Hello.

Like the title says, how does it work?

The settlers assigned to it don't have dialog options and the station doesn't have "open" or "transfer" options.

Does random junk just get added to your junk pool for having it?

Thanks.

It increases the amount of components that assigned settlers scavenge and deposit into the workshop. Settlers will always scavenge, but the stations increase the results for those who are assigned to it.

Will the settlers leave the buildable area to collect scrap etc. though as if I've already scrapped everything within what is left for them to gather?

I don't think they necessarily actively leave the settlement area. You can't actually watch them go out and collect scrap. But I think that's kind of the implication of it at the very least. They're collecting salvage (from some unknown location) and bringing it back to scrap it. Settlers always collect some amount of scrap. Once you reach a certain point in the game you've probably got enough junk stored in your workbench to not even notice it, but stuff is constantly getting added to your workshop regardless of having the scavenging station or not. The scavenging station just increases the productivity. They'll produce more scrap, and they'll be able to scavenge more valuable things. Instead of just getting basic items (wood, steel, etc.) they'll also be getting things like screws, oil, and other harder to acquire scrap items. If you have unassigned settlers and can't find anything else for them to do, building another scavenging station is always a good option. I got tired of seeing a bunch of my settlers standing around with no work to do, so I've built multiple scavenging stations in some of my settlements. As a bonus, having a settlement with no unassigned settlers also increases the happiness rating a fair amount.

good to know, cheers

lol, I have seen one of my scavengers carrying a branch back to the station once. I thought it was a weapon, but no, just a piece of driftwood!

Does it increase scavenging if you have multiple scavenger benches and/or assign multiple settlers to one bench? If you assign a second settler to a bench, does the first one cease scavenging and find something else to do? (Its so hard to tell what most of them are doing anyway; they wander around so damn much!).

I put scavenging stations in a couple of my settlements since I an "unemployed" settler in them.

To be honest, I am just assuming that the stations are being used properly because I have so much crap in all my settlement workstations that I would not know if those settlers are actually working or simply goofing off. At least my scavengers seem to be patrolling the settlement like my security guards with their weapon is drawn.

I think its one per station... The other will revert to being jobless.

I too have been a bit confused with this.

I've only found two pieces of information regarding this:

- Unassigned (idle) settlers will automatically find junk and put it in your workbench

- Building a scrap station is supposed to increase the output of your idle settlers.

But that raises a bunch of questions.

- Does a settlement with no idle setters but someone on a scrap station gather any junk? or does that setter only increase the output of the zero idle settlers ?

- Does the increased output stack with multiple scrap stations? Is it better to have 1 idle setter and 2 setters working scrap stations or 2 idle settlers and 1 setter working scrap station?

I'll probably test out the scavenging station / idle settlers when I take on my next settlement project, but that will likely not happen for another two weeks or so because I want to finish Abernathy Farm and Starlight Drive first since I am working on developing 4 settlements at the moment.

I'll probably do my testing at Oberland Station since I have a Minuteman quest for it anyway. I would do my testing at Graygarden, but that place pisses me off because the settlers spawns on top of the highway there. I will likely shift the settlers there to Oberland Station and dismantle the house I built at Graygarden.

I had a station setup in Sanctuary for testing. I left it there, its still there now. I monitored it to see if anything changed in the numbers be it the raw materials/junk or end result/scrapped items. The numbers did not change, they never changed for anything (been on this play through for about a week now). At first I thought I had forgotten to assign a worker to it, but that was not the case, there was also the vast majority of items left in Sanctuary still to be scrapped so its not like there was nothing available to scavenge.

I can only conclude that they do not work as advertised so have not bothered with them in any of my other settlements. I will add that I used one of the "Named" settlers (one of the Long's) for this task so it may be particular to the type of settler used for scavenging. In my next play through I will test again in Sanctuary with a normal Settler and see if I get any joy that way, but as it stands now, I just don't bother with the scavenging stations.

Cant speak to all aspects, but did test the following -


1-clear out all items from workbench, zero inventory

2-no scavenging station, idle settlers = small amount of basic scavenge - by basic, i got both raw parts (wood, steel) and minor items (water, wrench, etc)


3- scavenging station + assigned settler (just 1 station, never tested more) = small amount of basic scavenge plus knickknacks - nothing wildly exhorbant - just stuff like toy cars, pocket watch, every now and then a circuit board


Conclusion - with just 1 scavenging station andd assigned settler, i honestly couldnt tell much difference. Either way, the yield was fairly small. Scavenging is not a force multiplier - e.g. You will never get enough of anything to make a dent in settlement supply needs vs just going out and looting a random location


Better than nothing but honestly dont miss out by not setting them up. But that said - the major useful part (for me) is the roaming behavior of your scavenger.


