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M&M - Minutemen & Manor

There's an option in the settings to turn off junk storage defense requirements. Although it has to be done before the junk containers are built
You are totally awesome, I can work with that.
(I just woke up to a mosquito after a couple of hours sleep, I got it. did a quick check on the phone and saw your reply)

This makes a much easier fix!

I will redo the junk storage for lower levels without defense requirements, but have some in level 2 and 3 that do require defense.
Will add in a PRA's "Papers please!" internal martial plot for Level 2 & 3 in front of the statue, right opposite the entrance tunnel, and swap the single residential Herbalist Haven for the two person Sibling Shack (which was in one of my earlier versions). Maybe a few additional turrets.

Did a quick mock-up of the martial plot - too excited before going back to sleep - which is where I am going now.
croupcheckpoint.jpg
(It's a dynamic flag on front of the desk - the fresh out of the vault character can't select a minuteman one)
 
Can't sleep, Brain won't stop thinking - had to try something...
It doesn't work the way I first thought - it's not dependent on how I have done them in my city plan levels, it's all to so with the setting when the city plan is placed.

If you toggle in options, Gameplay > Difficulty > Junk Storage Requires Defense to OFF when you construct the City plan - then the junk storage containers don't require defense. If the option is ON, they do. Simple really.

So at present if you are using version 1.0 ensure its set to OFF. (no defense issues).

I will still work on an alternative version that has higher settlement defense.
 
So, 8 days into the new round (April) and I haven't really started
What I have been doing is trying to fix the Manor
  • Lets see, there was the annoying breaking of the power grid - (don't remove plots between levels people - no good will come from it)
  • Then was the realization that junk storage has a defense component - although for city plans it was mention to only kick in when you have "Full" Involvement set - nope, on low I was still woefully undefended.
  • I discovered that changing building plans between levels would result in the new building plan being reset to level zero - out with my basic to advanced progression vision.
  • Next was the puzzle of settlement bed count - and finding Wasteland Manor was one extra at level 1 and Janitor was just not contributing at all.
  • Then of course it was back to re-balancing each level, checking junk storage again
  • Now it just a bunch or power wires that are not being connected when I replace power poles with lamps.
If those missing power lines work on my next test build, I should have a version 1.1 up on Nexus within a day, and if not, I will be curled up in a ball, sobbing nonsensical phrases of exasperation.

Anyways here's a few pics

Level 1 - Pra's Papers please to help add defense (Advanced)
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again in level 2
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and up to level 3
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Removing Wasteland Manor meant I was now 2 bed short, (the other multi-person plots have rear/side entries that didn't fit in the location)
so a new Mni Bedroom plot takes the place of a water tank.
20210406020055_1.jpg
and Sibling shack sitting on the plot left vacant
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Gone is the advanced water, and now it just progresses to the Level 3 basic, with some water tanks now hidden beneath the floor of Fruit cellar residential next door.
20210406020036_1.jpg

The Janitor moved out and a writer moved in
20210406020431_1.jpg
and since I kept the basic power through to level 3 city plan I had space for Industry home.
20210406020449_1.jpg

Meeting the junk storage defense requirements - Laser cannon ready now at level 2 city plan
20210406021618_1.jpg
Laser cannon shell moved to level 1 city plan
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Oh and here is a quiz question for those still reading
what plot will I grow up to be?
20210406021720_1.jpg
 
  • Then was the realization that junk storage has a defense component - although for city plans it was mention to only kick in when you have "Full" Involvement set - nope, on low I was still woefully undefended.
I don't think the city plan requires full defense to upgrade when on low involvement, so I'm not sure it really matters if it is under-defended.

  • Now it just a bunch or power wires that are not being connected when I replace power poles with lamps.
Are you replacing power poles on plots? By not being connected you mean when you replace them, the original connections to them are lost, or that you are reconnecting them, but it doesn't seem to work when you export?
 
