The Institute Would Have Won if the Sole Survivor Never Survived

[@yaboiii6562]

This is a re-upload of a video I had made a year ago which was quickly age-restricted for viewing and advertisement constricted. However, when I appealed, I was not notified of what sections had caused it, merely that the decision stood. It was a bit disappointing as I genuinely really enjoyed the topic explored in the video and wanted it to be able to be viewed by an audience. So I'm hoping you'll forgive me but this will be a re-upload of that original video but with footage and vocals adjusted that should comply with their standards a bit more. Please enjoy this cleaned up version of that previous video! Also if any KZbin moderator is reading, I'm not trying to poke a hornets nest. I'm genuinely trying to adapt my content to what is deemed acceptable.

[@Intr0vertical]

Man KZbin sucks. They stifle so many of my fav youtubers creativity and content.

[@maylabrown4584]

That’s YT for ya smh

[@The_Punisher]

Interesting you're like the second or third KZbinr I've seen have to reupload content

[@solorhypercane5041]

If the sole survivor becomes the director of the institute, I believe he can turn it into a force for good. Just like the brotherhood of steel in fallout 3

[@adamb89]

They're like that about everything. I periodically get nastygrams where they're like "Oh your content violates community guidelines, you can't comment for 24 hours." And then they never tell you what it actually was that "violated community guidelines." All this kind of thing is doing is causing people to come up with new words like "unalive" which just eventually end up getting added to whatever secret list they use anyway, necessitating the creation of yet another weird way of talking like "elect to discontinue their awareness."

[@Gorbz]

To add to the observations: The Minutemen were already a spent force and prone to self-interest before Preston even arrived in Concord. The Quincy raiders are all ex-Minutemen, and it is stated that other Minutemen groups have refused a general call-to-arms in the past. The Railroad are even less of a threat than they think they are, as the Old North Church is their backup HQ. The Switchboard was their main one, and that was destroyed by the Institute. Also, their whole operation of smuggling synths out of the Institute hinges on one man not getting discovered. While the Brotherhood do have the military might to fight with, they have no logistics in the Commonwealth to speak of. They have to intimidate local farmers to get food, and those farmers can be easily replaced by synths as seen in the case of Roger Warwick. Yes they have some hydroponics on the Pridwyn, but not enough to feed everyone over a prolonged campaign.

[@Deadsea_1993]

The Railroad shouldn't have even been a major faction as they were so inconsequential. Unlike The Capital Wasteland, slavery is barely a thing in The Commonwealth. Yeah we see Billy The Ghoul and Synths under Institute control, but it isn't like the average person is being Enslaved. The Institute absolutely aren't the best hope for The Commonwealth as we see their actions countering Father's words. I like The Minutemen, but the organization just won't last in the long run as there really is no strict hierarchy. Everyone is expected to pitch in and that system never works out in the long run and that's why they collapsed in the past. The Brotherhood are the Best hope even if they have some flaws. They are inadvertently helping The Commonwealth by sending 2 Power Armor soldiers and some Scribes from a Vertibird and taking down groups like Raiders, Ferals, and Super Mutants.

[@BicBoi1984]

There is literally no reason for them to be evil either way. The writers needed an evil faction so they chose them, it makes no sense.

[@kotzpenner]

It’s because they don’t have the Enclave and Bethesda was creatively bankrupt at this point, unable to create a new compelling „evil“ faction.

[@Matt-id5mi]

Yeah its always confused me, they think the surface people are doomed and are stopping the progress of humanity and need to die for said progress, and that they are the only hope for humanity but they dont see synths as human, so is their plan to repopulate with the handful of people in the institute? No doubt having to resort to inbreeding, or what even is their end goal it genuinely makes no sense i dont know how bethesda looked over that

[@TurKlack]

To call the Vanilla Institute a "Mess" is still an understatement. They are so fucking broken, they simply shouldn't exist the way they are. Hell the Head of Robotics thinks Dreams are somehow evidence for Souls, and Souls make Synths living Beings. WTF!?

[@MrTod1984]

BOS shouldve been the evil faction in this game followed by the institute. They literally show up in force with a genocide on their mind.

[@a-cxnt]

@@MrTod1984 bethesda loves their fascist power fantasy too much for the bos to be baddies.

[@a-cxnt]

honestly, the institute ending is the best when you remember your character becomes the leader and can decide the direction the institute goes in after that. my head canon is the sole survivor competely scraps synth production and focuses their efforts on helping and providing for the commonwealth. I mean, yeah, it's quite idealistic but it's an rpg series, so let me have my cake.

[@ethanjames0902]

i like this idea, the fallout world can be so dark. it’s why i like the ending of fallout 3 turning on the water supply. it would have been amazing to have some DLC where you face resistance from some of the directors for turning the institute into supporting the commonwealth

[@jamesmeppler6375]

If you think you can change stuff once you become the leader, then you must be smoking some cheech and chong because its insane. Once you stop playing your opinion goes out the window. When you play they can't die, then you stop playing and Canon says you died shortly after(fallout 3 before dlc) Same thing here, morality goes out the window, youre supposed to be evil and only care about yourself

[@amalekh]

But synths are ultimate tool for supporting commonwealth, wtf you are talking, infinite manpower and worker resource

[@amalekh]

@@thelvadam5113 they produce one synth every minute without ever stopping, they absolutely are

[@amalekh]

@@thelvadam5113 synths in institute are on active duties, animation clearly shows that they are placed in some sort of storage after complete production. People eating food are part of radiant AI, they work a day then go into some institution and eat at evening, they don't just infinitely eat it

[@FatrickAteman]

Love how the Sole Survivor being involved in any of the Institute quests is purely for PR.

[@babyatemydingo574]

The worst thing (narratively) about the Institute isn't everything they've done in the past to the citizens of the Wasteland; it's the fact that, even if you choose the Institute ending, you can't implement a strict code of ethical principles that would guide research and production. The Institute wouldn't be trusted in the beginning but that's why you become General of the Minutmen and use them to push out tech and resources to the wastelanders through topside-based factories and manufacturing plants so as to give the appearance of being solely from the Minutemen. Then, once the Minutemen have completely pacified the area's more hostile actors, you have it revealed to the commonwealth that the minutemen have been producing these products with seized Institute tech so they can begin bringing the wastelanders on-side. Personally, I think that this would have allowed a lot of role-playing opportunities, even down to which of the two main characters you pick at the beginning. Nora, with her l Law background could probably make a better case for an ethical framework while Nate, having been in the Army, may have a better grasp on propaganda or military strategy through which they could pacify the commonwealth. And that opens up even more questions of "what was their specific specialty in their fields?" Contract Law, Business Mergers, Constitutional Law for Nora? Special Warfare, Engineer Corps, Medic, Intelligence Officer for Nate? So many possibilities that we just didn't get because Bethesda haven't actually put work into how the narrative and mechanics influence each other.

[@lostbutfreesoul]

This is one of the two core problem I have as well. Had I, my moral self, been put into that situation I would have joined the Institute because they do represent the best chance humanity has of progressing forward. Finding out there was no way to use that choice to make any long term changes, even that radio message you send out does nothing, reminded me this was Bethesda. Everything you do as leader of the institute can not change the institute. Of all the issues the institute has caused, the only one internal to themselves is how to deal with the Synth. We already know there are a few people who are sympathetic, it wouldn't be hard to begin a slow push to encouraging such a mentality to spread. At the very least you can pull back the production of Synths and stop utilizing them in such a heavy handed way.... Seriously, sit there for a few hours and watch that printer go. What do we need so many personal for? That decision could reduce tensions alone, as we tone back surface operations. The other, by the way: Nepotism does not make sense here. Sure, I can understand that Shaun had a big flaw within his ego and this is how it displayed itself... but the writers haven't thought this through well. Lets say you are one of those head scientists, perhaps of reclamation themselves, and your told the method of succession is changing and this complete stranger is now in charge. Not only that... said stranger is a pre-war vault-dweller turned militarized wastelander. Now you, in your position to hear things, find out bio has some interesting toxins.

