Elements borrowed from Sim Settlements 2¶
This project was originally conceived in such a way that the events of the ending of Sim Settlements 2 are considered canon. Only a handful of elements from Sim Settlements 2 are actually included in the final version of this project (most of which require no spoilers and little background), which are listed below. Any and all of these elements may be omitted from Fallout: Houston without affecting its overall story, but including them can provide additional lore and worldbuilding.
New Liberty Trading Company (NLTC)¶
The New Liberty Trading Company (NLTC) is a very rich trading guild based out of a place simply referred to as "Home Office", but implied to be somewhere along the East Coast, since they arrived by sea. The precise location is unknown. In Sim Settlements 2, they appear in the Commonwealth attempting to provide adequate funding to establish a hospital, seeing it as a way of achieving a positive Return on Investment. While in the Commonwealth, they provide ample supplies and resources to wastelanders, for a pretty penny. They're driven solely by profit, and that which is contract is unimpeachable law. If it's in writing, they are bound to it.
In Fallout: Houston, the NLTC has established a trading post in Sugar Junction, which they use as a base of operations in the Gulf Coast Wasteland. They trade with both the Oil Barons and the Lone Star Republic via trade routes that pass up and down State Highway 6. They have established a well-protected but small marina at the Bayou Vista, where their protected ships land. Although they do not use warships, the Galveston Pirates usually leave them alone, after a few early, failed attempts to raid their ships. The NLTC has a small but well-armed security force, and they are not afraid to use it.
The NLTC can be replaced with any other generic trading guild for the purposes of the story of Fallout: Houston.
Vault-Tec¶
In addition to all the established canon lore about Vault-Tec (available in Pre-war Corporations, the Core Rulebook, and the Fallout Wiki), Sim Settlements 2 provides additional information about Vault-Tec's activities:
Spoilers for Sim Settlements 2
Established Fallout canon shows that Vault-Tec implemented the Vault program (Project Safehouse) to study human behavior in preparation for manned deep-space missions. In Sim Settlements 2, Vault-Tec, led by CEO Ms. St. James, also established a moonbase named Luna Colony as part of this initiative, where several Vault-Tec officials and engineers now reside. It is implied that they landed before the Great War. After the bombs fell, communications from the Moon were broken with all of their Vaults. Because of how hastily Vault-Tec was forced to evacuate to the Moon, Luna Colony was not complete, and faced constant disrepair. Without the resources to repair the colony and maintain full life support, those on the base were forced into rotations of cryogenic stasis, with only a minimal crew awake at any given time. As a result, those onboard are actually the original crew sent before the Great War.
At the end of Sim Settlements 2, because of the results of the player and supporting characters constructing a certain broadcaster and taking control of a certain satellite array, Vault-Tec personnel on the moon are able to exploit the player's radio showing they've re-established some communication with Earth.
In Fallout: Houston, the second (secret) Delta XII launch to the Moon after the bombs fell was actually the final re-supply mission to Luna Colony, put into motion by Vault-Tec and Enclave agents within the United States Space Administration. Additionally, Vault-Tec's re-establishing contact with Earth is one of the events that triggers the Enclave's sleeper cell within the Spaceport Survivors to begin their plans. If desired, this story beat can either be used, or some other reason for the Delta XII launch can be used. Additionally, other reasons also influence the Enclave's emergence within the Spaceport Survivors, so that point can be ignored.
ASAM Sensors¶
The ASAM Sensors are a RobCo product (which Vault-Tec attempted to reverse engineer) used to help even unskilled workers establish a settlement quickly through holographic instructions and audio queues. Although they make no appearance in Fallout: Houston, Sim Settlements 2 implies that after its events, ASAMs make it as far as Sanford, TX (in the Texas Panhandle, and the hometown of one of the supporting characters in that mod), probably via NLTC trade routes. Given the NLTC presence in the Gulf Coast Wasteland and the (relative) proximity of Sanford, it is not unreasonable, if the Gamemaster desires, to include ASAMs in their campaign.