Update: August 15, 2022 - Cope and Seething in Las Vegas

in researching for this video, I've done a fair bit of diving into Las Vegas' history so that I can contextualize it in my observations of New Vegas. most of this stuff isn't going to make it into the script, so I figured I might share some of the interesting bits here. some of them even directly relate to the New Vegas you likely already know. but first: a status update. 

status update

the script is getting "closer". I've finished the sections on Outer Vegas and Freeside, and the Strip section is now underway. there shouldn't be much revision required from this point, but I could be wrong and I have been before. I've also began collecting b-roll footage, which should continue to be a smooth process since I've done it before and I have a pretty good idea of what footage I want. 

interesting bits

- Vegas' evolution as a town of gambling and naughty times was likely born of the disproportionately male population it started with. as an early mining town, most of the early population was composed of single worker dudes who (naturally) enjoyed drinking and gambling.

- the tacky and iconic architecture of Vegas' many buildings made some pretty big waves (positive and negative) in the urban design scene. as a collection of disparate plastic impersonations, I think it's interesting how much of that identity has decayed in New Vegas. granted, that's likely due to all the bombs.

- Guy McAfee, the crooked cop who later named the Vegas Strip, left his native LA county for Vegas after the new LA mayor ran on an anti-crime platform that specifically targeted McAfee's biggest business involvements: drugs, gambling, and prostitution.

- Vegas' present day casinos often use the word "gaming" rather than "gambling" to sugar coat the activities inside, but the casinos of New Vegas live under House's laissez-faire fun time paradise and appropriately don't give a fuck about their image. it's also possible that the 40s-50s change from "gambling" to "gaming" never occurred in the Fallout universe.

- a key factor for Las Vegas' continued history of success is its ability to quickly reshape and refit buildings to continually find new ways of attracting new generations. this is both much more difficult and much more necessary in the post-apocalypse.

- Vegas was originally founded on the Old Mormon Fort, which was actually abandoned by the Mormons and left empty until railroad workers moved in some years later.