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Forums: Index > Wiki discussion > Referencing - Changing the way we do things (IMPORTANT)

Note: Reference policy has changed as of 2021, included former "Fallout Bible reference guide by subject" here for archival purposes



Hi Folks,

As a lot of you know theres been a lot of talk about referencing lately... This forum is to look at improvements. I've been talking about this a lot, especially with The Ever Ruler, and what were proposing in some ways is well overdue, but it is also transformative in the way we do what we do.

Some of the things here I'm suggesting are specific changes, others are more discussions format stuff. What I'd like to do is see if we can get absolutely consensus on some things to avoid the need for a vote, and only vote on those things we absolutely have to.

I want to stress that this is proposing some major transformative changes as to how the wiki works, and how you as an editor contribute. I encourage everyone to give this your full attention.

Where are we now?[]

To be absolutely frank our standard of referencing at the moment is very low. We have pages full of unverified facts and claims, and in some cases we have merely Ausir's word that an email conversation took place and that a fact was said in it - we have no idea as to the context, or if anything surrounded it that might give further clarification on what was said.

For an encyclopaedia to truly be an encyclopaedia it must be authoritative - that means every single fact must be verifiable, and traced back to some source.

Where should we be?[]

Take a look at this paragraph I've sampled from Tardis Data Core - The Doctor Who Wiki, from the Article on the Doctor himself.

Although he had saved millions on his travels, he was thought to have caused the deaths of billions at his conclusion to the Last Great Time War. (TV: Dalek) Though most of the Daleks were killed in the crossfire, Gallifrey — disappearing, rather than being burned — was hidden thanks to the efforts of all thirteen of his incarnations, eleven of these incarnations whose memories of this event were lost. (TV: The Day of the Doctor) Several individuals, including Jabe, (TV: The End of the World) Brother Lassar, (TV: School Reunion) the Beast (TV: The Satan Pit) and the Doctor himself prior to the eleventh incarnation to go by that name, (TV: The End of the World, The Day of the Doctor) considered the Time Lords to be extinct as well.

Here you'll see an excellent example of "in line referencing". The facts given are traced to the "stories" where they come from - if you want to check that the Doctor thought himself responsible for the death of Billions in the great time war, you need load up the TV episode "Dalek" (or its script) and check for yourself. If you look through that article further, or indeed any article on that wiki, you'll see this level of referencing on almost every article - almost every single fact given is traced to an episode, book, or other accepted canonical item.

This is the level our wiki should be, if not better!

How do we get there?[]

This isn't something thats just for the scope of a project, or even a group of projects. This is a transformative change on how we do what we do. It will change how we patrol, how we create articles, and how we edit. It will expand what we cover, and make some items that we do have more accessible.

Working with Primary Sources[]

Primary sources are where our facts come from. They are the games (including dialogue files), Bibles, Developer statements, manuals, and to a certain extent game guides. We have some of these on the wiki, but many are in a non accessible format - you may not know what you are looking for or even that we have it.

In more cases, we don't have it. We don't have dialogue files for Fallout 3 and New Vegas (Yet), we don't have copies of developer statements locally.

These both need to change.

We also need a system for determining the reliability of statements.

I intend creating a new section on the wiki, a reference section - suggestions for a more Fallouty name are most welcome. This should contain every possible source document we can reasonably and legally get our hands on and put on the wiki.

It isn't enough that we simply have these documents though. They need to be accessible and in a manner so that you can find what you want.

Subject Indexes for Source texts[]

You can see Fallout_Bible_reference_guide_by_subject|Here a work in progress on what I hope will be the first of these subject indexes. Here for the first 4 Fallout Bibles by Chris Avellone (and bits of the others), I have pulled out the "Facts" provided, and told you which bible its from. If I have been able to confirm or refute the fact given immediately, I've also noted this. This gives us a ready guide of facts that can be slotted in, and allows easier use of the bibles in the future to refute or confirm facts on content - rather than just loading them all and reading until you eventually get the bit you were looking for.

It is my intention that subject Index Guides will be made for Dialgoue Files, Design documents, and other items as we can.

This is a mammoth task on its own. I won't pretend otherwise, but I think its essential for the further steps to move us to where we need to be, and to help in ensuring we stay there.

Collecting and storing other primary source information[]

On many pages (including perhaps ironically the Fallout canon page), you'll find information that has been added to the wiki by Ausir following an email with a developer.

If you take a look at the conversation between Ant and Ausir on The Vault here (Ausir) and here (Ant), you'll see the scope of the problem - Ausir doesn't even have the primary source for many of these anymore... We don't know what was said, what context it was said in, or even really if it was said at all (just his word).

I don't think there will be many who will disagree when I say that this is simply not acceptable. For our information to be reliable, it has to be verifiable, and none of that information is verifiable at all - even if Ausir would talk to us, he doesn't even know where it came from anymore.

I don't want to go down the Wikipedia route of saying "No Original Research" - that isn't the way we do business - we have direct access to source documents and sometimes developers so it only makes sense to use them, however we do need to ensure that from now on any developer answer to questions that is not in a public place is placed onto the wiki in its original form (PDF, JPEG screenshot, etc).

This will require the developer to confirm that they are happy for the email/PM/letter/fax/telegram/parchment be placed (either in whole or in part if necessary) onto the wiki before it can be used. It should then be added to any relevant subject guide.

Gaging "Reliability"[]

As Fallout is a video game, with an ever changing and evolving lore, we have to be mindful that things change. What a developer says on one game about future intentions may not be true for the next developer.

Some have even heard me say in Chat that it is the released games, and the games only that makes the Canon. Anything that appeared in some other form first is only canon because a game made it so - and in some cases games have unmade those statements (a good example is Chris Avellone's claims in the Bible that there are no more Psykers after Fallout 1/2 - the Forecaster in New Vegas breaks this rule).

Whilst out of game information is useful commentary - and if it speaks to the development process is absolutely authoritative - for the game, they exist in some limbo.

This also is an issue for in game statements - there is a character in Fallout 2's Vault 13 who says that the Brotherhood of Steel were probably destroyed and that the Marioposa Military Base is probably what is left of them - the game itself shows this statement to be false, not all character statements are truth (just the truth as the character knows it).

For this reason, when taking these statements, I propose we institute a "traffic light" system for statements. it works like this.

"Green" - A green stated fact is undisputed truth. It can be demonstrated by actual in game events or status in game, by another character corroborating the fact, or where a character or person speaks to things that they are an absolute authority on. Examples:

  • Marcus is an absolute authority on his own history, so his comments on his involvement in the founding on Broken Hills get green status.
  • Chris Avellone is an Absolute Authority on the Fallout 2 Development Process. When he says Fallout 1/2 is not in the Wasteland series timeline (and vice versa) it gets green status.
  • In the Fallout Bibles Chris Avellone says there is an Easter egg in New Reno. You can verify it yourself in game, and thus is green.

"Red" - Red stated facts are not facts, or are unreliable. They are either incorrect statements in game (perhaps intentionally placed to mislead the character) or have later been corrected. Examples:

  • The existence of the Forecaster disproves the Fallout Bible claim that Psykers no longer exist.
  • The claim that the intelligence gene for intelligent deathclaws is "Male specific and dominant" is disproven by an intelligent female deathclaw in Vault 13 (it can however be dominant).

"Amber" - Everything in between. Either the fact has not yet been corroborated because no information has been found or linked to corroborate it... No Corroboration is available, or the statement otherwise doesn't fit into green or red status.

This would have an effect on how we do articles. Anything with Green status can be stated as a matter of fact with no further explanation (except for a reference tag). Amber items can only be stated with appropriate language (According to X in Y.... etc), and Red items included with language that makes it clear that this is no longer a fact, and what information contradicts it.

