The Directorate Meeting - The Story of Fallout 4 Part 23

[@MM-id2fp]

The way I see it, making the Sole Survivor the director and giving you Synth Shaun is Shaun's bizarre way of showing affection. He's a deeply messed up individual because he was a test subject for so long, looked after but unloved, surrounded by people who told him whatever suffering he went through was going to save humanity. And now he's probably dying of cancer because of those experiments. He's too indoctrinated to see he's one the Institute's victims, but some part of him wished he'd had a family. Even his title hints at what he yearns for. I find it interesting that Shaun never had children. Maybe he can't. Maybe the synths are the closest thing he will ever have to children, hence the title, so it's pretty chilling that he's cool with his 'children' being slave labor and doesn't consider them to even be people.

[@absynthminded]

Transparency, I deeply Dislike the Institute storyline on multiple levels. The deeper issues of Shaun's cancer, regardless of the catalyst, is exposing a fundamental variable in the Gen3 Genome based on Shaun's DNA. Meaning under some set of circumstances, mutations can and will occur. That bit of potential lore could have been expanded upon in many ways to explain Shaun's actions and evolution of free will in the Gen3's, or otherwise expose a new FEV threat. Nate is clearly the best man in the Commonwealth to address the Synth problem from start to end, should such a need arise. From Father's PoV.

[@SuperCarsFromTheHood]

he wasn't a test subject, they dispose of their test subject. They need his dna got that the raised him to be a scientist.

[@Jesser1975]

Considering the small gene pool the institute has, I doubt Shaun was able to find a wife. To address this further, it's possible he wanted someone who knows what it's like on the surface to be in charge. Nate has the potential to mediate between surface dwellers and the institute to bring more surface dwellers into the ranks. Possibly even bring the institute out of isolation so they have a broader gene pool.

[@SuperCarsFromTheHood]

@@Jesser1975 The gene pool is irrelevant to Shaun because he's not related to any of them, or did you forget that. And the gene pool isn't small. The institute isn't the brotherhood of steel, they let outsider in. Madison Li is one of them. The send you to recruit a new scientist. They kidnap scientist to keep the gene pool at a safe level.

[@Jesser1975]

@@SuperCarsFromTheHood First of all, he might have still had a hard time finding a wife due to availability. There's not a lot of people down there. Second of all, yes they bring outsiders in, but having someone in charge who knows and relates well with surface dwellers can make an easier time with recruitment. They also have the potential to better help their PR and bring them out of isolation. Furthermore, Nate knows how things were before the nukes. He remembers how true civilization is supposed to work. That's something that has been forgotten and can help the aims of the Instute in a better direction.

[@lazarusofdeath3123]

Did you know you can miss the directorate meeting? Wait a few in-game weeks. Shaun gets mad.

[@SwiftBolt17]

How does the sole survivor become the director?

[@lazarusofdeath3123]

@@SwiftBolt17 father gives the sole survivor the cliff notes of the meeting. About how it was an “embarrassment” that the meeting was missed when they were to be named director.

[@chefbreccia2642]

Well, now I need another play-through just to see that!

[@Zakattack98]

@@I-NINE93THREE-I There is absolutely nothing wrong with supporting your creators

[@SARxAHHHH]

@@I-NINE93THREE-Ican’t imagine being your server…

[@Confucios1118]

Father could’ve simply wanted someone *other* than another Institute scientist in charge, considering all the terrible things they’ve done. Someone who’s actually been outside, and understood what it was like, and how to deal with life there.

[@EvilMaje]

I honestly doubt that. He praises most of the things that happens in the Institute. Only thing he criticizes is Kellogg. And that is only because of the regret that he was useful. Nate is more useful than Kellogg. He's very critical of the outside world in almost every conversation. He called it a "wasteland" in the CIT conversation.

[@SuperCarsFromTheHood]

He picked his father because that's Fathers way of staying in charge.

[@AvramMoreh]

The SS is also fresh from pre-war civilization. Who better to understand what needs fixing and preserving?

[@brandonhoover2120]

Except he said at the end of the previous video it’s doomed and no need to worry about saving above ground lmfao

[@Bacadami]

I’ve been binging his old fallout videos and it’s so nostalgic.

[@TheFeltmeister]

Once a year I'll start on his first fallout series all the way until fallout 4

[@Perroden]

Lol ya I started watching the stories again. Half way thru fallout one, just finished the glow.

[@yusifyusif1629]

Fr

[@vaulthunter7777]

Oxhorn Nostalgia for me is watching his "Inventing Swear Words" series. Now THAT is old school.

[@Chase-jc7rx]

Someone should make a playlist of all videos in chronological order for this reason it'd be like "the story of fallout so far"

[@christianhepler7798]

Wouldn't the "Notable breach" be the sole survivor's infiltration of the institute?

[@keeganmoore99]

I thought so, too. Glad someone beat me to commenting it.

