Help me understand plot theory

[NerArth]

You might have to explain what you mean by “attachment fraud”. If you mean someone else becoming connected to the settlement because they are on a plot column that neighbours your plots directly (on the horizontal plane), it would, as I understand, connect together, regardless of vertical distance.

@james

Plot Resolution:

In Release 211 Settlements are evaluated at a plot resolution.

Beacons’ plot columns must touch for the beacons to form a settlement.

NOTE - beacon plot columns meaning that it’s possible for a beacon at the top of the world to “touch” a beacon at the bottom of the world. So the columns need to touch. Not the plots themselves. (Sorry, it’s never simple, is it?)

Because of this change of resolution and associated update to the road evaluation it’s likely that some settlements will split. Any settlements that contained any 1 or 2 plot gaps between beacons which used to be touching at the chunk resolution scheme will now break apart.

(From Explaining Beacons and Settlements post Release 211 )