Following its release to PC, PS4 and Xbox One on 10 November, Fallout 4 has managed to captivate the players and hold them longer with its open world setting. Bethesda has released in other lingo, a bombshell.
Fallout 4 provides its players with a huge world, wherein they can explore and craft. It gives them settlements, which are used to build different things, and it is all done in a Workshop. It has been reported that there are about 30 places in the game that contain Workshop. This will not only allow players to build things, but also help the new recruits in providing resources like food, water and power, which are part of settlements.
Below are some tips that will guide the players in settlement building and more:
There are certain requirements that will make a settlement successful namely, beds, food, water and defence.
- Beds: One per settler (max of 10 settlers plus 1 settler per Charisma point).
- Food: One food per settler.
- Water: One water per settler.
- Defence: One point per settler, although more is more helpful.
- Power: Add all of the power consumption things you need running, that's the required power.
Beds will help the player manage the settlers, and a radio tower will let more settlers show up and increase happiness.
Basic settlement handling
Sanctuary will be the first settlement that players will unlock. This place is south of Vault 111. Settlers will start appearing after players complete the second main story mission in Concord.
Go ahead and complete more quests as they will give let players build defences, provide food and water for the settlers.
Below are the tools that the players will require:
- Floors: Your basic floor, Shack Floor, is found in Structures > Wood > Floors.
- Walls: There are the Wood and Metal walls.
- Doorways: There are special Shack Doorway pieces (Structures > Wood/Metal > Walls)
- Roofs: There is a variety of wood roofs under Structures > Wood > Roofs.
The players must start with a floor or in case the ground is uneven, they can start with foundation. They can sart with the walls, then the doorways and move to roofs. They can also add a bed, a rug, a chair, a light.
Other construction essentials:
- Shack Wall and Roof: These are small strips of floor (Structures > Wood/Metal > Walls) that help in building balconies on upper levels.
- Wall – Corner: These are pieces that can be used with Shack Wall and Roof. The Wall – Corner will be the four missing corners when players grab Shack Wall and Roof together.
- Wall – End: These are used to fill in the walls of Wall – Corner.
- Wall and Roof: These are full-sized floor square that can be found under Structures > Wood > Prefabs
- Floor – Small: These are pieces that will help players to fill spaces between corners.
The players can also add temporary Shack Stairs under Structures > Wood > Stairs when placing Power Conduits to power your shacks.
One can also make use of Shack Steps under Structures > Wood > Stairs to help players to climb the steps instead of jumping in to their houses. This will be build near Doorways.
Railing pieces can also be used under Structures > Wood > Miscellaneous for a picturesque balcony.
Below are tips from Reddit on building and supplies:
- Things that highlight orange (trees, cars, broken light posts) are useless other than for aesthetics. You can't move them or interact with them, so might as well use those for scrap.
- Things that highlight green (furniture, walls, and fences) are assets that you can build in the workshop. This goes for items pre-placed in the world, such as the existing fences in Sanctuary.
- Speaking of, those fallen fences? You can pick those up (E on PC) and they'll snap back up so you can place them elsewhere. Good for filling in gaps without scrapping the fence (which would only give you half the resources it takes to make one).
- Walls, fences, roofs, and floors all have a snap feature so you can get everything connected as intended. It can be a bit finicky, so just fiddle around a bit until you get the orientation right.
- When building a structure, it's a good idea to start with the floor first. Walls will snap to the floor and everything will line up properly.
- In any workbench, you can highlight an item and tag it to tag missing components. Then, items in the world that contain your missing component will be tagged with a magnifying glass to help you find those hard to find materials. I have screws tagged, and this antique globe has screws in it. So it's got that little magnifying glass after its name to indicate that it contains one of my tagged components.
- Get 6 charisma and Local Leader ASAP. This allows you to set up supply lines between settlements which allow the use materials from any settle attached to that supply line.
