Fusion Generators that drain your Fusion cores

[Melinko09]

Fusion cores should drain when used in fusion generators... let me explain...

 

I have noticed mods for correcting fusion core drain for Immersion. I feel they are done backwards. Currently there are mods that address this issue like this: "Why can a fusion core power a generator for 200 years but it drains in a power armor frame in like a 20 min walk????" So the correction has been to make the drain much much slower in a power armor frame.

 

I think it needs to be done the other way around... but this means we need to be basically rework the entire power system in Fallout 4. Hear me out:

 

(keep in mind this mod should be completely configurable to the users liking if the rate of drains/fills is not there taste)

 

I think if you have a super security system along with an ammo factory and sorting line and such in your settlement then it should take fusion cores to power all that. Fusion generator makes 100 power. So you hook exactly 100 power draw on it. That should drain a fusion core from 100% in one day. 50 power draw, drains the fusion core in the generator in 24 hours to 50% charge. Now a person needs to "trade" fusion cores to make ammo or sort there stuff... or run there security system while they sleep... or whatever else they need power for.

 

Believe me there are many potential problems and holes with this idea. I will try to address them next (brainstorming here)

 

"What about the fusion cores out in the wasteland then? wouldn't they all be empty?" Well yea... unless there in an area where raiders have swapped them out to power there lights (it's not like it would drain in one day for them because there just using lights that don't actually require any "number" of power, but for immersion they should be already partially drained). For the generators that are abandoned, they should be empty and the same concept could apply the light's there (they are still on even with a drained fusion core) or (maybe this should be configurable to the user's liking.) Credit for the specifics on this section go to H.A.R.D.core fusion generator mod other than that I think some should be completely empty.

 

"If fusion generators use up fusion cores then why would you not just use gas generators instead?" Well this definitely needs addressed... I see 2 options for this:

 

1. Re working not only the fusion generators, but also the gas generators. Maybe they should use flamer fuel? and flamer fuel should be renamed to just fuel? and it should be more abundant? (again configurable?). This seems like a huge job for the modder to do but again it might not be because that's basically what were doing for the fusion generators so????? (I'm not a modder so I do not know how hard this whole thing would be). VERY IMPORTANT: this would mean that ALL generators (except the windmill) are essentially fueled and would make even more of a tedious task of refilling generators in all your settlements. Some may find this great and some INSANE. SO: we need to have more items like the windmill (items that do NOT require fuel) things like solar panels and hydro electric generators. This way small security systems and basic needs (excluding lights because again, lights do not use a "number" for power like a laser turret does) can be powered without constant need to have a generator refueled (gas or fusion).

 

OR

 

2. Simply only reworking the fusion generator and NOT the gas generators, but in order to balance them out... make the gas generators produce significantly less power. For example: a small generator makes only one power... your not going to feasibly be able to build 100 small generators to power your factory/security/sorting facility with small generators... same would apply to a large generator if it made only like 10 power. So in effect, the only way to get into the really good stuff (making ammo plants and such) would be to "trade" fusion cores for that functionality. This seams way easier from a modders perspective, but maybe not if your already reworking the fusion generators... might be copy/paste stuff (again, I have no clue...)

 

"What about when there empty? and what about when you find empty one's? there just useless?" NO WAY. I feel like it would make sense to have a fusion core manufacturing plant located in the glowing sea area that has the ability to recharge (at a configurable rate... example: 24 hours equals one fusion core to charge to 100%) fusion cores. Maybe there should be a quest related to getting this location up and running again? maybe there's a stockpile of full "ready to be sold" fusion cores found during the quest? maybe there's a bunch of empty/partially filled one's on the assembly line? Just spit-balling here. Maybe there is even a schematic that show's you how to build a small version of the re-charger that you can build at your settlement (but with the cost of it being much slower that the big one)? Maybe this smaller version requires an insane amount of materials to build?

 

Finally, (I think)... Fusion cores should NOT be re spawning. Make a set amount of them... maybe 200 total in Boston? a couple more in the DLC's? this way it makes them very valuable.

 

All of this is kind of just idea's of what I think would be a new dynamic to game play that would be challenging, fun, immersive, or maybe just "survival mode" immersive.

 

Let me know your thoughts and if this is even possible/someone would even want to take this on...

 

Thanks!!!!

Edited March 29, 2018 by Melinko09

[payl0ad]

Manipulating item health at runtime is not possible without a custom F4SE function that doesn't exist in the current version. So that fusion generator thing is out of the question I guess.

