Sunset Wild West History

[devinpatterson]

There has been a few requests to view the ideas/messages the core team (TrooperScooperMKI, Kagstrom2100, Flaarg and myself) working on the Sunset Sarsaparilla's Wild Wild West World have created. I decided to put it in a separate thread so anyone interested in contributing can review the plot line and ideas we have in place and help to refine and improve them. I split them off from the main thread so it wouldn't interrupt the discussions already in progress.

 

If possible it would be best to ask questions or offer suggestions re: this thread in the main Sunset Sarsaparilla's Wild Wild West World thread at http://www.thenexusforums.com/index.php?/topic/310142-sunset-sarsaparillas-wild-wild-west-world/

You will also receive an answer much more quickly as it is an active thread.

 

I don't see any obvious way to view oldest entries first so the replies are in reverse chronological order.

 

5 topics were posted in the main thread on page 22 http://www.thenexusforums.com/index.php?/topic/310142-sunset-sarsaparillas-wild-wild-west-world/page__st__210

Edited July 31, 2011 by devinpatterson

[devinpatterson]

Story Thread page 1;

 

 

 

TrooperScooperMKII

Msg ID: 117189

 

 

ALright, Bill will be the only "person" to be transplanted into a protectron, though I do think that these protectrons should have organic brains, for two reasons- the first is that organic AIs are more subtle/creative which is what we're looking for; second, and more important, it allows Bronco to blend in- the player would believe him to be just another organic AI bot, rather than the devious cyborg he really is.

WRT the androids being the bots- it would be nice, but as I mentioned, it would make Bill stand out more- we don't want him to... perhaps we can combine the two ideas? The androids would all have organic ais, we could show this on some of them (there should be variants on the androids, i.e. some are intact, others are superficially damaged but in different ways etc.) so that Bill would still be the same.

As to him showing up- the whole point of his rebellion is that the mainframe is losing it- not only is it starting to degrade, but it also has an armed and intelligent hostile inside the core levels, waiting for the oppportunity to bust out and start smashing important machinery. Add in the damage to the Array, which is still inoperable- the Messiah's hacking prevented it from rebooting the Array- and possibly damage/infection/sabotage of the park's systems (security cameras shut down, turrets deactivated/frenzied, etc.) caused by the Messiah's meddling and the mainframe definitely has its hands busy. Even so, it isn't overstretched- yet- though it's definitely at an impasse wrt the messiah, so the upper park is still (partially) functioning to keep up appearances for the tribals & Bill- the mainframe didn't tell him about Messiah's sabotage/infiltration, he's still unaware of the extent of the damage though he naturally realized something was up.

The mainframe really has no choice but to trust Bill at the moment, besides, with the EMP grid around the crucial systems, it knows that Bill and his posse aren't getting anywhere near its brain.

 

As to the bounty hunting, I agree that it isn't going to kill Bill just yet, but it definitely is going to find out sooner or later. The question is what tips it off, and how to time it so the player hasn't really committed to any side yet.

Perhaps it offers the mission during an early sabotage quest for Bill? Though, where would the mainframe come in if the Courier doesn't accept BIll's offer...

In Reply To: devinpatterson (117188) Posted On: 3/25/2011 6:05 PM

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devinpatterson

Msg ID: 117188

 

 

On the Bronco bill entry, I`d recommend that Bill was

ignorant of the general atomics organic cpu`s true nature.

 

Since all vault-tec vaults were controls or experiments in

re: to space flight (strangely enough, but read the info on

the vault wiki, it`s interesting) the organic cpu fits right

in. It`s a test to see if having much greater flexibility of

logic & reasoning (that a organic mind would have vs a

inorganic) would be useful in the unexpected challenges of

space travel and planetary colonization. Things like social

structure/dynamics that a ordinary cpu wouldn`t easily be

able to model because of it`s inherent randomness.

 

I belive Bill would be ignorant of the true scope of the

mainframes experiment.

 

I pictured Bronco Bill as the captain of industry type,

incredibly capable and perhaps even brilliant with some

serious personality flaws. I don`t imagine him being swayed

overly by money (being extremely wealthy) nor inclined to

have his personal bunker/vault a guinea pig test ground. Nor

would he willingly secede control to any machine.

 

Instead I`d suggest that like most vault-tec experiments the

true nature of this one was concealed. Bronco bill was

promised a "extraordinarily powerful cpu, far more capable

than any other civilian cpu available on the market" and was

unaware it was sentient. That fact that it was self-

conscious came as quite a nasty suprise :(

 

I`d also recommend that if he is serving the mainframe it`s

under extreme duress. All of these things make him a little

more morally ambiguous as opposed to a villains right hand

man. Perhaps many would do the same in his situation.

