So I just finished up the mission and discovered that Jamaica Plains totally svcks as a settlement. Really wish I'd known the location was selected randomly before accepting the quest. That being said I, was hoping someone could tell me what the purpose of the safe house even is -does it play a big role in the railroad faction quest line? I really don't want to loose all my progress just to get a new location. Thanks

It is actually, from my experience, selected along the lines of "Is the drive-in taken by minuteman?" > "Is the Bath House taken by minuteman?" > and so on. So if you have taken all the good places for the minuteman missions then it just gives it to the next one.

As far as quests go. No. As much as Kill bugs at X location, Shoot ghoul in Y location.

As great as Fallout 4 is (and it is a seriously good game) it does have a few swing and miss moments. Sorry.

Jamaca plains is small. But no, Mercer Safehouse itself doesn't really do much; it just unlocks the next quest in the line, and you can pick up a few radiants from it.

There's a parking lot that you can use as your primary build area, and crops can be placed in semi-random locations. You'll just have to build up, not out. But yeah, it is restrictive as a settlement.

Basically just another way of unlocking another settlement, only instead its for the Railroad and now there is a marked location called Mercer Safehouse next to Jamaica Plains, or whatever location you're sent to clear.

It can play a role in the main questline later on depending on if you choose to do a certain something with the Railroad, the Railroad will suggest you do it at Mercer Safehouse, however it is entirely optional that you do it there.

Jamaica Plains was the location I got to clear for Mercer Safehouse as well. I had thought I'd be getting the whole town as the settlement or at least a good portion of it. Pretty lame its only two buildings and some parking space.

Yeah, I was a little less than thrilled with the half ruined building/ parking lot that I scored from clearing out 50 ghouls. Anyways, sounds good. Doesn't seem like I'm really missing out on anything by not building it up. Thanks for the heads up guys!

Set up a beacon, and you can use it like any other settlement. My opinion, so long as I have room for artillery, then, it's a good settlement.