Create-A-Faction Mode would be one of the biggest systems Bethesda could add to Fallout 5. Not just settlement building. Not just picking a side. This would let the player build a full wasteland faction from the ground up and watch it become a real power in the region.
The player would not only survive the wasteland.
They would shape who controls it.
Core Idea
In Fallout 5, the player can create their own faction after reaching a certain point in the story. Instead of only joining the Brotherhood, NCR, Enclave remnants, raider gangs, settlers, or some new regional power, the player can form their own movement.
This faction could be:
A settler defense coalition.
A raider empire.
A ghoul-rights army.
A robot-run technocracy.
A caravan trade league.
A religious cult.
A mutant sanctuary.
A mercenary company.
A science faction.
A wasteland government.
A secret intelligence network.
The point is simple: the wasteland should not only have prebuilt factions. The player should be able to create one that feels personal.
How the Mode Starts
The player unlocks Create-A-Faction Mode after one of these moments:
They claim their first major settlement.
They reject joining a major faction.
They unite multiple smaller groups.
They defeat a local warlord.
They complete a “Power Vacuum” mission.
They discover an old pre-war facility that can become their headquarters.
The game could introduce it with a quest called:
“A Flag in the Dust”
A small settlement is caught between raiders, mutants, corrupt traders, and a major faction trying to absorb them. The player can either hand the settlement over to someone else or say:
“No. We build our own.”
That choice opens Create-A-Faction Mode.
Faction Identity Creation
The first step is choosing what your faction actually is.
Faction Name
The player can name the faction freely, or choose from generated names.
Examples:
The Iron Lanterns
The New Commonwealth Guard
The Dust Republic
The Free Settlements Pact
The Black Circuit
The Children of Atom’s Ash
The Ghoul Union
The Rustborn
The Last Lawmen
The Green Banner
The Wasteland Recovery Authority
Faction Symbol
The player creates a faction logo using layered symbols.
Options could include:
Skull
Gear
Atom
Fist
Shield
Flame
Eye
Star
Broken flag
Mutant handprint
Radiation symbol
Vault door
Caravan wheel
Crossed rifles
Claw marks
Robot head
Tree growing from a cracked road
This symbol appears on:
Flags
Armor patches
Settlement walls
Power armor paint
Weapon skins
Documents
Radio broadcasts
Outposts
Wanted posters
Propaganda signs
Faction Colors
The player chooses primary and secondary colors.
Examples:
Rust red and black
Military green and white
Yellow and steel gray
Blue and gold
Bone white and dark brown
Purple and silver
Orange and charcoal
Dark green and copper
Faction colors would appear on uniforms, flags, guard posts, vehicles, turrets, banners, and territory markers.
Faction Type
This is one of the most important choices. The faction type changes how your group behaves, how others treat you, and what systems unlock.
1. Settler Coalition
A faction built around protection, farming, trade, and rebuilding.
Strengths:
Easier recruitment from towns
Better settlement growth
Stronger food and water economy
Better reputation with civilians
Weaknesses:
Weaker early military
Vulnerable to intimidation
Slower tech development
2. Raider Kingdom
A brutal faction built on fear, tribute, conquest, and intimidation.
Strengths:
Fast expansion
Strong melee and ambush units
Can extort settlements
Raider gangs may join instead of fight
Weaknesses:
Hated by civilian settlements
More rebellions
Traders avoid your territory unless forced
3. Mercenary Company
A professional armed group that sells protection and military contracts.
Strengths:
Strong combat units
Can take contracts from other factions
Good weapon access
Can stay neutral longer
Weaknesses:
Loyalty depends on payment
Less ideological unity
Expensive to maintain
4. Tech Order
A science-heavy faction focused on old-world technology, robotics, energy weapons, and research.
Strengths:
Robots
Energy weapons
Turret networks
Research upgrades
Power armor programs
Weaknesses:
Needs rare materials
Weak early manpower
Attracts Brotherhood/Enclave attention
5. Trade League
A faction built around caravans, markets, caps, supply lines, and negotiation.
Strengths:
Best economy
Strong caravan routes
Can buy influence
Better vendor networks
Weaknesses:
Needs protection
Vulnerable to raiders
Military expansion is slower
6. Religious Movement
A faction built around belief, prophecy, rituals, and loyalty.
Strengths:
High morale
Followers rarely desert
Can convert NPCs
Unique rituals and buffs
Weaknesses:
Other factions may view you as unstable
Internal doctrine disputes
Scientific factions distrust you
7. Ghoul Nation
A faction made to protect ghouls, recruit pre-war survivors, and fight anti-ghoul discrimination.
Strengths:
Ghoul recruits have radiation resistance
Can occupy irradiated zones
Strong pre-war knowledge
Unique diplomacy with ghoul towns
Weaknesses:
Anti-ghoul factions hate you
Some settlers fear joining
Ferals create public-relations problems
8. Super Mutant Sanctuary
A faction that gives intelligent super mutants a real political and military identity.
Strengths:
Powerful infantry
Fear factor
Strong base defense
Can survive harsh zones
Weaknesses:
Hard to recruit humans
Major factions see you as a threat
Requires strong leadership to prevent splintering
9. Intelligence Network
A shadow faction based on spies, sabotage, assassinations, blackmail, and information control.
Strengths:
Can weaken enemies before war
Can manipulate elections and trade
Can steal tech
Can expose faction secrets
Weaknesses:
Weak in open war
Requires stealth specialists
Reputation collapses if exposed
10. Wasteland Republic
A political faction trying to form a new government.
Strengths:
Can absorb settlements through votes
Strong laws and infrastructure
Better long-term stability
Can build courts, councils, and patrol systems
Weaknesses:
Slow decision-making
Political corruption can appear
Needs public trust to expand
Faction Philosophy
After choosing the faction type, the player chooses its philosophy.
This determines how the faction makes decisions.
Government Style
Dictatorship
Council
Democracy
Military command
Religious hierarchy
Corporate board
Tribal leadership
AI-directed command
Warlord rule
Confederation of settlements
Moral Code
The player can decide what the faction allows.
