Fallout 4 - it's official! Coming Nov 10, '15

[Imp]

The forging machines are a a pain to use compared to the crafting workbenches. Among other things, you can't connect them to your supply network the way your crafting workbenches are connected, so you're always limited to whatever local resources are available. They also have a very high power draw (15 units), so you need a buttload of resources around to make generators before you can set one up.

At least it's a lore-friendly way of making weapons if you haven't been able to find, say, a Gauss rifle, or if you want to mass-produce weapons, armor, and clothing for your peons.

Sssssweet. Now I don't have to wait for all the Gunners to respawn to get high quality combat armor for my peons -- too bad the peons don't seem to level.

And I thought I'd have to pay for this one and that Far Harbor was the last piece of the first season pass.

The DLC with the cages is the only one I'm not a big fan of. However, I think that one added concrete buildings which I am a huge fan of.

 

[GusSmed]

There are some good bits to Wasteland Workshop.

I use the concrete building pieces. Those could be a little bit better, since they're not the same size as the wooden and steel pieces, and they sometimes don't snap right. The concrete pillars are great cosmetically, but don't actually act as walls, so you have to put up walls, put up the ceiling, put in the pillars, and then remove the walls to get the right look.

The angled and curved concrete pieces are a significant feature. There are no player mods that do anything like that. Yet I never end up using them. I should, but I still end up building boxes.

The barn roof pieces are pretty good. Better than Snap N Build's angled roofs. You don't need to use other barn pieces to use the sloped roofs, they look fine with regular wooden walls.

The powered pump is stupid from a resource point of view, it's way too expensive in resources and power compared to, say, 3 regular pumps. I've still used it once I was rolling in materials just because it was more aesthetic to have a single pump. The fusion power generator is similar, very expensive for what it does, but compact and quick to put down if you have the aluminum to burn and don't want a big house full of generators.

It has those individual letters for signs. If you like signs, powered or not, those are good.

The cages and traps are the only thing that makes Wasteland Workshop feel like something more than one of the bigger player mods (like Snap N Build or Homemaker), and they're crap.

If all you wanted were concrete walls, and you didn't have Wasteland Workshop, there are player mods that do that. They're not as good as Wasteland Workshop's concrete walls, but they get the job done.

EDIT: Come to think of it, there's a global feature of Wasteland Workshop that I forgot. Those common, inexpensive concrete shipments that all the vendors have, including your own junk vendors. They make it much cheaper and more practical to build elaborate settlements, provided you're willing to use concrete a lot.

Prior to Wasteland Workshop, walling in just one settlement with a set of concrete foundations to give a fortress look used all the concrete I could find or buy. Now it's something you can do routinely if you want.

 

[clok1966]

Far Harbor is worth it. Nuka World probably will be, though we haven't seen it yet.

Automatron is actually pretty good too. It doesn't add too much in new areas (3 interior locations), but the addition of two new factions shooting it out in random encounters livens the game up quite a bit. I had the Rust Devils make an assault on Diamond City in one game, and that was quite interesting. Plus there's the "build your own robot" thing, which wasn't as good as I thought, but it's something.

I'd say the Season Pass was a good deal at $30, when I got it. Not so much at $50, since the Workshop things aren't very good. Though maybe Contraptions will be better than I'm expecting.

Agreed Far Harbor is pretty good, its to bad its so easy if you enjoy game you are way overleved when you get to it.

 

[GusSmed]

Agreed Far Harbor is pretty good, its to bad its so easy if you enjoy game you are way overleved when you get to it.

I started a Survival Mode new game specifically to play Far Harbor without that drawback. However, I thought maybe I'd get Preston's perk before I went. I was ready, but then I thought maybe I should get Piper's perk - after all, I'd be exploring a lot of new content. And, oh, I'm playing on Survival, I should really establish those settlements along the way, like Finch Farm, the Slog, and Coastal Cottage. Those will be my local bases.

Somehow, by the time I reached Far Harbor, I was level 60.

 

[uallas5]

... I'm flat out of aluminum.

One of the reasons I never minded the quests that reset hospitals like Medford. Between the Surgical trays (aluminum) and Microscopes (fiber optics) I'm always happy to clear them out again and again.

