Harsh Wastelands- Working GTS mod

[vincer]

The title may change(acepting sugestions)

 

Progress so Far

Areas Layout(exterior and interior)- 60% done

Cluttering- 20% done

New itens- 80% done

New enemies- 70% done

Dialogue- 30% (under changes)

 

Overall

 

It saddened me that almost nothing(iceland only) got released for GTS. Also the lack of quest mods that followed the older games spirit, or that focused on making a plot-centered expansion to Fallout 3. Finally, ive noticed a bunch of lore friendly mods being incompatible or doing in different ways the same stuff, and some amazing mods and resources almost forgotten. All of this inspired me to start modding; At first tweaks, and after learning a good lot of things im finally making something bigger... Trying to fill those gaps ive said above.

 

Harsh Wastelands will be a GTS modification(not only extension) to bring GTS a little back to its roots, adding some more depth and changing how the player can aquire some of its more recent features. That to make ground for a lore-friendly adition of places, quests and its own main plot(and quest chain) much less linear then the vanilla Fallout 3.

 

The whole plot is scatered around 3 towns and 3 seetlements; Instead of a main quest along some side ones, the idea are big quests that overlaps and affects each other. There's a new menace, but how the player will solve it can vary depending on wich sides he picks...

 

Without spoilering too much, most of it revolves around Dust Town(starting point), a isolated not-so-small town thats been atacked by a semi-tribal group of "raiders" and that is being "stalked" by strange characters in suits and gas masks around the night. Contact have been lost with nearby towns, that are suffering from strange mutants attacks and suffering high losses for a strange epidemy never heard of. How all of this ties together is up for the lone wanderer to discover...

 

The mod does add elements not existent in other games, but tottally related to the wastelands lore. Consider a fan-made small "sequel". Black Isle never intended on re-using the same plot ideas and enemies in a sequel(no water chip, geck, master or enclave again as main elements), and Van Buren would add a new menace(of course everything from before would be there, but with a smaller role). That's a fact, and Obsidian(one of Black Isle's children) as well arent using the BoS or Enclave as main players on New Vegas... so this mod as well dont re-use the old well know enemies and allies. Thus, the need of new elements.

 

But how, without hurting actual and future lore? The same background and... using already know lore elements never actually present in the games(what we know about the lore from logs, fallout bible, van buren leaked design documents and such). Plus, its a local thing enclosed in a never used(nor soon to be used) part of the wastes, that will arise and be solved there and only there.

 

I couldnt loose the chance of showing my way to tie in gaps and incongruencies created trought the games and its various companies changes, spin offs and such. From Van Buren's ideas to Bethesda's, the plot explains directly or trought founded logs stuff like the Pan-Imunity Virus program impact on the plot, what the New Plague was, more interesting stuff about West Tek's aproach to the FEV(and alternatives) as well as some more background on the enclave, why the one on the east in different from the west and other stuff.

 

Details

 

Lots of dialogue, optional ways to acomplish quests and much more needed "grey areas" are in, like in the old games. Geck is a AMAZING tool, but bethesda got limited on plot variables because voiced dialogue have a cost. A high one, actually. This mod (intends to)features a bunch of dialogues and branchs in line with Fallout 1 and 2, that would be too much for voicing it all, but that leaves free room for much more development.

 

 

Sand People: Atacking Dust Town, well know "bandits" but that everyone besides then don't know much about. Not normal raiders, actually... are they even raiders? That's how their ENEMIES call them... For years they never raided any town, and while robbing travelers and traders they always let them live. Why they changed now? They seen organized and see thenselves as a "nation". Seen around small nomad camps they're aparently too well organized for a bunch of miserable wasteland bandits... how they keep this unity? If they can be classified as raiders, bandits, heroes or simply famint depends on your point of view.

 

Mickey's Motors and The Kingdom: Both play a somewhat minor role on the story... at first. Despite not involved directly with most of the new trouble the player can affect their decisions and eventually turn then into major players on how everything will be solved. Mickey's(from GTS) is a wealthy trading hub famous for being the most neutral in the wastelands(Raider? Brotherhood? Slaver? Doesnt matter, just bring the caps and youre in). The Kingdom is a "secret" slaver seetlement that is closely tied to Mickey's, as they provide the ghoul with dancers for his bar.

