Overview
Wild Wasteland is a perk for New Vegas. This guide aims to list the additions, subtraction and modifications it causes.
Introduction
Wild Wasteland is one of the core traits available in Fallout New Vegas. It can drastically change the gameplay depending on the users playstyle by adding certain random events.
It is not recommended to enable Wild Wasteland on your first playthrough. As Wild Wasteland is aimed at adding humorous events to the game, it can confuse new players who may not be familiar with the game.
There are a number of Wild Wasteland events in the core game as well as the DLC. Most of these events will show the trait logo and “…” in the corner of the players screen when activated, but not all will.
If the player has not enabled Wild Wasteland at the beginning of the game, The Auto-Doc in The Sink will be able to do so, with the only event unobtainable being the Alien Blaster.
This guide is a WIP, and will be updated accordingly.
Core Game
There are 22 events changed through the use of Wild Wasteland in Fallout: New Vegas, which are listed below.
One of the first events likely to be witnessed by a Wild Wasteland user is that there will be a fridge south of Goodsprings. Inside the fridge will be a (presumably male) skeleton wearing a Suave Gamblers hat.
This event is a direct reference to Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, where Indiana Jones hides in a lead-lined fridge to escape a nuclear blast, however it seems that this skeleton was not so lucky.
Near Goodsprings Source there will be a wander named Barton Thorn who approaches the Courier and asks for their help rescuing his girlfriend. With Wild Wasteland, at the top of the cliff will be the corpse of a a man named Johnny.
This is a reference to the cancelled game “Zybourne Clock”, whereas the main character, Johnny Five-Aces, explained how time travel was possible by placing four balls in a line on a cliff. His in-game character also mimics the design of him from concept art.
When the player is roaming Freeside, they may encounter 3 identical hostile elderly women, named “Malefic Maud”, “Irate Ida” and”Rancorous Ruth”. They are equipped with pre-War outfits and fight using rolling pins and switchblades.
In one of the churches in the irradiated Camp Searchlight, there is two boxes on a table, one containing 3 “Holy Frag Grenades” and the other instructing “Pull pin and count to 5 3″.
This is a reference to Monty Python and the Holy Grail, where the main characters attempt to use a similar weapon.
North of the Horrowitz Farmstead the player will find a familiar looking space ship hovering in the air. As the player approaches there will be 3 aliens huddled around a campfire. Once these aliens have been disposed of, their leader will drop the unique Alien Blaster weapon.
This event is a callback to Fallout 3, where the “Mothership Zeta” DLC features these aliens and ship, and the models used in this game are the exact same as in Fallout 3.
Rex’s Lassie Reference
When the Courier has Rex as his companion, Rex may randomly talk to the Courier. Since Rex is a dog, the Courier has a hard time understanding him and concludes that Little Jimmy has fallen down a well. A marker will then be placed on the map which, if visited, will have a well with a skeleton in it, as well as a BB gun, 200 BB pellets, a straw hat and a super Stimpak.
This is a commonly made reference to Lassie, however Lassie never actually found anybody fallen down a well.
Whilst completing the quest of “Beyond The Beef” in the Ultra-Lux, the Courier is sent to a hotel room to check up on an investigator. Upon entering the room, there is a dead body lying on the floor, covered in blood.
Whilst the body still exists without Wild Wasteland, it is instead of “Jay Barnes”. The characters are identical, other than that Crusoe is a reference to CSI: Miami’s Horatio Caine, played by actor David Caruso.
Upon arrival at Nipton from the east, the Courier may encounter two skeletons lying in the dust. Whilst they offer nothing to the game through items or NPCs, they are exclusive to the Wild Wasteland perk.
The skeletons are a reference to Star Wars Episode IV, where Luke Skywalker’s Aunt and Uncle are vaporised by Storm Troopers looking for R2-D2 and C-3P0.
In many of New Vegas’ underground locations, such as the Broc Flower Cave or the abandoned vaults, the Courier may encounter some rats that are slightly larger than normal Giant Rats.
They are identical to normal Giant Rats, but are slightly stronger.
This is a reference to Fallout 2, where in a house in Klamath there are R.U.S’s, as well as a reference to The Princess Bride where a similar creature exists.
North of The Devil’s Throat is another Wild Wasteland unique location, an unexploded nuclear bomb called “The One”. By this bomb, there will be a skeleton which indicates it actually landed on top of someone.
Though the area is radioactive, if the Courier has a high science skill and the bomb is opened inside will be some energy cells.
ON the wall of Cottonwood Cove’s HQ there will be some red text graffiti’d on the wall saying “Romanes Eunt Domus”.
This is another reference to Monty Python, but this time from The Life of Brian. During the scene, Brian is trying to write “Romans Go Home” on the wall, but instead writes “People called Romanes they go to the house”.
DLC
Dead Money
Om Nom Nom
Whilst being accompanied by Dog/God, he will eat the Ghost People throughout the Sierra Madre Casino. While doing so, he may say “Om nom nom”.
This is a reference to an internet meme, where the overexaggerated sound of someone eating is displayed as “Om nom nom”.
Not Your Mummy
Whilst activating the Gala event in the clocktower, the Courier may notice some graffiti written on the center pillar, saying “I am NOT your mummy”.
This is a reference to The Empty Child from Doctor Who, a gas-mask wearing child who constantly repeats the phrate “Are you my mummy?”, to which the Ghost People bear some reference.
Honest Hearts
Two Bears High Fiving
Upon approach of The Angel Cave, a Dead Horses Tribalman named Two-Bears-High-Fiving will approach the Courier and begin cheering.
His name is a reference to the mod Two Bears High Fiving[newvegas.nexusmods.com] which enabled the Courier to list one of Doc Mitchell’s Rorschach tests as “Two Bears High Fiving”.
Credits
Credits:
References
The Fallout Wiki[fallout.wikia.com]