[WIP] Beast Master - Creature Companion Overhaul

[steelfeathers]

http://imgur.com/S9p5BMB.jpg


***NOW AVAILABLE! Download the mod here!

http://imgur.com/3Y79Q9f.jpg
Ever find yourself wishing that you could have a Deathclaw or Radstag as your loyal companion? Disappointed by the creature "taming" mechanic introduced by Wasteland Workshop?

Beast Master is exactly what you've been hoping for.

Beast Master provides a stream-lined, immersive method for taming, commanding, and interacting with the creatures of the Wasteland. But more than that, Beast Master introduces a brand-new creature companion framework, built from the ground up to give you the type of satisfying companionship you thought you could only get from a vanilla companion.

Interested? Read on.


http://imgur.com/T3hPiaN.jpg
Beast Master allows you to tame the creatures caught through Wasteland Workshop through use of a new item called the Control Chip. Creatures implanted with a Control Chip will gain enhanced intelligence and be able to understand human speech, allowing you to talk to them, give them commands, even recruit them as a companion.

Both the Control Chip and the Advanced Control Chip can be crafted at the chemistry workbench under "Utility". Simply approach the creature you wish to tame with a Control Chip in hand and choose the option "Inject Control Chip" to get things started.

• • Control Chip > Used to tame passive creatures and creatures under the influence of a Beta Wave Emitter. (Req: Science 1)
  • Advanced Control Chip > Used to tame hostile creatures. (Req: Science 3)
  • I want to tame ALL the creatures!
    Not so fast! Control Chips can ONLY be used on creatures caught with Wasteland Workshop cages, or on Brahmin or Junkyard dogs brought to your settlement. Cats and Raiders/Gunners cannot be tamed.
    
    
    
    http://imgur.com/h2IuzyE.jpg
    Take them with you on your adventures!
  • Beast Master uses a brand-new companion system that won't conflict with any other companion mods. Best of all, this means that you can have a human companion (or Dogmeat) AND a creature companion!
  • Give them a new name!
  • There are 4 name categories each with 10 different names, for a whopping total of 40 unique names to choose from.
  • Get them to love you by increasing their Happiness!
  • Like the Affinity system for human companions, your creature companions will react to how you treat them. Keep them happy by treating them well, and reap the benefits.
  • Feed them treats!
  • Cook up special animal treats at any cooking pot for your pets. Animal treats confer small benefits to your creatures, and make them happy.
  • Equip them with saddlebags!
  • Certain types of creatures can use saddlebags to increase their carrying capacity. Saddlebags can even by dyed to match your favorite faction.
  • Dress them up with accessories!
  • Certain types of creatures can be equipped with bandanas or collars. Your pets will be happier when dressed to the nines.
  • Paint them with body paint!
  • Creatures with scales or shells can be given a makeover with different painted designs. Like accessories, body paint also increases Happiness.
  • Check their stats!
  • Check in with your pet to see their level, health, carry weight, and happiness.
  • Get them to scavenge for items!
  • Occasionally, your creature companion will find items as they travel with you, and will give them to you when you check in. Happier creatures are more likely to scavenge for you. The type of items they find depend upon their race; Mirelurks in particular are attracted to shiny trinkets...
  • Mark them on your map!
  • Enable or disable the Control Chip's built-in tracking device so that you'll always know where to find your creature companion.
  • Teach them tricks!
  • Pets can be asked to perform a special trick, although they may ignore you if they are unhappy with you.
  • Change their combat style!
  • Set how your pet will react in combat - how eager they are to attack, and how cautious they will be during a fight.
  • Inject them with Mutating Serums!
  • New types of Syringer ammo called Mutating Serums can be used on your pets to confer powerful abilities for a short time. But the side-effects will make your pets unhappy....
  • http://imgur.com/jMvqG7y.jpg
    Your new pets will come to love you (or hate you) based on how you treat them. All newly-tamed pets will be tolerant of you, but no more. But as you spend them with them, feed them treats, and spruce up their appearance, their Happiness will increase. The happier your pet is, the stronger and faster it will be in combat. Pets that love you dearly will even sometimes bring you "gifts" that they find as the two of you wander the Wasteland. But beware! Those who mistreat their pets will find that they become less effective in combat. Pets that despise you even have a chance to turn on you and attack!
    
