New Vegas

New Vegas is a city rebuilt amidst the remains of pre-War Las Vegas, Nevada. The city's main attraction, the New Vegas Strip is managed by Robert House, who utilizes his army of Securitron robots to maintain peace and order in the post-War city in the heart of the vast Mojave Desert.

Background
Unlike other major cities of the United States, Vegas emerged from the atomic fire of the Great War relatively unscathed, owed to the preemptive actions of Robert House. In 2065, House correctly predicted that a nuclear exchange between the United States and China would take place within the next 15 years, and began dedicating his resources to the protection of his home city. He used his considerable intelligence and vast wealth to ensure that when the war finally came, he would be prepared.

House calculated that his defenses would see off the majority of missiles bound for Vegas, but at least some damage to outer Vegas and the surrounding towns was unavoidable. To this end, he had engineers in Sunnyvale develop the platinum chip, a sophisticated, high-density data storage device that would upgrade his defense systems and Securitrons to the Mark II OS, ensuring that Vegas and the surrounding area would be as safe as possible. Since the war, House has since created even more Securitrons, some to police the Strip, with an army of them hidden beneath Fortification Hill.

He has fitted his home, the Lucky 38 Casino, with radar-jamming systems, missile arrays, a laser defense network, and life-support systems which only marks the beginning of his grand plans to revitalize the city and beyond. Meanwhile, House oversees the growing tumultuous situation in the region from atop his sky-reaching tower, visible from nearly all locations across the Vegas Valley.

Great War
The platinum chip was due for delivery by courier on October 23, 2077, the day of the Great War. The attack, however, came 20 hours earlier than House had predicted, and before the platinum chip could leave Sunnyvale, the city was reduced to rubble, with the chip buried beneath it. House was forced to make do with his relatively primitive systems, but still managed to stop 68 of the 77 ICBMs aimed at the Vegas area. Although most of Vegas was saved, he suffered numerous system crashes and was eventually forced into a coma. While many citizens were spared and even began celebrating, fallout from the warheads that did hit blew into the city, killing all of them. Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition pp. 462-463: "House Arrest When blaring civil defense sirens heralded mankind's doom on October 23rd, 2077, the citizens of Las Vegas bore witness to an astonishing spectacle. Huge laser cannons unfurled from secret housings in the roof of the Lucky 38 casino and Hoover Dam's intake towers and began spitting blasts of green fire into the sky, destroying warhead after warhead and sparing Las Vegas's urban center and the dam from direct hits. Citizens filled the streets and cheered. And then they died horribly from the lethal fallout that blew in from the dozens of warheads that detonated around Las Vegas. ''Though Mr. House's missile defense grid performed admirably, the Great War was in actuality the day of his greatest setback. Having spent decades preparing for the statistical inevitability of atomic war, house found himself forced to protect Las Vegas with buggy software. Had the Great War occurred even 24 hours later, House would have received and installed Mark II of his defensive systems' operating software. Instead, the disc containing the upgrade-which had just passed quality assurance-was buried in the irradiated ruins of the Sunnyvale, California lab where it was developed.'' ''Defending Las Vegas from atomic destruction set off a cascade of system crashes that plunged the Lucky 38 into darkness and nearly killed Mr. House. Running on a trickle of emergency power, the electrode-studded command helmet by which he controlled the Lucky 38 shorting out with maddening frequency, the replenishing salve bath and pharmaceuticals he'd spent billions to develop going rancid, his ensconced body aging, House battled to reboot his data core with an older version of the operating system. It was a daily struggle that would grind on for nearly five years, inflicting a physical and mental strain so severe that House lapsed into a coma when the reboot was finally achieved.'' ''When House finally came to, decades had passed. Immediately he began using his Securitron robots to search out human settlements, and eventually he was able to hire salvage teams in the distant west to search for the priceless upgrade disc in the ruins of the Sunnyvale. The disc was not to be found for many years, during which time House was forced to improvise an ad hoc defense of the Vegas region against the encroachment of NCR forces, namely the recruitment and employment of the Three Families to augment his downgraded Mark I Securitron robot defenses."'' In 2138, House awoke from his coma, but only observed - did not interfere - as the city was settled by tribals, raiders, and at least one overweight gangster similar to Junktown's Gizmo was known to have made his mark on pre-new Las Vegas.

