Escape from New York: A Fallout 4 Mod

[TheNikus]

First up, let me tell you: I'm not a modder, and this isn't a mod announcement. What it is is me asking two questions: Why isn't there and open-world Escape from New York game, and, What better way to make one than to mod Fallout 4? Obviously, I've been deeply engrossed in FO4 and I started fantasizing about the possibility of an Escape from New York mod, especially now that the long-awaited GECK is supposed to come out soon.

The following thread will contain every thought and design I have concerning this proposed mod. I know, of course, that, since I have no great experience with modding, some or even all of the things I propose might be outrageous for a mod that would obviously have to be a labor of love without profit. This

 

Okay, now that we got that out of the way, let's start talking about specific ideas. Oh, and everything I say here, I put in public domain, so anyone may use anything said here for whatever they want. Maybe to make a mod? In any case, you may also consider this a piece of EFNY fan fiction (disregarding all of EFLA and the comics).

 

The scenario is 1997 in the "New York Maximum Security Penitentiary", like in the movie. You play a freshly interned prisoner during and after Snake Plissken's great escape. Your goal is, you guessed it, to escape from Manhattan Island.

 

This is a map of the Prison I made, with streets and building blocks condensed down, because recreating all of Manhattan would obviously be an insane project. I included the most important spots and landmarks I could find. Tell me if I forgot something important.

 

http://s8.postimg.org/fobftox69/Map_with_Legend.jpg

 

12 (D & E Parking Garage) is Cabbie's place

46 (Madison Square Garden) is the Duke's HQ

55 (New York Public Library) is Brain's place

The so-called "Run-Downs" are extremely derelict areas full of the biggest scum in all of Manhattan, basically what all or at least part of Broadway is in the movie, but even worse.

If you're wondering about the white areas to the north of Manhattan Island: the map is not unfinished--those areas were hit by an earthquake sometime between 1988 and 1997. The ground has basically collapsed there, leaving only two big chasms.

I might have to add train stations, too. After all, one features prominently in the movie. What is the most important station in Manhattan?

 

The scenario we're dealing with demands some changes in terminology:

 

V.A.T.S. > Adrenaline Mode

Stimpaks > Painkillers

Pip Boy > a simple clipboard or notebook

Bottlecaps > Cigarettes (cigs)

Hacker > Electrician (see Perk list)

Chems > actual drugs

 

Also, certain elements need to be completely changed, not just renamed or redesigned. As a substitute for the power armor, I would propose vehicles (cars and trucks) as seen in the movie. The settlement system is also not well suited for the scenario. Since I always felt that Bethesda had tuned down the dialogue-based role-playing in favor of the settlement system (which I don't find objectionable), I'd say we could re-introduce a more advanced dialogue system. This is illustrated in the following modified Perk system I've thought up.

 

TRAITS

At the beginning of the game, you choose one of these. They are basically the crimes you've been convicted for, based on the SPECIAL system. People with the same traits will be more likely to warm up to you.

S - Manslaughter: You're in for beating a man to within an inch of his life, and fate just happened to push him another step. You start with +1 Strength and one rank in the Heavy Hitter and Carrying Capacity perks, respecitvely.
P - Grand Larceny: You're in for stealing something that was worth more than you thought, and people wanted to get it back more than you hoped. You start with a much needed +1 Perception and one rank in the Lockpicking and Pickpocketing perks, respecitvely.
E - Escaped Convict: You're in after breaking out of another less secure prison, and during your time on the lam you learned a lot about survival. You start with +1 Endurance and one rank in the Surivivalist and Resistant perks, respecitvely.
C - Conspiracy: You're in for attempting to assist in the assassination of a major US senator. You start with +1 Charisma and one rank in the Haggler and Ladykiller / Maneater perks, respecitvely.
I - Fraud: You're in for forging and laundering money and for impersonating everything from police officers to a congressman. You start with +1 Intelligence and one rank in the Hidden Knowledge and Electrician perks, respecitvely.
A - Homicide: You're in for strangling your spouse's lover. You start with +1 Agility and one rank in the Sneak and Killer perks, respecitvely.
L - Innocent: Who damn knows how you got here--the only question is: Can you pull through? You start with +1 Luck and one rank in the Finders Keepers and Lucky Shot perks, respecitvely.