The R/A/G status would appear in the subject index, along with corroborating/contradicting information.

Working with Articles[]

This would change how we deal with articles. We would in principle not allow unverified facts to be included in articles, and would transform them over time to remove as many unverified facts as possible.

Why is this important? Well a few months ago, an eagle eyed visitor spotted that one page had the Vipers engaging in activity before another page claimed they left Vault 15. Whilst if I recall correctly The Ever Ruler was able to clear this up, it took hours of research to locate the original source for both facts, and to amend them.

This is clearly a major transformative change.

Addition of new unverified facts[]

I propose that when new facts are added to articles, an appropriate template is added to them - either by the contributor, or if left off, by the person patrolling the edit.

This would work similar to bug verification - if a fact is not verified to an original source document in a certain period of time, it is removed (or ideally at expiry confirmed if possible). Editors looking for edits could be directed to that report as a source of good clean edits.

Interim/Short Term Referencing[]

The next stage would be a short term form of referencing, for when the original source document is not (yet) available. This should only be accepted for in game information - anything out of game should be added either to the wiki, or the original website linked.

The reference should state the Character's name, and the game name. ideally the full line of text should be included as well.

In time these would be replaced with links to the dialogue files instead.

Long term referencing[]

In the long term, we need an official referencing format. At the moment between ever and myself we have two different forms of referencing going on. This needs to be resolved into one formal official standard for the wiki.

  • One format has the link to the dialogue file, who said it, and the line number for the item. e.g: "Marcus Dialogue File, line 356" or the section heading for other files e.g. "Richard Grey audio diary at 0058-0096".
  • The other format has the entire line included as well in the reference, and the file name: e.g. - VICENCOM.MSG:{240}{}{From what you can make out in the archives, two G.E.C.K's were part of every Vault's standard inventory package. Only one was shipped to Vault 8, however.} {241}{}{Cross-reference the G.E.C.K shipment information.} {244}{}{Due to a shipping error, it appears Vault 8 received a box of surplus water chips intended for another Vault. The other Vault most likely received Vault 8's second G.E.C.K.}

We need to agree on a common format before we go on, otherwise there will be more work created down the line. One is concise but directs to the source, the other is the directions and the item itself. In principle I don't think either is majorly advantageous or disadvantageous over the other - one stops pages getting overwhelmed, the other is instantly verifiable, we just need to make a collective decision.

The third option is, like the Tardis wiki, to use in line referencing. I do not believe this to be a good idea as a general rule it distracts from the flow of articles; however there are some times where it is appropriate (see the Amber reliability information as to a good example).

Grandfathering existing content[]

Possibly the greatest hurdle to making this change is the huge bulk of work already on the wiki. Some of it, like developer comments, is going to be difficult to reference - some sites have gone, some links are dead, and then there is the issue of Ausir's self referencing.

We need to decide on a common policy to deal with this. Removing content should be our last resort if at all possible, but ultimately any unverified content detracts from the whole.

Conclusion[]

I don't think I'm under any illusion as to how much this is going to take. Its a major change in how we think and act to add stuff, and a major project in changing our legacy content over that will likely require a stream of projects.

However, I think the change is a necessary one, and hope you all agree.

The Ever Ruler's input[]

I am speaking for myself here with Chad's consent. I'm going to keep things short by proposing my solutions to the problems outlined and why it works.

To start off I will give my answer to the important question, "What things require citations... and how many things?"

My answer mirrors that found on Wikipedia's policies, which is to only add citations to controversial knowledge that is contested by users or is blatantly incorrect. Everything else -could- benefit from a citation but those can be addressed over a long period of time.

The Goal of the Citation Project[]

The ultimate goal of the project is to bring awareness to the concept of citing claims and references and making it a definitive, standardized, and streamlined process that new users can pick up easily and new claims can be cited as they are made.

This is to avoid the fact that legacy content that has been on this wiki since it's creation is often incorrect and stated matter-of-factly without bothering to explain how.

The short-term goal of the project is to cite controversial knowledge that is either unverifiable, contradicted, or just plain incorrect.

The facts and claims the project will target are claims that usually surround factions, timelines, leaders of factions, endslides, and pages depicting lore (like radiation, mutation, wars, etc.). These pages will be targeted by user discretion perhaps with a list constructed.

See: [1]

My Proposed Style[]

The style I propose was developed upon consulting all of Wikipedia's Citation page starting around its information on text-source integrity (Overall the entire purpose of citing things in the first place) and ending around citation bundling.

From there it goes on to topics on bundling, line-breaks and bullet points & footnotes, and house styles.

I would read up a little upon those things so I can best depict my style to you.

The style I advocate is one that minimizes article clutter and maximizes citation fact-checking capabilities at the expense of reference section clutter.

What I propose is that at the end of every paragraph of claims (if the paragraph contains one sentence or one claim, that's perfectly acceptable) exists a single reference number (Ex. [1], [2], [3]).

When this reference number is clicked on/invoked, it will show up in the references header at the bottom, bringing the reader to the sources that verify the claim and is given information as to how and where they can find it. As an example, here's a citation for a paragraph with a total of four claims and two sources that provide support for various claims in the paragraph:

<ref>[[Source One]]: (Possible source information)

footnote addressing claim one in paragraph
footnote addressing claim two in paragraph
footnote addressing claim three in paragraph

[[Source two]]: (Possible source information)

footnote addressing claim one in paragraph
footnote addressing claim three in paragraph
footnote addressing claim four in paragraph

</ref>

Each claim doesn't need to be addressed or corroborated in any particular order, but to make it systematic, sources should be in the order the claims are addressed. In this instance Source two goes second (last) because it's the only one that addresses the last claim. Likewise, Source one goes first because it addresses claim two, which is closer to the front of the paragraph. If sources address the same number or claims, alphabetical order is suggested.

Ultimately, the order of sources and the claims (in article and in footnote) are arbitrary and could be organized at any later date so long as the footnote is proper. If the footnote is proper, then each claim is detailed and can correspond with however a user changes the format or wording of an article.

See: [2]

Proper Footnote[]

A footnote should contain a short quip describing what claim it addresses/proves, and where such proof can be found in the source it's listed underneath. If it's listed in multiple areas of the same source, each area should be noted in the same line-break alongside the claim it supports.

Each source should be listed without a line-break with a colon after it. In situations where it may apply, some information about the source after the colon may benefit the clarity of the source (such as in infoboxes).

This way each claim in a paragraph gets addressed source by source, making fact-checking streamlined and easy for any reader or editor to do. Citing the end of paragraphs also makes the number of citations fewer at the expense of the footnote being longer. Paragraphs should generally be short enough to where footnotes aren't overloaded but exceptions may exist at which point citing each individual sentence where a citation applies may be in order.

This means that a source may be used several times in a reference section underneath several claims. This is because the style I propose puts fact-checking as a higher-priority than reference section clutter. The article clutter remains unchanged (and I would argue actually lessened than connecting each source to each claim it supports) all at the expense of the reference section.

Given how each citation can be invoked upon clicking the number, I figured clutter in the reference section was less of a problem to wade through than in the article where such precision is not found.

A couple more things[]

The exposition paragraph at the beginning of every article shouldn't contain any citations. Citations that are applicable to the first paragraph will most likely apply to the background section that follows in most if not all of our articles.

In some articles, citations won't even be needed, but a references section might apply.

See: [3]

The ultimate purpose are the footnotes. They allow for easy fact checking (Which I would argue is the entire point of citing anything in the first place) that's optimized for our wiki's information and sources of information. If we ever need to change the wording or format of an article's information, the fact-checking is absolutely vital in knowing what, where, and how a source might apply and how it should be changed to fit the edit perfectly.

