(Nate is the default name of the male lone survivor just FYI). So On my adventures through out the wastes I've made it to the brotherhoods airship and had a meeting with Elder Maxon and so far most of the BoS have treated me like a a regular wasteland schmup. Other than mentioning that I'm from a vault, pipers interview, and telling the dipstick in diamond city that's not how baseball is played, nate's background at least at the point i'm at in the game isn't really brought up. Normally in fallout games (at least 3 and NV because those are the ones I played) your past is left pretty vague and for the most part that's ok as in those games had an "insert yourself" protagonist.

But in fallout 4 we have nate, a voiced protagonist with an actual background and ties to the pre-war world. Not saying a defined protagonist is bad for a fallout game, but if we are going to have this "character luggage" don't you think it'd be a a good idea to have it be little more influential on the plot/interactions around you? I mean this guy is from the pre war time that isn't a ghoul or brain in a jar, and mentally stable to boot. And he was even a part of the pre war military! With of all the useful knowledge he could have had at his disposal, think how much credit he'd have with brotherhood with that. Sure they might not believe him at first, however it would have been really cool mission to say show them the vault you were in and prove that you are from the pre war time, and as a second quest you could do something that only someone of your status could achieve, like say getting in to a secret bunker the brotherhood is stumpt to break into by knowing the right password, or being able to correctly decipher some pre war holo docs for them and make them realize, "Oh crap, you're the real deal."

Not only for faction interaction, I don't really see nate's history being taken advantage of. Even if it didn't influence the plot in a major way, think how cool it would be to talk to people/companions about your life, giving a more in depth background of your character and expanding on the lore of the world with you being living window to the life people in the commonwealth only can speculate about. The line: "Families service to the country" opens a whole can of possibilities to story telling, you could have been a foot soldier, a sergeant, perhaps you were a military scientist, or heck, you could even have something to do with the oldworld nuclear program.

Perhaps the part of complaints of a voiced protagonist stem from the fact while being voiced, he still handles like the "Insert yourself" formula and falls flat with all the missed opportunities that a real/defined character the protagonist could have brought.

I miss this myself. I'm always eager to tell people just to see their reactions. A few ghouls will react - the Vault-Tech guy (of course), the trader in Goodneighbor, Arlen Glass, a few others - but they're never much more than flavor dialogue. Of course, a lot of the Institute storyline hinges on the SS's special status, but that feels more like a "Father's relative" thing than a "Rip VanWinkle" thing.

A lost opportunity.

I'm fine with it being vague for the most part. Interactions with companion characters in which the Sole Survivor delves into their memories of a world that's completely gone could be cool, but it's not really what I want in a Fallout game. I don't want a script to tell me what my motivations and mindsets are. I know that I'm a military veteran with a wife and kid. The wife was murdered and the son was taken, and my quest is to get my son back. I like being able to fill in the blanks. There are a few little tidbits scattered around though.

For example, at Fraternal Post 115 you can read about how Nate (insert your own name if you're a male character) was scheduled to speak at a symposium and how honored the coordinators were to have someone of such high military regard speaking for them. It's a brief mention, but it's an extra little touch that lets you know that you weren't just an 'average' veteran. You were something special.

Do not forget how Nora (default name of female SS)'s prewar law degree means nothing here as well. Post nuke, the past of the protagonist is kind of meaningless, since that really is no longer around. What people see is a wastelander. I think there are a few instances of the character's prewar nature being acknowledged, but overall, yes, Nate's (and Nora's) past is really irrelevant, as no one in the commonwealth is really going to care that much.

Still would of been nice to see Nate tell a BoS soldier they're holding what essentially is a tampon not a small missle and just cackle like a maniac trying to explain. Or turn on a vacuum and scare the ever living [censored] out of everyone as they duck for cover out of fear of death.