The Commonwealth ofFallout 4is packed full of locations and hidden gems, which make exploring and adventuring in the region tons of fun even after a decade. In a departure from previous entries in the series,Fallout 4added new mechanics which focused on settlement building and maintenance, as you help the Minutemen rebuild the Commonwealth one small community at a time. With 37 settlements to choose from in the base game and its DLCs, there’s a whole host of locations to pick from; however, some are best avoided unless you’re looking for a specific challenge.
I’ve had a love/hate relationship withFallout 4’s settlement buildingsystem since the game launched. That said, there is nothing I love more than seeing the ingenious bases that people create in even the most frustrating locations. What makes a good settlement location can be a matter of opinion, andthere will always be those who can rise to the challenge of any spot. However, of all the places inFallout 4you might want to build, these locales are generally to be avoided.
10Covenant Is Secure But Restricted
The Walls Protect But They Also Limit Expansion
The small village of Covenant is great for anyone looking for a settlement without having to do too much of the work themselves. To unlock Covenant,you will first need to complete the quest “Human Error”, picking whichever side you wish to gain access to the workshop. The wall community is perfectly situated in the center of the Commonwealth, but not too near any enemy hotspots.
Unfortunately, Covenant’s strengths are also its weaknesses, as the prebuilt houses cannot be scrapped, andthe small enclosed space makes adding any extra accommodation difficult. When gaining access to Covenant, its existing security measures don’t count towards the settlement’s rating, and it can be extremely frustrating attempting to scrap and rebuild the turrets as well as rewire the houses. Finally, there simply isn’t enough space to adequately plant crops, making the settlement unable to sustain itself without a robust supply line.
9Outpost Zimonja Is Disappointing
Small Space Is More Trouble Than It’s Worth
Outpost Zimonja is located in the far north of the Commonwealth, close to Lake Quannapowitt and Tenpines Bluff. When you first arrive, the camp will be overrun by raiders, led by Boomer, who will be wearing Power Armor and wielding a Fat Man. This alone makes Outpost Zimonja a place to avoid early in the game, but should you defeat them and unlock the workshop,there isn’t much to get excited about.
Astoundingly Awesome Tales: Deep Sea Terror!can be found on top of the workshop, which will allow you to do 5% more damage at night.
The build area of Outpost Zimonja is quite small, withprebuilt structures that limit how the space can be used. The space also has a hill cutting into it, which further limited expansion, as well as a set of stairs which, frustratingly, cannot be scrapped without console commands. Whenever I fast travel to the area, it always seems to be under attack, which probably stems from the nearby raider base, all of which adds up to make Zimonja more trouble than it’s worth.
8Murkwater Construction Site Is Too Swampy
The Remote Swamp Settlement Feels Too Gloomy
Murkwater Construction Site is one of the more depressing-looking settlement locations inFallout 4, with its swampy locale making the place feel cold and damp. The settlement is located to the far south of the Commonwealth, south of Suffolk County Charter School and west of Quincy. When you first arrive,you will be attacked by a mirelurk queen, and even after defeating her, others may spawn periodically.
If that alone wasn’t enough to put someone off from living here,Murkwater is horribly uneven to build on with unscrapable items that must be built around. Being one of the more remote settlements, Murkwater is also a pain to set up supplies for, which will be needed as the swamp limits crop planting. Overall, it might be best to leave Murkwater alone unless completing a specific build challenge.
7Tenpines Bluff Is Too Uneven For A Big Settlement
Tenpines Is Best Used For Crops In Early Game
Tenpines Bluff is probably one of the first settlements you’ll be sent to when following the Minutemen questline with Preston. The remote settlement is tucked away on a rocky hill in the north of the Commonwealth, directly east of Sanctuary. When you first arrive, you will be greeted by settlers who already live there and operate a small farm growing plenty of tatos.
Tenpines Bluff is a great place early on inFallout 4to get food and a place to sleep, but its remote location is far from ideal, making supply lines later a pain. There are two main problems when building a settlement at Tenpines, the first of which isthe uneven ground, which limits how and where structures can be placed. The second is the two unscrapable structures, one of which is a large unscrapable ruin of a house, which can be difficult to incorporate into a settlement layout.
6Oberland Station Is Very Small
Good For A Trade Outpost But Little Else
Oberland Station’s location and pre-established farming plot might make it seem like a great spot for a settlement, but the area has its drawbacks. Located on the railtracks in the center of the Commonwealth,Oberland Station is just north of Vault 81and northwest of Diamond City. The settlement itself is made up of a narrow railway station and a small farming plot surrounded by a chain fence.