Keeping it systematic will also help new editors get a good idea at how our claims work and when Fallout 4 inevitably comes out, we can hopefully cite every single claim as we make them.

To egg on why we need to do this, our information will be clearer, more factual, and far more professional.

User:The Ever Ruler.

Wrapping this up[]

C again. Look, I know this is a massive thread. But it is a big deal, and changes a lot about what we do. I know its a lot to take in, and comment on. I'll try to create subject headings later to reflect comments coming in and move em around to keep issues together. Please do let us know your comments, queries, concerns and suggestions so we can make the transformative change that is needed the right way. Agent c (talk) 22:33, January 13, 2014 (UTC)

Comments[]

Long forum is going to entail long responses, so apologies if I ramble on a little too much here, but I want to try and touch on as many of the points as I can.

I completely agree that our standard of referencing is way below what it should be. TARDIS is an excellent example of what we should strive for, and as well as the major articles at Wookieepedia, who also utilize templates for references I think we could implement successfully. As for the Fallouty name for the reference section, how about the Goodsprings source? Get it? Source? Ahem.

In terms of working with articles, in my opinion this is where we have to be careful. It must be made known that this is a long-term project, and as such, editors can't be reverting good faith edits based on the fact the information is unverified and policy dictates such - this will require a lot more communication with new editors, as well as the use of talk pages for adding new information, so it can be discussed and potentially verified. While the template is a good placeholder, I think active discussion between the people who discovered the fact and those attempting to verify will serve us better in the long run.

As for the method of referencing, in-line citations simply aren't appropriate for our wiki. They work at TARDIS because their content is subdivided into series and episodes, of which there are many - for our wiki, with 6 games released and a few cancelled, this would be rather redundant to cite every fact back to a rather large base game. Thus, in my opinion, footnotes or endnotes would be the best solution. My worry is that large articles would become far too long with multiple references. Again, we can look to Wookieepedia and their use of footnotes as a possible solution.

You mentioned interim citing for things we do not yet have the source information. I do not think that this is a good idea. It will cause more problems than it will solve, and add more initial work and take people's focus away from what really needs to be done - add all source documents to the wiki. Until we have the ability to do it properly, it shouldn't be done at all.

As a historian, grandfathering content is acceptable, as long as we note that the source material no longer exists. I don't see a reason to remove said information, especially since it was originally added by a user in good standing. However, we can't allow this in the future, everything must be based on sources that actually exist.

Anyways, those are my thoughts. FollowersApocalypseLogo A Follower  Talk  21:44, January 14, 2014 (UTC)

I was going to write a longer comment, but... Follower just about covered all of my thoughts. So aside from that, all I have to state is that this will be one of the most important projects we'll undertake here at Nukapedia. Since our creation, we have been setting an excellent foundation, and it has resulted in one of the best gaming wikis out there. But our structural integrity is still weak in many places, and this is one of those projects that will aim to secure and improve our information. ForGaroux Some Assembly Required! 21:54, January 14, 2014 (UTC)
The only subject I'd like to tackle that deviates from Follower's is that I'm not a supporter of original research. I believe in trust, but as an encyclopedia, trust means nothing concerning our information. What our wiki requires is the hard facts. Unverifiable information is counter-intuitive. ForGaroux Some Assembly Required! 21:56, January 14, 2014 (UTC)

I figured most of the controversial information (the stuff surrounding factions, lore, the timeline, etc) were the things that needed immediate attention, the long standing information that provides helpful insight to the games specifics can remain without removal or citations (in most cases to provide one is unrealistic).

With that said, no one has to worry about "Citing everything under the sun!" as that is both unnecessary and unrealistic. But we cannot allow -anything- that is either controversial or original research.

The only thing worse than no citations are -BAD- citations, and that's what original research is. It's a claim that's either cited with a source that does not state the same thing the claim does and yet the claim itself is overlooked just because it has a citation, or it's simply controversial information. A confrontational (yet helpful and applicable) example of this is the infamous Eminence Gris citation over on the Vault wiki. Though Chris Avellone did not say Eminence Gris was a term that did not apply to the Enclave, he -never- said it did apply and yet the claim it's attached to asserts otherwise.

See: [4]

One thing I absolutely agree with is the compilation of all of our source material, notably Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas dialogue. Once we get those, we can start in earnest on our newer/current material. If anyone has any suggestions how to do that, start another forum discussion about it and post it here. I fear it might bog this one down (even further). --The Ever Ruler (talk) 23:12, January 14, 2014 (UTC)


And before you dismiss parenthetical citations, I had an idea of where they might fit in articles. On wikis like UESP they often have citations of, "Events of Skyrim" or "Events of Oblivion" for all the vague facts and claims that, though are true, are impossible to really prove with any source other than the raw game itself.

I feel that if we used citations like that, people might see them and write vague descriptions on the footnotes of other citations which is both undesirable and counter-productive. Instead, we could have something like, (Events of Fallout 2) in place of all of our "In 2241 - 2242"s on our Fallout 2 articles for example.

Keep in mind that this is the only place they would have as any links to main quests of these games in relation to the article would suffice. Our articles may not even need citations like these but I simply DO NOT wish to have citations like, "Events of Fallout 3" as a footnote as I feel it would set a bad example for what I argue footnotes ought to be. --The Ever Ruler (talk) 23:12, January 14, 2014 (UTC)

The in-line citations would work if we were citing something smaller than a complete vanilla game, as I said above. I actually don't like the in-line citations on UESP, because in order for you to self-verify that fact you would need to complete 100% of the vanilla game to find it - it's not specific enough. With a TV show, you could cite an episode and then watch the episode to self verify, taking an hour at most. It's just too big of a game to do that for. FollowersApocalypseLogo A Follower  Talk  23:39, January 14, 2014 (UTC)

If there is no existing source to cite for your edit, maybe you just want to include some supporting evidence as an attachment to the change log/edit history? In the interest of avoiding formal citations for everything, shouldn't there be some way to include notes about your edit that are not displayed in the actual content? See Forum:How_to_correct_WIKI? Bheimbaugh (talk) 01:14, March 1, 2014 (UTC)

Reference Library[]

I've created the foundation of the Reference Library Portal. It now just needs filling out, creating and linking index files, etc. The Headings can be expanded later as we find new ways to make content accessible. Agent c (talk) 21:24, January 19, 2014 (UTC)


Archived Bible reference guide by subject[]

Reference guide
This page catalogs the information provided in the Fallout Bible series, created by Chris Avellone during the development of Van Buren.

Status - This includes statements including all of Bibles 1-4, 7, and 8 and parts of 5.

