Arcade Gannon

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	For the Van Buren character, see Arcade Gannon (Van Buren).

Fallout: New Vegas Character
Arcade Gannon
Affiliation	Enclave Remnants (optional) Followers of the Apocalypse
Role	Researcher
Family	Unnamed Mother Gannon - Father
Gender	Male
Location	Old Mormon Fort
Played By	Zachary Levi
Appears In	Fallout: New Vegas
Across Series
Arcade Gannon (Fallout: Wasteland Warfare) Arcade Gannon (Magic: The Gathering)
Level	5→22→26→30→33→37 (pc level x 0.75)
SPECIAL	6 ST, 6 PE, 4 EN, 6 CH, 10 IN, 6 AG, 4 LK
Actual	6 ST, 6 PE, 4 EN, 5 CH, 10 IN, 6 AG, 4 LK (Gannon Family Tesla Helmet)
Karma	Neutral
Perks	Better Healing Companion Suite (When in party)
Tag Skills	Follower of the Apocalypse Doctor: Energy Weap.: 50→100 Medicine: 59→100 Melee Weap.: 51→100
Misc Stats	Hit Points: 170→255→275→295→310→330 Fatigue: 180→250→320→400→470→530 Critical Chance: 4% Unarmed Dam.: 1.10 Poison: 15% Radiation: 6% Carry Weight: 210
Dialogue	Arcade Gannon/Dialogue
Designer	Joshua Sawyer
Race	Human
Form ID	0010C767
Ref ID	0010D8EB
Editor ID	VFSArcadeGannon
GECK Race	Caucasian
Combat
Faction	ArcadeFaction DontTazeMeBroFaction FollowersOfTheApocalypseFaction
Class	ArcadeClass (Follower of the Apocalypse Doctor)
Combat Style	FollowersCombatStyleRanged (default)
AI Data
Aggression	Aggressive: Will attack enemies on sight. Aggressive: Will attack enemies on sight.
Confidence	Brave: Will avoid/flee from threats only if severely outmatched. Brave: Will avoid/flee from threats only if severely outmatched.
Assistance	Helps allies: Will help allies. Helps allies: Will help allies.
Physical Traits
Height	1.03
Eye Color	Green
Hair Color	Blond
Hairstyle	HairWavy

“Victrix causa deis placuit sed victa Catoni.”

Arcade Israel Gannon is a member of the Followers of the Apocalypse and possible companion in Fallout: New Vegas. He is also a character in Fallout: Wasteland Warfare and appears on a card in Magic: The Gathering: Universes Beyond x Fallout.

Background

Arcade was an only child, the son of an Enclave Officer, born at a military base in Navarro. His father passed away when he was young, but the circumstances and leading to his death were never shared with him. When the New California Republic sacked Navarro, he and his mother fled with troopers from his father's old unit. The group moved south, attempting to integrate, but were still sought by the NCR and Brotherhood of Steel, requiring repetitive relocation to the fringes.

Gannon credits the Followers of the Apocalypse for his knowledge base, including having received his medical training from the group while he lived within the NCR. His drive to help people and enjoyment of learning led him to move to the New Vegas area, where communities were especially in need of assistance. From his tent in Freeside's Old Mormon Fort, Arcade is currently researching alternative treatments for common illnesses and injuries, utilizing local flora such as barrel cacti.

Intentionally deflecting questions about himself at first, he will only describe in detail finding his niche in conducting research, sharing his goals of developing new ways of producing medical supplies as pre-War medical supplies are finite in number. Shortly thereafter, he will admit that the Followers may have overextended themselves by reaching out to the individuals there, but is determined to assist where no one else would. In addition, he will comment that research into his projects are slow going, but that he is enthusiastic about the possibility of his work helping people regardless.

He has remained close with the Enclave Remnants who he sees as family. His closest bond is with Daisy Whitman, who he describes as being "the only woman in his life" after the death of his mother. He shares with the Courier that he has had many men in his life, but that "lovers make poor confidantes," instead choosing to remain close to Daisy, who never had children of her own and was always willing to listen. Arcade remembers Orion Moreno's unwavering support of the Enclave, and Cannibal Johnson's disdain for it. He will also share that Judah Kreger did his best to make Arcade feel welcome in the group, doing so out of a sense of loyalty to his late father.

Arcade laments not being able to completely move past growing up without a father figure, wondering what he had planned for him, and if those plans aligned with reality. He makes peace with what the remnant members recount about his father's good character, sharing that although he won't attempt to fill his father's shoes, he aims to do his best to follow in his father's footsteps in terms of making a difference in the lives of others. He feels a strong desire to repay the remnants for their support throughout his life, ultimately accepting that their path and his own were different, and that he is satisfied with having chosen the direction he did.

Arcade is strongly averse to groups he views as fascist or imperialist, such as the New California Republic and Caesar's Legion. Arcade feels strongly about Caesar's Legion and their potential desirous effects on the area, noting Caesar's inability to learn from the past, instead recreating it.