Examples:
| Policy | Options |
|---|---|
| Slavery | Banned / Allowed / Secretly allowed |
| Ghouls | Protected / Tolerated / Banned |
| Super Mutants | Accepted / Feared / Kill-on-sight |
| Synths or AI | Free citizens / Tools / Illegal |
| Raiders | Executed / Reformed / Recruited |
| Chems | Banned / Regulated / Encouraged |
| Cannibalism | Forbidden / Ritual only / Allowed |
| Theft | Punished / Ignored / Encouraged |
| Old-world tech | Shared / Controlled / Hoarded |
| Justice | Courts / Trials by combat / Public execution |
This would make every faction feel different.
A player could build a noble faction that protects the innocent, or a terrifying empire that rules through fear.
Faction Headquarters
Every created faction needs a headquarters.
The player can choose from different HQ types:
1. Fortified Settlement
A classic settlement turned into a capital.
Good for: Settler coalitions, republics, trade leagues.
2. Old Military Base
A pre-war base with barracks, armories, bunkers, and command rooms.
Good for: Mercenaries, tech factions, militarized republics.
3. Underground Facility
A hidden bunker, subway hub, vault, or research lab.
Good for: Intelligence networks, science factions, secret cults.
4. Raider Stronghold
A scrap fortress built from metal, bones, signs, vehicles, and junk walls.
Good for: Raider kingdoms, mutant factions, warlord groups.
5. Pre-War Corporate Tower
A damaged skyscraper that becomes a vertical faction capital.
Good for: trade leagues, corporate factions, intelligence groups.
6. Irradiated Zone
A base inside a dangerous radiation zone.
Good for: ghoul factions, Children of Atom-style groups, mutant sanctuaries.
Headquarters Upgrades
The HQ should not be cosmetic only. It should control faction growth.
Possible upgrades:
War room
Recruitment office
Armory
Training yard
Medical bay
Prison
Courtroom
Radio station
Propaganda studio
Research lab
Robot workshop
Power armor bay
Caravan depot
Diplomatic office
Intelligence room
Interrogation room
Council chamber
Execution yard
Market district
Bunker command center
Barracks
Watchtowers
Artillery platform
Airfield or vertibird pad
Faction museum
Each upgrade unlocks new missions, troops, policies, and story outcomes.
Recruitment System
A great Create-A-Faction Mode needs deep recruitment.
The player should be able to recruit:
Settlers
Farmers
Doctors
Engineers
Scientists
Gunners
Ex-raiders
Ghouls
Super mutants
Robots
Caravan guards
Pre-war soldiers
Vault dwellers
Criminals
Bounty hunters
Religious followers
Mechanics
Spies
Snipers
Heavy weapons experts
Animal handlers
Former faction deserters
Recruitment should depend on reputation.
A peaceful settler faction attracts families, farmers, and doctors.
A raider faction attracts killers, chem dealers, and outcasts.
A tech faction attracts scientists, robots, and scavengers.
A ghoul faction attracts pre-war ghouls, irradiated survivors, and ghoul veterans.
Named Lieutenants
Your faction should not feel like nameless NPCs standing around.
The player should be able to recruit named lieutenants who specialize in different areas.
Examples:
The General
Handles military defense, patrols, and war planning.
The Quartermaster
Manages weapons, armor, ammo, and supplies.
The Diplomat
Handles negotiations with other factions.
The Spymaster
Runs informants, sabotage, assassinations, and blackmail.
The Doctor
Improves survival, healing, disease control, and cybernetics.
The Engineer
Builds defenses, power grids, robots, and settlement upgrades.
The Treasurer
Manages caps, taxes, trade, salaries, and corruption.
The Recruiter
Finds new members and trains civilians.
The Propagandist
Controls faction image, radio messages, posters, and public morale.
The Warden
Runs prisons, captures enemies, and handles executions or rehabilitation.
Each lieutenant could have a loyalty meter. If ignored or mistreated, they may betray you, defect, or start a splinter faction.
Troop Classes
The faction should allow custom troop roles.
Basic Units
Recruit
Settler guard
Raider grunt
Militia rifleman
Caravan guard
Scout
Patrolman
Advanced Units
Sniper
Heavy gunner
Power armor soldier
Medic
Engineer
Demolitionist
Flamethrower unit
Robot handler
Radiation trooper
Shield bearer
Melee brute
Assassin
Spy
Dog handler
Mutant shock trooper
Ghoul commando
Elite Units
Veteran Ranger-style unit
Power Armor Captain
Cybernetic Soldier
Deathclaw Handler
Tesla Trooper
Stealth Suit Agent
Super Mutant Commander
Ghoul Reaper
Pre-war Combat Specialist
Synth Infiltrator-style operative
Heavy Exoskeleton Trooper
The player should be able to decide what weapons, armor, and tactics each unit type uses.
Faction Uniform System
This is where Fallout could go crazy with customization.
The player designs faction gear:
Armor color
Logo placement
Helmet style
Gas masks
Hoods
Coats
Shoulder pads
Bandoliers
Power armor paint
Rank patches
Back banners
Face paint
Ghoul-friendly armor
Mutant-sized armor
Robot markings
There should be different outfit templates:
Military
Raider
Settler
Religious
Corporate
Tribal
Tech
Ranger
Biker
Underground
Caravan
Police
Firefighter
Vault-inspired
Pre-war government
Scrap knight
A faction should be recognizable from a distance.
Laws and Policy System
This would make the faction feel alive.
The player can pass laws that affect the people.
Example Laws
Taxation
No taxes
Low taxes
Trade tax
Heavy taxes
Tribute system
Caps-only economy
Food-based economy
Justice
No formal law
Sheriff system
Court system
Military justice
Public punishment
Prison labor
Rehabilitation
Defense
Volunteer militia
Mandatory service
Professional army
Robot defense
Mercenary contracts
Settlement patrol rotation
Trade
Free trade
Controlled trade
Black market allowed
Faction-only trade
Caravan monopoly
Outsiders
Open borders
Controlled entry
Papers required
No outsiders
Recruit only useful outsiders
Technology
Open tech sharing
Restricted technology
Military-only technology
Religious ban on certain tech
AI-controlled research
Laws should have consequences.
Heavy taxes bring more caps but lower happiness.
Open borders increase trade but raise spy risk.
Mandatory service improves defense but may cause rebellion.
Faction Reputation
Every major faction and settlement should react to your created faction.
Reputation categories:
Unknown
Watched
Respected
Feared
Hated
Allied
Rival
At War
Dependent
Occupied
Protected
Infiltrated
Your reputation would depend on:
Who you recruit
How you treat prisoners
Whether you protect settlements
Whether you raid civilians
Whether you use forbidden tech
Whether you help ghouls or persecute them
Whether you make alliances
Whether you betray deals
Whether you execute enemies
Whether you tax fairly
Whether your patrols commit crimes
The player’s faction should build a name for itself.
