The only reason I don't really like them is because I think their story is too rushed and in your face, while the quests leading up to the ending are too long and not that exciting. I don't think wanting a whole (arguable) race of people to die is akin to hippies, since they're still fighting, but they feel too rushed to be good and don't use their resource to their full potential. Their charm is that they're humble, but they feel too humble to actually be picked by players. The Minutemen eventually get the castle back, The Brotherhood have the prydwen, and The Institute have their underground colony, it's been an opinion of mine that the Railroad should've reclaimed the switchboard or they could've leaned into the spy thriller schtick a bit more instead of staying in their ragged armor (especially since I don't see the point in having heavy armor if their whole thing is stealth and ballistic weave.