Getting Started

Important Note: the assumption of this page (and it's content) is that you already have the core "Sim Settlements" mod installed and enabled (either Sim Settlements or Sim Settlements Lite). If not, please do that now (or at least make sure to do it before you try to do any of the actions or follow any of the suggestions on this page.

First Steps

The "City Manager 2078 Holotape"

Sim Settlements needs for you "find" the Sim Settlements holotape called "City Manager 2078 Holotape" (in game) before you can start using Sim Settlements. Once you find the "City Manager 2078 Holotape" and load it in your Pip-Boy it will officially activate the Sim Settlements mod and you can officially start using Sim Settlements to build your settlement(s).

Finding the "City Manager 2078 Holotape"

If you simply start playing through the Main Quest of Fallout 4 (like normal), you can find the "City Manager 2078 Holotape" and a bunch of ASAM Sensors (required for building plots) in the same place you first meet Preston (in Concord - Museum of History) so very lore-friendly.

If you are playing a 2nd (or additional) play through and want to avoid the main quest and Preston entirely or simply don't want to go into Concord just yet, the "City Manager 2078 Holotape" can be found in a few additional lore-friendly locations (along with a beginning supply of ASAM Sensors) which you will find organically in the course of your exploration of the commonwealth.

However, if the whole reason you are playing Fallout 4 again is to use Sim Settlements and you want to get started right away, we have put together a spoiler page with all of these additional locations so you can go right out and find a "City Manager 2078 Holotape".

Spoiler warning: this page reveals the locations of items that are meant to be discovered during the normal course of game play: Holotape Locations.

Helpful Non-Sim Settlements Mods

You might also want to add 2 other non-Sim Settlement mods that are integrated with Sim Settlements, each of which will enhance your Sim Settlements experience:

HUDFramework - https://bethesda.net/en/mods/fallout4/mod-detail/335902

Settlement Menu Manager - https://bethesda.net/en/mods/fallout4/mod-detail/4018878

The HUDFramework will give you special "Sim Settlements" HUDmeters that will show up when you are inside a settlement. Settlement Menu Manager will help organize all "Sim Settlements" objects into their own menu inside the workshop tool bar that show up at the bottom of the screen (in workshop mode)