Sim Settlements Not Showing Up
Settlers Are Not Showing Up Sim Settlements doesn't alter the recruitment chance in any way. The only things that affect recruitment are your character's Charisma, settlement happiness, and whether or not your settlers have jobs (if you have 5+settlers without jobs, no new ones will appear). The most common issues are. Mods won't work, about to scream. Before you see 'mods don't work' and link me to the 'for frackin idiots' please read. I have Windows Vista 64 bit on my new computer that arrived a few days ago. The game runs fine (guess I'm lucky in that respect) but I really can't get ANY mods to show up in my game. The UAC thing is turned off so that isn't. A menu should pop up with a list of your settlements; the one you choose is the one you connect with. All the lines extending out from Sanctuary show which settlements it shares supplies with.
Sim Settlements is a great mod that changes the way we play and approach Fallout 4. It's made in a way where you could easily enjoy it with it being your only mod, or popped in last as your 254th mod. But here's my recommendations on how best to utilize Sim Settlements in your next playthrough.
When I learned about Sim Settlements I looked for a guide like the one I am about to write, and couldn't find anything. (This is everything I've learned from the Sim Settlements community between when I found out about the mod, and now.) I couldn't find anything about the mods that best supplement Sim Settlements, smooth over cracks in the engine, or similarly follow Sim Settlement's mission statement of giving you a reason to use, and keep coming back to the Settlement System in Fallout 4.
So here's ~25 mods to make your next Sim Settlements game better. This guide is targeted at players unfamiliar with Sim Settlements, but hopefully Sim-Set vets can learn a thing or two as well. I'll be going over each mod a little, talk about the install process and why I chose them specifically and why I use them over other similar mods.
This set of mods will also include semi-related mods like the Unofficial Patch, so that someone new to modding could use these and only these mods and have an optimal time, but I'll try to keep tangential mods to a minimum.
This guide will be for PC only (although I'd be more than happy someone adapt this for Xbox1 many, but not all, of these mods are also available there) and I'll be using Mod Organizer 2 to set up my mods and include steps specific to MO2, but, NMM would work 100% fine for this guide, and I'll be going over them in the correct install order, with Load Order for both NMM and MO2 last.
Useful links for this guide:
Correct Version of LOOT for FO4 -- Use LOOT only for mods not included in this guide. I'll be going over load order for these mods at the end.
Latest Version of F4SE -- Install this now if you haven't it will be required for some mods in the list.
And without further delay, let's go over some mods!~
1.) Unofficial Patch
Everyone should always use the Unofficial Patch for all Bethesda games, include Fallout 4, the team behind these mods do great work making these games work as intended. Simple as that. Installs easily and simply.
2.) AWKCR - Armor and Weapon Keywords Community Resource
This mod doesn't do much on it's own, but is core for most Fallout 4 setups and is required for some of the mods below. Installs easily and simply.
3.) Armorsmith Extended
One of Fallout 4's biggest and best mods, works wonders with the previous mod, and some of the ones below. You could technically go without this one, but I don't see why you would. This guide isn't really about these first 3 mods, so I kind of glossed over them, but we're about to get into more detail below. Installs easily and simply.
4.) MCM - Mod Configuration Menu
A relatively new mod at the time of writing this guide, coming from FNV and then Skyrim, MCM changes the way mods are configured in game using F4SE, unlocking new possibilities, and is required for some of the mods below. A little trickier to install with Mod Organizer, I'll copy the fix from the mod's comments page below. No extra steps needed for NMM users.
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5.) Homemaker
When I was first setting up Sim Settlements I didn't think I was going to still use Homemaker, I was excited and thought I was going to use Sim Settlements for EVERYTHING, all the building was going to be done my settlers and my settlers alone. I was just going to be the Mayor, and zone out the city. In gameplay that's not the case and you'll still end up using settlement objects to decorate around town. It's nice to have more options. Installs easily and simply. I don't use any extra options from the FOMOD installer, but you're welcome to.
6.) Place Everywhere
Probably the number 1 most important mod for me on PC, uses F4SE to let you place things where you otherwise couldn't. Has many hotkeys and other options for interacting with objects you otherwise couldn't or placing things with finer detail than available in the base game. The power of this mod (when combined with Clean and Simple below) is one of the reasons I don't use, want to use, or recommend Scrap Everything or Spring Cleaning in this guide.
Scrap Everything/Spring Cleaning are troublesome when it comes to settler AI, navmeshing and performance, not because they're bad mods, but because they have to mess with those systems to get what they set out to do, done. But, that makes them not play very nice alongside Sim Settlements, especially over long playthroughs.
Installs easily and simply. Not even an ESP in sight.
7.) Ponytail Hairstyles
Simple mod, you don't have to use this, but you do if you plan on using Better Settlers 'Community Clothing and Armor Pack' below. Which is highly recommended for a more diverse pool of Settlers in your game. This mod is really just some well made immersive hairs for you and your settlers (mostly female.) Installs easily and simply.
