Am I the only person who played fallout 4 and felt like trash after ? Spoilers

trekcolencc1701

Active Member
3 days ago I finished playing fallout 4 and I have not continued playing since. It sounds corny but for some reason I felt like it all actually happened. And I don't want to play because I felt like I was to emotionally attached to the game. One thing that upset me was that Virgil (the super mutant in the glowing sea who was an institute scientist) made a deal that I would infiltrate the institute and return him a serum that would turn him human again. And unlike fallout 3 I actually cared for a super mutant. So turns out you betray him when you destroy the institute calling it his home and all of his " friends " died and he has a rage and turns hostile and you kill him Turns out this upsets piper and she turns hostile. So I reloaded the game and never came to see him. Not only that but you get a synth kid who resembles a ten year old Shaun and that your actual son the father programmed him to make him think he actually is your son . And you listen to an emotional holotape that the real Shaun left you. I turned the game off ..... Did anyone else feel this way? Am I just weird for feeling this way ? Anyway I just wanted to let that out ;)
 
I already gave Virgil the serum before I destroyed the Institute and never went back. I left the Shaun synth (after I couldn't blast him :lol ) because I figured that my BoS character on this play through would think it was an insult that they would steal his kid then replicate him. So if I needed the synth Shaun to hear that message... whoops. I think the main problem was that they never giver you a clear reason why the Institute is a threat. Yeah they're attacking isolated areas and kidnapping some people, but it was a minimal threat. I think it would have made more sense for the BoS to take out the actual Institute organization, but keep the base. Nuking the entire surrounding area just creates more problems. They could have put Dr. Li in charge to do something useful that wasn't mad science-y.
 
I agree the BOS ending was a bit hamfisted in that they killed how many folks in the ending that weren't causing issues. Honestly none of the factions are really all that likable. I'm hoping the DLCs will clear things up a bit.
 
I agree the BOS ending was a bit hamfisted in that they killed how many folks in the ending that weren't causing issues. Honestly none of the factions are really all that likable. I'm hoping the DLCs will clear things up a bit.

it upset me the most that In Fallout 3 they were ( at least they seemed ) like the right people to clean up the US and make things great again. well they kinda killed that off in New Vegas. And even more in this game. The main guy of the BOS was a complete warlord. he seemed more like a mobster or a " Master " rather than a respectable military leader
like the main leader in F 3. I loved the game but it left you with no straight answers. Especially if you did not join the Institute

Ive really starting to enjoy playing Mad Max, its fun and It doesn't make me like any of the characters the way Fallout did
 
I'm just past the battle of Bunker Hill. Is there no point at which you talk to Father or anyone else at the institute and get to ask about why they're actually replacing people or about the weird murderous synth rampages that seem to have happened in the past?
It just seems like my character isn't able to grill the NPCs the way I'd want to.
 
it upset me the most that In Fallout 3 they were ( at least they seemed ) like the right people to clean up the US and make things great again. well they kinda killed that off in New Vegas. And even more in this game. The main guy of the BOS was a complete warlord. he seemed more like a mobster or a " Master " rather than a respectable military leader
like the main leader in F 3. I loved the game but it left you with no straight answers. Especially if you did not join the Institute

Yeah. Maxxon (sp?) didn't seem like someone who was raised by Elder Lyons and Sarah Lyons. He has no empathy for anyone. It almost felt like they were confusing the Enclave and the BoS in this game. They don't even like regular humans, because they are contaminated by radiation. In F3 the one Ghoul at that Ghoul city in D.C. (forgot the name) said the BoS were jerks because they took shots at normal ghouls thinking they are feral. I don't think they were purposely trying to cleanse the Capital Wasteland of normal ghouls. In F4 the BoS just seems like it will kill ghouls regardless of whether they're normal or feral.
 
Yeah. Maxxon (sp?) didn't seem like someone who was raised by Elder Lyons and Sarah Lyons. He has no empathy for anyone. It almost felt like they were confusing the Enclave and the BoS in this game. They don't even like regular humans, because they are contaminated by radiation. In F3 the one Ghoul at that Ghoul city in D.C. (forgot the name) said the BoS were jerks because they took shots at normal ghouls thinking they are feral. I don't think they were purposely trying to cleanse the Capital Wasteland of normal ghouls. In F4 the BoS just seems like it will kill ghouls regardless of whether they're normal or feral.

The Ghoul City is Called the Underworld In the Museum of History( If i remember Correctly )
 
I've completed the game as the Institute and the Railroad.

