Camp Searchlight

"City of the Dead"



Camp Searchlight is an irradiated NCR military camp located in the ruins of the town of Searchlight, in the southeastern Mojave Wasteland.

Background
As an unfortunate twist of fate would have it, a convoy of flatbed trucks transporting nuclear waste from San Onofre was passing through Searchlight when the Great War broke out. Local police directed the drivers to temporarily park their vehicles in the town's fire station, but no one ever came back to retrieve them. There they sat in their extremely sturdy solid steel spent fuel flasks for over 200 years. The New California Republic recently set up a sizable base here; this was a major obstacle for Caesar’s Legion due to its size and clear view of the surrounding desert. When it became obvious that a direct assault would not prove fruitful, Vulpes Inculta sent in some spies to learn more about the situation. After he learned about the radioactive waste being stored in the fire station, he ordered some unwitting legionaries to open the containers. Though the legionaries died almost instantly, the sacrifice produced a massive wave of death and ghoulification among NCR troops that effectively destroyed Camp Searchlight as a viable military base.

The area is now highly radioactive. This action also resulted in the city having a green cloud hanging over it, which is most prominent during the night.

Layout
Camp Searchlight has several buildings which can be entered, all of which are radioactive as well as the town itself. The buildings which can be entered include: a schoolhouse with a few golden geckos, a house containing the non-hostile ghoul Private Edwards, and a church in the west containing Logan and his prospector companions who are looting the town for the Crimson Caravan Company. Upon entering Searchlight fire station (where the radioactive canisters were originally opened, causing the town's demise), you will immediately encounter a radscorpion queen and several radscorpions. To enter the firehouse, you will need to either kill or join Logan, as he holds the keys. There are several terminals outside that control the turret defense system.

Astor's recon camp
The devastating radiation attack by the Legion on Camp Searchlight has pushed the surviving NCR soldiers back to minimum safe distance. The fury and emotion is still raw, as First Sergeant Astor leads his men on patrol, and witnesses what his brothers in arms have turned into. In the modest camp lies First Sergeant Astor's log; it reads as if the man blames himself, and is ready to drop.

Notable loot

 * Chinese Army: Special Ops Training Manual, 2 mini nukes or 3 Holy Frag Grenades down in the gecko-filled Searchlight Church basement. The book is on the floor at the foot of some metal shelves.
 * Knock-Knock: Unique fire axe in right hand corner of the bathroom stall with the skeleton in it, upstairs in the Searchlight fire station (Obtainable only after starting the quest Wheel of Fortune or killing Logan and taking the keys).
 * Sunset Sarsaparilla star bottle cap in the fire station. Upstairs in the north-east corner in the kitchen area, on a table next to two empty bottles.

Appearances
Camp Searchlight appears only in Fallout: New Vegas.

Behind the scenes

 * Searchlight is a real-life location in southern Clark County, NV and is located 50 miles south of Las Vegas, about 20 miles east of Nipton.
 * Searchlight was implemented and written by Denise McMurry, based on a concept outlined by Joshua Sawyer.

Bugs

 * Logan will not talk with the character. Also, he does not have the Firehall key when pick-pocketed or killed, if you have already killed other characters involved in obtaining Knock-Knock. Note: if killed before killing Boxcars while on the Wheel of Fortune quest, his body should have both keys on it.
 * If player discovers and raids the supply cave before approaching Logan, it will be impossible to proceed with the quest, only if the 4 radiation suits have been repaired to make one radiation suit already.
 * Two Firetrucks, both stationed behind the Camp Searchlight Fire Station, don't have full developed physical properties. The Back end of each the trucks have no physical properties what so ever (you can walk straight through them) however the Front cab on both trucks are like any other vehicle within Fallout: New Vegas.