[WIP] The Siege of Firebase Zulu

[someguy2000]

All,

 

Thanks for the suggestions, feedback, and offers to lend voice talent to the project. I have a bit of good news/bad news to report ("bad" in a manner of speaking).

 

For about two weeks my progress on Zulu has tapered off for several reasons: XCOM, several addictive television shows, outside requirements, and one other matter, soon to be discussed. That could be considered "bad" in a certain light.

 

However, the good news is that I've developed a separate quest mod that I should be able to release next month. What began as a separate .esp to test mechanics and scripting for Zulu took on a life of its own one weekend, and the result is a standalone plugin that I've entitled The Inheritance, and here is the description from my notes:

 

"Having learned of the Courier's exploits, a dying man contacts the player in hopes of employing him/her to deliver a mysterious package. Upon accepting the job, the Courier will soon find himself/herself making unwilling allies and dangerous enemies, all jockeying to claim the same prize. The Inheritance is a compact, lore-friendly quest mod for Fallout: New Vegas, designed to offer new avenues to experience combat and role-playing for high-level characters."

 

Here are some pre-emptive FAQ's, as I've asked myself many of the questions that you will no doubt proffer:

 

Q: Are you still working on Zulu? Why go to the trouble of promoting it if you're just going to make something else?

A: I'm a changeable creature, sorry. This is by no means an "abandonment" of Zulu, which is perhaps my most personal project to date. The fact is that Zulu is enormous, and it won't be released until early 2013 at the earliest. Perhaps it's also the realization that I haven't posted a single quest mod since NVBII, and as we're nearing the two-year anniversary of NVBI's launch, and I have an inexplicable urge to deliver something to the community. Attribute it to enthusiasm mingled with guilt, and a desire to remind myself and the Nexus that I'm still capable of producing an extant mod after fiddling around for so long.

 

Q: So will you continue work on Zulu?

A: Assuredly, I still tinkered with Zulu while I worked on "The Inheritance" (as some of the scripting and technical mojo are shared), and it will be priority one when "The Inheritance" is released.

 

Q: For s***'s sake, are you promoting another mod that won't be completed?

A: The Inheritance is about 75% complete. It is a linear, solitary questline in the vein of NVBI, so production has been quite rapid. All that remains are two small dungeons, about a half-dozen quest stages, testing, and then implementing voicework.

 

Q: You mentioned voicework - how many roles and lines are we talking about?

A: Seven characters, with only two having significant dialogue. The finished mod should have 300-400 lines.

 

Q: The summary is a bit vague - can you expand on the details?

A: It involves finding a long-lost stash, and the Syndicate (organized crime referenced in Bounties) is involved. I'd rather not say anything else. For those itching for the underworld grit of NVBII, you'll get it, along with some novel dungeons to explore.

 

Q: Will this be connected to Bounties, Zulu, etc.?

A: Subtly, though I'm hoping to bind future plugins together with a shared .esm, so player choices will affect multiple mods. This will be the first plugin to implement the shared .esm.

 

Q: So, new gear, weapons, etc. are to be expected, right?

A: This adds a unique weapon that should be the first of its sort.

 

Q: Does it require DLC?

A: At present, Gun Runner's Arsenal. Sorry if that causes heartache, but it was necessary for the weapon.

 

Q: When are you going to quit screwing with this small-time s*** and deliver NVBIII?!

A: After Firebase Zulu. I recently managed to write more notes for NVBIII after watching some classic Westerns on Netflix. The influences will show ;)

 

Q: Is this a Western?

A: Not really, especially relative to Bounties. It's more of a straight action/adventure plugin with hints of crime drama sprinked in (one of these days I'd like to make a film noir-style mod).

 

Q: What's the release date?

A: NVBI released on 11/13/2010, so I'm aiming for 11/13/2012. Christ, time flies.

 

Thanks for your ongoing patience and support. It's been motivating to see the encouragement on the forums and comments, so I'm doubly eager to produce fresh content for the community. Thank you.

[PedigreeButchery]

Just stopping by to give my support. Really excited for this. All of your mods I've played are really put together well so I'm really excited for this. I'm also willing to lend my voice should the time comes. Keep up the good work!

[RainsfordXY]

Hey I saw you guys are doing a work up mod and thought I'd stop by to say I can do a voice if you need one done. I have some pretty good equipment and mixers as well if you need any custom voice Spec effects done or some random noises. I can send all of my work to you in .wav to save conversion time also. Just message me if you guys would like my help.

[Deleted3043830User]

Just wanted to drop in my support as well, big fan of your other exceptional mods for F: NV and I'm definitely looking forward to these upcoming installments :)

[someguy2000]

All,

 

I'm happy to announce that Unoctium (creator of the

, among other works) just uploaded our recent interview, in which I discuss (with many mispronunciations) my upcoming quest mods, specifically The Inheritance and The Siege of Firebase Zulu.

 

If you can tolerate my countless miscues and the atrocious microphone,

. Please PM me if you interested in voice acting, or have questions regarding either project. Thank you, Unoctium!

[juansaman]

I listened the review and I'm even more excited to see what you're to bring us with The Inheritance and Siego of FB Zulu :) Keep it up!

[someguy2000]

I listened the review and I'm even more excited to see what you're to bring us with The Inheritance and Siego of FB Zulu :) Keep it up!

 

Thanks, man! I'm implementing voicework for The Inheritance as I type this, and I'm hoping to wrap it up within the next few weeks. Thanks for the support!

[JMR333]

Hey, I just stumbled upon something...

In case anyone was curious about that '5th Cohort' mod that JUSTIYT1 mentioned, I found a mod that seems to be it, plus an 'addon'.

5th Cohort Division: http://newvegas.nexusmods.com/mods/42872

5th Cohort Division Battle of Reno Valley Basin: http://newvegas.nexusmods.com/mods/42615

Edited January 8, 2013 by JMR333

[JUSTIYT1]

Yeah, that mod! Will yours be like that?

[someguy2000]

@JUSTIYT1,

 

I haven't played 5th Cohort, but I did watch a bit of Unoctium's review.

 

Both mods involves a conflict between the NCR and Legion set in a new worldspace, but Zulu has some differences (again, based strictly on the reviews and descriptions):

- The content and design for Zulu favors the NCR; the player will have access to many, many more quests if he/she sticks with the NCR.

- The NCR is at a clear disadvantage in Zulu. Siding with the Legion will make for a shorter, much more anticlimactic experience.

- Zulu contains a lot of build-up prior to the actual battle. The player will be performing a number of missions before the Legion arrives in force, and will also have ample opportunity to resolve conflicts inside the firebase. This isn't a knock against 5th Cohort, as plenty of players would prefer to jump right into open battle against the Legion (or NCR), but I just prefer to establish some characters and conflicts before delving into the siege itself.

- Once the siege starts, the NCR will be cut-off and deprived of supplies or reinforcement. There is no Close Air Support, and in some respects, the Legion might actually have an advantage in firepower, as they will be using light mortars to bombard NCR positions. This is when those sidequests prior to the siege become so important - the player's choices will have ramifications for the physical defenses, morale, and the skill of individual soldiers.

 

Some similarities:

- Tribune Marcellus (the Legion commander) will also be speaking in Latin from time to time, and there will be some lengthy conversations available to characters that can pass an intelligence check. Who knows, there might even be some Greek in there...

- Depending on Caesar's status (alive or dead), Marcellus' forces may also use weapons and tactics outside the norm of Legionaries in the Mojave.

 

That's all I could muster based on a cursory comparison - if I've neglected anything, please post it. Thanks for the support - back to The Inheritance!