GNN HQ

[jallard]

I fought like heck to get to the GNN HQ. Having restarted the game seven times trying to understand how things with work with SS2 and then it gets totally changed up on me. My memory isn't as sharp at 75 as it was when I was in my teens. (I can read a page and within five minutes afterward, forget what I had just read.) Of course, it doesn't help that I am still recovering from 4 very badly bruised ribs from a fall and finding it hard to breathe. I am not trying to make excuses here it is what it is. Thanks for you help.

 

[SarahAda]

I can take no credit for the Maps/Floor Plans, those are KingGath's - I only presented them on a Wiki page with room names that aren't in Creation Kit (CK) format like on the HQ Room Configs page for modders.[...]

i feel like the wiki team doesn't get enough credit. everyone loves Kinggath (probably rightly, but still) so maybe we do a little bit of equitable redistribution.

 

[Antoine Soverie]

I wanna say HQ is kinda maybe straightforward, not sure if that's true or I just got used to it. At first it was unbelievably confusing. I still don't know where most the rooms are (doesn't help that we pick their location ourselves) but, luckily for us - knowing that is not needed! When you're needed somewhere, you get a marker that points you in that direction. Don't think there's ever a reason to go into Mansfield's office but you take the spiral ladder in the middle of big atrium and it's.. one of the rooms directly upstairs. One that's clean and has a bunch of fancy desks. With a hole in the wall until you patch it.

@jallard just take your time with it. It's not meant to be a chore. Exploring the place is up to you.

One thing you really need to know - workers need living quarters to be able to be sent to HQ. So you clean a bunch of rooms until something offers you to build them. Probably not enough scrap logistics to build the 4 person ones at first (that's why you recruit 1-2 fellas with really high endurance to send them to logistics dept and get more supply agreements - "scrap logistics" come directly from having more of them). Someone with 10 in a stat is ideal. I'd say put Preston to work.
Supply agreements are best with settlements that have a ton of extra crap. Like industrial resources, water, food, power.

Now, they have quarters (the top left corner in workshop mode shows how many workers you have and how many is your max until more need to be buil). Under every department on the top bar there's a number of max jobs for them. This shows how many you can send to a department. Those are made also from cleaning rooms then building logistics jobs (from workshop menu -> facilities). Stuff like storage closets, vending machines etc. You can upgrade those rooms from engineering after, to add more jobs or make it look cooler. Or add some new cool stuff.

Generally it's the same as other SS2 quests - just look at what the quest tab wants and do that. And if you really want to do nothing with micromanagement, use tgm like I suggested. I'd just be careful when doing 40 projects at once, most systems probably can't handle that. Wait for 3-5 (maybe 10) of them to complete, stand in game for a few seconds. Or minutes. The "How to HQ" and "Commonwealth Rising" quests get tedious if you really focus solely on them so again, just take your time. Look at what different departments have to offer, experiment a bit, and all that.

 

[jallard]

I fought like heck to get to the GNN HQ. Having restarted the game seven times trying to understand how things with work with SS2 and then it gets totally changed up on me. My memory isn't as sharp at 75 as it was when I was in my teens. (I can read a page and within five minutes afterward, forget what I had just read.) Of course, it doesn't help that I am still recovering from 4 very badly bruised ribs from a fall and finding it hard to breathe. I am not trying to make excuses here it is what it is. Thanks for you help.

I wanna say HQ is kinda maybe straightforward, not sure if that's true or I just got used to it. At first it was unbelievably confusing. I still don't know where most the rooms are (doesn't help that we pick their location ourselves) but, luckily for us - knowing that is not needed! When you're needed somewhere, you get a marker that points you in that direction. Don't think there's ever a reason to go into Mansfield's office but you take the spiral ladder in the middle of big atrium and it's.. one of the rooms directly upstairs. One that's clean and has a bunch of fancy desks. With a hole in the wall until you patch it.

@jallard just take your time with it. It's not meant to be a chore. Exploring the place is up to you.

