John Barton

Editor’s note: The sixth installment in John Barton’s examination of a map of the soon-to-be-released Fallout 76 video game investigates The Forest, based principally on the large, hilly heartland of central West Virginia. When players first set foot outside Vault 76, they’re blinded by sunlight then overwhelmed by the natural beauty that opens around them. … Read more

Editor’s note: The fifth installment in John Barton’s examination of a map of the soon-to-be-released Fallout 76 video game investigates The Savage Divide region, which is based on the Allegheny Mountains region and its lofty Allegheny Front. The Savage Divide cuts across what’s being called “Appalachia” in Fallout 76. The name alone suggests a unforgiving … Read more

Editor’s note: the fourth installment in John Barton’s examination of a map of the soon-to-be-released Fallout 76 video game investigates The Ash Heap region, which draws on the bloody history of mining and industrialism in West Virginia’s coalfields. The southwestern area on the Fallout 76 map, “The Ash Heap” — with its blackened appearance and … Read more

Editor’s note: the third installment in John Barton’s examination of a map of the soon-to-be-released Fallout 76 video game investigates the Toxic Valley region, which, he points out, shares many similarities with West Virginia’s Chemical Valley. “Toxic Valley” occupies the northernmost region on the Fallout 76 map produced by Oscerlot, though I think it’s likely … Read more

Editor’s Note: This is the second installation in John Barton’s exploration of the Fallout 76 map of West Virginia. Here, he surveys Cranberry Bog. Go here to read the first part of Barton’s map exploration: Boardwalk at Cranberry Glades[/caption] In West Virginia, the southeastern part of the state would include Monroe, Webster, Randolph, Greenbrier, Nicholas, … Read more

(Editor’s Note: Over the next six issues of the The Shenandoah River[/caption] All are found in the panhandle in Morgan, Berkeley, and Jefferson counties, and all represent the region’s rich history from pre-colonial America through the Civil War. Several small battles and skirmishes dating back to the French-and-Indian War were fought here. George Washington surveyed the … Read more

At 16 square miles, Fallout 76 is reported to be four times the size of Fallout 4, Bethesda Game Studio’s previous release in the Fallout series. Considering that West Virginia is 24,000 square miles, it’s clear not every beloved or unusual location will make the final release of the game, but which areas made the … Read more