Want to earn the Benevolent Leader achievement / trophy for Fallout 4 without all the fuss? Thanks to the futuristic prototypes found in the Vault-Tec Workshopadd-on, that possibility is a reality. It’s easier than ever to crack the bizarre code behind Bethesda’s weird happiness system. Still filled with bugs and quirks, the happiness-generated machines unlocked in the Vault 88 quest can overpower the 80 happiness barrier and help push you to the limit.

This is a simpler solution than most, and won’t require expensive shop kiosks or high levels of charisma — although that stuff still helps. By using fewer settlers, you can make the tiny group happier with less resources required. It all happens faster too. There’s a lot of preparation, and it takes some patience, but this is by far the easiest method to earn Benevolent Leader that we’ve discovered so far. Check out the full guide below.

Explore Gameranx’s massive list of guides, how-to’s, secret locations, and everything else a fresh Vault 111 escapee needs to thrive on the Fallout 4 Ultimate Commonwealth Guide and become a true post-apocalyptic survivor.

Soda: Happiness, either (+15 or +5) but I usually pick the latter because it seemed more benign. Happiness isn't really a problem though. I've never encountered anything bad by letting happiness sit around 80%. In water farms, happiness can be an impact but really, producing 1000 bottles of water per day instead of 1200. Not going to matter. Happiness may refer to: Happiness (Fallout 4), a settlement mechanic associated with settlers in Fallout 4. Happiness (Fallout Shelter), a gameplay mechanic associated with vault dwellers in Fallout Shelter. The slot machine increases the happiness of the settlement. The additional effects it gives depends on the parameter that was picked during Lady Luck, which also changes settler's comments when using it: Indentured Servitude provides 3 caps per settler per workshop reset.

Uncover everything you need to know about the Vault-Tc Workshop DLC with these guides on Gameranx:

Vault-Tec – Get 100 Settlement Happiness The Easy Way

This method requires the Vault-Tec Workshop add-on, but many of the concepts can be replicated in the vanilla version of Fallout 4. Using new Vault 88 workshop items, earning the coveted 100 Happiness in a settlement is easier than it’s ever been.

Before getting started, you’ll need to complete the Vault 88 Overseer quests and unlock a particular set of Vault resources. You won’t need all of the prototypes, but having them all will make your task easier.

Vault 88 Experimental Resources:

Select the following experiment parameters when completing Overseer Barstow’s quests.

• Power Cycle 1000 (NOT REQUIRED)
  • Environment Enhancement:
    • Construction: (4) Steel, (3) Screws, (2) Rubber, (2) Copper
    • Results: Assign settlers to work on the Power Cycle to produce 2 Power (Only during daylight hours.)
• Soda Fountain
  • Mood Enhancement:
    • Construction: (6) Steel, (3) Glass
    • Results: Assign settlers to work on the Fountain — Requires 2 Power, Produces 15 Happiness
• Phoropter
  • Eye Care:
    • Construction: (4) Steel, (2) Nuclear materials, (3) Glass, (2) Aluminum
    • Results: Assign settlers to work on the Phoropter — Requires 3 Power, Produces 10 Happiness
• Slot Fountain
  • Lost Revenue:
    • Construction: (4) Steel, (2) Screws, (3) Plastic, (2) Gears, (2) Circuitry, (500) Bottlecaps
    • Results: Requires 1 Power, Produces 15 Happiness

The Power Cycle 1000 experiment will not increase happiness, but the other experiments in the same range can cause death. The Environment Enhancement absolutely will not cause death, or lower happiness.

The Phoropter features the Subliminal Messaging parameter that increases happiness by 15. Don’t select this, as some players report that settlers will drop dead from the side effects.

Preparing Vault 88 For 100 Happiness

To earn 100 Happiness with minimal effort, you’ll need to prepare the settlement properly.

• Gain 2 Settlers. You should have only two settlers in your vault.
  • Get rid of Overseer Barstow and deactivate the radio beacon once you have two regular settlers. Clem and one of the interview subjects gained during the quest “A Model Citizen” will work.
  • Overseer Barstow cannot be assigned to work. That makes her useless. Get rid of her!
• Create a supply line to Vault 88 using one of your other settlements with abundant water / food supplies.
  • Don’t use one of your two Vault 88 settlers to establish a supply line. You’ll need them for other tasks.
  • Once a supply line is established, check to make sure your food / water resources are green in the workshop menu. If not, make sure your other settlements are producing plenty of overflow water / food.
• Remove all beds! Beds are notoriously buggy. Delete all pre-existing beds.
  • While you’re at it, remove as many “yellow”-marked objects.
  • It also helps to NOT reactivate the other three areas of Vault 88.