 

[clok1966]

I started a Survival Mode new game specifically to play Far Harbor without that drawback. However, I thought maybe I'd get Preston's perk before I went. I was ready, but then I thought maybe I should get Piper's perk - after all, I'd be exploring a lot of new content. And, oh, I'm playing on Survival, I should really establish those settlements along the way, like Finch Farm, the Slog, and Coastal Cottage. Those will be my local bases.

Somehow, by the time I reached Far Harbor, I was level 60.

No doubt, i tired the same, but wanted some "mats" when i got to far harbor, when i started i wasn't even sure i was going to get to do settlements there. But same as you.. was 46 by time I did it. About my only issues is i love my assault rifle, but with all my perks on ammo i dont have enough for it.. so its shotgun, but its got a +50 rad damage bonus so Im gibbing anyways. And still enjoying it

 

[werepossum]

One of the reasons I never minded the quests that reset hospitals like Medford. Between the Surgical trays (aluminum) and Microscopes (fiber optics) I'm always happy to clear them out again and again.

Hmm, good point. I need to hit the hospitals again. And the fish processing plants.

 

[Imp]

The angled and curved concrete pieces are a significant feature. There are no player mods that do anything like that. Yet I never end up using them. I should, but I still end up building boxes.

The barn roof pieces are pretty good. Better than Snap N Build's angled roofs. You don't need to use other barn pieces to use the sloped roofs, they look fine with regular wooden walls.

The powered pump is stupid from a resource point of view, it's way too expensive in resources and power compared to, say, 3 regular pumps. I've still used it once I was rolling in materials just because it was more aesthetic to have a single pump. The fusion power generator is similar, very expensive for what it does, but compact and quick to put down if you have the aluminum to burn and don't want a big house full of generators.

I've found a use for the round concrete pieces: towers for small groups of unpowered turrets.

The barn stuff I haven't touched. I don't like them -- they look cheap compared to thick, sexy, uniformly colored concrete.

I'm level 100 and have so many resources that I have been replacing my gas generators with fusion generators, and subsequently centralizing my power source. Yes, level 100 because I fought and earned my way to it, I "deserve" this. And high level enemies are funner to kill.

One of the reasons I never minded the quests that reset hospitals like Medford. Between the Surgical trays (aluminum) and Microscopes (fiber optics) I'm always happy to clear them out again and again.

Completely forgot that place is littered with microscopes. I hate going because it's boring due to low level enemies, and numerous pop-up quests sent me there over and over again.

 

[uallas5]

The fusion power generator is similar, very expensive for what it does, but compact and quick to put down if you have the aluminum to burn and don't want a big house full of generators.

The bunch of generators was why I put in a mod the increases the power output of the wind turbine. I'd rather just build a big ass windmill where I have the room like the gunners do but the game won't let me so the mod was the next best thing. I also put in an aesthetic mod that increases the blade speed so the thing looks like it working harder.

I also put in another mod that lets me build solar panels. You need a Science of at least 3 and 2 makeshift batteries so you can't build them willy nilly but they're perfect for small spaces like Hangman's alley where you might be worried about generator sound. They don't put out a massive amount of power but 2 put out 12 so that's enough for a small place like that.

 

[GusSmed]

The barn stuff I haven't touched. I don't like them -- they look cheap compared to thick, sexy, uniformly colored concrete.

The barn roofs are pretty good, and look much better than the barn walls. I generally go Snap N Build walls for housing, which look like current construction rather than junkyard messes, and the barn roofs complete the "this is actual housing for New England winters" look rather than the flat-top roofs that no one sane would use hereabouts.

The bunch of generators was why I put in a mod the increases the power output of the wind turbine.

The stock windmills are silly. They're hideously expensive in terms of aluminum, and have very low output. I've thought about installing a mod that removes the aluminum cost to make them a reasonable alternative to the gas powered generators.

I've used the solar panels mod you mentioned. The "makeshift battery" requirement is a huge sticking point, even with a mod that lets me build makeshift batteries. The game tends to cannibalize the batteries before just about anything else, so if I've scavenged batteries, they're gone before I can use them to make solar panels. With the "make battery" mod, I have to make a battery and immediately drop it from my inventory. Otherwise trying to make the 2nd battery disassembles the first for parts.

The panels are great aesthetically, and feel like something you'd actually use in setting up a post-apocalyptic settlement, provided you could scavenge the PV panels. The main drawback is that if you're placing them realistically, they should be out in the open where they're vulnerable to enemy attacks. Raiders are really fond of shooting at power supplies, which is why I usually wall in my regular power sources.