One thing you really need to know - workers need living quarters to be able to be sent to HQ. So you clean a bunch of rooms until something offers you to build them. Probably not enough scrap logistics to build the 4 person ones at first (that's why you recruit 1-2 fellas with really high endurance to send them to logistics dept and get more supply agreements - "scrap logistics" come directly from having more of them). Someone with 10 in a stat is ideal. I'd say put Preston to work.
Supply agreements are best with settlements that have a ton of extra crap. Like industrial resources, water, food, power.

Now, they have quarters (the top left corner in workshop mode shows how many workers you have and how many is your max until more need to be buil). Under every department on the top bar there's a number of max jobs for them. This shows how many you can send to a department. Those are made also from cleaning rooms then building logistics jobs (from workshop menu -> facilities). Stuff like storage closets, vending machines etc. You can upgrade those rooms from engineering after, to add more jobs or make it look cooler. Or add some new cool stuff.

Generally it's the same as other SS2 quests - just look at what the quest tab wants and do that. And if you really want to do nothing with micromanagement, use tgm like I suggested. I'd just be careful when doing 40 projects at once, most systems probably can't handle that. Wait for 3-5 (maybe 10) of them to complete, stand in game for a few seconds. Or minutes. The "How to HQ" and "Commonwealth Rising" quests get tedious if you really focus solely on them so again, just take your time. Look at what different departments have to offer, experiment a bit, and all that.

You said that workers need living quarters, but where are they?

Sanctuary Hills would have been the place to go for crap materials at the time of taking on the GNN HQ. I had 92,000 scrap in storage and about 15 settlements includding the Castle. I didn't know that you had to recruit people from the settlements to work at the HQ. Nor did I know how to recruit people with a 10-stat. Is that what the vigo tester was for? I don't know?

Anyway, I dumped that game out of frustration and started a new one... AGAIN! Up until taking the GNN HQ it had been a good game. I was happy with the outcome. But then I was faced with yet another new system of play and it frustrated me. Made me angry. Now I am starting over again from the beginning -- from the vault that is. I am a firm believer in "keeping it simple stupid." I am not a chess player. I hate chess. I am not a puzzler either. Mazes... especially mulltilevel mazes drive me up a wall. That is what makes it difficult for me. I do appreciate the help though. Thanks.

 

[yaugie]

The large most-square-shaped rooms should all have Living Quarters as an option, as far as I know. Also the 'upper floor' ones shaped like a D. There's other ones scattered about too - especially the "office level" once that unlocks later on - but those are the easiest ones to get going.

And the Vitomatic isn't just for purposes of spotting talent to recruit for HQ; almost all SS2 Plots use one of those SPECIAL stats on the person or persons working at the plot to determine how much output they produce - eg, Agricultural type plots provide more points worth of Food based on the Endurance stat of the people working at said plot. It also eventually unlocks the ability to scan people for Diseases in the "Nightingales" sub-questline.

 

[jallard]

The large most-square-shaped rooms should all have Living Quarters as an option, as far as I know. Also the 'upper floor' ones shaped like a D. There's other ones scattered about too - especially the "office level" once that unlocks later on - but those are the easiest ones to get going.

And the Vitomatic isn't just for purposes of spotting talent to recruit for HQ; almost all SS2 Plots use one of those SPECIAL stats on the person or persons working at the plot to determine how much output they produce - eg, Agricultural type plots provide more points worth of Food based on the Endurance stat of the people working at said plot. It also eventually unlocks the ability to scan people for Diseases in the "Nightingales" sub-questline.

I couldn't get the Nightingales or the cops to join the battle. Probably because I didn't do all of their stupid radiant quests. Speaking of agricultural plots at the time of attacking the Gunners Plaza Sanctuary Hills had over 100 in food. It seems as though HQ is an entirely different game within a game?!? Another intense learning curve to master. I wasn't prepared for it. It was rather disappointing for me. It goes back to keeping it single and less complex.

 

[yaugie]

I couldn't get the Nightingales or the cops to join the battle. Probably because I didn't do all of their stupid radiant quests. Speaking of agricultural plots at the time of attacking the Gunners Plaza Sanctuary Hills had over 100 in food. It seems as though HQ is an entirely different game within a game?!? Another intense learning curve to master. I wasn't prepared for it. It was rather disappointing for me. It goes back to keeping it single and less complex.

