Annex the Commonwealth and Sim Settlements 2 Update
Up until this last weekend I was playing Sim Settlements 2 so I had enough of an understanding on how it worked. This play through I also used Annex the Commonwealth v0.4.0 (Discord only release) with it but without direct support for SS2 you are limited to manually annexing sub-divisions. The two mods do work together, however, and I encountered no "major issues" but it's early days as far as SS2 is concerned.
Having done enough of a play through to get a handle on how SS2 works I got access from Kinggath to the SS2 source and yesterday I started working on adding specific support for it as well as a couple other features. It will functionally be the same as SS1 support with auto-annexations but with slightly different mechanics due to the underlying differences between SS1 and SS2. ie, cities paying for annexations from their virtual caps instead of from city stores + workshop container.
I am working on the v0.6.0 release where v0.5.0 is available in the ATC discord and has all the features if not all the content of v0.6.0. Real life has been slowing things down but things will be ready Soon(tm).
Temporary FAQ. Will make this fancier on the main description tab Soon(tm). v0.3.2
Q. Is this supported on XBone/PS4/VR/SomeOtherPlatform?
Support beyond the base PC platform is not planned until after v1.0. If the readme and/or main description page does not say your platform is supported - your platform is not supported.
Q. Can I add/start this with an existing character or do I need to start a new one?
ATC is save compatible and you can install it at any time.
Q. I decided that ATC isn't for me. I started the mod but there is no uninstall option.
(a) Uninstallation of mods is not supported by the game engine, as specifically and repeatedly said by Bethesda. Anyone who tells you different is a liar. (b) There is too much changing dynamically for ATC to be uninstalled once started and once you start the mod you cannot uninstall it.
It's always best practice to test a mod out on a fresh character that you can run around in god-mode with to see if the new mod is something you want.
Q. What happens if I want to build a community miles from the actual settlement workshop?
Everything will work fine while you are there, but your settlement will start showing issues with power/water/food/defense if you build anything that generates or consumes those resources too far from the workshop itself.. This is because the game engine has limits and this mod is allowing you to push past those limits. Even certain vanilla settlements without mods have this issue eg, Spectacle Island - if you build at the extreme north/south ends of the island. The areas are just too far apart for the game to keep loaded at the same time. When the areas are unloaded, anything in them will not be "seen" by the workshop when it recalculates the resources when you enter/exit workshop mode.
That being said, you can scrap, build safe-houses to sleep, crafting stations to use, etc without issue. This will make survival plays much easier not having to schlep all the way back to your settlement if it controls lots of territory.
Q. Will settlers travel and use objects in the neighbouring sub-divisions?
The sandboxes for all settlements has been enlarged, some more so than others. The settlers will not travel beyond the edge of the sandbox which is noted by the magenta/brown border.
Q. If the settlers have to stay inside the sandbox, can we dynamically grow the sandbox?
Technically - no. There is no access to the underlying "primitive data" that defines the sandbox volume. This privitive data is what gives it the three side lengths which make up it's cube. The "positional data" can be manipulated, but not the primitive.
Practically - no. While multiple sandbox volumes could be placed for different scenarios, it's simply not practical to try and guess at the hundreds of different ways settlements could be annexing territory and further, given the hard limit of resource providers/consumers having to be relatively close to the workshop itself, there is no point.
Q. From some of the sub-division names, I can't figure out where they actually are.
Go to the neighbouring sub-division you can't find in the terminal menu and turn on the sub-division borders: "Town overview -> Neighbouring sub-division overview -> [Sub-Division] -> Show sub-division borders"
Once you exit the terminal menu, the borders for that sub-division will be turned on and you should be able to locate it.
Q. This mod says it works in a similar way to the Vault-Tec DLC, does that mean I need to find a workbench or something in the new sub-divisions?
No. The "similar way" we speak of is the dynamic addition of build zones and increasing the build budget of the workshop. The similarity ends there.
Q. What happens when I annex a sub-division and try to walk from the settlement into the sub-division while in workshop mode?
