The Watcher Initiative | Fallout Lore

As you’re exploring The Commonwealth Wasteland you may get the feeling that you’re being watched, but you’re completely alone, there’s no one there and while that feeling of being watched subsides it never fully goes away and that’s how many people in The Commonwealth feel - that there’s always someone watching. The Institute, The Commonwealth Boogey Man, appears to be the go to culprit and they do have eyes and ears all over the place through synthetic humans, Institute spies almost indistinguishable from the person they pretend to be and if not for the synth chip on their person you might never have known the face in front of you was false. But The Institutes ability to watch others goes far beyond synthetic humans.

Watcher initiative testing log, entry six. Acting Director Justin Ayo speaking. We've concluded the third round of surface testing, and the results are promising. We're receiving valuable data across a broad spectrum and in real-time. With the improved monitoring, I'm confident we'll be able to expand our operations on the surface. I intend to request additional units from Robotics for immediate deployment in Diamond City. End log entry.

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[brianmartinez]

If you attack the crows with a knife. You’ll get the sound effect of hitting something metallic( like cars, power armor, etc.) instead of the flesh stab sound.

[Holytoaster]

Honestly if the Institute wants to spy on me by sending me a small little cat to just chill with me for the rest of my life in the wasteland I wouldn't even be mad.

[elic]

This truly shows how deeply the Institute has infiltrated the entire Wasteland. To be honest, kind of spooky if you were placed in the shoes of an average wastelander.

[angrybigfoot]

I wish there was lore on the mannequins they always creeped me out so much

[corypowercat]

The birds are literally the "birds are spycams" meme.

[SiriusCygnus]

Makes me suspicious of the birds you first see in new Vegas when leaving doc Mitchell house. I wonder how far the watchers have spread across the wasteland. And how many.

[o.k.productions]

Pam likely discovered the watchers when correlating data, picking up on agents mentioning an abundance or increase in the number of crows around institute projects (DC mayor) and major operations (castle) leading to that conclusion. Ronnie is the oldest native military commander in the commonwealth, over her years as a minute man she would have slowly picked up overtime as she originally if not even by the time of Fallout 4 considering it partially coincidental.
Ronnie and Pam were the only ones to realize the connection as they were the only ones with access to the necessary statistical data, Pam through dozens if not hundreds of agents and Ronnie through years of situations where she could encounter institute operations in the commonwealth without knowing it.

[bmwp]

I always thought Dogmeat was a synth too. 'perfectly preserved' one of a kind dog just happen to wait for you outside of sanctuary

[kortgaminggg]

I knew about the crows being institute eyes, but i never knew ronnie and deacon mentioned them. Thanks for the video :)

[HenryGreenEngine]

Now the real question: Has anyone ever tried to eat the synth bird?

[raynebowmo]

I recently started a new fallout 4 campaign and I was really noticing the birds this time around, I just got the sense that they were following me. It was like time I turned down a street a flurry of crows flew away. At first I just chalked it up to Bethesda demoing a new ai mechanic but I love that there's an actual lore reason there are crows everywhere.

[CrumpledPaperHearts]

The “birds aren’t real” crowd just coomed their pantaloons…

[SirFleetingFury]

Love the content! Your narration is great. I've enjoyed being a part of the channel for a while now.

[the_real_dodig]

Dog meat a synth? Think about it, only friendly dog that just happens to be outside of the vault that you were in and is the most obvious path you will take out of sanctuary. Not to mention he is the only German shepherd to appear in the game

[TheNuclearGeek]

Don't forget that Dogmeat is also a very special synth watcher, likely specifically designed and programed by your son Father.

Honestly, it just makes much more sense if he is your own special, dedicated, synth watcher. Immune to radiation. A perfectly healthy dog, beyond rare already, but out of everyone he came out of hiding and approached only you and INSTANTLY bonded permanently and took direction PERFECLY (well Bethesda "perfectly") IMMEDIATELY, because he's obviously been programmed to follow your orders, protect and monitor you for Sean.

No dog would be that trusting if it has lived a real life out there for the years it would take to reach his apparent age. Add to that the fact there is a "watcher" station overlooking the Red Rocket truck stop, much like the Railroad watch station at Vault 111, but very noticeably missing any railroad markings so it is not the Railroad's. Since dogmeat comes out to meet you before you can get solid eyes on the station, whomever was verifying contact likely already teleported away. You could even turn Dogmeat's exploring & retrieving bugs into explained, believable FEATURES. How could Dogmeat get passed a Master level lock and grab the Cryolator or other items in locked containers and return them to you (yes I know it's long patched)? Obviously his Institute design was prepared for contingencies that may be needed, such as systems & equipment to bypass them. See? No patch was necessary, just a better theory.


Honestly, though, the most satisfying argument for me that Dogmeat is your personal institute mic, camera, monitor & reporter has to do with Sean's seemingly laissez-faire attitude towards you. Taken at face value, Sean apparently ordered you released from Vault 111 and sent out into the wastes with no guidance, information, or supplies and made no attempt to contact or significantly help you, yet simultaneously wanted you to find the Institute FAST, before he dies, so that you can succeed him. That always made ZERO sense to me.

The Institute is supposed to be a scientific society. Even if Sean felt it necessary for you to prove yourself and your capabilities to the other members by being able to reach the Institute with no assistance, he still needs PROOF and a record of what you had done and accomplished on the way there. Bird watchers are obviously a great choice for large scale passive monitoring, but they obviously have their limitations too. So, after successfully releasing all those synth cat watchers to augment the birds' coverage area limitations, what would be an obvious choice for a higher spec, better equipped, bigger and stronger synth watcher AND companion-protector meant for long-term active monitoring of a high value target? Is there any other choice BUT a dog for something like that? I think it is far more likely that Sean feigned disinterest and passed his decision to free you off as nothing but a whim. But, he knew he was dying and wanted you to succeed him. He also knew no one in the Institute would accept that decision (ESPECIALLY if you are actually a synth too). He sent Dogmeat to help and protect you while also recording the evidence he needed to get his decision accepted...by MOST people.

Lastly (this really got out of hand lol) if you consider the theory that the Sole Survivor is also a special synth replacement, it only strengthens the Dogmeat synth watcher theory. You don't conduct an experiment just to see what happens, you want to see if it behaves and operates as expected or not. Since the experiment requires no contact, initial info, etc. so as to not influence his behavior you want your protector/monitor meeting and staying with them as soon as they pass the starting line which is precisely what happens.

[toastysalmen]

I treat this channel as an offical lore channel for alot of the hidden aspects of the games deeper lore that aren't as commonly discoverable. I love each new video and they always contain vast amounts of new knowledge and information. Keep it up man!

[lifewithkaley]

The cats being watchers makes sense. It explains why they can't become pets like dogs, and it explains why you find them in covenant

[carloscolon]

I never thought the birds outside of vault 111 were also synths but until I found the room in the institute with a bunch of cameras watching the commonwealth.

[nartboglin]

Man I don’t want to think my cat is a robot spy

[SpartanK]

The idea of watcher gorillas is hilarious to me. Totally inconspicuous lol