While I mean nobody any disrespect, I can't understand the reasoning behind the shape of the Minutemen faction. Why should an NPC be created which constantly harasses a player to repeat the same activity endlessly? Why should a player then suffer negative effects if they wish to move onto different activities? Why should a subordinate be issuing orders to their superior? Why should that same subordinate be the sole designer of the organization's overall strategy? Why should a general be wholly unable to delegate responsibility, at least with regard to radiant quests? It appears to me that a fantastic opportunity was missed here.

Imagine a faction tier-based system not unlike the current Special/Perk apparatus already in use. Experience gained from Minutemen quests could lead to points which could be used to develop the Minutemen, and lessen the workload of the player. Within the earliest rank, one might gain access to a type of squad of their choosing. Scouts could patrol a radius surrounding whichever settlement they're assigned, adhering to whichever objective the general designates. For instance, they might be assigned to identify potential settlement locations, to explore the radius in order to locate yet undiscovered locations, to search for particular resources, or to provide general reports on the occupants of locations. For instance, when hovering over a location on the map, it might be shown that ten raiders were observed there. Each of those objectives would be unlockable through a progressive system.

Infantry squads could have both an offensive and defensive role. They could be assigned to defense of faction settlements, providing reinforcement when an attack occurs. They could be assigned to logistics missions, providing a temporary supply line to another settlement until either a formal supply line is established or they're reassigned. They could be assigned to settlement aid, continuously handling the radiant quests. They could be assigned to patrol missions, either randomly searching out and assaulting positions with enemy present, or intelligently striking the more threatening positions, if any have been identified by scouts. Patrols could provide the benefit of reducing the probability of attacks, and weakening attacking parties. Finally they might be assigned to secure the supply lines, preventing what otherwise might be a rare and short-lived nuisance of trade being cut between settlements due to ambush.

The general could specify rules of engagement, and general mission rules. For instance, the player may decide that in the event a squad assigned to settlement defense estimates less than a certain percent chance of success, that the general will be notified by SITREP. Upon review of the estimate, the player may decide to reinforce that squad with one or more other squads, to aid in the defense himself, or to order the unit to stand down all-together. The player may instruct the units, individually, by type or globally, to withdraw from a fight after a certain amount of personnel have been downed, in order to prevent losses, or even destruction of the squad.

Losses and destruction would of course be a result of being overall badly mismanaged to a critical degree, for instance where the player has reached level sixty, and yet this four man squad is equipped with items more fitting of level five, while attempting to assault ten super mutants. Even then, losses or personnel and outright destruction shouldn't be terribly frequent, unless mission rules state something ridiculous such as retreat is only an option after 3/4 of the unit has been downed, or no retreat is acceptable at all. Units could be ordered to break contact if they encounter personnel from specific factions, or render aid if they encounter a wastelander or personnel of a specific faction in distress. Such disposition could have an effect on reputation, possibly causing a previously hostile faction to behave in a benign sense when their roving NPCs are randomly encountered in the future, or vice-versa.

Along the progression through the tiers could be many upgrades, beyond the options above. Weapons could be made progressively stronger, armor tougher, apparel changed. Range training could increase their accuracy and physical training could increase their health. A hierarchy could be unlocked, allowing for say a colonel to be designated, allowed for additional automation beyond that described above. For instance, you may instruct this colonel to automatically deploy reinforcements to squads who's chance for success didn't meet your specified mission rules. The colonel could provide benefits to personnel in settlements in which they're assigned, providing a morale boost to settlers, Minutemen and guards alike, increasing their happiness and/or offensive and defensive ratings. For example, placing the colonel in The Castle may improve happiness by five, DR by ten and accuracy by ten percent. In the event that no reinforcements are available, or if the reinforcements that are available aren't adequate to raise your missions probability of success to the acceptable threshold you've chosen, the colonel could then lead the deployed squads in combat, providing them his bonuses, and advising you of this himself via SITREP.


There's so much that could be done with The Minutemen, and yet so little was. This will be the fourth installment of the series, and I can only hope that greater complexity and less frustration and tediousness is brought to FO5. After all, the transition from FO1 and FO2 to FO3 and FO4 was a dramatic step. One can only expect that FO5 will be a revolutionary leap of the same caliber. In the meantime, the Minutemen can still be redeemed through DLC. Nothing as dramatic as I propose I'm sure, though I would argue that what I've said and beyond would be more practical than one might initially imagine. It is or could be, after all, primarily text-based gameplay and scripting built on an existing infrastructure. Yet, this style would be absolutely immersive for those who're inclined to role play. The Minutemen could cease to be a faction, but an addiction, and people aren't very discriminate about how much they spend on addictions.

I'd pay the full price of the original game for a Minutemen Advanced DLC, especially if it promised depth, let alone if it came packaged with other settlement enhancing material, such as new/prewar structure components and new/prewar furniture. Who's idea was it to go out’ve your way to provide the player with only the lowest quality appearance of craftsmanship, where these junk models and textures would clearly consume more resources on Bethesda's end to produce? Who didn't get that players wanted the opportunity to build an oasis among the wastes? What was the entire goal of FO2 again? Something about a GECK right? I think everyone wanted to Create a Garden of Eden using a Kit.

Nevermind me though. I’m just a loyal series fan from the beginning, who never bought FO3 DLCs because they weren’t interesting to me, watching you let the modding community produce things which you could’ve more easily produced yourselves and profited on, wishing more effort and thought was put into these very dry and tedious Minutemen, and ranting because I need a break from Preston’s unending, uninteresting quests.