Not enough scrap in settlements ?

[csbx]

I'm trying to play things mostly by the books--ie. no trickery to drag scrap into the settlements, e.g. with modded methods of scrapping outside the zone--but I'm getting the feeling that they don't provide enough scrap to really build much at all. I've only really been building north of Grey Gardens and have connected most of those settlements. But even though I've ransacked a couple and didn't build there just so I could go for quality rather than quantity of settlements, I run out even making basic 2-story abodes for 10-ish beds.

 

This became particularly glaring when I got to the castle--an enormous space--and realized I couldn't even really build anything there with the scrap materials provided on-site.

 

Does bethesda expect the player to only really build 1 or 2 detailed and interesting settlements and let the rest languish ? or are they expecting me to find 3405 pencils and 2346 tin cans while scavenging the urban areas ?

 

Edit: there's another possibility. They perhaps want to make currency purposeful for once and basically require the buying of materials from vendors. Maybe there's my answer.

Edited March 18, 2018 by csbx

[Perraine]

You answered your own question.

 

This is why there are things like "Burnt xxxx magazine" as vendor trash, and why many vendors throughout the Commonwealth have "Shipment of xxxx". Your not supposed to find it all as pencils or tin cans, but "buy" stuff and also use Provisioners to share resources, and let your bigger settlements generate scrap (which "unemployed" settlers do automatically ... though slowly) Also building Water Purifiers and having excess water is a good way to generate income (sell the water) as are any of the vendor stalls, which also generate income.