Index[]

Development[]

StatementBibleStatusNotes
Mark O'Green was responsible for the spoken dialogue in Fallout and Fallout 2Fallout Bible 1Reliable factAs out of game, Chris Avellone is an authority on this.
The Vault experiment idea was created by Tim CainFallout Bible 1Reliable factAs out of game, Chris is an authority on this
Talking heads were designed by Scott RodenheizerFallout Bible 1Reliable factAs out of game, Chris is an authority on this
The Abbey was inspired by "A Canticle for Leibowitz" by Walter M. MillerFallout Bible 4Reliable factTim Cain is cited and is an absolute authority on this.
Chris Jones is responsible of the Exploding Tim Cain Head animationFallout Bible 7Reliable factChris is an absolute authority on development
Chris Jones is a programmer on F1, F2, Arcanum, and JeffersonFallout Bible 7Reliable factChris is an absolute authority on development and developers
Scott Bennie designed some of the Hub (inc Iguana Bobs, Jakes, thieves guild) and the Upper CathedralFallout Bible 7 Fallout Bible 8Reliable factScott Bennie (quoted) is an absolute authority on his own history
Scott Bennie wrote some of the pain messagesFallout Bible 8Reliable factScott Bennie (quoted) is an absolute authority on his own history
Scott Bennie designed the mysterious stranger perkFallout Bible 8Reliable factScott Bennie (quoted) is an absolute authority on his own history
Scot Bennie got into the RPG industry through Dragon Magazine, is Canadian, worked on Lord of the Rings, Castles, Stopekeep II, and many of Interplay’s star Trek games (including Starfleet Academy)Fallout Bible 8Reliable factScott Bennie (quoted) is an absolute authority on his own history
Dave Hendee designed the Hub PoliceFallout Bible 8Reliable factScott Bennie and Chris Avellone are absolute authorities on development
Scott Bennie designed Dr Wu in the CathedralFallout Bible 8Reliable factScott Bennie (quoted) is an absolute authority on how own history
Scott Bennie designed a different introduction involving a person ranting about his ancestors, After War never changes was decided upon instead it was supposed to appear in game said by a barfly, but got lostFallout Bible 8Reliable factScott Bennie (quoted) is an absolute authority on his own history
Fallout was inspired by movies like Duck and cover, survival under atomic attack, atomic alert, and about FalloutFallout Bible 8Uncorroborrated factwhilst it may be obvious that it was, Chris says “As I understand it”
Chris Holland scripted the Craps and Roulette tables iN Fallout 2Fallout Bible 8Reliable factChris is an absolute authority on development
Fallout is NOT in wastelands TimelineFallout Bible 8Reliable factChris is an absolute authority on development

Engine[]

StatementBibleStatusNotes
There was to be a tracking skillFallout Bible 7Reliable factIncluded in inclusive Burrows design document. Probably a hold over from GURPS stage and likely evolved into Survival.
There was to be a Detect Traps abilityFallout Bible 7Reliable factIncluded in inclusive Burrows design document. Probably a hold over from GURPS stage and likely evolved into Traps.
Armor class is subtracted from too hit percentage before rounding down to 95% if requiredFallout Bible 8Reliable factChris is an absolute authority on development, and demonstrable in games.
Craps and Roulette are not included in Fallout, later coded into Fallout 2Fallout Bible 8Reliable factChris is an absolute authority on development, and demonstrable in games.

Perks[]

StatementBibleStatusNotes
Scott Bennie designed the mysterious stranger perkFallout Bible 8Reliable factScott Bennie (quoted) is an absolute authority on his own history

Pre War[]

StatementBibleStatusNotes
The UN broke upFallout Bible 4Reliable factFallout 1 Intro

Enclave and US Government[]

Enclave Backstory[]

StatementBibleStatusNotes
The Enclave retreated to locations across the USFallout Bible 1Uncorroborrated fact
The Enclave retreated to locations outside of the USFallout Bible 1Uncorroborrated fact

Mariposa[]

Development[]
StatementBibleStatusNotes
Military base was originally noted as Base OmegaFallout Bible 7Reliable factAs a developer Decision, Chris is an absolute authority
Pre war[]
StatementBibleStatusNotes
Mariposa was under Enclave control pre-warFallout Bible 3Unreliable or incorrect statementChris states not known, but possible
Military prisoners used to test FEVFallout Bible 3Uncorroborrated fact
Fallout 2 Era[]
StatementBibleStatusNotes
Melchior's pet deathclaw is dark due to exposure to pure FEVFallout Bible 5Uncorroborrated factJason G. Suinn is cited as saying so. In game references?
Melchior caught rather than created some of his petsFallout Bible 5Uncorroborrated factJason G. Suinn is cited as saying so. In game references?
Melchior's pets were not in the Military Base during Enclave occupationFallout Bible 5Uncorroborrated factJason G. Suinn is cited as saying so. In game references?

President Richardson[]

StatementBibleStatusNotes
Ending Dialogue as per FO2 (President is a term used only like a boogeyman).Fallout Bible 3Unreliable or incorrect statementSomewhat contradicted by NCRs use of president in Fallout: New Vegas

Frank Horrigan[]

StatementBibleStatusNotes
Frank Horrigan is a mutant in power armorFallout Bible 1Reliable factObvious from Fallout 2 death sequence
Frank Horrigan's mutation is the result of many DNA and physiological changesFallout Bible 1Reliable factConfirmed in Fallout 2 by Granite[1]
Frank Horrigan is considered a freak amongst the Enclave forcesFallout Bible 1Reliable factGranite casually refers to him as "that freak"[2] He is in the Enclave Forces, and thus proves the proposition.
Horrigan was a monster before his exposure to FEVFallout Bible 1Uncorroborrated fact
Horrigan has low intelligenceFallout Bible 1Unreliable or incorrect statement
Horrigan was psychologically conditioned for loyalty.Fallout Bible 1Uncorroborrated fact
Horrigan was the President's Bodyguard at one stageFallout Bible 3Reliable fact
The farmer in the first Horrigan "Foreshadowing encounter" had Enclave/Brotherhood/FEV knowledge, was complicit in the Redding miner enslavement or knew the Location of Vault 13Fallout Bible 4Unreliable or incorrect statement

Brotherhood of Steel[]

StatementBibleStatusNotes
Appoitnment of Elders (election or not)Fallout Bible 8Uncorroborrated fact
Paladins are appointed from KnightsFallout Bible 8Uncorroborrated fact
Knights see combat and go on patrolsFallout Bible 8Uncorroborrated fact
Brotherhood dislike Super MutantsFallout Bible 8Reliable fact
The BOS have limited contact with ghouls but see them Ghouls as “Filthy Scavangers”Fallout Bible 8Uncorroborrated fact

Technology[]

StatementBibleStatusNotes
Holodisks/Tapes are high-density, laser-readable, manufactured-crystal storage devices. Each one holds over 4,000 gigabytes of informationFallout Bible 8Reliable fact

Mutations and FEV[]

FEV[]

StatementBibleStatusNotes
FEV causes sterility in some creaturesFallout Bible 1Reliable factShown to cause sterility Humans in Fallout 1[3] although may not be permanent if Marcus's claims are true[4].
Marcus’ comments about no longer being sterile[5] are intended as a joke.Fallout Bible 1Uncorroborrated factNothing in canon to prove, or disprove this. There have been no other signs of Super Mutants becoming fertile, but no continued corroboration post Fallout 1 that the original strain mutants cannot become fertile.
FEV enhances fertility in some creatures - specifically Mantii and Giant RatsFallout Bible 1Uncorroborrated factNothing to confirm or deny this possibility. It does fit with the number of creatures in all games, but not specifically confirmed
Ghouls were exposed to both Radiation and FEV.Fallout Bible 3Uncorroborrated factFallout 3 and Fallout Tactics would suggest that FEV is not required for Ghoulification due to distance from West Tek. It is possible that Necropolis Ghouls have been exposed to some degree.
Any stat gain in the Glow is a bug, not FEVFallout Bible 4Reliable factAlthough stats gain is possible in the Glow, this is due to a bug, not intended FEV exposure.

Super mutants[]

StatementBibleStatusNotes
The purpose of the strap under the Super Mutants lip is...Fallout Bible 4Unreliable or incorrect statementNumerous theories are suggested, but none stated as fact.

