Fallout 4: How it should've been.

[RogueMatriarch]

For the wastes of Washington, D.C., we were given Wanderer's Edition. For the sun-scorched deserts of Vegas, Project Nevada was bestowed upon us. Now, for the ruins of Boston and the Commonwealth, comes the arrival of one more mod that will forever change how you play the game...

Project Phoenix: Fallout 4 Reborn

 

Initially starting as a personal project to adjust the latest entry in the Fallout franchise to my own tastes, Project Phoenix has become so much more than just a few changes to the game. It is on its way of becoming a complete overhaul of the Commonwealth as you know it. Factions, armors, weapons, crafting, combat mechanics, dialogue, the environment itself, and even the loot you find are all getting a revamp. Features from previous games, such as Skills, Traits, Ammo Crafting, Damage Threshold, and many more, will return alongside new ones being introduced like new ammo types, selectable firing modes, joinable non-storyline factions like the various Raider groups and Gunners, genuine Unique items whose special mods can be removed and placed onto an item of the same type, new models of Power Armor, and the list goes on and on.

 

A configuration menu is planned to be implemented as well, allowing you to enable/disable specific features and allow you to utilize Project Phoenix as you see fit. It will either be based off of Mod Configuration Menu from New Vegas/Fallout 3, a similar mod, or from scratch and custom-made for Project Phoenix. Ammo weight, item condition, and more will be adjustable and/or togglable using the configuration menu. Not all features, mentioned or discussed, may be implemented at the time they are talked about but will hopefully be at some point in the future.

 

A more detailed, but still out-dated, list of features can be found [HERE] along with better explanations of how things will work. The documents will be updated time-to-time but this forum is the best place to get the latest information. The list below is just a fraction of the features that will or have been implemented in Project Phoenix, with new ones more brought up or mentioned features discussed further in the later posts of the forum.

Restored features

• Classic Dialogue: Gone is the confusion and annoyance of the oddly Mass Effect-style dialogue system. In its place now lies the familar box-and-list format that players of previous titles are sure to enjoy and appriciate. Just like in Fallout 3 and New Vegas, your options are in a simplistic box with each option listing exactly what your character will say. Speech challenges will be expanded beyond just Charisma and retain their color-coded difficulty indicator. In addition to this, new dialogue choices will be added as well, expanding the possible dialogue paths you may take and their ultimate outcome.
• Damage Threshold: Featured in the original Fallout games and made a comeback in New Vegas, Damage Threshold (DT) determines how much, if any, damage is actually applied by comparing variables of the armor worn and the damage being done. If the DT of the armor is higher than the damage, none of it gets through. (In New Vegas, however, there was a formula that had a minimum of 20% getting through in order for enemies to not become invulnerable. Due to how Fallout 4 is set up, this cannot be implemented at the time.) This means you won't be able to take down certain enemies with low-powered weapons, forcing you to be more tactical about your approach and what you use.
• Item Condition and Repair: While somewhat implemented with Power Armor, this has been expanded to include non-PA armor and clothing. Affected items will have condition based on their type and materials they're made of, same with their respective repair items. Some mods will increase their health as well, prolonging their use before being needed to repaired.
• Weapon, Armor, and Mod Creation: In vanilla Fallout 4, you could only create mods for armors and weapons but not the items themselves. However, you'll be able to create weapons and armors using materials you come across during your travels such as the Shishkabob, Syringer, Railway Rifle, Metal Armor, Leather Armor, Robot Armor, and several more. Advanced armors and weapons, such as Machine Guns, Sniper Rifles, Energy Weapons, Synth Armor, Combat Armor, Power Armor, and so forth won't be craftable, however, for balance and realism. Mods for these weapons will also be uncreatable, forcing you to scavenge and/or buy them instead. Again, this is for balancing reasons to prevent players from getting all the crafting perks and maxing out their weapons as soon as possible. Hand-made/custom mods will be craftable, however, given you have the proper materials and knowledge to make them.
• Weapon Holstering: Weapons no longer vanish into thin air when you holster them. This is a feature that, for whatever reason, wasn't implemented but greatly enhanced immersion.
• Ammo Crafting: A defining feature of the New Vegas experience, you'll be able to craft and switch between various ammo types for nearly every projectile weapon in the game. The various subtypes have been expanded upon for numerous calibers and types, allowing you to specialize for specific situations and enemies. .50 BMG Depleted Uranium Rounds and High-explosive, Armor-piercing Incendiary (H.E.A.P.I) are just two possible examples of many. Explosive and Energy Weapons are not excluded either. Materials used to make these subtypes can be found, bought, or made as well. Scavenger and weapon type-related perks will greatly help those who are interested in making these specialized ammunitions.
• Ammo Performance and Ballistics Overhaul: As mentioned above, new ammo types are introduced. However, projectile properties and ballistics are also getting revamped to perform more akin to how they would in real life. Energy Weapon ammunition, for example, have multiple charges per unit before they are depleted much like Fusion Cores.
• Genuine Unique Items: Unique Items are their own independent entities now, sporting a unique description, a special mod that bestows the weapon's special effect(s) which can be removed and attached to an item of the same type, and unique models and/or textures to make them stand out amongst their typical brethren.
• weight in Hardcore/Survival

