General Lee Oliver

General Lee Oliver is the commanding officer of the New California Republic Army in the Mojave Wasteland in 2281. He serves as the penultimate opponent for the Courier in two endings, and the final antagonist for the Legion's ending.

Background
A career New California Republic Army soldier, General Lee Oliver is an outspoken supporter of warhawk 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 overall strategy in the theater. Although as leader of the Mojave Campaign, Oliver has a tendency to plan strategically questionable operations that are decidedly inferior to his skills on a tactical level. In short, he is seen as a blockheaded, aggressive glory hound without the forethought necessary for effective military campaigns.

This is perhaps best exemplified by his preparations for the Second Battle of Hoover Dam, which Robert House mockingly calls "tunnel vision," where he diverts few resources to rather pressing strategic issues; for example, 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 proper, and intends to confront the Legion in a glorious great battle with a mass of NCR troops in an attempt 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.

The situation is complicated by Oliver's personal grudge against the 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 contribution. As a result, Oliver is determined to win the second battle entirely with his own methods, to the point of obstinately refusing to listen to Hanlon's input and jeopardizing Rangers in the field.

Despite this, Oliver is not without redeeming qualities. He is a patriot, dedicated to the NCR and what it stands for. At the same time, he is also a rational man, unwilling to throw his men away at a lost cause or to just protect the NCR's honor if he is convinced he would lose. He has the republic's interests at heart and is willing to commit drastic changes to the campaign if he is convinced they would benefit the Republic in the long term.

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, General Oliver becomes the secondary antagonist, after President Aaron Kimball. 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. The Courier will then have to fight their way through to him, eventually cornering him and killing him.

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. He remains in the NCR Army following the Mojave campaign and continues to serve as its highest-ranking officer.
 * 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 possibility that the general will eventually 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 even in the face of total defeat and dies fighting.
 * If the Courier orders him to in the course of establishing an independent New Vegas, Yes Man will throw Oliver over the side of Hoover Dam to his death.

Appearances
General Lee Oliver appears only in Fallout: New Vegas and also mentioned in Lonesome Road (dialogue of Ulysses) and Honest Hearts (its intro).

Behind the scenes

 * Question on Joshua Sawyer's Formspring: General Oliver doesn't seem to grasp basic military strategy. What real life persons were an inspiration for his character? Would you agree [with] Oliver [being] the main cause the war is going badly for the NCR?


 * During his final congratulatory speech to the Courier after they destroy the Legion Camp, Oliver mispronounces "plumed" (as it is written in the captions, referencing the colored horsehair plumes worn by the Legion) as "plumbed" (which, while a real word, makes no sense in context). This likely represents a reading error by voice actor Emerson Brooks.

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