So in F3, Zimmer makes it sound like he invented androids (or at least A3-21's model). Makes it seem like he's an important figure in the Institute (or not, considering they sent him out to the middle of nowhere). Wonder what role he'll play in 4, and, considering the possibly close proximity between the two games' timelines, whether whatever happened in the Replicated Man will have much effect on f4's story.

I suspect very vague refrences at the most as I have a feeling beth want to avoid canonising the actions of the player character in F3.

Maybe Bethesda's different, but it seems like for the series canonizing evens isn't that odd. The Vault-dweller's memoirs gave a canonized history of Fallout 1. Tandi being president establishes that the Dweller saved her from the Khans. Vegas established that the Chosen one had Marcus as a follower and blew up the oil rig. Might anger some fans, but I always liked a hard canon. Makes it easier for other entries to have an effect on the story. It especially shouldn't be a problem with F3, which was a bit restricted narrative-wise anyways.

...All of which was canonising done by other companies (Black Isle and Obsidian respectivly) beth latest handling of canon was between Oblivion and Skyrim, where they jumped ahead centuries so they could turn oblivions events into vague legends, so as far as beth as a dev, yeah I suspect vagueness all around.

...And this is taking place roughly around the same time as FO3, not 300+ years, so what's yer point?

that beth likes to avoid canonising player actions, whatever method they choose to use. The huge time skip was one such trick they choose for Skyrim, not saying they using the same trick again.

He will be mentioned vaguely and it will probably turn out he was really a no body who was just making himself sound like a big deal to our character(which is why they sent him the hell hole know as DC)

I mean, I guess since it takes place close in time they could kinda dodge any definitive answer. "Why hasn't Dr. Zimmer gotten back yet? The whole Institute is going to heck!" I'd prefer something like the Lone Wanderer killing off Zimmer sets in motion a chain of events that culminates into whatever happens in Fallout 4. Or maybe Zimmer is left alive and Harkness (after mulling the new-found knowledge from his past) sets off to kill him and start an android revolution.

My question is why did Zimmer have that Android Component on his corpse after I executed him? Perhaps he was actually an Android?

Would be an interesting twist if the Institute was partially controlled by androids, Zimmer being one of them (though I guess he doesn't indicate that he knows). Perhaps some machines don't have human-like morality and view both themselves and their fellow androids as expendable. Perhaps they could defend this as a reason for their superiority: they have a utilitarian, ant-like view of things that is less fractious and more harmonious, which could be a good point in a world where humans destroyed each other over their differences. Kinda like the Master. If only those rabble-rousing railroaders would stop corrupting the hive with thoughts of rights and individualism!

Well, I would think that if an Android knows it is a machine then it would see "Morality" as a weakness. Of course maybe that's a human perspective on an Android's manner, and Androids would be more like us.

The question being, in a world where humans have nearly destroyed themselves and repeat the same folly over and over again, whether "being like us" would be a good thing. Maybe the androids would want to purge malfunctioning units like A3-21 for having the defect of "morality." I would like a morally grey villain like that.

Exactly. Machines think with logic and mathematics, they couldn't understand an abstract concept like "morality". At least, I wouldn't think so.

They have no empathy towards him.

Zimmer? You means that pile of goo?

I think it is pretty clear that this Zimmer was an android. They make it clear that when an android gets destroyed, he drops that android component, just as that other android that was with Zimmer dropped that same component. So real Zimmer is probably still running around.

unless android Zimmer is the real Zimmer, so to speak.

Oh yeah... or maybe he has android components with him because he is working with androids...? Just an idea...

an interesting topic, I agree that Beth may possibly avoid canonizing the choices in FO3. at least the minor quest related ones. The major quests they seem to give canon for. But Zimmer may not even be present in FO4. They may allude to him, they may say where he is or where he went. But, a rather easy step to avoid canon would be to avoid him altogether and just allude to the character, while still leaving his legacy in the FO4 game. It won't rub me either way, but it will be interesting to see how it plays out

*Puts down joint* What if all of the Institute was controlled by Androids? The real reason they don't want androids escaping is they're planning an android take over and don't want to draw attention to themselves prematurely.

*picks up joint* Or perhaps their humans who believe they are androids like those fake vampires in the metro. *passes the dutchie to the left hand side*

Personally, I'd imagine Zimmer isn't as important a dude as he thinks he is..... after all, he got sent off on a wild goose chase to the dangerous Capital Wasteland (and wherever else they tracked rumors of the android to) with just a single bodyguard. If he was really a big mover & shaker in the Institute, he'd have minions to do this crap for him. So I think he's lower on the totem pole than that. He just likes to lord his "superior" ego intelligence over the brain-dead monkeys he runs into in moron-ville.

I grok it man, it all a conspiracy! *darts eyes furtively for android government agents*

Can you pick-pocket the component or is it only on death? Never thought of a doppelg?nger, could explain why they were ok sending him in the middle of nowhere. Or Kiralyn's observation that he's full of himself. Seems fitting for his dialogue

Maybe they'll go with the third possible option: Tell A3-21 you'll kill Zimmer, report him, then kill Zimmer anyway! After all, that's what most people do, right?

If A3-21 appears, I kinda hope he'll have his plasma rifle with him (i.e. hasn't given it away). Maybe saving a special microfusion cell for the head of the Institute.