e[WIP] Stormtrooper Synths / imperial institute.

[doright]

Someone was asking about some pictures I posted about how I turned synths into Stormtroopers from Deodexed's Fantastic Commonwealth Stormtroopers mod

 

I did post a bunch of this stuff on the comments part of that mod... My apologies to Deodexed as I realize that discussion is more appropriate here.

So anyway. I am working on a Stormtrooper synth mod to share but I haven't got all the permissions yet and there are a couple of bugs I am working out. I think I am very close to having it ready though (Depending on permissions)

 

Also Please note: I am not trying to assume anything when it comes to permissions. Obviously mod authors have the right to tell me no and I respect that and will not use anything I don't have permissions for. I am just explaining my plan and pointing out some options. I just want to make sure it is 100% ready to go before I start bugging other modders about permissions.

I am making my mod so it has specially made synth armor and doesn't need Deodexed's mod as a master but will need it installed due to the textures/meshes/materials obviously and can be run along with it so far (with a couple of bugs mentioned below). Theoretically as long as he keeps the same texture and material paths It should work even when he updates.

 

I even have a lore explanation for it.. (though obviously the mod will remain non Lore Friendly) That the director of the institute came across copies of a few pre-war movies and found some he really loved. Because of that he went ahead and developed armor based on some of the armor from those movies.

Currently I have Wasteland troopers (Sand Armor/helm, pauldron, ammo packs on hip and chest) Trying to get it where most of the troops you see in the field are wearing that... The Wasteland is a dirty place after all.

Synth Special forces: (501st armor/helm texture, white Kama, hip/waist pouches and pauldron) I am setting most legendary and some higher level synths to spawn this way. Superbarrel synths also spawn with it... Figured it fit.

Synth Commanders: (uses the Red/Shock trooper armor/helm texture white Kama, Pouches, and Arctrooper pauldron ) Synth leaders. Bosses, and some Legendary are set for this. I chose the shock armor because I like it more than the Commander armor and it's more worn and that gives it a bit more wasteland feel to it. I figures those leaders go on a lot of missions so their armor should be more dinged up that ones that just work at the institute.

Plain synth armor (Clean armor/helmet) These are given to most of the synths at the institute and some of the ones that teleport into fights. Seems I get a mixture of clean and dirty synths when teleports happen but I think that's isn't immersion breaking as reinforcements should come from what ever troopers are ready to go.

I also changed a lot of the gen-3 synths around the institute to wear the Synth Under armor instead of those worker jump suits which I think gives it more an imperial feel. Works best with a texture replacer that makes them black but even the white version works. I also use the dark institute mod and dark scientist outfits mods too but I may just put all the scientists in the Synth uniform. (What do you think?)

I have also messed with some of the Railroad heavy's (including Glory) to use the Camo trooper armor but no helm just a regular army helmet and goggles. (Glory's outfit does not have the helmet and goggles. Just the armor) My explanation is they captured some synth troopers and re-purposed the trooper armor and repainted it for their own use. If I ever do release something I would do versions with and without this change. I just thought it was cooler than those butt ugly jackets with lead bars sewn on the front. (IMHO)

When looking at my screen shots you'll see I also have mods made where the synth weapons are all replaced by Blastech E-11's or The Republic Armory DC-15S's Obviously I can only use one at a time but I am not sure if I will be allowed to release those with my troopers.

 

I have been more recently playing with the Republic Armory one so that's the one you may see the most in my screen shots at the moment but I am not sure it it'll work even if I get permission . I love the blastech rifle but I thought it'd be cool if I could get both options to work as a choice. But it's less likely I will be able to get RA to work. My skills may not be up to the task. I really had to change that mod so the weapons use regular Laser weapon ammo instead of the Tibbana Gass so the NPC's actually spawn with ammo. I could only do that by editing the ESP that came with it so I have to figure out another way. I would only release it if I could do it separate with just using the original as a master. I am not going to release a modification of the author's esp but wanted to mention it because I am still trying to figure out how to do it just make it a level list change that uses his mod as a master and still get the Tibbana gas to spawn with the synths.

