So what does everyone think about all the non-American people in the Fallout games? I feel like Russians, English, and Irish outnumber the Mexicans (well, maybe, I haven't counted.) One of the Khans, if I recall, sounds Australian. World-wide, relatively common transport in the fallout universe feels like it would be pretty significant, but the source of these foreigners is rarely mentioned (as far as I know.) Are there really that many cross-ocean flights or ships still running that there presence seems casual and even normal? I've encountered more Irish and Russian accents in Fallout than I have in real life, for some reason.

There are a ton of Chinese especially in NCR territory mainly because of the Shi. There are also some Japanese people like the Nakano's and that Samurai in the Alien spaceship. Not sure about cross ocean travel but they were probably there because their ancestors traveled to Pre-war America and lived there(except that samurai).

The Irish and Slav accent is probably just because of the voice actors that Bethesda hired which probably means they didn't have that many voice actors or they only let a few voice actors do the random NPC voices.

That Khan being Australian isn't far-fetched seeing as Vault 15 was supposed to be a Vault with people that have extremely diverse ideologies and cultures. There was probably a family of Australians there when they shut the Vault in.

Then there's the Russian bar owners in Fallout 4.
Would a family retain their accents for 200 years living among Americans in a closed environment? I'm doubtful. I don't think kids adopt solely the accents of their parents to the exclusion of their teachers and fellow citizens.
And Moriarty and Cait. I doubt even Bethesda would just say "do a random character voice, whatever."

Now that I think about it there are not that many people with an Irish/Slav accent in Fallout (Colin Moriarty, the Bobrov Brothers and Alistair Tenpenny to name a few). The rest have a West(Californian?) to Mid-West American Accent.

If you factor in the environmental conditions after the war, education would mostly come from a child's parents since society has gone to hell and all manner of basic services has become non-existent(including education). I would not be surprised if a child picks up their parent's accent after being exposed to it for a very long time.

I believe I heard a theory that people like Colin Moriarty and Tenpenny faked their accents in the games, no idea if it's true

Some cross continental travel occurs, after all the official game guide claims Alistair Tenpenny travelled to America, so he did originate in England. Other characters very likely made the trip too, but probably to a lesser degree.

I believe the reason we see so few varied accents (maybe a handful per game) is very simple. Mass migration simply doesn't exist to the degree it does today. Most migration is done on a smaller scale. The only large scale examples that would effect population would be the NCR or Legion in New Vegas. Only NCR has a large enough pool of civilians to actually culturally influence a region. The Legion would be the next call, seeing as how they indoctrinate people into a pseudo-Roman culture, though they seem to have less territory and lack a real civilian population. That indoctrination seems purely military. Either way, both nations can culturally change the Mojave, no other group has that power or reach. Even the Brotherhood in Fallout 3 or 4 lack the numbers to significantly change the civilian population. For most of Fallout 3's game world, the BoS are an afterthought, same in 4, plus they, like the Legion, have no distinct national culture, only a military one.

Accents are absolutely influenced by the people around you, not just parents. True, you speak in a manner similar to the people who taught you to speak, but you also pick up inflections and mannerisms from peers, particularly as a child. So unless you spent your entire life in an insular environment, with only your parents, there's no way you could preserve an accent. Certain characters, like Fallout 1's Loxley for example, are obviously putting on their accent for the role they are assuming, others, like Moriarty, probably originate in the place their accent comes from, and made the voyage to the US across the perilous Atlantic. Not remotely impossible, but likely very dangerous/difficult due to the presence of sea creature and pirates, both of which are mentioned by Tobar in Fallout 3 to be the dangers facing those travelling on the Water. It would certainly be a very interesting thing to explore, though I doubt any fallout would ever bother. Though sea travel appears in numerous games, from the Tobar's Ferry, numerous fishermen in Far Harbour plus the Nakano's boat in the same DLC. There is a massive oil tanker in Fallout 2 that remains operational, and the Shi operate a dock, which implies trade by sea is still actively ongoing, though this is probably done between western seaboard settlements, as opposed to cross continental, still it's interesting to consider, as the NCR is large, and wealthy enough to restore boats for the purpose of coastal transport and trade.

I think regional accents in Fallout are pretty much set tbh. As far as the more exotic/unexplainable accents, I think most are just causes for suspension of disbelief, or merely artistic licence in production of such a large game, require many voice actors for their roles.

I was saying the opposite -- the amount of migration is amazing, considering its' the apocalypse and we have seen a sum total of one working car back in the old fallout game.

Sirdanest wrote:

I was saying the opposite -- the amount of migration is amazing, considering its' the apocalypse and we have seen a sum total of one working car back in the old fallout game.  

Yeah, but you've also gotta look at it within the scope of game engine restrictuions. If FNV's camp McCarran is an indicator, the NCR has a whole host of military vehicles, outside of just Vertibirds that it uses for moving supplies, it also has an active rail network and operates quarries, with the ability to construct concrete fortifications and the like. But we see none of that in game due to limitations. The 80's a wasteland tribe, are said to use motorbikes in their raids as well.

Groups like the Brotherhood have semi canon operated whole hosts of vehicles including tanks, and if one wasteland tribal can get an old car working, I'm sure skilled mechanics like the Sturges or Raul could easily do the same. I think, once again, this is down to limitations on the part of the game.

So yeah, it's not impossible, but like I said, the only real migration is relatively small. I mean I can only think of few mexican characters ever encountered, outside of Raul and those survivors in the diaries of Randall Clark, and I can only remember one Canadian, Marge in Fallout 2. So yeah I get what you mean, compared to the migration you would expect to have occurred in North America (considering three of games take place in the south west), it doesn't make much sense, considering how much influence groups from a single region (central california) seem to have. But again, I think this is all artistic licence. I mean, someone probably thought it would be cool to have a Russian merc like Dukov living it up with some party girls, and never really planned much of a backstory, or liked the idea of a guy named Patrick the Celt, or MacRae the Scotsman, who are likely just that by heritage, as opposed to being actually born there.

I think you're right about there being a lot of accents that stick out a little too much. It works for ghouls, but not for average people like Melissa in the Khans. Honestly though, I think some are just examples of making exceptions in regards to voice actors, or maybe just allowances in order to have an extra quirky or stereotypical cliche character. It's interesting to speculate where they came from and I do enjoy it. But unless it has some bearing on the story, I wouldn't expect they'd ever really reveal these origins.

An Australian who is also a Khan is probably the one that stood out the most for me. But Dukov and the bar owners in Fallout 4, and we've got a pretty high level of Russian immigration. Higher than Mexican or Canadian, as far as I can tell. And they are apparently still teaching fluent English in Russia, which probably wouldn't happen if travel between the two countries was rare to non-existent.

@Sirdanest Melissa's got an NZ accent, I'll fight tooth and nail for my one sliver of representation.

Ah, ok. Well it doesn't really change my point, that she travelled so far and then managed to join the Khans says something about the fallout world.
But its the Russians who are especially interesting in that they know English but still seem like they were born far away.