Personal custom vertibird with quest

[Sentariel]

Hey guys.

Since Gopher released his video with idea of Taxi service mod, thoughts about mod which will resolve fast travel problem haunts me.
I'm not much good at modding (some values tweaks and simple texture editing/fixing is the best i can do), even worse, i have not much time for playing or modding. So i probably won't be ever able to make mod, that i imagined. Because of this i'm giving my idea of "Phoenix Reborn" mod to your judgement - maybe someone will like it and feel that he/she will be able to make it in full scale. I've posted this idea firstly on Gopher's forum, where it has evolved into current stage:

Now, when GECK is out and transport mods appearing one after another, i think that experienced modders can implement my idea without any problems... if, they will be interested in it, of course.


Features

This mod will allow Vault Dweller to obtain (repair, actually) his/her own nonfaction vertibird and pilot for it, which can accompany him/her through all the travelling around Commonwealth. Quest to obtain it will be able even on 1st level, but completion will depend on player's effort and skill (possible, but hard on low levels, and pretty easy for high leveled character).
It will work just like standard BoS vertibird, but with some additional features (of course if it will be possible).

1. It will have slightly increased amount of hit points and minigun with incendiary ammo, but also custom Phoenix paint... or stickers/pinups etc.
2. At the arriving to destination it won't kick our hero from vertibird and fly away. You should get out by yourself if you want it. After you get out the machine it will take off and provide a fire support if enemies attacking you, and land in the same place, when area is clear, then it will remain where you left it, unless you give the pilot different order or untill you call vertibird to another place by shooting flare or placing smoke grenade / radio beacon.
3. When you're calling vertibird into a middle of warzone it will land only when all enemies will be eliminated.
4. Vertibird have some kind of trunk to store loot from your adventures. And lots of it, because vertibird is pretty powerful thing. But it can be accessed only through pilot's dialog (can be implemented like pilot's inventory).
5. When shot down (even with Vault Dweller aboard) it will fall but won't explode. Pilot-mechanic will be injured, but not dead. Vault Dweller will lost 2/3 of his/her Health Points and chest and head structure, hands and legs will be completely broken. Then "Patching the bird" quest will start.
6. It will be able to send vertibird to any owned settlement, but can be repaired only in those which have built "Vertibird landing pad". It will remain there and repair until Vault Dweller call/send it to another place.
7. Vertibird have it's own radio beacon, so you always will be able to find it.

 

Story in short

Story is based on repairing vertibird, which is lifework of russian prewar-ghoul mechanic and his son (surprisingly smoothskin), and his dream to return back to the fatherland, because he believes that destructive Great War and total atomic annihilation can't really cover whole area of Russian country, especially Siberia and Far East (it's really was no reasons to drop (waste?) warheads into wild Taiga, where population density is 0,5 human on square kilometer). But gunners want's this vertibird too and that is the problem, which Vault Dweller may help to resolve.

Full Story

Stage 1: Introduction
While travelling to South from Natick Banks Vault Dweller will be able to see few wooden structures built on pre-war military post territory. Theres three general buildings: living shack, workshop and storehouse for parts and junk. Also there's a few turrets on roofs, Construstion lights pointed to damaged vertibird, some testing tools and stands, generators, water pumps, workbenches etc. Also there is a little metal shack with "inaccessible" door, and custom painted and modified utility power armor suit (with some unique modifications for increasing carrying capacity) behind it.
From distance where NPC's shows up we can see a group of gunners with different high-grade weapons (Heavy modified rifles and rocket launchers) and one man in utility jumpsiut or Drifter outfit (actually i'd like it to be Elianora's Mechanic sleevless top, because it looks great, but it's not absolutely necessary, just my preference... if she will allow it) near the vertibird. When Vault Dweller approaches to the distance of hearing conversation, Mechanic (let's call him Alex) yells something like "You won't get my bird, till i'm breathing this shitty air!". Then gunfight starts. And the "Phoenix reborn" (alternative name "Revival of the Phoenix") quest starts. There is two possibilities for Vault Dweller. He/she can kill gunners and proceed on quest or run away. In this case quest will fail after 24 hours. If Vault Dweller come to this place later, there will be random gunners vertibird flying above burning ruins. It will attack Vault Dweller on sight.
If Vault dweller chooses to kill gunners and proceed on quest, he/she will find injured mechanic near the vertibird. Now Vault dweller can ask him about situation. He will tell something about him, but not much. Later he can tell the Vault Dweller his story about repairing vertibird called Phoenix (or Zhar Ptitsa in russian folklore) to make his fathers dream a reality - fly to Siberia and investigate if there's still living people or at least anything. If Vault Dweller will continue asking questions, instead healing mechanic, he will die, and quest will complete with small experience reward.