[@kulerthankule]

that’s what I always assumed

[@XJonAye]

I'm pretty certain that's what they were referring to

[@Jesser1975]

The best way to avoid nepotism is outsource hire. The directors all seem to think their department is priority. I think it's actually possible that Father wanted someone who wasn't going to allocate all resources to their former department in charge. There's also the attributes of someone who knows what it's like for surface dwellers, and also knows how things were before the nukes. Nate has the possibility of bringing the institute and the surface together in symbiosis with these attributes. Mayhap getting the institute out of isolation is one of the goals Shaun has.

[@Gochen86]

Personally, I've always thought that Shaun giving leadership to his living parent was a combination of nepotism, revenge for his murdered parent, and a dose of survivor's guilt. I've also always been curious as to what specific type of cancer Shaun has. It couldn't possibly be something like testicular or pancreatic, because the easiest fix there is simply surgical removal of the afflicted tissues. Cancer of the GI tract is possible, but not likely, given the few symptoms the player is able to stumble across, and skin cancer is the least likely due to the extreme inexposure to direct solar radiation, and the short time spent on the roof of the CIT ruins is *not* enough time to have skin cancer set in, let alone develop to stage-4. As such, it seems to me that the most likely candidates are either lung cancer or lymphatic cancer, given the symptoms listed. Both of which are plausible in my mind, as both can be hereditary health issues in much the same manner as diabetes. Breast cancer has the same situation, and it is medically possible for men to contract it, but it's extremely rare, and so is not a possible candidate here. Lung cancer's plausibility also comes from the enclosed environment of the Institute. It's basically a giant biodome that at one point was hermetically sealed, but said sealing was broken by Virgil's escape, if not before, as you gotta ventilate the place somehow. As for the plausibility of lymphatic cancer, just look at the FEV lab and everything connected to it. You're experimenting with a literal bioweapon and some of those experiments used radiation. Even just being an on-site observer (as I believe Shaun and his Directorial predecessors were) opens the door for medical problems. And if I'm remembering what I read in some collegiate medical course books years ago, the lymphatic system is one of the most susceptible to radiation damage, second only to the eyes and skin. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this, Ox, especially as I can't recall if you ever did a video on Shaun's cancer or not.

[@donnycanup1327]

All very good points. I'd like to add that everyone in the Fallout universe are smokers. Cigarettes, as our reality has studied, can contribute to not only lung cancer to to the smoker but those who are second hand smokers as well.

[@ZumbieGuy]

My guess is Leukemia or some type of brain cancer. Leukemia is extremely hard to get rid off unless you have the ability to replace bone marrow, it’s slow growing or rapid, and usually develops into the same symptoms Shaun was having. Unless someone in the institute was a match for bone marrow, i doubt they could’ve found anyone who had pure uncorrupted bone marrow and was even eligible to donate theirs, considering Shaun is perfectly “pure” in terms of radiation and carcinogen exposure. Brain cancer could be another one. Affects his rationale and his cognitive functions, and can be highly aggressive. They can’t operate his brain because of how big the tumor is or it’s simple inoperable because of where the cancer is growing in his head.

[@TheCro3]

Maybe father took in consideration that Nate, after being released from vault 111, actualy maneged to find the institute, something that nobody maneged to do in 210 years. If that isnt one of the great acomplishments to qualify one for the role of director, I dont know what is ...

[@SuperCarsFromTheHood]

he let them out with the idea that they would replace him.

[@Chase-jc7rx]

He did say it was a test maybe he thought that the only person who could be better than me was the person who made me so he released his parent to put his hypothesis to the test

[@kingjamization]

I just realized something. Does anyone else see a missed opportunity to give Father the Mysterious Serum and how the Institute could have a radically different outcome?

[@highmaintenance7879]

To a degree, yeah. But I also wonder what would happen if the Sole Survivor got into the Institute via Nuka World rather than the other 3 factions. Both ideas sound like fanfic ideas.

[@chadharger9323]

Or a true lone wanderer ending. One where Nate/Nora never truly sided with the Institute. They become the director only to destroy it on their own. They set the place to blow and leave the place before it happens. The Commonwealth wonder if the Institute somehow blew itself up. Others who knew the Sole Survivor think it was him/her. Nobody will be able figure out the truth having only rumor or theory.

[@Gatf00d]

This is exactly what I was thinking they need to make a mod lol

[@NickJoyhill]

@@Gatf00d There is one. It's called Father Companion. You cure him from cancer.

[@TheGamerNerd025]

I love how you’re wearing Kellogg’s Outfit here very fitting :)

[@SuperMario-it5kp]

Even though my character is a Brotherhood of Steel sentinel, I still love looking at your videos about the lord of all the factions, and the institute is a faction that even though they are the “evil” faction in fallout 4, it seems like some of them are really destined to help the Commonwealth survive. And it’s not just the Institute that fascinates me, the minutemen and railroad also have interesting backgrounds and lore to them, your videos helped me get through a lot of tough times for me, you make great content despite what people say about your channel. Keep up the good work Oxhorn, I wish you the best of luck!