Interactions Overview

Interactions
	This character is essential. Essential characters cannot be killed. Essential status expires when Hardcore Mode.
	This character is a permanent companion. They grant the Better Healing perk.
	This character is a temporary companion. They grant the Better Healing perk.
	This character identifies as LGBTQ+.
	This character starts quests.	For Auld Lang Syne: After the Courier shifts the balance of power between factions and explores several locations Arcade will recall memories of his days with the Enclave.
	This character is involved in quests.	Beyond the Beef: The Courier can offer Arcade (or any other human companion) as a substitute main course to Mortimer for the banquet. Mortimer makes remarks about his height and his chin. Bitter Springs Infirmary Blues: Arcade can give Lieutenant Markland the specialized medical training he needs, bypassing the part of the quest that requires the retrieval of Tiny, Tiny Babies: All You Need to Know About Pediatric Medicine and Stress and the Modern Refugee: A Primer. ED-E My Love: When asked about which faction to send ED-E to near the end of ED-E My Love, he will unsurprisingly urge the Courier to give it to the Followers. Et Tumor, Brute?: The Courier has the option of selling Arcade into slavery as Caesar's personal doctor, completing the quest but losing Karma. That Lucky Old Sun: In HELIOS One (and after listening to Fantastic), Arcade will urge the Courier to divert power to Freeside and outer Vegas on the belief that the NCR already has power from Hoover Dam and Mr. House has resources unlike the citizens of Freeside. The White Wash: If the player chooses to help Tom Anderson rather than turn him in, Arcade will be very vocal and pleased about it.

Companion

There are several ways for the Courier to recruit Arcade while speaking with him.

Recruiting

He will agree to accompany the player character if any of the following requirements are met:

• The Courier has a high reputation with the Followers.
• The Courier has successfully completed High Times and given Julie Farkas the needed medical supplies.
  • Note that for this approach, the Courier needs to first ask, "Do you need any help?" after which Arcade will thank the Courier for their work for the Followers and a "join me" option will appear.
• The Courier can pass a Speech check of 75.
• The Courier has the Confirmed Bachelor perk.
• If the Courier has an Intelligence of 3 or lower while speaking with him, Arcade will take pity on them. Temporary Intelligence-reduction effects can be useful in this situation if the Courier cannot pass any of the other checks.
• As with Craig Boone, Arcade will refuse to join the Courier if they acquire a positive reputation with the Legion, and/or is wearing Legion apparel. To bypass this, the Courier can wear NCR faction armor and talk to Arcade again. It will temporarily bypass the faction check and allow Arcade to become a companion. Arcade is not affected by a negative reputation with the Followers of the Apocalypse when the Courier tries to recruit him.

Dislikes

Arcade will get fed up with the Courier if they do or say things that he dislikes, resulting in a "dislike point." Once he has accumulated 3 "dislike" points, he will warn the Courier that they are "acting crazy." Most of these possible "dislike" points may be obtained during The White Wash quest. At 6 points, he will leave permanently. He also tracks "like" points, but those are only used to determine when the For Auld Lang Syne quest begins. The "dislike" points are triggered by the following statements or actions:

• Relating to The White Wash quest:
  • 1 point for saying "Right. The Followers don't endorse his actions, and all that." when Arcade comments on Anderson, when visiting Westside after already having completed The White Wash without Arcade.
  • 1 point for saying "They profit from crime, now I profit, too." when Arcade chastises the Courier if they finished the quest by extorting money from the Westside Co-op.
  • 2 points for saying "Anderson killed White. He deserved to pay for what he did." when Arcade challenges the Courier if they finished the quest by killing Anderson.
  • 1 point for saying "What's done is done." when Arcade challenges the Courier if they finished the quest by killing Anderson.
  • 1 point for saying "You're assuming a motive without evidence. Please be rational." (which requires Intelligence 7), followed by "It was either this or spend the rest of his life in an NCR chain gang." when Arcade challenges the Courier, if they finished the quest by killing Anderson.
• During the first visit to The Fort with Arcade along:
  • 2 points for saying "With how messed up New Vegas is, do you really think Caesar has nothing to offer?" followed by "Yes, that's exactly what I'm suggesting." when Arcade asks why they are there.
  • 1 point for saying "He seemed smart to me." after meeting Caesar for the first time when Arcade is a companion.
• After speaking to Thomas Hildern (any conversation that ends with "Yes...Goodbye" or "Wrong turn?...") with Arcade (one time) he will talk about Hildern's motives.
  • 1 point for saying "But in the end, doesn't it all just come down to numbers anyway?"
• 1 point for murdering non-hostile innocents. (Dislike is not raised until Arcade comments negatively.)