Now for the actual perks. Every main attribute has a dialogue option associated with it, so if you're very strong, you can knock out guys in dialogue, or if you're really intelligent, you can impress them with your knowledge. The dialogues would not be as streamlined as in vanilla FO4. You'll have to choose your words more carefully. Not all dialogue options are applicable to every person or situation.

STRENGTH

Dialogue: Overpower - If you don't like 'em, just snap their neck and be done with 'em. Activated. You attack and have a *% chance to kill the person you are talking to right away.
* (25 + 6xSTR + 2xAGI) - opponent's (STR + AGI)

⦁ Heavy Hitter: You do more damaged while unarmed, with melee weapons and bashing with a gun.
⦁ Carrying Capacity: You can carry more.
⦁ Chop Shopper: You gain access to vehicle mods.
⦁ Rowdie: Your melee attacks deal more damage while you sprint. Sprinting into enemies damages them. You take less damage while sprinting.
⦁ Immovable: Hip-fire accuracy is improved. While standing still, you gain Damage Resistance and your melee and unarmed attacks deal more damage.

PERCEPTION

Dialogue: Perceptive - You know how to read between the lines. Passive. There is a *% chance that you pick up on important details during conversations. Also works with passing chatter.
* (25 + 6xPER + 2xINT) - opponent's (PER + INT)

⦁ Lockpicking: Your nimble fingers allow you to pick locks.
⦁ Pickpocketing: Your quick hands and sticky fingers allow you to pick pockets.
⦁ Scrapper: You can salvage uncommon components like screws, aluminum, and copper when scrapping weapons and armor.
⦁ Concentrated Fire: In Adrenaline Mode, every attack on the same body part gains in accuracy.
⦁ Sniper: You are more proficient at aiming.

ENDURANCE

Dialogue: Attentive - Listening to these people is a real chore, but the mental stamina pays off. Passive. Certain talkative people will start to like you *% faster.
* (25 + 6xEND + 2xCHR) - opponent's (END + CHR)

⦁ Survivalist: You are more resistant to fatigue, addiction and diseases. ("fatigue" is your need for food, drink and sleep -- diseases are a sort-of replacement for rediation)
⦁ Resistant: You are more resistant to all damage.
⦁ Cannibalism: Eating human corpses restores Health at the risk of becoming sick.
⦁ Nightcrawler: Gain a bonus to Intelligence and Perception between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
⦁ Unbreakable: You take reduced limb damage.

CHARISMA

Dialogue: Winsome - You're a smooth talker. Passive. People will start to like you *% faster.
* (6xCHR + 2xINT) - opponent's (CHR + INT)

⦁ Haggler: Buying and selling prices at vendors are better.
⦁ Ladykiller / Maneater: Men/Women suffer more damage in combat, and are easier to persuade in dialogue.
⦁ Born Leader: Your companion benefits from your influence.
⦁ Intimidation: With your gun, aim at any human opponent below your level and gain a chance to pacify them.
⦁ One Man Army: When adventuring without a companion, you take less damage have increased carry weight and do more damage.

INTELLIGENCE

Dialogue: Hobby Psychology - You intuitively analyse the people you talk with and often end up knowing more about them than they know about themselves. Passive. There is a *% chance of receiving hints on how to best proceed in a conversation.
* (25 + 6xINT + 2xPER) - opponent's (INT + CHR)

⦁ Hidden Knowledge: You gain additional dialogue options to impress or confuse people.
⦁ Electrician: You can manipulate and repair electrical appliances. (= Hacking)
⦁ Engineer: You can craft and modify weapons and armor.
⦁ Physician: Painkillers restore more lost Health.
⦁ Drug Fiend: Any drugs you take become more effective.

AGILITY

Dialogue: Quick Draw - You're the fastest gun in the east. Activated. You attack with a *% chance of immediately entering Adrenaline Mode with a +10% hit chance to everything and and a full ciritcal meter.
* (25 + 4xAGI + 1xPER) - opponent's (AGI + PER)

⦁ Sneak: You are harder to detect while sneaking.
⦁ Killer: Your ranged sneak attack do more damage. You do 25% more damage to your second target in Adrenaline Mode and beyond.
⦁ Quick Reload: You can reload all guns faster.
⦁ Flash: Melee distance in Adrenaline Mode is increased.
⦁ Action Hero/Heroine: Your Action Points regenerate faster.

