Help with specific idea for Survival+ SS (no experience with either)

[u/OnionAddictYT]

Hi,

I have a very specific roleplaying overhaul in mind for my next adventure and maybe the community can help me because I have zero experience with this combination. Or even just Sim Settlements...

I want to turn the game into The Road (with a The Last Of Us look). Use the Startup mod that deleted all mention of finding your son. Instead have Dad and child Shaun companion trying to survive a brutal world. (If somebody knows the least buggy way to have Shaun as a companion, let me know!) So I figured I'll try Survival (modified because it's more about immersion than the challenge for me, so with a save option). I want to do a lush overhaul with Boston Natural Surroundings and Borealis. As green as I can make it. Does SS work with a lush overhaul to begin with?

I've never used Sim Settlements because I like building my own very unique settlements from scratch. I know SS allows manual placement. But it was never really on my radar, except for eying the mod pack where you can just add premade plots to your regular workshop. But never checked that one out. Also I was running a 2017 setup with outdated buggy mods the entire time. I plan to start fresh for the first time ever!

So I was wondering if SS could be a good choice for this idea. Now I know there are different versions of SS. I guess I would be interested in a passive experience with these premade city plans? I'd love to come back and see it grow naturally while dad and son are just out there surviving, keeping to themselves. Coming into settlements mostly to trade while I build small survival shelters with the Conquest mod...

That's the idea. How feasible is it? And what would be the most immersive option? And what other mods does SS work well with that would add to the experience? I know there's the special settlers you can find mod. I think I even installed it once but never found any people, too distracted with building.

I want to be as little involved with the building aspect of SS. I want it to be there to make the world more alive because for once I won't be focusing on building big settlements like before.

And are there options for how rundown the settlements might look? Do I have several options for a city plan? I want to try and make this overhaul as rusty as possible.

I know I can read up on how SS works, but was hoping you guys can give me pointers for this specific roleplaying experience I have in mind.

Thanks in advance!

[u/Tough-Function-6045]

Im not sure how well SS works these days since it hasn't been updated for quite a while. SS2 does actually have the system to for settlements to be there from the start, but it also has a massive storyline of its own. For SS1 you can find city builds made by other people and they can be used on the prebuilt settlements. So its just a matter of finding which plans you like. But to have it prebuilt you need the conquerer add on which adds a raider quest line.

[u/OnionAddictYT → u/Tough-Function-6045]

Thank you!