 

The E-11 mod I just added level lists changes to it so they all spawn with basic E-11 Rifles and that works fine using the original as master. Though that seems to work giving everyone basic E-11 blasters I am still trying to figure out how I can make it so the level lists spawn the different versions of the E-11 like the pistol grip, auto, and extended stock. I don't want to just assume they will let me so that's one reason why I am working on more than one option.

Republic Armory and Blast tech E-11 are the mods I am talking about. I highly recommend both as they are great laser weapons.




Why I am not ready for release


There is a bug with Rad and Stealth trooper armors and helmets where if either is created and used via the original mod. It makes the helmets glow green or blue on some synths. It seems to be related to which ever color the eye glow of the trooper you are using is. I have no clue how to fix that. (There are screen shots of this in the link below)

 

I had to scrap plans of putting Coursers in Stealth armor because of this but I am thinking about asking the guy who made the Death Trooper mod if I could make a mod that uses his to give coursers the death trooper look. But that's something that'll have to come later. If he allows is I could also use his death trooper rifle as synth weapons if the other two options fall though.

 

Anyway if you make and equip you own stealth or rad trooper armor from the original mod it may cause this bug sometimes when you encounter synths (I'm still testing to see if it's just an occasional occurrence or one that just happens when there is a script lag or memory lag) I do know on Mannequins the helmets glow 100% of the time on the female ones but never on the males so it might not be as big of a deal as I think.. But it does still require testing. Also by equipping a non glow eyed trooper helmet the glow will go away. The helmets will stay glowing however if you just unequip the helmet with eye glow. You have to actually equip another storm trooper helmet to get it to go away. I'd hate to have to tell people they need to care a spare plain trooper helmet with them if they use this mod.

 

 

 

There is another (minor IMHO) bug when you shoot the synths wearing trooper armor you will occasionally see synth body parts flying off like heads and arms and stuff but the armor stay's fully attached. This is something I doubt I would ever be able to change as the synth bodies are designed to do that and I wouldn't even know where to start... I realized this can be a bit non-immersive and will bother some folks.. But hey it can be really funny sometimes. Like when you shoot a synth in the face and you see it's metal robot head fly out the back of his head and you have comedy gold.. (You'll just have to imagine you blew a big hole in the back of the helmet)

When synths kneel or die there is sometimes clipping of the fake skin parts through the under armor and or Gloves. I feel this is minor too as it's not very noticeable and you kind of have to expect when you are in the process shooting that synth full of holes that some parts will show through. It only happens with synths that have that fake skin parts over their metal bodies. I didn't want to mess with changing the synths too much. All I did was make armor outfits and then edited all synths to use those outfits. I had to do it with outfits because I wanted the metal Gen1's to have the armor too. I left the dream ones metal as that is a memory before the current director takes over so it would fit with my weak lore explanation.

If I make the armor lootable occasionally you will loot a synth that has no head but floating eyes underneath. (one more reason I doubt I will make it playable)

 

The reason I am not 100% sure about the lootable/playable side is that if I do not make it lootable then you lose a source of income from selling synth armor. Occasionally legendary synth armor parts show up on Legendary enemies, including legendary synths but other than that there might not be a way for people to get regular synth armor except from the vendor at the Institute. (I honestly can't even remember if he sells it or not) and some people might want it earlier than that. I can account for the lost income if I can get permissions to also release the Blastech or DC-15s as you can loot a ton of them when you are facing synths and they are valuable but it is still something I need to address.

Here is a gallery from some of my tests that show the synths in actions at various points of the game plus the glow bug (Ha!) in it's current state... There are obviously spoilers here https://imgur.com/a/fAdKz

 

Any Ideas, help, or just plane old criticism would be appreciated.

 

 

 

Edit: I am using these texture replacers to get more of an imperial look to the institute you see in my screen shots. If I get the permissions I need and am confident the bugs are not going to get me hate I would add these as "recommended mods" to my upload.

