Factions

This guide will show a detailed explaination of 4 factions in Fallout 4 without DLC

4 Factions in Fallout 4
Affiliate groups with different agendas who offer benefits and quest-lines to members. The Factions include:

• The Minutemen - A Settlement-oriented Faction charged with protecting Settlers at a minute's notice
  
  
• The Brotherhood of Steel - a faction of technologically-minded militarists looking to find and utilize any technology for the benefit of mankind
  
  
• The Railroad - A faction dedicated to protecting innocent Synths. They are looking to take down the Institutue and free all self-aware Synths.
  
  
• The Institute- A group of humans that created the Synths and reside underground below the Commonwealth.

✧ Other Guides ✧

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1447521591
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General Information

The game world of Fallout 4 is dominated by 4 different factions - Minutemen, the Railroad, the Brotherhood of Steel and the Institute. Your relationships with individual factions is not a minor issue, but rather one of the main pivotal points of the game. Each faction has its own quests, its own headquarters and its own vision of the future of the Wastes. In addition to that, which faction you decide to side with, affects the game's ending. Below, you can find a number of general information about each of the factions

• At the beginning of the game, i.e. soon after you leave Vault 111, you can start your cooperation with three, out of the four. These are Minutemen, the Brotherhood of Steel and Railroad. You come into contact with the Institute later into the game, after you have completed all of the initial quests of the main storyline. (you need to complete all of the quests, up to Molecular Level ).
  
  
• After you meet with the leader of each individual faction, and you do not prove hostile towards them, you receive the first quest, or even a number of quests. Without much consideration, you can accept initial quests from each of the factions (both main and side), because this will not deteriorate your relationships with the rest of the factions, regardless of whether you have already discovered them or not. Of course, interests of factions, in general, go against each other and sooner or later, you will have to decide which faction you want to side with for good., but you get to take this decision only after you have made sufficient progress into the storyline (in its part that is not connected with any of the factions).
  
  
• Each faction has a set of main and side quests. You complete main quest in the predefined order and according to different rules. They can become available, e.g. after you have bonded with the faction sufficiently, after you meet up with minor NPCs in the HQ of that faction, or after you receive a radio message. Objectives of many of such side quests are random (e.g. defeat monsters in location X). What is even more, many of them are replayable and this is a good way to obtain more experience or more Caps.
  
  
• Of course, factions have their headquarters. In the case of Railroad, and the Institute, their location remains unchanged throughout the game. When it comes to the Brotherhood of Steel and Minutemen, they change their headquarters with time (e.g. in the case of Minutemen these are Museum of Freedom, Sanctuary Hills and the Castle). While staying at the HQ of a faction, you re completely safe . Apart from that, you can find there e.g. workbenches or beds that you can use for free.
  
  
• After you permanently bond with one faction, you will be able to focus on reaching its final quest. In the case of the Institute, it is Nuclear Family. In the case of the remaining factions, it is The Nuclear Option, where the course of the quest is different for each of these factions (the only thing they share is the name of the quest).
  
  
• If you have become enemy with a given faction, as a result of your actions, not only will you miss the rest of its quests, but also you will be attacked on sight by its members, after you encounter them or after you enter the HQ. After you enter the warpath with a given faction, you also lose the companion connected with that faction - in the case of Minutemen, it is Preston Garvey, for the Brotherhood of Steel, this is Paladin Danse, for Railroad, it's Deacon, and in the Institute, it is X6-88.

The Minutemen

Background:

Members of the Minutemen are mostly volunteers, coming from the farms and towns of the Commonwealth. They give up their more peaceful lives of farming in favor of traveling around the region to "protect the people at a minute's notice." Though their numbers have dropped dramatically since the Quincy Massacre, small knots of minutemen can still be seen throughout the Commonwealth today, shepherding traders and travelers through dangerous country. While their kit can vary widely, they are almost always seen wearing their distinctive Tri-fold hats and button-down uniform, armed with their weapon of choice, the laser musket.

Agenda

The Minutemen hope to defend and protect Settlers, and as such are generally concerned with chasing away the Raiders threatening Settlements are recruiting individuals to swell their numbers.

Becoming a Minuteman

To join the Minutemen a character should first encounter and assist Preston Garvey at the Museum of Freedom in Concord. This quest can be encountered very early in the game. After clearing the Raiders and Deathclaw from Concord, lead Garvey north to Sanctuary. Converse with him and engage in a recruiting mission he'll assign (mission varies by circumstances). After completing this Mission and talking with Preston he'll offer you leadership of the Minutemen.

Minutemen Equipment

The Flare Gun is a special Minutemen item used to call in assistance from nearby friendly settlements. It can be used in dangerous situations to gather friendly reinforcements once a player has established a firm beachhead of friendly allies.

