Show notes, don't tell

[Panzermann11]

Some of the notes in New Vegas provide mere immersion-breaking descriptions of what they are instead of showing how they would actually read like. These are the ones I can list at the top of my head:

• Legion slave ledger
• Legion patrol notes
• Legion raid plans
• Crimson Caravan invoice
• Cachino's journal
• Karl's journal
• Cassidy Caravans buyout offer
• Bomb activation code
• Monorail sabotage plans
• Milling specifications
• Philippe's recipes
• Roy Gottlieb's terminal password
• Crimson Caravan - Van Graff agreement
• Schematics and recipe notes

And these are the supposed audio logs:

• Snuff tapes
• The Screams of Brahmin
• Go to the Faraway
• Let the Bright Tomorrow in
• Saw Her Yesterday

 

While I'd like to make a mod like this myself, I'm very inexperienced at writing notes.

Edited September 29, 2023 by Panzermann11

[sullyvanj93]

It'd be a pretty easy thing to do (at least the text ones). I know you said you're very inexperienced at writing notes, but do you have any idea of what you'd like them to say?

[Panzermann11]

It'd be a pretty easy thing to do (at least the text ones). I know you said you're very inexperienced at writing notes, but do you have any idea of what you'd like them to say?

For the text notes, their description could provide some clues to how they would read like in-universe. Notes for the schematics would be written like how they were in Fallout 3 and recipes would be written like potion recipes in Skyrim. For what the audio logs would sound like, here are my own suggestions:

• The snuff tape would consist of women moaning (as if they're being raped, Clanden also be heard in the tape aswell) and some screams, as indicated by the holotape saying "You hear Clanden engaging in violent sex with women, and then hear the sounds of visceral and violent murder being carried out."
• The Screams of Brahmin would be the nightkin screaming "incomprehensible psychotic gibberish" as the holotape puts it, have him express hatred for brahmin and all. I do remember the nightkin saying something when he attacks the brahmin, so maybe that dialogue could be recycled.
• For Go to the Faraway, Let the Bright Tommorow In and Saw Her Yesterday, I imagine fan musicans would be able to fill that gap for what these songs would sound like. We do have info on what Begin Again sounds like, however.

Edited September 29, 2023 by Panzermann11

[showler]

The snuff tape would almost certainly be banned from the Nexus.

[laclongquan]

Show notes has one advantage over telling notes is that they provide 3rd POV, instead of directly write out. It is easier being objective about some story rather writing 1st POV stories. You dont have to frozen that character/story in stone with 3rd POV, yet too easily doing just that with 1st POV.

[Panzermann11]

The snuff tape would almost certainly be banned from the Nexus.

Well, I suppose you could just use audio from the game files.

Edited July 4, 2023 by Panzermann11