Basic Creature Creation / Modding guidance

[bjornl]

Hi.

I've been playing around a bit and hit a few issues I'm not able to find help using google.

1. Creature Type (Race).

Creatures are organized by type and sub-types

for example:

Abomination,Animal, Feral Ghoul, etc

and

Mutated Animal (Brahmin, Mirelurk, etc)

I found a method to create a new race with Humans (using FNVEdit). But TYPE is not on the list (in FVNEdit). I can't figure out if this can be done within GECK as right clicking does not included anything useful (such as copy, paste, edit, insert, etc)

2. Creature/NPC not playing WAV files.

I have an Creature with voice files (WAV, MP3 and OGG). I have the path and file name entered in to the GECK correctly (triple checked). The WAV files are in order (edited in Audacity, tested with VLC player). But the character is silent. The dialog text displays but nothing happens. The install is a fresh install with no other mods loaded.

Solution: double check wav file parameters. Audacity "resample" does not keep its settings on export. Also pay attention to file names. Too long a ESP name and VOICE name = no sound. - Thanks Devinpaterson

3. Hostile follower

Also less important and I am not sure if it is a bug or a feature.

I have a creature which is neutral to the PC when you talk to it, but a soon as you hire it, it becomes hostile. It is still obedient, etc... but of course if you fire it you've got a fight on your hands. Cool in a way... but since I did not mean to do it I am wondering what could be causing it. The HIRE script is here:

ShowMessage BLElvisHIRED
Set BLElvisREF.Waiting to 0
Set BLElvisREF.HasBeenHired to 1
Set BLElvisREF.EverHired to 1
Set BLElvisREF.L38 to 0
Set BLElvisREF.IsFollowingDefault to 1
Set BLElvisREF.IsFollowingLong to 0
Set BLElvisREF.InCombatStyleRanged to 1
Set BLElvisREF.InCombatStyleMelee to 0
BLElvisREF.AddToFaction PlayerFaction 1
BLElvisREF.AddToFaction FollowerFaction 1
BLElvisREF.SetPlayerTeammate 1
BLElvisREF.SetIgnoreFriendlyHits 1

It follows you and protects you but it is RED unless you crouch. Weird huh? It works otherwise. All the dialog options come up. The wheel works, etc.

Remade the ESP and issue is resolved. not sure if it was my mistake (most likely) or something else.

 

 

tips, pointers or just random brainstorming all appreciated.

 

(topic moved from mod talk to trouble shooting since I posted in the wrong sub-forum)

[devinpatterson]

2. Creature/NPC not playing WAV files.

I have an Creature with voice files (WAV, MP3 and OGG). I have the path and file name entered in to the GECK correctly (triple checked). The WAV files are in order (edited in Audacity, tested with VLC player). But the character is silent. The dialog text displays but nothing happens. The install is a fresh install with no other mods loaded.

Have you tried setting teh voice type to one of the doNotRecord's? I'v found the geck to be really picky about bitrate etc. Might double check your audio file details.

[bjornl]

Thanks for your insight Devin. You got half the problem.

There were two, #1 I got the HZ rate wrong. In audacity I told it to re-sample each WAV to 22050. What I did not notice was that if I exported it it reverted back. Changing the little gadget in the lower left got that sorted out. The idea to change voice ( and therefore folders) put me on to something... my file names and such were very long and might create too long. Shortening esp name and voice name and suddenly the little thing is talking.

 

Thanks alot

[bjornl]

hostility update:

 

I spent most of the evening actually trying to make him not hostile. And I failed. He is not hostile when I meet him but hiring him really pisses him off I guess. I tried a script clean up (which runs after he is hired)

stopcombat
setav aggression 0
player.SCAOnActor
BLElvisREF.SCAOnActor

I also tried various things in he command console (in game) but he remains RED unless I crouch). Since it is a creature it sort of makes sense that it is not happy about being forced to follow some glorified mail man around schlepping his loot. Still puzzling.

[bjornl]

Well I sorted out the aggression issue. In testing, I decided to just remake the ESP and see what happened.... not aggressive. So that bit is resolved. (yay).

 

What remains (for now) is how to add animal types

[bjornl]

So I figured out how to add custom animal or creature sub-races. Embarrassingly easy. I hope that by posting it here I can save someone else the trouble of creating it from Scratch.

You just add a new folder. Whatever name you give that folder is the name of your new subrace. Want a new type of dog, make a folder in \Fallout New Vegas\Data\meshes\Creatures\ for example

\Fallout New Vegas\Data\meshes\Creatures\Wolf and copy the contents of meshes\creatures\dog (extract from the BSA) to create a seperate sub-race of dogs. In the geck it would appear under the same TYPE as DOG which is Animal. This allows you to, for example, script for your specific new sub-type without impacting all other dogs and vice versa.

 

This solves the problem I was trying to solve. What I do not know yet is how to create new types. For example if someone wanted to create a whole new "type" called Dragon with sub types of water Dragon, Lava Dragon, Phase Dragon, Wyvern, Great Dragon, and so on... my little "discovery" would tell you how to create the sub-types only. I Hopefully someone who knows how to create an entirely new type will post here so future modders using google can find the answer.