scripts help in new mod

[CommodoreBlitz]

I don't know if its possible but was wondering, I know there are some scripts were you can add a activator to start a Video playing, but would it be possible to use a script to load a external game(something small like say an old arcade game like pac-man or something) and then when you quit the game it then goes back to F3?

 

I imagine click on a computer terminal in game then a Y/N option comes up to start game or not then the screen blanks and switches to the game and when your done it switches back to F3. I think I recall someone made a txt adventure game using the Note function or something like that. (not sure if that's what he used) If this works I am thinking of a room full of terminals sorta setup like an old Arcade each one having a different game. (hmm perhaps even Fallout 1........that might be a bit tough to do that one) I know of some version of old games all under 1 meg in size but how to get the game to activate them and switch back and forth without crashing....perhaps if it cant be done as a script perhaps a macro or something...(you pick Y the screen blanks (so you don't see what is happening) and it just minimizes F3 and auto launches the other game when done it then blanks the screen and switches back to F3, sorta a auto Alt-Tab), might take some experimenting but if anyone would like to help me on this please msg me.

[Skevitj]

The script function PlayBink will allow you to play a Bink movie in-game. That's what's used for the cut-scene at the end and where ever else they pop up.

 

As far as running 3rd party programs from FO3; it's about as clear a no as you can get. FO3 does not like having priority taken away from it (minimized) so trying to run a program over the top is a definite no-go. Games requiring a GUI are way outta reach of the FO engine anyway. Basically the furthest you can go is the "choose your own adventure" style books implemented on a terminal, a few mods containing those already exist, but anything more involved is impossible.

[CommodoreBlitz]

hmm, what I had in mind was a little space invader type game that was under 200k in size.....there is also a game that tho larger its graphics are ASCII based (meaning all the shapes are made from keyboard characters)

[Skevitj]

Size is irrelevant, and it doesn't matter what the graphics are composed of, the FO engine can't handle them. Every possible text display would have to be coded into the mod; it doesn't support dynamic generation of text/pictures (>1000s of possible displays even for something as simple as space invaders) and while there is a possibility that the keyboard controls could be hijacked to control it, it's not worth the effort (assuming it is even possible) as the display side for something requiring a particular set of controls is impossible.

 

As I said: Running anything more complex than the "choose your own adventure" styled text games is a clear NO.

[CommodoreBlitz]

wow, I did not know the f3 eng was that out of date... Guess we need some upgrades to it... Perhaps the makers need to upgrade it to something like the Halo Reach Engine I bet that could handle a simple in game mini game.

I've found that tho I enjoy the game itself the game Engine seems much out of date compared with say Mass Effect 2 or even 1 for that matter. I mean from weird things like faucets with no real water animation(which way back in the days of Duke 3d we had) to say not begin able to pick up a rock and throw it in a normal way. Basic what your saying tho is that game engines have goting so advance they can no longer do the simple things. It does not matter anyway I've decided to not do the mod that needed this anyway...

 

Would you know a good tutorial on the play Bink Script tho? I have been able to examine in the Geck but some basic instruction would not hurt.

[Skevitj]

It's not like the FO engine is out of date, it's that no game company would be stupid enough to program that sort of feature into their games.

 

There are plenty of games with mini-games in them, but they have to get permission for those, or they make their own minis. Allowing a game to incorporate another game freely could and most probably would lead to a very severe IP infringement case(s) against the developers.

 

They can still do the "simple things" it's just its often not worth the effort. ie, The ability to pick rocks off the ground and throw them around, possibly to cause a distraction would be easy to create in FO and is one of those ideas which should've been included: They already had the idea with the mirelurk bait grenades (a rock would just need a rock mesh), they just didn't implement them before release. The main problem with the rock idea though is the same as when using the placeatme scripting function: Having a lot of dynamic objects around, most of which would probably get lost int he cracks, is going to cause a performance hit and possibly get to the point of making the game unplayable. You're left with the choice of having rocks which don't obey the lays of physics, or doubling the system requirements to play the game.

 

As far as Bink videos go, you just need to find a program which is capable of converting a .bik video. Once the video has been created, it's a simple matter of attaching a script to the activator which will start up the video when it's told to. According to Wikipedia (Oh how I love thee), there is an opensource project which includes a Bink codec, so go sniffing around there and hopefully you'll turn up something.

[CommodoreBlitz]

well, i meant some of what i said about f3 in jest, but I have Rad Tools which is used to make Bink videos (that's what the makers of F3 used), the videos are not the problem, I just have never used an "activator" in a mod yet the only scripting i have done was use a tape to trigger the start of a quest when it was picked up and when the player picked up another to end the quest. I have examining one of the House mods that has a tv with videos but can't really get my head around it, I could just make new videos and place them into that mod, but I was thinking of a room full of computers each with different videos on the.

[Skevitj]

Wouldn't it be easier to just have one terminal where you could select which movie you wanted to play?

 

If so, in the GECK, under the World Objects tab is the Teminal tab. The Terminal tab contains all the terminals used in the game. I know there are some house mods which display pictures on TV sets when you turn them "on", those would be done by using an activator instead. It could easily be achieved using either.

 

You'll have to explain what you're trying to do a little clearer for me to help you any more, editing the terminal text and what they do is relatively straight forward, creating the script for an activator is a tad more complex, but still easily do-able. However if you're trying to modify an existing mod, if you can provide a link to it, then I'll have a look and pick out the bits you need to play with for you. As long as you don't intend to release it permissions won't be a problem.