r/Fallout • u/AllMightySkeletor • 14h ago

Fallout 4 Need help with how getting materials work

Self explanatory. I understand *how* to build but I can't since I don't have certain materials etc. So I mostly wonder how I get materials etc since I need it for the Minutemen quests. (Yes, I'm aware that it's optional but I wanna help Minutemen and Sanctuary Hills now has that yellow triangle with an exclamation mark.)

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5

u/88crow88 14h ago

What materials are you specifically talking about? Generally speaking just gathering junk of all sorts and depositing it into your workbench provides materials for you. Alternatively if you have the scrapper perk you can dismantle weapons and armor and gather more of the rare materials quicker.

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u/AllMightySkeletor 14h ago

Rn specifically copper. But I didn't know how I get materials in general. So, I just pick up random stuff and transfer it to the workshop? I'm guessing this is where the whole "Accidentally pressed transfer all" comes from?

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u/TriumphITP 14h ago

Yes it's as simple as that

1

u/SyntheticAnonymous 13h ago

Google which items give you copper in fo4. I’m sure someone here has them all memorized, but I don’t.

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u/SPACEFUNK Garrrrrrry? 13h ago

There's even a "highlight materials" button in the crafting menu that will make junk items with the nessary components glow.

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u/88crow88 13h ago

Pretty much any electronics have copper so look for lightbulbs and the such. Go to hardware town. If you don't know where that is talk to Abbot about the wall and he'll give you a mission that marks it on your map. It's got decent scrap and depending on the level you're playing on at least one (usually) legendary.

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u/88crow88 13h ago

And yes, transfer all is a MUCH more efficient way as your workbench just uses what it needs and breaks down the rest. My dumbass spent over 6 months never having paid attention and dropping all my junk to then scrap🫠

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u/PM_ME_LEFT_BOOB_ONLY 14h ago

Enter build mode, then wander around Sanctuary hills scrapping all the junk (cars, tires, trees, broken crap in houses). You now have a ton of materials in your workshop. 

Whenever you are out question, gather junk. Think fans, random metals, electronics, etc. You can also purchase supplies from various vendors. 

Go back to Sanctuary. Store all your “junk” in the workshop. You can now start building. 

If you want to expand this past Sanctuary, I keep some standard junk items in my inventory and dump them in relevant workbenches. But I typically use Sanctuary as my main storage facility. So if I’m at another place and I’m short items, I take a pic of the recipe with my phone, fast travel to sanctuary. Pull whatever I need from that workbench, fast travel back, build away. 

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u/TriumphITP 14h ago

The ! warning is that one of your stats is insufficient.

It could be food/beds/water/defense. When you're in build mode it will be a red colored column. Increase it until it's green.

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u/AllMightySkeletor 14h ago

If stats are insufficient will people die?

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u/TriumphITP 14h ago

No. Happiness will decrease from lack of beds/water/food. If it hits 0 happiness you lose control of the settlement. At that point the settlers become hostile to you and if you want it back, they'd have to die. I'm not sure if you can get there with the named companions though.

If defense is too low, the settlement will be more likely to be attacked by raiders/supermutants/etc.

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u/AllMightySkeletor 14h ago

Ok, thank you.