An independent New Vegas mod.

[devinpatterson]

Just running this concept by everyone, I think the guy who first suggested it should get the last word, but here's my take on (all versions, house/NCR/independent) Nipton;

sounds good, I'll try to add some ideas later, when my brain isn't mush. It would be good if we could also come up with some tasks for the player to do before the settlers come along. For instance I can clean up the town (ie remove fires, put a ton of scorch marks all around) and drop a whole bunch of vipers in there. Raiders probably wouldn't care if they live in burned husks/shells of buildings.

 

 

BTW the npc's look good. It might be more interesting to do gecko skin (higher price, nicer armor etc) in addition to or instead of canine pelts. If you decide to go that way I can work up some outfits with either choice of canine or gecko skins on them. I just clone some of the gecko texture on to any leather armor. Did a similar thing with deathclaw armor here;

 

 

 

http://newvegas.nexusmods.com/mods/images/40460-1-1298260838.jpg

 

 

 

It could have the same stats as the honest hearts gecko backed leather and reinforced gecko backed leather (which are actually pretty decent stats), but have actual hide on them. The honest hearts ones don't look any different from standard leather. The visual effect could turn out pretty decent with teh gecko, less so with the canine because the texture is less detailed and the fur uses some alpha textures that might be funky to rig. Also there's that wolfhead helmet in the legion equipment if you want me to convert that, but I suppose that would look more tribal than settler.

 

But if you can figure out how to make it run smoothly with all the companion variables then sure I'll go with it; the Christine and Veronica story you laid out was pretty cool after all :wink:

I believe so. Yeah the Christine and Veronica story could be fun.

 

You mentioned you wanted to do a storyline with Ghost ages ago, what would that involve?

For a companion quest, but I hadn't htought of anything. It's simply suprising how many requests there are for a ghost companion, especially when you consider how little face time she has in game. Maybe it's the sniper and albino thing that captures a lot of people's imagination.

 

 

OK so got the whole esp merging thing down. Did a few mods to test it, everything worked fine. It has no error checking (which is understandable, considering how complicated it can be deciding what overwrites what), but it seems simple, straight forward and so far glitch free. We should however make sure that a mod is finished before merging it, then edit the main mod if we need to make changes. The reason being is that we can't merge the same mod twice without every record being seen as a dupe (as you would expect). If the main mod is made into a esm though, we can keep making esp's and merging them to our hearts delight, even other modding authors/teams can use it as a base and make their own plugins . However there are some disadvantages to esms too.

 

I can't find the pen for my bamboo tablet, so I couldn't draw any new faces for the alternate securitrons NCR faces. However I grabbed a few pics of a trooper and a ranger helmet and tweaked them a bit in gimp. Here is the alternate textures (alongside the standard ones for comparison) for Darkus and anyone else that doesn't like the NCR flag.

 

 

 

http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/u404/devinlpatterson/NCRfaces_zpsdbf73d95.jpg

 

 

 

I'm itching to do something different. So I may make some custom ranger outfits for the returnign rangers or start the Sunset Sarsprilla head quarters reboot. Or maybe I'll do the NCR strip.

[devinpatterson]

I mentioned something about Nipton to Devin a while ago and I thought that

All of it sounds good.

 

There's also the fact that raider groups like the Jackals and Vipers seem to hang around the surrounding areas. It might be worth setting up a quest to remove them from the area as part of Nipton's restoration.

Oooops didn't see this before I posted, but I was thinking along the same lines.

 

Boxcars (the powder ganger crippled by the Legion) also deserves a mention. If the NCR are around then I'm sure he'll be sent back to NCRCF assuming that the NCR retake it otherwise I'm sure his fate can be left up to the player. During my travels I found a wheelchair somewhere in McCarren Airport and I was wondering if it would be possible to turn it into something that Boxcars can sit in whether he is still hanging around Nipton or sent back to jail and give the impression that he'll never walk again.

Something about Boxcars and a the wheelchair strikes me as morbidly hilarious. Speaking of the prison I know we touched on this before, but in all three mods it seems like we could really get some play out of it.

 

I'm not sure if Marcus should be touched upon since there is a mod that turns him into a companion which could make things difficult (same would hold true for Mellisa Lewis, Sunny Smiles and Ulysses).

