Just how human are the gen 3 synths anyway? This is a bit confusing. We're told they're a mix of biological and tech components and that their biological components come from our son Shaun's DNA. "I am their father. Through science we are family: the synths, me, and you" -Shaun. I can't get this thought out of my head that

is in some way my character's grandson (and if they got married would be his own grandpa? lol).

Not a serious business question, but it was something that made me go "wait...what?"

Yes.

Mind.....blown....

Yes.

The price for polyamory.

Not necessarily if they only used Shaun to replicate the base "pure-human" genome. Which is my guess. They used Shaun to map an untainted human genome, so that they could then replicate it and use it in the Synth creation process.

Since I doubt Bethesda would knowingly put incist into their game, I'm guessing the familiar relationship, at least in the traditional sense, is not there. Shaun is their "symbolic" Father if we don't take his interpretation literally.

Otherwise my character and

are gettin' weird.

Eehhhh, Bethesda probably didn't put polyamory in intentionally either.

But it got plenty of praise for it.

It's more funny this way!

Indeed!

I actually think they did.

incist has always been way more taboo than simply having an open relationship anyway.

Technically yes, your character is having an incistuous relationship if he chooses to romance a Synth.

Wait...would that apply to second-gen Synths? Would Nick Valentine technically be our character's grandchild?

Do second gens have biological components? I would totally accept Nick as my grandchild though XD

Only Gen-3 synths have any biological components.

So any hypothetical "incist" would be restricted to them. Again though, I doubt it was Bethesda's intention to seriously make Gen-3 Synths the sole survivor's actual "grandchildren".

Its a symbolic connection. Since they're sharing the same untainted genome.

No idea, though from what I've heard from Nick, he probably doesn't possess any.

Still, I'd do the same. xD

True but I think it's less offensive with the "robot grandchild" business as a barrier to realism.

They also didn't address all the 3rd generations were your enslaved grandchildren anyway.

Yet, ironically, expect you to treat Synth Shaun as one.

"Nick, I know this is weird but I went to the courthouse and got these legal documents made and long story short, Buzz Lightyear and I are your new parents!"

I mean its either incist or its not, there's no gray area there.

That's easy though. Shaun simply reprogrammed the child to "think" it was the SS's child. He wanted the synth to act as a stand-in for himself, since he knew he could never be the child that his father/mother was expecting.

The connection was always "This synth thinks its related to you, please give him a chance as my stand-in" rather than "this child is actually biologically related to you."

You know what would have been a better stand-in than a synth replica that Shaun doesn't even think of as a person? An actual grandchild! (er-not an incistuous robot one though) When you find out Shaun is old and you've missed his whole life, I couldn't help thinking "so...got any children of your own that I can steal, replace you with, and raise as my own?"

Eh, I think its ambiguous enough the SS could think of them as his grandchildren or not.

Either way, the Synths say as much in-game.

"Just as you gave life to Father, so did Father give life to us." - Synth

Me: "Man, the Lover's Embrace with Curie just got a lot more awkward. Also, the fact she's one of my three Rand al'Thor wives."

Well it plays into, "Is this a real child or not? Are Synths real people" theme.

But it's also highlighting what a thorough [censored] up CRAZY PERSON Shaun is.

He's definitely a nutbar! On one hand he's like "Synths just look human, they don't really think or feel and they're just toaster slaves" and on the other he's like "we're family and can't you love this synth as your own child? Also I'm trying to make them able to think and feel as much as possible and giving them biological components and making them able to sleep, eat, bleed, etc..." plus you have the FEV experiments, him replacing real people with Synths, and to top it all off he has a room full of dead cats! Someone who kills cats is no son of mine!

There's also a room which like a reproduction of a Pre-War house.

Which is just....there.

I half-expected a tiny Deathclaw to attack like in Big Mountain.

Either way they're speaking symbolically. Since Shaun didn't give life to the Synths in remotely the same way as the SS gave life to Shaun.

IMO its all symbolic, and I'm pretty positive if this comes up to Bethesda they'll respond in the same way. incist is WAY too much of a taboo for it to have been incist in the traditional sense. Especially for it not to at least come up when romancing synths.

But since we don't know the exact process behind what they did with Shaun's DNA, its whatever headcanon the player wants. However, I do think simply mapping Shaun's pure-human genome makes the most sense scientifically speaking.

Which kind of plays into the issue of whether or not the SS would consider them his grandchildren.

His DNA is almost certainly in there somewhere, though.

Well, when a lifeless robot terminator style drone and a wacky old man love each other very much...

Something something, gen 3's are born. The miracle of life!

Or simply his mapped pure-human genome, which he shares with Shaun.

The birds and the bees talk just got weird.

~blink~

~blink~

Well... [censored].

EDIT:

Wonder how this applies to Curie?

SS: Shaun you know about me and Curie right?

Shaun: Of course, I have cameras all over the Institute.

SS: We're going to have a conversation about the importance of privacy after this but-

Shaun: It's okay father, I see where this is going. And no, you are not an incistuous relationship with your granddaughter. It's more like Curie is manipulating the brain dead body of your granddaughter to suc-

Shaun: ...

SS: Shaun?

Shaun: Yes, no sorry father but your relationship with Curie is in point of fact pretty messed up. You pervert.

SS: Son pls.