[@adrianparker5633]

Honestly I’m learning everything I missed by never siding with the institute…….thanks ox. Can’t wait to see what the rail road has to offer as I’ve never sided with them either

[@Clarkson501]

Even Oxhorn wouldn’t side with the railroad. 😂

[@TheREALSimagination]

In line with Confucios1118's theory, I believe Shawn is genuinely hoping for the Institute's brighter future with his parent in charge. Maybe he's banking on better, more well-rounded and considerate leadership that's built on surface experience which will blend in with learning the ropes in the Institute in time; maybe he doesn't trust any other person to run it; maybe it is nepetism; or maybe he wants his parent to be safe and isn't sure they'll stay around without incentive/a proper job there, so he's hoping Director may dissuade them from leaving and hopefully not be overkill.

[@Yea-okk]

Hey, Ox! I no longer see my name listed as a Silver Ox in the credits. 😔 It's not a huge deal I just am always proud to see it and for ppl to know I support your amazing work!

[@King0nyx]

Your derby is gold though. Did you check the gold tier credits?

[@Yea-okk]

@@King0nyx The gold derby by my name signifies that I've been a member for 2 years, but I'm an a silver tier member, if that makes sense lol.

[@SeanBlader]

My favorite part of Ox's video's is the commentary and wisdom he drops afterward. It's so thoughtful and comprehensive, and really makes one think about their decisions in game. Perhaps Shaun picked Nate because he knew no one in the Institute was competent for the role. Holdren was too young and naive. Lee is a shut in and introvert, no way. Fillmore could've done it, but Ayo probably would've had her executed, and obviously it can't be Ayo. Nate not only could handle it, he could handle anything the scientists could throw at him to try and end the dictatorship. Shaun knew that he had no good options for successor until Nate passed all his surface tests.

[@chadharger9323]

And remember in Fallout 4 and Skyrim being the faction leader is being the gopher!

[@HattaTHEZulZILLA86]

Minutemen General = in charge of menial, GENERAL tasks. Director = be DIRECTED to do stuff. Sentinel = SENT to do whatever. Railroad = One track coach, not going in any other direction. Railroaded.

[@lilpogo100]

I think making Nate the Director is supposed to be based on all the stuff you would have done if you played the game normally At this point, I think the typical player would be General of the minutemen and have at least taken back the Castle, even have a few settlements, which Father would probably know about, since the Institute has informants everywhere There's a lot of assumptions that the game makes at certain points, and I think that is one of them, like how Deacon still talks about you like you're a Badass, even if you went straight to Old North Church after getting out of the Vault

[@jamesm6766]

I wonder if the notable breach is reference to Sole Survivor hacking his way into the institute.

[@blackwaltz3135]

thats what i was thinking

[@nickjaycee316]

@@blackwaltz3135 me too

[@erniet2481]

Yeah, I think this is what she was talking about.

[@belmiris1371]

If they gave you 'real' control of the institute (NOT killing the Rail Road, emancipating synths and helping the minutemen) siding with the institute would have been a world changing event.

[@iloveowls90]

Good thing we have that mod

[@azn9636]

This dude has a very calming voice

[@TheGamerNerd025]

I just noticed it's Tony Amendola from Dexter :)

[@benjamin1960Rex]

What with the success of the Gen2 "android" line (Nick Valentine), I'm surprised that Shaun didn't opt for his psyche to be ensconced into a modified Gen3. Certainly, without a reset code though.

[@uni4rm]

11:10 What makes Nate in his 20's? If Nate is a retired "war hero", that's 20 years of service, making him 38 at least, assuming he joined the military at 18. Wifey has a law degree which she has to "dust off" means she's WELL post college. A law degree takes 7 years, means newly graduated at 25 at the earliest, and at least 30 for a unused degree to "collect dust". If they are the same age, she would also be at least 38 and her commentary still makes sense. Nates original name was Mr. Howard, and Todd Howard was 45 at the time. They are definitely not in their 20's based on that.

[@TheJehu]

Listening to these while I work is the best!

[@absynthminded]

19:00 onward. On the point of 'The Notable Breach' my assumption was always that she means the intrusion of Nate.

[@GirlWhoCriedAardvark]

The danger of the Institute's reactor may not (or may) be an issue. Most types of nuclear reactor are fail-safe, in that they inherently fail into a mode that self-shuts-down. Though one could possibly deliberately overload one, it is actually really really difficult, if not impossible, to cause a classical melt-down in them. In our own world, we tended to default to one of he more dangerous and melt-down-y types mainly because that type happens to produce weaponisable materials as a by-product of operation (another thing most 'safer' reactor technologies generally can't do). Even countries without any desire to produce nuclear weapons tended to go with the more problematic types, as this is where all the research and engineering expertise tends to have historically been focused. In the pre-war Fallout universe, they tended to be even more fast-and-loose with nuclear tech. than even we are, so it is entirely possible that the institute's plant is one of the more explodey kinds. Then again, as a small research reactor, it may well have been one of the other, far more stable, kinds, as those tend to be better suited to small installations.