The Master / Richard Grey / Richard Moreau[]

StatementBibleStatusNotes
The "Other voices" of the Master are those he has consumedFallout Bible 4Uncorroborrated fact
Richard Grey / Moreau is from Vault 8Fallout Bible 3Reliable factRichard Moreau confirmed as a vault exile in Fallout 2[6]. Richard Grey confirmed as being with Harold in a military base with FEV believed to be Mariposa in Fallout 1. Proof linking names is missing.
The Master is a TelepathFallout Bible 4Reliable factChris Taylor cited "The Master was an extremely powerful telepath" confirmed in Fallout[7]
The Master was the first and last TelepathFallout Bible 4First: Uncorroborrated fact
Last: Unreliable or incorrect statement
"last" contradicted by Hakunin, and the Forecaster. First unprovable.
The Master was neurolinked to the Vault's computerFallout Bible 4Reliable factComputer in shot during talking head, and talks with digitised voice. Neurolink possibility confirmed in Richard Grey's audio diary at 0154 - 0172</ref>

Harold[]

StatementBibleStatusNotes
Harold is not a ghoulFallout Bible 1Reliable factFallout 1, Fallout 3.
Harolds transformation is FEV relatedFallout Bible 1Reliable factFallout 1 confirms occurred after being exposed to FEV in a military base that is implied to be Mariposa[8].
Cut Ending Dialogue - Tree has grown larger with fruit, the seeds can take rough even in the most barren stretches of the wastelandFallout Bible 3Uncorroborrated factonly shown to be true in the Oasis.

Ghouls[]

StatementBibleStatusNotes
Ghouls spread from Necropolis in “All Directions”Fallout Bible 1Reliable factConfirmed North to Broken Hills and Gecko in Fallout 2, and the Mojave Wasteland in Fallout: New Vegas. The presence of Ghouls in Fallout 3 and Fallout Tactics is a concurrent development to New California Ghouls.
Ghouls still reside in necropolisFallout Bible 1Uncorroborrated factLimited mention post Fallout 1. The ending slide of Fallout 1 usually results in the death of all Ghouls, however this is thought to be a bug and is contradicted by Fallout 2.
Ghouls were exposed to both Radiation and FEV.Fallout Bible 3Uncorroborrated factFallout 3 and Fallout Tactics would suggest that FEV is not required for Ghoulification due to distance from West Tek. It is possible that Necropolis Ghouls have been exposed to some degree.
There were Ghouls in the HubFallout Bible 4Uncorroborrated fact"there may have been a handful wandering around in Old Town" "The ending (suggesting this) is more appropriate if you just mentally change the word "ghouls" to "skags." Basically, peace and harmony reign supreme. It's possible several ghouls traveled to the Hub during the Migration after they formed their engineering development house in Necropolis.

Deathclaw[]

StatementBibleStatusNotes
The Vault 13 Deathclaw were not designed to breedFallout Bible 1Uncorroborrated factThey can and do breed, whether this was the intention is another question.
Intelligence in Deathclaw is linked to the Male GenesFallout Bible 5Unreliable or incorrect statementThis is stated by John Deiley, however if it is purely linked to the Male genes then how is Kerith able to talk?
Any Female mating with either Xarn or Goris (should they survive Fallout 2) would result in Intelligent DeathclawFallout Bible 5Uncorroborrated factWith caveats as to the Genetics question above
Deathclaw pay homage to the Shadowclaws in Wasteland -Fallout Bible 7Reliable factAs a developer Decision, Chris is an authority
Deathclaws originally were designed with hairFallout Bible 7Reliable factAs a developer Decision, Chris is an authority
The model used for Deathclaw in the end was a leftover asset from a Forgotten Realms fighting game.Fallout Bible 7Reliable factAs a developer Decision, Chris is an authority
The Deathclaw Model design is based off the Tarrasque, found in the in the white covered Dungeons and Dragons 2nd edition Monstorous ManualFallout Bible 7, Fallout Bible 8Reliable factAs a developer decision, Chris is an authority on this.

Wanamingo[]

StatementBibleStatusNotes
Wanamingo are created with FEVFallout Bible 1Uncorroborrated fact
Wanamingo are not aliensFallout Bible 1Uncorroborrated fact
The generation in the Wanamingo eggs are the last generation due to a genetic clockFallout Bible 1 Fallout Bible 2Uncorroborrated fact
The Wanamingos are not found outside of the Fallout 2 areaFallout Bible 1Uncorroborrated factIndeed, to date they have not been shown elsewhere, but were cut from Fallout 3
Wanamingo are designed as weaponsFallout Bible 1Uncorroborrated fact
The Enclave created the Wanamingos as a weaponFallout Bible 1Unreliable or incorrect statement

Critters[]

Radscorpions[]

StatementBibleStatusNotes
Radscorpions are a combination of Radiation and FEV related mutationsFallout Bible 1Uncorroborrated factSomewhat confirmed by Razlo in Fallout 1 who is unable to determine the origin on their mutations, except to say they are "large versions of the American Emperor Scorpion"[9].

Brahmin[]

StatementBibleStatusNotes
Brahmin include FEV related mutationsFallout Bible 1Uncorroborrated factunsupported elsewhere, presence away from FEV centres suggests this may not always be the case.

Rats[]

StatementBibleStatusNotes
Various rat species include FEV mutationsFallout Bible 1Uncorroborrated factunsupported elsewhere, presence away from FEV centres suggests this may not always be the case.

Mantis[]

StatementBibleStatusNotes
Mantises include FEV mutationsFallout Bible 1Uncorroborrated factunsupported elsewhere, presence away from FEV centres suggests this may not always be the case.

Ants[]

StatementBibleStatusNotes
Some Ants include FEV mutationsFallout Bible 1Reliable factLesko performed FEV experiments to create some great ants. Fallout Bible 1 speculates other ants may not be mutated.

Spore plants[]

StatementBibleStatusNotes
Spore plants are FEV mutated Venus fly trapsFallout Bible 1Uncorroborrated factunsupported elsewhere, presence away from FEV centres suggests this may not be the case.

Centaur[]

StatementBibleStatusNotes
Centaurs originate from the MasterFallout Bible 1Unreliable or incorrect statementChris mentions it as a possibility, but says nobody knows.
Centaurs are too vicious to tameFallout Bible 8Unreliable or incorrect statementChris says “I think” so non authoritative. Likely right though.

Geckos[]

StatementBibleStatusNotes
Geckos are flesh and bloodFallout Bible 4Reliable factDefinately NOT robots.

Horses[]

StatementBibleStatusNotes
Horses did not survive the great warFallout Bible 8Reliable fact/Uncorroborrated factAlthough seen in the All Roads comic, this was an error. References to Horses were deliberately removed from FNV to ensure they are seen as extinct
Some Mules survived as seen in Fallout 1Fallout Bible 8Unreliable or incorrect statementIts actually a donkey in Fallout 1 (belonging to Irwin). Mules would require horses as a mule is a combination of Horse and Donkey.

Psykers[]

StatementBibleStatusNotes
Psykers have been removed from the genre following Fallout 1Fallout Bible 1?
Wiggum is an electro-kinetic dominant psykerFallout Bible 1Uncorroborrated fact
Lucy was a telekinetic-Dominant and minor photo kineticFallout Bible 1Uncorroborrated fact
Moore is a pyrokinetic-dominantFallout Bible 1Uncorroborrated fact
Gideon is a receiving-telephath-dominant but unable to control this. He also has photo kinetic abilities.Fallout Bible 1Uncorroborrated fact

Vaults[]

Vault-Tec[]

StatementBibleStatusNotes
The Correct spelling is Vault-TecFallout Bible 1Reliable factCorrects typos/errors in Fallout 1/2.

