Fallout 4 Wishlist

In the time since Fallout 4 was released I've had ample time to explore post-apocalyptic Massachusetts.  I also jokingly posted several over enthusiastic, gushing expressions of Fallout 4 love on Facebook that inadvertently lured a friend into buying it (you're welcome Bethesda!).  Now that the initial joy of the release has passed, I've again come to the same realization that struck me with the other games in the Fallout series...."war, war never changes" and neither do the Bethesda Fallout games.  They aren't about interesting characters or an exciting storyline...they're about slaughtering your way through the wastes and looting everything in sight.  I read an interesting article in PC Gamer (Fallout 4: Good Game, Bad RPG) that hit the nail right on the head.  I agree with Andy Kelly's analysis that Fallout 4 is like a giant puddle...huge, but not very deep.  I wouldn't call it a bad game, I've played much worse, but I also chuckle at the overzealous forum posts about "Game of the Year!"  Supposedly there is a patch coming out soon that will hopefully address some of the glitchier hindrances plaguing parts of the game.

This is a wishlist of things that I would like to see improved.  I will preface this list by saying that I still haven't played much of the main storyline so I won't be commenting on it.

1.) The settlement system.  For some completely ridiculous reason I've latched on to the idea of managing settlements.  There's something intrinsically rewarding about providing a safe home for all the good people of the wastes.  But what is the point?  Is there a reason to be saddled with managing numerous settlements?  I like to think that at some point I'm going to have my own personal army but know this is undoubtedly not true.  Currently I am managing 10+ settlements for the Minutemen.  I've invested points into charisma so I can have supply lines to help provided needed items all over the map.  My main irritation lies in the fact that so little about managing settlements is actually explained in the game.  I've had to Google and read up on the finer aspects of running a happy settlement.  I'm irritated by the fact that my largest settlements (Sanctuary Hills and The Castle) are limited to 18 settlers (the number of settlers you have is determined by the charisma level of your character--the higher your charisma, the more settlers you can have in any given settlement).  There's this huge, glaring bar that says "settlement size" but it's only partially filled up!  What does that mean?  It's confusing.

In Googling happiness in settlements I learned that building certain shops will help.  I hadn't really looked at the shops menu prior to picking up rank two of the "local leader" perk and realized that there is a clear explanation included with the shops that will increase happiness.  Another very important aspect is making sure that your settlers are assigned a task.  This can be a pain to track since you have to A.) track down your settlers wandering around your settlements and B.) figure out if they've already been assigned a task--this is not easy to do since there is no indicator to tell you--my general rule of thumb is to watch the food or defense numbers and see if they fall.  I really wish this was easier.

Another wish of mine is for the workshop menu to be easier to use.  If there was a way to search specific components rather than having to page through the entire menu it would save a ton of time (this has become a non-issue with supply lines but was a pain early on).  It can't be that hard to include a way to filter specific components, right?

The tools to personalize your settlements are such a pain to use that I've given up on trying to create anything unique.  Just slap down a pre-fab and call it good because trying to get all your walls, roofs, and various other items to line up properly is going to make you want to pull your hair out.  I decided to build a fence around one of my settlements and gave up halfway because the unevenness of the terrain made my fence float....which defeats the purpose of a fence.

I've also run into an annoyance with a certain quest that continually pops up in Sanctuary Hills.  One of your settlers has been kidnapped by raiders and requires you to rescue them within a set timeframe.  I completed the quest only to find that it never ends....the same settler is standing in the middle of the road an hour later asking for your help again.  My recommended course of action is to avoid walking near that settler so you don't wind up doing a time-limited quest several times.

Sometimes I wonder if they intentionally kept parts of the game, like settlement management, vague in order to push people into buying the strategy guide.  Capitalism FTW!

2.) Better factions.  Or indicators about factional happiness.  I've met the Brotherhood of Steel.  I've clearly embraced the Minutemen.  What about the Triggermen?  Or the Children of Atom?  I have no effing clue but I've killed many of them which I would think means they aren't overly fond of my character.  I don't know who loves or hates me.  My main indication is whether they are shooting at me.

The view from the top of Bunker Hill.  Bunker Hill would make a great faction.

I'm confused by towns like Goodneighbor.  Other than them being another place to buy and sell stuff, what is the point?  I did a few minor side quests for some people in the town, but really didn't see any major plot points there.  It would be so much better if you had some sort of reputation (wasn't that a thing in the other games?) system.  It would make it more RPGish too.

3.) Companion perks.  Every once in awhile I do something that results in the fun, but boggling, messages of "X Loved that."  Apparently your companions take note of your actions and can either approve or disapprove of the things you do.  Umm, great!  So far I've determined that this matters for exactly nothing.  I'm ecstatic that Codsworth loves it when I make new weapons mods!  /sarcasm.  If you're going to include a system for companion approval/disapproval it needs to mean something.  Include some special perks for increasing their approval or make it possible for a companion to abandon you if they find your actions appalling.  Maybe unlock unique items, skins, or interactions with higher approval ratings?  Just give it some meaning!

4.) Better characters or storylines.  The addition of a main character who talks is interesting but the dialogue is so hollow.  I wish that I felt more invested in the other characters in the game.  Some sort of engaging storyline for the Minutemen or even for individual settlements like Goodneighbor.  I really like the whole societal rejection angle in Goodneighbor and feel like it could be fleshed out in an interesting way.  What if each settlement had it's own unique story and questline?

Right now I'm going to keep wandering the wastes and sneak-sniping multitudes of super mutants and raiders.  I'm crossing my fingers that things will get more interesting.

Edit:  I really hope they fix the annoying bug I'm calling the invisible weapon/weapon switching bug.  If you haven't experienced this yet you are lucky--your weapon will completely disappear (as in it's actually in your hands but you can't see it and can't use it) for a brief time while swapping weapons.  Most of the time this can be remedied by quickly zooming out to third person and zooming back into first.  As a stealther I tend to switch from a suppressed weapon to regular weapons all the time.

Double Edit:  I spent quite a bit of time messing around in my settlements and learned a few things.  The building design tool isn't quite as bad as I initially thought it was.  I've figured out how to get walls to slap right into place and other things to line up correctly.  My lack of engineering skills or knowhow means that all my buildings are ridiculous looking...but hey, my settlers don't seem to care.  I also learned that there is a way to figure out what tasks settlers are assigned to.  All you have to do is mouse over them while you're in workshop mode and the task they are assigned to will be highlighted.  This works well if you are in the vicinity of the thing they're assigned to...it works like crap if you're in a building or far away.  I still wish it was easier to tell.  Oh and I also finally solved the mystery of the repeat kidnapping!  If you're in The Castle the radio will announce that there is a kidnapped settler in Sanctuary Hills.  The quest requires that you talk to a settler and then go through the whole rescue scenario.  After turning it in to Preston Garvey the problem seems to be solved as I haven't seen the same settler standing in the middle of the road.