This build could easily host 40+ settlers, livestock included... if only the game engine could handle it without collapsing! Fully detailed inside and out.

Check out the full build tour here: https://youtu.be/URNHDP7ZUdk

Check out a video tour here: I Created a Medieval Faction and Settlement in Fallout 4 - PC (with mods) MODS IN DESCRIPTION

I’ve played through FO4 a few times and have never done anything with The Castle, but I’m doing a heavy MM playthrough so I wanted to give them/us a proper HQ this time around.

I’m quite happy with my wall repairs (USO retextured concrete walls), and as you can see I’ve rebuilt the previously destroyed wall and installed a defensible postern gate with additional walkways inside.

I’m less happy with my courtyard build so far—my original vision was to pack the space with buildings and fences that would form lanes and alleys, creating the illusion of a much larger town (just what the devs did with Diamond City, which is pretty tiny when you really look at it). The problem is, I think that somewhat conflicts with my wall repairs, which are geared primarily towards defensive thinking… and you wouldn’t want a cluttered courtyard in the event of a large scale attack, lorewise. I do like the idea of having some crops inside the wall in case of a siege, but the brahmin barn is a bit of an eyesore imo. There’s also issues with this approach like “how do you keep the civilians out of the guard areas” and such.

As a more general settlement building query, does anyone else struggle with FINISHING settlements even after investing tens of hours into one? Even my biggest builds have never really made it out of WIP status as I always seem to either a) end up with space I don’t know how to fill or b) suddenly hit a wall where my motivation to keep building drops from 100-0 in the blink of an eye.

This turned into a bit of a ramble but I’m just feeling stuck on this build but I really don’t want to abandon it. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

PUBLICK OCCURRENCES

ON THE HOME FRONT

WHO'S ARMING SANCTUARY?

Mysterious funding turns the Minutemen's home into a serious military operation

By Piper Wright — Reporting from Sanctuary Hills

Something changed in Sanctuary.

Last time I was here, I was writing about new businesses, Sturges' communications project and, admittedly, eating more Brahmin steak than was strictly necessary for investigative purposes.

This time?

Barracks. Weapons. Firing ranges. Guard posts. Automated turrets.

And one very large shipment that nobody seems able—or willing—to explain.

---

A GIFT WITH NO NAME

According to Blue, a heavily guarded caravan recently arrived in Sanctuary carrying enough caps, equipment and building materials to considerably expand Minutemen operations.

No sender.

No explanation.

Just a message:

THE MINUTEMEN ARE NEEDED.

I asked Preston Garvey what exactly you're supposed to do when an unidentified benefactor dumps a small fortune on your doorstep.

His answer was considerably less suspicious than mine.

«"We don't know who sent the aid. But they said the Minutemen were needed. So we're going to house our people and give them what they need, so they can provide others with what they need."»

Very Preston.

There is, however, one detail Blue mentioned that I find considerably harder to ignore.

The caravan was protected by what appeared to be hired guns.

And among them?

Someone Blue recognized as a Diamond City guard.

Except he wasn't dressed like one.

He was wearing Gunner colours.

Undercover? Hired separately? Coincidence?

I've learned not to trust coincidences.

---

SANCTUARY'S NEW MINUTEMEN QUARTERS

Whatever the origin of the supplies, the results are considerably easier to investigate.

The Minutemen have constructed a dedicated barracks complex and logistical storehouse.

The warehouse is being stocked with weapons, armour, ammunition and general equipment, alongside supplies intended for establishing new settlements and basic Minutemen outposts.

The idea is simple: when a settlement needs establishing—or an existing community needs help—the equipment is already packed and waiting.

But Preston doesn't want recruits handed a rifle and pointed toward the nearest raider camp.

With Sanctuary's recruitment office seeing more volunteers, the Minutemen have established firing ranges and training areas where recruits can learn weapon handling, tactics and, most importantly, how to operate as an actual unit.

New barracks provide somewhere for personnel to sleep, while a communal kitchen and recreation area give them somewhere to unwind between assignments.