Immediate leave

Arcade will leave immediately and permanently if any of the following happens:

• The Courier responds to one of his challenges with some variation of "If you don't like it, leave."
• They enter the Legate's Camp in preparation to help Caesar attack Hoover Dam.
• Convincing the Remnants to support Caesar's Legion during the For Auld Lang Syne quest.
• Activating ARCHIMEDES. He will also turn hostile if the player character responds that it's "Time for the NCR to roast." (Diverting power to ARCHIMEDES II is not a problem.)
• Reporting back to Caesar after assassinating Kimball. He will leave regardless of the Courier's preparation to move on to the final mission. He will stay as long as the quest is unfinished.

Comments

Arcade Gannon's comments
Location	Comment
Silver Rush	“That's a lot of energy weapons. Brings back some interesting memories.”
Westside, before the completion of The White Wash.	“Westside, huh? I passed through here with another Follower a while back, Anderson. The locals were having a lot of trouble getting water through.”
Westside, after the completion of The White Wash.	“Westside, huh? I heard about what happened with Anderson. Can't say I'm surprised. He was always a fringe operator in the Followers.”
Crashed Vertibird	“A vertibird. Interesting. It's been a long time since I've seen one of these.”
The Tops, after getting the Mark of Caesar	“So Mr. House doesn't care that one of Caesar's most notorious Legion spies is walking around on the Strip. Either that or his Securitrons' AI is too primitive to recognize the threat. Neither answer is particularly comforting.”
Lucky 38, upon accepting The Moon Comes Over the Tower	“Oh, hello Emily. Yes, it is I, Arcade Gannon, fellow member of the Followers of the Apocalypse. Would I like to help infiltrate the Lucky 38? I'm so glad you asked...”
The Strip	“The Strip's not a bad place if you love terrible things and people. I'll never understand the allure of giving away your money to the rich.”
REPCONN Headquarters, front entrance	“I've read about REPCONN. I think they did some work with the... the government before the war. Rockets and some energy weapon prototypes, I think.”
Camp McCarran, after talking to Thomas Hildern and leaving the OSI's section of the camp	“Hildern is a good example of 'big picture' obsession gone too far. At some point he became so fixated on large scale results that he lost the concept of 'the common good' along the way. It's an inhumane kind of public service when people and the basic resources they need become numbers in a ledger.”
The Fort, entrance	“Wait, wait, wait a second. What's going on? Am I playing Vergil to your Dante? I'd like to assume that we're tiptoeing into the mouth of hell out of academic curiosity, but I'm not so open-minded that I've lost my brains.”
Vault 22, entrance	“I'm no botanist, but I think this may not be entirely natural.”
Bitter Springs, entrance path	“It's a shame what happened up here. I understand arguments about the 'fog of war', but that can't be much consolation to the survivors. Or to the NCR soldiers who have to live with what they did here.”
Hoover Dam, near Hoover Dam Visitor Center	“Well, I'll be. Hoover Dam. One of the last remaining functioning wonders of the Pre-War world. I'm amazed it's still running at all. Too bad everyone's killing each other over it.”
Old Nuclear Test Site	“Nuclear waste disposal. Pre-War, people figured there was so much desert in Nevada, you might as well turn it into a big dumping ground. People didn't like it, but they weren't about to give up easy access to power, not with all of the petroleum drying up.”
Accepting quest Three-Card Bounty	“I'm not exactly a mercenary, but taking out scumbags of this magnitude wouldn't cause me to lose any sleep.”
Asking him to join while having ED-E as a companion without having finished ED-E My Love	“There's something about that robot that doesn't seem... all right to me. I'm not saying we shouldn't take it with us. I'm just saying that if it were to "fall" into Lake Mead and be irreparably damaged... and if you threw an EMP grenade in after it... Well, there are worse things happening in the world, right?”
Asking him to join while having ED-E as a companion after his connection with the Enclave has been revealed	“After spending thirty years of my life hiding my association with the Enclave, I'd love to stroll the wasteland with a twitchy Eyebot.”
Asking him to join while having Rex as a companion	“A courier, doctor, and a cybernetic dog. After we deal with the whole "imminent conquest of New Vegas" problem, we should open an act at the Tops.”

Non-player character comments

As a member of the Followers of the Apocalypse, Arcade is recognized all over the wasteland. When traveling with Arcade: The citizens of Freeside will often say "Howdy, Arcade." and will sometimes state that they are surprised to see that he is outside the fort, as they thought that "those scientist types liked to stay indoors." Members of Caesar's Legion will express their disbelief that a Follower had the courage to step out of Freeside. Powder Gangers and Escaped Convicts will speak of him in a derogatory manner, calling Arcade "four eyes." NCR citizens will berate the Courier for keeping company with "anarchist cultists" instead of "civilized persons." Great Khans will say "I haven't seen a Follower around here in years." The Kings Gang Members will comment "I see you've hired a Follower doctor. Smart move, with Freeside being what it is." Nightkin will say "Head voices say smart man also metal man. Don't like metal men!"

