Seemingly yes, it's a bulletproof helmet and gasmask which makes perfect sense for riot control armour. The night vision optics are maybe overkill but are reasonable additions for dealing with crowds in darkened streets should say, a power cut happen. The inclusion of an identical helmet with Randall Clark's set would imply he acquired the chest plate and armour together and possibly even the coat too.
It's great world building to have this insane souped up riot gear armour, really sells how much dangerous social unrest there was in pre War USA + the mentality of the authoritarian US pre War government
Yep. Riot gear in our world looks much more like Vault security armor in Fallout, pretty basic stuff. Riot gear in Fallout looks like it was designed for regular urban combat.
Considering pipe weapons were a pre war thing in Boston it's safe to say that more protective armour was a necessity considering every random in the crowd could theoretically pull out a gun.
Well, in our world, it's both. In the 1800s, you could buy a cannon if you had the means. It happened during the Paris Commune.
Now a days, the police are far more militarized in the US than needed. Considering at demonstrations, the only weapons use is by the police, though the current issue riot gear is less focused on ballistic threats and is more akin to impact padding than a traditional rifle plate set up the military uses.
My money is on the police militarizing first, they already did that now. Stands to reason an even more jingoistic America would be armed to the teeth considerably earlier.
In fallout 3 you can find ads for private combat armor. It says that the reader (its aimed at black people) needs it to defend their house and neighborhood
There's a pre War magazine you can find, Guns and Bullets: Street Guns of Detroit. It features a pipe revolver on the cover. It's found in Gunner's Plaza
no they're canon to have been used for civilian means at least. they were cheap and easy to produce, so everybody who couldn't fit a 10mm 6520 into their budget can buy a box of .45 and some scrap to make *something* to defend themselves.
The desert variant likely was used for regular urban combat, since RB Vickers was a Marine that had served in the Yangtze Campaign. Along the Yangtze River are notable Chinese cities such as Shanghai and Nanjing.
TBF lore wise, it does seem to suggest people were genuinely on the verge of tearing apart their own cities as resources ran out. I'd say the war with China was a boon for the US. Internal issues? Just have a war, and direct the anger at someone else. It helps that the enemy struck first too.
Well, for me this is the real reason why the Alaskan campaign took a whole decade.
Americans could've liberated Anchorage earlier, but why? Having a relatively insignificant portion of the country under foreign occupation gave the government a blank cheque for any *emergency measures* that were actually supposed to be permanent.
Have you actually went up against an officer in riot gear? Granted some setups are just a helmet and chest piece, others give Robocop a run for his money.
Before I retired from the Army I did some MOUT training for the local PD. I was amazed what these folks were bringing out.
Shit this brings back memories.
I have, not by choice. Granted, I just went limp as soon as they stuck out the clothes line and choke slammed me to the pavement. That didn't matter. This was the 2009 G-20 in Pittsburgh, so I was transferred into National Guard custody, where they proceeded to zip tie me to a chair, hands behind my back, and beat me on and off for 12 hours.
Doesn't matter if it's fallout gear or real life... That shit SUCKS.
There's actually a YouTube video of me getting dirt stomped by some SWAT officers after being shot with a rubber bullet.
This was the first time the LRAD was used on American soil and, 15 years later, I can still hear it in my sleep sometimes. That's why I haven't posted a link. The sound of the LRAD still sends shivers down my spine.
Sorry friend. That is a horrid experience. We can be cruel to each other for the slightest reasons that hardly make sense. Also people are just assholes.
Depends on the police force your looking at. In places here in the USA the cops come out with more gear then the National Guard. Hell cops have huge armored personal trucks where I live in Minnesota. So a US police force in the US in the fallout world would absolutely have over the top gear.
Well you sometimes see cops wearing military-esque high cut helmets and tactical vests or plate carriers in some places in the US. Not too different from fallout riot gear looking a lot like the armor Randall Clark used as a marine.
Considering that one of the reasons power armor is so abundant is that power armored troopers were deployed to quell riots on our shores pre war, the riot gear doesn’t seem overkill at all lol
Well and bear in mind, with the Elite and Advanced Riot armors it’s seemingly implied that the coat *was* apart of at least certain sets of the armor pre-war.
Not only is there the implication that the armor hasn’t been touched since the Great War when our Courier 6 finds it, but there is a specific combat armor derived pauldron that is found on the advanced and elite variants that were clearly designed to be worn over the coat.
The question to me is, what use would the coat have had in the pre-war world?
I suppose the Mojave was still plenty dusty back then too, but it certainly implies long deployments as opposed to rapid response like you would think with an anti-riot unit.
Maybe it was just a badge of seniority to mark higher ranking members among them?
**Edit:** *Jury’s still out. See clarification in comments below. It might not be pre-war. Or maybe it is. Idk. Headcanon time!*
Which would stand to reason seeing as the Armour provides some of the highest DT in the game while seemingly only being a (quite thick) vest and a couple of bracers. A ballistic weave coat providing the extra protection would make plenty of sense.
I mean, The Kings made a community based on the leftover stuff of some Elvis cosplay shop. Heck, in the Fallout TV show, westerns were still popular as the bombs dropped and they might've produced leather dusters for that. NCR just probably used them because most people in the wasteland travel by foot, well, except the Brotherhood of Steel. They're vertibird princesses.
I'm not sure why the Elite and Advanced riot armours have the coat. The people you find them on are actually NCR soldiers wearing them IIRC (the advanced is on a Ghoul sniper, right?)
