Random Encounters, Minor NPC's, and their potentials

[H00V3RD8M]

I've been thinking of how we could improve upon Bethesda's random encounters in the vanilla game. Some of those minor NPC's you find across the Commonwealth, such as that scammer Parker Quinn who insults you upon buying or refusing his fake charge card, could be useful in one way or another.

 

Some of those old military robots you find in your travels, could be hacked and work for you instead of being destroyed and scavenged for components. For example, that Mister Gutsy you sometimes bump into, that is enforcing the curfew, passed by "Provisional Governer Graham," with at least rank 1 of the Robotics Expert perk, one of the dialogue options is replaced by the option to hack the robot. The PC will say the robot's reset codes, resetting the Mister Gutsy to it's factory settings. Addressing you as the general, the robot will ask you to assign it's default home location parameters, basically you can then send it to a settlement of your choice. Upon arrival, the Mister Gutsy will automatically provide 10 points of defense and a boost in happiness. It can be commanded like a regular settler and will actively participate in the defense of the settlements, no fleeing.

 

The sentry bot Gus, accompanying the child merchant Kat, can be a potential asset to the PC. The girl can be persuaded to give up the robot for 2000 caps by passing increasingly difficult speech checks. He will provide 25 points of defense in a settlement, but is prone to overheating. The next time you encounter Kat, she will be accompanied by a different sentry bot, that can't be purchased.

 

Parker Quinn, can be convinced or threatened to return your caps if you fallen for his credit card scam. He will abandon his nasty disposition and apologize to the PC for his behavior. Regardless of population, he can be asked to join a chosen allied settlement. If assigned to a level 3 general trader, Parker will function as a legendary level 4 trader, selling valuable junk items that provide uncommon components, such as clean versions of common junk items, and improved versions like Luxobrew coffeepots and ProSnap cameras.

[vroix]

Yeah, I think that would be interesting.

The settlers, farmers, and mercenary that we encounter in commonwealth should be recruitable too, like a quick way to increase population.

I remember encounter a man with his daughter somewhere. It would be nice if they can be recruited to a settlement. A family in a settlement is something that can make the game more interesting.

[robhartman9]

I met a lady who sold me a cow, I thought that would turn out better somehow

[H00V3RD8M]

Ron Staples and Mac are the the two roaming bartenders in the Commonwealth. Mac explains the unusual place for his bar is because of the expensive rent in the main settlements (Diamond City, Goodneighbor.) If you have at least 20 settlers in an allied settlement, linked together by supplies, or a single one, and an easy speech check, you can persuade Mac to work for you. The Survivor will explain the benefits to the bartender, such as free land. Upon arrival, Mac will become a level 4 food/drink vendor, like Ron Staples. Upon leaving the cell where you encountered Mac and his bar, the stall will be deleted upon returning. Another level 4 bartender could be found as a new random encounter, that is of course, Henry Cooke. You can find him wandering the wasteland, where you can recruit him with no prerequisites, after completing Diamond City blues. Upon being banished from the Institute, Henry will confess as being an informant for the Synth Retention bureau as an informant on runaway synths, having heard of the trouble you've gotten into with the Institute.

 

The hostile scavengers you find across the wastes can be threatened into lowering their weapon with a speech check or the intimidation perk, they will apologize for their territorial behavior and can be sent to an allied settlement, where they will function as a normal settler. During the self-admitted synth events and Institute attacks on settlements, the Gen. 3 synth can be sent to the Railroad, which will earn affinity with Deacon and disliked by X6-88 and Danse.

Edited April 12, 2016 by H00V3RD8M

[Athanasa]

I had some thoughts for Art. I mean, for the Institute to put the effort into making an infiltrator for him, be must be someone important... right?

 

 

 

No seriously, spoilers ahead for the idea.

 

 

 

• Meets player at Diamond City after, thanks them for saving him
• Offers them some work, helping people cross the wasteland safely
• "Go to this area, clear this lot out for the caravans."
• Player does this, gets paid, and is helping the people of the Wasteland travel safely. Yay!
• Eventually has a run-in with a gunner slaver caravan - up to PC what they do then. (Kill gunners, free slaves? Let them go, accept bribe?)
• If kills slavers, there's a note from Art on one of them.
• If accepts Bribe, Art asks the player if they want a bigger cut of the action on their return.
• Art is a Gunner slave trader.
• Makes player feel bad for saving him - or, gives them the option to be a genuinely bad person.
• Synth-Art reason: Using the slave trading to get Synth infiltrators up to the surface near rich folk (sell them off as slaves?) and to fish out any escaped Synths that get caught by the Gunners. This way, nothing in the quest line changes. Unless maybe the player sides with The Institute. Haven't thought that far yet.

Requires:

VA for Art (dub over all his few existing lines, then add more), GECK.

 

 

 

 

Edited April 12, 2016 by Athanasa

[CyrusAmell]

Frankly, the current manner of encountering high level merchants (barring a few at pre-set locations) is ridiculous if not even feasible for normal players. Some can even die while a player is in the area without any notice being given. It is quite vexing.

 

I mean, we are the ones who are building towns shouldn't they come to us?

Edited April 12, 2016 by CyrusAmell

[jenthecopycat]

Yeah, I think that would be interesting.

The settlers, farmers, and mercenary that we encounter in commonwealth should be recruitable too, like a quick way to increase population.

I remember encounter a man with his daughter somewhere. It would be nice if they can be recruited to a settlement. A family in a settlement is something that can make the game more interesting.

 

I actually have a bunch of notes written out for a family settler mod. I'm waiting for the CK, and I have to fix my old mods first, but I do have plans to do this!