[@babyatemydingo574]

@lostbutfreesoul Good points. The Bethesda writing team, I don't think, has anything interesting to say anymore. I started playing their games with Oblivion so that's kind of been the high point for me. Skyrim was fun but not narratively fulfilling...not that Oblivion was perfect by any stretch of the imagination but the difference between the two is stark.

[@flyingsquirrell6953]

You all forgetting that you as director are universally hated - bioscience legit tries to revolt when you take over. If you were to reform the institute you would have to purge like half the scientists or you are going to wake up in the middle of the night looking down the wrong end of a courser’s gun.

[@flyingsquirrell6953]

Sure, but you are universally hated from the start. Bioscience literally tries to revolt and seize the food supply the second you take over. What is preventing the SRB from sending a courser into your room when you sleep or The Molecular Relay from “Accidentally” teleporting you with your organs on the outside of your body? If you were to reform the institute it would be either you purging the directors or the directors purging you. You need to remember that the Institute thinks it is, objectively, the best chance for humanity as it is currently - so to them, by changing it, you are threatening humanity’s future.

[@yarr_bro]

I like how everyone ignores the Directors Board of the Institute all taking issue with you being appointed Father’s successor. Everyone rationalizes “And then I win and I make the Institute good for real this time!” as if the player character wouldn’t just be visited by a team of Coursers in the middle of the night

[@bricknfleeks]

Sole survivor has already dealt with a courser at this point and the BOS in the mass fusion building, they are canonically stronger than some dudes in lab coats and probably fairly feared

[@Fusseliko]

It'd depend on how the coursers and synths loyalty "proramming" functions. If they're made to be loyal to the director over the board,, they're is going to have a hard time using them against you.

[@LordProteus]

They would fail. If killing the Player was the easiest thing in the world like you say it is then they would have been killed all-ready. The player character will deal with these hypothetical Night Coursers then they will kill the entire Directors Board.

[@flamingdeathbanana]

You think some Dumbass Coursers can just kill someone who just casually eraticates the local wildlife of the Glowing Sea? Seriously, at this point the Soul Survivor is pretty much modern day Frank Horrigan. The MOMENT the board of directors does this, there will be a bloodbath.

[@Xxsorafan]

@@bricknfleeksisn’t sole survivor consider the strongest protagonist too anyways

[@st.anselmsfire3547]

Without the Sole Survivor, the only reason the Brotherhood loses to the Institute is because Maxson is an idiot. Without Maxson, they likely would've co-opted the Railroad and found out how to get inside by using Patriot. They would've found out about Virgil and made use of his desire for a cure for FEV - something they would've eventually mass-produced. Now, with Maxson, who is completely bound up in his prejudices and impulsiveness, you are correct that they would've been destroyed and chased off.

[@flyingsquirrell6953]

Maxon is the pinnacle of Founding Brotherhood values though.

[@TheSwayzeTrain]

Obviously from a lore perspective Bethesda wouldn't want a mass produced cure for FEV as that would be the end of Super Mutants. As a result in F4 the process to create the cure involves intricate steps, including genetic modification and cellular manipulation. It’s not a straightforward recipe that can be easily reproduced. The cure in question only worked on Virgil

[@thedarks5112]

without the sole survivor the BOS is wiped out before they ever even confirm the institute uses teleportation.

[@PURPLE_CANDY2008]

Relax girls your both pretty

[@TheCreepyLantern]

Title: the institute would have won Me: ........The Institute had an actual goal?

[@maylabrown4584]

Well Shaun had a goal I guess, his Goal was to ensure The Institute had not just a foothold in the Commonwealth Wasteland but was the top of the food chain so to speak. They couldn’t stay down there forever and he was getting too old to take the charge himself, which is why he gives the task to his father should he accept it.

[@TheCreepyLantern]

@@maylabrown4584 they wanted to be the shit kings of piss mountain and build themselves a throne of dead civilians and slaves. Got it. it was this exact moment i realized the Institute and the legion are basically the same mindset.

[@teamfossil6312]

When the brotherhood arrived they gained the goal of not dying to them

[@GamingKeenBeaner]

@@maylabrown4584 There's no way Father is actually Shaun. Its obviously a lie

[@OpasgegenLinks]

@@GamingKeenBeaner Bad cope

[@Jason_vinion]

The commonwealth provisional government has a decent amount of lore, and it’s not just that the ‘institute saw it as a threat and killed everyone’ but other then that I would say this was very accurate, good video!

[@mal1362]

When you said the instute would already have access to the agitator i liked your video immediately because thats the same argument i use every time someone says who would win without sole survior interference

[@OpasgegenLinks]

The Brotherhood doesn't even need Liberty Prime. They just use it to bore a hole into the Institute.

[@TheYooperPooper]

In real life, Spectacle Island is basically as big as it is because of the Mass Pike Tunnel. They excavated so much land, and had to put it somewhere. It took a lot of people a lot of time to do that. But after a nuclear war, some college students dug a hole ten stories deep, presumably with shovels, in a coastal area, just a few yards from a river. The Institute would never even exist. If they managed to do all that, and fill their huge, deep hole with matching interior design, there'd be a mountain of dirt right next to where they are located. You wouldn't even need to teleport in, just start digging, drop a few mininukes down the hole, cave it in, problem solved. Bobbi "No Nose" could destroy The Institute with her eyebot. They are only the "best" faction because of the MASSIVE plot holes. The BoS at least makes sense.

[@BubbleoniaRising]

In real life, everyone on board the Prydwen is dead from dysentery within a week, as there are no working sinks or toliets of any kind. It's incredibly on brand, though.

[@ALLMINDmercenarysupportsystem]

The Institute should not be secret at all, but it is stated that their bunker was made before the war. How would that stay secret though? It would be a big project. Not as big as what we see in game, as they apparently enlarged it over time, but still very large and loud. There should be a ton of records on where they are.

[@JohnnyL11]

@@ALLMINDmercenarysupportsystem they hid in the basement of the CIT and kept digging down, there was no bunkers under CIT.

[@ALLMINDmercenarysupportsystem]

@@JohnnyL11 The Institute base is the bunker under CIT. They made it a bit before the Great War, then expanded it after as needs increased.

[@lordpyralis]

Wouldn't coursers be sent after groups who spend too much time investigating upper CIT? Sure, you can say scavengers, but the ruins still had gen 1 synths patroling, letting the Insitute know someone is consecutively taking out the small guard.

[@Archeota]

10:08 You can tell by what missions the institute tells you to go on. Example: The Brotherhood seizes Mass Fusion, so you know they can power liberty prime. 12:28 They have to teleport you to the top of mass fusion. The brotherhood can deploy those devices that stop teleportation fields.

[@Lava-pe6wu]

If you think about it Father's choice to release the sole sourvivor wasnt out of emotion. As the sole survivor and father talk on top of the CIT building he actually says " i wanted to see what you would do " and the sole survivor rsponds with "I was just another experiement" so what doomed the Institute was Fathers curiousity.

[@Martial-Mat]

Great analysis, but I think prosaically, it was unnecessary. In a world of low tech weapons, finite resources, and conventional low tech transport for the most part; the faction with infinite expendable troops and resources, teleportation, and an undiscoverable; far less reachable, reachable base was always the winner. You could even argue that had Kellogg not gone to the surface, none of the other factions could never have won. Of course, if one sole survivor could upset that dominance, nothing means another equally wild card could not arise to fulfil that role...

[@lordpyralis]

Why do I hear boots that go jingle jangle jingle?

[@McDazzle]

Honestly i would want the institute to survive because frankly I don't really want to be forced to abide by the brotherhood of Nerds or the New California Boy Scouts. And I want showers

[@maylabrown4584]

I highly doubt the NCR has any resources to get all the way to the Commonwealth, they’re getting trashed by The Legion as it is and internal civil unrest. The Brotherhood taking the Commonwealth would likely have to deal with whatever rebelling force is left in The Capital Wasteland, likely led by The Lone Wanderer so eventually they’d get BFTO too. That goes double if the Sole Survivor decides to join the offense too, but it’d go either way if the Sole Survivor joined the BoS.