 

I`d also suggest that we have Bronco bill do the transplant

at his own request (actually demand). He was mortally

wounded and the vault tec team (consisting of at least one

doctor and some techs )was trapped in the park when the

bombs fell. As he lay dying he demanded the doctor and team

begin the transplant perhaps at the threat of their life

(remember he`s desperate, and is dying).

 

I`d like this for a few of reasons. One is there can be

doctor notes detailing the procedure and how things didn`t

go as well as hoped. This is good for the story background,

but also useful for fleshing out why Bronco bill isn`t quite

right. Two is it would fit his personality to a T. Three it

will allow you to craft Bronco bill anyway you want after

the operation since he is essentially suffering a grievous

and permanent brain injury.

 

In the plotline I`d recommend against having other brain

bots beside bill. It will make it more interesting if he is

the only one and can be a shocker (He can drop hints that he

was affected by radition etc to mislead the player into

thinking he is a ghoul) near the end to find out he`s a

cyborg. He would stay in hiding like mr. house speaking

through other bots. But the other concepts of him in re: to

allying with the player to kill the mainframe or turning on

the player would stay the same as you described it.

 

Of course the lack of any other human contact will push him

even further over the edge.

 

You can still have your special/unique protectrons like hte

duelists etc, but instead of brainbots/cyborgs they can be

specially constructed versions.

 

I`d offer in re: Surrender: disguised as a tribal. That the

courier could enter in with the tribals as a "park holiday"

(which just by chance is approaching) when everyone gets a

chance to enter and enjoy a day or two of gambling, games

etc. In actuality the mainframe uses these "holidays" for

it`s own various purposes, like testing for intelligent

specimens, nabbing a person etc. If the player showed

superior skill in games of chance (counting cards,

calculating odds etc) he/she would be marked for extraction

by the mainframe.

 

But for the player this could be fun because he could get a

chance to check out the park for a short while in a non-

combat situation. Enjoy the saloon, see the burlesque

dancers, play some games, gamble etc. Stuff that won`t be

available once the park goes into lockdown.

 

I wouldn`t have the mainframe hire the player to hunt down

Bills employees per se. I think your first suggestion of

having Bill working for the mainframe (and by proxy his

posse) is better. Meaning they wouldn`t be a target (at

least not until Bill tips his hand and the mainframe catches

wind of it). And it would explain why the mainframe hasn`t

killed bill already.

 

in re: Bill is a bit trickier

I`d be hesitant to have bill being tasked by the mainframe

to kill the courier. The mainframe is already quite capable

of defending the park, and I believe would be more likely to

take matters into it`s own hand. But I understand from a

story line point of view that your looking for a boss for

the protectron posse. Although the mainframe could be that

boss too.

 

But I understand where your coming from. You want to have

the courier face unique protectron personalities with unique

powers/capabilities, instead of standard bots. I think

that`s an excellent idea and could be a lot of fun for the

player. And be fun for us to design too.

 

So lets go for it, but just fit them into the story line a

little differently.

 

Do you remember Button Gwinnett from fallout 3? He`s the

protectron that was programmed to believe he the real Button

Gwinnett. Well you could have the same thing, a protectron

that believes he is billy the kid, another that belives he

is doc holiday.

 

This is the idea I had for the androids and frankly I

believe they fit the androids better than the protectrons of

bills posse. But I`m sure we can works something out if you

feel strongly about them being protectrons.

 

The advantage of them being androids is they can be dressed up to fit the part perfectly. We could even go for historically accurate clothing and equipment. Pretty much any models & textures are on the table.That along with torn skin showing electronics would look pretty cool.The protectrons or other bots like the duelist can have hats, cowboy boots and different textures but not much else as far as models, at least not without a lot of work.

 

The disadvantages of the androids is that when they gibb they will show blood. It`s hard coded into the game engine. They don`t have to have blood sprays or decals, but the gibs will show guts.

 

But whether they are androids or protectrons we can still

give them cowboy perk, shotgun surgeon etc. to make them

formidable opponents.

 

But I believe the androids advantages far outweigh the bots when it comes to making the posse.

In Reply To: kagstrom2100 (117163) Posted On: 3/25/2011 4:50 PM

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kagstrom2100

Msg ID: 117163

 

 

Ya that is a good idea

In Reply To: TrooperScooperMKII- Story Thread Posted On: 3/25/2011 12:37 PM

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TrooperScooperMKII

Msg ID: 117107

 

 

I think that we should keep the various aspects of the mod in separate forums/threads, i.e. the story arcs will be discussed independently of the modeling and level design aspects. Devin and I have hammered out a rough plotline in a PM thread, I``ll have to condense it into something more coherent. I should have it up sometime tomorrow evening.