 

[uallas5]

The stock windmills are silly. They're hideously expensive in terms of aluminum, and have very low output. I've thought about installing a mod that removes the aluminum cost to make them a reasonable alternative to the gas powered generators.

Another reason I like using windmills is that I don't really think the generators fit in the game very well. If their society wasn't centered around fossil fuels like ours is, were is all the gas coming from? It would take more oil than you can find in the game to run the large generator for even a day. The nuclear generator makes more sense but if I can McGuyver a laser turret out of duct tape, tin cans, and an old microscope, why do I have to be Oppenheimer to reverse engineer the working fusion core generators that I come across all the time?

I've used the solar panels mod you mentioned. The "makeshift battery" requirement is a huge sticking point, even with a mod that lets me build makeshift batteries. The game tends to cannibalize the batteries before just about anything else, so if I've scavenged batteries, they're gone before I can use them to make solar panels.

I aways build a box next to my workshop in every new settlement to put "junk" that I don't want to carry but also don't consider junk. Batteries are one, hand tools that I can sell to Calvin for big time caps are another.

The panels are great aesthetically, and feel like something you'd actually use in setting up a post-apocalyptic settlement, provided you could scavenge the PV panels. The main drawback is that if you're placing them realistically, they should be out in the open where they're vulnerable to enemy attacks. Raiders are really fond of shooting at power supplies, which is why I usually wall in my regular power sources.

I either put them on flat rooftops or I build horizontal platforms off of angled roofs for them. I have to use console commands to move the platforms into position but once there I can put supports underneath to make them look normal. One of my mods uses an auto-hotkey script so all the movement commands are just simple key presses. Also helps when repairing existing structures to put up a new wall or floor then quickly "insert" it into the damaged one.

 

[GusSmed]

If it had been me, the fusion generators would have fairly low Perk and resource requirements, but they'd require a Fusion Core. Build one, pop in a Fusion Core, and you've got power. Remove it for use elsewhere, and power generation stops.

Then again, I'd have written the main game so that removing the Fusion Core from one of those generators shuts down all local power, instead of just giving a brief brown out. If the power generators seem to continue just fine without the Core, why does it have one in the first place?

I've considered installing Precise Object Moving, but the requirement of installing a piece of resident software on my computer made me too uncomfortable.

 

[uallas5]

We use Autohotkey at work and I'm used to editing the scripts which are just basic text files so in this instance I was comfortable but normally I would share the same concerns.

 

[werepossum]

I've found a use for the round concrete pieces: towers for small groups of unpowered turrets.

The barn stuff I haven't touched. I don't like them -- they look cheap compared to thick, sexy, uniformly colored concrete.

I'm level 100 and have so many resources that I have been replacing my gas generators with fusion generators, and subsequently centralizing my power source. Yes, level 100 because I fought and earned my way to it, I "deserve" this. And high level enemies are funner to kill.

Completely forgot that place is littered with microscopes. I hate going because it's boring due to low level enemies, and numerous pop-up quests sent me there over and over again.

I do believe that's the first time I've heard concrete called sexy. Although I like that idea about turret towers - I've been using wooden bridges.

If it had been me, the fusion generators would have fairly low Perk and resource requirements, but they'd require a Fusion Core. Build one, pop in a Fusion Core, and you've got power. Remove it for use elsewhere, and power generation stops.

Then again, I'd have written the main game so that removing the Fusion Core from one of those generators shuts down all local power, instead of just giving a brief brown out. If the power generators seem to continue just fine without the Core, why does it have one in the first place?

I've considered installing Precise Object Moving, but the requirement of installing a piece of resident software on my computer made me too uncomfortable.

Agreed. How does it make sense that a fusion generator works perfectly fine without its power source? Oh, right - it's the same science that says I can build a fusion generator but not a rain-tight wall.

Uallas5 mentioned Hangman's Alley - what's up with the absurdly low building ceiling there? The one spot where your only choice is to build upward and you can't. Need a mod that removes that barrier. Also one that expands the settlement area out to defensible buildings.

There are several perfectly good buildings.

Shut up, you! Build your shanty, for those buildings are beyond the green glow!

