Big Town

Big Town is a medium sized settlement consisting of nine survivors from super mutant and slaver attacks, located north of Vault 101 and southeast of the Moonbeam Outdoor Cinema. It is also the starting point of the quest Big Trouble In Big Town.

Background
The population of Big Town is mostly comprised of former residents of Little Lamplight, who were expelled from Little Lamplight upon their sixteenth birthday.

Big Town was glorified by those of high authority in Little Lamplight as a safe and comfortable area where "mungos" go to live. In reality, Big Town is constantly besieged by slavers and super mutants, whilst the demoralized residents can do little to repel the invasions. When the Lone Wanderer arrives in the settlement for the first time, they are informed that some residents were kidnapped by super mutants and taken to the old police station in Germantown, whom the Wanderer can rescue if they so choose. Upon arrival, every resident is seemingly depressed and ready for death.

Aftermath
After completing the quest Big Trouble in Big Town by showing the citizens how to defend themselves, mutant attacks will cease on Big Town and the area turns into a relatively safe place to visit. The chosen method of handling the problem (or not) will also determine what happens in a certain random encounter with a wasteland merchant. If you choose to help Timebomb, you will get a Lucky 8-ball and free medical services from Red.

Layout
Big Town is a small town which apparently used to be a sprawl of suburban housing before the Great War. It has since been transformed into a makeshift fortress with walls made of cars, debris, and rubble. The dilapidated homes are fortified with barbed wire and sandbags. The town is only accessible by using a bridge crossing a makeshift moat (located at the north end) as the town is surrounded by barricades.

Inhabitants

 * ¹ After randomly encountering the scavenger who is heading for Big Town, he will remain there indefinitely.
 * ² After completing A Sticky Situation.

Notable loot

 * D.C. Journal of Internal Medicine: In Red's clinic, lying on her kitchen table.
 * Lucky 8 ball: Can be obtained from Timebomb, assuming the player meets the requirements.

Appearances
Big Town only appears in Fallout 3.

Behind the scenes

 * "Big Town" is the name of a song by Roy Brown, whose songs Butcher Pete and Mighty, Mighty Man are included on the Fallout 3 soundtrack and are heard in-game on Galaxy News Radio.

Bugs

 * The nearby wheels provide a better moving platform as the carts can glitch through the protectron. In order to test one's positioning, one should enter two additional cells in order to trigger the glitch; such as entering red's clinic, then the basement of the clinic, then return to the outside. If done correctly, there should be a longer loading screen with a background image rather than a black screen, and the robot will have attempted to move.
 * It has been noted above in the Notes section that enemies may randomly appear upon fast travel. But sometimes upon fast travel they will actually spawn in front of the player from 'thin air'. This may result in one or more non-player character's to be killed, and could affect certain quests such as Strictly Business if Red is killed.