to the argument you made they do not kill your companions because they are controlled by you in the BoS's mind you are responsible for their actions onboard their ship so they will hold you accountable for their actions.

While Airship Down has nothing to do with the Railroad, the point still stands that Bethesda's, IMO lazy writing, put the faction conflict resolution on 'rails'. Worse the most violent possibility for resolution was the only one available. The Player Character should have been provided with options, including the violent one, but also diplomatic and surgical for achievement of faction goals.

Also again this thread is about Elder Maxson's leadership potential and not about the comparative morality of the various factions.

Also, to all my esteemed fellow posters, lets please lay off the personal attacks.

So if the BoS is evil because they destroy abominations and terrors like Super Mutants and Feral ghouls, doesn't that make the goody two shoes Minutemen faction evil because they also go around killing the poor innocent mutant freaks who just want to capture and butcher farmers so they can decorate their lairs with gore bags?

Or maybe, get this, the BoS is just doing what any sane group of people with weapons would do and destroy the monsters that threaten their lives every day.

And if Maxson was actually the close-minded bigot many paint him as he should have immediately ordered you to execute them, since he had no qualms doing just that in the case of Danse. Except he doesn't, and his handling of the Danse situation is perfectly reasonable, no matter the quest's outcome. Maxson is reasonable.

(Meanwhile, there is nothing you can do or say to the Railroad that would make them not attack you on sight if you have X6-88 with you and so much as walk past their headquarters...)

[citations needed]

Also, Danse?

mainly a gameplay mechanic so you don't need to kill half your companions to play with the BoS and so they didn't need to write code for them to become killable except for Dance and Deacon but OK

You just said it's because the BoS hold you responsible for your companions' actions, now you're saying it's a gameplay mechanic.

Honestly, we have no proof either way, since it's never elaborated upon in-game.

you don't have proof eather, all speculation and conjecture either way

Clear bias. There are followers the BoS will attack (Danse, X6). Same with your precious bunch of Parsons' outpatients.

This isn't a case of story-gameplay seg.

ya and they only had to write code for them being hostile to Dance and did not need to write code for Hancock, Curie (after she is a Synth), Strong, and the institute Coarser you become friends with. Bathesda being lazy or wanting you to be able to use more than 1 or 2 guys who actually are human does not make the BoS the good guys

But Danse????

Care to prove your claim?

can you disprove it? I mean we can say "prove" and "dissprove" till the Brahmin come home I think it makes sense that they made it so you didn't need to kill 50% of your companions just because the BoS doesn't like them.

So you can't prove it.

And yes, it can be disproved:

you can't disprove that dogmeat is actually a magical pink unicorn in disguise. doesn't make it true.

ya but it doesn't make sense and my argument does.

I knew there was something 'off' about Dogmeat.

I broke up with my girl because she always left the cap off the toothpaste. You know who does that? A Synth.

no it doesn't at all in any way shape or form


Cause danse

The one I really hate is Lieutenant Kells and to some extent Proctor Quinlan. From internal mail and dialog Kells appears to be 3x the zealot and bigot that Maxson every thought about being. His mindless "shoot when I say shoot and never ask questions" attitude made me put a grenade in his pocket and reload more than once. My last playthrough I went with the Minutemen specifically because this guy is such a mindless jerk.


Maxson is young and fanatical but the very fact he can be persuaded to spare Danse improved my opinion of him by like 150% The best Brotherhood leadership figure is Ingram. I like her a lot.

One thing you get from interacting with the BOS NPCs is that you can pretty much tell which ones were Outcasts and which ones were Lyon's people. I give Bethesda kudos if that was the intent.

I actually haven't heard anyone say anything good about Lyons. Its all been pretty negative.

Do any of them actually have anything decent to say about their former leader?

Maybe Ingram

I'm more a BOS supporter than not but one of the things that makes me think he isn't a good leader (along with Kells) is his determination to pursue mindless, trivial side kills for the sake of ideology.


"Say, you are our #1 operative in this life and death struggle against the Institute. Do you mind wasting time and potentially your life by traipsing around in the Glowing Sea to exterminate this 1 super mutant who isn't hostile, isn't near any human settlements, and also helped us out? The principle! It's important!"


Aside from the moral repugnance of this command, I wanted to just ask "Seriously?! You're wasting my time with *that?*"


To me the Railroad is a mindless side kill as well even if you do consider them a threat. Can we please focus on the dragon and worry about the mosquito (a dozen guys in a basemant) later please?


I really don't like this part of the BOS writing in this game, honestly. Bethesda seems to be leaping to all kinds of outright illogic and plot nonsense to force imminent conflict between factions. I get it Bethesda. The Brotherhood is bigoted and therefore grey, but even bigots know how to prioritize.

That is, however, an issue with every faction in every Bethesda rpg, ever... I'm Director of the Institute and Ayo still sends me to pick up those pointless reports McDonough keeps producing.