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Here we have prospered and multiplied. Here our mighty guns destroy any savages that may try to harm us even before they can reach our gates!Pete

Nellis Air Force Base is a location northeast of New Vegas in the Mojave Wasteland. It is a pre-War air force base that once was the US Air Force Warfare Center and after the war became a home for the Boomers, xenophobic tribals who were former occupants of Vault 34.

Background

In 2077, during the Great War, Nellis was struck by several atomic warheads,[1] killing all the inhabitants and leaving the base highly radioactive. Over the following decades, wastelanders avoided Nellis because of their fear of the radiation.

In 2231, the Boomers, who had departed from Vault 34 and walked the wastes seeking a new refuge, came across the Nellis Air Force Base and settled there. Their Pip-Boy Geiger counters indicated that the base was radioactive, but not dangerously so, unbeknownst to the wastelanders.[1] They began using the bases' remaining defensive structures and their own stockpile of heavy arms, retrieved from Area 2, to keep any strangers from setting foot anywhere nearby ever since their arrival and subsequent settlement.

Layout

Nellis' location is discreet and well-defended, most accessible by a cracked and cratered road littered with signs suggesting that entrance in to the area is strictly forbidden to all outsiders. The front gate is vigilantly guarded day and night by a howitzer team. Nellis Air Force Base main entrance can be approached from two different locations, most notable via the old road leading east from Fields' Shack. Approaching from this direction you will encounter George who provides the Courier with Nellis artillery timing details. The second approach can be accessed by the unmarked Train tunnel (that has a very hard lock) location east of Raul's Shack which avoids the dangerous artillery range entirely.

Upon entrance to the base, the most obvious structures are the control tower and hangars, to the west. Two runways run parallel to the east, occupying a majority of the bases' territory. The Boomers have made good use of the land between them, converting a parcel into an irrigated farm plot. The pipes are connected to an inaccessible shack, implying they have access to reclamation facilities. North of the farm is the Nellis Array, which provides power for the entire facility via solar panels. Along the northeast corner of the fencing is an unlootable graveyard.

One hangar houses the remaining parts of a B-29 bomber, while the other is used to house the VR terminals, used to train pilots, mess hall and storage. During the day, several important members of the Boomers can be found gathered here.

Quonset huts and shacks provide living quarters, medical and educational facilities on the west side of the base. Pearl and Loyal have their own homes, while the rest of the Boomers make do with segregated barracks. Also, the Boomer Museum is located amongst the eastern Quonset huts. Of note is a bio-diesel storage hut near the crane and tracks, giving the player a hint of what the Boomers are capable of, despite their isolation.

Buildings

Inhabitants

Notable loot

SnowglobeNellisAFB
  • Nellis Air Force Base snow globe - inside Nellis Boomer museum.
  • Howitzer firing mechanism - in one of the gun cabinets inside Nellis Workshop.
  • Duck and Cover! inside Pearl's barracks among the books on bookshelf behind her.
  • Fat Man and 3 mini nukes - can be pick-pocketed from a Boomer while they are sleeping in one of three tents south-east of the Mess Hall & Munitions Storage hangar. Alternatively, the Boomer can be stealthily killed (without loss of reputation) for the weapon. Two more mini nukes can be found on the bottom floor of the Nellis array on the shelves. Another mini nuke can be stolen from the Boomer's munition store. It is inside a wooden box on the top shelf.
  • Thump-Thump - can be found in the Nellis array generator building bottom floor next to a skeleton and to the left of the ant mound.

