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Suggestion Leader Trait Discussion

kinggath

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With patch 3.1.2, 3rd party leaders can now be added (check out the Builder's Toolkit if you want to create you own leaders!) , and all leaders are given a huge purpose with the trait system.

In order to maintain balance, the traits are all hard-coded, which means the initial offering is pretty limited - so I want to expand it greatly in order to cover a wide array of gameplay and flavor options. So I'm looking for suggestions on two fronts: Conceptual and Gameplay.

Conceptual - this would essentially be the name and spirit of a trait. How does the trait manifest itself in leading a group of people trying to survive in the wasteland?

Gameplay - Ideas for settlement gameplay things that could make sense to adjust. For the most part, every number in the settlement system and Sim Settlements can be altered - and these make for great Minor Traits and Weaknesses. The most interesting, and difficult, are the Major Traits. These need to offer something new and exciting gameplay-wise, without being excessive in development time.

When talking in terms of game play suggestions, don't worry too much about the specific numbers, you can just refer to things in terms of an increase or decrease. A lot of the numbers that are implemented now will probably change over time as we try and balance out the mod.


In this discussion, I'm very interested in hearing about the different leaders that are being released in add-on packs so we can talk about specifically what kind of traits would make sense for them to have. I'd rather spend time implementing traits that will be used immediately, then just creating theoretical ones that have no place.


(Before commenting, please check out the in-game Explanation screen from the Change Leader option on the City Planner Desk blueprint menu - that way you're familiar with what has already been implemented.)
 
I was thinking of making Sheffield be a leader you can get (after a quest)
Since the leaders have traits...

Conceptual: He is a scavver and a Nuka-Cola addict so for his major I was thinking perhaps a large boost to the scrap gathered by the settlers OR Generates Nuka-Cola's (in various forms) for the colony.

The minor boost would possibly increase the number of visitors that come "Thank You!" OR A boost to happyness when ya drop off Nuka-Cola's at the city planners desk.

And since he's a former (recovering?) alcoholic - bars/booze don't generate happyness like they normally do.
-- So you essentially trade booze for cola.
 
*going to be updating as I flesh out these concepts

Craig Boone or Manny Vargas
Recon Instructor: Settlement guards are trained and become recon troops. (B.o.S Knight level)
Advanced Warning: Get message when settlement is about to be attacked
Indoctrinated: Martial structures develop twice as fast. All others take twice as long.

Raul Tejeda
Vulture: Higher scrapping yields from industrial plots
Crafty: Weapon/Armor upgrades require half the resources
[Weakness]

Ulysses
Tribute: like raider boss chest but with guaranteed legendaries
Gamer: Play caravan (luck stat based outcome)
[Weakness]

Rose of Sharon Cassidy

[Major Bonus]
Morning Brew: every morning a bottle of a random alcoholic drink is waiting for you
Clean but not Sober: No drug production or sales allowed

Anne Hargraves:
Fashion Queen: Clothing Stores become level 4 and sell random legendary armor
[Minor Boost]
[Weakness]

Dr. Usanagi

Cutting Edge: Implants become available for purchase
[Minor Boost]
[Weakness]

Cito
Jagermeister: Animals are hunted and supplies are generated. (Food supplies and animal ingredients are left in workshop)
King of the Jungle: Beta wave emitter feature without having the device itself
Beef Strong: Poor hygiene lowers happiness

[Anyone]
"Call to Justice" or "Ally of the Shroud" (aka the red phone) When under attack the Silver Shroud appears and assists. (He can yell his catchphrase “Death has come to you evildoers and I’m its shroud”)
 
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The leaders being released in add-on packs? Is there something I’m missing?
Yes, the leaders will be added with other mods. Though I will probably add some more to Sim Settlements in the future.

The actual traits though are hard coded, because they often involve altering core numbers with Sim Settlements, so even if the leader is coming from an add-on, they'll need me to implement the custom traits. So this thread is a place to talk about new trait ideas for the leaders that are released or ideas for new traits entirely that might need a character to apply them to. Obviously, the creators of those addons will have the biggest say, but some of them might be interested in ideas - and I myself will be interested in new ideas to preemptively implement some new traits to give addon makers more options.
 
Ahhh... so the way it read to me, when it said that you were interested in discussing traits for new leaders from add-ons it suggested that there was like some list of leaders and/or add-ons were already in the works with set leaders, and thus, commence discussing traits for those leaders.
 
I kind of wrote it that way, I assume the conversation will pick up after a couple of leader packs are released. I anticipate some will be released very soon, people have been chomping at the bit to free their companions and/or access more city builds simultaneously.
 
