Summary

• Settlement building in Fallout 4 was divisive, with some players thriving and others finding controls frustrating.
• Mandatory building within factions like the Minutemen led to exclusion for players lacking building skills.
• Suggestions for improvement include optional building, templates, and settlers constructing settlements themselves.

Like many long-time Fallout fans, I was excited when Fallout 4 was first released back in 2015 and was eager to dive back into the post-apocalyptic world the franchise had created. Unfortunately, that excitement soon waned as I realized that I utterly hated what was a new core mechanic: settlement building. However, despite my personal issues with settlement building, I strongly believe it needs to stay in Fallout and play a part in future installments.

There had been player housing in Fallout since Fallout 3, with Fallout: New Vegas also giving players somewhere to rest and store items. Fallout 4 did the same but expanded on this by introducing a level of customization that hadn't been seen before, and it wasn't just restricted to the player's home. Now the Commonwealth could be changed by the Sole Survivor, with new towns built and settlement supply lines established. However, it soon became clear that some were finding this task easier than others.

Fallout 4’s Settlement Building System Missed The Mark

Many Fans Found The Controls Frustrating

Although I struggled with settlement building, I still love the idea of it. My issues with the mechanic stem from frustration with how it was implemented and my own personal dexterity issues. But I'm far from alone in my complaints about how the settlement building system worked, with it proving over time to be as divisive among Fallout fans as Fallout 4's voiced protagonist.

Why Settlement Building Didn’t Work For Some

Poor POV, UI & Fine Control had Many Ignoring Settlements

The idea itself looks great on paper, with the introduction of the new Minutemen faction being a great vehicle for this new mechanic. However, in practice, settlement building left many of us banging our heads against our keyboards as we attempted to use the clunky controls to carefully place each and every item. As the Sole Survivor was meant to be the one building these new towns, the entire mechanic's interface was from the perspective of the player character, which severely limited camera angles and highlighted other glaring issues with the feature.

I struggled as I tried to build my settlements, determined not to let Preston down as I recruited more and more to the Minutemen’s cause. But I just ended up angry as objects floated mid-air despite my careful attempts to place them, while walls refused to snap together properly, and the result was bare-bone settlements that I avoided like the plague.

I was also left feeling incredibly let down and disappointed due in no small part to why I was struggling. I suffer from circulation issues in my extremities, which means, at times, I can have little to no feeling in my fingers. This can often result in a serious dip in my dexterity and although my situation is unusual, I found I was not alone in feeling upset at the lack of alternative options for settlement building when it came to those with accessibility issues.

Make Building An Optional Feature Not Mandatory

Untangle Settlements & Building From Any Factions Or Main Plots

However, while I struggled, others were thriving and there are plenty of examples of fantastic Fallout 4 settlement builds. It never fails to amaze me when I see the ingenious ways people have used basic items to create something new or just how beautiful some settlements can be. This was proof that the settlement system was a good idea; it just needed to be implemented better.

One of the biggest complaints leveled against the settlement building feature, aside from the controls, was how it was forced on the player. If Preston is met then the settlement system is pushed, in Far Harbor there are a series of settlement quests, Nuka-World wants raider settlements, etc. There is no way to avoid it completely, with elements of it essential to the main quest and even playing a key part in Far Harbor's quest, “Best Left Forgotten,” for the recovery of DiMA's memories.

The build system needs to be used to create the teleporter to access the Institute and advance the main quest.

Whenever I play Fallout 4 now, I usually end up ignoring poor Preston and the Minutemen, as their entire faction questline revolves around building settlements. What should have been an interesting new faction and a great way to improve the Commonwealth instead ends up being linked to a frustrating base-building system and never-ending radiant quests. The settlement system could have been a really nice way to inject some extra life into the Commonwealth, but by forcing players to build their own settlements and offering no alternatives, the Minutemen are left ignored by those who struggle with the build feature.

Templates Could Offer A Building Alternative

Pre-Made Ideas For Those Who Don’t Want To Hand Build The Wasteland

Despite my many issues with the settlement/base-building aspects of Fallout 4, I firmly believe it is a feature that needs to stay and should be included in Fallout 5 and beyond. The idea is a solid one, and Fallout 76 has already made strides in this area by improving the UI and introducing free cam mode when building. But there is still room for improvement.

One of the first things I would suggest is removing the mandatory build aspect, meaning those who want to build can but those who don't have can have other options. Not everyone has the skills or patience to craft impressive, or even functional, settlements, so providing other means to create them seems obvious. This way, no one is locked out of a faction questline, and everyone still gets to see the wasteland improve over time.

A good idea would be to have templates that can be chosen from that could either appear once all the resources have been supplied or slowly over time as materials are added. The “Transfer Settlements - Shareable Settlement Blueprints” mod by CDante proves that people would be interested in that option, as blueprints can be saved and reused or shared with others. There would even be the potential for DLCs to add further templates or even, dare I suggest, the Creation Club could stock more.

Get Settlers More Involved With Building Settlements

Clever Mods Already Offer Solutions To Make The Feature More Engaging

The settlement system at its core is a good idea, it was just poorly executed. There are plenty of Fallout 4 players who enjoyed building throughout the Commonwealth, and still do, crafting awesome towns and themed settlements. And this needs to be continued and encouraged in future Fallout games, just with more options for those of us who lack the ability to do it ourselves.

While templates are one option, another could be to have settlements built slowly by settlers as a trade-off in place of building them personally. “Sim Settlements 2” by kinggath is another great example that can be learned from, as they allow plots to be zoned, which settlers will then build themselves and have lots of building plans to add variety to each settlement. The mod also creates its own questline around the building feature, separating the settlement building from the Minutemen, which I think is something that future Fallout games need to do.

By having the settlement building wrapped up as part of the Minutemen in Fallout 4 it meant anyone who wasn’t interested in or couldn’t build was excluded from an entire faction. Instead of being able to roleplay rebuilding the Commonwealth, we were expected to actually build it and micromanage each new settlement. While Fallout 5 is a long way off yet, I hope that the settlement system sticks around and can be built on to create an experience everyone can enjoy.

Sources: CDante/NexusMods, kinggath/NexusMods