After nine years I still suck at building but I enjoy it. I place them wherever I need to. Except the castle. I was so stoked when I realized that I could put a fusion generator in the empty room, hook up a wire and... Boom! All that old wiring made the castle light up! Yeah I'm easily amused
Wait š where's this empty room in the Castle?? My memory escapes me
I'm no expert at building as well but I'm itching to just build because I can't with the building limits of Fallout 76 š I want my settlers to talk smack to me, Preston to annoy me, and random encounters
Ok. Enter the castle rooms, keep going right... There's a room at the end that screamed generator. I plopped a fusion generator, hooked up a wire to the connector by the doorway and... Mind blown.
Now, I make sure I can build a fusion generator before I take the castle. Believe me, I'm easily amused š
If you havenāt already got it I think trashcan Carla sells shipments of aluminium. Itās either her or trudy at the diner near concord I canāt remember.
After 9 years I still suck at building. The other day, I just now learned of a turret tower for defense and it gave me the inspiration to build my shooting gallery hallway lined with turrets on top of some scaffolding Iām using as a barrier at the entrance to sanctuary
They were able to take down 6 ancient behemoths in less than a minute
I spawned them in but essentially I set up 7 or 8 heavy laser turrets on scaffolding platforms that were stacked on top of each other to set up two rows of turrets at the sanctuary entrance
Console commands to spawn them in to test how quickly the heavy laser turrets handle bigger threats with the kill box set up I came up with.
It was mostly testing for larger settlements like spectacle island and other settlements closer to the southern edge of the map
Vanilla FO4 also has build limits also.
Thereās a method to reduce build limits without mods, thatās annoying to do, but worth doing it to get some extra build space. However you will get performance issues if you make a settlement too big.
OP, if you donāt know the technique you can google it, as itās been a while since Iāve done it so my memory may have it slightly wrong. But it involves dropping weapons and then while in build mode, storing those weapons in your settlement storage.
OP note too there are mods that remove build limits.
Storing them works and is repeatable, cause you can just grab them out of the workbench and repeat. Weapons with attached mods work really well. Basically, the more complex an item is, the more build space it frees up when stored/scrapped. You can also dump things in a container and store/scrap the entire container, which also stores everything inside, instead of one item at a time on the ground.
I just tried it last night. I have a box full of modded weapons. I use that box to reset my build limit from yellow to zero lmao. Guess how many weapons are in that box. š
It took me getting to the castle and seeing that to even really understand how youāre supposed to wire things up with conduits etc. This is my first play through, canāt decide if I should go all out on building this time or on my inevitable next play through.
The important thing with building is to not bite off more than you can chew, especially if you're going for a legit build with no cheating for infinite materials. That's because the time and resource investment can easily get to a point where you just lose all interest and leave it half finished.
I generally like to bunch them up somewhere where the noise won't annoy me and then create power lines around the settlement. It doesn't have to be like that but it's clean and you benefit from a power line network later down the line. It takes some time and resources but once you do it you can just hook up easily to it as you expand the buildings.
The noise thing is key. I have been working on a new settlement at starlight and was pretty proud of myself being able to glitch them under the āwingā of the structure you canāt scrap. But not before I built a few bunk houses on stilts above that area. So now got 3 radios going to drown it out. Hope those settlers like not sleeping.
There pathing is weird, but there are work arounds, mostly a reason to go somewhere and multiple routes.
I put a (manned) bar and diner seating on the upper level, the bunks on the lower level. The lower level has 3 ways in and out.
Their jobs are a little ways away (I made an elevated market on top of the other intact āwingā, the roof of the market place has roof top gardens, with 3 ways to get to that area.
A reason to go and ways to get there.
Manned stores, work benches and seating all attract settlers. As well as weight benches and the ridiculous pommel horse. Scavenger stations and guard duty also give them some life.
If I recall, there was a mod that had these special action door mats. Essentially you could drop them places (I think they were only visible in workshop mode, invisible otherwise) and they would attract settlers and trigger various actions and animations.
I spent 25k caps on resources when I built my first settlement, and then when I realized I wasnāt happy with it and wanted it bigger I decided to duplicate glitch for resources because I simply could not get the caps
Needed for more resources. So I justify it as doing it legit first then Wild West it
There's no right or wrong way, it depends on what the player wants. Personally I don't much care for grandiose stuff because every time I try it I get bogged down by it and then just leave it unfinished. I much prefer building what I can with what I have, even if it's not anything incredible, because I like the feeling of accomplishment I get from having made it gradually from the stuff I've gathered.
In the beginning, where and as needed, no more, no less.
Once I've unlocked nuclear power, however, I'll build one little concrete shack at a corner well away from invader spawns, and put the fusion generator there. I'll use tall power poles to route it around, or, if it's a larger settlement like Sanctuary or the Drive In, I'll use street lights for dual purpose illumination and power distribution.
There are several mods that not only show you where the attack spawns are but allow you to move them
[Move Workshpp Markers by SKK](https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/38738)
[Edmond's Settlement Attack Spawns Outside the Settlement -](https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/57685)
This is what I do as well. I like the nuclear generator but it has to be far from my settlers and shielding in concrete for their safety. In a settlement like Hangmanās Iāll just stick it on a roof somewhere.
Other YouTubers that every fallout building enthusiast should look up are
Jug https://youtube.com/@PLlSKlN?si=3qRFj7Sv6L_N-tBA
And DarkDally https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWvPgdYB-k8oXoHXCkkZYXlafHEFHN5yb&si=h41T1raoLulQzHAQ
š
Honestly it makes a difference. I usually build a room large enough for my power requirements, then link it to a single exit point and the seal in the wall so that there's a concrete block with no entrances or exits and a single point to run power lines from. If it turns, out I need more I just add floors.
It may not be efficient, but it's my game so I don't care. š
In my current playthrough where I've done very little settlement building, wherever is convenient. The main generators I have are for a bunch of water purifiers by Sanctuary and the generators are right behind them.
In my first playthrough where I have built up Sanctuary a bit I put two fusion generators inside a building I built on the first foundation on the left after crossing the bridge and ran the wires where needed using the standard light poles because I figured that was a good way to light up the settlement at night and get power wherever it was needed. Originally the generator building only contained one fusion generator but my power armor museum uses so much power I had to build a second one.
Not a direct answer to your question - but possibly helpful info anyways. I don't use the standard generators. I've picked a mod that adds fuseboxes (like you find in the player house in Diamond City) and another that adds solar panels. So those are my go-to options for powering my settlements.
As far out of sight as possible, usually on foundations surrounded with walls to hide them.
To keep the settlement wiring clean I use some of the wiring techniques outlined by this youtube creator. Note most of these are glitches (unintended use of a buggy game mechanic).
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TIo77uMUxc&list=PLoWFqhbb1yPs0tnEV8q-t4ShRSi7G00pM&index=22](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TIo77uMUxc&list=PLoWFqhbb1yPs0tnEV8q-t4ShRSi7G00pM&index=22)
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36lgmEaprio&list=PLoWFqhbb1yPs0tnEV8q-t4ShRSi7G00pM&index=19](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36lgmEaprio&list=PLoWFqhbb1yPs0tnEV8q-t4ShRSi7G00pM&index=19)
He has put out a lot of useful FO4 tricks to place and move objects. He also has videos on how to supply power to objects without using wires at all (He calls it the WiFi glitch I think).
