[WIP] The Siege of Firebase Zulu

[maybenexttime]

I have an idea unless you have already implemented it into your mod.

 

Add multiple side quests that let the player choose to clear supply lines/retrieve supplies with multiple outcomes.

 

If the quests go well, a heft amount of food/water and ammunition be supplied to the courior. However, if somehow the outcomes don't come out as good, less food and supplies making the player pretty much forced to starve and use ammo sparingly.

 

Also adding random events such as the player sleeping, the legion decided to ambush the sleeping player, or fire mortars that destroy parts of the players defence (forcing the player to retrieve items to fix it again), legion bounties on the player etc.

 

To make it even more hardcore, add a player weight limit before the start of the quest. Than the player cannot bring 1000s of rounds, tons of food and tons of weapons.

[Whatswrongwithmyusername]

I also think Legion should have a morale counter too,that will affect the strenght of the Seige,vanilla actions like clearing out Cottonwood Cove,killing Caesar(morale killer),other SomeGuy mods like clearing out Canyon Cove and defending Ranger Station Charlie,and helping out the Firebase Zulu should all have the effect on the morale,also anti-NCR action should help the Legion morale,like killing NCR commanders,We Are The Legion,etc

[Stormbringer13]

You know, something I thought should have been in the vanilla game was more dialogue choices based on perks. I don't mean stuff like Black Widow or Terrifying Presence, which are designed primarily on opening up new dialog options. Rather, I think some perks should have a select few dialog options (or perhaps even unique actions) in certain situations, for example an Explorer could provide information on distant places to a fledgling Caravan, or a Computer Whiz might have an option to avert a triggered self-destruct function.

 

Perhaps in the case of Zulu the Grunt perk could be useful in ingratiating oneself with the garrison?

 

I feel these could add more depth to one's personality, background, and overall character.

[Guest deleted2159825]

All,

Thanks for all the comments, suggestions, and feedback!

 

I have to say, you seem to be breezing through this. I realize that you've worked on Zulu for a while now, and you've had two and a half mods of practice since Bounties II, but still, appears to be a pretty brisk pace. And enjoying it too, from the looks of it.

Thanks, it is going well, especially now that I've managed to clean up some of the dated scripting. Right now I'm working on new content, and it's a much, much smoother process.

 

 

Moving Defenders

Would it be possible to make a device like Euclid's C-Finder that allows 3-4 guys to reinforce a position? It would only work on the Firebase Zulu plateau and would be limited to a pool of say 12 guys total. This would allow quick deployment without having several NPC's following the player around and getting in the way.

I've considered it, though "zapping" NPC's about in this setting just feels a bit disruptive to immersion. We'll see.

 

 

Named Defenders

From a personal standpoint, I don't like to micro-manage too much. It would be good to have the option to bolster individual NPC's, but I would also have the ability to bolster all the NPC's with better gear/weapons/ammo/healing items at once as well. For example: Zulu squad is low on healing items. During a random (up to you) side-quest, the player can find a cache of Legion healing supplies. The player can then sell them to the black marketeer, keep it for themselves, or pass it on to Zulu squad. This particular possible upgrade would be a reward for exploring the mod world, and would give a significant health buff to all the NPC's.

Almost all of the quests impact NPC stats in a collective sense. Discipline and morale are perfect examples - when the battle starts, a script will assess each of those variables, then award (or detract) skills, hp, and perks as needed. There will also be sidequests that award exploration - retrieving armor and medical supplies, etc., in a fashion very similar to what you described.

 

 

1. The Guns of Navarone - basically, the player is given the opportunity to sabotage the Legion's cannons - perhaps either the cannons themselves or the ammo. This would eliminate the artillery fire and increasing morale with Zulu squad. By the way, will you be be implementing a Legion morale level as well? Every successful mission should not only make the defenders stronger, but the attackers weaker as the once seemingly unbeatable Legion begins to fall apart due to the Courier's actions.

I'm working on it. This really depends on whether or not I can get decent mortar models in the game.

 

 

2. M*A*S*H - just some battlefield medicine related stuff (no Hawkeye-esque hijinks - unless you want 'em...). Mostly things like helping to rescue wounded and/or booby-trapped soldiers.

The surgeon at FBZ is named Major Hooker. ;)

 

 

3. Tool Time - Fallout 1 & 2 had this optional choice of optimizing certain equipment for bonus XP with some long-term benefits down the road. I think it would be a good idea to allow a player with high science/repair abilities to contribute to the overall success of Firebase Zulu by optionally doing stuff like making the artillery more accurate; working in the armory so that the NPC guns are more accurate and give better damage; rejiggering the generators to provide more power; etc.