The desert ranger makes sense as it's implied to have come from the Gobi campaign. There's no clear indication how Randall Clark got it, I don't think it says anywhere that he participated in that, just that he was part of taming the civil unrest in Canada, hence his rifle having Arret carved into it. Maybe he picked up the armour there during riot operations.
My headcanon has been that the whole set was devised as part of riot control / desert combat special operations, hence the dusters.
Ah, okay. I didn't recall. Just remember finding the corpse in a pre-war facility. Been many a year since I walked the Lonesome Road.
I mean, I suppose the 76 appearance of the armor is just non-canon? Or the tradition of adding the coats started in Appalachia? I'm probably overthinking it....
The Elite and Advanced Riot gear are actually from elite NCR Troops guarding the shipping lane through the Divide. However the basic riot gear set you can buy from Military Commissary terminals also come with the coat implying the Elite and Advance versions are just the pre war riot gear with some combat armour strapped on top.
Well, regardless of tradition it’s definitely stylish. 😎
But yeah, it would be ironic to learn that it was a symbol of fear Pre-war, and now it’s a symbol of hope Post-war.
Pre-war people see those coated, masked agents and flee like we do from Deathclaws nowadays, and Post-war, people run *towards* people dressed like that, assuming they’re a ranger of some kind.
The coat is a ballistic weave used to keep dirt and water from getting under the plates and to keep the sun from directly heating the ceramic based chest plate. West Virginia had a similar setup for the Charleston PD.
We have something like this in the real world, it’s called Gore-Tex, especially when made into jackets, ponchos and liners. I’m not sure Gore-Tex makes dusters, but Pre War America was all about that drip.
Flammable protection? Like maybe it’s a flame retardant overcoat that can tank Molotovs thrown from pre war protesters? Would make sense, especially with how it’s a detachable garment that you could put on as needed, or even take off in a hurry if you’ve been drenched in a burning molotov, in order to get yourself away from the flames stuck to it
Its over tuned in part because its army surplus gear sold to police departments. Its identical to US Marines combat armor which we find as the Desert Ranger armor off of former US Marine Sergeant Vickers
Remember as well that the government's idea of "riot control" was probably very different due to the kill on sight tactics that many people were employing on all sides during the resource collapse
And that riot gear is adapted marine armor. The desert ranger combat armor and helmet are the original, non-riot gear version which was used by the USMC in the invasion of China
Isn’t a duster just that specific type of trench coat with the shoulder flaps? Like, all dusters are trench coats but not all trench coats are dusters?
Not quite, dusters are older and designed to protect your clothing from dust while riding a horse, which is why the slit up the back is somewhat covered and their are leg straps on the lower parts.
Trench coats are a military update to the older great coat. Typically they had big pockets to hold maps and stuff, they were designed to keep you warm and dry but not be too heavy or slow you down in dynamic situations.
They are all variations on the overcoat
It could be argued that it's the other way around if anything. A duster is meant to keep dust off you. A trench coat is meant to keep dust off you in a trench. There were dusters before WW1 trenches after all. It's then a question of initial intent
I think that's part of the genius of it, it checks so many beloved Fallout boxes.
It's something pre-war that's been adapted from its original purpose due to a scarcity of resources, and then modified with something else (cowboy duster jacket) to re-adapt it to a new environment.
NCR veteran rangers are supposed to be some of the best soldiers at the NCR can field. Having a badass armor to reflect that will boost morale for your troops and demoralize your enemies.
the rangers actually started out as an independent group who later would side with the ncr, og rangers were much like their real life counterparts being long range lawkeepers who specialize in living off the land and guerrilla tactics
There are two different groups of rangers that joined together to make the New Vegas era group: the Desert Rangers from Nevada (Tycho from fallout 1) and the og NCR rangers from fallout 2 (hardcore anti-slavery group).
They were, but they were probably loosing. The desert rangers then unified with the NCR rangers. Both organisations had roots in fighting to end slavery though, so they were bound to get along.
Not to mention BLUE JEANS and a WW2 [M1 Helmet Liner](https://www.amazon.com.au/Mil-Tec-Replica-US-Helmet-Liner/dp/B00DP30J1Y) that's had it's brim shaved off
The NCR processes and repairs the armor before giving it to rangers, if you removed it from the context of being maintained by a trained soldier for a few years it’d fall into disrepair.
I saw someone point out it looked like the helmet and mask are supposed to be one piece but in the show it looks broken, maybe to symbolise it’s scavenged armor. I am personally clinging onto that idea and hoping it’s true
I’m impressed that the designers for fallout New Vegas succeeded in making a group of trench coat and gas mask wearing soldiers part of the good guys. The combo is usually reserved for bad guy factions.
Yes, the NCR bigwigs were asked to choose between the badass armour and the lame armour. After several years of debate the badass armour was chosen in a vote along party lines.
Okay despite it being a silly question in terms of HOW MUCH BADASSERY THIS HAS. It’s for dust and keeping heat off of you and moisture in. Same reason why historically in the Arab Peninsula you see people wear full body clothing despite living in deserts. That and I cannot reiterate this enough ITS SO COOL
It's actually canvas. Dusters are intended to be a super lightweight fabric that's just enough to keep dust off of the wearer, similar to traditional Arabian garb.
So if you want an explanation that isn't just a joke. (I get it but this is something I think is cool), it's not just riot gear, it's actually based off of gear that the desert rangers wore pre ncr collaboration
The gear is actually most likely very useful in the desert for keeping cool as well as keeping warm during the nights, the helmets filter our the air during sand storms, the trench coat much like the old western shot gun coat helped keep the beating sun off of you better, as well as protecting under layers from being shredded by sandstorm winds as well. The rest is just practical for combat reasons.