One thought I had on this that’s fairly simple and can be found to some degree in some of the add-on plots is to combine plot benefits.

Someone could be a chef which would make agriculture plots add happiness, because they make such great food, possibly even a kind of food specific... Tato wiz chef.

Or, someone is an engineer or designer, which adds a small amount of happiness to residential plots. That might be too much though, so maybe it’s only 30% of plots or something.

An unrelated idea is that someone could have the trait explorer which could either reveal map points or function something like the eye bot pod and find you places to go. Similarly, someone could have the weakness wanderlust which might make the city build take longer because they take off for weeks at a time.
 
One of the things I most definitely will do is create the opposites of all of the existing traits, and will just need good names and explanations for them. Wanderlust seems like the perfect counter to Experienced Mayor.
 
Blake Abernaty, this was really a simple one since he is quite earily game. his traits would be. Minuteman supporter, Hardworking farmer, and Caring father.

Minuteman supporter: he is an avid supporter of the minuteman and would do everything in his power to help the minutemen, most likely some minute men will hang around the settlement he is in charge of since they like it there providing some defense bonus

Hardworking Farmer: with his knownledge of farming and care for the land any agricultural plots in his settlement would produce more food then normal by 25% (so not to be abused)

Caring Father: Blake is a loving and caring father whom loves and cares for everyone under his leadership as if they were his own kin, by him caring about his peoples needs he could ether A. Give out a boast in happiness, or B. give you minuteman side quests to clear out raider camps, mutant hordes, gunner camps and infested areas to help protect the commonwealth (a bit like knight Rhys's side quests for the brotherhood.)

The second person i think will work best would have to be Roger Warwick, His traits would be. Friend of the Institute, Hardworking Farmer, Undercover agent.

i think the only one i need to explain here would have to be undercover agent, Pretty much with undercover agent he will give you quests on the side for the Institute so long as you side with them and not against them, (before nuclear option) After completely destorying the Institute for the Minuteman or railroad he won't turn against you and most likely will side with you since you saved his brothers and sisters, However destorying the Institute for the brotherhood would make him turn against you along with the whole settlement making it so you have to clear the settlement before you can use it again.
 
I have no ideas about new leaders; just a couple of super-duper original suggestions for two major traits:

Gunner Connections: Gunners defend the settlement.

Raider Buddies: Raiders defend the settlement.
 
Tina de Luca

Engineer: Since she was an engineer working on the reactor at Vault 81 she'd be familiar with power systems and keeping them running. Maybe a bonus to power generation and faster repairs as her major
Vault 81 Friendship: Can't imagine Vault 81 helping defend a settlement. Maybe just extra visitors/trade

Not sure about her drawback. She'd be very down on drugs, maybe a happiness penalty
 
Major: Uncanny Allies: Weird-looking visitors appear. Not sure how much is possible, but maybe humans with a somewhat green-grayish skin color and bulging eyes, wearing suits and hats, with ghoul voices. They could use weapons like Kremvh's Tooth or even Alien Blasters, and be generally surprisingly efficient in combat, giving a a fair bonus to defense. Sometimes things like non-hostile Mirelurk Kings appear at night.
Or, maybe the visitors are actually able to summon certain creatures.
After using your shops, they will leave strange artefacts as payment. Golden Idols, resembling aquatic humanoids (Mirelurk King, retextured to gold, scraps to gold). Ancient Tomes full of eldrich knowledge (de facto perk magazines, see below). Scrolls capable of calling forth eldrich abominations (too far? if not: basically a synth relay grenade, but in scroll form, and calling things like mirelurk kings). Or just stuff you can sell and/or use to decorate your house with OCDecorator/Place Everywhere.

Minor: Ancient Lore: Upgrades happen faster, factories are more productive.

Flaw: Dread. Happiness is more difficult to gain. Settlers are more difficult to attract.

edit: lol, I forgot the perks for the tomes
- Horror of the Deep: do slightly more damage to aquatic creatures, breathe somewhat longer underwater. Gain some more damage resistance while underwater.
- Secrets of the Damned: do more damage against Super Mutants.
- Aid from Beyond: if you are close to death, sometimes a feral ghoul will come to your aid.
- Dreadful Touch: each time you hit an enemy, there is a very small chance it will become panicked.
- Non-euclidean Ballistics: gain the ability to target obscured body parts in vats. Maybe just at 2% or so, but still enough to use critical shots.
 
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How about a major trait of "Charismatic" which increases the radio recruitment chances more than the minor trait of "recruiter" and/or increases the max settlement size if you aren't using alternate recruiting which bases the max size on the bed count.

