The Institute - Good or bad? *SPOILERS*

[Plaidygami]

I am getting to the point where I got to The Insitute and need to decide if I wanna side with them or not.

On the one hand, they seem like a personification of The GECK Project, where they are trying to reverse the wasteland damage and return things to the way they were. I think that means (in the long run) removing the radiation and bringing nature back.

On the other hand, they are willing to enslave synths in order to do that. To them, success is worth any and all sacrifices, which is kinda depressing. Not sure if I can agree with "success at any necessary cost."

What are your thoughts on this?

[Decoy]

Kill them.

[GunBoat]

Originally posted by Decoy:

Kill them.

Ditto

[GunBoat]

Side with the Railroad and covertly use them to kill synths.

[lPaladinl]

Good intentions with bad execution. They are a greater threat to mankind than they want to believe, and they also are an extreme threat to those living on the surface, whom they do not care about enough to protect from their own misdeeds and mistakes literally murdering people.

[Brian]

I sided with the Institute not because of what they were/are, but because of who the protagonist is and what will likely change with being in charge of all of that advanced tech and ingenuity.

[GunBoat]

Originally posted by Söçíopath ( ¬‿¬):

I sided with the Institute not because of what they were/are, but because of who the protagonist is and what will likely change with being in charge of all of that advanced tech and ingenuity.

I would have too on my final run through if they had let me change them to be good for those above.

[Plaidygami]

So essentially they are like a misguided villain thinking he is a hero? That sucks. :/ So much potential gone to waste...

[troy_cummings]

Honestly they don't even have good intentions. They want to wipe out the Commonwealth and fill it with their kind instead of "impure" people- civilians, ghouls, etc

[The Filth]

Nah man, these folks really don't care about the surface world too much. Everything down there is being made to better those below or better getting rid of those above. There are definetly good people in the Institute. Madison Li, Clayton, Evan Watson, and even the children down there are a testament to that. I'd say to go with the minuteman but work with all four factions up to a point. Railroad and Brotherhood both try to kill the entire scientist staff while the Minuteman don't like you if you don't sound the emergency alarm.
The folks here really have a strong hatred of the Brotherhood, comparing them to Nazis, but they deserve so much more respect than that. From the sheer amount of raiders, super mutants, and wasteland abominations they'll cull the more south you go in the map should make the average person see these that people really do want to help the commonwealth. Plus even from the first time you go there you hear BoS scribes talk to one another, questioning Maxson's ways but apparently the guys on this board would rather have you blow up the Prydwen. Killing all the children, all those who wanted to support the Capital Wasteland, and most importantly the little gray Cat on board.
Stay aware of how much the people here will compare the BoS with the damn filthy Nazis in this thread, Plaidygami, and be aware that the Diplomatic Minuteman Ending is in my mind, the easiest faction to choose for your conscience.

[Zubenelgenubi]

Originally posted by Plaidygami:

On the other hand, they are willing to enslave synths in order to do that. To them, success is worth any and all sacrifices, which is kinda depressing. Not sure if I can agree with "success at any necessary cost."

The more i think about it the more i pity synths. The BOS hate them with a passion, and even their creators, the institute, have little or no respect for them. If they actually do have feelings everyone is pretty awful.

And my main problem with the institute now is there always has to be something in it for them. They aren't selfless like the BOS. And selflessness is generally considered to be good.

[Defektiv]

If you want to maximize relationships and available repeatable quests in the end game then killing them with the Minutemen is about the only option.

[Delfino]

I lean toward the Minute Men ending. The Institute means well, overall; however, they are not governed by a single being that can control the group. They are goverened by a group of individuals that each oversee different wings of the institute. The majority can out vote or overrule any given vote or proposed measure. Even if you follow in your son's footsteps, you can't overstep the reach and desire of the majority of the remaining institute board members. You have to, at the very least, put up with the majority member's wishes in order to live a life of lavish and otherwise bliss.