    Benefits of Happiness:
  • Increased defenses and resistance to energy weapons, poison, and radiation
  • Increased speed
  • Increased damage in combat
  • Higher chance to find items
  • Ways to increase Happiness:
  • Spend time with your pet as your companion
  • Feed your pet special animal treats
  • Dress up your pet with accessories
  • Give your pet a makeover with custom body paint
  • Ways to decrease Happiness:
  • Shoot your pet outside of combat (you monster!)
  • Use a Mutating Serum on your pet
  • http://imgur.com/yucbICb.jpg
    Once a creature has been tamed with a Control Chip, you can give it a brand new name by talking to it and choosing "Give new name." If you aren't happy with your decision, you can change your pet's name at any time.
    
    The following names can be given to your pets:
  • "Cool" > Scamp, Trouble, Max, Ace, Echo, Lucky, Zigzag, Hero, Blitz, 007
  • "Tough" > Brutus, Killer, Tank, Spike, Remington, Atlas, Rambo, Warlord, Demon, Bullet
  • "Cute" > Fluffy, Cupcake, Lulu, Sweetpea, Cuddles, Boo, Diva, Sunshine, Mocha, Bonkers
  • "Wacky" > Corvenga, Nuka Cola, Sugar Bomb, Freeway, Jaggles, Lexington, Concord, Atom Cat, Trash, Megaton
  • http://imgur.com/8toYLAU.jpg
    Need a way to distinguish YOUR deathclaw from that other deathclaw that wants to evicerate you? Or just want to play dress-up with your new wasteland pet? If so, Beast Master adds several different ways for you to give your pet some serious bling.
    
    Due to the wide variety of shapes and sizes that wasteland creatures come in, not every type of pet can use every type of bling. So! To help you figure out what your pet can (or can't) use, check out this handy Creature Bling chart:
    
    

    http://imgur.com/JJBSkbo.jpg
    Accessories
    Various articles of clothing that you find around the Commonwealth can now be used by more than just Dogmeat. Many of the most common creature types can be equipped with them. Like body paint, these items will provide a boost to your pet's Happiness.
    
    Currently, your pets can be equipped with the following items. More are likely to be added in future updates.

  • All bandanas
  • Chain collars
  • (See the Creature Bling chart for a breakdown of what types of creatures can be given gear.)
    
    
    Saddlebags
    Need an extra hand lugging around all that junk? Equip your pet with a saddlebag to increase their carrying capacity! Saddlebags can be crafted at the chemistry station under "Utility". Once crafted, saddlebags can be dyed at the armor workbench to match the color of your favorite faction: Brotherhood of Steel, Institute, Railroad, or Minutemen. (A Children Of Atom dye-job is available with the Exotic Creatures patch).
    
    (See the Creature Bling chart for a breakdown of what types of creatures can be equipped with saddlebags.)
    
    
    Body Paint
    Red, yellow, or blue paint can be used on pets with shells or scales to give them a brand new look and increase their happiness. If you get tired of your pet's body paint, you can scrub it off with Turpentine.
    
    To paint your pet, you first need to find Yellow Paint, Blue Paint, or a Blood Can. Then, talk to them and choose "Check In". Now in the check-in menu, you will see the option "Apply Paint". "Remove Paint" will appear instead if the creature is already painted and you have some turpentine in your inventory.
    
    (See the Creature Bling chart for a breakdown of what types of creatures can be painted.)
    
    
    Concoctions, Serums, and Treats
    Treats
    Animal treats can be created at the cooking pot and given to your pets by talking with them, choosing "Check in", and then selecting "Feed Treat". Each treat will give your pet a small temporary boost and slightly increase their happiness. You can't just stuff your pet with treats to make them love you, however - your pet will get full after 3 treats, and you will need to wait a while before they get hungry again.
    
    Animal Treats:
  • Crispy Bits Treat > +30% HP regen for 5 min. Slightly increases happiness.
  • Meat Cake Treat > +25 HP for 5 min. Slightly increases happiness.
  • Spazz Out Treat > +15% speed for 5 min. Slightly increases happiness.
  • Mutating Serum
    Harness the power of radiation by crafting Mutating Serum syringer ammo at the chemistry station. Creatures shot with a Mutating Serum round will become juggernauts in combat for a short time, but at the cost of decreasing their happiness.
    
