[IDEA EXCHANGE] Settlement Modifications, Improvements

[Athanasa]

I'm throwing together some ideas, suggestions and comments I've seen around the place and putting them into one thread. Then building on them, and putting in my thoughts. More heads are better than one, and ideas tend to sprout other ideas once they're put close enough to each other. So, let's grow this idea-tree!

This thread is for BRAINSTORMING potential mod ideas and functionality, but not outright mod development or requests. Although, if someone wants to make one, awesome.

All feedback, further suggestions, ideas, possible flaws, limitations and criticisms welcomed and actively encouraged.

So, that in mind, it seems the ideas, suggestions and comments can be split into three distinct groups: quality of life, buildings, immersion and functionality. I'll stick down a post after this for each of those sections (because I'm a tad obsessive over thread organisation) and try to keep them up to date with any further ideas that I come across on this thread, website or elsewhere.

POTENTIAL SPOILERS GALORE

not major plot spoilers, but still spoilers about game lore

at least this way I warned you

Edited December 16, 2015 by Athanasa

[Athanasa]

Quality of Life
the little things matter

Settler Management
Apart from manually dressing up Settlers and using some rather clunky existing mods, there isn't a streamlined way of assigning your settlers roles at all. And god FORBID should you try to find who hasn't got a job unless they're all lined up by the farm to show the plants glowing. So, some ideas...

Settler Naming: Names could be based on their currently assigned role within the settlement, or genuine randomly generated human names for NPCs.

Useful Terminals

Apart from making pixel-pictures with glowboxes there isn't any real use for computer terminals. However, terminals could contain records of your Settlers and what they are assigned to. This would suddenly make terminals actually USEFUL, especially in larger settlements. Potentially gave it with the same perk needed for shops.

Administration Desk

Instead of using terminals, a special desk functions to organise settlers. As you sit at the table, a new UI opens up, looking like pages in a folder. On the side there are 'organiser tabs' to nagivage. These take you to pages listing your resources (worked and un-worked), recent logs (# settlers joined on X date, Settler died in raid...) and a page for settlers. Beside the settler names are various columns for "guard, scavenge, farm, trade". Click one of these columns to assign the role, and the mod puts the settler to the appropriate empty resource. Once all of a resource is taken, a column greys out. No ticks beside a settler means they are idle. No ticks and grey means you need to make something for them to do.

Settler Gearing

Instead of manually giving gear to settlers, they can do it themselves on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Clothe Yourselves: Have some sort of box of gear that settlers will clothe themselves from, rather than having to assign it to them manually. For bonus points, have different boxes for different roles within your Settlement: guards pull from a different box to farmers and so on.

Arm Yourself: The same as above, but with weapons.

Arm Yourselves for Battle: Settlers only arm themselves when it's time to defend the base. Maybe trigger this with the Siren?

Wall Snapping and Collision
There isn't much to say on this. It's so bloody awkward. It doesn't happen when you need it and refuses to stop happening when you don't want it. The best option I can imagine is some sort of keybind / modifier to toggle it on and off. However, as mods go, this is less of a "mod" issue and more of a game-fix.

 

Wall and Ceiling Turrets

Be able to stick turrets on walls and under ceilings.

Through-Wall Power Connectors
A power connector that allows power to go through a wall, basically appearing as a nozzle on either side.

Edited December 17, 2015 by Athanasa

[Athanasa]

Buildings and Settlements

we forgot how to build

Faction Flavour
This section ties strongly into the section in Immersion under the same name, but I'm keeping them separate. This section is about props, the other section is about AI. Basically, if you get far enough down a faction's plotline, you should be able to start building objects and whatnot from that faction.

Build Faction Bases

Becoming a member of a faction could allow you to build with props 'flavoured' to them, potentially building your entire settlements to be a base for one of the major factions. Sadly, while some mods DO allow you to use faction style props, they tend to be absolutely enormous placeables ripped from elsewhere in the game: stuff like the Brotherhood wall around the Cambridge Police Station. There aren't any walls to build with or doors, or generic Brotherhood 'clutter'.

Better Building Parts
I know the world's gone to s#*!, but I struggle to believe that we've managed to completely forget how to nail wood together WITHOUT giant gaps.

Wall Tiers

Different tiers of walls, ranging from basic "Let's just make a box that keeps most of the wind off" to "let's make a house". Higher 'tiers' of walls, roofs etc cost more materials but look better.

Low Tier: Most of the existing building materials. The 'patched up' looking wooden walls.

Mid Tier: Rough around the edges, but actually homely looking. The 'solid wood' looking walls and floors.

High Tier: Brick / breezeblock walls, roofs without holes in them, painted / plastered walls.