Let me look into that and see just how disruptive it would be. If the companion mod uses it's own quest dialog (instead of inserting new dialog into their old dialog quest) it may not be a big deal. If there is a change to their original dialog quest, I wonder if it would be like other forms and completely overwrite anything we change (assuming it loads after Viva).

[darkus37]

I think the NCR trooper face for the Securitron monitor fits perfectly - it has my vote.

[TheBlueKidd]

I think the NCR trooper face for the Securitron monitor fits perfectly - it has my vote.

 

I second that. It looks great to me.

[devinpatterson]

 

I think the NCR trooper face for the Securitron monitor fits perfectly - it has my vote.

I second that. It looks great to me.

 

The trooper is an alternate NCR texture for the Mk I, the ranger and alternate texture for teh Mk II for you guys that prefer it (since we still need a differentiater between teh two models if we're using the cartoon portrait theme).

 

I'll probably go with the flag, as teh default NCR (it breaks Houses's cartoon theme and adds a good, patriotic, NCR direction) texture.

 

 

 

http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/u404/devinlpatterson/NCR_Neutral_zps9403ccb6.jpg

 

 

I wish there were an excuse to use the Ranger Insignia, it's a great symbol;

 

 

 

http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110514181155/fallout/images/6/65/FNV_Ranger_Insignia.png

 

 

 

But with either base texture there will be a lot of switching back and forth to patriotic visages (probably past and recent NCR presidents) some NCR slogans, maybe news stories (acting as info kiosks), stuff like that. I plan on using the screens in a more expanded and varied way than the base game. The same may hold true for the House mod, which will still use the cartoon portrait theme, but could have announcements by House with his portrait appearing, news stories that may be accompanied by graphics etc. Not too sure about the Ind, at the moment.

Edited August 8, 2013 by devinpatterson

[devinpatterson]

Oh that brings up another point. The securitrons are problematic. I don't know if it's their hardware or a heavily encrypted operating system, but OWB shows that they aren't a easy nut to crack. I know OWB was producing (or at least trying to) new securitrons, and that's not the same as reprogramming them, but OWB's results still show how difficult the bots can be.

 

So one of the first missions is very crucial for the NCR mod, if Yesman hasn't been installed. I don't believe the NCR has the resources itself to reprogram the securitrons. They really only have one choice and that's to seek help from the followers (the followers could also just tell them about Yesman if the player can intimidate them or something, but that's not much of a quest, plus the followers will want to put a backdoor in teh NCR securitrons). I don't know who programmed Yesman, I'm just going to assume it's Emily Ortal (just sub the name of the real programmer). The followers will want a trade for the service, and the player can negotiate that (an adventure to save refugees, deliver anti biotics etc. Maybe concessions to help with medical supplies as well). There may be some action getting up into the penthouse as well. It never made sense to me that you could kill or incapacitate House without the rest of the securitrons on the strip turning aggressive. But that's a good little base we can expand into a small but important quest for hte NCR mod.

[darkus37]

Here's the way I see how the securitrons work:

 

The Lucky 38 mainframe controls the securitrons - allowing them some freedom to function, but a carefully controlled freedom; or alternately, micro-managing every function (unlikely, but possible). The Lucky 38 mainframe is not sentient, but works strictly as it was programmed to by Mr. House, who used it as a remote control unit for the securitrons - probably via some sort or neural implant in his pod. Whether it is an A.I. program or cybernetic implant, whomever controls the Mainframe, controls the securitrons.

 

Just because you copy the hardware, doesn't mean the software will work the same. The scientists at OWB reverse-engineered the securitrons, but probably couldn't copy the OS perfectly because it required the Lucky 38 mainframe's signal.

 

 

But that's the way I figured it.

 

 

BTW, what about if the NCR rewards the Courier by making him/her governor of the Mojave after the second battle? It would allow the Courier nearly the same amount of power as in the Independent ending and cement NCR support.

[Devilman1975]

I'll probably go with the flag, as teh default NCR (it breaks Houses's cartoon theme and adds a good, patriotic, NCR direction) texture.

 

The NCR flag for the securitron's face gets my vote too.

 

During my travels in the Mojave I found a couple of locations that might be worth mentioning.

 

Aerotech Office Park - I can imagine the Followers of the Apocalypse taking over this refugee camp if the NCR are booted out of the Mojave. If playing the NCR or Independent NCR friendly versions then I can see the NCR holding on to the camp.

