Unique Playthroughs: What's Yours?

[Minty]

So, I've never been a big fan of "playing by the rules" when it comes to open world RPGs. I like to find ways to mess with the options we're presented with, and to do things in ways that I wasn't intended to. Mods help, but since this is all in our heads anyway, I mostly rely on a little creative thinking to get the job done.

In my main playthrough, I wanted to see if I could blend Brotherhood membership with Minutemen leadership and not demolishing the Railroad. The altruistic nature of Owen Lyons from Fallout 3 appealed to me back then and continues to today, and I really enjoyed the idea of Brotherhood members "going native" and straying from their primary mission in order to help people. So I used a few mods to do a few things a little differently.

First, the power armor that I got from the Prydwen was an old spare that was brought from the Capital Wasteland by a former member of Lyons' Pride featuring the elite unit's emblem on the front (Pride T-45 and T-60 standalone mods). This lead my character to learn more about Owen and Sarah, and about what they were trying to achieve back in the Capital Wasteland. Second, I completed the main quest with the Minutemen so as to avoid having to become hostile toward either the BoS or the Railroad while allowing my character to have to have firm control over a collective of Commonwealth settlements. Third, to this day, the bulk of these settlements are guarded by Lyons' Pride members (Constructable Guards mod by bryvood) and the Railroad continues about its business as usual with my character as a sort of affiliate member who uses his access to them in order to further his own quest for tech.

I love doing stuff like this. I like playing outside the boundaries. I enjoy making it up as I go and then modifying the world to accommodate my aims. Because why not?

Did you complete Fallout 4 in a distinctly "non-vanilla" way? Did you use an alternate start mod to not be some popsicle from Vault 111? Did you mess with the quests using mods like The Danse Dilemma, which allows you to replace Maxon with Danse as the top brass on the East Coast? Do you have zero patience for playing inside a box, and how did you play outside of it? I'm interested to know, no matter how you did it. Unique playthroughs are always awesome.

[danconnors]

My most memorable was what I called my perfect playthrough. In it I wiped out the Brotherhood, the Railroad, and most satisfying of all, the Institute. First to go was the BOS, after it attacked the Railroad at it headquarters. Desdemona sent me and two others in to the Prydwyn with some high explosives to plant near the gas bags--presumably hydrogen. I was wearing X-01 armor, and I think the BOS thought I was a Remnant member--because of my armor. They all attacked, and I ended up having to kill just about the whole crew before I blew up the Prydwyn.

Then Shaun--Father--ordered me to wipe out the Railroad. I argued for a peaceful settlement of the problem, but Shaun wasn't having any of it. I was to kill the Railroad or become an enemy of the Institute. I suddenly realized what a monster my son had become, and I made up my mind what I would do. I went into the Railroad and wiped them out.

Then I returned to Father. He started to congratulate me. I drew my gun, and shot the monster. When I did that the cut scene that comes up with the end of the playthrough came on. But the game was not over. I still had to escape the Institute. I finally did, but first I killed every leading lead scientist that was killable, every courser, and every synth 1 and 2. I then escaped the Institute using its main teleportation room..

So, in one game I destroyed the 3 powerful units in the game. There were no Minutemen, because I never joined them. I have always disliked all three of the power groups in this game, but usually hold my nose and join one or the other--or none. When I had finished this I decided now was a good time to retire to the resort I had built on Spectacle Island.

[Minty]

Originally posted by danconnors:

So, in one game I destroyed the 3 powerful units in the game. There were no Minutemen, because I never joined them. I have always disliked all three of the power groups in this game, but usually hold my nose and join one or the other--or none. When I had finished this I decided now was a good time to retire to the resort I had built on Spectacle Island.

See, this is great. You can honestly say that you did it the "No Gods, No Masters" way like you could in New Vegas. Just you. Doing your thing. Out on Spectacle.

Love it.

[danconnors]

That was my favorite ending in Fallout New Vegas. I retired to New Vegas and let Yes Man run it for me.

[Lightning]

I ended with all 3 factions peacefully, also same on Far harbor all 3 peaceful as well guess i'm just a goody too shoes lol

[Minty]

Originally posted by Lightning:

I ended with all 3 factions peacefully, also same on Far harbor all 3 peaceful as well guess i'm just a goody too shoes lol

You did manage to take a somewhat unique route. I think most people end up going along with the "Wipe X faction out for us, please" system that is presented to us as a logical (and sometimes unavoidable) course forward. Either that or we genuinely agree with wiping out a faction for whatever team we ultimately end up being on.

I know of Institute players who go for a "Help the Commonwealth" message from Father's office and stay on good terms with the Minutemen, but none who particularly disagree with killing off either the Brotherhood or the Railroad.

