UPDATE v1.2: New version which does not alter the Covenant cell directly, and thus will not induce the Cell Reset Bug. However, to move/scrap the End Tables found in Covenant you will now need to alter your Fallout4.ini file in your Documents/My Games/Fallout4/ directory (detailed instructions below). If you cannot do this, the old version is still available in the Optional Files section.
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OVERVIEW
During the course of the game, the Sole Survivor can be given access to Covenant as a player settlement. Covenant is a heavily fortified, yet somewhat idyllic (for the wasteland) location, easily defensible and with a reasonable amount of space for Settlers. It even has several unique, not-seen-anywhere-else pieces of furniture that set it apart from other settlements, and comes complete with several turrets. It seems like an almost ideal location. Almost….
THE PROBLEMS
Although Covenant has several unique features to it, most of them are problematic to say the least:
None of the unique turrets, beds, end tables, trash cans, or dressers can be scrapped, much less moved.
Most of the unique furniture is placed in a way that makes further placement of beds and other resources very difficult.
All but one bed is owned by the Covenant faction and thus off-limits to the Sole Survivor.
The turrets do not count towards the settlement’s defense rating.
The turrets may become hostile to the Sole Survivor, necessitating their destruction.
If destroyed, the turrets leave behind a base which does not disappear and cannot be moved, making it impossible to put other turrets in the same location.
All of these issues make Covenant a difficult location to set up as a successful, functional settlement.
THE FIXES
All unique, Covenant-only furniture/etc. items have been modified to be movable, able to be stored in the workshop, and/or (at a minimum) able to be scrapped for raw material. Specifically, Turrets and the single unique Trash Can can be scrapped for parts, while all other items can be scrapped, moved, or picked up and stored in the workshop.
Covenant-specific furniture like the Double Bed or Pre-War Dresser can be (re)deployed in Covenant, or even built anew. These items can only be built or deployed in Covenant. Any ownership issues with beds can be solved by picking the bed up and then redeploying it, which will mark it as owned by the Sole Survivor.
All Covenant-specific turrets now add a defense rating of 8 to the settlement. Note that this only applies if the mod is installed prior to reaching Covenant.
All Covenant-specific turrets are now part of the “workshop” faction, and thus will not go hostile towards the Sole Survivor once they are granted access to the Covenant workshop.
IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS
The main version of this mod requires a modification to your Fallout4.ini file, located in Documents/My Games/Fallout4/. At the bottom of the “[General]” section, add the following line:
bUseCombinedObjects=0
Be aware that this may have adverse effects on your framerate. If this happens, you can remove the line from Fallout4.ini.
If you are unable or unwilling to modify this ini file, a “No INI version” is available in the Optional Files section. However, using this version may cause the Cell Reset Bug to occur in Covenant. I strongly encourage you to use the main version and make the necessary ini changes.
NOTES
This mod is fully compatible with Homemaker, and requires no compatibility patch. However, there will be two entries for Bunk Beds and the Double Bed in your Workshop while you are in Covenant. I may make a Homemaker-specific version down the line just to ease confusion on this.
Ideally I would like to fix some of the ownership problems directly, but without the ability to write scripts I would likely cause more harm than good. Once the FO4 GECK releases I will be able to more directly address the lingering ownership issues that can happen depending on how you resolve the Covenant side-quest.
As mentioned before, the additional defense rating will only be factored in to Covenant’s rating if this mod was installed before the Sole Survivor comes within range of Covenant (i.e. the first time the area is rendered).
Scrapping a destroyed Covenant turret may be difficult, as the player needs to target the “root” part of the turret shape, which is invisible and may separate from all other parts when the turret is destroyed. Try targeting all visible parts of the turret first, as the root usually remains attached to at least one other visible part. If this does not work it may be necessary to use the console to disable the turret.
The floors of Covenant houses have peculiar collision meshes; players may have a difficult time deploying beds or other furniture in houses. This can be made easier by placing a rug on the floor where you wish to build first.
Although the Bunk Beds and Double Bed are marked as adding 2 usable beds to the settlement, only one NPC can use the bed at a time. This has no actual effect on settlement stats or settler satisfaction (i.e. nobody will complain that there aren’t enough beds), but you will wind up with some settlers just kind of hanging out when it’s time for bed rather than actually getting into bed.
Covenant-specific furniture items will only be available in the workshop while the Sole Survivor is in Covenant. Outside of Covenant these items cannot be built.
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