Interior Doors

DEAR GOD, why isn't this a thing already? The only existing doors seem to be exterior only. Some mods (Greenhouse) CAN provide interior doors, but they seem to grow weird collision glitches in the area around them.

Central Doors: Doors in the centre of their 'wall' piece.

Side Doors: Doors to the side of their 'wall' piece. Intended for single-cell rooms etc with the bed to one side.

Half-Width Walls

Increased building flexibility, when you don't want a gap as wide as one wall segment.

More Settlements
More 'flavourful' settlement locations. Interior settlements, in areas such as metro stations, old shopping malls, abandoned vaults or even cave systems.

Interior Food Production - Already Exists
There are already mods existing which allow you to plant inside with planters, like the robot greenhouse place. These could combine well with interior settlements.

Props and Doodads
OCDecorator already has this partially. This mod allows you to place down various 'flavour' items (plates, foods, etc) while making them static so they can't be knocked over once placed. Sadly, this mod only allows you to place items you OWN, such as plates etc stored in the junk section. (Which have a tendency to be consumed when building).

Buildable Props: The ability to build little bits of props and flavour. Bowls of noodles, plastic spoons, pillows for beds, folding hospital screens, IV drips and even bushes. Build yourself a hospital, a child's play-room, a cafeteria complete with food preparation, or a graveyard.

Weapon Racks: This already exists as a mod on Nexus, but it's still something I feel should be in any settlement. Sometimes you don't want to get rid of your old legendary weapons, and display them as trophies. Or maybe use these racks for the settlers to arm themselves from.

Armor Racks / Manequins: Same as weapon racks.

Usable Shelves: Just like in Skyrim, put your stuff on shelves. But, maybe have the option to make them static once they're up there.

[Athanasa]

Immersion

this isn't an RTS

Alter Build Caps
As people have mentioned, you seem to have two choices: You can have a wall around your settlement, defenses and some beds... or you can make actual homes for your settlers. Unfortunately, due to the limitations of the build meter, you don't have space to build walls AND have kitten pictures on the walls.

Exclude Decorations: Exclude non-functional decorations from the build-cap of a settlement.

Re-Weight Placements: Potentially change the 'weighting' of items towards build cap (depending on how it works). Walls and floors cost more, tables, chairs and pictures cost massively less.

Bring the Family
Settlers include children and the elderly, although these occur far more rarely. Maybe also dogs, which increase defence?

Kids are Happy

Children might produce less resources than adults, potentially not being allowed to take guard roles. However, having kids in your settlement boosts happiness. It's like the world isn't such a crap place if you can give kids a good home!

Oldies Know Stuff

The Elderly might be better at teaching and passing on knowledge (see Functionality). Otherwise, they're just like every other settler.

Village Life
Assign certain areas of your base to be certain areas.

Cafeteria / Bar: Settlers congregate in this area at dawn and dusk for breakfast and dinner. Maybe even lunch (although Fallout time runs so fast they'd probably never leave if you did that). It could function off a modified Food/Drink stall, added to look like a bar.

Showers: Areas containing baths, toilets or sinks are automatically assigned as bath areas. Settlers occasionally go there in the morning/evening to wash. Being able to wash makes settlers happier.

Rest Room: Assign an area as a 'chill out' room (Cafeteria used by default otherwise). Sofas, books...

Bunk Room: Settlers automatically sleep here by priority, only sleeping elsewhere if all the beds are taken or they are assigned. I'm fed up of Settlers sleeping in my bed!

Others: At some point, strip clubs and sex dungeons are inevitable.

Mechanics: Some sort of placed floor object with a 'zone' around it, designating the area as Cafe/Bar/Rest/Bunk/Whatever. Kind of like Dwarf Fortress, but with less insanity.

Feng Shui Happiness
Decorating with 'higher tier' objects (and having decorations at all) increases settler happiness. Everyone loves pictures of cats and clean beds.


Faction Populations
Have the option to populate your base with members of factions, rather than generic Settlers. Want to make a forward base for the Brotherhood? Sure. A surface lab for the Institute, populated with synths and scientists? Go for it.


Traders Welcome
Traders visiting your settlements walk around and talk to your traders, if you have any.

Feed the Brahmin
Brahmin bath-tubs contain food, or some sort of weird icky green slurry anyway. Brahmin themselves also need to be purchased (or found in the forest and sent to bases). Also, someone had the idea to breed Brahmin for calves and milk... or "slaughter the f*#@er" for beef.

 

 

http://i.imgur.com/DNMtigh.png

 

Edited December 17, 2015 by Athanasa

[Athanasa]

Functionality, Benefits

make them work

Settler Skills, Dwarf Fortress
Settlers have different skill levels, resulting in different efficiencies when given different roles within your Settlement. Some may even have special 'perks'. A high level farmer produces more food than a low level farmer. A high level guard provides more defence, becoming more efficient than low level turrets.

