One of the topics that came up in the chat recently was a way in which the Followers of the Apocalypse could be brought to DC. As a sort of one-time event, they could request the assistance of the player after the initial trip to DC and completion of several Follower quests.
A large group of Followers will be waiting outside the fort or potentially just outside of Freeside. Their task is to push East through hostile, barren, and hazardous territories to the Capitol, to establish an embassy.
Why would they send all these resources and assets out across the other end of the States? Because this is gonna be fun, that's why, and if I've learned anything about fallout, it's about the fun one finds in absurdity.
The quest's prologue consists of identifying a suitable location, gathering resources for the journey, and convincing or recruiting members of other groups to tag along. It's a toss up what might pass as a suitable location, Justanatom and I talked for a while about the possibility for multiple start locations, each providing a different focus and set of advantages for the followers once they arrive, however that can be determined later. Materials can consist of vehicles such as freight trucks, potentially a vertibird that can be outfitted for a number of tasks(As well as a truck to transport it when not in use, they aren't exactly jet liners), extra non-inventory supplies(Spare parts, etc), and better armor/weapons for the crew. Recruitable groups might be NCR deserters, BOS dissidents looking to hook up with the more altruistic East Coast Chapter, and potentially refugees and/or tribals from various settlements in the Mojave looking for a fresh start.
When the trek begins, the player can expect easy sailing. Just kidding, the Legion is there for the first leg of the journey, and they're not likely to be too happy about seeing a bunch of free-spirited individuals trespassing. Some early decisions can make or break the journey, but nothing will necessarily doom you yet, but the route south of the grand canyon might lead you straight through flagstaff, the heart of the legion. A decisions, that would at the very best result in significant losses.
After an initial gauntlet of sorts, most of the journey could probably be summed up as a series of random encounters including hunting challenges, fighting off tribal raids, scav expeditions, fording rivers, finding materials to fashion a splint for Jim 'cuz he done gone broke his leg paw, he was just try'n ta be like you! Enough of that, though. You should understand by now this is all one huge Oregon Trail reference. The only difference being that defeat won't always be a coin toss.
When you arrive, the party will either have been a success or a failure, if too many critical characters died, the party will disband and go their own ways, the party will have been a success if the greater majority of NPCs made it, but will replace any critical staff with less functional versions. Maybe a doctor was a cybernetics surgeon before, but he died, so his replacement can just heal you, nothing more, etc.
I think the trip should be divided up into days with no option to stay awake between them, the caravan stops at night, and you aren't given a choice on when to sleep due to a strict shift schedule, the caravan needs their guide in the best possible condition.
So, here's some lists:
[collapsed title=Critical Personel] Medical Doctor
Chemist
Anthropologist
Archeologist
Financier
Yourself, you are the guide[/collapsed]
[collapsed title=Equipment] Freight Trucks: Party starts with one, can obtain one more
Vertibird & Modules: Requires a third truck, sold separately
Truck parts: Any truck can break down, one set of parts is good for one full repair or two minor repairs
Food store: Provisions for X people for Y days(or just drop one of those variables)
Armor: Each of these upgrades the level of armor all members of the party has.
Armory: A personal gun locker for the player to distribute weapons to NPCs[/collapsed]
[collapsed title=Vertibird Functions]Each function has a different module, they take a day to refit the vertibird with a new module, survey requires no modules, but has one anyways, more information is divulged if it is active at the time.
Survey: Gives you information on path branches
Harass/Strafe/Distract: Draws attention of would be attackers with a chance to avert them, or to lose the bird if they're well armed.
AirLift: Can be used to hasten a fording and reduce equipment loss, or bring injured party members back from the wilderness.[/collapsed]
[collapsed title=Tagalongs] *town or something* refugees: They're found in a cave, hiding because fiends/legion/deathclaws/feral ghouls invaded their home(s)
BoS Dissidents: They're well armed and equipped for dealing with tech, as if to make up for their lack of social skills and relative clumsiness when roughing it.
NCR Deserters: Face it man, they weren't cut out for the trenches!
Bright Brotherhood Missionaries: Eh, why not? Don't glow on me though.[/collapsed]
[collapsed title=Encounters] Circle of Steel: Nasty bunch, the IA division of the BoS.
Ruins: Good for a scavenging.
Wildlife "Preserve": Any sort of creature colony may have arisen in these areas, with a very rare chance of an "eden" containing a little of everything
Vaults: Containing anything a vault may, people, corpses, friends, foes, or it might just be sealed up.
Town: These little places spring up from time to time. They might provide goods or services, or just a port in the storm.
Dustbowl: A large, multi day, dangerous inconvenience, Entirely avoidable with surveying, but once you're in one, you just need to eek forward or wait it out.[/collapsed]
Well, that's everything I've got for now, I know it might be kinda daunting, but I've already seen a fair amount of talent at work here, and heck, I'd be willing to learn just to be able to contribute to this. I hope this can become a collection of ideas and eventually a release to be proud of. Or I could just be getting sappy because it's late.