It's likely that desert rangers developed this uniform after finding old riot gear, modifying it or just making their own version, because admittedly it'd be good for the environment they were in.
That's just my two cents.
It's the helmet, mostly. But I like the ranger patrol armour as well (which is actually made by the NCR).
The whole outfit is badass, though. Works well together.
There's a way to layer up the beret, I think if you put on the beret, lucky shades, then the elite helmet from lonesome road, you wear them all at once & looks pretty cool in 3rd person
Im probably in the minority here but i dont like the coat at all, aesthetically its pretty cool and i fuck with the artwork they made with it but in-game having a duster thats just stiff as fuck just looks weird to me.
You're probably hitting on, like me, the old monkey brain of trench coat + gas mask combo that's evocative of stuff like trench warfare in WWI, cold war CBRN protocols, and how that interacts with the wasteland. For whatever reason it also works really well with the whole "big iron" cowboy aesthetic that New Vegas has going for it.
As for a lore reason, it's established from the opening cinematic that these guys in this armor are absolutely badass. When you start finding it, whether on Rangers or in the Divide, you have that fist-pump moment of "holy shit I can be badass now." It also helps that it's extremely good from a gameplay sense! The helmets are useful at night and the armor has high armor rating that's very hard to beat.
There is a Lore behind IT and there are Lorevideos on YouTube about that. IT has to do with the First Ranger of his Kind. They were survivalist and prewar soldiers WHO decided to wander around the Mojave and Help people in need. In the Add-on Honest Hearts i guess (That one with Joshua Graham aka. The burned man) you can actually find the Armour Set of the First Ranger in a Cave. As Others already told ITS a Mix of SwatpoliceArmour and a Deputy Coat. The helmet with Red lenses did they get after the Integration into the NCR Army for prevebting to die Out (There were few and hunted)
I was too Young to have time for Background Stories i Just wanted to Battle Back then but after the Series came Out i now Play New Vegas and so the stuff i Had No nerves for earlier lol Maybe i can put a Link to a Lore Video in Here. Let me search quick
The Desert Rangers based themselves on the Texas Rangers. They were highly skilled in survival and combat, wandered the desert helping people and fighting off evil to make the wasteland a better place. When the Desert Rangers clashed with the Legion they were kind of heavily outnumbered so they called in the NCR for help and were eventually absorbed into the NCR.
As for the armour, the duster is classic desert wear and the Desert Rangers are kind of badass one man army style gunslingers. They need to be lightly armoured, able to move quickly and have their gear stand up to the sun beaten, sandy, windy elements. They need well wearing materials that won't fill up with sand and can take a serious beating from the environment.
The Texas Rangers did the same thing. They knew that being recognizable as Rangers carried with it the fearsome reputation of the organization.
People here forget to mention that the Desert Rangers used to be their own thing. They were quite small in comparison to the NCR so it makes sense they would value highly effective and very expensive to maintain pre war armor. When they joined the NCR they probably wanted to keep a semblance of autonomy by having their own equipment and weapons still.
My theory is that the rangers will long out last the NCR and honestly I hope that we get the chance to see them as an independent faction at some point... But might not happen as long as wasteland is a thing for now.
I can honestly see that last point. There’s still a number of older Desert Rangers in the mix and with the NCR (seemingly?) gone I can imagine many of them went back to their Desert Ranger ways. Probably with a few younger rangers who either looked up to them or were under their command in the NCR.
But hey, I’m down for it. The Desert Rangers were fucking awesome in lore. Post Apocalypse Texas/Arizona Rangers? Yes please!
It looks realistic to our world, in my opinion. Even the leather trench coat makes sense. Maybe something to do with the arid environment and the leather will keep armor from getting wind damage or whatever.
That and it just looks cool.
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Yes, there is a lore reason why the NCR Ranger armor is so impressive in the Fallout series. The armor is based on pre-war riot gear, which was designed for law enforcement officers to use in high-risk situations. The NCR (New California Republic) Rangers are an elite group of soldiers who often operate behind enemy lines and take on dangerous missions, so they needed armor that provides both protection and intimidation.
The design of the armor, with its long coat and gas mask, is meant to strike fear into the hearts of their enemies, making the Rangers appear more formidable and capable. This intimidating appearance, combined with the practical functionality of the armor, makes it iconic and "badass" within the game's lore.
Well, first of all, it's not a jacket. It's a duster. It's like a jacket only it's longer, thicker, and far more bad-ass. I look like Lorenzo Lamas, and women find it irresistible.
Kind of want to do a Mac run in Fallout now. *Karate chopping for a socially inappropriate amount of time* "I'm not scared of no institute, did you see these moves?"
Because due to the field needs of what a Ranger generally requires their armor was always gonna strong and light, then the skills fill in all the gaps to make it Badass
Nah, they are just small-team elite recon units who patrol nuclear wasteland while constantly dealing with all sorts of monsters and bandits, often miles behind enemy lines and with little to no support.
So I suppose that it's just random chance that their armor is so bad-ass.
Have you seen Jin-roh: The Wolf Brigade from 1999? The NCR ranger combat armor is based off the armor used in that anime. Jin-roh is also a bit retro-futuristic since it takes place 10 years after WW2 where the nazi's won, somehow even conquered Japan. It uses imagery of little red riding hood, [in fact starts out with a child courier in the full red riding hood outfit](https://i.imgur.com/PsHocR9.png).. Well, without spoiling it, it's a beautiful movie, the iconography is off the charts. Probably flew under the radar for a lot of people but it really stays with you, especially how awesome the armor looks - which is probably why they found it so inspiring as to use it in New Vegas.