 

What you can do is build a new scripted fusion generator settlement object that requires a core in some way, consumes it after a certain (possibly dynamic) amount of time and will only accept cores with a certain amount of charge left.

[Melinko09]

Manipulating item health at runtime is not possible without a custom F4SE function that doesn't exist in the current version. So that fusion generator thing is out of the question I guess.

 

What you can do is build a new scripted fusion generator settlement object that requires a core in some way, consumes it after a certain (possibly dynamic) amount of time and will only accept cores with a certain amount of charge left.

 

 

OK, I kinda figured that it would not work if trying to modify the original generator... So would anyone want to take this on? Just an FYI I also found this :https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/14193?tab=files

 

However, the modder does not include fusion generators needing cores to keep them running.

 

I did NOT address this in my original post but here goes:

 

It seams there is a major SPLIT between the community of how fusion generators work... both seem to have logical explanations and even scientific statements to back them up.

 

One side of the coin believes that fusion generators recharge or charge the fusion cores. That's why they are always at 100% when you pull them out of some basement fusion generator in a factory that has been abandoned for 200 years. There are a couple variations but the most common is that the fusion core acts as the "battery" that starts the reaction and then the generator is able to continue reacting as long as the fusion core is in place. Once it is removed then the generator only has a limited power left. Some mods have fusion generators that can recharge fusion cores.

 

The other side of the coin is that the fusion core powers the generator and does NOT charge them it DRAINS them. Hence mods that change the charge of these fusion cores to a lesser charge when finding them. Also mods that require a fusion core on the build sheet for making a fusion generator. Furthermore, this explains why when you pop the fusion core out of a generator then it shuts down. Maybe it goes to backup power or has reserve power for a certain time and that's why the lights in the building don't shut down, but again there are mods that make it so they do shut the lights down when you pop the fusion core out.

 

So clearly there are mods that support both theory's

 

Problem with the mod I posted above (at least for me) is that he modder is on the side that believes the fusion core is charged by the fusion generator. In no way am I saying he's wrong, I just see it differently... that's all.

 

I am hoping that someone will make a mod or version of his mod (if he allow's it) that includes fusion core drain on fusion generators.

[payl0ad]

There is this split, yes, but the side that believes that the generator charges the core fails to address the issue of where the fuel for the generator should be, if not in the FC.

 

But that's off-topic here. You likely misunderstood me - if you want a fully dynamic, interactable fusion generator with removable and placable FC, you'd need to somehow manipulate the FCs item health (its remaining charge) to implement that.

 

My suggestion was to instead make a new recipe that creates a custom-built object that you can interact with by scripts. That script could get pretty complicated but you would be able to:

 

* make the generators power output toggleable with FC removed/inserted

* load a core into the generator

* consume the core after a static or dynamic amount of time, requiring replacement

[Melinko09]

Sorry if I misunderstood...

 

I really do not know how to mod... or anything related to scripts and how to write them... So yeah I probably misunderstood big time. Let me get straight here:

 

So would this mod idea be something possible to be integrated into the "in game" fusion cores? (simply by just making a new settlement object that is a fusion generator that requires a core) <<<<-- No problem if the original "limitless" fusion generator is still in there, I personally just will not use it and replace the ones I have with the custom made ones that drain a fusion core.

 

If so, would you or anyone you know be willing to take this mod on?

 

Also, another question (because I don't know anything about modding): That link for the "generators require fuel" mod... couldn't this idea it just be done the same way that guy made generators need fuel? or is it because he made a new "fuel" in the game rather than using an existing thing such as the fusion core?

 

Honestly, if my power armor used the games normal fusion core, and it wouldn't work on the newly made fusion generator... that's fine... as long as the "new" fusion cores (lets say, "Gen fusion core") are placed randomly among Boston and DLC, and don't forget that new location in the glowing sea that should have a bunch of empty's and a couple full "Gen fusion cores".

 

Even though this means that there would basically be 2 different types of fusion cores in the game... that's totally fine with me... in fact it might be even better... this way you couldn't just swap one for the other which would make normal fusion cores (for power armor only) and "gen fusion cores" for generating electricity even MORE valuable specifically because they would NOT be interchangeable.