Vault Experiment[]

StatementBibleStatusNotes
The Vault experiment idea was created by Tim CainFallout Bible 1Reliable factAs out of game, Chris is an authority on this
The Enclave was responsible for the Vault ExperimentsFallout Bible 2Unreliable or incorrect statementChris says specifically they may not have been.... However, partially contradicted by Fallout Bible 4
The Enclave were able to monitor, and send the All Clear signal to the vaultsFallout Bible 4Uncorroborrated fact
There were 122 different vault experimentsFallout Bible 1Uncorroborrated factFull quotes:"and Vault-Tec was commissioned to build only 122 such Vaults" ... "Rumour is there were 122 different vault experiments" Depending on whether you count control vaults as an experiment, this may be a contradiction (with Vault 8) and further contradicted in later games.
There was no Inter-Vault CommunicationFallout Bible 4Uncorroborrated fact
(Early) overseers were aware of the experimentsFallout Bible 4Uncorroborrated fact

On Screen vaults[]

Vault 8/Vault City[]
StatementBibleStatusNotes
A control Vault, intended to open and re-colonize the surface after 10 years. Vault City is the result. Unfortunately.Fallout Bible 1Reliable factFallout 2
Vault 8 was designed to hold 1000 peopleFallout Bible 1Reliable factDesign in game mirrors Vault 13 suggesting similar makeup. Vault Dweller's Survival Guide cites Vault 13 as having a maximum capacity of 1000.
Richard Grey / Moreau is from Vault 8Fallout Bible 3Uncorroborrated factRichard Moreau confirmed as a vault exile in Fallout 2[10]. Richard Grey confirmed as being with Harold in a military base with FEV believed to be Mariposa in Fallout 1. Proof linking names is missing.
(First Citizen) Joanne Lynette[]
StatementBibleStatusNotes
Lynette was made black because of her support for slaveryFallout Bible 3Unreliable or incorrect statementChris says he suspects, but original designers would have to be consulted.
Lynette wasn't abused, tortured, or twisted in any way when she was youngFallout Bible 3Uncorroborrated fact
Lynette "got a certain privileged and superiority complex hardwired into her head around five or six years old”Fallout Bible 3Uncorroborrated fact
Rather than taking sympathy on the poor souls that have come to Vault City for protection, she has instead taken the view that these "outlanders" were simply not strong or smart enough to achieve what Vault City has, and thus, are inferiorFallout Bible 3Reliable fact/Uncorroborrated factDisplays some evidence of this in Fallout 2 but but can hug low intel characters
Lynette has had no positive romantic relationships up until her potential relationship with Westin from NCR in the endgame of Fallout 2Fallout Bible 3Reliable fact/Uncorroborrated factPotential Westin relationship confirmed in Fallout 2 ending slides. Previous relationships unknown and not likely knowable.
Lynette cut endgame Dialogue - McClure became president, Lynette became an honorary council member, and was responsible for legislation between NCR and Vault City.Fallout Bible 3Uncorroborrated fact
Vault 12 / Necropolis[]
StatementBibleStatusNotes
In order the study the effects of radiation on the selected population, the Vault Door was designed not to close. This is the Necropolis Vault... and the ghouls were the result.Fallout Bible 1Reliable fact
Vault 13[]
StatementBibleStatusNotes
Intended to stay closed for 200 years as a study of prolonged isolation, the broken water chip forced the Overseer to improvise and use the Vault Dweller as a pawn. Later study of the Vault 13 records by the Enclave led them to their current plan to end the war.Fallout Bible 1Uncorroborrated factEnclave information confirmed by Richardson[11], however he only calls it a control vault. 200 year information cut from Fallout 2
The Vault 13 Deathclaw were not designed to breedFallout Bible 1Uncorroborrated fact
The Overseer was aware of the Vault experimentFallout Bible 1Uncorroborrated factCut Fallout 2 content.
Vault 13 is under Mt WhitneyFallout Bible 8Unreliable or incorrect statementChris says he doesn’t know
Goris[]
StatementBibleStatusNotes
Goris is Gruthar's SonFallout Bible 5Uncorroborrated factJohn Deiley, the characters is cited. In Game confirmation of no other intelligent deathclaw packs?
Goris took regular scholarly TripsFallout Bible 5Uncorroborrated factJohn Deiley, the characters is cited. In Game confirmation?
Goris explained away his appearance amongst humans as being disfiguredFallout Bible 5Uncorroborrated factJohn Deiley, the characters is cited. In Game confirmation?
Goris was on one of his trips when Frankie visted the vaultFallout Bible 5Reliable factJohn Deiley, the characters is cited. In Game confirmation (beyond option to recruit)?
Goris's color is due toFallout Bible 5Reliable factJohn Deiley, is cited. In Game confirmation?
Vault 15[]
StatementBibleStatusNotes
Intended to stay closed for 50 years and include people of radically diverse ideologies. Gathered from what you hear from Aradesh in Fallout 1, he has quite a bit of multi-cultural flavoring to his speech.Fallout Bible 1Uncorroborrated factImplied by Fallout although not specifically stated as the purpose in game.
Vault 34[]
StatementBibleStatusNotes
The armory was overstocked with weapons and ammo and not provided with a lock.Fallout Bible 1Reliable fact.Present in Fallout: New Vegas
Vault 106[]
StatementBibleStatusNotes
Psychoactive drugs were released into the air filtration system 10 days after the Door was sealed.Fallout Bible 1Reliable fact.Shown in Fallout 3
LA/Boneyard/Cathederal Vault[]
StatementBibleStatusNotes
The Los Angeles / Cathedral vault is unnumbered and a demonstration or test vaultFallout Bible 1Uncorroborrated factBible cites Chris Taylor on Vault13.net (defunct). No number present on this vault in Fallout.

Off Screen vaults[]

StatementBibleStatusNotes
Vault 27 would be overcrowded deliberately. 2000 people would be assigned to enter, double the total sustainable amount. The location of this Vault is unknown.Fallout Bible 1Uncorroborrated fact
No one in Vault 29 was over the age of 15 when they entered. Parents were redirected to other Vaults on purpose. Harold is believed to have come from this Vault.Fallout Bible 1Uncorroborrated factstatements elsewhere suggest grandparents permitted
The food extruders of Vault 36 were designed to produce only a thin, watery gruel.Fallout Bible 1Uncorroborrated fact
No light bulbs of more than 40 watts were provided to Vault 42.Fallout Bible 1Uncorroborrated fact
Most of the equipment in Vault 53 was designed to break down every few months. While repairable, the breakdowns were intended to stress the inhabitants unduly.Fallout Bible 1Uncorroborrated fact
All entertainment tapes were removed from Vault 55.Fallout Bible 1Uncorroborrated fact
All entertainment tapes were removed from Vault 56 except those of one particularly bad comic actor. Sociologists predicted failure before Vault 55.Fallout Bible 1Uncorroborrated fact
Of the one thousand people who entered Vault 68, there was only one woman.Fallout Bible 1Uncorroborrated fact
Of the one thousand people who entered Vault 69, there was only one man.Fallout Bible 1Uncorroborrated fact
Vault 69’s Location is...Fallout Bible 8Unreliable or incorrect statementChris says not fixed until future game
All jumpsuit extruders are designed to fail in Vault 70 after 6 months.Fallout Bible 1Uncorroborrated fact

Companions[]

Dogmeat[]

StatementBibleStatusNotes
Dogmeat was originally going to be called DogshitFallout Bible 7Reliable factAs a developer decision, Chris Avellone is an absolute authority
Dogmeat was intended to be Jake’s (from the Hub) dogFallout Bible 7Reliable factAs a developer decision, Chris Avellone is an absolute authority

Marcus[]

StatementBibleStatusNotes
Marcus cut endgame dialogue - He travelled east searching for refugees from the Masters’ ArmyFallout Bible 3Reliable factClarified by Fallout: New Vegas[12]

Myron[]

StatementBibleStatusNotes
Chris felt myron was developed too muchFallout Bible 8Reliable factChris is an absolute authority on development

Locations[]

New Reno[]

StatementBibleStatusNotes
There is an Easter Egg in New RenoFallout Bible 5Reliable factEaster egg
The Easter Egg in New Reno is intended to do nothingFallout Bible 5Reliable factAs lead developer, Chris is an absolute authority on this.
Prices increase in New Reno arms, and being attacked when asking for mods post came is a bugFallout Bible 8Uncorroborrated factChris says probably, seems likely.

