The Divide Reborn

[Nexusaurus]

EDIT: If you are working on this mod, please respond using this thread instead of Divide Expanded. DevinPatterson has his own plans and I don't want to get in the way.

 

 

**SPOILERS AHEAD FOR LONESOME ROAD DLC**

 

___________________________________________________________________________

 

I was thinking of how Ulysses talked about how he missed the homeland the courier inadvertently destroyed, and I thought it would be neat if that homeland could be brought to life. This doesn't need to be a big mod. all I ask is for you to add some generic NPCs to the divide. like, Divide settlers, Divide merchants, Divide guardsmen (I think it would be neat if the guards had the riot armor.) stuff like that. preferably respawning. settlers and guard can sandbox, but I think the merchants should patrol the roads. they should probably get some guards.

 

EDIT: most of the ideas in this particular post don't have much lore or extra fluff beyond basic requirements. this is because I want to increase the chances of this project being completed. if you want to do this mod but need some lore reasons, reply to the post and I will explain what could be done for that. of course, you could just look in the posts below, but thats a bit disjointed and makes more sense summarized.

 

the absolute, bare mininum: create a couple dozen npcs labeled settler, give them some weapons, and place them around the divide.

 

Optional:

Ruler of the divide who wears old U.S. General armor.

placing flags with a white star and circle on a green background. (the locals have adopted the symbol as their standard.)

Quests.

wearing any riot armor allies you with Divide settlers.

killing Marked Men/Tunnelers makes the settlers respect you.

named NPCs.

new areas with towns.

some other factions.

 

even more optional:

 

I think it would be interesting to have a new faction separated from the "bear and the bull." while the basic goal mentioned above is all I really want, the potential for an even bigger mod afterward is very great. You could start with a small amount of hardy settlers and complete quests to start new towns and earn the respect of the people, maybe even becoming the leader, or at least a respected community member. there could also be generic followers that can be killed, but respawn. like, in the barracks, you could find ten "Divide Soldiers" that you could recruit and lead out into the Mojave to attack your enemies. you could also have options to make peace with different factions and try to keep up with their demands. maybe some trading could be set up. Like, you can trade with the NCR for advanced tech and medical supplies in bulk to add to the town supplies, or you could trade with the legion to get slaves that will allow you to build new towns and complete construction quests faster. the guards and soldiers could be expanded on as well, you could complete quests and such to upgrade them. I imagine they start out with weak merc outfits, but you can upgrade them to progressively stronger riot armors, eventually culminating in the guard and soldiers equipped with elite riot armor.

 

all of these are super optional. If you just make the bare bones of the mod, I'll be happy.

if you have any questions, just post them below and i will answer as best as I can.

Edited March 22, 2014 by Nexusaurus

[Deleted10954978User]

I can't do this myself, but holy crap that sounds amazing. I hope that someone does this.

good luck. :cool:

[devinpatterson]

I was thinking of how Ulysses talked about how he missed the homeland the courier inadvertently destroyed, and I thought it would be neat if that homeland could be brought to life.

Absolutely, I'd love to see the courier complete the circle and atone for an ill fated delivery. We've been discussing it off and on since last year in the independent NV thread. Here are some posts (there are several pages of ideas starting on page 114, but there are also discussions before and after, scattered in the thread).

 

I think the biggest sticking point for us, was that several of the forums contributors simply didn't think you could have a viable community of any type. I understand that point of view. I mean you have winds that rip the flesh from people (as an example the marked me-but that was there from very early times, a OWB experiment), very powerful NPCs (marked men, even teh irradiated deathclaws, not to mention the overpowered tunnlers), radiation hazards etc.

 

But, I think a "type" of town could exist.....a sort of prospector town. Sure there won't be sunny little dales, with crops and happy fat brahmin, but occupying a military facility would provide a rivet city like setting. It would offer protection (even a tunnler isn't going to get through a hardened military base), food (probably warehouses size stacks of MRE in the commissary) and a safe place to buy and sell (commerce being the backbone of a town).

