Highlights
- Settlements in Fallout 4 allow players to build, defend, and manage their own communities within the game's world around Boston.
- Settlement building began as a passion project during a game jam session and almost didn't make it into the final game.
- Players can enhance settlement building with mods, recruit special merchants, and connect settlements with supply lines for shared resources.
Settlements are one of the newest features in the Fallout series, being introduced in Fallout 4. Players are able to create their own settlements around Boston, as well as being able to take over a few major cities in the game. Players can build their own shacks, make farms for their settlers, and defend the settlement against enemy attacks.
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Settlements can be taken over by completing Minutemen missions and accessing the workbench. While it might seem pretty simple to create a settlement, there are a few things that might come as a surprise. Players will have to take certain aspects into account as they build their settlement.
Updated on May 16, 2024, by Ritwik Mitra: The gameplay improvements in Fallout 4 were one of the first things players noticed when they booted this title up for the first time. Not only was combat more frenetic and action-packed than ever before, but players could also get lost in a bunch of unique side activities. This includes settlement building, which serves as a great way for players to scratch their management itch and help settlements become bigger and bolder than ever before. There are many things about this game mode that most fans aren't familiar with, with the simple act of constructing buildings harboring a ton of context that enrichens this mode even more in the eyes of many.
13 The Feature Was Created During A Game Jam Session
Created By Programmer Michael Dulany
For the uninitiated, game jams are brief development marathons involving numerous people who are tasked with creating a game within a certain time limit. It seems that the developers at Bethesda decided to challenge themselves with a game jam of their own, serving as the first domino that fell for settlement building to become a reality.
Michael Dulany was one of the programmers who decided to develop a settlement-building game within the Creation Engine that was quite impressive. In fact, Todd and the higher-ups at Bethesda were so enraptured by this mechanic that it eventually became an official addition to the game.
12 It Witnessed The Chopping Block Several Times During Development
Remained In The Game Despite The Odds Being Stacked Against It
While settlement building made a huge impression on the developers, this doesn't mean that its integration into Fallout 4 was anything but smooth. AAA game development is a different beast altogether, and most people wondered if settlement building would fit into what Bethesda wanted to achieve with the release of Fallout 4.
This led to the mechanic almost being axed several times over the course of development. Somehow, it persisted, and fans of the Fallout series were graced with this construction game mode that they could totally ignore if they wished.
11 Mods Can Make Settlement Building More Engaging Than Ever Before
Shows The Full Potential Of This Game Mode
Settlement building may be a fun mechanic, but a lot of people feel like Fallout 4 doesn't make the most of this unique mode. So, it's easy to see why so many people resort to mods to ensure that building settlements is more engaging than ever before.
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With mods, players can place anything they want without any limits, not have to adhere to resource specifications, and build entirely new objects & structures. The sheer number of mods that target settlement building are endless and do a great job of giving players more of a reason to check out this game mode.
10 Charisma Raises Settler Limit
A Total Of 43 Settlers Can Inhabit A Player's Settlement
The amount of settlers a player can have depends on their charisma level in the game. Normally it is capped at 10 settlers, but each charisma level raises this by one. Clothes with a charisma bonus can add to this, as can usable items that raise charisma levels.
Through this, players can raise the settler cap for a settlement to 43. The player could have one of the biggest settlements in the Commonwealth.
9 Can Buy Wasteland Dogs For Defense
Aids Players When Raiders Come To Attack Their Settlements
Players are able to run across a vendor in the Commonwealth who sells dogs. Buying one of these dogs and sending it to a settlement will raise the defense by 5. The vendor can also be encountered multiple times, meaning the player can buy more than one dog for a settlement.
Players can also build a few doghouses around the settlement for the dogs. When they aren't defending against attacks, the dogs can relax inside the doghouses.
8 Beds Required For Settler Happiness
An Obvious Yet Helpful Tip To Optimize Settlement Building
It might sound obvious, but players need to make sure they have enough beds for all of the settlers in the settlement. Settlers will automatically assign themselves to a bed, meaning no one else will use that bed. This means any new settlers will not be able to go to sleep comfortably (if at all).