The same thing that happens when you walk anywhere while inside the build zones of your settlement. The sub-divisions are not "new workshops", the build zones associated with them are linked directly to the workshop itself adding to any already linked to it. If you cross the outside borders of the town as a whole then you are kicked out of workshop mode as you would expect. But as long as you are inside of the green/red border, you are inside the build zones of the workshop.
Q. What is the workshop workbench facsimile and what is it used for?
It's a facsimile for the workshop workbench. It's used for the exact same reasons and purpose. The only difference is that you can build, move and, scrap the facsimile. It's useful for the safe-house you built miles from the actual settlement so you can easily enter workshop mode or transfer junk/etc.
Q. I use [insert mod here] that adds, changes or overhauls the physical attack markers, build volumes, sandbox volume, border mesh, etc. What happens when I use this mod with ATC?
Initially nothing. Once you incorporate a settlement with ATC, anything that the sub-division provides for the settlement will replace the ones from anything else regardless of it's origin. This means that if the mod is just moving a couple things or providing a complete overhaul, you will lose any changes in favour of ATCs provisions regarding the objects in question.
Regarding scripted mods or overhauls, as long as those mods properly enumerate data and don't hard-code anything, they will play nicely with ATC just as ATC will place nicely with them. ATC does not hard-code anything and enumerates everything.
Q. There is no "workshop" menu when I start workshop mode!
Start the mod. You need the holotape to build certain things but you need to actually start the mod with from the holotape before you can build or do anything else. Try the option that says, "Start Annexing The Commonwealth!"
Q. I have a mod installed adding a settlement, will it work with ATC?
Just like vanilla settlements, support must be given directly for settlements in DLCs and other mods. Once we have v1.0 out we will be releasing a tutorial on how to add support for settlement mods to take part in ATC.
Q. What do the "Draws" and "Tris" in build budget mean?
The "draws" and "tris" are the actual budget. They refer to the individual number of actual calls ("draws") to the render engine with the number of triangles ("tris") to draw. The game simply hides this info behind a simple progress bar at the right side of the workshop mode top bar.
Q. What are other holotape locations besides the Museum of Freedom in Corcord?
This is a bit of an unmarked hide-and-seek side quest. The holotape software is prewar tech used by contractors and civil planners so look in locations where that sort of thing was actively happening the day the bombs fell.
Q. How do I unpack an ATC terminal?
If you have a holotape you can run it in your PipBoy and there will be a terminal option or, you can dropped the packed terminal on the ground and when you pick it up again there will be an option to pick it up or unpack it.
Q. I get the ugly red exclaimation markers everywhere and the holotape does nothing!
Sounds like an installation error. Make sure one of the ba2 files was installed with the esm.
Q. Why makeshift batteries??? I h8 u!
Because the terminal runs off battery power. Would you rather a fusion core? Seriously though, it's intended to hurt a little, the rewards are much greater than the costs.
Q. The caps cost to annex seems to fluctuate, why is that?
The cost is a complex formula which has a flat base amount, an amount per additional supported settler, an amount per triangle or draw (the budget cost is taken as the higher of the triangles or draws) which is then penalized by the distance from the settlement, the population milestones (the high and more punishing, the low) and the happiness milestones (same mechanism as population).
Q. I have killed all the hostiles inside the new sub-division but it still won't let me annex it saying, "Hostiles reported in the area!" What gives?
It's likely there is an interior location. Everything inside and out must be cleared before you can annex a sub-division. It makes no sense to kill the one raider standing outside a house but not the 50 inside.
Q. When will version X.Y.Z be release?
Soon(tm)
Q. What new features will version X.Y.Z have?
You'll know when they're released.
Q. I think I found a bug or I have a question but I never read FAQs or readmes nor do I know how to use a bug tracker or be bothered to join your Discord server so I am going to post the issue in the comment section.
Welcome to Bansville. Population - You.