 

Rockfall: Somewhere around what was Tallulah Falls, a small town of the Southeast Commonweath(in Fallouts Universe one of the states. For us, it was Georgia), of course what it was before the war. Near a vast canyon(and desert) the town started as small scavenger's camp that were making good profit on nearby ruins(Ghost Town), soon after the war. Profit stoped when everything was savanged and now its a small trading town that lives from the abnormal number of Brahmins they have. "Looks like they deal well with it's climate" as one npc tells it. Like old fears and ghosts coming back to haunt then, strange mutants(that "look quite like ghouls, or a variation") from the old ruins they scavanged are attacking anyone entering or exiting the town. I mean, everyone who TRIES, since nobody suceeded since then. Plus, the misterious "stalkers", a local legend about strange people roaming the wastelands nights and disapearing out of nowhere, have been saw around... and their never roamed around this place. Without the water they desperately needs, bought from Dust Town, the people is now weake and many are sick. Curious thing that they refused, not too long ago, on helping Gwinett's Ghouls with some "strange epidemy" they had there...

 

Ghost Town: Not an actual town, just a bunch of ruins, named like that because of the eerie and morbid feeling. What scared the sh** out of every scavanger who roamed there is that... theres nothing. Not a single soul, not a single radroach or moskito. Strange place but good loot, lots of legends around it. But dont expect too much action on its streets. As people says... theres no living soul there. Right?

 

Gwinett: A aparently small settlement on the borders of Ghost Town ruins, mostly ghouls. I cant tell much about it without spoilers.

 

C.I.V. I consider it dangerous spoilers, but some people would disagree.

 

The not finished before the bombs "City in a Vault" project, by our well know Vault-tec. A different kind of vault with a diferent ideology... never got finished. Anything more would spoil too much.

 

 

Misterious People, or "Stalkers": weird guys that dont say a word, always seen with gas masks and mostly seen during the night. Few people saw then without a mask, but each one tell something diferent, like one who said they had deathclaws heads and another one saying that the clothes were empty. As you can see, what the folk tells are by no means reliable. They were spoted at diferent places, but mostly around Ghost town ruins and its most feared area. Normally they run and disapear when noticed, except some firefights with scavengers years ago. Strangely they're mostly shooting on sight now. And now people witnsed groups of them roaming far from Ghost Town... Who the heck they are, why they are all mutes and mostly, why the hell they use gas-masks in clearly safe areas?

 

Dust Town: besides what already been showed on this topic, is a place plenty of water(compared to most places in wastelands) that lives selling it. But now they're lacking for selling and looking desperatly for another pool. Theres also a HUGE power -station nearby, powered and ran by a strange guy and(i hope, see "whats needed") a Super Mutant as engineer. The place seens to have some kicking power but energy cant feed anyones belly, can it? They only use it to pump water from lower ground. Oh, and to power normal "useless" pre-war stuff, like that fan you bumped during your travels.

 

Brotherhood of Steel: Plays a somewhat small role here. The true brotherhood. No Lyon's "Were heroes of the wastes" here, much more on the line of the outcasts. You can see one in Mickey's Motors, nice guy to talk so you can kick in one of this mod quests. Following his directions you can find some few more. Expect to see then explaining some of the lore for those who dont know about it. For example, that they find it fancy how the brotherhood on DC(outcasts) is showing their disagreement with Lyon's, painting armors in black and red for no reason whatsoever. Dont expect any big outpost or getting into their ranks: the brotherhood was bigger, never was really big and have been loosing ground since fallout 1. Still the same technology clueless fanatics from before. Besides ofering some more clues and locations about the main quest, they dont offer much more. Oh, at least they use good ol' power-armors, like the single piece founded in vanilla, t-51b. Of course, the few that have a power armor, since its not something you find lying around on your first travels or in a whole faction, right?(yeah, im being sarcastic. Bethesda, good game, but that was completely unecessary)

