Settlers taking items from settlement store on their own?

[AfkForCoffee]

I got a net settlement. It didn't have enough people for all the duties I wanted to assign so I left some gear for the guards in the settlement store (Two sets of armor and two rifles plus ammo). The two people that were there were assigned as provisioner and farmer. Then I left and did stuff on the other side of the map.

After a while I got the random "defend settlement" quest which happened to be the same settlement. So I went back, killed stuff, looted and so on. Then I checked the settlement store and the two guns and ammo I left there were missing. I checked the farmer there and he had both the ammo and the two guns on him. He had equipped one of the guard's guns although he had a pipe pistol (inferior to the rifle I left there).

Is it normal that settlers pilfer stuff from the settlement store? In this case it was two overcharged laser rifles and 50 fusion cells. This is the first time I've noticed this happening. Anyone else noticed this?

[a.thomas]

Depends on how 'nornal' is defined. I have not had anything stolen from the Workbench or containers, but many report that they have. I don't know of any certain way of avoidance, other than to recommend that you keep your 'valuable' items in your Pip-Boy inventory.

[Breitmacher]

dont store ammo in the bench,
dont store your nuka colas in the bench

cola and ammo makes them go nuts ... dont store or give them fusion cores or hell will break loose, but it could be fun if your usin a mod that makes the armor on settlers indistructable

[Mr Majestic]

I'd been equipping some settlers (mostly with hessian sacks to wear over their heads, as is the fashion in my parts) and I'd been placing items in storage containers and safes to see if anyone would take anything; weapons, ammo, armour. I was hoping that settlers would self equip and access containers but not safes. So far I haven't detected anything moved.

The rest of my items I'd stored in the workbenches, including modified weapons which I'd renamed in capitals, so as to find them amongst the awful inventory system (which breaks up items into categories in your Pip Boy but not in your workbenches).

So yesterday I went to buy supplies from Carla the annoying travelling merchant / shrew, and what do I find? A nice missile launcher called 'STINGER MISSILE' standing out amongst the toasters and pencils. Some disloyal fink (or Carla herself), had taken my STINGER MISSILE from my workbench and sold it to her.

I've yet to check out if there's a settler who's suddenly carrying several hundred caps in his pocket but if I do my next task will be "Hey Preston, have the men form a firing squad.... The General would like to give a speech." (Of course, being Preston, I'm sure to do all the work of shooting the thief myself...)

I don't know if the weapon's relocation is related to the salvage bench sitting a short distance away (ie. "I found some salvage everyone! ...-in this workbench."), if it's a bug, or a theft feature to compliment the game's irritating NPCs like Carla and Marcy.

Regardless, it's annoying.

I have to spend 507 caps to recover a weapon I spent my time and resources modifying, and to what ends? It is likely to be moved or stolen again.

[Råb!d]

I suppose it's best to keep valuable items in a seperate container, or maybe a safe. You could even keep them at a settlement that you're not using.

[PurpNYellow]

Build a bunker/pillbox, with all the workbenches inside, protected by tripwires and flamer/shotgun traps, hooked up to a switch and terminal. Any settler foolish enough, will have a nasty surprise.

[jimmyzen]

I set up one of all the stores (level 3) in most every settlement. I don't mod except I put a ridiculous amount of carryweight on my character so I can loot and carry a load to sell and transfer. I go to stores in the settlements and unload all my excess weapons and other stuff at often a large loss to make sure my arms and armor sellers have plenty of stuff and I load my provisioners up every chance I get. Everybody gets lots of stuff!

I've gone in to help defend settlements when all the people are armed and giving attackers the business! I think it's great they take on the defense of their turf. If they're getting weapons from the vendors or however they get the stuff, I'm fine with it. If I'm in the middle of something when I get a call to help defend some place I like to know they can hold their own if I can't make it and they sure as hell can!

I don't store things of mine I want to keep anywhere but my Diamonmd City apartment.

[AfkForCoffee]

I think this was the first (and last) time I stored weapons with ammo in the settlement storage. I'd hazard a guess that both are required for the AI to consider grabbing a weapon from a container (be it a corpse, container, settlement workbench or whatever).

Building some sort of hard to reach personal bunker/skyrise is not much use because you cannot move the red workbench in a settlement. So unless you want to store your goodies in a non-settlement storage then I'd guess there's not much to do about it.

This irks me so much because I went to great lengths to equip my settlers (guards, farmers, provisioners, scavengers) with a specific kit (was fudgestickingly painful and tedious thanks to the devs) for each so I can distinguish them. I mean I'm the friggin' General. Cannon fodder should only obey!

I guess it's okay for most people but for someone like me that has a bit of an OCD.. it is most irritating.