Fallout: Ashfall is an ambitious mod currently in development for the popular franchise entry, Fallout: New Vegas. The mod's setting takes place on the lush tropical islands of Hawaii and is specifically centered around the Puna region, which is known for its stunning natural beauty. As players explore the island, they will encounter various new locations, quests, and factions, each with unique elements designed specifically around Hawaiian culture.

The development of Fallout: Ashfall began in May 2021 and has since attracted a dedicated team of modders and designers who are working to create a captivating and engaging Fallout: New Vegas mod. Game Rant recently conducted an interview with the development team behind the upcoming mod Fallout: Ashfall. The team consisted of Project Lead Ashfall Dude, Level Design Lead Cellblock Psycho, Level Designer Fresh, and 3D Artist Doc Peppers. During the interview, the team discussed their inspiration for the mod, the influence of Hawaiian culture on the game's design, and the challenges they faced when developing content based on the history of Hawaii.

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The Fallout: New Vegas mod began with inspiration from Fallout 2, specifically with its hub worlds and random encounters, but grew from there into a proper open-world mod jam-packed with new locations, factions, and stories. Additionally, the team drew inspiration from other RPGs, such as KOTOR 2, Deus Ex, and Morrowind, that have a strong emphasis on world-building and role-playing. As Ashfall Dude emphasized,

“One of the things I love about the Fallout games is how often they draw from real-world history as inspiration for their settings. Hawaii’s history, depending on how you view it, is tragic. For its history, culture, and people, we want to make sure we get things right.”

The Hawaiian Influence on Fallout: Ashfall

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The developers of Fallout: Ashfall have taken great care to consider Hawaiian culture and history throughout the game's creation. Ashfall Dude stated that since no team member was a Hawaii resident, they have been meticulous in their research to ensure that the game's representation of the culture and history was accurate. The team drew inspiration from Hawaii's real-world history, culture, and people. For example, the team has created a new melee weapon called the Polynesian Shark-Tooth Sword, which is based on the same kind of weapon that ancient Hawaiian warriors once used. As Ashfall Dude said,

"Many of us on the team have found learning about Hawaii and its history is as fun as making the mod itself."

Making Hawaii an Appropriate Fallout Setting

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The setting of Hawaii had a profound influence on Ashfall's overall design, gameplay, and storyline. Ashfall Dude revealed that, in the mod, the island has not been influenced by the Forced Evolutionary Virus, which created Fallout's various Super Mutants and Deathclaws. Because of this, Ashfall offers a version of Fallout without extreme mutant threats or radiation, creating an environment incredibly unique to Fallout franchise.

According to Ashfall Dude, the lush, tropical environment couldn’t have been possible if the island had been affected by Fallout's radiation. Therefore, the team took this into consideration when developing the mod. Players can expect to explore a range of new locations in Fallout: Ashfall that reflect Hawaiian culture and history. From the tropical jungles and vast beaches to expansive ruins, there is a large collection of places for players to explore. Some of those locations include Pahoa, Paradise Park, Keaau, Mountain View, Hilo, and Paukaa and Papaikou, all unique to the island of Hawaii.

According to Fresh, one of the locations they’ve been working on is Robco Resort, a large island resort on the island. Similar to Tenpenny Tower from Fallout 3, Robco Resort functions as an economic hub for the island and is the primary marketplace on the island. The resort contains a class system with the elite living in the luxurious penthouses and the less fortunate living in the lobby, basement, or exterior of the hotel. Fresh also mentioned a new location called Paradise Park, which is a town overrun by ghouls. Fresh explained that the town contains a unique backstory along with various quests players can complete.

Players can also expect to see new interior designs that mirror the culture of Hawaii. According to Fresh, the interiors in the mod are decorated to fit the aesthetics of a tropical environment as well as the cultural history of Hawaii. Fresh explained that many of the interiors have a great deal of detail inlaid into the framework, adding a layer of depth that speaks to the authenticity of Hawaiian culture. Per Fresh,

“The interiors in the mod are decorated and fit the mod well. Some of the interiors I have worked on, or are currently working on, have a lot of detail put into them, so hopefully they turn out well when the mod releases."

Doc Peppers also mentioned a humidity feature, a unique environmental aspect that causes objects like metal and wood in the mod to decay faster. The presence of the humidity feature is designed to create a sense of authenticity to the mod, adding yet another element that stays true to Hawaii’s tropical environment. In Doc Peppers' own words,

“Big Hawaii is a very humid place. The weather makes metal rust faster and wood rots more. I try to make sure the meshes look more moist and decayed unless they are made from hardier materials.”

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Fallout: Ashfall Factions

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According to Ashfall Dude, Hawaii is almost untouched in official Fallout lore, meaning the islands are disconnected from the mainland and have no presence of factions such as the New California Republic. Instead, there will be a range of new factions, including the Hell-Razors, a raider gang inspired by the PMRC’s “Filthy Fifteen” that plays a significant role in Ashfall’s storyline. According to Ashfall Dude, the Hell-Razors are in conflict with one of the mod’s main factions, and players will be able to see how that conflict plays out during the course of the game.

In terms of the mod’s storyline, Cellblock Psycho explained that he has made important additions to the Fallout mod by writing and designing an “antagonist faction,” which will play into the major plot too. He has also inlaid various other factions that he referred to as “diegetic,” making sure the mod contains a strong balance between each faction and group. His primary goal is to create unique backstories, which provide a reason for their presence in the mod in addition to powerful motives, providing a level of humanness to each character and group. The overall goal, Cellblock Psycho said, was to provide players with “fun and interesting interactions” that will keep them engaged and entertained.

Hawaiian culture not only plays a role in the development of the location in Fallout: Ashfall, but also in the design of the factions and storyline. Hawaiian culture will not only affect the environment and landscape, but also quests and characters, which ultimately influence the entire scope of the mod. This even includes the heavy tourism of Hawaii, according to Cellblock Psycho.

“There are definitely some elements of Hawaii's culture that will play a part in the many factions. The meld between cultures of Hawaiian natives and tourists will definitely be a concept that will be acknowledged and be worked into some of the various tribes of the project.”

Fallout: New Vegas is available now for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.

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