Why is Fallout: Tactics considered to be semi canon?

ImperialLegation

ImperialLegation

First time out of the vault
On the Fallout Wiki page, it states that Fallout: Tactics is considered non-canon because of Bethesda's decision to do. This decision is confusing to me because even though I haven't play Tactics, I've read the lore, and I can't find any conflict between Tactics and Fallout 3 or 4. Was this just Bethesda's idea to scrap Tactics in the event that they wanted to have a Fallout in Chicago or Kansas City?

So far, I can't find any sources that give a direct reason as to why Tactics' lore was "tossed" by Bethesda.
 
I think it's a number of things, like a few contradictions to F1 and 2.
Saying that, Bethesda fucked up the lore so much with 3 and especially 4 that I'd put Tactics canon over those games any day.

But there is some stuff about the origins of the BoS that aren't true, personally, I don't get why the developers decided to change it, it seems like they went out of their way to just mess around with the lore of one of the most important Factions in the series (and the one it's based around).
But if it doesn't affect the story, I guess you can let it slip.

Bethesda kind of gave it the "Semi-Canon" treatment in that the Midwestern BoS does exist, they are just a rogue bunch.
I'd say you should treat it as canon, but take it with a pinch of salt.
 
Various reasons:
  • They stated the Brotherhood originated in a Vault that taught them to protect Old World Technology. This takes away from the Roger Maxson backstory, which acted as a legitimate reason for there paranoia. A vault backstory doesn't work as well as the Brotherhoods original origins.
  • Made Talking Deathclaws a common occurrence with no given explanation(At least 2 bothered explaining them)
  • Many of the items/technologies/clothing seem to resemble inventions and concepts that held little value in 1950s life. While not intrinsically bad to reference points beyond that, it no longer seems that much of a 50s futurism.
  • Supermutants forming a primitive tribal society led by a warlord despite literally all of them having memories of the Unity.
  • Ghouls are poorly written in a way that is nothing but toilet humor.
 
JO'Geran said:
Various reasons:
  • They stated the Brotherhood originated in a Vault that taught them to protect Old World Technology. This takes away from the Roger Maxson backstory, which acted as a legitimate reason for there paranoia. A vault backstory doesn't work as well as the Brotherhoods original origins.
  • Made Talking Deathclaws a common occurrence with no given explanation(At least 2 bothered explaining them)
  • Many of the items/technologies/clothing seem to resemble inventions and concepts that held little value in 1950s life. While not intrinsically bad to reference points beyond that, it no longer seems that much of a 50s futurism.
  • Supermutants forming a primitive tribal society led by a warlord despite literally all of them having memories of the Unity.
  • Ghouls are poorly written in a way that is nothing but toilet humor.
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Interesting, thank you for these points. I find it odd that Interplay allowed the lore to conflict with that of Fallout 1 & 2. Could you perhaps expand on how ghouls are poorly written? I can't seem to find any videos or text sources that pertain to the subject.
 
Well, the wiki also says:
Fallout Tactics is considered semi-canon: major events are canon (and are referenced in Fallout 3 and Fallout 4), but some details are not. As part of the Fallout Tactics release, Fallout: Warfare has the same level of canonicity.
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Link

And:
According to Bethesda's Emil Pagliarulo, high-level events of the Fallout Tactics plot are considered canon for Bethesda Softworks. There is one reference to the Midwestern Brotherhood of Steel in Fallout 3 - Scribe Rothchild states that there is a small, rogue detachment of Brotherhood of Steel in Chicago.

Inconsistencies and canon status
  • The Brotherhood of Steel originating from a military vault, a mistake since they were an organization formed by Mariposa Military Base personnel and their families.
  • Fallout Tactics has an abundance of modern weapons from the real-world, diverging a little with the retro-futuristic concept.
  • The new species of deathclaws, the hairy deathclaws, are portrayed as intelligent and capable of speech. They bear little resemblance to the deathclaws seen in previous games, and appear to be unrelated to the intelligent deathclaws created by the Enclave in Fallout 2.
  • Due to limitations of the game engine, "normal" ghouls suffer from radiation poisoning.
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Link
 
ImperialLegation said:
I find it odd that Interplay allowed the lore to conflict with that of Fallout 1 & 2
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The Vast majority of the game was made by another company called Micro-Forte Studios. IIRC, Interplay sent a representitive to make sure that they understood about certain aspects of the Fallout Universe, however I think he mentioned that they were rushed for time, so he had to focus on trying to get the Real Time Combat to work first, and lore second.
ImperialLegation said:
Could you perhaps expand on how ghouls are poorly written?
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I remember somewhere about Ghouls smelling like poop and leaving scabs behind somewhere in the dialogue, but couldn't find that. Maybe I misremembered.
 