Endings

Spoilers

# Slide Voice-over narration In-game condition 1 Though Arcade's intentions were pure and his goals were noble, he ultimately succumbed to the harsh brutality of the Mojave like so many before him. Play sound FNVending ArcadeGannon 11 1.ogg Arcade dies. 2a Tricked by the Courier and imprisoned by the Legion, Arcade remained Caesar's personal physician for several years. Caesar grew fond of speaking with such an educated man on philosophical matters. Arcade became his unwilling intellectual sparring partner. After years of such servitude, during an unguarded moment, Arcade used a surgical scalpel and his bare hands to disembowel himself. Lacking any other skilled medical personnel, the Legion was unable to prevent his death. Caesar mourned his loss for months. Play sound FNVending ArcadeGannon 11 2.ogg Sell Arcade into slavery as Caesar's personal doctor during Et Tumor, Brute?, complete Veni, Vidi, Vici for Caesar's Legion. 2b Though the Legion was victorious at Hoover Dam, the Legate did not have the same medical needs as Caesar. Lanius quickly tired of Arcade's acerbic wit and had the doctor crucified. Play sound FNVending ArcadeGannon 11 2b.ogg Kill Caesar during Et Tumor, Brute? then sell Arcade to Lucius. Complete Veni, Vidi, Vici for Caesar's Legion. 3 During the retreat of Caesar's Legion from the Mojave Wasteland, Arcade was a sad casualty, one of many. His body was heaped with those of many others in a nameless ravine on the Legion's long march home. Play sound FNVending ArcadeGannon 11 3.ogg Sell Arcade into slavery as Caesar's personal doctor during Et Tumor, Brute?, complete No Gods, No Masters for an Independent New Vegas. 4 Though Arcade had not hoped for an NCR victory, he was proud of his role in the defense of Hoover Dam against the forces of Caesar's Legion. Unfortunately, when word spread that Arcade was once a member of the Enclave, he was forced out of the Followers of the Apocalypse. Pursued by bounty hunters, NCR rangers, and the Brotherhood of Steel, Arcade pushed deep into the eastern plains and was never heard from again. Play sound FNVending ArcadeGannon 11 4.ogg Complete Eureka! for the NCR; complete For Auld Lang Syne and advise Arcade to aid the Remnants. 5 Arcade had hoped that Freeside would be able to remain independent of NCR rule, but he was glad that Caesar's Legion had been stopped at Hoover Dam. He tended to the sick in Freeside for a while longer, then returned to NCR territory to become a teacher with the Followers there. Play sound FNVending ArcadeGannon 11 5.ogg Complete Eureka! for the NCR; complete For Auld Lang Syne and advise Arcade to return to the Follower's camp in Freeside. 6 Though Arcade was crushed by the Legion's victory at Hoover Dam, he was not among NCR's casualties. During the NCR's retreat from the Mojave Wasteland, he helped defend NCR citizens and refugees on their way to Mojave Outpost. Unfortunately, a NCR ranger identified his father's armor as Enclave property. He was arrested, tried as a war criminal, and imprisoned indefinitely. Play sound FNVending ArcadeGannon 11 6.ogg Complete Veni, Vidi, Vici for the Legion; complete For Auld Lang Syne and advise both Arcade and the Remnants to aid the NCR. 7 When news reached Freeside that Legion forces were approaching New Vegas, Arcade did his best to help people escape with adequate supplies. A Legion Explorer saw Arcade helping locals escape and pointed him out to a centurion. Arcade's group was run down somewhere near Westside. There were no survivors. Play sound FNVending ArcadeGannon 11 7.ogg Complete Veni, Vidi, Vici for the Legion; complete For Auld Lang Syne and advise Arcade to return to the Follower's camp in Freeside. 8 Arcade was outraged by Mr. House's power play following the defeat of Caesar's Legion at Hoover Dam. Though he remained in Freeside for a short time after the Securitrons established widespread control, he eventually traveled back into NCR territory. Disillusioned with the Followers of the Apocalypse, he settled down in the outskirts of the Boneyard, where he worked happily as a family doctor. Play sound FNVending ArcadeGannon 11 8.ogg Complete All or Nothing for Mr. House; complete For Auld Lang Syne and advise Arcade to return to the Follower's camp in Freeside. 9 Though Arcade was proud to have been one of the defenders who turned back the Legion at Hoover Dam, he was crushed by Mr. House's ascent to power. Saddened by the loss of life and liberty in the area, Arcade left the Mojave Wasteland for parts unknown. He was never heard from again. Play sound FNVending ArcadeGannon 11 9.ogg Complete All or Nothing for Mr. House; complete For Auld Lang Syne and advise Arcade to aid the Remnants. 10 Arcade was proud to have been one of the defenders who helped repel the Legion from Hoover Dam. He was prouder still to see the area freed from the shackles of the NCR and Mr. House. Though independence for New Vegas was not all he hoped it could be, Arcade used his Enclave knowledge and technology to keep order wherever he could. Play sound FNVending ArcadeGannon 11 10.ogg Complete No Gods, No Masters for an Independent New Vegas; complete For Auld Lang Syne and advise Arcade to aid the Remnants. 11 Arcade was tending to the locals of Freeside when he learned that Caesar's Legion had been defeated and NCR was being pushed out of New Vegas. Though he found that independence for New Vegas was not all he hoped it would be, Arcade did his best to help the locals govern themselves. Play sound FNVending ArcadeGannon 11 11.ogg Complete No Gods, No Masters for an Independent New Vegas; complete For Auld Lang Syne and advise Arcade to return to the Follower's camp in Freeside.

