It's no secret that Fallout 4 is a very exciting prospect for fans of the post-apocalyptic role-playing series. It's been five years since the release of Fallout: New Vegas, and there was a time when it seemed that the only word of a follow-up was rumours, with no official confirmation from Bethesda for years.

However, this year's E3 saw the publisher officially announce that the game was in development, and would release before the end of the year. This sent the fan community into a frenzy of excitement — but it's possible that no one was more thrilled than Trey Hill.

By day, Hill is the IT manager of a local school. Having just built a new home for his family, his wife gave him free reign to do whatever he liked with the basement. With Fallout 4 on the horizon, Hill decided to take his passion for the series to new heights, with a Vault all of his own.

The door weighs 100 pounds, protecting the entrance to Hill's home theater. On a budget of just $400, he's created an accurate, working Vault door that carries a remarkable resemblance to those found in the Fallout games. Hill's chosen Vault designation is 404, a reference to his profession.

Fallout fans generally seem to be a rather crafty bunch — no doubt an important skill to have if you're planning for an apocalypse scenario. A working Pip-Boy will be made available with some editions of the game, but one fan who couldn't wait for release decided to simply use a 3D printer to make their own.

However, this creativity isn't confined to physical objects. Today sees the release of Autumn Leaves, a mod for Fallout: New Vegas that goes far beyond the normal scope for this type of project. With new quests, fully voiced dialogue and several different endings, it's something hardcore fans won't want to miss out on.

Bethesda will be hopeful that a similarly vibrant community springs up around Fallout 4, as modding tools will be released for the game shortly after it launches. This will give players the chance to create their own content for the game, alongside the prerequisite DLC that Bethesda will undoubtedly be taking care of.

More than just creativity, stories like Trey Hill's vault door project demonstrate just how large the Fallout fanbase has become. Some fans may have been unhappy with the jump to 3D in Fallout 3, but it's difficult to deny that it was a successful resurrection of a franchise that could have easily disappeared.

There are certainly scores of fans eager to get their hands on Fallout 4 — whether they have their own personal Vault to play it in or otherwise. Here's hoping that the game will meet the high expectations of fans.

Fallout 4 is set to release for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC on November 10, 2015.

Source: PC Gamer