Arroyo[]

Elder[]
StatementBibleStatusNotes
Cut ending dialogue - Pleased that V13 and Arroyo reconciled. Passed away in her sleepFallout Bible 3Uncorroborrated factNot confirmed elsewhere, but seems extremely likely

Boneyard/Los Angeles[]

StatementBibleStatusNotes
P.T.Barnum will not give the S'lanter children in his possession back unless he gets something better - Red Scorpion venom from LAFallout Bible 7Unreliable or incorrect statementS'lanter, Burrows and P.T. Barnum cut.
Followers of the Apocalypse[]
StatementBibleStatusNotes
The Abbey was supposed to be a Followers of the Apocolypse locationFallout Bible 4Unreliable or incorrect statementChris cites Tim Cain as saying no.
Cathedral[]
StatementBibleStatusNotes
Tim Cain hated Dr Wu and insisted his speech be toned down away from obscenities. Although this was done, the revised version of the dialogue did not make it in game.Fallout Bible 8Reliable factScott Bennie cited who is an absolute authority on development

Abbey[]

StatementBibleStatusNotes
The Abbey was supposed to be a Followers of the Apocolypse locationFallout Bible 4Unreliable or incorrect statementChris cites Tim Cain as saying no.
The Abbey was supposed to be a Jesuit locationFallout Bible 4Unreliable or incorrect statementTim Cain cited "probably of Jesuits or something like them (I'd probably go with the latter to avoid right-wing complaints)"
The Abbey was inspired by "A Canticle for Leibowitz" by Walter M. MillerFallout Bible 4Reliable factTim Cain is cited and is an absolute authority on this.

Hub[]

StatementBibleStatusNotes
Scott Bennie designed some of the Hub (inc Iguana Bobs and the blackmail quest)Fallout Bible 7Reliable factAs development information, Chris Avellone is an absolute authority
There were Ghouls in the HubFallout Bible 4Uncorroborrated fact
Dogmeat was intended to be Jake’s (from the Hub) dogFallout Bible 7Reliable factAs a developer decision, Chris Avellone is an absolute authority
P.T. Barnum came from the vault that populated the hub, and is defended from a line of circus owners and wants to return to the hubFallout Bible 7Unreliable or incorrect statementBurrows Design Document included in Bible 7; as this area and character were cut, this is non canon.
The Hub is willing to trade with the S’lanterFallout Bible 7Unreliable or incorrect statementS'lanter and burrows are cut content and thus non canon

Broken Hills[]

StatementBibleStatusNotes
Typhon is Set's son, and was so before the warFallout Bible 7Reliable fact
The Talking plants, Old Ghoul's home and Treasure Hunter should be disregarded and are excised from the canonFallout Bible 7Unreliable or incorrect statement

Sierra Military Depot[]

StatementBibleStatusNotes
The news Holodisk and Skynets name should be disregardedFallout Bible 8Unreliable or incorrect statementAs Chris Avellone is no longer in charge of the franchise or its development, any information would have to come from future games or subsequent developer information.

The Burrows[]

Cut content - As the burrows is a cut location, the content here is to be treated as RED for all in game canon purposes. Green And Amber ratings refer only to development decisions, or to the Canon as it would have applied had this location not been cut.
StatementBibleStatusNotes
The Burrows were designed by Scott Campbell and Brian FreyermuthFallout Bible 7Reliable factAs a developer Decision, Chris is an absolute authority
The Burrows was cut as it was felt to be not appropriate in style and feel to the rest of the Fallout gameFallout Bible 7Reliable factAs a developer Decision, Chris is an absolute authority
The Burrows was to be a Farming and Hunting community of small animalsFallout Bible 7Reliable factDesign Document included in Bible 7
The Burrows community was set up 60 years prior to Fallout 1 (2101)Fallout Bible 7Reliable factDesign Document included in Bible 7
The Burrows community contains adobe buildings around a giant dead oak tree, and dens build undergroundFallout Bible 7Reliable factDesign Document included in Bible 7
The Town hall is in a giant dead oak, it also serves as a tavern and meeting area, library, and shine to the gods of the glowFallout Bible 7Reliable factDesign Document included in Bible 7
The dens were in an outer circle, surrounding the adobe inner circle, with the oak tree in the middleFallout Bible 7Reliable factDesign Document included in Bible 7
The town was lush, and had a river running through it.Fallout Bible 7Reliable factDesign Document included in Bible 7
Jungle type plants grow in the burrowsFallout Bible 7Reliable factDesign Document included in Bible 7
Neres-Ka lead the mutant animals (S’Lanter) from the GlowFallout Bible 7Reliable factDesign Document included in Bible 7
The S’Lanter in the Burrows came from the glowFallout Bible 7Reliable factDesign Document included in Bible 7
The S’Lanter brought texts from the glowFallout Bible 7Reliable factDesign Document included in Bible 7
S’Lanter means kindredFallout Bible 7Reliable factDesign Document included in Bible 7
The Adobe buildings in the Burrows were human looking on the outside, but not on the insideFallout Bible 7Reliable factDesign Document included in Bible 7
The S’lanter met the Jackals in 2106 (before the jackals became the jackals)Fallout Bible 7Reliable factDesign Document included in Bible 7
The encounter with the Jackals divided the community between those who became den-dwellers and prioritised security, with the more technological inclined staying in adobe buildingsFallout Bible 7Reliable factDesign Document included in Bible 7
S’Lanter have communal property for all but homes. Homes however were treated differently, with trespassers facing ostracisation for a month.Fallout Bible 7Reliable factDesign Document included in Bible 7
A few humans located the village prior to 2120 but were either turned away or killedFallout Bible 7Reliable factDesign Document included in Bible 7
The Mourning song dates from Neres-Ka’s deathFallout Bible 7Reliable factDesign Document included in Bible 7
Neres-Ka’s son (Minshen) lead the tribe until 2140, and was succeeded by his daughter RinarFallout Bible 7Reliable factDesign Document included in Bible 7
The Glow” gets its name from an original survivor of the Glow heading back to the location and turning back after all he could see was a great big glowFallout Bible 7Reliable factDesign Document included in Bible 7
2130 was known as the great winter in many part of the wastesFallout Bible 7Reliable factDesign Document included in Bible 7
Minshen created the “religion of the glow” to give his tribe hope in the great winter of 2130Fallout Bible 7Reliable factDesign Document included in Bible 7
The religion of the glow teaches there are gods in the glow, and used the original founders journals talking about “masters” as proofFallout Bible 7Reliable factDesign Document included in Bible 7
Minshen died in 2050Fallout Bible 7Uncorroborrated factDesign Document included in Bible 7 (Probable typo as prior to burrows setup date and great war, should be 2150?)
A number of “Top Dwelling” Slanter left the village to the glow and al but 1 died there in 2061 , the survivor reported “there are no gods, only death”Fallout Bible 7Uncorroborrated factDesign Document included in Bible 7 (Probable typo as prior to burrows setup date and great war, should be 2161)
The report of death from The Glow expedition caused the village division to split furtherFallout Bible 7Reliable factDesign Document included in Bible 7
Rinar has a house behind the great treeFallout Bible 7Reliable factDesign Document included in Bible 7
Rinar has 9 children, including Kally-Ya, and is very protective of them.Fallout Bible 7Reliable factDesign Document included in Bible 7
Despite the split, both sides of the S'lanters feud would die for their leaderFallout Bible 7Reliable factDesign Document included in Bible 7
Both sides mistrust humans, the Den Dwellers more so, but the top dwellers would be curious.Fallout Bible 7Reliable factDesign Document included in Bible 7
There are no guards in the burrows, but all would attack if neededFallout Bible 7Reliable factDesign Document included in Bible 7
There is a garden behind the great treeFallout Bible 7Reliable factDesign Document included in Bible 7
Mek can guide the player to the glowFallout Bible 7Reliable factDesign Document included in Bible 7
The Jungle contains traps. This will results in the player being ambushed by den dwellers and then assisted by tip dwellers, and eventually stopped by RinarFallout Bible 7Reliable factDesign Document included in Bible 7
The Burrows starts the quest to find the glowFallout Bible 7Reliable factDesign Document included in Bible 7
The player can bring back Chi-Pa’s journal for proof they visited the glow.Fallout Bible 7Reliable factDesign Document included in Bible 7
There is a quest to find Kally-Ya (Rinar's child)Fallout Bible 7Reliable factDesign Document included in Bible 7
A mutated human named Bill lives nearby the burrows. He has a mental illness, and was bitten by a mutant beetleFallout Bible 7Reliable factDesign Document included in Bible 7
Bill kidnapped a short mutant woman from junktown who died. He thinks Kelly-Ya is his wife.Fallout Bible 7Reliable factDesign Document included in Bible 7
There are traps around Bill’s home to “ward of liberals”Fallout Bible 7Reliable factDesign Document included in Bible 7
Children are going missing from the S’lanter village without an apparent trace, but is actually just covered up. The Jackals are taking themFallout Bible 7Reliable factDesign Document included in Bible 7
T-Bone, a Jackal has been contracted to capture and sell the S'lanter children to a caravan owned by P.T.BarnumFallout Bible 7Reliable factDesign Document included in Bible 7
P.T.Barnum came from the vault that populated the hub, and is defended from a line of circus owners and wants to return to the hubFallout Bible 7Reliable factDesign Document included in Bible 7
P.T.Barnum found and created several of his exhibitsFallout Bible 7Reliable factDesign Document included in Bible 7
P.T.Barnum will not give the children back unless he gets something better - Red Scorpion venom from LAFallout Bible 7Reliable factDesign Document included in Bible 7
The S’lanter children made poor exhibits for P.T. Barnum anyway as people tended not to be interestedFallout Bible 7Reliable factDesign Document included in Bible 7
The Hub is willing to trade with the S’lanterFallout Bible 7Reliable factDesign Document included in Bible 7
The Khans will slaughter the S’Lanter if they are told of the creaturesFallout Bible 7Reliable factDesign Document included in Bible 7
Junktown has no interest in trading with the S’lanterFallout Bible 7Reliable factDesign Document included in Bible 7