 

So what does the divide have to offer, what would make men risk their lives to be in such a inhospitable place. Military tech. Lots and lots of it to be recovered. Like the goldrush towns everything would flow from that one treasure (except instead of gold, the treasure is technology). Everything from hookers, to weaponsmith, to tech, to traders, to the caravaneers would all hinge on the prospector/adventures. These hardy souls woudln't be like a typical wasteland prospector, but made of far sterner stuff (to stand up to the divide). Some of them may even be survivors from the original settlement (although I suspect most were vaporized).

 

So I believe it's do-able.

 

In the thread I linked to, Darkus also had an alternate solution that I thought sounded very graphically interesting. Rooftop living. It has a drawback with that killer, knife like winds, but imagine how it could look. Rooftops connected with cables acting like suspension bridges, all linked like a web. Could be cool.

 

And it doesn't have to be one or the other, could be a mix of both.

 

This doesn't need to be a big mod. all I ask is for you to add some generic NPCs to the divide. like, Divide settlers, Divide merchants, Divide guardsmen (I think it would be neat if the guards had the riot armor.) stuff like that. preferably respawning. settlers and guard can sandbox, but I think the merchants should patrol the roads. they should probably get some guards.

Sure, but whether small or large I think you still need to hammer home a reasonable explanation of the how and why. How they are able to exist in what might be the deadliest land the courier has ever traversed and why would they want to. It will make the mod more immerse and believable. If one is going to take those steps, one might as well flesh out the mod as a whole. I think it's a better choice than dropping a wasteland town as a little transplant in a non lore, viable setting for settlers.

 

the absolute, bare mininum: create a couple dozen npcs labeled settler, give them some weapons, and place them around the divide.

I mean you could say there is a valley somewhere in teh divide that's arable, but I think it would be a huge stretch, lorewise. The divide is a killing field, I can't imagine settling it in the same way as the Mojave, IMHO

 

holy crap that sounds amazing. I hope that someone does this.

I know right? It's like a unfinished story, I'd like to see it come full circle.

[Nexusaurus]

OK, thanks. Like I said, the town is optional. My vision is more like squatters hiding out along the road. they live in the dilapidated buildings. skirmishing with the marked men with primitive weapons. the merchants patrol the road, with riot armored guards. the guards themselves are placed in barracks and silo bases. this isn't as much a mod to build a city world space as to integrate additional NPCs into the game.

 

You also said something about a storyline, I think I have an idea. these guy are basically a splinter group of the NCR. they were dissatisfied with the Bear's policies, and left to colonize one of the most inhospitable areas of the wasteland. they have taken one of the symbols of the old world (the one star flag), and the armor as a uniform (all the variations of the riot armor.). The settlers haven't created a new town, but have occupied existing building and taken control. I think the best camps would be empty buildings with no enemies. just set them to sandbox and boom, a small settlement has been founded. the settlers whose homes are open to the outside will have a hard time surviving, so maybe one or two Divide Guards could be stationed there. and this isn't good springs. there aren't any farms. the people are hard bitten scavengers, who don't bother with things like farming. they mostly survive off MREs, scavenged food, what those commissary terminal give them, and what Mojave merchants manage to get to them. As I will explain, these people live here out of necessity and their own conviction. Conviction can only go so far, however, and the creation of the Divide Defense Corps was necessary to keep the peace. Since they are ex-NCR, they know their way around high technology, and have secretly taken control of some of the short range missile silos, to use as a secret weapon if invaded. this would explain all the Divide Guards in the silos. The merchant caravans seem to be one of the most interesting features to me. due to the swarms of monsters, especially tunnelers, any small caravan would be killed. I think 3 or three large caravans, with several brahmins, a few merchants, and about four Divide Soldiers would cut it.

 

basically, in terms of tech, they are between NCR and BoS, but have the smallest amount of territory. So, depending on your worldview, they are either a plucky young nation carving out a name for themselves, or a nest of dangerous criminals with access to powerful weapons.