[@chickenwarriorr]

What do you mean you want showers? It's shown that the minutemen have functional sinks in the castle you're 2 steps away from a shower you just don't wanna work for it

[@maylabrown4584]

I doubt that the NCR has the resources to make it all the way to the Commonwealth Wasteland especially with them getting trashed by The Legion and internal strife involving Brahmin Barons and political infighting. Let alone able to mount a force against a revitalized Prydwen possessing Brotherhood of Steel. The Brotherhood of Steel’s biggest if they manage to take over the Commonwealth Wasteland AND deal with The Institute would likely be insurgents like The Minutemen and The Railroad who’d likely link up with Rebels in the Capital Wasteland and Enclave Remnants.

[@Martial-Mat]

But the institute would kill you or anyone you knew in an instant if they felt like it.

[@McDazzle]

@@chickenwarriorr I don't wanna shower where mirelurks bang. And is it so hard to ask for a modern feature bathroom with marble sinks and floors?

[@lostbutfreesoul]

To play devil advocate, because I don't think any of the factions could achieve this: There is one possible downfall situation, via the Synth escape route. It isn't well known how the Synths are getting to the surface, but if some group knows about the hidden back door... it will be the escaping Synths. Through trial and error, as they wander their way to the surface, or via having passed down knowledge of when they built that route in and out, the Synths will find this route. If the Synths where escaping in large enough numbers, it is entirely possible that escape route gets found out. From there... it is possible, but not very plausible, that it is exploited successfully.

[@waleedkhan2991]

The institute is literally the only hope for humanity in fallout

[@TS111WASD]

By hording useless technology and experimenting or slaughtering everyone on the surface? Not really.

[@Apt23-v8u]

No they are idiots

[@Deadsea_1993]

The Institute are just a modern day Vault-Tec and they have no desire to help humanity above ground. Father makes this clear when he is on the rooftop with you and he looks around and talks badly about everything and the people that live within it. They've been around for over a century and have actively hurt communities above ground. They wiped out the only government system in place and they destroyed a major city just over some minor leaked info. They introduced Super Mutants in the area through testing Fev on kidnapped people. They are a threat to humanity even with all of the beneficial tech.

[@noahhuls]

one could argue that neither faction needs the agitator, its the fastest and easiest means to start either fusion reactors. Father even says that they got the reactior working without the sole survivors help when they invade the institute. also if the institute does get the agitator that doenst mean they have won, the brotherhood is still standing in that scenario. Libery primes fusion reactor can be started with any large enough power shunt and thus could still get him fully operational. the main issue is the institute location but that wouldnt be a win in either case

[@superjerick9669]

Without liberty prime there is nothing stopping the institute from killing the brotherhood other than avoiding conflict

[@qwart22]

Without the agitator I’d imagine the brotherhood would use all the power from the prydwyn to start liberty prime

[@Nixter-Bean]

If sturges can find a way into the institute so could the brotherhood

[@flamingdeathbanana]

Sturges only built the teleporter based on the blueprints of a Rogue scientist. He actually didnt even do all that much. MC still needed to get the blueprints and get the Courser Chip himself.

[@flamingdeathbanana]

Also Sturges is a Synth so that knowledge could be inherant.

[@Deadsea_1993]

Sturges is a Synth and his intelligence is off the charts just like Tinker Tom's IQ. You can't put down Sturges cause The Minutemen are the fail safe ending just like Yes Man was in New Vegas. You can destroy every other faction and be shunned by The Institute and still be able to go the Minutemen route. If you tried to destroy Yes Man, he would appear in another Bot and say he can't be killed. There are console commands to put down Sturges and he will reveal a Synth component. This was probably going to be elaborated on by Bethesda, but it was axed just like Danse becoming the new Elder was axed.

[@toakongu1]

I doubt the BoS would even end up coming to the Commonwealth in force to begin with. First time you run into Recon Squad Gladius (Danse's recon team callsign) they are engaged in a firefight against ghouls outside the Cambridge PD. Rhys is already down, having been wounded prior to your arrival. Danse and Halen will both go down at least once or twice apiece, saved only by the fact they are necessary for the immediate early game BoS plot progression. After the fight you find the body of another Knight up on the barricade. Then, on your way to ArcJet, Danse mentions having already lost multiple members of his squad and that his team have been "targeted since the moment we arrived." Danse goes on to admit he basically wouldn't have tried for the Deep Range Transmitter (DRT) at ArcJet if you hadn't come along and helped. Thus, with no SS, Gladius never acquires the DRT meaning they cannot get a message back to Maxson further down the East Coast. With no way to get word out about their findings, Maxson has no reason to take the bulk of his forces north to the Commonwealth. This means no reinforcements for Gladius. No reinforcements means no resupply. Meaning Gladius will eventually share the fate of Brandis' team. BoS never arrives in the Commonwealth

[@darthvaderreviews6926]

Eh, I think this is debunked by the fact the BoS' arrival will happen inevitably even if you don't meet them ingame. It can be presumed if the recon squad fails to report back Maxon's zealotry would lead him to go to the Commonwealth anyway.

[@mrdr0161]

But thr Prydwen still arrive even if you don't meet Danse prior to killing Kellogg. Even if you go to Danse, he easily kills the ghouls that are attacking them. If he just waits a few days to get Haylen and Rhys to their feet, they'd just go to ArcJet themselves

[@JHardy19]

I personally think the institute is the only hope for humanity in the Fallout universe. The only reason I forgive everything they've done is because the Sole Survivor becomes the leader of it by the end of their questline. It's implied by Mama Murphy's endgame dialogue that the Sole Survivor is able to lead the Institute in a more moral direction, that restores humanity (the latter is what the faction has set out to do). I wish Bethesda actually let the player do some endgame policy changes and maybe even have the institute partner with the minutemen to help improve the lives of wastelanders who are citizens of minutemen settlements. And to use the synths as a no-casualty means of defense, a way to take back heavily irradiated areas, and perform unskilled labor tasks to make room for people to focus on becoming educated enough to do skilled labor tasks. But I think Bethesda didn't because they wanted the ending to be ambiguous and up to the players imagination of where things go from there. Oh and of course, because of laziness.

[@jamesmeppler6375]

So you let your feeling get the best of you because you become the leader? And what if your character canonically dies a year later, you didn't do anything, you just rationalize murder kidnapping and being turned into a super mutant so you can...become the biggest evil on the east coast? Institute is worse than the enclave but you keep smoking too much and act like illogical things are logical

[@hayato1886]

To be fair the exact same can be said with the scientiest at the Big MT in NV. Like you can make them work under you and if you have positive karma they'll help the wastes greatly

[@nonegone7170]

Mr. House would just show up in force with securitrons eventually, incorporating the institutes tech for his space fetish.

[@JHardy19]

@@hayato1886 That is true, although I'd argue they lack the scale and societal structure that the Institute has. Not saying that couldn't be achieved, but I do think they're a better option. But at this point (since BIOS-related ending is canon), the Big MT scientists may be the only real hope left lol.

[@FreerunningGamer]

The institute is always the victor in my playthroughs. Maxon and Desdemona are ideologues.

[@genericscout5408]

Railroad is dumb in a wasteland. BOS have a point to prevent the replacement of humanity by Synths. And the prevention of future super mutant creation. But fundamentally the BOS stiffle all research and development.

[@flyingsquirrell6953]

Maxon nor the Institute for that matter are idealistic - their views are reflected in the realist philosophy of “the world is trying to destroy us so we are forced to destroy them first.”

[@kenmck7802]

Annndddd Aldwin would have won IF he had just waited 30 SECONDS. Seems to be a Bethesda thing.

[@cryptic7791]

Wait explain plss?

[@alexanderbarnes2734]

​@@cryptic7791You were about to be beheaded when he arrived and ended up inadvertently saving you. If he waited 30 seconds, your character would have lost their head.

