Immersion, Realism, Compatibility & Artistic Freedom

[cambragol]

In fact, I would like to make a mod in its own world space that deliberately is incompatible with the most popular mods. I want to be able to control my own image spaces and atmosphere. I want the character to die from a single gunshot. I want crippled limbs to never work again. You only get a weapon that the mod provides and only a clip or two of ammunition that you must save for the direst moment. I don't want you to have a whole platoon of bully boys to do your bidding. You must adapt to overcome, not overcome with previously obtained superior firepower. I want the player to be able to starve or die of thirst or food poisoning or bleed to death. So if you are bold and stupid you simply cannot complete the mod and have to start over. If I could I would cause all of your save games after starting the mod to be deleted if you die. If I could I would prevent your FOOK and FWE and FOIP and Fellout from working while playing the mod, because demanding that I accommodate them inhibits my artistic freedom. I’m not saying those are bad mods, I’m just saying that it is not unreasonable that I should be able to give a party that they are not invited to or ask you to leave your custom suit at the door if you want to attend. But I am not so impervious to criticism that I want to endure continuous browbeating for providing free content for download that isn’t compatible with all of the mods that people like. I do not have time to play them let alone accommodate them and provide updates to continue accommodating them. And most importantly, if I program a story then I would like it to be my own without a thousand co-writers. But if the inevitable result of attempting such a mod is lots of negative feedback then I would rather skip the effort and do something else with the time that I have left on the road.

 

So I am curious if I can work in such a way and still be tolerated.

 

This is exactly the premise under which I work. I am developing my mod to be compatible with vanilla Fallout, and that is it. I have not given a seconds thought towards other mods and compatibility with those mods. Not to slight them, but as you say, I have no interest in limiting my creative freedom. I can tolerate and admire your outlook, and would enjoy playing the type of mod you briefly hinted at.

[BadPenney]

Ok. I watched the hazard course video. That's not much like what I had been thinking about for my own mod, but I would like to have seen a similar course as a requirement to get power armor training certification in FO3. As it is, you talk to Gunny then fade to black, then fade back to the future and you are an expert in power augmented combat.

[Thogun]

I think you should always make your mods the way YOU want them to be. Don't give any thought to incompatibility with other mods/modders, because it is not THEIR game. People who complain about such things are shallow and their opinions don't matter. Nothing is stopping them from making the mod they want to play. True, you will get fewer downloads if it is incompatible with the big ones, but the people who really want to try and appreciate your effort can easily disable the other mods to try it out (I do it all the time, that's why I have three separate installations of Fallout 3). I'd rather have ten people who download and appreciate the effort I put into my mod than have hundreds demanding it to be done their way just so they can play it wearing junk metal bikinis and faerie wings. Besides, It's not like we get paid for every download :p

[Nadin]

I think you should always make your mods the way YOU want them to be. Don't give any thought to incompatibility with other mods/modders, because it is not THEIR game. People who complain about such things are shallow and their opinions don't matter. Nothing is stopping them from making the mod they want to play. True, you will get fewer downloads if it is incompatible with the big ones, but the people who really want to try and appreciate your effort can easily disable the other mods to try it out (I do it all the time, that's why I have three separate installations of Fallout 3). I'd rather have ten people who download and appreciate the effort I put into my mod than have hundreds demanding it to be done their way just so they can play it wearing junk metal bikinis and faerie wings. Besides, It's not like we get paid for every download :p

Though you don't get the sense of contributing or being nice.

Make it for yourself first, and us modders second. Make compatible with the mods you yourself use.

[filekutter]

I think just the fact you wish to do it is plenty owwsome meself, but I do like the idea of sandboxing it out of the way of mods that players have installed, in effect, don't mess up the game they're already playing but do allow them to enjoy what you work hard on... so definitely making it something that needs some sort of entry point just like the DLCs and such. As far as realism, I understand what you are looking for and respect it highly. But, if you DO wish to share it and receive some positive feedback you may not want to make it 'totally' realistic. ImHo you do want a balance between the values you are trying to import along with keeping the gameplay "fun" to a point. Now, if what you wish to achieve IS a totally hardcore situation, then pls, by all means go for it! And the heck with worrying how pissy people could get !

As far as people ragging on you for things they don't agree with, well, firstly don't take it personal. If its presented with lots of flame and disdain just take a deep breath and realize they probably don't say ANYTHING pleasant at any time, even with the computer off ROFLMAO! Some people are just trolls and will always be. If its just someone pointing out things they consider flawed or something that could be improved well, that's a different can o' da worm and should be considered. There, my little rant is finished and now I can get back to trying to do something. Good luck !

[bben46]

Remember, the people who whine the most are those who have never made a mod and have no clue as to what is really involved.

 

One trick is to place a door or a trigger in some out of the way place that opens into a new worldspace which is only accessible through that door or by activating that trigger by walking through it. A trigger that moves the player into the new worldspace can be invisible so the only way they will know they are going somewhere else is by the loading screen that will pop up. This could be in a narrow space between a couple of rocks. The player would not even realize they had left the vanilla FO3 world unless they try to get out another way. The world map would have the player pointer on that trigger point just as if they were in a building. You will have to handle the mini map though.

[BadPenney]

http://th02.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2010/191/0/4/Bucketheads_Comic_by_BadHalfPenny.jpg

 

I'm not always into realism. Sometimes I really like that old fashioned corny science fiction too.

 

I've found some outlet for my control freak tendencies in making videos like Bucketheads, which is also giving me a chance to work out storylines and scripting ideas for a real game mod. I can make combat work just the way I want in a video, but that leaves no options and choices for the viewer. I have to have lots of choices when playing a game to have fun, so I'm trying to work out another mod that can operate incependently but concurrently with other mods in an attempt to make as many choices as possible available to anyone who happens to play it. That is an interesting challenge also. It will have to involve quests and puzzles that cannot be solved with advantages given by other mods without trying to oppose or override them.

 

Recent adventures in the GECK have reminded me of all my dissatisfaction with it, so I am waiting for the release of New Vegas and its GECK in the hope that it will be new and improved, more reliable and less frustrating, before continuing serious work on another player mod. New Vegas also seems like a more appropriate location for a vault with a self aware AI that was designed to produce androids for entertainment but has since decided on its own agenda.

 

Thanks for all of your inputs.