Why Does Nuclear Option Remove Human Error?

[Fear2288]

I just discovered for the first time that if you complete The Nuclear Option and destroy the Institute, the quest Human Error just no longer exists.

For those who need a reminder, Human Error is the quest associated with Covenant wherein you make contact with Honest Dan who tells you about the missing Amelia Stockton, and leads you to uncovering a nearby compound where Dr. Chambers has been interrogating, torturing, and eventually killing suspected synths - all in an effort to refine the SAFE test and weed out possible synth infiltrators trying to enter the village.

You ultimately decide to either side with Chambers which leads to Amelia’s death and you being given control of Covenant as a settlement, or you can kill Chambers and the compound guards, free Amelia, and wipe out Covenant and take it over.

However, as I’ve just discovered in my game, if you go to Covenant for the first time after destroying the Institute…the quest just no longer exists.

The attacked caravan and Honest Dan are nowhere to be found (though the leader of Covenant still tells you to avoid him), you’re given automatic entrance into the village (don’t have to take the SAFE test), you cannot activate the workshop and take control of the settlement, and the compound is still there - populated by guards, Chambers, and an imprisoned Amelia Stockton.

I’m gonna try talking to Chambers and see if I can still free Amelia and take over Covenant, but I’m confused as to why destroying the Institute erases this quest.

Covenant and its NPCs are not connected to the MQ, the Institute and its NPCs are not utilized by this quest, and while it could be argued that since the Institute is gone Chambers’ work no longer has relevance…that’s not true because there’s still lots of Gen 3’s running around out there.

Am I missing something? Is there some kind of connection to the MQ or Institute in this quest that would make it not function correctly with the Institute gone?

[Zekiran]

Uhhhhh yes? Because it directly involves synths?

[Fear2288]

Originally posted by Zekiran:

Uhhhhh yes? Because it directly involves synths?

Synths don’t just stop existing once the Institute is destroyed.

Any Gen 1s, 2s, and Coursers in the field are still roaming around out there, undiscovered infiltrators are still active, and any Gen 3s the Railroad helped escape who chose not to leave the Commonwealth are still around.

The Institute doesn’t work like the Trade Federation mothership in Phantom Menace - all synths don’t just shut down when CIT goes boom.


Also, I tried it out: Chambers cannot be engaged in dialogue, she’ll just rattle off one-liners when you activate her. Freeing Amelia results in her just continuing to sandbox in her cell - she doesn’t leave. Killing Chambers turns all guards and turrets in the compound hostile, as well as all residents and turrets at Covenant - except Deezer (who will only attack you if you attack him first or he sees you steal something) and a random NPC named something like “Bunker Hill Agent”. Killing all hostiles at Covenant allows you to activate the workshop and take control of the now empty settlement.

[Skorpius]

should be able to claim bounties on the leftovers

[halfmonkey]

Can you still get the quest from Old Man Stockton in Bunker Hill? I know you need to be pretty deep into the Railroad quests before anyone mentions it, but if you've destroyed the Institute you probably have the Railroad settled.

Maybe triggering the quest through him instead of Dan would help?

[Fear2288]

Interesting thing that may or may not somehow be related…

After killing Chambers, freeing Amelia, clearing out the hostile NPCs from the compound and Covenant, and taking control of the village I went back to Bunker Hill a few days later to see if Amelia eventually went there or if Old Man Stockton would have any commentary on it.

When I got there, caravan guards from another caravan immediately opened fire on and killed OM Stockton and his guards. Then someone else must’ve fired on these other guards - starting a battle between the residents of Bunker Hill and these other guards…but none of them can die…they just go into their downed state for a few seconds and get back up.

I now I have a dead OM Stockton and an endless firefight between NPCs that can’t die in my Bunker Hill settlement lol


@halfmonkey

Nah, any time I tried to talk to Stockton after the RR dead drop quest he’s involved in, he would just give me non-dialogue one liners.

[Zekiran]

To the above, that behavior of him being dead appears to be a known issue on all platforms.

" After completing the main quest and visiting Covenant for the first time, if you rescue Amelia Stockton without activating the quest Human Error, Old Man Stockton may appear dead and naked at Bunker Hill, or another location. You still can get his weapons and clothing.[verified]"

[craldark]

Almost worth doing it this way so Honest Dan doesn't keep bugging me. Normally I just agree with him to shut him up. Same with that ghoul from Cabot House at Bunker Hill who persists endlessly. I just agree then forget it.

Where does Amelia go anyway if you release her normally? I kind of forgot about that. Can she be a settler like that drug addict's sister from Vault 81? Might be fun to have a settlement full of 'odd' characters such as the synth girl trapped in Greentech, Kat, Charlie, and other random characters. Sorry, drifting off-topic. :D

[Xenon The Noble]

Battle of Bunker Hill. Old man Stockton is dead after the Battle of Bunker Hill if you played as the BOS. Human Error ends when SS collects his reward from old Man stockton. No old man stockton, no quest.

Originally posted by Zekiran:

To the above, that behavior of him being dead appears to be a known issue on all platforms.

" After completing the main quest and visiting Covenant for the first time, if you rescue Amelia Stockton without activating the quest Human Error, Old Man Stockton may appear dead and naked at Bunker Hill, or another location. You still can get his weapons and clothing.[verified]"

This, really.