Mod-Tec Announcement Thread

[Vulon]

What is Mod-Tec?

Mod-Tec is a team-oriented and multi-faceted undertaking that aims to bring a variety of high quality mods to Fallout 4. What began as an idea for a single mod shortly after Fallout 4's reveal and an interest in collaboration eventually gave rise to Mod-Tec in the latter half of September. Now, with 2015 drawing to a close and the release of the Creation Kit looming sometime in the near future, Mod-Tec is officially open for business and looking to expand!

Current Projects

While there are a number of ideas for potential mods on the backburner, there are currently two projects that we're most interested in developing and have prioritized. The first, simply titled Gloria, is easily the most ambitious and was the idea that laid the foundation for Mod-Tec.

Gloria

There's no easy way to summarize what Gloria is. The following serves as an (admittedly abstract) introduction to the events that kick the mod into motion. I can't go into much more detail without divulging key plot points that I would prefer to keep under lock for the time being.

 

After receiving a mysterious broadcast on their Pip-Boy's radio, the Sole Survivor tracks the source of the transmission to what appears to be a hatch leading into an underground bunker. Venturing inside, they find themselves in the depths of a subterranean cavern. Following a pathway laid out before them, they stumble across an underground lake. The water here shimmers with impossible purity, its light stretching out in beautiful patterns across the rocky sides and heights of this enclosed oasis. The path here has thinned around the circumference of the miraculous water, but remains accessible. It stretches out towards a modest home enclosed in something not unlike a large, translucent bubble.

It's like something out of a dream. The pleasant pre-war architecture is spotless. Untouched by the decay of fallout. The estate, situated perfectly atop a convenient expanse of rock stretching into the far end of the cavern, appears alien in this habitat. All the more so, with the addition of its perfectly preserved front yard. Small trees sit around the house, frozen in stagnant, unvarnished autumn, transplanted all too-perfectly along the verdant green of lush grass.

Moving closer, the energy surrounding the home seems almost welcoming. It briefly shimmers as the Sole Survivor passes its threshold, but does nothing to impede their entrance. Inside, the home is nothing short of a miracle. A perfect portrait of the Old World. Familiar. Comfortable. But something isn't right. Somewhere in the house, there is a humming. It is low and resonant and mechanical, and it grows louder.

Following the source of this unknown noise, the Sole Survivor's vision begins to blur. They wander, growing weaker, and suddenly they are seized upon by something unseen. Consciousness begins to wane -- in, out, in, out -- and there are strange, too-close sounds coming from every direction; whirring, buzzing, clicking, frequencies rising, falling, and there is someone buried in the haze.

A song explodes into existence, chorus soaring, bursting into an overwhelming sensation of pure sound that seems to fill the world completely, and then everything is white.

The chorus fades, and for a moment, there is silence.

The white fades. Noise begins to filter in from the background. Distant sounds of laughter, a loud man talking into a microphone, the shuffling of feet and rustling of curtains. Someone is standing before a mirror, and as the world focuses, you realize that you are seeing through their eyes.

The date is October 24th, 2077. Your name is Joseph Duvall, and you are being prepped for an interview. You walk out in full view of the audience and there is a standing ovation. The man with the microphone motions you over with a wide smile. You take a seat, and he asks you what it feels like to be the man who saved America.

 

TL;DR Edition - The events of Gloria place the player in the shoes of a man named Joseph Duvall, a fully-voiced character who the player will control throughout the length of the mod. Gradually, the player will come to learn who, exactly, Joseph is as they unravel the truth behind the world they've found themselves thrust into.

The mod will feature a brand new worldspace, fully voiced characters, plenty of new, original assets, a variety of engaging side content, and a gripping, emotionally-charged narrative that centers around the themes of memory, identity, and loss.

I have revised and expanded upon the initial premise for this mod since August and have tremendously high hopes for its potential. As of right now, the mod has a fully licensed soundtrack in place and ready to go, over twenty pages of design notes, concepts, and ideas, a number of narrative themes and plot points fully fleshed out, and a basic layout of the mod's unique world space.

Denizens of the Commonwealth

The other project we're currently focusing on is, thankfully, a little easier to explain. Currently titled Denizens of the Commonwealth, this is a project geared towards introducing unique and fully-voiced new NPCs into Fallout 4 in an effort to further enhance and expand upon the base game with meaningful, interesting characters. This idea was more or less directly inspired by Kris Takahashi's excellent "Interesting NPCs" mod for Skyrim. I'm hoping to add anywhere between 10-20 new NPCs with the first release of this mod, and my hope is to have an initial release ready to go by mid-to-late February or March of 2016. This is operating under the assumption that the CK for FO4 is released sometime between January and March.