Not through one dialogue choice.
Through repeated behavior.
Territory Control
The player’s faction should be able to claim territory.
Territory could be divided into:
Settlements
Ruins
Roads
Bridges
Farms
Water sources
Factories
Military sites
Vault entrances
Subway stations
Trade routes
Power plants
Radio towers
Raider camps
Mutant nests
Junkyards
Airports
Ports
Irradiated zones
Each territory gives benefits.
Examples
| Territory | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Water plant | Clean water income |
| Farm belt | Food supply |
| Factory | Weapon/armor production |
| Radio tower | Propaganda and recruitment |
| Military depot | Ammo and heavy weapons |
| Subway hub | Fast travel and smuggling routes |
| Hospital | Medical upgrades |
| Airport | Vertibird or drone operations |
| Vault | Research, housing, secrets |
| Junkyard | Scrap and robot parts |
| Power plant | Energy grid and defenses |
This would make the wasteland feel like a living strategic map.
Expansion Methods
The player should not only conquer by violence.
They can expand through different methods.
1. Diplomacy
Convince settlements to join willingly.
2. Protection
Defend a town repeatedly until they ask to join.
3. Trade
Become economically necessary.
4. Fear
Intimidate towns into submission.
5. Marriage or Blood Pact
For tribal or regional factions.
6. Espionage
Undermine leadership and install allies.
7. Election
Win political control in settlements.
8. Purchase
Buy land, roads, or ruined facilities.
9. Liberation
Free towns from raiders, mutants, or corrupt leaders.
10. Occupation
Take territory by force.
The player’s faction should not have one path. It should reflect the identity the player created.
War System
Faction wars should be more than random shootouts.
A war should have phases.
Phase 1: Tension
Insults
Patrol clashes
Supply theft
Propaganda
Border disputes
Phase 2: Sabotage
Destroy water pumps
Poison supplies
Hack turrets
Kill officers
Recruit defectors
Phase 3: Skirmishes
Small battles
Road ambushes
Settlement raids
Caravan attacks
Phase 4: Open War
Base assaults
Artillery strikes
Power armor squads
Mutant charges
Robot deployments
Civilian evacuations
Phase 5: Resolution
Peace treaty
Surrender
Annexation
Puppet government
Prisoner exchange
Total destruction
Forced merger
This would make war feel like a real conflict, not just “clear this camp.”
Diplomacy System
The player should be able to negotiate with other factions.
Diplomatic options:
Alliance
Non-aggression pact
Trade agreement
Military access
Prisoner exchange
Joint patrols
Technology sharing
Tribute
Forced vassalage
Secret pact
Betrayal agreement
War declaration
Ceasefire
Territory swap
Marriage alliance for tribal factions
Religious recognition
Ghoul protection treaty
Anti-mutant pact
Anti-raider coalition
Diplomacy should depend on ideology.
A Brotherhood-style faction may respect a disciplined military faction but hate a super mutant sanctuary.
A trade league may work with anyone who keeps roads safe.
A raider kingdom may only respect strength.
Internal Politics
This is where Create-A-Faction Mode could become special.
Your own faction should have problems.
Possible Internal Problems
Corruption
Food shortages
Mutiny
Racism against ghouls
Anti-mutant riots
Raider recruits abusing settlers
Religious schism
Officer betrayal
Spy infiltration
Black market weapons
Tax rebellion
Soldiers demanding pay
Scientists hiding experiments
Prison uprising
Civilian protest
Lieutenant power struggle
Settlement wanting independence
The faction should not be a perfect machine.
If the player builds a powerful faction, they must manage it.
Splinter Factions
Bad leadership could create splinter groups.
Examples:
The True Banner
A radical group that says the player betrayed the original mission.
The Red Knives
Former raider recruits who reject your laws.
The Pure Humans Front
An anti-ghoul or anti-mutant faction inside your territory.
The Old Guard
Military officers who think they should be in charge.
The Silent Circuit
Robots or AI systems that begin acting independently.
The Ash Preachers
Religious extremists who twist your doctrine.
These splinter factions could become enemies, rivals, or even story bosses.
Propaganda and Public Image
Your faction should have its own voice.
The player can build a radio station and choose broadcast style:
Hopeful
Military
Religious
Threatening
Corporate
Comedic
Revolutionary
Old-world patriotic
Raider intimidation
Ghoul rights
Anti-Brotherhood
Anti-raider
Anti-Enclave
Pro-settler
Your faction radio could announce:
Victories
New laws
Recruitment messages
Warnings to enemies
Public trials
Trade deals
Missing patrols
Enemy propaganda
Player speeches
Posters could appear in towns:
“Join the Dust Republic.”
“Mutants Are Citizens Too.”
“Pay Tribute or Burn.”
“The Roads Are Safe Under Our Banner.”
“Technology Belongs to the Future.”
Economy System
The faction needs resources.
Resources
Caps
Food
Water
Scrap
Ammo
Medicine
Fuel
Power cells
Fusion cores
Robot parts
Armor plates
Mutant biomass
Pre-war data
Chemicals
Rare tech
Building materials
Different factions prioritize different economies.
A trade league needs caps and caravans.
A tech order needs rare tech and fusion cores.
A raider faction needs tribute and stolen goods.
A settler coalition needs food, water, and defense.
A ghoul nation may thrive in irradiated areas others cannot use.
Supply Lines and Roads
Supply lines should be physical and vulnerable.
Caravans should travel across the map. Enemies can attack them. The player can assign guards, robots, dogs, or mounted units.
Road control matters.
If your faction controls the roads:
Trade increases
Fast travel becomes safer
Settlements grow
Enemy raids decrease
Patrols respond faster
Prices improve
If roads collapse:
Food shortages happen
Outposts lose ammo
Settlements panic
Merchants stop traveling
Enemies grow stronger
This makes the world feel connected.
Faction Missions
Create-A-Faction Mode should generate unique missions based on your faction type.
