I have a theory as to why Garvey gives us (the sole survivor) orders when we are supposedly the "General" of the MinuteMen.

Preston Garvey was leading the MinuteMen...by default that made him the General. (Though he never claimed the rank in the story.)
He promoted us to General.
At that time he, in his own demented mind, promoted himself as well.
What is one step up from leading the army?
Leading the entire Country.
So, "Preston Garvey" promotes himself to "President Garvey".

Pres Garvey!


It's just what I tell myself so that I don't plot his death every time he sends me to a settlement in distress.

I thought him and his group had a meeting on finding someone to do their dirty work and it ended with "and wouldn't it be hilarious if we even called him General."

I always figured him more of a secretary than anything else.

I kinda think that Preston is absolutely aware of our status as player characters and knows that whatever we set our mind to it will get done with no harm to us through the magic of save/load, thus making us the perfect agent to carry out his goals.

Maybe other people have figured out that every few years one of "those" people show up in the wastes, and if you can get him on your good side its smooth sailing to complete hegemony. I don't think Preston was counting on his little group being seen as regional auxiliaries in the PC's goal of a heavily one sided Brotherhood/Minuteman alliance, though.

I thought it was because it's a video game and the same reason the Institute give the SS quest after when your made leader

I always look at his 'orders' as suggestions...

Hey General awesome you might want to go help out this settlement...

I tell him.. I'll get to it when I feel like it Sergeant.. and go on about my business.

I'm with BOX MAAAN , Garvey is pretty much just my secretary.

"I've got something a little different for you, a settlement needs your help"

=

"Sir, I have a call for you on line 1"

Plus he always comes with me, so it's not like he just expects me to do it without him helping out as well

Edit: On an unrelated note, I can't be the only one who thinks Hancock makes an excellent Minuteman accomplice. He's got the look, and he's got the 'Of the People, For the People' schtick down. He will forever remain in charge of running The Slog artillery division. Goodneighbour will be fine.

Garvey and his crony, Sturges are spineless buttholes. What kind of men send a woman out to face armed savages while they cringe in the museum?

The kind of men that after you help them to settle down in your old neighborhood still want to boss you around. The ones that say "Mi Casa es su Casa" once they get comfortable in it and take your own bed. even if you gave them a nicer one. The kind of men that drag with them a drug addict crone and do nothing to try to help her to cure her addiction. The ones that love to hang in your Bar but don't let you sit down for a second because "another settlement needs your help."

To say I regret accepting the title of General from Preston is an understatement and I cry thinking how many hours of my real life were spent in this joke called "The Minutemen". Ridiculous.... My next playthrough: an undercover synth from the Institute that "sandman kills" every single one of them and allows only synths in her settlements. Not kidding...

Yes you nailed it. I love the "we" that he keeps tossing around while he lounges on his patio chair under the umbrella. I'm afraid I don't have a shred of respect left for the settlers either, they're no better than Garvey, a settlement of 15 can't handle a few ferals at Wicked Shipping? Too useless to make a bed? My last playthrough I joined the institute for the first time and had a ball, you'll love them....

I never understood why we became General of anything... It takes all of 20 minutes from you stepping out of the vault into a wasteland that you know absolutely nothing about to suddenly become "General" of a group that you just learned about. For all the factions they should have had us putting in the time and effort to feel like we actually belonged. The story is really quite nonsensical.

Yeyyy! Robotics Expert, Lone Wanderer, Mr. Sandman, Sneak and Synth relay Grenades (lots of them) with my robot minions from Automatron on my side and these losers will become Museum relics in no time. Useless and pathetic whiners: no more! Awareness, of course, to make sure my new recruits are only Synths. And a big Welcome Mat for them on my door in every single darn settlement I can unlock.

yes i Always wondered why he is giving you the orders , alot of times i m thinking why me why can t you go and rescue that cat out of the tree in settlement X wonly thing you seems to be foing is walking around in sanctuary , basicly that is the only thing he does

on my last play thru i completely ignored the minuteman as far i know they still in concord in the museum while sanctuary hill is a thriving community where everybody is happy and hard working

i still get the occasional request for help from one of the sttlers and sure experience wise you get less xp points but it is a goof playthru

The Sole Survivor was in the military before the bombs changed everything. Anyone knows which rank he had?

He seems to be some kind of hero, because he was invited to give this "war never changes" speech to his fellow soldiers. I could imagne he also got promoted for his deeds and so on. Might be a "real" high officer already before becoming general. And so he has a more classical military education then anyone else in the Commonwealth?!

Why he has to do all the footwork though... no idea.

What about Nora? She was just a Lawyer, who "did the deed" with a ugly guy during college, as a dare, while drunk.

It's so funny that people are proud of their title "General" when even Preston explains the player perfectly clear that there are no Minutemen except Preston and the Player.

Which group? There isn't any. Preston is the only Minutemen and he even tells you that.

He also tells you he was feeling depressed and said "if you didn't help him in Concord, he wouldn't care much for living".

Yep he plays with the emotions of the SS a lot. He is very selfish to get his own goal through but the player knows 100% who he is dealing with here. The value of the title "General of the MM" is shown perfectly clear by the game (next to nothing).

You know what would have made the Minutemen, or any Faction, better A? Is if we could go to a allied settlement and recruit Minutemen Soldiers to follow us. I say "Redruit" because we are the [censored] General, and what we say goes. Would have made the title "General" feel a bit more nicer to wield.

I still give him un-official general status really, or were like co-generals. If I had a choice id have said no but still joined/did everything for them. It doesn't do well with RP-ing and lone wanderer perk for more RP reasons lol.

I even put the general uniform back on him when I get it later on.

Seriously Garvey, grow a pair. Don't tell me im the general and then continue to give me orders. Make up your damn mind.

Also him making you general that early is just baaaaaaaaaad for many reasons....

( edit: I personally would have run the MM into the ground the first day as general if someone was that stupid to make a rando the new leader then exiled marcy and mama methamphetamines. ) Ohhhh what chaos it would be!!!

Being put in charge of these goons that early is more or less just like being put in charge or a daycare and having to babysit 15 children who cant be taught basic skills.

I just say he should have really made you work for it, but it does seem weird he was so eager to give it up, the General title I mean.

I think hes just shell shocked by the time he gets to where you meet him in concord. He did lose like 70%+ of the people he was responsible for.

So guess he feels like a bad leader and some random pop sickle would be better.

I just....hate....the idea of anyone being given responsibility for peoples lives like that when Garvey didn't really know what or who I was lol.

See the thing is can we trust anyone but our sole survivor to get [censored] done? In four in game months I have 25 settlements under my care, destroyed the institute, paladin of the brotherhood, the only thing keeping the railroad and minuteman going, Diamond City and Goodneighbour might as well be mine.

Before i came along everyone was useless, the top railroad agents would flee over Kellogg or a single Courser. The Minuteman couldn't handle a couple of gunners, ghouls and raiders. The Commonwealth was [censored]. I built walls around everything and made it great again by myself. I get the missions because Preston Gravy knows unlike everyone else i will get the job done within a day and take out a dozen other raider, mutie, ghoul or whatever is in my path in the process. Everyone is useless besides me.

let's think about the process of getting promotions. There are two type. Elections and traditional style.

In elections, of course you are just elected in.

Traditionally, the person of higher rank gives you the promotion, so Preston must be the president!

Wow, you sir, are a man who deserves the General title.