Charleston, the former capital of West Virginia, was destroyed in the Great War. The Xbox player Ghulasch has rebuilt Charleston and created New Charleston in Fallout 76. Reporter Florian Franck from the MeinMMO Gazette Appalachia, West Virginia’s top magazine for all things Vault, was live on-site for you and spoke with the builder and mayor.
We are in West Virginia, a few years after the war. From the Charleston Station, we reach the ruins of the once capital after a short walk. At the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha rivers, a once thriving metropolis emerged in the 18th century. Until recently, not much of it was left. But the city is alive again, and we are greeted by its mayor Ghulasch right at the entrance.
Live in New Charleston – this is our impression
The highlights in New Charleston: The mayor proudly shows us the city he has personally rebuilt through hard work. He raves about the large marketplace for weapons and ammunition, proudly presents the modern medical center where free vaccinations are given, and then takes us underground. In the atomic shelter of New Charleston, it is anything but dull. The “New Charleston Diner” is a meeting point for residents and travelers. Ghulasch continues to show us the defense center with its own workshop. Here everyone has the opportunity to craft heavy armors or repair damaged equipment.
The mayor takes us further and shows us the accommodations and the recreational area. We were momentarily breathless when we entered the “Naked Fight Club.” Unfortunately, we could not witness a match, as we were too early, but later in the evening, boxing fans can truly enjoy a cool Nuka-Cola. You can find out which type suits you in our Fallout 76 quiz!
We processed our first impressions of New Charleston in the state-of-the-art conference and meeting rooms. In these, we also received an exclusive interview with the mayor, who took some time for our questions.
The interview with the mayor of New Charleston
MeinMMO: How did you find Charleston, and how did you come up with the ideas for the reconstruction?
Ghulasch: On my journey through Appalachia, I saw many settlements and C.A.M.P.s that lacked life. I wanted to create something vibrant that felt natural and fits well into this post-apocalyptic world.
MeinMMO: Which part of the city did you enjoy building the most, and which caused you the most frustration?
Ghulasch: The most joy came from building the “Naked Fight Club” and the city above ground. On relatively small areas, one can showcase a strong level of detail. Confusion and frustration were caused by the atrium – simply due to its phenomenal size. By now, however, the construction budget in the atrium is completely exhausted, and I would like another 10% more for decorating. He laughs.
MeinMMO: What specific challenges did you face while building?
Ghulasch: The hardest part was certainly the city itself. Placing floors around the house and integrating the giant vault door and the Red Rocket garage almost drove me insane. Building in the shelters is great since you can place objects freely floating.
MeinMMO: Did you have help? Who did you build with?
Ghulasch: I built New Charleston all by myself. After stressful tours through the wasteland, the reconstruction was the perfect balance. The building opportunities are ideal and truly relaxing.
MeinMMO: Do you have tips for wastelanders who want to build something as cool? Can you name the three most important?
Ghulasch: Be creative, be crazy, and above all: Don’t give up when some limitations want to mess with your plans. There are always ways to build the desired C.A.M.P.
MeinMMO: Do you wish for any specific new features for Fallout 76 that would improve building?
Ghulasch: Yes, definitely. I have no major complaints about the mechanics themselves. It would be nice if we could use objects like floors more freely. Nothing is more frustrating than painstakingly aligning the floors and then receiving a message saying that the last object cannot be placed. In my bridge C.A.M.P., I restarted at least 8 or 9 times.
I would like a number of other features as well. For example, the ability to incorporate many more existing buildings into the construction to make C.A.M.P.s appear even more realistic. Setting up vending machines, power armors, and display cases in the shelter would also be quite good.
Regarding decorative items, I would love it if Bethesda would offer many more natural objects as building plans. A standing and lying beer bottle, plates, cutlery, plants, cigarette packs, various other large letters for walls, or similar.
The objects in the shelter can currently only be dismantled at the wall console. An “Store All Objects” button would be useful.
MeinMMO: What do you plan to do after your time as mayor of New Charleston?
Ghulasch: Currently, I am expanding and decorating New Charleston. In the future, I could imagine a farm or a military camp pretty well, but I decide that on a gut feeling. Usually, it’s something a bit crazier than the classic stuff.
MeinMMO: What do you particularly like about the new C.A.M.P. shelters?
Ghulasch: The possibilities and space are amazing. You can implement your ideas much more extensively and versatile. I also find it quite good that there is already some light in the shelters without having to place lamps yourself. Other entrances than the existing ones and naturally looking caves as shelters would be great in the future. Also, of course, the possibility to grow vegetables.
MeinMMO: What special features are there when building underground? For example, you cannot plant crops underground.
Ghulasch: Exactly. Currently, the new shelter system is quite nice, but I can’t imagine that it is very appealing to the majority of wastelanders, apart from the construction enthusiasts like me. Much of what can be built above ground cannot be utilized underground. Also, the placement of floors, roofs, and walls is not yet optimal, as you can currently only build free-standing rooms. Unfortunately, the walls do not reach up to the shelter ceiling. It would be interesting for many if they could build an underground shopping center or a production facility for plants. Otherwise, it’s quite nice that you can place objects floating.
MeinMMO: Thank you for the interview! If you would like, you can send some personal words and greetings.
Ghulasch: Greetings to the Vault-Tec-Germany group, KayGo, Pierre, and the others from my current gaming community, as well as my gaming buddy PittbullAmeise, whom I unfortunately had to leave on the PS4 due to the switch to Xbox. Of course, greetings also to my family and all the others who are struggling with the current situation.
New Charleston is always worth a visit
Ghulasch masters building in Fallout 76, but with New Charleston, he has outdone himself. Already in February 2019, we reported on the “Whale Penetration Museum”, his first project, for which he even charged admission. At that time, he was still playing Fallout 76 on the PS4. In the interview, he revealed to us that his PlayStation 4 Pro is now as loud as a jet engine. Since the loading times on Xbox are significantly shorter, he decided to switch.
If you play Fallout 76 on Xbox and want to see New Charleston for yourself, you can find the builder and mayor under the gamertag “Ghulasch.”
If you are looking for even more inspiration, check out the largest German Fallout 76 streamer. He shows you how stylish other players live.