After taking the castle in the Minutemen missions, you get access to build a special item in any of your settlements - the mortar. This powerful weapon will allow you to call in artillery to any location in the proximity of your armed settlement.

Effects of player's actions:

Should the Sole Survivor choose to complete the main questline in favor of the Minutemen, patrols across the Commonwealth will be a much more common sight, and with more numbers per patrol. Some patrols may have attack dogs.

• Minutemen can be found sometimes in your settlement, before wandering off into the wastes.
  
  
• On some occasions, one will find a group of minutemen fighting off super mutants, raiders or Gunners.
  
  
• In this scenario, the Minutemen will generally be an even match for super mutants, probably overwhelmed by Gunners due to their lack of armor, but can stand up to raiders quite well with their laser muskets which pack more punch than the pipe weapons common among raiders.

Encounter

You can encounter the Minutemen faction, virtually, at the very beginning of the game. This is so, because, after you leave Vault 111, you receive Out of Time, whose objective is to investigate the town of Concord. While exploring the location, you encounter the Minutemen that have taken refuge at the Museum of Freedom and this is where their first quest starts - When Freedom Calls. From the moment of completing When Freedom Calls, you can accept quests from the Minutemen faction. This means quests such as (Sanctuary, Cleaning the Way and the following ones) as well as side quests (The First Step, Mama Murphy and the randomly generated ones).

• During the first "independent" quest - The Molecular Level, you can (although this is not required) ask Minutemen to help you build the teleporter. If you have completed sufficient number of previous quests for this faction, you will be granted help. Additionally, Sturges asks you to complete for him quest Inside Job.
  
  
• You can unlock the last batch of quests for Minutemen if, in Institutionalized main quest, you tell no to Father and you do not start your work for the Institute or, if as a result of your actions (e.g. as a result of murdering Father), you become the enemy of the Institute. This unlocks quests: Form Ranks, Defend the Castle and The Nuclear Option. The last of the three is about destroying the Institute.
  
  
• After you complete the game's main storyline, you can start an optional quest from the Minutemen - With Our Powers Combined, where you need to eliminate the Brotherhood of Steel. This quest does not activate by itself, because you need to become the enemy of the Brotherhood of Steel all by yourself (e.g. by murdering one of the paladins).
  
  
• Important note - none of the remaining factions has a quest, as a result of which you would become the enemy of Minutemen. The worst thing that can happen is being locked out of the final quests, as a result of entering cooperation with the Institute.

The Brotherhood of Steel

The Brotherhood is concerned with the acquisition of military technology and power.

Joining the Brotherhood of Steel

The Base of operations of the Brotherhood of Steel in Fallout 4 is the Police Station. After completing the quest, "Call to Arms" Paladin Danse will ask the player if they would like to join the Brotherhood of Steel.

The Brotherhood of Steel featured in Fallout 4 is the East Coast Brotherhood, which broke off from the West Coast Brotherhood after a dispute over ideals.

Brotherhood of Steel Equipment

After you join the Brotherhood of Steel, you can gain access to a Power Armor located on the Prydwen airship. You can only use the Power Armor once you have been given the rank of Knight by Elder Maxson, leader of the Brotherhood of Steel. This happens after completing the first quest you are given after arriving on the Prydwen.

You can also gain access to the BOS Paint scheme for your Power Armor. Having all pieces of your armor given this paint job gives a boost in strength when wearing power armor.

Has access to the verti-bird signal grenades, which allows you to fast travel in a vertibird. Very useful for survival mode.

Encounter

Depending on the decisions that you take during the game, your first encounter with The Brotherhood of Steel may vary. Early into the game, you can decide to answer the distress call around Cambridge and reach the police precinct in Cambridge, which starts quest Fire Support, where you need to deal with a group of ghouls. If you keep ignoring the option to make contact with them, the Old Guns quest activates Reveille, which is a Brotherhood quest and where you need to go to the airship moored in Boston. From the moment of completing any of the above mentioned initial quests for the Brotherhood, you can take on more quests from then, both the main (the first one is Call to Arms) and side ones (many of them are random).

• During the first "independent" quest - The Molecular Level, you can (although this is optional) ask the Brotherhood of Steel for their assistance at building the teleporter. If you have already completed enough quests for them, you will be granted their help. Additionally Elder Maxston asks you to complete quest From Within.
  
  
• You can take on successive quests for the Brotherhood of Steel, regardless of whether you have already started working for the Institute or not. However, you need to realize that accepting the Institute Mass Fusion quest, results in your becoming the enemy of the Brotherhood of Steel.
  
