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Science Fiction

Warhammer 40K: Tyranid Mawloc Conversion

April 25, 2013 by holojacob 3 Comments

Presenting my Warhammer 40K Tyranid Mawloc conversion.

tyranid mawloc conversion 0
Surprise!

tyranid mawloc conversion 1
Mawloc smash!

tyranid mawloc conversion 2
Terror from beneath!

tyranid mawloc conversion 3
The mawloc enjoys long walks through subterranean passages and playing with its food.

tyranid mawloc conversion 4
Ouch!

The mawloc is based on the trygon kit, but I heavily modified the head. I used the mawloc mouths and tongues from three trygon kits along with green stuff to form the head.  The space marine was easily add by cutting the ends of the tongues, gluing the space marine body in place, and gluing the tips to the space marine.
I wanted the mawloc to look like it had just crashed out of the ground, and so the other space marines are positioned as if they were just flung from the mawloc with impressive force, one of them in two directions at once. After completing conversions to the body, I had green stuff left over.
I couldn’t let it go to waste, so I added a big ribbon of blood between the severed halves of a space marine … because, you know, the model wasn’t far enough over-the-top yet.
Check out the complete list of Warhammer 40K articles here.

Filed Under: Warhammer 40k Tagged With: Conversions, Games Workshop, Mawloc, Science Fiction, Space Marines, Tabletop Games, Tyranids

Warhammer 40K: Tyranid Hive Tyrant Conversions

April 24, 2013 by holojacob Leave a Comment

Presenting my Warhammer 40K Tyranid Hive Tyrant conversions.

tyranid hive tyrant conversion 1
“Ready or not, here we come!”

tyranid hive tyrant conversion 2
Making soldiers out of leftovers. It’s the Tyranid way!

With only a few minor modifications, I used a carnifex kit to make this hive tyrant. The most significant change is to the area where the legs and torso meet, where enough material had to be shaved off in order to get the tyrant to stand up straighter. He’s a general! No slouching!
The tyrant guard were easy enough to throw together with tyranid warrior parts and spare carapaces from the carnifex kits. The lash whips are based on ammunition feeds for the larger bioweapons with green stuff and extra spikes on the ends.
tyranid hive tyrant conversion 5
Winged hive tyrant swoops in!

 
tyranid hive tyrant conversion 6
Maybe I took that whole swooping thing a little too far on this one …

This winged hive tyrant is based on a trygon kit. I took one section of the tail out and joined the gap with green stuff to help differentiate it from the trygon in my army. I also left off the side pincers on the head. The wings are from the chaos demon prince kit.
tyranid hive tyrant conversion 7
Terminators and dreadnoughts are essential parts of a balanced diet, and help young tyrants develop nice, slimy coats.

Even though the model is plastic, it’s positioning is so extreme that the base required a lot of weighting. Those are old school metal terminators.
tyranid hive tyrant conversion 4
Winged hive tyrant #2!

tyranid hive tyrant conversion 3

The second winged hive tyrant has a less extreme pose. Again, I used a trygon kit, shortened the tail, and used demon prince wings. I closed the jaw and added green stuff to fill the gaps, to help give it a different look from the first winged hive tyrant.
Check out the complete list of Warhammer 40K articles here.

Filed Under: Warhammer 40k Tagged With: Conversions, Games Workshop, Hive Tyrant, Science Fiction, Tabletop Games, Terminators, Tyranids, Tyrant Guard

Warhammer 40K: Tyranid Broodlord Conversion

April 23, 2013 by holojacob 2 Comments

Presenting my Warhammer 40K Tyranid Broodlord conversion, with freshly sliced space marine.

Warhammer 40K: Tyranid Broodlord Conversion
SLICE!

 
tyranid broodlord conversion 2
Here he comes!