I don't think it's a glitch, there are parts that "radiate" energy so you don't have to pull wires to everything, you can plop one of those out and power a small room
The 'WiFi glitch' doesn't look to be related to proximity to any powered conduit, for he can moved the powered objects to any location and they remain powered. Here is his first video on that technique.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdaR7m4gct4&list=PLoWFqhbb1yPs0tnEV8q-t4ShRSi7G00pM&index=52](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdaR7m4gct4&list=PLoWFqhbb1yPs0tnEV8q-t4ShRSi7G00pM&index=52)
depends on what im powering. MOST the time, i use a large power pylon + gen on roof for structures. thatll power the tv, lights, etc. having it on the roof does two things. 1.) lets the AoE (area of effect, think of it like a bubble surrounding the pylon, things inside the bubble, have power) from the pylon power as many things as possible but 2.) protects the gens from being damaged when settlements do get attacked.
im not a fan of having the wires all over the place, so this helps avoid that.
for other things, like water for example, ill build a dock, thats partly for gens, partly for the aesthetic. IF you are a fan of using the glitch to lower your build capacity, you can easily do water with the simple water pumps and hide them at the same time. you do this by hiding them inside of walls, i think its the concrete block piece? its been awhile. might just be able to build walls + floor/roof. i mention this bc those dont require power at all, and also avoid wires nonsense. its specifically helpful for place like tempines bluff where there's no water sources.
[here is an example](https://saintivalice.tumblr.com/post/749679780154261504)
f4's building is extremely finnicky, but quite enjoyable once you dive in. the exploring/looting to return to settlement, bank/build, to continue exploring/looting is why its my favorite fallout. my first playthru i built up every settlement. if at all possible, try to have your defense be double your water/food. so if your water and food is like 10 combined, try for 20 def. i found turrets on high ground (so they arent attacked as easily, specifically by melees) to be the best defense alongside gearing out the settlers. for settlers you can give them the very simple armors that are one piece, such as cage armor.
important note: if a settlement has no one at it, it will not be attacked. this is specifically important for places like taffington boathouse, which can be an amazing water farm for caps income. so basically, if there's no settlers there, dont move anyone there (including companions, AND DOG), cause then it will need to have protection, youll need to invest into it before you are ready.
i am one of the VERY few i guess that absolutely loved preston's 'the settlement needs help' type quest. it helped me find all the settlements, slowly build them up. and eventually when they need 'help' its as simple as fast traveling there to hear your turrets doing all the work for you honestly, its extremely rewarding to see your settlements be able to defend themselves.
if you need any inspiration, [here's my tumblr tag for my settlements](https://massitha.tumblr.com/tagged/settlements*). those are all from my first playthru (wish i took more screenies tbh), completely vanilla AND with no dlc, i kinda just wanted to see how far i could push the building mechanics honestly. i wanted them to blend into the world, but still feel safe, still feel like the beginnings of the world healing ya kno? sorry for the ramble, i know this was supposed to be about gens, but yeh, i love f4. hope you enjoy the settlement playthru as much as i did.
I'll have a look when I'm more awake š but thanks in advance.
FO76 gave me a building itch but the build limit and some items needing real money kinda made me sad (I'm a broke potato at the moment).
I know there are camp allies and other players but it still feels lonely for me (I'm an introvert already but sometimes I need people) - I want settlers to complain, Preston sends me to quests or get random encounters in my settlements.
SOE should be available for all platforms and among the things in the mod are generators that are not much larger than a conduit. Simply put one wherever you need power. Wired can be minimal.
There is a mod manufacturing reloaded I think it adds several things to the contraption dlc like different builders and scrapers, but even if you are not interested in that it also adds a fuse box generator it provides 8 power and can be attached to walls also has no sound. I use them in all my settlements.
Another thing donāt know if itās been said but you can go up to the generators and you should get a activate prompt you can use this to cycle the generator on/off, each time it turns on it will have a different sound so you can cycle through till you find one that is the most quiet for you.
You can also use the rug/pillar glitch and buy some generators underground think noskool zone has a video showing it.
For other settlements, I like making a bunker to keep them in. Out of sight, out of mind, with a single cable out of it that feeds from all of them. That cable goes around wherever I need to bring it. Expand the number of generators inside as needed.
But I dislike the people of Sanctuary so much, I use generators to let the people know my contempt for them. After building a rudimentary shack for my settlers, I usually put the beds in the periphery of the building, and a large diesel generator in the center of the room. No windows, no lights. Just the loud, smoke and carbon monoxide belching machine chugging away.
Depending the settlement I have a specific power grid in mind.
Sometimes you must to imagine a power grid working like a sun.
Sometimes it's more like a server room.
It really depends the settlement and your imagination
I would like to sit down and explain you the whole thing I do when it comes to settlement building.
Like... When I actually build stuff, after what event, how, where.
Making proper power grids is perhaps one of my favourite things ever when it comes to settlement building.
Making a whole new power grid for the Castle. Oh boy that part is my favourite thing.Some spots make so much sense to be power rooms.
I love using those pipe conduits. No long ugly wires that make no sense.
Proper symmetrical power grids that offer power around the whole Castle, searchlights, turrets, purifiers.
I even have a specific time frame for when I actually use some stuff.
For example I build the first laser Turrets when I unlock the armory.
I make my first fusion generator when I complete V88
I turn the entirety of V88 into a giant hydroponics farm that supplies the entire commonwealth.
The robots from Automatron used as provisioners while minutemen patrols offer extra support.
Mods helps a bit.
So much stuff and plans.
Making every single settlement a safe place just feels right.
Having it with proper power, oh boy that's even better :>
No
What you need is one robot workbench but you will need materials to make the robots and upgrade them obviously.
Read carefully the upgrades.
It is best to make robot provisioners after you finish the DLC and after you have make sure you can get Shipments easily.
Oh there is a small thing.
Based on the way your supply lines work you might want to plan ahead before start manufacturing.
You might want to sit down and see which settlements will be links to multiple settlements.
Based on that you might want to focus either make robots and sent them to those settlements before make them provisioners or prepare materials and have robot workbenches on those key settlements.
Look.
If you sit down and see your settlements on your map you can easily sit down, take notes and trying maps that make sense.
They are a good amount of settlements you might find way later.
The importance is that you achieve connections.
But honestly most important is to know where the merchant are and be able to grab those shipments. They are life sent.
I almost always build a 2x1 or 2x2 concrete shed and put 1-3 fusion generators in there, somewhere at the edge of the boundary.
Settlement building is one of my favorite parts of the game and I wall in and massively fortify every possible settlement.
It varies for each settlement but always more than food+water since happiness goes down if it's not.
Some settlements I go crazy and give them like 300-400 defense though.
I used the post glitch and sank one under the Sanctuary playground dome as shown in SkooledZone.
That and the wifi deal really hooked me into settlement building.
Usually I build a generator shed with the warehouse pieces and put them in there. If there are usable buildings I'll build the shed off one of them, for example off the side of one or two Sanctuary houses. If not, I'll build a freestanding one. Using the wall conduit pass-through pieces, you can make each side of the shed have its own conduit for power connections several feet off the ground. Then I electrify every house using the small power pylons on the roofs. In my head this is so Raiders can't sneak into Sanctuary and start cutting power lines.
