Setting up a Vertibird Sequence.

[danielj97]

Hey guys,

 

I'm trying to set up a little "cutscene", in which the players controls are disabled, a vertibird lands, a group of Enclave Soldiers come out, and knock out the player. Then the player here loads of sounds.

 

I can do the player controls bit, but the rest i'm confused with. :/

 

How do you get the Vertibird to land at (lets say:) Marker X ? Then, I'm guessing that the NPC's are meant to be already somewhere? Like, hidden away, then they come out, after the Vertbirds landed?

 

Then, once you've got the soldiers, how could I make the screen go black, then play the sounds?

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Daniel (:

[Tefnacht]

Hello.

 

Some interesting questions. I cannot give you a “complete” working solution but maybe I can send you into the right direction.

 

Vertibird landing:

 

The landing Vertibird used in the game during a few random encounters is a activator with a animated model. It has a “Idle” animation (its rotors rotating), a “Forward” animation (the bird landing), a “Backward” animation (the bird taking off) and a “Left” animation (the bird resting on the ground).

One example of such an activator is called “FFER62VertibirdEncounter” which also has a short script attached that does part of the landing/takeoff procedure. Another script relevant for those original Vertibird encounters is a trigger script called “GenericVertibirdLandingControlSCRIPT”.

 

Anyway, the basic idea is this: You have a activator using the animated Vertibird model that you place into the gameworld where you want the landed Vertibird to come to rest. This activator is initially disabled.

Then you have a trigger scripted to engage the landing, once the player walks into it. The trigger enables the Vertibird activator which then uses the command “PlayGroup Forward 0” to initiate the landing animation. It comes with sounds and all.

You use the command “IsAnimPlaying Forward” again and again to check if the landing animation is complete. As long as it returns 1 the animation is still playing. Once it returns 0 the Vertibird has landed and you can continue to the next phase of your script.

 

NPCs disembarking:

 

The NPCs jumping out of the Vertibird should indeed already be there, standing right next to the landing spot, even before the Vertibird landed. But they should be initially disabled. Like the Vertibird itself. Once the bird completed its landing animation, your script enables those actors. They could have a simple “follow the player” AI package. They would “fade in” and then run towards the player.

 

Fade to black:

 

Doing this requires the use of the “ApplyImageSpaceModifier” command. Or “imod” in short. I don't have that much experience with this command, so I don't know all the tricks and traps involved. Image space modifiers can do all sorts of crazy things. They are defined in the object window, under “Special Effects → Imagespace Modifier”. The vanilla game already comes with a modifier called “FadeToBlackISFX”.

Using the command “ApplyImageSpaceModifier FadeToBlackISFX” should probably do what you want. To restore normal view, you would use “RemoveImageSpaceModifier FadeToBlackISFX”. You will probably have to do some severe trial and error testing to get what you want.

 

Playing sounds:

 

This at least is relatively easy. The command is “PlaySound”. Sounds you can play with this command must exist in the object window under “Miscellaneous → Sound”. Once you added your sounds there, you can use “PlaySound MySoundName” to play it from your script controlling the cutscene. There is also a “PlaySound3D” command, which gives you more control about sound volume and direction (sound comes from the left, from the right, from behind, etc).

 

Knocking down the player:

 

While I perused through the GECK to write this post, I stumbled upon the vanilla cutscene script where you are captured by the Enclave after retrieving the GECK from Vault 87. I discovered something very interesting there.

I know from Oblivion modding that “Player.AddScriptPackage MyPackage” is a very, very bad thing. However, in Fallout this seems to work under specific circumstances.

After the stun grenade exploded, they use the command “Player.AddScriptPackage MQ08PlayerFallsDownPackage”. It is a simple Travel package, without target, that just has a idle animation attached (something Oblivion didn't have).

Anyway, using this command makes the player drop down. However, it is a 1st person animation which is used here, so you absolutely have to make sure the player is in 1st person view with the DisablePlayerControls command before doing this.

 

Well, those are my two cents on this topic. Maybe it helps you. A cutscene like that isn't exactly a trivial thing to do. Good luck.

[danielj97]

Hello.

 

Some interesting questions. I cannot give you a "complete" working solution but maybe I can send you into the right direction.

