General Lee Oliver

General Lee Oliver is the commanding officer of the New California Republic Army in the Mojave Wasteland in 2281.

Background
A career New California Republic Army soldier, General Lee Oliver is an outspoken supporter of President Aaron Kimball and his campaign of eastward expansion. As the commander of the republic's forces in the Mojave, he is responsible for the forces' overall strategy.

While preparing for the Second Battle of Hoover Dam, Robert House calls his efforts "tunnel vision," where he diverts few resources to rather pressing strategic issues. While the Legion builds an increasingly strong foothold on the western bank of the Colorado River south of Hoover Dam, Lee recently left his administrative post at Camp McCarran to build up the garrison at the dam, and intends to confront the Legion en masse, attempting to destroy the enemy through attrition. This strategy has earned him the defamatory moniker "General Wait-and-see" among many lower-ranking officers and soldiers, who generally don't think much of him, and believe that he got his post largely due to cronyism. Craig Boone remarks that Oliver interfered with Hsu's career, stating that if it weren't for Oliver's relationship with the president, Hsu would have been a general already.

Oliver holds a grudge against the NCR Rangers and Chief Hanlon, due to the role they played during the First Battle of Hoover Dam in 2277. The strategic ingenuity of Hanlon's plan earned him widespread praise and popularity, obscuring Oliver's contributions. As a result, Oliver is determined to win the second battle entirely with his own methods, to the point of refusing to listen to Hanlon's input and jeopardizing Rangers in the field.

Quests

 * Eureka!: If the Courier sides with the NCR, General Oliver is the one to brief one on their objectives at the beginning of the battle. After the victory, Oliver personally congratulates the Courier in the Legate's camp.
 * All or Nothing, No Gods, No Masters: If the Courier chose either to work with Mr. House or to fight for an independent Vegas, Lee Oliver also appears after Lanius is dealt with. He can be talked down with a Barter, Science or Speech check (100) or killed by the Securitrons. Additionally, in a scene exclusive to the independent path, if the general is convinced to tell his troops to stand down, the player character can then order him thrown off Hoover Dam, resulting in a cutscene where Yes Man throws Oliver over the side of one of the dam's watchtowers.
 * Veni, Vidi, Vici: If the Courier has chosen to aid Caesar, the player character will need to battle their way through his defenses and reach his personal compound within the dam. There, Oliver can be persuaded to withdraw from the Mojave. If not, he escapes to his office, being protected by force fields.

Effects of player's actions

 * If the player character sides with the NCR, Oliver becomes a public hero, lauded for his leadership and strategic and tactical ability while more modest leaders like Colonel James Hsu and Chief Hanlon shy away from the limelight.
 * If the player character sides with Mr. House, Caesar's Legion or takes charge of an independent New Vegas and passes all the Speech checks needed to convince Oliver to withdraw rather than fight to the death, Oliver's military career is ruined by the NCR's failure in the Mojave campaign. If the player character sides with him, Mr. House states in dialogue that there is a 36.5% probability Oliver will commit suicide.
 * If the player character sides with Mr. House, Caesar's Legion or creates an independent New Vegas and does not pass or attempt the Speech checks, Oliver stands his ground.

Appearances
General Lee Oliver appears in Fallout: New Vegas.

Behind the scenes

 * Joshua Sawyer stated that the inspiration for the character was, "a mishmash of various aggressive, blockheaded military commanders."
 * General Lee Oliver is the Ace of Hearts in the deck of Vault playing cards included with the Collector's Edition of Fallout: New Vegas.

Bugs
Killing him might cause him to become "unconscious," but never getting back up, making it impossible for the player to loot his body.