 

Lots of Stuff: I will be showing off lots of good mods and resources out there that allows usage(and im still waiting for some modders to answer my request for some), all in unintrusive way. They're all added on GTS areas(and those of this mod) only, most of them as uniques or simply rare stuff(like 2 or 3 of them lying around the whole mod, without being in any leveled list). Most of them are well know classics(For anyone one with the Classical Weapons Mod, lots of it are already in their games). But dont worry, theres non classicals as well, nothing too powerfull or too high-techish. There are great mods out there to offer those. A bunch of other mods outfits and some new ones(my textures), but all with stats for work with this mod and their own editor ids and new names, so no conflicts. Depending on the mods you already run you may seen a doubled item, with same appearence but different stats and name. Good side is, for those who like immersion and "non-cheatable" ways to get mods stuff like boxes lying around free to be looted, many of this stuff is from mods that didnt added any of them to vendors and such. I want to show off and highlight some of the great mods people have been doing.

 

Compatible(i expect): with its own encounters and spaws in diferent world spaces, i doubt there will be incompatibilities. Not a single one of the vanilla weapons, armor and enemies have been touched. Random encounters and battles mixes this mod enemies and vanilla ones, so you can expect seeing that tweaked enemy from another mod showing up on this locations. Of course, new enemies with original ids from other mods will need patchs to be added, if anyone makes them(or me, if i have the time).

 

Difficulty and Balance: That's where the mod changes the most from vanilla. New weapons and armors arent overpowered, the damage is around the vanilla ones for most, but the enemies and overall difficult are based on its own balance. Some people with modded "harder" fallout may find a different experience, but those with vanilla will surely feel a harder game on those areas. Theres some leveled stuff everywhere, including vanilla enemies, so the dificult can chance a lot depending on your mods; But each area have some fixed enemies, some of them(mostly "end game") have LOTS of them. So, like in older games, dont expect to finish the mod with a lower level character.

 

Requested Help: Whats Needed

 

I dont like showing stuff before its complete or near that, that's why i hadnt revealed my project untill now. But now im stuck with some stuff beyond my skills, ive made this topic to request it; as well, im giving space for sugestions and whoever wants to contribute, something i would do anyway but that i planned only after a released beta. Like ive said, some technical limits on my behalf rushed this topic.

 

Voice Acting: None for npcs, if someone really think its worth the effort i cant complain(the mod will be "free for all", anyone can change, add, reduce and do whatever they like with it), and of course that would be a nice enhancement. But theres REALLY too much dialogue, even if someone voice acts all of it that would be a big download. Anyway, theres ONE single "thing"(i will call it that way for now, to avoid spoilers) that i wanted voice acting. Mostly for a "announcer" of some kind trought speakers. Think of the Vault exposition on the museun for an idea. Also one "presentation" from Vault-Tec with a similar voice. So anyone who can voice act, for a male voice, are invited. A deep voice.

Modulated with a robotic feel, but that i can edit myself. For the more curious, its a ZAX computer.

 

 

English(do you speak it?): Spell checking and such. As some probably already noticed, english is not my main language and as such there will probably be mistakes. I dont know if theres too many or too few, im not that bad, but if i knew what is wrong i wouldnt need help with that, rigth? :)

 

Model Department: Nothing hard, really, just vanilla tweaks. I came with a plot that i can make true with vanilla models, resources and mods ive found, but preferably some of them would be better with a different look, that i cant do. Custom textures is something i can handle, but ive tried hard dealing with meshes, blender, nifskope with some little sucess, lots of error and mostly lots of headaches. Im learning, but ive noticed ive lost too much time hiting my head on the wall to learn this stuff and lefting what i can do and well forgot in a corner. That's when i noticed that "Ok, NOW i need help. It cant hurt, can it?". What is needed most, and badly, are at least one clothed super mutant and probably a few. Tumabjamba's resource models, Here, cover most of my needs... but one npc that can be a companion needs a more specific suit. I really want to show the diferences between west mutants reminiscent from the Master and his plan, with some inteligent and even more inteligent then humans, and those dumb from a different fev strain from D.C. If i cant get a good model, i will have to cut him. The modeling i need are a few added clothing to super-mutants and some deforming of feral ghouls models(that one model from MMM can help, but i didnt requested it yet).