    Mutating Serums:
  • Mutating Serum: Super Strength > The target deals 2x damage for 5 minutes. Decreases happiness.
  • Mutating Serum: Venom Claws > The target's attacks do poison damage for 5 minutes. Decreases happiness.
  • Mutating Serum: Atom's Glow > The target becomes highly radioactive for 5 minutes. Decreases happiness.
  • Tranquilizer Darts
    Having trouble getting close enough to that raging Deathclaw to use an Advanced Control Chip? Pacify it with a Tranquilizer round from your Syringer! Tranquilizer rounds can be crafted at the chemistry station with other types of Syringer ammo, and will calm any bug or animal for 60 seconds.
    
    
    

Edited June 11, 2016 by steelfeathers

[EmissaryOfWind]

Awesome! I can't wait to play as a woodland princess and have 5 radstags following me everywhere. I hope there will be a way to improve their fighting ability, or an option to make them essential, I'd be bummed if a raider killed my pet :/

[steelfeathers]

Awesome! I can't wait to play as a woodland princess and have 5 radstags following me everywhere. I hope there will be a way to improve their fighting ability, or an option to make them essential, I'd be bummed if a raider killed my pet :/

 

The control chip sets them as "protected". While they are your companion, they are set as "essential", same as any other companion.

 

You won't be able to have 5 at the same time, though. Just one, sorry. (Although you could also bring Dogmeat with you if you wanted...;))

[EmissaryOfWind]

If they use the companion keywords, it should work nicely with Unlimited Companion Framework, so I believe I could have up to 160. I want to still be able to go through doors, though, so I won't bring that many.

[steelfeathers]

I just had to add this. Saddlebags can now be dyed in faction colors at the armor workbench. (I'm thinking about adding one for the Children of Atom, too, if I can find a good symbol...)

 

FYI, the Devolved Radstag from these screenshots is available as a companion if you use my other mod, Exotic Workshop Creatures - Far Harbor Cages.

 

http://imgur.com/Kf6JXjD.jpghttp://imgur.com/MS6O3Tj.jpghttp://imgur.com/kX7S7Hs.jpghttp://imgur.com/9mIOY1c.jpg

[EmissaryOfWind]

For the Children of Atom, you can grab the symbol from the new face paints in the DLC, I think 21 is just the classic CoA symbol.

[steelfeathers]

Accessorize your pets! Here we have an example of a bandana and a chain collar in action. These are the vanilla items that you can already find in the game, btw, I just added a new mesh to let you put them on Deathclaws. Eventually, pretty much all your creature pets will be able to wear them. "Bling" will provide a happiness boost.

 

 

http://imgur.com/EEasTfv.jpghttp://imgur.com/Q4uMrIm.jpg

[steelfeathers]

The "Happiness" system has been successfully implemented! Now, your creatures will grow to love or despise you based on your actions.

 

A few notes...

 

• All creatures start off at "Neutral" happiness
• Happy creatures get a boost to their defenses, their speed, and their damage output. Unhappy creatures do not perform as well.
• Happiness is increased by traveling with your creature (and soon, by feeding them treats and giving them accessories)
• Happiness is decreased by shooting them outside of combat (you monster!), or using a mutating serum on them.
• Messages will display periodically to show how your creature feels about you. And you can check their happiness at any time by talking to them and choosing "Check in". (This will also display their stats)
• If you abuse your creature enough, it will come to hate you, and there is a chance to will turn feral and attack you.

 

Mutating serums have also been implemented. These are powerful types of Syringer ammo that can only be crafted if you have the "Chemist" perk.

Currently, there are 3 types:

 

• Super Strength > The target deals 2x damage for 5 minutes.
• Poison Claws > The target's attacks deal poison damage for 5 minutes.
• Atom's Glow > The target becomes highly radioactive for 5 minutes.

 

 

 

PS: Is anyone actually interested in or following this mod? Because right now it seems like only 1 person cares...

[EmissaryOfWind]

People on this forum don't always reply to topics, but I guarantee there'll be tons of users, don't get discouraged ;)

[XD001]

I'm looking forward to it, you need to remember a lot of users prefer to lurk than post.