Settler Coalition Missions
Defend a farm from raiders
Build a clinic
Escort refugees
Negotiate water rights
Stop corrupt guards
Rebuild a school
Clear a road for caravans
Raider Kingdom Missions
Demand tribute
Break a rival gang
Steal weapons
Capture a settlement leader
Force a town to kneel
Punish deserters
Raid a caravan
Tech Order Missions
Recover pre-war data
Reactivate a factory
Capture a robot facility
Build a prototype weapon
Stop a rogue AI
Steal Brotherhood tech
Secure fusion cores
Ghoul Nation Missions
Rescue ghouls from human extremists
Occupy an irradiated town
Cure a feral outbreak
Find pre-war ghoul veterans
Expose anti-ghoul propaganda
Defend a ghoul sanctuary
Trade League Missions
Open a new caravan route
Negotiate with a town mayor
Break a protection racket
Recover stolen caps
Build a market hub
Stop counterfeit currency
Intelligence Network Missions
Plant evidence
Blackmail a faction officer
Assassinate a warlord
Steal radio codes
Replace a settlement leader
Leak enemy secrets
Frame a rival faction
Faction Rank System
The player’s faction grows through ranks.
Rank 1: Local Group
A small crew with one settlement.
Rank 2: Recognized Power
Other settlements begin talking about you.
Rank 3: Regional Faction
You control multiple areas and patrol roads.
Rank 4: Major Power
Other factions must negotiate with you.
Rank 5: Wasteland Authority
Your laws, trade, and military shape the whole region.
Rank 6: Nation or Empire
Your faction becomes the dominant force of the game world.
Each rank unlocks new mechanics, threats, and story consequences.
Faction Endings
The ending should reflect the faction you built.
Not just who you sided with.
Example Endings
The Protector Ending
Your faction becomes a shield for ordinary people. Roads become safer, farms grow, and settlements unite under a loose alliance.
The Iron Empire Ending
Your faction rules through fear. Crime drops, but freedom dies. People obey because the alternative is execution.
The Trade King Ending
Your faction controls the economy. The wasteland becomes richer, but every settlement depends on your prices, contracts, and caravans.
The Ghoul Dawn Ending
Ghouls finally gain a homeland. Irradiated zones become cities, but anti-ghoul factions continue plotting from the shadows.
The Machine State Ending
Robots and AI bring order. Human error decreases, but many wonder if the wasteland traded chaos for mechanical control.
The Mutant Haven Ending
Intelligent super mutants find a home. Some humans accept it. Others prepare for war.
The Broken Banner Ending
Your faction grows too fast, fractures from inside, and becomes several smaller warring groups.
The Republic Ending
A new government rises. It is imperfect, political, and slow, but it gives the wasteland something rare: institutions.
Why This Mode Would Matter
This would give Fallout 5 a true next-generation identity.
Bethesda already lets players build settlements. The next step is letting them build power structures.
A Create-A-Faction Mode would make the player ask bigger questions:
What kind of wasteland am I creating?
Who deserves protection?
Who gets power?
What laws matter after the world ends?
Is safety worth control?
Can monsters become citizens?
Can raiders be reformed?
Can democracy survive in the wasteland?
Can technology rebuild the world, or will it repeat the old one?
That is Fallout.
Not just guns, ruins, and bottle caps.
Fallout is about civilization trying to crawl out of the grave.
Create-A-Faction Mode would let the player decide what crawls out.
Make the Faction Feel Like It Has a Soul
The biggest mistake Bethesda could make is turning Create-A-Faction Mode into a shallow menu system.
It cannot just be:
Pick name. Pick flag. Assign settlers. Build outpost. Done.
No.
The faction should feel like something that is being born in the wasteland. It should have fear, hope, enemies, rumors, politics, mistakes, and consequences.
Your faction should not only be something the player controls.
It should become something the world reacts to.
Faction Origin Story
When creating a faction, the player should choose its origin. This would affect starting reputation, early recruits, enemies, and dialogue.
Origin Options
1. Built From Settlers
Your faction began as scared families trying to survive.
Starting strengths:
- More farmers
- Better civilian trust
- Easier settlement alliances
Starting weaknesses:
- Weak fighters
- Limited weapons
- Raiders see you as easy prey
2. Built From Ex-Raiders
Your faction began with criminals, killers, and outcasts trying to become something more — or something worse.
Starting strengths:
- Strong early combat troops
- Intimidation bonuses
- Knowledge of raider routes
Starting weaknesses:
- Settlements distrust you
- Higher chance of internal violence
- Old raider gangs may come looking for revenge
3. Built From Vault Survivors
Your faction came from a vault that finally opened.
Starting strengths:
- Better medical skills
- Better education
- Unique vault tech
Starting weaknesses:
- Naive to the wasteland
- Poor survival instincts early
- Wastelanders may resent your privilege
4. Built From Military Remnants
Your faction was founded by deserters, veterans, pre-war descendants, or broken soldiers.
Starting strengths:
- Better discipline
- Stronger patrols
- Better weapons training
Starting weaknesses:
- Rigid command structure
- Civilian settlements may fear occupation
- Brotherhood-style factions may see you as competition
5. Built From Ghouls
Your faction began as ghouls tired of being pushed out, hunted, mocked, or used.
Starting strengths:
- Radiation resistance
- Pre-war knowledge
- Better survival in dead zones
Starting weaknesses:
- Human settlements may hesitate
- Anti-ghoul groups may form
- Feral outbreaks become political crises
6. Built From Scientists
Your faction started with researchers, engineers, medics, and pre-war tech obsessives.
Starting strengths:
- Faster research
- Better robots
- Medical breakthroughs
Starting weaknesses:
- Low manpower
- Ethical controversy
- Other factions want your tech
7. Built From Slaves or Prisoners
Your faction began after a revolt.
Starting strengths:
- Strong loyalty
- Hatred of oppression
- Powerful liberation missions
Starting weaknesses:
- Trauma inside the faction
- Enemies want to recapture survivors
- Leadership disputes over revenge vs. rebuilding
8. Built From a Cult
Your faction began around a prophet, artifact, radiation miracle, old-world recording, or strange wasteland belief.
Starting strengths:
- Fanatical loyalty
- Strong morale
- Conversion missions
Starting weaknesses:
- Outsiders distrust you
- Doctrine disputes
- Risk of extremism
Faction Personality
The faction should develop a reputation beyond “good” or “evil.”
It should have a personality.