Character Requirements:

The new additions to Vault 88 make life much easier. You won’t need to construct expensive trading kiosks anymore to increase happiness.

• You must be Level 20 to activate the Vault 88 quest.
• Otherwise? Charisma 6+ might help.
  • Local Leader / Cap Collector are NOT REQUIRED.

Basic Construction Requirements:

These are the basic resources required to cover all the needs of your two settlers.

NOTE: All required materials are easily located in Vault 88. Break down every ‘yellow’-marked object in workshop mode to gain tons of parts. Near the East tunnels, you’ll find generator parts that are packed with rare crafting materials.

• 2 Beds
  • Any beds will work. Even sleeping bags.
  • Place beds in a covered structure. A prefab shack with a door, for instance.
  • This is (very likely) required, even in the Vault 88 underground. Weird!
• 2+ Automated Defense Turret
  • Build enough defense turrets until the workshop menu meter for defense turns green.
• 2 Small Generators
  • These two generators are required to power the Phoropter, Soda Fountain, and Slot Machine.

Vault 88 does not need a Recruitment Radio Beacon. The beacon is located near the entrance, down the stairs from the main Vault-Tec workbench.

Overview – 100 Happiness Guide

Are you prepared? Before moving on, make sure your settlement needs are all green — food, water, defense, and beds should all be green.

• Do you have only 2 settlers? Do they have beds in covered rooms with a door?

You’re almost good to go. Complete all experiment quests and get these variants:

• Mood Enhancement Soda Fountain
• Eye Care Phoropter
• Lost Revenue Slot Machine

These three devices cover all your basic needs — thirst, health, and play. Now you’re ready to start earning happiness. Here’s how it’s done.

Step-by-Step

Fallout 4 Slot Machine

Follow these steps to unlock true happiness for your settlement — or just earn the Benevolent Leader trophy / achievement, then abandon the schmucks.

1. Unlock Vault 88 at Level 20 and complete Overseer Barstow’s quests. Unlock these experiment parameters as you complete the quests.
   • Mood Enhancement Soda Fountain
   • Eye Care Phoropter
   • Lost Revenue Slot Machine
2. During the quest “A Model Citizen” — select to remove the second settler. You only need two.
   • At the end of the quest chain, make sure Overseer Barstow leaves Vault 88.
3. Turn off the Vault 88 radio beacon when you have exactly two settlers.
   • If you get more settlers, send them to a different settlement!
4. Remove all current beds and build two more. Existing beds are very buggy!
   • Make sure to build your two beds in an interior room that is enclosed and has a door.
5. Place turrets until your defense requirements in the workshop menu are green.
   • Raider attacks are very rare in the vault, but just to be safe, place your turrets in the central room. Somehow, raiders get inside even if the doors are closed.
6. Assign a settler (from a different settlement) to connect a supply line to Vault 88. Do this at any point once the area is unlocked.
   • Why? To make sure your food / water supplies are green. If they are not, make sure your connected settlements on the supply line produce TOO MUCH food / water. The surplus goes to other settlements in need.
7. Construct all the experimental Vault resources; the Mood Enhancement Soda Fountain, the Eye Care Phoropter, and the Lost Revenue Slot Machine.
   • Connect these device to the small generators.
     • Assign one settler to work at the Soda Fountain, and one settler to work at the Phoropter.
   • The Slot Machine does not require workers. Settlers will randomly use the machine during the day.
     • You can also use the Barber Chair to an easy happiness boost, or build a second Lost Revenue Slot Machine to cover happiness.
   • Without these extra happiness resources, happiness will max at 80. With these devices, it will increase to 98-99.
8. Everything is in place! Now all you have to do is wait.
   • Happiness will not increase while you are resting or sleeping. It only occurs in REAL-TIME — go out into the wasteland and explore, or just leave the game running for awhile.
   • If you want to be absolutely sure everything is working, idle in workshop mode. Switch workshop mode on then off to refresh the numbers and see if your happiness is increasing.
9. When your settlement happiness reaches 96-99, it’s time for a visit. Return to your settlement and idle for a long period of time. Staying in a settlement will increase happiness.
   • Wait long enough, and eventually you’ll finally hit the coveted 100 happiness. Congratulations! You’ve just earned the Benevolent Leader trophy / achievement.

This is the simplest method for earning 100 happiness we’ve found. It still takes a lot of time, but you’re almost guaranteed to go over the edge with all these happiness generating devices.

Remember; the size of your settlement doesn’t matter. This can be earned at any settlement. Also, the size bar of your settlement does not factor into happiness calculations. Decorations also don’t matter. All that matters is that needs are fulfilled, citizens have a roof to sleep under, and they have lots of extra sources of happiness.

Found your own method for infinite happiness? Think we’ve hit a snag somewhere along the way? Let us know in the comments!