 

Textures:I can handle myself, but im not that good with it. Recoloring and simple stuff is well, but i know added efects on skin(that are needed) wouldnt be the most amazing textures found on nexus. alright, not even close. If youre good at it and wanna help, hop in!

 

Scripting: I know my ways to most basic stuff, but i didnt got to scripting the quests yet and i will probably get stuck some few times and dealing my way around searching wikis and such. So anyone who wants to give it a try are welcomed, as it would save much time for a faster release.

 

Pluses: Extra little details and things its good to know

 

Companions: There will be new companions, not totally vanilla way but somewhat using then as base. No unlimited ammo and non-essentials, but dont expect many new features and such, nothing a esp patch cant change. The amount is still unclear, as i want feedback if people wants more or less, but 4 have been planed. None of them too easy to get(no "do you wanna join me? Answer: Heck yeah, lets go!" right away). But to avoid unbalacing the game for those with vanilla mostly Fo3, they are karma limited and use the companions counter(1 companion+ dogmeat). Also, most of them have a charisma requirement, but the requirement changes depending on how you get to invite then.

 

Requisits: Unfortunally, because of some of the mods im showing off and mostly because of a single area in the game(A huge one, made of multiple cells), almost all DLC are needed. Point Lookout, Anchorage, Broken Steel and The Pitt. So, only Zeta arent required. I will probably cut Anchorage requirement, as ive added it by mistake, so if and when i track down what i used from it, i will know if i can cut the DLC as requisit or not(depending if the used asset can be switched for something else). And yeah, the area that use that many DLCs is involved with the end-game, so its closely tied to the mod. I couldnt help it.

 

GTS changes: Intended, but not accomplished yet, is some few requirements before you can get the GTS motorcycle to star runing around(and acess this mod). Just some needed spare parts, that can change in amount depending of your repair skill. Transfered the painting of vehicles and overseas travel to a patch, so without it theyre cut. Completely lowered the stuff of the house GTS adds, changed it to be more friendly and less convenient, sorry, that hurted too much the lore. Also, you cant buy it anymore: one of the paths trought the various quests can reward you with that. Yeah, for those who know GTS, its obviosuly by helping Mickey and taking his side of the story mostly. The motorcycle dont have a trunk anymore, just the highwayman, thats also a lot more expensive now(but you can get him some other way around... or even steal it. Evil robbers needs chances to roleplay their characters (evil laught). No more fuel conversor, it requires fuel, but uses normal energy cells or Micro Fusion Packs, to fit the lore. Aquarium, beatiful and clean furniture, flowers and clean water and everything that surelly doesnt fit a post-nuclear wastelands were cut. Some of the loot and selling itens were lowered(a vendor with 1000 bullets of everykind and millions of caps? Convenient, but breaks balance). By default some of the options are unchangeable; the intention was to fit with the game and immersion the most, so no character configuration and such. A patch allows them back. Some of the bodys used werent changed yet, but i seriously think about doing such: i dont care that much if i loot a body and see someone naked(or a huge schlong), but that wasnt really needed in GTS nor it is in my mod, so... why not? Im afraid someone would look bad at it just because of that.

 

Already with addons: I will release it already with addons. Some fallout fans like the eastereggs and references, some dont, some like but think fallout had too much, some think that even more doesnt hurt... So, along with the default random encounters this mod brings, there will be two patchs for added encounters that are jokes and of course shall be ignored as part of the lore, like the older games. All of them are rare, and of course, your luck plays a large role on finding them. One is "Added Eastereggs", and the optional version of this one "Enhanced Sillyness Plus", for those who want to have some good laughts and WTF moments more frequently, and that adds some more silly/non-sense encounters like some few from Fallout 2. The tin man and the black isle foruns user being attacked are examples of subtle encounters that dont break immersion, fits the game but have added fun for those who know the reference, and will be in the first Pack. The brige keeper and the dead whale are examples of the Enhanced Sillynes extra content. The holy hand grenade is beyond that: that is too silly even for me(and im monty python's fan) lol.

