Belthan

I didn't think of it before my first post but I agree: even if a VariableXX actor value is only used by FO3 you should still avoid using it in FNV mods (otherwise it could create a conflict for TTW users). And to reiterate, even if a value is unused in both FO3 and FNV, there's no way to know for sure what other mods might be using it in a way that would conflict.

The safest thing to do is to use an object effect on the weapon and an actor effect that resists the object effect, and assign the actor effect to the NPCs and/or creatures you want to be resistant. Having said that, you can probably use Variable03 through Variable10 without breaking anything in the vanilla game. However, all bets are off when it comes to whether these values are in use by other mods. For reference, here's what I found for the VariableXX actor values in FNV. Variable01 - used by doctors & other things, similar to FO3 usage. Variable02 - used by hostages (e.g. Boulder City), same as FO3 usage. Variable03 - only referenced by an unused script (left over from FO3). Variable04 - unused in FNV. Variable05 - only referenced by an unused script (left over from FO3). Variable06 - unused in FNV. Variable07 - only referenced by an unused script (left over from FO3). Variable08 - unused in FNV. Variable09 - unused in FNV. Variable10 - only referenced by unused script & dialog (left over from FO3).

You can select all of the REFs of the type you want to change in the Cell View window, switch to the Render Window, and hit Ctl-F. This will allow you to replace the REFs with a different base object, and most of the REF data (position, linked refs, enable/activate parents, etc.) will remain intact.

Unfortunately, no. The landscape editor lets you paint up to 7 textures in a quad. Painting over an area with multiple textures results in a mix; it doesn't erase any textures previously painted.

I want to erase the ScrubBarrenWastes* textures from a very small area to put some furniture where there is currently grass. I can delete those textures from the entire quad in the Landscape Texture Viewer, and re-paint grass everywhere except the spot I want to be bare, but all four quads have the same textures so I don't know which is the one I want. I can find it by trial and error (probably faster than it takes to type this message) but I've run into the same problem before and will probably run into it again, so I'd really like a more reliable way. Is there a way to show quad borders the way the B key shows cell borders? EDIT: I answered the following question in a later post. Or are the quads always numbered the same way within a cell - for example, with the camera facing straight down and north at the top of the render window, are the quads arranged like this? 1 2 3 4 And, of course, if anybody knows an obscure trick like "hold the foo key and right-click to un-paint the current texture" that would be the perfect solution.

I've used activate parent for traps, but never to open a door so I don't know if there's a way to make it work or not. For opening, enabling, etc., I make the object to be activated the linked ref of the switch. For the switch to open a door and play the switch animation, just make sure you call Activate on the switch itself at the end of the OnActivate block. If it's a one-time-only switch, put a doOnce variable in the script and call SetOpenState on the first activation. Making it reusable is a tiny bit more complicated, mainly because the values for GetOpenState and SetOpenState are different. This example won't let you use the switch while the door is in the middle of opening or closing, only when it is actually open or closed: SCN SwitchOpenDoorSCRIPT REF TheDoorREF BEGIN OnActivate set TheDoorREF to GetLinkedRef if TheDoorREF.GetOpenState == 3 ; closed TheDoorREF.setOpenState 1 elseif TheDoorREF.GetOpenState == 1 ; open TheDoorREF.setOpenState 0 endif ; ignore 2 (opening) and 4 (closing) activate END

The fort confiscation script removes all ingestible items except that it lets you keep any of the the permitted items in NVLegionChemsList. If you pass the "I'm need my meds" speech challenge, it lets you keep any of the items in NVLegionAllButMedsChemsList. NVLegionBannedList and NVLegionBannedMedList don't actually appear to be used. They may or may not represent items that were intended to be banned, but I haven't cross-checked to see if they are actually mutually exclusive with the "permitted" lists.

Despite the misleading name, Armor Addons aren't what they sound like. They can't be equipped separately, but are added to a Form List, and that Form List is selected in the Biped Model List field (in the lower left corner) of an Armor item. In the vanilla game, they're used almost exclusively to add gloves to outfits and weapons. Anyway, you'll need three separate NIFs: one for just the armor with no hood, one with just the hood up, and one with just the hood down. Then in the GECK, create the following: Armor Addon: myHoodDownAA. Use the hood down NIF as the Biped Model. In the Biped Object list, select BodyAddOn1. This is purely arbitrary - you can use whatever slot you want, but when your armor is equipped (with the hood up or down) it will replace whatever is in that slot. By common convention, many mods that add outfits with "mix and match" tops and bottoms use the BodyAddOn1 slot for shirts & jackets (including mine), but since wearing your armor and a Lolipopz t-shirt at the same time would probably look like crap, that shouldn't matter. Alternatively, you could use the NoseRing slot, since not many items use that. Form List: myHoodDownFL (contains myHoodDownAA) Armor #1: myArmor. Use the armor NIF with no hood as the Biped Model. In the Biped Object list, select Upper Body. In the Biped Model List field select myHoodDownFL. Armor #2: myHoodUp. Use the hood up NIF as the Biped Model. In the Biped Object list, select Hat, Headband, and Hair. If it has a mask, select Mask, and if it covers the whole face, also select Head and Eyeglasses. Most importantly, select the same slot that you chose for myHoodDownAA (BodyAddOn1, NoseRing, or whatever). This will cause the hood down Armor Addon (but not the armor itself) to disappear when you equip myHoodUp. There should be nothing in the Biped Model List.

