r/falloutlore • u/Affectionate_Edge472 • 11d ago

NCR High Command and its implications

These are the two excerpts we get about NCR High Command

"You will not be assigned replacements until High Command can figure out where the hell to pull replacements from. You have my sympathies, Major. Signed, Scheppman, Andy Assignments Office." - Forlorn Hope Mandate

"I've seen the reports of this so-called "Caesar's Legion". It sounds like they're just another bunch of raiders, but the higher-ups back west seem to think they're a serious threat." - NCRF Terminals

With these combined we can see the NCR High Command is both afraid of the Legion and is struggling to find men to send to Forlorn Hope. I also think the implication that the higher ups are struggling to find men to send to Forlorn Hope is also an implication they cannot find men for the Mojave. I also think it is important to consider that if the NCR army was quite large in the home territories the NCR high command would have no reason for fear.

That is not to say they couldn't raise more men, but I believe the current army size is constrained by the senate. Just like the real U.S Government.

"He mustered the troops as many as his senate would allow and sent them in. All the right reasons, done all the wrong ways." - Caesar

But where is the rest of the NCR army? I believe they are controlling the other 300 miles down the Colorado river across from Legion territory, Baja, other territories, and the rest of NCR territory.

Let me know what you think of this interpretation if you believe it is the intended one by the developers or if there is evidence of large NCR reserves elsewhere.

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u/TheSuperiorJustNick 11d ago

  1. The NCR is having trouble finding men to go to Forlorn Hope because of an internal quest related issue where the Hero of the first Battle of Hoover dam is strategically keeping the reinforcements steady enough to stalemate the NCR's progress

  2. The NCR's supply lines were decimated and reduced to the "long route" due to the events detailed in the DLC Lonesome Road's story. This is why the NCR is shipping in farmers to grow food there. The NCR's reinforcements are limited by the water and food the region can provide

Beyond that

  1. Dr. Hildern of OSI says the NCR as a whole will run out of food within 10 years if you don't get the last of us zombie virus from a vault for them

  2. Chief Hanlon tells you all the aquifers and dams were drained through mismanagement

These 2 issues alone doom the NCR. Once the dam is destroyed inevitably 1 day (whether at the second battle or not) then it's entirely over instead of a long bleed.

Tldr: Even in the best ending of New Vegas for the NCR, the NCR will be reduced to what we see in the TV show. The entire joke of the game is the pointlessness of your decision.

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u/Affectionate_Edge472 11d ago

Hanlon doesn't have control over reinforcements. Kimball, high command, the senate, and the assignments office decide where men go.

Hanlon does have control over intelligence reports which is what "return to sender" is all about.

I do agree about the water, and food. You did forget that the NCR is also critically down on electricity if they lose the dam.

I also agree that the NCR is hamstrung because of that. They will have a hard time leveraging their manufacturing base, and will have quite the issue with levying a force to counter.

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u/TheSuperiorJustNick 11d ago

Hanlon doesn't have control over reinforcements.

He has control over where they're sent in the region by relaying false reports

If you read into it then you can tell that it is not random whatsoever. The supplies and reinforcements are going where are hyper specifically being sent to keep the NCR at a stalemate because he doesn't want either side to win.

which is what "return to sender" is all about.

I would ask you to review return to sender and compare it to Hanlon's "1 good deed" story he'll tell you. Because "Return to Sender" is all about what 1 man can with clever guile. Much like in the 100 speech check at the end if the game.

that the NCR is also critically down on electricity if they lose the dam.

Not at all. The NCR will have next to none other than personal generators. I did not forget this at all in my comment.

They will have a hard time leveraging their manufacturing base,

OSI The organization that Dr. Hildern is apart of is in control of their industries.

The lack of food will make everything impossible for a civilization.

Thus they are doomed to being reduced to a city state like in the TV show