General Fallout 4 rant thread (Spoilers aplenty)

[Frankster]

All right we got a thread to talk about how much we love and hate Fo4 respectively..
But none where we can simply talk about the game's story or factions or whatever floats our respective boats.

So here it is! To stimulate discussion, a few talking points:

-Which faction did you side with and why?
-Favorite companion? Most hated companion?
-Favorite gun?
-How involved were you with the settlement building process?

I'll do the honours:

- Sided with the BoS. Previously I used to think the BoS views on technology and trying to hoard it all to be their weakness, but my view changed dramatically after meeting the Institute..who were everything the BoS warned about and more.
Meeting the Institute made me appreciate House from NV all over again, these scientists seem to be offering a similar deal as Mr House did back in the day..The promise of a brighter technological driven future. But House had vision and a clear plan, and despite being an immortal vegetable he still had more of a human connection with the outside then the institute did...Who keep repeating what they do is for humanity when its convenient and they have to justify their actions, but who otherwise clearly dont care at all about those living on the surface.

Going back to the BoS, meeting the institute convinced me only the BoS could put an end to the synth problem once and for all.
Speaking of synths, I got nothing against them and Nick is an awesome companion..I just dont want any more synths to be produced lest what remains of humanity gets overthrown easily by mass produced and superior robots who are far more suited to surviving in the wasteland.
Since I can't go half way on this, it leaves the BoS route as the only choice for me.

- Close call between Nick and Deacon for me. Danse also became a lot more awesome once I realized he was basically Buzz Lightyear (cant wait for the inevitable mod for that), all he needed was to say "to infinity...and beyond!" every time we jumped in a vertibird.
Otherwise Ive liked all my companions so far, haven't picked up Hancock or MacReady though.

-The 5.56mm machine gun is such a beast in this game..Large ammo clips, high stopping power with armor piercing capabilities and accurate. What more do you want?

Honorable mention to Institute advanced rifle, seems to spew an hail of pew pew blue plasma with little recoil, quickly resulting in dead enemies.

-Settlement building amused me decently enough but after a few semi developed settlements i decided to leave it for now. In a future playthrough Ill go all out on settlement building, but until there's mods that do things like add an armory or allow you to manage settlements in a better manner then having to manually run after settlers then manually assign them to stuff, id rather give it a pass for now. Still i had fun developping Sanctuary and the Castle at least.

 

[IceForce]

Well, I just got given my 'point of no return' message telling me that continuing the line of quests I'm on will cause the BoS to hate me forever. Oh well, their loss.
I still haven't really made up my mind on who out of the remaining factions to support. I guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.
Although I do like the idea of 'operating undercover' in the Institute in order to disrupt things from the inside (which the Railroad keeps instructing me to do). The Institute still hasn't seemed to cottoned on to my treachery yet, despite me putting down many of their synth guards and coursers. (I guess synths aren't real-time networked with homebase? That seems like a rather silly design oversight.)

You mentioned the production of synths, and on that note I have to say: That synth production machine in the robotics department of the Institute is simultaneously the most fascinating and frightening thing I've seen in a recent video game. I must've sat there for about 10 minutes watching it.

 

[Ikasury]

okay i'll play along cause why not~

i'm one of those people that play Fallout/Elder Scrolls/Bethesda games to AVOID the main quest XD which kinda screws me when they unlock required stuff, so for this one, especially with that opening, i was WAY MORE inclined to actually do it... i'm just sitting on the point of going 'in' to the Institute but already i have the three main factions lined up for who wants my attention... i haven't decided who to 'go with' all the way so far, but i've done a lot more Minutemen stuff then everyone else so i might just end up going for them since they're a fairly decent neutral 'we actually try to give a damn about this place' kind of people and not the most crazy... BOS has ALWAYS been fucking crazy, i join them to get my power suit... then kill them all because they're usually just going to end up going crazy and blowing themselves and everyone else around them up with them (Thank you Outcasts from Fo3 and that hinky bunker of them in NV) so while i 'like' Danse from the get go for some reason (now being told he's Buzz Lightyear i wonder if i can save him from the koolaid crazy) i'm not particularily inclined to join them other then getting their stuff and sabotage... the railroad also seems wonky with their whole 'subversive' tactics and hyper paranoia, understandable yes, but still... and i don't particularly have anything against the synths, especially the ones tossed on their butts like Valentine but too many would wipe out humanity, but don't see a reason to be rid of the ones already here...