The Contraptions Workshop is a complex addition to Fallout 4, with lots of machinery and no tutorials in sight. There are so many secret facets to the add-on, we’ve put together a list of 10 facts that just might make your Contraptions experience much more bearable. From secret armor customization additions, to useful machining tips, to flat-out hilarious item uses, keep scrolling to find our list of essential info on Bethesda’s second workshop DLC.

Explore Gameranx’s massive list of guides, how-to’s, secret locations, and everything else a fresh Vault 111 escapee needs to thrive on the Fallout 4 Ultimate Commonwealth Guide and become a true post-apocalyptic survivor.

Uncover everything there is to know about the Contraptions Workshop DLC with all the guides on Gameranx:

Contraptions – 10 Facts You Need To Know

No wasting time. Here are 10 facts you need to know about the Contraptions Workshop content.

#1: Builders Must Be Connected To A Terminal

Builders are the center of the Contraptions Workshop DLC, but getting these personal factories to start producing isn’t 100% obvious if you’re just getting started. There are three requirements to get a Builder, well, building;

1. Power
   • Most builders require between [4-12] power, but other types might require more. Make sure to check the power requirements in the Workshop menu before placing your preferred type. Each type produces a different type of item.
2. Terminal
   • Terminals are computer screens you can use to access controls for different Contraptions. Once connected, use the terminal and select your builder to assign a particular item to construct.
   • You don’t need to directly wire a terminal to a builder — just make sure the terminal is connected to the same power network as the builder. Ex. Connect the terminal to the generator providing power to the builder.
3. Materials
   • The trickiest part of Contraptions is cobbling together all the junk you’ll need to complete those crafting projects. Craft items by selecting the project you want completed through a terminal connected to the builder. Check the material requirements in the terminal’s builder menu.
   • Next, select to [Transfer] materials to the builder’s inventory. You can also use hoppers or sorters to connected by conveyor belt and run items directly into the input end of the builder to provide the machine with resources.

Getting items to builders can be a tricky, time-consuming process. If you’re like us, you keep all your items stored in the Workshop inventory shared between all your connected supply line network settlements. That’s a lot of junk — instead of sorting through it manually, let’s get a machine to do the hard work for us.

Want extra help collecting tons of materials? Check out even more detailed tips for earning infinite crafting junk here:

#2: The Vacuum Hopper Will Make Your Life Easier

The Vacuum Hopper is a godsend when it comes to extracting items from your massive Workshop inventory. The Vacuum Hopper, when connected to a power source, siphons items out of a closed container and puts the items on a conveyor belt, where they can be sorted or sent into builders.

• Place the Vacuum Hopper on the ground right next to your Workshop bench. The hopper functions only if you’re adjacent to the bench — although it will work through walls.

Don’t want to clog your conveyors? A connected terminal can set the output timer on the Vacuum Hopper to delay when items drop out into the conveyor. You can also set the output force if you want to speed things up.

Learn more about builders and hoppers with this workshop guide:

#3: The Fusion Generator Solves All Your Power Needs

Another insanely useful addition, the Fusion Generator provides 100 units of power. That’s enough to keep any complex manufacturing facility running without having to constantly make room for new giant ‘large’ generators.

The Fusion Generator has some serious requirements. Here’s everything you’ll need to build one:

• (12) Gears, (10) Screws, (20) Copper, (25) Aluminum, (12) Nuclear Materials, (8) Crystal, (2) Rubber
• Req: Rank 4 Science! Perk

If you’ve got all that, you’ll have a single source of easy power for everything in a settlement. Dealing with the mess of wires can be a problem, but Contraptions features a solution for that too — Wall Pass-Through Conduits.

#4: Use Power Conduits To Run Wires Through Walls

Conduits are a new way to run wire through your settlements. Now you can lay conduit lengths across areas of the settlement, snapping each piece of pipe to the next and connecting wires only where they’re needed. This solves plenty of messy wire problems — but most of it, the Sole Survivor can now run wire through walls instead of use random openings or windows.

• Go to Power -> Conduits -> Wall Pass-Through Conduit
• To make this conduit work, place it on one side of a wall. Now you can snap a second Wall Pass-Through Conduit onto the other side of the wall.
• You still have to connect wires to the inputs on both sides, but you can snap other types of conduits to the upper/lower connectors to keep your electrical connections orderly.

This makes indoor factories possible, or you can create dedicated generator rooms instead of creating generators all over your base. Speaking of building your base…

#5: Elevators Only Snap to Barn / Warehouse Structures

The elevators are an awesome addition to Contraptions and make towers much easier to climb. Still, there are some bugs to work out — elevators don’t seem to function properly when it comes to structures. Wood, metal, and concrete cause problems for elevators.

