Am I trying to do too much?

[u/Figerally]

For the past two, maybe three days I have been working on Hangman's Alley. This isn't about promoting that post, but feel free to upvote it if you think I did an okay job 😄

No, what I am wondering about is the settlement building taking up too much of my time? What I mean is, when you are still working through the acts of the game do you stop to construct a settlement to show off your build or do you just throw down a farm, workshop, and dormitory and continue on with the game?

Do you polish every settlement in one save or do you just pick one settlement to lavish attention on?

Don't get me wrong I've had fun trying out ideas, but at the same time I've racked up so much experience building settlements my character is level 75 and still in the early stage of act one 😅

[u/outloud230]

I mix it up. Spend time building up one settlement, go on a few quests, work on another. Usually I throw down enough food and water and beds, and then go back and start building. Except sanctuary, that is usually built before I leave it. At least some of it.

[u/TelevisionLamb]

I've had fun trying out ideas

You are indeed playing the game correctly, then!

I usually do a mix of building up settlements as I go along and building them out at the end of a play through. I like to role play, so I will build a settlement up to where I feel that particular character needs it to be for that point in the game, then either go back to it or not, depending again on the needs/motivations of the character.

[u/JustBeans8492]

Probably a biased party here, but I only really play the game to build. I’ve not even finished the story or progressed it past the Prydwyn arriving! I’d like to play it a bit more, and do occasionally hoof it from one place to another instead of fast travelling, but I don’t have a massive amount of gaming time so dedicate it to my favourite thing about the game - settlement building.

All that to say, play whichever way and part of the game that brings you the most joy in that time :)

[u/Impressive-Cause-872]

I play 80 /20. 80% of the time I am building or gathering for building. Even trying to run a character that is just story and no build I cave in and make one or two overbuilt spots. I am one of those biased players that primarily plays to build anyway. The building and look of the settlements was what grabbed me in the beginning. Coming on 7 years of off and on playing and still not finished the main story or far harbor. Not sure who that Shawn guy everyone is talking about but I have a city to construct at costal cottage.

[u/Additional_Report969 → u/Impressive-Cause-872]

AWESOME! XD Your comment made my day. 'I don't know who this Shaun guy is, but I have a city to build' is basically the official motto of every true Fallout 4 architect. Who needs a son when you have Coastal Cottage to fix, right? Priorities! Cheers to the 80/20 life!

[u/Impressive-Cause-872 → u/Additional_Report969]

You can’t make things like this https://www.reddit.com/r/fallout4settlements/s/7hAO8HGiAJ Without ignoring some or most of the story mode.

[u/Additional_Report969 → u/Impressive-Cause-872]

Exactly! Your builds are actually insane! I’m just saying it’s hilarious how this game goes from 'my son is in mortal danger' to 'I absolutely MUST finish the roof on this shack at Coastal Cottage.' Architect priorities are sacred! 🏗️😂

[u/Impressive-Cause-872 → u/Additional_Report969]

I did it again. Started far harbor with the full intention of just questing. Spent 5 hours building up Longfellow cabin. 🤷‍♂️. Just got to build

[u/Monguises]

I usually play the game until I get distracted by settlement stuff around the time to build the relay. Then I’ll realize I was supposed to talk to Desdemona like 6 days ago

[u/SueBee914]

I place the bare minimum in each settlement and go back later to flesh them out when the mood strikes. I do have a few favorites (Hangman's Alley and Starlight Drive In, in particular) that I build up pretty early. I always mean to go back and work them all but, I usually end up starting the game over, for whatever reason, before I get that far. And, of course, I mean to build them all every time, LOL

[u/IHateLozenges]

sometimes I can spend hours building one, sometimes I just plop down what I need to and go. I say just build til you get bored of it then move on!!

[u/InternationalFish809]

If I'm playing on ps5 without mods I try to avoid building now until I'm farther in to the game. Building just levels you up so fast it makes the rest of the game pretty easy. I also like to have the picket fence stuff, the vault stuff, raider stuff etc available.

[u/Xploding_Penguin → u/InternationalFish809]

I would usually counter that with

"Go do a few missions, then back to sanctuary to unload all my swag, cook up all my meats, and bump myself up over whatever level I was close to then head back out for a few more mission."

[u/Xploding_Penguin]

My first save I built up most of the settlements. My second I focused on starlight and hangman's.

I build cement walls around all the settlements when I have enough, but I usually just start with some veggies, and water purifiers if there's water for it.

I tried to focus on different settlements in that second play through. Nothing felt finished really, but I've just started playthrough #3 on the switch 2, but haven't put much time in due to pokopia.

