I'm looking for a good place to settle that is relatively central to the map. I like the Red Rocket Stations layout, but the only one that's fully equipped appears to be the one you start at.

I like the DC house, but for some reason the workbenches in the city aren't connected to your workshop, so you have to haul everything with you when you want to mod weapons and armor and cook, which is not acceptable. You also can't build all the same stuff you can at other settlements, or even send your companions there, which is super annoying. I'd like them all to hang around DC and go about their business when they're not with me instead of just sitting idle at some settlement because that's the only place I can send them to.

I also liberated the hell out of Covenant, but while I can use the workshop there, everything is still marked as Owned, thus I'd be stealing, and I can't sleep in the beds. Is it even possible to settle in Covenant?

Also, I hate the Minutemen so I won't be staying at Sanctuary or the Castle.

You can settle in Covenant. If you go in workbench mode and scrap the items instead of picking them up, it doesn't count as stealing. Also, I went around and "stole" all the unscrappable items while with a companion who didn't mind so that they wouldn't be accidentally touched later when with people who might mind. As for the beds, you can probably scrap those too and replace them so that they aren't owned. Only issue there is that you will lose the nicer looking beds that can't be made in the workbench. The settlement is definitely yours though and will behave like any other settlement.

I was disappointed that there were so many building restrictions with the Diamond City house and that we can't send companions there. I really would like a certain companion who came from there to be with her sister while not traveling with my character.

My favorite is Starlight Drive-In.

I just finished building a 6-story concrete pyramid and I'm already thinking about new projects for the site. Plus, no minutemen makes for a peaceful settlement without all of the complaining and annoyingness.

Tell me about it. I've just left Preston in the museum. Don't have any plans on returning there either.

My favorite has to be either be starlight or the Slog. The airport and castle would be up there but they are both tied to quests and the airport has no area to grow food in what so ever. I do hope an upcoming DLC or patch lets us build our own planters for food considering they are already in game.

Airport. can someone please tell me where your "owned" piece of land is there? I show 2 settlers there, but I can't find 'em!

agreed very defendable position, I just don't like that you cannot get rid of the turrets without blowing them up.

Greygarden has to be my favourite closely followed by Starlight Drive-in.

Greygarden has a well established nursery tended by droids that don't require food, water or beds. The first level of the nearby overpass is also accessible if you don't mind ladders
The only drawback is that it doesn't have access to standing water so you'll be limited to pumps.

Starlight Drive in has the largest, flattest buildable area I've found. A little bit limited for crop space and a few skeletal corpses that linger (I've blasted them away from my building area with well placed frag mines, just need to see if they'll respawn back to their original site).

Kingsport Lighthouse is probably my current favorite. It has a nice view of the sea, and best of all it is slightly elevated with only two paths leading up to the settlement, making it fairly easy to defend. It is also what I like to call a high level settlement, meaning you can build turrets up to mark 7, and the attacks can be pretty tough. I've faced gunner squads to super mutants armed with rocket launchers, compared to Starlight which is usually like one or two raiders, if any at all. I'm planning to build a water farm by the docks, and turn the shack into a living quarters slash dining area.

Sunshine Tidings was my main base on my first save, but you must make sure the corpses have disappeared before you activate the workbench, or they will stay/respawn there forever. I like it because the main shack is in the middle surrounded by the other houses, making it very easy to spot all your companions if you decide to put them all there.

I was actually really surprised at how much open flat space Abernathy Farm has behind it. I was just adding some defenses there and looked behind the place and there's about an acre of flat land behind the place where you could build about anything. I may try building some metal mansion there soon.

If you are up for the challenge, Hangman's Alley is about as central to the map as you can get.

I was looking at Starlight too, but I really just want a cozy place of my own, not an actual settlement.

I haven't been to Kingsport yet (at least I don't think so), but it sounds cool.

Thought about the alley too, but it's just too cramped. I like a bit of elbow room =) And the Abernathy's annoy the hell out of me. They get kidnapped constantly.

Might try for Covenant then, or the nearby boathouse. Both are relatively close to the action and have room to decorate and expand a bit.

If on PC, use the console.

Open console, highlight the skellie, and type MarkForDelete. Close console.

Next time you fast travel away / to it, they are gone permanently.

If not on PC, actually holding and using either mop or brooms, let you push them out of the way as well (save you some mines if anything, and less messy)

perhaps check out the slog...just kill everyone there if you want to be alone

Spectacle Island is still my favorite settlement, although it's a pain to reach if you're not fast-traveling. Maybe not as "central" as you'd like, but nothing says isolation like a large island all to yourself! Just mind the Mirelurks.

Thanks for that tip, I'm on a PC but always forget about console commands... feels like cheating

I quite liked playing frag mine golf with them... even thought about setting up a frag mine golf course

Hangman's Alley makes for a good centrally located personal base, but not necessarily a great settlement if you plan to populate it.

Don't open either one of the chained doors and there is only one way in. It's a very short jog from Diamond City and while small in ground space there is plenty of room for building upwards.

Greygarden has an advantage that some folk don't immediately recognize. A good portion of the overpass falls within the build zone, so you can go up there and build a personal pad.

I built a good player base at Boston Airport, right next to the Brotherhood of Steel's headquarters
Massive spoiler, if you've sided with the Brotherhood, but handy to know before you spend a lot of time building up the area.

Hehe, nice idea

Altho, I wonder how you would deal with the skellie at the top in Starlight. It is a rather cramped place it is in

You have to be really carefull with the mine placement, too close to the wall and they fall through the floor so you can't shoot them. Handy placement of the half wooden walls, containers or anything the skeleton can't pass through and won't itself be moved by the explosion helps with deflection.
Also, in hindsight, armour that can absorb explosive damage may be handy

Solid advice, thanks!

Will do

Will look into that. Hate mirelurks, though! grrrr

this should be a poll.

Spectacle Island is so far the biggest with almost non REF Buildings.

I think I will use Graygarden as my personal base if I ever do a play through not building up the settlements. You get a base somewhat centrally located and your own farm taken care of by robots.

I have other settlements, but Starlight is my favorite place that is just for me alone. I like the cozy, safe feeling, with a 'real' roof and walls for my bed. I have no settlers there, so no surprise(!) someone in my bed when I wake up.

Abernathy Farm is a close second for a place with people living there.

I want to like the drivein, however I can't move the molerat bodies or skeletons. The smallest molerat says "too heavy to carry". Huh? It's as big as a radroach and I can't move it?

My favorite personal base is at Egret Tours Marina which has plenty of room to store your collection of PA in the Boathouse. Actually I converted the boathouse into my living quarters, I like that old warehouse kinda vibe that the boathouse has to offer. Not really a centralized location like some others, but I chose it for its charm.