Stage 2: Repairing Vertibird
In other way Vault Dweller can give a stimpak to Alex firstly, and then ask about situation. In that case mechanic will survive and tell his story but with much more details. Not just about repairing vertibird and flying to Siberia, but also that his father has died a few weeks ago. Actually have been shot by gunners, and now they came for vertibird, because they have resources to repair it, but they want it for their own purpose (probably to expand their control over the Commonwealth). But even after his father has been killed, Alex was working on this vertibird. And now, when Vault Dweller killed this gunners, there's new hope. And of course Vault Dweller can help with this project by providing some resouces (mostly junk items, but also some special quest items and really huge amount of fusion cores to power up two engines).
There should be a few substages on repairing vertibird:
1. Alex will ask for pretty big amount of steel and aluminum, to repair fuselage and new propeller which can be found near fallen vertibird in Glowing Sea area. And while Vault Dweller will be searching for this resouces, mechanic will recover from his injury, repair turrets, generator etc. When Vault Dweller will arrive to vertibird in Glowing sea, there will be a group of scavengers, claiming that they have come here first and whole vertibird is now their property. Vault dweller can convince them to give up the vertibird to him/her and leave by charisma check, buy it or kill them all and then take whatever he/she want.
2. On next Vault Dwellers visit, mechanic will be inside his power armor suit, banging vertibird with hammer and many-many bad words. Vault Dweller approaches, Alex will tell, that he/she is pretty popular in Commonwealth (meaning rumors) and call him/her VeeDee, because he thinks it sounds cool. Then he will ask for some vertibird schematics/blueprints which can help to figure out how to repair inner parts of the wing and engine. This schematics can be found in Boston airport.
3. Now workshop and vertibird pad are surrounded by junk fence with only one enter/exit. And after asking what need's to be done now, Vault dweller will be asked to bring copper and special circuitry which can be found on broken vertibird at Coast Guard Pier. Also mechanic need a minigun and 2000 5mm rounds for it, because vertibird's old minigun was completely broken and it's easier to attach new one, than repair this junk. If Vault Dweller will ask Alex for reward after bringing all neccessary items, he will give Vault Dweller a unique assault rifle, called "Russian Pride" (i'd like it to be Modular Kalash by DOOMBASED, if he will allow it. Because AK is the weapon which all russians are pride of). If not asked, he will forget about reward and Vault Dweller will get nothing.
4. At the last, vertibird needs 10 fusion cores to power up and become fully operational.
5. When Vault dweller will give fusion cores to Alex, the military post will be attacked by little army of gunners trying to capture vertibird.. or destroy it at least. There will be a lot of privates and few high ranked officers. Vault Dweller can fight them on foot or climb into vertibird and enjoy shooting gunners with minigun in old good "Spray and Pray" style. Otherwise he/she can deny to support Alex and try to sneak out. In this case Alex will be killed by gunners and vertibird will be destroyed.
After every substage Alex will reward Vault Dweller with good amount of caps and some rare and useful junk items.

