An independent New Vegas mod.

[devinpatterson]

will it be possible to be ncr friendly while seeing Kimball impeached?

Probably not very likely with a independent NCR friendly and very, very unlikely with a NCR mod, since your essentially giving the NCR exactly what they hoped to gain. They don't actually annex NV, so they don't get the city and the citizens (which are taxes and troops), but they do get a legion route and the 95% of the output of the dam. But later down the road it might be possible with the Ind NCR friendly I suppose....not likely, but possible. Have any ideas for a questline to make it happen?

[devinpatterson]

And just to clarify, what parts of the story have you guys already covered and what do you still need help with?

I saved a new thread with the first few posts reserved for development here. But I'll be damned if I can't find it :sad: No biggie though. I'll start another one. It will be basically a summary, in very broad terms of what we're working on. For the actual work though I'll be setting up a Google projects page, and we'll keep ideas in this thread, but more organized outlines, character scripts (as in lines), binaries etc on the project page. I'll try to do that this evening(ish)

 

And thank you for giving me a chance to be apart of this amazing mod.

Hey thank you TheBlueKidd, we all appreciate the help :thumbsup:

[devinpatterson]

Oh, while I was looking for the damn post I know I made I came across this one, that has the male hairstyles for woman (for our barber). Here's a pic;

 

 

http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/u404/devinlpatterson/b96e0950.jpg

 

 

[kingwilfre16]

 

will it be possible to be ncr friendly while seeing Kimball impeached?

Probably not very likely with a independent NCR friendly and very, very unlikely with a NCR mod, since your essentially giving the NCR exactly what they hoped to gain. They don't actually annex NV, so they don't get the city and the citizens (which are taxes and troops), but they do get a legion route and the 95% of the output of the dam. But later down the road it might be possible with the Ind NCR friendly I suppose....not likely, but possible. Have any ideas for a questline to make it happen?

 

A group of citizens upset with the lost of life (families, lovers, children, etc.) want to see Kimball out of the picture so they go to the leader of the free economic zone of New Vegas. Completely optional I might add. Caps for campaigns and speech checks to convince senators

[TheBlueKidd]

So I've thinking about the expansion of the companions that's been talked about and thought I've give everyone my take on it. So here it goes:

 

Raul:

Raul's endings aren't dependent on the who the player sides with at all so he'll probably be the easiest to do. If the player doesn't choose to save Raul, perhaps you could leave him alone or maybe have some special interaction when you start to renovate Black Mountain. Maybe he can be the head of crew and oversee the operation for you out of gratitude for saving him, and a little fee of course. If you're good at something, never do it for free. With this path you might even be able to make him a third new outfit, kind of like what he gets at the end of his quest. Next, would be the ending where he becomes a vigilante of sorts. I think he would be the perfect bodyguard for the player on a couple missions (On a side note maybe the player could have a limited choice in bodyguards in those certain missions, maybe 4 or 5 max out of a handful of choices. Just a thought.) Encouraging him to hang up the guns would probably be the simplest ending to work with. If you feel indebted to the old ghoul maybe you could set him up with a nice repair shop/junkyard in Outer Vegas (like this ending suggests).

 

Veronica:

If you encourage her to stay with the Brotherhood, she should probably be left alone. Like other's have noted I don't really see her having a prominent role in the Brotherhood due to her having a radically different vision then the majority of the members (even McNamara). Perhaps if you encourage her to join the Followers you could assist her with finding practical uses with any technology they've recovered or even do a few fetch quests finding stuff for her. In the House/NCR endings if you blow up the base this might not seem popular (and maybe you could make an optional patch if players don't like it), but I think it would be interesting if Veronica found out that you blew up the bunker and confronted you and you could either kill her or convince her that attacking the most influential person in the Mojave isn't a good idea. If the latter is chosen she leaves the Mojave. I think it would just would be cool to see the actual consequences of player choice and losing a friend is a prime example of this. And if people don't like this perhaps you could include an optional file for the House and NCR endings where Veronica stays the same.

 

From this point on I just want to note that with the lasting consequences I'm completely open to an optional file that nullifies all of them.

 

Arcade Gannon:

Arcade seems to have a huge variety in his endings.

