Where and when in the world is Ranger Sandiego?

[UniversalWolf]

A game called Wasteland 2 probably needs to be set in or around a wasteland of some sort.

[owenmp]

Should Wasteland 2 take place Down Under? The Wasteland Survival Guide suggested an android uprising occurring in Australia.

If Wasteland 2 occurs in Australia, the Rangers could see the ruins of the MFP Halls of Justice, Pappagallo oil drilling compound and Bartertown from the Mad Max movies, with the exact names slightly altered to accommodate copyright issues.

Should Wasteland 2 take place in the early years of the Desert Rangers, including the formation of Ranger Center? Weapons and ammunition might be plentiful at the start of the game but quickly become rare as the collapse of civilization from the recent nuclear exchange progresses.

[Roger Wilco]

Wasteland, to me, feels like it should be in the southwest / west coast. One thing I didn't like about the Fallout reboot was moving it to the east coast where cities are more bunched together. I like the need to travel distances through the wastes to get to what little "civilization" is there.

For when, I don't care, though I'd like the same relative tech-level as before

[Bomimo]

People have been begging the Fallout devs for a game set outside 'Merica. How about doing a European or Australian Wasteland? I mean... Maybe a Wasteland set in areas where forests used to grow, like Scandinavia or New Zealand.

Hey. What about a future RPG survival game set in present day Siberia? Food for thought.

[ctankep]

Siberia! In all seriousness though, how about eastern Europe? All the new and old architecture would be amazing to see all bombed up. Are there even any post apoc rpg's not set somewhere in america?

[sammyboy0120]

I personally think New York City would be a great setting for Wasteland. Think of the potential satire possibilities, and the decayed urban environments, not to mention the possible variety in the environments due to the differences in arcitecture and density between the boroughs.

[Wesser]

I'd like the game to be set around the US gulf area, we've already saw deserts in a lot of post-apocalyptic games, movies and so on, so it would be nice to change that a bit by going into the bayou (or what's left of it). Another location that hasn't really been used before is the US north, or even the centre of the country.

I think that wasteland should look for a new setting, something that could give the game an unique touch.

[chodes]

If Wasteland 2 occurs in Australia, the Rangers could see the ruins of the MFP Halls of Justice, Pappagallo oil drilling compound and Bartertown from the Mad Max movies, with the exact names slightly altered to accommodate copyright issues.

I wholeheartedly agree. Wasteland is surely inspired by the Mad Max series which is set in Australia. Things from the films would be perfect for in-game locations, quests, NPCs etc. Wouldn't it be amazing to meet a snake loving gyro captain, defend a petrol tanker from a convoy of marauders, throw a steel boomerang or hunt down a bikie gang?

[Fjordson]

Gotta keep it in America I think. In the south or southwest.

[wes10]

Perhaps,since it is the wasteland it could include what used to be multiple states. California, New Mexico, Arizona,and even some of Mexico. Man could you imagine Mexican water with radiation! Talk about the squirts. But in all seriousness a wide circle area of the southwest of North America would rock. Each major territory Cali, NM, Zona, and Mex can have its hub city with the Ranger center staying in the same place as Wasteland 1. Especially want lots of territory if your going to have junkyard cars, trucks,jeeps,vans wheeled back to Ranger Center for your top mechanic to repair, improve and pimp out through out the game.

[Manbearpig]

I think Mexico would be a great place to explore, we've never really left the country and that's a mistake. I'd also like to see them come east a bit and explore Texas and Louisiana. Could you guys image how cool a flooded New Orleans would be to explore and fight aquatic mutants in.

[wes10]

I think Mexico would be a great place to explore, we've never really left the country and that's a mistake. I'd also like to see them come east a bit and explore Texas and Louisiana. Could you guys image how cool a flooded New Orleans would be to explore and fight aquatic mutants in.

Yup! Texas is a good idea. Texas in fact could host the whole game. Not only is everything bigger, Like California its a big @ss state. Bigger guns, beasts,and rangers. Could there in fact be some secret old pumps scattered around that might indeed after repaired could yield some Texas tea. But who can refine it? Could be some high level skill your ranger base could discover? Well with some of the high-tec places robots, and androids in Wasteland 1 wouldn't be that unbelievable for late stages of the game. Any way. Sorry to go off on a tangent, Texas would be cool.