Related quests

Notes

  • On the way there (before the bombardment) a man named George will make a wager on you getting back alive. His wager is 300 caps. If you pass a Barter check at 40, you only need to give him 200 caps. However, passing the Barter check actually nets you less caps on the wager (600 vs 400).
    • Optionally, if you pass a Speech check at 60 and threaten to have the Boomers change their target trajectory, he will pay 700 caps for losing the wager regardless of the initial wager amount. If you passed the Barter check above and only paid 200 caps for the wager, you net a profit of 500 caps by passing the Speech check when you return.
  • There are several methods of getting past the artillery:
    • The artillery will always fire on you, regardless of Sneak skill or Stealth Boys, so run at all times.
    • On Hardcore mode, your companions are likely to die if they follow you, so have them wait outside the perimeter until you've made it through.
    • When getting to Nellis AFB, closely follow the rock wall on the left after going into the artillery field. Do not stop moving. As you approach the corner where the fence meets the rock wall the shelling will stop. Follow the fence to the entrance.
    • Turbo can be used as well, making you run faster than the artillery shells. The downside is that you need to have several hits of Turbo and of course there is the risk of addiction.
    • Follow George's instructions. Run to the nearest shack. The northeast corner (the corner facing the base, to the left as you enter the ruined town) of the shack has a high wall. Crouch behind it – the shells won't hit you. Once the shelling stops, run towards the base. You will make it to a second white shack with another high northeast wall. Crouch behind it during the next barrage. Once the shelling stops run right down to the fence. The Boomers won't fire at you now you're so close to the base. Just follow the fence to the gate.
    • Another way to easily get through is to hug the right rock wall as you enter from the road. Run as fast as you can towards the railroad doors (locked very hard). Once you reach the railroad doors, turn around and continue hugging the right rock wall up the railroad tracks. This will eventually lead you to the fence. Turn left and hug the fence until you reach the main gate.
    • Mentioned railroad doors come from some underground tracks which can be accessed from an entrance south-east of Raul's shack (skill 100).
    • Another simpler (yet more expensive) way is possible if you have a high enough DT or hitpoints. This involves stocking up on stimpaks and using the hotkey wheel for easy access. You then sprint straight towards the fence as soon as you leave the little canyon and use the stimpaks when you are hit. A high-level character can do this without expending many stimpaks.
  • If you give Jack scrap metal, it increases your fame with Nellis. If you give enough (about 50 units), you gain instant Idolized status with Nellis Air Force Base.
  • If you kill the Boomer that has the Fat Man, he/she will eventually respawn, possibly being a source of infinite Fat Mans and mini nukes. The respawn sequence takes about 3 to 5 in-game days.
  • If you look at the screen of the Virtual reality pods from the outside, images of Tranquility Lane are shown, just like in the Hidden Valley bunker.
  • There is a Brotherhood of Steel paladin in the ruins of the town, who will normally have been shelled to death by the time you have reached him. It is interesting to note he is not hostile even whilst wearing NCR faction armor.
  • In the far north east corner of the Base is a makeshift graveyard. As with all graves, barely audible whispering can be heard if you stand above them without the radio on.
  • Although they won't bomb you once you've introduced yourself or anyone wearing a Boomer flight/jump suit, mini-Boomers can occasionally be seen leaving or returning to the base while bombs rain down.
  • The VR simulators in the second hangar cannot be used.
  • If you have Veronica Santangelo with you when Pete narrates the Boomers' history, she'll comment on the similarities between them on the Brotherhood. The Boomers recognize her affiliation to the group.
  • If you tell the guard you ran through the artillery field, people will comment on it.
  • With Cass as a companion, Boomers will walk up to her and say, "Whatever you're selling, we have plenty of it."
  • With ED-E as a companion both Boomers and the Mr. Gutsies in the base will comment "I can take care of your robot problem. Just saying."
  • This location has by far the most children in the game with a total of 8.

Appearances

Nellis Air Force Base appears only in Fallout: New Vegas.

Behind the scenes

  • Nellis Air Force Base was named in honor of Republic P-47 Thunderbolt Pilot 1st Lieutenant William Harrell Nellis, who was killed in WWII during the famous Battle of the Bulge.
  • The real world Nellis Air Force Base has a large solar panel array allowing it to be almost completely self-sufficient in terms of electricity.

