Follower making questions

[Koniving]

Koniving here.

 

I've noticed a lot of follower-related topics are open and shut cases that get lost in the sauce. Such as "How do I make a follower?" Bam, tutorial video link, wiki link, topic disappears. "Can I make a follower without Lydia's voice?" Bam, link, tutorial, and the topic gets lost amongst millions of others.

 

Since I plan to ask questions of my own, and figure many others will as well, I decided to throw this topic up there for everyone who has a question (or an answer) about the production of followers.

 

 

Hopefully this topic will last, and not get lost.

 

All that said, I'd like to start out with this statement (as to why I'm here, producing this and getting into modding NPC's beyond merely face-replacing things like Fallout 3's Amy mod's horrible bodyguards) and then follow up with my beginning question.

 

In "G.E.C.K.", it was possible to assign specific animations for 'actions' for npcs of every sort (monster, human, etc.) I'm new to this creation kit, learning the ropes, and it's already got me scratching my head. I'm trying to figure this thing out to make my own followers. I have not been happy with many of the ones I find, since so many use the most basic stock voices [Lydia's even-toned one especially] when there are so many voices out there. I mean seriously, khajitt followers with Lydia's voice? Argonian followers with Lydia's voice? An elven MALE with Lydia's voice?

 

And so as I'm doing this, I got to thinking... By trade I'm an animator first and foremost. I'm certain that if someone were to create a new monster from scratch, they could assign animations. There's mods that replace animations for all humanoid characters. (My question to start this off with) So, is it possible to specifically select, or mish-mash, or completely recreate One (1) specific character or npc's animations? Say a follower with unique animations?

Edited June 22, 2012 by Koniving

[Koniving]

Bump?

 

What I mean to say is, I'm working on creating a follower character but rather than the stock stuff, or some of the more awesome looking but otherwise fairly plain (acts the same, fights the same, etc.) followers, I want to make one that will be unique in how he or she moves. For example, if a male and the player sleeps somewhere, the follower might be seen shaving with a razor blade in order to keep his prestinely clean face. Or uses a one handed sword that everyone else uses, but in a different way (for example taking an Imperial Sword and then fencing and stabbing with it rather than barbarically swinging). Things of that nature.

 

I'm looking to create suave, personality-full characters that don't just talk uniquely, but fight, act, and simply exist in a unique way. I think it'd be a welcome change.

 

So, is it possible to change the stock humanoid npc animations for just one specific non-player character using the creation kit? There doesn't seem to be a tutorial on it.

[Xilante]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but to change the swinging or make him shave, wouldn't you need an animation for it?

And last time I checked, you couldn't add new animations, just replace them (If someone found a way, Tell me please and I'll be the happiest person in the world =D).

 

Anyway, if you want to replace an animation with it or just use current animations, for what you're asking you need to use AI packages, considering you want something "unique" you should make your own which is quite easy.

in CK wiki there's a good tutorial about it, just go to your actor page, "AI package" tab and then follow the tutorial to understand how it works =)

[Koniving]

Xilante

 

Thank you for replying! I hope that isn't true. How would someone create all new monsters? Or do things like add backflip jumps (since there was only one animation for jump forward, jump backward, jump left, and jump right... which are the all same animation)?

 

And mentioned at the beginning, I'm an animator by trade. O.o; Of course I'd be making my own! The AI package, well it seems I'll be learning that part.