 

I'll also look into the link you gave me. thanks

Edited March 16, 2014 by Nexusaurus

[sgtKraigO]

That's actually very interesting. If I remember correctly I was originally against a resettlement of the Divide but now that I think of it the first missile silo enters (where you find ED-E 2.0) and the Hopeville Missile Base West and East Entrances and the HQ would be the most plausible places for some small communities. The first missile silo would be the first place but after some fighting and aid from the player the settlers manage to push the Marked Men from the Missile Base and settle the area. I think it would also be interesting if the NCR tried to annex the towns once they become prosperous and the player can choose to kick them out with force, peacefully kick them out, decline but allow them an embassy and they become allies (this option would allow the NCR to open up trading with the settlements in exchange the NCR sends in troops to the Hopeville area to deal with the Marked Men once the Legion is no longer a threat), or sway the settlers to become NCR citizens. There could also be a quest that has the player go back to the Mojave too kill X amount of feral ghouls to the south of Primm in order too make trading easier, one excuse for not sending their own guards to deal with it is due to persistent attacks from Marked Men (which the player could deal with later on) and the NCR is too occupied by the Legion and Powder Gangers to send some squads into the area.

 

Also maybe later on the Silo could be turned into a type of market since its so close to the Mojave/Divide boarder.

Edited March 16, 2014 by sgtKraigO

[Nexusaurus]

I think that is very interesting. Since they are an NCR splinter group, however, they may take some convincing if they were to rejoin. I think, since they are disillusioned with the NCR, it would be more likely that they would opt to stay an independent country, or even join the Legion. The idea of the silo as the primary trading hub makes sense, I can see the merchants from different countries mingling, with DDC riot troopers keeping people in check.

_______________________________________

all of these new ideas are optional, like I said in the previous posts.

recap:

 

all I ask is for you to add some generic NPCs to the divide. like, Divide settlers, Divide merchants, Divide guardsmen (I think it would be neat if the guards had the riot armor.) stuff like that. preferably respawning. settlers and guard can sandbox, but I think the merchants should patrol the roads. they should probably get some guards.

(I can't figure out how to change back the post color, but the quote is finished now.)

_________________________________________

The Divide Colonies are very independent, so it would be easiest to keep them independent, if the option could exist. I think the easiest way to get the lore across is to put it in the mod description or in notes scattered across the colonies.

The general.

Upon thinking, I do think that it would be interesting to have the general in the mod. He would be situated in the farthest outpost from the entrance, the capital of the Colonies. He would be an interesting character.

The General would not hesitate to use force. The DDC (Divide Defense Corps) is frequently deployed against any internal threat. However, he is willing to listen to envoys and negotiate a treaty. he has learn, through hard hearned experience, that a swift military response is the only way to survive in the divide, and is still adjusting to the intricacies of the rest of the wasteland. If you download this mod, I assume you do so with the intent to join this budding country, as such, I have a basic role planned out for you. Having lived in the wastes for a long time, you are most suited to spread the influence of the United Divide Colonies (UDC). Will you be a diplomat or a conqueror?

Will you be a single envoy of part of an invasion force? Will you embrace the new cultures of the wastelands or will you just kill everything in accordance with the old traditions of the new nation?

the choice is up to you.

An interesting Idea is that this could all be done without any dialogue whatsoever. Just a few notes scattered around, some lore about the mod, and knowledge of the general concept, and your all set. at its most basic level, you just play the game normally wearing some DDC armor and say your doing it for your nation.

Edited March 16, 2014 by Nexusaurus

[devinpatterson]

OK, thanks. Like I said, the town is optional. My vision is more like squatters hiding out along the road. they live in the dilapidated buildings. skirmishing with the marked men with primitive weapons. the merchants patrol the road, with riot armored guards. the guards themselves are placed in barracks and silo bases. this isn't as much a mod to build a city world space as to integrate additional NPCs into the game.

I wouldn't have any interest in that putting together something like that, partly due to lore and partly due to just squandering an opportunity for a great story line. On the upside though if it's just NPCs, without even dialog there's a good chance someone else might help you out (since it's so simple/easy).

 

Anyway I'll just post a few comments to sgtKraigO and then I'll stop bogarting the thread.

 

That's actually very interesting. If I remember correctly I was originally against a resettlement of the Divide but now that I think of it the first missile silo enters (where you find ED-E 2.0) and the Hopeville Missile Base West and East Entrances and the HQ would be the most plausible places for some small communities.

Exactly, it's the gateway to teh divide and arguably one of the safer parts of the region. It's fortified and makes a great home base due to it's proximity to both world spaces. And the idea of annexation (NCR) or subjugation (Legion) will be echos/reverberations of the past.

 

(this option would allow the NCR to open up trading with the settlements in exchange the NCR sends in troops to the Hopeville area to deal with the Marked Men once the Legion is no longer a threat

I think they will be doing trading with teh NCR (or at least in towns with a NCR prescence) regardless. I my opinion once they get tech back through to the Mojave it's likely that NCR will be their customers. The story of the divide's evolution lies in a sort of NCR greed of tech. They recovered an item from an enclave facilities with marking similar to teh divide and tasked the courier to deliver it with catastrophic results. They want military tech badly and I think they'd be willing to pay for it. Other factions may also barter for it too (gun runners for instance).

 

But yeah I think we're both on the same page here in general. It may even have a bit of a stalker vibe to it. Crazy adventures or mercs going into a forbidden zone to recover relics of great power, even though probably less than 1 in 10 stalkers will return from the zone.

 

Also maybe later on the Silo could be turned into a type of market since its so close to the Mojave/Divide boarder.

Yes that's what I'm thinking, something like rivet city. It has several parallels I'd like to exploit. It can cater to the prospector mercs in many ways (rooms, girls, food, maybe even a church), but it's lifeblood would be the bazaar where booty was sold, but also where the hardened adventures outfitted themselves to face the terrors of the divide (weapons, armor, key cards, codes, etc etc). And if they have the commissary (which should have been opened by the courier already) it becomes a pretty efficient system.

 

There is also a ton of possible adventures protecting, aiding, organizing the settlement. Rescuing lost parties. repealing invasions. Possibly even detonating nukes that are located near hotspots that the courier can't personally conquer with one man. It just goes on and on.

 

Anyway I'll make new thread, copy over these posts from you and I and copy over the info from the independent NV thread. Then we'll have something resembling an organized post.

[sgtKraigO]

 

(this option would allow the NCR to open up trading with the settlements in exchange the NCR sends in troops to the Hopeville area to deal with the Marked Men once the Legion is no longer a threat

I think they will be doing trading with teh NCR (or at least in towns with a NCR prescence) regardless. I my opinion once they get tech back through to the Mojave it's likely that NCR will be their customers. The story of the divide's evolution lies in a sort of NCR greed of tech. They recovered an item from an enclave facilities with marking similar to teh divide and tasked the courier to deliver it with catastrophic results. They want military tech badly and I think they'd be willing to pay for it. Other factions may also barter for it too (gun runners for instance).

 

 

I could see Gunner Runners, Crimson Caravan, Primm if they're not a part of the NCR, Goodsprings, Powder Gangers (Although this is a bit "iffy" due to their attitude towards outsiders), Mr. House, 3 Families, and the NCR as possible costumers but the trade deal with the NCR would allow them to sell solely to them and no one else in exchange for independence. But now that I think of it the a deal for troop aid might be asking for a bit much so maybe the NCR works out a deal for military support at the 2nd Battle of Hoover Damn and in exchange they will send troops to help deal with the Marked Men after the Legion is dealt with.

 

The NCR and Legion roles could be reversed with the info mentioned above. I'm just looking at the NCR aspect of it since they're my favorite faction in the Fallout world.

[devinpatterson]

Catch me in the new thread I don't want to bogart Nexusaurus's thread, it's not fair to him to flood his post, when he's looking for something different than what we want to do.

[Deleted10954978User]

Hey, I found this robot race mod that you might be interested in. Its called ST robot race, and adds several types of robots to the game as playable characters. One of them is green and has the one star symbol, so maybe it could be part of your plan?