In the RadioGalaxyNews quest object, look at the Radio tab. The dummy topic RadioGNRPlayerEploitsRELAY has a bunch of random infos, each of which is conditional on quest stages or other things that indicate a player has completed a task, and some quest variables that keep track of which ones Three Dog has already mentioned on the air. For an (imperfect) example, you can look at Quo Vagis - Three Dog comments on Lolipopz if the player gives him help wanted posters, which sounds close to what you're trying to do. I say "imperfect", because I did it by adding a topic to the vanilla quest (at the risk of conflicting with other mods). I should have added an info to the same topic in one of my own quest objects instead, but I recall having difficulty making it work that way. don't remember why. The whole news/PSA/song intro/song sequencing is handled by "link to" topics in each section (e.g. the RadioGNRPlayerKarmaTitles topics link to RadioGNRPlayerEploitsRELAY. When one of those infos is selected at random, it has a link to the info with the actual voice file for that exploit. That info links to RadioGNRNewsPost, which randomly selects a PSA or song intro, and so on.

In the result script for the stage that completes the first quest, call SetStage with the starting stage number for the next quest. Example: SetStage MySecondQuest 10

Forgive a somewhat flawed metaphor from an old-school PnP RPG player, but Fallout & Elder Scrolls games remind me of a D&D campaign with friends, where almost every aspect of your character, even your background, goals and priorities, were conceived and developed by you. Games like Mass Effect seem more like D&D tourney play, where they gave you a quest objective and a character sheet with your class, stats, equipment, back story, etc. and then you played the role you were assigned. I'm not saying either form is better, just that I hope there will always be room for both. The voiced protagonist in FO4 feels like it signals a step away from the former and toward the latter, but I'll reserve judgment until I actually play it. Anyway, back to the "how do we modders plan to handle player dialogue" question: Jeff's Brian Delaney impersonation is good enough to draw a chuckle (especially after a few beers), but I'm convinced the difference would be noticeable and immersion-breaking in the game. (Which was the inspiration for the total player voice replacement idea). However, his reaction to the idea of re-recording 13,000 lines of Brian's dialogue just to make 1000 lines of new dialog for the mod dovetail smoothly with the vanilla content was less than enthusiastic. More like "stay polite and slowly back away from the crazy person". The more I think about this, the more I like RoyBatterian's idea. If we end up with multiple player voice replacement mods, do I pick one to use with my quest mods, or make multiple versions to be compatible with any voice replacement the user has installed? And if modders rally around one particular player voice replacement, what if the actor in question leverages the increased demand for his services to start charging $10 a minute or something? And could you really blame him, after he invested the time to record 13,000 lines of dialog in the first place?

Interesting. Would eliminate any vocal inconsistency between mods, and be much easier than total voice replacement. I love Mass Effect, but to me it's an apples-to-oranges comparison. A sense that your choices have consequences is essential to an RPG, and the Paragon/Renegade system undeniably provides that in a dramatic and sometimes momentous fashion. However, in an open world RPG like the Fallout or Elder Scrolls games, I find that an unvoiced protagonist gives me the freedom to imagine a more nuanced self-image of who my character is.

You could announce the upcoming release and request beta testers in the Fallout 3 Mod Talk forum. Also, if you know of any other mods that are roughly similar to what you're planning, you can look in the comments section for those mods and PM your request to a few users who have posted helpful suggestions. Active posters, particularly those who make good suggestions, are often delighted to get a sneak peek at something you think they'll like. And while I can't commit a ton of time, I'd be happy to give it a spin.

OK, I'm back at my PC. It is indeed the ESM flag in the File Header record. You won't be able to edit the plugin with GECK while the flag is set, so you do need to flip it back and forth between editing and testing. You can change the file extension to ESM when you are finished, but that doesn't seem to be mandatory (mod manager recognizes the type from the flag and ignores the file extension).

You edit is correct - esp's can't have dependecies on (or even interact with) each other. Converting your original mod to esm should let you make a patch which has both that original and the dlc as masters. You can use the TESSnip utility included with FOMM if you have that (just use the "make master" spell). You should also be able to do it with FO3Edit, but I'm not at my PC and I don't remember the exact record name to edit or what to change.