Although idealogically I feel closer to the Railroad I did the Institute ending first as I figured that my character couldn't turn against his son regardless of what he was the head of (as I see it, slavery of self aware synths). I didn't feel too bad turning against the Brotherhood but I felt legitimate guilt killing the Railroad people. I felt like Vader turning to the Dark Side for family. :lol

Then I did the Railroad ending figuring I'd feel better about my decision and it felt worse. After all I did to find him I killed my son (although he was in bed dying, he got to see my betrayal). I haven't gone to see Virgil or synth Shaun since, but I did take him with me. Now I'll have to do that and see what happens. I did give VIrgil the serum earlier though.

Brotherhood is next. Don't like these guys much, but as opposed to my relatively merciful Railroad persona (I sounded the evacuation order using Shaun's terminal to avoid unnecessary casualties) I'll play it their way and slaughter everyone in the Institute and leave synth Shaun behind.

Then it's Minutemen last. They're pretty vanilla and thus far none of the other endings have required me to turn on them so we'll see what's required there.
 
Just finished the Minutemen ending myself, overall, I can't say i'm keen on any of these endings. You spend all this time with the faction, learning what and why, and then you go off and wipe them out because some other faction has issue.

The Minutemen was a bit of a shock, since they didn't seem specifically against any other faction in any serious way, and then the result of their attack on the institute is pretty...disruptive... of life in Boston.
 
I checked with Virgil (having given him the serum long before). he didn't turn hostile, but did say that I should go and never come back.

- - - Updated - - -

Just finished the Minutemen ending myself, overall, I can't say i'm keen on any of these endings. You spend all this time with the faction, learning what and why, and then you go off and wipe them out because some other faction has issue.

I feel the same way. Wish there was an ending in which you didn't have to pick a side at the expense of the others.
 
That's the wonder of modern video games. They help you feel something for the characters much like any other form of media. Look at The Walking Dead game from Telltale Games. Everyone has some sort of emotion about the characters in the game as well as the story that they go through. Drop kick you right in the feels.
 
So, revisited the game with the Far Harbor and Nuka World and I saw this thread.

Okay, maybe a dead thread.

If not, the Institute made it pretty clear they are create a race of slaves. What they didn't realize is their creations are going to be *better* than humans, so, they had to go.
The Brotherhood gave me a "my way, or the highway" attitude. Besides, three shots through the cockpits of a whirlybird with The Last Minute drops them.

So, I went with the Minute Man ending.

A synth son, is not a son, it is a synth.

A lot of the decision in the game where very grey, but the Institute becoming a glowing sheet of glass was earned.
 
Yeah I only have one quest left and I'll be pretty much done with the game. I didn't go the raider route, I have a habit of always being the good guy. I did the Minute Man/Rail Road route as well. All the workshop updates I really felt should have been in the game the whole time, which is why I feel cheated a bit, I wanted 5 real DLCs not a couple and just workshop upgrades. I still hope maybe they'll surprise us with more. Usually a game this big I'm not into completely restarting, especially since with this one there really wasn't a lot of options and they didn't have really major consequences. I worked for all the factions almost all of the game.
 
Then don't destroy the Institute. They were the only worthwhile faction in the game, the only faction that actually had any shot at making things better and returning the world to pre-war greatness. Funny, how everyone says the synths are slaves, when if you go to the Institute, all of the synths seem really happy for slaves.
 
Cephus,

the synths!?!?! There is a gardener synth guy in the Institute trying to escape. The railroad is not for happy synths. And the Institute scientist talk about the synths like property. They are so smug and full of themselves in the name of making things better. Diamond city has a synth that is doing real meaneypoo stuff as well.

I know, it is a game. Different perspectives, different opinions, but every game decision is murky.
 
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@Cephus,

the synths!?!?! There is a gardener synth guy in the Institute trying to escape. The railroad is not for happy synths. And the Institute scientist talk about the synths like property. They are so smug and full of themselves in the name of making things better. Diamond city has a synth that is doing real meaneypoo stuff as well.

I know, it is a game. Different perspectives, different opinions, but every game decision is murky.

But the only synths that have that problem are the ones that came into contact with and were poisoned by the Railroad. You have to remember that the Institute tried to work with the people of the Commonwealth originally. People in the Commonwealth are paranoid about the synths. Plus, as head of the Institute, you're in a position to change whatever you don't like about it while maintaining all of the technical advantages that the Institute brings to the table. It doesn't matter how many places Preston Garvey sends you, the Minutemen lack the technical knowhow to actually change anything. The Railroad and BOS are all fanatics with no interest in improving the lives of the people. Who is left?
 
Cephus,

Thanks for your post.

Ut oh, the inevitable "but".

But free thinking creatures aren't really being "poisoned" if they want to be free. If they learn there is more to life, then they should have been created with limitations, without that desire. Just because they are ignorant of being slaves does *not* make them slaves.