EDIT: All of the plot changes will be documented in this thread, with the date of the change/update at the top of the revised plot.

 

DRAMATIS PERSONAE [Character List & Overview]

 

Courier [No explanation needed

 

Messiah [Any suggestions for Names?]

An unusually bright and talented tribal youth, the Messiah sabotaged the solar array and hacked the link between the park and the array when the Mianframe attempted to remotely reactivate the grid. She used the gathered information to successfully infiltrate the park`s sublevels, where she was subsequently trapped when the Park`s AI instituted a general lockdown.

 

Bronco Bill [Name subject to change]

The park`s founder, he was the chairman of the Sunset Sarsaparilla Company during the years leading up to the Great War. He was secretly contacted by the US military to distribute an experimental vaccine through his company`s products; though the "Improved" SS variants were quite popular, they also proved to be dangerous, and the project was terminated. Aside from a substantial cash bonus, the contract also earned him noteriety with top tier government researchers, and he was subseuqently hired by Vault-Tec to begin research into an organic AI for possible applications as automated overseers. He was presiding over the initial stages of the project, ostensibly as the manager of the One [Two?] Year Anniversary of SSWWWW`s grand opening, when the bombs fell. Greviously wounded in the ensuing chaos, his mind was transplanted into an experimental protectron designed as a cyborg body at the behest of the Mainframe. He has faithfully served as the right hand of the Mainframe ever since... until now, that is.

 

Mainframe

An massive organic AI, the Mainframe is a cybernetically enhanced artificial superbrain. Its enhancements allow it to seamlessly meld with the park`s infrastructure; in many ways, it does not merely control the park- it IS the park. Aside from possessing internal supercomputers for precise calculations, its genetically enhanced lobes are as intelligent as most humans, if not more so. However, the mechanisms preserving its organic components have degraded with time- the AI was a functional prototype and lab rat, not intended for lengthy autonomous operation- and so the brain is starting to degrade, and so it is searching for a suitable source of fresh grey matter.

 

PLOT OUTLINE

 

 

Having discovered the park`s existence from files within the SS headquarters, the Courier enters the main runoff tunnel, emerging heavily irradiated inside the park. The Player blacks out almost as soon as (s)he exits the tunnels, and is found by tribals scarcely an hour later.

The player regains consciousness in the Campground (occupied by the tribals) to the north of the Tunnel exit. After conversing with the tribals, the Courier sets out to investigate the Solar Array, where the missing Messiah was last seen.

 

The Player discovers that the Messiah entered the park, and decides to go in after her. The Courier has three options:

 

Stealth: Delve into the maintenance tunnel between the Array and the Sublevels, as the Messiah did

 

Strength: The player uses a salvaged fusion car to smash through the front gate

 

Surrender: disguised as a tribal, the Player walks to the front gate and demands (requests?) entrance, as part of an offering ritual b/w the tribals and the mainframe

 

In any event, the Player has a choice between three factions- the tribals, the Mainframe, or the Park Employees.

 

The Mainframe`s first task is delivered from a hologram within the Sheriff`s office- you are to hunt down the various Cybertrons, who are the surviving park employees and the chief followers of Bill.

 

Bill is a bit trickier. If the player smashes through the gate, he lures the Courier into an ambush and makes an offer that can`t be refused. If the player walks in as a tribal, then (s)he is led to a terminal controlled by Bill, who tries to sway the Player to his side. If the PC sneaks in, then he either waits for him/her at the exit of the tunnel- having been sent there by the Mainframe to dispose of the intruder, but he offers an alliance instead- or is caught completely by surprise (as is the Mainframe) within the sublevels or some other location. this should be dependent on how careful the player is- perhaps a stealth skill check, or maybe a series of alarms that, if triggered, will alert the Mainframe?

 

More to come.

[devinpatterson]

Story Thread page 2;

 

 

 

TrooperScooperMKII

Msg ID: 117251

 

 

When you put it that way... yeah I guess that would work.

In Reply To: devinpatterson (117218) Posted On: 3/27/2011 7:57 AM

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devinpatterson

Msg ID: 117218

 

 

***************************************************

So, you want Bill`s "Body" to be based on a protectron?

***************************************************

Oh sorry, I thought you wanted him originally protectron. No

problem if you want him a different bot.