8.) Eli's Armor Compendium and the Armorsmith Extended Patch (if you need it)
Like the mod above this is mostly for Better Settlers CCAP, but is just a pack of well made, immersive armors for you and your settlers. If you're more familiar with Skyrim, this is basically 'Immersive Armors' for FO4, but FO4 needed the verity even more imo. Installs easily and simply.
9.) Better Settlers
And here's the aforementioned 'Better Settlers', a great mod that adds a bit more variety to Bethesda's pool of vanilla settlers. With the CCAP you probably won't see 2 similar looking people in the same Settlement ever again. With some of the next mods, giving names, more voice lines and Sim Settlement giving them some personality via Clutter and the VIP system, it'll be a lot easier/more fun to spend time around them. This mod has a pretty elaborate FOMOD installer. Here are the options I recommend, although you could use any combination of them pretty easily.
No Lollygagging -- makes Settlers run to the bell, I still use the Bell in Sim Settlements although with the 'Town Meeting' tool in the holotape you might not, and then could skip this module.
Clean Face Pack -- I feel like they look better clean, especially with the CCAP adding cleaner/more modern hair and clothing. Your call.
'Community Clothing and Armor Pack' or CCAP -- add more hair and clothing to the system, I like it. Still very immersive.
Mortal Settlers -- makes your Settlers be able to die, from anything, but mainly in attacks. There are some upcoming mods in this guide about improving Settlement attacks, and I really like having this mod with them, although it's not for everyone. If you find your Settlers are dying too often, you can also try Mortal Soldiers instead. (in the Better Settlers installer.)
I really like how Mortal Settlers effects Sim Settlements system, if a farmer dies, they'll be a food shortage, if a soldier (martial plot employee) dies, they'll be less defense. I do wish there was a mod that made, when a Settler died, their home exploded and re-picked a new plot type, so that the city would change as the citizen live and die, instead of just putting the same house for rent. But I'll look into the possibility of that later myself.
Fallout's world is supposed to be cruel and unforgiving but in the base game, nothing bad can happen to the settlers, unless you do it yourself (protected npcs.)
10.) What's Your Name?
There are a few mods that handle renaming settlers after the death of Don't Call Me Settler. This one is my current favorite, and I'd say hands down best, unless you use Quick Trade, which this mod isn't compatible with at all, which in that case, I recommend Immersive Settlers, a mod kinggath himself had a hand in. I like What's Your Name better because Immersive Settlers has some lag before naming people, due to how the scripts work (working as intended to keep a lite load on your game) and this mod gets around that by having an activation button.
This mod installs simply, but, has an MCM menu, so if you're using MO2 follow the steps above for this mod.
11.) Quieter Settlements
This mod is only a little related to Sim Settlements, but you'll still be using a lot of generators and turrets so I'd say it's definitely still recommended. You're probably going to be spending even more time in your Settlements so the noises have a higher chance of getting to you without this mod as well. I use the 10% all recommended merged option in the installer, but you're welcome to choose whatever.
12.) Icebreaker Settlements
This mod gets the award for most underknown/underused mod on my list I believe. I only just barely found out about this one when setting up Sim Settlements for the first time and I'm so glad I did. It does as much as Better Settlers does for the visual variety for the audio variety. Very noticeable, and very important. Anyone who spends any time in settlements needs this mod. Installs easily and simply.
13.) Settler Sandbox Expansion
I avoided this mod when I first set up Sim Settlements because one of the things Sim-Set does is makes Settlers spend time at work during the day and home at night, and I thought that was enough/was afraid this mod would conflict with that. But really since Sim Settlements doesn't change and vanilla records (and this mod does) they don't conflict. And actually with some of the biggest settlements and especially with All Settlements Extended below, this mod is practically required if you ever want your settlers to go to work, or go home at night and not just pile up by the workshop idle.
Very glad when I went back to install this one. Whole city got more immersive right away.
Installs simply, but do note, on lower end computers this can actually compact the settler pile-up issue, giving Settlers too many options, and not enough script time to pick one. On the lowest end PCs, maybe skip this one. On mid-range, pick the latest version for 3x range. And high end builds (like mine) use the older 10x range file.
14.) Multiple Floors Sandboxing
Basically a companion mod for the one above, fixes some of the vanilla issues with settlers not wanting to go up or down stairs when choosing what to do. Installs easily and simply.
15.) HUDFramework
Another amazing mods, that is required to get that beautiful Sim Settlements HUD element seen in this Subreddit's sidebar. Installs easily and simply. Make sure you get the DEF_UI patch if you use DEF_UI/DEF_HUD/DEF_INV another great mod, but not one covered in this guide at all.
16.) Settlement Menu Manager
Great mod that both Sim Settlements and Homemaker use to categorize their added Settlement Menus, instead of Sim Settlements plots showing up as 'Special' they show up as 'Sim Settlements' with beautiful spinning icon and everything.
17.) Increased Build Limit - Enhanced 4K
Simple mod, lets you build more, and you'll want to with Sim Settlements. There are many mods that do this, but this one does it the best. Installs easily and simply. Touch your Workshop to apply.
