Lee Oliver

General Lee Oliver is the commanding officer of the New California Republic Army in the Mojave Wasteland in 2281. He appears during the endgame of Fallout: New Vegas.
==Background==
A career New California Republic Army soldier, General Lee Oliver is an outspoken supporter of President Aaron Kimball's campaign of eastward expansion into the Mojave.The Courier: "I have no intention of leaving you empty-handed."Lee Oliver: ""The Courier: ""Lee Oliver: "[SUCCEEDED] If you're buying our ear for the moment, Hoover Dam's more than a fistful of caps to my superiors. Vegas is interesting... the East... That'll take too long to build up to generate capital - 'course, since you'd have to guard it during that time... don't know, could go either way."The Courier: ""Lee Oliver: "[SUCCEEDED] Hnh. Willing to tackle the caravan families? Keeping that bunch in line... well, that's no easy job. In fact, that's such a shitty job, those caravan families will be the one bottlecapping you to death inch by inch - and that sounds good to me. Be a nice turnabout from your friend, House, and all the bottlecapping he's been doing to NCR for years. Sounds sweet to me."(General Oliver's dialogue) As the commander of the republic's forces in the Mojave, he is responsible for the overall strategy in the theater. General Oliver and Chief Hanlon were instrumental in the NCR's victory at the First Battle of Hoover Dam,Honest Hearts intro: "Well at Hoover Dam, the Malpais Legate finally met his match. Hanlon and Oliver kicked his New Canaanite butt right back over the river." but Oliver remains bitter that the NCR Rangers under Hanlon received most of the credit for the victory, which has negatively affected his strategy going forward.The Courier: "What will you do if I don't turn you in?"Hanlon: "Oliver can't stand that rangers got credit for victory at Hoover. Whatever I recommend, he does the opposite. I said I wanted them on the ridge. He put them right on the western part of the dam itself. We don't have enough firepower to hold that spot. If the troopers fall back, and they will, the rangers will advance to cover Oliver's retreat. We lose the dam, Oliver and the senate are ruined."(Hanlon's dialogue) As leader of the Mojave Campaign, Oliver has been derided by other members of the NCRA and observers as a blockheaded, aggressive glory hound without the forethought necessary to win the war.Joshua Sawyer Formspring posts/2011:Question: "General Oliver doesn't seem to grasp basic military strategy. What real life persons were an inspiration for his character? Would you agree Oliver's the main cause the war is going badly for the NCR?"Joshua Sawyer: "He's a mishmash of various aggressive, blockheaded military commanders. Generals LeMay and Patton are obvious examples, though completely without the forethought of those two men." 
This is perhaps best exemplified by his preparations for the Second Battle of Hoover Dam, which Robert House derisively refers to as "tunnel vision."The Courier: "How will the NCR defend Hoover Dam?"Robert House: "General Oliver's - or "tunnel vision," as I like to call it - has been to mass troops at Hoover Dam. He wants to out-fight the Legion in a straight-forward slugging match, and then, when they rout, pursue and destroy them in detail. A crushing, decisive victory of this sort would overshadow the tactical ingenuity of Chief Hanlon's defense four years ago, you see."(Robert House's dialogue) NCRA forces have been concentrated on Hoover Dam, at the cost of NCR positions elsewhere in the Mojave, and Legion activity across the region has been ignored or met with token responses. While the Legion builds an increasingly strong foothold on the western bank of the Colorado River at Cottonwood Cove, Lee recently left his administrative post at Camp McCarran to continue the build up of the garrison at the dam proper. There he intends to confront the Legion in a glorious great battle with a mass of NCR troops in an attempt to destroy the enemy through attrition.Mr. New Vegas: "Unconfirmed reports say NCR's General Lee Oliver may have uprooted from his post at Camp McCarran in order to be present at Hoover Dam. NCR sources say that holding the Dam against Caesar's Legion has become their main strategic priority, and this move would not be unexpected."