For CPD, you have to be up to a certain point in their questline, and I found asking Lena (the bloodthirsty one that swears a lot) was the one to talk to. The Radiants shouldn't matter, I've only ever done one of those in however many playthroughs I've done now.
Nightingales won't actually join in the battle, but one of them will show up, and I think "recruiting" them spawns a box full of healing supplies in that building the "planning meeting" is in? I can't remember.

And yeah, HQ is basically an entire new game. I don't disagree with you on how much of a sudden change in complexity it is, I've been saying since SS2 came out that the ingame tutorialising is pretty weak - and I'm someone that sunk hundreds of hours into SS1 before SS2 even came out, so I already had the basics down.

 

[Antoine Soverie]

For CPD, you have to be up to a certain point in their questline, and I found asking Lena (the bloodthirsty one that swears a lot) was the one to talk to. The Radiants shouldn't matter, I've only ever done one of those in however many playthroughs I've done now.
Nightingales won't actually join in the battle, but one of them will show up, and I think "recruiting" them spawns a box full of healing supplies in that building the "planning meeting" is in? I can't remember.

The first time I did that I took BADFL and asked Lena. The second time I became a detective and asked Simon. Nightingales aren't much help there and it seems you need to complete the entire questline to talk to Fiona, but yeah, that supply box was there for me. You don't have to get any allies for that quest really, it's just to make it an epic fight with everyone possible involved. I desperately need a cheat to skip the FO4 main quest parts, if anything is tedious to do over and over, it's that.
What I usually do is clean every room until something suggests to build living quarters. There's a lot of those rooms so it's not an issue. Of course it's very different from what we're used to with settlements, and I find myself struggling to get any water or food to HQ. Should be easier on the latest update, with settlement reports.Those look super handy and something finally shows your surplus in the network. I've started getting water only after building a hi-tech water plant just about everywhere. Having some water and power and food in HQ by default also helps.

 

[jallard]

Thanks. I have just one question: “How do you get all of these updates that I keep hearing about?”

 

[Antoine Soverie]

You download the latest version off nexus, then it depends on whatever mod manager you're using.
https://wiki.simsettlements2.com/getting-started/installation
Now, I've never updated on PC yet but planning to. It doesn't always work well with existing saves so keep that in mind.
2.2.4 update

 

[Mahasona]

For CPD, you have to be up to a certain point in their questline, and I found asking Lena (the bloodthirsty one that swears a lot) was the one to talk to. The Radiants shouldn't matter, I've only ever done one of those in however many playthroughs I've done now.
Nightingales won't actually join in the battle, but one of them will show up, and I think "recruiting" them spawns a box full of healing supplies in that building the "planning meeting" is in? I can't remember.

And yeah, HQ is basically an entire new game. I don't disagree with you on how much of a sudden change in complexity it is, I've been saying since SS2 came out that the ingame tutorialising is pretty weak - and I'm someone that sunk hundreds of hours into SS1 before SS2 even came out, so I already had the basics down.

As someone who's spent hours pouring over the forums and wiki trying to understand what's going on with HQ gameplay and terminology, have to agree with this 100%. So much time wasted in and out of the game trying to figure things out. And so glad of the help that's proffered here too of course.

 

[Patrican]

The large most-square-shaped rooms should all have Living Quarters as an option, as far as I know. Also the 'upper floor' ones shaped like a D. There's other ones scattered about too - especially the "office level" once that unlocks later on - but those are the easiest ones to get going.

And the Vitomatic isn't just for purposes of spotting talent to recruit for HQ; almost all SS2 Plots use one of those SPECIAL stats on the person or persons working at the plot to determine how much output they produce - eg, Agricultural type plots provide more points worth of Food based on the Endurance stat of the people working at said plot. It also eventually unlocks the ability to scan people for Diseases in the "Nightingales" sub-questline.