 

tyranid broodlord conversion 3

 

tyranid broodlord conversion 4

 

tyranid broodlord conversion 5

 

tyranid broodlord conversion 6
The space marine is just starting to slide apart …

This conversion used genestealer and tyranid warrior parts. Only the head and the feet are from the genestealer kit. One genestealer foot came with an extension for slotting into the base. I took that extension and merged it with the rubble to support the broodlord. The other foot and one knee provide additional support against the rubble. Even with the low weight of the plastic parts, the base had to be weighted. I used leftover metal bits underneath the base.
The marine was assembled whole, then sawed apart. I used green stuff to give him an acidic, melting look. I tried to make it look like the broodlord had zipped by, leaving the space marine to slowly slide apart in a cool, anime style.
As with all of my tyranids, the broodlord has no eyes since I am a big fan of the movies Alien and Aliens. In this case, the eyes were covered with a very small amount of green stuff.
The broodlord was my second tyranid model, and it remains one of my favorites. I love that only a little bit of his tail is actually over the base!
Check out the complete list of Warhammer 40K articles here.

Filed Under: Warhammer 40k Tagged With: Broodlord, Conversions, Games Workshop, Science Fiction, Space Marines, Tabletop Games, Tyranids

Warhammer 40K: Tyranid Zoanthrope Conversion

April 22, 2013 by holojacob Leave a Comment

Presenting my Warhammer 40K Tyranid Zoanthrope, with psychically exploding space marine.

tyranid zoanthrope with exploding space marine 1
BOOM!

 
tyranid zoanthrope with exploding space marine 2
BOOSH!

 
tyranid zoanthrope with exploding space marine  5
POP! Like a big, juicy zit.

 
tyranid zoanthrope with exploding space marine 4
“I’m a floating brain for a reason, you know …”

 
The exploding space marine was made using standard space marine bits, metal wire, and green stuff. I used the wire to create a sub-structure and then built the green stuff on top of it in layers until I reached sufficient levels of ridiculousness. I then added the space marine parts to the exploding “frame.”
Due to the low weight of the exploding space marine and the high weight of the metal Zoanthrope, it’s easy to get a very dynamic pose. I used a piece of gothic terrain to extend the space marine far beyond the base, which makes it even more ridiculous.
Check out the complete list of Warhammer 40K articles here.

Filed Under: Warhammer 40k Tagged With: Conversions, Games Workshop, Science Fiction, Space Marines, Tabletop Games, Tyranids, Zoanthrope

The Dragons of Jupiter: Cover Work-in-Progress

April 20, 2013 by holojacob 2 Comments

FINAL COVER WIP 1-small
Kaneda’s dropfighter ground to a halt just outside the city. Explosive bolts blew the rear hatch open. The locks holding his armor released.
“Move out!” Kaneda shouted.
Crusaders stormed out of the dropfighter. Kaneda raised his Gatling gun and followed. He stepped off the metal ramp and onto the moon’s surface. Ice crunched under his boots. Leftover gel from the bombing run still burned in patches on the gray, drab buildings. Crusaders splashed through shallow pools that quickly refroze.
“Spread out! Secure those buildings!”
Jupiter’s storm-wracked face rose in front of him. Kaneda paused and looked at the planet. It filled the horizon from end to end. Ten years had passed since he’d seen the mighty gas giant with his own eyes. And now he was home again, on Europa, with ice under his boots. He even recognized some of the buildings. The nostalgia of the moment hit him harder than he thought possible, and he hesitated.
The second thing that hit him was a needle grenade exploding in his face.

Excerpt from The Dragons of Jupiter, by Jacob Holo

Robert Chew, a.k.a. CrazyAsian1, has begun detailing the final version of the cover.
What can I say? Already, it looks phenomenal!
The cover is set up to wrap around the book, with the left half on the back cover. The front prominently features crusaders, elite heavy infantry that are the antagonists of the novel. I love the added heft Robert gave their designs. A lone dragon, one of the protagonists, hides on the back cover, ready to ambush in ninja-like fashion.
I’m excited to see how he details in the dragon. Not much longer now!
Subscribe to the Holo Writing Newsletter to receive updates on our current and future books.