 

The thing is with the androids they are pretty awesome (have

10 in specials for all physical traits, as well as high

skill levels). True they probably can`t touch/feel like

humans can, but on the whole it`s not a bad deal. Never

sick, practically immortal, awesome abilities & health, etc.

I don`t think we want that for bill do we?

 

Don`t we want it more of a tortured existence where his

brain is imprisoned in a tin can? Living his own private

hell. Never able to be part of human society, never having

any human contact. Surrounded by cold logical machines.

Making him extremely desperate and willing to do anything to

escape his lot.

 

*****************************************************

"elite" variants with very little superficial difference

from regular protectrons would be a nasty surprise for the

player...

*****************************************************

 

I have some security protectrons that are re-textured in sunset colors & the army protectron style, they could be the "hardened" type like the sentry bots near that crashed vertibird.

http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Sentry_bot_(Fallout:_New_Vegas

)

In Reply To: TrooperScooperMKII (117214) Posted On: 3/26/2011 3:42 PM

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TrooperScooperMKII

Msg ID: 117214

 

 

So, you want Bill's "Body" to be based on a protectron? It really doesn't matter that much, but I do think that making all of the organic-AI bots be androids. It would make them stand out as something different, and besides, protectrons seem to be designed for quantity versus quality as far as combat is concerned. OTOH, having the park protectron guards be "elite" variants with very little superficial difference from regular protectrons would be a nasty surprise for the player...

In Reply To: devinpatterson (117212) Posted On: 3/26/2011 12:51 PM

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devinpatterson

Msg ID: 117212

 

 

I`m making up a nice brain texture to go on Bills dome, I

think it will look cool. I`m working on a high specular map

to give it a shiny look so it makes the dome`s glass appear

to really standout (thus giving the illusion of depth).

 

 

*******************************************************

rganic AIs are more subtle/creative which is what we`re

looking for

*******************************************************

 

Yeah I`m with you on the organic cpu`s having much greater

range and ability

 

 

********************************************************

it allows Bronco to blend in- the player would believe him

to be just another organic AI bot

********************************************************

 

I think it might be a better idea to have Bronco controlling

bots from afar. I mean it would guarantee his safety (at

least in the beginning) and hide his identity (at least

until he goes turncoat)

 

**********************************************************

keep up appearances for the tribals & Bill- the mainframe

didn`t tell him about Messiah`s sabotage/infiltration, he`s

still unaware of the extent of the damage though he

naturally realized something was up.

**********************************************************

 

Sure I think that makes good sense, but you can also have it

where Bill is aware of the chosen one, possibly because he

opened up network access for one of her hacking attempts

(secretly of course). Just a thought

 

***********************************************************

The mainframe really has no choice but to trust Bill at the

moment

***********************************************************

 

I would disagree with you on the mainframe needing/requiring

Bills help. But I understand where your going with that, and

how it is important for the storyline to plug Bill in as the

sub-villain (at least initially), tasked with removing the

the player. And certainly Bill wouldn`t be able to refuse

(at least on the face of it) such a request.

 

**********************************************************

I agree that it isn`t going to kill Bill just yet, but it

definitely is going to find out sooner or later. The

question is what tips it off, and how to time it so the

player hasn`t really committed to any side yet. Perhaps it

offers the mission during an early sabotage quest for Bill?

Though, where would the mainframe come in if the Courier

doesn`t accept BIll`s offer...

********************************************************

 

OK I think I see where your coming from. And certainly I

could see the the mainframe offering a bounty on Bill if it

discovers his treachery and the player has allied with the

mainframe, thus the bounties. Makes good sense.

 

I`d also reccommend that there is a failsafe inside Bill. A

little insurance if you will that requires Bill to do the

mainframes bidding. Could be a small explosive, or small

toxic capsule/injector in the brain case. What have you.

 

And part of the questline would be disabling it to negate

the mainframes control of Bill. And pretty much a

prerequisite of allying with Bill I would think.

 

EDIT: oh and there could be multiple ways to disarm it (for example some one with a high medical skill may just remove it) without having to kill the mainframe before it trips the deadman switch.

 

In Reply To: TrooperScooperMKII (117189) Posted On: 3/26/2011 12:27 PM

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devinpatterson

Msg ID: 117197

 

 

I`v been poking around with google translater for messiah,

chosen one etc in obscure languages (well at least languages

that arn`t very common in north america, unlike say spanish, which a lot of players would recognize immediately). I`m hopping to have one that is in a language uncommon enough most of our players won`t know it and yet phonetically pleasing.

