I really like the new settlement system, but it requires soo many resources. And I have grown weary of collecting all the trash around the commonwealth! I feel like I spend more time managing, storing and collecting trash then saving the world. I am thinking of just buying shipments of materials instead of collecting junk. Maybe grab a few perks like cap collector, fortune finder and scrounger. And then only loot valuable material. Buy shipments.

Anyone else tired of the constant inventory management of junk? What do you all think about just relying on shipments? Plus it seems very unimmersive to repair my power armor with a couple of tin cans and cake pans! Shipments seem more logical.

Why would you manage the trash? Just collect everything that isn't pure wood or steel, put it all into th nearest workshop and connect the settlements. And buying shipments is a must.

Unfortunately, at least one important resource loses a shipment option if you decide to

.

Also, I'm constantly buying wood, copper, aluminum, steel, circuitry, and ballistic fiber shipments.

Good to know that devon!

@Akul - it is more the inventory mgmt while exploring. I end up taking everything that is not bolted down. I seem to spend more time running around trying to get every piece of salvage, rather then actually just exploring!

Watch video and apply idea to the resource stacks a vendor has.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPy_9c95peE

this should fix your issue

I enjoy it. But I do find it bizarre how the game goes out of its way on more than one level to insult us (or whatever) about it. It's surely meant to be ironic, but companions constantly griping every time I pick something up (MacCready is the worst for this), the Junk Jet loading screen referring to "useless junk," etc. The joke (assuming it's not actually some mindless oversight) stops being funny after awhile.

Things I've done:

1. stopped picking up glass junk and superheavy sources of steel


2. stopped grabbing cloth junk and a few other items I have a ton of in my workshops


3. exchange water, ammo, pre-war money, chems, cigarette packs, cigarette boxes and cigar boxes with Carla, or at any settlement General Goods vendor, to get a variety of the more important or needed junk, then just drop them into the workshop


4. picked up all of the Strength perks regarding encumbrance, so I can break rules 1 and 2 after clearing a location

No. I pick up everything. Ive not even done the first Concord quest yet cause i keep redoing old areas for the trash and exp. I randomly pick a settlement to manually scrap the items. I dont have them connected via supply lines, yet they are all overflowing with materials.

Once mods for consoles come out (or I feel like upgrading my PC) I just plan on stacking my workshop with everything. I'm only really cheating myself out of... trash collecting lol

No glitches!

But that is the point! Why take strong back to lug around more junk! Maybe better to take Fortune Finder/Scrounger/Cap Collector and just buy the junk you need!

I usually end up clearing an area and then spending even more time trying to get all the junk out of the zone. Am I the Sole Junk Yard collector or the Sole Surivor?! I just feel like I am spending too much time trying to grab all the crap! Newspapers, buckets, brooms - WTF!. More time killing stuff and way less time picking junk up!

The fundamental greatness of all of Bethesda games is its focus on inventory management. Man, ultimately, is an accounting animal.

The thing to do about that is make note of the items you use all the time, and focus on those (or use that item-highlighting perk whose name I can't remember because I only used it once and it broke my immersion completely). I buy or carry all the aluminum, copper, fertilizer and plastic I can find. Steel and wood, too, though those are easier than most to get in volume (as is fertilizer, but I am the Walter White of the Commonwealth jet market). At some point, the newspapers, buckets and brooms really are just unnecessary encumbrance, though.

StrongBack...maxed.
Works for me.

I usually do my junk collecting after completing a mission. I will go kills everyone, complete the mission, then loot everything, fast travel to whatever settlement I'm working on and then talk to whomever to finish that mission.


This way it doesn't feel like that is all I'm doing and I get to kill things.


I mostly buy shipments of wood, steel, and concrete.