Filed Under: Holo Books Tagged With: Cover, Novel, Science Fiction, The Dragons of Jupiter, Writing

Warhammer 40K: Tyranid Army

April 20, 2013 by holojacob 11 Comments

Presenting my Warhammer 40K Tyranid army.

Warhammer 40K: Tyranid
My Tyranid Horde.

 
tyranid hordes 4
More of the Horde.

 
tyranid hordes 1
Even more of the Horde.

 
tyranid hordes 3
Still going …

 
tyranids broodlord conversion
Broodlord conversion, leaping forward.

 
tyranid zoanthrope 2
Zoanthrope awesomeness blew this space marine’s mind.

 
tyranid zoanthrope 1
Zoanthrope posse.

 
tyranid winged hive tyrant conversion
Winged hive tyrant conversion. Kind of a crazy pose.

 
tyranid warrior
Tyranid warrior with his new friend.

 
tyranid trygon
Stock trygon model. Nothing fancy.

 
tyranid tervigon conversion
Tervigon conversion, vomiting some more termagants.

 
tyranid mawloc conversion
Mawloc conversion playing with its food.

 
tyranid lictor
Lictor sneaking up on one unlucky space marine.

While I’m not the best painter or converter or player … I do have a lot of fun with the hobby. And for me, that’s the whole point.
I currently favor Warmachine over Warhammer 40K for my gaming needs, but there’s no denying that Games Workshop produces fantastic models. The heavy use of plastic in their product lines allows for all sorts of conversion flexibility, which I absolutely love.
I hope you enjoyed this brief look at my Tyranids army.
Check out the complete list of Warhammer 40K articles here.

Filed Under: Warhammer 40k Tagged With: Conversions, Games Workshop, Science Fiction, Tabletop Games, Tyranids

The Dragons of Jupiter: Cover Rough Sketch, Version 2!

April 4, 2013 by holojacob 5 Comments

rough sketch 2 ver2 small
Kaneda’s dropfighter ground to a halt just outside the city. Explosive bolts blew the rear hatch open. The locks holding his armor released.
“Move out!” Kaneda shouted.
Crusaders stormed out of the dropfighter. Kaneda raised his Gatling gun and followed. He stepped off the metal ramp and onto the moon’s surface. Ice crunched under his boots. Leftover gel from the bombing run still burned in patches on the gray, drab buildings. Crusaders splashed through shallow pools that quickly refroze.
“Spread out! Secure those buildings!”
Jupiter’s storm-wracked face rose in front of him. Kaneda paused and looked at the planet. It filled the horizon from end to end. Ten years had passed since he’d seen the mighty gas giant with his own eyes. And now he was home again, on Europa, with ice under his boots. He even recognized some of the buildings. The nostalgia of the moment hit him harder than he thought possible, and he hesitated.
The second thing that hit him was a needle grenade exploding in his face.

Excerpt from The Dragons of Jupiter, by Jacob Holo

Robert Chew, a.k.a. CrazyAsian1, has created a new rough sketch for my cover. I have to say, it is fantastic! He has expertly captured the feel I wanted.
The cover maintains the overall layout from previous versions, wrapping around the book. Three crusaders on the front cover, advancing. One dragon on the back, waiting for a chance to strike. They look so cool!
Robert continues to be an excellent artist to work with. He has been very professional throughout this entire process, and I have no doubt that will continue.
Next up, color studies!
Subscribe to the Holo Writing Newsletter to receive updates on our current and future books.

Filed Under: Holo Books Tagged With: Cover, Novel, Science Fiction, Sketches, The Dragons of Jupiter, Writing

The Dragons of Jupiter: Cover Rough Sketches!