(Mr. New Vegas' dialogue) This strategy has earned him the defamatory moniker "General Wait-and-see" among many lower-ranking officers and soldiers, who generally do not think much of him, and believe that he got his post largely due to cronyism.The Courier: "What do you think of General Oliver?"Craig Boone: "Didn't know him. He's a signature on my discharge papers. Wasn't real popular, though. Even overheard my C.O. complain about him once. General Wait-and-see, he called him."(Craig Boone's dialogue)The Courier: "Do you know Colonel Hsu at all?"Craig Boone: "Yeah. He introduced himself to me once. I shook his hand. Doubt he'd remember me now, though. When he looked at you, you could see he understood. After some of the things we'd seen, that meant something. What I heard, he'd be a general right now if Oliver didn't know the president."(Craig Boone's dialogue)
The situation is complicated by Oliver's personal grudge against the NCR Rangers and Chief Hanlon, due to the role they played during the First Battle of Hoover Dam in 2277. The strategic ingenuity of Hanlon's plan earned him widespread praise and popularity, obscuring Oliver and the regular NCRA's contributions. As a result, Oliver is determined to win the second battle entirely with his own methods, to the point of obstinately refusing to listen to Hanlon's input and jeopardizing Rangers in the field.The Courier: "Tell me about General Oliver."Hanlon: "Oh, well... now, you'll have to excuse me. The general and I don't always see eye to eye on things. Maybe it's best that I just say that he is a trooper, through and through. The man will not give up an inch for anything, least of all to the Legion."(Hanlon's dialogue)
Despite this, Oliver is not without redeeming qualities. He is a patriot, dedicated to the NCR and what it stands for. At the same time, he is also a rational man, unwilling to throw his men away at a lost cause or to just protect the NCR's honor if he is convinced he would lose. He has the republic's interests at heart and is willing to commit drastic changes to the campaign if he is convinced they would benefit the Republic in the long term.The Courier: ""Lee Oliver: "[SUCCEEDED] Perhaps I do have a secret tunnel out of here. But that doesn't change anything. My duty is to stay and fight."The Courier: ""Lee Oliver: "[SUCCEEDED] Y-You're right. These men have placed their lives in my hands, and I won't throw them away for a lost cause. Don't expect to hold this place for very long, however. The NCR will be back."(General Oliver's dialogue)
==Interactions with the player character==
===Interactions overview===
===Quests===
* Eureka!: If the Courier sides with the NCR, General Oliver is the one to brief one on their objectives at the beginning of the battle. After the victory, Oliver personally congratulates the Courier in the Legate's camp.
* All or Nothing, No Gods, No Masters: If the Courier chose either to work with Mr. House or to fight for an independent Vegas, Lee Oliver also appears after Lanius is dealt with. He can be talked down with a Barter, Science or Speech check (100) or killed by the Securitrons. Additionally, in a scene exclusive to the independent path, if the general is convinced to tell his troops to stand down, the player character can then order him thrown off Hoover Dam, resulting in a cutscene where Yes Man throws Oliver over the side of one of the dam's watchtowers.
* Veni, Vidi, Vici: If the Courier has chosen to aid Caesar, the player character will need to battle their way through his defenses and reach his personal compound within the dam. There, Oliver can be persuaded to withdraw from the Mojave. If not, he escapes to his office, being protected by force fields.
===Effects of player's actions===
* If the player character sides with the NCR, Oliver becomes a public hero, lauded for his leadership and strategic and tactical ability while more modest leaders like Colonel James Hsu and Chief Hanlon shy away from the limelight.Fallout: New Vegas endings: "Due to the Courier's intervention, Chief Hanlon abandoned his plan to sabotage the defense of Hoover Dam. The rangers assisted the troopers admirably during the Legion's ill-fated attack. Though General Oliver and Chief Hanlon were both praised for their leadership, the chief quietly stepped out of the spotlight. After a brief fanfare for a life full of accomplishments, Chief Hanlon retired and returned to the peace and quiet of his ranch in Redding."