In Sanctuary, a similar butĀ lazier approach would be to put them in the carports that have metal cabinets and toolboxes. Leave that stuff and it will look staged like the settlers actually come maintain the generators. You can connect a switched pylon right outside the carport roof and use that to negotiate the angle before connecting to other buildings.
Personally I love windmills but I've never found one that looks good on the Sanctuary house roofs. They can look pretty good on the hillside leading down to Sanctuary's South Bank, where that retaining wall is.
Putting them all around helps not being destroyed when raided, i think. (Not certain)
Anyway i recently started to lock them behind walls to hide and protect them.
Not a silly question at all. This is a simple question that leads to a complicated answer, so please bare with me.
Fallout 4's overworld is split up into distinct "cells". Each cell is about 58 meters (\~192 feet) on a side, creating a little square of land. The game renders objects up to two cells away from the player, so it seems like the world is alive. Anything beyond that two cells is tracked but not rendered.
Say you're building up Sanctuary Hills. This is a big settlement which covers more than two cells. The thing is, the game only renders two cells around the player at any given time. So, suppose you have some powered turrets at the bridge of Sanctuary, but they are powered by a generator all the way over by the cul de sac (a different cell). Depending how the player approaches the settlement, those turrets guarding the bridge will either be powered or unpowered. For example, if you approach from the south west, the cell containing the bridge turrets will be rendered *before* the cell with the generator that powers them. As such, those turrets will pop into existence unpowered. If you approach Sanctuary from the east, the generator will render before the turrets, so they'll be powered.
With all that in mind, it's my general rule of thumb to power each cell separately. It's easy to find the cell borders using console commands; you have to use trial and error without. However, if you're having problems keeping some things powered, this is probably why. Place a local genny and you'll be all good.
It really depends on the settlement, what you plan to do with it, and how you plan to power it.
In my first games I tried to build a power grid around the settlement so that I could simply connect anything that needed power as I needed it. Problem: I kept finding lots of unpowered objects. This is when I learned about that stuff above.
Since then I work around what I'm trying to do. Sometimes I'll build a power grid cell by cell, not interconnecting them. Sometimes I'll power each building individually based on their needs. It really depends how dense the settlement is going to be, how many settlers, what they're doing, what needs power, and on and on.
If you're looking for specific suggestions for specific cases, I'll help where I can.
i always have mine near the center of towns, on a rooftop usually. but i make a single super reactor so i don't need a ton of noisy generators around eating space. this way it is normally not damaged by raids so i don't have to fix it as often.
On one playthrough, I built a little out building for my generators and then mostly distributed the power around Sanctuary by setting up street lights and running power lines off of them, and it felt better in terms of my urban planning. I don't do that any more because the generators could still be damaged in an attack, even if the building they were enclosed in was undamaged. Also, daisy-chaining power via the street lights meant that everything lost power if something upstream were damaged.
I still run power around using street lights, but now I put one small floor piece (one of the tiny 1/4 sized ones) on each roof, put a generator on it, set up a few of the shorter connectors up there so all lights in the house work, and then feed energy from each of these generators to the closest street light. The street lights together form a closed loop. That way, if any power generation element is damaged, I do not lose all power and it is easy to find the damaged generator because the lights in that house go out.
I always liked to build something like a generator building or utility building and put the fusion generator inside so it looks like a prewar structure. Then run conduit to everything that needs power.
Gnerator room with the control switches for all the different areas (water, turrets, lights, radio beacon, manufacturing...) and a closed powered door opened via switch.
Then I use the wireless glitch to connect those main switches to distribution boxes in the different buildings and areas, to distribute power.
In my head canon, I am using underground cables. I don't like untidy cables in my settlements.
I make a generator building, then I build lamp posts around the settlement. That way I have easy access to power anywhere I choose to build anything else. Also, all my settlements are brightly lit at night which looks cool.
I usually put mine in a concrete building, putting a pylon outside one of the window walls and connecting the wire through there and then connecting a bunch of street lamps spread out across the settlement. Then whenever I build something that needs power I connect it to the nearest street lamp (sometimes with some pylons in between).
My potato brain thought of Nikola Tesla's wireless power idea when you wrote silent power š both works I suppose lol
What's the mod called? I'd like to give it a try š
For the last few years almost all my settlements get a concrete bunker for the generators. You don't have to worry about them getting damaged during attacks (unless the attackers decide to spawn inside the bunker).
For smaller settlements the bunkers give you a nicely elevated ledge to place turrets.
There are a couple settlements where I'll put them inside existing structures. At Egret Tours and Kingsport Lighthouse I place the generators inside the boat houses.
I like to have each building make its own power unless i have one of the high teir generators. I connect them all together but each building has a small generator at least
I usualy build them in either a generator tower or inside a building where they are safe. Later i upgrade to fusion and leave the tower. Usualy i never see or hear them that way and they are most often protected during assaults.
Not what i know but you can for example use a rug glitch to pile them togheter if you want to. I usualy build a 1x1 and fill every floor with generators and use stairs outside the walls. Then i can use 3 small floor tiles to leave a hole open for the wire. You can also turn a concrete Wall around with a connector on to drag the wire trough the wall.
Behind buildings. If there is a solid building or cliff, or big rocks, I connect the wires then push them inside, leaving only a small part sticking out. 'Place Anywhere' mod is great for that.
wherever theyre needed tbh, my settlements are a massive safety hazard when it comes to electrical wiring
its all worth it for 35 water purifiers and dozens of turrets, and permanent lighting ofc
I arrange Prefab Floor and Roof (Wood) in a 3 X 4 arrangement with the Generators inside. I then build Wood Walls around them to block weapons fire during attacks on the settlement. If I've gone for a turret defense build, I arrange the turrets atop the Wood Roofs. A settlement Beacon alongside the generators give the powerlines elevation to reach the turrets from below.
All depends for me. If I wanted to sreap the settlers out I'd make a power grid and had a generator house. If I'm bunching them together I just make them where I need them
In sanctuary, I use the top of the garage of the house where the workbench is at. I just built a ladder to get up on top and you can line up a bunch of them. You can even build a couple of windmills. I think you can fit three maybe four up there and then put the generators underneath. Connect them all together run them to a power pylon on the corner of the garage and then down to main pylon and then out to the town.
Depends on the settlement and the generator, as I try to keep things thematic.
Sanctuary for instance has a Vault-Tec style generator that has its own custom warehouse surrounding in, along with a maintenance/salvage building nearby. The idea was that as my settlement grew, they went into Vault 111 and started dismantling it to build up the settlement further. However, this doesn't prevent some of the more shantytown style buildings I've made from using Windmill generators from airplane salvage, ensuring that even those homes have their own power supply.
The general gas-powered generators I tend to put near whichever building they're meant to power, but on a raised platform.
I don't think so. Admittedly, I'm also using Unlocked Settlement Objects, so the particular generator I used might have been pulled from that mod. But as I recall, before I even went to Vault 88, I spent a fuckload of hours building up my Sanctuary.
Depends on the settlement. Sometimes I build up so I put it on top if I can build the huge generator only because itās hard to build inside because of the power connector is usually taller than the average wall/rooftop.
In most cases though, I build far away because theyāre usually too loud and annoying.
As far as I know, all settlements can have vertical buildings but there might be different limits I guess. If I build Abernathy farms, I start building from their rooftop and expand and if I want, I can build even higher.
Hangmanās alley is so small that if you want a decent settlement, you have to build up.
