With Fallout 4’s latest Automatron DLC, it’s easy to see the add-on as a means of getting incredible followers. And that’s absolutely true. It’s a great way to make Codsworth, Ada, or an original robot an amazing assistant. You could even alter Curie, if you’d like. But, what people might not realize is how helpful it is when creating a better network of settlements.
A very obvious benefit is the acquisition of a new settlement. After completing the Restoring Order quest, you get the Mechanist’s Lair as a new place to live. This happens regardless of the decisions made as you head into the final encounter. It’s an interior settlement, which means you can’t start growing food or stores. You can move other settlers there, though, and set up a trade route. It’s a handy new home. You can also find a handy new friend here, depending on how you handle the whole The Mechanist situation. Depending on how things go, a trader might show up who sells circuitry, fiber optics, gear, oil, screw, and steel shipments. This is a big help for anyone who decides to start creating a whole crew of robot buddies.
Which is quite possibly the best thing people who love robots and settlement management. Fallout 4 Automatron allows you to build robots that can populate your towns. You can send them to any place you “own,” giving them the same sorts of jobs as ordinary settlers. They’re easy to appease too, since they don’t need to eat or sleep. They’re handy for situations where you have a new settlement, want it to grow, but aren’t ready to start recruiting more people to the place. Or, to give one something to do while you complete enough headhunting missions to get all the parts needed to turn it into the best and baddest robot ever. Prior to beating Automatron, I had one going between Sanctuary Hills and the Starlight Drive In, but it’s now connecting Sanctuary Hills to the Mechanist’s Lair.
As an example, I have a pack mule Protectron that’s an easy-to-build, initial robot for anyone who doesn’t have the necessary armorer, blacksmith, science, or robotics expert perks to make something amazing. It’s basically a standard Protectron. Both the Proptectron arms and legs offer increased carrying capacity compared to other robots, but also don’t require high level skills to create. Eventually, I’m looking into giving it Sentry Legs, which increase its carrying capacity and movement speed. However, that bonus does require the science perk to be at level three and robotics expert perk at level one. It has a laser on one arm and a cryojet on the other, both weapons that require science level one, but offer increased damage and a chance at freezing enemies. It also has a stealth field, which needed a robotics expert level one perk to increase allies’ stealth capabilities, as well. It’s not much, but works great as a go-between right now and has potential.
But the best news for settlement fanatics has to be the ability to build Eyebot Pods. You can’t make a new ED-E to follow you around and act as a companion, but you can create little fleets of Eyebots to hover around your settlements. Outdoor settlements can be home to an Eyebot Pod. Each one houses one Eyebot, which you can send to find ammo, explosives, and materials. Given their size, they’ll only find a handful of items. (I’ve never gotten more than five materials or explosives.) Still, they aren’t terribly expensive in terms of material. The most challenging item to get is probably the 2 nuclear material, as aluminum, circuitry, copper, and fiber optics aren’t too hard to find. It needing six power is an annoyance, but the quest to go get it back and get the requested item is a nice diversion when you need a specific item and have the time to kill.
That Fallout 4 Automatron offers a peaceful boon is a nice bonus. You come in expecting killer robots. You absolutely get that. Yet, at the same time, you’re getting some new features and items that will help enhance your settlements too. It gives you more reasons than you’d expect to start building mechanical companions.
Fallout 4’s Automatron DLC is immediately available for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows PC.
