So what was everyone's most and least favourite factions and companions in Fallout 4?
Favourite Companion: Nick Valentine
The combination of thick Boston accent and hard-boiled private detective attitude mixed with a sarcastic sense of humour and brilliant one-liners make Nick Valentine my favourite partner in the Commonwealth. The added benefit is that Nick has no affiliation with any faction, meaning he has no secret agenda other than his own moral compass. Plus he's one of the few companions capable of reminiscing about pre-war times, with Hancock being a ticking time-bomb waiting to go feral after one more bender, Curie growing up as a shut-in spending the majority of her existence in a single room running experiments, and Codsworth being a neurotic kitchen appliance more than a friend.
Most Disliked Companion: Dogmeat
Screw you and your crappy point-guzzling perk line, fleabag.
Favourite Faction: The Institute
Everyone assumes the Institute is the bad guy. In truth, it's not the Institute but the leadership that's to blame, specifically Father's leadership. The Generation 3 synth is an abject failure as a production line and should be ceased immediately. Sadly, nobody at the Institute has the power to override Father's fanatical devotion to this failed experiment, except for the Lone Wanderer. They can issue the command to halt Generation 3 production and return to improving the Generation 1 and 2 models, which show none of the inherent flaws involving free will and self-awareness. As leader of the Institute, the Lone Wanderer can unite the remaining factions under their leadership, expand the Minutemen to serve as a peacekeeping force, and most importantly turn the Synth Retention Bureau into a Ethics Oversight Bureau once Generation 3 synths are no longer being produced. Plus their skin for the X-01 power armor is wicked cool.
Most Disliked Faction: The Railroad
Already close to death, the Railroad is a one-trick pony focused on 'freeing synths' without any other plans made to benefit the Commonwealth or humanity as a whole. The Institute work tirelessly to advance humanity towards a better future, the Brotherhood seek to preserve lost knowledge and technology to rebuild the world, the Minutemen focus on helping the common man with day-to-day survival, and the Railroad... get their asses kicked for no good reason. They're already critically wounded as an organisation, reeling from heavy losses and losing safe-houses every day. They survive by virtue of having a core of exceptionally intelligent idealists and one pre-war AI that gives them an edge over their enemies, but that doesn't make for an effective group to lead the Commonwealth into a better future. Once their goal of destroying the Institute is complete, their own reason for existence is gone as well. The Railroad is a blip in history, useful for their purpose but failing to have any potential to grow into something bigger.