On it. :)

 

 

I remember you talking, one point, about there being other contractors besides yourself. Depending on how many contractors there are, hopefully at least two, they should have polar-opposite opinions on what to do. IE: Spend medical supplies on saving already wounded soldiers pre-fight, on the chances it will work, or save the supplies (And maybe euthanize the wounded) for the main battle. And you could choose either option, or be a middle ground (Save those we can, but those who are too far gone we don't try to save.)

The "Other contractors" thing is still up in the air - it depends on an unfinished sidequest. TBD, really.

 

 

Also, I disliked how in normal NV lots of the work you did with the faction really only goes into options for the end game fight. Maybe, if your character is on good enough terms with certain factions, you could call in reinforcements from them, which would lead to a few things. If you call in help from the Followers of the Apocalypse, they use their extensive medical knowledge to save troops, increasing morale, but their anti-war leaning has some detrimental affects. IF you call in the BOS (After getting some form of a peace-treaty/cease-fire), you get a squad of power armored spec ops which will help, come the main siege. But the legion, noticing the soldiers, will up their game to match, equipping their soldiers with more firearms and attacking more often so that the advantage of the power armored soldiers is nullified. And maybe some of the soldiers in the firebase will be upset that the BOS is here, leading to increased tension.

I can axe the BoS idea right now, but rest assured that reinforcements can be a factor. The sidequests open up a number of possibilities for... unconventional assistance.

 

Also, someone suggested the morale system work for the legion as well, so here's an idea I had for that. At some point, the Legion has to blow off some steam, right? The constant attempted raids and standing around would be tough on them, so they have some shindig going down, maybe a giant feast, or an orgy with the local captured slaves, or what ever it is they allow. You can possibly ruin it in several ways.

1: You poison their food supplies, so that for a while (maybe even up to the time of the siege if you work fast enough) soldiers will have been taken out of the fight, either due to death or food-poisoning.

2: You crash their party, coming in either guns-a-blazing or ninja-like, and kill quite a few people, leading to there now being less soldiers to fight, a decrease in legion morale, and the legion no longer allowing things like those parties, making stress rise on their side. A possible consequence for this one would be that they know it was you and attack more often.

3: Ofcourse you could do nothing, leading to the Legion having an increase in Morale and being a tougher fight come final siege.

There will probably be a loose morale system for the Legion, but I haven't quite nailed it down yet. I'll get to it, though. Infiltration missions will probably be included.

 

 

Add multiple side quests that let the player choose to clear supply lines/retrieve supplies with multiple outcomes.

 

If the quests go well, a heft amount of food/water and ammunition be supplied to the courior. However, if somehow the outcomes don't come out as good, less food and supplies making the player pretty much forced to starve and use ammo sparingly.

 

Also adding random events such as the player sleeping, the legion decided to ambush the sleeping player, or fire mortars that destroy parts of the players defence (forcing the player to retrieve items to fix it again), legion bounties on the player etc.

 

To make it even more hardcore, add a player weight limit before the start of the quest. Than the player cannot bring 1000s of rounds, tons of food and tons of weapons.

I've got quests in place that are pretty similar to what you've described. As for the weight limit... I'm hesitant to put one in place, as you really will need everything you can carry.

 

 

I also think Legion should have a morale counter too,that will affect the strenght of the Seige,vanilla actions like clearing out Cottonwood Cove,killing Caesar(morale killer),other SomeGuy mods like clearing out Canyon Cove and defending Ranger Station Charlie,and helping out the Firebase Zulu should all have the effect on the morale,also anti-NCR action should help the Legion morale,like killing NCR commanders,We Are The Legion,etc

That's also TBD, but Caesar's death will certainly alter the attacking force's tactics and weaponry.

 

 

You know, something I thought should have been in the vanilla game was more dialogue choices based on perks. I don't mean stuff like Black Widow or Terrifying Presence, which are designed primarily on opening up new dialog options. Rather, I think some perks should have a select few dialog options (or perhaps even unique actions) in certain situations, for example an Explorer could provide information on distant places to a fledgling Caravan, or a Computer Whiz might have an option to avert a triggered self-destruct function.

 

Perhaps in the case of Zulu the Grunt perk could be useful in ingratiating oneself with the garrison?

 

I feel these could add more depth to one's personality, background, and overall character.