[@cryptic7791]

@@alexanderbarnes2734 oh right I always thought alduin meant to do that and save you at the beginning 😭

[@kenmck7802]

The big bad dragon in Skyrim. Alllll he had to do ...30 secs and the Dragonborne's HEAD would have been gone annnddd the world would have his.@@cryptic7791

[@jamesmeppler6375]

Its not a bethesda thing its called a hero thing...like you never played any non bethesda game and realized bethesda is just copying too...

[@randallporter1404]

13:20 Finite resource? Not when I played, Bethesda had/has no problem making these resources infinite. And they made Vertibirds as fragile as tin cans and as abundant as radroaches. Also, Knights were dropped and abandoned all over the Commonwealth.

[@TheTeddyGuy28]

Is the agitator described as being completely unique to the Commonwealth? Could the Brotherhood simply play the long game and eventually source the agitator from outside of the Commonwealth and ship it in to power Liberty Prime?

[@ALLMINDmercenarysupportsystem]

I think it's supposed to be a prototype, so unique.

[@TheTeddyGuy28]

@@ALLMINDmercenarysupportsystem Gotcha. Given pre-war techs couldn't get it going because of power issues it's probably safe to say then the Brotherhood couldn't come up with another alternative before being attrited out of the Commonwealth.

[@kingofhearts3185]

It must be since the Brotherhood have LP online during Institute runs, hence reprogramming it during the final battle.

[@ALLMINDmercenarysupportsystem]

@kingofhearts3185 They have it able to talk, turn its head, and shoot the laser. We don't know about the laser, but it was completely able to do the others without the agitator. They probably were not able to replicate or replace it because it's still held in the construction frame thing.

[@kingofhearts3185]

@@ALLMINDmercenarysupportsystem The agitator was to jump start the reactor. Everything else could be fixed easily as the video showed.

[@petepeskan1842]

Excellent video dude

[@mr.cauliflower3536]

Actually, in an institute playthrough the brotherhood also gets the liberty prime running, but the institute tries to infect it with a virus synth and make it self-destruct. Which makes it so without the sole survivor they could possibly get it running, as the Institute would run out of synths able to finish the task before they could destroy liberty prime, but I doubt it would actually happen.

[@whatgamesweplay]

perhaps "Father" who knows he's dying releases the sole survivor as a kind of Samson act.

[@Mikeh2077]

Something along the lines of “with old age comes regret, and wondering what if more often.” It’d have been better with more context on how long Shaun had been director prior to the Sole Survivor being released from Cryo.

[@hiddendesire3076]

@@Mikeh2077But the Sole Survivor wasn’t released. Per the terminals, they along with everyone else outside of their spouse died of asphyxiation. Hell, the whole Far Harbor DLC storyline with DiMa and Bethesda mentioning that Institute Terminal that mentions Gen 3s can use VATS without a pipboy was pointing at the obvious. We never survived. We’re just the salvaged memories of a corpse on ice put into a Gen 3 synth. Hell, when Father says you were my greatest creation, he isn’t looking at the Synth Child Shawn, he is looking at your player character. He had hoped that he could recreate at least one of his dead parents.

[@kharnthebetrayer1575]

Taking out one of the best resources in Fallout 4 was the true crime , why I like the mod that allows you to take over and make changes to the Institute!!

[@adambloomfield4861]

I think the Railroad may have had a chance eventually at getting into the institute because their modus operandi is to save/rescue synths. Tinker Tom may have eventually cracked it by working with synths that are teleported to the wasteland by a reverse-engineer or brute-force method. Possibly.

[@boota2798]

The B.O.S may have been able to rally if the Prydwyn was destroyed and Liberty Prime lost to the enemy. The institute would have showed it's hand by attacking, allowing the scattered BOS chapters to unite once they saw the technological threat. The Capital wasteland chapter alone would have defiantly had a main base with reinforcements. With who knows what salvaged enclave tech and a geographical area that has access to fresh water and arguably can now sustain crops on a larger level.

[@PatGunn]

In my games the railroad never recovers anyhow and the institute wins; I'm running it, i can reform it

[@mrdr0161]

What makes you think you can reform it?

[@PatGunn]

@@mrdr0161 in the institute ending, you become its leader, and there are already members of the faction who see synths as people. Father had a lot of power to set policies and culture. You will too.

[@mrdr0161]

@@PatGunn and you think the Directorate will just accept the changes you make? They have access to the Institutes entire systems. You don't know how run them. They do. They are trusted and valued members of the Institute. You are not.

[@PatGunn]

@@mrdr0161 Father created a number of the bad policies. Leadership means the power to shape. It's weirdly more centralized than the other factions and should be way easier to fix than the BOS. It also helps that at the end of the day most academes are more interested in their research than in policy.

[@TheCrealkiller]

...What you mean "would"? I've found my boy and promissed to carry his mission. Family first, always.

[@palm_fangz1018]

Every synth is basically your grandchild so it's all family

[@Maxsmack]

This is a common trope in all video games, and larger media. The “bad guy” needs to be coming from a point of strength, so the world can feel threatened. If the other factions already had things handled and didn’t need our help, what incentive would we have to care. It’s the same with the legion and ncr in fnv. One is very clearly winning the war at the beginning of the game. Same with the enclave in fo2/3, and master in fo1.

[@phoenixmilburn8759]

I feel like people always forget Synths-Androids and members of the railroad appear in fallout 3 and were actually a big thing when we found out they would be full of factions back in 2014.

[@FleyDragon]

I think Shaun actually believes synths are people and I think the Sole Survivor may be a secret synth project by Shaun.

[@monsterjonez4702]

Preston (an essential character) "Nah I'd win"

[@0-_yikes-_0]

9:52 Ah yes, my favorite fallout character Paladin Dan lol

[@samueleveleigh2767]

the best part is, even without the agitator the institute still wins hand down because of the battle of attrition. for the institute the agitator simply means unregulated growth for hundreds of years. from day one they have their stable food, water, air and army infact when you do get the new reactor up and running what is the grand evil plan to make their military unstoppable? simply make more synths... and even then assuming the war goes horribly wrong and the institute loses every synth force they send to the surface, it isnt unheard of for the institute to just go dark until things calm down, the synths they send to the surface are either special ops or scavengers not a dedicated military force like most believe. dont beleive me? look at the commonwealth provisional government, as soon as the institute saw that it wasnt going to work they simply withdrew and when factions like diamond city blamed them for the massacre they responded with nothing... hells its only because of father that theres been an uptick in surface missions leading to their notority around the commonwealth :/ to put it simply, the institute was there before the other factions and the institute is more than willing to wait for them to blow eachother up...

[@thepongpol3073]

Just discovered your channel, your telling style rally gives the same vibe as the 'The exploring series' narrator. Love it, keep making good content man.

[@matthewlo55]

Option 2: The player decided

[@tedcruz212]

I ended up siding with them because the technology alone is enough to convince me. Hell they made kellog borderline immortal with their tech, and you think I wouldn’t join them? Yeah I’m having them turn me into an immortal cyborg.

[@Hermessiz]

I'd say the Brotherhood would still be able to reach Mass Fusion and get the Berrylium Agitator, because you can break cover even before mass fusion and well.. there is no liberty primeless BOS playthrough (would've been interesting to have it but of course everything feels too linear in this game) they also can eventually understand The Institute is under C.I.T, there's a holotape from a recon team looking for an entrance to The Institute in C.I.T until they get attacked by synths, they say it was false, but i believe the BOS would reconsider eventually (I think it was somewhere at the Command Deck near Captain Kells?)

[@Dalocklear73]

Really enjoying your recent videos! Keep up the good work bro

[@Deadsea_1993]

The Institute were a missed opportunity. Seems to me that Bethesda wanted them to be their version of Caesar's Legion with being the most evil faction, but one that has good qualities and aren't entirely evil just to be evil. Unfortunately unlike The Legion, The Institute were just a modern day version of Vault-Tec.

[@BuzzChronicles]

Institute killed this game lore they should have been crazies why just want to experiment on people the view as lesser they are just plain science but bethesda gave them a dumb motive

[@manofwarb]

I agree! F:NV did that so much better with the Think Tank at Big Empty!