Necropolis[]

StatementBibleStatusNotes
Barstow/Bakersfield Controversy - Bakersfield doesnt correspond to the location in game, but Bakersfield is mentioned in Vault locations v34.129.?NAChris says he believes that it is meant to be Bakersfield, but isn’t sure. However the information included from emails by readers seems conclusive that it is in Barstow's position.

The Glow[]

StatementBibleStatusNotes
The Glow” gets its name from an original survivor of the Glow heading back to the location and turning back after all he could see was a great big glowFallout Bible 7Unreliable or incorrect statementComes from Burrows Design Document included in Bible 7, but location cut from end game as it wasn't felt to fit the setting. Hence red rating
West Tek was originally going to be called FSEFFallout Bible 7Reliable factDevelopment decision, so Chris Avellone is an absolute authority

EPA[]

Cut content - As the EPA is a cut location, the content here is to be treated as RED for all in game canon purposes. Green And Amber ratings refer only to development decisions, or to the Canon as it would have applied had this location not been cut.
StatementBibleStatusNotes
The EPA site was to be a pre war industrial waste management site.Fallout Bible 8Reliable fact(Design doc inc)
The chemical s stored have now leaked into a lake with special mutagenic qualitiesFallout Bible 8Reliable fact(Design doc inc)
“The Doctor” has started to experiment with the lake’s substanceFallout Bible 8Reliable fact(Design doc inc)
“The Doctor” spends most of his time in the workshop with his experimentsFallout Bible 8Reliable fact(Design doc inc)
“The Doctor's" experiments include centaurs, floaters, deathclaw and peopleFallout Bible 8Reliable fact(Design doc inc)

Fallout Tactics[]

StatementBibleStatusNotes
The Elders going missing at the end was left as a deliberate open threadFallout Bible 4Reliable factAs out of game, Chris is an authority on this

Raider groups[]

Khans[]

StatementBibleStatusNotes
The Khans will slaughter the S’Lanter if they are told of the creaturesFallout Bible 7Unreliable or incorrect statementDesign Document included in Bible 7; S'lanter and Burrows cut from game so non canon
The Khans were supposed to have a tire armor set.Fallout Bible 8Reliable factFile:FB8 Khan Tire Armor concept art.png

Jackals[]

StatementBibleStatusNotes
The S’lanter met the Jackals in 2106 (before the jackals became the jackals)Fallout Bible 7Unreliable or incorrect statementDesign Document included in Bible 7; Both Jackals and Burrows cut from game although Jackals still referenced in some dialogue.
Children are going missing from the S’lanter village without an apparent trace, but is actually just covered up. The Jackals are taking themFallout Bible 7Unreliable or incorrect statementDesign Document included in Bible 7; Both Jackals and Burrows cut from game although Jackals still referenced in some dialogue.

Vipers[]

Using this index/citing the Fallout Bible[]

Chris Avellone has stated that his bibles shouldn’t be taken as the official word on canon as Bethesda is now in charge of the canon. The only true guide that we have as to what can be accepted is what is in-game, and any public developer comment from the Bethesda team that seems to be binding. This guide shows how reliable the statements in the Bible are, and help determine if, and how, they should be used as a source.

Green - Reliable facts.

  • Where a statement has been shown to be true in-game
  • Where a statement relates to the real world where Chris Avellone (or his source) is an authority (e.g.- Fallout 1/2 development)

Examples:

Vaults 8, 13, 15, 34, and 106 appear in games as described in Fallout Bible 1, as such they receive Green status. Other vaults do not.
The Vault Experiment being Tim Cain’s idea is confirmed in Fallout Bible 1 and Fallout Bible 2. Chris is a reliable witness on this, and as such gets the green status

Using Green information:

  • For game facts, always cite the game where it appears (and link to dialogue files, etc)
  • Cite to the bible if the information goes beyond the facts shown in-game
  • For real-world facts, cite the Bible freely

Amber - Uncorroborated facts
Required: The statement is provided by Chris as a "fact" but one of the following exists:

  • No corroborating information is known from games
  • There is conflicting information from games - some confirms, some denies
Frank Horrigan being subjected to conditioning programs before his mutation is stated in Fallout Bible 1. This is not verifiable elsewhere and is unlikely to be verified by a future game. It thus has Amber status.
The term “President” becoming a boogeyman figure is mentioned in Fallout Bible 3 and confirmed by an unavoidable ending slide in Fallout 2. However, in Fallout: New Vegas, the term is used by the NCR to refer to their president without this context is present.

Using Amber Informatoion: The Bible can be cited, but only with appropriate warnings about unclear canonicity.

Red - Unreliable or Incorrect statements

  • The statement is contradicted in games
  • The statement is floated by Chris as a possibility
Chris suggests that the Enclave may or may not be responsible for the Wanamingos. It gets a mention, but only red status.


Using Red Information:

  • DO NOT cite as fact
  • Mentioned only where the conflict is interesting enough to warrant a mention in an article.

References[]

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