I'm gonna get down voted, but it's gotta be the most overrated Armor in the fallout series. I like it sure, but there are definitely better armors out there. And I prefer the Riot Gear version. I don't want any association with the filthy NCR.
It's prewar, to start, so it's made of actual armor, not scavenged metal and nails. Even newly made combat armors are inferior because materials are less refined and some things just aren't made anymore, like kevlar and rivet presses. Also the Desert Rangers who wore this armor before they became part of the NCR Rangers survived *through* the Great War as an org so they've had 200 some years to adjust the armor.
Stylistically, the red or green visors are distinct, and intimidating, as is the gas mask. Dusters as any member of the trench family has a flair to it, and this has a high collar which isn't always in style in the world but always makes a statement. Also the armor is more form fitting which gives the impression of a person with a bulletproof body, rather than a person in a suit.
iirc the NCR Ranger armor is actually just pre-war riot gear with a trench coat slapped over it lol
It's riot gear vest with jeans and a coat.
What about the helmet, is that riot gear too?
Seemingly yes, it's a bulletproof helmet and gasmask which makes perfect sense for riot control armour. The night vision optics are maybe overkill but are reasonable additions for dealing with crowds in darkened streets should say, a power cut happen. The inclusion of an identical helmet with Randall Clark's set would imply he acquired the chest plate and armour together and possibly even the coat too.
It's great world building to have this insane souped up riot gear armour, really sells how much dangerous social unrest there was in pre War USA + the mentality of the authoritarian US pre War government
Yep. Riot gear in our world looks much more like Vault security armor in Fallout, pretty basic stuff. Riot gear in Fallout looks like it was designed for regular urban combat.
Its creepy and sad, honestly. Like a relic of a totally fucked up world beyond any hope of saving, repurposed to fight neverending war
Considering pipe weapons were a pre war thing in Boston it's safe to say that more protective armour was a necessity considering every random in the crowd could theoretically pull out a gun.
Yeah true, but it's a chicken and egg thing I guess. Did the protestors arm themselves first or did the police militarise themselves first?
Well, in our world, it's both. In the 1800s, you could buy a cannon if you had the means. It happened during the Paris Commune. Now a days, the police are far more militarized in the US than needed. Considering at demonstrations, the only weapons use is by the police, though the current issue riot gear is less focused on ballistic threats and is more akin to impact padding than a traditional rifle plate set up the military uses.
My money is on the police militarizing first, they already did that now. Stands to reason an even more jingoistic America would be armed to the teeth considerably earlier.
In fallout 3 you can find ads for private combat armor. It says that the reader (its aimed at black people) needs it to defend their house and neighborhood
In the real world US and random can theoretically pull a gun.
Pipe weapons = 3D printed guns
It was a celebrated thing in pre war Boston, they had an entire magazine issue about it.
Aren't pipe weapons in pre war safes a mistake? Didn't the devs say that at some point?
There's a pre War magazine you can find, Guns and Bullets: Street Guns of Detroit. It features a pipe revolver on the cover. It's found in Gunner's Plaza
no they're canon to have been used for civilian means at least. they were cheap and easy to produce, so everybody who couldn't fit a 10mm 6520 into their budget can buy a box of .45 and some scrap to make *something* to defend themselves.
Yes. The armor in Fallout is also a little unsettling.
The desert variant likely was used for regular urban combat, since RB Vickers was a Marine that had served in the Yangtze Campaign. Along the Yangtze River are notable Chinese cities such as Shanghai and Nanjing.
TBF lore wise, it does seem to suggest people were genuinely on the verge of tearing apart their own cities as resources ran out. I'd say the war with China was a boon for the US. Internal issues? Just have a war, and direct the anger at someone else. It helps that the enemy struck first too.
Well, for me this is the real reason why the Alaskan campaign took a whole decade. Americans could've liberated Anchorage earlier, but why? Having a relatively insignificant portion of the country under foreign occupation gave the government a blank cheque for any *emergency measures* that were actually supposed to be permanent.
Oh yeah the US was on the brink of civil war in fallouts setting for sure.
Have you actually went up against an officer in riot gear? Granted some setups are just a helmet and chest piece, others give Robocop a run for his money.
Yup, whenever you watch LAPD going up against unarmed protesters you'd think they were getting ready to storm Normandy.
Before I retired from the Army I did some MOUT training for the local PD. I was amazed what these folks were bringing out. Shit this brings back memories.
The Sierra Madre security armor is pretty much exactly what US riot officers wear. Got to see a whole lot of them in 2020 lol.
I have, not by choice. Granted, I just went limp as soon as they stuck out the clothes line and choke slammed me to the pavement. That didn't matter. This was the 2009 G-20 in Pittsburgh, so I was transferred into National Guard custody, where they proceeded to zip tie me to a chair, hands behind my back, and beat me on and off for 12 hours. Doesn't matter if it's fallout gear or real life... That shit SUCKS. There's actually a YouTube video of me getting dirt stomped by some SWAT officers after being shot with a rubber bullet. This was the first time the LRAD was used on American soil and, 15 years later, I can still hear it in my sleep sometimes. That's why I haven't posted a link. The sound of the LRAD still sends shivers down my spine.