LUCK

Dialogue: Do I Know You? - You meet lots of people you thought you'd never see again. Activated. There is a *% chance to gain a huge affinity bonus with the person you are talking to; if this fails, there is a 25% chance they will instead dislike you more)
* (25 + 6xLCK + 2xPER) - opponent's (LCK + PER)

⦁ Finders Keepers: You find even more cigs in containers.
⦁ Lucky Shot: Your attacks randomly do more damage.
⦁ Guardian Angel: A mysterious guardian will appear occasionally in Adrenaline Mode to lend a hand, with deadly efficiency.
⦁ Critically Acclaimed: Your criticals do extra damage. You can now save multiple criticals to be used in Adrenaline Mode.
⦁ Ricochet: Any enemy's ranged attacks will sometimes ricochet back and instantly kill them. The closer you are to death, the higher the chance.

 

QUEST IDEAS

 

1. Gang wars
2. Joining a gang
3. Getting in good with the Duke
4. Helping Cabbie expand his cab business
5. Looting museums for Brain
6. Clearing out the subways and run-downs
7. Building the ultimate vehicle
8. Working for druglords
9. Looting various Manhattan landmarks

etc.

 

This is it so far. Hope you don't TL;DR :smile: More probably coming up.

All comments and criticisms are highly appreciated.

Edited March 15, 2016 by TheNikus

[IglooGreenHouse]

I would suggest, for the purposes of learning how to mod, make a small house mod when the CK comes out next month. Jumping into a project like this from the get go with no experience is gonna be disheartening. Work up to it and learn as you go.

[TheNikus]

I would suggest, for the purposes of learning how to mod, make a small house mod when the CK comes out next month. Jumping into a project like this from the get go with no experience is gonna be disheartening. Work up to it and learn as you go.

 

Thank you, but I was just spitballing here. Actually learning how to mod is well out of my range.

[Boombro]

 

Thank you, but I was just spitballing here. Actually learning how to mod is well out of my range.

It easy to learn how to mod, just look up Skyrim modding.

[TeamBacon]

Building Manhattan is just too big of a task to be taken on in a mod.

[bethjunkie]

Building Manhattan is just too big of a task to be taken on in a mod.

Maybe the entire thing but the major parts are doable: http://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/60506/?

[TheNikus]

Building Manhattan is just too big of a task to be taken on in a mod.

 

That's why I shrunk the area down to a manageable size. Boston isn't original size in Fallout 4, either. Neither was DC in Fallout 3.

 

 

Building Manhattan is just too big of a task to be taken on in a mod.

Maybe the entire thing but the major parts are doable: http://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/60506/?

 

 

Interesting.

Edited March 16, 2016 by TheNikus

[jeffglobal]

Maybe it's cause I live in NYC, but making a mod about it is disturbing. NYC is already a dystopian nightmare as is, where ppl that work are punished, citizens property and money confiscated at greater rates than ALL CRIME with asset forfeiture (it's not just for drug kingpins anymore), and illegals get free room and board, furniture, phone and clothes...bank accounts and MORTGAGES for houses...magic yo.

 

I did look at the FONV manhattan and having the Twin Towers still there is right. Having a "Freedom Tower" is about as cowtowing to terrorism as the Victory mosque within the footprint of ground zero is, for anyone that can read and understand history. I smelled the Twin Towers burn and the ppl that didn't jump to their deaths. I'll never forget that and only outside the US, were the ppl that jumped, burning and not, to their deaths ever shown in foreign news. Shame on the media, shame on our government, shame on us for allowing to be so runover by an elite that feeds on us.

[TeamBacon]

 

Building Manhattan is just too big of a task to be taken on in a mod.

 

That's why I shrunk the area down to a manageable size. Boston isn't original size in Fallout 4, either. Neither was DC in Fallout 3.

 

 

 

No, it is still an unmanageable size even when shrunk.

 

There are a few exceptions of really dedicated modders and teams, but 29 out of 30 times something this big is attempted, it ends in a bunch of excuses and never getting even 10% done because it is just too huge.

[TheNikus]

 

 

That's why I shrunk the area down to a manageable size. Boston isn't original size in Fallout 4, either. Neither was DC in Fallout 3.

 

 

 

No, it is still an unmanageable size even when shrunk.

 

There are a few exceptions of really dedicated modders and teams, but 29 out of 30 times something this big is attempted, it ends in a bunch of excuses and never getting even 10% done because it is just too huge.

 

 

Well, that's a bummer.