March 25, 2013 by holojacob 2 Comments

cover rough sketch 3-small
Kaneda’s dropfighter ground to a halt just outside the city. Explosive bolts blew the rear hatch open. The locks holding his armor released.
“Move out!” Kaneda shouted.
Crusaders stormed out of the dropfighter. Kaneda raised his Gatling gun and followed. He stepped off the metal ramp and onto the moon’s surface. Ice crunched under his boots. Leftover gel from the bombing run still burned in patches on the gray, drab buildings. Crusaders splashed through shallow pools that quickly refroze.
“Spread out! Secure those buildings!”
Jupiter’s storm-wracked face rose in front of him. Kaneda paused and looked at the planet. It filled the horizon from end to end. Ten years had passed since he’d seen the mighty gas giant with his own eyes. And now he was home again, on Europa, with ice under his boots. He even recognized some of the buildings. The nostalgia of the moment hit him harder than he thought possible, and he hesitated.
The second thing that hit him was a needle grenade exploding in his face.

Excerpt from The Dragons of Jupiter, by Jacob Holo

Oh, man! I have been so excited about this! Robert Chew (a.k.a CrazyAsian1) has begun working on the cover. He produced a few rough sketches for me to review, and I have to say, they have me giddy with excitement.
The cover is set up to wrap around the book, so most of the left half will be on the back cover. The front prominently features three crusaders, elite heavy infantry that are the antagonists of the novel. A lone dragon, one of the protagonists, hides on the back cover, ready to ambush in ninja-like fashion.
Robert has been great to work with. As we began to discuss the specifics of the cover, his attention to detail has been very impressive. Just to give you an idea, below is one of the first things he asked me during the concept phase.
“Now the purely logical side in me is wondering how Kaneda and his fellow Crusaders could heft around gatling guns. In my mind gatling guns are very heavy. The gun itself, the power source to get the barrel spinning, and the ammo. I’m wondering if the Crusaders use exoskeleton power armor to help them carry this stuff around. I could see them carrying this stuff around in space with 0G’s, but on the surface… Could you provide some insight into that for me? This will determine the character designs so I need to know.”
Ladies and gentlemen, that attention to detail is the sign of a true professional. Even at this early stage, Robert has done a superb job of capturing the look and feel I’m after. Check out these quick character studies Robert did of the crusaders.
crusader designs-small
The helmet designs are Robert Chew’s signature touch, and they have a striking profile that I just adore. I’m absolutely thrilled he’s letting me put them on the cover. I may ask for a few minor tweaks to the crusader armor, but they are already a fantastic design.
The first rough sketch I posted is my favorite, but the other two are also quite impressive. Check out this one.
cover rough sketch 2-small
And the last one.
cover rough sketch 1-small
And finally, just for laughs, here’s the original picture I sent Robert. As you can see, my crack PowerPoint skills were pushed to their limit.
original layout
Seriously, though. In my defense, I am not an artist. However, it did get the job done of communicating the layout to him … and it probably gave him a chuckle too.
Having an awesome cover for my book isn’t too far off now. After that, it’s time to publish this bad boy!
Subscribe to the Holo Writing Newsletter to receive updates on our current and future books.

Filed Under: Holo Books Tagged With: Cover, Novel, Science Fiction, Sketches, The Dragons of Jupiter, Writing

