Why should we believe shaun?

[whodat1]

Listen to what is playing on the radio as you go through Kellogg's memories. On the last memory the radio DJ is Travis talking about Piper and this is with 10 year old Shaun present. The old guy can't be your son.

[Thaneize]

you seen that synth boy shaun at the end of the game right?

[Stronglav]

I have a problem siding with a guy who calls death of his father:colladeral damage.

And his mother is just an experiment to him.

There is something seriously wrong with this old guy.

[TheGadget1945]

It always seemed to me that it would be a be a nice twist if "young Shaun" was actually your real son, particularly as I let him die in my second playthrough.

Within the logic of the game if old Shaun was dying of cancer why couldn't he have had Doctor Amari pour his mind into a synth body?

On the subject of synths generally I have downloaded this mod http://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/14484/? which highlights synth settlers (but not Curie or some others such as Coursers. I have heard it said that Synths don't sleep but I found one synth settler in bed asleep, unless she she was pretending of course !

[cossayos]

 

 

Daddy wanders into the institute and is reunited with kiddo Shaun who is all grown up, but we're just supposed to take his word on it that he is the real Shaun and the protag just accepts this if you go down that road. It seems that even if the protag doesn't go along with the Institute he/she still sort of accepts that the old man before them is their kidnapped son.

 

 

As for me, I'm sure it's the real Shaun. Mostly playing the female, I always create the most ugly Nate humanly possible. And Shaun looks the part. Genes at work, obviously. If I buy his tale is another story entirely.

[AnvilOfWar]

I have a problem siding with a guy who calls death of his father:colladeral damage.

And his mother is just an experiment to him.

There is something seriously wrong with this old guy.

 

You know, I have to say this is the best reasoning to not join the institute, besides when one thinks about it, all of the more recent "institute is bad" things happening in the wasteland are directly Shawn's fault.

[cossayos]

 

I have a problem siding with a guy who calls death of his father:colladeral damage.

And his mother is just an experiment to him.

There is something seriously wrong with this old guy.

 

You know, I have to say this is the best reasoning to not join the institute, besides when one thinks about it, all of the more recent "institute is bad" things happening in the wasteland are directly Shawn's fault.

 

 

Which brings me to a general problem of Bethesda games. Good storytelling would offer the chance for a turnaround. Even more so, since you're made part of the directorate. But it's only take the ride or anihilate.

[CyrusAmell]

 

 

I have a problem siding with a guy who calls death of his father:colladeral damage.

And his mother is just an experiment to him.

There is something seriously wrong with this old guy.

 

You know, I have to say this is the best reasoning to not join the institute, besides when one thinks about it, all of the more recent "institute is bad" things happening in the wasteland are directly Shawn's fault.

 

 

Which brings me to a general problem of Bethesda games. Good storytelling would offer the chance for a turnaround. Even more so, since you're made part of the directorate. But it's only take the ride or anihilate.

 

 

I quite agree with the last sentiment. In Far Harbor, we should have been given a chance to tell the Institute to only observe Acadia for the time being and offer aid if necessary (charisma check?). Instead our only two options are tell the Institute and get Acadia enslaved or don't tell the Institute at all. Hopefully in Nuka-Cola World we will get one more chance to try and validate any belief that the player has that he or she can command the Institute. As it stands, we get only vague impressions as to what we can accomplish as Director which is a shame because it is the type of posting that deserves to be fleshed out a little.

 

I always hate betraying the Institute because they roll out the welcome mat for us. Not to mention the vast infrastructure they've created and the untapped potential for good in the long-term if the Institute would share its beneficial technology with others (even if for profit). As a faction, the Institute lives and dies by the idea that the ends justify the means. I just wish we could get a glimmer of those ends before the credits roll.

 

Mama Murphy's visions foretold that as Director we would not be loved but that we would save humanity, however we choose to define it. What did she mean? What could it mean? Is the Institute truly capable of performing such good after so many heinous acts against humanity? Only time (by which I mean fan fiction) will tell.

Edited June 15, 2016 by CyrusAmell

[dragonturtle]

I have two problems with the Institute (spoilers):

 

1) How do synths save humanity? AFAIK the synth is nothing more than a servant for checkpoint defense and housework. Codsworth was doing that 200 years ago.

 

2) No ethics department. When you walk into bioscience the scientists talk about how ethics belong to robotics, but when you walk into robotics the scientist talking about dreams is flat out shot down by his colleague. Ethics should easily be a 5th department.

 

I have many more problems with Shaun, but I'll leave it at two:

 

1) He released you as an experiment. If he wanted you to survive, he'd have brought you to the Institute rather than let you loose in a wasteland he finds hopeless to be pitted against a ruthless killer.

 

2) I let 4 synths go and didn't want to be a part of the Institute. His response is to label me an enemy and invade the base of operations of the only faction trying to save the Commonwealth. What did the MM have to do with *my* actions?

 

Nothing from the point I stepped into the teleport hijacker thingy was satisfying to me.

[cossayos]

 

 

Mama Murphy's visions foretold that as Director we would not be loved but that we would save humanity, however we choose to define it. What did she mean? What could it mean? Is the Institute truly capable of performing such good after so many heinous acts against humanity? Only time (by which I mean fan fiction) will tell.

 

 

 

As I said. I stick with Bethesda games since Morrowind. All the DLCs, all the expansions. In short, I quite love their games.

 

But storytelling was never their strongest suit. I realize this probably would have required quite a large effort, but you should have had more than enjoy or destroy options with any given faction. It's one of their oldest problems actually. Gameplaywise rising through the ranks doesn't hold too much meaning.