[@Steel-101]

Awesome video Ox! I’m really glad that you started with the institute in this series. So far I have only done two factions in this game: the minutemen and the brotherhood(I might try the railroad later). I would try out the institute but I just can’t do evil play through’s in games lol 😂. Their part of the story is pretty interesting but some parts feel incomplete.

[@UmbraFulgur]

Institute is not evil. Is just painted evil by the game creators. With the right leadership can be truly the best hope of human kind...also BoS with the add note that will be true only for east coast faction, like they were once under Lyons leadership at some point. the rest of BoS will be still evil. but The Institute can redeem himself under SS guidance...or not.

[@Steel-101]

@@UmbraFulgurThey kidnapped civilians, turned them into super mutants(which EAT other people), giving Gen 3 synths human emotions and then treat them like slaves, waste resources on projects that don’t help society, created Swan(who eats people),create unnecessary fear in the wasteland, slaughtered communities like university point, murder railroad agents, and use a dangerous mercenary. The faction is evil & irresponsible.

[@sternencolonel7328]

I have to disagree about the "why nate", shaun realized that if he would choose a institute scientist as his successor, he would not let go of his allegiance to his division, always favouring them, this would cause tension in the institute, so he needed a neutral outsider he could trust and his only surviving relative is a logical choice.

[@johannjimenez2850]

meaning to say "Hancock" has a Long Lifespan., because "Hancock" is a Ghoul., "Strong also Immortal because His a Super Mutant., even Synths that looks like a Human never Age...

[@risingphoneixrot]

the requirements for getting into the institute is raising an army from the ground up or otherwise being the greatest asset to a pre existing army it makes perfect sense why he would appoint the soul survivor as a leader because no matter what you have to be a amazing one to get into the institute and on top of that you preformed a feat that no one in 210 years has accomplished by getting into the institute and proved you would do anything for something you love there is A LOT of rationality behind make the survivor the director

[@bootstrap141414]

I think Father meant it when he said the Institute needed a leader, not 'a scientist'. I think there's enough evidence to suggest that the institute was held back by the political squabbles of each bureau of the institute vying for power. Of course, he wouldn't fully trust that is father would be able to fully fill the role of director however, so Shaun made sure to settle much of the complex projects the instute actually needed director leadership for, allowing the position for his successor to be quietly symbolic. - also would explain why you only seem to do more fetch quests after becoming director.

[@devonmoreau]

it would be fun to dress as badly as possible for the meeting, "yep, I'm the guy who's taking over" :D

[@jonathanrichards5024]

You are a master storyteller oxhorn. Bringing this game to story in such a powerful way is so noble too. Amazing

[@meela1439]

Another great episode. Off topic, every time I see the intro at the end, I believe x-86 photobombed the director's portrait

[@benjamin1960Rex]

An Alternate theory as to why Shaun chose Dad as his successor. He may realize that the Institute needed a new direction to follow. Instead of a stagnating underground research facility, it would take a turn for a less intrusive, manipulative path. To allow Virgil to return to complete his research to cure those infected with the super-mutant virus, for example?

[@40KBoss]

Nate's supposed to be in his twenties? God damn, the war must have kicked his ass hard.

[@johannjimenez2850]

when Nate is Freeze He is only a 25 Years Old.,when He weeks up Nate is already 235 Years interms of Age.,but still He is a 25 of Age in Physical and even in His Mind

[@jeffrydiamond]

I've always wondered if the institute's "best efforts" to save Shaun were actually to transfer him to a synth body. Because that seems like the next logical step.

[@ScottH18]

But if the Institute views synths as machines and property, doing that would make him subhuman to the Institute scientists

[@ajeezy8775]

True but you’d think the institute would have considered the far future implications of creating synths in the first place and natural selection. Yes, they can be shut down using recall codes, but everything alive evolves. From an evolutionary standpoint, wouldn't gen3 or whatever future synths eventually become superior to humans given their added strength and durability? If Father really thought this through, he might have been able to extend his life somehow via possible transfusion or some other method imbuing his body with some synth influence, i.e. Kellog the cyborg. Or possibly transplanting his brain into a synth body like the robo brains in Far Harbor. Idk, it just seems odd that Father, given how he treats synths like test subjects, wouldn't have seen his cancer as an opportunity to extend human life by utilizing them somehow. Perhaps his view of synths is so narrow that he didn't even consider it but as warped as he is, he’s still super intelligent.

[@SomeOne-cc6fy]

These videos are amazing. I wonder if its possible to hire Oxhorn to do audiobooks

[@somethingoriginal4372]

I simply love your videos Ox, always love seeing them

[@Cameron.g]

hey ox love your videos they always help me with life whenever i need a distraction and i hope you have music for all 4 factions to

[@emperor002002]

This is my faction! As the Roc-A-Fella State Property said "you either get down or lay down."

[@johnhuff1517]

Always ready for more lore!

[@TonyBMan]

Even the ideal genetic candidate can't dodge the Big C. :-( Looking at it from a modern human's standpoint, that's because, to us, he's just "normal". He's no superhuman with immaculate, infallible genetics. He's just unmutated.