suppose i'll just be going with the Minutemen cause they're like dopey little puppies... with mortars in every village

what was next? Companions? hrm... so far the dog... now i know what you're thinking, wtf?! now, i LIKE most of the other people... but they don't like me, generally i like to play as a cannibal-fisticuffs person, and since the build for this in this one seems to be 'CHOO-CHOO OF DOOM!' in powerarmor that basically marks off every companion for one reason or another since they'll either be pissed at me for eating super mutants instead of healing with food or angry i'm running around in power armor (you almost had it Strong, almost!!) otherwise i've been running around with Nick Valentine a lot, he just amuses me and seems the least offended i eat people... though its funny that he gets offended by that...

favorite gun? THAT'S RACIST!! er... i mean... weaponist? like i said, i love fisticuffs, so when i'm not trumping around in a suit of decked out teslas on every arm and torso powerarmor punching deathclaws out like a terminator i'm using the Furious Power Fist, that does progressively more damage with each hit to an enemy, its delightfully cheap XD though if i'm using a gun its to snipe, so a .50 cal decked out irradiated sniper rifle :3

and as for building settlements... considering the Minutemen WON'T SHUT UP about having to 'save' people and their damn towns despite whatever i'm doing, and i have a sizable number of places filled out to the point i'm turning OFF recruiting beacons... i think i got fairly into it... least enough to have established towns with all the amenities for those there and all that shenanigans... and mortars... everywhere!

suppose i should stop dicking around and go stop the boogeymen or something :3

 

[WolfThomas]

allow you to manage settlements in a better manner then having to manually run after settlers then manually assign them to stuff

There is a bell that will summon them all if that makes it easier.

 

[Frankster]

You mentioned the production of synths, and on that note I have to say: That synth production machine in the robotics department of the Institute is simultaneously the most fascinating and frightening thing I've seen in a recent video game. I must've sat there for about 10 minutes watching it.

Heh Im surprised Institute didn't turn hostile on you once you started gunning down coursers.

And yeh, that synth production machine! What blew my mind is up to now when fighting synths they were always clearly robotic underneath..But these new ones seemed like they were making humans entirely from scratch! There was no metal that I could see, it was all organic materials and a perfect replica of how the body works.
To say the line between synth and humans was blurred is an understatement, by that point the line had faded to obscurity long ago. And the fact it seemed to take less then 1 minute to make a new super life like synth that is all but indistinguishable from humans..And using them as slave labor/military to boot... The institute was a catastrophe just waiting to happen, hence why I went crying back to the BoS, they were the only ones willing to put a stop to it.

Wasteland Builder snip

I have this image of a punch happy cannibal merrily strolling across the wasteland, founding new settlements as he goes and ultimately founding a new nation based on the principals of cannibalism and where disputes are settled by fisticuffs

Otherwise I share your view on synths: spare the ones already existing and let them live normally, prevent the construction of any new synths..Speaking of which...

I'm curious if once you find the Institute and discover what they have under their skirts...If it'll make you change your mind on which faction to align with like it did for me.

Also visiting the Institute doesn't affect your loyalties so feel free to visit it for the first time whenever you want, you'll get a clear message once you do something that makes another faction your enemy.

There is a bell that will summon them all if that makes it easier.

And where is this bell? Somewhere near the default workshop in each settlement I wager. Would certainly make things a little more convenient even if I'd still prefer a menu or an rts style overhead view.

 

[Elfgore]

Faction- First play-through is currently with the Brotherhood of Steel, which I'm starting to regret. Bethesda decided to drop the goody-goody-two-shoes thing from Fallout 3 and make them pretty damn repulsive at times. Their pure, utter hatred of Synths and without even questioning why, having you kill one of their best soldiers because he happens to be one. Not to mention, they now have two stashes of nuclear weapons and they've rebuilt their ultimate weapon once again. I'm starting to get worried.

