One of the largest additions to Fallout 4 was settlement building. Players can take the assortment of junk they find in the wasteland and turn it into buildings, turrets, generators, and much more. Bethesda went as far as to make an entire faction in the story revolve around this mechanic. However, many players have a hard time getting into settlement building due to some unintuitive systems and features.
Fortunately, the talented and passionate modding community of Fallout 4 has created some fantastic mods that make settlement building much more intuitive and enjoyable. From simple quality-of-life improvements to fundamental overhauls, here are twelve fantastic settlement mods that make settlement building so much better.
15 cVc Dead Wasteland
The vanilla selection of items that can be constructed in Settlement Mode is pretty decent in its own right. However, it’s only normal that some fans would want even more from this experience.
This is where the cVc Dead Wasteland mod comes into the picture. It adds over a thousand new items that can be constructed while building a settlement, and the fact that all of these items are lore-friendly shows just how much effort was put into making this mod as accurate and engaging as possible.
14 Woody’s Wasteland Stuff
It seems that when it comes to Settlement Mods, the stuff packs are what really sell the experience. So, it’s easy to see why so many people love the Woody’s Wasteland Stuff mod for Fallout 4.
It adds a bunch of cool-looking things into the game without breaking a player’s immersion, which can be pretty challenging to do. Thankfully, this mod succeeds on all fronts and is a must-have for fans of the Settlement Mode who want even more items to play around with.
13 Immersive Settlers
The settlers that arrive to populate a player’s location in Fallout 4 definitely make it feel like the player is on the right track while trying to make these habitats more livable. However, the issue that arises here is that the majority of these settlers are completely lifeless and feel more like walking mannequins than actual people, especially since they don’t even have names of their own!
This is a problem that the Immersive Settlers mod aims to accomplish. It’s a simple but effective mod that gives every settler a random name from over 200 possible monikers. It might seem like a minor change but does wonders when it comes to making the settlements of Fallout 4 feel more organic.
12 Kamuro Neon
While a lot of the Fallout 4 settlement mods focus on making settlements bigger and better, hifoo’s Kamuro Neon mod is a little more niche. It’s one that’s been built specifically for fans of the Yakuza series and aims to bring a little taste of the Japanese nightlife to the Boston wasteland.
Installing the mod will add a number of neon signs to the workshop, all of which are designed to emulate the look and feel of the Kamurocho district from the Yakuza games. Even for those who’ve never played the titles, the neon glow they provide can completely change the look of a settlement and offers a nice option for those looking to mix things up a little.
11 Functional Displays
One of the most enjoyable aspects of the Fallout series is the ability to scavenge a wide variety of unique items and weapons. Sadly though, the vanilla version of Fallout 4 offers very few options when it comes to players storing and displaying their bounty. SecretAgent99’s Functional Displays mod aims to right this wrong.
Once installed, it allows players to show off their weapons, armor, and collectibles in a number of different ways. There are wall-mounted pegboards, glass display cases, and different types of shelves available, providing players with just about everything needed to show off their expert scavenging skills.
10 Scrap Everything
Scrap Everything does what it says on the tin. Once installed, virtually every aspect of a settlement can be scrapped, making it far easier for players to start their settlements from scratch. Granted, it can seem a little daunting at first, but it ultimately gives players far more control over the layouts of their settlements.
Scrap houses, sidewalks, that once irremovable vegetation, nearly everything tied to a settlement can be removed to create more build space. It’s incredibly easy to use too, although players should perhaps be careful as, once scrapped, things can’t be easily restored. However, these minor issues pale in comparison to the world of possibilities opened up by this mod.
9 Quieter Settlements
Most settlement objects that require power generate a large amount of noise. While this is fine when players are making a small settlement, creating multiple generators and turrets can give players a headache with how loud they are. This is especially true when players have to spend a lot of time trying to perfect each and everything about their settlements.
Quieter Settlements from mod author Lemures reduces the noise of these settlement items. This mod comes with a configurable installation to let players adjust how loud different settlement sounds are. Players can finally explore Sanctuary without hearing Sturges hammer a wall from half a mile away.
