But yes, I think it's interesting how the Brotherhood of Steel in the game is vaguely unsettling in a way which contrasts against the grossly Caesar's Legion and Enclave. You have the genocide against nonhumans, the authoritarian power structure, the cult of personality around Maxson, and the "purity" tests like "Have you ever had sixual relationship with a nonhuman" all are vaguely reminscent of Nazis.

In the same way the Enclave and Warhammer 40K Imperium is.

However, they're JUST far enough away from them that it's all subtextual rather than overt and in your face.

After all, plenty of people wanted to join the Enclave in Fallout 3 under Colonel August.

This is as close as you're going to get.

They just consider Wastelanders "human" unlike the Enclave.

I find it utterly depressing that the heroic order we aided in Fallout 3 ended up turning into...this. This hits me harder than when the Blades were retooled from the heroic knights and spies of TES III and IV into the dragon genocide-obsessed fanatics of TES V with no concern for stopping the possibly omnicidal nazi-esque elves that nearly wiped them out. To put this in perspective, I forgave the Cyrodiilic Empire for caving to the Thalmor and not being more imperialistic even when it was quite warranted, considering the alternative, and I forgave their forsaking of centuries of awesome plate armor for the noticeably...exposed romanesque armor of TES V. Heck, I can even forgive the Brotherhood for focusing on tech and possibly taking a page from the Midwestern Brotherhood's playbook by possibly ruling over settlements. But the anti-mutant, anti-synth fanaticism, especially when the Mojave chapter was able to be on friendly terms with Marcus and his followers, is what is gonna push me towards the Minutemen instead, Vertibirds be damned.

It's so depressing that between currently every known chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel, the Enclave, the Institute, Robert House, the Big MT, and (if you buy their existence) the Zetans it seems it's impossible to have a technologically advanced faction in Fallout that isn't utterly ruthless, anti-mutant, dangerously stupid and selfish, insidiously manipulative. That House is "only" ruthless and calculating is telling.

Speaking of TES, is this how it feels for Stormcloak fans regarding the Empire?

Narrative wise I think its a shame that the East Coast Brotherhood has once again reverted and become closer to the Western ideology that they were so keen on abandoning. Now the only hope really for a Brotherhood faction with differing goals than technology hoarding is the Midwest.

But personally I just find it hilarious. I'm glad to finally see the noble Knights of Yore taken down a peg and become a lighter version of the very thing they presumed to destroy for the good of the wasteland in Fallout 3.

Narratively, I think it's a good decision because one of the things which Fallout is always going to run into is the fact that the more you want the world to become better, the more you can't make it so because that would ruin the game world. Hence, NCR isn't a purely good faction of do-gooders but ruthless in Fallout 2 and allied with gangsters. Likewise, it's on a mission of conquest in New Vegas.

On some level, I think this is thematically appropriate too because while I think they could do maybe one or two less "War never changes" every game, the theme is humanity is never going to be able to learn from its mistakes and will always be a mixture of good and evil. Hence, Elder Lyons "died the hero but the Brotherhood lived long enough to become the villain."

And the Eastern Coast Brotherhood is MUCH MUCH WORSE than the other branches. The Midwest Brotherhood of Steel had nothing against ghouls, Deathclaws, or Super Mutants while Elder Macnamarra was able to overlook Marcus' group. Elder Maxson is on a campaign of genocide.

Interestingly enough he's pretty much General Barnaky in terms of idealogy.

And only one (though admittedly rather large) step away from President Eden.