Guide to farming Settlement Defense Plans

Status
Thread Closed: Not open for further replies.
This is how you farm Settlement Defense Plans.

1. They spawn most commonly at High Security settlements, and preferentially from Military and Industrial settlements.

2. They spawn exclusively at SEC Data Pads(also potentially CMD pads, but I haven't found any there yet).

3. They spawn relatively rarely. I was getting about one every 20 relogs.

You have two options.

A: You can run an anarchy settlement, but finding a high-security anarchy settlement is difficult. I haven't been able to find a good one yet.

B: You can run a non-anarchy settlement. These are more common, but will get you bounties and potentially you'll eventually become hostile with it, stopping you from farming further. However, the best settlement I've found was one of these.

That settlement was Friedrich Industrial Silo in HIP 7869. It has a data pad about 20 feet from the door. Here's how I farm it; it takes about 2 minutes per run.


Just do the above about 20 times in a row, and you'll get a Settlement Defense Plan. Then do that 14 more times and you'll never need more Defense Plans ever again!





As a candid aside to the devs, this isn't exactly compelling gameplay. The biggest problem, I think, is that missions very rarely take you to high security installations to begin with, even where they DO exist, and they're quire rare, as many installation types lack a security pad entirely. This results in players never actually going to places that have a pad. And when they do, they are encouraged to avoid bounties, so they will generally do their mission and get out ASAP!

On top of this, the enemies at these are relatively tough, even with G5 equipment, so many players will likely avoid them right up until they want to unlock the engineer, at which point they need to farm them for about (2m/run x 20 runs per defense plan x 15 defense plans = 600) 10 hours. It would be nice to have a more consistent way to get them, even if that method require extreme challenge. Something like needing to fight off the entire high security base, for example, would be a great challenge that would suitably reward the player with a defense plan.




Anyways, hopefully this is helpful to people.
 
Or, just don't bother. Its only needed if you ultimately want the headshot mod.

Maybe one day FD will eventually remember they said they would look at this issue.
 
Or, just don't bother. Its only needed if you ultimately want the headshot mod.

Maybe one day FD will eventually remember they said they would look at this issue.

I like to think of this post as multipurpose. On the one hand, it helps players get their engineers as quickly and easily as possible. On the other, it shows Fdev how their current design encourages a bad form of gameplay, so they might be more encouraged to improve it.

Either way, if it helps people, I'm happy.
 
I just played my normal game and found enough by just taking missions (I do lots of them anyway, just for fun), but I do understand that some folk insist that grind is the only way to play... Farming is for the grinders.
 
I just played my normal game and found enough by just taking missions (I do lots of them anyway, just for fun), but I do understand that some folk insist that grind is the only way to play... Farming is for the grinders.

I think the problem is they mostly spawn at high security bases with SEC pads, and a lot of systems just don't HAVE any. So a player starts doing Odyssey content at their home system, doesn't realize they're not getting any, and only realizes they've missed out 100 hours later when that's all they still need.

The system they've created works, but only if the player lucks into the right circumstances, or intentionally plans 100 hours ahead, neither of which are ideal.
 
Heh, i've found 2 or 3 in total in 3 months. That's organically. Spawn rate is stupidly low.
It is low, very low, but I did find enough on one of the rats just by doing missions, relogging is just mindless stupidity in my opinion. My play is such that I take no notice of where I've been and what was there (mainly as it doesn't matter to me) but I'd hazard a guess that those few months ago I was in an area that had plenty of missions to the 'right' type of settlement.

With the OP's suggestion I'd use stealth to switch off alarms... Then raid the data ports.

Edit: clarity.
 
Last edited:
I think the problem is they mostly spawn at high security bases with SEC pads, and a lot of systems just don't HAVE any. So a player starts doing Odyssey content at their home system, doesn't realize they're not getting any, and only realizes they've missed out 100 hours later when that's all they still need.

The system they've created works, but only if the player lucks into the right circumstances, or intentionally plans 100 hours ahead, neither of which are ideal.
No, as always, I disagree... But, as usual, a suggestion to get miserable playing a game, and insisting that 100 hours of planning, is to be expected from the 'grind merchants' unable to 'just play'.

ETA: But I don't have a 'home' system, so am moving around quite a lot, which is also assisting in picking up tat all over the place.

But, it is true that RNG plays a big part.
 
Last edited:
No, as always, I disagree... But, as usual, a suggestion to get miserable playing a game, and insisting that 100 hours of planning, is to be expected from the 'grind merchants' unable to 'just play'.

ETA: But I don't have a 'home' system, so am moving around quite a lot, which is also assisting in picking up tat all over the place.