* If the player character sides with Mr. House, Caesar's Legion or takes charge of an independent New Vegas and passes all the Speech checks needed to convince Oliver to withdraw rather than fight to the death, Oliver's military career is ruined by the NCR's failure in the Mojave campaign. If the player character sides with him, Mr. House states in dialogue that there is a 36.5% probability Oliver will commit suicide.Robert House: "No need to worry about the General, by the way. He'll be held responsible, publicly disgraced... 36.5% probability of suicide, by my estimate... Kimball won't be able to save him - he'll be too busy getting thrown out of office. But less than a 3% chance of suicide, mind you."(Robert House's dialogue) 
* If the player character sides with Mr. House, Caesar's Legion or creates an independent New Vegas and does not pass or attempt the Speech checks, Oliver stands his ground.The Courier: "<Attack> Actually, nothing of the sort. We've come to exterminate you."Lee Oliver: "Figured as much. Come on, you sons of bitches. We're ready."(General Oliver's dialogue)
==Notes==
* Ulysses mentions Oliver in Lonesome Road.The Courier: "'Ulysses.' Not the myth. You're honoring history, not stories."Ulysses: "History. Yes. Ulysses walked a hard road. A general, like Caesar and Oliver. He was Brahmin-stubborn, gave him strength on the battlefield. He led his side to victory, turned two flags into one. That's when he lost - when the fighting was done, the sickness took hold. Lesson there, if history's to be believed. One you should heed."(Ulysses' dialogue) 
* In Fallout: Wasteland Warfare, Oliver is named as "General Oliver" on the packaging of the NCR: Top Brass set. However, the unit card uses his full name, "General Lee Oliver", as the name of the unit.
==Inventory==
==Notable quotes==
==Appearances==
General Lee Oliver appears and Fallout: Wasteland Warfare.
==Behind the scenes==
* Joshua Sawyer stated that the inspiration for the character was "a mishmash of various aggressive, blockheaded military commanders", such as George S. Patton and Curtis LeMay, though without their foresight.
* General Lee Oliver is the Ace of Hearts in the deck of Vault playing cards included with the Collector's Edition of Fallout: New Vegas.
==Bugs==
 Killing him might cause him to become "unconscious," but never getting back up, making it impossible for the player to loot his body. 
==Gallery==
===Fallout: New Vegas===
LeeOliver.png|General Oliver with his .44 revolver
Eureka.png|General Lee Oliver and Vault Boy, as they appear in the achievement/trophy for Eureka!
Oliver thrown off dam.png|General Lee Oliver, being thrown from the dam by Yes-Man
FNV Oliver's compound sign.jpg
FNV Olivers Compound.png
Veni Vidi Vici.jpg|Veni, Vidi, Vici
File:General Oliver Front.png|Collector's Edition playing card, featuring Oliver's cap
===Fallout: Wasteland Warfare===
FOWW,Oliver.png|General Lee Oliver in Fallout: Wasteland Warfare
FOWW,OliverUnitCard.jpg|Unit card
Fallout wasteland warfare NCR top brass.png
===Magic: The Gathering===
Fallout Magic Battle of Hoover Dam.png|Battle of Hoover Dam
Fallout Magic Battle of Hoover Dam Extended Art.png|Battle of Hoover Dam (Extended Art)
==References==
Non-game
Category:Fallout: New Vegas human characters
Category:Collector's Edition playing card characters
Category:Fallout: New Vegas NCR characters
Category:New California Republic Army characters
Category:Hoover Dam characters
Category:Fallout: Wasteland Warfare characters
de:Lee Oliver
es:Lee Oliver
fr:Lee Oliver
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ru:Генерал Ли Оливер
uk:Генерал Лі Олівер
zh:李·奥利弗