In Reply To: (117195) Posted On: 3/26/2011 2:17 AM

Reply Edit Delete

 

Msg ID: 117195

 

 

Messiah [Any suggestions for Names?]

"My name is Dick Steel...Messiah."

 

Just a joke to get the name game started.

In Reply To: TrooperScooperMKII- Story Thread Posted On: 3/26/2011 1:24 AM

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devinpatterson

Msg ID: 117192

 

 

You know this kind of gives me an idea for v2. Have you guys

ever heard of a rpg game called paranoia? I never played it

but here's the wiki;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paranoia_(role-playing_game). But

a quick run down is that the central computer paranoid and in

general batsh*t crazy. It relies heavily on dark humor/comedy.

The computer giving contradictory, nonsensical orders/missions

etc.

 

With v2 having a population of none too bright inbreds living

in the park, it probably wouldn't be a huge leap to have some

cloning going on. Maybe it could be an interesting background

or setting if the player plays along. And of course if not he

can just blast the park to shambles.

In Reply To: TrooperScooperMKII (117189) Posted On: 3/25/2011 8:29 PM

[devinpatterson]

Story Thread page 3;

 

 

 

 

devinpatterson

Msg ID: 117477

 

 

Oh, also I'd like the chosen ones parents to be somewhat

special as well. Like at least average or better intelligence

and probably the chief.

 

Maybe one of them could even be a outsider before the reactor

started flushing radioactive/contaminated water through the

runoff (closing it off to outside access.)?

In Reply To: devinpatterson (117476) Posted On: 3/29/2011 2:26 PM

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devinpatterson

Msg ID: 117476

 

 

Oh yeah I agree with you re: internal conflict. I was just

saying that 4 groups/factions might be hard to juggle in

regards to teh storyline.

 

Everything you say about "comic relief, one or more tribals

expressing hostility, individual responses, one or two tribals

involved in the questline": etc. all of that makes good sense

to me.

 

Sounds like a plan of action.

In Reply To: TrooperScooperMKII (117473) Posted On: 3/29/2011 2:23 PM

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TrooperScooperMKII

Msg ID: 117473

 

 

All right, but I do think that there will be some internal conflict within the tribes, even if it is only verbal. Perhaps we could have a "comic relief" character worshiping the PC as the messenger of the MF? Then we could have one or more tribals expressing hostility; so rather tahn having "factions" we just have individual responses/interperetations of the PC's arrival. It doesn't have to be anything big for most of them, though it would make sense for one, maybe two tribals with stronger opinions to get involved in the questline.

In Reply To: devinpatterson (117390) Posted On: 3/29/2011 1:42 PM

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devinpatterson

Msg ID: 117390

 

 

Oh I wouldn`t worry about that. It`s ok if the player

doesn`t have sympathy for the splinter group, and snuffs

them. There are always some bad eggs in any group. As long

as the player understands the splinter group doesn`t hold

the majority opinion I don`t think there is any fear of jeopardizing the tribal storyline.

 

I believe the 4 groups you describing may be overly

complicated for a rather small tribe that isn`t exactly the

sharpest minds in the wasteland. And it would make the

politics particularly challenging for the player as well.

 

Not that any of those 4 ideas are bad, in fact I think they

are all very good. But imagine all 4 group plotlines going on, along with searching for the chosen one, exploring and taking down the mainframe, bronco bill, etc etc. It may make the storyline very convoluted.

 

In Reply To: TrooperScooperMKII (117383) Posted On: 3/28/2011 7:36 PM

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TrooperScooperMKII

Msg ID: 117383

 

 

I had considered that, but it isn't "grey" enough; the player needs to have at least SOME sympathy for the splinter group, otherwise it's right back to the polarized situation it would be without them, b/c it wouldn't be long before they were purged from the park and the player's mind as just another obstacle to the questline...

 

So, to add some more depth to the situation-

Let's have there be at least three or four subfactions (more along the lines of a political party than rival gangs) that are vying for the position of "Supreme Leader" of the tribe. The groups are:

 

1. Status Quo: the player is irrelevant, a mere curiosity if anything- keep worshiping the MF as usual

They would be casually indifferent to the player, unless they openly express hostility to the MF

 

2. Disciples: the player is a gift from God! The mighty MF has sent him/her to aid us in our darkest hour...

They try to connect the Player to the MF, perhaps they think that the Courier needs "Guidance" to the Lord and Master? Could be interesting to have them try to "convert" the player...

 

3. Liberator: the player is the true Messiah, come to free us from the evil overlord!

The inverse of the above, this group actively supports you if you try to destroy the MF

 

4. Begone Satan! the player is a fiend come among us to drive us from God's light!

obviously, they are quite hostile to the PC, they would turn on him/her at the slightest sign of treachery

 

any thoughts?