Inventory

Apparel	Weapon	Other items
Arcade's Lab Coat Eyeglasses Gannon Family Tesla Armor* Gannon Family Tesla Helmet*	Arcade Gannon's Plasma Defender** Arcade Gannon's Ripper	Stimpak x3

* Only worn if fighting at Hoover Dam.

** Because Arcade's Plasma Defender uses Magical Companion Ammo instead of Energy Cells, it does not have the -2 DT effect that comes from using standard energy ammunition. Otherwise, the weapon has the same statistics as the standard version.

Quotes

• "I'm enthusiastic about helping people, but nihil novi sub sole."
  
  

  

  Play sound
  NVArcadeI'menthusiasticabouthelp…
• "No, really. Have you ever snorted a ground up Cazador venom sac? Neither have I, but I can guarantee you that a Freeside junkie has."
  
  

  

  Play sound
  NVArcadeSnortedGroundUpCazador.ogg
• "Okay. I just wanted you to confirm that I'm traveling in the company of an insane fascist. Thanks."
  
  

  

  Play sound
  FNV ArcadeGannon InsaneFascist.ogg
• "I still don't know how this is all going to shake out in the end, but at least the Enclave can atone a bit for all the damage it's done."
  
  

  

  Play sound
  FNV ArcadeGannon EnclaveCanAtone…
• "Oh, you know. Finding alternative treatments for common illnesses and injuries. Stimpaks out of barrel cacti and other fantastic improbabilities. As far as fruitless wastes of time go, it's quite noble in its aims."
  
  

  

  Play sound
  NVArcadeFantasticImprobabilities…
• "Wait, wait, wait a second. What's going on? Am I playing Vergil to your Dante? I'd like to assume that we're tiptoeing into the mouth of hell out of academic curiosity, but I'm not so open-minded that I've lost my brains."
  
  

  

  Play sound
  FNV ArcadeGannon VergilToYourDan…

Notes

• When recruiting Arcade with ED-E or Rex as a companion he will make a comment on either of them.
• Wearing a Legion outfit before recruiting Gannon and trying to activate conversation with is impossible as he will refuse to talk to the player character, stating he is only willing to talk after saying "take off that ridiculous Legion uniform. It's insulting."
• When putting Nuka-Cola in Arcade's inventory, Arcade will eventually drink the Nuka-Cola leaving only empty bottles and bottle caps.
• Arcade will comment on many quest events as the player character finds or completes them, such as when Vulpes Inculta gives the player character the Mark of Caesar commenting that Vulpes is the Legion's "most notorious" spy, when being asked to plant a bug in the Lucky 38 by Emily Ortal, or activating ARCHIMEDES II.
• Arcade is the most intelligent companion, with an Intelligence of 10, and is the most charismatic companion, with a Charisma of 6.

Fallout: Wasteland Warfare

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	Article
	Arcade Gannon

Appearances

Arcade Gannon appears in Fallout: New Vegas and Fallout: Wasteland Warfare.

Behind the Scenes

• Arcade has two empty dialogue quests in the Fallout: New Vegas DLCs: NVDLC01ArcadeGoodbye and NVDLC03DialogueArcade.
• Arcade was featured in the Meet the Companions Playstation Blog, written by Jason Bergman. The transcript appears below.

“Full Name: Arcade Israel Gannon

Sex: Male
Race: Human
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Age: 35
Profession: Doctor, Followers of the Apocalypse New Vegas Chapter
Perk: Better Healing – While Arcade is a companion, the player regains more health from all sources.

Description: Arcade is highly ethical and moral, but he understands the post apocalyptic world is one in which sometimes, people just have to be shot in the head. Most of Arcade’s concerns about the world around him have to do with large-scale issues rather than the needs of individuals. While he appreciates what individual people go through, he firmly believes that it’s more important to affect large-scale societal change than fix problems little by little.”