New features

• Feature management interface: Lets you switch features on and off so you get everything you want and nothing you don't a la MCM.
• Apparel HUDs/Overlays: Inspired by Project Nevada, many kinds of headgear, including helmets, goggles, and glasses, will have their own unique HUDs or overlays.
• Dual Wielding: With the advent of this feature in Skyrim, it was only logical for it to be in Fallout 4 as well due to using the same, but modified, engine. Project Phoenix enables it once again, allowing you to lay wastes to those in your path with twice as much in your hands. However, penalties and restrictions will be applied to make this non-game breaking.
• Combat Remastered: With the changes made to perks, armors, and weapons, combat will be vastly different from how it was in vanilla Fallout 4. There are no more straight-up damage enhancements barring select weapon mods, which even then only boost damage by a minor amount, all NPCs have set health regardless of level to prevent becoming bullet-sponges, and all characters wearing armor sport DT. AI and behavior have also been modified, meaning that enemies may react quite differently than they did before when fighting them now.
• Crafting and Mods Enhanced: Many items will receive expanded mods slots, spreading existing mods among them or having new ones added entirely, to further improve customization. Crafting recipes will be adjusted to include only logical materials, with Adhesive no longer being the bane of crafting armor and weapons mods. Many mods will also have their effects/performanced modified to be more sensical, be it in how much weight they add, how they affect accuracy, if they increase AP cost or not, and so forth. Some mods will be removed entirely due to their redundancy or excessiveness.
• Reusable Energy Ammunition: Instead of being destroyed and/or discarded, empty Energy Weapon, including Microfusion Cells, Fusion Cores, and Plasma Cartridges, ammunition is added to your inventory. With the right perks and equipment, they can be recharged and ready to be used again.

Tweaks

• These are far too numerous to even begin to list but most are small, but fairly noticeable, changes made here and there. Most involve crafting and balance but some are as simple as the Loot Lists used to determine what spawns on an enemy or in a container, item placement, and the general appearance of a specific location.

Additional features and tweaks will be added over time as work on Project Phoenix continues and people voice their opinions. Those skilled in scripting, modeling, and texturing are more than welcomed to lend a hand as I doubt I will be able to do all of this alone in a timely manner.

 

If you have questions, suggestions, or want to help, merely reply to this or send me a message in private.

 

[This was last updated: 4/25/17 and may not reflect the current state of Project Phoenix.]

Edited April 27, 2017 by Mavrickhunter2

[KarnBishop]

I like everything on your list except for weapon durability, any mod that returns that will be a gamebreaker for me especially since the crafting system nicely fills the hole left by it not being included, besides with so many settlements repair features would be tedious things you must stop for to do and besides most weapons aren't actively stopping attacks so at most you could maybe justify durability on bayonet attachments and melee based weapons.

[McC1oud]

Hunger bars, dehydration bars, sleep deprivation, weapon durability. All pointless crap that never needs to return.

Hunger still exists in survival in the form of food health items. If you try and get by on stims alone you are going to have a bad time.

Ammo weight = visiting containers more. I wish all none food items had 0 weight.

Ammo crafting is a thumbs up.

Edited November 15, 2015 by McC1oud

[RogueMatriarch]

I like everything on your list except for weapon durability, any mod that returns that will be a gamebreaker for me especially since the crafting system nicely fills the hole left by it not being included, besides with so many settlements repair features would be tedious things you must stop for to do and besides most weapons aren't actively stopping attacks so at most you could maybe justify durability on bayonet attachments and melee based weapons.

Personally, I loved the idea of weapons degrading over time. However, I may confine it to hardcore/survival mode exclusively or make it a feature player can switch on and off a la MCM.

 

 

Hunger bars, dehydration bars, sleep deprivation, weapon durability. All pointless crap that never needs to return.

 

Hunger still exists in survival in the form of food health items. If you try and get by on stims alone you are going to have a bad time.

 

Ammo weight = visiting containers more. I wish all none food items had 0 weight.

 

Ammo crafting is a thumbs up.

 

I noted that these features would exclusively be in hard/survival mode because not all players liked the aspect of them. I may make them optional, though, along with some others in order to make the mod appeal to a wider audience.

[zackyd665]

I like everything on your list except for weapon durability, any mod that returns that will be a gamebreaker for me especially since the crafting system nicely fills the hole left by it not being included, besides with so many settlements repair features would be tedious things you must stop for to do and besides most weapons aren't actively stopping attacks so at most you could maybe justify durability on bayonet attachments and melee based weapons.