Possible Faction Labels
Depending on the player’s choices, NPCs may describe your faction as:
- Protectors
- Tyrants
- Fanatics
- Opportunists
- Rebuilders
- Thieves
- Patriots
- Monsters
- Liberators
- Sellouts
- Lawmen
- Tech hoarders
- Mutant lovers
- Ghoul defenders
- Warlords
- Raiders with uniforms
- A real government
- A dangerous movement
- The future of the wasteland
This should not be chosen from a menu.
It should be earned by behavior.
If you protect towns, people call you protectors.
If you tax too hard, they call you leeches.
If you recruit super mutants, some call you progressive and others call you insane.
If you use robots to police towns, people may say your roads are safe — but nobody feels free.
Faction Rumor System
NPCs across the wasteland should talk about your faction.
Not generic lines.
Real rumors based on your actions.
Examples
If you rescue a town:
“Heard that new banner group saved Mill Creek. Raiders hit them hard, but those folks held the line.”
If you execute prisoners:
“Don’t get captured by them. They don’t do cells. They do rope.”
If you protect ghouls:
“They let ghouls serve in their ranks. Don’t know how I feel about that, but I hear they’re loyal.”
If you raid caravans:
“You see their flag, you hide your caps. Simple as that.”
If your faction becomes corrupt:
“They started out helping people. Now their guards shake down traders at the gates.”
If your faction wins a war:
“Whole region changed when their flag went up. Like it or not, they’re the power now.”
This makes the faction feel alive.
Faction Culture System
Your faction should develop customs.
Not just laws.
Cultural Choices
Funeral Practices
- Burials
- Cremation
- Military honors
- Radiation rites
- Robot memory archives
- Mass graves
- Cannibal rites for dark factions
- Ghoul remembrance walls
- Mutant stone markers
Greetings
- Salute
- Hand over heart
- Raise weapon
- Bow head
- Touch faction patch
- Religious phrase
- No formal greeting
Punishment Style
- Exile
- Jail
- Public trial
- Public beating
- Execution
- Forced labor
- Debt service
- Rehabilitation
- Memory wipe for robot-heavy factions
Holiday or Founding Day
Your faction could celebrate the day it was formed.
Events could include:
- Speeches
- Military parade
- Trade fair
- Ritual
- Memorial
- Arena fight
- Public feast
- Recruitment drive
- Fireworks made from scrap explosives
This would give the faction texture.
Faction Charter
When the faction is formed, the player writes or chooses a charter.
This is basically the faction’s founding document.
Charter Categories
Core Purpose
- Protect settlements
- Restore civilization
- Control trade
- Purge the wasteland
- Liberate the oppressed
- Preserve technology
- Worship radiation
- Build a mutant homeland
- Create a new republic
- Rule through strength
Founding Promise
- “No settlement stands alone.”
- “Technology belongs to those who can control it.”
- “The roads will be safe.”
- “The weak will be protected.”
- “The strong will rule.”
- “No ghoul will be hunted under our flag.”
- “The old world failed. We will not repeat it.”
- “Caps, trade, and order will rebuild this land.”
- “Fear keeps the wasteland honest.”
Forbidden Act
The player chooses one action the faction officially condemns.
Examples:
- Slavery
- Cannibalism
- Killing civilians
- Abandoning allies
- Hoarding medicine
- Betraying contracts
- Anti-ghoul violence
- Wasting technology
- Chem addiction
- Unauthorized raids
Here is where Fallout storytelling gets interesting:
Your faction members can later violate the charter.
Then the player has to decide whether the charter is real or just propaganda.
Faction Contradictions
This would make the mode deeper.
Every faction should be forced to deal with contradictions.
Example Contradictions
A Settler Coalition That Needs Raiders
You want to protect people, but the only fighters available are ex-raiders.
Do you recruit them and risk abuse?
Or refuse them and leave towns defenseless?
A Ghoul Nation With Feral Problems
You fight for ghoul rights, but a feral pack kills civilians.
Do you admit the danger publicly?
Cover it up?
Create feral containment camps?
Let anti-ghoul groups use it against you?
A Republic That Needs Dirty Deals
You want democracy, but a corrupt caravan boss can fund your expansion.
Do you take the caps?
Expose him and lose money?
Let people vote even if they choose poorly?
A Tech Order That Crosses Ethical Lines
Your scientists can save lives, but they need human testing.
Do you allow it?
Use prisoners?
Ban it and slow progress?
A Raider Kingdom That Wants Stability
You rule through fear, but fear destroys trade.
Do you become more lawful?
Or double down on brutality?
Faction Council Meetings
The player should have regular faction council scenes.
This would be one of the most immersive parts of the mode.
At the HQ war room, your lieutenants gather around a table and argue.
Example Council Topics
- “Our guards are stealing from civilians.”
- “The eastern outpost needs ammo.”
- “The ghouls want equal rank.”
- “The mutant recruits scared off two settlements.”
- “The caravans want lower taxes.”
- “The raiders we spared are asking to join.”
- “The Brotherhood wants our robot lab shut down.”
- “The farmers say the soldiers take too much food.”
- “The prisoners are planning a revolt.”
- “Our propaganda officer wants to lie about the casualty numbers.”
- “A settlement wants to leave the faction.”
Each lieutenant should have a view.
The General may want force.
The Diplomat may want negotiation.
The Treasurer may want profit.
The Doctor may want mercy.
The Spymaster may want blackmail.
The player decides, but those decisions affect loyalty.
Faction Loyalty and Fear
The faction should have two major internal meters:
Loyalty
How much people believe in the faction.
High loyalty means:
- Fewer rebellions
- Stronger defense
- More volunteers
- Better morale
- Lieutenants stay committed
Fear
How much people obey because they are afraid.
High fear means:
- Fast compliance
- Lower crime
- Easier occupation
- Strong intimidation
But too much fear causes:
- Assassination attempts
- Secret rebel cells
- Defections
- Settlements pretending loyalty
- Brutal officers acting without permission
The player can lead through love, fear, money, religion, law, or ideology.
Each path works.
Each path has a cost.
Faction Reputation With Ordinary People
A great feature would be separating official diplomacy from public opinion.
A town leader might sign a treaty with you, but the people may hate you.
Example
The mayor of a town joins your faction because you protect the water plant.
But the citizens dislike your soldiers because they:
- Search homes
- Demand ID papers
- Take food
- Harass ghouls
- Arrest chem users
- Enforce curfew
So now you control the town officially, but unrest grows underneath.
This creates better storytelling.
