There has been much talk on this forum about how annoying companions and settlers are, so this post isn't for that. Instead I want to focus on what we do about it.

I personally play as an evil character. As such, I tolerate nothing but total complince from my settlers. When I assign a settler to a guard post I expect the settler to perform their duty until I tell them to stop. Of course they try to shirk their duties, so I came up with my punishment system.

Obviously death is the ultimate punishment. Killing a settler doesn't fix the problem of the guard post being manned and tends to lower morale. In addition, some settlers with names can't be killed. So I developed "toilet land".

My settlers who refuse to comply are forced to sleep in toilet land. Deep away from the beautiful buildings with electricity that my good settlers enjoy lies toilet land.

A dirty building with no lighting and only one door houses toilet land. Inside you will find all the toilets from santrutary hills. I personally moved them from the houses. For the sake of role playing I also required all my settlers to make a poo in each of the toilets during construction.

In the middle of the toilets lies one dirty mattress. A settler who refuses to obey will be forced to sleep in toilet land. If I have to kill any settlers I will also put their body in toilet land to add to the smell. There is only body. A merchant that I extorted and refused to do business with me in the future. My settlers didn't mind that execution.

The most recent addition is that old psychic coot. She had the selfishness to ask me to build her a chair, even after painstaking time I took to fill the place with couches and other luxuries. Her selfish request meant she will spend a great deal of time in toilet land. I did build her chair and placed it staring into the corner in toilet land. I do not allow her to sit anywhere else and if I catch her she is ordered to toilet land. Usually I find her there anyway.

Of course, I could always use more inspiration on how to rule my empire. So what about you guys? Any suggestions on punishing your settlers?

I had one that was mouthy and for some reason always complaining and sending me on stupid side quests. I set up a a trader stall on the very outside of my camp and removed all the defenses around her so that when the supermutants attacked she repeatedly got smacked around with boards and super sledges.

I pistol whip that Marcy [censored] whenever she mouths off to me.

Junk Gun loaded with typewriters and/or bones.

They get beaten with the walking cane in front of everyone to be made an example of. Then they can use that same walking cane to help them walk after getting that beating.

Oh I like that one. I could create a special "death camp" with tons of food and water and no defenses. Make them sleep outside.

Much better then killing them and having the settlement attack me. Almost like the Russians did with Siberia. Just send them on a supply run to the death camp.

Of course that won't work for the characters with names but I still have toilet land for them.



Does anyone know if you can trap characters? If I put Preston in a sort of jail cell or building and remove the door will he spawn somewhere else or still be there next time?

The idea of Toilet Land and using it as a means of punishment is absolutely hilarious to me. Thanks for sharing.

I don't generally play as an evil character, especially one with as much forethought as to how I can [censored] with my settlers and get them to obey me or be sent to the "stool room".

However, what especially made me laugh (as I currently still am typing this), is what's her face hooked on the Jet that asks you to build her the chair. My only thoughts keep coming back to asking what all the poo in toilet land is enlightening her towards.

Too good.

lol....if you play so much fallout how do you find time to feed those lock in your basemant?

Lol. I figured that was coming. I know I seem twisted... I'm the type that would drown unhappy patrons in roller coaster tycoon.

In reality I'm actually quite nice!

Abernathy Farm was really annoying me as there were 3 food units missing from the total food farmed (19 Settlers and 111 food???)

Anyway, rang the town bell, gathered them all around and made them stand and watch while I chop the cat up into fillets with a shishkebab.

Jesric,

How about you Forest Gump them...

Fill a room full of Nuka-Cola, Iguana Bits, and Squirrel on a Stick, and then REMOVE the bathroom...

I bash companions in the face when they move in my way. I know full well it does no good to prevent their idiotic behavior, but it makes me feel better....

So far, ignoring settlers completely has worked out, but I'm sure they will frustrate me to know end once I start actually delving into the Settlement system.

I never really thought about punishing them, but honestly after reading this I don't think I could ever come close to something so impressive.

"Death camps," really......? You are aware that that is.... let's say.... charged terminology?

Maybe call it something else a little more original?

Marcy does nothing she's assigned to! Needs to be punished

There was one settlement mission I accepted and then forgot about which included a kidnapping. Eventually it timed out (didn't know there was a time limit) and the settlement was no longer allied to us.

That was the first time I really got upset at a settler/settlement related event. Like - I'm sorry; I have my son to save. You want me to stop what I'm doing and go get a farmer's wife? And when I don't have time to do it, you disassociate yourself from me, the person who built up the very settlement you enjoy? Nope. It's getting STRIPPED. No more food, water, supplies and no re-assignments. Take that you filthy rat bastards!

In tropico I'd have my secret police arrange "accidents" for retired people as I saw them as a drain. In real life I'm nice, but when I'm incharge of stuff in video games, I'm like "how can I make this more efficient."

She keeps not doing her job! Set up a defense post at the remote corner where I ran out of walls, sealed her up with fence, the next time I visit Sanctuary, she's off duty again!

Starvation,spanking and a whole lot of pistolwhipping

Boot to the head!

How about a Medical Research Facility?

Ha! I KNEW I couldn't be the only one who does this. I freaking saved her life in Concord, lead her to a (relatively) safe place to rebuild, and she goes and talks [censored]?

Rifle butt to the FACE! Every. Single. Time.

Makes me smile a little as I head off to do mah thang.

Honestly I just do what I know the games algorithms want for increasing their "happiness" ... I no longer care if they clip through walls or can't climb stairs to get to their beds,.. I don't use guard posts, they are just a waste of manpower and load up with 2 missile turrets and 2-6 heavy turrets per base.. the laser turrets were useless, the ones I found stored in the castle at least... miss 50-75% of their shots and do paltry damage... The missile turrets are a real treat... shoot literally twice as fast as the laser turrets and do tremendous damage with excellent splash.

I still care somewhat about putting their beds in shacks with half missing roofs though and beat up non-removable buildings so I simply either leave them empty, or build a new building on concrete foundation, depending on the location. Locations right along lakes and rivers are easier to defend.. I usually build them up with missile turrets facing each direction. I'm gradually spreading out all over the wasteland...

Once your settlement happiness rating goes up, she actually becomes a slightly nicer person. SLIGHTLY.

It's a shame that:

1) You can't name your settlers

and

2) They're not like Sims which have actual moods and needs (food, sleep, bathroom, not wanting to be outside in the rain, not wanting to be in the dark, etc...) That game has so many ways to be super twisted and torment your people