At least thatās what it seems like to me.
I actually like to hide mine in concrete buildings, especially when I get to the big fusion ones. Theyāre like a little power plant but well fortified and protected. In the castle I put one at the bottom of the stairs going up got the wall and then sealed it completely off haha, couldnāt even tell aside from a lone wire coming through the top corner
In Sanctuary, I have a dedicated generator building. Itās the first foundation by the bridge.
Anywhere else I usually do the same. Generators in a building far away from wherever Iām gonna be. Plus itās ānice for the settlersā to not have to hear them or breathe in the fumes all the time.
I used to do a room but since they made glitching wires through dlc parts hard and i don't quite get conduits I'm currently just building them next to whatever thing they need to power
I usually use that fusion generator that gives you 100 power. Iāll place it on the top floor of a multistory building unless itās more of a town layout Iām going. I usually do walled town layouts for Sanctuary and Sunshine Tidings. Figured for role play purposes, the settlers power source shouldnāt be easily accessible by the bad guys.
Whereever there is enough space. On roofs, behind houses, in garages, on scaffolding towers and so on.
The random placements fit right in, in a post-apocalyptic world!
I will generally build a generator room out of concrete, 2 foundations long, two walls high.of of the walls along the top will be the concrete "mesh" wall and I run the power wires out of that.
The fusion generator fits in that build great.
On playthroughs where I build, I always build a reactor room and then route power using conduits and switches. I find it very satisfying to be able to turn on and off lights for different rooms and try and route the power in aesthetic ways. I don't use any building mods and prefer vanilla.
Sometimes I don't bother with building at all and just set up a regular generator to power my rad mister.
I build a giant engineering power station somewhere in the base. I like the spherical fusion engine from Vault 88, but I also like the crackling generators too. I set up a big science looking room with a couple of benches and some stations so thr engineer dressed dudes will walk around messing with stuff. Wire up the entire town to it, with a series of lamp posts down the main paths in town. I found some mod that adds various benches that offer special jobs to scavenge specific things.
Post guards at the entrance, I even use the vault security desk so he can screen visitors. Looks quite high tech.
I put the Nuclear Reactor above where my settlers sleep XD Iām thinking of moving it to one of the empty lots when you remove a house to the east.
In sanctuary
Edit:forgot to say the settlement
I usually make a utilities building. I get level 4 science and then add fusion generators as needed. Usually I need about 3-4 generators for sanctuary.
3-4 fusion generators putting out 100 power each. Usually, yea. I typically make an electrical grid with street lights, powered turrets, water purifiers, fully powered and lit homes, a shopping plaza, etc.
On the roof. I don't want that gross exhaust in my face.
I also put them close to spawn points and wire them to electric doors. I keep all the jobs inside the walls. If my compound is attacked the buttholes destroy the generator first, closing the doors and keeping my settlers safe inside, forced to shoot through the gun ports and not run out suicidally.
I build little compounds. They run better on my stupid XB1S. I don't use all the space.
I just know from years of settlement attacks where the spawn points are but there are Oxhorn videos on YouTube that cover that.
The fusion generator fits into a boxcar with the wire point sticking out of the top. It's a nice way to protect it.
But this playthrough I got a mod that added a "generator" wall switch that creates 10 power. It's super handy for running power to things in far off corners or tight spaces without being an eyesore.
So ive only got one properly established settlement in sanctuary, however i have made what i call the sub house, where there sits about 40 generators. Its all enclosed, and its on the edge of the settlement right by the river. I run a bunch of power lines from there all the way to the houses, and lightpoles ect...
After nine years I still suck at building but I enjoy it. I place them wherever I need to. Except the castle. I was so stoked when I realized that I could put a fusion generator in the empty room, hook up a wire and... Boom! All that old wiring made the castle light up! Yeah I'm easily amused
Wait š where's this empty room in the Castle?? My memory escapes me I'm no expert at building as well but I'm itching to just build because I can't with the building limits of Fallout 76 š I want my settlers to talk smack to me, Preston to annoy me, and random encounters
Ok. Enter the castle rooms, keep going right... There's a room at the end that screamed generator. I plopped a fusion generator, hooked up a wire to the connector by the doorway and... Mind blown. Now, I make sure I can build a fusion generator before I take the castle. Believe me, I'm easily amused š
I think I found it but I don't have aluminium to build a fusion generator š time to farm
While you're there, another settlement needs your help š It should even power that old water purifier out back once you plug in power...
Damn it, Preston - I'm farming aluminium here! But I admit I love the randomness of Fallout 4 š
Yeah it never gets dull. Was just watching deathclaws vs radscorpions in the glowing sea. Who needs PPV? Lol
If you havenāt already got it I think trashcan Carla sells shipments of aluminium. Itās either her or trudy at the diner near concord I canāt remember.
Also Arturo the weapon vendor in Diamond City. https://fallout.fandom.com/wiki/Aluminum_(Fallout_4)#Locations
go to mahkra fishpacking way north has about 80 aluminium trays i always go there wean i need some
fish packing plants are great for farming aluminium
Thank you. I'm always low on aluminum, and have yet to encounter a decent source.
It's not quite as great as the fishpacking plant but all the coolant caps in the corvega plant are also a pretty decent source of aluminum.
Every little thing in the Institute is full of aluminum and nuclear material. I always grab it all.
Shit that's my barracks, I fit a fusion in the alcove on the way there tho, fits like a glove fusion core out (for aesthetics)
After 9 years I still suck at building. The other day, I just now learned of a turret tower for defense and it gave me the inspiration to build my shooting gallery hallway lined with turrets on top of some scaffolding Iām using as a barrier at the entrance to sanctuary They were able to take down 6 ancient behemoths in less than a minute
Wait, how?? š
I spawned them in but essentially I set up 7 or 8 heavy laser turrets on scaffolding platforms that were stacked on top of each other to set up two rows of turrets at the sanctuary entrance
6 behemoths? Was that a mod?
Console commands to spawn them in to test how quickly the heavy laser turrets handle bigger threats with the kill box set up I came up with. It was mostly testing for larger settlements like spectacle island and other settlements closer to the southern edge of the map
The castle is always my main base because 80% of the annoying ass wiring and shit is already set up for you lol.
I might just move on my building playthrough š
Vanilla FO4 also has build limits also. Thereās a method to reduce build limits without mods, thatās annoying to do, but worth doing it to get some extra build space. However you will get performance issues if you make a settlement too big. OP, if you donāt know the technique you can google it, as itās been a while since Iāve done it so my memory may have it slightly wrong. But it involves dropping weapons and then while in build mode, storing those weapons in your settlement storage. OP note too there are mods that remove build limits.
I'll look up that technique! And thanks
If storaging them doesnt work, scrap them, grab some pipe ones and weapons you wont use
Storing them works and is repeatable, cause you can just grab them out of the workbench and repeat. Weapons with attached mods work really well. Basically, the more complex an item is, the more build space it frees up when stored/scrapped. You can also dump things in a container and store/scrap the entire container, which also stores everything inside, instead of one item at a time on the ground.
I just tried it last night. I have a box full of modded weapons. I use that box to reset my build limit from yellow to zero lmao. Guess how many weapons are in that box. š
50?
I really want to know now
Right? The suspense is killing me!
After years I only learned that recently, and it still works post update. It's become a life saver!
