It seems to me that I get only ONE chance to assign a settler to a specific task. That's when I am at the settlement and meet them for the very first time and they ask "Is there anything you want me to do?" Anything other than "Yes" and there goes that one chance.

So it makes me wonder: What are all the other settlers doing that I did NOT assign? How do they decide which tasks they will self-assign? Do they NOT do anything other than scavenge? (In an area that I have already scavenged clean before they ever arrived.) Is there any way to force any settler to do the task I assign regardless of what they were doing before? It seems like the ONLY topic I get with any settler after the assignment window has closed is to trade Inventory items.

I think they just wander around aimlessly. Gives them plenty of time for introspection.

In the Settlement management window Activate the Settler and then Activate the resource you want them to work on. Remember that your Local Leader perk (or lack thereof) will have some bearing on where you can assign somebody.

I've been able to assign settler at any stage. Only assignment issue I am aware of are the horrible UI to handle knowing who, where and what you assigned, who is free, etc - and the reported bug re: weapons store being hard to get manned.

For me the weapon store has worked fine so far but I made sure bathing wasn't an issue by using pre-existing concrete foundation from razed homes - and have been able to assign settlers to tasks long after they arrived, or switch their tasks when I need to make a change.

I make my life easier by assigning special clothing type to indicate unassigned and assigned - so i can tell at a glance who is free and who has a job.

Unassigned workers will look like they may be doing nothing but they self assign to two jobs

1- farming if there are excess crops planted that no one else is working AND the daily consumption needs are not being met; so new settlers won't just keep adding to farm labor even if you have a huge plantation - they only auto assign to cover their minimum need, the lazy bums. For huge farm output, you need to manually assign slots

2- game help text says unassigned workers also go out and scavenge - this must be true or the default scavenging rate (with zero scavenging station) goes up because I notice new knick knacks being added to inventory all the time. Not a big addition, just little bit helps.

You know when you open the work bench menu you can click on a settler than wake over to what ever you want them to do to assign them right lol

I have Local Leader 2. But where is this Settlement Management window you speak of? I haven't seen it yet.

So, click on them in Build mode? No, I didn't know that. I thought clicking on them would be like trying to Scrap them. LOL

When you click on the Workbench and can build things. I don't know if it is officially called Settlement Management but that's what I use it for.

So click on the Workbench (or hold down whatever key you have assigned), find a settler and click on them, walk over to the resource you want them to harvest/manage/whatever and click on it.

What do you mean one chance to assign? I think I have assigned people after doing it and changing their job. Am missing something?

I have different crops growing in order to make starch for adhesive. Do I have to assign a settler to each type of crop of will my farmer pick all them by himself?

The crops are for food. I think that all of the excess is stored in your Workshop. Also, you can pick the items yourself without causing any undo issues with the food production.

Yeah, I have several of each kind growing. I just wondered if one person would pick corn and then move on to pick mutfruit etc. I tested it and it seems they only pick what they are assigned although I had one guy stop picking potatoes after I ordered him to and walk over to mutfruit. He was the only one that did it so I assumed he just really hated potatotes.

I think each settler can farm 6 units of food.

Example:

A) 6 units of a 1 unit crop

B ) 12 units of a 0.5 unit crop

C) A combination of 1 unit and 0.5 unit crops

I'll have to test, but I think the settlers will auto farm if the settlement drops below an acceptable level (ie: food in the red) and you have planted extra crops.

All of this is explained (somewhat) in the Help menu. You can access it from the pause menu (where you go to save). I found it HUGELY helpful but it seems like nobody is using it. They explain, for example, how unassigned settlers will auto- assign faming and foraging (if you have crops planted and a scavenging station respectively). They also explain that when you assign farming to a settler, even if you assign them to just one crop they will automatically continue the action on like objects. So once they pick the crop you assigned, they will then go on picking other crops. It does not specify what their picking limit is, though, even though it alludes to the fact that they have one.

For the most part they wander around, though I've had certain ones start tending crops on their own. You can assign them to a task at any time, though.

How do you switch clothes for Settlers? That's a good workaround but I don't know how to do it. Of course, the best solution would be would be an actual pop-up listing -- "This Settler is assigned to 6 crops" and so forth. At least the supply-line Settler gets a new title, but it would be helpful to show what route they run.

((Edit: I figured out how to change the Settlers' clothes. In case anyone else is wondering, 1) select a Settler, 2) open a Trade with them, 3) give them whatever outfit you want them to have, 4) select that item and Equip it (on the PS4, press triangle to Equip on a Settler). Now I just need to come up with a uniform for my Settlers who have assignments -- perhaps they can all wear fedoras.))

Also, while we're on the topic of assignments, when the little worker icon is green, does that mean the resource has already been assigned to someone or does that mean the resource still need a worker? What does it mean if the little worker icon is red? So many confusing and ill-explained issues .

Do the trade option when speaking to the settler and give them armor. Stay on that screen but flip over to their side of the trading window and hover over the equipment in question. Look at the options below and one of them should be "equip" I think. Hit whatever button it says...I think it's Y of the Xbox One. You can do the same thing with weapons but I think they will actually need the corresponding ammo to use it.