[Warning: Potential Spoilers, mostly related to Fallout 4 and the Brotherhood of Steel]
Well, hello there! I hope this Post finds all of you in good health, and today I'd like to talk about my favorite Faction in Fallout: The Brotherhood of Steel, and I'll be covering the Fallout 4 take on them this time! Now with that being said, imminent bias incoming! Also a few spoilers, but I won't get into those for a little while. And this is by no means saying anyone has to disagree with me, I welcome free thought! The Brotherhood isn't for everyone, I understand that ^_^
So I guess I'll start with why I like the Brotherhood. So it really begins with Warhammer 40,000! The Space Marines are clad in Power Armor and the coolest weapons, and zealously kill all the enemies of Humanity. Does that ring any bells? If I squint and drink a few shots of bourbon I can see the Brotherhood of Steel fitting in perfectly as a Chapter of Space Marines!
But exactly who are the enemies of Humankind, you might be asking? Well at least in the setting of Fallout I perceive the enemies being: Super Mutants, Feral Ghouls, Raiders, and the local wildlife! With Fallout 4's introduction of the Institute, I always see the Synths falling into the enemy category. Basically? Anyone who isn't us. The Wasteland is nothing less than a warzone, and I know who I want to win!
Now where we can find these enemies to Humanity is as simple as stepping outside the Vault for the first time! Immediately we see how hostile the area has become, coming face to face with irradiated insects and mole rats. It would be easy to see how important it is that the common people are protected against such threats! Which is where the Brotherhood comes in, time and time again.
When something goes wrong, it seems like the Brotherhood of Steel is always there on the forefront! Or at the very least they're a supporting group. From the first Fallout game all the way to 76, they've been with us nearly every step of the way. When things seem bad, they keep on fighting! Because 'Ad Victoriam' is more than just a motto, it's a way of life. It has to be, because the enemies are many and they will not show mercy.
So that's how I see the Brotherhood, they are soldiers at their core! Not Saints like the Minutemen, not callous Scientists like the Institute. Something in between, they are cold and hard while still being our protectors. And of course they can't do this alone! Like I said, there's a lot of dangerous things out there and resources are scarce. Even the mightiest army still needs to eat, and that's where donations from the Settlements (usually owned and protected by me under the Minutemen) comes in!
So where's the schism? I mostly see players against the discrimination they see in the Brotherhood. And if that was true, I'd agree! However I don't see the Brotherhood of Steel being rude...but prepared. Let's take a look at three enemies of theirs: Feral Ghouls, Super Mutants, and Synths.
Ghouls, even the non-feral ones, can always turn crazy. Now I don't know about you, but I couldn't trust sleeping in a bunk when the guy above may or may not want to eat me in the morning. That's just being careful not to like Ghouls, at least so long as they're the ticking time-bombs that they are!
Super Mutants, aside from limited interactions like Fawkes and Strong, are more likely to bash a human's head in for fun than chat. And even Strong wholly wants the destruction of our race, he doesn't keep it a secret! If anything was kill on sight, it'd be these guys. Is it capable for a Super Mutant to be good? Sure, but why take the chance?
Synths are created by the Institute, the main enemy of the Brotherhood in Fallout 4! Given that we don't fully understand them even to this day, not trusting them makes total sense to me. Who knows if they can be switched to go Terminator-mode? Or if they are rigged to explode randomly? Even after the Institute is taken care of there's just too many variables to consider!
Now onto another valid concern, the infamous Blind Betrayal quest! So be warned: spoilers ahead. I've already admitted that I like the Brotherhood, but a lot of that is due to their leader- Arthur Maxson! And the reasons I like him are simple: He's a man of his word.
I've already talked about why the enemies that the BoS target are potentially dangerous, though I welcome discussion on the matter! But if we accept that they can harm humanity, then Brotherhood's goal as soldiers is simple: Destroy them. We learn later on that Danse, possibly the closest living embodiment of the Brotherhood of Steel that I can think of, is a Synth.
He's a good soldier. He recruits many of us into the Brotherhood. He gives us a purpose to fight for. He's even in the inner-circle of Maxson himself! But he's still a Synth. And in war there can be no double standards. So with what I believe is a heavy heart, Maxson orders us to take care of it. Not because he or I want to, but because we must.
Admittedly you can spare Danse, and I always do. I talk Maxson out of the execution for one simple reason: I see Danse as a comrade. Synth or not, he risks his life time and time again to protect those under his command! So for this I think he has earned the right to live on, in exile, away from the Brotherhood. But for all the speeches and proclamations that Maxson does, he sticks to his guns. His enemies are Super Mutants, Feral Ghouls, and Synths. And none, not even his friends, are spared.
So this is getting pretty long, and I apologize for that! I really do want to hear what others think! Are you Pro-Brotherhood, are you against them? Did you like them more before or after Blind Betrayal? Which iteration of your favorite? And if you got this far, thank you for reading and have an awesome day! AD VICTORIAM