Ironsides

Captain Ironsides is a character appearing in Fallout 4. He is a sentry bot and the Captain of the USS Constitution.

Background
Captain Ironsides is the Captain of the USS Constitution in the year 2287 and he will do anything to keep it protected. His one mission as Captain is to get the USS Constitution into the Atlantic Ocean.

Captain Ironsides has managed to achieve sentience and self awareness, and now behaves like a colonial era Naval Captain, having reprogrammed a variety of robots to serve as his crew. Despite his bizarre mannerisms and choice of hat, Captain Ironsides is fully aware of his surroundings and knows full well that the U.S. Military no longer exists. He is attempting to install and operate a rocket thrust system and gives quests to assist in his efforts.

Captain Ironsides also believes that since the U.S. Military no longer exists, and as he is the only military robot having evolved past his programming (as far as he is aware), he is now the highest ranking member of the U.S. Army and therefore is now in charge of the entire U.S. Military. As his first priority, Captain Ironsides has decided to mount a retaliatory strike on China.

Captain Ironsides has developed a large amount of mercy and prefers to avoid killing others whenever possible. Despite the total seventeen times in which the USS Constitution has been attacked, Ironsides believes that violence should only be resorted to when there is no other option, and, in spite of Mr. Navigator's requests, refused several times to plan a counterattack.

Appearances
Captain Ironsides appears only in Fallout 4.

Behind the scenes
His name is most likely a reference to the USS Constitution's nickname "Old Ironsides", given to the ship because it was said to be so sturdily constructed that "cannon balls just bounced right off it". It is the second oldest commissioned warship in the world (three decades behind HMS Victory.) The ship has been well-preserved and fully restored, and currently serves as a museum and tour site in the Boston area.

Bugs

 * After repairing the guidance system and being instructed to talk to Captain Ironsides by Mr. Navigator in the Last Voyage of the U.S.S. Constitution quest, Captain Ironsides may become bugged and not respond to the player by talking. A workaround is to spawn another Ironsides nearby with the console command and talk to the duplicate. This will somehow initiate conversation with the original Captain Ironsides in which you will have to turn to him to continue the quest.
 * Rarely there may be two captain ironside's it is not known what causes this.