Would This Make Special Encounters Possible?

[simplywayne90]

Off the bat I'm admitting that this is very vague, but I'm asking if there is anything that I've mentioned thats absolutely impossible, is all.

 

If you'd like to post specific scripts and things that'd make this work I'd be very welcome, but at the moment all I need is critisism on my method.

 

Saying this now, I'm not a modder I'm the idea guy, however I do have a general knowledge of the GECK and a bit of knowledge in scripting with Fallout

 

 

I came up with two possible ways, but this method is the one I hope works.

 

I've copied most of this from my thread in case you have not played Fallout 2 or 1 this explains what special encounters are.

 

In the Classic Fallouts, there was no "wandering the wasteland" you traveled using a world map with a grid, so while on the world map and traveling between one area to another you'd occasionally get interrupted by enemies randomly (a random encounter).

 

Special encounters were different though.

 

As Quoted From The Vault "Special encounters are random encounters, often non-canonical, and are unique compared to more common encounters which may consist of hostile NPCs. They usually serve as entertaining points of humor, though some are very dangerous (Mad Brahmins), while some grant access to unique, sometimes powerful loot (Bridge Keeper). Most of these encounters consist of humorous pop culture references or other games or even earlier Fallout games (The Cafe of Broken Dreams). "

 

 

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Classic Fallout encounters

 

All encounters should of course be tied to the Wild Wasteland perk, so that way players can play the game with or without encounters (Which are all silly since that is what they are all supposed to be)

 

Method 1

Using New worldspaces (theres a mod with a blank one) and a script that activates on new exterior cells.

 

The details are this, the script has a chance of activating everytime you enter a new cell while your outside (so you can't walk into a building and encounter the bridge of death)

 

The script would up your chances of encounters by your luck skill, level should also probably be a factor so you don't get weapons and armors too early.

 

The script once activated, would give you a choice by using a standard message box, The box would say something like

"You have encountered a group of men banging halves of coconuts together (Monty Python), Do You wish to proceed? Yes or No."

 

Choose yes and your character is teleported to the worldspace of that encounter, does the encounter and leaves using a scripted activator and message box.

 

Choose no and continue on your journey until the script randomly promts you again.

 

This method would ensure no space is used that could conflict with other mods. And makes the encounters truely random, as there would be no specific cell to go to, to force the encounter.

Of course their would need to be certain cells that activate the script so you don't encounter things in towns or while fighting on the edge of two different exterior cells.

[simplywayne90]

Okay I'm going to try to discribe what I need from the scripts.

 

The first thing I need to know is possible or not, is a script that would run on every loading of a new exterior cell, but not include the towns cells as that wouldn't make sense.

 

Second, The base game script for random attacks from factions or this script, Could a script like that be used for triggering the random encounters via a message box with a choice to have the encounter or not?

 

And if so, How would a script make some encounters more likely than others?

 

And Could a different script disable each encounter after you've had them, so they don't happen repeatidily?

Something like FirstKnightsEncounter=0 (Means you haven't completed the encounter)

Then after you finish the encounter you activate a scripted activator to leave the area, that sets that value I mentioned to 1

So then it'd be FirstKnightsEncounter=1 (Which means you won't have that encounter again)

 

And could the same script enable an encounter in response to another encounter being disabled?

 

And example would be,

The second encounter with the Knights is not possible until you met them in the first encounter so something like

FirstKnightsEncounter=0

Then

SecondKnightsEncounter=2 (As in its impossible to get until you met them a first time)

 

So when FirstKnightsEncounter=1, then you could trigger the script to set the SecondKnightsEncounter value to 0 and thus make it accessable by the random event script.

 

The main thing that boggles me if how to make the encounters just rare enough to where a player may get a special encounter every once and awhile and could play the game all the way through and still not get too many. Perhaps a global variable of some sort?

 

I don't want people to play through the mod in a couple of days and then be tired of it, I want to make them rare enough where when people get the chance to have one they won't be able to say no because they'll be so excited at what it might be.

 

I know that seems like its too rare, but of course players with moderate luck would get one every (real-life) hour or so of gameplay, I might let them be more frequent later since I hope to get many encounters to put in game,

Edited December 9, 2010 by simplywayne90

[crossfirex]

It's not the world space or models that I need to know about, but I do need input from scripters.

 

I plan to make players have a

 

"random chance using the random number generator everytime you fast travel or leave an interior. the base game already does that with certain events, like the talon company mercs attacking you in Fo3. or that crazy NCR ranger chick in new vegas. "

 

I also would like it to include whenever you enter a new exterior cell, like from one section of wasteland to another.

 

But how would I make each encounter appear only once?, and I plan to have a lot of them,

 

And I need them to be rather rare so that a player can replay the mod serveral times before seeing everything.

 

I'd like the chance of an encounter on each cell somewhere between 1-10%

 

But Is a script based on both current level and luck possible?

 

And if it is how could it make certain encounters more likely and others less likey?

 

I hope that helps make my questions easier to answer.

Ok, to put simply, *Specialized encounters* you can make those happen only once, by putting them at a specific point of the wasteland, or creating a bunker or building that they will take place in.

 

*Regular encounters such as talon company/regulator appearances or mad brahmins* This can be done by methods used in the Zombie Apocalypse by ZuluFoxtrot.

 

Those are just a few examples. I am learning to script, but new vegas geck, makes it extremely hard. Though from what I take of it, it's kind of like basic programming in a way.

[simplywayne90]

Ok, to put simply, *Specialized encounters* you can make those happen only once, by putting them at a specific point of the wasteland, or creating a bunker or building that they will take place in.

