1. Do we definitively know that 'supply lines' also share food and water resources? I've tried testing it for myself, but keep getting mixed results. If I scrap a settlement completely of food and water, but connect it to a well supplied settlement.... it appears green for a time. Yet after fast travelling or x period of time, I see a warning notification. Now, I cannot say, for certainty that during that time, I did not acquire more settlers to other settlements, thus increasing my need for food/water.... or even if I got a new settlement. The reason being is because too much time has past between the experiment and the result.

So without me actually having to tally settlers, food, water... supply lines, AND accounting for recruitment beacons, lost resources from attacks etc... does any KNOW that food and water resources are shared across settlements? It would certainly free up my designs if I could have main hubs for those things and shops/caps for others.

2. What seems to be the effective range of artillery? I would like to have coverage in the city proper, but it seems only Hangmans Alley is within the city proper. I'd like effective coverage, but not have to building arty at every settlement.

2b. Where does one get more smoke grenades?

3. I've seen some people say they assign settlers to water pumps. I've never seen this listed as a requirment?

4. Last one - is it confirmed that if you do not go to assist a settlement under attack that they will fail to defend it, thus losing valuable resources on repairs? I don't mind the battles, but last night, literally 6 - yes 6 - came under attack by raiders simultaneously! Which is a really cool aspect... like the NPC coordinated to bring the minutemen down a peg. Long story short, I simply wasn't able to defend all of them in the time period.

1. All I know is that food and water, as items, are shared via supply lines. Not sure the requirement for settler happiness is filled by having a "food farm / water farm" settlement connected. Sorry.

2a. Also not sure of the effective rang of Artillery. My bad.

2b. I assume you can get more smoke grenades at the castle just like you can get more flair gun rounds at sanctuary. Not sure...wow...I'm really not that helpful so far.

3. Regular water pumps, as well as the powered ones, do not require settlers to work them.

4. If you set up your settlement to have a lot of defenses, you will cut down on the attack events. I have heard that you need to surpass the settler number...I have heard you have to surpass the number you get when you add your water and food yield...and I have heard you have to add your settler number to your food/water number and then surpass that with defense....Just keep it high. If you see a settlement is under attack and you have set up really good defenses, it's possible to not even have to go there...though just make sure you place your generators (well anything you don't want damaged) in such a way that they will not get harmed.

Sorry about not answering all your questions. I'm about 72+ hours in and I have only had MAYBE 6 attacks on a settlement. 3 in Hangmans Alley in which I fast traveled there immediately just to see my corn stocks wilt away for some apparent reason. I hate that stupid place.

Range: http://attackofthefanboy.com/guides/fallout-4-guide-how-far-is-the-artillery-range/

and

http://imgur.com/gallery/puzc2

1- I've given up arguing the point because too much confusion amd different terminology for "sharing" exists in people's minds - and to be fair - with state of game, it could very well be I am bugged, they are bugged, both sides differing in opinion are bugged in different ways.

So, I will answer your question a different way - I have 15 settlements in current 120+ hr PT, (4) of them with -zero- locally produced food or water. All settlements are hooked up via supply lines.

In all (4) settlements with zero locally produced food/water, my happiness is ~85 as sustained level. I -assume- this is due to food/water being shared via supply line but will no longer argue the point. Let's just say however it is being done, I have settlements nice and happy without locally produced food/water.

I caveat the usual swings up and down due to bugginess of the game with the sometimes-bed assignments getting screwed up, a no-win auto fail settlement attack, etc. but aside from those temporary dips, have been sitting at easy 85 happiness by only building the core happiness items - trade, clothing, medical, and restaurant tier 3 emporiums.

With 1 of each emporium (have armor and weapons too but faik they add nothing to happiness) and 2 tier bars - mostly because i lkke having a pool and bar room inside and tier 3 are bit too tall to fit.

So my answer is, shared or not shared, i am able to get sustained 85 happiness at my non-main settlements with no food/water produced there, but hooked up via supply line. Main base has 92-93 happiness but i have 3 copies of each emporium there.

2. If you zoom closer to map you can see the lines easier, the box grids. Rough rule of thumb is artillery has ~5 to 5.5 box tiles range from settlement with artillery. Imam not sure if elevation matters but it is not an exact same range for each settlement.

4. Settlements will still defend themselves when you dont go, but all my xp as well as tons of player reports leads to conclusion that auto-resolved battles are done with incredibly inefficient use (or none at all) of your presumed defenses. I have had some auto resolved attacks with zero settler deaths, light, heavy, and same for property dmg.

The only consistency is the dreaded failed to defend mission attack, when you do go personally, but mission wont end with success mission message after all raiders dead. This is not case of one lone hideout somewhere. This is the bugged version where nothing you do can end mission, so when you finally leave settlement, you fail, and in this case for me at least, Always 100% results in 100% dmg to property but oddly no settler deaths.

Actually, you are the one that prompted my question. I read yours and another guys argument in another thread. And yes, you did answer my question, but I have another for clarification.

1. Does your settlements without their own crops and water source still show up red for those resources even though the happiness is holding? I re-tested last night after significantly increasing my food production at a nearby settlement and it seems to be working as you stated - as of sign out last night, the settlement showed no ill effects of not having food and water on site - including a green resource indicator and holding happiness. I figure if we pool enough evidence/experience, we can identify the mechanics (buggy or otherwise).

2. Last night, for the first time since I started playing, I experienced the failed defense bug... and a corrupted save file, but I digress. I could HEAR the last synth, but I could not find him. I waited, slept, patrolled the perimeter, but eventually had to leave. Lost my generator and a few crops so it wasn't terrible, just aggravating.