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New California Republic Overview  | For the location in the canceled project Van Buren, see Hoover Dam (Van Buren). |
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“Kimball, Caesar, House... you'd think their whole world was that wall, cutting the Colorado. If I'd never laid eyes on it, never spoke of it...”— Ulysses, Lonesome Road
The Hoover Dam or Old World Wall is a hydroelectric dam on the Colorado River in Fallout: New Vegas.[3] It lies on the border between the former U.S. states of Arizona and Nevada and serves as a major location for events in the Mojave Wasteland.
Background[edit]
One of the wonders of the Old World, Hoover Dam crosses the Colorado River, impounding Lake Mead to the north.[4][5] The structure served as one of the most substantial sources of electrical power in the region before and after the war, protected with anti-aircraft weapons.[6][7] When the Great War first broke out, some of Mr. House's networked mainframes and laser systems kept the Hoover Dam in almost untouched condition, along with a majority of Las Vegas.[8] Afterward, the plant was abandoned and left to the elements for nearly two centuries. The Followers of the Apocalypse mentioned the continued existence of Hoover Dam as early as 2170,[Pub 1] and in 2274, Hoover Dam was occupied by the New California Republic during their Mojave Campaign.[9]
The Mojave chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel had plans to claim the dam, but became sidetracked at HELIOS One.[10] In the meantime, NCR scouts arrived at Hoover Dam, causing Mr. House to spur into action at the sign of civilization.[11] House worried about the independence of his new city's power source, but the arrival of Caesar's Legion in the region meant that the NCR could not take the dam and the Strip without leaving them vulnerable to the Legion.[12] Mr. House and the NCR drew up the Treaty of New Vegas, resulting in 95% of the dam's power output going to the NCR, and in return Vegas' sovereignty.[9] Within a year of the treaty, the NCR had the dam running at 50% capacity.[13][14][Pub 1]
First Battle of Hoover Dam[edit]
Main article: First Battle of Hoover Dam
In 2277, the Legion, led by the Malpais Legate, attempted to take Hoover Dam, but were defeated shortly after by Chief Hanlon, alongside NCR Rangers and First Recon sharpshooters, who performed a tactical retreat, placing explosives ahead of time to lead and trap the Legion's elite forces in Boulder City, springing the trap and detonating the town and everyone in it.[15] The result was General Oliver able to both successfully hold the dam and push back the Legion's main force.[15][16][Pub 2]
To weigh the events in favor of the Republic, Colonel Cassandra Moore and General Lee Oliver have fortified the dam and stationed a significant military presence here to once again face the Legion.[17][Pub 2] While troopers are active here, there are also a large number of civilian contractors and engineers who are trying to keep the dam running as smoothly as possible.[Pub 2]
Publications[edit]
“All of the Main Quest in Act III centers around this location, as do the Main Quests involving the visit of President Aaron Kimball. A stronghold of extreme strategic importance for centuries, this location has seen recent turmoil between major Faction too. A few years before current events, Caesar’s Legion rolled in, led by ex-Mormon missionary Joshua Graham, Caesar’s legate. Not considering NCR’s army to be a serious threat, Graham exercised somewhat lax control over the Legion. During the Battle of Hoover Dam, NCR Rangers and Sharpshooters from First Recon employed risky tactics against the Legion with the help of the enlisted Troopers, and despite horrific loss of life, Caesar’s forces were pushed back, but not routed.
The NCR has been holding the dam continuously since, and have fortified positions along the dam and up and down the west side of the Colorado River. Recently, the Legion pushed the NCR off of the east side of the river at the Battle of Willow Beach (which destroyed an NCR military camp) and the Battle of Arizona Spillway. Day to day military operations at the dam are under the command of Colonel Moore. While troopers are active here, there are also a large number of civilian contractors who are trying to keep the dam running. They are of a secondary concern to Moore, who is preparing from for an impending attack by Caesar and a visit by President Kimball.”— Tour of the Mojave Wasteland
The NCR has been holding the dam continuously since, and have fortified positions along the dam and up and down the west side of the Colorado River. Recently, the Legion pushed the NCR off of the east side of the river at the Battle of Willow Beach (which destroyed an NCR military camp) and the Battle of Arizona Spillway. Day to day military operations at the dam are under the command of Colonel Moore. While troopers are active here, there are also a large number of civilian contractors who are trying to keep the dam running. They are of a secondary concern to Moore, who is preparing from for an impending attack by Caesar and a visit by President Kimball.”— Tour of the Mojave Wasteland
Layout[edit]
“It is fitting that the flag of our country should fly here in honor of those men who, inspired by a vision of lonely lands made fruitful, conceived this great work and those others whose genius and labor made that vision a reality.”— Hoover Dam dedication monument
Hoover Dam covers a large area with extensive exterior and interior sections, despite there only being one map marker for the entire location. Following the Colorado River downstream (or coming upstream from Cottonwood Cove), the player character will encounter a pontoon barrier.