NCR: If you encourage him to stay with the Followers then he stays in Freeside and helps out for a bit. So here I see you assisting him on a few quests, maybe getting proper medical equipment and support for the clinic. If he joins the Remnants however, it says he is hunted down for his affiliation with the Enclave. I see a questline where the NCR demands you hunt him and the rest of the Remants down and you have to accept. However, there could be a couple ways you end this quest. If the player has good or neutral karma the player can choose to wipe out Arcade and the Remnants or let them go and cover the whole thing up. If the player has bad karma, perhaps Arcade is outraged with the player putting the NCR in power and he and the Remants attack the player.

House: In both of Arcade's endings for this path it says that he's outraged with House's power play and leaves the Mojave permanently.

Independent: With Freeside in such a chaotic state Arcade (and the Followers alike) will most likely play a much more prominent role in keeping the peace. If you keep him with the Followers you're going to have to help a lot with the influx of medical patients and perhaps have to spend a lot of caps to help the Followers be able to support that massive amount of people. If he aids the Remants in the final battle Arcade could take a much more proactive role in helping governing the people/keeping the peace. Maybe you could get his Enclave tech involved somehow.

In any of endings in which he sticks around maybe you could include an optional romance with the player.

 

Cass:

For any of the endings I see her settling down and I really like the idea of her running a bar/brothel to spend the rest of her days indulging in her vices. Perhaps you could include an optional romance with the player for her as well. Maybe you could set her up with somewhere in Outer Vegas or one of the towns you rebuild.

 

Lily:

I don't really see a whole lot to do with her. Setting her up with a farm would be nice, but I think Jacobstown is the ideal place for her. Maybe if you encourage her to stop taking her medicine altogether she becomes out of control and a real threat, and you have to take her down for her own good. That would be interesting.

 

Rex:

Leave him as is. Maybe give him a cyberpup or two with Roxie if the player created her in Old World Blues.

 

Boone:

Now I have a lot to say about our old crack shot friend here.

NCR: If you convince him to make peace with himself over Bittersprings, he rejoins his old unit and perhaps could even assist in being a bodyguard further down along the rest of First Recon. If you don't complete his quest or make him vengeful maybe he leaves and you can hear idle chatter from the soldiers about a First Recon guy taking out the NCR officer who lead the Bitter Springs Op and was executed.

House or Independent: If you encourage him to make peace with himself, perhaps he can be a bodyguard of sorts or help with the militia to some extent. I think if you make him vengeful or don't do the quest at all it would be interesting to see him become the merciless assassin that ending makes him out to be and could make an attempt on the player's life. It could be a whole questline of some sniper assaulting towns and going around causing trouble around the Mojave/Vegas. You look into it, but have to put it on hold for a while because something urgent comes up. Later someone makes an attempt on your life only for it to be revealed as none other than Boone himself. At this point you can either have him killed or let him go (at this point he leaves the Mojave permanently), but not before asking him who he's working for (not sure exactly who yet, details can be ironed out later).

 

ED-E:

Perhaps finding ways to upgrade him a bit more. Maybe giving him more of a personality like his counterpart from Lonesome Road.

 

That's just my two cents! Tell me what you think! I'm completely open to constructive criticism and suggestions.

Edited August 5, 2013 by TheBlueKidd

[devinpatterson]

Just sneaking a quick comment from work, I'll follow up in much more detail this evening (time permitting).

 

For companions and really as an overall philosophy of this mod I look at the alternate endings as being cannon if the courier doesn't change them. I personally I believe that the courier has a loyalty to his/her companions to at least try to change those dark paths before s/he leaves. And lets face it, some characters alternate histories are all dark paths :sad:

 

So I'd definitely like for the player to get a chance to allay some of the misery, especially with characters like Veronica & Boone.

 

 

Veronica:

There has been only one person Veronica has ever fallen in love with. Christine is separated by a great deal more than distance; their past, the burden Christine caries from the experiments in OWB, even, up until recently their code/affiliation (bos, circle of steel, a mandate to have more children & forbidden same sex love). All of these, can now be overcome.