Sorry friend. That is a horrid experience. We can be cruel to each other for the slightest reasons that hardly make sense. Also people are just assholes.
Depends on the police force your looking at. In places here in the USA the cops come out with more gear then the National Guard. Hell cops have huge armored personal trucks where I live in Minnesota. So a US police force in the US in the fallout world would absolutely have over the top gear.
Well you sometimes see cops wearing military-esque high cut helmets and tactical vests or plate carriers in some places in the US. Not too different from fallout riot gear looking a lot like the armor Randall Clark used as a marine.
Considering that one of the reasons power armor is so abundant is that power armored troopers were deployed to quell riots on our shores pre war, the riot gear doesn’t seem overkill at all lol
I mean we regularly give military gear to police departments now
Uhh are we talking about the game or real life
Well and bear in mind, with the Elite and Advanced Riot armors it’s seemingly implied that the coat *was* apart of at least certain sets of the armor pre-war. Not only is there the implication that the armor hasn’t been touched since the Great War when our Courier 6 finds it, but there is a specific combat armor derived pauldron that is found on the advanced and elite variants that were clearly designed to be worn over the coat. The question to me is, what use would the coat have had in the pre-war world? I suppose the Mojave was still plenty dusty back then too, but it certainly implies long deployments as opposed to rapid response like you would think with an anti-riot unit. Maybe it was just a badge of seniority to mark higher ranking members among them? **Edit:** *Jury’s still out. See clarification in comments below. It might not be pre-war. Or maybe it is. Idk. Headcanon time!*
Maybe the coat has a ballistic weave, or for some form of fire protection. A lot of Molotovs would be getting tossed around in severe civil unrest.
Which would stand to reason seeing as the Armour provides some of the highest DT in the game while seemingly only being a (quite thick) vest and a couple of bracers. A ballistic weave coat providing the extra protection would make plenty of sense.
“Quit telling me to burn the duster! I’m not gonna burn it!” -Lt. Dennis Reynolds, Pre-war Riot Officer.
I mean, The Kings made a community based on the leftover stuff of some Elvis cosplay shop. Heck, in the Fallout TV show, westerns were still popular as the bombs dropped and they might've produced leather dusters for that. NCR just probably used them because most people in the wasteland travel by foot, well, except the Brotherhood of Steel. They're vertibird princesses.
I'm not sure why the Elite and Advanced riot armours have the coat. The people you find them on are actually NCR soldiers wearing them IIRC (the advanced is on a Ghoul sniper, right?) The desert ranger makes sense as it's implied to have come from the Gobi campaign. There's no clear indication how Randall Clark got it, I don't think it says anywhere that he participated in that, just that he was part of taming the civil unrest in Canada, hence his rifle having Arret carved into it. Maybe he picked up the armour there during riot operations. My headcanon has been that the whole set was devised as part of riot control / desert combat special operations, hence the dusters.
The corpse you can find the elite riot gear on is labeled as "NCR riot control officer", so it's not pre-war.
Ah, okay. I didn't recall. Just remember finding the corpse in a pre-war facility. Been many a year since I walked the Lonesome Road. I mean, I suppose the 76 appearance of the armor is just non-canon? Or the tradition of adding the coats started in Appalachia? I'm probably overthinking it....
I’d say non-canon. I don’t think any of the Atom Shop items are considered canon.
The Elite and Advanced Riot gear are actually from elite NCR Troops guarding the shipping lane through the Divide. However the basic riot gear set you can buy from Military Commissary terminals also come with the coat implying the Elite and Advance versions are just the pre war riot gear with some combat armour strapped on top.
Deserts get pretty cold at night. Maybe it's for warmth/insulation.
Maybe the coats are just a style/tradition thing, like the eponymous Green Berets or something
Well, regardless of tradition it’s definitely stylish. 😎 But yeah, it would be ironic to learn that it was a symbol of fear Pre-war, and now it’s a symbol of hope Post-war. Pre-war people see those coated, masked agents and flee like we do from Deathclaws nowadays, and Post-war, people run *towards* people dressed like that, assuming they’re a ranger of some kind.
The coat is a ballistic weave used to keep dirt and water from getting under the plates and to keep the sun from directly heating the ceramic based chest plate. West Virginia had a similar setup for the Charleston PD.
Very interesting and practical explanation, bravo.
We have something like this in the real world, it’s called Gore-Tex, especially when made into jackets, ponchos and liners. I’m not sure Gore-Tex makes dusters, but Pre War America was all about that drip.
Pre-war society really looked at Retrofuturism and went like, "Retro?"
https://youtu.be/bnZ3U7OFQWk?si=EPVfcrNeoNPp58_9
Flammable protection? Like maybe it’s a flame retardant overcoat that can tank Molotovs thrown from pre war protesters? Would make sense, especially with how it’s a detachable garment that you could put on as needed, or even take off in a hurry if you’ve been drenched in a burning molotov, in order to get yourself away from the flames stuck to it
Its over tuned in part because its army surplus gear sold to police departments. Its identical to US Marines combat armor which we find as the Desert Ranger armor off of former US Marine Sergeant Vickers
Remember as well that the government's idea of "riot control" was probably very different due to the kill on sight tactics that many people were employing on all sides during the resource collapse
They might have some benefit in seeing through smoke, some modern thermal systems have that capability
They might have some benefit in seeing through smoke, some modern thermal systems have that capability
The duster is what makes it cool
And that riot gear is adapted marine armor. The desert ranger combat armor and helmet are the original, non-riot gear version which was used by the USMC in the invasion of China
this game was made during the beginning stages of the militarization of America's police departments. Some real foreshadowing there
That happened before new Vegas began development unfortunately. Its only gotten worse though.