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Western exterior | The west side of the dam is controlled by the NCR and features the Anti-Aircraft Gun seen on billboards. The fast-travel map marker puts the player character just outside of the entrance to the Hoover Dam Visitor Center along former Highway 93, south of the Nevada Spillway. Just north of the visitor center building are a stage and viewing area. To the west of the stage is a large anti-aircraft cannon. Across from the visitor center stands the Hoover Dam dedication monument. |
| Atop the dam | Continuing north along the barricaded road leads to the top of the dam itself. Two towers are along the south edge of the road. Access to Hoover Dam Intake Tower 01 and 02 is via a bridge connected to the north side of the road. The road ends at a checkpoint door which is inaccessible until any of the final quests, such as Eureka!. The checkpoint contains a Very Hard locked terminal and a few lockers with minor loot. It also houses a small sniper nest on the roof, accessible via a ladder. |
| Base of the dam | Access to the north and south bases of the dam is blocked off by a pontoon barrier constructed with toxic waste barrels, which holds sections of the chain-link fence in place along the top of the water. Weights keep the submerged ends in place and the whole structure taut. The south base of the dam is accessible by descending through interior sections of the dam and exiting from the second tier of either Hoover Dam Power Plant 02 or 04. There are spectacular gushes of water from outflow pipes high up on the east and west walls of the river canyon. It is possible to swim from the west to the east side and climb up on the concrete area by swimming all the way to the south end and walking up the sandbar to the southeast corner. |
| Eastern side |
The east side of the dam is controlled by the Legion. Going west along the barricaded road leads to the top of the dam itself. Access to Hoover Dam Intake Tower 03 and 04 is via a bridge connected to the north side of the road. There are two towers along the south edge of the road; one is ruined. The Arizona Spillway is situated on this side of the dam, south of the roadway. |
Sections[edit]
Inhabitants[edit]
Loot[edit]
- Snow Globe - Hoover Dam - On the central reception desk in the visitor center.
- Two Chinese Stealth Armors - In the offices' radioactive barrel storage, in the middle stack of crates.
- President Kimball's Suit - Can be looted off his corpse if he dies during the quests Arizona Killer or You'll Know It When It Happens.
- General Oliver's Uniform - Can be looted off his corpse during the quest Veni, Vidi, Vici and No Gods, No Masters.
- 12 Frag Grenades - In a locker in intake tower 2.
- Hoover Dam saferoom key - One found in each of the three desks in a large T-shaped room between the central and eastern wings of Hoover Dam Offices, with another being found in a desk in the room directly to the right after entering through the Hoover Dam Power Plant 01 door. Opens a saferoom in the second floor of the visitor center that contains nothing of interest.
- Elaine's Letter - Next to a bed in the soldiers' quarters around the corner from Quartermaster Bardon, in the Hoover Dam Offices.
Related Quests[edit]
Notes[edit]
- The head engineer, Mike Lawson, shares that there used to be six turbines running but only four now function. Even though the Courier can swim down to reach the turbines, they cannot be repaired.[18]
- When on top of the first sniper tower, the Courier can lock and unlock the ladder. However, it can be used either way.
- The NCR Rangers walking on the dam do not wear NCR Ranger Patrol Armor, they wear a lower resolution variant. The insignia on the shoulder is blurry, the water pack on their backs is flat, and rifle-grip weapons do not change position when holstered. Much like the face masks worn by troopers, the armor cannot be looted from their inventory.
- There are invisible walls around the area where Kimball speaks. If he is killed and his body ragdolls, this may result in his body flying and bouncing off the invisible walls.
- Arcade Gannon will make some comments about the dam when first brought to the area.[19]
- It is one of the few locations with fresh water outside as well as inside. The water inside is marked as owned, but inflicts 0 rads.
- The dam is mentioned in a Dead Money ending as well as an ending in Old World Blues.
- Unique sound effects and music play at the location during end game quests. The music can vary depending on the side supported in the conflict, and can sometimes be triggered early if attacking NCR forces prior to the Second Battle of Hoover Dam.
Appearances[edit]
Hoover Dam appears in Fallout: New Vegas, and is mentioned in its DLCs Dead Money, Honest Hearts, Old World Blues, and Lonesome Road.
Behind the Scenes[edit]
- On the side of one of the stone guard towers is graffiti reading, "LEGION GO HOME." This is a reference to the film Monty Python's Life of Brian wherein the main character writes "Romanes eunt domus" grammatically incorrect for "Romans, go home."
- During the battle at Hoover Dam, most non-player characters wear masks. Joshua Sawyer explained it was an attempt to reduce memory usage and FaceGen/FaceFX expense.[Dev 1]
- According to Sawyer, Jesse Farrell wrote much of Hoover Dam and Akil Hooper wrote for the location as well.[Dev 2]
- Cochey Cantu worked on the location.[Ext 1]
- An unused note in Fallout 3 refers to the dam being sabotaged.[20]
- In the NCR Faction Profile, the Dam was occupied in 2251 and the Treaty of New Vegas was signed the same year.[Doc 1] The treaty required the NCR to provide a fifth of Hoover Dam's electricity and water production to the Strip for free.[Doc 2]
Real World Information: The Hoover Dam is a real-world location of the same name, a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the U.S. states of Nevada and Arizona.- Real World Information: Many sections and landmarks of the real world Hoover Dam are seen in-game, including the visitor center's Winged Figures of the Republic sculptures.