 

Extensive Perks: Some much more needed love to some perks from vanilla. Expect lots of new dialogue choices for lady killer and being friendly to kids.

 

Source Stuff: a extra esp is needed to run the mod, but it is a extra esp on purpose since it can be used as source in other mods(and i hope seeing such). Its all around traits and "perks" added, both in perks list, but without the average effects. All of them obtainable trought the story, and only by that. Traits gives something cool but have a disvantage tied together. The other ones mimics older fallouts reputation and such. They are extensively used in the mod, and only affects random encounters and new dialogue options.

 

Killable Children: Kids on this mod arent essential. Actually, not a single npc is essential here. Theres no gore added by the mod tought, so dont be afraid of seeing children diying in gruesome ways because of this mod.

 

References: Lots of them. Mostly older games and the whole story behind fallout development and its various incarnations. Not many on other references tought.

 

"puzzle-like" stuff: I dont know how to call it. Anyway, remenber how you needed some itens for many interactions in older games, that werent part of the constant gameplay and flow? Like the rope to get down to west tek. Expects lots of those, nothing troublesome as there are always optional paths. Always. The rope was an example because that is a particular case, you will see the same on one area(one way to acess it) in the mod.

 

Looting: You cant loot armor and clothes that are cleary not for your size or that logic would avoid it. So all of the power armored guys on the mod(there are few anyway) dont drop you a power armor. Many of npc itens are aesthetics, and those who can be equiped by the player are mostly only eye-candy with no stats boost. Thats a patch changing that, but i preferred to avoid it by default so it wouldnt unbalance the game for those travelling back to vanilla dc.

 

Others: No messages telling you a dialogue option is a skill test, added consumables(few) are weak and dont heal hps, and expect npcs reacting to how you look and who walks with you. The most obvious effects, and that i will use as example, is that youre clearly treated differently when using power armor(most of the time in a unpleasant way, but expect much better intimidation with it)... and I wouldnt walk into a mutant unfriendly town having fawkes with me.

 

Suggestions

 

Im open to any suggestions. Im tottally tied with the "lore-friendly" concept and intended feeling, so i doubt sugestions that conflicts with that will have much attention. But not only im open to any suggestions, im also open to added features. If someone wants to merge a mod in or know any other project that would be cool if both works together... please, PLEASE, say so. Reading suggestions doesn't hurt, i cant promise anything but i will trully think about then and discuss then here.

 

Also theres a few topics i wanted to ask you guys right away:

 

-Title: Spoiling a little, the plot have lots to do with scarse resources around the wastelands, people needs, how they search for it and such. I came up with "Harsh Wastelands" but im unsure if its the best one. Also the "epidemy" on the plot is the big menace, so what you guys think? Hinting more about the epidemic plot? Im unsure.

 

-Stalkers: I couldnt came up with a better nickname for the strange guys roaming at night(and some following travellers in the distance for some hours), but since i plan to use some STALKER(the game) models for clothes, and guess what, some of them exactly for the stalkers, i got worried. Ive searched for fitting resources that i could use everywhere, but some only the stalker models could provide. Question is, theres no STALKER influences, it happened by chance and i dont want to give the wrong idea. I needed some gas-masks variety and besides some few, mostly of them are stalker models. To avoid confusion i wanted to change the name, but i couldnt think in another option. Help?

 

-Language: Theres some foul language on the dialogue, but im worried about the comunity reaction. Some are in line with older Fallouts, some are a little bit more proeminent. May i cut then? Also the spell checking i need will probably fix a lot, since my misunderstoods of some nuances of the English could have led me to use uneeded language for the desired effect on some lines.