Behind the scenes

In the Meet the Companions Playstation blog, Arcade's age is listed as 35 and his middle name is "Israel." Joshua Sawyer stated that "his middle name isn’t intended to suggest ethnicity (just as my first and last names aren’t indicative of mine!). I had thought of Arcade as having a difficult time being moral in a world with so much immorality, so his middle name is Israel, meaning (in some interpretations) 'one who struggled with god'." He was originally set to appear in Van Buren, the canceled Fallout 3 by Black Isle Studios (see Arcade Gannon). Arcade Gannon was one of several player characters J.E. Sawyer used while playing a Fallout tabletop RPG developed by Chris Avellone. Sawyer possesses a notebook of his original design for Arcade's character, created during the course of this tabletop game. During an October 2020 livestream, Sawyer revealed some content from this notebook, including the reference image used for Arcade (see gallery). In Arcade's profile, he is stated to be 34 years old and around 145 pounds. His middle name was originally "Daniel" and his father's name is Mark. When brought to The Fort, Arcade will get upset with the Courier and ask "What's going on? Am I playing Virgil to your Dante?" This is a reference to Dante's Divine Comedy. Arcade's worst ending directly mimics the suicide of Cato when Julius Caesar became ruler of Ancient Rome; Cato slipped over while attempting to stab himself, and was forced to disembowel himself to succeed in what he sought; Caesar was unhappy at his death. If questioned about the Legion's use of Latin, Arcade will respond that "Caesar can cite Cato to suit his purposes." This is a paraphrase of the line "The devil can cite scripture for his purpose," from The Merchant of Venice by Shakespeare. Developer quotes “Arcade's conflict is about his identity. He is torn between a sense of loyalty and tradition to his father and adoptive family and a desire to be independent, self-made. He feels caught between generations and cultures and isn't sure who he should be or how, if at all, to use the "legacy" (material and otherwise) left to him by his father. Arcade's endings are intended to reflect that no one is damaged more by reality than the idealist. He does his best to be practical and rational, but there is a strong idealist streak in him/the Followers in general. In some of Arcade's "best" endings (meaning, the circumstances he thought he wanted), he is still somewhat disappointed by how things turned out. In his "worst" endings, he can wind up bitterly disillusioned, brutally murdered, crucified, casually executed and discarded in a ditch, or even defiantly suicidal. Arguably the worst ending is the one in which Arcade is given to Caesar as an enslaved doctor. The existence is so unbearable to him that he does what the historical Cato the Younger did at Utica: rather than give Caesar satisfaction, he disembowels himself. Like Cato, Arcade cannot live in a world where everything he tried to resist has come to pass.”— Joshua Sawyer on Formspring “Question: Hey, sorry if this has been asked before, but I had a question about Arcade Gannon, specifically the ending where he’s sold to Caesar. Why doesn’t he kill him during the surgery, or even refuse to do the operation so Caesar might die of his tumor? Sure, he’d probably be crucified for either of these things, but given that he’s willing to disembowel himself later on I would have assumed he would have been willing to die in order to strike a blow against the legion, especially since slavery is the only thing to look forward to if he lives. Arcade is an idealist, so I did not think that he would do harm in his capacity as a doctor, nor would he refuse to provide medical aid even to a mortal enemy. Yes, Arcade will follow you around and blast everything in the Mojave Wasteland with his plasma defender, but the circumstances of gameplay are different from when he’s put in the position of providing (or not) medical aid. Arcade is not a pragmatic person, so in the circumstances where he becomes a long-term instrument of Caesar (post-endgame), he disembowels himself rather than living as a tool of evil (in his mind). His suicide is intended to mirror the death of one of the most notable idealists of the Roman Republic, Cato the Younger. His name is also intended to reflect his idealism. At a certain point in time, the region of Arcadia became associated with an idyllic state of being, later utilized in the memento mori Et in Arcadia ego.”— Joshua Sawyer on Tumblr “There are two sources Caesar (IIRC) refers to: Gibbons’ The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire and Julius Caesar’s Commentarii de Bello Gallico (Commentaries on the Gallic War). It is certainly possible that he read other primary sources. Based on Arcade’s education, it’s likely that the Followers of the Apocalypse had access to other Roman and Greek literature, including writings by Sallust and Lucan. As Arcade and Caesar both know Latin, it is likely that the textbooks they used also contained snippets of Roman literature and quotes as sententiae antiquae (very common in Wheelock’s and many other books). Because the primary purpose of contemporary (i.e., 20th/21st century) Latin education is typically not conversation or writing, but comprehension of classic literature, the use of these quotes/references is common, though often without context. E.g., a student may learn that “festina lente” means “hasten slowly,” but may not know that it came from Suetonious who was quoting Augustus who, in turn, had borrowed the adage from Greek in the first place. And even if they did learn all that, the Followers might not have access to Suetonious’ text, De vita Caesarium.”— Joshua Sawyer on Tumblr “"In the tabletop game, he was from the Midwest and was from a vault full of government workers and their offspring. Sort of Enclavish, but not really. In VB he was an Enclave trooper, I think. He also wasn't gay. Otherwise he was pretty similar in overall attitude and outlook. I eventually had to quasi-retire him from play because he wouldn't leave Boulder Dome due to a bunch of imminent crises. That's when I started playing Jean-Baptiste."”— Sawyer comparing Arcade Gannon in the tabletop game, Van Buren and Fallout: New Vegas.

