I dont understand the purpose of a settlement

[Lochar]

I have had NMS since first released on PS4. and most of the expansions have had nice updates or quality of life improvements.

I know this is my own opinion but Frontiers to me was biggest disappointment.

Granted bugs were behind settlements but after 2 weeks where I finally have debt cleared, I get 134 pieces of manure and 100 trade item. Really?!? Thats it?!?

I thought maybe marketplace would allow trading, but nope,just an empty shell of a building.

I fail to see purpose of a settlement as overseer I just decide to increase debt, production or happiness, but to what end? A fluff covering? I cant even make more than 1, wjich at least would have felt like towns existed on planets and possibly trading between them but unless they have something that didnt make production, these are way worse than fo4 settlements and I am one who loved those ideally.

At least allow them to become some sort of trading post, not just a shell of buildings.

[player144]

Well, for now at least, it seems the purpose of settlements is to provide the player with additional passive income. While initially, the settlement increases in debt, its only a temporary thing.

[Lochar]

I am still on timer for first production but will see what kind of passive income I get. But from looks of it, a freighter mission provides alot more income.

[Tom]

A lot of players have agitated in the past for cities in the game. It looks like the purpose of the update and its settlements is to satisfy that pent-up demand.

[Lochar]

well I am all for cities, but a limit of 1 per player makes it seem like weird concept. Also I was hoping for more overseer functions at least. Maybe assigning jobs to NPCs or at least having a functioning settlement that isn't just a eye candy thing at the most with a small passive income as reward. You cant even build pathways to make it look better without gimmicking the system.

[Dirak2012]

The purpose was to shut up all the people asking for settlements.

[player144]

I think you forget that its not just buildings that provide additional income. There are also "management decisions" that add to the income of a settlement, and that seems to be at least orchestrated as an infinite/endless supply. Meaning, as you add the decisions, they'll eventually surpass the income from freighter missions.

[player144]

Originally posted by scootytheclown:

This Settlement Update is based around being a mid-game addition. Something to add to the myriad of things to manage as you get your resources in order to set up your self-sufficiency along with your Freighter (the end-goal actually). Not complicated enough to give you headaches but engaging enough to keep you running around while you build everything. It is definitely not a late-game item. Not enough in-depth content/management to add to a fully "matured" game-run.

In the end-game phase your game starts to operate on the rules and goals you set for yourself. All the content like Settlements is just background pieces in your Empire of self-sufficiency that hums along while play "in your head" basically.

"While NMS seems like a "forever game", it runs best when you re-start game-runs after attaining complete Empire-like self-sufficiency. However, for me and similar people that love reaching the top and then "playing in their heads" (with all their success supporting their character) with their own rules and goals it really does become a "forever game" and Settlements is just another great fun little toy.

"

"While NMS seems like a "forever game", it runs best when you re-start game-runs after attaining complete Empire-like self-sufficiency. However, for me and similar people that love reaching the top and then "playing in their heads" (with all their success supporting their character) with their own rules and goals it really does become a "forever game" and Settlements is just another great fun little toy. [/quote]"

If that is true, then the more obvious and simple solution would be to just extend the automation aspect of mineral extraction...

Frankly, i believe the HG team has bigger plans for the settlement system, namely to blow more live into the game, as it has been static and unorganic since, forever....

[Grimmslayer73]

Originally posted by player144:

Frankly, i believe the HG team has bigger plans for the settlement system, namely to blow more live into the game, as it has been static and unorganic since, forever....

I hope your right but their track record says otherwise. Companions, Exocraft, Living ships, Freighters, Cooking....They left all of those wide open for improvements but they never go back and do it. They leave them in an alpha state and just move on. I doubt settlements will ever get any more attention other than a few bug fixes.

[M]

I have maxed out my settlement and I can say, it isnt worth the time and effort. its just eye candy, nothing more so players can say "wooo, I own a settlement!" yeah, an empty, useless shell of a village or what it is supposed to be. nothing to do there. I dont like it very much, because I think, it was implemented half-hearted and players can see it everywhere in the settlement. empty bazaar, empty saloon. why put it in the game then?

[Oakshadow]

honestly the best part of the frontiers patch was the construction overhaul, not the settlements. I mean the settlements are alright, they'd be better if your overseer building also came with a teleporter. The rewards seriously aren't worth the flight time back to the station or a neighboring base.

[Mr. Bufferlow]

Originally posted by Dirak2012:

The purpose was to shut up all the people asking for settlements.

I agree. It is a bone thrown for all the requests for cities. Essentially frigate missions on the ground from a technical viewpoint.

I have heard some rumbling we may get a trade beacon onsite and the market area will have traders similar to the Data Buildings.

I think they are still putting out fires related to the buildings wanting duplicate submissions for each phase. There is something broke about the timer.

I have figured out a workaround for the dup situation. You just save with a button before you give the stuff to the building project, do a save with your ship after giving the items. Leave the game and come back when the timer has run out. If they want the duplicate stuff again for the same phase, just reload the button save.

It does not make sense since it is technically an earlier period, but it forces the building to complete and you get to keep the mats. It is like the timer is using a real time matrix regardless of the game time.

[player144]

Originally posted by Grimmslayer73:

Originally posted by player144:

Frankly, i believe the HG team has bigger plans for the settlement system, namely to blow more live into the game, as it has been static and unorganic since, forever....

I hope your right but their track record says otherwise. Companions, Exocraft, Living ships, Freighters, Cooking....They left all of those wide open for improvements but they never go back and do it. They leave them in an alpha state and just move on. I doubt settlements will ever get any more attention other than a few bug fixes.

I'm inclined to believe exactly that. I suppose i should've said something more akin to "i hope ". You're right tho to look at the track record and from that predict the future behaviour. And if doing that, it doesnt look good.

[Mirage]

I would just like to actually use all those new parts they gave up and actually build in my settlement, places lights, furniture and such, paint the buildings, change the flags and have my own symbols, decide the style of a building, set a theme, choose between building materials, wood, stone etc.

Anything to make it actually 'my' settlement that is different from all the other settlements

[Mr. Bufferlow]

Originally posted by player144:

Originally posted by Grimmslayer73:

I hope your right but their track record says otherwise. Companions, Exocraft, Living ships, Freighters, Cooking....They left all of those wide open for improvements but they never go back and do it. They leave them in an alpha state and just move on. I doubt settlements will ever get any more attention other than a few bug fixes.

I'm inclined to believe exactly that. I suppose i should've said something more akin to "i hope ". You're right tho to look at the track record and from that predict the future behaviour. And if doing that, it doesnt look good.

Yeah, unless they have turned over a new leaf, odds are it will be like many other projects that appeared to be phase 1...but never got any improvement. Nutrition system is probably the oddest since they went crazy adding recipes and farming aids. But it is just something to complete...if you can stand the boredom and may be the worse way ever to get nanites...except when you get some as a reward for a mission.

[japp_02]

There must be more to it in settlements than just the nr. of buildings you have installed, I'm on a roller coaster with my success, first I got out of debt to the point of making a surplus production of 2 item types, one of it can be sold at high prices in the right system, but then it all got worse with expensive settlers recreational 'requests' that caused me to be at the start situation again, high debt and nothing changed in the 'features' section. And from Class-B to Class-C whatever this means (nothing good for sure...). I guess it's not so easy and straight-forward as it seems to be. Problem is you don't get really to know when you make wrong decisions, that's not immediately visible in the 'overview' display.
I still need to find my right way to play settlements. Also my guess is that Hello Games will expand on its functionality in the near future, so maybe it's just a start for something better to come.