Q. Can you please tell us the locations of the tapes already???
Holotape locations
Spoiler:
Show
Museum of Freedom Jamacia Plain town hall West Everett Estates Boston Mayoral Shelter Massechusetts State House Murkwater Construction Site Vault-Tec HQ Vault 75, 114
How does this affect the workshop maximum bug (i.e. "commonwealth" bug) which maxes out around 60-100 additional workshops beyond vanilla before issues start becoming a problem (as I understand it). it seems to me this mod adds approx. 60-80 workshops. is that correct? i have a ton of other settlement mods i would like to add but worried if i have like 50 added settlement PLUS this mod, my game will explode. lol. thank you. love the idea of this mod
This mod does not add any workshops and the 128 workshop limit is not relevant to this mod.
Annex The Commonwealth adds additional build volumes to the workshops and takes over managing the workshop borders visualization for an "incorporated" workshop.
The only restriction is that without Workshop Framework v2.1.3 or later, you must build resource objects "near"* the workshop itself (within 2.5 map "cells") or you will hit the core game engine persistence bug. This bug can be observed in an unmodded game at Spectacle Island - if you build resource objects at the extreme north and south edges of that settlement the game can miscalculate the resources "too far away"* from the workshop.
* Sorry for the vagueness - some of these things depend on where the player is standing inside the workshop and/or the workshop itself depending on the context of the inquiry to the game data being made. That is, the "daily update", looking at the pip-boy data and, building within workshop mode all can produce different results. This game is buggy AF.
Thank you. That actually answered my question, it was not vague. Im no expert but i have been doing this for about 7 years now lol
OH! two more quick question Sorry (and maybe this has been answered elsewhere but...)
How should i expect this mod to act when a settlement mod is added in an area that touches the boarders of ANNEX? (as this is an ESM, of course those mods would be loaded after this one).
And I assume that vanilla settlements not touched by this mod and added mod settlements not touching the area of this mod still function as they would without this mod?
Thank you again. I love the idea of this mod and look forward to using it for my upcoming 1000+ hour playthru!!!
ATC has to be specifically aware of a settlement to work with it. That is, if the mod workshop is in an ATC subdivision it will not be able to take advantage of it.
Now, when you annex a subdivision that a modded added settlement is in it, "things will work as you expect" but entering workshop mode for the settlement you want may be tricky using the hotkey however, entering workshop mode by activating the workshop workbench will (should) use the correct workshop.
Note: I have not actually tested this myself and I am answering based on my knowledge of how the systems work and are coded - ymmv
im a bit confused, your talking in comments as if this is still updated but it was last updated in 2016, also from your comment 4ish years ago are you still working on SS2 compatibility?
I have never used Nexus Mod Manager and have no idea what it would complain about. The 7z file supports BAIN and FOMOD compatible mod managers. Manual installation will require the 'core' files and one of the 'border' archives.
hey so i used vortex to download this mod and have all the other requirements and it wont load or work also you make it sound like you still work on this mod yet it has not seen an up date in over 5 years is this ever gonna get a full release?!
I play this mod years ago and I forgot lots stuff. It ask me for more than 6.000 for incorporate Sanctuary. Is that normal? If yes: is there a way to pay less? I m using Horizon and caps are scarce. Edit: Also Simsettlements 1
SS[2] cities will annex on their own if they meet all requirements and pay from it from the city coffers. Also, it only costs the city 15% when they annex (they annex at random, picking the closest subdivisions to the settlement itself first, they also require an active city plan).
As to adjusting the costs, yes, you can enable debug mode for the mod which will enable the debug menu in the terminal where you will find the "Dragons Lair" - in there you can mess with the mods global variables for cost factors, cost penalties, population and happiness requirements.
To enable debug mode for Annex The Commonwealth: set ESM_ATC_GLOB_Setting_DebugMode to 1
Yes, a "soft requirement" vs "hard requirement" is "loss of functionality" vs "cannot be run at all". F4SE is a soft requirement, you can still use the mod but with a loss of F4SE dependent functionality.
If F4SE is a requirement for some of the functionality does this no longer work for the 2024 updated game and F4SE?
F4SE has noted that older Mods that utilize it need to be updated and this mod is dated 2018. I'm not going to pretend I understand any of it... so maybe this mod is an exception. I just want to know before I download it as I don't care to find out the hard way. :)
The types of mods they are referring to are the ones with F4SE Plugins (\Data\F4SE\Plugins\something.dll)
The part of F4SE that ATC uses is the script extensions. Unless they (the F4SE team) dropped functions they added previously, there should be no issue.
