Provisioners - How do YOU outfit them?

[IronSquid501]

When it comes to outfitting your provisioners, especially in an immersive/roleplaying way, what do you like to do? Are you creative with it, or do you always go with the same set of items for higher effectiveness?

I'm trying to decide between outfitting them as caravan guards (nice weapons and leather armour) or minutemen, myself, but I'd like to hear how you outfit yours to get some ideas.

[*.)]

I use the console to have Vault 111 uniforms for everyone. Go team blue!

[DouglasGrave]

Originally posted by Ez Duzit:

Why waste any resources on a provisioner when they can't die. I assign a settler to a trade route and send him/her on their way, puny pipe pistol and all. If I run into one later on, and I happen to have some weapons on me that would otherwise be traded, I'll give them a better weapon just because.

If anyone wants to jump up and down screaming that provisioners can die because they had one die, well that just means you killed them. Only your mines, grenades or weapons can kill them if they're caught in a battle, or are close to a mine you set when it goes off. NPC's can't kill em.

Yes, they've got the "Protected" status which prevents them being killed by enemies, but regular settlers have that anyway. With robots from Automatron assigned as provisioners (who have Protected status only from being provisioners), it can be difficult to easily tell a basic unarmoured protectron apart from a squad of other robots it encounters, making it easy to accidentally kill them.

If I recall correctly, for provisioners in general, the supply line is temporarily disabled while they're knocked down in combat, so if you're in a settlement while the provisioner linking it is fighting nearby, you might be unable to access your supplies because they're getting repeatedly beaten up.

And immersion, as Squid said. When I've bothered to dress all my settlers in Institute clothes in almost every settlement (Vault 88 being an exception), I'm not going to leave out the robots.

[Ratselhaft]

Originally posted by M'aiq:

I like them giving them the postmans outfit.

Same here.

With ballistic weave added and a fully upgraded good weapon.

Except of course the Robot provisioners, they get Dark Blue Paint and their uber weapon upgrades....

[Tesityr]

Originally posted by Ez Duzit:

Why waste any resources on a provisioner when they can't die. <snip>

If I may pop in with a correction: actually, Provisioners can indeed die.

There are many recounts of it happening... right here on this forum.
Edit:
Here is one
https://steamcommunity.com/app/377160/discussions/0/492378265875200624#c492379159716048256

If a Settlement is attacked and you don't go help and a Provisioner is in the area, or just walking by, within the region of the Settlement, they can be killed, just like Settlers can die if you aren't there.

Automatron Provisioners can also die. I've mourned a couple now lol

Also, there is a theory that while a Provisioner is in Combat, the Supplies aren't accessible. Therefore, giving them better weapons (and Armor so they aren't stuck in the 'downed' position) to get rid of the obstruction is of a higher benefit than just sending them out with default pistol/armor...

Lastly, Don't forget: Provisioners can be 'taken prisoner' and/or 'kidnapped', which negates your Supply Line for that connection. The game tells you this, by showing you Missions where you have to Rescue NPCs...
Edit:
Here is another account of a Provisioner being taken Prisoner and the Supply Line being down for the interim
https://steamcommunity.com/app/377160/discussions/0/492378265875200624?ctp=2#c494632338490724148
With better Weapons/Armor, it no doubt helps in them fighting off the enemies that are trying to accost them.

[DouglasGrave]

Originally posted by Tesityr:

Originally posted by Ez Duzit:

Why waste any resources on a provisioner when they can't die. <snip>

If I may pop in with a correction: actually, Provisioners can indeed die.

There are many recounts of it happening... right here on this forum.
Edit:
Here is one
https://steamcommunity.com/app/377160/discussions/0/492378265875200624#c492379159716048256

If a Settlement is attacked and you don't go help and a Provisioner is in the area, or just walking by, within the region of the Settlement, they can be killed, just like Settlers can die if you aren't there.

The possibility of it happening does require the area to be actively loaded, and there are some reports of the Protected status not protecting against death under circumstances that are not entirely clear (I've heard accounts of this for all settlers, it's not exclusive to provisioners). There is presumably some way in which a damage source is considered to belong to you (or to not belong to enemies) that causes it to bypass the Protected status. I've heard various theories on the requirements by I've yet to hear of a definitive answer.

Originally posted by Tesityr:

Automatron Provisioners can also die. I've mourned a couple now lol

I believe this would be an example of the Protected status being similarly ignored under some unintended circumstance. It can happen to robots just like any other Protected NPC.

Originally posted by Tesityr:

Also, there is a theory that while a Provisioner is in Combat, the Supplies aren't accessible. Therefore, giving them better weapons (and Armor so they aren't stuck in the 'downed' position) to get rid of the obstruction is of a higher benefit than just sending them out with default pistol/armor...

From what I've seen of combat, it's being disabled in combat that interrupts the supply lines. I've been able to directly observer provisioner robots in combat near one of my trade hubs without any apparent interruption in supplies (though I'll admit I wasn't specifically testing that, I just wasn't noticing any interruption to my building efforts due to missing supplies).

[Jurassic Fart 1]

Originally posted by Lemurian1972:

You know you're supposed to tell them to equip things in the same window you trade right? Also human gear doesn't work on dogs.

I don't see any "equip" option in Trade, just Give and Take. I give, they take, and don't wear.

The only way I can get them to USE anything I give them is to take away their crappy weapon and give them GOOD ones, so that when enemies attack, they are literally better-equipped.

…And why on Earth would I expect Dogmeat to wear a Trilby hat? That's absurd. I'm not sure why you'd think I believed something like that. I gave him a spiked dog collar and heavy dog armor and he doesn't wear them.