[Lightning]

Yeah true, even though your not really a max rank in brotherhood your still allied with them at the end since you can't use the airport work bench but oh well

[tulle040657]

Originally posted by Lightning:

I ended with all 3 factions peacefully, also same on Far harbor all 3 peaceful as well guess i'm just a goody too shoes lol

how cruel, you denied the followers of Atom to join Atom through division. I cannot believe someone would withhold that from them

[Minty]

Originally posted by Lightning:

Yeah true, even though your not really a max rank in brotherhood your still allied with them at the end since you can't use the airport work bench but oh well

I believe there's actually a mod now which allows you to complete the main quest with the BoS and not wipe out the Railroad. You can speak to Kells and convince him to leave them alone. I think it's a charisma check. If you pass, yeah, you just skip the whole killing the Railroad thing. I do not, however, believe that you can actually avoid become hostile to them since you have to choose a side at Bunker Hill. It just spares the leadership. Not 100% sure on the whole hostile thing though - it might let you reach max rank with the BoS and stay in the Railroad, but I doubt it.

[Lightning]

Ah I been playing on console and that'll disable achievements sucks, wish they had a mod to activate achieves on console too

[Grendalcat]

Originally posted by Lightning:

I ended with all 3 factions peacefully, also same on Far harbor all 3 peaceful as well guess i'm just a goody too shoes lol

I did this by accident, was kind of surprised when it happened.

My current char was a big fan of the BoS, until finding out the truth about Danse
That upset him so much he utilized the RR to destroy the Prydwyn. Now he is faced with the RR and Institute each wanting him to destroy the other. Grown weary of being manipulated by different factions, he is taking a trip to Far Harbor to help his old buddy Nick with a case.
He is hoping there is less factionalism on Far Harbor...

[Minty]

Originally posted by Grendalcat:

My current char was a big fan of the BoS, until finding out the truth about Danse
That upset him so much he utilized the RR to destroy the Prydwyn. Now he is faced with the RR and Institute each wanting him to destroy the other. Grown weary of being manipulated by different factions, he is taking a trip to Far Harbor to help his old buddy Nick with a case.
He is hoping there is less factionalism on Far Harbor...

It's interesting that the request to terminate Danse was what set you against the Brotherhood. In my first playthrough, it was Fort Strong that got me - looking at all those nukes we had just secured and remembering what happened the last time that sort of arsenal fell into the "wrong hands", but my opinion of all that softened. For reasons. But even though you can spare Danse by expelling him from the Commonwealth, your personal connection with him was enough to prompt you to destroy the Prydwen and everyone on board.

I'm not sure if that speaks to how well Danse is written or how easy it is for people to turn their backs on the Brotherhood and kill them all, including the scientists and the children on board the Prydwen, with somewhat minimal prompting.

Also, there are factions in Far Harbor, but you'll enjoy them.

[tulle040657]

Originally posted by Good Whiskey:

Originally posted by Lightning:

Yeah true, even though your not really a max rank in brotherhood your still allied with them at the end since you can't use the airport work bench but oh well

I believe there's actually a mod now which allows you to complete the main quest with the BoS and not wipe out the Railroad. You can speak to Kells and convince him to leave them alone. I think it's a charisma check. If you pass, yeah, you just skip the whole killing the Railroad thing. I do not, however, believe that you can actually avoid become hostile to them since you have to choose a side at Bunker Hill. It just spares the leadership. Not 100% sure on the whole hostile thing though - it might let you reach max rank with the BoS and stay in the Railroad, but I doubt it.

you can shoot and kill members of any or all of the factions at Bunker Hill, no one cares afterwards, just don't shoot any of the people that live there

[IvantheFormidable]

Originally posted by Grendalcat:

My current char was a big fan of the BoS, until finding out the truth about Danse
That upset him so much he utilized the RR to destroy the Prydwyn. Now he is faced with the RR and Institute each wanting him to destroy the other. Grown weary of being manipulated by different factions, he is taking a trip to Far Harbor to help his old buddy Nick with a case.
He is hoping there is less factionalism on Far Harbor...

Funny, my current BoS playthrough went quite differently.Following orders and pulling the trigger on his friend sent my character into a destructive and depressing place, but recognizing that it was the right thing to do despite the cost, ultimately cemented his resolve the the BoS was the way forward for the CW. No qualms about wiping out the RR after that.

[Grendalcat]

Originally posted by IvantheFormidable:

Originally posted by Grendalcat:

My current char was a big fan of the BoS, until finding out the truth about Danse
That upset him so much he utilized the RR to destroy the Prydwyn. Now he is faced with the RR and Institute each wanting him to destroy the other. Grown weary of being manipulated by different factions, he is taking a trip to Far Harbor to help his old buddy Nick with a case.
He is hoping there is less factionalism on Far Harbor...

Funny, my current BoS playthrough went quite differently.Following orders and pulling the trigger on his friend sent my character into a destructive and depressing place, but recognizing that it was the right thing to do despite the cost, ultimately cemented his resolve the the BoS was the way forward for the CW. No qualms about wiping out the RR after that.

Different characters, different reactions.
It's what makes the Commonwealth go round!

[Eminem]

Can it be done?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vc6S04ib3r4&list=PLcg6Kygx-MfRzt1Kf6oUZTvdocDYtQX-M