I don't think the city plan requires full defense to upgrade when on low involvement, so I'm not sure it really matters if it is under-defended.
OK, I wasn't sure how that worked, I have been looking at the defense bar which was way down.
I guess it would still mean the settlement would be prone to attacks, (and I like to try and balance the build so that it looks after its self)
Are you replacing power poles on plots? By not being connected you mean when you replace them, the original connections to them are lost, or that you are reconnecting them, but it doesn't seem to work when you export?
I got a couple of the wires to appear by going through each level and setpos/setangle on the offending object to ensure they weren't moved.
(this means when I have upgraded from level 2 to level 3 wires that were in the layout export don't show up).
I still have power lines not appearing between the Ornate street lamps I added (replacing the telephone poles from level 2) and the telephone poles - in some places. But some have made connections?
The new lamps connect to each other, its just between the new and old.
The other two are powered power conductors from WRK, I might see if I can rework and keep the same position and amount of power used in level 2.

I drew the missing lines in pink
20210406125205_1.jpg
Now some of those ornate lamps were placed through the customize plot option, so will replace them with new lamps from SS2 workshop menu - although checking they are all the same base ID.

BUT after checking I need to do some more re-working - a cage light that I remove in level 3 breaks the power grid, as well as two plots - which weren't happening previously. (oops... I had setpos one of the plots to move it slightly in level 2 and 3, but had missed doing that in level 1 - the city plan probably saw it as a deleted plot, which is what will be the problem with the other plot).

I am seriously hating anything to do with power, it's like if you move or remove things in higher city plan levels, you are gambling on them becoming INVALID FORM and breaking the power grid.

Edit with results:
Well plot power grid issues was easy to fix
Still missing 5 power lines in latest test
I just have no idea how to fix, so as my next stab in the dark I might figure out new postions of power poles, place in a blank croup to export, then import to each level, and put in new ornate lamps for level 3 and retest once again.
 
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Let me first say that I admire your dedication to perfection!

In my settlements I try to touch powered/wired things and plot types as little as possible during different levels, for the reasons you've documented. Like, I'll remove powered things when downgrading, but I don't like rewiring or adding new wired objects. That leaves the city plan at the mercy of the end user's computer and its scripting prowess or lack-thereof. If I want to downgrade lights, for example, I use the oil lamps or lanterns or lights that use radial power in places already powered.
 
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Cheers Reina,
My ambition exceeds what the game can achieve methinks.

My latest attempt didn't fix the power line issue, but it has made it more ascetically pleasing - the shifting and rotating of the type 3 telephone poles used across the levels now means wires hang more cleanly. (Yeah I need to look for positives)
And I have learnt, among many other things during this build, that the plots don't need their own poles, just radial power.

One more try, I will shift the ornate poles to new locations and see if they will connect up.
There is one that wasn't near a power pole location in the previous levels that connects, so a vague guess could be that the change in city levels doesn't like connections being in the same location - bah humbug.
 
Yay, Version 1.1 is done
Mostly fixed (well all I can do)
Make sure you do a few things/scrapping prior to starting the city plan get the settlement as clean as possible.
Later requires to you to manually connect a power conductor in level 3.


What have I done in the ten days since I upload the competition version:
  • Stressed about what was going wrong.
  • Lay awake at night thinking about ways to get around the problems.
  • Edited all the levels multiple times.
  • Tested 13 city plans changes, (upgrading each right to level 3, which takes about 1 and a half hours of waiting each time).
  • Made about 600 save files for each set of changes, and each level in the testing cycles.
  • Tested other city plans I made to figure out what was causing issues - (basically don't move/delete/change plots).
  • Berated myself for being a perfectionist.
  • Realized that really its only me thats seeing my changes as disappointing compromises.
  • Spent about 45 minutes playing with plots in Jamaica Plains for April's competition.

So, there you have it.
Minutemen & Manor

20210408143916_1.jpg
Enjoy
 
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