Recruit Intelligent NPCs

[AndreChau]

I've seen a lot of different attempts at this, but I'm not aware of any that work properly.

This is what I imagine.

A high charisma (or perhaps luck) individual defeats a hostile npc like a supermutant or a raider (including a boss type).

Rather than death being the only option, they can use their abilities for a chance to recruit that individual as a (limited?) settler.

I've tried removefromallfactions using the console, but the factions they have according to "better console" are unchanged. I don't know if that is a bug and they have genuinely lost the factions, as I don't know if there's a standard fo4 command that displays a list of their factions.

I've also tried a settler bat file:

 

Addtofaction 1c21c 1

Addkeyword workshopallowcommand

Addkeyword workshopallowmove

setpv bcommandable 1

setpv ballowmove 1

setpv ballowcaravan 1

but while that does work on some npcs, I've never managed to use it on the supermutants, raiders etc.

There's a cloning mod which can sort of work to copy a boss raider etc and send them to a settlement, but it wasn't working for me when I tried it last, and as far as I know it won't work for a supermutant.

It would be interesting to be able to occasionally have some surrender; if it's a boss mob have that recorded as a death for quest purposes, but have an npc sent to a settlement with at least the appearance of the surrendered mob and all the factions set up correctly.

Crime and Punishment has the code to do that, I believe, but it has a heck of a lot of other stuff, and as far as I know only allows you to execute or free a boss npc, and only take as a prisoner a human npc like a gunner or raider. I like C&P, but it's focus is really elsewhere and taking prisoners is coded as an evil act for some reason.

(then you have to deal with the awful filth of the game npcs, but I digress!)

I think the game has the animations to let supermutants work as guards, but I am not sure if they can do things like farm. I would laugh my head off if someone voiced supermutant traders*.

The funny thing is, Beth has had supermutants as settlers pretty much throughout the series until fo4. Maybe the extra animation was too much work. Heck, there was even a chess playing radscorpion, from memory.

* I have seen SuperMutantWorkShop but the language barrier with that mod makes me wary of downloading it. I don't see the modder answering any questions people have had.

Also, the fact there seems only one supermutant (male) model is incredibly boring. Skadi and

CBBE Mutants sort of show what could be possible, but the latter is a joke mod, and neither really works if the supermutant settler has a voice. I mean, I'm fine with silent npcs, often I'd prefer it for simple transactions - but most players aren't.

[South8028]

I don't know why beth assigned a separate skeleton and separate animations to the super mutants. Super Mutants are a common humanoid form. OK. Made a separate skeleton and animations. But they did it poorly. It probably makes sense to remake sm on human bones and make a separate head too. For body morphs, mfg and all human animations to work.

[SKKmods]

To recruit an actor as a settler it needs WorkshopNPCScript attached to the base form.

 

Not many actors have that script.

 

It cant be attached at runtime.

 

Take a look at Multiracial Workshop Actors to learn more.

[Blinxys]

@South8028 Different skeletons because of different source/base mesh/animations,

suspect original source stock goes way back to before the days of Daz Freak. :sick:

 

The Decision was in line with comic book assumptions and visual stereotyping (think of the Hulk).

You're right though, not very well thought out/implemented...

The knock-on repercussions are astonishing, really. :mellow:

 

@AndreChau

Sort of a harp on this myself, but Amazing Follower Tweaks can allow you to recruit as companion or settler.

Pacifying them might be an issue... Haven't tried using AFT that way, but then again, there's C&P for that, :pirate:

 

OR am personally curious for feedback about these mods:

 

Intimidation Perk Extend - Lore Friendly Improvements

Intimidation Perk Extend - Followerlike Commandable NPCs

By LarannKiar

 

Looks useful and immersive, though hard to differentiate/distinguish them by the description.

Most certainly there are nuanced (maybe even huge) differences.

[South8028]

@South8028 Different skeletons because of different source/base mesh/animations,

suspect original source stock goes way back to before the days of Daz Freak. :sick:

 

The Decision was in line with comic book assumptions and visual stereotyping (think of the Hulk).

You're right though, not very well thought out/implemented...

The knock-on repercussions are astonishing, really. :mellow:

 

@AndreChau

Sort of a harp on this myself, but Amazing Follower Tweaks can allow you to recruit as companion or settler.