From what I've read on this page/from the stickies, I assume SS2 runs ok with this aside from needing manual annexing from this mod. Thank you for that.
I will update with any issues though I look forward to a cool playthrough!
UPDATE: Please don't be a dummy like me and run this on a character first before committing to a full playthrough with this mod activated. The expansion of this mod seems to have borked my SS2 in the sense that the more I expanded, the more issues that arose (plots not upgrading as they should, etc). Great mod, just be careful with it.
There is nothing ATC does that will interfer with any other workshop mod with the exception of mods expanding workshops themselves; those mods will be redundant and/or those workshops will lose their expansions as soon as you incorporate them.
This means you can use an "all-in-one" expansion mod for the settlements as well as ATC. Then, when you incorporate a settlement that ATC covers, it will take over managing that settlement from then on. You will lose the build volumes from the expansion mod and get ATCs build volumes instead (which will probably be bigger anyway).
420 comments
Up until this last weekend I was playing Sim Settlements 2 so I had enough of an understanding on how it worked. This play through I also used Annex the Commonwealth v0.4.0 (Discord only release) with it but without direct support for SS2 you are limited to manually annexing sub-divisions. The two mods do work together, however, and I encountered no "major issues" but it's early days as far as SS2 is concerned.
Having done enough of a play through to get a handle on how SS2 works I got access from Kinggath to the SS2 source and yesterday I started working on adding specific support for it as well as a couple other features. It will functionally be the same as SS1 support with auto-annexations but with slightly different mechanics due to the underlying differences between SS1 and SS2. ie, cities paying for annexations from their virtual caps instead of from city stores + workshop container.
I am working on the v0.6.0 release where v0.5.0 is available in the ATC discord and has all the features if not all the content of v0.6.0. Real life has been slowing things down but things will be ready Soon(tm).
Fallout 4 Custom Settlement Tutorial
Start planning your new settlement locations and how you want them to fit in with ATC!
v0.3.2
Q. Is this supported on XBone/PS4/VR/SomeOtherPlatform?
Support beyond the base PC platform is not planned until after v1.0. If the readme and/or main description page does not say your platform is supported - your platform is not supported.
Q. Can I add/start this with an existing character or do I need to start a new one?
ATC is save compatible and you can install it at any time.
Q. I decided that ATC isn't for me. I started the mod but there is no uninstall option.
(a) Uninstallation of mods is not supported by the game engine, as specifically and repeatedly said by Bethesda. Anyone who tells you different is a liar.
(b) There is too much changing dynamically for ATC to be uninstalled once started and once you start the mod you cannot uninstall it.
It's always best practice to test a mod out on a fresh character that you can run around in god-mode with to see if the new mod is something you want.
Q. What happens if I want to build a community miles from the actual settlement workshop?
Everything will work fine while you are there, but your settlement will start showing issues with power/water/food/defense if you build anything that generates or consumes those resources too far from the workshop itself.. This is because the game engine has limits and this mod is allowing you to push past those limits. Even certain vanilla settlements without mods have this issue eg, Spectacle Island - if you build at the extreme north/south ends of the island. The areas are just too far apart for the game to keep loaded at the same time. When the areas are unloaded, anything in them will not be "seen" by the workshop when it recalculates the resources when you enter/exit workshop mode.
That being said, you can scrap, build safe-houses to sleep, crafting stations to use, etc without issue. This will make survival plays much easier not having to schlep all the way back to your settlement if it controls lots of territory.
Q. Will settlers travel and use objects in the neighbouring sub-divisions?
The sandboxes for all settlements has been enlarged, some more so than others. The settlers will not travel beyond the edge of the sandbox which is noted by the magenta/brown border.
Q. If the settlers have to stay inside the sandbox, can we dynamically grow the sandbox?
Technically - no. There is no access to the underlying "primitive data" that defines the sandbox volume. This privitive data is what gives it the three side lengths which make up it's cube. The "positional data" can be manipulated, but not the primitive.