[@indeed2207]

I would honestly love to see the institute join the think tank, i can only wonder what would appear when those two entity would encounter. A scientist, really intelligent, would make those robots brain melt. How many crazy things they could do would be cool, and the intitute could put some shackles on the think tank, focusing their studies on actual important knowledge and tech.

[@finaladvance5085]

I agree with a vast majority of what you say, actually almost everything. But the brotherhood wouldn't always be unable to attack the institute. That being said, they would have to be clever about it, be sure to complete a number of hearts and minds operations to keep the people on their side. Should they have acted in a way compliant with their arrival announcement and remained peaceful to the commonwealth (but hostile to the feral ghouls, synths and frankly probably the raiders) then within a short time frame they would become greatly admired by the people of the commonwealth. This would get them high numbers of new recruits and honestly donated supplies and information. This will not completely absolve them of all logistical issues but it would of helped. As you said, they would have reasonably quickly discovered the institute was underground and would of found the place where. While liberty prime was their best option, it is certainly not their only one. It is not unreasonable to think they will have a supply of shovels available and enough volunteers to dig. Now, the institute does have a very good logistics network and has well established itself. But they are not perfectly self sufficient, proven by the fact that they send scavenger parties up to the surface often. Should they have taken note of when and how the teleportation works, it is not unreasonable to imagine they will find a way to piggy back their way inside. Father did say "we have let you keep your weapons" but we cannot be certain they could teleport you and your weapons into two different locations. If they had to fight or demand you hand them over then the first wave could theoretically create a beachhead. Still, the advantage is 100% on the side of the institute

[@Drake45100]

Or you can download America Rising 2 from Nexus, side with Colonel Whitehill and take over the Institute. It's still an evil ending because you literally have the Enclave in the Commonwealth and they get revenge on the Brotherhood, but atleast Whitehill doesn't release the FEV again like Father did.

[@shoazdon7000]

Non canon though but the enclave are in fallout 4 now officially

[@airiannawilliams3181]

One of the side quests on the Pridwin has you going to the farms to procure food, even if you can get it at a discount, you are not paid enough to cover the costs, so it's expected that the Soul Survivor to demand the food delivered. Which already builds resentment from the farmers, who label the Brotherhood as another band of bandits at that point. Case in point, I can see they don't care about the Commonwealth people, they only care about getting that tech for themselves, and "if they can't have it, then no one can" attitude. Truthfully, it's a matter of choosing the lesser of evils. Once the Brotherhood wins, they will up and leave the Common Wealth, they will leave the people of the commonwealth to their own devices once the Tech of the institute is gone. Worst ending for the people of the Common Wealth. Fast Forward a few years, if the Minute Men were the winning faction, when the Soul Survivor leaves, dies of old age, what ever, the next person to lead won't be the same, and it could quickly fracture and fall apart. The Minute Men will fall to the way side once again in a short time. Railroad, will disband shortly after the destruction of the Institute, as no more Synths are being made, there is no reason for them to continue. Doesn't help the Commonwealth long term. Institute wins, as director, the soul survivor might be able to do good for the people of the Commonwealth. If they turn their resources to aid the people they can secure the future for the Commonwealth people to be on an upward slope. I disagree with their past aggressions and feel they need to pay for their transgressions, but by what I understand, Kellogg had a hand in all the deaths at the meeting, and any place where the Institute would come out on top. Since they are no longer tied to the prewar power grid, they can also help the people of the Commonwealth to harness that power all over the Commonwealth. (I just see many ways that becoming the director could be a benefit for the people) Unfortunately the game is left in limbo from that point forward.

[@Death2all546]

While I completely agree about the railroad and bos, I have to disagree about the institute winning being better than the minutemen longterm. For the minutemen, that 1 flaw everybody mentions (if you die, who takes over) is especially present for the institute. They’ve been carrying on how they have for 200 years. The moment the sole survivor is declared director, two departments rebel against it. Can you imagine the difficulty in forcing the entire institute to change their way of thinking/treating the people in the commonwealth? Who’s to say they won’t revert back to doing whatever they want the moment the sole survivor dies of old age (assuming the institute doesn’t try or succeed at murdering them). The sole survivor would need a successor capable of keeping the institute under control and keep it going in the right direction. Which is exactly what the minutemen needs. A capable leader to succeed the sole survivor when they inevitably die off. The only difference is, the minutemen already share the goal of improving the commonwealth and haven’t spent the last 200 years experimenting on people. Of course, without any real definitive ending, this is all just speculation and head canon (which bothers me immensely).

[@airiannawilliams3181]

@@Death2all546 I do agree that it could happen within the Institute as well, but by talking to the various people within the institute, I got the impression that they don't really like to interfere with them, Sean and the previous director on the other hand did, that I am sure of with the logs in the FEV lab. As intellectuals they should see a long term benefit of aiding the surface populace, and if we could get that other scientist, Virgil, to return, with a new goal in mind to see if a broad form cure could be made for the supermutants, or some way to neutralize FEV in the area. But the reason I sight the Minutemen, is because they are out there in the wastelands, and they seem to recruit anyone. And opposite for the institute is the insulating factor of the Institute that they don't let just anyone into the Institute. Thereby a successor could easily be groomed with compassion that the previous 2 or more directors have been lacking. Totally agree that due to the limbo of the game no matter who you side with, and the deed is done, no amount of head cannon will help scratch that itch on what happened after.

[@dracon2002]

​@Death2all546 Directors are older than Sole Survivor (biologically, not chronologically), so they would probably died before SS, who could choose some more "calm" leaders for IT divisions.

[@CrackDCat]

@@airiannawilliams3181 The Institute's attitude towards Wastelanders reminds me of the Vault City residents. I don't think they would see Wastelanders as equal, but rather uneducated and ungrateful parasites, using all their tech and providing little but gratitude in return. A schism within the Institute due to the Sole Survivors leadership is more likely than one would think. Kind of like convincing First Citizen Lenette that fixing the reactor would help both Gecko and Vault City immensely in the long run, she'd rather have you executed or kick you out of the city than hear a bar of your proposal. Lynette really pisses me off, McClure's a GOAT lol. The only major differences are Vault City used humans as slaves, The Institute uses Synths which makes The Institute slightly more moral than Vault City... Maybe? Iunno, I just HATE Vault City... almost as much as New Reno XD

[@Death2all546]

@@CrackDCat “the institute uses synths which makes them slightly more moral… maybe?” That’s an interesting thing to note about the institute. They made gen 3 synths with the intent of creating something completely indistinguishable from humans. So impossible to tell them apart that even synths who lost their memories of being a synth would have no idea they were one. So hard to tell them apart the only way to be sure is to kill them for their synth component. Synths that even need to eat, drink, sleep, and can dream (though there’s conflicting info on if they do need to, I say they do since otherwise every railroad mind erased synth would realize what they were after a week without needing to do any of those things). And then the institute enslaved them as “lesser beings”. Which makes an interesting question. Is it more “moral” (relatively speaking) to enslave random people off the street or to create sentient beings for the purpose of enslaving them? And it’s also a good point that the institute generally sees wastelanders as uneducated savages. Unless they find one intelligent enough to invite (kidnap) to join the institute.

[@Greebles-m6c]

I feel like if the brotherhood was smart, losing the chance for the berillium agitator to the institute would lead to them securing Liberty Prime and anyone who could work on/repair it and leave the region until they could find a suitable replacement to use to power it and then come back with a better plan.

[@jhandlediihggdfhg]

"Yonks ago" That's heaps good.

[@sheogorath-the-incrazy]

It's funny how a fate of every faction is Make or break depending on the main character

[@Warrior-Of-Virtue]

Personally, I think the Brotherhood has a good chance of winning in the long run. While Liberty Prime was certainly the fastest way into the Institute, I don't see why they couldn't eventually tunnel their way in the old fashioned way. Also, the Brotherhood could have taken advantage of the Commonwealth's hatred for the Institute to gain allies, possibility resulting in the formation of pro-Brotherhood militias who would help to bolster their defenses at digging sites. And they could always call for reinforcements or supplies from other chapters.

