Plot Aesthetics Going Forward

[Valavaern]

A little bit of a rant/suggestion for all future exterior plot designs, ESPECIALLY residential ones: A lot of the current, open plans might make some sense in the Mojave wastes around New Vegas, or even in the sub-tropical Capitol Wastes... but FO4 takes place in Boston, and it gets COLD here in the winter. If the ASAMs are meant to help people rebuild society, the very first thing they should be doing is teaching people how to make SOLID (preferably insulated) walls and roofs.

To be fair, this is also a big fault of Bethesda themselves for continuing the "still just cobbling junk together even though it's been ~200 years~ since the bombs fell" aesthetic from the last two games.

 

[yaugie]

Yeah, SS2 has deliberately tried to stick mostly close to the base game's art style and all that (which, yes, anyone with any sense wonders how "200 years later" the entire 'economy' is still almost exclusively scavenging from pre-war locations that somehow still have things to loot). A lot of Addon Packs tend to do more 'sturdy' looking structures, though.
What I've wanted to see for a long time is some kind of 'progression' added to Residential type - I mean, once we have the sort of "practically modern again" industry/economy that a mid-to-end game SS2 playthrough has, building proper houses should be no challenge at all.

Fact is though, the 'base mod' is unlikely to get any more new plots added except for the bare minimum to run Chapter 3's mechanics, due to space concerns on the XBOX.

And the 'meme' response - people in Boston can survive multiple 50 cal rounds to the dome, obviously the weather of a cold coastal region is not going to affect them any more.

 

[msalaba]

If you figure the glowing sea raised the area temp and altered the climate, it makes more sense. Couple that with the fact the seasons never change and "It just works."

 

[SarahAda]

there is a extensive ecosystem of add-ons that include additional plot types. most relevant to this discussion are Sim Settlements 2 - Tech Settlements and Vault-Tec Tools - Sim Settlements 2 Addon Pack, both of which use existing models and textures to give a higher tech feeling.

i personally don't use either of these plot packs, or any of the other more advanced plot packs in the SS2 ecosystem because i prefer a look somewhere between the bethesda default "200 years of wreckage" style and a more modest rebuilding look, something fallout-2-alike, neo-late-medieval or new-western-reconstruction with a hint of blending in 1950s-super-science aesthetic. the cold-and-groovy-organic-curves and simple-and-clean-enamled look of the institute feels really out of place to me (which i suppose it's intended to, as a way to draw a visual distinction between the base game factions, which is expertly expanded by the millitary cosplay gunners, cobbled together builders look of jake's friends, horror-themed doctors without borders nightingales, and the 1940's buddycop movie CPD. have i mentioned how incredible the creators of this mod are?).

which, comming around to the actual sugguestion, is the advantage of the add-on system, and a really good reason to NOT add these plots to the base game. i get the plots i like, you get plots like you like, the base game stays thinner and generic, and the universe is better for both of us.