TFW I actually liked him.

TFW I romanced him as another male character.

TFW I did it on a friend’s playstation as an experiment and discovered it was actually possible.

I like the guy, but they pushed the whole settlement thing way too hard and he was the fall guy. Like seriously, can you at least send some one to collect info on what is needed so I don’t need to head all the way over there to find they want me to clear a raider next out on the other side of the map and the moment I get done, the next settlement in a totally different part wants me to take out a raider nest like, 2 blocks away from the other one. I’d love nothing more than to just swoop in, clean house systematically, and move on with my day of not finding my son? XD

But it never bothered me that he sold the whole settlement thing. Hell, I always saw it as claiming/defending my territory. And me being a territorial fuck, eagerly charged out to deal with whatever problem I encountered. I’d craft some new shit, sell some loot, level up, chat with Preston, and just enjoy my romp through the wasteland!

I don’t have a problem as much I am a completion of sorts, so I’d go out, find some quests, stumble across places I want to explore, but need to sell things off or drop off all the junk I am lugging around, return to town, and he would come up and tell me there is another settlement, and then another when I returned again, and just keep going on about how there was another.

I once cleared one out and he gave me 2 more and it’s like… “Look, I am doing all the work, I’d appreciate it if you could at least mitigate things, take care of things like places that need food, places that need ammo, things that aren’t life or death, and keep me informed on the locations they want help with, as I don’t have time to travel all the way to fuck bum nowhere, to be told I need to head to whore den 27 to clear shit up when I can just head over there and deal with the location and you can convey that message to the parties in need.

Or hell, I’ll tell them if it’s on my way, but I don’t have time to fuck around protecting people not strong enough to fend off some malnourished twigs because they decide they rather live in a hut in a marsh than form a cohesive location to live with more than like 3 people on average. We are the minute men, I’ll play general as long as needed, but if I am the only one giving a fuck at protecting things while you sit on your ass here, drinking my nuka colas I keep the fridge stocked with, eating the food I cook and leave in there for the residents of this town.

I do expect some help, not told some one needs help just to get there and find it’s the equivalent of needing their toilet plunged, I’m not the fucking landlord at some apartment complex that you can just call on for every little thing like I don’t have other things to take care of.”

I really do like Preston, his almost innocent naiveness is charming, but in my line of work, I can’t have him whining at me every time i pick a lock, or hack a computer, or get his lip any time I pick up something of worth he finds no worth in. At least with Nick he makes me feel wanted and appreciated doing these things, and I feel he is more human than most humans I meet since he at least shows many emotions. I tried to like Piper too, but I think my bias against the media and her method of “the truth must be told no matter what” with no restraint causing fear mongering which allows the Synths to take hold easier drove me away from her.

That and she once fell off a tower, the one you find the one trapped guy in, and she broke and refused to move so had to dismiss her. She apparently breaks a lot, and I am regretting letting strong live at my town, he never shuts up about anything, literally will say one thing, and half a second after he finishes start saying something else, and never stops, I think Mama Murphy gave him something. XD

Ok I can understand it bothering you if you’re being a completionist and trying to do everything. I am too, to a degree, but I just kinda accepted it would be one of those ongoing things that never stopped and didn’t let it bug me. 

Oddly enough he only every gave me two at a time when it was a settlement that was already established that needed help, and the other was a potential settlement. That only happened three or so times to me on different playthroughs. I do get the feeling of repetition dealing with dens of raiders, and I often got tossed at super mutants and ghouls too, some settlements even threw me at gunners but it never bothered me to go do it. I was content to be the general as long as my people needed me, which I accepted was going to be a long damn time.

I will admit I didn’t feel like a general doing everything myself without being able to manage some kind of standing military force. That’s what the Minutemen are kind of painted to be after all. But I was reminded more of the generals of old who lead their armies from the front, and that was some consolation I happily took with me on all my errands with Preston.

I also didn’t really feel like he was hassling me every time I visited Sanctuary because I kept all of my followers at Red Rocket so they’d all be in the same 100 square feet at all times, and I usually kept Preston as a companion. He never ran up and interrupted me to whine about a settlement, hell, he talked like he was in awe of me.

I did notice the junk picking up thing, but that felt common among like every damn follower in the game. “Are you sure that’s useful?” “It’s just dead weight leave it behind.” Blah blah blah. I tuned that kinda stuff out. And yes, Piper was annoying as all hell to be around, never stuck with her longer than I needed to. Nick was definitely a favorite to keep around as well, solid guy with interesting commentary.