 

Vertibird landing:

 

The landing Vertibird used in the game during a few random encounters is a activator with a animated model. It has a "Idle" animation (its rotors rotating), a "Forward" animation (the bird landing), a "Backward" animation (the bird taking off) and a "Left" animation (the bird resting on the ground).

One example of such an activator is called "FFER62VertibirdEncounter" which also has a short script attached that does part of the landing/takeoff procedure. Another script relevant for those original Vertibird encounters is a trigger script called "GenericVertibirdLandingControlSCRIPT".

 

Anyway, the basic idea is this: You have a activator using the animated Vertibird model that you place into the gameworld where you want the landed Vertibird to come to rest. This activator is initially disabled.

Then you have a trigger scripted to engage the landing, once the player walks into it. The trigger enables the Vertibird activator which then uses the command "PlayGroup Forward 0" to initiate the landing animation. It comes with sounds and all.

You use the command "IsAnimPlaying Forward" again and again to check if the landing animation is complete. As long as it returns 1 the animation is still playing. Once it returns 0 the Vertibird has landed and you can continue to the next phase of your script.

 

NPCs disembarking:

 

The NPCs jumping out of the Vertibird should indeed already be there, standing right next to the landing spot, even before the Vertibird landed. But they should be initially disabled. Like the Vertibird itself. Once the bird completed its landing animation, your script enables those actors. They could have a simple "follow the player" AI package. They would "fade in" and then run towards the player.

 

Fade to black:

 

Doing this requires the use of the "ApplyImageSpaceModifier" command. Or "imod" in short. I don't have that much experience with this command, so I don't know all the tricks and traps involved. Image space modifiers can do all sorts of crazy things. They are defined in the object window, under "Special Effects → Imagespace Modifier". The vanilla game already comes with a modifier called "FadeToBlackISFX".

Using the command "ApplyImageSpaceModifier FadeToBlackISFX" should probably do what you want. To restore normal view, you would use "RemoveImageSpaceModifier FadeToBlackISFX". You will probably have to do some severe trial and error testing to get what you want.

 

Playing sounds:

 

This at least is relatively easy. The command is "PlaySound". Sounds you can play with this command must exist in the object window under "Miscellaneous → Sound". Once you added your sounds there, you can use "PlaySound MySoundName" to play it from your script controlling the cutscene. There is also a "PlaySound3D" command, which gives you more control about sound volume and direction (sound comes from the left, from the right, from behind, etc).

 

Knocking down the player:

 

While I perused through the GECK to write this post, I stumbled upon the vanilla cutscene script where you are captured by the Enclave after retrieving the GECK from Vault 87. I discovered something very interesting there.

I know from Oblivion modding that "Player.AddScriptPackage MyPackage" is a very, very bad thing. However, in Fallout this seems to work under specific circumstances.

After the stun grenade exploded, they use the command "Player.AddScriptPackage MQ08PlayerFallsDownPackage". It is a simple Travel package, without target, that just has a idle animation attached (something Oblivion didn't have).

Anyway, using this command makes the player drop down. However, it is a 1st person animation which is used here, so you absolutely have to make sure the player is in 1st person view with the DisablePlayerControls command before doing this.

 

Well, those are my two cents on this topic. Maybe it helps you. A cutscene like that isn't exactly a trivial thing to do. Good luck.

 

Thanks! :)

 

This actually helped a lot!

[danielj97]

I know this sounds a bit odd, and there's not much chance of you agreeing to it, but could you do this for us, if I sent you the .esp with the location where the player gets kidnapped.

It's all a bit too complex for me. :S

 

You'd be fully credited, and it'd be a brilliant help.

[Tefnacht]

I don't really want to edit your mod for you ... fine tuning the cutscene would probably be a lot of work and I have my own projects. Sorry.

 

However ... this whole cutscene problem intrigued me. So I cobbled together a small proof of concept mod. Outside Vault101 on the road, a vertibird lands, four enclave soldiers disembark, knock the player down (actually they don't hit him at all, he just drops *g*), fade to black, two sounds play and then the player is teleported into the megaton clinic. Nothing fancy, all done with a single script.

 

If you PM me a email address, I'll send the demo plugin to you and you can take a close look and replicate it yourself. Even use the script if you want. No need to credit me.

 

Anyway, good luck.

