Ambitious Mod Project 1: Underwater Vault 99

[OHWceta]

Right now all my focus is on Models and getting them completed so Quest stuff is currently not progressing too well.

 

My Brother's project is linked above my two in my Signature, it's the "Dynamic and Growing Town" Mod, or what many fans are calling an official DLC.

[Nagaoka]

Your ideas are pretty awesome, OHWceta. If you need help with texturing, although I'm currently pretty busy with my final quarter at school, I would love to help.

 

 

One thing concerns me though, you've got two REAAAAALLY big projects. Are you working on both at the same time? If so, I'd really recommend focusing on one and only one, and making sure that one gets done. Then when it is, finish your other one. Otherwise I'm can almost 100% guarantee neither project will ever get done, and that would be a real shame.

 

The other benefit of that is that you'll be able to use what you've learned from the first project on your second one.

[OHWceta]

On the other hand, each requires some completely different techniques to create the mods. Kind of the way they say it in art "To be good at sculpting you have to be good at drawing, and to be good at drawing you have to be good a sculpting"

 

My underwater mod will focus a lot more on what I can do to make an interesting vault and test the limits on what I can do regarding things like walking underwater, ect. as well as creating new characters and races.

 

My Other Mod will be focusing my abilities to make new armors and weapons as well as a few new enemy models.

 

Working on two at once helps me because when I feel uninspired by one I can work on the other and vice versa instead of just not working on anything when I feel a creative "block"

[Nagaoka]

On the other hand, each requires some completely different techniques to create the mods. Kind of the way they say it in art "To be good at sculpting you have to be good at drawing, and to be good at drawing you have to be good a sculpting"

 

I know exactly what you're saying here. I'm an art student, specifically a 3d art student (keep up your modeling! You're doing really good for someone who has just started learning), but we're still taught drawing and sculpting and are highly encouraged to keep up our skills in those areas for this exact reason.

 

However, part of this lesson is that you can't get better by starting a drawing, then putting it away and starting a sculpture, then going back and working a little more on the drawing, then getting the sculpture 50% done, then getting the drawing 3/4s done, putting the pencil down and tweaking the sculpture, etc. etc. We have to focus to ensure quality and finished work.

 

Likewise, someone who has a 1 good drawing finished, is better off than someone who has half a drawing and half a sculpture, neither finished. 1 good sculpture done is worth more than 5 unfinished ones. Someone with a finished mod is a lot better off than one with two unfinished giant projects.

 

My underwater mod will focus a lot more on what I can do to make an interesting vault and test the limits on what I can do regarding things like walking underwater, ect. as well as creating new characters and races.

 

My Other Mod will be focusing my abilities to make new armors and weapons as well as a few new enemy models.

 

Working on two at once helps me because when I feel uninspired by one I can work on the other and vice versa instead of just not working on anything when I feel a creative "block"

 

If this is the case, then I DEFINITELY encourage you to focus on finishing one of your mods over the other. If you really hit a slump, then take a break from it and work on your other one, or start a small, fun mod that doesn't need a lot of effort, or take a break from modding in general. Working on both just means you risk tiring of both eventually. I also really mean it when I say that finishing one will ensure that your second one is of a much higher quality, and you'll finish it faster. It doesn't matter what the different focuses are. You'll get a lot more done this way.

 

 

In any case, keep up the good work.

[OHWceta]

Seeing though as there are certain things at which I have more skill at than others, I'll probably start needing some help on my mods soon.

 

I've outlined a list on a previous post as to what I'll need more help with. Currently though some quest ideas might be useful. I can make them myself but user input is rather valuable as I would like to include quest people WANT to do and not have a bunch of stupid quests that will ruin the mod.

 

Here's a basic outline of the current plot of going through the vault: (Crappy I know so I need your input here on changes and suggestions)

Discover Vault 99

While Exploring the Entrance chamber the player character is thrown out of the vault through a crack in the facility by Horace Pride

Character nearly drowns but Terra swims out through an Acguy Exit port to save them.

The residents of vault 99 are fatally weak against radiation (which is in the water*) so you can choose to save or kill Terra

Character realizes they and the residents of the vault are trapped in the lower section of the vault**

Character must use an Acguy Power Armor to travel through the water outside the vault and flip the Lockdown Override

Now character can open any of the doors in the vault besides damaged ones

As thanks for ending lockdown character can trade with vault dwellers and buy goods, ect. This opens up several quests.

You can choose to do the optional quests or go streight to the sill closed door between Section 1 and 2

Opening the Divider activates the final quest which will be majorly affected by whether or not Terra lived or died.

To escape the vault you will have to fight off Feral Vault Dwellers from the upper section ending in a fight with Horace Pride.

With the vault dwellers free and lockdown over more quests will be opened.