A flag on the map does not mean hearts and minds are won.
Occupation System
If you take a settlement by force, occupation should be its own system.
Occupation Choices
Soft Occupation
- Keep local leaders
- Low troop presence
- Lower rebellion risk over time
- Slower control
Military Occupation
- Patrols everywhere
- Curfew
- Checkpoints
- High control
- Higher resentment
Puppet Government
- Replace the leader with your ally
- Looks independent
- Secretly controlled by you
- Risk of exposure
Direct Annexation
- Settlement becomes fully part of your faction
- Your laws apply
- Strong long-term control
- Immediate unrest
Punitive Occupation
- Public executions
- Heavy taxes
- Confiscation of weapons
- Fast submission
- Long-term hatred
This would make conquest meaningful.
Create-A-Faction Questlines
The mode needs full questlines, not just radiant missions.
Questline 1: “The First Banner”
You officially form the faction.
Objectives:
- Choose HQ
- Recruit first lieutenant
- Secure food and water
- Design symbol
- Survive first attack
- Broadcast first message
Ending:
Your faction becomes known.
Questline 2: “Blood on the Charter”
One of your early members violates the faction’s founding law.
Examples:
- A guard murders a prisoner
- A soldier robs settlers
- A scientist experiments on captives
- A raider recruit enslaves survivors
- A ghoul officer hides a feral outbreak
You decide:
- Cover it up
- Hold a public trial
- Execute the offender
- Exile them
- Change the law
- Blame an enemy faction
This quest defines whether your faction has real principles.
Questline 3: “The Second Flag”
A nearby settlement asks to join, but another faction claims them.
Choices:
- Negotiate
- Buy the claim
- Challenge the claim
- Secretly arm the settlement
- Assassinate the rival negotiator
- Let the settlement vote
- Walk away
This introduces diplomacy and territorial politics.
Questline 4: “The Lieutenants’ War”
Two of your top officers begin fighting for influence.
Examples:
- General vs. Diplomat
- Scientist vs. Religious leader
- Ghoul commander vs. Human nationalist
- Treasurer vs. Settler representative
- Spymaster vs. Sheriff
You decide who wins, or whether to force compromise.
Possible outcomes:
- One quits
- One betrays you
- One becomes more loyal
- Both lose power
- The faction splits
- The player creates a council system
Questline 5: “The Enemy Recognizes You”
A major faction finally treats you as a real threat.
They send:
- Diplomats
- Spies
- Assassins
- Saboteurs
- Recruiters
- Propaganda
- Trade embargoes
- Military patrols
This is the moment your faction moves from local group to regional power.
Questline 6: “Civil War Under One Flag”
If loyalty gets too low, a splinter faction forms.
They claim you betrayed the mission.
Their ideology depends on your choices.
If you were merciful, they may be extremists.
If you were brutal, they may be reformers.
If you accepted ghouls, they may be human supremacists.
If you used robots, they may be anti-machine rebels.
This would be one of the best faction-mode story arcs.
Faction Enemy Creation
The created faction should generate custom enemies.
The game should look at your faction and create a natural rival.
Examples
If You Build a Ghoul Nation
Enemy: The Clean Blood League
A human supremacist group that spreads anti-ghoul propaganda and attacks ghoul settlements.
If You Build a Robot State
Enemy: The Fleshborn Front
A human resistance movement that believes your faction is replacing people with machines.
If You Build a Raider Kingdom
Enemy: The Last Lawmen
A coalition of farmers, sheriffs, and caravan guards trying to destroy your empire.
If You Build a Republic
Enemy: The Crown of Ash
A warlord faction that sees democracy as weakness.
If You Build a Trade League
Enemy: The Toll Butchers
A raider-market cartel that wants to control every road and bridge.
If You Build a Tech Order
Enemy: The Rust Monks
A religious anti-technology faction that believes old-world machines caused the apocalypse.
This gives the player a personalized antagonist.
Faction Assassination Attempts
If the player becomes powerful, enemies should try to kill them.
Assassination attempts could happen through:
- Sniper attack
- Poisoned food
- Explosive trap
- Betraying bodyguard
- Hacked robot
- Infiltrator at council meeting
- Bomb inside tribute shipment
- Ghoul pretending to need help
- Child courier carrying a hidden bomb
- Fake peace meeting
- Sabotaged power armor
The player should be able to respond:
- Increase security
- Hunt the assassin
- Blame a rival
- Use it for propaganda
- Execute suspects
- Create a secret police force
- Forgive the attacker and recruit them
Faction Prisoner System
Prisoners should matter.
After battles, enemies can be:
- Executed
- Released
- Ransomed
- Recruited
- Imprisoned
- Used for labor
- Put on trial
- Exchanged
- Interrogated
- Exiled
- Sent to rehabilitation
- Given to another faction
- Used in experiments by darker factions
This would create serious Fallout-style moral choices.
Example
You capture a raider boss who killed settlers.
Options:
- Execute him publicly.
- Put him on trial.
- Recruit him because he knows every raider route.
- Trade him to another faction.
- Let the victims decide.
- Secretly release him as an informant.
Every option creates consequences.
Faction Court System
If the player builds a lawful faction, there should be court cases.
Cases Could Include
- Murder
- Theft
- Ghoul discrimination
- Raider abuse
- Chem dealing
- Mutiny
- Spying
- Black-market trading
- Officer corruption
- Settlement tax refusal
- Illegal experiments
- Prisoner mistreatment
The player can serve as judge, create a jury system, appoint judges, or let military officers handle it.
Bad justice leads to unrest.
Fair justice builds legitimacy.
Brutal justice builds fear.
Faction Media and Records
Fallout should let your faction document itself.
The player can create:
- Public records
- Wanted posters
- Recruitment posters
- Victory murals
- Memorial walls
- Radio speeches
- News bulletins
- Propaganda films
- Faction newspaper
- Enemy dossiers
- War casualty lists
- Trade ledgers
- Law books
This would make the HQ feel alive.
Imagine walking through your capital and seeing posters based on your actual choices.
“Victory at Red Bridge.”
“Remember the Dead of Ashfield.”
“Wanted: Former Lieutenant Mara Voss, Traitor to the Banner.”
“New Law: Ghouls Protected Under Faction Citizenship.”
That is immersion.
Faction Rank and Titles
The player should choose their own leader title.
