So what's the deal with super mutants?

[Nara]

I just don't get what their problem is, lore wise. They keep appearing everywhere, they are always angry, they talk like they have negative IQ and think they are the smarter race despite being constantly killed by physically inferior humans. In addition, they seem incapable of grasping the concept of diplomacy and never even try to avoid a fight no matter how poor their odds are.
Are they simply muscular idiots or what's going on here exactly?

[Hobo Misanthropus]

Short Answer: Yes

Long Answer: Learn to see the game not through the eyes of your character who is essentially God, but through the various NPCs who get butchered and eaten by these things every day. They only seem stupid and weak because the player is so OP.

[Out Of Bubblegum]

The process to create them destroys their minds. So yes. muscular idiots. Except for a few that still have their minds.

[Hobo Misanthropus]

They're not that stupid, they're just stupid compared to a standard human.

[Chompman]

It can vary on what version of super mutants you compare based on what fallout game you are playing but the fallout 4 ones are just that and need to be eradicated.

[JtDarth]

Originally posted by SWEDr Brobotnik:

I just don't get what their problem is, lore wise. They keep appearing everywhere, they are always angry, they talk like they have negative IQ and think they are the smarter race despite being constantly killed by physically inferior humans. In addition, they seem incapable of grasping the concept of diplomacy and never even try to avoid a fight no matter how poor their odds are.
Are they simply muscular idiots or what's going on here exactly?

IIRC the Fallout 4 super mutants are east coast mutants (fallout 3 type), whose transformations basically mind-break them via pain. Rarely, you will have mutants that survive the transformation without losing their intelligence (Leo, Fawkes, Strong to an extent), but they typically don't associate with their ignorant fellows.
West coast mutants tend to keep the intelligence levels they had before being transformed, and as such aren't violent morons for the most part. Indeed, a number of them live quite happily among humans. The midwestern brotherhood in particular accepted super mutants as members, IIRC.

[lordoftheapes79]

It's probably important to point out that the supermutants in the Commonwealth were made with a modified version of the FEV virus(an obviously failed experiment). So that can explain the differences between these ones and earlier versions.

[Nara]

I'd like to meet the civilized mutants though.

[Flippy]

Supermutants are to weak in Fallout 4 as simple as that. Some excellent replies above to.

[Nara]

Yet another reason to use mods. Running with Horizon and that bumps Super Mutants up to being tougher than humans.

[Flippy]

Supermutants really should be a close equal to a BOS Knight. Tech and training versus extreme experiments kind of thing. This is epic balance and with mods it can be in Fallout 4.

Supermutants shall inherit the earth mod works excellent although i have never seen the two forces meet yet.

This very playthrough i am early game and for some reason 4 supermutants are camped out north of Drummlin Diner and i have no way to deal with them but run away and sneak by. They were not there previous playthroughs with this mod but they dont seem to want to go away even after a few days.

[Nara]

I mean, I understand that Super Mutants are strong but they are not on power armor level or near it. Muscles is not nearly as tough as layered metal and power armor has hydraulic support that enhances the wearers motions thus making him stronger. Couple that with the array of supportive systems that can be installed. A BoS knight or Paladin should stomp a Super Mutant, but not by this much.

[Flippy]

Maybe in Fallout 4 base game they should be called Mediocremutants. :)

[Nara]

Possibly. But I agree that in vanilla game they are too weak.

[Out Of Bubblegum]

Originally posted by SWEDr Brobotnik:

I'd like to meet the civilized mutants though.

Then you gotta play the earlier Fallouts.

[Stardustfire]

not naturaly. the clever muti at the far habour isle is very civilized.
its somehow funny that each smart supermuti has a total different story how they integretad in a peaceful live.

Marcus (FO2 and NV) as a none radiated victim for the masters experiments got his smarts mostly together, and without a goal after the master died, befriend a Human. with that, he found a new goal in his live because of that friendship and settled down, founding a settlement where humasn mutis and ghouls live together.
Fakes (FO3) just was a fail in the sense of the other super mutants that "made" him in the vault, because he stayed smart and dont degnerated brainwise. so they feared him as abnormal. he just stayed as he was before the mutation with his mental abilitys. Ironicaly he woud be the masters dream.
The Super Mutant from Far Harbour Isle got more smarts than the others of his tribe, but at the same time he stated he wasnt as strong as them. that let room for the gguess that he got a lesser dose of the FEV in the institute, or a weaker modification of it, what ended in not so much muscle but more preserved brainpower.