I think there is a basic "flaw" in the thinking, or rather an assumption that has been made as to why players, initially, install SS1/SS2. Most players I know initially install it so that "something other than me can manage those settlements , from the building to the settler assignments, while we go off doing something more interesting". I have to admit I've never bothered checking a settlers stats that is working on a plot, I just assumed that the SS1/SS2 systems would automatically do so. That is why I installed it after all; so it could do all that boring micromanagement stuff. Prior to getting to HQ I've never used the Vitomatic beyond as was necessary for the quest, just dumped it in storage and forgot about it.
However, there are other players who love to micromanage their settlements and it seems that, that is the player base that SS2 is "sliding" slowly towards as it was developed. I'm guessing with chapter 3 we'll see even more complexity happening.
Don't misunderstand me, I think what Kinggath and the team have done with SS1/SS2 is beyond amazing; the way that they've taken what is a fairly basic system in the base game and warped it what it is now has left me in awe of their skills.
I'm hoping for a "city manager" option for HQ that you can "employ" that can manage the "HQ Build" autonomously; auto-assign staff to the various departments etcetera with the player simply prioritising what gets cleaned/built from a "list/menu" and then be able to walk away and let it get on with it.

I must admit to cheating with "collecting" HQ staff; I've be using the console to spawn settlers (player.placeatme 00020593 x) and then using "SETAV" on the spawned NPC to set it's stats all to 10, and then sent them to HQ.

 

[yaugie]

I think there is a basic "flaw" in the thinking, or rather an assumption that has been made as to why players, initially, install SS1/SS2. Most players I know initially install it so that "something other than me can manage those settlements , from the building to the settler assignments, while we go off doing something more interesting". I have to admit I've never bothered checking a settlers stats that is working on a plot, I just assumed that the SS1/SS2 systems would automatically do so. That is why I installed it after all; so it could do all that boring micromanagement stuff. Prior to getting to HQ I've never used the Vitomatic beyond as was necessary for the quest, just dumped it in storage and forgot about it.

I 100% agree with you, I've made literally those exact points myself in discussion about it - even down to the notion of adding something similar to the "City Plan" mechanic to HQ is something I've suggested myself more than once.

And just to clarify, since some of your phrasing makes me wonder; I am in no way a member of the SS2 team. I'm just some jerk that has a browser tab open on these forums at all times.

 

[slink_v_0000]

It's been asked quite a lot, but it bears repeating here. There is not currently any way to "shortcut" building HQ, but kinggath has said they're looking into doing something to make it shorter/less hassle once Chapter 3 comes out - because it seems we will NEED the place at least a bit built up for what comes next. Probably not "complete", but at least every department operational and probably enough room for another NPC or two and presumably the Armory (down in the basement) will be important in Ch3 too.

Just remember that the "quest" tab in your Pipboy should tell you what it wants you to do, even if the NPCs only say it vaguely.

There are complex technical reasons HQ is operated the way it is; in short, it's nigh impossible to dynamically detect where you built things, so instead it's just choosing from a menu where each item in your build mode "knows" where it goes - this does mean it's a pain in the rear to figure out what it means though (like who even remembers which way West is ingame). If it helps, think of it as being that you're shouting orders at people as you walk around, and they'll go do it - like how Mansfield "demonstrates" by telling the first Concord Settler he sees that they're a janitor now.

Don't stress if you can't "100% complete" the place at the moment, though; of the "rewards" for doing so, most of them will be useless or near-useless by the time you get them anyway.

I should add a couple things to my notes of what to go over in my "tutorial"stream in a couple days

If they want me to build that armory, then they need to fix the problem with the 4 unattached instances that immediately appear when it is built. I won't corrupt this playthrough with it. This happens every time I build the armory.

https://simsettlements.com/site/index.php?threads/hq-basement-armory-causes-4-unattached-instances.25383/

 

[Patrican]

I 100% agree with you, I've made literally those exact points myself in discussion about it - even down to the notion of adding something similar to the "City Plan" mechanic to HQ is something I've suggested myself more than once.

And just to clarify, since some of your phrasing makes me wonder; I am in no way a member of the SS2 team. I'm just some jerk that has a browser tab open on these forums at all times.

