Edit: just for clarity top title is "Why can't we join raiders?"

So I've always wondered since fallout 3 - why can't we become part of a raider clan? It would be the one way to have an "evil" path for characters... also, I'm not entirely sure why they Are always shoot on sight. For some groups that makes since but the raiders would probably have people they trade with or just the fact that they still need to recruit.

Because they don't want to talk to you, they have no reason to talk to you, if they wanted to recruit you, THEY would come to you, not the other way around.

Raiders are, by definition, people who raid others for things in order to survive. Them not attacking you defeats the whole point of being raiders.

I've often wondered this myself. It would be cool if there were a 'diplomatic solution' to raider encounters a bit more often. However, I think it's largely just because the raiders are an organized group. Loosely organized, yes, but organized regardless. Some people are under the impression that 'raider' is just kind of a catch all term for criminals and thieves in the wasteland. In fact though, they are 'Raiders', as a proper noun. They are an organized group. I think it's reasonable to just interpret it as being a group that is aware of who you are and opposes your views in a big way.

Because they aren't a faction. Just a generic enemy type. This isn't FNV.

why can't we be dancers on the strip? the thing is there is only so much content that can fit into the game. as i recall there was one quest that allowed working for raiders light.

now we can side with four fractions. not enough?

Because their are mods for doing that, Maby future DLC will add it.

Why can't we play as Deathclaws or Radscorpions or ghouls or supermutants or brahmin.

I would rather be a member of the gunners. They are more professional it seems.

to be fair, even if you did join raider gang it really would not help anywhere but that one gang... raiders steal and kill everyone, even other raiders.

After reading that terminal journal about a group of minutemen becoming raiders out of necessity, I wanted the option to do the same. Unfortunately they've made a much too specific character to play as who almost never has bad things to say or bad choices to make.

But the Main Quests and Sidequests with those Factions are more like Fast Food. Before you can enjoy joining those Factions and his Enemies your getting very fast the Order to kill Everyone and everything. The Fight of Bunker Hill was great but it was also the first and the last good Mission of the Fight between those Factions. I mean, why? I have the same feeling that this Game is missing something. I never played FO1, FO2 or FNV. FO3 only a few Hours. Joining Raiders or the Gunners wouldnt be that bad. This would be just a real Choice of RPG since the normal Missions directing you, doesnt matter which Faction you join, into the same Future.

And yes, those 4 Factions arent enough since they have just stupid Side Quests and all the same Ending. The FO4 World is just beautiful but the Quests at all are garbage!

Ignoring some of the stupid comments above ghouls and what not above, I have also wondered this myself. Essentially, our main character can also be considered a raider in it's own way. You visit places, you find new places, you kill the hostiles and then you loot the crap out of it. But I think the general idea is that Raiders are supposed to be your standard enemies in order to simply the fulfill the requirements of having enough low- level enemies and what not. However, I also don't see a reason why joining a Raider group is impossible. They do recruit, in fact you can often eavesdrop on their conversations and read terminals how recruits came flocking to them and increasing their numbers for whatever personal reasons they have.

Now in gameplay perspective, I imagine raiders quests would be your generic kill/occupy type of quests so maybe they're afraid of repetition? Although, considering there are a large number of raider gangs with specific names I don't see why you wouldn't be able to join one group and then essentially play the game of gang turf war and what not. You know, having your own territory, being able to spread your influence and conquer hostile gangs terrorities and what not. It could essentially work like a extended settlement mod, with more recruits joining as your fame grows and what not.

Throw in some well-developed special NPC's and it could work. But I do think that, with the addition of settlements raider factions become obsolete.

What i would like to do is Kidnapping the Wife of Albernathy. Just one fu..ck.. in g Time. This is also a Thing, why we must Kill everyone why isnt it possible to take Hostages or i mean atleast if u sneak to handcuff People like in DayZ. Just to have the Option not to kill. Or just to unarming the Person. That would be a Choice. Fallout4 is at the Moment just a Gore Shooter more or less like CoD.

