Inspired by a recent discussion I stumbled upon on NeoGAF, I started thinking about the next Fallout title and if the inclusion of choices from multiple would make sense when creating a character.

Similar to the Elder Scrolls series, it would be easy to imagine that before you embark on a new adventure, selecting a more “exotic” race could ensure for a richer backstory and alternative dialogues. What I, however, would find far more intriguing, would be the idea of exploring every origin at the start of your main quest, as was possible in Fallout 3.

In a few brief missions we were shown how the “Lone Wanderer” came to be, as he lived his life in Vault 101. This created a certain level of empathy which allowed for interesting scenarios when scavenging through other underground bunkers, or when encountering former dwellers.

After thinking back to Bethesda’s initial take on the series I began to wonder what other choices might be available besides simple humans. Though, even when you look at this mundane species, together with the Fallout lore, countless factions lend themselves to a colourful selection of origin stories. Various gangs, the Brotherhood of Steel, the Outcasts and so much more could provide a starting point.

Delving deeper into the world Fallout has built, reveals further source material for the developers. Besides the iconic Super Mutants and Ghouls which offer themselves to tales of social injustice and “breaking out of the mould”, lesser popular races open numerous options.

For instance, take a look at the Beastlords, a tribe only encountered in Fallout: Tactics and Fallout: Warfare. “Beastlords were a group of cannibalistic tribals who underwent a mutation which gave them psychic control over various creatures,” the Fallout Wiki reads. “The creatures controlled by Beastlords included giant cockcroaches, giant wasps, komodo dragons, brahmin, dogs, wolves, giant rats and radscorpions. While they weren’t able to control the intelligent deathclaws, they forced them to serve them by holding the mother deathclaw hostage.”

One could argue that these kind of abilities could prove to be a game changer, altering the way Fallout is played, with race selection already assigning you to classes. However, with perks such as the Animal Friend already in existence, I cannot see why the Beastlords would be a balance issue, if done right.

Looking back at Fallout 3 again, the idea of introducing robots as playable characters inspires new possibilities. In “Stealing Independence” players found a robotic version of Button Gwinnett, who was convinced he was actually the personality he was programmed to be. If working with the Humanoid Robots might be more your style, why not continue the story of “The Replicated Man” as a new starting point.

Alongside the mysterious Aliens, the hillbilly Swampfolk or even the Dwarves, the races that can be found in the Fallout universe present nearly endless possibilities for origin stories. Though, for now these are only ideas making me realise how much I crave the return to Post-Apocalyptia.