Arrival of the NCR
In 2274, New California Republic scouts arrived at Hoover Dam, piquing House's interest. These were no tribals, these were civilized people – somewhere, out in the wastes, a new society had begun. A society that would no doubt see Las Vegas and its power source, the dam, as theirs for the taking. House ordered the Securitrons to emerge from the Lucky 38, offering an ultimatum to the raider tribes settled on the Strip: join House and be part of his New Vegas, leave the Strip, or die. Three tribes accepted his offer, eventually taking up the identifies of the Chairmen, the Omertas, and the White Glove Society, henceforth known as the Three Families. Only the Kings and the Great Khans refused, with the Kings settling in Freeside while the Great Khans were exiled to Bitter Springs. The Three Families, as well as the Securitrons, would be enough to protect the Strip for now, but if the NCR tried to take it by force, they would not be able to resist in any meaningful way.

When the main NCR forces arrived to assume control of the dam, House sent a Securitron forward to call for parlay between the NCR's leaders and himself. Eventually they reached an agreement and signed the New Vegas Treaty, under which the NCR would receive 95% of the dam's power output, McCarran International Airport as a base of operations for the NCR Army, and permission to establish an embassy on the Strip. Meanwhile, the Strip would retain the remaining 5% power output – much more than required for operation – and immunity from annexation. The treaty also disallowed the NCR from forbidding their citizens and soldiers to visit the Strip, leading to a boom in New Vegas' economy. Tourists from all corners of the NCR, as well as stationed troopers on leave, would flock to the Strip and spend their hard-earned salaries on gambling, alcohol, and prostitutes. The Courier: "I'd like to know more about the NCR." Dennis Crocker: ''"I can provide a quick history lesson, if that's what you're looking for. In 2274, President Kimball sent the NCR army into the Mojave in force, with the objective of occupying and repairing Hoover Dam. Rangers and army scouts had confirmed that the dam was basically unoccupied and could be restored to an operable condition. Upon arriving at the dam, however, they discovered that a large force of tribals and robots had occupied it. This was our introduction to the Three Families, the Securitrons, and, of course, Mr. House. Using his Securitrons as intermediaries, Mr. House called for parlay. He claimed his forces had occupied Hoover Dam in order to safeguard it for our arrival. And that he was ready to turn it over to us, so long as we could agree to terms. Those terms became the Treaty of New Vegas. The Treaty recognized Mr. House's sovereignty over the Strip and granted us rights to establish military bases at the Dam and McCarran Airport. The NCR is legally permitted to send 95% of the electricity produced by the dam to our home states. The remaining 5% goes to the Strip. The treaty actually makes it illegal for the NCR to prevent its citizens, or troops on furlough, from visiting the Strip. Once on the Strip, our citizens are subject to arrest - or punishment - by House's Securitrons, though that's a rare occurrence. Our troops enjoy a different status. It's illegal for the Securitrons to take action against them. Of course, it's also illegal for our troops to carry firearms on the Strip, so there isn't much trouble they can get into. Our military police does an adequate job of keeping the troops on furlough in line. I don't envy them that task. The embassy was established a few weeks after the Treaty was signed. Basically Mr. House handed us a dumpy little building he had no interest in renovating. I'm the third ambassador to hold this post. And the first, I think, to accept its limitations. My predecessors had ambitions of engineering the annexation of the Mojave. They thought they'd convince Mr. House to join up. I've never even spoken to the man - or whatever he is. Maybe the situation will change once we've beaten the Legion once and for all."'' (Dennis Crocker's dialogue)

Legion threat
Around the same time, on the other side of the Colorado River, a new threat loomed over the town, an army known as Caesar's Legion. Their leader Caesar had set his eyes on New Vegas to establish as the true capital - his Rome. He mobilized the Legion in the hopes of forcing the NCR out of the Mojave Wasteland and taking the city for himself. In 2277, this culminated with the First Battle of Hoover Dam, which was a decisive loss for the Legion. Caesar did not retreat or abandon his plans of taking control of Vegas, instead rebuilding his depleted armies while he waited patiently in his headquarters on Fortification Hill for an opportunity to strike again.