If you add keywords to plots like "shack" or "clean" at some point then you could add automatic filters to plot selection with traits such as "Tasteful" or "Tasteless" haha. A keyword for gross animals like Rad Roaches or Mole Rats on plots might make for an interesting settlement with some of the addon packs. "Cat Farm", martial plot with roaches...

Flaw "Troublemaker" increases the chances of being attacked. Not too much of a disadvantage when your defenses are strong since you can get free gear.
 
Tina de Luca

Engineer: Since she was an engineer working on the reactor at Vault 81 she'd be familiar with power systems and keeping them running. Maybe a bonus to power generation and faster repairs as her major
Vault 81 Friendship: Can't imagine Vault 81 helping defend a settlement. Maybe just extra visitors/trade

Not sure about her drawback. She'd be very down on drugs, maybe a happiness penalty

Maybe just have visitors in vault 81 suits with increased tax income from commercial plots. There aren't too many vaults still in one piece you'd want visitors from though. Alternatively, they have more interesting tech and pristine objects than caps to maybe it could increase the quality of stock in your stores from trade-ins. Maybe just name the minor trait "vault dweller".
 
Just a couple of things that popped into my head as I was playing today though not for any particular NPC.

These may be screwball and have impossibilities built into them from a practicality standpoint.

So, 1) X-resident. For example, Diamond City resident. Alternatively, this could be like Diamond City fan or whatever. I was thinking this could tie to something else and increase or decrease based on how far the settlement is from X. So, Diamond City trader, settlement gets more money from business plots up to some max percent.

On the flip side, you could have place-based opposition. MacCready has something that is better the further the settlement is from Gunners Plaza or whatever.

2) Not sure what to call it, but something like Mediator or Safe Harbor. This might be nigh impossible considering the difficulties with NPCs killing each other already, but I was thinking from an above suggestion about raiders and gunners, maybe a mix of people show up but it’s a money gain instead of defense.
 
Well I am going with the obvious one, Man's Best Friend.

Major, Dogmeat howls loudly and summons 4 junk yard dogs and 4 friendly mutant hounds to patrol the settlement and raise defence by a large number.

Minors.
That dog does hunt, knowing they are safer with dogs patrolling settlers feel safer and are willing to pay extra taxes.
Waggerly tail, increases how much visitors spend at your settlement.

Postal, small chance of visitors seeing the dogs and running in fear.
Dog gone it, dogs are awesome but can not give orders, no city building plans can be used at this settlement.

I think that would be fair, let's face it dogs are important part of our lives, and post end of the world they would still be part of our lives, so why not have dogmeat and just not let people use the city planner/builder thingy.
 
What could synth Shaun do?

- Major: Institute Education. Shaun got fake memories involving him going to school. Of course the Institute wouldn't put all of their data into his brain, but even if they simulate generic pre-war education, Shaun should know more than most people in the Commonwealth. Factories produce more and upgrade faster.

- Minor: Child at Heart. With him leading a settlement, you gain a chance of child settlers arriving. Child settlers are more happy by default.

- Flaw: Naive. He doesn't know much about how the wasteland works. Some people take advantage of that. Less revenue from shops, higher chance of attacks.

I decided against something like Synth Sympathisant, since he has no idea that he is one.
 
I could see the player recruiting an NPC to become a leader using charisma, perhaps even offering the NPC pay from the "taxes" or perhaps a lump sum upon recruitment. Perhaps certain armor, dress or weapon to entice them as well. Another possibility would be using a "training pod" to give the NPC skills and abilities they did not have before. Of course to create the pod you would have to scavenge components or perhaps do a quest. Another thought is to consider the NPC's loving gambling, alcohol, books, art or other weakness or strengths. Depending on access to these things could be a benefit or a negative trait. Of course a stat/ability sheet would be necessary when the player attempted to recruit a leader.

If the vr training pod were used you could literally use any NPC you desired to become leader but I would bet creating such a tool might be a BIG pain
 
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I was thinking of making Sheffield be a leader you can get (after a quest)
Since the leaders have traits...

Conceptual: He is a scavver and a Nuka-Cola addict so for his major I was thinking perhaps a large boost to the scrap gathered by the settlers OR Generates Nuka-Cola's (in various forms) for the colony.

The minor boost would possibly increase the number of visitors that come "Thank You!" OR A boost to happyness when ya drop off Nuka-Cola's at the city planners desk.

And since he's a former (recovering?) alcoholic - bars/booze don't generate happyness like they normally do.
-- So you essentially trade booze for cola.

I could see him dressed in a Tux greeting visitors possibly running a casino being the mayor of the settlement . . . perhaps a nuka cola factory in his community would be great (here's dreaming)
 
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