Level Skills: Over a long period of time assigned to a certain role, settler skills in that area level up.

Settler Perks: Some settlers have special effects. Maybe some boost the happiness of others. Some others may be particularly likely to return with rare items from scavenging (instead of the flat multiplier from levels).

Examples: Medic: decreases chances of settler death in raids. Ray of Sunshine: makes settlements happier. Lucky: Chance to scavenge additional rare materials. Elder: See Elder Knowledge.

Sharing Knowledge: Settlers with a high level skill in one area will share their skills with those assigned to the same duty (providing an experience bonus multiplier, basically).

Elder Knowledge: Elder settlers teach far faster when assigned to roles, but are more likely to die in raids.

Passive Protection: Settlers with a level above basic for guarding always provide a +1 defence to a base, even if they're farming.

Settler Preferences: Some settlers prefer some jobs to others. Placing them in their preferred job makes them happy. Putting them in a job they specifically dislike makes them unhappy.

Gather and Scavenge
Send Settlers out to gather from the area around your settlement, with the materials gathered depending on where your settlement is.

Rural Settlements: Scavenging for materials in rural areas gives herbs and wood.

Urban Settlements: Scavenging in urban areas gives metals and potentially concrete. It may also increase the chance of Raids.

Mr. Extremely Handy, Mods Without Perks
Taking an example from the Garrison mini-game of Warlords of Draenor, devoting real time and resources into your settlements should give you some actual beneficial rewards. Yup, enchants and gems! I mean, erm... mods.

Mr. Extremely Handy: After getting your settlement to a certain level, one of your scavengers 'finds' a blueprint while out scavenging. It's a blueprint for a Mr. Extremely Handy! Mr. Extremely Handy can craft high level mods, even if you yourself cannot craft them.

Upgrading M.E.H, Ranks: Upgrade disks can be found by your scavengers for M.E.H, allowing you to upgrade his 'perk' scores to increase the mods he can make.

M.E.H Limitations: M.E.H mods cost more materials than normal player crafted materials. He probably also needs fusion cores to power him when he makes them.

Faction Transportation
Depending on which faction you have sided with (okay, I can only think of stuff for Institute and BoS), you can access their special mode of transportation between bases with their specific item built.

 

Brotherhood Vertibirds

You can have Vertibird landing pads in some of your bases. Vertibirds will always be available in any bases assigned as BoS bases (see Immersion). As with standard Vertibird flight, you can command them to land mid-flight to drop you off wherever you are. Careful choices of settlements and vertibird pads allow you to pretty much criss-cross most of the world and get anywhere without using actual quick-travel. This could potentially supply you with the convenience of rather-quick travel without immersion breaking from actual teleport-quick-travel. For settlements with heli-pads but not assigned as BoS bases, you can press a button to summon a Vertibird (as if you'd used a smoke), and need to wait for it to arrive, if one is free. Otherwise it's a bit immersion breaking for even your shitty outback bases to have Vertibirds all the time. And also prevents vertibird humping if you quick travel there.

Institute Teleportation

Use the Institute Teleportation between bases with the technology installed. Again, quick travel for a game with quick-travel disabled.

Minutemen Artillery

Not just limited to the Castle. TBH, not used it in-game much, so I can't really talk.

Railroad Something

If the other two factions have quick-travel, I feel like the Railroad should too. I just can't think of anything unique to them - maybe you sit on a Synth's shoulders as they sprint off?

Limitations

Both of the above would likely require a certain amount of settlers in a base to function, or a lot of electrical power to maintain. This limits you from just slapping a teleporter or pad down in every settlement.

 

 

Faction Base Limitations
In assigning a base entirely to one faction (e.g. Brotherhood base - no settlers, just Scribes, Knights and whatnot walking around), you gain some limitations. Brotherhood / Institute 'settlers' refuse to farm. It isn't their job. Food must be supplied via supply routes to your other bases.

Alternative Production
Provide alternate ways to increase base resource output, speficially food.

Cooking Mama: NPCs can use stoves / cooking crafters when assigned to provide a bonus in food, perhaps a multiplier on the current food output. So, at higher levels of food, cooking actually produces more than more farmers.

Fishy Fishy: Fishing stations. Probably only works on rivers or by the sea. That pond in the Drive Thru won't have fish.

Raid-o-Meter
Raids can no longer be staved off by having high enough defence. As your settlement's value grows (adding nice stuff, see building tiers earlier), raiders start to look jealously at it. Scavengers attract unwanted attention as they find you materials. As time progresses and good stuff happens, the chance of raiders attacking in the next X hours / days increases. Eventually, someone is going to attack.


Lead the Charge
Take a load of your settlers / comrades out to neutralise nearby raider camps. Doing this lowers the chance of incoming raids, as mentioned in the Raid-o-Meter. High Raid-o-Meters can cause nearby Raider camps to respawn faster.