Perks that are need for settlement building; advanced construction will need players to unlock some perks namely:
- Local Leader, Rank 2, Charisma 6 and Level 14
- Gun Nut, Rank 3, Requires Intelligence 3 and Level 25
- Science, Rank 3, Intelligence 6 and Level 28
- Hacker, Intelligence 4
- Medic, Intelligence 2
- Cap Collector, Rank 2, Charisma 1 and Level 20
Resources
As mentioned earlier, every settler will need one food and water resource. On the food front, the players are advised to use a lot of mutfruit, as it produces 1 whole food resource per plant and the rest can only produce .5 food resource.
It is necessary to plant vegetable plants as the players will need adhesives. One of the best sources of adhesive in the game is the vegetable garden. Each cooking station will let players make vegetable starch adhesive out of corn, mutfruit, tatos and purified water.
Water is a viable commodity in Fallout 4. The players will have to build water pump which will need concrete, steel and gears. The players will easily get steel, concrete is found via scrapping cinderblocks and for gears, one has to grab it during the travels early on and desk fans are the best source for it.
Note, supply lines can be accessed when players unlock Local Leader perk (which requires 6 charisma to access).
Advanced water resources will need pumps powered by electricity. Players are advised to go in for industrial water purification, as it provides 40 units of clean water in comparison with the standard size that only provides 10. But this will be bigger investment.
Happiness
It is not enough if the settler fed properly with water and food, the players will have to add a dash of elan to their lives.
So, art up your shack with paintings in the Decorations > Wall Decorations section which need wood and it's available in plenty.
Also, before trying to spruce up the walls, make sure one has tended to the beds, food, water and defence of the settlement. Remember to place some rugs before placing tables, chairs, or beds.
Next, is furniture and electricity. But electricity needs wiring, this is reportedly a little bit of a pain. Some smaller decor items like lights and televisions get power wirelessly. So players are advised to make use power conduits. This is found under Power > Connectors and Switches section.
Power conduits should be placed on the corners and on the edge of the roof, now link it up with each other. Only one power pylon has to be linked with the grid.
Design the power grid first, it will need copper. And remember that copper is a rare resource in Fallout 4.
Things like radio and other smaller electrical goodies do not need dedicated power resource.
Defence
Since the Wasteland is not a good place for settler, they have to defend their settlements from various creatures and enemies.
The players are advised not to build a lot of fences early in the game and it was discovered that building gates and fences do not increase the defences of the settlement much, so it is better to build a few guard posts with some fencing on the sides. Make sure these posts are manned.
Machine gun turrets are a good point of defence and it will need 8 steel, 1 circuitry, 2 gears and 2 oil. Build a turret gun with fencing on every corner, or one can place them on the roof corner; depending on the location of the shack place.
Placing turrets on the roof is a good idea as it gives greater range and keeps it out from melee attacks.
The players will have to check them time and again if they need repairs. Investing in science and gun nut perks will allow players to unlock sophisticated turrets. It will add 5 points to your defence rating.
Buying a dog will reassure a nervous seller, additionally, Junkyard Dog adds 5 defence points to the settlement.
Management of settlers
Though there is nothing to inform players on what work of the settlers, they can keep a track by assigning them with a job. Assign settlers to crops, guard posts and shops.
Here are some tips that might be helpful:
- Stores make your residents happy.
- Build a bell early, so you don't have to hunt everyone down in your settlement.
Food tips:
- There are a few melons and gourds behind the workshop house in Sanctuary. You can pick those and plant the produce. Each harvested produce (melon, gourd, tato, corn) can be planted as a new crop.
- Assign one of your settlers to harvest crops so you'll have a steady supply of food for your settlement.
- Build food crops on flat land. Put your junk in the workbench by transferring. Don't drain all your resources on one settlement, there are multiple settlements.
- Also one worker can work 6 food, for example 12 tato thingys (give 0.5 each) or 6 mutfruit trees (give 1 each) or any combination of 0.5/1 food producing resources aslong its only 6 food total.
Settlement locations
As said earlier there are about 30 places in Fallout 4 with a Workshop. These can be used as settlements. But, players will have to take care of certain things like make sure all enemies are dead, some other will need to take up a quest with the occupants to reward you with usage of workshop. There are others that come in for free. Each of the settlement has its own positive and negative aspect.