Companion- Favorite would be Codsworth. We get along like fire and ice, but still doesn't mean I don't like him. Too bad my lifestyle of taking stuff, especially if it is behind locked things, from people who just tried to murder me pisses him off.

Least favorite would be Preston. He's just a dude with a laser musket, not to mention he's pretty bland personality wise.

Favorite Weapon- I got a special place for the Righteous Authority laser rifle. That epic sound, that pretty good damage, and high ammo count. I'm in love.

Settlement Building- I've built up Sanctuary and The Castle, but stopped caring after that. I've got better things to do then build up over a dozen settlements and baby-sit them from raider attacks.

 

[buttonsandzips]

Faction: Institute. Because of my choices (in the speech, in my dealings with the institute, etc) the whole thing felt like my character would change the institute from within for a better future with the commonwealth.

Companion: Cait, because of her awesome accent and out of all the companions I maxed, she's the only one who had a related quest line. Preston was kind of bland. I dropped him fairly quickly.

Favorite Weapon: I always go for the hunting Rifle in these games and this one was no exception. I got my hands on a short hunting rifle pretty early and modded it up from there. It lasted me right up to the end game and while the gauss rifle did the heavy lifting at that point, it still saw use.

Settlement Building: Not at all.

 

[SlumlordThanatos]

Faction: Still playing through the story mode, but I plan on siding with the Railroad. The Institute decided to play God and their experiment has created beings with free will and the self-awareness to use it. I agree with the Brotherhood that making synths is dangerous, but I can't quite go so far as to want to exterminate them. The Brotherhood also seems just a tad bit...fascist, so I can't support them in good conscience.

I'm not sure if the Minutemen are a faction that you can side with in the endgame; if they are, I should probably start building settlements (ick).

Companion: I'm surprised I'm not seeing more love for Curie, though that might be because I have a weakness for her character type. You know, the kind, sweet, slightly naive girl with the exotic accent...the type of character that shows up in pretty much every recent BioWare game. I just wish she would make up her mind which weapon she wants to use...and that she is was a bit more sneaky.

Favorite Weapon: My faithful sniper rifle, Tinker Tom's Special. Bought it because it has a suppressor and I couldn't put one on my gun at the time. Rechambered it for .50, and used it ever since. I might need to retire it for my Gauss Rifle, but that time hasn't arrived yet.

Settlement Building: Tried it, didn't like it, ignored it. Might grit my teeth and deal with it if it means I can side with the Minutemen in the end game.

 

[God'sFist]

Faction? considering my character and who I like to play based on what I've heard I would probably go brotherhood or institute mostly because I want to exterminate life and keep the chaos going. But if neither one holds that then I go with myself.

Companions are just not a thing I usually play with they either get in the way or are so OP I don't get to kill things but as to which one I currently hate the most it would be Piper screw her the lying ***** who just wants to stir things up.

Favorite weapon is a bit hard to pin down but I'm enjoying my shotguns and laser weapons.

Considering I would rather kill you than live with you in game. Settlements don't make to much sense for a character of mine to build. murder and chaos for the win

 

[IceForce]

Alright, an update: (Spoilers!)

I sided with the Railroad, which entailed blowing up the Prydwen (with an undercover mission involving some hilarious lines of dialogue), and then blowing up the Institute (it was Megaton all over again). Maybe I just like blowing stuff up, who knows...
Anyway, I'm happy with the ending that I got. Synth mass-production and forced-servitude has now ceased, and the existing synths have been freed.

Oh, and I also... err, 'adopted' uhh 'Shaun', the kid. Blowing up the Institute and taking that kid as my son feels... remarkably weird. I swear this game is messing with my head...

 

[IceForce]

Faction- First play-through is currently with the Brotherhood of Steel, which I'm starting to regret. Bethesda decided to drop the goody-goody-two-shoes thing from Fallout 3 and make them pretty damn repulsive at times. Their pure, utter hatred of Synths and without even questioning why, having you kill one of their best soldiers because he happens to be one. Not to mention, they now have two stashes of nuclear weapons and they've rebuilt their ultimate weapon once again. I'm starting to get worried.

