I'm not purposely posting a spoiler here but my question may give away parts of the story.

So I just returned to the commonwealth after exploring The Institute for the first time (used BOS) and it's like nothing has happened??

Up to now, this whole story has been based around the mysteries of the institute.. And I'm the first civi to enter their HQ (not really but you know what I mean)... So I presume it's a pretty big thing?

However, upon my return, no one in the BOS have any questions? I was expecting to be like that kid who gets the new game on the release date and everyone's asking how it is... But nothing. Elder just thanked me for getting Dr Li back and no legs Jack, or whatever her name is, just wanted the holotape.

Have I done something in the wrong order or am I missing something? I thought there would be a tonne of questions from the BOS.. Weird??

Now that this has been moved to the spoiler section.... I imagine the Brotherhood simply doesn't ~care~. They know the Institute is promoting high tech so they have to GO. They may later use your "inside knowledge" to destroy the Institute, but they don't really care to know more about them. I suppose it would make more sense to have a formal "debriefing" where you provide them some information, but then the holotape you give to Ingram may contain all the info that she needs.

You would think that some of the scribes that are always wanting you to go out and find some old tech would have a hay day drilling you with questions and asking you to grab everything that isn't nailed down while there.

But I think it's a case of comparing what would make sense and what Bethesda is willing to spend the time putting in the game. A lot of little things would make the game stories seem more complete, but whatever they're done so move on...

Yeah, this is just Bethesda cutting corners I'm afraid. It's the same with other factions.

SS: Preston, hey Preston! I'm back! I've been inside Boogeyman HQ and you won't believe what I saw there, they-

Preston Garvey: That's nice, General, but I've heard of another settlement...

Not done it yet- but are there any consequences other than snarky dialogue to taking diametrically opposed companions to the wrong places? What happens if you take X6-88 with you to railroad HQ, or take Strong to the BOS airship HQ?

I hadn't thought of that, but if there is no special recognition of these meetings then Bethesda really did blow it in this game.

The latter, I don't know about, but if you do the former, the Railroad immediately becomes hostile.

I can see why the BoS might get up in arms about Strong (or Hancock) but how would the Railroad know X6-88 was a Synth? Granted, he's wearing a Courser jacket (unless you change it) but still, the whole point of Gen 3 Synths is that you cannot tell at a glance what they are.

More interested in why X6-88, with the new knowledge of the RR headquarters, doesn't immediately have an army of Synth dispatched to take it out.

This made me laugh xD

I guess he's waiting for Father's official order. Father makes it clear he knows about your involvement with the Railroad, whether you're a member or just had the Courser chip decoded by them. He just sees them as more of an annoyance than a threat, so he's waiting until he feels you're on board with the Institute enough to feel secure sending you to obliterate people you at best know and at worst are friends with. You going through with that is supposed to cement your position in the Institute.

X6 is nothing if not a by-the-book kind of guy. (But I do appreciate Bethesda made sure bringing a Courser to the Railroad's secret HQ made them hostile, since it really should. Coursers are hardly inconspicuous, Kellogg himself says - in his memory sequence - they weren't made to blend in, but were made to be killing machines.)