Reading my previous posts... it seems like I don't like Fallout 4. Actually, I do. I've finished the game four times now.... the last as recently as a month ago.
In every play through, I've told myself, "This time I am going to side with the Brotherhood or the Railroad or even with the Institute. I need to explore other areas and aspects of the Commonwealth and people." It never works. Never. I always eradicate the Railroad and the Institute. I go to war with the BoS.
Here's the skinny...
Oh... uh... Spoiler Alert!
The Institute.
Stated Goal: Saving the world.
Actual Goal: Kidnapping, Murder, Terrorism, and Chaos.... the Ends Justify the Means.
Sean has been indoctrinated to such an extent that he believes that he is Father. He has no acknowledgement for his murdered parent nor respect for his surviving parent. He believes his own destiny as Father... But in Institute speak, Father means mass murderer, peace means terror, and a better future means suffering and death.
The Brotherhood of Steel.
Stated Goal: Saving humanity, rebuilding the world, and proper use of technology.
Actual Goal: Murder of all opposition, fascism, and technology to enslave humanity.
The establishment of order in a chaotic and violent world is a good thing. But they alone, and by 'they' they mean their Fuhrer. Blind obedience to a cult of personality is reckless at best. Oh, they're brave... no doubt. Oh, they're true believers... no doubt. But the price of their success is an invasion of the Commonwealth (this very name finds new meaning under their regime) and trust that they will build a better world through murder and slavery.
The Railroad.
Stated Goal: Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity.
Actual Goal: Institute infiltration point for espionage, sabotage, and terroism.
The Railroad takes it's name from the nineteenth century American activists for abolition... and once I found out what Fallout 4's Railroad is doing, my character must destroy them for their blasphemy. Des and Glory are 'escaped' synths. They never consider that they are programmed and planted by the Institute for it's own ends. In order for synths to escape the Institute, there must be a covert group within to assist them... and there is no evidence of such support. All the evidence shows that the Institute knows everything the Railroad does and plans. And let me mention that the Railroad insists that there is no difference between humans and synths. WTF?!?! The only difference between a synth and a nail is it's appearance and it's multiple uses. It's still a creation of human beings. It is not a human.
The Minutemen.
Stated Goal: Timely paramilitary support for individuals and families building communities in a peaceful Commonwealth.
Actual Goal: Timely paramilitary support for individuals and families building communities in a peaceful Commonwealth.
Despite the fact that Preston Garvey is unprepared for his role... uneducated in leadership (inspiration, vision, finances, organization, and social infrastructure) and overy opinionated, he has a pretty good moral compass. When you find Preston's band, he insists on Sanctuary Hills as their destination even though Red Rocket, Abernathy Farm, and maybe Starlight Drive-In are closer. The Minutmen, alone of the factions, are honest. Their leadership of Preston and Gunny Grandma is beyond pathetic, but their commitment to actually doing good for humanity is unquestioned.
Every time I've used a nuke on the Institute.... and I've never given the alert to evacuate. Preston hates this. I don't blame him, but given the parameters of the mission and the realities of the situation, I've chosen to not evacuate the Institute. How many children die in the explosion? I dunno.... they're conspicuously absent from view every time I've been there. But I am offended by Preston's labeling of the scientists, non-military personnel, and spouses as innocent. I believe they've woken up every day of their adult lives and decided to engage in active kidnapping, torture, and muder upon the people of the Commonwealth. It's in my character's power to either grant clemency (thereby disseminating the values of intellectual totalitarianism and Father Knows Best throughout the world) or to condemn (thereby eradicating the physical, societal, and intellectual (a huge loss!) presence of the Institute). They lived by the mantra Father Knows Best... well, my character is Father's Father or Mother.... and so I used their own policy against them. I judged it better to attempt to preserve humanity's humanity than to support the devaluation of human life.
Anyway, the story bogs down at points. And the desire to see it all (it's a big world) tends to lead to decisions that suspend belief.
Also, I've played the DLC since my first game.
Nuka World. If you've read how I've reacted to the Brotherhood, the Railroad, and the Institute, then you'll know how I've dealt with the Raiders of Nuka World. I found this completely devoid of any meaningful story.
Automatron. Nice little story. It's over too quickly. But it's just another way to add robots.... it does not add human npcs. Wasted opportunity.
Workshops. Build more stuff in your settlements. Really breaks the story if you do this before finding Shaun. It's nice if you want to keep playing a certain character beyond finding Shaun.
Far Harbor. By far, the best DLC. It introduces a missing persons case for Valentine Detective Agency. The story quickly escalates inside a mini-world. A new companion. Three new factions... Acadia (the Railroad for the completely delusional), Far Harbor (insular and unpleasant humans), and the Children of Atom (they make the Brotherhood seem rational). A competitor to Nuka Cola. And Nick's origins are revealed. The highpoint is in choosing which faction survives.
Vault Tec. An Overseer (over two hundred years old and half insane) is now recruiting for residents in order to prove her Mengele inspired social utopia. You can build your own vault. Great concept! Too bad the build points are so limited. I could not build half of what I wanted.
