I have this weird feeling there's not too many good feelings towards these guys..,

Fallout 4 was the weirdest type of roleplaying game (especially for Bethesda) in that your backstory was completely pre-defined. You were a veteran of the Anchorage campaign with a wife that had a Doctorate in Law. Compared to a game like New Vegas, where the only thing that was for certain was that you carried a chip once (we’re going to ignore Lonesome Road here), Fallout 4’s heavily regimented backstory was something strange. This new way of playing a roleplaying game was not only a tough adjustment (see Dragonborn’s Nora and Nate discussion), but outright angered some people.

I used to consider myself one of those people that despised the idea of a preset backstory, preferring instead to craft my own dramatic and often traumatic tales of wastelanders. However, I’ve since changed my mind, and have come to think that the predefined backstory is not a hindrance, but an opportunity.

Look at it like this: By having most of our backstory already laid out, we’re being given an opportunity. This opportunity is to shift our perspective and make roleplaying less and less about the things our character did before we could ever control them, and make roleplaying more about the character-defining moments that happen in-game. The things that really make a character good, in my opinión, are the reactions your character has to the world around them. When you are in the mind of your character, watching and reacting as things unfold around you, are the times when you can make a really unique RP. There’s nothing wrong with a well-crafted backstory, and it’s often the most easily-appreciated part of a profile or character. However, we all too often forget to think about the things that could happen to our characters too.

 

So, what are your thoughts on this? Here are some questions to try to answer as you think:

• Which do you think is more important? Backstory, or in-game actions? Do you find yourself relying on one or the other more as you roleplay or create profiles?

• Have you ever tried to work around the preset backstory? How did it work out? Do you have any tips for working around the Nora and Nate backstory?

• What events do you think make good character-defining moments? Have you experienced any of these?

Feel free to answer any, all, or part of these questions below. Can’t wait to see what people think!

I would say that the Government is keeping your records secret, the True ones that is. like Nate is really a NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) Agent after his Service in the Military, since the Pre-war records said that he served in the 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry Regiment. Nora would also be a Military Lawyer. the NCIS part is what I would go with.

I played a genius Nora and trust me, I had more than one doctorate on that shelf. 

So, just because Nate was a soldier and Nora has law degree your background is set in stone? Nah, I don´t believe. There still are ways around that. Background should usually just define what kind of person you are, but loosing a child can change a perception. So moments in game are more important then before the game.

you can have Nate go the Punisher route or Gibbs Route. both are about the same, but Gibbs was a Marine Sniper that ended up joining NCIS before the Name change. Nora could have the Law Degree in other mediums

"make roleplaying more about the character-defining moments that happen in-game. The things that really make a character good, in my opinion, are the reactions your character has to the world around them"

 I couldn't agree more with you, and in fact sometimes with Skyrim, background used to become a problem for me. I'm one of those who can only play a character after giving him pretty much his entire life story, though that is a more recent affliction, one I'm fighting against.

 With Fallout 4, the problem I have developed has nothing to do with that "set backstory", which I think is really not that bad and I quite enjoy it, but it's more about the voiced characters. Don't get me wrong, both the actors did a great job, but I just can't take the feeling when starting a new character that that character is actually the same one I just played.

 The voiced characters also took away most of the amusing dialogue we used to have, especially in New Vegas. Having  low intelligence now doesn't make the same difference it made before... The dialogue has suffered greatly in this game, likely a consequence of having voiced characters.

Agree with this completely. I think that in their attempt to differentiate their game from both older Fallouts and other RPGs, they got ahead of themselves with the voiced character and almost were willing to sacrifice almost too much. I can't blame them for missing it too much though...it would've cost thousands and thousands of dollars more by recording more lines.

Both, and I don't rely on either more than the other. I have, and it went pretty well. Like maybe she faked her law degree, or she is a psychopath that studied and initatially pretended to be a lawyer. 

I like the idea of a nefarious hero with a shady past a lot. Glad to see you've made use of it. Ever thought about using this guide in tandem with that roleplaying idea? Could be tons of fun.

And you could always roleplay as a Synth. Maybe you died in cryo, and You-Know-Who put your memories into a Synth

The Punisher route is a pretty fun one that melds well with BoS style thinking.