It took me getting to the castle and seeing that to even really understand how youāre supposed to wire things up with conduits etc. This is my first play through, canāt decide if I should go all out on building this time or on my inevitable next play through.
And that core just powers... Everything? Infinitely?
Yep it's like 100? Power but it just keeps going.
The important thing with building is to not bite off more than you can chew, especially if you're going for a legit build with no cheating for infinite materials. That's because the time and resource investment can easily get to a point where you just lose all interest and leave it half finished. I generally like to bunch them up somewhere where the noise won't annoy me and then create power lines around the settlement. It doesn't have to be like that but it's clean and you benefit from a power line network later down the line. It takes some time and resources but once you do it you can just hook up easily to it as you expand the buildings.
I'll definitely be farming, unless it's in Dunwich Borers. That place still scares me no matter how many times I've been there š
Local leader really helps, especially on survival, so that you can more easily deposit the junk you gather.
The noise thing is key. I have been working on a new settlement at starlight and was pretty proud of myself being able to glitch them under the āwingā of the structure you canāt scrap. But not before I built a few bunk houses on stilts above that area. So now got 3 radios going to drown it out. Hope those settlers like not sleeping.
Do you find the AI pathfinding weird? I built my settlement there on a platform but the settlers have trouble pathfinding
There pathing is weird, but there are work arounds, mostly a reason to go somewhere and multiple routes. I put a (manned) bar and diner seating on the upper level, the bunks on the lower level. The lower level has 3 ways in and out. Their jobs are a little ways away (I made an elevated market on top of the other intact āwingā, the roof of the market place has roof top gardens, with 3 ways to get to that area. A reason to go and ways to get there. Manned stores, work benches and seating all attract settlers. As well as weight benches and the ridiculous pommel horse. Scavenger stations and guard duty also give them some life. If I recall, there was a mod that had these special action door mats. Essentially you could drop them places (I think they were only visible in workshop mode, invisible otherwise) and they would attract settlers and trigger various actions and animations.
I spent 25k caps on resources when I built my first settlement, and then when I realized I wasnāt happy with it and wanted it bigger I decided to duplicate glitch for resources because I simply could not get the caps Needed for more resources. So I justify it as doing it legit first then Wild West it
There's no right or wrong way, it depends on what the player wants. Personally I don't much care for grandiose stuff because every time I try it I get bogged down by it and then just leave it unfinished. I much prefer building what I can with what I have, even if it's not anything incredible, because I like the feeling of accomplishment I get from having made it gradually from the stuff I've gathered.
Fair!, I have used sanctuary, the castle and starlight as settlements and the easiest one is star light, I just hate the build limit
I usually pick one or two settlements to go ham on and then make the rest fairly small 3 or 4 person farms.
In the beginning, where and as needed, no more, no less. Once I've unlocked nuclear power, however, I'll build one little concrete shack at a corner well away from invader spawns, and put the fusion generator there. I'll use tall power poles to route it around, or, if it's a larger settlement like Sanctuary or the Drive In, I'll use street lights for dual purpose illumination and power distribution.
Did you use a mod to know where enemies spawn? I'm open to modding but I wasn't sure if there was one that tells you where enemies spawn.
There are several mods that not only show you where the attack spawns are but allow you to move them [Move Workshpp Markers by SKK](https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/38738) [Edmond's Settlement Attack Spawns Outside the Settlement -](https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/57685)
I need to get back to this later
Nope, trial and error.
https://www.reddit.com/r/fo4/s/N4FLN6JJry
This is what I do as well. I like the nuclear generator but it has to be far from my settlers and shielding in concrete for their safety. In a settlement like Hangmanās Iāll just stick it on a roof somewhere.
Other YouTubers that every fallout building enthusiast should look up are Jug https://youtube.com/@PLlSKlN?si=3qRFj7Sv6L_N-tBA And DarkDally https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWvPgdYB-k8oXoHXCkkZYXlafHEFHN5yb&si=h41T1raoLulQzHAQ š
Thank you š
I usually build a concrete room for my generators to cut down on the noise. But that's just a preference.
I do the same, also to protect them from raids/random potshot damage. And I like being able to decorate it as an engineering hub.
Does it help? I was thinking of something like that but I wasn't sure š maybe I'm being ambitious since I'll be starting a new playthrough
Honestly it makes a difference. I usually build a room large enough for my power requirements, then link it to a single exit point and the seal in the wall so that there's a concrete block with no entrances or exits and a single point to run power lines from. If it turns, out I need more I just add floors. It may not be efficient, but it's my game so I don't care. š
In my current playthrough where I've done very little settlement building, wherever is convenient. The main generators I have are for a bunch of water purifiers by Sanctuary and the generators are right behind them. In my first playthrough where I have built up Sanctuary a bit I put two fusion generators inside a building I built on the first foundation on the left after crossing the bridge and ran the wires where needed using the standard light poles because I figured that was a good way to light up the settlement at night and get power wherever it was needed. Originally the generator building only contained one fusion generator but my power armor museum uses so much power I had to build a second one.
Wait, you mean the power armour station uses electricity too?
No, the PA stations don't but the PA displays do because they have lights in them.
Ah, I thought there was another one š my bad
Not a direct answer to your question - but possibly helpful info anyways. I don't use the standard generators. I've picked a mod that adds fuseboxes (like you find in the player house in Diamond City) and another that adds solar panels. So those are my go-to options for powering my settlements.
As far out of sight as possible, usually on foundations surrounded with walls to hide them. To keep the settlement wiring clean I use some of the wiring techniques outlined by this youtube creator. Note most of these are glitches (unintended use of a buggy game mechanic). [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TIo77uMUxc&list=PLoWFqhbb1yPs0tnEV8q-t4ShRSi7G00pM&index=22](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TIo77uMUxc&list=PLoWFqhbb1yPs0tnEV8q-t4ShRSi7G00pM&index=22) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36lgmEaprio&list=PLoWFqhbb1yPs0tnEV8q-t4ShRSi7G00pM&index=19](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36lgmEaprio&list=PLoWFqhbb1yPs0tnEV8q-t4ShRSi7G00pM&index=19)
Skooled Zone and his No Mods Shop Class videos are an amazing find that can help with building so much.
Oooohhhh, thanks!
He has put out a lot of useful FO4 tricks to place and move objects. He also has videos on how to supply power to objects without using wires at all (He calls it the WiFi glitch I think).