 

Nevada Highway Patrol Station - This location could be useful as a holding cell if there are plans to restore law and order in the Mojave especially since it's in close proximity to NCRCF and Nipton (if we're going with the courthouse idea). Would it be possible to place a humvee that is similar to the one parked outside the Liberty Loft mod? I wouldn't expect it to be a vehicle you can drive but it would give the impression that prisoners and their guards don't have to trek across the Mojave and risk being ambushed.

 

On another note, I was wondering if there are any plans to create some new companions based on in game characters. I thought that Alice Hostetler (if you convinced her not to kill her mother), Apprentice Watkins from the Brotherhood of Steel (might be interesting to see her and Veronica getting catty with each other), Private Halford (the NCR trooper that the player has to rescue from lakelurks at Camp Guardian) and Harland (the ghoul survivalist that hung out with the Bright Brotherhood) would be interesting choices.

[devinpatterson]

Here's the way I see how the securitrons work:

 

The Lucky 38 mainframe controls the securitrons - allowing them some freedom to function, but a carefully controlled freedom;

I believe it's a general control as opposed to micro managment, because we sometimes have odd behavior (like the episode where they try to shoot graffiti off a wall) and I wouldn't even be surprised to see some securitrons with quirks in their AI (plus it makes for more interesting stories).

 

probably via some sort or neural implant in his pod. Whether it is an A.I. program or cybernetic implant, whomever controls the Mainframe, controls the securitrons.

Yep in fact here is a pic of his neural implant (the one in the middle);

 

http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/u404/devinlpatterson/MrHouseCyber_zpsff0b8fd9.jpg

 

quite a few pages back I suggested it as possible booty to recover from him. For the independent it could allow the courier to tap into the network directly (the mechanical heart giving the OWB artifical heart perk, the artificial stomach reducing hardcore food requirements etc). But it has to be installed/implanted which means teh followers or OWB tech. I don't think the NCR will allow a single person to have that kind of control so it would probably only be possible for the Ind mod (maybe a check on Yesman?) although not nessary.

 

Just because you copy the hardware, doesn't mean the software will work the same. The scientists at OWB reverse-engineered the securitrons, but probably couldn't copy the OS perfectly because it required the Lucky 38 mainframe's signal.

I woudln't even want to guess at what those wacky think tanks did, some off the scale crazy in that place. But I think it does reflect on House's genius that they could recreate and improve every model of commonly used bot (from at least three different manufacturers) but couldn't crack the securitrons.

 

But that's the way I figured it.

Yeah pretty much me too.

 

BTW, what about if the NCR rewards the Courier by making him/her governor of the Mojave after the second battle? It would allow the Courier nearly the same amount of power as in the Independent ending and cement NCR support.

I don't think it should be a given at the start, but I do think it should be something the Courier can acquire eventually through quests like we touched on previously in the thread. It gives the player something to shoot for and eventually this mod too will come to an end, so it will allow us to pack on a little extra content when the courier holds the head of state. Also don't forget the idea of Yesman becoming the first AI gov near the end of the Ind mod. It will be a nice a good story.

[devinpatterson]

The NCR flag for the securitron's face gets my vote too.

Good deal, it just seems to me that the NCR would have no reason to continue the cartoon theme.

 

During my travels in the Mojave I found a couple of locations that might be worth mentioning.

Yeah definitely, especially the Patrol station. For the followers it would be in addditon to the fort right? I mean I'd hate to see them leave it in lieu of the office parks.

 

On another note, I was wondering if there are any plans to create some new companions based on in game characters. I thought that Alice Hostetler (if you convinced her not to kill her mother), Apprentice Watkins from the Brotherhood of Steel (might be interesting to see her and Veronica getting catty with each other), Private Halford (the NCR trooper that the player has to rescue from lakelurks at Camp Guardian) and Harland (the ghoul survivalist that hung out with the Bright Brotherhood) would be interesting choices.

I think it could be a popular part of the mod. I know ranger ghost was a big request. I don't remember Halford, but the other three are all pretty interesting personalities. The only problem I see is that companions might need to be real bad-*sses in their own right since they will be accompanying what will most likely be by now a high level courier. I could see Harland being capable, but aren't the other two (just going of their rank/titles) a little soft? Maybe they could be a different type of companion where the courier takes on a mentor/apprentice relationship?