Prehistoric western

[devinpatterson]

The origin story is very similar to Jurassic park, but in a more capitalistic/entrepreneurial bent. In the 2060's one of the largest zoo's in the country (right now I'm leaning toward the San Diego zoo or the Phoenix zoo) in partnership with West Tek has recovered and reconstructed various dinosaur genomes. The various missing portions of the genome were reconstructed via a precursor to Wes Tek's PVP (Pan-Immunity Virion Project) which itself was the parent of FEV.

 

The first dinosaurs (a pair duck bills) were gestated in 2061 and were (of course) a immediate hit. The zoo bought several hundred square miles of land outside the city to serve as an annex. The park became a hugely profitable draw for the zoo. Over the next few years other prehistoric species were resurrected and the zoo (along with their investment partner West Tek) was making money hand over fist, then re-investing the capital into further research. There were some tragic incidents (and some resulting law suits), but all in all things went surprisingly well. In the decade before the war over two dozen species were brought back from the eons of time. The most aggressive and dangerous dinosaurs seemed to have the greatest public interest and as such research was directed at restoring the dna of T-rexs, Velociraptors, Triceratops etc. Popular prehistoric creatures from periods other than the Jurassic (flightless carnivorous birds aka the terror bird, dire wolves etc) were raised from the dead as well.

 

Then the bombs fell. In the terror many of hte park personal abandoned their posts. Electrified fences and other forms of containment were heavily damaged or disabled by the plethora of EMPs emanating from the nukes. Evey thing was in chaos and the zoo's occupents were either enraged or terrified by the detonations. In mindless fury or terror they escaped their prison.

 

Although very young, by simple virtue of their biology, many of the dinos were already larger than the native fauna. After escaping from the reserve they were able to hold their own against the native predators and began to prosper and mature. All dinos were created sterile, but shortly after the main bombardment the dinosuars were exposed to high levels of radiation from weather patterns and contamination of various lakes and rivers. The PVP gave them a natural immunity to radiation by repairing damaged segments of DNA rapidly after exposure to ionizing radiation, but sometimes the repairs were......"different". Relatively soon (two or three decades after the war) some species began to lay fertile eggs (or in the case of mammals, living young) as the PVP and rads had altered their sterility. Those that did not, perished as a race.

 

A group of tribals lived in the area and eventually developed much like the native Americans. They hunted the smaller herbaceous dino's but also had great reverence for them, very similar to the way the Indians felt about the buffalos. Relatively recently civilization began to rebuild itself and settlers from the mojave and other areas moved into the area, farming, mining, scavenging tech, ranching,(sometimes the smaller dinos, as well as brahmin) etc. Conflicts began among many (but not all) of the tribals and settlers. The player will step into this potential powder keg.

 

I think the real key here is re-creating the western paradigm in re: the encroaching settlers and tribals.

 

The tribals may have a special relationship with the dino's (circle of life thing), and will teach this philosophy (as well as special abilities) to certain chosen individuals.

 

In re: to the actual gameplay mechanics I think we will have to use google 3d warehouse models. I think we could rig the models to Gecko skeletons for t-rex and raptors. Triceratops can be rigged to big horners. We probably can't have something like a brontosaurus since that's going to be a new skeleton and animations, unfortunately.

[greenknightfury]

Oh, wow! This is an awesome idea, definitely something that needs it's own worldspace though.

 

Also if Deathclaws have a bite animation...that would be the best skeleton to work with for raptors/T Rexs, as it walks like they do and isn't "sidehipped" like the gekos.

 

I can already see that this would be a cool storyline: Civilization versus native tribe, heh you'd have to make sure they were effected properly with the perks from HH that affect the damage done to "primitives" or "imperialists".

[devinpatterson]

Oh, wow! This is an awesome idea, definitely something that needs it's own worldspace though.

 

Also if Deathclaws have a bite animation...that would be the best skeleton to work with for raptors/T Rexs, as it walks like they do and isn't "sidehipped" like the gekos.

 

I can already see that this would be a cool storyline: Civilization versus native tribe, heh you'd have to make sure they were effected properly with the perks from HH that affect the damage done to "primitives" or "imperialists".

 

Freak'n *dinosaurs*, What's not to love?

 

I'm especially interested in setting up the culture/lore.