In Reply To: devinpatterson (117277) Posted On: 3/28/2011 4:27 PM

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devinpatterson

Msg ID: 117277

 

 

It could simply be fear of retribution (the mainframe being

the most powerful force in the valley until the arrival of the

courier), or it could be religious zeal (the mainframe would

appear to be god-like in it's intelligence and power).

In Reply To: TrooperScooperMKII (117271) Posted On: 3/27/2011 12:55 PM

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TrooperScooperMKII

Msg ID: 117271

 

 

Regarding the Tribals- the splinter group shouldn't be "traitors" per se, as in, they aren't just impediments to the player. If they're going to be helping the mainframe, they have to have a good reason to do so; we don't want them to be evil even if they're helping th MF. So, aside from the cliched "we need food/medicine/water/whatever so we don't die" what else could cause them to sell out to the MF?

In Reply To: devinpatterson (117218) Posted On: 3/27/2011 12:40 PM

[devinpatterson]

Story Thread page 4;

 

 

 

 

TrooperScooperMKII

Msg ID: 117547

 

 

The two aren't mutually exclusive, but it isn't something I feel strongly about, so whatever works for you works for me.

Still, I do like the idea of him having an alias that he uses for PR reasons (Bronco Bill isn't exactly a common RL name) & so the stuff below would work.

Again, this isn't something I'm too worried about. In any event, I'm still looking at names, among other things.

There is another plot line that we haven't really addressed- how does the player end up along the questline, as in, who or what causes the PC to chase after the MF/MEssiah?

In Reply To: devinpatterson (117504) Posted On: 3/30/2011 1:08 PM

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devinpatterson

Msg ID: 117504

 

 

I`m thinking with bronco bill it would be best to be a

hardcore cowboy mindset. That`s why he has the museum, and the

park theme, and also why he has the black powder heavy rounds

(45-70`s) and weapons. I think he would fit better as the

texan archetype than native american, esp considering he isn`t

exactly a spiritual type person. I`v always imagined him as a texan oil tycoon in personality & style.

 

Not that the native american idea isn`t cool, it`s just that no one is more cowboy in the park than good ol bill

In Reply To: TrooperScooperMKII (117484) Posted On: 3/29/2011 11:15 PM

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TrooperScooperMKII

Msg ID: 117484

 

 

Agoyoanye means falling star in the Tewa language. The Tewa are a group of Pueblo tribes in the southwest, so that puts him in the vicinity.

In Reply To: TrooperScooperMKII (117483) Posted On: 3/29/2011 3:25 PM

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TrooperScooperMKII

Msg ID: 117483

 

 

In taht case, they're almost definitely part of the remnants; if her parents are still alive, we could have some interesting discussions with them...

as to BIll- I think that we need to establish his nationality. HE may have CALLED himself "Bronco Bill" or some other "Amreicana" name (sort of like a pen name) for publicity reasons. THis would be much more likely if he had some odd (or non-patriotic) foreign name. In any case, he shouldn't be of a nationality that would be too "alien" to mainstream America- he should at least look and sound like he's a throughbred American, even if he isn't...

Actually, why not make him of Native descent? It would be quite fitting to have a descendant of the Natives in a western theme park, and his real name so to speak, would be quite foreign to most players. Heck, we would probably be safe in having him refer to himself with his "true name" and have documents and such give his pen name, or vice versa- internal memos, billboards, etc. would reference one name, and the other would be the one he introduces himself as.

In Reply To: devinpatterson (117479) Posted On: 3/29/2011 3:04 PM

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TrooperScooperMKII

Msg ID: 117482

 

 

Actually, what is the Messiah's personality going to be like? i.e. what would describe her...

same for BIll. Was he very smart? Is he a tragic figure, a dying flame? The more abstract the better.

In Reply To: TrooperScooperMKII (117478) Posted On: 3/29/2011 2:51 PM

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devinpatterson

Msg ID: 117479

 

 

Wait let me amend that. If one (or both) of the the tribals chosen one`s parents are wastelanders instead of having them enter via the runoff before the reactor started leaking, it would be better to have had them crash in a vertibird.

In Reply To: devinpatterson (117477) Posted On: 3/29/2011 2:38 PM

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TrooperScooperMKII

Msg ID: 117478

 

 

Regarding the names:

I`ve found a decent site:

http://www.babynames.com/m/Names/search.php

also, I would suggest Evadne as her mother`s name. Evadne is the name of three mothers in Greek mythology:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evadne

the first is what drew me, given the Chosen One in Fallout 2 is implied to be a literal bastard, as his mother never revealed his father`s identity. ANd, of course, she would be the Chosen One`s mother, as with the other, so it fits.