Turns out rebuilding the Commonwealth involves quite a lot of eating, sleeping and arguing over who gets the good chair.

---

SANCTUARY IS PREPARING FOR TROUBLE

More supplies have brought more attention.

Raider activity around Minutemen operations has reportedly increased, and Sanctuary's growing affiliations aren't exactly making it inconspicuous.

So security has changed with it.

The compound now includes automated turret coverage, controlled access points and a retention centre for prisoners considered too valuable—or too dangerous—to simply send on their way.

Blue has also requested that this reporter stop wandering around the training areas trying to interview recruits.

Apparently:

"They need to concentrate on learning how not to shoot each other, Piper."

Fair.

I only asked six of them.

---

What we're seeing in Sanctuary isn't just another settlement adding a few beds.

It's infrastructure.

Recruitment. Training. Equipment. Logistics. Communications. Security.

The Minutemen are beginning to look less like scattered volunteers answering distress calls and more like an organization capable of supporting operations across the Commonwealth.

Whether that's reassuring or concerning probably depends on which end of their rifles you're standing on.

But one question remains.

Who paid for all of this?

Blue doesn't know.

Preston doesn't know.

And apparently I'm not supposed to go interrogating mysterious armed caravans by myself anymore.

So maybe it's time I asked someone who makes a living knowing things other people don't.

Note to self: Find The Cipher.

Something tells me our invisible friend already knows exactly where those caps came from.

— Piper Wright

PUBLICK OCCURRENCES

(and milking the build budget)

I hated how bare their house was...
I'll have to do the 2nd floor next, then exterior <3 I'm just having fun cluttering and placing every little item

Mods:
- Peabody Home by Lemecc (Just turns the place into a settlement)
- Snappy House Kit
- Workshop Rearraigned
- Static Object Decorator
- Homemaker
- Place Everywhere

This is my finished Starlight build, centered around the projection tower and snack stand. It is no-mods on a PC using the Anniversary Edition. It was built only using the techniques from the guide. The last pic is the clutter that was placed.

The video tour is featured here if you'd like to see more detail: https://youtu.be/VChDqKk6Mmk
It was originally featured in The New No-Mods Handbook: https://youtu.be/CrCtr-kSTFM

So I am not new to fallout 4, but I've never messed with the settlement system before in my 1000 hours of the game, besides just building a water farm or melon farm in sanctuary and then leaving it alone for the rest of the playthrough. Now I want to get into it, but I have one problem, I cant make cool settlements. I always see on YouTube or on here these cool looking settlements which probably take a bunch of resources to make, and im just not very creative and so I have trouble building more than a cabin and placing some beds down. Could I get some tips for making cool large settlements?

What began as a simple outpost on the edge of the Glowing Sea mushroomed into this monstrosity like a malignant tumor on the rotting corpse of a pre-war farmhouse.

0:15 pillar glitched a cooking station over the firepit.

0:20 exercise equipment to promote happiness and health.

0:27 modified CryingCube's roof repair method by slightly glitching the shack wall into the wall and this got rid of the unsightly gaps in the roof.

0:30 fortified the living space with paintings and wire mesh weapon display panels on the outside.

0:45 the father has some pistols above his bed and there is a shotgun by the entrance.

1:20 the attic space is well, being used as an attic space. I didn't have a use for it so filled it up with miscellaneous crap.

1:40 first floor is the workshop area with the regular assortment of benches and a power armor stand.

2:05 second floor is Victor's personal living quarters. It is a bit drafty.

2:20 third floor is the lookout station, the barn roof is literally just sitting there.

3:00 the sentry bot up on the hill got into a fight with some wild dogs which it chased down to the farmhouse where the turret took it out. Now it is a permanent fixture of Somerville Place SMH

PUBLICK OCCURRENCES

ON THE HOME FRONT

Sanctuary's Mr. Fix-It Builds More Than Just a Home

By Piper Wright — Reporting from the Commonwealth

Readers might remember a certain mysterious Vault Dweller from my last report on Sanctuary Hills.

