A whimsy at Starlight

[Whisper]

Sometimes, do as the mood moves you.

 

[WetRats]

You are to repurposed lumber what Frank Lloyd Wright was to reinforced concrete!

I think I got a splinter in my eye just looking at this!

 

[WetRats]

This has inspired me to attempt a new structure tonight.

Each floor will have four interior plots arranged around a central concrete pillar, with a walkway and stairs around their fronts.

It's unfortunately kind of swastika-shaped with a 7x7 footprint, but if I can figure out the stairs, should make a pretty cool apartment tower.

 

[Whisper]

That’s basically what this is, with angled wedges for the ladders so that it doesn’t look like a huge barnlike structure.

Instead of a central concrete column there’s an open light well with alternating pairs of walls. The open light well area is useful for stringing wiring up the center of the thing to power all the plots.

 

[Whisper]

From memory, the bottom three floors are 5x5. The top two are 3x3 with an “outer rim” of the half-sized floor pieces. There is a full 1x1 square walkway around the outside of the bottom tiers.

The wedges were put there for both a bit of flair and so that it didn’t look too square around the ladder areas at the bottom. Benefit is that the main floor areas are the solid floors instead of mucking around with too many half-floor-pieces.

The ladders sort of spiral up around the outside. About halfway up I reversed the spiral, the ladders going the other way (clockwise to anti clockwise).

The whole area seems to be reasonably pathed. I went up top, Dogmeat followed of his own accord. Probably the Settler on L4 won’t be able to reach his bed, but that’s not my problem.

 

[WetRats]

I used bad measurements in my description.

It's actually gonna be 3 1/2 x 3 1/2.

The plots will go end to back at right angles making a 2 1/2 x 2 1/2 square, with just a 1/2 x 1/2 dead space, then half-width walkways. (and some sort of stairs arrangement)

 

[WetRats]

I'm trying to end up with fewer big spaces to decorate, instead letting the plots dominate visually.

Most of my structures end up with too much wasted space. This will be an experiment in fighting that tendency.

 

[Whisper]

Ladders hanging off the edge, so to speak?

 

[WetRats]

Ladders hanging off the edge, so to speak?

I'm not sure how that will work. I like the ladders, but I've never seen a settler use them.

I'll probably end up with a 3 1/2 x 4 arrangement with a series of stairs on one side.

If the basic structure works, then I'll try to figure out how to make it look less boxy and more organic.

 

[WetRats]

My love-hate relationship with The Grid continues.

 

[WetRats]

I need to get a better feel for the wedge pieces. They never seem to want to snap along the edge I want them to snap to.

 

[RayBo]

I'm trying to end up with fewer big spaces to decorate, instead letting the plots dominate visually.

Most of my structures end up with too much wasted space. This will be an experiment in fighting that tendency.

Hopefully, you can post some screenshots?

 

[WetRats]

Hopefully, you can post some screenshots?

I need to post some of my insane Mr. Hangman's Neighborhood, too.

I'm just starting on decorating, and as I noted above, there are way too many big spaces to fill.

I can't believe I didn't think to take a screenshot of the huge pile of dead settlers I discovered, where they had been falling off an unrailed rooftop.

 

[Whisper]

I also want the plots to dominate - that’s what they’re for. The rest is just a setting for them. Maybe a bit of area lighting at L2-3, that’s all though.

I’m slowly coming to the personal feeling that the city plan structure itself should not look like junk slung together at random. That aesthetic is already provided by the plots.

So for my stuff, the base structure will look fairly solid and sparse. After all, too much junk and personally-placed clutter will detract from the plots themselves.

Also: The Sole Survivor can build some pretty sturdy and neat-ish stuff (see the warehouse/player home/windmill area). Solid concrete blocks and the like with a crappy piece of nailed-up plywood fence completely does not fit...yeah pull the other one, it plays Judas Priest.

 

[Whisper]

This is an early pic, before all the railings went on. Might show things better.

—edit—
Looks like I only did two levels of stairs up clockwise, then three levels anticlockwise.

 

[RayBo]

I also want the plots to dominate - that’s what they’re for. The rest is just a setting for them. Maybe a bit of area lighting at L2-3, that’s all though.

I’m slowly coming to the personal feeling that the city plan structure itself should not look like junk slung together at random. That aesthetic is already provided by the plots.

So for my stuff, the base structure will look fairly solid and sparse. After all, too much junk and personally-placed clutter will detract from the plots themselves.

Also: The Sole Survivor can build some pretty sturdy and neat-ish stuff (see the warehouse/player home/windmill area). Solid concrete blocks and the like with a crappy piece of nailed-up plywood fence completely does not fit...yeah pull the other one, it plays Judas Priest.

It’s funny you say this. I was just thinking about something along the same line and decided not to post it. One of the things I most enjoy and to me is the most fun is seeing what other users/players creativity set up as the base structure, the framework. To me it’s the player framework then the plots. I realize most folks think opposite of this. Still, both complement each other, I just don’t like the tedium of filling in the gap‘s once I have that base structure laid out. But that’s a strength behind sim settlements it adds substance to the skeleton.

 

[WetRats]

Ground floor, with first four plots placed

 

[WetRats]

A few interior walls


First attempt at central column.
Height mismatch portends problems

 

[WetRats]

Walkways placed


Second floor in progress.
As I feared, there's an unfortunate swastika shape.

 

[WetRats]

Second attempt at central column. Even worse height mismatch.


Stairs placement. It sure is dark. That'll need to be fixed.