Preston sends you all over the place, but if you properly provide defenses, those locations are on cruise control. We are trying to rebuild the world after a nuclear war. There is also that nasty back room at the institute where ***SPOILER ALERT***you find out about the Supermutants being created. You are also going by the Institute's side of the story. Just like they created a synth Shaun to manipulate you, they ain't yo' fwends.

The Vaults were just as bad, drug abuse programs, human experiments, terrible stuff --all in the name of altruism. History repeats itself.

In my opinion the Minute Men had the least strings for humanity. Preston loses it when you let him know you nuked the Institute without warning. **ANOTHER SPOILER** The synths are kidnapping people and replacing them with synths, that is also pretty evil. They do terrible things, then try to kill you when discovered. They recognize they were made to be "superior."

I wish I got to see the big robot vs the institute battle this time around, it sounded cool, but I did that in Fallout 3, and I wasn't going to replay with kissing the brotherhood's rings.
 
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Wes R, Since you wrote the initial post, do you have any input? If you don't, no worries, but if you do... :confused
 
@Cephus,

Thanks for your post.

Ut oh, the inevitable "but".

But free thinking creatures aren't really being "poisoned" if they want to be free. If they learn there is more to life, then they should have been created with limitations, without that desire. Just because they are ignorant of being slaves does *not* make them slaves.

Preston sends you all over the place, but if you properly provide defenses, those locations are on cruise control. We are trying to rebuild the world after a nuclear war. There is also that nasty back room at the institute where ***SPOILER ALERT***you find out about the Supermutants being created. You are also going by the Institute's side of the story. Just like they created a synth Shaun to manipulate you, they ain't yo' fwends.

The Vaults were just as bad, drug abuse programs, human experiments, terrible stuff --all in the name of altruism. History repeats itself.

In my opinion the Minute Men had the least strings for humanity. Preston loses it when you let him know you nuked the Institute without warning. **ANOTHER SPOILER** The synths are kidnapping people and replacing them with synths, that is also pretty evil. They do terrible things, then try to kill you when discovered. They recognize they were made to be "superior."

I wish I got to see the big robot vs the institute battle this time around, it sounded cool, but I did that in Fallout 3, and I wasn't going to replay with kissing the brotherhood's rings.

Yet nobody complains about the Rebellion in Star Wars, which absolutely keeps free-thinking robots as slaves, wipes their memory all the time and welds restraining bolts to their bodies. The Rebels are much more guilty of egregious slave ownership than the Institute and nobody bats an eye. The difference is, Star Wars doesn't hit you over the head with a heavy-handed narrative about it like Fallout 4 does. It depicts Commonwealth settlers as abjectly paranoid about being replaced by synths but doesn't show us why. There are some myths we hear but we don't know how true they are.

But the thing is, synths really are property. If you walk into Advanced Biosciences or wherever it is, you can see synths being constructed. In fact, that's the only way synths come into existence, You can make whatever moral arguments you want, but like it or not, syths are produced, owned and controlled by the Institute. They are a science experiment, created to see if they could have independent thought. That's what Nick Valentine and DiMA were, experimental 2nd gen synths for that express purpose. As I said, once you take over the Institute, you could, theoretically, as a thought experiment of course, change how they treat synths if it bothers you so much.

And even if you have your settlements on cruise control, you still get endless cries for help, whether you need to go or not. Most of my settlements are ridiculously well defended, anything that shows up gets decimated in instants. I still get the "help defend XXX settlement" requests all the time. Every time you talk to Preston, no matter how well defended your settlements are, he still wants you to go wipe out raiders or Super Mutants. Everything the Minutemen do is about holding the line, it is never about making things better in the long term.

And yes, the Institute did work with the FEV virus. I don't think we're supposed to think that they created the Super Mutants everywhere, that makes no sense considering they are not localized on the East Coast, they appear in New Vegas and the original Fallout games that took place on the other side of the country. But we see plenty of Super Mutants in these games that just want to be left alone, that create their own sanctuaries and still, pretty much everyone in the game wants to wipe them out. Not much of a moral view that synths are worth saving but Super Mutants are not.

I agree with you about the Minutemen, which is why they and the Institute survived in my game. I wiped out the BoS and the Railroad because I had no choice in the matter. There's a very convoluted way that you can end the game without having to wipe out any of them but it's difficult and you have to start from the very beginning and not make any mistakes. Everyone in this game does horrible things to someone. Half of the Minutemen quests are "go wipe out this group over there that's not actually attacking at the moment, but they might, so make them dead". That's a morally questionable choice right there. There aren't any really good choices in this game. It's all morally gray. Some is more gray than others.
 
Fallout 4 by far has the most morally gray areas of any of the games so far. I think that's why the got rid of the playthrus of the past where you could be absolutely evil or totally good. Not sure they did it all that well but it's more realistic this way.
 
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