Yeah, I'm kinda glad I gave the BoS the big middle finger in this game. The BoS are actually supposed to be assholes, it's just that Bethesda screwed up their portrayal in FO3, (the Outcasts in that game are a lot closer to what the 'true' Brotherhood is like, or indeed also the way they're portrayed in FONV too).

 

[EternallyBored]

Faction- First play-through is currently with the Brotherhood of Steel, which I'm starting to regret. Bethesda decided to drop the goody-goody-two-shoes thing from Fallout 3 and make them pretty damn repulsive at times. Their pure, utter hatred of Synths and without even questioning why, having you kill one of their best soldiers because he happens to be one. Not to mention, they now have two stashes of nuclear weapons and they've rebuilt their ultimate weapon once again. I'm starting to get worried.

Yeah, I'm kinda glad I gave the BoS the big middle finger in this game. The BoS are actually supposed to be assholes, it's just that Bethesda screwed up their portrayal in FO3, (the Outcasts in that game are a lot closer to what the 'true' Brotherhood is like, or indeed also the way they're portrayed in FONV too).

They seem to have become a mix of the West coast BoS and the Enclave, the WBoS is mostly just about hoarding technology and being isolationists, they helped against the Master's army and the West coast Enclave, but more so out of self preservation and repaying the protagonist than the crusade Maxson seems to be on in FO4. The West coast fucked up at some point by trying to hit the NCR, and almost got annihilated for it, but even then they mostly only seem to care about themselves in NV, they care more about hoarding laser weapons and power armor in bunkers than they do about actually trying to exterminate super mutants or ghouls.

The BoS in 4 seems to have adopted the enclaves proactive approach in wanting to carve out their own territory and resurrect the "purity" of humanity pre-war, also dropping a lot of the isolation to recruit wastelanders into their ranks. Maxson himself sounds a lot like the Enclave with a slightly more tolerant view of baseline human wastelanders.

They're definitely a legitimate threat in this game, NV kind of relegated the BoS to being a bunch of sad dying relics of a fading age, in which most endings involve just putting their sad little bunker out of its misery. The BoS in 4 with the Prydwen and fleet of vertibirds is closer to a fledgling NCR in scope and power, although one that's much more military focused than the NCR's bureaucratic bloat.

 

[Elfgore]

Faction- First play-through is currently with the Brotherhood of Steel, which I'm starting to regret. Bethesda decided to drop the goody-goody-two-shoes thing from Fallout 3 and make them pretty damn repulsive at times. Their pure, utter hatred of Synths and without even questioning why, having you kill one of their best soldiers because he happens to be one. Not to mention, they now have two stashes of nuclear weapons and they've rebuilt their ultimate weapon once again. I'm starting to get worried.

Yeah, I'm kinda glad I gave the BoS the big middle finger in this game. The BoS are actually supposed to be assholes, it's just that Bethesda screwed up their portrayal in FO3, (the Outcasts in that game are a lot closer to what the 'true' Brotherhood is like, or indeed also the way they're portrayed in FONV too).

Did Bethesda actually screw them up though, or just change them to how they wanted them to be. I mean the outcast exists in the base game and they straight up say why they broke apart, they have some self-awareness that they changed things. I actually like how they portrayed them in Fallout 3 just because it is so misleading to how they actually are. So people pretty much instinctively signed up thinking they're the good guys, when in reality they're pretty much lawful evil.

 

[WolfThomas]

There is a bell that will summon them all if that makes it easier.

And where is this bell? Somewhere near the default workshop in each settlement I wager. Would certainly make things a little more convenient even if I'd still prefer a menu or an rts style overhead view.

Its under misc items to build can place it anywhere. There is also a door mat that changes the fast travel location.

 

[Veldel]

I sided with the Institute honestly they are not as evil as they are talked about if as any as any other faction.