 

Evil Institute HD - Evil Institute HD Vanilla 1K

Black Synth Uniform Recolor - Black Synth Uniform

Dark Institute Lab Coats - Dark Lab Coats Replacer

Edited December 6, 2017 by doright

[Mavkiel]

This would be exactly the sort of mod I'd want. I loathe the way institute armors look.

[doright]

I was just thinking.. I could account for the lost income by not having synth armor to sell by leaving the Ammo pouches still playable and just bump up their sell value.

[doright]

I have run some more tests. I haven't been unable to reproduce the glowing helmet bug on the synths. It seems to only occur with the female Mannequins now.

 

I have the E-11 replacer working and think I may be close to releasing a beta version. So I sent out some messages to start getting permissions.

[doright]

Ok.. Here is an issue I am trying to address. Since I am still basically a novice modder I do not know how to make the blasters spawn with various receivers.

 

That means legendary synths and high level synths will spawn with the exact same weapons. And with the basic receiver the blastech isn't very powerful once you get up a few levels. (which of course is a duh statement as that's what better receivers are for) Synths are too dumb to mod their weapons as they level up. :psyduck:

 

Now have made the more dangerous synths more of a challenge by increasing the armor value on the 501st and Commander's armors. So they wont do any extra damage than the other synths they are with but they will take a few more shots to bring down. The higher level ones should also have better stats so will do more damage but just whatever the basic receiver gives them. Is that enough? or does someone know how to enchant those armors to increase weapon damage... Or even better how I can make my level list replacer use all the different receivers in the Blastech mod? :wallbash:

 

Thanks for any insights.

Edited December 6, 2017 by doright

[Mavkiel]

Perhaps add in grenades? I'd imagine a few plasma or even normal frags would greatly increase their lethality. Just trying to think of a way around messing with receivers or custom enchantments. Heck, if you add in the dense modification it'd make the armor very good for the synths, and great for players fighting against them.

Edited December 6, 2017 by Mavkiel

[doright]

That's not a bad idea. I'll see if I can do that.

 

I was just given instructions from the author of the E-11 blaster mod on how to make the level lists more expansive with the different E-11 receivers. It might take me a while to figure it out even with the instructions though . :unsure: so it's possible if/when I am ready to release the mod it much just have basic blasters for everyone at first with an update later down the line.

 

I've been messing around with the CK/Geck on Bethsda's games since Morrowind but have only RARELY released any mods as I kind of brute force my way through it and usually end up with something that isn't fit for wide release. :ninja:

 

I'm trying to do it right this time. :dance:

Edited December 7, 2017 by doright

[Mavkiel]

The glowing helmet issue seems to be fixed, if you're using deo's assets.

 

On a side note, are you making the synths use full sets of armor? On one hand they look much better, and make sense, on the other I am sorta sad about missing out on blowing off limbs. Not sure if the npcs can handle it, but what if you gave them synth grenades? Best of both worlds, neat looking troops, that summon disposable cannon fodder.

[doright]

Oh the limbs and heads still fly off when you shoot them just the armor stays intact.. You people will have to pretend they blew a hole in the back of the armor. Yea it's a bit off but to be totally honest that's one glitch I will have to live with because I would have to completely change synths and I have no clue where to even start. (not to mention all the other complications that could cause).

 

 

Yes I am giving them full sets of armor. Helmets and suits for all. a few get paudruns, kamas, and ammo pouches.

Edited December 8, 2017 by doright

[SnakeEyes111]

Oh the limbs and heads still fly off when you shoot them just the armor stays intact.. You people will have to pretend they blew a hole in the back of the armor. Yea it's a bit off but to be totally honest that's one glitch I will have to live with because I would have to completely change synths and I have no clue where to even start. (not to mention all the other complications that could cause).

 

 

Yes I am giving them full sets of armor. Helmets and suits for all. a few get paudruns, kamas, and ammo pouches.

To fix that your could replace the files that the synth body has with storm trooper armor, so basically replace the synth models with storm trooper combined mesh. The problem is that rigging it and editing the nifs are very time consuming and confusing thats actually what im stuck on for my mod.