Below are the settlement locations:
- Sanctuary
Requirements: none
Info: First settlement you will get as part of the main quest. This is a large area with access to open water and lots of Scrap and existing buildings.
- Red Rocket Truck Stop
Requirements: none
Info: Just south of Sanctuary, it has lot of workbenches that are available and this is the place where players find their dog companion. Lots of scraps are available.
- Abernathy Farm
Requirements: Returning the Favor Quest
Info: Plenty of land to grow food on. Good spot for a farm because of plants and there is not much investment needed. This can be the primary food source. Raiders will be of relatively low level.
- Tenpines Bluff
Requirements: Complete the quest at the location
Info: Small farm with already established crops. Players will have to recruit this settlement as part of an early quest for the minutemen.
- Starlight Drive-In
Requirements: Clear the area
Info: Large area for building and several existing structures
- Sunshine Tidings Co-op
Requirements: Clear the area of enemies
Info: It has some structures and beds already in place, it is the home for Mr. Handy robot Professor Goodfeels.
- Outpost Zimonja
Requirements: Clear the area of enemies
Info: Small area with some power structures in place. Players can pick up a magazine here and it overlooks the toxic lake next to it.
- Greentop Nursery
Requirements: Complete the quest given at the spot
Info: It has crops in place and hence good to start food production.
- The Slog
Requirements: Complete the offered quest
Info: Its population mostly ghouls, this might be good for the relationship status of Hancock. It has crops in place, and thus good for farming.
- Finch Farm
Requirements: Out of the Fire Quest
- Taffington Boathouse
Requirements: Kill hostiles
Info: Access to water
- Covenant
Requirements: Human Error Quest or dispose of the current occupants
Info: This location provides players with a moral dilemma to acquire the settlement. However, if players keep the occupants, they will have access to existing vendors.
- Graygarden
Requirements: Troubled Waters Quest
Info: Its population is filled with robots and it has an up and running farm. Moreover, robots do not need food or water and the players will only need to build up their defences. Players will reportedly be able to maintain smaller settlements using robot population, initially at least.
- Oberland Station
Requirements: Help the locals
Info: It has crops and buildings in place.
- Coastal Cottage
Requirements: Kill the hostiles
- Kingsport Lighthouse
Requirements: Kill the hostiles
Info: Gives access to large open water, big structure and it has a "fun" terrain to build.
- Croup Manor
Requirements: Kill the hostiles
Info: This location only has a three storey manor.
- Nordhagen Beach
Requirements: Complete the quest at the spot
Info: Gives access to water.
- Boston Airport
Requirements: Shadow of Steel Quest
Info: This location does not allow players to either build or plant crops, however, it gives them access to a lot of Scraps. So if a player decides to settle here, then food must be supplied from another settlement.
- Somerville Place
Requirements: Complete the quest on the spot
Info: It already has crops in place.
- Egret Tours Marina
Requirements: Here, players must either make friends with Phyllis Daily of kill it.
Info: It will provide settlers with water and building and also, access to booby traps.
- Jamaica Plain
Requirements: Kill the enemies in the area
Info: This location is a joy for urban settlers, as it comes with a big building and a parking lot.
- Spectacle Island
Requirements: Kill the enemies in the area
Info: This is a location to choose during the later part of the game as it is heavily infested with a high level of enemies. But if a player does want to settle down then, he/she will have access to open water, some power infrastructure and huge area for building further.
- Warwick Homestead
Requirements: Complete the quest on the spot
Info: It is a large location and has plants in place.
- Bunker Hill
Requirements: The Battle of Bunker Hill Quest
Info: This location is ideal to set up the base of operations. It comes with vendors, and has infrastructure that will be good enough to support the population it has.
- Hangman's Alley
Requirements: Kill the enemies in the area
Info: The only thing positive about this location is that is very well protected, with walls.
- The Castle
Requirements: Kill the enemies in the area
Info: This location has a lot of minuteman quests. Also, players will find a good deal of equipments. This is a good settlement location for more than one reason.
- County Crossing
Requirements: Complete the quest on the spot
[Source: Gosu Noob, iDigitalTimes, Tenton Hammer]