 

Are there dinosaur ranchers (teh smaller ones), with cowpunchers raising them for meat,pack animals or even mounts. Dinosaur cowboys. Big game type hunters killing larger ones for meat something akin to the days of the buffalo?

 

Do the tribals have smaller raptors they use as guard dogs. Do they worship the biggest ones as demi-gods, mythical creatures?

 

How does technology work into all of this? The pioneers don't care about the larger dinos and probably have no problem poisoning them, sniping or hitting them with artillery. They don't care if opening a mine or restoring a chem plant damages the land, etc.

 

How about super mutants, do they have smaller dino pets and super mutant tribals? The NCR would support the colonization of the land so they'd be in the mix. How would the legion respond, maybe they think they could control the larger dinosaurs and create great beast of destruction.....sort of how Hannibal crushed the Romans with elephants. Would the BOS be involved, just massively slaughtering the dino's as they're only "stupid mutant beasts".

 

I mean the story lines could be awesome......

 

I also ran across a comic/tv show called Cadillacs and Dinosaurs and is a massive source. It's very close to what were doing here, with tons of good material.

 

I can already see that this would be a cool storyline: Civilization versus native tribe, heh you'd have to make sure they were effected properly with the perks from HH that affect the damage done to "primitives" or "imperialists".

 

Definitely, the settlers/pioneers could definitely carry the imperialists moniker since the majority would likely be NCR.

 

If you help me flesh this out I'll do whatever it takes, up to selling my soul to an infernal entity, to create the models and animations. Because I believe this idea has incredible potential.

[greenknightfury]

I loved Cadillacs and Dinosaurs! It was also part of what immediately popped into my head reading the description heh

 

 

I can see it being like this:

 

The settlers are a mix of ranchers, hunters, and farmer/opportunistic jungle gatherers that have just in a few years come to this land after some wandering types (scouts or prospectors) came back with trophies from stumbling across the place and coming out alive. The settlement should have an almost gold rush feel to it, as this place is dangerous but filled with rich soil and an abundant supply of creatures with meat and tough hide great for making armor and tough clothing ( I know it is possible, from having the Satchels and Stuff mod, to have separate boots and accesories..they would be great with this).

 

Unfortunately, they have recently begun to run into problems with the natives they didn't know where there, tribes of humans and of supermutants that live with and worship some of these beasts, coming into direct combat a few times when they have threatened what turned out to be tribal herds or worshiped creatures. Oddly the tribes of supermutants and humans live in relative peace, only fighting if so ordered by their shaman chiefs. This is brewing great tension at the moment as humans are the outside menace and the supermutant chief is beginning to suspect this is a sign that the humans must be evil..or will soon join with these outsiders to wipe out his tribe so that humans alone will posses the valley.

 

The players choice is whether to aid the settlers, the tribals or help them come to a peace; which will be further complicated by the fact that you have the choice of helping eliminate the supermutants(who do have a strange connection with the dinos, able to tame and live with even the predators other than the largest like a Rex) or make peace between the tribes, and then aid them in getting the settlers out or helping them all come to a peaceful compromise (by far the most difficult choice given it should require many different tasks and conversations).

[maryberry01]

DEVIN YOU BETTER GET ON THIS I WANNA BE A DINOFARMER OMG OMG OMG I WANNA RIDE A DINOSAUR AROUND THE WASTELAND

OMGOMGOMG

I'LL BE ABLE TO TELL STORIES TO MY GRANDKIDS LIKE MY DAD TOLD ME ABOUT RIDING A DINOSAUR TO SCHOOL

 

y'know... cause he's old... and stuff.

[devinpatterson]

DEVIN YOU BETTER GET ON THIS I WANNA BE A DINOFARMER OMG OMG OMG I WANNA RIDE A DINOSAUR AROUND THE WASTELAND

 

:biggrin: Damn right....it's Dinosaurs (nuff said, right?). The only thing more awesome would be Dinosaurs with jetpacks, but hey, you can't have everything.

 

I thought for sure you were going to throw a pitch for your Rapeasarus idea, good deal on keeping it PG :thumbsup:

 

So after you pointed out the dinosaurs in skyrim I did a little bit of research. Lot of good Dino models in Google 3D warehouse. But I wonder if the author rigged those dino's (skyrim) himself or they use an existing skyrim skeleton? Cuz I'm thinking a bighorner skeleton would be ok for a triceratops (except no tail). But the gecko skeleton didn't cut it when I tried to rig a t-rex.