Stage 3: Goodbyes... or not actually goodbyes
When the last gunner will die, Alex will come nearby and start conversation. He will thank Vault Dweller for help and say that it's the time to make dream a reality. He need to fly over Canada or whatever left of it, Alaska and Chukotka. And finally he will get to Siberia.
There will be three variants of ending:
1. Vault dweller can say Alex that he/she spend too much effort and time on this vertibird and can't let it just fly away. Alex becomes hostile and probably will be killed. Military post becomes another settlement named Phoenix's nest, but vertibird will never be operational and Vault Dweller will never get Utility Power Armor. But there's vertibird shipping document on Alex's body (which can't be stolen, while he's alive). Vault Dweller can sell it for huge amount of caps. In this case vertibird will disappear from Pheonix's nest settlement.
2. Vault Dweller wishes good luck to Alex. In this case Alex will give Vault dweller a key to utility power armor shed, say that he don't need it anymore. Then climbs into virtibird, flies away and never appear again. As in first option, settlement becomes Vault Dwellers property.
3. By charisma check Vault dweller can convince Alex to come back if Siberia won't be something Alex is expecting (if charisma check is failed, conversation jumps to second option). Alex will give Vault Dweller key to power armor shed, and fly away. But in this case quest won't be complete. It will change to objective "Wait for news from Alex". After 7 days it will change to "check Phoenix settlement". When Vault Dweller will arrive, he/she will meet Alex there, near the vertibird. Alex will tell that he reached his goal, but theres no Siberia anymore. Great taiga, "The road of life" as natives name it, is gone. Theres only dead desert. No more trees, bushes and even grass, no signs of will life too, only radioactive sand and rocks. So Alex now don't know where to go and what to do. He will tell Vault dweller that he want to serve him/her as pilot of vertibird and, hopefully, to be a friend. Because this russian guy have no more reasons to live, and Vault dweller can give him a new goal.
Main quest is ended at this point.

Stage 4: Repairing after being shot down, or "Patching the bird" quest.
If your vertibird somewhy is out of HP it will crash (or it may be emergency landing), Alex will appear near vertibird, injured. You need a stimpack to heal him, or you can heal him without stimpak by Medicine skill check. If you won't heal him in 24 hours after being shot he will die, and vertibird will never be operational anymore. If Vault dweller have healed Alex, he will ask for some materials (circuitry, copper, steel) but not in such huge amounts as for main quest. When he get this matrials he will need 3 hours to repair vertibird. After this time he will enter vertibird and it'll be ready to go again, but with half of HP. It can be fully repaired only on vertibird landing pad, which can be built in settlements owned by Vault Dweller, so after being shot down and patched, vertibird can travel only to this kind of settlements, or to Phoenix's nest, if no vertipad were built.
P.s. Alternative and much simplier variant - when being shot down, vertibird will crash, and everyone inside it will die.

Special rewards.

1. Russian pride
It's an unique assault rifle (or Modular Kalash by DOOMBASED as i've mentioned before, if he will allow it of course), which have slower fire rate then default weapon, but more damage and accuracy, slightly less recoil, higher VATS accuracy and higher VATS cost as well.

2. Utility Power Armor
It should be power armor, based on T-45 armor set, with custom paint (same colors as utility protectron), if possible, without most of armor plates, but with unique modifications: every limb increases strength by 1 and carrying capacity by 50 but reduces ballistic and energy defence ratings to 30% of nominal values. Chest piece reduces melee damage taken by 50% and also makes it's occupier immune to stagger, but just like limb mods reduces ballictic and energy defence value to 30% of its nominal. Helmet increases perception by 1 and have full defence (head must be protected even on construction site). All armor parts have 4 times increased durability.
It's actually custom made exo-skeleton for cunstruction and cargo moving works, not for fight. It's powered to lift some heavy things and well protected from things falling on to armor occupier, but it lacks military armors protection from ballistic and energy weapons.

3. Phoenix Vertibird.
This is actually main goal of this mod. Vertibird have the same model as BoS vertibirds, but have custom paint. Complete fiery paint, or just phoenix paint on standard gray vertibird. And of course it have all those features mentioned at start. Alex will be its pilot and mechanic.

 

 

This mod idea with some useful materials can be found on Nexusmods as modders resource.

 

Post Scriptum
If you like this idea, and want to try to make this mod, you're free to do it. No shoutouts, credit, etc. needed, if you want to do it by yourself. I'll be glad to see my nickname in list, but it's not critical. I just want to see this mod working in way, described above... or close to this way.
And if you don't like this idea... well, you're free to pass through and look for something more interesting.

Edited July 15, 2016 by Sentariel