Equiping Settlers

[Chemist18]

Hello All,

 

Something I've always wondered about but haven't found an answer for is does the quality of equipment I give my settlers really matter?

 

For example;

 

Settler One gets nothing new

Settler Two gets Leather and a plain old pipe rifle

Settler Three gets Combat armor and a plain combat rifle

Settler Four gets Heavy Polymer Combat Armor with a Fully loaded Combat Rifle

 

Is there really going to be any difference in the effectiveness of these settlers when they fight?

 

In my current play through I'm repainting BOS power armor (I kill BOS on sight) and giving it to my guards, will it matter?

[splifsend]

I've equipped all my settlers with a M4A1 rifle 100 rounds 5.65 a Nano suit and 10 stimpacks. it does seem to have made a difference

[Chemist18]

Okay Thanks :).

 

Now if I can just find a way to let the defenders fight and the rest stay under cover...

[TheGadget1945]

I normally give the first settler to show up a distinctive and highly protective armour like Heavy Polymer Combat Armor and a Polymer Combat Armor Helmet plus a really high powered gun. The rest get a distinctive uniform and a high powered energy weapon. This is mainly just OCD but on one occasion I was involved in a battle with Super Mutants at Big Johns scrapyard and all 15 settlers came over from Jamaica Plain to lend a hand. All of them were in Heavy or Sturdy Polymer Combat Armor and it was an epic battle with all the Mutants dead and not one settler injured.

[AnvilOfWar]

I have found that settlers themselves seem to fare well with "spray and pray" type weapons (and no NOT the legendary weapon) but rather Automatic weapons in general. Combat Rifles/Assault Rifles and Handmade Rifles from Nuka World for example. The Settlers have pretty bad base accuracy, so the increased rate of fire seems to help. Also increasing the overall accuracy of whatever weapon you give them does benefit their damage output. For example I try to eventually gear settlers with the following, a Nuka World Handmade Rifle with the following upgrades: Powerful Automatic Receiver, Long covered improved barrel, light stock, large quick eject mag, long scope, and a muzzle brake. Basically turning it into a Scoped AK type rifle. Remember for settlers they only need a single round of ammo for whatever gun they have. At least from non mod added weapons, the Handmade Rifle is the best of the official lead throwers in game. High rate of fire, very accurate at range, and high damage. I also use Legendary Modification as one of the mods in my load order, so I break down bad legendary items and turn them into chips, for every 7 of those I use the chips to make one of those before mentioned Rifles "Wounding" and those I put on settlers actually assigned to guard duty. Wounding is likely the most powerful effect for automatics of any type. Placing them on settlers actively designated for guard duty brings those weapons against attackers quickly, while other settlers run to join the fight.

For armor, I usually invest (when caps and supplies allow) for ballistic weaved clothing of some type. Easy way to armor your settlers and have pretty varied looks.

[Chemist18]

Thanks :).

 

My main concern was if it actually paid off to improve the settlers equipment. I usually give my settlers assigned to guard duty Heavy Polymer Combat Armor (Chrome colored) over a nanosuit (one that can as an extra in a mod that wasn't supposed to have it). Then I give them beefed up combat rifles, assault rifles, submachine guns, and miniguns as I get them.

[Macrophobic]

Some of my settlers are doctors, traders etc. and they are dressed in lab coats, business suits and clothes from many different mods, others are guards (mostly ghouls, cause a ghoul is definitely not a synth) and I equipped them with long range gauss and plasma rifles and heavy combat armor. When a settlement gets attacked, traders and farmers just immediately charge forward (instead of waiting until enemy gets decimated by turrets). I'm using mortal settlers mod, so sometimes it results in settlers getting killed either by hostiles or missile turrets, it's so ridiculous. I'm not sure but it looks like settlers armed with short range weapons try to get closer to enemies, while snipers placed in vantage points rather stay on their posts and shoot from long distance until raiders break into the village.

 

In Sunshine Tidings I installed missile turrets in the southwest corner. I usually dont fast-travel, but I just wanted to check if some mods are working. After fast travelling, turrets detected the gunners on the highway and opened fire, then these stupid settlers ran towards the gunners outpost.

[Chemist18]

I find settlers to be foolishly brave and stupid at the same time. As a general rule when a settlement is attacked if there are any settlers near me I just let the turrets and settlers fight. I generally try to stay centrally located when defending a settlement which means I use a scope. There's nothing quite as frustrating as zooming in, waiting for the shot, fire, only to blow the head off a settler that ran in front of my gun barrel at exactly the wrong time. The raiders can't kill them but I can...