EDIT: Variel is a Spanish name that means change. It sounds nice, but I still think we can do better.

In Reply To: devinpatterson (117477) Posted On: 3/29/2011 2:30 PM

[devinpatterson]

Story Thread page 5;

 

 

 

TrooperScooperMKII

Msg ID: 117739

 

 

Yeah, thinking is my specialty- I don't lack for ideas, I just have trouble getting beyond that.

I'm not sure how the perk would be implemented, if at all.

In Reply To: (117731) Posted On: 4/3/2011 2:06 PM

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Msg ID: 117731

 

 

that is a great idea

In Reply To: TrooperScooperMKII (117724) Posted On: 4/3/2011 1:01 PM

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TrooperScooperMKII

Msg ID: 117724

 

 

How about having it diseased? So, the initial perk does DoT whenever the dog bites someone. This ability would be removed/replaced via a quest to "cure" the dog, perhaps increasing its health, speed and/or damage to compensate?

In Reply To: (117721) Posted On: 4/3/2011 11:34 AM

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Msg ID: 117721

 

 

Dogs are always good.

 

Question, does the canine give you a perk, and if so what?

In Reply To: devinpatterson (117714) Posted On: 4/3/2011 10:43 AM

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devinpatterson

Msg ID: 117714

 

 

Cool. So that`s a chunk of work we can do without in the

preview ver.

 

I got a permission to use a wolf texture

http://newvegasnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=41193. And I

was thinking they might make a good low level enemy in the

valley for v1.x

 

In fact we could have a wolf or coyote or mongrel hybrid as a dogmeat like companion (probably for v1.x). I already have the canine companion mods (wolf & coyote) done, so it wouldn`t be any extra work.

 

What do you guys think? Canine buddy?

In Reply To: TrooperScooperMKII (117685) Posted On: 4/3/2011 9:12 AM

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TrooperScooperMKII

Msg ID: 117685

 

 

Yes, I think that would be for the best.

In Reply To: devinpatterson (117678) Posted On: 4/2/2011 8:08 AM

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devinpatterson

Msg ID: 117678

 

 

For the preview, do you want to skip actually making/meeting

the chosen one?

 

Part of the reason I ask is I'm pondering the size of the

sublevel(s). If she isn't down there in the preview, the sub

levels don't have to be all that large (if she is down there

they should be large enough to hide her).

 

And partly since the town buildings are going slower than I

anticipated I thought not meeting her will cut some additional

work (dialog, scripted actions, etc).

[devinpatterson]

Story Thread page 6;

 

 

 

 

Msg ID: 118102

 

 

very cool idea, there is always 2 answers to every problem.

 

 

In Reply To: devinpatterson (118100) Posted On: 4/7/2011 10:54 PM

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devinpatterson

Msg ID: 118100

 

 

good to know, thanks

In Reply To: TrooperScooperMKII (118083) Posted On: 4/7/2011 10:38 PM

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devinpatterson

Msg ID: 118099

 

 

And possibly as a backup for players with low survival and or

low med skill a infirmary/first aid station in the sub levels

with an autodoc.

 

That way if your a skills are low they have an alternate way

to complete the companion quest.

 

I could set it up with half movment and other reduced stats

for the pup until cured via hte player or the autodoc.

In Reply To: (117989) Posted On: 4/7/2011 10:38 PM

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TrooperScooperMKII

Msg ID: 118083

 

 

Antivenom only removes the poison effect, it doesn't restore health.

In Reply To: devinpatterson (118008) Posted On: 4/7/2011 2:49 PM

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devinpatterson

Msg ID: 118008

 

 

Yeah that would be a cool littel mini-quest for ingrediants.

 

BTW have you guys ever used anti-venom in game? I never had

and was curious if it only stopped the poison from causing further damage or if it also restored hp you had already lost from the toxin before applying hte anti-venom

In Reply To: (117989) Posted On: 4/6/2011 9:14 PM

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Msg ID: 117989

 

 

Great combination of the custom creature and companion, but it has to be a special antidote, other wise the gamer would wonder why a regular medical check or Antivenom dose wouldn`t work.

 

I suggest an antivenom made from the gila geckos gland or bottled saliva (would require a semi high survival above 70 to get), tobacco (use 1 pack of cigarettes), and a random plant (i.e. Cave fungus, Nevada agave fruit).

 

It should require both medicine and survival to make.