 

-Companions: ive Planned 4, if the mutant cant be done 3, if i script well an idea i have(one more) it can even become 5. Most of them are different experiences then those in vanilla; so dont expect a great warrior to be found since that is covered in the vanilla. Some of them arent the best survivalist out there, but their extra features may make up for it. Depends on your playstyle. Anyway, im unsure if its too many or if i can add more. I can think and easily add a bunch more... but im afraid if that number, plus the ones in vanilla, would unbalance things. What you guys think?

 

That's it. I can upload screenshots from geck, but i avoid entering fallout to test stuff until its really needed... so im not uploading in-game screens anytime soon, even because i only will do that once ive got the right weather and image space for each area, so i can trully show how they will be in the release. If you guys insist in seeing how things are coming those far, i can upload geck shots.

 

I know i write too much, sorry. I really want to see feedback, criticism and all of that ;)

 

Edit: its 04:06, morning, around here and i didnt slept yet. I will fix any typos, mistakes and ambiguous lines tomorrow

[Zally]

I really like the idea, and I would be game to help. Problem is, I've only modded on the Source Engine (Half-Life 2) for 3 years, but if somehow I can help you, I'd be more than glad to. I could help come up with ideas or possibly voice act. I really don't know if I can voice act, but I'd be willing to give it a shot. It seems like they used one voice actor for all the male people anyways. (:P) But yeah, if somehow I can help, I'd really be willing to. I think this is a great idea, however I may (or may not) change my mind if I find out the further details. Give me a PM, or email me at [email protected] if you want to talk about it.

[Yossarian22]

Hi Vincer

 

I am glad to see, you plan to continue somehow on GTS. Since there won't be more GTS updates from my side, all worldspaces are pretty much free to use for whatever you like.

Since I am busy with other things, I can't offer you my help beside mental support. You can still contact me via PM if you have technical issues.

 

So, best luck for your plans :thumbsup:

 

Gretz

 

Yoss

[vincer]

Thanks Zally, i will contact you. Its not hard converting models from source engine to nif, if im not wrong.

 

Thanks Yossarian! If i knew that early, i would have stick to my idea of using one of your world spaces for Rockfall... :P

Its sad you stoped developing it. From all mods ive saw yours are one of the few ive loved at first sight. It was really touching travelling the old way and finding random encounters like older games in Fallout 3, but there was so few released stuff for it that i HAD to change that, so i could roam around the wastes the old way and maybe getting more people into GTS. Thanks for your avall ;)

[Yossarian22]

Well no worries.

The reason why GTS isn't continued is, because I and my teammate are focused on Fallout New Vegas.

Our project is made in a "new vegas ready" way. So, if FNV and a GECK for it are released, there will

be something big coming up....

 

There also will be a new GTS Version, made new from the scratch and more userfriendly, but that's just a sidenote.

[Zally]

Thanks Zally, i will contact you. Its not hard converting models from source engine to nif, if im not wrong.

 

Thanks Yossarian! If i knew that early, i would have stick to my idea of using one of your world spaces for Rockfall... :P

Its sad you stoped developing it. From all mods ive saw yours are one of the few ive loved at first sight. It was really touching travelling the old way and finding random encounters like older games in Fallout 3, but there was so few released stuff for it that i HAD to change that, so i could roam around the wastes the old way and maybe getting more people into GTS. Thanks for your avall ;)

Honestly, I didn't model for source. I mainly was a level designer, and hope to do so in Fallout 3 as well. I do plan on learning modeling as well, but currently I cannot. If there's anything you want/need, go ahead and send it over to my email (located in my previous post). At least I can help out with some bugs/voice acting/level design. Anyways, I wish you luck.

[GrandsonOfSam]

I'm very glad seeing someone is taking Fallout lore seriously :) I wish you good luck on your mod, and hope you get some better modders to help you with it. I myself am too tied up on my own mod to help though :(

 

GTS does have real potential, but sadly doesn't have that much support, and also sadly conflicts with a lot of other mods.

 

I don't know if Fallout 3 can actually even be made into a real Fallout game, but it's good to see someone try :)

 

Thumbs up for the project :)