Practically - no. While multiple sandbox volumes could be placed for different scenarios, it's simply not practical to try and guess at the hundreds of different ways settlements could be annexing territory and further, given the hard limit of resource providers/consumers having to be relatively close to the workshop itself, there is no point.
Q. From some of the sub-division names, I can't figure out where they actually are.
Go to the neighbouring sub-division you can't find in the terminal menu and turn on the sub-division borders:
"Town overview -> Neighbouring sub-division overview -> [Sub-Division] -> Show sub-division borders"
Once you exit the terminal menu, the borders for that sub-division will be turned on and you should be able to locate it.
Q. This mod says it works in a similar way to the Vault-Tec DLC, does that mean I need to find a workbench or something in the new sub-divisions?
No. The "similar way" we speak of is the dynamic addition of build zones and increasing the build budget of the workshop. The similarity ends there.
Q. What happens when I annex a sub-division and try to walk from the settlement into the sub-division while in workshop mode?
The same thing that happens when you walk anywhere while inside the build zones of your settlement. The sub-divisions are not "new workshops", the build zones associated with them are linked directly to the workshop itself adding to any already linked to it. If you cross the outside borders of the town as a whole then you are kicked out of workshop mode as you would expect. But as long as you are inside of the green/red border, you are inside the build zones of the workshop.
Q. What is the workshop workbench facsimile and what is it used for?
It's a facsimile for the workshop workbench. It's used for the exact same reasons and purpose. The only difference is that you can build, move and, scrap the facsimile. It's useful for the safe-house you built miles from the actual settlement so you can easily enter workshop mode or transfer junk/etc.
Q. I use [insert mod here] that adds, changes or overhauls the physical attack markers, build volumes, sandbox volume, border mesh, etc. What happens when I use this mod with ATC?
Initially nothing. Once you incorporate a settlement with ATC, anything that the sub-division provides for the settlement will replace the ones from anything else regardless of it's origin. This means that if the mod is just moving a couple things or providing a complete overhaul, you will lose any changes in favour of ATCs provisions regarding the objects in question.
Regarding scripted mods or overhauls, as long as those mods properly enumerate data and don't hard-code anything, they will play nicely with ATC just as ATC will place nicely with them. ATC does not hard-code anything and enumerates everything.
Q. There is no "workshop" menu when I start workshop mode!
Start the mod. You need the holotape to build certain things but you need to actually start the mod with from the holotape before you can build or do anything else. Try the option that says, "Start Annexing The Commonwealth!"
Q. I have a mod installed adding a settlement, will it work with ATC?
Just like vanilla settlements, support must be given directly for settlements in DLCs and other mods. Once we have v1.0 out we will be releasing a tutorial on how to add support for settlement mods to take part in ATC.
Q. What do the "Draws" and "Tris" in build budget mean?
The "draws" and "tris" are the actual budget. They refer to the individual number of actual calls ("draws") to the render engine with the number of triangles ("tris") to draw. The game simply hides this info behind a simple progress bar at the right side of the workshop mode top bar.
Q. What are other holotape locations besides the Museum of Freedom in Corcord?
This is a bit of an unmarked hide-and-seek side quest. The holotape software is prewar tech used by contractors and civil planners so look in locations where that sort of thing was actively happening the day the bombs fell.
Q. How do I unpack an ATC terminal?
If you have a holotape you can run it in your PipBoy and there will be a terminal option or, you can dropped the packed terminal on the ground and when you pick it up again there will be an option to pick it up or unpack it.
Q. I get the ugly red exclaimation markers everywhere and the holotape does nothing!
Sounds like an installation error. Make sure one of the ba2 files was installed with the esm.
Q. Why makeshift batteries??? I h8 u!
Because the terminal runs off battery power. Would you rather a fusion core? Seriously though, it's intended to hurt a little, the rewards are much greater than the costs.
Q. The caps cost to annex seems to fluctuate, why is that?
The cost is a complex formula which has a flat base amount, an amount per additional supported settler, an amount per triangle or draw (the budget cost is taken as the higher of the triangles or draws) which is then penalized by the distance from the settlement, the population milestones (the high and more punishing, the low) and the happiness milestones (same mechanism as population).
