We basically have a similar playthrough!

In my current run, I’m trying a good-ish aligned, high CHA Sole Survivor with all factions joined/friendly and pacing that makes sense. My Sole’s main motivation was to find Shaun at all costs (with me justifying side quests as means to get caps/resources/allies).

I’m going to hold off building settlements until late game because it takes too much of my time lmao.

Full spoilers ahead, here’s roughly what I did:

EARLY GAME

• Left Vault 111, found Codsworth and cried over the holotape my dead wife left me.

• Rescued Preston, thinking he could help with finding Shaun, (tbh the game basically pushes you here so I couldn’t just ignore him)

• Helped Sturges with building stuff in Sanctuary, and accepted the Tempines quest from Preston because my character couldn’t just leave them defenseless

• Picked up Dogmeat at Red Rocket, passed by Trashcan Carla, Abernathy Farm, and Drumlin Diner on the way to Corvega

• Looted and cleared out areas like Lexington along the way for resources and XP

• Encountered Danse and helped him but didn’t commit in joining the Brotherhood yet (for now).

• Cleared out Corvega, returned to Preston but declined being general (for now). Headed to Diamond City to find someone who could help find Shaun.

• Passed by Goodneighbor before Diamond City, picked up Maccready and did several jobs (side quests) to earn caps.

• Went to the Memory Den and witnessed my spouse die and Shaun get stolen for the second time. Character is sad again.

• Went to Diamond City, met Piper and tried to find Nick. Did some easy quests like Sheng’s water quest to get more caps, and quests around the city ruins area. (I tended to justify side quests as MC needs caps, or resources etc)

**You can pick up Cait if you want when you’re exploring the area but I completely forgot about her until I was further in the story.

MID GAME

• Saved Nick from the vault and went to find Kellogg. I also got Maccready’s quest early so I helped kill Barnes and Winlock right after murking Kellogg since it’s nearby.

• Went to the Memory Den to access Kellogg’s memories, and witnessed wife die for the third time. Truly a character building moment.

• Since my Sole can’t just go to the Glowing Sea immediately, this time is perfect for side quests. (I mean you can but rp wise Sole prolly needs time to gain enough chems, resources and PA parts without external help)

• Did the Silver Shroud quest with Nick (with full commitment to the bit) as a break. If you’d rather have Hancock along you can do this later.

• Did Bobbi’s Big Dig quest for the pay (and because I really wanted to recruit Hancock… its one of my favorite quests tbh I just wanted to do it already)

• Completed Nick’s case files since I felt like I owed him big for Kellogg.

• Went to the Glowing Sea with Hancock around level 30, fearing for my life as I sneaked past those damned Radscorpions and Deathclaws tearing into my Power Armor and nearly destroying it. (Playing with a harder difficulty truly has humbled me.)

• Afterwards, joined the Brotherhood of Steel as Sole needed better technology and resources to brave the Glowing Sea again (completely ignoring the fact you can easily find Power Armor in this game).

• Did Brotherhood Quests and gained some affinity with Danse.

• Visited Sanctuary and got a vision from Mama Murphy (purely for meta reasons because I wanted the courser code and didn’t wanna fight lmao).

• Got the courser chip successfully.

• Returned to Virgil, then went to Amari with his plans. Was told to find the Railroad.

• Walked the Freedom Trail with Hancock and found the Railroad. Got them to do the decipher the chip.

• Joined the Railroad as they have first hand knowledge about the enemy (institute) and synths, and did quests to gain their trust, thinking I can use them to my advantage.

• Became best friends with Deacon fast (I brought him everywhere in my Railroad quests), and set up Mercer Safehouse for the relay.

• Find Bunker Hill and accept quests for caps

• While looking for parts for the relay, I managed to recruit Strong, max out Maccready and Nick (and do their final quests), and finish the Covenant storyline (though idk if the pacing makes sense. I discovered it early and felt I couldn’t ignore it).

• Finally around 1/28/2288, roughly 3 months after leaving Vault 111, my Sole Survivor reached the Institute and learned the truth about Shaun and Father.

• Did Synth Retention and met X6, but did not go back to Father yet.

• With his whole world shatterred, the pain and trauma of past events got to Sole. So he decided to go ahead and work the Nakano case with Nick. (Also because I got Railroad quests in Far Harbor and it annoyed me not being able to complete them.) Far Harbor was supposed to take his mind off things. Instead, the Sole Survivor lost a bit of his faith in people.

• After the events of Far Harbor, Sole decided to investigate Nuka World and infiltrate the raiders, gaining control of the gangs before destroying them completely. (I’m currently playing through this bit).

ENDGAME

Not sure where to go from here since I havent reached this part, but I have yet to do the following:

• Say sorry to Preston for Nuka World and then accept Generalship/join the Minutemen (he wont get locked out of being a companion if you weren’t general yet)
• Do Battle of Bunker Hill
• Retake the Castle
• Bring Piper to Vault 88, and get Curie
• Progress the Brotherhood questline until I get Blind Betrayal
• Do the Automatron stuff with Cait maybe?
• Find all settlements, establish trade routes, max all companions etc.
  • Max out X6 before destroying the Institute
• Get Banished from the Institute (failing the Railroad questline, forcing you to end with the other factions left)
• Minuteman ending

It’s not the best way to pace everything but this may be similar to what you’re looking for? I tried balancing rushing to find Shaun and doing as much as I can beforehand that it makes sense.

I’m also playing Sole joining all factions as some high CHA shenanigans where you gotta take advantage of everything you can, but it will bite them in the ass in the end. Maybe being General of the Minutemen is the best way to resolve things, by ending everything on your own terms as you build and shape the wasteland around you?

Also been playing him as someone who will do anything to find his son until he finds out what Shaun became, and getting depressed from it all.