You're welcome. Being the only person to come to this conclusion isn't a hint that you are wrong?

if u pick a white Nora & a black Nate ... shaun ends up brown so yeah he's yours

These are things he would always say. I'm more talking about naming his other parent a "Collateral Damage" (and getting all dismissive about your claims that Wastelanders are not bad). A manipulator would never be so obviously dismissive about his other parent's death. Instead, they'd say how the ones responsible have paid or something, all just to make themselves look nicer. When talking abut Wastelanders, a manipulator would at least try to make you consider what Institute could do to them while also mentioning how it might be a bad idea (after which he would try to make you believe in later and forget about the first).

If he is a manipulator, he is bad one. Heck, I'd say his speech skill is below 25% because he doesn't seem to have tact at all. "Collateral Damage" is a horrible way to get you on his side... but that might be truth for him and so he says it. Unlike many on these forums, he does not even say "The people responsible are all dead". He treats it as something the current Institute has done, not something now dead people have done.

He seems brutally honest to me, and this brutal honesty is what turns most players against him. Even the Institute players care more about their position as Director than Shaun as a person (and all seek to change the institute rather than agree with his ideas). I think this is mainly why I don't think he is manipulator: he gained no love from the players.

But you can't be both a Director and a Field Operative. The Sole Survivor is recruited into the Institute as their Field Operative. But after a while (read: after you stop playing), Sole Survivor will become the Director in both name and act and after that will have to be sitting at the table and make decisions. In other words, his fighting prowess become absolutely useless to the Institute. Heck, I doubt the Institute will even allow you to go out without at least a small army of Synths to keep you safe. And don't even think about leaving cover during a battle!

If he wanted to see your value as the Director, I think he should have thrown you into situations where he would test not only your resolve and leadership skills, but also your mentality: are you someone who will want to follow his vision or are you the exact opposite? You joining the Railroad should rob you of most of your points, or at least he would send someone to try and persuade you that Railroad is wrong... just to see how you will react. But alas, he makes you his successor even if you save Synths during Bunker Hill (and admit it to his face), constantly oppose his views and even make it clear that you don't intend to follow his vision.

If your value is to be a Field Operative, he would not make you his successor but instead try to make you trust his real successor (maybe tell you he is your grandson). That way, you will become a real replacement for Kellogg, not a temporary one. That way, he will get both a successor who is like him, a Field Operative better than Kellogg and save his parent's life.

It's possible, as every other thing. But as I stated several paragraphs above, I believe he suffers from too much honesty.

Another sign that makes me think he isn't actually a manipulative person is the state of the Institute under him.

For the starters, let us check the Directorate: Justin Ayoand the Biotech boss are perfect examples of his Institute. But Madison Li and Alam Binet? The beliefs of these two (Madison's pro-wasteland desires and Alam's belief that Synths are not just machines) are opposite to his. Yes, they are useful as scientists, but did they need to be Department Heads? A manipulator could have used many dirty tricks to demote them (like I got rid of Ayo by framing him!)

The others are also not following his sentiments. Some of them think it is a great thing that they get someone from outside as the boss so the Institute could get a fresh perspective and many mention how they are glad that Gabriel is no longer terrorizing the people Shaun claims the Institute should not care about.

And worst of all, he has to hide the FEV Experiments. If his followers agreed with his beliefs, then they would say "Well ,they are just wastelanders lol". But alas, it ain't like that. He has to keep his skeletons in the closet.

Now lets compare him to Maxson, a fellow evil ruler who is also arguably seen as a godly figure: Maxson severely punishes everyone disagreeing his most important beliefs, the BoS sings praises to him, he used propaganda to badmouth Lyons (and thus everyone agreeing with him) and he uses propaganda to make himself look like some kind of deity (he took down a Deathclaw at the age of 13 y'know!) He doesn't hide his evil deeds: he makes his people believe it's a good deed. Danse agrees with his beliefs even after Maxson betrays him. In just few years, he transformed Lyon's BoS into something else and made them his. all this is badass, bro.

And as a result, the BoS is homogenous... and even the players don't think it can be changed or even reverted back back to Lyon's. Maxson is not a master manipulator, but he still has good skills.

When compared to Maxson, a similar character in the game, Shaun does not strike me as such a good manipulator. Maybe that's a part of the ploy but after seeing all this... I just doubt it.

To be honest, I think they found a new writer. Even the MQ composition is far more complex than anything they have ever done before (they were kind of infamous for having a linear, simple MQ). Either way, I'm surprised by FO4's storyline, literally did not know they had it in them (I'm talking about more thing than one).

Still, I don't think it's on level of Bioshock. That one's just pure art

Mainly the fact "why" you would join them. If you are someone who wants to protect the Synths, can you really be a Director who will treat Synths as the rest of the Institute? Even if the Sole Survivor sides with him, he may still be Railroad at heart and join Department Director Alam Binet in his "Synths have souls!" movement. And if you are too much Railroad, then you are just deceiving him (which is what Railroad route is all about: making him trust you... which, in this discussion, might be ironic).

If nothing else, I think Shaun should have locked the Sole Survivor out of the Institute after giving him the "End of the Line" quest and until he proved his trustworthiness by killing them. If you hadn't persuaded this Railroad agent to change sides by now, you never will. If you don't want to look ugly, then just tell the Directorate to do it and claim that he did not want too do it.

Most importantly, he doesn't view you as someone who just used them as he shows (or feigns) regret for having made you kill them. I actually tested what it would be like if I killed them all before getting the quest, and while his dialogue changes slightly, he still acts regretful that it had to be done. So in both cases, he seems to believe that these people meant something to you. You killing them on your own accord doesn't change his (supposed) sympathy. If he believes that... should he really trust you? A son would, but a cautious manipulator?

Wonder if his dialogue changes if you never joined them but just used them to read the Courser Chip... (I know they won't allow you to join them so maybe even Shaun changes his dialogues)

Walker definitely wasn't a Director and we don't know anything about Walter to make a guess. My own interest in Waker is that he feels like a perfect DLC villain and a possible source of Institute's secrets.

Wouldn't Shaun's color be gray?

Yeah, you share blood. That's the key point. In the 'official' version of events, you basically receive the appointment via nepotism. Which doesn't have to be logical. Its like a rich banker appointing his dumb son head of finances at his company, despite the boy being woefully under-qualified compared to other candidates. It doesn't have to be a logical decision, because 'family first' factors into the equation. And that often drives people to make illogical decisions.

As for the rest: while that may be true. The player character has also demonstrated a firm resolve to infiltrate and possibly destroy The Institute. Joining with opposing factions like the RR etc. If there is no shared blood, why in the world would Father even remotely consider trusting you. Or even bothering with it? It would be completely nuts. And what happens 10 years down the road when you, inevitably, figure out that Father was lying the whole time? How could he guarantee that even after he's dead, the charade continues?