UESP Forums

Settlement-building is a big part of Fallout 4. Here's a thread to discuss that aspect of the game.

Post screenshots, video-tours, and/or stories about how you've been trying to revitalize Boston! Role-playing is welcome. Sharing tips and strategies for getting the most out of your settlements is fine, too. (obviously, there will be spoilers, at least so far as which settlements can be unlocked)

To start with, here's a map of the Commonwealth as established by my character, Jack Cranston, c. 2278.


Note: the boundaries on this map are crude and inexact. The map was drafted by a page, as there are no skilled cartographers left in the Commonwealth.

MAP KEY

MIDDLESEX COUNTY

The first region to be tamed by the Minutemen, now the largest and most peaceful county in the Commonwealth; Middlesex County includes the pre-War towns of Lexington, Concord, and the surrounding countryside. The forests have ample game (the woods being affectionately known as "Radstag Country"), the fields are fertile, and raiders are rare. Homesteading is encouraged in Middlesex County and the major settlements are fairly spread out, so while this region boasts the highest aggregate settler population in all of New Massachusetts, it's also one of the quietest and least-densely developed. The biggest problem faced by residents here is a lack of open water; being far inland and having few major rivers or lakes means that many settlements need to make due with groundwater wells. Generally, this is seen to be a small price to pay for the county's rich farmlands and lack of major threats, and it further encourages residents to spread out.



((( SANCTUARY )))
The Greater Sanctuary Metropolitan area, sometimes referred to as New Concord (a name favoured by other residents of Middlesex County) or New Quincy (a name favoured by the settlers who live here), is a cluster of three closely-link settlements which lie along the far northwestern border of the Free Commonwealth. Just outside of the pre-War ruins of Concord, built in and around picturesque Lake Sanctuary, Sanctuary is considered to be a model of post-War civilization, its wealth and prestige now almost rivaling even Diamond City. The settlements which together constitute "Sanctuary" are as follows:


SANCTUARY HILLS
The Beacon of the Commonwealth




Heraldic Symbol: a golden sun upon a field of Massachusetts Blue.
Population: 22
The largest settlement north of the Charles River, and de facto capital of the Free Commonwealth. Ample space, historic 21st-century housing, and an easily-defensible position on an island (further protected on two sides by as-yet impassable mountains) make Sanctuary one of the Commonwealth's most desirable places to live. The town was originally founded by General Cranston and a group of settlers from Quincy, "the last of the Minutemen"; many of these settlers are still alive, and help to give the town a unique flavor.

. bountiful farmland, with crops planted in most of the pre-war yards, and plenty of water, supplied by a high-capacity water purification plant.
. many shops, at least one of each type, with multiple copies of the basic shops to help cover demand.
. near the bridge, a famous bar/ social club called "The Dirty Glass" (named in honor of a now-destroyed Quincy pub)
. a four-story tall power-building, housing nuclear generators and the surface's only teleportation relay device.
. working electricity for all houses
. lots of dogs! Sturges breeds them.
. scenic park with a small graveyard for settlers who died.


ABERNATHY
The B-rad-Basket of the North


Heraldic Symbol - a pre-war electrical tower, ivory-tan, on a field of sienna
Population: 13
A sprawling farming community. Founded by the Abernathy family some years prior to the dedication of Sanctuary Hills, this settlement is now considered to be the outermost district of the Sanctuary Metropolitan Area. While hobbled somewhat by the lack of open water sources (the nearest body of water being Ranger Creek, some ways east of the settlement lines), Abernathy's flat, fertile fields and close proximity to Sanctuary Island have allowed it to become one of the most-respected farming communities in the entire Commonwealth. The settlement itself is built up around Abernathy Hall, a large warehouse built into the base of a pre-war transmission tower. Most of the private housing is built to the north, while the south is given over mainly to open fields. Currently, the outermost southern fields are used for brahmin grazing and local recreation; proposals have been made to convert this open land into either additional orchards, more housing, or a large baseball field, but so far a consensus has not been reached.

. large fields and plenty of crops.
. a small brewery which produces Abernathy's Own Razorgrain Stout.
. a large barn/ community hall
. rooftop restaurant provides great views of the surrounding countryside.
. church/hospital with attached cemetery.
. cat memorial! The Abernathy's cat was killed in a Supermutant raid.


RED ROCKET
Ad Caelum, Vigilate Terrea


Heraldic Symbol: a lunar rocket, red, on a white field
Population: 12
Perched atop a cliff overlooking the scrap-mines of Old Concord, Red Rocket is a pre-war mechanic's shop converted into a formidable post-apocalyptic castle. During the very early days of the Wars of Liberation, Red Rocket was the General's private base, a rally-point for his officers, and the Minutemen's Field Command headquarters (functions that were eventually supplanted by Taffington, Covenant, and The Castle). By tradition, permanent residents of The Rocket were highly-trained soldiers, scavengers, and adventurers, but in recent times that requirement has been waived; today, Red Rocket is considered to be a residential district first, a defensive outpost, second. Nevertheless, Red Rocket continues to fill an important strategic role, its guns protecting the bridge to Sanctuary Hills, and its towers keeping watch over the entire Concord valley below.

. strategically commanding position
. high-tech defenses and an artillery installation that is capable of raining death upon any monsters approaching New Quincy
. ringed with reinforced steel walls; no raiders allowed!
. boasts the largest stockpile of Power Armour north of the Charles River; only the Airport and the Castle have more