Land Fertility
Depending on settlement location, crops produce more or less.

Fertile Land: All the settlements marked as 'Farms', unless covered by other variables.

Average Land: Your general rural settlements. Sanctuary, Covenant

Poor Soil: Anything too close to the Glowing Sea, settlements within urban areas (e.g. Hangman's Alley).

 

 

Upgraded Guard Posts

Through perks (Gun Nut, Scientist, Armorer) gain the ability to construct different types of guard posts with different weapons, manned by settlers. As they are manned by settlers, I feel they should either give MORE defence than the turret equivalent (as they are a greater investment), or cost less to create.

Mini-gun Guard Post: Unlocked with Gun Nut (rank 2). You can now build guard posts now have a minigun (like Vertibird miniguns)

Gatling Laser Post: Gun Nut (Rank 3) + Science (Rank 1). You can build guard posts with Gatling Lasers. These require power.

Plasma Gatling: Gun Nut (Rank 3) + Science (Rank 3) Potentially the final tier of Guard Post?

Shielded Post: (Armorer, Rank 2, Gun Nut Rank 2) A variant of any of the above posts. This post has higher walls around the sides and around the gun to protect the guard, along with slits to look through.

Edited December 17, 2015 by Athanasa

[SirTwist]

I kind of like this list of ideas. What I would like to see, though, is in the workshop menu, what level of defenses are needed to stop ghouls, raiders, gunners, then super mutants. The only way someone could be kidnapped, or the settlement getting raiders demanding food, etc. is they approach someone outside the settlement. And even that can be circumvented by guards, and perhaps even Protectrons, etc. I would like, after a successful open of the settlements, the only need to go back is as defenses need to be upgraded, add better weapons/armor, things like that.

[gamefever]

Mini-Gun emplacements that are manned...

I'm aware that I can give a mini-gun to a settler but it just wont have the right look.

[SirTwist]

Gamefever, sort of like when you board a verti-bird, and man that minigun? Guard posts/towers should have that. That would so rock. That could be an upgrade to the posts and towers. A second upgrade would be a laser mini-gun. Third would be plasma.

[thunderlord2200]

i like to see all settlement buildings can b destroyed or even in some cases catch on fire and spread. (or blow up)

 

have gun placements on walls and ceilings

 

traps dont need to be reset. (mainly flamers)

[Athanasa]

I would like to see ... what level of defenses are needed to stop ghouls, raiders, gunners, then super mutants.

 

The only way someone could be kidnapped, or the settlement getting raiders demanding food, etc. is they approach someone outside the settlement. And even that can be circumvented by guards, and perhaps even Protectrons, etc. I would like, after a successful open of the settlements, the only need to go back is as defenses need to be upgraded, add better weapons/armor, things like that.

Interesting. I personally actually like there being potential raids (with a mod to warn us of raids). But having a NUMBER is great, so you don't over-spray your base with turrets. Having said that, I think a load screen or something had a hint like, "Defense = Food + Water = less raider attacks." or something. I imagine double prevents it entirely?

 

As for settlers outside the walls, I'm not sure how the game would handle that when you're out of the area. I imagine the game doesn't actually monitor WHERE settlers are when you're out of the cell, they just become mathematical numbers or something. Still, it'd be cool if that was accounted for. (But screw walling off Sanctuary.)

 

 

Mini-Gun emplacements that are manned...

I'm aware that I can give a mini-gun to a settler but it just wont have the right look.

Gamefever, sort of like when you board a verti-bird, and man that minigun? Guard posts/towers should have that. That would so rock. That could be an upgrade to the posts and towers. A second upgrade would be a laser mini-gun. Third would be plasma.

Yes, yes please. Have it as unlocked through Gun Nut & Science perk routes? Gun Nut to unlock the mini-gun, Science (low) for laser, science (high) for Plasma? Maybe some modified by Armorer for increased 'protection' from the walls (e.g. walls around the turret, to protect the Settler from gunfire). Functionally, it might end up working just like existing turrets, except looking BADASS. I feel it should also actually give more of a bonus, as adding a settler makes it a greater investment. That or cost less.

 

 

i like to see all settlement buildings can b destroyed or even in some cases catch on fire and spread. (or blow up)

 

have gun placements on walls and ceilings

 

traps dont need to be reset. (mainly flamers)

Hmm, fires and stuff might be awkward - in terms of processing power and scripting. And also, imagine if you'd carefully placed stuff (though careful clipping management), only to have an essential part be destroyed so you can't put anything back again.

 

Agreed with additional gun placement locations, though. Wall turrets would be great.

 

 

 

Adding your suggestions to the root post.

Edited December 17, 2015 by Athanasa