This is a work in progress, we will be adding more information here regularly over the next week or so.

Please note that you must have Sim Settlements core mod updated to v3.0 (or higher) for Rise of the Commonwealth to function.

Q: There are no city plans showing up for me in the city planners desk, where are they?

A: You need the “Rise of the Commonwealth” expansion pack for Sim Settlements (a separate mod file) in order for the city building plans/functionality to be available. Just upgrading to Sim Settlements 3.0 does not allow the settlement city building mechanic seen in the “Rise of the Commonwealth” trailers. Please check and make sure that you have downloaded “Rise of the Commonwealth” and that it is in your load order & active.

Q: I have “Rise of the Commonwealth” installed and I can see the “blueprint” sitting on the city planners desk but I can’t access/activate it.

A: You need to make sure you have upgraded Sim Settlements core mod to the latest version (3.0 or higher) for the blueprint on the desk to be accessible/activatable. “Rise of the Commonwealth” requires the Sim Settlements core mod to be version 3.0 (or higher) to function.

(PC Users) If you are sure that you have downloaded the latest version of Sim Settlements and it is still not working, try doing a manual install. NMM sometimes fails to update the files: Manual Installation

Q: There's only one plan for <settlement name>! Will <settlement name> have more city plans in the future?

A: Yes, there will be more city plans in the future. In addition addon pack authors will be creating more city plans as well. The soon-to-be released new version of the builders tool kit will let addon pack authors create their own city plans, as well as support whatever additional variations or styles they would like. So, just like the initial release of Sim Settlements only included one building plan for each store type (but now there are dozens), so too will the number and variety of city plans increase over time.

Q. Will we be able to contribute our own leveled cities for the system like add-on makers add buildings for plots?

A: Oh yeah, that's one of the core features! A new toolkit will be released some time in January for people to do so. It will be substantially easier than add-on packs and most of the work can be done in-game!

City Upgrades

Q: My city is at max happiness, why won't it upgrade?

A: The new city upgrade system is about more than just happiness level (though it does play a part), the idea is “sustainability”. There are a variety of factors involved, for instance your city needs to be generating more caps than it's consuming, so that you are not in a deficit. Also, as a city is the sum of its parts, the city won't upgrade until the majority of its plots upgrade as well.

For more details please check out the In-Depth Video Covering City Upgrades.

Settlement Leaders

Q: Can I put random settlers in charge, or is it only companions?

A: Right now, it's just vanilla and official DLC companions - in the future there will be other special NPCs that can lead settlements as well.

Q: Can Non-Sim Settlement mod-added companions run cities?

A: Not currently. However, when the new builder's toolkit comes out in January 2018, mod authors will have the ability to modify their created companions to be compatible with the Sim Settlements/Rise of the Commonwealth “leader” role.

Q: Can I still have a companion travel with me after assigning them as a settlement leader?

A: Yes, but that companion will be automatically unassigned as leader and that settlement will no longer have a “leader”. It is recommended to wait until a city has reached level 3 before taking that companion traveling with you again.

Once a companion is assigned at a given settlement’s city planner desk as that settlement locations “Leader”, they must stay in that settlement in order to allow that settlement to keep building and upgrading.

If you take them with you, the settlement they were assigned to will no longer have a “leader” and therefore will no longer add new buildings or improvements, nor will it be eligible for upgrade to a higher level.

Once the settlement reaches level 3 (highest level), the companion can once again be used as a traveling companion, without a penalty. Additionally, you can move that companion to a new settlement and make them a leader again (of that new settlement location).

Q: Can I take away a leader when the City is fully upgraded?

A: Once the city is fully developed (reaches level 3) it is safe to remove the leader and/or reassign them to another settlement location (as leader again if you so choose).

Q: Why isn't <My favorite NPC> able to be a city leader?

A: We will be adding support for more city leaders in the next few patches, as well as providing the tools so that add-on authors can create their own city leaders, there is just so much we can get to before launch.

Interior Plots

Q: Do you have to add power lines to the interior plots?

A: No, but they do require radial power - they need a power source/conduit, etc that contains them in its power radius just like a light bulb.

Non-Sim Settlement Mods

Q: Is Settlements Extended by Neeher supported?

A: Settlements Extended will work fine, but there won't be any autobuilding on structures you add in the expanded area. (When the new Builder's toolkit is released, there may be addons that create new layouts for those areas).

Q: Is Clean and Simple by Jenncave supported?

A: You should avoid loading Clean and Simple for any settlement you want to have Rise of the Commonwealth build automatically. The other features will work fine.

Q: How will this work if we are using mods like Clean and Smooth Settlement Start up?

A: It won't work nicely with mods that alter the settlements from vanilla, such as changing the land shape or changing the existing structures.

General Questions

When Will It Be Available?

Available Now!

Mod Page / Download Links:

PC (Nexus): https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/28599/

PC (Bethesda): https://bethesda.net/en/mods/fallout4/mod-detail/4047656

Xbox: https://bethesda.net/en/mods/fallout4/mod-detail/4047659

Will this work with existing saves?

Absolutely! You'll probably have more fun on a fresh save to experience it all from the ground up, but everything will absolutely work with an existing save.

Will you release an all-in-one version?

For PC, yes. There will be an optional download that combines Sim Settlements and all it's Expansion packs (not add-on packs) into a single download. That will most likely be available a few weeks after release when I'm sure most of the quirks are worked out.

How large is it going to be, my Xbox can't handle it!?

The expansion will be somewhere between 250 and 300 MB, very close in size to Industrial Revolution. The good news is that Industrial Revolution is not required, and the Martial and Recreational designs from IR are being moved to the main mod. So if you want to start a new save without IR, your space needs should only increase a small amount (maybe 50 MB ).

Will all of the features work on Xbox?

Yep - it's exactly the same functionality as the PC version. We did include some safe-guards to help reduce the likelihood of crashes on Xbox - so some things such as shadowed lighting and clutter detail are reduced automatically.