Sneak Peeks on future updates will be added as images! Keep an eye on them ;)


*snapping fences requires the mod Snappable Junk Fences (SJF) [v1.3 !!!].
deFENCES (v0.2 onwards) works fine without it, but the junk fences won't snap.


Description

Fences you build after installing the mod add a little bit of actual defensive stats to your settlements.
The mod adds between +0.2 and +1.0 defense values to the new craftable deFENCES.

As you make your settlement great ag-- ahem --, surround it with fence-walls, it should add up at least a little bit to their "offscreen" defense values, giving a sense of actual purpose to those fences as settlement protection.
(If you are there and want to fend off invasions personally, turrets' defensive potential is still much more useful, naturally..)

"Limitation": It doesn't actually matter if you built a decent perimeter or not*. That's up to you. (Meaning, you could stack up your defense senseless by placing "fence behind fence", making your settlement look really silly.. It's your AHM-mersion, so you do you!)
*If you use this alongside SJF, there's an extra feature regarding this. Read below on Perimeter Consistency.


Installation
Use NMM, or Manually place the esp and script folder in your Fallout4/Data folder.


'Technical'
- Categories added under STRUCTURES>FENCES>DEFENCES via script (Hence compatible with most mods).
- Does not edit anything from base game (v0.2 onwards).
- Because of that, Fences/Walls you built BEFORE installing this mod will NOT HAVE DEFENSIVE PROPERTIES!
- Read UNINSTALL/UPDATING instructions below if you're going to (either for updating deFENCES from v0.2 onwards, or for uninstalling for good).


Features
- Junk deFENCES identical to vanilla ones in separate category, OR snappable versions if you have the mod SJF (BetterJunkFences.esp) [v1.3 !!!]. The installation script will detect if you have the Mod or not. If you install SJF AFTER installing deFENCES, it is suggested you follow the uninstall steps from deFENCES and reinstall it below SJF.

- Defense values are intrinsically associated with Construction Costs and Destructibility in all deFENCES.

- (soon) Steel deFENCES.
- (soon, will require Wasteland DLC) Concrete/Bus/PoweredDoor deFENCES.
- (soon, will require Contraptions DLC) Boxcar deFENCES.
- (soon, will require Vault-Tec DLC) Vault deFENCES.
- Other 'zeekrit' stuff (not so soon, a bit over my head).
If you're curious and interested in helping, contact me. I'd appreciate and credit any help with meshes/materials scripts and maybe textures.


Construction Costs vs. Defense (reasoning)

Vanilla Fences:
0 defense - total components costs from 8 to 25 averaging on ~16 (I'll use that as a basis with the lowest defense in the modded version [keep reading])

deFENCES (v0.2):

0.2 defense (doorways and spikes [available if using Snappable Junk Fences]) - total components cost is 16

0.25 defense (single walls) - total components cost is 20

0.5 defense (corners which are two walls) - total components cost is 40

1 defense (fake gate) - total components cost is 60 (more efficient due to its tactical value, but restricted to two units per settlement)


Destructibility



- Each deFENCE has HP proportional to its defense (from 800 to 4000 - this could be changed based on feedback), low damage resistance against physical and fire damage, very high damage resistance against every other damage type.

- When 'destroyed', a deFENCE will have charred/burned visuals and as it happens you'll see an explosion of wood pieces {I used vanilla assets, if you want to help me make better explosion and destroyed versions by editing some meshes/materials, contact me! :) }. After that, its individual defense will be 
reduced to 0, which may reduce -1 from your settlement because it is always rounded down (so 13-0.25 = 12.75, but the effective defense for all intents and purposes will be shown and calculated as 12). Which makes sense for a perimeter breach ["weak link in a chain" and all that])

- Repair them like you would a turret: for a fraction of the construction costs.


