So I've got 22 settlements, and have just started going back to each one to see what I can build better, as some of them were constructed a few hundred hours ago, and I know more now about how to build than I did at the beginning. In some cases, I'm tearing down 50-75% of what I previously built and reconstructing in a more organized manner, as well as utilizing my resources better.

Anyway, as I'm looking at Starlight Drive-in, I had built things up around the main entrance and snack bar with my water purifiers in the pool of water in the middle of the settlement. I really had wanted to build up in the area of the large drive-in screen at the west end as it seemed like a great strategic point to place snipers. But with the limit on resources per settlement, I can't really build at both ends (entrance/east, screen/west). So my question is, has anyone built up around the screen as opposed to the entrance (or both areas)? I'd like to hear or see what you've done. I like to build vertically, but to build up to the top level of that movie screen would take most of my resources.

Building right against the screen can be a pain as the higher you build the less flush it becomes. I build a shanty town With prefab houses around the water and build a hotel and bar around the dinner.

As above, the screen is not flush so if you're building up keep some space from it.


My original intent was to use that screen as one of the walls of a large building, but it wasn't quite working so I built in front of it. As I built up I found the screen leans forward ever so slightly forcing me to make the top few floors smaller. I placed generators on the ledge this created.

Built 2 defense towers, one between the shed and snack bar, one on the opposite side of the settlement in the open area.

You can build on both ends. Grab a bunch of junk and weapons drop it on the ground at starlight and break it all down. Watch that bar drop to nothing

I did a similar thing in going around to settlements post-completion and rebuilding some of them. Like the OP I really wanted to incorporate the drive-in screen. So what I did was put a wall part way around the back and left side (when facing it) and then put a walkway above ground that connects to the original settlement built around the main building. Then I put a few plants within the wall and some beds inside the two rooms at the base. It seems to work. I do agree that its one of those really big spaces (like Sanctuary and the Co-op Farm) where there is way more space then what you really need.

Kept that end free so I can use the screen as the back wall of my death pit once Wasteland Workshop comes out. Will build a floor of concrete foundations out from it and fence in. My prime viewing spot will be on top of the screen looking down into the fighting arena ??????

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjINTNhgI6o

Disclaimer: Not my build.

First time building at the drive through I created a wall all the way around it out of foundation blocks. Then built the houses on that. So basically the buildings were the walls. My game ended up getting a bug that pretty much broke the game. So, I started over. Now my building is built up against the screen. It's a sky scraqer. Being on PC I can use mods that allow me to put my building on the screen. It's pretty awesome.

I however did not take into account that the enemies spawn inside of my walled off fortress. I arrived there last night to it being under attack by Rad Scorpions. All of my defenses point to the outside so they are virtually useless. I now have to redo my defenses so that all fire is concentrated to the center of my town.

McCloud- that is the most incredible settlement construction I've seen yet. You must be using a mod to increase settlement building size. I'm on a PC, but have hesitated using any mods yet until the release of the creation kit, for fear of corrupting my saves. Have you had any problems with crashing?

Tallest- One of the reasons I'm going on this rebuilding tour of my settlements, is because my defenses were mostly guarding the exteriors also, not the interior of a settlement, which rendered them useless in most attacks, as attacks often spawn within the settlement, of attackers will rush through my perimeter, leaving my crops/water vulnerable.

My main base (and one of three that I've actually developed) is at Starlight. I built a huge sky bridge connection the two ends, with beds and artillery and crafting all placed up there. In the water area I have several purifiers and generators, and turrets around that area facing out. All level 3 merchants spaced around that central area, and a resting area around the concession building. I luv this settlement!

I've been trying to make the bar into a bar/ restaurant too, I tried to figure out how to build it into building around it, to no success since they took away cement clipping... so instead I built over it using stairs so that the outside diner is at least covered, and I added a bunch of prefab small prefab metal shacks, and put for rent signs on them so its like they're for rent. My workers sleep on the ground under a tattered tent to keep their spirits up near the tato fields, and the bar tender and his wait staff are lucky I put some beds under that little metal thingy that you can use as sort of like stairs?? they sleep under that, and the bartender himself has a sleeping bag under the staircase in the diner. I'm big boss and put a bed at the top of the staircase...

The water purifier I put a building around it, and some guards inside so that way people don't [censored] with the water purifiers, but on the next floor of the water purification plant is the market where you can buy water, and anything else you need, I think I'm going to give the traders an actual bed right by their stall. Then behind the purifier and partially next to it is where I'm going to put my arena.

Radscorpions and molerats that spawn have the added ability to burrow right to anyone shooting at them. that kind of attack is totally rare, although, there is no defense for them. just hope settlers can take them out!

They were on the roof of the little concession stand because Piper was on the roof shooting at them.