You can't because that would be a whole other faction and require a faction's worth of new lines, voice acting and time in a recording studio. All that is more money and time Bethesda would have had to spend - so no raider faction.

They dont need much to say. We are not talking abt a Ending like Institue, its just to have a different Choice for Sidequests. And just think abt Preston or someone else. Do they talk many different Sentence to you? Hell no! The Settlers also say always the same Things and Raiders/Gunner have already some spoken Text. Much work? Not even close. It would be just less work to give the Game just much more Variety. Just then Raiders (you) against Minutemen and the others. Except the Dialog would this be just a Copy/Paste with the CK/GECK.

I would love a Raider faction!

So, why do you think there isn't one if not for the expense of developing additional factions? Do you think Bethesda just didn't want the player to have that option? Some other reason?

The main problem as I said is that the settlements negate the need for a raider faction. There is already a ton of settlements where you can build stuff and having a raider faction I imagine would work the same after you conquer somebody's territory. That, plus the fact you can easily arm and cloth your settlers to look like raiders easily.

You could join raiders in FNV? You mean the Fiends? Well you could walk among them, but they wanted to kill you most of the time.

The Khans are raiders. A fairly cultured, reasonable, and somewhat organized group of raiders for the most part. But besides that, yeah, every other group of raiders in New Vegas were hostile.

But it seems the raiders of the Commonwealth (like most raiders in general) are not very well organized or reasonable in the slightest. They have their own little gangs here and there, but that is as far as they go. Hell, you can even read some of the back story behind some of the gangs and they fight just as much with each other as they do everyone else.

In some Cases it feels liek Bethesda didnt have to much Time for this Game. I saw a few Bugs and they felt like Alpha Status. They never got touched by any Patch or something. I mean the World ist very nice but the Quests are more or less [censored]. From Bugthesda to Lazynesda? I dont know. Just my Opinion

You need those Settlements also as Enemies. Thats why we have the perfect Situation here. You have Settlements with People/Minutemen Faction for our Sidequests as a Raider. Kidnapping, Robbing or whatever. And then you have empty Settlements for making Raider Settlements. Maybe i get it wrong what u mean, my english isnt that perfect

I just Compare it with my CK Experience from Skyrim. It was almost one Click to make a Hostile Faction Friendly. Its like making Liberty prime to your Companion. Someone will do this, coz its funny and easy to make when the GECK is out.

And do we need spoken Text for Raider Dialog? I really wouldnt even Care since i know we dont even have a big Choice with the Vanilla Game.

There were multiple "raider" gangs in FNV with their own characteristics and history - you know, the things that define factions. Raiders in F3 and F4 are just generic marauders whose only purpose in the games is to be killed.

Not that it's something bad, but I'd think that on its own explains the question in OP - "Why can't we join raiders?"

Every raider gang in Fallout 4 that has a named NPC will have a terminal with the story of how all the gangs are linked together. If you kill one it will actually change what it says on the terminals around the Commonwealth. They will even express fear that you might be coming for them, or just hate and laugh at the one you killed. Also if you sneak up on them they will tell stories and talk about the Commonwealth and other grous in it. How is this not characteristics and story? Or are you just bashing Fallout 4 every chance you get?

Raiders, due to there nature are not much for recruiting and the little amount of recruiting they want to do is mostly the bonk someone on the head and force recruiting them kind. And since you're the hero of this story you're not really meant to be that kind of early recruited weakling.

Raiders have been cannon fodder since the old games and will most likely stick to that for more games ahead.

Why isn't it FNV though? FNV is objectively the direction a first person real time sandbox Fallout ought to take in order to be proper Fallout.

Uh. No.

The Khans aren't raiders anymore, they're drug runners. With a dash of mercenary work.

Well, if you can't see the difference on your own when pointed out, we don't have much to talk about. Again.

Of course, I'm just saying that BGS's raiders are just superficial cannon fodder and putting it in contrast with the way FNV did things since OP mentions "clans".