Based on a quick tag search of FO3 & FNV mods, the voiced protagonist in FO4 won't be an issue for most mods (the overwhelming majority add new objects, textures, etc. with no new dialog). It may not even be a problem for mods with limited new dialog, because there will probably be enough generic player dialog that can be repurposed for common "yes", "no", "maybe", "can I get directions", "now you die", etc. scenarios. However, for those of us who specialize in quest mods, companions, and so forth, this has the potential to be a big problem. Now, the obvious solution is just to find voice actors who sound like Courtenay Taylor and Brian T. Delaney, but IMHO unless the impersonation is spot-on perfect, that approach is likely to be an immersion killer. Anyway, I'm considering two rather radical ideas, both of which would probably require significant support from the modding community, and I just wanted to see if anybody thinks either one is worth doing. 1) Total player dialog replacement. Get two voice actors who are affordable and highly available to re-record all of the player dialog. Release it as a modder resource. Modders can then use those actors and have their original dialog sound seamless with the vanilla dialog. I'm very serious about this one, and I'm already reaching out to some actors to see if they're interested in that much work. It might even be interesting to players who don't particularly care for their character's vanilla voice. 2) Kickstarter. This may be a pipe dream, but the idea is simply to crowd-fund and approach the agents for the actual actors with a credible stake. Besides the obvious question of whether anybody out there would actually make a pledge, it also has a ton of logistical issues that would need to be worked out. For instance, assuming the talent is interested and contractually eligible to do it, who gets first dibs on their studio time, and so forth.

I don't know of any way to do it at the race level, but you might be able to achieve the same effect by changing the Impact Material Type to Wood and disabling Blood Spray and Blood Decal on the Blood tab for each individual actor (I realize that may or may not be practical, depending on how many skeletons you have). Also, if dismembering the skeleton results in bloody stumps, you need to remove any MeatCap* blocks from the skeleton NIF.

GetDisabled should work as a condition function the way you want, but you don't specify the REF that you want to check in the Function Parameters box. Instead, pull down the "Run on" list box and select Reference. Then click the Select button beside that and either choose your REF from the list or use the "Select Reference in Render Window" button (which as the name implies, you can do by clicking on your REF in the render window).

You have GOT to be effing kidding me. Why didn't I know this five years ago? WHYYYYY?!!! Seriously though, thanks a million for the tip! It also appears to work for object types other than static, although objects like armor have so much additional data that for those it may be easier to clone an existing object and select the nif the old fashioned way.

Is this a FNV only function? It doesn't seem to work in FO3 GECK 1.5.

It's best for performance to avoid using GameMode blocks unless you have something that absolutely needs to happen every frame. Try this: SHORT CurrentObject REF Obj1REF REF Obj2REF REF Obj3REF BEGIN OnActivate set Obj1REF to GetLinkedRef set Obj2REF to Obj1REF.GetLinkedRef set Obj3REF to Obj2REF.GetLinkedRef if CurrentObject == 0 Obj1REF.enable Obj3REF.disable set CurrentObject to 1 elseif CurrentObject == 1 Obj2REF.enable Obj1REF.disable set CurrentObject to 2 else Obj3REF.enable Obj2REF.disable set CurrentObject to 0 endif END

You might be able to use GetWeaponHealthPerc and ]GetWeaponHealthPerc but they only work on the actor's currently equipped weapon. You might be able to get around that with a bit of EquipItem trickery.

In FO3, I was unable to get player.playidle to work in any type of script (effect, object, or quest) unless the kf files were outside the normal path. That may be because of how changing the path affects the Idle Animation record in the GECK, rather than the physical location of the kf file itself, but I'm not sure about that. I assumed the same was true in FNV so I used the same technique, although I didn't actually test it. If player.playidle functions as expected in FNV without the workaround, that would be good to know. EDIT: I'll be damned. I just tested in FNV and sure enough, player.playidle works with any vanilla animation from an effect script. Thanks! EDIT #2: Just for giggles, I tested in FO3 and I'll be double dog damned. player.playidle works with vanilla animations from an effect script in FO3 too. I have no idea what made me think my "workaround" was necessary. Mega thanks and kudos!

You can change the uGridsToLoad value in GECKCustom.ini to increase the number of cells you can see at once when editing worldspaces. The default is 5 (that is, it loads a 5x5 grid around the current exterior cell). Increase this in modest increments until you get an acceptable result, because large values chew up a lot of memory. When you drag an object a large distance and then cross an exterior cell border, the GECK goes wonky. It works a lot better if you drag it right up to the border, let go, then make a short drag across the border, let go, and then drag it as far as you want within that exterior cell. Hitting B in the render window while editing worldspaces toggles cell borders on and off, and is extremely helpful in that regard.

Well, technically it's none of the above. The player will only use idle animations that are outside the "legal" Data\Meshes\Characters\_male\idleanims folder, and with rare exceptions they only work when the player is in 3rd person camera view. You need to put the kf files somewhere else and use FO3Edit to change the path (because GECK won't let you specify a folder outside the "legal" default). You can see the player idles in Quo Vagis for reference. The kf files are in Data\Meshes\Belthan\QuoVagis\playeridles and because of the non-standard path they show up as a separate section under Idle Animations in the GECK. The PlayerTakePhoto animation is invoked by player.playidle in the PhotoShootOnSite effect script. Perhaps an even better example is in Coito Ergo Sum. Same principle, and the cesPlayerTakeShower idle animation (which uses \data\meshes\belthan\coitoergosum\playeridles\playershowernoloop.kf) is invoked by an activator whenever the player stands in the shower, so that might be closer to what you need for the lab than the photogapher animation (which plays when an on-site photo shoot is in progress, regardless of location). EDIT: If you haven't seen the player shower animation in game, you can see it in action at around 1:15.