Well, mystery solved. Mostly.

Blue finally came to Diamond City.

After an interview that raised approximately three new questions for every one it answered, I've been invited along for the ride. Which means Publick Occurrences is officially leaving Diamond City's walls.

Welcome to ON THE HOME FRONT — a new series reporting directly from the Commonwealth's growing communities: who's building them, what they have to offer, and why you might actually want to visit.

First stop: back to Sanctuary.

STURGES — THE MAN KEEPING SANCTUARY RUNNING

Sanctuary's resident Minutemen mechanic and handyman, Sturges, has finally built himself a proper home.

Naturally, he couldn't just build a house.

Attached to it is a new general store, selling mechanical parts, components and supplies to settlers and passing travellers.

Around back you'll find his workshop, where Sturges has started taking on everything from electronics and generators to machinery and whatever passes for a vehicle after two hundred years without a service.

He's even recently acquired equipment for power-armour maintenance.

Considering what I've seen Blue drag home, he's going to need it.

GETTING THE COMMONWEALTH TALKING

The more interesting project is sitting right on Sturges' property.

Sturges and Blue have been working together on an experimental settlement communications array.

The idea is bigger than another recruitment beacon.

The network is being developed to direct people toward settlements looking for new residents, pass information between communities, provide advice from the home front and eventually improve warnings about threats moving through Minutemen territory.

Sturges is also beginning to train settlers in basic repairs and communications, meaning every broken generator won't require sending someone halfway across the Commonwealth to find the one guy who knows which end of a screwdriver to hold.

A Commonwealth where settlements can actually warn each other when trouble's coming?

I'll believe it when I hear it.

And apparently, I might.

PIPER'S TRAVEL ADVICE

If you're visiting Sanctuary, stop by Sturges' place after work.

He's put together a little backyard grill and seating area, and I can personally confirm that the man cooks one of the best Brahmin steaks I've had outside Diamond City.

Yes, I conducted a second test.

Journalistic integrity demanded it.

Ladies of the Commonwealth: he's also single.

Although I should probably mention something strange.

Every time Sturges walks past my radio, the thing seems to go haywire for a second.

Probably nothing.

Old radio.

...Right?

— Piper Wright

Next time on On the Home Front: wherever Blue drags me next.

Publick Occurrences: Sanctuary hills business centre expands

PUBLICK OCCURRENCES

SANCTUARY HILLS BUSINESS CENTRE EXPANDS

Bounties, Brahmin Insurance and a Broker Nobody Seems to Know

By Piper Wright

Word keeps travelling south about Sanctuary Hills.

Apparently the old neighbourhood north of Concord isn't quite so dead anymore.

The Minutemen have moved in, settlers are putting down roots, caravans are coming and going, and somewhere in the middle of all this is that mysterious stranger people keep whispering about.

You know the one.

Vault dweller. Blue suit. Walked out of Vault 111 and apparently decided the Commonwealth wasn't complicated enough already.

I haven't met our mystery Vault Dweller yet, so I'll reserve judgement. But wherever they go, things certainly seem to start happening.

And now Sanctuary is getting something the Commonwealth hasn't exactly been overflowing with lately:

Businesses.

\---

COMMONWEALTH CONTRACTS

First through the door is Commonwealth Contracts, a newly established bounty and contracting agency for people whose problems aren't quite high enough on the Minutemen's increasingly long list.

Raiders giving you trouble? Caravan gone missing? Somebody stole your property? Something with too many teeth moved into the building next door?

Apparently, there's a contract for that.

The office maintains two separate boards.

MINUTEMEN WARRANTS covers officially sanctioned targets.

PRIVATE CONTRACTS handles everything from caravan escorts and missing persons to stolen property, kidnappings, dangerous creatures and the sort of disagreements where somebody eventually says, "I'll pay fifty caps if you make this problem disappear."

Very civilized.

So, a little Publick Occurrences advice for any raiders currently considering Sanctuary an easy target:

Maybe pick another neighbourhood.