- Real World Information: The Hoover Dam Map is a real world blueprint housed at the University of Nevada Las Vegas archive.[Ext 2]
Gallery[edit]
Aerial view
Hoover Dam atop the visitors center
Hoover Dam in the morning
The tower which says LEGION GO HOME
Buoy line constructed with waste barrels
Buoy line close up
Monument at the visitor center
Monument side view
Covered walkway on the south side
Waysign on road from Boulder City
Hoover Dam snow globe
Snow globe location
Hoover Dam map at the House Resort
Oliver's compound
Hoover Dam billboard
Hoover Dam billboard
Hoover Dam advertisement on a loading screen
Another loading screen with a Hoover Dam promotional brochure
Hoover Dam concept art
Ending
Hoover Dam, as it appears in the opening scene of Fallout: New Vegas
Water released from the spillways in the opening scene for Fallout: New Vegas
Hoover Dam in the cut endings slide of Dead Money
Hoover Dam in the intro slide of Honest Hearts
Intro slide of Honest Hearts
On the Boulder City billboard
Texture file billboard
Sign texture files
Concept art, Behind the Bright Lights & Big City
Concept art, Behind the Bright Lights & Big City
Concept art, Behind the Bright Lights & Big City
References[edit]
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- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide Collector's Edition p. 458: "Controversy over the Vegas Frontier
The NCR spread east into Nevada in large numbers just five years ago on a 'humanitarian mission' to 'bring the light of civilization to the savage wastes of the Mojave.' Hoover Dam was the symbol of the expedition-reports from the Followers of the Apocalypse had confirmed that it was still intact as early as 2170-and its occupation by NCR troops in 2274 was a celebrated event. Even more exciting was the restarting of the dam's hydroelectric plant eleven months later, which dramatically improved the access of many NCR citizens to electricity and water.
Since then, most of the news has been bad. Skirmishes with local tribes and the first battle for Hoover Dam have cost the lives of more than 400 of the NCR's soldiers and civilians. Until the oft-promised annexation of New Vegas becomes a reality, the government continues to spend much of its budget on 'safeguarding the region' while in return receiving not one Cap in tax revenue. The expedition has proved to be an enduring, low-intensity political embarrassment for President Kimball.
Among NCR citizens, the most common political attitude is impatience. They want Vegas annexed; they want it over with. Most expect that this will finally occur once Caesar's Legion has been 'beat for good.' Opposition to the Vegas occupation amounts to a vocal minority, and of these, most oppose it as a waste of lives and tax caps. The more radical opinion that the expedition amounts to the imperialist subjugation of an unwilling territory is seen as unpatriotic: the kind of pap spouted by the good-for-nothing agitators like those Followers of the Apocalypse."
(Behind the Bright Lights & Big City) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide Collector's Edition pp. 372-376: "[3.33] Hoover Dam
All of the Main Quest in Act III centers around this location, as do the Main Quests involving the visit of President Aaron Kimball. A stronghold of extreme strategic importance for centuries, this location has seen recent turmoil between major Faction too. A few years before current events, Caesar's Legion rolled in, led by ex-Mormon missionary Joshua Graham, Caesar's Legate. Not considering NCR's army to be a serious threat, Graham exercised somewhat lax control over the Legion. During the Battle of Hoover Dam, NCR Rangers and Sharpshooters from First Recon employed risky tactics against the Legion with the help of the enlisted Troopers, and despite horrific loss of life, Caesar's forces were pushed back, but not routed.
The NCR has been holding the dam continuously since, and have fortified positions along the dam and up and down the west side of the Colorado River. Recently, the Legion pushed the NCR off of the east side of the river at the Battle of Willow Beach (which destroyed an NCR military camp) and the Battle of Arizona Spillway. Day to day military operations at the dam are under the command of Colonel Moore. While troopers are active here, there are also a large number of civilian contractors who are trying to keep the dam running. They are of a secondary concern to Moore, who is preparing from for an impending attack by Caesar and a visit by President Kimball."
(Tour of the Mojave Wasteland)
- ↑ Question: "Why does everyone wear masks during the final battle of Hoover Dam?"
Joshua Sawyer: "FaceGen/FaceFX data can be expensive, so most "generic" participants wear full-face outfits to cut down on the memory required."
(J.E. Sawyer Formspring Archived) - ↑ Joshua Sawyer: "Writing duties are split up among designers. Not all designers write, but the majority of us do. Some do a larger share than others. I'll miss some here, but notably:
Jesse Farrell - A lot of Freeside (Kings, especially), Brotherhood of Steel, a lot of Hoover Dam
RAkil Hooper - ED-E, a lot of Primm, the Omertas, some Hoover Dam, some Boomers"
(Fallout: New Vegas Developer Statements - Miscellaneous; Joshua Sawyer: Main Game Credits, 2012 June 23
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