[@renaigh]

every Gen 3 Synth is a clone of Shaun, mayhaps he saw an opportunity to populate the Commonwealth with a population capable of guiding the Sole Survivor but underestimated the Xenophobia of the surface dwellers.

[@balverine07]

Personally think that father sees the role of the institute, and the future problems it faces, to be that of the institute v commonwealth. Previously it was important for the director to be able to determine which experiments get preferential treatment for resources, now that the commonwealth is more aware, afraid, and combative to the institute the most common problem they will face going forward is how to deal with the surface hostility. Someone who has been to the surface and interacted with its people will have a better idea of how they might act in one scenario over another, while all the scientists can do is run models and hope they get it right (they never would).

[@TheMindx1]

Oxhorn is the reason I was inspired to start streaming. Real genuine guy with a good voice

[@ViralMag_Ravager]

LOL, Oxhorn unrelated to vod but apparently releasing the prisoner in Wasteland 3 DLC does come back to haunt you, just glad took time to continue certain scenarios

[@rowdeemunkee]

Nuclear power? Thats a disaster waiting to happen. -man with 75 fusion cores in his pocket

[@vaulthunter7777]

Anybody else remember the WoW days? If you don't know what I'm talking about you should check it out and see Oxhorn before Fallout. Brings me back to when I was a kid and KZbin was just getting started. Love ya lots Ox

[@SLEEPY1701]

Love your content as always. I'd love to see you do a series like this on The Outer Worlds Ox.

[@stepheneddington1667]

I think it's an open ended question as to why Shawn chose Nate so the player can justify playing through the story. Nepotism doesn't seem likely since Shawn never really had a true family. Perhaps he really did begin to question the Institutes role and goals after he became director and found out what it had done through the years. He may have planned to release his father but had to wait for the right time and cancer forced him into action sooner than he wanted. I've never finish the Institute story line because no matter how I look at it, they just became too evil and even if Shawn was truly trying to correct that it seems too little too late. There are so many other things he could have done as director to change the course of events and role the Institute had and would play in the Commonwealth. The Institute story seems to have too many good steps forward that have two or more bad steps backward.

[@uni4rm]

The institute was too evil and all the major factions are ok with irradiating downtown boston and blowing a giant hole in the ground killing dozens of people including children?

[@highlandoutsider]

Could it be that everyone else has their own priorities? Nate is a neutral party with no bias toward one department over the other, and possibly will feel obligated to continue with Shawn's plans as he's set them out?

[@madhippy3]

The notable security breach is us. We broke in. We weren't invited in. Even if Father had hoped we would find our way in somehow he didn't offer us the clues we had to get them all ourselves. As for leadership it is extreme, but we are obviously not a "grunt" we are an exceptional individual and people see that. You are made an initiate and then Paladin extremely quickly in the BoS and that rank too is not casually given. Preston makes you General far faster than Father makes you Director. You absolutely have to earn your Directorship but as a an Ego to balance out all the Super Egos. Its extreme but it is not unheard of. You pop out of a vault and in weeks have radically changed the Commonwealth. You cannot downplay the Sole Survivor as "A Grunt". There are a lot of "grunts" in the commonwealth. Gunners, Good neighbor Triggermen, Diamond City Security, BoS Combat Patrols, but none of these people change the setting so dramatically and so quickly. SS is a man of destiny.

[@sungarcia421]

Finally! I needed this. :) The intro is amazing btw.

[@stitchfan08]

I think Shawn making us the leader because he believes that we can do the job and since he is dying and regrets some things in his life it's his chance to makes things right plus he we wanted the child Shawn and his parent to be a family to give the child and his parent a 2nd chance to have the life he didn't get to have growing up

[@Pjvenom1985]

Always find these videos calming. Thanks for sharing good sir.☘️🌅🖖

[@thewackypackkid1416]

Can you do a history on father? I don't know if you've done one, not on Shaun, but on /father/. His life in the Institute.

[@carlasghost656]

Maybe not nepotism, but maintaining a balance of power. It's shown that the different divisions don't get along. They tolerate each other, but each thinks it is the most important. Moving one of the division directors up to Father's position would create additional friction. Someone from outside, but still supporting the overall goals, could keep each in line and working towards the overall good of the Institute.

[@danielsaxon2206]

I think Shaun started off not really caring who his parents were, then a clinical curiosity got a hold of him, he found out he had cancer and needed answers about where he came from and, depending on how the player completes certain quests and answers certain questions, he found out that he admired his parent and resentment then begins to build against the Institute, but it takes hold slowly because he was raised in the Institute. I think his appointment of the Lone Survivor is basically a Screw You to the Institute that also ensures the Institutes survival, cause while he loves the Institute cause that’s all he knows, he also loves his mom/dad and resents the institute for taking him away from them.

[@skywalker32711]

18:43 Could Allie's comment be in reference to Nate's initial breach? 🤔

[@renaigh]

200 years and not even a cure for Cancer.