 

*The weakness against radiation is what prevents the vault dwellers from escaping to the surface leaving them trapped in the Vault. Also because of the changes to their anatomy the vault dwellers cannot wear the Acguy Power Armors.

 

**Damage to multiple compartments in the vault cause lockdown which seals all the doors in the vault shut.

 

Bonus Quest Ideas:

Gathering certain items to give to shop-keepers (Only after the main quest is complete)

Helping rid the upper section of Ferals so the sane dwellers can move back in and repair the vault.

Discovering the history behind the vault.

Specific Quests to get to know certain vault dwellers and gain their help in the battle to escape the Vault*

Several quests which will be made easier with help from Terra (still available if you let her die, just harder)

 

* Important Characters so far: Atlas (Overseer), Terra, Rem, Corina (Overseer after escape if Terra died), Ruby, Jade

 

I need ideas for more quests.

[OHWceta]

Here's a simple vault map I made up. Not very detailed but it includes important rooms and locations. It might get a little confusing in parts where the outside and inside connect and where floors collapsed into each other. I CANNOT stress this enough about how important your input is. Without your thoughts on the layout I CANNOT progress further with this mod.

 

Entry Level, this includes the entrance and exit to the wastleland. it is also the location where you're attacked by Horace Pride.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a139/OHWceta/EntryLevel-Small.jpg

 

Facility 1 - Basement 1, being the living quarters it contained a large number of vault dwellers who became Feral, so it is infested with large numbers of enemies. It once contained the Overseer's office which has since collapsed

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a139/OHWceta/Facility1-Basement1-Small.jpg

 

Facility 1 - Basement 2, The former security office or the vault, probably suffered the most damage from the collapse. The manual override it now located on this floor.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a139/OHWceta/Facility1-Basement2-Small.jpg

 

Facility 1 - Support Ring, contained most of the entertainment facilities in the Vault, it is now infested by Ferals, suffering the least damage from the collapse it can be repaired after freeing the Vault Dwellers.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a139/OHWceta/Facility1-SupportRing-Small.jpg

 

Facility 2 - Basement 1, Living quarters for survivors of the collapse, also location of the new Overseer's office and Security office.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a139/OHWceta/Facility2-Basement1-Small.jpg

 

Facility 2 - Basement 2, The Medical offices and Cafeteria, to prevent overcrowding classrooms were converted into living quarters. The shops are located in the former recreation area, most of the sub-quests will be given on this floor.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a139/OHWceta/Facility2-Basement2-Small.jpg

 

Facility 2 - Support Ring, The Maitenance areas and devices that keep the Vault able to sustain life. The labs are located in the Underground tunnel, you can learn much about the history of the Vault and the many experiments that took place. This is also where the Acguy armors are located and where you're deployed to the Exterior to go and activate the Lockdown Manual Override.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a139/OHWceta/Facility2-SupportRing-Small.jpg

[OHWceta]

Vault Exterior - Basically climbing several parts or the Vault and running up rubble and rock and going through damaged parts to get to the Override Switch.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a139/OHWceta/VaultExterior-G1-Small.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a139/OHWceta/VaultExterior-G2-Small.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a139/OHWceta/VaultExterior-G3-Small.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a139/OHWceta/VaultExterior-G4-Small.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a139/OHWceta/VaultExterior-G5-Small.jpg

[Tostitos]

You have a lot of opportunity to set atmosphere. I think going heavy on the dark sections and dripping water for the more damaged sections would really sell the "damaged underwater vault" theme, with some submarine creaking under pressure sounds playing constantly.

 

You could consider script a bunch of lights to go out one by one after a player enters a hallway, with the darkness moving towards the player, little scary things like that. I mean, think about it, you're going into a submerged deathtrap. It should be scary.

 

It also doesn't really sound like a Vault-Tec vault- Vault-Tec wasn't the only creator of massive underground installations though. It's going to get pretty silly when every other location mod involves a vault when there were only 122 built in the entire country. That's an average of 2.44 per state (with many in California meaning even less for other states).

[OHWceta]

You're probably right, but on the other hand Vault-Tech Headquarters is in the D.C. Area, and rumor has it there's also an important Vault-Tech Facility in California.

 

Thus most of the Vaults would be around that general region while places like Kansas, Texas, and I bet Florida probably have more heavy concentrations of other company facilities similar to vaults.

 

But for all intents and purposes I'm keeping the title Vault 99, but whether or not it will be a Vault-Tech vault remains to be seen. One thing is for sure though, it was made by the same people who made the Acguy Power Armors which were used to build the Vault.

[OHWceta]

I know a lot of you are awaiting updates and news on the status of my mod but I cannot continue without your feedback.

 

I need your oppinions on the layout and design of the Vault.

 

I'm also going to need help in coming up with quests to do for this mod. It is of the utmost importance for me to know what you want and what kind of things you don't want in a mod.