I've come to a point where I must finally decide. I was originally planning to work with the Railroad but have been tempted yet again to join the Institute and I'm not quite sure why.

So I turn to you, and ask, what are the plausible reasons for joining each? Based on their philosophies and goals, rather than the in-game perks and rewards for joining.

Edit: Don't worry about spoilers for the Institute side, haven't done the Railroad ending yet though.

Side with the Minutemen.

Institute if you're cool with thinking of surface-dwellers as non-human pests, denying them your incredible advances, and murdering/destabilizing them whenever it's convenient for you, and being used as a puppet by department heads that never thought much of you.

Railroad if you want to turn that into a fireworks show.

Institute if you want to be the all-powerful overlord of the science-Illuminati.

Railroad if you like joining People for the Ethical Treatment of Synths. Or PETS for short.

RailRoad if you're not averse to marrying or copulating with a toaster. Institute if you like eating toast for breakfast.

I sided with the Institute after planning to side with the Railroad.

Why?

Because it made a better story.

I used the justification of the BoS wiping them out and then my PC having to scramble to salvage the situation.

If you want to destroy the synth and throw the world into chaos, side with the Railroad. It's the evil faction.

If you want to restore humanity, be the leader of a powerful organization with military and scientific power that none can rival, side with the Institute.

If you believe the Institute is the good-guy faction, DON'T CHOOSE IT.

Don't be a slave to the Goody-Two-Shoes Narrative.

Neutral and gray forever.

Option 3: Marry the toaster and still get that delicious toast.

Minute men = Tedious
Brotherhood = Jerks
Rail Road = Hippies
Institute = Loners

Atomic Cats for the win!!

Word. Atom Cats Rule!!

Hopefully Rowdy will get some Hubris Comics Material Mods for my PA. I'll make the Stealth Boy Mod to go with a Silver Shroud paint job and a PA specced for melee for a Grognak paint job.

Railroad for the tomb ambiance.

Institute to sleep on clean sheets.

I'm at the cross roads on this myself.

Originally my PC felt that she would do anything to find out what happened to her son and all fingers pointed to the evil institute having kidnapped him. So she did what she felt she had to in order to track down the Institute. She sided with the minutemen, then the Railroad and eventually even got tangled up in the Brotherhood of Steel.

But then it all fell apart. The Railroad helped her get into the Institute where she learned the truth. Or at least a sugar coated version of it. But nothing about them seemed as evil as the outside world would make them out to believe. She soon realized that just as the Institute had a shallow and sheltered opinion of the outside world, the exact thing could be said in reverse. Everyone on the outside had no understanding and feared the Institute because of that lack of understanding. She saw scientists working freely with each other in stimulating research labs. They even had families living with them.

And that is when her alliances fell apart. First was the Brotherhood of Steel. Trying to play both sides to find a peaceful solution, she had been working with the RR and the Institute in jobs that sort of helped neither side. Kill a Courser here, retrieve a synth there... But then the BoS showed up and began shooting everyone at Bunker Hill. Synths and RR agents alike. So she took a stand against the BoS and when the time came she officially waged war against them and made them the enemy.

But now I'm back to the crossroads. The middle has been traveled for about as far as it will go. With the Railroad, she took out the BoS officially after the BoS came after the RR hideout. The only BoS left are those on foot headed back to the Capital Wasteland. But the Institute wants me to kill Desdemona who does not seem interested in trying to find peace. in fact she wants me to help her blow up the Institute.

I don't want to make an enemy of the RR and kill them all after recording a message of peace for the commonwealth. But I'm thinking a shot fired from a silenced gun from a darkened corner is waiting for Desdemona. There is no justification for destroying the Institute when there is so much potential there that can be used for the betterment of mankind. And with me as the director of the Institute... anything is possible.

So who to side for? That's up to you. Its been a tough decision for me. but on this round, Institute it is.

Somebody please convince me to side with the Institute, my character is in a relationship with Curie and I don't dislike Nick. What should I do about those two?

Well The Institute has no plans to hurt either one of them. So it doesn't really matter.

In my game, Curie just admired how much humanity is clinging onto survival and stated that it's our duty to help them.

So, her vote's against the 'Stute

And she would be happy if you join the BoS. I don't trust her for any decision making since she's very short sighted and doesn't realize those people want to dissect her apart.

They have hot shower and clean bed sheet

They can bring back old world animals with the gene study.

Their synth robots are helpful for reconstructing the Earth.

They have hot shower and clean bed sheet

Your leader is your son

Your son makes you the new director

Without the Institute, Nick and Curie wouldn't exist

They have hot shower and clean bed sheet

Their study can prolong life for many years like Kellogg

They can reverse FEV

Their research create many achievement like better crop that is more radiation resistant

They have hot shower and clean bed sheet

However, she also advocates finding the "institute's of learning" out there. Which suggest she might actually be okay with the Institute provided she would be allowed to help with their SCIENCE.

But would she at the expense of the surface dwellers? Her compassion shows otherwise, especially since the purpose of her research is to bring meaningful improvements to those around her. The little sixbot has more heart than the Enclave v2, it seems.

She's easily distracted to be honest, and a bit scattered-brained sometimes.

She'd probably forget about the surface world quickly with all that amazing scientific technology around her. Plus you could convince her that, as Director, you can ensure her work can actually make a difference (now whether or not that's a lie depends on your character).

She's also a robot, her program could be changed to reflect that. She could totally be happy with killing all surface humans at a snap of a finger.

Well yeah, if you want to take the easy way out.

However, assuming the sole-survivor cares for her at all, having the SRB forcibly reprogram her would be a pretty despicable act.

Honestly do you need any other reason than this?

I could give a crap about Curie. If only I could reprogram Danse to support the Institute, after destroying the BoS, he's just outright ignored me. I thought what we had was special, Danse.

I don't want to reprogram Danse, but it svcks that the only romance companion tied to a faction is Danse. Anywho, these kinds of questions depending on whether you see Synth as a robot or human for it to be despicable. I personally would be against reprogram Curie and Danse either ways. Curie could probably be convinced depending on how you present the situation to her since all she wants is to research technology and medicine, and Institute has the most advanced biology program that allowed them to recreate old world animals, gene research, radiation resistant crops, FEV reversal, and extending life. Most people inside the institute can't be allowed up on the surface. If Curie is down there, she wouldn't know what's going on if you put a gag order on the Institute's plan on letting the surface world dies. Besides, I think as a director, you should be able to influence the direction of the Institute somewhat, so it may not be all bad.