Perimeter Consistency
(this feature requires SJF installed, due to depending on snapping points. If you don't use that mod, the following will not affect your deFENCES)

- Most deFENCES will only be valid for construction if they are snapped to some other structure. The idea is to incentivize builders to set a proper perimeter, hence not adding defense values to the settlement for placing random loose walls in random spots. The only exception are corners, so START 
BUILDING WITH A CORNER DEFENCE.
{{This is a 'workaround' until/IF I figure out a more ellegant way of validating/invalidating the defensive values of the deFENCES based on their built configuration. It is still fairly easy to "cheese" this restriction (especially with Place Everywhere) if you want to. But again, it's your immersion..}}


Requirements
- Fallout 4 for basic functionalities (duh)

- IF you want your Junk deFENCES to SNAP : MOD Snappable Junk Fences (BetterJunkFences.esp) [v1.3!!!]

- (soon) IF you want Concrete/Bus/PoweredDoor deFENCES  : DLC Wasteland Workshop.
- (soon) IF you want Vault deFENCES : DLC Vault-Tec.
(I will either provide a FOMOD if you want mixed options, or implement in the script if I can. We'll see when I make those available)


HIGHLY Suggested Mods (but none required):

-[SJF] Snappable Junk Fences (BetterJunkFences.esp) [v1.3 !!!] (if you have this, deFENCES will 
automatically inherit all properties from the snappable meshes used by SJF.)

-[PE] Place Everywhere - Highly facilitates building if you dont use SJF, SE, or even with one or both, 
this is the way if you want vertical multi-leveled deFENCES or tightly multi-walled deFENCES (might look 
odd though, up to you.)

-[SE] Scrap Everything - Remove those pesky whatevers blocking you from building your perimeter neatly!


UNINSTALL / UPDATING (from v0.2 onwards):

- BEFORE UNINSTALLING: craft the Uninstall deFENCES stimpak in a chemistry bench, consume, create new 
save, quit game, delete the mod (NMM/Manually).
- Then, if updating to a newer version (from v0.2 onwards), follow ALL the instructions above, then 
install new version afterwards.
- If you are NOT updating, just plain uninstalling (what did the deFENCES do to you, huh?) in THEORY any 
deFENCE left will simply vanish from your new save. {If you have any issue here let me know.}

I did my best to keep this as clean and efficient as I know.
If you're savvy with mods and find any 'dirty things' in the esp or script(especially), please tell me.


Known (minor) Issues

- Fences you built before installing the mod WON'T add up the defenses, because what this mod does essentially is a (necessary*) 're-path' of the construction menu to build a 'new item' - the deFENCES - so scrap all those old fences (or not)...
* as far as I was able to test and make it work. I'll update here if something changes.

-The Defense icon doesn't show on most of the modified items. There may be a workaround for this but I haven't found yet. It happens because it can only show integer values (1, 2, 3 etc...). Since this mod uses 0.25 and 0.5, it doesn't appear in the UI. 
But it should add +1 defense every time you build enough to actually sum up to +1.

-In order to make the defensive property work (with my limited experience), I had to make some changes; the objects you build are visually the same, but in "game terms", they are now Furniture instead of Static objects; That limited some information I could "translate" between the objects. The only noticeable effect though were on the Fence Gate, which can't actually open or close (I'm considering this a feature for now, "fake gate", haha);

-Give it a second to see the defense stat increase, sometimes it takes a moment (or maybe you've still not added enough fences to add +1)


Plans

- possibly a 'standalone' version, so you can choose between building your vanilla fences or using the deFENCES. If there's need/interest (if I'm to use a script to add the categories, I'd need to learn that stuff first) DONE.

-Do similar to other structures, vanilla, DLCs and "new" ones. (The name of the mod might change...? nah.)


Thanks

DarthWayne, for helping me understand a bit more of Scripting with his tutorial framework, and allowing me to patch this mod with his essential Snappable Junk Fences. Go endorse his stuff.

FO4Edit, essential first steps which required some "brute-force", hehe. Also, MUCH easier to navigate than the CK for some comparisons and checkups.

CreationKit - Ok the CK did help with many other stuff not available in FO4Edit (v0.2 onwards is >70% CK..), and I did the usual "checks" with both tools. 
The game and company for obvious reasons.


Cheers!