[@ProfileName8904]

The Brotherhood has a chance to win, but I would still favor the Institute in a long campaign. Keep in mind the Institute is fighting a defensive war on home territory, they know about the terrain, local pop, can very easily gather intel while Brotherhood can't, Brotherhood can't harass the Institute while the reverse is very easy and the Institute doesn't have to worry about logistics nearly as much, a tunneling operation would be quickly noticed and made top priority to harass and destroy. Secondly they have a considerable numbers advantage, they can pump out gen 1 synths that altough badly armed, in numbers are still very much a threath to even powered armored foes, the Brotherhood probably have a few hundred irrepleacable soldiers that would be taken down little by little, Institute has the courser that altough there are not many, lore-wise are arguably above paladins or at the very least their equals. And third, reinforcements are not going to be enough. Maxon must have taken a good portion of the Eastern chapter in the Prydwen and they are not going to leave DC undefended so no reinforcements from his own chapter. Any other chapters in the East Coast will be considerably smaller and not able/willing to send any meaningfull support. Western Brotherhood being at the other side of the country and still at war with NCR would never send any troops out East. Regarding local militias, the Brotherhood ain't letting "civilians" help out. They never work with the Minutemen and barely tolerate them. They hate sentient ghouls so there goes a good portion of the Commonwealth that won't ever support them. No one in the Commonwealth believe the Brotherhood is here to help the common man, from Tenpines Bluff to Diamond City. Not only do they refuse to work with them, they actively intimidate them into giving them their crops and if they become enemies with the Minutemen they are willing to raid settlers as if they were military targets, so any settlement big enough to be of any meaningful help would refuse to help out. Also the Institute can just replace leaders of communities to make sure no one supports the Brotherhood. All this said, the Institute would send wave after wave of cheap synths, whittling down their numbers slowly and after a long campaign if they are not able to get Liberty Prime moving, they would consider their losses untenable and retreat back to the Capital Wasteland.

[@mal1362]

The institute has eyes on the brotherhood. They wouldn't give them a chance to start digging anywhere near the institute.

[@manofwarb]

@@ProfileName8904 multiple flaws in your argument First, you need to have a grasp of actual military tactics to even fight this long drawn defensive campaign you talk about. The Institute is comprised only of scientists; none of whom know anything about things like planning ambushes, seizing and holding defensive strongholds, rescuing POWs etc. The SRB is a very effective intelligence gathering organization, but throwing a hundred synths at every threat won't help, particularly against a heavily armored airmobile infantry. This is best observed if you let the three factions slug it out at Bunker Hill - even after all the synths teleporting in, the BoS ultimately gains the upper hand and will be the one faction that almost got to the synth escapees. Only reason they don't is because the Courser sent with you has Plot Immunity till the very end where only you can eliminate him. Unless the defensive side is actually good at guerrilla tactics, the side with superior armor, mobility and firepower will always win. Second, although the Institute can out-produce the BoS, they cannot outmaneuver them. The reason the Institute wants the beryllium agitator in the first place is because the power draw of their Transporter is way too high. They've had to limit the number of times they use the transporter, so they don't suffer outages internally. The BoS on the other hand seem to have no shortage of fuel for all their vertibirds. In fact, this is why the Institute has had to rely on synth doppelganger infiltrators - they don't have the electricity to teleport a hundred synths at every inconvenience and nuisance they face. In a long drawn out conflict, the BoS will starve the Institute of power. Yes, Shaun could have obtained the agitator at any time - then why hadn't he already done so, before waking his parent? On the other hand, the BoS move towards Mass Fusion immediately after securing the stockpile of nukes at Sentinel Site Prescott. And anyone in power armor can just as easily acquire the agitator itself, as any synth can. As for the BoS's recruitment issues, for every Goodneighbor gang-goon or Tenpines Bluff dirt digger, there is a Covenant, Vault 81 or DC resident who shares a lot of their values. Given the armor and firepower the average Knight has, the BoS may not need to recruit everyone in Boston - they can get by with recruiting just enough people.

[@Warrior-Of-Virtue]

@@mal1362 Who says they have to? They could start digging miles outside of the Commonwealth. We know that the Institute had the Commonwealth pretty much on lockdown but their reach outside the Commonwealth seems virtually non-existent.

[@ProfileName8904]

​​@@manofwarbAltough you are correct, the Institute has no military commanders and will be less effective, they don't need to know how to hold a fortress or rescue POV's because they don't need to. The Institute doesn't need to hold any positions on the outside, if they need something they simply go outside to take it and come back, where the Brotherhood can't touch them and will not bother to rescue synths. While they don't have any effective military grasp, both the coursers and Kellog have at least basic knowledge on tactics to know they can't just throw everything they have at a fortified position like the airport, and probably know how to set up ambushes. You are also right on the energy issues and so the Institute can't deploy 100 synths at once. Still, they are able to deploy at least a few dozen in a short time, including coursers, see Defend the Castle. As I said, they might not have great military minds but they know not to attack the airport or police station even when there is no Kellog on the real game story. Couple that with the eyes they have on the surface, they will spot any Brotherhood forces out on the field very efficiently and attack them. It will cost them dearly, but losing an entire squad of gen 1 synths is worth it if they kill even a single Knight or Paladin. Even if the Brotherhood occupied the ruins of the CIT, they still have no way to directly harass the Institute without Prime. And the Brotherhood won't gather much support, even if they started recruiting they won't give the average wastelander the training or equipment of a Knight right away. Covenant is a small settlement, Vault 81 is full of cowards who fear the outside and DC citizens dislike the Brotherhood and is puppeted by the Institute, there is no way they can recruit enough people to make a difference even if they tried. Regarding the agitator, Bethesda needed to have a plot and just made the Institute forget to grab it up until the Brotherhood occupied the building even though they had been planning to upgrade their reactor for years apparently, because all those years they could have just grabbed it, partly why I dislike talking about Fallout 4. Regardless, with Kellog on their side there is little stopping the Institute from sending him or a Courser and just grabbing it while the Brotherhood is distracted with a simple diversion from gen 1 synths, a plan that does not require brilliant tacticians. Only way Brotherhood can win is if they build Liberty Prime, ultimately the war is decided on who controls the agitator and if the Institute has it, it becomes a matter of time before they retreat back to Capital Wasteland.

[@BryceWilliams-ne8gr]

I actually think the brotherhood would stand quite a good chance on their own against the institute. I think its fair to say mass fusion would be contested as it is in game. The institute may have the ability to win a war of attrition, the brotherhood feels more devastating in an individual encounter. I think in a battle for mass fusion, the brotherhood wins. One thing i didn't hear too much touched on is the air superiority. Institute technology is more advanced, but not necessarily with regard to military technology. Power armor, heavy weapons, and air support count for a lot. Its because of this that id bet on the brotherhood for important battles, even if ultimately the institutes forces are more expendable. I think they are fairly competitive with respective strengths and weaknesses.

[@mrdr0161]

The Institute have the advantage of being able to surprise attack. You know when you're about to be attacked the BOS. You can hear and see the vertibirds and the airships and the power armour. The Institute can just teleport directly into your base with no warning. And synths will never run out. If you kill one wave of BOS soldiers, you should be fine. But if you kill one wave of synths, they'll just teleport more in.

[@HatterDrivenMad]

Isn't it implied that synths/coursers are somewhat deterred by high amounts of radiation? Hence needing Kellog to go after their rogue scientist? And wasn't that the whole reason why Virgil was hiding in the glowing sea?

[@JezaGaia]

I don't think so, Nick who is a less evolved version of the gen 2 synths tells us he can go with us to the glowing sea without any issues. I think Virgil counted on the fact that nobody knew he had mutated and so nobody would think he could survive in the glowing sea. Had he been still human it would have been a death sentence. Also nobody lives there so there are no witnesses to give away the fact that Virgil is there. Well of course there are the crazy atom worshipers but not a lot of raider camps and settlements.

