I really doubt that's all Bethesda was trying to get at. and while they might not have been as psychological in their approach as i stated above, i don't think they made it all one big joke. some of the people's stories are rather sad, the way they live and such. But that's me, I immerse myself into my game rather wholly. That's the whole point of lore, really. It makes the game more personally involving because your learning it's history.

actually to have them behave in the "normal" crazy way as it is now in most psychiatric institutions ..it would be completely boring anyhow... there's just people going around their business (my brother is one of those ehmm ow yea "nutcases" )

this is meant to entertain.. normal people get hit twice with a sword and hit the ground.

in call of duty on hard mode i empty a whole clip around a soldier..

games mostly work with cliches because they just simply put "work" ..