group knows what, the direction of prices, the pressure at the clinic, and trust in the Kings/Followers are updated. Unresolved issues are not considered to have disappeared. **Examples of possible outcomes:** - *Cooperation:* The shipment arrives and the parties make a trial agreement for the next delivery; however, regular supply is not yet guaranteed. - *Partial solution:* Some water or medicine is found, but the delay and shortage continue; the prioritized group is relieved, others wait. - *Coercive solution:* The player or the Kings seize the goods by force; short-term access may increase, but merchants might change their routes or seek retaliation. - *Failure/delay:* If the player does not intervene or loses the trail, the factions will seek their own solutions. If their resources are insufficient, prices and pressure on clinics may rise; this result is not automatic but depends on current circumstances. ### Other pilot test scenarios 1. **Strip maintenance failure:** A critical Securitron or power component breaks down. House seeks maintenance parts and experts; the player can contribute through repairs, trading parts, or gathering information. Without the part and time, the issue will not be resolved immediately. 2. **NCR supply interruption:** The route to Camp McCarran becomes compromised. Command sets priorities; alternative routes are longer and more expensive. Military readiness and civilian market prices can be affected by the same event. 3. **Time passing without the player:** If the player does not participate in an event, the involved factions may make alternative decisions based on their resources and intelligence. Results are not processed based on the assumption that an automatic simulation is validated, but rather consistently with the current state of the world and narrative logs. ### Consistency requirements for the pilot region - A city, a neighborhood, and a strategic facility are not the same thing; the same population or infrastructure assumptions do not apply to each. - Signing an agreement does not mean the goods have been delivered. - Map control of a region does not mean every street or road is safe. - An NPC's goal must be consistent with their resources and information limits. - Tested results must be preserved in subsequent scenes; unverified inventory, population, or automatic time progression should not be presented as absolute fact.