8 Homemaker - Expanded Settlements
Players that want to make their settlements truly unique should consider installing Homemaker - Expanded Settlements by NovaCoru. This mod adds over 1,000 additional craftable objects to the settlement system, most of which are assets from the vanilla game.
Pre-War assets, Institute architecture, greenhouses, and entire buildings from downtown Boston are included in this mod, allowing players to create the settlement of their dreams. It’s also possible to recreate certain areas of the game too, which can also be a lot of fun. All in all, this mod is a godsend for players who want to create something truly amazing and creative in the game, which is impossible with the vanilla selection of items that can be constructed.
7 Place Everywhere
Building conflicts will be a thing of the past once players install TheLich’s Place Everywhere mod. This mod allows settlement items to be placed anywhere the player desires. Objects can be placed in midair, intersect other objects, or be placed partway into the ground.
Players will still need to abide by the settlement’s building radius and can’t build items directly into the ground. That said, those that want to try their hand at creating massive structures or intricate settlements will definitely want to give this mod a try.
6 Better Settlers
Settlers are mostly useless in Fallout 4, as they can hardly defend themselves. Better Settlers by Thom293 addresses this issue by adding over 240 settler variants to the game. These different settlers not only have unique appearances, but they also have different sets of equipment to make them useful during raids.
Most of the mod is customizable, allowing players to tweak what types of settlers can spawn, the stats and equipment settlers have, and decide the mortality of NPCs in certain situations. It’s a great mod that allows players to focus more on building and less on gearing settlers.
5 OCDecorator - Static Loot
OCDecorator is the perfect mod for players that want to decorate their settlements with small objects found throughout the Commonwealth. This mod allows players to convert most items into a static mesh that cannot be moved by NPCs or physics interactions.
Players will need to craft an OCDispenser tool in their settlement. From there, use the dispenser to convert items to static meshes that can be placed in settlement mode. Decorate the settlement as desired, then enjoy the plethora of perfectly-placed objects that won’t be displaced by a simple nudge.
4 Sim Settlements 2
Sim Settlements is widely known as the largest settlement overhaul for Fallout 4, turning the build-intensive minigame into a Fallout twist on Sim City. This massive mod just received a sequel named Sim Settlements 2, now incorporating over a hundred new building plots, fully-voiced quests, and a few additions to the mod’s core systems such as settler S.P.E.C.I.A.L. stats.
The core of Sim Settlements is letting settlers build their own land. Players create plots that serve different purposes, such as housing or power. Settlers are then assigned to the plot of land and will work on constructing it while the player is away. These buildings can then be upgraded and taxed to provide additional resources and income. It turns the settlement system from mundane micro-management into a city builder that encourages players to frequent their own settlements to see how they evolve.
3 All Settlements Extended
Due to the number of mods that add new items to the settlement system, the border space Bethesda gives players with every settlement can sometimes prove to be just a little bit too small. With the help of mods, though, that need no longer be the case.
Neeher’s All Settlements Extended mod addresses this by extending the border wall of all settlements, increasing the build area players have to work with. Pair this with Homemaker or Sim Settlements to make settlements that rival Diamond City or Megaton in size and scope.
2 Salvage Beacons
Those that don’t want to install a massive overhaul like Sim Settlements 2 but still want some of the mod’s quality-of-life improvements should check out kinggath’s Salvage Beacons mod. It allows players to create salvage beacons that settlers will collect when the player is off exploring, greatly reducing the need for backtracking.
When players have an inventory full of gear, place it in a container along with a salvage beacon, and a nearby settlement will lug the items back to a workshop. It allows players to explore for long periods of time without needing to hustle back to a workbench.
1 Workshop Plus
Workshop Plus adds hotkeys and quality-of-life improvements to the settlement system to make building much less of a pain. This mod introduces copying objects, undoing actions, and grouping objects into layers all through hotkeys.
This mod also allows players to fly and become invisible during settlement building, so they can line up objects better without worrying about enemy fire. If those changes sound too extreme, the mod is fully configurable.
Fallout 4 is available now on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