I was roleplay in a mother desperate for her family and wanting to get her son back no matter who she had to take down

 

[Ikasury]

Wasteland Builder snip

I have this image of a punch happy cannibal merrily strolling across the wasteland, founding new settlements as he goes and ultimately founding a new nation based on the principals of cannibalism and where disputes are settled by fisticuffs

Otherwise I share your view on synths: spare the ones already existing and let them live normally, prevent the construction of any new synths..Speaking of which...

I'm curious if once you find the Institute and discover what they have under their skirts...If it'll make you change your mind on which faction to align with like it did for me.

Also visiting the Institute doesn't affect your loyalties so feel free to visit it for the first time whenever you want, you'll get a clear message once you do something that makes another faction your enemy.

i have no idea why, but i always end up just punching things' heads off and eating them... seems like a legit strategy in post-apocalyptia XD

and here i always try to start as a sneaky-sneaky-snipy-snipy camo type that's all alturistic and killing/assassining for the right reasons... and an excuse to steal people's stuff...

always devolves into cannibal-fisticuffs... i try, i really do, though with the whole 'kid' thing and this vault-dweller being pre-war it brings about the question in my mind if she were a cannibal before the war and passed it on to her son? XD

and hey, i keep TRYING to tell these people its a perfectly natural response to being shot at... eat what you kill and all that but they get all pissy about politeness and humanity and whatnot, Dogmeat at least agrees with me~

and yea, once i stop trolling around for parts to sup up my powerarmor i will be heading in to see this institute and their shenanigans... they're supposed to be worse then the 'Kill the Mutant, Burn the Heretic, Purge the Unclean' BoS right? i suddenly really miss Lyons :.(

wonder what Buzz will think of me noming on people/ghouls/supermutants... you'd figure that'd just make the BoS shoot you on sight right?

punchy-punchy-nom-nom

 

[JemothSkarii]

-Which faction did you side with and why?
Brotherhood of Steel. I liked how they were closer to the West Coast counterparts (They've always disliked ghouls and mutants), and having Vertibirds fly overhead and drop back up was fun. For a while I wound up following a Legendary Knight to see what kind of crazy advdentures he got up to. I tried to play a hardline BoS character, the the game calls for 'concerned parent' too much that it kind of ruined it.

Plus there was one mission that was super fun:

Spoiler: BoS story spoiler

You have to go in and purge The Railroad. Going in there with power armour was all kinds of hilarious. Damned hippies.

Oh, that and any mention of Elder Lyons is that he was pretty awful at being an Elder. So bonus points there. Also the whole 'Elder's name is Arthur' and 'Prydwen is the name of King Arthur's ship' is nice.

-Favorite companion? Most hated companion?
I don't really have a favorite companion. Either they bugged out and didn't trigger conversations no matter how much approval I gained or I just sucked, but nobody was all that interesting. I did manage to almost max out Nick... so I'll say Nick for now. Hancock was okay I guess. Worst companion was a toss up between Preston and Deacon. Preston because he was a super boring goody two-shoes that vomited quests if you got within a mile of him, and Deacon because he was this unfunny surfer sounding Railroad guy.

-Favorite gun?
I'd say the laser rifle if it didn't chew through Fusion Cells like no tomorrow. Never could scrounge enough ammo for it. I did wind up making a semi auto rifle from the Combat Rifle, found a 'unique' one that did double damage to full health enemies, so that worked wonders.
Once you learn how shallow modding is and what little actual variety there is in weapons because of it though... well, I'd hardly say I have a favorite.

-How involved were you with the settlement building process?
Not very; the controls were so frustrating and I wasn't doing Minutemen stuff so it didn't matter. Did put some things around Sanctuary though. Basically just fixed up the house I lived in before the war.

 

[IceForce]

If anyone's wondering, that unique ability you get if you side with the BoS (where you can call in a Vertibird pickup anytime you want), well, you get granted exactly the same ability if you side with the Railroad and complete their questline to the end.
So if the Vertibird thing is a sticking point for some people, then be aware that you don't necessarily have to side with the BoS to get it.

On a completely unrelated note, [Speak as Shroud] needs to become a meme.