I'd like to discuss somethin' that's had my noggin joggin for the past few days with all of you. What if Richardson's Enclave had crossed paths with the Institute?
The two most technologically advanced factions in the world of Fallout, both with lengthy pre-war histories and fascistic and isolationist tendencies, meeting each other. How'd you think that would turn out?

Would the Enclave, obsessed with purity and restoring the glory of pre-war America, wipe out the Institute - see them as nothing more than mutants, as they are not Enclave? Would they recognize their validity as the legitimate continuation of an esteemed pre-war institution of education and science? Would they kill whoever they deemed unnecessary and conscript key figures?

And what of the Institute? How would they deal with meeting the Enclave? Would they recognize them as the legitimate continuation of the United States government? Would they bend knee to them, do research for them, willingly or forcibly become incorporated into the ranks of the Enclave as a science/R&D branch? Would there be all out war between the two?

Idealistically, how would you like it to play out? How about realistically?

I think the Enclave would recognise the fact that the institute had been basically buried since before the war. The Enclave's whole deal is that they are the remnants of America, which you could argue that the institute are too.

We don't see the workings of the institute until Fallout 4, and by that point Doctor Li among others have joined. The Enclave could possibly consider this mixing with mutated humans but that wouldn't have happened until after the east coast Enclave were destroyed, so who knows. Maybe the Institute didn't have mutated members among their ranks until well later on, we also see doctor Zimmer leave the institute but again under very exceptional circumstances. Kellog was known to come and go and when he met with Institute members, this happened outside and if memory serves right (It's been a while) Kellog hadn't actually been to the Institute. So who can say, they seem not to leave the Institute itself unless absolutely necessary and didn't open up their leniancy towards the surface until Shaun was approaching the end of his life. As for the Institute, I don't think they care about anyone but themselves.

Side note, while I'm not a fan of Fallout 4, and probably won't go back to it, I did enjoy doing Nuka world, taking over the commonwealth, killing preston and then doing the institute ending. The game doesn't cater to morality or moral dilemas very often, so out and out drug-addled raider turned evil ceo with a courser bodyguard is the way to play Fallout 4. Would recommend. I love that they don't give a shit about the surface.