Confirmed Bachelor and Cherchez la Femme in Fallout: New Vegas

In Fallout: New Vegas, as players level up their player characters they can select from various perks which will improve their PC’s performance or allow of unique gameplay experiences. Four of these perks are gender specific: female PCs can use the Black Widow and Cherchez La Femme perks, while male PCs can use the Lady Killer and Confirmed Bachelor Traits. Black Widow and Lady Killer were also in Fallout 3 and allow PCs to perform more damage on and have unique dialogue options with certain gender NPCs. In turn, Cherchez La Femme and Confirmed Bachelor were added in Fallout: New Vegas and give PCs the ability to perform more damage on and have unique dialogue options with same gender NPCs. Many of these “unique” interactions involve being able to flirt with NPCs, which is why some players have asserted that Confirmed Bachelor and Cherchez La Femme are “gay perks” (here, here, here, here). Aside from hiring sex workers (see below), however, the only perk that allows PCs to actually have sex with NPCs is Black Widow. Moreover, as there are more male NPCs in the game, one guide suggests Black Widow and Confirmed Bachelor are the more useful perks (Martin, 2012).

The full list of unique interactions the Confirmed Bachelor and Cherchez La Femme perks allow for can be found by follow the links above. Below we just outline the same-sex flirting or gay/lesbian specific interactions they allow.

Confirmed Bachelor

This perk allows male PCs to flirt with Major Knight, Arcade Gannon, an unnamed male sex worker at Gommorah, their own brain in the DLC Old World Blues, as well as hire Jimmy and invite Carlye St. Clair III to have sex. Alex Richards will also flirt with PCs who have this perk. It also allows players to complement or refer to the appearance of male characters Jack, Ignacio Rivas, but tell Cass that the PC is not interested in her romantically. Most of these can be seen in this video.

Cherchez La Femme

This perk allows female PCs to get information (largely via flirting) from the Omerta receptionist,  Sweetie from Casa Madrid, various female sex workers, and Dala and LIght Swith 02 in Old World Blues. They can also flirt with Corporal Betsy, their own brain in the DLC Old World Blues, and hire Joana for free or Dazzle for a discount in New Vegas. Cass will drunkenly tell PCs with this perk that she doesn’t care who she shares a bed with. Finally, PCs with this perk allows players to understand Christine better and find out she was separated from her female lover.

Citations:

  1. Black Widow. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Black_Widow
  2. Cherchez la Femme. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Cherchez_La_Femme
  3. Confirmed Bachelor. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Confirmed_Bachelor
  4. Confirmed Bachelor is a gay perk. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/959559-fallout-new-vegas/57426321
  5. Couier’s Brain. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Courier%27s_brain
  6. Does Confirmed Bachelor make you gay? Or just a really reliable friend? (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/959557-fallout-new-vegas/61653950
  7. Fallout. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/VideoGame/Fallout
  8. Fallout: New Vegas perks. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Fallout:_New_Vegas_perks
  9. Hague, V. (2015, August 2). Looking Back (and Forward)– Fallout: New Vegas. I’m With Geek. http://imwithgeek.com/vanessahague/looking-back-and-forward-fallout-new-vegas/
  10. Lady Killer. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Lady_Killer
  11. LGBT characters in video games. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_characters_in_video_games
  12. Martin, B. (2012, April 18). Everything You Want to Know About Fallout Vegas Perks: Traits and Levels 2-6. Altered Gamer. http://fallout.alteredgamer.com/fallout-new-vegas/120939-everything-you-want-to-know-about-fallout-vegas-perks-traits-and-levels-2-6/
  13. Openly Gay/Bi characters in New Vegas? (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.250236-Openly-Gay-Bi-characters-in-New-Vegas
  14. Saylor, C. (2012, November 11). Fallout New Vegas Confirmed Bachelor Compilation. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpgleFF6PMw
  15. Sterling, J. (November 10, 2010). Homosexuality and Fallout: New Vegas: A gay marriage made in gay Heaven. Retrieved from http://www.gamefront.com/homosexuality-and-fallout-new-vegas-a-gay-marriage-made-in-gay-heaven
  16. Talk: Cherchez La Femme. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.gamepedia.com/Talk:Cherchez_La_Femme
  17. What’s with all the homosexuality? (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Forum:What’s_with_all_the_homosexuality%3F
  18. Wonder how many refuse to get COnfirmed Bacheler. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/959557-fallout-new-vegas/59959123?page=1