[danielj97]

Ok, i'll send you a quick PM. (:

[zcr450]

Hey guys,

 

I'm trying to set up a little "cutscene", in which the players controls are disabled, a vertibird lands, a group of Enclave Soldiers come out, and knock out the player. Then the player here loads of sounds.

 

I can do the player controls bit, but the rest i'm confused with. :/

 

How do you get the Vertibird to land at (lets say:) Marker X ? Then, I'm guessing that the NPC's are meant to be already somewhere? Like, hidden away, then they come out, after the Vertbirds landed?

 

Then, once you've got the soldiers, how could I make the screen go black, then play the sounds?

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Daniel (:

i have a problem i cant get the troops to get out or even appear it lands then it flys away no troops

[DJFrosted]

Hello.

 

Some interesting questions. I cannot give you a “complete” working solution but maybe I can send you into the right direction.

 

Vertibird landing:

 

The landing Vertibird used in the game during a few random encounters is a activator with a animated model. It has a “Idle” animation (its rotors rotating), a “Forward” animation (the bird landing), a “Backward” animation (the bird taking off) and a “Left” animation (the bird resting on the ground).

One example of such an activator is called “FFER62VertibirdEncounter” which also has a short script attached that does part of the landing/takeoff procedure. Another script relevant for those original Vertibird encounters is a trigger script called “GenericVertibirdLandingControlSCRIPT”.

 

Anyway, the basic idea is this: You have a activator using the animated Vertibird model that you place into the gameworld where you want the landed Vertibird to come to rest. This activator is initially disabled.

Then you have a trigger scripted to engage the landing, once the player walks into it. The trigger enables the Vertibird activator which then uses the command “PlayGroup Forward 0” to initiate the landing animation. It comes with sounds and all.

You use the command “IsAnimPlaying Forward” again and again to check if the landing animation is complete. As long as it returns 1 the animation is still playing. Once it returns 0 the Vertibird has landed and you can continue to the next phase of your script.

 

NPCs disembarking:

 

The NPCs jumping out of the Vertibird should indeed already be there, standing right next to the landing spot, even before the Vertibird landed. But they should be initially disabled. Like the Vertibird itself. Once the bird completed its landing animation, your script enables those actors. They could have a simple “follow the player” AI package. They would “fade in” and then run towards the player.

 

Fade to black:

 

Doing this requires the use of the “ApplyImageSpaceModifier” command. Or “imod” in short. I don't have that much experience with this command, so I don't know all the tricks and traps involved. Image space modifiers can do all sorts of crazy things. They are defined in the object window, under “Special Effects → Imagespace Modifier”. The vanilla game already comes with a modifier called “FadeToBlackISFX”.

Using the command “ApplyImageSpaceModifier FadeToBlackISFX” should probably do what you want. To restore normal view, you would use “RemoveImageSpaceModifier FadeToBlackISFX”. You will probably have to do some severe trial and error testing to get what you want.

 

Playing sounds:

 

This at least is relatively easy. The command is “PlaySound”. Sounds you can play with this command must exist in the object window under “Miscellaneous → Sound”. Once you added your sounds there, you can use “PlaySound MySoundName” to play it from your script controlling the cutscene. There is also a “PlaySound3D” command, which gives you more control about sound volume and direction (sound comes from the left, from the right, from behind, etc).

 

Knocking down the player:

 

While I perused through the GECK to write this post, I stumbled upon the vanilla cutscene script where you are captured by the Enclave after retrieving the GECK from Vault 87. I discovered something very interesting there.

I know from Oblivion modding that “Player.AddScriptPackage MyPackage” is a very, very bad thing. However, in Fallout this seems to work under specific circumstances.

After the stun grenade exploded, they use the command “Player.AddScriptPackage MQ08PlayerFallsDownPackage”. It is a simple Travel package, without target, that just has a idle animation attached (something Oblivion didn't have).

Anyway, using this command makes the player drop down. However, it is a 1st person animation which is used here, so you absolutely have to make sure the player is in 1st person view with the DisablePlayerControls command before doing this.

 

Well, those are my two cents on this topic. Maybe it helps you. A cutscene like that isn't exactly a trivial thing to do. Good luck.

Thanks man! I know this is an old post but it helped me.. it was pretty simple actually!