Bugs

  • PCPC The guard that opens the gate may stand with his back turned and will not interact with the player.
  • PCPC This can be fixed by opening the console (~), selecting the gate by left clicking it and type unlock into the console, this will unlock the gate and allow you to walk in initiate conversation with the guard yourself and proceed normally from there.
  • PCPC Shelling may continue when near the Nellis fence and just inside the base.
  • Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 At times the textures and layout maps fail to load correctly, leaving any character or robot that wanders into the afflicted area stuck in the ground if it reverts to normal.
  • PCPC There is a greenhouse that has planks nailed to the main door. The player may activate it, but nothing happens.
  • PCPC If the gate to the entrance of the air base is left open, some of the mini boomers may walk out and get attacked by the mortars. They don't die or even get affected by the missiles, they just keep walking and never come back. When the player walks with them the mortars do not fire, but if 2 - 5 steps are taken away from them, the mortars will begin firing again. This for some reason can lead to the mortars firing huge distances, potentially all the way to the outer walls of New Vegas and beyond.
  • PCPC At times, the guards at the front gate or in guard towers will randomly attack the player, even at accepted status.
  • Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Boomers will pile up just inside the west entrance/exit door of Mess Hall & Munitions Storage, vibrating and stuttering off of each other. Companions get 'lodged' inside the cluster upon entrance, and it takes several minutes for them to work free. Sometimes upon exit the Boomers will all 'burst free' and exit at the same time as the courier & companions, to then roam the base normally.
  • Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Sometimes, after completing most or all of the quests for the Boomers and then making a trip back to the Base, you may incur a random infamy gain with the Boomers for no reason in particular. None of the Boomers will be hostile towards you, and no evidence or bodies of what could have happened can be found. (It could possibly be caused by the completion of Heartache by the Number and choosing to kill Alice McLafferty, which in turn can turn Janet from the Young Hearts quest (if you chose to have her come to NFB) hostile and force the Boomers to put her down at your expense).(Tested on Xbox, when approaching the museum infamy is gained, entering the museum triggers Pete to enter dialogue, in which he complains that the player walked off without listening to his speech.
  • Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 If you go near the base, discover it, and leave without approaching the Boomer who was shooting at you, Raquel will appear later at some point (usually after fast traveling) and asks you to go meet Mother Pearl. You will be forced to go back to the base with her to see Mother Pearl.
  • Xbox 360Xbox 360 Female Boomers at Nellis AFB may have facial hair despite being female.
  • Xbox 360Xbox 360 Sometimes no one ever comes to the gate, making this portion of the game un-completable.
    • Possible work around this bug: Sometimes the woman (Raquel) who did not come to the gate might have tried to chase after you when you fast travel. 1st time I arrived at the gate and the boomer guard told me to wait or I would get shot until someone arrived. I waited a few minutes then fast traveled to the secondary entrance point through the metro station. Finished it came out the other side. When I fast travel back to the metro entrance and entered Raquel was waiting for me inside the metro.

2nd after having fast travel out from the front gate. I fast travel back in later and Raquel was waiting right next to george. Conclusion: Raquel might be around the few last places you fast travel right after you met the boomer guard for the first time. If you went to their gate went away and came back later. Try to remember where you fast travel after getting bored of waiting at the gate, Raquel might be somewhere around the places you travel to. In two tests she was nowhere far from nellis, either at the metro or nearby George ( guy who bets with you about crossing the artillery barrage). Look for her around the destroyed town, the metro and surrounding areas. She might be there.... "might".

  • Xbox 360Xbox 360 Sometimes when outside Nellis, you will spot Boomer children walking toward the base, and the Nellis Bomber will start shelling them for some reason. After this he will continue shelling the fair corner of the wrecked village in front of Nellis.

Gallery

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Petes dialogue files
Nellis Air Force Base
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