Original Topic:

…And who says provisioners cannot die? I killed Trashcan Carla, and she stayed dead. The downside is that all the inhabitants of Covenant now hate me on sight, even though I murdered her in Sanctuary.

But, it occurs to me that I could be wrong; maybe I misunderstand what a provisioner is. I thought a provisioner was someone whose interaction menu always has Barter as an option.

[DouglasGrave]

Originally posted by Why is there plastic everywhere?:

Original Topic:

…And who says provisioners cannot die? I killed Trashcan Carla, and she stayed dead. The downside is that all the inhabitants of Covenant now hate me on sight, even though I murdered her in Sanctuary.

But, it occurse to me that I could be wrong; maybe I misunderstand what a provisioner is. I thought a provisioner was someone whose interaction menu always has Barter as an option.

A provisioner is a settler you assign to maintain a supply line, sharing food, water, and junk materials stored in your settlement workbench between linked settlements; the physical items don't move, but you can craft and build using materials from a linked settlement, and settler needs for food and water are supported between settlements. To assign settlers to this job, you need to have at least one rank in the Local Leader perk.

The Protected status is designed to prevent death from anyone other than the player. A number of NPCs in the game world naturally have this status, including particular individuals like Trashcan Carla, non-robot settlers, and all settlers assigned as provisioners (even Automatron robots). You can kill Protected NPCs as easily as ever, but in combat with anyone else, they will simply be knocked down when their health is depleted, and will recover after a while.

Some NPCs have the Essential status instead, which is like the Protected status, but prevents death from any source. Even the player cannot kill NPCs that have the Essential status.

[nobody willsee this video right?]

i originally got the idea of making well armed robots for the job while working at red rocket and seeing the provisioners traveling to sanctuary fighting with mobs attacking sanctuary.

[Jurassic Fart 1]

Originally posted by DouglasGrave:

A provisioner is a settler you assign to maintain a supply line.

I was watching the opening episode of Season Two of "The Good Place," starring Ted Dantzen, and his character said something that just tickled the feck outta me:

Originally posted by Ted's "Michael" in The Good Place:

It's a rare occurance, like a double rainbow, or someone on the internet saying, "You know what? You've convinced me I'm wrong!"

I "like" being right. The only way I can be right is if I can learn from people like you. Education is kinder and more powerful than ridicule. Thanks for correcting my 411 deficit.

[nobody willsee this video right?]

Originally posted by Why is there plastic everywhere?:

Originally posted by DouglasGrave:

A provisioner is a settler you assign to maintain a supply line.

I was watching the opening episode of Season Two of "The Good Place," starring Ted Dantzen, and his character said something that just tickled the feck outta me:
"It's a rare occurance, like a double rainbow, or someone on the internet saying, 'You know what? You've convinced me I'm wrong!'"

I "like" being right. The only way I can be right is if I can learn from people like you. Education is kinder and more powerful than ridicule. Thanks for correcting my 411 deficit.

people like you are dangerous.
just imagine the horror that the world would be if people thought for themselves and took what authorities tell them are facts as advice rather than as a commandment from on high.

[Jurassic Fart 1]

Oh. You…again. I forgot to put you on my No Fly list.

Troll alert, people!

[Out Of Bubblegum]

Originally posted by Why is there plastic everywhere?:

Originally posted by Lemurian1972:

You know you're supposed to tell them to equip things in the same window you trade right? Also human gear doesn't work on dogs.

I don't see any "equip" option in Trade, just Give and Take. I give, they take, and don't wear.

The only way I can get them to USE anything I give them is to take away their crappy weapon and give them GOOD ones, so that when enemies attack, they are literally better-equipped.

When the trade screen is open - at the bottom you will see a row of commands that can be used. Hover over the item with the mouse, then press T to equip/unequip. (triangle for controllers) Equipped things have a square next to them. Equipped clothes dissapear from the trade screen while the NPC is wearing it. If you want to remove equipped clothes from their inventory, you need to have them equip some different clothes first.
And Codsworth can wear a bowler hat.

[nobody willsee this video right?]

Originally posted by Out Of Bubblegum:

Originally posted by Why is there plastic everywhere?:

I don't see any "equip" option in Trade, just Give and Take. I give, they take, and don't wear.

The only way I can get them to USE anything I give them is to take away their crappy weapon and give them GOOD ones, so that when enemies attack, they are literally better-equipped.

I hope I ain't falling for a troll. When the trade screen is open - at the bottom you will see a row of commands that can be used. Hover over the item with the mouse, then press T to equip/unequip. Equiped things have a square next to them.

yes.
and if in doubt scroll to the item you want to equip and if you CAN equip it the T will be an option, and if this NPC can't equip the item, the T will not be available.
such as:
i notice that nick can equip many good weapons, but not equip many good items of armour.

[Jurassic Fart 1]

Originally posted by Out oif Bubblegum:

I hope I ain't falling for a troll!

I swear to Dog: I'm not a troll!
Maybe I wasn't paying enough attention. Next time I launch, I'll use your response NFO to equip.

See, I'm high-level-functioning autistic (not Dustin Hoffman "Rain Man" autistic), and I get distracted by "too much input."¹ Handling the Navy's Nuclear Power School was child's play, but this gameworld is the most complex I've encountered.

I'm like a magpie in the midst of a field of glittering trash and gems. "Oooh, lookie—pretty!" And I'm off to the next distraction.

On my next playthrough, I'll use a different approach. I'll go survival, and go slow, fully exploring everything, including menu options, before proceeding. But for now, thanks to your input, I can get Dogmeat to wear what I gave him. (I'll mark your post as The Answer next time I launch)

¹ Allusion to self-aware Johnny 5 robot in Ally Sheedy's "Short Circuit" movie

[Out Of Bubblegum]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKF3iJQBWuo