  
• The last batch of quests for the Brotherhood of Steel opens with Tour of Duty. Acceptation this one means that you make your ties to the Brotherhood tighter. The final quest for that faction is The Nuclear Option and the objective is to destroy the Institute HQ. After you complete that quest, you can also accept A New Dawn, whose only objective is to talk to Elder Maxston.

Railroad

The Railroad is a faction in Fallout 4 found within the Boston area of The Commonwealth. The Railroad is dedicated to freeing the Synths found within the Commonwealth. They hate the mysterious faction known as The Institute and work hard to find a way to destroy them.

The Railroad keep their group a secret by leaving clues to those clever enough to discover them. Doing so will enable someone to join their ranks.

Agenda

The Railraod members are concerned with liberating the Synths found within the Commonwealth. Some of their quests require you to rescue Synths who are in danger of being reclaimed by The Institute or attacking Institute related areas.

Joining The Railroad

To join the Railroad Faction you must complete the quests Road to Freedom and then the follow-up quest Tradecraft. Once you join the Railroad, you will be able to have Deacon as a companion with you on quests and exploring the Commonwealth.

**NOTE: Completing certain quests later in the game for The Railroad will make you a permanent enemy of other factions. This includes The Brotherhood of Steel and The Institute. Make sure you save your game often if you wish to complete quests for other factions.

Railroad Equipment

Members of the Railroad can be found using a combination of different weapons and items. There is a mixture of ballistic and fusion based weapons that some members have acquired from their battles with The Institute. You can find the Railroad using Laser Pistols, fusion grenades, shotguns, and other similar weapons.

Encounter

Railroad's hideout is very well hidden and it is under the Old North Church in the central part of Boston. You find the hideout during Road to Freedom, where you find hints on how to get to the HQ, and where you meet with Desdemona, and other important faction members, for the first time. You can start this quest at any moment of the game (it appears in your journal after you eavesdrop on the conversation in Diamond City). If you ignore this quest, you will not miss the opportunity to meet with the Railroad, because you meet the members of that faction during an "independent" quest - The Molecular Level. After you complete Road to Freedom, you can take on quests given to you by The Railroad. This both goes for main quests (Tradecraft and the following ones) and for side quests (many of them are random).

• While completing the above mentioned The Molecular Level, you can (although this is optional) ask The Railroad for their help at building the teleporter. When this happens, Desdemona tasks you with Underground, Undercover. Completing this quest is synonymous with tightening your ties with this faction and spoiling good relations with the Institute and The Brotherhood of Steel. The last main quest for this faction is The Nuclear Option and the objective here is to destroy the Institute HQ.
  
  
• While working for Railroad, you can receive Burning Cover - this quest becomes available if, as a result of your actions, you become the enemy of the Institute (e.g. as a result of murdering a member of that faction). This works both ways, because you can become the enemy of Railroad if you accept specific quests from other factions. The ones in question are End of the Line (the Institute) and Blind Betrayal (the Brotherhood of Steel).

The Institute

The Institute is a mysterious organization that operates within the Commonwealth. The members possess more advanced technology than what is found in other factions. The Institute is responsible for the creation of Synths; cyborgs that have been developed to blend in with the human population.

The Institute aims to advance human civilization through scientific discoveries. They value science more than any other field; with members incorperating science into every aspect of their lives.

Joining the Institute

After following their whereabouts and chasing them for a good portion of the game, you have the option to join the Institution after when completing the main quest Institutionalized. You will speak with a man known as Father and be given the option to do missions for The Institute.

**NOTE: Completing certain missions for The Insitute will make you a permanent enemy of other factions like The Brotherhood of Steel and The Railroad. Be sure to save your game frequently if you wish to join the other factions at this point.

Institution Equipment

The Synths and members of The Institute use a variety of Fusion based weaponary. This includes laser pistols, laser rifles, and a variety of plasma and fusion grenades.

Encounter

The Institute is the only faction that you come into contact later into the game. First, you need to complete all of the "independent" quests of the main storyline (up to The Molecular Level , i.e. the one connected with building the teleporter that lets you teleport to the underground HQ of the Institute). A breakthrough moment is when you receive Institutionalized main quest, where you need to agree to work for Father. It is impossible to reject his offer, or this will spoil your chances of further relationship with that faction.

• You do not dear that entering friendly terms with Father and his faction will have negative effects on those with the previously-discovered factions. Only your decision to continue your work for the Institute may affect your relationships with the rest of them. The one in question is the Mass Fusion quest, whose completing means entering the warpath with the Brotherhood of Steel. Further quests for the Institute are about getting rid of the two other major factions from Commonwealth - End of the Line requires you to kill out all of the Railroad members and in quest Airship Down, you are to obliterate the HQ of the Brotherhood of Steel. The last main quest for the Institute is Nuclear Family, where the objective of this quest is only to have a short conversation with Father.
  
