Hoover Dam
 | Fallout: New Vegas locations project This article is within the scope of the Fallout: New Vegas locations project. This project is dedicated to standardizing Fallout: New Vegas location articles. If you want to participate, please check the project page. |
 | For Hoover Dam as it was supposed to appear in Black Isle's canceled Fallout 3, see Hoover Dam (Van Buren). |
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Hoover Dam | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Concept art of Hoover Dam in Fallout: New Vegas. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The big one. The one the NCR is holding on to, the one the Legion is pushing for. Whole war depends on it.
”— Craig BooneHoover Dam is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River. It lies on the border between the former US states of Arizona and Nevada.
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[edit] Background
In 2274, Hoover Dam was discovered by the New California Republic (NCR). When the first NCR scouts arrived at Hoover Dam, Mr. House was spurred into action by the sign of civilization. He sent his Securitron army out onto the New Vegas Strip and rallied the tribals occupying the city, ensuring that when the NCR first reached New Vegas, they would return with stories of a city of lights in the middle of the desert, bringing in the tourist revenue required for Mr. House to carry forward his plans. He worried about the independence of his new city's power source, but fortunately the arrival of Caesar's Legion in the region meant that the NCR could not take the Dam and the Strip without significant casualties, which would leave them vulnerable to the Legion. Mr .House and the NCR drew up the New Vegas treaty, out of necessity more than anything. 95% of the Dam's power output would go to the NCR, and in return Vegas' independence would be guaranteed.
In 2277, the Legion led by the Malpais Legate, briefly took the Dam, but were defeated shortly after when the NCR performed a tactical retreat to destroy the Legion by trapping them in Boulder City. After the "Battle of Willow Beach" and the "Battle of Arizona Spillway", the Dam stands as the only foothold the NCR has east of the Colorado. It is the central point of the power struggle between NCR, the Legion, and Mr. House, and with the Second Battle of Hoover Dam on the horizon, it is certain that the outcome will determine the fate of the entire Mojave Wasteland.
[edit] Layout
Hoover Dam covers a large area with extensive exterior and interior sections, despite there only being one map marker for the entire location. Following the Colorado River downstream (or coming upstream from Cottonwood Cove) the player will encounter a pontoon barrier presumably to keep the Legion at bay.
[edit] Exterior
The west side of the dam is controlled by the NCR and features the anti-aircraft gun seen on billboards. The fast-travel map marker puts the player just outside of the entrance to the Hoover Dam Visitor Center. Just north of the visitor center building is a stage and viewing area. To the west of the stage is a large anti-aircraft cannon. Continuing north along the barricaded road leads to the top of the dam itself. Two towers are along the south edge of the road. Access to Hoover Dam Intake Tower 01 and 02 is via a bridge connected to the north side of the road. The road ends at a checkpoint door which is inaccessible until the final quest, such as Eureka!. The checkpoint contains a Very Hard locked terminal, and a few lockers with minor loot. It also houses a small sniper nest on the roof; accessible via a ladder.
Access to the north and south bases of the dam are blocked off by a pontoon barrier. Pontoons hold sections of chain link fence in place along the top of the water while weights keep the submerged ends in place and the whole structure taut. While it is possible to get above the top of the chain link fence from the water, invisible barriers prevent you from actually hopping over it, even when attempted from the cliffs far above the barrier; though it is possible to jump off the north side of the dam into the water. This places the player on the opposite side of the pontoon barrier and allows the player to swim the length of the Hoover Dam. A one-way ladder upwards is available to return to the top of the dam on the NCR side of the river.
The east side is controlled by the Legion. Going west along the barricaded road leads to the top of the dam itself. Access to Hoover Dam Intake Tower 03 and 04 is via a bridge connected to the north side of the road. There are two towers along the south edge of the road, one ruined.
The south base of the dam is accessible by descending through interior sections of the dam and exiting from the second tier of either Hoover Dam Power Plant 02 or 04. There are spectacular gushers of water from outflow pipes high up on the east and west walls of the river canyon. You can swim from the west to the east side and climb up on the concrete area by swimming all the way to the south end and walking up the sandbar to the southeast corner.
[edit] Interior
See the individual buildings and sections for descriptions of the dam interior;
[edit] Inhabitants
- General Lee Oliver
- Colonel Cassandra Moore
- Quartermaster Bardon
- Engineer Allison Valentine
- Ranger Grant
- Private Jeremy Watson
- Head Engineer Mike Lawson
- Ranger Stevens
- Fantastic (possibly)
[edit] Notable loot
- Snow globe - Hoover Dam - central reception desk in the Visitor Center.
- Two Chinese stealth armors - Hoover Dam offices, Radioactive Barrel Storage in the middle stack of crates.
- President Kimball's suit - can be looted off his corpse during the quests Arizona Killer or You'll Know It When It Happens.
- General Oliver's cap and General Oliver's uniform - can be looted off his corpse during the quest Veni, Vidi, Vici.
- Programmer's Digest - bathroom stalls in Guard Tower #2, and another in Colonel Moore's second office.
- Locksmith's Reader - desk on the upper balcony in Hoover Dam power plant 01.
- Fixin' Things - Hoover Dam Offices, between Colonel Moore's two offices next to a lantern.
- 12 frag grenades - in the intake towers
[edit] Related quests
[edit] Notes
- If you jump on the anti-aircraft gun, run down the barrel and jump, you can go past the game's barrier and go to the bottom of Hoover Dam. Just save before you hit the ground, then load. Facing the direction of the river, if you go on the right side, you can find a door to the Hoover Dam Power Plant 2 and a door leading to Power Plant 4.
- During the battle at Hoover Dam, most non-player character wear masks. This has been motivated by J.E.Sawyer as an attempt to reduce memory usage, since "FaceGen/FaceFX data can be expensive". These masks look like Recruit helmets.
- When on top of the first sniper tower, you can lock and unlock the ladder. However, it can be used either way.
- If you jump down from the Hoover Dam into the water on the north side, and swim as far east as possible until you can't jump/walk any further, you may begin to hear artillery fire and flying shells even though you have not started the battle at Hoover Dam.
- You can't get past the barrier in the water even if the barrels and netting are removed because there is an invisible wall there.
[edit] Behind the scenes
On the side of one of the stone guard towers is a banner reading, "LEGION GO HOME". This is a reference to the Monty Python Movie, Life of Brian wherein the main character writes "Romanes eunt domus", which means, although grammatically incorrect, "Romans, go home."
[edit] Appearances
Hoover Dam appears only in Fallout: New Vegas, and was going to appear in Black Isle's canceled Fallout 3.
[edit] Gallery
Hoover Dam atop the visitors center.
Hoover Dam in the morning.
Tower 1, with war inscriptions.
Tower 2, with war inscriptions.
Tower 3, seen from the Dam.
Tower 3, close-up aerial view.
Hoover Dam Power Plant 1.
Hoover Dam Lower Level.
Oliver's Compound.
Hoover Dam Billboard
Hoover Dam Billboard
Hoover Dam Snow Globe
The tower which says LEGION GO HOME
Hoover Dam, as it appears in the opening scene of Fallout: New Vegas
Water pouring out of the dam in the opening scene for Fallout: New Vegas
The map of Hoover dam found in the Camp Forlorn Hope command center
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