[@Chase-jc7rx]

Ive never seen an oxhorn video of comment section with this much debating and theories it's very interesting to read them all

[@skyler6175]

The theory that the sole survivor is a synth secretly created by Shawn explains why he would trust you to run the institute. His real parents dies from Kellogg, so in his dying days he recreates one of them, but makes sure to alter their personality just enough to be a good leader for the institute. If he can't trust any of the scientists, then he'll make his own successor. Could also explain why he knew you'd kill Kellogg.

[@valliantsteed]

Yey, more OX Fallout content. Hope you pick up some more story heavy indy games for videos at some point. Like Infra.

[@aidan6075]

I find it interesting that the institute can create an underground utopia, make countless scientific discoveries and create artificial humans and yet they couldn't find a cure for cancer

[@TheGrinbery]

also SPECULATION TIME! Father's cancer - based on symptomes and the fact that he was exposed to radiation whether he likes it or not, my bets are on aggressive lucemia. It's very rare, affects only people who were exposed to radiation and based on the no stats from 2011 - it has 100% mortality rate. Meaning everybody who gets it will die, sooner or later. My grandpa had it, after he was cured of lucemia. He had radiation-induced acute lucemia at the age of 61. In his case, it happened some 25 years after he was exposed to high level radiation after the chernobyl disaster. So yeah that's my speculation based on what I've seen irl

[@corydorton2660]

I think the main reason father picked his father or mother might be because they have different views point and aren't caught in the infighting and they both have the ability to make decisions with a quick response

[@2centschange]

Really find it funny how you missed the obvious. The 'one noticeable exception' was Nate's infiltration. She was talking about nate like he wasn't in the room just like the others were.

[@bradw317]

Finally caught up on everything, it is a bit surprising that two returning characters to the Fallout universe have little to say about the previous entry, Madison Li and the Elder of the Brotherhood of Steel never bring up Project Purity and no Aqua Pura has made to the Commonwealth through the Caravan's. I think there's a terminal entry on it and that's about it.

[@yusifyusif1629]

Bro I'm not gonna lie I love this channel and I've been watching for a while

[@detritusofseattle]

I can see one very, very logical reason why Shaun would appoint his father: his father is the general of the Minutemen, and has, by this point, likely made one heck of a name for himself in the Commonwealth. He has likely already encountered the Railroad and the Brotherhood, and very likely has connections in both those factions, done things for them, etc. Shaun understands that there are really three paths for his father here: siding with the Institute and leading it to glory, organizing some group of factions against them and possibly destroying the Institute in the process, or death. What better way to get Nate to side with them than to make him director? Now, any moral qualms he might have about the Institute are irrelevant, because upon assuming directorship, he'll just make whatever changes he needs to make to reform the Institute. If, on the other hand, Nate were left to be a mere servant of the Institute like Kellogg was, there is a serious risk he may decide that the Institute is actually a problem and solve that problem- something he has already proven he may well be able to do. If he broke into the Institute once, he can do it again. Nate dying wouldn't necessarily stop the balls that have already been set in motion, you see. If, for example, Nate were to be taken out by the Institute, the Minutemen would undoubtedly seek to avenge him. The Brotherhood was coming one way or another, but if Nate turned against the Institute, he could reveal a lot of very damaging information to the Brotherhood before being taken out. The Railroad, similarly, would not be stopped by Nate's passing. They also now know how to get into the Institute, potentially, and if they know that, breaking in again is not out of the question, especially if, as the SRB suspects, there is someone sympathetic to their cause inside. The fact Nate got this far means that it's too late to just clip him. Replacing him with a synth could, maybe, work, but then there is no guarantee any of their Coursers could handle him. He has, after all, already taken one out, as well as gotten rid of Kellogg. To replace him with a synth would require doing so quietly, but to take Nate out would probably be a very noisy ordeal. Plus, synths don't age, so that would be, at best, a temporary solution, as eventually people are going to notice. Shaun's logic can be summed up like this: 1. If Nate becomes an enemy of the Institute, their chances of defeat rise dramatically, given his reputation. 2. If Nate sides with the Institute, the chances of any other faction defeating them drop dramatically. 3. Shaun already has an in with Nate by being his son. 4. Nate would become an enemy of the Institute most likely owing to the prior sins of the Institute. And yet, if Nate can be shown it was all for the greater good, and given the chance to reform the Institute, he is more likely to side with them. Being director guarantees that Nate has that reform opportunity. 5. If the Institute is defeated by any of the other factions, it will be destroyed, not reformed. He may not have thought they'd literally nuke the place, but he definitely understood that a Brotherhood, Railroad, or Minutemen defeat of the Institute would mean its destruction. Certainly a complete loss of autonomy and likely the deaths of a lot of people he cares about. 6. Out of the factions, the Brotherhood and the Minutemen pose the most potential risk to the Institute. 7. Nate is (likely) the general of the Minutemen, and something of a hero to the people of the Commonwealth. If he sides with the Institute, the Minutemen will follow, giving the Institute a massive edge in their war with the Brotherhood and the Railroad. 8. The Institute actually does really need reform, reform that Nate will have decades to accomplish. Shaun is dying, and although he has probably made some reforms, it has taken a lifetime to even get this far. His line about needing a leader vs a scientist is spot on. 9. Given this balance of factors, recruiting Nate and naming him the director is the best course of action because it minimizes the risk he sides with an enemy, while maximizing potential benefit to the Institute as a whole. It also prevents more self serving members of the council from taking the Institute in a bad direction. (personally, out of everyone present, the only other person I would trust to run the Institute would be Madison Li. She is a good person at heart) Well, assuming of course you play the game the way Bethesda intended you to play it, anyway. Bethesda never expected the player to get this far and NOT have met Preston Garvey, etc.

