In a recent interview, Tim Cain (the creator of the Fallout franchise) sat down to discuss his career and all things Fallout. One topic that he stumbled on was the spread of factions present in the Fallout series. From the Brotherhood of Steel to the NCR, and from the Institute to Caesar’s Legion, they’re immensely iconic and important to the overarching themes of Fallout.
However, Cain made a quip about always wanting a truly good faction in Fallout that would dedicate itself to the betterment of the wasteland and the people around it. He complained that there are too many evil or ‘grey’ factions in the series.
I think he’s forgetting about a very important faction from Fallout 4.
Enter the Minutemen
In an all-new interview with The Vile Eye, Fallout creator Tim Cain gave up an hour and a half of his time to wax lyrical about his legendary career. This is the same man who once confirmed who dropped the first bombs in Fallout and what the original ending for the first game could have looked like.
In one segment, Cain mentioned how almost every faction in Fallout has been viewed as grey or entirely evil, which is a problem. He stressed that he’d love a truly wholesome faction that wants to help people, and that he’d imagine a story where that faction is scrutinized because nobody can believe it’s honestly a good faction.
Here’s what Cain said:
Without going into details, the one thing I always wished in a Fallout game was an actual good faction. Like 100% good. They’re just growing food and making shelters and looking for old tech and maybe looking for old medicine, and they’re really trying to help people. What I wanted them written as is how they have to deal with all the suspicion from all the other factions and from the player.
(Thanks to GamesRadar for the spot)
Here’s the full interview:
Now, I’m wondering if Tim Cain is familiar with Fallout 4’s Minutemen faction. This group was a band of regular folks trying to rebuild the Commonwealth Wasteland and carve out a living in the fractured world they’d found themselves in.
The leader of that faction (until you become the leader) would have you scout and help nearby settlements, resolving their issues and bringing them into the fold to build a network of like-minded groups of people all trying to survive.
They set up a base of operations and put out a radio station themed around positivity and security, rebuilt settlements where possible, provided patrols and fire support to those in need, and resolved to always help those who required assistance with little more than a moment’s notice.
The Minutemen didn’t want power, they were inclusive and didn’t discriminate against ‘outsiders’, and they didn’t have a secret, nefarious agenda.
How about the Followers of the Apocalypse, from Fallout: New Vegas? This faction wants to provide medical care and education to anyone who needs it, they don’t engage in violence, and they don’t want to get involved in the political debate ravaging the wasteland.
Tim Cain wants a 100% good faction, but I think we’ve gotten pretty darn close already in Fallout.
What’s your favorite Fallout faction? Let me know on the Insider Gaming forum.
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Grant has been gaming for 30+ years and in the industry for 10+. You'll probably find him playing a post-apocalyptic game or an extraction shooter somewhere.
More from Grant Taylor-Hill
There’s a pure good faction already that was around before the minutemen, The Followers of the Apocalypse. Good aligned scientists and medical personnel as well as field agents
That faction is also named in this article.