[@agentminerchuan007]

13:02 Basically, high-tech Vietnam.

[@Chag69420]

Tech superiority and infinite manpower. It's a no brainer.

[@zickster]

The institute is like that great replacement conspiracy in video game form.

[@codyschwarz5155]

Theory?

[@flyingsquirrell6953]

To be perfectly honest, I don’t know why people feel like the Minutemen are just objectively doomed without the sole survivor for being too idealistic. I would argue that idealism is their greatest strength. Idealist ideologies, and the desire for good - is omnipresent. So even if the Minutemen fall, it’s simply inevitable that another person or faction will rally people into a community. Consider how bellicose the BoS and Institute are, consider the looming threat of the Gunners and Nuka World Raiders are, consider how downtrodden the ghouls of the Slog and the people of Goodneighbor are. There will always be someone who sees the injustices and tries to bring about change. It may take decades, it may take more than one. But a union of commonwealth settlements I feel is simply inevitable. Because you can kill the man but you can’t kill the idea. Basically, I think that the Minutemen or a Minuteman-similar faction will inevitably win. Because they physically cannot lose.

[@soul1d]

Take gen 2 synths, teleport them to mars. Have them build underground cities.

[@poppoppy7375]

It wouldnt be hard for a society of powerful scientist to notice that a line leading up to an old church that has an underground bunker area aaannnd the password to the bunker is the username of the Faction :|

[@jeemjobblejipjenjinsenjens6072]

Isn't it obvious? Dwellers came up with a term for anyone who may somehow invade OR RAID

[@cleanpopulation9870]

There is a great video by @Rad_King called “Hate the Institute? Blame Shaun.” Basically the reason the Institute is considered “bad” (and in some ways actually slightly is) is none other than its leader himself

[@Aldragon]

So what you’re saying is, if the main character doesn’t exist, the antagonist wins. Wow… shocking… it’s almost like… that goes for every game and movie ever basically…

[@georgejackson4426]

If you become banished and villified by The Institute and you use one of their grenades will the synths that came out of the grenade attack the Sole Survivor?

[@lostbutfreesoul]

How long would it take to figure out the Teleportation angle, without the Survivor? The Survivor also had that link to the Institute, whom else could have infiltrated? That base, a self-sustainable fortress, had only a single weak spot: And the fact most players don't smuggle themselves in without the tele.... How is some wasteland faction going to figure out that?

[@Keira_Blackstone]

especially since the only person on the surface that could tell them is Virgil, and if there's no sole survivor, Kellogg most likely kills him before he could tell anyone.

[@mis8866]

The Institute did win. Because i chose them.

[@bloodred255]

OK. So we have a situation. guys living underground met guys above ground, things didn't go well, and the guys living below ground decided to go to war with the guys above ground. guys above ground apparently do not have shovel based technology, so can't find the guys below ground despite looking. and it being pretty obvious. so first we want to define two things, 1.) what is 'winning'? 2.) and how much plot induced stupidity are we allowing for removing the player and thus the game aspect from the equation? --- we have 2 players here the institute and the brotherhood. the minutemen got wiped out and don't exist, the Railroad is full of institute spies and backdoor code, that it could never win. we could define 'winning' as taking over mass fusion because the game decided it as a set piece. I cant recall WHY the brotherhood needed it. to power their shovel tech I guess. dunno, stupid reasons. if the institute needed mass fusion and the brotherhood was aware, they would have nuked the facility if they were going to lose it, there was no win situation for the institute in an open fight. now I've seen a group of 4 power armor brotherhood lose to a pack of stingwings. Power armor is ridiculously weak in game looks like they gave the guys level 50+ but 0 END. so a tiny HP pool. synths seem to be mostly human but better damage resistance. no reason why they don't wear power armor. which brings us back to the stupidity clause. throwing aside Logistics we have the brotherhood with territory from DC up to boston. manpower, resources, and the institute that has a hole in the ground in boston. to expand they need above ground resources, which is too vulnerable and can be nuked. same reason the NCR beats the brotherhood in New vegas, brotherhood beats Institute in Fallout 4. logistics. if you are isolationist, you lose to logistics. if you hide in the ground all your enemy needs is a shovel, youve already given him time and logistics advantage.

[@wilburforce8046]

The writer clearly just likes the BoS because that ending feels the most canon to me.

[@Hedgehobbit]

The Institute could have solved the problem of synths escaping simply by not making them look exactly like humans.

[@jokester3076]

If the institutes goal was to create a robotic workforce they shouldn’t have given them General artificial intelligence and human-like consciousness.

[@Hedgehobbit]

@@jokester3076 They don't have consciousness, they have programed personalities to simulate humans.

[@jokester3076]

@@Hedgehobbit Gen 3 Synth’s have brains

[@Hedgehobbit]

@@jokester3076 *Organic Computers just like Robobrains

[@jokester3076]

@@Hedgehobbit your brain is a organic computer

[@akafiend]

The Institute could never tail Deacon because he's a master of disguise 🙃

[@GreenBlueWalkthrough]

Honestly it deepens the story even more and backs up Father's character and the main sci-fi theme of the game... Then if it was a Fallout new vegas type of setting where anything was possible with out the player... though I prefer that over a character making a bone headed choice...

[@nickster5207]

Winning is one thing, carrying on afterwards is another. The institute will collapse under the weight of it's own incompetency, it's only a matter of time.

[@randallporter1404]

0:05 The entire family was irradiated on the elevator when they watched the nuclear explosion. So maybe the Institute wanted untainted DNA but that is NOT what they got. This also explains Shawn's cancer, IMO. And do Synths get cancer?

[@JezaGaia]

Agreed, it was a lame excuse and realistically they wanted someone that was easy to control and brainwash. had they taken an adult he could have revolted against the experiments or the goals of the institute.

[@flyingsquirrell6953]

Shawn getting cancer could be totally unrelated? He wasn’t facing the blast when the bomb went off, the spouse shielded them.

[@JezaGaia]

@@flyingsquirrell6953 So that's not how radiation works, flesh doesn't block it, having your back turned doesn't block it. Now of course you're right Shawn might not have gotten cancer due to radiation exposure. It might be just bad luck or whatever the institute did to him when they used him to create the synths. However this doesn't remove the fact that Shawn was just as irradiated as the other people frozen in vault 111 and I would say that him being an infant would have made him more fragile and more likely to have alterations in his DNA due to it. So if they could use Shawn they could just as well have used any other person there. That's why you are the backup even though they pretend you were more irradiated. If that was the case there would have been no backup. But you are close genetically to Shawn and are no more irradiated so if he dies they can use you to keep going without needing to start from scratch. Probably they hoped to have both you and your husband/wife as backups but the one holding Shawn resisting made it impossible.

[@randallporter1404]

@@flyingsquirrell6953 Good thing flesh stops radiation. 🤣😉

[@maximus4765]

They are the Mary Sues of the fallout universe, which has always been balanced by the logic of superior firepower vs greater numbers. They have both and then some. They have teleportation, near endless armies that don't need food, water, or sleep, and don't bleed. They have technology that surpasses even the Enclave's, if not by leaps and bounds. Hell, they were going to have power armor at one point. Their guns suck, but they're easy to produce. Within a year they would be able to amass an army bigger than the NCR's. The only weakness they really have is being entirely concentrated in one centralized location for easy eradication. They are the most overpowered fallout faction to exist. I still to this day don't think they're a faction that should ever have been in fallout, and the only reason they exist is because Bethesda couldn't think of something more creative than "super technology bad guy".

[@PotatoPatatoVonSpudsworth]

Here's my theory on why Bathesda fumbled the Institute so badly: 1. They started out creating a faction that was trying to secretly control the Commonwealth using robot clones (synths.) 2. This made them so evil it flattened the entire narrative into black-and-white. 3. They panicked and tried to reign in the evilness, but by then it was too late to replace the body-snatching thing. 4. So they just completely detached the Institute from its original motives and cram new ones in. 5. The result: a faction centralized around robo-clones that has no reason to be making robo-clones.