[@batboy-xf3ki]

Ox, that was masterful. Well done!

[@Cybernatural]

I can't help but stick to my head cannon that the Lone Survivor can merge the Minutemen and Institute into a good faction that becomes a great new power that has more hope for humanity than the other Fallout powers.

[@TheAllSeeingEye2468]

Can't believe I missed this. Damn KZbin updates

[@markblosser3054]

Love the videos you're one hell of a narrator

[@indigothebluegem9655]

Thanks!

[@lordsjaak]

16:21 oke Shaun was dying but why did than Kellog saying he is the back-up? and who was the before shaun director aka father?

[@Spartan-ir4qd]

Just a idea - maybe Shaun let Nate out for the events to happen because Shaun was afraid of dying alone and wanted to see if Nate would find him. Fear makes people do "crazy" things. What the Institute wanted at that point isn't what Shaun wanted and therefore out lived their usefulness too him. As much of a machine that Shaun appeared to be he is after all still human.

[@high_miser]

Cool story smoothskin (in a ghoul voice smoking a cigar)

[@sandmandzkhalil3618]

lol I'm playing fallout 4 again atm and I have 100% the same character as @Oxhorn with the same haircut lol ... nice video as always .

[@drewping2002]

I think the "notable breach" is the Sole Survivor.

[@richardgray7480]

Here's another theory as to why Father makes his parent the director: It's part of an FEV experiment he conducted on "the back-up". Wonder why they run experiments that turn people into Super-mutants? So they can make super-people! The way I figure it, the explanation for all the cool magic-like powers we can acquire is that Shaun had us exposed to a tailored FEV. That was the purpose of the institute after all, to make a better humanity. He had to rush it when he found out he was dying because he wanted to see if it was successful. But given our success in the wasteland, it would be perfectly reasonable to think we had proven the concept. The idea that we are a successful experiment to advance humanity with FEV makes us the perfect choice to lead the institute, at least for someone who believes in eugenics (as Shaun would).

[@loka7783]

I find myself leaning more toward the vengeance conspiracy Think on it a bit. Sean was likely looked down on as a "dirty outsider" despite his origins his whole life. The Institute personnel make it very clear the whole game how they feel about surface people. At best they probably looked at him like a trained chimpanzee using a computer. Until he proved himself, out done any competitor and became Director. Then he reads in the files that his probable previous mentor, the man (or woman) that he'd modeled his entire life after, sent Kellogg to "save" him, which also wound up killing his biological mother. I rather doubt the next comparable file he read might have been the next ten flavors of food pill. I'm not saying the cancer angle had no bearing. In fact I think he felt truly free to do whatever he wanted. What's the worst they could do to "Father"? Remember most of the Gen 3 Synths saw him that way. I am thinking the Institute would have to come up with a pretty quick way to disseminate those recall codes in a hurry if they chose to do anything drastic toward him. If Sean died while in custody then he becomes a martyr to the Gen 3's

[@WestRaz]

I always thought the beach was Nate making his way in

[@zartu4208]

Best part about Saturday morning!

[@chadharger9323]

Still miss the cartoons. . .

[@fettmaneiii4439]

Sean kept his dad frozen to keep him safe. Sean made his Dad director of the Institute because he knew it would keep him in a safe environment.

[@spikeshartell4675]

You know, I just thought of something rewatching this video. Isn't it crazy that cancer apparently hasn't been cured by the year 2077? I mean think about it, it's the only explanation because the institute it's self is highly advanced and is made up of the decedents of the remnants of the Fallout universes version of MIT, one of the most advanced colleges in the country. A place where technology continued to advance once the bombs fell. and I know it's a divergent timeline but still, you'd think by the time we get to 2287 that the institute would have solved that whole cancer thing.

[@HalconSkyse]

Something has been on my mind as of late. There are holotapes that can be found and some can be played without needing to give them to the quest target. We get the Hi Honey tape and it is nice, but it has no attachment to anything or is needed for any quests, is it possible the tape was supposed to be played to Father at a certain point? He states he never nlknew love and is curious about his parents and the one of his parents that was taken from him. You have resources for checking the game code so I was wondering if you could look into if the Hi Honey tape has any significance. Love listening to your videos, I learn so much and they make my day better, Thanks Ox.