In Death Ground by David Weber and Steve White – Book Review

March 21, 2013 by holojacob 1 Comment

In Death Ground by David Weber and Steve White – Review
IN SHORT: A race of genocidal alien bugs has targeted humanity, and they’re coming after us with a lot of ships. I mean, A LOT OF SHIPS.
WHAT IT IS: Expect lots of extremely detailed and well-written combat. Stuff blows up in this book. LOTS of stuff. The military tech of In Death Ground is coherent, detailed, and well thought out. There’s a lot to take in, but I never felt overwhelmed. Even with all the SBMs, AFHAWKs, primaries, heterodyne lasers, force beams, plasma cannons, sprint-mode missiles, and a ton of different ship classes, the novel delivers it at a controlled pace, doling out a few new pieces of tech in each battle. This keeps the combat fresh and exciting.
WHAT IT IS NOT: The characters, while distinct and entertaining, are not the real stars here, and it shows. The viewpoint bounces around quite a bit. As soon as I got comfortable with one group of characters, I had to learn a whole new cast. These viewpoint shifts paint a great picture of a war on multiple fronts, but at the cost of character development.
WHAT I THOUGHT: In Death Ground is fun. The action is fast paced and exciting. Every battle has some sort of interesting twist to it. It’s just a great page turner. Without a doubt, I enjoyed following humanity’s struggle against this unstoppable, genocidal alien juggernaut.
The technical details give it a layer of depth and consistency that just feels right. Humans have the technology advantage. The bugs have massive numbers and just don’t care about casualties. The tactics each side employs are well thought out and consistent within the setting … for the most part. Sometimes the bug “we don’t care how many of us die” mentality can come across as a little stupid.
On a thematic level, this is not a complicated book. The military characters are very heroic. The politicians are complete scum. And the bugs are the bad guys. Period. No question about it. I mean, they even eat human babies, for goodness sake. There is no ambiguity here.
The novel does show a little of the bug perspective, but only in a military tactical sense. At no point does the reader get any insight into why the bugs invaded or who they really are. They are faceless, remorseless killers that serve as foils for the heroic humans. That’s it.
But that’s okay. This is an action novel. I wanted spaceships to blow up in exciting ways, and I got it. If that’s what you’re after, then In Death Ground will not disappoint.
VERDICT: Recommended.

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: Book Review, David Weber, In Death Ground, Recommended, Review, Science Fiction, Steve White

Dungeon Master Messes with Player Sympathy

March 10, 2013 by holojacob 4 Comments

Chronicles of a Dungeon Master – Messing with Player Sympathy
As a writer, I find being the dungeon master of our local RPG sessions to be a challenging and rewarding experience. In a lot of ways, it’s like writing a novel.
Yeah, like writing. Heh. Like writing on the fly with a captive audience. Like writing where any lovingly-crafted character may be put to death by the “readers”. Like writing where no matter how many signs I put down saying GO RIGHT, the “readers” are still going to go left because, you know, there might be something cool over there.
It’s a lot of fun, and it keeps me on my toes. Every session the players do something I never expected, and so I have to think fast to make it entertaining. Otherwise people aren’t having fun and won’t come back. Also, let’s face it, the best part about being the DM is getting to mess with people, their expectations, and even their sympathies.
Player sympathy is a tricky proposition. How do I get the players to care about an NPC? After all, the same guy who portrays the NPC (namely me) also handles every nightmarish terror trying to shoot, maim, incinerate, or digest the party. Not the best grounds for a trusting relationship.
But I found a fast and easy workaround. So easy, I almost consider it cheating. Almost.
Allow me a moment to set the stage.
We play using a house-modified Pathfinder ruleset. The setting is science fiction spanning the whole solar system, but nothing too crazy. No shields or warp drive or artificial gravity. The party had just escaped captivity while on the Moon and were making their way north across a lunar city.
That’s when they met Pochi. He’s a talking dog.
Yep, I did it. I used a talking animal. I even gave him a Scooby Doo voice. Partly because everyone thought it was funny, and partly because it’s an easy voice for me to perform when sick.
Now, this wasn’t some cuddly, white-haired Maltese with big eyes and a cute, button nose.
Maltese-miniature-poodle-puppies-for-sale
No, this was a man-sized dog in power armor with a gun on his back and chainsaw teeth. Something more like this.
dog-attack
Yeah.  Not exactly a dog you want jumping into your lap. The first time the party saw him, he ripped an enemy combatant’s throat out.
But they loved him all the same. At one point, Pochi helped the party fight off a group of four very nasty commandos and almost got himself killed. One of the commandos threw his smoldering, horribly-burned carcass off the roof. It landed in front of the party.
Oh, you should have seen their faces when I described the scene! Nobody messes with the dog! The party went after the commandos with reckless abandon and tore them a new one. It was awesome! The battle had emotional punch for them. They CARED. Afterward they discovered Pochi wasn’t quite dead and used most of their healing items to revive him.
Pochi is fine, by the way, just in case you were wondering.
Now, let’s compare this moment to one with a human NPC. In an earlier session, one of the players met a relative on the field of battle. A cousin by the name of Viter to be precise. I set it up so the players could, fairly easily, gain his trust and use his help during the coming battles. I had Viter join in near the end of a fight and help out, reinforcing the fact he was a potential ally. I even took one of the players aside and filled him in on the necessary backstory, stressing that he was on good terms with this NPC.
So what’s the first thing the players try to do? They try to STAB HIM IN THE BACK! I’m not kidding! They didn’t trust this heavily armed dude in front of them, and they wanted him out of the equation.
Let’s recap that, shall we?
Human NPC, just helped fight off an enemy, related to one of the players, ALMOST GETS A KNIFE IN THE BACK!
Talking dog NPC, just ripped a guy’s throat out, not related to anyone (obviously), gets saved by the party.
Huh. Well, whatever works. As long as we’re all having fun, right? And in this case, we are definitely having fun.
Click here to enjoy some of our misadventures.
Drake Squad Mercenaries at Large-small

