By Jake Fillery
There are over 175 years between the events of Fallout 76 and Fallout 3. Fallout 76 begins in 2102, in which the former sees the inhabitants of Vault 76 enter the Appalachia wasteland of West Virginia to rebuild society on Reclamation Day. As for Fallout 3, a father and son from Vault 101 venture out into the Capitol Wasteland in 2277 and experience the horrors of the Capitol Wasteland.
With almost 2 centuries passed between the two games, there's bound to be a heap of important lore within that timeframe. Below, we've listed some important chronological events that took place between Fallout 76 and Fallout 3 so that when you cross into the Capitol Wasteland, you're aware of the history you're treading.
Note
These historic events in the Fallout universe will be in chronological order from 2102 to 2277, and the reason for their importance will be stated below.
2103 — The Master Begins Creating Super Mutants
The Threat of a New Society Lingers Over the Wasteland, and The Unity Begins
By 2102, Richard Grey joins an expedition to uncover the source of mutant attacks, only to find himself a victim of mutation through FEV. Something stirs in Grey, and his increased intelligence caused by the mutation alters him forever as he begins to experiment on himself and animals to become smarter and further mutated until he becomes the Master. With grand ambitions to create Unity, the Master begins his plans to transform humans into Super Mutants.
In secret, the Master would begin kidnapping and transforming humans into an army of Super Mutants for over 30 years, to varying degrees of success. By 2137, the Master's success rate had hit 15-20%, which was seen as the perfect sign he needed to grow the Super Mutant army into the Unity that would birth a new society of superior monsters to enter the wasteland.
2162 — The Vault Dweller Becomes a Hero and Destroys the Master
The Threat of a Super Mutant Society Collapses, But the Vault Dweller Becomes an Outcast
The first protagonist of Fallout, simply known as the Vault Dweller, would be sent out of Vault 13 by the Overseer to search for a Water-Purification Chip that the Vault relied on for fresh water. Sent out into the wasteland, the Vault Dweller would become integrated in an unfamiliar and dangerous society, where they would eventually confront the Master and his Super Mutant army.
The Vault Dweller managed to defeat the Master, destroying him and his twisted experiments that would eventually collapse with the impending arrival of a Super Mutant society known as the Unity. With the Unity culled and the Master defeated, the Vault Dweller could conclude their mission with the Water Chip, only to be told by the Overseer that they're a hero, and they have to leave. Exiled from Vault 13, the Vault Dweller helped found the town of Arroyo, and birthed a new society.
2186 — The New California Republic is Born
The Future Foundation of a Republic Shows the First Signs of a New and Just Society
Survivors of Vault 15 emerged from their Vault in 2097 and started a bastion of civilization known as Shady Sands. Over the years, Shady Sands expanded, and many saw the potential in a new society with Shady Sands as the capital. As such, a trial council was formed to draft the constitution, and with it, the New California Republic (NCR) would be born into the world, and New California would become the first state to govern itself.
By 2189, the NCR had voted into existence the five federation states of Shady Sands, Los Angeles, Maxson, the Hub, and Dayglow. The NCR became a staple of society and the model to which other societies would base themselves. With an outstanding population that continued to grow, and an expansion with better technology for all, the NCR's attempt at a new world would become vital to the prosperity of humanity and ghouls.
2227 - Shaun is Kidnapped, and Vault 111's Cryo Pods Malfunction
Kellogg and the Institute Rouse the Quest of the Sole Survivor, Who Sleeps for Another 60 Years
Vault 111 in the Sanctuary Hills residence of the Commonwealth was designed to house Pre-War occupants who would be cryogenically frozen indefinitely for Vault-Tec to test the effects of long-term exposure to cryostasis. However, this indefinite status was interrupted after the Institute found Vault 111 and kidnapped the infant child, Shaun, for his Pre-War DNA that would aid in the development of Synths.
Shaun's kidnapping from the Institute was led by Kellogg, a scarred man who helped to unfreeze the occupants, kill the spouse who was protecting Shaun in cryo sleep, and re-freeze the Sole Survivor's spouse and them alone in case their DNA would be needed later. The eventual malfunction of Vault 111 would be the catalyst for a Commonwealth forever changed by the Sole Survivor's eventual intervention in 2287.
2229 — The First Indistinguishable Synth is Revealed to Humanity After a Massacre in Diamond City
The Commonwealth Develops Immense Paranoia About Synths and the Institute
The Institute had remained in secrecy for over 100 years, founded in 2110 as a bastion for human survivors to learn of the dying world above. The Institute had immense technology, where they could teleport, create synthetic beings, and live a life of science for a refined mankind. One of the Institute's obsessions was the development of Synths, which were robots that believed themselves human in flesh and mind, and fit perfectly within society.
That was, until 2229, when a Gen 3 Synth malfunctioned while at Diamond City and massacred the innocent people there. Taken out by Diamond City's security, the innards of the Synth were revealed, and the boogeymen of the Commonwealth would burn paranoia into humans for decades to come regarding the Institute and what they had planned for humanity.
Read the full article on GameRant
This article originally appeared on GameRant and is republished here with permission.