 

I mean weapon maintenance is something that ensures a weapon stays in functional order. I mean say you have to craft a new barrel every so often wouldn't be too bad. Since as your fire rounds through the barrel it would degrade, not break but over time it would be less accurate.

Edited November 15, 2015 by zackyd665

[sieben79]

I'm for it.

The weapon durability system should work like in NV where after 75% duration the usefullness of the weapon will decrease. How the weapons will be repaired is another question. Maybe you can craft repair kits with scrap. There shouldn't be the need of carrying another weapons of the same kind to do this.

[RogueMatriarch]

I'm for it.

The weapon durability system should work like in NV where after 75% duration the usefullness of the weapon will decrease. How the weapons will be repaired is another question. Maybe you can craft repair kits with scrap. There shouldn't be the need of carrying another weapons of the same kind to do this.

 

I like everything on your list except for weapon durability, any mod that returns that will be a gamebreaker for me especially since the crafting system nicely fills the hole left by it not being included, besides with so many settlements repair features would be tedious things you must stop for to do and besides most weapons aren't actively stopping attacks so at most you could maybe justify durability on bayonet attachments and melee based weapons.

 

I mean weapon maintenance is something that ensures a weapon stays in functional order. I mean say you have to craft a new barrel every so often wouldn't be too bad. Since as your fire rounds through the barrel it would degrade, not break but over time it would be less accurate.

Taking some inspiration from Sieben and the in-game repair syst for Power Armor, I think I've come up with a feasible maintenance system many will like. There will be three aspects to it: Durability, Condition, and Repair

 

Durability: Essentially how much health a component has, this is dependent on weapon type and caliber.

 

Pipe weapons will always degrade the fastest due to their makeshift nature but make up for this by being easy to make. Chambering Pipe weapons for calibers higher then .38 will decrease overall durability due to the drastically increased wear and tear, the same going for energy weapons and non-standard capacitors that boost damage. Automatic weapons will also have a increased wear rate due to their full-auto nature,

 

Melee and unarmed weapons also decay but at a vastly reduced rate due to their often-simple design. A simple pair of Knuckles with no mods could be used over and over again with little wear, same could be said with sledge hammers and knives. More complex weapons, such as the Shishkabob and Ripper will have health between that of a conventional ranged weapon and a melee one.

 

Condition: Tells the current state of both the weapon and its components. Scopes, magazines, and grips won't decay, but the rest will depending on their usage. Good condition means that the part has more then 50% of its health and suffers no prblems. Decent condition means it has 25-50% of its health and has a minor accuracy penalty. Bad is below 25% and increases the risk of misfires and heavily decreases accuracy.

 

When using the weapons crafting station, condition is easily identifiable via color cues. Good = green, decent = yellow, bad = red.

 

Repair: Individual proportions of a weapon may be repaired using the same materials used to make them. The muzzle, barrel, and receiver, along with their various other counterparts, will degrade the fastest due to being used to fire projectiles. Stocks will also degrade but only if they're used to bash enemies, the logic behind this is that it'd be hard to aim with a mangle stock.

 

Pipe weapons, for example, will be far less durable then a majority of firearms due to their makeshift nature while military-grade firearms require less maintenance. Speaking of such, Maintenance Kits can also be made as a quick-fix solution when you're on the go, restoring some health to all parts but not repairing them completely.

 

Depending on how this is received, I may have the effectiveness of Maintenance Kits dependent on the player's Science! and Gun Nut ranks respectively. Somebody with, say, three ranks in Science! would definitely have an easier time taking of fixing up an Energy Weapon then somebody who had one or no ranks.

[Raycheetah]

Re: Weapon durability - Remember how the minigun's barrel heats up cherry red on sustained fire? That's a good indicator of the physical wear and tear that a high volume of fire can inflict on a weapon. Yeah, repairing durability may not be everybody's cup of tea, but it can have its place in FO4. As for the rest, so long as there's an MCM sort of options selection, I'm all for it. =^[.]^=

[SMB92]

A game that is about survival and scavenging should have all these features by default, but like it was mentioned, they have to cater for the kiddies so they dont even include such things even IN SURVIVAL MODE.

 

I honestly cant wait to see what mods come out for this. Given this is Papyrus, i reckon a port of iNeed from Skyrim will likely be very easy. Probably a lot of mods at that.

[Grasmann]

Some things could be tricky to do:

 

To tie durability to items if the default system doesn't provide any base for it.

 

Special ammo since you don't really choose an ammo type.

 

Slots for the weapons when holstered.

In skyrim the geared up mods only worked because a base functionality to build on was available.

 

Classic interface basically means someone has to create text for every line the player character can say.

EDIT: Well, ok it exists already for the subtitles. That can probably be used somehow.

 

 

I don't want to be THAT guy but I wouldn't be too sure that all that is actually realizable.

 

Many things depend on the extended features of papyrus and f4se though.

Edited November 16, 2015 by Grasmann