Bugs

Bugs

Xbox 360 If you have Lily and ED-E as a companion, it is possible to recruit him as a third companion. This is also true for Veronica. It is also possible to have Rex, Raul, and Arcade at the same time. PC Xbox 360 After dismissing Arcade as a companion to the Old Mormon Fort, he sometimes becomes un-recruitable again through dialogue. Dismiss your non-humanoid companion (ED-E or Rex) to the Lucky 38/their Home and try Arcade's dialogue again. His follower dialogue will reappear. PC Playstation 3 Xbox 360 After completing For Auld Lang Syne and convincing Arcade to stay in Freeside, instead of returning to Freeside he may just wander around the Lucky 38 suite unrecruitable and just becomes an information hub until all of his speech options are exhausted. This happens when Arcade is sent to the Lucky 38, then completing For Auld Lang Syne. If you don't want Arcade in the Lucky 38, send him back to the Old Mormon Fort when firing him. This may happen even if he is not fired before completing the quest. PC Playstation 3 Xbox 360 Sometimes he will still be recruitable after completion of For Auld Lang Syne. He will not display a companion screen and will die in casual mode instead of being knocked unconscious, but will still follow the player. Xbox 360 After completing his quest For Auld Lang Syne, when you talk to him you cannot exit the conversation. In order to exit, you must reload a save. PC Xbox 360 Sometimes when you don't have any followers, you may ask him to be a follower and he will claim that there are too many people in your party already. Recruiting Rex or ED-E before asking Arcade to join will alter his response tree and get him to accept your offer to join. Playstation 3 Arcade will occasionally die upon fast travel. Xbox 360 While in combat, explosions may occur around Arcade, and permanently cripple his legs. Trying to use Dtimpaks and/or Doctor's Bags will not work, nor does dismissing Arcade as your companion and waiting a considerable amount of time. (After dismissing him you can watch him hobble around at the Old Mormon Fort at Freeside). A possible fix is to change his apparel and get him to attack, this should bring him out of his crippled state. He will also be unable to fast travel with the Courier. Waiting for him to catch up is a possible solution if you cannot remember where you lost him. PC Sometimes when you enter the Old Mormon Fort, Arcade may become duplicated. PC Xbox 360 Sometimes when either non-humanoid companions are in the party when conversing with Arcade the travel together option will not display, dismissing the other companion will allow him to be recruited. Playstation 3 When speaking to Arcade while he is recruited the option to tell him to follow you may not appear. This can be fixed by telling him to wait, then telling him to follow you on the companion wheel. Xbox 360 When Arcade returns any items the courier has given to him (due to leaving should the player activate the Archimedes, or at the end of For Auld Lang Syne), it is possible that he will not re-equip his default Followers outfit, leaving him "naked" for the remainder of the game. PC Xbox 360 Boone will take his Plasma Defender if both are waiting in the Lucky 38. He will use it instead of his Hunting Rifle, leaving Arcade unarmed. The weapons don't appear in his inventory. A way to fix this bug is by doing the companion glitch with Veronica. PC Sometimes if Arcade equips a weapon that is placed into his inventory, it will vanish from his inventory after fast-traveling and he will switch back to his Plasma Defender. Xbox 360 Sometimes weapons issued to Arcade such as the Gauss Rifle may appear as though they have a full condition, but after a short battle with one or more enemies the weapon will become completely depleted with no warning except an occasional remark from Arcade about needing a new weapon. To further complicate matters, he will likely discard the depleted weapon, making it difficult or impossible to locate and repair. PC Playstation 3 Xbox 360 Arcade lacks the necessary scripting for his distance dialogue, and as a result it is useless to tell him to keep his distance or stay close. This is fixed in version 1 of YUP.

Gallery

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  Collector's Edition playing card

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  Arcade Gannon's original reference image (see here)

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  Chris Avellone's Fallout TTRPG

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  Chris Avellone's Fallout TTRPG

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  Arcade Gannon (Magic: The Gathering)

