This is in the spoiler section, so I don't know that I'm required to say anything, but just a heads up - my questions are spoiler heavy.

So I've beaten the main quest twice now, and have started my third, hopefully final character. I wasn't satisfied with my decisions from my last two playthroughs (The first I ended with the Brotherhood of Steel by accident - couldn't figure out how to advance further with the Minutemen. The second, I ended with the Institute.) This playthrough I will definitely be siding with the Minutemen.

My first question is then, how exactly do you advance further in the Minutemen quest to be able to get their ending? Everything I could find said you have to make the Institute an enemy (hostile) by attacking them? Can anyone confirm this? There's no other way to get the Minutemen ending without directly attacking the Institute?

And if that's true, can you just attack any of them? From a roleplaying point of view, it seems really stupid to actually attack them while you're inside the institute. And I don't want to just point blank murder my son. So perhaps attack the synths during the bunker hill mission, and then free or destroy the synths you were sent to retrieve??

Next, I'd like to play a little of every faction on this playthrough, but the only way I can justify my character joining the Brotherhood is after destroying the Institute, joining with the Brotherhood as a sort of undercover mission for the Minutemen to see why they haven't left and if they are a threat. After several missions and talking to them, I would establish that they are indeed a threat and I'd like to destroy them. I know Preston Garvey gives you that option at the end of the main quest if you're already enemies with them. However, if I wait until after I destroy the Institute and then join the Brotherhood, can I still become enemies with them and get the quest from Preston to destroy them?

One last thing, which isn't super important but I am curious - I've heard that the Brotherhood destroys the Railroad? Does anyone know what triggers this? Do you have to end with the Brotherhood of Steel or something? I never got that quest, but I've heard it's just something they do on their own. I find it interesting and wouldn't mind that happening in my game, unless it requires the Brotherhood ending of course.

Thanks for reading

You must have completed Old guns and get banished from the Institute by either attacking them or by an argument with Shaun getting too heated up.

This is one of situations where you can get into a heated argument with Shaun and get banished.

I think you can join them after the Minutemen MQ, but I am not 100% sure.

And I think you MUST destroy the Institute first.

Just like with The Institute, the BoS gives you the "Destroy Railroad" quest once you advance far enough in their questline.

The BoS attack also happens if you advance far enough in the Railroad questline.

There is nothing locking you into an ending (just out of it) so you can just advance through BoS until the RR is destroyed and change sides.

Heck, you can destroy the BoS with Minutemen even after getting the BoS ending.

Ok, I think I'll try to get into the argument then, which makes more sense to me. I appreciate the help, hopefully after I finish the Main quest in this run I'll feel a bit more content with my choices.