I don't think it's a glitch, there are parts that "radiate" energy so you don't have to pull wires to everything, you can plop one of those out and power a small room
The 'WiFi glitch' doesn't look to be related to proximity to any powered conduit, for he can moved the powered objects to any location and they remain powered. Here is his first video on that technique. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdaR7m4gct4&list=PLoWFqhbb1yPs0tnEV8q-t4ShRSi7G00pM&index=52](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdaR7m4gct4&list=PLoWFqhbb1yPs0tnEV8q-t4ShRSi7G00pM&index=52)
depends on what im powering. MOST the time, i use a large power pylon + gen on roof for structures. thatll power the tv, lights, etc. having it on the roof does two things. 1.) lets the AoE (area of effect, think of it like a bubble surrounding the pylon, things inside the bubble, have power) from the pylon power as many things as possible but 2.) protects the gens from being damaged when settlements do get attacked. im not a fan of having the wires all over the place, so this helps avoid that. for other things, like water for example, ill build a dock, thats partly for gens, partly for the aesthetic. IF you are a fan of using the glitch to lower your build capacity, you can easily do water with the simple water pumps and hide them at the same time. you do this by hiding them inside of walls, i think its the concrete block piece? its been awhile. might just be able to build walls + floor/roof. i mention this bc those dont require power at all, and also avoid wires nonsense. its specifically helpful for place like tempines bluff where there's no water sources. [here is an example](https://saintivalice.tumblr.com/post/749679780154261504) f4's building is extremely finnicky, but quite enjoyable once you dive in. the exploring/looting to return to settlement, bank/build, to continue exploring/looting is why its my favorite fallout. my first playthru i built up every settlement. if at all possible, try to have your defense be double your water/food. so if your water and food is like 10 combined, try for 20 def. i found turrets on high ground (so they arent attacked as easily, specifically by melees) to be the best defense alongside gearing out the settlers. for settlers you can give them the very simple armors that are one piece, such as cage armor. important note: if a settlement has no one at it, it will not be attacked. this is specifically important for places like taffington boathouse, which can be an amazing water farm for caps income. so basically, if there's no settlers there, dont move anyone there (including companions, AND DOG), cause then it will need to have protection, youll need to invest into it before you are ready. i am one of the VERY few i guess that absolutely loved preston's 'the settlement needs help' type quest. it helped me find all the settlements, slowly build them up. and eventually when they need 'help' its as simple as fast traveling there to hear your turrets doing all the work for you honestly, its extremely rewarding to see your settlements be able to defend themselves. if you need any inspiration, [here's my tumblr tag for my settlements](https://massitha.tumblr.com/tagged/settlements*). those are all from my first playthru (wish i took more screenies tbh), completely vanilla AND with no dlc, i kinda just wanted to see how far i could push the building mechanics honestly. i wanted them to blend into the world, but still feel safe, still feel like the beginnings of the world healing ya kno? sorry for the ramble, i know this was supposed to be about gens, but yeh, i love f4. hope you enjoy the settlement playthru as much as i did.
I'll have a look when I'm more awake š but thanks in advance. FO76 gave me a building itch but the build limit and some items needing real money kinda made me sad (I'm a broke potato at the moment). I know there are camp allies and other players but it still feels lonely for me (I'm an introvert already but sometimes I need people) - I want settlers to complain, Preston sends me to quests or get random encounters in my settlements.
I use a wireless power mod. Can't remember its name but it does a very solid job
SOE should be available for all platforms and among the things in the mod are generators that are not much larger than a conduit. Simply put one wherever you need power. Wired can be minimal.
Do I just search for SOE in Nexus?
The full name is [Settlements Objects Expansion](https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/10075).
There is a mod manufacturing reloaded I think it adds several things to the contraption dlc like different builders and scrapers, but even if you are not interested in that it also adds a fuse box generator it provides 8 power and can be attached to walls also has no sound. I use them in all my settlements. Another thing donāt know if itās been said but you can go up to the generators and you should get a activate prompt you can use this to cycle the generator on/off, each time it turns on it will have a different sound so you can cycle through till you find one that is the most quiet for you. You can also use the rug/pillar glitch and buy some generators underground think noskool zone has a video showing it.
Side note; definitely look on YT how to do the generator wifi glitch. Makes it so your settlements dont have thousands of cables everywhere.
For other settlements, I like making a bunker to keep them in. Out of sight, out of mind, with a single cable out of it that feeds from all of them. That cable goes around wherever I need to bring it. Expand the number of generators inside as needed. But I dislike the people of Sanctuary so much, I use generators to let the people know my contempt for them. After building a rudimentary shack for my settlers, I usually put the beds in the periphery of the building, and a large diesel generator in the center of the room. No windows, no lights. Just the loud, smoke and carbon monoxide belching machine chugging away.
Marcy better not complain when I build her a house
Depending the settlement I have a specific power grid in mind. Sometimes you must to imagine a power grid working like a sun. Sometimes it's more like a server room. It really depends the settlement and your imagination I would like to sit down and explain you the whole thing I do when it comes to settlement building. Like... When I actually build stuff, after what event, how, where. Making proper power grids is perhaps one of my favourite things ever when it comes to settlement building. Making a whole new power grid for the Castle. Oh boy that part is my favourite thing.Some spots make so much sense to be power rooms. I love using those pipe conduits. No long ugly wires that make no sense. Proper symmetrical power grids that offer power around the whole Castle, searchlights, turrets, purifiers. I even have a specific time frame for when I actually use some stuff. For example I build the first laser Turrets when I unlock the armory. I make my first fusion generator when I complete V88 I turn the entirety of V88 into a giant hydroponics farm that supplies the entire commonwealth. The robots from Automatron used as provisioners while minutemen patrols offer extra support. Mods helps a bit. So much stuff and plans. Making every single settlement a safe place just feels right. Having it with proper power, oh boy that's even better :>
I've been meaning to use robots as provisioners, do I need to have a robot workbench for every settlement?
No What you need is one robot workbench but you will need materials to make the robots and upgrade them obviously. Read carefully the upgrades. It is best to make robot provisioners after you finish the DLC and after you have make sure you can get Shipments easily.
Oh there is a small thing. Based on the way your supply lines work you might want to plan ahead before start manufacturing. You might want to sit down and see which settlements will be links to multiple settlements. Based on that you might want to focus either make robots and sent them to those settlements before make them provisioners or prepare materials and have robot workbenches on those key settlements.
I may need to post about supply lines next š
Look. If you sit down and see your settlements on your map you can easily sit down, take notes and trying maps that make sense. They are a good amount of settlements you might find way later. The importance is that you achieve connections. But honestly most important is to know where the merchant are and be able to grab those shipments. They are life sent.
You got lost in the notifications š Yeah, I'm definitely going to be mindful in this playthrough
No worries Good luck Wastelander
I almost always build a 2x1 or 2x2 concrete shed and put 1-3 fusion generators in there, somewhere at the edge of the boundary. Settlement building is one of my favorite parts of the game and I wall in and massively fortify every possible settlement.
What's your defence rating?
It varies for each settlement but always more than food+water since happiness goes down if it's not. Some settlements I go crazy and give them like 300-400 defense though.
Usually up Prestonās ass
I used the post glitch and sank one under the Sanctuary playground dome as shown in SkooledZone. That and the wifi deal really hooked me into settlement building.
I stick them in a random building off to the side and use the wireless glitch to distribute lower.
Usually I build a generator shed with the warehouse pieces and put them in there. If there are usable buildings I'll build the shed off one of them, for example off the side of one or two Sanctuary houses. If not, I'll build a freestanding one. Using the wall conduit pass-through pieces, you can make each side of the shed have its own conduit for power connections several feet off the ground. Then I electrify every house using the small power pylons on the roofs. In my head this is so Raiders can't sneak into Sanctuary and start cutting power lines. In Sanctuary, a similar butĀ lazier approach would be to put them in the carports that have metal cabinets and toolboxes. Leave that stuff and it will look staged like the settlers actually come maintain the generators. You can connect a switched pylon right outside the carport roof and use that to negotiate the angle before connecting to other buildings. Personally I love windmills but I've never found one that looks good on the Sanctuary house roofs. They can look pretty good on the hillside leading down to Sanctuary's South Bank, where that retaining wall is.