The continuous presence of the Legion has created a delicate power balance in the region. The NCR would have annexed the Strip long ago, but the presence of the Legion means that if they attacked the Strip, Hoover Dam would be vulnerable, and likewise the Legion can not take New Vegas as their new capital due to the NCR presence in the region. Meanwhile, Mr. House watches and plans, vigilantly and silently, from his tower far above the Strip.

Layout
New Vegas is situated in the Vegas Valley, a basin within the heart of the Mojave Desert, surrounded by several vast mountain ranges. New Vegas features a wide variety of socioeconomic situations, ranging from the affluent New Vegas Strip, through the impoverished Freeside and North Vegas square, the fields of the NCR sharecropper farms, the resourceful Westside, to the derelict South Vegas ruins, and northeast hub of commerce, consisting of the Crimson Caravan Company, Gun Runners, and the 188 trading post.

Most districts of the city have had walls of varying degrees of quality, ranging from concrete topped with barbed wire to train cars and neon signs, erected around them to keep out wasteland creatures and raiders, from the South Vegas ruins to North Vegas Square. A vast network of sewers, some of which are inhabited by humans and other creatures, exist underneath the city.

The areas outside of the Strip and Freeside are collectively referred to as "Outer Vegas".

The Strip
Glittering and awe-inspiring both before and after the Great War, the Strip is the heart of New Vegas. The hotels, casinos, restaurants, and iconic skyline establish the Strip as a premier tourist destination and serves as the driving force behind New Vegas' economy. Several pre-War establishments have come back alive with the Strip's signature neon lights and a vast variety of entertainment offerings. Such casinos, such as Gomorrah, the Tops, Ultra-Luxe light up the night sky among post-War additions such as Michael Angelo's workshop and the NCR Embassy.


 * Inhabitants

Freeside
Freeside is the main slum of New Vegas. Controlled by the Kings and the Van Graffs, the streets are dangerous and lack the luster of the New Vegas Strip. Many gamblers and tourists find themselves under attack by thugs looking for a quick source of caps. Recent tensions between the NCR and the Kings have worsened the situation. Similar to the rest of outer Vegas, Freeside shows resentment towards the NCR, who are seen as unwelcome oppressors.
 * Inhabitants

Westside and North Vegas
Westside is one of the better-off residential areas of the city. The settlement supports its own militia and has become self-reliant, growing its own food and maintaining its own water supply. The residents often complain of problems with the Fiends and a smaller gang, the Scorpions, who remain a threat to the citizens. Likewise, in North Vegas Square, the citizens battle the same threats and similarly pride themselves on their independence and watching outsiders suspiciously.
 * Inhabitants

East Vegas
Under the control of the NCR, east Vegas is one of the safer areas of the city. Protected from Fiends by Camp McCarran, east Vegas is home to several businesses with roots in New California, including the Crimson Caravan New Vegas branch, a Gun Runners factory, and a clinic run by the Followers of the Apocalypse. Aside from businesses, the area is also home to sharecropper farms settled by NCR citizens encouraged to move west by the Thaler Act, and a refugee camp run by the NCR Army in Aerotech Office Park.

South Vegas
The southwestern region around Vegas is firmly in the hands of the Fiends, who rule from the fortified ruins around Vault 3. Several of their raider compounds can be found outside of their main territory.

Appearances
New Vegas appears in Fallout and Fallout: New Vegas, and is mentioned in its add-ons Dead Money and Honest Hearts, Old World Blues, and Lonesome Road, Fallout 4, and Fallout 76 and its update Wastelanders.

Behind the scenes

 * New Vegas is based on the real world location of Las Vegas, located in Clark County, Nevada. Many locations in the game are based on real world equivalents in and around the city, such as the casinos, neighborhoods, landmarks, and businesses.
 * Las Vegas, likewise spared from nuclear devastation, was one of the main and most central cities in Wasteland, the predecessor to the Fallout series.