References

Publications

Developer Statements

Fallout: New Vegas Characters Major Factions Independent The Courier •  Benny •  Yes Man Outer Vegas The King •  Julie Farkas •  Jean-Baptiste Cutting •  Gloria Van Graff •  Arcade Gannon •  Rex •  Motor-Runner •  Francine Garret •  James Garret •  Pacer New California Republic President Kimball •  Colonel Moore •  Chief Hanlon •  Col. James Hsu •  Alice McLafferty •  Ambassador Crocker •  Cass •  Craig Boone •  Manny Vargas •  General Lee Oliver The Strip Mr. House •  Victor •  Swank •  Mr. New Vegas •  Marjorie •  Mortimer •  Nero •  Big Sal •  Cachino Caesar's Legion Caesar •  Vulpes Inculta •  Lucius •  Cato Hostilius •  Aurelius of Phoenix •  Dead Sea •  Alexus •  Legate Lanius Minor factions Unaffiliated companions ED-E •  Lily •  Raul •  Veronica Minor faction leaders Jason Bright •  Samuel Cooke •  Jeannie May Crawford •  Judah Kreger •  Marcus •  Elder McNamara •  Papa Khan •  Pearl •  Tabitha •  Trudy Other characters Doc Mitchell •  Johnson Nash Add-ons Dead Money Father Elijah •  Dog and God •  Dean Domino •  Christine Honest Hearts Joshua Graham •  Daniel •  Follows-Chalk •  Jed Masterson •  Salt-Upon-Wounds •  Waking Cloud Old World Blues Doctor 0 •  Doctor 8 •  Doctor Borous •  Doctor Dala •  Doctor Klein •  Doctor Mobius Lonesome Road ED-E •  Ulysses

Fallout: New Vegas Companions Base Game Permanent Arcade Gannon •  Craig Boone •  ED-E •  Lily •  Cass •  Raul •  Rex •  Veronica •  Ulysses Temporary Bodyguard •  Cannibal Johnson •  Deputy Beagle •  Joana •  Logan •  NCR Ranger •  NCR Trooper •  Neil •  Orris •  Private Halford •  Rhonda •  Securitron Mk II •  Sunny Smiles •  Ted Gunderson •  Victor •  PYTHON Add-ons Dead Money Dog and God •  Christine •  Dean Domino Honest Hearts Follows-Chalk •  Waking Cloud •  Joshua Graham Old World Blues Roxie Lonesome Road ED-E

Enclave Members Presidents Last President •  Thomas Eckhart •  Dick Richardson •  John Henry Eden Leaders General Ellen Santiago •  Colonel Sanders •  Colonel Autumn Scientists MODUS •  SODUS •  Charles Curling Members West Coast : Captain Pickard •  Sergeant Bracks •  Sergeant Dornan •  Sergeant Granite •  Navarro Base Commander •  Quartermaster •  Frank Horrigan •  Snookie •  Cookie •  Quincy •  Raul •  Kevin •  Chris •  Com Officer •  Enclave Gate Guard East Coast: J.J. Black •  Matthew Scott •  J. Tuckman •  Lieutenant Williams •  Armory Master •  Enclave Sigma Leader •  Enclave Squad Sigma Appalachia: Jefferson Grey •  Ragnarsdottir •  Captain Jackson •  Sergeant Donnelley Civilians West Coast: Schreber •  Tom Murray •  J. Smith East Coast: Enclave Scientist •  Enclave Doctor •  Stiggs •  Dr. Whitley •  Dr. Grant Generic West Coast: Enclave citizen •  Enclave patrolmen •  Enclave scientist •  Enclave Soldier •  Enclave specialist •  Enclave technician •  Secret Service East Coast: Enclave Hellfire Trooper •  Enclave Officer •  Enclave Scientist •  Enclave Soldier •  Security Officer Deserters A. Ron Meyers •  Doctor Henry •  Brian Richter  •  Enclave Remnants West Coast: Arcade Gannon •  Cannibal Johnson •  Doctor Henry  •  Daisy Whitman •  Judah Kreger •  Orion Moreno East Coast: Enclave Lieutenant •  Sergeant Hodges •  Officer Bradley •  Black Devil Assets Facilities The Whitespring (Whitespring Congressional Bunker) •  Control Station ENCLAVE •  Camp Navarro •  Site J •  Site R •  Adams Air Force Base •  Chicago outposts •  Rockland Car Tunnel •  Satellite Relay Station •  Mobile Base Crawler •  Remnants Bunker Formations Chemical Corps •  Enclave Control Company •  Enclave Squad Sigma •  Fauna Detail Charlie •  Secret Service Military T51b Power Armor (Fallout) •  Advanced Power Armor (Mk I •  Mk II •  Mk II (Fallout 3)) •  Enclave Hellfire Armor •  Eyebot Duraframe project •  Tesla Armor (Gannon Family Tesla Armor)  •  MPLX Novasurge •  Plasma Pistol •  Plasma Rifle •  Vertibird •  M72 Gauss Rifle •  Domestication Unit •  XB-55 Biotech FEV Curling-13 •  Scorchbeasts Satellites Bradley-Hercules •  Kovac-Muldoon Miscellaneous Related Poseidon Energy •  REPCONN Aerospace •  Eyebot •  ED-E •  Enclave Radio •  DataPlex 2000 SmarTerminal •  PoseidoNet •  Enclave Department of the Army •  PMV Valdez •  Enclave Outposts (Fallout 3)