 

[GusSmed]

There are a bunch of mods that fiddle with settlement borders, but none of them seem safe. They all mention things like the mod triggering a reset on the area, destroying anything you might have stored there.

EDIT: Also, I've been using fairly substantial bunkers to elevate my turrets. My standard installation is a 3x2 rectangle, bottom floor is walled off (an often holds generators), 2nd and possibly 3rd floors have turrets.

Single, circular towers are an interesting idea, though.

 

[shortylickens]

I went ahead and got the Season Pass.
But I also started a new game and cant build most of the new goodies yet.
Oh well.

 

[Rakewell]

There are a bunch of mods that fiddle with settlement borders, but none of them seem safe. They all mention things like the mod triggering a reset on the area, destroying anything you might have stored there.

EDIT: Also, I've been using fairly substantial bunkers to elevate my turrets. My standard installation is a 3x2 rectangle, bottom floor is walled off (an often holds generators), 2nd and possibly 3rd floors have turrets.

Single, circular towers are an interesting idea, though.

Yeah... the infamous Cell Reset bug. The two safe ones I've been using are "Spring Cleaning" and "Place Anywhere".

I recommend both, and neither of them have that bug, and I've been using since the game came out without issue--and the latter of the two makes settlement building so much easier, I can't imagine playing the game without it.

 

[shortylickens]

I've been using Scrap Everything by shadowslasher410.


In addition to the scrapping abilities, it also allows you to go outside the normal settlement zone.
Have had it for months with no issues of any kind. I recommend.

 

[Imp]

I do believe that's the first time I've heard concrete called sexy. Although I like that idea about turret towers - I've been using wooden bridges.

Uallas5 mentioned Hangman's Alley - what's up with the absurdly low building ceiling there? The one spot where your only choice is to build upward and you can't. Need a mod that removes that barrier. Also one that expands the settlement area out to defensible buildings.

Ugh, I tried using wood bridges when I first started playing for elevating turrets. It bugged me that the bridges weren't flat and the turret bases didn't sit "properly" on them.

Hangman's Alley and Covenant... what the hell. They are so cramped with such low ceilings for absolutely no reason. I can't believe they still haven't fixed Covenant.

 

[GusSmed]

I think they don't want you crawling up on the rooftops from Hangman's Alley. Though why I don't know, there's nothing all that interesting up there, and while rooftops are great for sniping at nearby locations, Hangman's Alley isn't next to anything important.

There are no excuses for Covenant at all.

 

[Imp]

It's especially bad considering the two settlements beside freeways. They let you build all the way up at the top! I mean, it's pointless, but at least it's allowed.

 

[werepossum]

I've started cautiously deploying some missile turrets. At Coastal Cottage, there is a deathclaw spawn point nearby. Half a dozen missile turrets make lizard fries so quickly that none of my settlers have the chance to get into the field of fire. Two big concrete foundations at the south entrance with a pair of missile turrets just inside managed to take out the very high level gunners at point blank range without taking any damage or blue-on-blue, although I have to move my spawn point. I fast-traveled and landed directly between them, and I was so dazzled that I didn't get off a single shot in spite of the fact that there was a gunner captain at knife range in front of me. I took a bit of splash damage, but the biggest problem was that the flash of the turrets and near-simultaneous explosions blinded me. I couldn't see crap! Heavy machinegun turrets on the building side and on the concrete foundations took out all but two gunners in their tracks before they closed, and a healthy triple layer of heavy machinegun turrets in the draw from the coastal road likewise stopped another half-dozen cold. My preference was completely superfluous. I have to similarly strengthen Jamaica Plains - last attack there did some damage. But before I travel there, I have to go back to Railroad, and before I do that I have to escort McCreedy to the MedTek building.

This time around I'm not visiting Covenant until I deal with the Institute, to see what happens.

 

[GusSmed]

I've gotten in the habit of moving my fast-travel target into an enclosed bunker when I throw up the initial defenses at a settlement. I have too many experiences with landing, as you said, in knife range of spawning attackers.

 

[werepossum]

I like to spawn up high, where I have great fields of fire and views.

 

[maevinj]

So dumb question...

Spoiler

If I went with the BoS and blew up the Institute, is that effectively the end of the main story? Is it worth it to play back through and choose another side? I realize now I should have created a main save point so I could go back and re-choose if I wanted.