[@pixels_per_minute]

The amount of good the Institute could do is beyond anything any other faction could even dream of. Bethesda just needed a main vilan, and the Institute was on the chopping block. They didn't even have a good reason for why the Institute were kidnapping people and inserting sleeper agents. I feel like they just retroactively made them the vilans somewhat late into development.

[@MadSwede87]

The Institute can't lose to an outside force because they have the ultimate weapon teleportation, they just needed to build some bombs and teleport them above BoS (how come BoS has anti-teleport fields, how can they now about that and build them) and Boom no more BoS

[@cataclysm7256]

They literally can teleport anywhere in the Commonwealth

[@anexistencethatexists]

They survive with my sole survivor.

[@PotatoPatatoVonSpudsworth]

I'd love to know what the heck happened behind the scenes for Fallout 4 to mess up its central narrative so much. Like, the Institute isn't just a failure of writing, it's a failure of basic logic. The fact that the game published without it ever being made clear what the Institute's actual MOTIVATIONS were is baffling.

[@dinosore4782]

The railroad had the most potential. Without the soul survivor , they would have been the main resistance against an institute controlled common wealth. They would have been waaaaaay more important had the story played out longer . They could have started synth colonies with the hundreds of freed synths

[@RealBradMiller]

They could have ALREADY started colonies, and should have...

[@dinosore4782]

@@RealBradMiller they did they had colonies outside the commonwealth they moved them to

[@Apt23-v8u]

Another apocalipsis

[@akuladoctor7355]

I am not 100% sure of this. Considering, that they cannot truly win even, if you side with them. The BoS is still out there, and they may, or may not have a deathray, that can do more damage, than 10 nukes. But even without that they can send new units. Maybe with more careful approach. Checking all faction i say, that the key battle is Mass Fusion. The BoS already figured out the teleportation signal, and they knew from the get go the origin of the Institute. They also attack the RR. Even, if they get nothing from that attack they can still send Liberty Prime to check the Institute ruins, and then it's game over. And, if they manage for example get Glory's brain, and check it like the MC does to Kellogg, then they get absolute confirmation. Oh, and Glory is bound to die when you side RR during the BoS attack. So without the MC she would certainly die regardless. When you attack the BoS as Institute, then Liberty Prime is almost ready. I think, that the only thing missing is the device you get from Mass Fusion. So, if the BoS wins Mass Fusion, then the Institute has to delay the attack until they can make the reactor work without it. Sure they do, but they wouldn't risk 2 humans to get it, if it were easy to do without it. On the other hand the BoS can use it to power up Liberty Prime. Whoever wins Mass Fusion will win for the moment. And that battle is not easy Institute win. Since the BoS has better armor, and weapons, than the Institute. In fact it is objectively easier to do that objective for the BoS, than the Institute. And no they couldn't just get a synth to get it easily. I mean sure they can send synths, but they don't know where it is on the start. The very reason you have to fight through the building is, because they don't know where exactly it is located, and even once you know, that it is in the basement that building is still standing. They can't just teleport synths inside without knowing it's layout, or else most of the synths end up in walls, and the dirt. If you play for the BoS, then you can notice, that there are no synths inside the basement. And the basement is sealed at the get go. So i think, that the Institute managed to explore the non-sealed parts of the building, and thus capable of sending synths into it, but since the basement was sealed they could not explore it, and could not send synths there accurately. They couldn't just teleport a courser next to it, then teleport it out.

[@renaigh]

if you think about it. Shaun & Caesar have a lot in common, both were raised by a democratic society but went onto using Authoritarian means to control the Wasteland and its people. They even die of cancer.

[@Mirthful_Midori]

They also could've won, if their leadership wasn't brain dead. Their most substantial enemy's secret base has a trail leading to its entrance and the password is their name. The Railroad should've been long gone by the time the game started.

[@SonOfTheChinChin]

i wish there were institute good ending where sole survivor lead institute to help the wasteland

[@raenotafurry]

This whole video predicates on the Sole Survivor's ACTIONS not being done. With all these questlines, don't you think they would've just had someone else, or a series of other characters, do what you did?

[@Behague]

The Haitch Queue?

[@Cocaine_RejeKt]

Idk if this is just cuz of mods i have but when i killed the railroad glory was a synth now it's been a long ass time since i played the railroad because theyre a boring ass faction but did they know about her and let her stay with them or did she infiltrate them?

[@mrdr0161]

They knew was a synth. She came to them for help like every synth, but instead of having her memory wiped, she chose to join them. The institute aren't even aware of her being a synth because if they did, they wouldn't have you kill her. They would've recalled her. And if she was a spy, she would've helped you kill the railroad

[@zyro8623]

I guess you can say the Sole Survivor is a main character lol

[@WallNutBreaker524]

Not only did this Video get Age Restricted by KZbin, but my comments keep getting deleted through the use of "Something happened with the Server 404", KZbin... Everything on my end is fine. YOU'RE THE PROBLEM, dont think using "Error" as an reason why my comments keep disappearing will do you any good. I know you're deleting my and many others comments. 🤦‍♂️

[@TurKlack]

The date 2227 is wrong. I have proof for that. However I would like to know, if you had any real evidence for this date, or if you simply took the Directors Age and subtracted it from the year of the PCs release?

[@OpasgegenLinks]

Show proof

[@ODSToftheMOJAVE]

Well at least they didn't make, Freddy fivebears.

[@Dream0Asylum]

Well, of course the Institute would have won if the Sole Survivor never awoke, the Brotherhood won't even come to Boston unless the Survivor kills Kellogg.

[@unknownvalor9755]

Imo the Institute's great enemy was the synths. They created the means to their destruction. In the story you can clearly see the synth's gaining enough willpower to break free and have ambitions. It was only a matter of time before everyone in the Institute would have been replaced with a synth and from there the rest of the surface.

[@mrdr0161]

You seem to think synths want to replace the surface? They don't.

[@Agent-wi7hu]

this makes the game a bit more interesting.

[@rps1276]

Long live the Institute, the only hope of the Commonwealth!

[@Martial-Mat]

I believed in their goals but could never endorse their fascistic methodology in which the very people they claim to care about are viewed as completely expendable.

[@Keira_Blackstone]

they have literally zero interest in helping the commonwealth and have actively sabotaged their wellbeing on multiple occasions. are they capable of helping? sure. but they they have no interest in doing so.

[@hiddendesire3076]

Correction to the title: The Institute Would Have Won If They Never Made A Gen 3 Synth Of Nate/Nora”. Don’t care what anyone says, the player character is a synth. We use VATS without a pipboy which is a Gen 3 synth function per the Institute Terminals, Far Harbor’s main story kept proposing the whole Are you a Synth question, How the hell did we interface with the system for that tower defense mode when normally hacking and such is just a screen, the vision we see of Kellogg taking our son is an altered memory as you can somewhat see the transparent purple memory links when we are in the Memory Den, Bethesda drew a lot of attention to some terminal entry that no one really talked about and confirmed it was that Gen 3 Synth VATS one, etc.

[@Arthur_Grey34]

Idk, I don't really find that theory holds up and outside of a small number of people very few people seem to belive it.

[@hiddendesire3076]

@@Arthur_Grey34 Not my fault so many players skip dialogue and run past terminals. It’s like how so many players don’t know that Mendicate Bias was present on the Halo Ring during Halo 3 and was helping Chief as part of his attempts to atone for his actions. Doesn’t mean it isn’t true, just that many skipped passed it since they didn’t seek out that info from a terminal.

[@Keira_Blackstone]

@@hiddendesire3076 if the using VATS before getting a pip boy is what you're hanging this theory on, it means that literally every Fallout protagonist is a synth.

[@hiddendesire3076]

@@Keira_Blackstone Blame bethesda for drawing attention to that detail with the Synth Fabrication lab terminal, DiMa’s question, how our memory of our spouse dying has those memory bridge things visible just out of regular view unless you mess with the camera, etc.