 

Well they script will teleport the player to a new worldspace/cell that cannot be accessed in any way other than the scripted message box.

 

Also I'd need to enable and disable certain encounters based on the players level (you don't want to get killed because your "lucky")

 

It's all very confusing for me to explain.

[simplywayne90]

Crossfirex I revised the second post I made earlier, I hope its more clear what I need to know now.

 

 

I still need help with this,

 

 

I'll be very thankful if someone can answer even parts of my questions, I don't need the whole answer at once, so if anyone knows any part of my questions please post.

Edited December 9, 2010 by simplywayne90

[crossfirex]

 

Also I'd need to enable and disable certain encounters based on the players level (you don't want to get killed because your "lucky")

 

It's all very confusing for me to explain.

 

Actually, that's kind of how the original encounters worked. It didn't matter your level. You could run into a radscorp at level 1, or a super mutant. It was just whether you wanted to run or fight. Most of the older games encounters actually did not have level requirements. Besides, you don't need scripts to make an NPC or creature a specific level. That can be done through level offset on the NPC listings.

 

-It's how they used to make sure guards in Oblivion were 5 levels higher than the player. Or how they made so Talon mercs/Regulators were 2-3 levels lower than the player.

Edited December 9, 2010 by crossfirex

[simplywayne90]

Yeah after I calmed down and focused, I felt the new post is much more detailed on what I need to know, I just needed to know if it was possible,

 

I don't need a script since I won't be making the mod unfortunately since I don't seem to have any skills with computers.

 

Ideas and outlines are all I could contribute as you know.

[crossfirex]

Yeah after I calmed down and focused, I felt the new post is much more detailed on what I need to know, I just needed to know if it was possible,

 

I don't need a script since I won't be making the mod unfortunately since I don't seem to have any skills with computers.

 

Ideas and outlines are all I could contribute as you know.

Well, I'm fine with trying myself, especially since I have done it once before in Fo3, however, you really should try using geck. Even if you only learn the basics, like how to edit clothing, armor, and weapons. Or placing an NPC in the worldspace.

 

-You'd probably see how simple this can be, even without a script, if you got the basics down.

 

--Also, I need several clothing/armor/weapon mod permissions to make a special encounters mod. I like to add a few of my own parodies, not just the old ones.

Edited December 9, 2010 by crossfirex

[simplywayne90]

Thanks for all the support you've given my all this time Crossfire.

 

I have attempted at this but I can't mod, I couldn't even make a single cell, I really really suck at 3D things, I'm not so bad with photoshop but there no possible way I could make the settings and scripts. I'd blow every gasket I had, I've just spent 3 hours trying to make a single cell. I think I have no choice but to rely on others. which is frustrating.

Edited December 9, 2010 by simplywayne90

[simplywayne90]

Haha, well, first of all, there's a function "IsPlayerMovingIntoNewSpace" you can read up on it here: http://geck.bethsoft.com/index.php/IsPlayerMovingIntoNewSpace

 

it basically tells you yes you're moving into a new cell or no, you aren't, and you can set conditions for another section of the script to run when it finally says yes (meaning you fast traveled or left the cell)

 

the section of script that would need to run would need to wait for probably 2 minutes or so, with a timer that starts as soon as you leave the cell, (basically giving the player time to load in the new area)

 

after the timer's up, another function would be set to run using the function "GetRandomPercent" http://geck.bethsoft.com/index.php/GetRandomPercent

 

set a variable for it like "int EncounterDice" or something and set it to the GetRandomPercent.

 

you wouldn't need to disable the encounter with a desperate script. just set a constant global variable for each encounter and make it required to be 0 to start the encounter. at the end of the encounter put something like "set EncounterToggle to 1" then that script can never run again unless you script in a way to change it back to 0.

 

then you have the next segment of script set to only run when EncounterDice hits a specific number, or give it a higher chance to happen by setting a group of numbers, something like:

 

If EncounterToggle == 0

If EncounterDice >= 5 && EncounterDice <= 10

;show the accept encounter message box

set EncounterToggle to 1

EndIf

EndIf

 

that would give it about a 5% chance instead of 1%. you can make it less than one percent by having GetRandomPercent Run several times and add onto itself. run it 10 times and you have a chance to happen out of about 990

 

and yeah, you could make getting that encounter enable another one. in the new encounter's global variable, set it to a constant 1 and make getting the first encounter set the new encounter to 0 at the end of the script.

 

Haha, I'm reading your topic on the forum and answering this at the same time so some of my answers may be out of order, and i see i explained some things you asked about later in the post, sorry about that

 

the scripting for making encounters happen would be no trouble at all. scripting the actual events of the encounter i couldn't help you with yet, i haven't tried scripting any quests, npc actions, ai, stuff like that at all. i've been dealing primarily with magic effects, manipulating objects and the worldspace, etc.

 

the biggest problem i always seem to face is how to make sure the script is running on the player in the first place. the easiest method would likely be a hidden perk. it wouldn't show up in your perk list, but the effect it applies on the player would be this script, constantly.

 

i do know how to do message boxes and menus though, so let me know if you ever need help with that.

 

Alright, i think that covers your questions there, let me know if you need to know anything else.

 

PS: I stopped working on that car and started working on the airship... be excited, it's just a flying chair right now while i'm setting up it's fake physics effects, and it's already easily one of the most complex vehicle mods ever done... it actually banks when you turn, haha.

 

 

If anyone is willing to build on his explanation it'd be appricieated.