Possible Leader Titles
- Commander
- Governor
- Warden
- President
- General
- Elder
- Director
- Prophet
- High Judge
- Marshal
- Overboss
- Chancellor
- First Citizen
- Prime Speaker
- Boss
- Shieldbearer
- Road King
- War Chief
- Machine Voice
- The Founder
Different titles change dialogue.
A raider may respect “Overboss.”
A republic may prefer “President.”
A religious faction may follow “Prophet.”
A tech faction may recognize “Director.”
Faction Rank Structure
The player should design the chain of command.
Military Rank Example
- Recruit
- Trooper
- Sergeant
- Lieutenant
- Captain
- Major
- Colonel
- General
Raider Rank Example
- Cutter
- Burner
- Skullhand
- Road Dog
- Blood Captain
- Warboss
- Overboss
Religious Rank Example
- Initiate
- Witness
- Keeper
- Flamebearer
- High Voice
- Prophet’s Hand
- Prophet
Trade League Rank Example
- Runner
- Guard
- Broker
- Factor
- Route Master
- Caravan Lord
- Trade Minister
Intelligence Rank Example
- Listener
- Shadow
- Handler
- Ghost
- Knife
- Black Ledger
- Spymaster
Your faction should not sound like every other faction.
Custom Faction Dialogue
NPCs should use your faction’s name, title, and reputation in dialogue.
Examples
If you are respected:
“You’re with the Dust Republic? Good. Maybe we’ll live through the week.”
If you are feared:
“Please, I paid the tax. Tell your people I paid.”
If you are hated:
“Your flag means nothing here. We remember what you did.”
If you are a ghoul-rights faction:
“Never thought I’d see a human wearing a patch that meant safety for people like me.”
If you are a raider empire:
“I don’t care what uniform you wear. A raider with laws is still a raider.”
If you are a tech faction:
“You people always say the machine knows best. That’s what scares me.”
This would make the faction feel personal.
Faction Territory Visual Changes
When your faction controls an area, the environment should change.
Positive Changes
- Roads repaired
- Lights restored
- Guards posted
- Markets opened
- Crops planted
- Walls reinforced
- Clinics built
- Radio towers active
- Children return outside
- Caravans move more often
Negative Changes
- Checkpoints everywhere
- Prison cages
- Propaganda signs
- Public punishment areas
- Armed patrol intimidation
- Burned enemy symbols
- Curfew sirens
- Forced labor camps
- Graffiti against your faction
Ghoul Nation Changes
- Irradiated zones become usable towns
- Rad-warning signs become welcome markers
- Ghoul veterans run patrols
- Anti-feral fences installed
- Old pre-war museums restored
Tech Order Changes
- Robots patrol roads
- Laser turrets guard gates
- Research towers light up at night
- Old terminals reactivate
- Drones scan travelers
Raider Kingdom Changes
- Spiked walls
- Trophy displays
- Tribute posts
- Scavenged vehicles
- Arena pits
- Fear-based signage
The player should see their ideology painted onto the world.
Faction Patrol System
Patrols should not randomly spawn. The player should design them.
Patrol Types
Road Patrol
Protects caravans and travelers.
Border Patrol
Guards against rival factions.
Settlement Patrol
Keeps order inside towns.
Scout Patrol
Finds enemy camps and resources.
Heavy Patrol
Power armor, mutants, robots, or heavy weapons.
Stealth Patrol
Spies, snipers, scouts, and assassins.
Medical Patrol
Travels between settlements treating civilians.
Tax Patrol
Collects caps, food, or tribute.
Religious Patrol
Preaches, recruits, and converts.
Ghoul Patrol
Operates in irradiated zones.
Each patrol can generate events:
- Ambushed
- Found refugees
- Discovered a vault
- Abused civilians
- Defected
- Captured enemy scout
- Found rare tech
- Started a fight with another faction
- Went missing
Faction War Table
At the HQ, the player should have a war table or regional map.
The map shows:
- Controlled territory
- Contested zones
- Enemy patrol routes
- Caravan paths
- Raider camps
- Food shortages
- Rebellions
- Spy networks
- Power sources
- Water sources
- Trade chokepoints
- War fronts
- Threat levels
The player can assign lieutenants to operations:
- Defend settlement
- Sabotage rival
- Recruit in town
- Build outpost
- Spread propaganda
- Negotiate treaty
- Hunt raiders
- Secure water plant
- Investigate missing patrol
- Bribe local leader
This gives the player strategic control without turning Fallout into a pure strategy game.
Faction Outpost Types
Not every controlled location should become a full settlement.
Some should become specialized outposts.
Outpost Options
Watchpost
Small defense tower and patrol checkpoint.
Trade Post
Merchant stop for caravans.
Listening Post
Spy and radio intelligence station.
Medical Station
Treats travelers and wounded soldiers.
Military Camp
Barracks, ammo storage, training area.
Prison Camp
Holds enemies and criminals.
Robot Relay Station
Repairs robots and extends robotic patrol range.
Farm Outpost
Produces food.
Water Outpost
Controls water supply.
Salvage Yard
Produces scrap and parts.
Artillery Site
Provides regional bombardment support.
Embassy
Used for diplomacy with another faction.
This would add strategic value to locations that are too small for full settlement building.
Faction Spy System
The Intelligence Network type should not be the only faction with spies.
Every faction should have some espionage ability, but spy-heavy factions do it best.
Spy Actions
- Infiltrate enemy faction
- Steal documents
- Poison supplies
- Bribe officers
- Leak propaganda
- Start rumors
- Sabotage turrets
- Free prisoners
- Assassinate target
- Frame another faction
- Turn enemy lieutenant
- Plant fake orders
- Discover attack plans
Spies can be caught.
If exposed, consequences include:
- War
- Public scandal
- Execution
- Diplomatic collapse
- Enemy retaliation
- Loss of public trust
Faction Technology Tree
Each faction type should have unique upgrade branches.
