I love everything about this location to make it into a base.. Except for one thing... It's so damn dark! I can't see a thing I'm doing.


How does everyone else like the new settlement location?

If we could create food (containers like Graygarden) and water (water fountains), and suffer settlement attacks (maybe just robot attacks, rogue robots that were left in the building). Then it would be a very nice and unique settlement.

First thing to do is light the place, then scrap most of the industrial scaffolding. if you are on PC and have a few mods, you can turn it into a fully functional settlement.

I'm lazy to get through loading screens

Theres a fast travel marker, pop right in, no doors necessary.

You can also fast travel out as well.

The lighting is an interesting challenge. I do know that some of the main posts will light up the wall fixture lights, but I don't know if that is inherent or if it is because I built a big three story tower in the middle of the room.

My biggest complaint is about food. As with the Airport location, even though I know they are getting food from the trade route, they still complain about being hungry.

I really like this place. I've already started building in it. I'm starting a new character as soon as the new survival mode comes out, and I'm planning on doing all of the Automatron stuff early on. The robots will be helpful early in the game, and I'm going to use the Mechanist's Lair as one of my main settlements/safehouses. I'm planning on avoiding the settlement stuff for the most part early on, so it'll be perfect. Between this, Home Plate, Red Rocket, and a couple more southern safehouses I should be all set.

I have the same problem with the Mechanist's Lair though. It is incredibly dark in there. I get that it's supposed to be a dark atmosphere, and I want to retain that...but it's to the point where you can't really even see without your flashlight on in there. I lined the wall all the way around with lights and it's still really dark because the lights only cast so far...and this is with the Brighter Settlement Lights mod which creates more intense light that goes 3x as far. I imagine there's a console command that will raise the light level in there.

When the ceiling is low, then the ceiling lights help a lot, such as in Home Plate. When the ceiling is high, though, then you're better off using wall lights, and placing them along the wall, and on anything you can attach them to in the middle, such as pylons and furniture. I think the ceiling in the Mechanist Lair is really high as it goes up more than two stories, and so wall lights will probably be better.

Unfortunately, the standing lights all have really poor light radius.

I used a bunch of fluorescent wall fixtures just above floor level (I think they are part of Homemaker) as well as institute ceiling fixtures in the lower wall sections just below the control room. I also placed a bunch of spotlights (the fixed ones from the spotlight mod) that light some areas more directly. It is a challenge though, but I found it enjoyable because I had to really think about how to get it done.

I have yet to actually do anything inside this location but I plan to. I left the mechanist alive so she is walking around in there. I'm fine with that. She seems to have trade dialog but no follower dialog. Maybe someone will fix this with a mod. I could then move her around. Either way though I really like the location. I am not sure if lighting will be a big issue as long as I can get power from something.

Do you guys place generators? I haven't looked to see if there are power connectors yet.

There's one generator under the stairs leading to the control room (which she walks down if you fought your way through). Just need to repair it and you'll get a spotlight and some other lighting fixtures operating.

i don't like the noise so put three wind generators at the top of the room.

i was able to poke some through the ceiling and walls with just the connectors showing for one of them.

I picked up the wall mounted spotlight schematic in the adjacent room (the room with the crafting benches) and used the spotlights for a bit of extra light (and security) til something else comes along.

picture of dark ceiling with 3 wind generators

http://ocau.com/pix/4e4jt