Filed Under: Games, Roleplaying Tagged With: Drake Squad, Dungeon Master, Dungeons and Dragons, Fantasy, Pathfinder, Roleplay, Science Fiction, Tabletop Games, Writing

Mass Effect 3: Citadel DLC – Game Review

March 5, 2013 by holojacob Leave a Comment

Mass Effect 3: Citadel DLC – Review
IN SHORT: Experience one last hurrah with the characters of Mass Effect 3 as you explore new areas within the Citadel and take down a surprising new foe.
WHAT IT IS: A massive amount of new character-based content! Every surviving character in my save file was represented with new scenes and dialogue, some with multiple scenes that clearly have branching content based on past decisions. The player can even throw a party at the end and chose which characters can participate. Oh, and Wrex can be a part of the team! At least for a short time.
WHAT IT IS NOT: Combat heavy. While there are a few hours of new combat to fight through, as well as a very well done boss battle, combat is not the focus of this DLC. The DLC is also not small. On Xbox Live, this is a 4 gigabyte download! Wow!
WHAT I THOUGHT: I’m a big fan of the Mass Effect series. Now, don’t get me wrong. The games are not without their faults, the series not without its missteps. But taken as a whole, it has been one hell of a ride. Mass Effect 3: Citadel DLC feels like a love letter from Bioware to the fans, directed at those who wanted more of their favorite characters.
The overall tone of the DLC is light and fun, with various characters competing with each other during combat and enjoying the party afterwards. It contrasts nicely with the grim feel of the main Mass Effect 3 experience. Wrex, in particular, revels in the chance to join a good scrap. The new enemies are similar to fighting Cerberus, but have enough variety in their abilities to keep things interesting. One mission bears some resemblance to Kasumi’s heist DLC from Mass Effect 2, but it’s different enough that it still felt fresh to me.
The focus, however, is definitely on Mass Effect 3’s large cast of characters. With the sheer number of permutations to work through (who lived, who died, what events ended which way), I can only imagine what a nightmare the party scene was to script and program. It’s definitely something I want to replay, just to see what changes a different Shepard character can bring.
I suspect a portion of the new content is going to be hit or miss for some players, depending on how much they like a given character. Fortunately, the scenes are entirely optional, and the player even has control over who is invited to the big party in Shepard’s new apartment. There’s plenty of new story, but it’s not forced on the player if they don’t want it.
On a technical side, I did notice a little weirdness. The sound went a bit funny on me a few times, particularly when a lot of enemies were on screen and biotic explosions were going off. This is something I also heard in the Omega DLC, but not the main game. A few areas had some minor slowdown, but nothing that really detracted from the experience. Overall, the presentation was solid.
So, was it worth $15?
The Mass Effect experience is enlivened by its rich cast of characters, and this DLC gave me exactly what I wanted, more of those great characters. The combat was fun, if brief, but the party afterwards was where it’s at. To me, this is the true ending of Mass Effect series, and it is one I thoroughly enjoyed.
VERDICT: Strongly Recommended.

