Fallout 376

[ALoonwolf]

I'm not able to work on modifications at the moment but when I do I was wanting to create more realistic characters that behave like other players instead of mindless robot dialogue repeating machines. I would probably create some characters in Fallout New Vegas, but for Fallout 3 it is the perfect foundation for creating a single player version of the multiplayer Fallout 76, with the other characters as the other players, but some remaining as useful NPCs. It would be interesting to get opinions on creating this, or even since I can't do it myself at the moment, perhaps someone else can develop these ideas to produce the modification...

 

It begins exactly the same, up to the point where you are leaving the vault, where it becomes like Fallout 76. But some characters remain inside the vault and offer services - there's a doctor, and Moira stays and still offers her quests. Megaton is already destroyed at the start, so isn't available. The main quest begins and ends with finding your father at Tranquility Lane, where he is living out his dream of being a dog in a crazy fantasy world, which you can visit any time. The entire SouthEast area is optional for the player only to explore, and Rivet City is inaccessible.

 

There are four types of characters...

-NPCs provide services and may also have quests.

-Loners wander around avoiding big risks and mostly try to occupy very small settlements.

-Leaders do the same as loners but go for larger settlements and bigger dangers.

-Followers choose an appropriate leader to follow and copy.

 

There are two main factions; settlers and raiders. If you know the characters well you know which they are likely to be, though they can change their ways. Criminals can reform and become settlers, and settlers can rebel and become criminals. When they are killed they re-spawn a time later, settlers in Vault 101 and raiders in Paradise Falls, where NPCs also provide services. If an NPC is killed they take longer to re-spawn, and the entire faction may suffer.

The enemy loners and leaders will gather resources (perpetually, apart from what the player finds) from scavenging in certain locations, and will try to occupy certain settlements, which are randomly selected but mostly line up with the size of the group. Thus they will come into constant conflict over the limited scavenging grounds and settlements, and especially the raiders will want to regularly attack, while vigilante settler groups may want to hunt them down. Each individual has a changeable mood and desire, again random but mostly lining up with how rich and successful and safe they are. Ie. if their current lifestyle isn't working for them, they will be inclined to change.

 

Players can talk to all characters, even during combat if they can get close enough, and can offer them caps to leave - or ask them to pay you, which they may accept instead of fighting. Enemies don't just attack each other on sight but may communicate and demand payment, or avoid each other. You can trade for things they want or give them gifts, which may help in persuading them to change their ways or to become your follower. Or they may just be naturally inclined to follow you anyway if you ask. And you can persuade other leaders on what they should do, or choose to follow them, just as enemy leaders can team up together when they choose to attack the same place.

 

Concerning the existing raiders, you would probably want to remove them from many places and have them as a rival gang who can't be reasoned with and are a scourge to both factions. Unless there weren't enough characters, then some of them could be renamed and used as followers for the raider leaders, along with some wastelanders for the settlers.

 

Beyond the simple endless war between the factions while dealing with all the other dangers, there could be other features added to make it more interesting. Randomly occuring events that need to be dealt with, Supermutant invasions, characters getting lost in a vault or captured by the enemy that need to be rescued, etc.

 

It shouldn't be too complicated. Each character follows a simple set of rules which are selected by a variable each possesses, and this variable can change according to certain influences, but with a random element also added.

 

Yes, each follower has a set of follow script packages with their variables each representing a leader, being ordered according to their ability and probable loyalty to each faction. So lower numbers might be hardcore raiders and higher numbers might be upstanding citizens, while the middle are those who could go either way. So followers just blindly choose the faction of their leader.

Each loner and leader has a couple of scavenging locations and nearby settlement - wander/search and sandbox script packages at different times, which are ordered according to the size and quality of the settlement. When a follower chooses to follow a new leader, the leader then has a chance to increase their variable and thus go for a larger settlement.

 

Or would the whole thing perhaps not really be very interesting to play, and not worth the trouble?

Edited January 25, 2020 by ALoonwolf

[Mktavish]

First just decide would it be interesting enough for you to create , and if people find it interesting to play would be a secondary consideration.

 

After that I would suggest to start with a smaller space and number of npc's ... working on making them interact in your space with your perceived AI rules for them to follow.

After getting that working pretty good ... move on to new area's and more npc's.