Q. I have killed all the hostiles inside the new sub-division but it still won't let me annex it saying, "Hostiles reported in the area!" What gives?
It's likely there is an interior location. Everything inside and out must be cleared before you can annex a sub-division. It makes no sense to kill the one raider standing outside a house but not the 50 inside.
Q. When will version X.Y.Z be release?
Soon(tm)
Q. What new features will version X.Y.Z have?
You'll know when they're released.
Q. I think I found a bug or I have a question but I never read FAQs or readmes nor do I know how to use a bug tracker or be bothered to join your Discord server so I am going to post the issue in the comment section.
Welcome to Bansville. Population - You.
Q. Can you please tell us the locations of the tapes already???
Holotape locations
Jamacia Plain town hall
West Everett Estates
Boston Mayoral Shelter
Massechusetts State House
Murkwater Construction Site
Vault-Tec HQ
Vault 75, 114
thank you. love the idea of this mod
Annex The Commonwealth adds additional build volumes to the workshops and takes over managing the workshop borders visualization for an "incorporated" workshop.
The only restriction is that without Workshop Framework v2.1.3 or later, you must build resource objects "near"* the workshop itself (within 2.5 map "cells") or you will hit the core game engine persistence bug. This bug can be observed in an unmodded game at Spectacle Island - if you build resource objects at the extreme north and south edges of that settlement the game can miscalculate the resources "too far away"* from the workshop.
* Sorry for the vagueness - some of these things depend on where the player is standing inside the workshop and/or the workshop itself depending on the context of the inquiry to the game data being made. That is, the "daily update", looking at the pip-boy data and, building within workshop mode all can produce different results. This game is buggy AF.
OH! two more quick question Sorry (and maybe this has been answered elsewhere but...)
How should i expect this mod to act when a settlement mod is added in an area that touches the boarders of ANNEX? (as this is an ESM, of course those mods would be loaded after this one).
And I assume that vanilla settlements not touched by this mod and added mod settlements not touching the area of this mod still function as they would without this mod?
Thank you again. I love the idea of this mod and look forward to using it for my upcoming 1000+ hour playthru!!!
Now, when you annex a subdivision that a modded added settlement is in it, "things will work as you expect" but entering workshop mode for the settlement you want may be tricky using the hotkey however, entering workshop mode by activating the workshop workbench will (should) use the correct workshop.
Note: I have not actually tested this myself and I am answering based on my knowledge of how the systems work and are coded - ymmv
It ask me for more than 6.000 for incorporate Sanctuary. Is that normal?
If yes: is there a way to pay less? I m using Horizon and caps are scarce.
Edit: Also Simsettlements 1
As to adjusting the costs, yes, you can enable debug mode for the mod which will enable the debug menu in the terminal where you will find the "Dragons Lair" - in there you can mess with the mods global variables for cost factors, cost penalties, population and happiness requirements.
To enable debug mode for Annex The Commonwealth:
set ESM_ATC_GLOB_Setting_DebugMode to 1by the way, is this still compatible without f4se now that the next-gen update screwed it up?
F4SE is a soft requirement, you can still use the mod but with a loss of F4SE dependent functionality.
F4SE has noted that older Mods that utilize it need to be updated and this mod is dated 2018. I'm not going to pretend I understand any of it... so maybe this mod is an exception. I just want to know before I download it as I don't care to find out the hard way. :)
The part of F4SE that ATC uses is the script extensions. Unless they (the F4SE team) dropped functions they added previously, there should be no issue.
I will update with any issues though I look forward to a cool playthrough!
UPDATE:
Please don't be a dummy like me and run this on a character first before committing to a full playthrough with this mod activated. The expansion of this mod seems to have borked my SS2 in the sense that the more I expanded, the more issues that arose (plots not upgrading as they should, etc). Great mod, just be careful with it.
This means you can use an "all-in-one" expansion mod for the settlements as well as ATC. Then, when you incorporate a settlement that ATC covers, it will take over managing that settlement from then on. You will lose the build volumes from the expansion mod and get ATCs build volumes instead (which will probably be bigger anyway).
Thank you very much for your insight. ♥