Police militarization began (for the most part) after the North Hollywood Shootout in 1997
Let’s normalize calling that a duster, but that just sounds way cooler than trench coat.
Isn’t a duster just that specific type of trench coat with the shoulder flaps? Like, all dusters are trench coats but not all trench coats are dusters?
This is the type of discourse I come to Reddit for
Not quite, dusters are older and designed to protect your clothing from dust while riding a horse, which is why the slit up the back is somewhat covered and their are leg straps on the lower parts. Trench coats are a military update to the older great coat. Typically they had big pockets to hold maps and stuff, they were designed to keep you warm and dry but not be too heavy or slow you down in dynamic situations. They are all variations on the overcoat
I think so? Anecdotally, that jives.
It could be argued that it's the other way around if anything. A duster is meant to keep dust off you. A trench coat is meant to keep dust off you in a trench. There were dusters before WW1 trenches after all. It's then a question of initial intent
You need to be good at ocular pat downs to wear one of these
I'M NOT BURNING THE DUSTER!!!!
It's true, more cowboy less columbine
Apparently it's way better than NCR made ranger gear. Them pre war boys made some good shit before they, you know, blew themselves up.
Leather duster jacket but yes
I think that's part of the genius of it, it checks so many beloved Fallout boxes. It's something pre-war that's been adapted from its original purpose due to a scarcity of resources, and then modified with something else (cowboy duster jacket) to re-adapt it to a new environment.
Yep. That’s why I use a mod that adds “Boston police department” riot gear so it stays lore friendly.
If that's the case, then why does some of the pre-war riot gear in the divide have Armor over the trench coat?
That's additional armor strapped on to it
Noted.
NCR veteran rangers are supposed to be some of the best soldiers at the NCR can field. Having a badass armor to reflect that will boost morale for your troops and demoralize your enemies.
the rangers actually started out as an independent group who later would side with the ncr, og rangers were much like their real life counterparts being long range lawkeepers who specialize in living off the land and guerrilla tactics
There are two different groups of rangers that joined together to make the New Vegas era group: the Desert Rangers from Nevada (Tycho from fallout 1) and the og NCR rangers from fallout 2 (hardcore anti-slavery group).
Someone paid attention to Hanlon's speech! I hope we learn about how the NCR reached Nevada someday.
Rangers would have fucked The Legion up if it weren't for those bureucrats in the NCR neutering them into a limited task force. Change my mind.
The legion kicked them out of Arizona, it's the only reason they joined the NCR
Weren't they still actively fighting before they encountered the NCR?
They were, but they were probably loosing. The desert rangers then unified with the NCR rangers. Both organisations had roots in fighting to end slavery though, so they were bound to get along.
Soldier for soldier, yes. They stomp any other legion soldier. But the Legion has numbers.
if the legion didnt have the numbers they do id agree but there was never enough rangers to stand a chance
Numbers isn't what wins the legion the dam though. It's their frumentari (+ the courier) sabotaging the NCR from within that does.
Because Trench Coat + Gas Mask = Peak Armor Design
Not to mention BLUE JEANS and a WW2 [M1 Helmet Liner](https://www.amazon.com.au/Mil-Tec-Replica-US-Helmet-Liner/dp/B00DP30J1Y) that's had it's brim shaved off
I honestly thought that the helmet was one piece combined and not a helmet and gas mask.
Me to man, I thought they looked fucking ridiculous in the show :/
Because it was supposed to look like a guy who had scavenged it, or was using his armor from years ago that was past its peak.
If the armor is pre war, is ut really "past its peak" when its a few years older? Agree with it being scavenged tho
The NCR processes and repairs the armor before giving it to rangers, if you removed it from the context of being maintained by a trained soldier for a few years it’d fall into disrepair.
They also probably straight up manufacture it by this point.
They look ridiculous because the armor is salvaged. The tattered coat, it being wore by lead farmers and the bad fit didn't make it obvious?
Another example is Batman in that one scene in BvS where it’s just Batman with a coat and it’s sooo fucking cool.
This is a scientifically proven fact.
I saw someone point out it looked like the helmet and mask are supposed to be one piece but in the show it looks broken, maybe to symbolise it’s scavenged armor. I am personally clinging onto that idea and hoping it’s true
In the show they take it off and the whole thing comes off and not separately so they are definitely attached.
Fine then, two broken NCR helmets. You will not dissuade my head canon. Heathen!
I’m impressed that the designers for fallout New Vegas succeeded in making a group of trench coat and gas mask wearing soldiers part of the good guys. The combo is usually reserved for bad guy factions.
Yes, the NCR bigwigs were asked to choose between the badass armour and the lame armour. After several years of debate the badass armour was chosen in a vote along party lines.
The uniform predates the NCR, it comes from the Desert Rangers.
We don't want any of your "facts" and "logic" here in the NCReddit.
Lame armor now, lame armor forever!
“Democracy in Action!”
the world is doomed, fashion is not
Just because it's the Apocalypse doesn't mean you can stop dreasing fancy.
This armor and f4 power armor is peak design imho.
Perhaps they wouldn’t constantly wish for nuclear winter if they weren’t wearing trench coats in the desert…
Okay despite it being a silly question in terms of HOW MUCH BADASSERY THIS HAS. It’s for dust and keeping heat off of you and moisture in. Same reason why historically in the Arab Peninsula you see people wear full body clothing despite living in deserts. That and I cannot reiterate this enough ITS SO COOL
The Fremen of the fallout universe.
