1250
Apolitical Rule
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You want a game about politics? Play fallout new vegas. Yes, there is no true government, but the whole game is about factions trying to establish themselves like a government.
Chuds still think somehow it's a right wing game, despite being overtly anti-fascist and anti-Capitalist, with several positive portrayals of Socialism, such as the Gun Runners, Westside, and of course the Anarcho-Communist Followers of the Apocalypse.
It's wild how many unironic Legion fans there are.
And that's why it's important. Why do so many people agree with the Legion despite how obviously horrible it is? I think it's not so much what the Legion does that pushes people away, I mean, there are so many messed up things that happen in fallout, but maybe it's the way they treat you. Hear me out. The NCR couldn't give a shit about it's solders and will actively do everything they can to advertise they're old world ideals but fail to fix its flaws and this leads to almost every solder contemplating suicide just so they don't get caught by the Legion or khans. Now how does the Legion treat you? Initially, hostile, but when you actually become a member, your treated as an equal in the horrible system. The only thing that gives any amount of status is your effort and cunning.
I think it's just the usual gamer to fascist pipeline, they see a brutal terrible slave army and think its cool because they long for a strong sense of nationality and belonging to a greater whole.
And a random courier is somehow trusted to be the kingmaker. Which is more strange considering that I roleplayed as a kind of mercenary playing all sides until there comes the fork on the road where I had to choose which faction to give my full support.
The player character isn't really trusted to play kingmaker, they just do regardless, and because the balance of power is fragile, the Courier is the tipping point for the scales.
I would have liked if Obsidian had put consequences of having helped the enemy in certain quests. Mr House knew I put bug into his building, helped NCR or the Legion, but he did nothing. Had Obsidian gotten more time to polish the game, they probably would have wrote script of Mr House punishing me for being a triple agent.
Not quite what you're asking for, but the mod The Living Desert adds far more consequences and natural encounters for decisions you make.