Settler Coalition Tech
- Better farming
- Clean water systems
- Clinics
- Road defenses
- Civilian shelters
- Schools
- Town militias
- Emergency sirens
Raider Kingdom Tech
- Scrap armor
- Chem labs
- Ambush traps
- Fear propaganda
- Tribute systems
- Arena combat
- Spiked vehicles
- Shock troops
Tech Order Tech
- Robots
- Energy weapons
- Power armor
- Automated turrets
- Cybernetics
- AI systems
- Drone scouts
- Fusion power
Ghoul Nation Tech
- Radiation farms
- Rad-resistant armor
- Feral containment
- Pre-war archives
- Irradiated zone settlements
- Ghoul medicine
- Radiation traps
Trade League Tech
- Caravan upgrades
- Better pack animals
- Market hubs
- Banking
- Trade contracts
- Vendor networks
- Road toll systems
- Anti-counterfeit systems
Republic Tech
- Courts
- Elections
- Public works
- Census system
- Sheriff offices
- Tax offices
- Militia training
- Infrastructure projects
Faction Animal Units
Fallout needs more wasteland animal systems.
A faction could use animals based on region and ideology.
Animal Units
- Guard dogs
- Mutant hounds
- Brahmin caravans
- Radstag scouts
- Mirelurk guard pits
- Yao guai shock beasts
- Giant mole rat tunnel units
- Crows or ravens as warning animals
- Deathclaw elite handler unit
- Radscorpion perimeter defense
- Trained insects for bizarre science factions
Animal handling should be risky.
A Deathclaw handler program could make your faction terrifying, but one failed containment event could kill half an outpost.
Faction Vehicles
Vehicles do not have to mean full driving everywhere.
They can function as faction assets.
Vehicle Assets
- Armored caravan wagons
- Scrap motorcycles as fast patrols
- APC ruins rebuilt into mobile cover
- Vertibird access through alliance or capture
- Rail carts in subway systems
- Boats for river or coastal maps
- Robot cargo haulers
- Brahmin armored wagons
- Mobile artillery platforms
Vehicles could appear in missions, patrols, trade routes, and war events.
Faction Bounty System
Your faction should be able to issue bounties.
Bounty Types
- Raider boss
- Mutant warlord
- Corrupt officer
- Escaped prisoner
- Enemy spy
- Ghoul murderer
- Caravan thief
- Rogue robot
- Feral nest
- Chem kingpin
- Rival faction assassin
- Deserter
Other NPC bounty hunters may compete with you.
Sometimes they kill the wrong person.
Sometimes they bring the target alive.
Sometimes they betray you for a higher price.
Faction Black Market
If your laws ban something, a black market may form.
Black Market Goods
- Chems
- Stolen weapons
- Forbidden tech
- Slave labor
- Human meat
- Ghoul blood myths
- Robot parts
- Fake IDs
- Counterfeit caps
- Illegal radiation cult items
- Enemy uniforms
- Experimental medicine
The player can:
- Crack down
- Regulate it
- Secretly profit from it
- Use it as a spy network
- Let it corrupt the faction
This is very Fallout.
The official faction says one thing.
The underground economy says another.
Faction Companions
Your created faction should produce unique companions.
Companion Types
The True Believer
They believe in your faction more than you do.
If you betray the faction’s values, they may confront you.
The Former Enemy
An ex-raider, ex-Brotherhood soldier, ex-Enclave scientist, or former assassin.
They know your enemies from the inside.
The Political Rival
They serve you, but they think they could lead better.
Could become loyal or betray you.
The Civilian Voice
A farmer, doctor, teacher, or parent who reminds you who your decisions affect.
The Monster Citizen
A ghoul, intelligent super mutant, or sentient robot who represents your faction’s controversial policies.
The Enforcer
They get dirty work done.
Useful, but dangerous if given too much freedom.
Companions should react strongly to faction choices.
Faction Betrayal Stories
Betrayal should not be random.
It should come from believable causes.
Betrayal Triggers
- Ignoring a lieutenant’s warnings
- Breaking the charter
- Favoring one group too much
- Not paying soldiers
- Losing too many battles
- Using forbidden technology
- Killing civilians
- Sparing hated enemies
- Accepting mutants or ghouls
- Becoming too peaceful
- Becoming too brutal
- Letting corruption spread
Betrayal Outcomes
- Lieutenant defects
- Outpost joins enemy
- Soldier coup attempt
- Assassination attempt
- Hidden evidence leaks
- Enemy gets your war plans
- Splinter faction forms
- Civil war begins
This would make leadership feel serious.
Faction Legacy System
By the end of the game, your faction should leave behind a legacy.
Not just a slideshow.
The world should physically show what happened.
Legacy Examples
If You Built a Protector Faction
- Safer roads
- More towns
- Schools and clinics
- Caravans traveling freely
- Memorials to fallen defenders
If You Built a Tyranny
- Orderly streets
- Silent citizens
- Public executions
- Heavy patrols
- Fearful dialogue
If You Built a Trade Empire
- Markets everywhere
- Rich merchants
- Poor settlements in debt
- Trade disputes
- Caps replacing barter
If You Built a Ghoul Homeland
- Irradiated cities restored
- Ghoul patrols
- Human migration tensions
- Anti-ghoul underground cells
If You Built a Tech State
- Robots repairing roads
- Automated farms
- Surveillance systems
- Citizens debating freedom vs. safety
If You Built a Failed Faction
- Broken flags
- Abandoned outposts
- Splinter gangs
- Refugees
- Former members ashamed or bitter
The player should be able to walk through the result of their choices.
Create-A-Faction Mode Needs a “No Perfect Choice” Design
This is the most important part.
The mode should never let the player build a flawless paradise without conflict.
Every choice should create a tradeoff.
Examples
| Choice | Benefit | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Accept ex-raiders | More fighters | Civilian fear |
| Ban chems | Better public health | Black market grows |
| Use robots for policing | Lower crime | People feel watched |
| Protect ghouls | Moral legitimacy | Anti-ghoul backlash |
| Heavy taxes | More resources | Rebellion risk |
| Open borders | More trade | More spies |
| Execute enemies | Fear and order | Hatred and revenge |
| Hold elections | Legitimacy | Slower decisions |
| Recruit super mutants | Strong army | Diplomatic problems |
| Share technology | Faster growth | Dangerous tech spreads |
That is what would make it feel like Fallout.
Not “good option vs. bad option.”
Hard choices.
Messy outcomes.
Human consequences.
Bigger Vision
Create-A-Faction Mode could become the bridge between:
Fallout settlement building
Fallout faction politics
Fallout moral choice
Fallout world simulation
The player would not just ask:
“Which faction should I join?”
They would ask:
“What kind of faction would I build if the wasteland gave me power?”
That is a much stronger question.
Because now the player is not just choosing the future.
They are responsible for creating it.
.jfif)
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