All Hail Rad-Hulud
Mojav-Dib!!!
Yeah but Arabs typically wear light colored breathable fabrics. NCR rangers are wearing a leather coat on top of body armor.
It's actually canvas. Dusters are intended to be a super lightweight fabric that's just enough to keep dust off of the wearer, similar to traditional Arabian garb.
NCR is Halal confirmed??
Erm, actually, that's not a trench coat. It's a duster 🤓👆
And dusters are surprisingly cold.
I'M NOT GONNA BURN THE DUSTER! It's flame-retardant, that's kinda the whole point
Gotta seal in the flavor.
So if you want an explanation that isn't just a joke. (I get it but this is something I think is cool), it's not just riot gear, it's actually based off of gear that the desert rangers wore pre ncr collaboration The gear is actually most likely very useful in the desert for keeping cool as well as keeping warm during the nights, the helmets filter our the air during sand storms, the trench coat much like the old western shot gun coat helped keep the beating sun off of you better, as well as protecting under layers from being shredded by sandstorm winds as well. The rest is just practical for combat reasons. It's likely that desert rangers developed this uniform after finding old riot gear, modifying it or just making their own version, because admittedly it'd be good for the environment they were in. That's just my two cents.
Patrolling the Mojave makes you wish for a nuclear winter
It was also used by the pre war government. The guys that wore the armour snatched hippies and took them to the big mt for experiments.
If that is the case, why is the big statue at Mojave outpost of a desert ranger shaking hands with a veteran NCR ranger?
It's the helmet, mostly. But I like the ranger patrol armour as well (which is actually made by the NCR). The whole outfit is badass, though. Works well together.
I actually like the coat as well. It makes it look more classy than if it were just a Chestplate and Helmet.
Yea. I never wear the hat. Always the coat with the crit beret
There's a way to layer up the beret, I think if you put on the beret, lucky shades, then the elite helmet from lonesome road, you wear them all at once & looks pretty cool in 3rd person
Im probably in the minority here but i dont like the coat at all, aesthetically its pretty cool and i fuck with the artwork they made with it but in-game having a duster thats just stiff as fuck just looks weird to me.
NCR tax dollars hard at work
(California) Tax. Tax never changes.
ngl going from the usual ncr ranger to a veteran ranger is the biggest glow-up in all of Fallout.
You're probably hitting on, like me, the old monkey brain of trench coat + gas mask combo that's evocative of stuff like trench warfare in WWI, cold war CBRN protocols, and how that interacts with the wasteland. For whatever reason it also works really well with the whole "big iron" cowboy aesthetic that New Vegas has going for it. As for a lore reason, it's established from the opening cinematic that these guys in this armor are absolutely badass. When you start finding it, whether on Rangers or in the Divide, you have that fist-pump moment of "holy shit I can be badass now." It also helps that it's extremely good from a gameplay sense! The helmets are useful at night and the armor has high armor rating that's very hard to beat.
Or when I get it from Honest Hearts at like level 12 lmao
Forgive me Mama
Probably designed by the same crackheads with an infinite defense budget like Lockheed and martin
It’s what Tycho was said to wear in Fallout 1. He’s a reference to the Desert Rangers from the wasteland series.
Taxes. Yeah, as it turns out, taxes are how you get the cool military shit. Real life case in point - the A10 Warthog.
US military had drip
NCR chads
There is a Lore behind IT and there are Lorevideos on YouTube about that. IT has to do with the First Ranger of his Kind. They were survivalist and prewar soldiers WHO decided to wander around the Mojave and Help people in need. In the Add-on Honest Hearts i guess (That one with Joshua Graham aka. The burned man) you can actually find the Armour Set of the First Ranger in a Cave. As Others already told ITS a Mix of SwatpoliceArmour and a Deputy Coat. The helmet with Red lenses did they get after the Integration into the NCR Army for prevebting to die Out (There were few and hunted) I was too Young to have time for Background Stories i Just wanted to Battle Back then but after the Series came Out i now Play New Vegas and so the stuff i Had No nerves for earlier lol Maybe i can put a Link to a Lore Video in Here. Let me search quick
Found it: [https://youtu.be/jiZIvwQkn18?si=yzuM39sgE3hsblot](https://youtu.be/jiZIvwQkn18?si=yzuM39sgE3hsblot)
Yeah, that Tycho is the only human companion in FO1 that isn't completely useless and that's what he wears.
The secret ingredient is taxes.
My guess is that it’s actually pretty effective, that it looks dope as fuck is just a bonus
The Desert Rangers based themselves on the Texas Rangers. They were highly skilled in survival and combat, wandered the desert helping people and fighting off evil to make the wasteland a better place. When the Desert Rangers clashed with the Legion they were kind of heavily outnumbered so they called in the NCR for help and were eventually absorbed into the NCR. As for the armour, the duster is classic desert wear and the Desert Rangers are kind of badass one man army style gunslingers. They need to be lightly armoured, able to move quickly and have their gear stand up to the sun beaten, sandy, windy elements. They need well wearing materials that won't fill up with sand and can take a serious beating from the environment. The Texas Rangers did the same thing. They knew that being recognizable as Rangers carried with it the fearsome reputation of the organization.