 

Darkus and I began hashing out a story line for exactly that purpose in this thread. I believe this one is worth developing, but in the interest of time and work load, with less emphasis on the actual encounters/combat in dead money and an alternate start. The courier may not have the idea to do this but rather is alerted by hearing rumors that a trio of BOS (actually circle of steel, COS) have been asking about a place called the Sierra Madre. A name the courier has't heard since dead money. He can get some info from McNamara if the player has a positive relationship and find out much like Christine was chasing Elijah, she's been marked as a outlaw for termination.

 

Long story short intercept the 3 operatives at dead money, and the series of events goes more or less like the thread.

 

You can try a bluff. COS operative; "What you fail to understand wastlander is that the Circle of Steel is a lifelong commitment". Courier; "What you fail to understand paladin, is that you and your two allies are seconds away from fulfilling your commitments". Which is only a temporary solution.

 

Try a ruse, that she is dead, and they will see through, or kill them (but more will come).

 

The last option is to make them look the other way and report her as deceased. You could provide a service in trade. A rebel/outlaw BOS memeber, much like the one in the pitt, has gathered a large tribe near Zion and is using his knowledge and training to create a "Apocalypse now" type setting. Raiding caravans, recovering advanced tech from nearby salt lake city etc. I throw this out there as a story not just because it has a good hoook, but because it would be incredibly quick and easy to set up (a s-load of tribals but with some advanced weapons and a one BOS heavy).

 

From there you follow the thread, and fix two broken girls that should have spent their lives together instead of worlds apart.

 

Cass:

For any of the endings I see her settling down and I really like the idea of her running a bar/brothel to spend the rest of her days indulging in her vices. Perhaps you could include an optional romance with the player. Maybe you could set her up with somewhere in Outer Vegas or one of the towns you rebuild.

Yep, gotta love Cass. No rose ever had thorns as sharp.

 

Rex:

Leave him as is. Maybe give him a cyberpup or two with Roxie if the player created her in Old World Blues.

 

Yeah I started work way back on a robopup for the two, named Rocky and using this pup model from Zenl & Watersmoon110 (pic);

 

 

http://newvegas.nexusmods.com/mods/images/39846-1-1295861713.jpg

 

 

[devinpatterson]

A group of citizens upset with the lost of life (families, lovers, children, etc.) want to see Kimball out of the picture so they go to the leader of the free economic zone of New Vegas. Completely optional I might add. Caps for campaigns and speech checks to convince senators

I think that's a good start, but it should also include Kimball's political enemies (of which I'm sure he has many). And of course do it all without having the player visit the Boneyard (or whichever relevant states) since we don't have the assets for it, so they would send representatives out to the Mojave or radio or ??. The third component is going to have to be a middling to huge political failure/disgrace/scandal. Maybe if you can expand in those directions we can get an idea of how realistic we can tell this tale in the gameworld.

[TheBlueKidd]

Just sneaking a quick comment from work, I'll follow up in much more detail this evening (time permitting).

 

For companions and really as an overall philosophy of this mod I look at the alternate endings as being cannon if the courier doesn't change them. I personally I believe that the courier has a loyalty to his/her companions to at least try to change those dark paths before s/he leaves. And lets face it, some characters alternate histories are all dark paths :sad:

 

So I'd definitely like for the player to get a chance to allay some of the misery, especially with characters like Veronica & Boone.

 

 

Veronica:

There has been only one person Veronica has ever fallen in love with. Christine is separated by a great deal more than distance; their past, the burden Christine caries from the experiments in OWB, even, up until recently their code/affiliation (bos, circle of steel, a mandate to have more children & forbidden same sex love). All of these, can now be overcome.

 

Darkus and I began hashing out a story line for exactly that purpose in this thread. I believe this one is worth developing, but in the interest of time and work load, with less emphasis on the actual encounters/combat in dead money and an alternate start. The courier may not have the idea to do this but rather is alerted by hearing rumors that a trio of BOS (actually circle of steel, COS) have been asking about a place called the Sierra Madre. A name the courier has't heard since dead money. He can get some info from McNamara if the player has a positive relationship and find out much like Christine was chasing Elijah, she's been marked as a outlaw for termination.

 

Long story short intercept the 3 operatives at dead money, and the series of events goes more or less like the thread.

 

You can try a bluff. COS operative; "What you fail to understand wastlander is that the Circle of Steel is a lifelong commitment". Courier; "What you fail to understand paladin, is that you and your two allies are seconds away from fulfilling your commitments". Which is only a temporary solution.