• If you want to connect elevators to your structure, you’ll have to build it out of the barn / warehouse tilesets.

Why is this a problem? Elevators really don’t work with other tilesets, mainly because the connections are improperly aligned — the heights don’t match up. You can still cobble together something with steps and gap-jumps but if you want a clean and properly-aligned elevator, you’re going to have to use the barn or warehouse structure sets.

#6: Contraptions Stop Working When You’re Away

Let’s get some other limitations out of the way. Contraptions, such as builders and other automated devices — they all stop working the moment you aren’t paying attention.

• Builders stop producing items if the Sole Survivor is; away from the settlement, waiting in a chair, or sleeping in a bed.

That’s right. There’s no reason to wait when it comes to Contraptions. Unlike settlers assigned jobs, the contraptions won’t work in the background while you do other things. You need to be there and watching the Rube-Goldberg machinery do its thing to get all the items you want.

#7: Don’t Store Equipped Display Cases

One final bug / issue / big deal we’ve found is with the new Display Cases. These awesome add-on exclusives allow the Sole Survivor to display cool guns and amazing armor in your settlement. They’re easy to construct, but there’s one big problem — storing an equipped display deletes whatever that display was carrying.

• To display items on Weapon / Armor Displays, you must equip or place the item in that display’s inventory.
• If you select the ‘Store’ option, placing the Display in your Workshop Inventory, you will not recollect whatever item was equipped onto the Display.
• The equipment on the Display will disappear forever.

Basically — always unequip your displays before moving, storing, or dismantling! It’s very easy to lose unique armor and weapons this way. Keep a fresh save file handy before messing around with these buggy items.

Learn more on our Fallout 4 guides and PSA:

#8: The Fireworks Mortar is Also a Weather Machine

The Firework Mortar is a new way to celebrate in your settlement. But, the Mortar is actually cooler than that — by crafting specialized shells, the Sole Survivor can change the weather or launch flares and call for Minutemen reinforcements at a moment’s notice.

• Weather Change Shells and Emergency Flare Shells must be crafted.
  • Go to the Chemistry Station and select Fireworks -> Scroll down to find all types of Mortar Shells.
• Weather Change Shells come in three varieties: Clear, Radstorm, and Rain.
  • Clear requires: (1) Adhesive, (1) Cloth, (1) Fertilizer, and (1) Gold
  • Radstorm requires: (1) Adhesive, (1) Cloth, (1) Fertilizer, and (1) Nuclear Material
  • Rain requires: (1) Adhesive, (1) Cloth, (1) Fertilizer, and (1) Silver

Connect the Mortar to power and whatever shells are loaded will launch. After a few moments, the skill will change to reflect whichever type of Weather Change shell you’ve used. In our testing the weather doesn’t last very long – a few minutes tops – so don’t expect this to be a permanent change. If you want to keep the radstorm going, be prepared to build plenty of Weather Change shells.

Take control over weather itself and learn even more about fireworks here:

#9: Upgrade Your Power Armor With Two New Custom Paint Jobs

Contaptions includes two bonus Power Armor paint jobs — and they’re totally free! No need to collect junks or resources. These two paint jobs freshen up your T-51 Power Armor with Abraxo or Sugar-Bombs advertisements. To find the paint, follow these steps;

Fallout 4 Multiple Slot Machine Happiness Game

• In the Power Armor mod screen, select each piece of T-51 armor, then select the second mod slot. This is the ‘Material Mod’ slot in the menu.
• Here, you’ll find the Abraxo Paint Job and the Sugar Bombs Paint Job.
  • Both paint jobs require no crafting components or special perks.
  • Abraxo increases agility with all pieces of a Power Armor set painted.
  • Sugar Bombs increase strength with all pieces of a Power Armor set painted.
• To gain the Agility or Strength bonus, you’ll need to have the same paint on every piece of T-51 Power Armor.
  • This includes: Helmet, Left Arm, Left Leg, Right Arm, Right Leg, and Torso

For even more details, including some T-51 Power Armor locations, browse over to our full guide here;

Fallout 4 Multiple Slot Machine Happiness Machine

#10: The Junk Mortar Can Launch You and Your Companions

The unassuming Junk Mortar has one hilarious feature most survivors are bound to miss. You can launch yourself out of the mortar, along with any other trash you toss into the basin.

Hop inside and activate the device to go for a ride. Watch as xX Cavemann on Youtube shows us how it’s done.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6JArbmE8Co

Fallout 4 Machine And Her

Not a long ride, but still worth it. Know any other tips and tricks every Contraptions owner should know about? Sound off in the comments!

Fallout 4 Body Slots

Need more Fallout 4 DLC guides? Check out these Far Harbor secrets, locations, and walkthroughs: