Your Comprehensive Guide to Fallout Vaults

# Your Comprehensive Guide to Fallout Vaults

Fallout, the iconic video game series developed by Bethesda Game Studios, is renowned for its immersive post-apocalyptic world. Central to the Fallout universe are the enigmatic and lore-rich vaults created by Vault-Tec Corporation. These vaults, originally presented as safe havens intended to protect humanity from nuclear devastation, serve as pivotal storytelling elements throughout the series. This comprehensive guide delves into the history, purpose, design, and key vaults within the Fallout series.

## The Origin of Vaults

Vaults were conceived and built by Vault-Tec Corporation before the onset of the Great War in 2077, which turned Earth into a nuclear wasteland. Officially, these underground bunkers were designed to shelter citizens from nuclear fallout. Funded by the U.S. government, around 122 vaults were constructed across the country. However, the true purpose of most vaults was far more sinister, with many acting as social experiments to study the effects of various conditions on their inhabitants.

## Vault Design and Functionality

Each vault was designed to sustain a specific population size, ranging from a few hundred to well over a thousand individuals. They were equipped with advanced technology, including life support systems, food production facilities, and recreational amenities to create a self-sustaining ecosystem. Despite similar core infrastructures, each vault featured unique designs and experimental conditions to test different hypotheses regarding human behavior and societal structures.

## Types of Vault Experiments

The experiments conducted in vaults often led to catastrophic outcomes for their inhabitants. Here are some notable types of experiments:

– **Time-Based Isolation**: Some vaults were planned to remain sealed for varying lengths of time to observe the effects of isolation on humans.
– **Psychological Stress**: Certain vaults were engineered to introduce stress factors, such as deliberately reducing living space or rationing essential resources.
– **Social Dynamics**: Some vaults manipulated social constructs, such as enforcing a strict hierarchical society, or altering gender ratios to study societal evolution.
– **Technological Dependency**: A few vaults experimented with technology reliance, where inhabitants were subjected to or removed from advanced technological devices.

## Notable Vaults

### Vault 101

Located near Washington D.C., Vault 101 is prominently featured in Fallout 3. It was designed to never open, ensuring its inhabitants remain sheltered indefinitely. The player character, known as the Lone Wanderer, starts their journey here, eventually leaving to explore the Capital Wasteland.

### Vault 111

Featured in Fallout 4, Vault 111 in the Commonwealth was an experiment on suspended animation. The residents, including the player character known as the Sole Survivor, were cryogenically frozen and monitored until complex events led to their awakening over 200 years later.

### Vault 13

A central location in the original Fallout, Vault 13 was tasked with an extensive isolation experiment, meant to remain sealed for 200 years. The player, known as the Vault Dweller, is dispatched to find a replacement water chip, instigating the series’ first major quest.

### Vault 22

In Fallout: New Vegas, Vault 22 was designed to develop advanced agricultural technologies. However, an experiment went awry, leading to the proliferation of carnivorous plant life that consumed most of its inhabitants.

### Vault 81

Also from Fallout 4, Vault 81 was divided into two sections for disparate communities, disguising an experiment under the guise of a medical research vault. This vault remained functional and habitable long after the war, opening itself to trade with the surface world.

## Impact on the Fallout Universe

Vaults contribute immensely to the depth and richness of Fallout’s narrative, providing a platform to explore diverse themes such as human resilience, ethical dilemmas, and societal evolution. They serve as self-contained microcosms that reflect on the potential paths humanity might take under extreme conditions.

## Conclusion

The vaults of the Fallout series remain a testament to the franchise’s ability to weave intriguing stories through the lens of science fiction. As players traverse these strange and often hazardous environments, they uncover the troubled history of these shelters intended to be humanity’s last hope. Whether as eerie ruins or thriving settlements, vaults continue to shape the Fallout world, offering endless intrigue and adventure.