  
• An important piece of information, in connection with the Institute, is that decisions that you take during some of their quests may deteriorate, or even thwart your relationship with them. In Mass Fusion, you can enter the warpath with the Institute, if only you warn the Brotherhood of Steel of the planned attack. In Pinned, you can become the enemy of the Institute, if you join the Minutemen and you help them eliminate members of the Institute staying in the cottage.

Which Faction Should I Join?

Your Faction choice is best dictated by two factors: your playstyle and your role-playing ambitions.

If you're interested in Settlement and developing a pool of followers... stick with the Minutemen. They allow you to eventually gain control of much of the surface of the Commonwealth and call allies and artillery from every direction.

If you're interested in playing as a warrior of the human race... try out the Brotherhood of Steel.

If you're interested in subversive themes, cloak-and-dagger, or freedom above all else... join the Railroad. Their story line is full of call-signs, secret missions, and a very definite animosity against the Institute.

If you're interested in moral ambiguity and intrigue... spend time with The Institute. Some of the game's most challenging ethical dilemmas come from contact with that agency.

How to join these factions!

Minutemen- Happens through main story progression, after fighting the Deathclaw continue to do Prestons Quest. You will need to complete the quest First Step to trigger the conversation where Preston will ask you to join.

Brotherhood of Steel- Go to the Cambridge Police Department.

Railroad- Do the Road to Freedom quest to gain access to this faction.

The Institute- Follow the main storyline.

Video

Here are a couple of videos for those reader prefer watching video than reading :D

FALLOUT 4: The ULTIMATE Factions Guide! (Everything You Need to Choose a Faction in Fallout 4)
A video from a youtuber, JV2017gameplay

Best Faction to Choose and Side With in Fallout 4 (DLC and Survival Mode) #PumaThoughts
A video from a youtuber, VinylicPumaGaming

I would like to thank this 3 website for helping me to create this guide.

link 1[guides.gamepressure.com]
link 2[fallout.wikia.com]
link 3

Please don't forget to check out my other guide, rate this guide & for any doubts or question, leave a comment below!

[Weaponmaster 55]

@CanticlesGrand No mate thats just how you see it. Sorry. You don't speak for everyone. Its clear that many people love this game and Skyrim before it, just by seeing their longevity.

Its a huge game that clearly took a lot of effort and that effort shows, whether you appreciate it or not.

[CanticlesGrand]

There is no "challenging morality", everyone in this game is retarded. There is nothing complex about trying to free a load of overgrown toasters, nor with being the moron/pervert who first decided that a roomba should posses skin and genitals.
Todd sucks, and bethesda sucks too. The only good story they have produced was in morrowind, when they let a meth-head write the lore and that lore included a joke about cat barbs.

[Danny Noonan]

@Na it’s not DLC

[Na]

@King Crimson, I have not play the DLC yet so I am not familiar with uss constitution robots.

[Danny Noonan]

make the uss constitution robots a faction.

[just_a_deadly_zinja]

I am a cloak and dagger/spotted then death machine carrying huge weapons of mass destruction, type. I am a pure offense player, go in ninja, remove the enemy with as little effort as possible, when confronted? Overpower the enemy with sheer firepower/weaponry, advantage.
Having played the ES games, since Daggerfall, and the F games, since F2. (Elder Scrolls/Fallout) I love the challenges of morality with F4, the writing, the characters, is brilliant! Our life choices, what we believe in, can actually be reflected in this game. To take the factions at face value, would be a disservice to the writers. Want to see how truly vile, callous and evil the institute is? Read their terminals inside their base. The writers of this game do not get enough praise, not nearly enough.

[Na]

@Nickshero, You can still join any faction & any faction will be okay with you until you begin the quest called Battle of the Bunker Hill ( Institute mission )
look details for more here -> http://guides.gamepressure.com/fallout4/guide.asp?ID=33485

no as the minutemen is the neutral faction & unless you attacked the brotherhood after joining the minutemen.

[Dio]

So if I do a single mission of only the Institute faction, I can't join ANY other faction anymore?
Cuz i wanna stick to minutemen, and being part for a little of the brotherhood and railroad looks cool too. (SPOILERALERT): I've heard that the brotherhood will get attacked later ingame by the minutemen, is this true?

[Boyar]

@Strange, will do.

[Na]

@Friedrich II von Preussen ,
I appreciate your feedback on my guide C:
Check out my other guides that might have games that you have played before
Thanks again & more guides to come!