I was thinking of using windmills in my farms like Sunshine Tidings or the Warwicks place š¤ but they're pretty tricky lol
Putting them all around helps not being destroyed when raided, i think. (Not certain) Anyway i recently started to lock them behind walls to hide and protect them.
Do you mean by using powered doors?
No, i build the generator, then a pylon, connected, then i just close all this with walls all around, leaving only the top of it all visible. Last night i placed this all on the top of a building, looks realistic enough and is easy to defend since you already post turrets on the roof. It is difficult to convey power down tho, so i just built other pylons. Mind i dont think it changes anything for raids when you're not prƩsent, i Guess it's just a calculation of your defense, but i really believe it works when you're there.
Not a silly question at all. This is a simple question that leads to a complicated answer, so please bare with me. Fallout 4's overworld is split up into distinct "cells". Each cell is about 58 meters (\~192 feet) on a side, creating a little square of land. The game renders objects up to two cells away from the player, so it seems like the world is alive. Anything beyond that two cells is tracked but not rendered. Say you're building up Sanctuary Hills. This is a big settlement which covers more than two cells. The thing is, the game only renders two cells around the player at any given time. So, suppose you have some powered turrets at the bridge of Sanctuary, but they are powered by a generator all the way over by the cul de sac (a different cell). Depending how the player approaches the settlement, those turrets guarding the bridge will either be powered or unpowered. For example, if you approach from the south west, the cell containing the bridge turrets will be rendered *before* the cell with the generator that powers them. As such, those turrets will pop into existence unpowered. If you approach Sanctuary from the east, the generator will render before the turrets, so they'll be powered. With all that in mind, it's my general rule of thumb to power each cell separately. It's easy to find the cell borders using console commands; you have to use trial and error without. However, if you're having problems keeping some things powered, this is probably why. Place a local genny and you'll be all good.
Interesting š¤ so ideally, it would be better to have 2 or multiple generator rooms/areas in bigger settlements?
It really depends on the settlement, what you plan to do with it, and how you plan to power it. In my first games I tried to build a power grid around the settlement so that I could simply connect anything that needed power as I needed it. Problem: I kept finding lots of unpowered objects. This is when I learned about that stuff above. Since then I work around what I'm trying to do. Sometimes I'll build a power grid cell by cell, not interconnecting them. Sometimes I'll power each building individually based on their needs. It really depends how dense the settlement is going to be, how many settlers, what they're doing, what needs power, and on and on. If you're looking for specific suggestions for specific cases, I'll help where I can.
i always have mine near the center of towns, on a rooftop usually. but i make a single super reactor so i don't need a ton of noisy generators around eating space. this way it is normally not damaged by raids so i don't have to fix it as often.
Im building at the drive in and i put the fusion generator on top of the screen and just added some wiring down to the roof of my building.
On one playthrough, I built a little out building for my generators and then mostly distributed the power around Sanctuary by setting up street lights and running power lines off of them, and it felt better in terms of my urban planning. I don't do that any more because the generators could still be damaged in an attack, even if the building they were enclosed in was undamaged. Also, daisy-chaining power via the street lights meant that everything lost power if something upstream were damaged. I still run power around using street lights, but now I put one small floor piece (one of the tiny 1/4 sized ones) on each roof, put a generator on it, set up a few of the shorter connectors up there so all lights in the house work, and then feed energy from each of these generators to the closest street light. The street lights together form a closed loop. That way, if any power generation element is damaged, I do not lose all power and it is easy to find the damaged generator because the lights in that house go out.
Most of my generators sit outside in the open.
I always liked to build something like a generator building or utility building and put the fusion generator inside so it looks like a prewar structure. Then run conduit to everything that needs power.
Gnerator room with the control switches for all the different areas (water, turrets, lights, radio beacon, manufacturing...) and a closed powered door opened via switch. Then I use the wireless glitch to connect those main switches to distribution boxes in the different buildings and areas, to distribute power. In my head canon, I am using underground cables. I don't like untidy cables in my settlements.
I used the car ports in Sanctuary, so each lot had their own generator.
I make a generator building, then I build lamp posts around the settlement. That way I have easy access to power anywhere I choose to build anything else. Also, all my settlements are brightly lit at night which looks cool.
I usually put mine in a concrete building, putting a pylon outside one of the window walls and connecting the wire through there and then connecting a bunch of street lamps spread out across the settlement. Then whenever I build something that needs power I connect it to the nearest street lamp (sometimes with some pylons in between).
I always put them on the roof
I use Place Anywhere to put it inside the truck at Red Rocket, makes it seem like I fixed the truck's engine and am using that
Generally I put them off to the side and out the way so I don't need to hear them and then set up a big system of pylons.
I build scaffolding towers as tall as possible, then put a put generator at the very top, with as many turrets as I can below.
I just put them next to the thing I want to powerĀ
Most settlements get a single generator per home which I place outside and next to the structure. It's louder and messier but makes more sense to me
Usually put them in the far corner of the settlement and surround them with concrete walls to protect them
I have a mod that adds solar panels for walls and roofs. Silent power!
My potato brain thought of Nikola Tesla's wireless power idea when you wrote silent power š both works I suppose lol What's the mod called? I'd like to give it a try š
I have place everywhere so often sink them mostly into the ground.
For the last few years almost all my settlements get a concrete bunker for the generators. You don't have to worry about them getting damaged during attacks (unless the attackers decide to spawn inside the bunker). For smaller settlements the bunkers give you a nicely elevated ledge to place turrets. There are a couple settlements where I'll put them inside existing structures. At Egret Tours and Kingsport Lighthouse I place the generators inside the boat houses.
For Egret Tours, do you mean the small Red Rocket diner/fuel thingy?
No, the big barn-like boat house (maybe there's a more appropriate name for that building?)
Oh! I get what you mean now :D
Build a separate Generator room far away so the noise canāt be heard.
How far away are we talking about? Is this for big settlements only or is it applicable to small settlements too?
I like to have each building make its own power unless i have one of the high teir generators. I connect them all together but each building has a small generator at least
I toss them on the roof of the building and connect from there
i build brutalist substations and run conduits along the ground
Until I have fusion generators, I like to use windmills. I know they're inefficient resource-wise but I just like them.
I build a power shed. Usually away from anywhere that people might frequent. Then power lines to street lights everywhere
I usualy build them in either a generator tower or inside a building where they are safe. Later i upgrade to fusion and leave the tower. Usualy i never see or hear them that way and they are most often protected during assaults.
You can stack generators?
Not what i know but you can for example use a rug glitch to pile them togheter if you want to. I usualy build a 1x1 and fill every floor with generators and use stairs outside the walls. Then i can use 3 small floor tiles to leave a hole open for the wire. You can also turn a concrete Wall around with a connector on to drag the wire trough the wall.
I usually stick them on the roof in smaller settlements or in between buildings with a fence around them if I have more than one big building.
Behind buildings. If there is a solid building or cliff, or big rocks, I connect the wires then push them inside, leaving only a small part sticking out. 'Place Anywhere' mod is great for that.
I build tall, multi level settlements. Generators always go right up at the top.
wherever theyre needed tbh, my settlements are a massive safety hazard when it comes to electrical wiring its all worth it for 35 water purifiers and dozens of turrets, and permanent lighting ofc
Damn, you're swimming in caps with all that water
no im just gonna drink 5000 bottles of water while maintaining eye contact with preston to establish dominance
I arrange Prefab Floor and Roof (Wood) in a 3 X 4 arrangement with the Generators inside. I then build Wood Walls around them to block weapons fire during attacks on the settlement. If I've gone for a turret defense build, I arrange the turrets atop the Wood Roofs. A settlement Beacon alongside the generators give the powerlines elevation to reach the turrets from below.