18.) Clean and Simple
This is the most recent mod I added to my personal game. I actually restarted for it so I could remove and get rid of any trace of Scrap Everything (again, scrap everything is NOT a bad mod, it's great mod, just doesn't play super nice with Sim Settlements or Settler AI all of the time. You can use it. I just don't want to.) but it's quickly becoming a new favorite. This mod cleans up 20 of the commonwealth settlements and redoes their Navmeshes. This, similar to Settler Sandbox Expansion, but in a totally different way, smooths over settler AI and makes it easier for them to get where they're going correctly.
Also saves people who restart often (like myself) a LOT of time cleaning up every Settlement before building. All the items auto-scrapped are placed into a container near the Workshop for your use.
Installs simply, but also make sure if you're following this guide to grab 'Clean and Simple - Replacement Sanctuary Bridge' optional file, because we'll need it later as All Settlements Extended overwrites the bridge without it.
19.) Uncapped Settlement Surplus and Nuka World file (if you have it)
Uncaps the vanilla cap on supplies settlers can create from farming and water pumps/purifiers create. Not even OP because this can be avoided in vanilla, making just as large a stockpile by just moving the items in the Workshop to another container. Just cuts out busy work. Also changes the algorithm that decides when settlement attacks happen. All configurable in a holotape. Installs easily and simply.
20.) Better Settlement Defense
Changes the way settlement attacks you're not involved in choose a winner and are resolved. Just makes the whole thing a little more immersive. Not much else to say than that, works well with 'More Attackers - Get Off My Buildzone' below, with a compatibility patch included in that mod's installer.
21.) Better Warnings for Settlement Attacks
Makes warnings of settlement attacks produce a pop-up instead of a 2s passive notification that can very easily be missed. Tells you where and what. And gives you time to get there, if you choose to help. Installs simply, but needs to be in a specific spot of the load order to work with 'More Attackers - Get Off My Buildzone' below.
22.) All Settlements Extended and Far Harbor file (if you have it)
Makes all the Settlements larger, giving room to place more Sim Settlements plots in smaller ones, and giving you more choice in others. Works really well with every mod here, specifically made to work well with Sim Settlements and patched to work with 'More Attackers - Get Off My Buildzone' next. Installs simply. Make sure you grab Far Harbor if you have it.
23.) More Attackers - Get Off My Buildzone
Newer mod taking full advantage of MCM to customize your settlement attacks. Moving spawning markers outside the borders of the Settlement (even with All Settlements Extended) for immersion and to make walls actually do something. Vanilla MCM settings for this mod make attacks about 3 times more intense and allows DLC monsters to spawn (if you want.)
But as I said Fallout is supposed to be set in a cruel and unforgiving world, and this mod helps realize that. Installs via a semi-elaborate FOMOD, make sure it correctly detects and install patches for everything you're using. And then see the load order guide on the mod page, or at the end of my guide for assistance on esp placement. (matters a lot here!)
This mod also has an MCM menu, so if you're using MO2 follow the steps above for this mod as well.
24.) Sim Settlements
THE MOD ITSELF!!1!
24.5.) Sim Settlements - Industrial Revolution
THE EXPANSION!
Doesn't actually matter where you install these as they don't alter any vanilla records, I just happen to install it now in the process, only 1 other mod to go.
25.) Recruitable Settlers and Far Harbor file (if you have it)
Last but not least I use Recruitable Settlers to tie Fallout 4's intrinsic exploration loop back into the Settlement system. Also adds some much needed quests to the game (as it was a little lite on quests that matter imo) and can give even more personality to your little cities. Works well with Beantown Interiors and Tales of the Commonwealth, two more great mods, not covered in this guide. Installs simply, configured via holotape if needed.
Wow that was tiring, I don't even think anyone will read this at this point, but lastly, let's go over Load Order, if you're using these mods only, it'd look like this:
Ok that's that. I hope you enjoyed. I hope it helped. I know I would have loved something like this when I was starting Sim Settlements. Next up in the comments I'll talk about AddOn packs, which to use, which to avoid (bugs/abandoned), spoiler alert, I use 90% of them. Sim Settlements Community is one of the best parts.
Thanks for reading, let's get some good discussion going in the comments. Talk to you later.
Sim Settlements Load Order
Simon
Long story short, I just went through a huge saga of rearranging mods and uninstalling and reinstalling the whole list.. because the vanilla Structures tab disappeared. Odd. Also, the SimSettlement tab also didn't show up, even though my other mod menus (Kraggles menu, etc) do show up. I fixed it by, apparently, uninstalling my mods, loading the unmodded save for my character--which apparently reset something--and then exiting out and reinstalling the mods and then reloading the modded save.. Yeah, still with me? It worked; the Structures tab is back, so I can actually build stuff. But the SimSettlements tab is still missing.
I'm not touching it, though. I seem to have achieved a very fragile balance in my game, so I'm not messing with it anymore, unless someone knows exactly what's going wrong and exactly how to fix it. I apparently can't mod for shit, so I'm just leaving it be.. for now.
Edit: And it just crashed to desktop on loading the modded save again (just to make sure it was still working).. I fucking give up. I'm deleting the modded save (fortunately, I only had two saves in the modded file) and going vanilla. Fuck modding. :(