In MMOs factions have become a big deal. It is a game feature that players can relate to and join up with to help identify their character further. In many games factions can take on a whole life of their own. Look at Warcraft with the Horde and Alliance. Fallout has given us some classic factions in their day and a few returning to 76 will be familiar. However, we also get two new factions.
The Brotherhood of Steel
Ah, the do-gooders…sort of. The Brotherhood of Steel is now a staple in any Fallout game. They have the best armor and weapons. They work more like a religious organization of paladins from King Arthur than anything else. However, as proven in Fallout 4, they are kind of out for themselves in the end. Despite lore questions about the timeline behind the Brotherhood in 76, they are here. Maybe they won’t be as clandestine to join and have a more open policy in the early years of the Wasteland? Overall, expect power armor and big guns to be essential within this faction. Though many people like the idea of the Brotherhood, they are not for everyone.
The Responders
A new faction joins the game and we are very excited about it. This shout out to all first responders in the real world fits well in Fallout 76. Firefighters, police, and rescue workers have joined forces to create a peacekeeping faction. They seem slightly akin to the Minutemen of Boston, but offer a fantastic option for players. We are most excited to see some of the uniforms and costumes coming out of this faction. Todd Howard is a huge Road Warrior fan, so maybe you’ll get the classic leather-bound police styles inspired by the movie. I would expect some bonuses and mechanics around first aid from this faction as well. We just have to see how they play into the story.
The Raiders
Mean, nasty Wastelanders as they should be. “Survival of the fittest”, is the motto of the Raiders. Most likely coming in as a challenge among the players, you can expect to be fighting this faction a lot. Throw in the amusement park for fun and you have a great opponent. The Raiders are organized as the game has introduced Rose, their leader, to us already. Some of the best helmets and post nuke looks come from this faction I am sure.
The Enclave
Trying to make America great again, these survivors hid on an oil rig and are back to retake the land they knew. Coming all the way from California to West Virginia, they have a long line of communication and resources. The Enclave seems like a pretty standard faction so we are hoping the lore and storylines for players are much juicier. They have appeared in games in the past and are returning in a big way for 76. Expect some solid gear from this faction as they did have the best goodies before the war. I would almost say they would be the best equipped faction to start, competing with the Brotherhood later on in the game.
The Free States
Potentially clashing with the Enclave are the Free States. People who have survived and now set up shop in the West Virginia Mountains. The doomsday preppers now have their own faction and what a fun way to show off how to plan for the apocalypse. My guess is Bethesda spent a lot of time watching reality TV to get ideas for this faction. It is great though, and expect some old tech or pre-nuke survival gear to come out of this faction. We’ll see what their role is in the story, but we like the reality based nature of this off shoot faction for the game.
Where you land is up to you in Fallout 76. Bethesda has done a great job in giving options to the players and making those choices matter. Choosing will make things fun and hopefully like with all Fallout games, 76 does not lack for a history with each faction. They always deliver so learning the stories will be half the fun.