 

But I'm so smitten by the whole prehistoric western idea, I'll even consider doing custom animations if that's what it takes to make it a reality.

[TrooperScooperMKII]

Just what the doctor ordered.

 

 

http://drmcninja.com/comics/2006-04-143p13.gif

 

 

...I love that comic...

[CamouflageUK]

link didn't work... edited out. Edited September 10, 2012 by CamouflageUK

[greenknightfury]

Just what the doctor ordered.

 

 

http://drmcninja.com/comics/2006-04-143p13.gif

 

 

...I love that comic...

 

 

Ha! Not surprised someone made a Dr McNinja link in here. Love that comic.

[bigmunk2]

The origin story is very similar to Jurassic park, but in a more capitalistic/entrepreneurial bent. In the 2060's one of the largest zoo's in the country (right now I'm leaning toward the San Diego zoo or the Phoenix zoo) in partnership with West Tek has recovered and reconstructed various dinosaur genomes. The various missing portions of the genome were reconstructed via a precursor to Wes Tek's PVP (Pan-Immunity Virion Project) which itself was the parent of FEV.

 

The first dinosaurs (a pair duck bills) were gestated in 2061 and were (of course) a immediate hit. The zoo bought several hundred square miles of land outside the city to serve as an annex. The park became a hugely profitable draw for the zoo. Over the next few years other prehistoric species were resurrected and the zoo (along with their investment partner West Tek) was making money hand over fist, then re-investing the capital into further research. There were some tragic incidents (and some resulting law suits), but all in all things went surprisingly well. In the decade before the war over two dozen species were brought back from the eons of time. The most aggressive and dangerous dinosaurs seemed to have the greatest public interest and as such research was directed at restoring the dna of T-rexs, Velociraptors, Triceratops etc. Popular prehistoric creatures from periods other than the Jurassic (flightless carnivorous birds aka the terror bird, dire wolves etc) were raised from the dead as well.

 

Then the bombs fell. In the terror many of hte park personal abandoned their posts. Electrified fences and other forms of containment were heavily damaged or disabled by the plethora of EMPs emanating from the nukes. Evey thing was in chaos and the zoo's occupents were either enraged or terrified by the detonations. In mindless fury or terror they escaped their prison.

 

Although very young, by simple virtue of their biology, many of the dinos were already larger than the native fauna. After escaping from the reserve they were able to hold their own against the native predators and began to prosper and mature. All dinos were created sterile, but shortly after the main bombardment the dinosuars were exposed to high levels of radiation from weather patterns and contamination of various lakes and rivers. The PVP gave them a natural immunity to radiation by repairing damaged segments of DNA rapidly after exposure to ionizing radiation, but sometimes the repairs were......"different". Relatively soon (two or three decades after the war) some species began to lay fertile eggs (or in the case of mammals, living young) as the PVP and rads had altered their sterility. Those that did not, perished as a race.

 

A group of tribals lived in the area and eventually developed much like the native Americans. They hunted the smaller herbaceous dino's but also had great reverence for them, very similar to the way the Indians felt about the buffalos. Relatively recently civilization began to rebuild itself and settlers from the mojave and other areas moved into the area, farming, mining, scavenging tech, ranching,(sometimes the smaller dinos, as well as brahmin) etc. Conflicts began among many (but not all) of the tribals and settlers. The player will step into this potential powder keg.

 

I think the real key here is re-creating the western paradigm in re: the encroaching settlers and tribals.

 

The tribals may have a special relationship with the dino's (circle of life thing), and will teach this philosophy (as well as special abilities) to certain chosen individuals.

 

In re: to the actual gameplay mechanics I think we will have to use google 3d warehouse models. I think we could rig the models to Gecko skeletons for t-rex and raptors. Triceratops can be rigged to big horners. We probably can't have something like a brontosaurus since that's going to be a new skeleton and animations, unfortunately.

 

 

 

 

I read your link, and I like it. I think the Zion Valley would be a good place to base this possible mod in, but it would need to have a lot more vegetation. Another place you could put them is a cave in a secret testing facilty. You could possibly add some new sounds to the dinosaurs too. Otherwise I like your idea.