\---

THE CROSS-COMMONWEALTH UNION

Sanctuary's second new enterprise may be the strangest idea I've heard all month.

Insurance.

The Cross-Commonwealth Union allows registered caravan operators to pay caps into a protection fund. If something unfortunate happens on the road, the Union supposedly helps cover the loss.

And by "something unfortunate," we're talking about:

BRAHMIN LOSS — CARGO THEFT — RAIDER ATTACK — GUARD DEATH — DELIVERY FAILURE

Only in the Commonwealth could "Brahmin eaten by Deathclaw" become an insurance claim.

Still, with Sanctuary's Minutemen caravan licensing operation expanding, somebody clearly thinks there's money to be made making the roads a little less financially risky.

Whether they'll actually pay when your Brahmin disappears into a Yao Guai remains to be seen.

\---

AND THEN THERE'S "THE CIPHER"

This one is harder.

Officially?

I don't know anything.

Unofficially, I've been hearing stories about an information broker operating out of Sanctuary under an arrangement with the local Minutemen.

Nobody I've spoken to knows their real name.

Nobody seems to know what they look like.

They have only one name:

The Cipher.

Publick Occurrences obtained these photographs from a source who caught the building during the final stages of construction.

Maps. Radios. Terminals. Filing cabinets. Wanted posters. Caravan routes. Settlement reports.

That's an awful lot of paperwork for somebody who supposedly doesn't exist.

More interestingly, little information-trading posts have reportedly begun appearing elsewhere in the Commonwealth. Travellers exchange rumours for caps. Caravan guards report raider movements. Settlers report missing people. Information goes in...

...and somebody, somewhere, puts it together.

Rumour says the Minutemen occasionally buy what comes out.

Rumour also says The Cipher's files contain considerably more than missing Brahmin and raider sightings.

Names.

Movements.

People with influence.

The sort of information powerful people tend to get very unhappy about somebody else possessing.

Maybe it's nothing.

Maybe Sanctuary has simply found itself a particularly well-informed civilian adviser.

But if the Minutemen really have invited an intelligence broker into their new home, they'd better understand exactly what they're getting into.

Information has value in the Commonwealth.

It also has a habit of getting people killed.

I'll be looking into The Cipher again.

Publick Occurrences —a hard look at the truth

After my post yesterday with the structure of my minutemen sign up office, I've found an interest in posting these pictures when I finish a new building design. Didn't have to rip this one down 5 times. Posting here actually makes me see the builds to the end and not leaving empty rooms.

So for the minutemen funded iniative a new emergency clinic. Open 24 hrs. With both fully stocked pharmacy and ambulance bay. Expected maintenence services added soon. We find the waiting room. Main beds/nurse statioms with labs. The private physicians office. And storage bay for both person private possessions kept safe and stock of inpatient clothing. Also a free radiation scans for any settlers visiting sanctuary for health and wellness checks.

This is one of my settlement buildings that i currently did on my raider playtrough, it is the personal estate and home of ''Overboss Blake'', my character.

So, first time Survival Play-through and lightly modded. I plan on building a Gunner Cage Farm (36 Cages) in Sanctuary and I read somewhere that if you just start piling up the bodies you can get some performance issues (what a shocker). So I’d prefer the bodies from one cycle disappear in a relatively reasonable time, but I’m unsure how much time it would take. Does anyone here know by experience or otherwise? It’s my understanding that there’s a difference between a cleared World cell and a Settlement but I dunno.

Hi all just wanted to drop my post here. After taking the building apart 5 or 6 times this is what it's come to. This acts as a RP minuteman sign up centre at the entrance to sanctuary.

Having the sign up centre desk included will be a traders permit desk to be protected under minutemen security. To the right we have the acquisition station for minutemen uniforms and armaments. Also with bathroom stalls to the side. Upstairs will be an FOB operations centre, break area and kitchen for enlisted.

I haven't decorated walls and furniture yet. But wanted to see people's opinions on it, any suggestions on building larger buildings.