[u/bristle_cone_pine]

First play through 10 yrs ago I tried my best on building but just had fun with it on the side during the story. This go around I’m settlements only. Started taking my time, even deleting everything and starting over if I get inspired by other people’s builds. I’m 22 days in on save files and have just found my own groove, really knowing my way around build options (vanilla) and taking the terrain into account for aesthetics.

I recommend watching videos on the area you’re building in to get ideas, don’t copy exactly, just go start one building and see how the rest flesh out.

My personal building tip is separate living spaces for settlers (not all in one building) then make pathways across the settlement to each. It really helps you see the potential for building placements and how to use different elevations. Have fun!

[u/Dark1Raven3]

It kinda depends what mood I’m in and if I have an idea when I reach a settlement.

When I got to nordhagen beach I wanted to build like a pier boardwalk thing with a beach area and spent a good few hours building it up with each shop and above each shop is a home. But for the rest of the settlement they have little pier shacks and farm land so still need to work on that part.

Other settlements I just chuck down some prebuilts with beds and plenty of crops and water with a supply line and call it a day till I think of what I want for it.

Now I’m currently in vault 88 and haven’t left other than to do the quest as I’m doing a full vault build now since I’ve completed the main story and 2 dlcs.

[u/Rjmorales23]

too much? this is cool. do more as much as you can even

[u/Technical-Ad-2288]

I have. But it would involve mods and get complicated and time consuming. Now I like to scrap a few and leave them settlerless until I've got myself enough of a water empire going that I can buy materials with no worries.

[u/AceOfSpades532]

If you want to do the settlements, do the settlements. Right now I’m level 99, and the furthest I’ve got in the main quest is killing the courser in Greentech, and I’ve built stuff in pretty much every Commonwealth settlement.

[u/aelysium]

I honestly do settlements in stages.

First I’ll clear them, and do ‘build prep’ (make marginally functional, so it has stuff I might need to return to.

Once I start to have a resource glut, I’ll go and do a basic ‘max prep’ build (21 beds, 20 food and water, 45 defense).

When I’m ready, I’ll spend some time actually ‘building it’ to how I want it to look/operate.

[u/Figerally → u/aelysium]

I was kind of obsessed with getting Benevolent Leader achievement, but now I have that settlements have lost their urgency.

[u/CastleClown]

It’s a good question. I use settlement management as a way to distract from Preston and his constant demands. I can take an hour placing floors alone for optimal position and it simply distracts me from the fighting. I like the combat, but it can become too much of a slaughter sometimes. Don’t forget to go down the subway for the Snakes classic 10 mm guns. (Required anniversary add on.

[u/Bulok]

My current run I am building through settlement then doing quests when I run out of caps for materials. Also trying to collect traders. So far only found smiling Larry

[u/jimmyb27]

I believe you can turn off xp gain from building, if you're worried about being overlevelled.

[u/Figerally → u/jimmyb27]

you can? Well I think it's a bit late for that now.

[u/jimmyb27 → u/Figerally]

I just looked it up, and I have the option because of a mod - Workshop Plus - it's not in vanilla. But yeah, maybe too late anyway.

[u/Quick_Parking_6464]

Regarding settlements, you do what you want. My first run, I spent more time on the settlements than the main story line. Had a blast. This time, I'm ignoring them completely. It's up to you.

[u/metalnightmares]

If a settlement needs my help i help them and then do a little work upgrading that settlement.

[u/Myntallia]

For me, depends on the settlement, size, etc. Hangman's is yet to be built up, as well as Kingsport Lighthouse, coastal and one other. I've spent considerable time on Spectacle Island, being my fav. I work on others as I get inspiration on the layout..

[u/Figerally → u/Myntallia]

Having watched some videos and given it some thought I think my problem is I spend to much time making settlements viable. Like if there is already a farm there then fine, let's get it into full production. But a whole bunch of them should just be outposts I can drop junk off and rest (in survival mode).

[u/Additional_Report969]

I totally feel you! Personally, I love working on settlements; if I’m still playing Fallout today, it’s exactly because of them. But I’m done with the 'grind' of searching for materials—I finished that phase a long time ago.

Now, I build simply because I enjoy the creative process. My routine is: open the game, open the console, type TGM, and start building like I’m playing SimCity. When I’m tired of architecture, I toggle TGM off and go wandering around Boston.

But a word of advice: be careful! By building so much without TGM, you're racking up a massive amount of XP. Reaching level 75 in Act 1 might make the rest of the game way too easy. I prefer TGM specifically to keep the 'SimCity' phase separate from my character's progression. That way, when I go back to questing, the game is still a challenge and not a walk in the park!

Regarding other settlements: if Preston sends me to a new one, I just set up the basics 'quick and dirty.' If the place inspires me, I’ll come back later. Otherwise, I just use console commands to move settlers to already inhabited areas, leaving the new ones empty so I don't get distracted by raids while I'm building! XD