Festus (Fallout: New Vegas)

Festus the Animated Rancher is a unique model of robot installed in the lobby of the Sunset Sarsaparilla Company's HQ in the Mojave Wasteland in 2281.

Background
Grandiose wasteland legends persist that Festus is a centuries old guardian of the Sunset Sarsaparilla treasure; the legends are technically correct, but the fact that Festus is an animatronic automaton made by RobCo Industries, designed as an interactive display for visitors and tourists takes away some of the mystique. Unlike most other robots in the wasteland, who operate with a degree of autonomous artificial intelligence, Festus is a simple machine that only responds to a set of about a dozen designated command phrases and answers with pre-recorded responses.

Festus is barely operational with centuries of wear and tear. The wooden cabinet holding the robot is falling apart, having been shot several times and water damaged, and Festus himself has also been shot, breaking the front glass window and taking his right arm and right eye. Festus' speaker is also damaged, constantly shifting in quality and volume as the prerecorded lines are played.

Quests

 * The Legend of the Star: Festus will introduce the legend of the Sunset Sarsaparilla Stars and tell the Courier there is a reward for collecting enough of them.
 * A Valuable Lesson: Festus unlocks a door containing the reward for collecting 50 Sunset Sarsaparilla Stars.

Other interactions

 * When first meeting Festus it may be best to respond with "Pleased to meetcha". This option will explain all of the dialogue options available.
 * If the Courier asks Festus to tell about the "Silly Ol' Advisory," he will list numerous serious health problems associated with drinking Sunset Sarsaparilla. He will ask the player character to repeat themselves twice before finally telling. This may have been programmed into Festus in an attempt to prevent people from hearing the advisory.
 * After redeeming 50 Sunset Sarsaparilla star bottle caps for the quest, Festus will tell the story of "The Legend of the Star." He will make mention of Nuka-Cola, the principal rival soft drink of Sunset Sarsaparilla. After this, he mentions that to avoid legal action from the Nuka-Cola Corporation, he will inform the Courier that Nuka-Cola is a "swell" drink, but sometimes people just want something "different."

"Lucky Horseshoes"
If the dialogue option "I Feel Lucky" is chosen, the Courier has the option to play a variant of blackjack called Lucky Horseshoes. Festus can be asked for instructions on which buttons perform which action.

Each win grants a 6% chance of getting a Sunset Sarsaparilla star cap and a 24.44% chance of getting a card for the Caravan deck. Otherwise, the reward is up to 9 bottle caps. The game can be played repeatedly to garner more and more prizes.


 * Rules
 * Number cards count as face value.
 * There are no face cards (Jacks, Queens, Kings, and Jokers).
 * The goal of the game is to get closer to 21 than Festus in order to win the hand.
 * Unlike blackjack, going over 21 is not an instant loss.
 * Players may draw or hold, however once they hold they are done drawing for that hand.
 * If the players are equally close to 21 (for example 17 - 25), the player who got there first has the advantage.
 * If a player draws and their new total equals the other player's total, the other player's total is increased (bumped up) by one. This is known as lucky horseshoes, and ensures that ties are not possible.
 * A mental tally of the Courier's and Festus' totals must be kept, as Festus does not announce the running totals, except that he will declare when either hand has reached 21.

Appearances
Festus appears only in Fallout: New Vegas.

Behind the scenes

 * Festus is a reference to the character Festus of the 1952 radio and 1955 television Western drama series Gunsmoke.

Some inspiration for the character may have come from the character of "Doctor Hephaestus" in the 1980 cult classic movie "Battle Beyond the Stars."

Bugs

 * Sometimes when entering the Sunset Sarsaparilla headquarters a loud metal crashing noise can be heard (like when a robot crashes to the floor), due to Festus having turned 180 or 45 degrees to face the wall. Interaction is still possible even though the player character will only be able to see the back panel. He may eventually turn back if you re-enter.
 * It is possible to knock him unconscious with the Golden Gloves or boxing tape. If done so you cannot speak to him and he will not regain consciousness. If you do kill him you can walk through him.
 * Sometimes, when entering dialogue, the words may skip to the next line. The next lines will also skip until you are ready to talk.