However,Oberland Station’s build area is very small and uneven, which severely limits the type of settlements that can be created there. While it can work well for trading outposts or a base for yourself, the small build area means you’ll have to keep a careful eye on resources to prevent Oberland Station from getting too many settlers. The settlement is also, unfortunately, very near to spawn points for Super Mutants and raiders, meaning it is frequently under attack.
5Jamaica Plain Is A Waste
The Settlement Area Has Too Many Restrictions
Jamaica Plain was a decent-sized town in the south of Boston, and is only a short journey east of Shaw High School or southwest of University Point. You’ll probably end up exploring the area in search of the fabled treasure of Jamaica Plain and will need to clear the area locale of feral ghouls before you can use the workshop. However,all the effort to gain this as a settlement is definitely not worth it, with Jamaica Plain boasting one of the most frustrating build zones of the game.
The build area is filled with prebuilt structures and unscrapable items, which limits any potential settlement immediately. The resources of the settlement are also lacking, with no open areas for crops and lots of buildings, which make setting up defenses difficult. For such an interesting location, Jamaica Plain’s actual settlement zone is annoyingly restrictive, with a big part of it taken up by a house that cannot be accessed or scrapped.
4Boston Airport Doesn’t Work As A Settlement
It’s Best To Stick To An Outpost
At first glance, the settlement at Boston Airport might seem an ideal spot, especially for anyone whojoins the Brotherhood of Steel inFallout 4. Located right next to the Brotherhood’s base, the build zone is a large flat section of what used to be the terminal. However, whilethis flat concrete area does allow for easy building, it is also limited in what can be built there.
With little to no access to the bare ground,the Boston Airport settlement cannot grow any crops or place any of the water purifiers. This makes it useless as a self-sustaining settlement, which is further compounded by the small build area. I tend to make Boston Airport a factory, using theContraptions WorkshopDLC, or a personal base to store all the Power Armor I always end up hoarding.
3Hangman’s Alley Can’t Overcome Its Size
The Best Thing About The Settlement Is The Location
Hangman’s Alley is a small raider outpost not too far from Diamond City, and when first discovered, it will have to be claimed from its former inhabitants. As you might expect,the narrow settlement has a very small build zone with a surprisingly low build limit. Although the settlement seems designed to encourage a vertical build, Hangman’s Alley also has a low vertical limit, which really constrains what types of settlements can be constructed.
On top of the small build zone,Hangman’s Alley is also in the center of a hostile respawn hotspotwith raiders and Super Mutants frequently appearing to attack. Hangman’s Alley is a fantastic location for a base when pickingsettlements for survival modeor when completing aNuka-Worldraider playthrough. But anyone looking to build a fully functioning settlement should look elsewhere.
2The Mechanist’s Lair Feels Pointless
The Limitations Render It Virtually Useless
The Mechanist’s Lair is a location that sounds good in theory, but in practice, fails in so many ways. After eithersaving or killing the Mechanistas part of theAutomatronDLC, you will gain their lair as a new settlement. This large underground has great potential on the surface, but in reality,it has such limitations on what can and can’t be built therethat I often end up leaving it empty.
Food, recruitment beacons, and stores are just some of the key settlement options that cannot be built within the Mechanist’s Lair. Water is also an issue, with only two small dirt patches available for water pumps, and when enemies do spawn, they can often be difficult to find, as there are too many places for them to hide.This feels like such a waste of potentialand perhaps best left to the robots.
1Coastal Cottage Is A Frustrating Nightmare
Too Much Work For Too Little Reward
The Coastal Cottage sounds like a lovely little spot to build a settlement or even a nice beach home for yourself. Located on the northeastern coast of the Commonwealth, the cottage is a short journey north from the Museum of Witchcraft or directly east from Parsons State Insane Asylum. However, when you arrive,you’ll immediately understand why so many of even the most dedicatedFallout 4builders hate this location.
The first problem when building at this settlment spot inFallout 4is the prebuilt structures that take up too much of the area, with a ruined house dominating the location along with a garage.A massive hole takes up even more of the build zone, further complicating any construction efforts, and the uneven ground only makes this worse. Overall, the Coastal Cottage is a pain to build on, defend, and is too far from any other settlements to make it even worth claiming.