 

Final thought....... Even if the core drain rate is static, that is fine too. Because honestly it almost makes more sense. Here is why -->> keep in mind I know NOTHING about fusion reaction or nuclear reaction and how all that stuff works, but most of what I have recent browsed through states that the amount of energy produced does not change if you use it at maximum or minimum or even at all. this translating into the game --->> maybe once you pop the "Gen fusion core" into the fusion generator, then basically you started the reaction and cant stop it until it's empty (even though this does not make sense due to the PA draining only in use and is variable based on how you use it).

 

So really it just doesn't matter, the only thing that does matter on this whole thing is simply this:

 

we need a way to address unlimited power in the settlements. This mod should make it so... GONE are the day's of collecting enough stuff to build one fusion generator, 5-10 water purifiers and achieve unlimited health (through purified water) and unlimited caps (through selling your purified water) to get unlimited ammo/fusion cores/building materials/or virtually ANYTHING, simply because there is an unlimited amount of power from your ONE fusion generator. (and yes, before anyone say's, "but you only get 100 power from the generator" that's not what I'm talking about here... I know you only get 100 power, but you get it FOREVER)

[payl0ad]

You wouldn't change the FC itself for the mod. You'd simply create a new furniture-type object to place in settlements that works as a generator but in a very specific, scripted way.

 

I don't have time to build this, but it's a nice little project for a beginner modder. You might want to install the CK and get to work.

[Melinko09]

Not that I have the time either, lol but you make it sound like modding is easy... Ive never tried... Is it fairly simple to do what im talking about for a beginner? lol, it seams it would be more work to walk someone through it then just build it yourself... Not saying you, just anyone in general.

[Rasikko]

Don't mean to drop in off-topically but:

Manipulating item health at runtime is not possible without a custom F4SE function that doesn't exist in the current version. So that fusion generator thing is out of the question I guess.

Grrr, I was really hoping it was just something I couldn't obtain with my current knowledge of scripting, but now I'm bummed that this really is a papyrus limitation.

 

In theory(if you haven't tried that, I didn't) GetItemHealthPercent will work, but only on the objectreference -.- ....and it's not inventory safe.

 

And seeing as no other ammo uses the health field, except fusion cores.. F4SE might not see it necessary to decode it.

 

Annoying bug with Gatling Lasers that I want to fix, and can't do that unless can get the charge values.

Edited March 31, 2018 by Rasikko

[payl0ad]

We have GetItemHealthPercent but no SetItemHealthPercent. That was an SKSE function in Skyrim, F4SE is still missing it.

[Melinko09]

OK so wait a minute...

 

I'm now confused again... This mod for fusion cores is not possible because F4SE is still missing the SetItemHealthPercent. Or this was an off topic related tangent?

 

 

FYI

I downloaded Creation Kit. Umm. This seems like I could totally learn to do some pretty cool modding for some stuff. But my major problem is (as now it has become evident) that a large part of the mods out there just take AWAY or CHANGE values of already completed stuff in the game. For example: cleaning up settlements or removing objects, taking items and changing stats, etc,etc. But it appears to get WAY WAY more complicated when it comes to making your own scripts (if that's even the right term) and creating items/models/settlements/buildable objects from scratch.

 

How in the heck am I going to add an "ammo" (fusion core) requirement to a fusion generator?? I have NO idea on how to do that or where to start... I've looked at many tutorials but found none related to adding things like that.

 

But what really gets me is, THIS: the author of the mod "generators need fuel" certainly has figured out exactly what I want to do. Just did not incorporate them into the fusion generators. So basically I just need to copy what he did but with the fusion generators... right?????? So i could just simply look into what he did as a guide. LOL?!?! how do I even find out what he did? I loaded fallout4.esp and then marked his mod as the active file, and I've even managed to locate the 3 generators he changed (because they were the 3 vanilla ones). I found some ware in the script thing that it has stuff like "menu pop up with options" and stuff. But nothing is clear as to HOW you go about adding an ammo requirement to any buildable object at all. So...basically I'm seeing that anything other than removing the theater screen from starlight and calling it a "mod" is pretty much way over my head.

 

The author of "generators need fuel" has even made another version that cooking stoves require wood!!!! (great idea btw)

 

ARE WE SURE SOMEONE WITH JUST A LITTLE MORE MODDING EXPERIENCE THAN MYSELF CAN'T JUST WHIP THIS "FUSION GENERATORS DRAIN FUSION CORES" MOD UP IN A JIFFY? (sorry to over complicate, then oversimplify)

 

because for me it seems super complicated, and for this other dude it almost appears like he threw it together in a couple minutes. (again, i have no idea if it was easy or not)