A guard will ONLY path between guard posts assigned or it self assigns (up to 3 limit). So while guards are useful, tbh the 6 defense is meaningless compared to turrets, and the pathing doesnt do much. Your settlers doing their normal jobs is as much a 'guard' as an assigned guard, so might as well use that population point to make that person a storekeeper who will raise happiness, income, and be a 'guard' at same time.


Scavengers though, roam in fixed but reasonably decent pathing area around their station. They do go too far, but do traverse a radius around it. So what i do is always plant my alarm tower near the scavenging station - and the scavenger is almost always the first to raise the alarm.


Guard posts are usually at perimeter and i dont want alerted settlers all heading to perimeter if i park alarm tower near guards, guven the interior spawns of many attacks. So basically, i use scavengers as roaming guards who at least have an assigned job of minor benefit vs guards with zero benefit (zero as in they provide nothing normal settlers in real jobs already provide, other than 6 extra defense which again is meaningless vs turret spam.)

Interesting. Thanks for this info.

^ Good idea, it seems it would be better to have a few settlers asigned to 3 or 4 scavenging stations around the settlement, acting as guards also, then to waste them as actual guards at posts.

Yeah, that is what I figured... I can probably scavenge more items in 15 minutes real time compared to 365 games days for a settler with a scavenging station.

It would be cool if you could assign the setllers at these stations to look for your highlighted search items only. I need wood. A lot of it. There's tons about but I can't break it down.

As was explained above, you don't see them going out and scavenging. They just do it as a regular need for their daily routine. Just as you explore the wasteland and pick up all sorts of random items, your settlers do, too. They deposit whatever random stuff they find in the workshop.

Although some people claim that more than one station and assigned scavenger doesn't matter, that is not what the official guide states. According to the official guide, each station enhances the scavenging potential of the settlement. This means you could have a settlement specialize in scavenging just as many people have settlements specialized in one or more crops, water production, etc.

Don't use the named characters. They frequently ignore their job to go and [censored] and moan or bang endlessly against the walls. Seriously, they don't do their jobs very much except, PERHAPS, farming.

In defense of certain named settlers, they will fulfill any job you are able to assign them to, as far as the stats; if you can assign them to be a farmer, they will increase your food, though it may not be by the amount you'd expect. They just may not seem to be working that task as you'd expect to see.

There are also a few un-named settlers with the same limitations, but as above, they can be dealt with.

Make a hard save, and experiment, then reload and do it right.

it gives the settlers something to do, i always build a couple stations just so less settlers are standing around, also they weld on it and it at least looks like they're busy, but i have found items on it plus in my work bench, but no its not gonna out do what you collect, it barely puts anything there but thats ok.

Ok since i started a new game on survival,i only had abernathy,red rocket and sanctuary to work with.

I tried seven days of sleeping at sanc then fast travelling to abernathy,both with 3 settlers not on benches and then 3 on benches.

Results were messed up,the 3 without benches came up with more raw ingredients than the 3 on benches after everything is broken down(the 3 not on benches had a total of 2 aluminum 1 ceramic 2 fertilizer 1 glass 1 gold 1 rubber 1 spring 1 steel 1 nuke material 1 wood)The 3 on benches had half that amount and none of it was rarer apart from 2 crystals.

I then tried it again,after 3rd day i decided to just go at that time and look in workbench,and there was nothing there at all.At that point i gave up,cursed Bethesda some for their stupid non logical game mechanic and played some rocket league.

I've seen many instances of food and water getting moved around or just going missing from benches and now with this craziness where scav benches gave 50% less in materials in one instance and the second time giving NOTHING after 3 days...it leads me to believe that their settlement system is completely messed up.

Good job. You took the time to actually find out how it works.


Though this experiment needs to be repeated by someone else, to eliminate the possibility that your installation of the game is bugged.

An official game manual ... with detailed instructions of how all parts of Settlements work ... would be appreciated (if not expected) for a game we bought.

official manual would be nice!

I have read a lot of different explanations, and one overall reason seems to be that linked workbenches only show original item at the item location only, and only appear in other workbenches when you go to craft items or build something.

that is true to my experience as well.