That's...that's the opposite of what I said... :(

I said that's a bad thing that people shouldn't have to do.
 
If you're gonna relog might as well do it at IMs, it's faster. Since you're talking about speed. 🤷‍♂️

If you can get a mission one, yeah, probably. But those can be hard to find(I've done hundreds and never found the right type), and for normal ones which take a restart, this is faster, I think. At least for those of us with slower-loading PCs.
 
That's...that's the opposite of what I said... :(

I said that's a bad thing that people shouldn't have to do.
Indeed, it is a bad thing, and there is no need to ever do such a thing... Only the player decides to grind. So producing a 'guide' that is just a relog-fest only perpetuates the misery.

ETA: I do lots of restore / prepare / find in shut down settlement missions (they are fun for me) - maybe that is why I don't feel the urge to relog time & again?

... and am not in a rush to 'get them all'.
 
Last edited:
My own suggestion might be to use the Galaxy map and filter it to find systems in Infrastructure Failure (an excellent source of shut down installations)
If a system previously unvisited, visit and take note of the surface settlements, if visited, check to see if any 'high tech' settlements are available.
If useful candidate settlements are available, either take missions to them or just visit, power them back up and go on a spree to gather both data and mats.

Otherwise, just use standard 'stealth' tactics to shut down the alarm at suitable settlements and raid data ports at one's leisure. Maybe having to take care of the odd 'curious' NPC, which isn't an issue, it is just a small bounty and eventual notoriety, which evaporates quickly enough.

No need to find and relog until one's eyes are bleeding, just play the game as it is presented and trust to RNG to deliver.

Granted, it isn't a 'speed run', but presents sufficient variety to remain engaging and adding some small challenge if raiding settlements that are fully online.

(or, if not bothered by C&P, just drop into a settlement and murder everyone, then raid the 'goodies' at one's leisure!)
 
Indeed, it is a bad thing, and there is no need to ever do such a thing... Only the player decides to grind. So producing a 'guide' that is just a relog-fest only perpetuates the misery.

ETA: I do lots of restore / prepare / find in shut down settlement missions (they are fun for me) - maybe that is why I don't feel the urge to relog time & again?

... and am not in a rush to 'get them all'.
I think we're all pretty clear by now about your opinion on (the necessity of) farming and grinding, there really is no need to repeat that each and every thread.
 
I think we're all pretty clear by now about your opinion on (the necessity of) farming and grinding, there really is no need to repeat that each and every thread.
Yes, yes, there is... The 'grind' culture always needs a counterpoint and this was another "how to grind" post, it deserves attention.

As long as you are happy farming and grinding, my opinion matters not a whit to you, does it?
 
Yes, yes, there is... The 'grind' culture always needs a counterpoint and this was another "how to grind" post, it deserves attention.

As long as you are happy farming and grinding, my opinion matters not a whit to you, does it?
No, it really doesn't. If it's a thread about poor game design and players finding the need to grind and farm as result, then sure. If it's just a harmless thread on best practices, you could simply decide to just leave it be. And please don't Frillop me, I'm not here to prove you wrong.
 
Time for this.

sleeping-kittens.jpg


Anyway, I don't get why everyone is wittering about headshot damage. I wanted to unlock Beck for the Improved Battery Capacity, because spending half your time in a CZ looking for a recharge socket or energy cells is kind of not the point.

o7
 
No, it really doesn't. If it's a thread about poor game design and players finding the need to grind and farm as result, then sure. If it's just a harmless thread on best practices, you could simply decide to just leave it be. And please don't Frillop me, I'm not here to prove you wrong.
It is a "guide" how to 'grind' a single material that is known to be very rare. (let's be honest, rather than get the handbags out, again)
The "guide" does the predictable action beloved by the average youtuber...

Yes, they are very rare, yes - relogging 200 or so times may provide the material in the quantity required. but is not 'gameplay' by anyone's measure.

I made the point that I have found sufficient just playing, but that was over period of time (although I did find 4 in a single day, very early on, as the RNG was in my favour) rather than sitting doing the same thing over and again.

If a material is 'very rare', attributing 'poor game design' to its rarity is just sourness, sorry.

ETA: There are regular enough posts made by players who have 'done the grind' for materials and either have 'taken a break' due to 'the grind' or who then announce there is nothing left to do, so poor design...
 
Last edited:
I keep saying it, but will say it again because I like repeating a good thing.
You only need SDPs is you want headshot, and need to unlock Wellington and Uma, but if you want headshot and want an easier way to get it added to a weapon, go to Colonia.

Steve 07.
 
Status
Thread Closed: Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom