Playable Fallout Mech

[jesterskull25]

If these 3 testruns work, yes, but kinda busy just to do one testrun right now.

[devinpatterson]

Hmmm... 'Walkers'. I like it. Thoughts, Devin?

 

Anyway, we'll work out lore later. For now, we're making a VR combat sim for these things.

If we're going to have a *wide* assortment of mechs we might be best off using the Military/Dept of Defense designation of AAVs (Armored Assault Vehicles). That way we can have a very wide category that's probably lore friendly since it already uses an established military term. And it would always allow you to use slag or more specific terms as sub categories. For instance if you liked the term "Walker" it could be used for the just the bipeds and quadrupeds (but not tracked mechs), but when you want to include everything you have a wider term.

 

Also on that subject, I was thinking it might be nice to have a quadruped, tracked, octaped mech/AAV for some variety. I believe that any skeleton with a projectile node could be suitable. I see the OWB cyberdog & the Ceantaur as possible candidates for a quadruped mech. We already have the Roboscorpions as our 8 legged variety (along with the lore for them in OWB. I can add them to my OWB expanded fairly quickly. For tracked, I think the Robobase is our only reasonable bet (although I'm going to change the model significantly).

 

That could give us 4 non humanoid mechs, add another 3 or 4 humanoid ones and we've got a total of 7 or 8, which isn't a bad start. I'm not sure how many we can fit into a lore friendly mod, but the VR should help a lot in that respect and it's always possible to release a version of the mod that just has the mechs without a backstory or that stays strictly within lore.

[jesterskull25]

You could just say they are just fanasty game programs in the VR or something of the sort.

[devinpatterson]

You could just say they are just fanasty game programs in the VR or something of the sort.

Yep that's an advantage of the VR, it can just be a mech warrior game. The program doesn't have to reflect (fallout) reality. At the moment I'm partial to having it happen in the capital if all the FO3 washington assets are in the FONV BSAs. I think it would be a good setting for a lore friendly game.

 

OK here is Beta3. Use the N key to exit. Requires NVSE

 

Bugs;

Equipping the pipboy is causing a crash so until I can figure that out I'm leaving the pipboy on. If I can't track down the bug, I may just make the armors mesh cover it.

There is code for re equipping a hat and helmet, but it doesn't appear to be working. However re equipping the players original armor seems to work fine, so you don't hop out in your undewear.

 

I havn't had time to finish teh new model or it's world model (with teh immovable col mesh). I'll probably work on doing a bit of Ranger Chauncey in blender, but hope to get back to working on the mech this weekend.

 

I'd also like people to try the version that crashes on my machine (unequipes and equips the pipboy) and see if it's my setup or if it happens with everyone else. Crashy beta 3 is here.

[MarchUntoTorment]

NV Mecha Notes

Beta - Basic mecha (for players to mess around with; final beta release; getting close now).

Primary Release - Mecha combat quest; basic fighting of other mecha around a medium-sized city-style battlefield; capable of being run on most systems. 2 playable mecha.

Enhanced Release - A World Without Borders quest line (maybe ending with the player getting access to a mecha of their own in the Mojave?), playable area roughly 50% of the size of the Mojave (although no-where near as detailed, as no interiors will need to be created); a multitude of playable mecha available.

Basic Premise -

In 2075, a US Army think tank constructed projections indicating increasing likelihood of a nuclear war, leading up to 2100, where probability reached 95% and was considered inevitable.

The operation's lead scientist, the Australian-born Adam Walker, disillusioned with the dying world, decided that on account of the inevitable nuclear war, he would found an independent group known as 'A World Without Borders'. Intended to be heavily-equipped with the latest technology, they would be located in nuclear bunkers; upon emerging, they would construct a new world.

Unfortunately, while these plans were still in the works, the Great War occurred, and A World Without Borders never came to be.

Nonetheless, a post-war VR simulation was set up to train AWWB operatives in the use of advanced technology in development by the US military; set in 2200, the operative would be thrust into the role of an AWWB mech pilot engaging all manner of hostiles, including Chinese forces, post-war raider gangs and the remnants of the US Military.

In 2281, the Courier, walking through the ruins of the US Army's think tank facility, locates the VR machine. Entering it, they are sucked into a very different world to their own…

Setting -

A vast, nuclear wasteland covered in shattered rocks and with vast fissures in the earth, under a dead, steel-grey sky. The very earth has been blackened by the nuclear detonations; no life grows here.

Location Idea, Mojave Wasteland: We're going to want to chop some stuff up here. Since the mechs won't be able to manually traverse cells, we'll want to include things like Freeside as open spaces attached to the Mojave; for system performance's sake, that'll probably mean slicing out a lot of the unnecessary stuff in Freeside and similar spaces. I'd recommend, as an idea, starting with the battlefield simply encompassing Vegas (McCarran and the Vault 3 area being about the southmost bound), then expanding outwards. Would want to alter the sky textures of NV (maybe using Nevada Skies as a requirement?) to give it a hollow, post-apocalyptic feel like Fallout 3's.

(@Devin: If we ever get around to the 'more cities in the Mojave' mod, that might be a fascinating thing to include here - the Mojave might be much more built up by 2100, after all.)

Location Idea, DC Wasteland: Going to need to do a few more alterations here. Area would encompass the entire DC area (south-east-most quarter of the map), and would need some major alterations to structure; all of the 'DC interiors' (places like Chevy Chase) would need to be connected to the same worldspace as separate cells, and a lot of regions would need alterations to make them mecha-traversable. And there's the obvious issue of FO3 being a requirement. Nonetheless, this, I think, has the best feel for us.

Location Idea, Custom Wasteland: No idea where you'd locate it geographically (I don't know nearly enough about American geography) and the most work, but also gives us the most freedom.

Edited March 26, 2014 by MarchUntoTorment

[MarchUntoTorment]

Aaaaaaaand there're my notes on plot and area ideas.

 

If you'd like, I can start on describing the mecha within currently-established bounds regarding models and such; coming up with ideas for appearance, loadouts, battlefield roles and backstories (manufacturers, etc.). I love designing mecha ^.^

 

Oh, also, loving the name 'AAVs'. Fits very well for some reason.

 

P.S. Want to try getting in touch with Daejones? His/her Enclave Colossus mod (especially the Fallout 3 iteration) has some resources that could be very handy in designing our mech.

 

Here's the mod I'm thinking of. I think that its aesthetic (especially the revamped black-and-orange Tesla and Hellfire armours) are perfect for some of the more advanced mecha in this mod.

Edited March 26, 2014 by MarchUntoTorment

[devinpatterson]

Wow I can't read a single word on the page (mobile page or requesting a desktop page). It's just super light pink. But I'll read it in my email. One tHing though. There should probably be different creators for each category and westek should be the contractor for the humanoid mechs

[alienzerox]

okie dokie ---> interesting ... well initial testing of just having crashy yields a missing mesh error ...

 

while having all 3 esps on gives me thee mechs one ends up in my inventory (I'm guessing it's crashy since it's the only one that you gave pipboy access to) and I'm encumbered. I can enter/exit the other 2 and I still have my armor on so that is good .... but it needs all 3 esps activated to function that way...

 

having just the new one activated works fine I can exit out of the mech but it's like removing armor (step out of mech & I'm in my underarmor) also while in the mech I'm encumbered, I feel that it shouldn't be that way because I'm piloting the mech not carrying it ... I also gripe about PA should not weigh you down while worn so...

 

I can still access my weapons due to my use of the weapon wheel mod ... sneak is disabled while piloting the mech, so that works .... I should also see if entering structures is disabled and if I can traveling into another exterior cell with it.

[devinpatterson]

Just a quick post (on my phone) have only beta 3 active. If you don't see the mesh it's probablhy because I renamed the esp and the bsa in the archive doesn't match the same name. Check that and rename the bsa if required.

[devinpatterson]

Also sorry to hear your original armor isn't reequiping (does for me) but as we get more feedback we may be able to squash the bug. Your encumbered on purpose to simulate a large bulky AAV