[ankou]

Personally, I feel it has to be set somewhere close to the location of the first game. It has been 24 years since Wasteland was new, and I want the sequel to be a Wasteland game. We can save exploring Canada or Europe for Wasteland 3. I'm in full agreement that Arizona and California are pretty played out, however. I can see central or east Texas working well and I really like the idea of Colorado. I can see the Rangers moving out that far.

[Cruxador]

I think I'd like to see the game set in the American Northwest. Maybe I'm biased since that's basically the area I've lived, but it would be nice to see some trees in a post-apocalyptic world. Depending on the map's size and location there could still be desert in Nevada or even down to Utah, but we could also just drop the "Desert" part of "Desert Rangers" without losing much.

As for time, keep the timeline from getting too awkward. Five to ten years enough to handwave away issues with continuity that we want to change, and much longer would strain credibility for things we might want to keep.

[KillerKettle]

Maybe Moscow ?

[Akira28]

I think that it should include the whole of the United States up to the Mississippi. You will have options for long distance travel to different overworld areas. Like different states, across impassable radioactive death zones, etc. Like caravan trains, railroad locomotives, even working automobiles. Since we have lots of tech and memory capability, I think this should be a rather large interactive world, including the American Southwest, the west coast, up to Washington State, and Texas, up through Wyoming, etc. Multiple cities and towns and bases and hidden areas that you could explore on foot, but it would be suicidal to try, for realistic and obvious reasons. Lack of resources, distance from medical assistance, and those damned nuke pooches, Rad bears, giant rats, stinger flies, etc. Innumerable amounts of deadly wildlife, roving bandits and biker gangs full of leather jerks, not to mention the radioactive environment that would eventually do you in. So if you want to travel beyond 40 miles, you would want to find one of the transportation options, with optional checkpoints, resupply oases, etc.


(And a possible DLC pack including Chicago and other points further east in the future.)

[Smirker]

I agree that it should probably stick to the US continent (for WL2); but WL3 should DEFINITELY be set in Europe. The only reason I'd argue against WL2 being in Europe is to help re-establish the genre and IP better.

Oh, and as for DLC -- none of this 'piecemeal' crap DLC. One or two bonus DLC are fine -- everything else should go back to the old 'expansion' style addons (if they are going to be charged for -- make it worthwhile again and not just some minor map or item bullshit like EA and the ilk are trying to do today).

[Roger Wilco]

I agree that it should probably stick to the US continent (for WL2); but WL3 should DEFINITELY be set in Europe.

While I understand why, with many active European fans of the genre, there are often calls to see Wasteland / Fallout games set in Europe, I don't think even Wasteland 3 should be set it Europe. If Wasteland 2 is successful enough to make Wasteland 3 a reality, I think expansion away from the current location should be a bit more gradual than an immediate jump to Europe.

I think there have been some good ideas in this thread of North American locations that could be interesting...New Orleans (yes, obviously would be partially under the ocean in a PA setting), Mexico, Texas, but I think South / Southwest fits the setting best right now and I don't see that getting stale for awhile.

Also keep in mind that really the biggest reason Wasteland and Fallout were set where they were is because that's where the developers were. They have a good knowledge of the region like locals do. You would lose a lot of that taking it to Europe, where it may feel more like a world created by tourists ("Look kids, Big Ben!").

The Atlantic (or Pacific) Ocean is a huge barrier in a PA world. I could see an interesting story/game over taking a boat across the Ocean like 16th century explorers, but I think there's a lot more North America to get through first.

[talkingcrows]

It could take place in Eurasia.Seriously.If the game does really well,expansion maps to could added easily,Example-
Starts in China,games gets bigger,map moves over to India/Afghanistan/Turkey.All the way over to Europe without a hint of trouble working it into the story.

[Cold Zer0]

One thing I think is absolute key is to not set it too long after Wasteland. Fallout 2 jumped 70 years and that was a mistake, within no time the setting had its back to the wall chronologically, it's now centuries after the apocalypse and becoming more and more implausible. Since Wasteland was in 2087 (IIRC), Wasteland 2 should be somewhere in the 2100s or 2110s, not much more than a generation after Wasteland 2.

There'll be some overlap with the Wasteland map, kind of in the style of Fallout 2 to Fallout I expect, and that's fine by me.

+1. Completely agree with BN.