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It might seem like it is not important for settlers to be happy, but happiness plays a very important part in having a settlement thrive.
7 Happiness Raises Productivity
Players Gain More Items From Settlements If Everyone Has High Morale
Raising the happiness of a settlement also raises the productivity of all of the settlers. Having low happiness in a settlement may also cause the player to lose control of it, needing to gain it back. Happiness can be raised by having enough beds, defense, food, and water in the settlement.
Having more productive settlers will give the player more items, such as more food, water, and materials. Players can also get another bonus for getting 100% happiness -- a trophy.
6 Can Unlock Unique Items
Certain Quests Unlock Special Things That Players Can Place In Their Settlements
Players are able to unlock certain craftables by completing certain quests or by finding magazines in the Commonwealth. Examples of this include gaining the portraits of the Cabot family by completing the Cabot House questline. Another example is being able to build an artillery piece after completing the quest Old Guns.
Becoming friendly with a certain faction will also give the player a custom flag of their logo. Picket Fences magazine will allow players to build statues, patio furniture, picket fences, and potted plants. For any player that likes to decorate their settlement, these items are sure to make them stand out.
5 Certain Perks Needed To Upgrade Settlement Items
Some Stuff Can't Be Made Unless The Sole Survivor Is Adept In Certain Departments
Some items require perks to be unlocked in the settlement. For instance, players cannot build terminals until they have the Hacker perk unlocked. Players must also have the Medic perk to make any type of medical shop for the settlement.
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Some of these perks have a huge benefit to the settlement, while others only add a little bit. Having the Gun Nut perk allows players to create more types of defenses.
4 Can Recruit Special Merchants For Unique Items
Certain Merchants Can Be Sent To Settlements
Players are able to find unique merchants, either through random encounters or by going to a certain location in the Commonwealth. These merchants can be recruited for a settlement to work at a certain shop and they can also sell unique items that cannot be found anywhere else.
An example of one of these merchants is a Brotherhood of Steel scribe who can be found wandering around. He sells the unique Mark 4 synth chest piece and Mark 4 synth left leg. Some of these merchants require a certain amount of settlers before they can be recruited.
3 Supply Lines Can Share Supplies Between Settlements
A Great Way To Make Settlement-Building More Interconnected And Meaningful
Players are able to create supply lines between all of their settlements. Players need to have at least one free settler, the Local Leader perk, and more than one settlement. Linking settlements together gives the player the ability to share resources and items amongst them.
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Settlements located in Nuka-World and Far Harbor can also be connected, allowing players to have access to stored items in each location. Excess food and drink created by a settlement will also be sent to other settlements, making supply lines very useful.
2 Can Turn Settlements Into Raider Outposts
A Featured Added In The Nuka-World
In the Nuka-World DLC, players are able to turn settlements in the Commonwealth into raider outposts. Players can either take over an outpost through violence or intimidation. Violence requires the player to kill the settlers and their Minutemen backup, while intimidation requires the player to threaten the settlement leader.
If a player is feeling bad about their choice, they can turn the raider outpost back into a regular settlement. All they have to do is kill all of the raiders at the location. This will also cause the player to become enemies with all raiders found in Nuka-World, meaning they cannot complete the DLC if they have not already.
1 Watch Out For Synth Infiltrators
The Insitute's Reach Is Everywhere
Players need to be careful about Synth infiltrators that can be found in a settlement. A settler might be replaced by a Synth, who will then go on to sabotage defenses and items. The Institute can also attack the settlement after a bit of time.
Sometimes the Synth will be found out by the other settlers, causing the Synth to be attacked and most likely killed. A Synth component can be found on them, revealing who the traitor was all along.
Fallout 4
- Platform(s)
- PC , PS4 , PS5 , Xbox One , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S
- Released
- November 10, 2015
- Developer(s)
- Bethesda