 

Try a ruse, that she is dead, and they will see through, or kill them (but more will come).

 

The last option is to make them look the other way and report her as deceased. You could provide a service in trade. A rebel/outlaw BOS memeber, much like the one in the pitt, has gathered a large tribe near Zion and is using his knowledge and training to create a "Apocalypse now" type setting. Raiding caravans, recovering advanced tech from nearby salt lake city etc. I throw this out there as a story not just because it has a good hoook, but because it would be incredibly quick and easy to set up (a s-load of tribals but with some advanced weapons and a one BOS heavy).

 

From there you follow the thread, and fix two broken girls that should have spent their lives together instead of worlds apart.

 

 

I like the idea of alternate endings and all, but I think a huge theme in New Vegas is choice and consequence and to me, having a happy ending in all cases of the companions seems like kind of a cop out. I think letting the companions have a bit of control over their own destinies depending on the choices you make makes them feel much more three dimensional and has much more of an impact on the player. I think it'd be a much more enjoyable and interesting experience if the companions actually become their own characters instead of just the player's sidekicks. I think it'd be completely out of character for some of the companions to go along with some of the endings. Since Obsidian laid out the groundwork for it, why wouldn't we pursue these story threads to their full extent? I do like the idea of Christine and Veronica being reunited though. Veronica does deserve a happy ending of some sort (depending on the player's actions of course). I also think it's a bit unfair to say the character has a loyalty to any of the companions, because everyone plays the game differently, sometimes even killing or ignoring companions completely. That's just my opinion though. I understand not everyone wants to see their companions turn on them or leave them, but that's what I think is so great about it. It forces the player make tough decisions and deal with the choices he's made. I'm not saying the companions can't have happy endings, but I think they should have other ways it could go down depending on the players choices in the main story like I illustrated in the my post.

Edited August 5, 2013 by TheBlueKidd

[devinpatterson]

I like the idea of alternate endings and all, but I think a huge theme in New Vegas is choice and consequence and to me, having a happy ending in all cases of the companions seems like kind of a cop out.

?? I think you'v misunderstood what I was trying to convey. My point was that if the player doesn't intervene the companion histories should follow the endings as written. And my follow up is a lot of players will want to to have some input into a companions circumstances as they will feel a debt of gratitude for their help.

 

My example with Veronica is a contrast to all the endings which are at best an a soulless destiny. Even arguably the follower being the best ending is an empty existence. This is a way to increase choice because it's unlike her default ones. Not implying that all endings are rainbows and unicorns, simply making a option that is different from the default ones which are are similar in their result.

 

Since Obsidian laid out the groundwork for it, why wouldn't we pursue these story threads to their full extent?

Ummmm that's what I was saying :confused: If their destinies are left unaltered we expand on the endings as per the slideshow.

 

I think letting the companions have a bit of control over their own destinies depending on the choices you make makes them feel much more three dimensional and has much more of an impact on the player.

Yes, it's an integral part of the scenario I was portraying for Veronica & Christine. Their new life begins, and it doesn't include the Courier except peripherally. Although you may not have had time to read the thread.

 

I also think it's a bit unfair to say the character has a loyalty to any of the companions, because everyone plays the game differently, sometimes even killing their companions.

?? I even prefaced it with *personally I believe* referring only to myself. Each player will have their own game, but if a companion was with a character for a substantial time it's more likely they have a loyalty to them than wanting to kill them.

 

personally I believe that the courier has a loyalty to his/her companions

 

but I think they should have other ways it could go down depending on the players choices in the main story like I illustrated in the my post.

Yes this is exactly what I'm saying, a contrast if the player becomes involved, allowing the vanilla endings to be altered.

[TheBlueKidd]

Sorry if I sounded a bit argumentative, I didn't mean for it to come across that way. I think we have a similar vision when it comes to the companions, but it differs in some aspects. Yeah, I think it would be nice to help out your companions, but I think in endings where it would make sense for them to leave the Mojave permanently or be killed, there shouldn't be a way to convince them to stay. Example: If you choose to blow up the bunker you shouldn't be able to convinve Veronica to stay. Edited August 5, 2013 by TheBlueKidd