I like that idea a lot, particularly the use of the Grunt perk. I'll see what I can do.

 

/end replies

 

Thanks again for all the detailed suggestions. It certainly redoubles my motivation to see other community members are passionate about the project.

 

There have been some notable developments in the past few days, namely:

 

- 60mm mortar attacks are in place and fully functional. While the sound needs work, the timing and randomized placement is spot-on. It's an experience to be crouched in a trench, waiting for the next mortar to hit... what fun! I'm going to try and post a demonstration video this weekend. I can't say just how much these things augment tension.

 

- The blueprint for randomized attacks is in place and operational. This is a tremendous step for me (relative to when I started this mod), as it means the number, origin, and composition of attackers will be arbitrary (within certain ranges). Furthermore, the attacks will take place in random intervals. In fact, once the siege start, my plan is to have the timer kick off an "event" every 2-12 hours. It will likely be an attack, but it could be a random/scripted event. I've got notes for a few of these, but I'm open to suggestions. Keep in mind these events would need to be lore-friendly and support the scenario at hand - the player trapped with the other defenders on the mesa.

 

[robotjosh18]

I am really looking forward to this mod it seems just like my fav kind of mods. keep up the good work. and any news when this will be finished? a rough estimate if possible? thanks and thank you

[Guest deleted2159825]

I am really looking forward to this mod it seems just like my fav kind of mods. keep up the good work. and any news when this will be finished? a rough estimate if possible? thanks and thank you

It will depend on voice acting, by and large. I'd say January-February.

[maybenexttime]

As I was reading your responses above, one thing did stick out, Infiltration missions.

 

Is it something like

a) wear a legion suit and sabotage something (a new mod came out today called briefcase bomb, perhaps make the player build a bomb and walk in, set a timer and leave legion camp)

-However, if the player should do this, force the player into multiple checkpoints and conversations and reply correctly to avoid suspicion

-If the proper response is not given, the Legion is alerted and everyone starts attacking you

b) sneak around with a stealth boy and sabotage something OR a rescue mission could work, rescue NCR prisoners or officers

c) just go in kill everybody (although if a player choose to do so, make it super hard to do it by this option, perhaps spawn more legions or mini bosses if Legion is alerted)

 

going back to b) a jail break would be pretty cool.

 

If it's going to take until January - February I may have to keep barraging with new ideas :p. Maybe your quest mod can be long and as good as Project Brazil

[falloutguy93]

I just wanted to put in what i said on youtube maybe others will have a different take on it.

 

 

How about instead of the laser turrets have a NPC stood there with a machine gun to lay down fire, like a mounted machine gun. The turrets are fine though it just seems that laser turrets are more of a Brotherhood deal. I have no idea how hard that would be, if it’s not doable then turrets it is.

Also how about adding morale as I have a surplus of bottle caps, what if we could buy the troops a round of drinks before the fight and in doing so they gain a buff to their health, or something along that line of thought.

 

Looking forward to this mod.

[mornar666]

Will you publish an unvoiced version of the mod a bit earlier?

[Guest deleted2159825]

Will you publish an unvoiced version of the mod a bit earlier?

Probably not. However, the closed beta will be largely unvoiced.

 

As I was reading your responses above, one thing did stick out, Infiltration missions.

 

Is it something like

a) wear a legion suit and sabotage something (a new mod came out today called briefcase bomb, perhaps make the player build a bomb and walk in, set a timer and leave legion camp)

-However, if the player should do this, force the player into multiple checkpoints and conversations and reply correctly to avoid suspicion

-If the proper response is not given, the Legion is alerted and everyone starts attacking you

b) sneak around with a stealth boy and sabotage something OR a rescue mission could work, rescue NCR prisoners or officers

c) just go in kill everybody (although if a player choose to do so, make it super hard to do it by this option, perhaps spawn more legions or mini bosses if Legion is alerted)

 

going back to b) a jail break would be pretty cool.

 

If it's going to take until January - February I may have to keep barraging with new ideas :tongue:. Maybe your quest mod can be long and as good as Project Brazil

Yeah, the sabotage/rescue missions will be random events that will probably be structured as sidequests. During the siege, certain sidequests might manifest (some dependent on player choices), so each playthrough will be more or less unique. It might drive the completionists insane, but that's nothing new for me. :)

 

Keep the suggestions coming. I can't guarantee that they'll be included, but I try to incorporate player feedback when possible.

 

 

Looking forward to this mod.

Thanks! I'm excited about sharing it with the community.