[@laserhawk64]

Here's my read. I bet Shaun was a shoo-in for Director. I bet that there was no opposition, that the way things were set up, there _could be_ no opposition, not unless you wanted to end up like Virgil for doing so. Think about it -- he was brought in because The Institute said he was "perfect". Literally his DNA was what made the Synth program bear meaningful fruit. There's no way that's anything less than a whole _herd_ of deathclaws that aren't going back into the proverbial bottle. The writing was on the wall for that one while the Sole Survivor could still hear Kellog's boots as he stomped out of Vault 101 with the lil fella still in his blankie. There simply _was_ no competition, because that would have been treason. Yet, the irony is, Shaun _wasn't_ perfect -- if he was, he'd have thirty, maybe forty years ahead of himself and would die of old age, not cancer. I also have to wonder what all's been done to him. There's clearly more involved there than he lets on -- at least so far -- listen to him speak. Listen to the cadence, the intonation. He sounds like a friggin Courser! He's not just a cold, heartless b------, he's not just... mostly lacking in emotion, his very speech is... it's mechanical. He doesn't sound like a proper Gen3 Synth, either. I don't know what generation Coursers are, but they don't sound like Gen3s either. Both Father and Coursers, the way they talk, I keep waiting for a sort of answering-machine sounding BEEP and a female automated voice to pipe out "This is a recording." For freak's sakes, _Codsworth_ sounds less robotic than Father. Also, if I may address Oxhorn himself -- there's exactly _one_ fellow on KZbin that I unironically think of as "The Voice Of _Fallout_". I don't think there's many of your videos on the topic I _haven't_ watched, at this point. Certainly all of the Vault videos, and almost all of the lore videos, except a few here and there for eg the Creation Kit and minor things like this or that weapon or DLC loot or what-have-you. I must say, I wish you'd upload more often, the way you used to... or, at least, something approaching that. Oh -- and, I hope the ghost of my grandmother will forgive me for saying this, as she died of emphysema in the mid-1990s after forty years of cigarettes -- but, have a cigar on me, good sir!

[@WyvernApalis]

Tfw you can build entirely new humans bodies but can't cure cancer I wonder if synths can get cancer when exposed to radiation and other carcinogens

[@purpledevilr7463]

Director and Dictator, a spelling mistake of difference.

[@amarakyara4464]

Well my leading theory about fathers resason for making Nate/Nora director is that he hopes their morality will better the institute

[@kunk9533]

To me this is where the institute story jumps the shark. There is never a compelling reason for any of this. Supposedly they have fusion reactors... so how is power an issue? and if it is an issue, why'd they make the place into a giant waterfall? Father is both a dictator and beloved for no apparent reason. Everyone opposes father and no one does anything about it including the Nazi with the team of assassination terminator bots despite the fact that we are a clear security risk. Not only do we have no qualifications for the job, but also our training amounts to father telling us "meh, you'll be fine." And if father is going to die, why do we have to listen to him about anything from there on out? Why don't we just wait for him to die instead of doing all of the horrible things he is about to ask us to do? Where does father get all of this authority? The only explanation is that father has actually replaced people within the institute with synths before, and they all know it. I wish this would have been included in the story, it would have made the dynamics of institute politics so much more interesting. As it is the politics don't make any sense whatsoever.

[@sombodythatyouusedtoknow9046]

I am sure that no one actually thinks that the Legion is the best choice for the Mojave (even though I think the Legion is good not in the way you probably think), they just do it because they think is funni

[@JuanDiaz-gz4bd]

I've also imagined that if I were there director I could send synths army to wipe out the raiders and mutants in the Commonwealth

[@nonamegiven202]

Yep, you being put in charge is yet another weird bit of institute writing there, like father WAS testing us to that point but those tests only proves we can do Kellogg's job not his. Like I could see it with Nora a bit better at least, Father is right in what the Institute needs aka a leader and not another scientist to just argue with people and Nora's law degree assumingly means she's capable of creating well written policy and properly debating her points, but Nate really doesn't have those skills.

[@Foreststrike]

It's funny how Nate/Nora cannot retreat the synths from the overworld, despite being the Director of the Institute. It was never a choice, because the player character's autonomy has effectively been indoctrinated by the Institute already, and it's out of the player's hands. Just like it is with all the other factions in this game, PLAYER autonomy/choice is limited by joining a faction, and you cannot, as a player, mend ties or bridges between factions. There was a mod that allowed true choices to unfold. Unfortunately, it was either scrubbed from the internet, or I don't even remember the name of it.

[@MJam1308]

This Isn’t related to the video but it’s an issue that I need answers for. If you look at the t51 loading screen it shows the arms legs and the helmet gray with white accents like other power armors when the are upgraded to b-f but when you upgrade t51 power armor in fallout 4 you don’t get the variant with the gray and white. I was wondering if you could find out why. And maybe find a mod out ther that fixes this inconsistency for me on ps4

[@Gzilla313]

Codsworth: “Nate might have been your father, but I was your daddy.”

[@brothers_of_nod]

While I don't like the institute, this has made me appreciate Father more.