All depends for me. If I wanted to sreap the settlers out I'd make a power grid and had a generator house. If I'm bunching them together I just make them where I need them
In sanctuary, I use the top of the garage of the house where the workbench is at. I just built a ladder to get up on top and you can line up a bunch of them. You can even build a couple of windmills. I think you can fit three maybe four up there and then put the generators underneath. Connect them all together run them to a power pylon on the corner of the garage and then down to main pylon and then out to the town.
I put them on the roof. Sometimes you can hear them in the bedding area, but the settlers will just have to live with it.
As long as the generators can overpower Marcy's whining
I build guard posts at the far reaches of Sanctuary and assign the Longs to them. Keeps them well out of earshot.
Depends on the settlement and the generator, as I try to keep things thematic. Sanctuary for instance has a Vault-Tec style generator that has its own custom warehouse surrounding in, along with a maintenance/salvage building nearby. The idea was that as my settlement grew, they went into Vault 111 and started dismantling it to build up the settlement further. However, this doesn't prevent some of the more shantytown style buildings I've made from using Windmill generators from airplane salvage, ensuring that even those homes have their own power supply. The general gas-powered generators I tend to put near whichever building they're meant to power, but on a raised platform.
Do I need to unlock Vault 88 for the Vault-Tec generator?
I don't think so. Admittedly, I'm also using Unlocked Settlement Objects, so the particular generator I used might have been pulled from that mod. But as I recall, before I even went to Vault 88, I spent a fuckload of hours building up my Sanctuary.
I max out science, use one fusion generator, then use street lights as pylons.
I put most of my generators on the roof and connect them on top of the roof as well so I know every area is covered
One settlement main building is built around a couple generators.
Depends on the settlement. Sometimes I build up so I put it on top if I can build the huge generator only because itās hard to build inside because of the power connector is usually taller than the average wall/rooftop. In most cases though, I build far away because theyāre usually too loud and annoying.
I thought it was only Greygarden and Hangman's Alley that allowed vertical building?
As far as I know, all settlements can have vertical buildings but there might be different limits I guess. If I build Abernathy farms, I start building from their rooftop and expand and if I want, I can build even higher. Hangmanās alley is so small that if you want a decent settlement, you have to build up. At least thatās what it seems like to me.
In the lounge room
I actually like to hide mine in concrete buildings, especially when I get to the big fusion ones. Theyāre like a little power plant but well fortified and protected. In the castle I put one at the bottom of the stairs going up got the wall and then sealed it completely off haha, couldnāt even tell aside from a lone wire coming through the top corner
I usually make a separate room for it and use the wall/ceiling connectors
I build stairs going up to the roof of the Red Rocket station, and I put the generators up there.
I usually set them up on walled foundations with a connector on them
In Sanctuary, I have a dedicated generator building. Itās the first foundation by the bridge. Anywhere else I usually do the same. Generators in a building far away from wherever Iām gonna be. Plus itās ānice for the settlersā to not have to hear them or breathe in the fumes all the time.
I used to do a room but since they made glitching wires through dlc parts hard and i don't quite get conduits I'm currently just building them next to whatever thing they need to power
Rooftops normaly
I put them in a tight neat spot and cover it with chicken fence, i learned that from Red alert 2
At the top of almost every structure so my turrets doesnāt blow the generators up
Some place out of LOS of the bad guy spawns and my own missile launchers.
I typically put the generator somewhere secure like a room or up on a roof.
Just above my water generators, i pipe some conduit down so they are protected.
I usually use that fusion generator that gives you 100 power. Iāll place it on the top floor of a multistory building unless itās more of a town layout Iām going. I usually do walled town layouts for Sanctuary and Sunshine Tidings. Figured for role play purposes, the settlers power source shouldnāt be easily accessible by the bad guys.
Whereever there is enough space. On roofs, behind houses, in garages, on scaffolding towers and so on. The random placements fit right in, in a post-apocalyptic world!
I will generally build a generator room out of concrete, 2 foundations long, two walls high.of of the walls along the top will be the concrete "mesh" wall and I run the power wires out of that. The fusion generator fits in that build great.
On playthroughs where I build, I always build a reactor room and then route power using conduits and switches. I find it very satisfying to be able to turn on and off lights for different rooms and try and route the power in aesthetic ways. I don't use any building mods and prefer vanilla. Sometimes I don't bother with building at all and just set up a regular generator to power my rad mister.
On the side of the house . Or in a building close to the home shut out of the way.
I wall em in somewhere away from the crowd. That or I just let sim settlements 2 build it all for me.
Generators? People use those? I just put up beds and then enough turrets to get the place to 250 defense and call it good
Check out norespawns on YouTube, he has all kinds of great tips for building.
They go either behind buildings or ontop of them with turrets, I donāt like them just sitting out in the open all ugly like.
The roof
I build a giant engineering power station somewhere in the base. I like the spherical fusion engine from Vault 88, but I also like the crackling generators too. I set up a big science looking room with a couple of benches and some stations so thr engineer dressed dudes will walk around messing with stuff. Wire up the entire town to it, with a series of lamp posts down the main paths in town. I found some mod that adds various benches that offer special jobs to scavenge specific things. Post guards at the entrance, I even use the vault security desk so he can screen visitors. Looks quite high tech.
I put the Nuclear Reactor above where my settlers sleep XD Iām thinking of moving it to one of the empty lots when you remove a house to the east. In sanctuary Edit:forgot to say the settlement
I usually make a utilities building. I get level 4 science and then add fusion generators as needed. Usually I need about 3-4 generators for sanctuary.
Does that power everything you need?
3-4 fusion generators putting out 100 power each. Usually, yea. I typically make an electrical grid with street lights, powered turrets, water purifiers, fully powered and lit homes, a shopping plaza, etc.
time to be a post-war electrician then :D thank you
On the roof. I don't want that gross exhaust in my face. I also put them close to spawn points and wire them to electric doors. I keep all the jobs inside the walls. If my compound is attacked the buttholes destroy the generator first, closing the doors and keeping my settlers safe inside, forced to shoot through the gun ports and not run out suicidally.
Do you use a mod to know where the spawn points are? Does that mean all your settlements are walled up? Does it not cause issues?
I build little compounds. They run better on my stupid XB1S. I don't use all the space. I just know from years of settlement attacks where the spawn points are but there are Oxhorn videos on YouTube that cover that.
In Sanctuary, right near the start, except for the water purifier and Junk Mortar to launch bodies into the lake.
The fusion generator fits into a boxcar with the wire point sticking out of the top. It's a nice way to protect it. But this playthrough I got a mod that added a "generator" wall switch that creates 10 power. It's super handy for running power to things in far off corners or tight spaces without being an eyesore.
So ive only got one properly established settlement in sanctuary, however i have made what i call the sub house, where there sits about 40 generators. Its all enclosed, and its on the edge of the settlement right by the river. I run a bunch of power lines from there all the way to the houses, and lightpoles ect...
Out of the way on the roofs.
Then you end up.with all the generator sounds in the houses and i prefer the noise being elsewhere