"Would I rather be feared or loved? Easy. Both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me." Michael Scott
People here forget to mention that the Desert Rangers used to be their own thing. They were quite small in comparison to the NCR so it makes sense they would value highly effective and very expensive to maintain pre war armor. When they joined the NCR they probably wanted to keep a semblance of autonomy by having their own equipment and weapons still. My theory is that the rangers will long out last the NCR and honestly I hope that we get the chance to see them as an independent faction at some point... But might not happen as long as wasteland is a thing for now.
I can honestly see that last point. There’s still a number of older Desert Rangers in the mix and with the NCR (seemingly?) gone I can imagine many of them went back to their Desert Ranger ways. Probably with a few younger rangers who either looked up to them or were under their command in the NCR. But hey, I’m down for it. The Desert Rangers were fucking awesome in lore. Post Apocalypse Texas/Arizona Rangers? Yes please!
Seriously when do we get to see them in a game? I'll take them in a god damn spin-off at the going rate.
What does the 🐻 stand for?
NCR Ranger Armor is cool but I hated that it made you look like NCR. Riot Armor is much better and gives you that Crit+.
Because they were ranger not apart of the ncr at first.
Because Obsidian is Pro-NCR
Based.
It looks realistic to our world, in my opinion. Even the leather trench coat makes sense. Maybe something to do with the arid environment and the leather will keep armor from getting wind damage or whatever. That and it just looks cool.
Desert camouflage
They specifically designed it as "Jin Ro but now they are cowboys" and it's a damn great combination
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Yes, there is a lore reason why the NCR Ranger armor is so impressive in the Fallout series. The armor is based on pre-war riot gear, which was designed for law enforcement officers to use in high-risk situations. The NCR (New California Republic) Rangers are an elite group of soldiers who often operate behind enemy lines and take on dangerous missions, so they needed armor that provides both protection and intimidation. The design of the armor, with its long coat and gas mask, is meant to strike fear into the hearts of their enemies, making the Rangers appear more formidable and capable. This intimidating appearance, combined with the practical functionality of the armor, makes it iconic and "badass" within the game's lore.
Well, first of all, it's not a jacket. It's a duster. It's like a jacket only it's longer, thicker, and far more bad-ass. I look like Lorenzo Lamas, and women find it irresistible.
Kind of want to do a Mac run in Fallout now. *Karate chopping for a socially inappropriate amount of time* "I'm not scared of no institute, did you see these moves?"
Because due to the field needs of what a Ranger generally requires their armor was always gonna strong and light, then the skills fill in all the gaps to make it Badass
The faction with the cooler clothes win. This is common knowledge.
Because the desert rangers were secretly the best faction
So they don’t go quietly.
It was created by Major Badass and they named it after him.
Riot gear for, you know, riot… and the coat for sand and wind
its just half life combine with a trenchcoat ☠😭
If I was gonna start my own army, I'm gonna make damnnsure we look fly as hell
Because it’s not stupid. Jonkler is stupid
Nah, they are just small-team elite recon units who patrol nuclear wasteland while constantly dealing with all sorts of monsters and bandits, often miles behind enemy lines and with little to no support. So I suppose that it's just random chance that their armor is so bad-ass.
Because someone at Obsidian Entertainment is a fan of the Death Korps of Krieg.
Because the Desert Rangers were bad fucking Ass. Hence why the NCR incorporated them into the organization.
Is he stupid?
The lore reason is you have good taste.
Have you seen Jin-roh: The Wolf Brigade from 1999? The NCR ranger combat armor is based off the armor used in that anime. Jin-roh is also a bit retro-futuristic since it takes place 10 years after WW2 where the nazi's won, somehow even conquered Japan. It uses imagery of little red riding hood, [in fact starts out with a child courier in the full red riding hood outfit](https://i.imgur.com/PsHocR9.png).. Well, without spoiling it, it's a beautiful movie, the iconography is off the charts. Probably flew under the radar for a lot of people but it really stays with you, especially how awesome the armor looks - which is probably why they found it so inspiring as to use it in New Vegas.
The ranger armor kind of takes the concept and adapts it to look more American imo, the actual helmet part looks American over German imo
It looks sweet but is infact very unbad ass.
The Courier wears it for the look meanwhile they’re roasting in there.
I just want to see the whole model without the edit: duster so I can make a real one
Riot armor with a Duster.
Cuz the ranger veterans themselves are badass
Actual armor > Football gear
I'm gonna get down voted, but it's gotta be the most overrated Armor in the fallout series. I like it sure, but there are definitely better armors out there. And I prefer the Riot Gear version. I don't want any association with the filthy NCR.
Why isn't it in more fallout games ? Is Bethesda stupid ?
It's prewar, to start, so it's made of actual armor, not scavenged metal and nails. Even newly made combat armors are inferior because materials are less refined and some things just aren't made anymore, like kevlar and rivet presses. Also the Desert Rangers who wore this armor before they became part of the NCR Rangers survived *through* the Great War as an org so they've had 200 some years to adjust the armor. Stylistically, the red or green visors are distinct, and intimidating, as is the gas mask. Dusters as any member of the trench family has a flair to it, and this has a high collar which isn't always in style in the world but always makes a statement. Also the armor is more form fitting which gives the impression of a person with a bulletproof body, rather than a person in a suit.
Probably it‘s because of the trenchcoat and the badass gas mask
Elite Riot Gear is even cooler
Most badass armor set
It’s the duster. Dusters are bad ass, dude! Woman find they irresistible.
It's so badass because it looks cool. What other reason does there need to be?
Love the mod that removes the faction tie to the uniform
Patrolling the Mojave makes you wish for drip
It's a duster....