Sorry, used "you" instead of "they or they've"; typing this on phone while at work and got "distracted" ....

 

[yaugie]

If they want me to build that armory, then they need to fix the problem with the 4 unattached instances that immediately appear when it is built. I won't corrupt this playthrough with it. This happens every time I build the armory.

I'll keep an eye on that. I haven't noticed any problems per se but I don't normally pay any attention to that sort of thing unless the game starts really dying on me.

Sorry, used "you" instead of "they or they've"; typing this on phone while at work and got "distracted" ....

Just had to be sure. I've been mistaken for a Team Member in the past. (heck, there was a brief chunk of time there where people started assuming I was kinggath)

 

[Aurelianis]

I don't like HQ stuff at all. I tgm and build and clean everything in like one go... lol. Of course, at the beginning of the quest you have to do a few things in sequence, but after that I do it all in one go.

For the power stuff, I pick one settlement, build a couple fusion generators and transfer plot and done.

For HQ recruiting, I spawn settlers via console, move them to a settlement in workshop mode, then run a bat file that gives them 10 S.P.E.C.I.A.L. and finally send them off to HQ.

Total cheater, but HQ stuff is the worst.

 

[slink_v_0000]

For HQ recruiting, I spawn settlers via console, move them to a settlement in workshop mode, then run a bat file that gives them 10 S.P.E.C.I.A.L. and finally send them off to HQ.

Total cheater, but HQ stuff is the worst.

Well, that's certainly cheating. I only set them to 8 in all SPECIALs.

Have you noticed that while your own settlers cluster in spots and hardly move, the ones you spawn take off in all directions like cockroaches when the light comes on? I can only do four at a time to be sure of catching them all.

 

[Aurelianis]

Well, that's certainly cheating. I only set them to 8 in all SPECIALs.

Have you noticed that while your own settlers cluster in spots and hardly move, the ones you spawn take off in all directions like cockroaches when the light comes on? I can only do four at a time to be sure of catching them all.

I was for real LOL'ing at this. It's insane. I actually only do one at a time because of that. I'm not that quick.

 

[fathamburger]

I think there is a basic "flaw" in the thinking, or rather an assumption that has been made as to why players, initially, install SS1/SS2. Most players I know initially install it so that "something other than me can manage those settlements , from the building to the settler assignments, while we go off doing something more interesting". I have to admit I've never bothered checking a settlers stats that is working on a plot, I just assumed that the SS1/SS2 systems would automatically do so. That is why I installed it after all; so it could do all that boring micromanagement stuff. Prior to getting to HQ I've never used the Vitomatic beyond as was necessary for the quest, just dumped it in storage and forgot about it.
However, there are other players who love to micromanage their settlements and it seems that, that is the player base that SS2 is "sliding" slowly towards as it was developed. I'm guessing with chapter 3 we'll see even more complexity happening.
Don't misunderstand me, I think what Kinggath and the team have done with SS1/SS2 is beyond amazing; the way that they've taken what is a fairly basic system in the base game and warped it what it is now has left me in awe of their skills.
I'm hoping for a "city manager" option for HQ that you can "employ" that can manage the "HQ Build" autonomously; auto-assign staff to the various departments etcetera with the player simply prioritising what gets cleaned/built from a "list/menu" and then be able to walk away and let it get on with it.

I must admit to cheating with "collecting" HQ staff; I've be using the console to spawn settlers (player.placeatme 00020593 x) and then using "SETAV" on the spawned NPC to set it's stats all to 10, and then sent them to HQ.

I was just like you way back in oct/nov and copping all kinda of crap from certain people here for it :D I did eventually stumble/struggle/power thru it all WITHOUT cheating, a lot of it might be dumb luck but there is also a ton of story and at least theoretically its quite marvelous how they've planned the stages of HQ growth over time. When you know all of this, it really cant be automated away nor is it really viable for the player to have the option to skip it out right. An "auto build" city manager like you suggested where the game only just calls you when a story quest pops up is probably the most viable compromise but even then you still have to do some of it for those quests.

It just needs to all actually fricking work and not be such a pain or take away so much player agency.