How can I help?

I'm glad you asked! At the moment, we're currently seeking additional writers and concept artists. We need more writers for both Gloria and Denizens of the Commonwealth, while concept artists are more specifically needed for Gloria. Once the CK is released (or after a sufficient amount of concept art is developed), I plan on recruiting 3D artists. I don't plan on actively recruiting scripters until the CK's release, simply because there's not much that can be done to actually implement any content we develop until it's out (disregarding currently available modding tools, which I'd prefer to avoid relying upon at present). That being said, if you have experience with scripting and you're interested enough to jump on board at this early stage, feel free to get in touch with me! Just be aware that there probably won't be a whole lot to do for the time being.

How can I join the team?

Get in touch with me here on the Nexus via PM, leave a comment in the thread, or shoot me an email at [email protected] or [email protected]! Make sure to mention your area(s) of interest and share samples of any applicable work you've done!

Once accepted as a member of Mod-Tec, I will give you access to the team's shared Google Drive account, where you can find additional information and references that will be updated on a regular basis.

Note - if you're interested in contributing in some capacity without necessarily taking on responsibility as a "full" member of the team, you are more than welcome to do so! Any and all help is welcome. Simply clarify your intended level of support when contacting me. Contributors will not be given access to the shared Google Drive account, nor will they be expected to participate in any group discussions pertaining to the development of Mod-Tec projects. Rather, contributors will work either directly through corresponding with me or, depending on the nature of their contribution (2D/3D art, scripting, level design, etc.), through a more appropriately suited member of the team.

Plans for the Future

Collaboration and the development of new ideas is one of the most pivotal aspects of Mod-Tec; aside from the projects currently in-development, I whole-heartedly welcome suggestions for additional content from not only members of the team, but the community at large. Eventually, I will create dedicated social media pages for documenting Mod-Tec's progress across all its projects in addition to using this thread to host important updates, announcements, and more.

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned!

http://files.gamebanana.com/img/ico/sprays/pip-boy.png

Mod-Tec Staff

Vulon: Project Overseer, Quest Designer, Writer, Audio Engineer, VA

Mattiewagg: Scripter/Implementer

shadowfangs99: Concept Artist

Esquire Magnus: Writer

unoctium: Writer

chaicracker: Designer for Team Logo [WIP]

Contributors

Cal from TeamBacon: Additional Art & Level Design

Edited December 27, 2015 by Vulon

[Mattiewagg]

Glad to be on the team. :) I'm awfully excited.

[TimeLadyKatie]

I'd suggest, if possible, accommodating a female Soul Survivor in Gloria.

[Vulon]

I'd suggest, if possible, accommodating a female Soul Survivor in Gloria.

 

This is something I've given a lot of thought, and I plan to address this to the best of my ability. That being said, the narrative structure of the mod hinges on the player character inhabiting the character of Joseph for a very specific reason, and we wouldn't be able to accommodate a female SS in the traditional sense of offering an alternative female 'host' character for the PC without a massive overhaul of the plot.

 

Again, though, I'm going to do my best to effectively accommodate female characters. Without giving anything away, I can assure you that there will be some pivotal differences in the second half of the story and onward based on the character's gender.

 

While we're on the subject, I'm not going to lie -- much of the mod's opening 'act' will be deliberately designed in a manner that, by its very nature, will inhibit certain elements of player agency. Not everyone's going to like that, but it's integral to the story in a meaningful way.

[nonoodles]

Do whatever the story needs done, there's plenty of time for us to carp and criticise and nitpick the heck outta it :teehee:

 

And colour me very intrigued by the premise for Gloria!

[Athanasa]

Daaamn, that's a big project. Sounds absolutely incredible, though.

[Vulon]

Do whatever the story needs done, there's plenty of time for us to carp and criticise and nitpick the heck outta it :teehee:

 

And colour me very intrigued by the premise for Gloria!

Quite true. :D

 

Glad to hear you're intrigued!

 

Daaamn, that's a big project. Sounds absolutely incredible, though.

Thank you very much! It's a big undertaking, for sure, but I'm really excited to bring these ideas (and many more down the road) to life.

[Vulon]

Updated OP with an additional credit and a brief note regarding the difference between 'contributing' to Mod-Tec projects and taking on responsibility as a "full" member of the team. :)

[ninetitle]

If you need texturing and modeling I can help.

[Vulon]

If you need texturing and modeling I can help.

Fantastic! :D We'll have ample need of both textures & models a little ways down the line. As of right now, we're still ironing out some design details. I'll be sure to get in touch when I have something tangible for you to work on. :)

 

Thanks!