As the leader of the Minute Men you can keep the Rail Road and Brotherhood alive and well. They can keep on wanting to save run away synths, while the brotherhood flies over your head and drops down like a bad ass to take out whatever the hell awaits them. The Minutemen are the National Guard to the Brotherhood's armed forces. They are the last remnants of The United States of America's army and armed forces. You either ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ recognize their authoritity or you show cause towards your aligenze and needed benefit to said United Nations. You must show your worth in this new world order, or you will perish and become the foundation on which the Former Nation of Greatness renews it's Authority.

It's not an easy life. But it's worth it.

[Plaidygami]

Don't you get "Ballistic Weave" or whatever if you side with The Institute though? Or do you only have to follow the questline to a certain point to get it, and then abandon The Institute and rejoin The Railroad?

[Locklave]

I love that the bad side to them is missing the whole

- wiping out towns for materials or something they think they might have "University point"
- kidnapping and replacing people
- kidnapping and turning people into super mutants
- releasing said super mutants on the surface to kill countless people
- killing everyone who tried to create the Commonwealth Government so it stays in chaos
- kidnapping babies
- wiping out the entire population of vault 111 except you and Shaun, ya they shut off life support for everyone but you
- stealing energy from the surface
- slavery, ya lets make them exactly like people so they can love/hate/fear and suffer just like us... But lets still pretend they aren't people

Future of humanity, to them it means wait till everyone on the surface dies then claim the world for themselves. This is literally what they mean when they say the best hope for humanity. They actively help speed it along by wiping everyone out who gets organized like the attempt to form a government.

They got a checkmark in every box for evil monsters, they even have the "oh but we are misunderstood." down to a science.

[The Changeling]

Originally posted by Locklave:

I love that the bad side to them is missing the whole

- wiping out towns for materials or something they think they might have "University point"
- kidnapping and replacing people
- kidnapping and turning people into super mutants
- releasing said super mutants on the surface to kill countless people
- killing everyone who tried to create the Commonwealth Government so it stays in chaos
- kidnapping babies
- wiping out the entire population of vault 111 except you and Shaun, ya they shut off life support for everyone but you
- stealing energy from the surface
- slavery, ya lets make them exactly like people so they can love/hate/fear and suffer just like us... But lets still pretend they aren't people

Future of humanity, to them it means wait till everyone on the surface dies then claim the world for themselves. This is literally what they mean when they say the best hope for humanity. They actively help speed it along by wiping everyone out who gets organized like the attempt to form a government.

They got a checkmark in every box for evil monsters, they even have the "oh but we are misunderstood." down to a science.

There is much to be said on the unethical nature of the Institute's actions. Any modern day person would call them "evil" or monster-like, but first, you must understand the environment in which they live. The Fallout wasteland is an unforgiving place, filled with murderers, drug addicts, mercenaries, rapists, kidnappers, and far worse. How does the Insitute rate against the sadism of these savage and war-like peoples? Their actions are no more ethical than the PC's.

As the PC, you can murder anyone you want; steal anything you want; the list goes on. It's a bloody wasteland. As Cole Porter says, "Anything goes." The Institute's actions aren't the revelatory and sadistic actions of a someone who commits evil for pleasure; they are the actions of misguided scientists (frankly idiotic, illogical decisions). They are paranoic to a fault and obsessed with covering their tracks. Combined with no concept of what morality is, it's little wonder they commit such atrocities as the ones you have mentioned.

The factors all point towards the same misguided ideology of the Institute: scientific curiosity. They do ♥♥♥♥, just cuz... well... you know... science. Super Mutants? SCIENCE! Synthetic Humanoids? Well, why the ♥♥♥♥ not? SCIENCE! A prototype goes wrong and causes massive collateral damage? Eh, they were only wastelanders. Why should we give a ♥♥♥♥? We are, after all, superior, with our SCIENCE! They are, first and foremost, scientists. And scientistific study, above all else, seeks to remain objective. It's little wonder the Institute doesn't understand notions like morality and ethics: they're ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ SCIENTISTS. They're supposed to be objective and view losses and casualties as acceptable eventualities.

So no.

They are not evil.

They are idiotic, misguided, short-sighted, paranoic, and, quite frankly, bad scientists that have no interest in the lives of those on the surface.