[WIP] Map Markers Redone (NVSE coder needed)

[Gribbleshnibit8]

An idea that a friend and I have tossed around a bit, and have actually started work on. A mod that aims to redo the way location discovery is handled in Fallout: New Vegas.

 

The vanilla system is fine, except that it's not very immersive for an area that is supposedly populated, developing, and a battleground. You have two choices, either go somewhere and get the marker, wandering aimlessly through the desert trying to find places, or have someone mark it on your map. What this mod would do is add a third option to the game.

 

Maps, purchasable or loot items that contain one or more locations. Maps come in several types: Fragment, Part, Piece, Tattered, Scrap. Each map type has different amounts and ratings of map markers: common, uncommon, rare. An additional type of map exists, the caravan route (travel route, scout report, etc), which has a series of map markers listed, which would form a link to somewhere. These would be found in places with immigrants and travelers, who would be planning their trip to various locations. Scout reports would be found on military bases, along with possibly deployment records and other various location based information.

 

The system behind this is based on ordered form lists comprised of map markers, divided into types, such as all caves ranked from easy to hard, factories, towns, faction locations, shacks, small settlements, and so on. The entire map marker selection upon obtaining each map item would be random, picked from the lists each time. There will be chances for duplicate locations, which are handled such that the first instance of finding a location will mark it, and the second instance will make it available for fast travel if it is not already. Any subsequent instances of obtaining that map location will yield nothing, either a good salesperson, or just someone making personal note of a location you know about.

 

This mod also adds extra markers, to the Strip, Freeside, and a few others. Fully compatible with any Open mod, no map markers to nowhere, or abandoned areas.

 

 

Read here if you can help with NVSE coding

All this sounds pretty cool I'm sure, and it is, I've tested small parts of it and it works well enough. However (yes, this is where I ask for help), in order to make this truly a great and immersive mod, I need access to some unfinished NVSE functions. I have attempted to get them working myself, with no success. The specific section I need is actually already coded, just commented out and unfunctional. It relates to getting the extra data from map markers that will return the name string of the marker, as seen on the player's map.

 

The reason this section is pretty much required is that it would allow for me to have a very small code base for the map markers, and dynamically pull the location's name, using MessageBoxEX to generate dialog based on what each map marker adds, instead of the player getting a generic message and having to attempt to find the new location amidst many existing locations, or me having to go in and account for every single one of the 200 locations in the game by hand writing all those messages.

 

Anyone who can help with this would earn my undying gratitude.