 

 

In Reply To: devinpatterson (117914) Posted On: 4/6/2011 6:51 PM

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devinpatterson

Msg ID: 117914

 

 

Oh I think I could figure out the perk/rabbies thing.

 

I don't think it would be too hard. Can't say I'm attracted to

the idea of making friends with a pre-rabid pup, but the idea

of curing it would be good.

 

Another option could also be having it hurt or poisioned and

having a cure quest.

 

It could be bitten by the gila geckos I'm working on (they

have some heavy poison) and the quest could be for a antidote.

In Reply To: TrooperScooperMKII (117724) Posted On: 4/5/2011 5:17 PM

[devinpatterson]

Conversations & dialogs;

 

 

For the alpha I think we just need bot & android dialog.

 

I believe the tribals & valley are outside of the scope of

the alpha (or v0.x if you prefer). The chosen one likewise

isn`t actually encountered in v0.x, so any communication

from her is clues left behind like notes, terminal entries

etc.

 

For non uniques I`m thinking vendor dialog (which includes

genstore/giftshop, cashier for casino ect), security bot dialog and android dialog.

 

Oh, I`d like to have the sentry bots & other combat related

synthetics (android, protectron etc) refer to the courier as Chinese soldiers to reinforce the idea that the mainframe is

still running the Chinese invasion protection program. But I

want to sprinkle in some liberal doses of over the top mr

gutsy attitude and a little twist of sunset western flavor.

 

For example maybe something like "Downright un-neighborly of

you red commie scum on my land, reckon I`ll have to shoot ya

in the face"

 

I believe TrooperScooperMKII should throw in at least one if

not more of the special bots/androids (like the duelist for

example) so that we can show off some of the unique AI`s.

 

I think most of the non-unique bots and androids can have similar responses and reuse the same dialog.

In Reply To: (118101) Posted On: 4/7/2011 11:40 PM

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Msg ID: 118101

 

 

Atleast a short holotape of Bill's voice. As far as dialog goes......

1: Has any been writen?

2: How much dialog do we need for Alpha?

3: What dialog about the story is needed for the preview?

4: How many interactive NPC's are there going to be? And how many to be previewed?

 

Just a few questions to help start this thread..... dialog is tough to do, even harder to sound natural (in this case fallout natural, probably not to hard), but once we get the characters and answer some questions, the dialog wirting can really start.

 

In Reply To: devinpatterson- Conversations & dialogs Posted On: 4/7/2011 10:52 PM

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devinpatterson

Msg ID: 118096

 

 

So I''m going to start messing around with goldwave and see if I can''t make some passible sentry bot & protectron voices.

 

I thought it might be a good time to hammer out the dialog for the special/unique bots & Bronco Bill (I''m guessing we want them in the preview)

[devinpatterson]

Bronco Bills Buffalo Wings;

 

Reply Edit Delete

devinpatterson

Msg ID: 118178

 

 

I should make them glow a little. Just a slight red glow for

added effect.

In Reply To: (118115) Posted On: 4/8/2011 2:39 PM

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Msg ID: 118115

 

 

"Spicy, Stale, and RADIOACTIVE!....I`d pay at least 1$ NCR....."

In Reply To: devinpatterson- Bronco Bills Buffalo Wings Posted On: 4/8/2011 12:26 AM

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devinpatterson

Msg ID: 118111

 

 

OK this is shamelessly inspired by the KFC mode on nexus right now. But what about a little local atmosphere? A Bronco Bills Buffalo Wings concession stand thing or little fast food store?

 

Who wants some 200 year old buffalo wings with extra rads?

[devinpatterson]

Alternate start;

 

 

devinpatterson

Msg ID: 118192

 

 

I''v also been thinking of an alternate start for the mod. It would basically mean stripping the player of his/her inventory. It can sometimes be problematic and cause a mod to crash, plus some players get PO''d. So it would be an optional file.

 

But it would add to the challenge in the preview v0.x. In this ver the player collapse from radiation poisoning and would be found by maintenance bots. He would wake up in the infirmary in a hospital gown. He would be able to exit the medical center immediately to the park, and begin his adventure. The player would be able to steal some weapons from the museum and track down his/her inventory later.

 

v1.x could be the same as v0.x above. Alternately the tribals could take the inventory. If the tribals took the stuff there might be several ways to get it back. They may have a task for the courier to undertake before giving it back, or a show of strength (like terrifying presence) could intimidate them, or playing the legendary savior angle could all work.

 

v2.x is where confiscating the inventory really shines. Because it would force the player to engage in the story line instead of combat.

 

Thoughts?