Pacifying them might be an issue... Haven't tried using AFT that way, but then again, there's C&P for that, :pirate:

 

OR am personally curious for feedback about these mods:

 

Intimidation Perk Extend - Lore Friendly Improvements

Intimidation Perk Extend - Followerlike Commandable NPCs

By LarannKiar

 

Looks useful and immersive, though hard to differentiate/distinguish them by the description.

Most certainly there are nuanced (maybe even huge) differences.

mesh has nothing to do with it. It's no problem to rig any humanoid mesh on a human skeleton. It would make sense to use a different skeleton for the monster. If he has original attacks, inhuman anatomy, etc. But sm has nothing of the sort. This is a normal humanoid. In principle, sm on a human skeleton is very easy to do. You can use the same mesh, or sculpt a new mesh from the human one. Would be nice if it had full human customization. Facial morphs and body morphs, worked in the looks menu. All sm will be personalized accordingly. Will have unique facial features and unique body anatomy. Edited November 15, 2022 by South8028

[Fantafaust]

I mean really, all you have to do is copy the "workshopnpcscript" and put it in a new script that extends ReferenceAlias, then fill the relevant properties and apply it to a supermutant via an Add Activate Choice perk after it's been pacified.
Copy and edit(the copies) all the packages that have GetVMScriptVariable conditions for "workshopnpcscript" to look for your new ReferenceAlias version of the script, and you should be set. They don't have the animations to be assigned specific jobs like farming, but I'm pretty sure they can still sandbox and guard, so in the script properties just don't let them be assigned to menial tasks. I doubt SMs farm anyways.

EDIT: If it isn't clear, you'd have to add a script to the perk that assigns the SM to a Reference Alias on a quest, cycling through the Aliases until it finds an empty one. More importantly, you'd have make an alias for as many SMs as you want the player to be able to recruit, 1:1 and add all those to the script properties on the perk, probably in an array.
Very tedious, very annoying, I hate doing it lol

[Blinxys]

@South8028

I don't think I was clear, what I meant was the source material (meshes/skeletons/animations) was already in the tin when they were shopped out by Bethesda.

It's a one-off part of a larger/wider/older distribution chain. (Like buying Unreal Engine game assets).

 

It's not that they can't do any of what you are talking about, even now, they just opted out of bothering to begin with since more than half their solution came pre-rolled already.

In fact, you can make a Superhuman-Mutant" as you describe and replace all in-game SM with a tool from SKK50, or the like, if you'd like. :wink:

It would be worth it to see it, But again, that knock-on effect... :unsure:

 

@Fantafaust

There has to be an easier implementation. At least the cycling through to find an empty alias and having to pre-construct the aliases 1:1.

Why not just slap a keyword on it to eliminate all that overhead? :huh:

[Fantafaust]

@Fantafaust

There has to be an easier implementation. At least the cycling through to find an empty alias and having to pre-construct the aliases 1:1.

Why not just slap a keyword on it to eliminate all that overhead? :huh:

 

I'm only familiar with the scripting aspect, I'm sure Bethesda has a way to randomly fill aliases like in the "dragon killed" quest in skyrim that has random nearby npcs make comments. But to my knowledge, it'll drop those npcs at the first opportunity, idk if they can be permanent.

The cycling script is absurdly easy, it's only like 8 lines long. The reference aliases and array property are what start the headache

[Blinxys]

 

The cycling script is absurdly easy, it's only like 8 lines long. The reference aliases and array property are what start the headacheI'm only familiar with the scripting aspect, I'm sure Bethesda has a way to randomly fill aliases like in the "dragon killed" quest in skyrim that has random nearby npcs make comments. But to my knowledge, it'll drop those npcs at the first opportunity, idk if they can be permanent.

 

 

Ok, yeah, that's a head full for me too, I think I get it. Still seems over-complicated. o_O

 

Were I to guess how it's working under the hood I think the best implementation in use I've seen simply real-time clones the actor.

Adding it's id/name to an array, and pre-apply scripts/perk/packages template to the clone on (re)assembly of the actor/clone.

[ImmortalAbsol]

So I know it isn't what you want but I've been down this rabbit hole and the closest two things are:

-LarannKiar's recruit mods https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/63063

-AFT Advanced Follower Tweaks, can make anyone a settler, not sure how it gets around the script thing SKK50 explained, use at your own risk

-to a lesser extent there's the intimidation overhaul so you can use the perk and then hit them with the AFT hotkey for a little more immersion