the optimal vault layout

[tahunua]

so I've been playing around with vault layouts and I think I've come across the best layout for efficient use of space, rapid response during incidents, the fewest dead dwellers, and the best use of mr handies.

so I'm sure most of you know there is space for 8 rooms and 2 elevators per level. the default layout is 3 levels of elevators immediately in front of the vault door. using this default elevator placement allows building 3 rooms to the left of each elevator, and 5 rooms to the right. (with the option of a second column of elevators somewhere in this right portion.

my optimal plan has been to locate all triple wide production type rooms immediately to the right of these elevators. this places the vast majority of dwellers in the center of each level. any rooms that typically remain empty go to the left of the elevators, for the most part, this is typically the storage rooms, living quarters, radio station, and workshops.
to the right of the production rooms, this is typically where I build the rooms that are fixed double-wides, like the overseer's office and barber shop, as well as the training rooms. unless your vault is overpopulated, these are usually empty during active play anyway, and best used when you're getting ready to sign off. using this layout, any infestations can easily be responded to, quickly since each level has dwellers an equal distance away from the outer-most edges.

mr handies are best used on levels that have consistently empty rooms as these are most likely to get infestations/incidents that spread if you don't get dwellers to them fast enough. it's not a good idea to have a level that only has a mr handy on it because they are only really effective at stopping the spread of incidents and that's only if they are patrolling that room when the incident occurs

I do not build a second column of elevators. this is mostly due to the very basic AI pathing of raiders, deathclaws, and feral ghouls. during attacks, these enemies will always sweep the vault in a serpentine pattern(right to left, down, left to right, down, repeat) if you cap off the right hand side of your vault with elevators, the enemy will travel down this column and then start sweeping right to left. one could argue that by sinking another elevator shaft down the right, you are preventing molerat attacks, but those are the only incidents prevented by not having rooms bordering dirt. all the others still occur regardless of whether the room is on the outside edge of the vault or not.

by not using the second elevator shaft, attackers will sweep through the first room, which is usually filled with my 6 most heavily armed dwellers and if they survive they move to the right, find an empty room, and are forced to move back through those same 6 dwellers to try and reach the only elevator shaft. attackers will rarely make it to the second level and if they do it's the same story all over again. even with this layout, you still need to be quick with the radaway for ghoul attacks and stimpaks for deathclaws. I can usually safely ignore raider attacks and just clean up the bodies once it's all done.

I never assign a mr handy to the top floor, and I never assign defenders to the vault door as 2 defenders plus a Mr. handy aren't going to do much against most of your late-game threats.

so that's my optimal layout, if you're a noob this will probably help a lot with your early-to-mid game. if you're one of the more skilled players, have you found a better layout?

[Shadowrun]

i went with this layout
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2802026518

the guards were placed up top, in the warehouses. my best troops. below them are the required food / water / power rooms because i need people up top. bodies to defend when there's an invasion.

this layout bugged me because invaders would sometimes skip a room and head down the elevator to the next level. i played with an idea doing the elevators on the outer edge but that vault didn't progress as well as this one.

[tahunua]

I also tried that layout with the elevators on the right... costs too much right off the bat and really slows early game progress.

[Shadowrun]

if i do another vault in the future i'm gonna skip a level in between where i have people and down below where i don't later on. in case a fire breaks out down there it won't be able to come topside lol.

and also, i want to try to do elevators on the far left and right edges but only for 2 floors. and do that all the way down or at least part way down, to force a zig-zag for intruders. they will only be able to take the elevator down 1 floor then have to run across to go down another 1 floor at a time. :D

[Mardoin69]

I don't like that the camera can't go very far to the right. This makes it a little more difficult to see a room completely if it's smaller than 3 blocks. Thus, I always start off with the rooms to the right of elevators in start to only be 2 blocks wide and then start the 2nd row of elevators. On the fourth row, I do not continue the elevators down on the row attached to the vault door. Instead, I continue the other row I created down to the fourth level. Then I build (whichever type of rooms you want) toward the left and right of the elevator so that they are 3 blocks wide. This puts a 3 block room set against far right rock wall and 3 block room set in middle then a new elevator shaft going down on left of middle 3 block room with a 2 block room set against left rock wall.

This gives me the best view possible with camera when panning all way to right and the Mystery Man can't hide from view. The first (4th row) 2 block room set I use for the radio studio. After that, each level down is a training room......so, 5th level = Strength, 6th = Perception, 7th = Endurance, 8th = charisma, 9th = Intelligence, 10th = Agility, 11th = Luck, with 12th level for Barber Shop. After that, each level down will be for Living quarters--cuz I don't care about being able to use themes on them (being that they are only 2 blocks wide and not able to use themes.)

Early game, I won't expand the radio studio and training rooms to the full 2 blocks so, I will only go down with elevator enough to do Str, Perc, End, and then put Cha behind radio room with Int, Agil, Lck, being behind Str, Perc, End, respectively. This saves on power consumption for earlier game.

In middle between elevator rows, I always fill with Power rooms and then alternate on far right levels with Dining and Water. I do it this way cuz you always need more power than dining and water. In the very first level...beside the vault door--since it's a 2 block wide space--I put the overseer's office and then elevator row going down with a 3 block wide storage room. 2nd level down will be Wpn crafting (3 block room) on far left, 2 block wide storage room (originally living quarters) in middle, and Outfit crafting (3 block wide) room on far right. 3rd level down.....these will remain the original rooms from the beginning of the game. Will be 3 block wide Cafeteria (far left), 2 block wide Power Plant (in middle), and 3 block wide Water Treatment (on far right.)

On the 4th level, enemies will not go to the far right rooms every other level down....it's just the way their travel pattern works. So, I take advantage of that and use the far right rooms for Medical and Science on the levels the enemy skip. This way my doctors and scientists never get bothered by enemy and keep cranking out stims and rad packs uninterupted.

Edit: As 'ShadowMan' has suggested....I always an empty level between upper levels and the lowest levels for that very reason.....stuff can't spread. Them lowest levels I usually fill with a bunch of living quarters to max out the 200 person capacity..... eventually.

[Shadowrun]

yea the lower levels for me have all store rooms, living quarters, radio stations, training rooms and med-bays. early in the game i'm using those rooms. later in the game when everything's been done, those rooms sit empty. i can't be telling dwellers to run down there when there's a fire lol. just let it burn.