Scenario building thought exercise

[TheSpaceShuttleChallenger]

The Institute doesn't have unlimited resources. They make that pretty clear with the incredible amount of trouble they go through to reclaim (not simply destroy) rogue 3rd gen synths and recycle every last molecule of air and water. They have been using covert operations to keep a hand on the surface because they don't have the power to do anything else.

So I guess if I was the Director trying to make things right with the wastelanders, my first order of business would be to grow the Institute's resources. Probably, that means establishing an expeditionary force, maybe even looking for trade agreements with anyone who might be willing. I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to invent something that's inexpensive, easy to make, and highly desirable to surface dwellers.

At the same time, I think I'd go for diplomacy with the major settlements. The cool thing about a regime change is that it offers a chance to demonstrate a high degree of sincerity in change. I could, for example, send a notice of ceasefire alongside Father's literal head on a literal platter, just to show that I'm not kidding. I would then start looking at showing good will whilst maintaining a power balance--removing mutual enemies, for example, or forking over some of that genetically modified mutfruit--while the Institute's resources grow.


When I was doing a "I believe the Institute can save the world" playthrough, settlement building was a pretty significant element of what made that character good. After all, part of gaining power is gaining manpower, and what better way to gain manpower than to lure some of your rival's population over with promises of warm beds and nutritional supplements? Keep doing it long enough and eventually everybody will have a brother or aunt or best friend who lives with the Institute and then what are they going to do, nuke us?

[TheSpaceShuttleChallenger]

The Institute doesn't have unlimited resources. They make that pretty clear with the incredible amount of trouble they go through to reclaim (not simply destroy) rogue 3rd gen synths and recycle every last molecule of air and water. They have been using covert operations to keep a hand on the surface because they don't have the power to do anything else.

So I guess if I was the Director trying to make things right with the wastelanders, my first order of business would be to grow the Institute's resources. Probably, that means establishing an expeditionary force, maybe even looking for trade agreements with anyone who might be willing. I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to invent something that's inexpensive, easy to make, and highly desirable to surface dwellers.

At the same time, I think I'd go for diplomacy with the major settlements. The cool thing about a regime change is that it offers a chance to demonstrate a high degree of sincerity in change. I could, for example, send a notice of ceasefire alongside Father's literal head on a literal platter, just to show that I'm not kidding. I would then start looking at showing good will whilst maintaining a power balance--removing mutual enemies, for example, or forking over some of that genetically modified mutfruit--while the Institute's resources grow.


When I was doing a "I believe the Institute can save the world" playthrough, settlement building was a pretty significant element of what made that character good. After all, part of gaining power is gaining manpower, and what better way to gain manpower than to lure some of your rival's population over with promises of warm beds and nutritional supplements? Keep doing it long enough and eventually everybody will have a brother or aunt or best friend who lives with the Institute and then what are they going to do, nuke us?

[fraquar]

I think by this point the Institute thinking they can "negotiate" is out of the question. They are the "boogeyman" for a reason - their hands are dirty as an oil-riggers hands.

I mean literally, of all of the factions NOBODY trusts the Institute.