Filed Under: Games, Reviews Tagged With: Citadel DLC, Mass Effect 3, Review, Science Fiction, Strongly Recommended, Video Games

Fallout 3: President Eden is a Big Jerk!

March 1, 2013 by holojacob Leave a Comment

Fallout 3: President Eden is a Big Jerk!
SPOILER WARNING!
This article contains PLOT SPOILERS for Fallout 3 and its expansion Broken Steel.
You have been warned!
The world of Fallout 3 is huge, rich, and entertaining. It’s not a game that guides the player through one action set piece after another. In a sense, the player makes his or her own set pieces with a diverse set of options on how they wish to tackle the challenges and in what order.
Also, have I mentioned it’s got a pretty good plot too? Elements like the evil machinations of the Enclave, the desperate struggle against the supermutant hordes, the tale of a son/daughter and his/her dad’s dream, and the valiant efforts of the Brotherhood of Steel come together to form a coherent and entertaining story …
Which ends with your DEATH!
Until you buy Fallout 3: Broken Steel, that is. Then it’s like “Chill dude. You just passed out. We’ve got more content right here. Have you seen the new Tesla Cannon?”
Now don’t get me wrong. I love Fallout 3 (currently #4 on my top ten games of all time list), and I love the expansions. Well, except for Mothership Zeta. That one is kind of meh for me. But Broken Steel has a special place on the list because it is a true expansion of the main story. It lets us pick up where we left off and continue the epic battle between the Brotherhood of Steel and the Enclave.
Except, well, the Enclave from Broken Steel just isn’t the same. Let me explain.
In the main game, the player first learns about the Enclave through the radio broadcasts of President John Henry Eden, a fantastic character voiced by Malcolm McDowell. Fans of the first games already knew about the Enclave. However, I played Fallout 3 first and found out the truth the hard way when Enclave troops gunned down my fictional dad.
Darth Vader NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
From there, the Enclave soldiers become the primary antagonists in the game, popping up all over the place and engaging the player on sight. These guys are nasty customers, sporting some of the best armor and weapons in the game. More importantly, the colorful personality of President Eden gives these otherwise nameless, faceless lackeys some much needed character.
President Eden presence cannot be understated. He (or, rather, it) helps make the Enclave soldiers much more interesting and entertaining villains. It makes them an army with a leader, a plan, and the guns to see that plan through. It makes them menacing in a way that random supermutant 136 just can’t be. And it makes the gameplay that much more rewarding when the player beats them back and wins the day.
So, Fallout 3 has President Eden. Broken Steel has … err, no one?
No, seriously. There is no villain in Broken Steel. The Enclave just reverts to this leaderless, amorphous blob that acts as the player’s private bullet sponge. The supermutants have more personality at this point. It’s a little sad, really. After a great villain like Eden exits the stage, we don’t even get a warm body to take his place.
Or a warm circuit board, in this case? Warm transistor? Whatever.
In a way, this might have been the right choice. After all, President Eden is a tough act to follow. But I wish Bethesda had tried, all the same. The expansion missions just didn’t have the same impact for me. Imagine Broken Steel, but with a new and vibrant Enclave personality broadcasting his or her message over the airwaves. Not a bad change, huh?
Oh well. It just wasn’t meant to be.
Still Broken Steel is an awesome expansion, and well worth the time and money for any fan of Fallout 3. But dude, poor Liberty Prime. We’ll miss you, buddy!

Filed Under: Games Tagged With: Fallout 3, Plot Analysis, Science Fiction, Video Games

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