JO'Geran said:
Various reasons:
  • They stated the Brotherhood originated in a Vault that taught them to protect Old World Technology. This takes away from the Roger Maxson backstory, which acted as a legitimate reason for their paranoia. A vault backstory doesn't work as well as the Brotherhoods original origins.
  • Made Talking Deathclaws a common occurrence with no given explanation(At least 2 bothered explaining them)
  • Many of the items/technologies/clothing seem to resemble inventions and concepts that held little value in 1950s life. While not intrinsically bad to reference points beyond that, it no longer seems that much of a 50s futurism.
  • Supermutants forming a primitive tribal society led by a warlord despite literally all of them having memories of the Unity.
  • Ghouls are poorly written in a way that is nothing but toilet humour.
Click to expand...

Don't forget how they mentioned that they manufactured their own Power Armour and weapons, which would be impossible given the necessary components to do so being impossible to fabricate post-War.

Fallout Tactics was my very first Fallout game and while I love it to bits for nostalgic reasons, it's objectively one of the most terrible ones. There's very little in terms of dialogue or choice in the game and the supposed 'tactics' the game is named after are often situational or watered down.

If I recall correctly, a lot of the problems with the game arose out of the game studio that was assigned to it not having enough time and a poor understanding of the series' lore. The game is unbalanced and oftentimes broken, to the point where you can only really play in Real Time Mode without interruption.

I haven't played the multiplayer in ages and I'm not even sure it still works, but I remember it being broken as well (the ghouls in particular could still get radiation poisoning because they didn't have 100% resistance to it).

Despite it all, I liked it. The story was intriguing and the combat was interesting and challenging if a bit infuriating at times.

I tend to consider it canon for the most part not just because I liked it both because it provides a great amount of lore for the world and, depending on the ending, makes the Midwestern BoS one of the biggest and most powerful factions in the series.
 
Brivoo said:
Don't forget how they mentioned that they manufactured their own Power Armour and weapons, which would be impossible given the necessary components to do so being impossible to fabricate post-War.
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A. The NCR Manufactures there own weapons and armor.
B. "Speak to the knights. Ask them to show you one of the laser pistols I designed." - Scribe Vree, Fallout 1. This shows that right from the beginning of the series, the Brotherhood had the means to design and manufacture new designs of laser pistol.
C. Whose to say that the necessary components are impossible to manufacture post war?, Do you know what Brotherhood of Steel Equipment is made of in the first place?
 
JO'Geran said:
A. The NCR Manufactures there own weapons and armor.
B. "Speak to the knights. Ask them to show you one of the laser pistols I designed." - Scribe Vree, Fallout 1. This shows that right from the beginning of the series, the Brotherhood had the means to design and manufacture new designs of laser pistol.
C. Whose to say that the necessary components are impossible to manufacture post war?, Do you know what Brotherhood of Steel Equipment is made of in the first place?
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I specifically said Power Armour.

I'm not actually sure about the weapons, I might be misquoting or talking out my arse, but I'm pretty sure they can't manufacture their own PA.
 
Brivoo said:
I specifically said Power Armour.
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C. Whose to say that the necessary components are impossible to manufacture post war?, Do you know what Brotherhood of Steel Equipment is made of in the first place?

Don't believe it's ever mentioned what Power Armor is made from, so I don't see why creating it post-war if they have the designs available would be too absurd.
 
JO'Geran said:
C. Whose to say that the necessary components are impossible to manufacture post war?, Do you know what Brotherhood of Steel Equipment is made of in the first place?

Don't believe it's ever mentioned what Power Armor is made from, so I don't see why creating it post-war if they have the designs available would be too absurd.
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http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Advanced_power_armor_(Fallout_Tactics)

"The existence of this armor is quite inconsistent with the fact that even the Brotherhood proper was not able to manufacture new power armors, not to mention these advanced versions, constructed by the Enclave many years later."

If I recall correctly, both this model and the Enclave advanced power armor (or X-01, I guess) are composed of lightweight alloys and ceramics and the latter in particular has some sort of lock-joint to keep it upright even if the wearer falls asleep; I think the T-51's outer shell is also composed of lightweight metal alloys and plastics, while the T-45 is basically just a bunch of steel plates put over some rudimentary servo-motors.

I also remember the T-51's eyeslit being bulletproof and it containing a system to recycle human waste into drinkable water.
 
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