Noob asking for Direction

[winstondg]

Been playing and modding games for 10+ years, used all the tools at one point or another, but I don't know how to make my own stuff. Now I have free time and TONS of inspiration.

 

I'd like to make my own full-game overhaul (think Frost scale) using hundreds of mods and resources from the generous mod authors on the Nexus but I can't seem to get my ideas from Google Docs to .esms

 

I have everything I need downloaded, installed and (mostly) compatible but I don't want to waste my time doing some major monotonous BS, only to find out later I did it all backwards.

 

Can anyone give me, an advanced modder but a beginner mod developer, some pointers please?

More specifically, what are the best/your favorite mods or tools for the following:

 

1. Editing the non-settlement world map - debris, buildings, grass, roads

ex. cleaning up ruins, rebuilding large cities

 

2. Allowing for large numbers of creatures/NPCs in an area without slideshow/crashing

ex. street with apartment buildings, large crowds, large battles

 

3. Allowing in-game body customization

ex. tattoo & piercing shop, cybernetics workbench, radiation/FEV mutations

 

4. Generating randomized NPC population

ex. race/gender, height/weight, stats/abilities, clothes/armor/inventory, stuff like tattoos/implants, etc

 

5. Quest editing

ex. rewriting the main plot for example, moving the locations of quests, changing start conditions and completion results, etc

 

6. Faction editing

ex. adding to or replacing equipment, skins, creatures/NPCs, dialogue, etc used by specific factions, relations between factions, creating or deleting entire factions

 

7. Script editing

Someone please explain this to me like I'm retarded...i know what a script does but at the same time, no idea

 

8. Weapons-on-back, goggles/glasses/etc-up-when-not-in-use

I'm aware that I can set it up so that automatically all weapons show up and move appopriately, figures I should be able to extend the same automatic funcionality to all NPCs as well

 

9. NPC behaviour

ex. what do they do in their spare time/eat/sleep schedule/set aggression and improve AI decision making

*My ultimate favorite of all time that deserves a shoutout is Pack Attack - NPC Edition

 

10. Weapon/Armor Modding

Tactical Weapon Mods is a great example of a standardized modding system, how would I expand this to cover specific weapons, and include specific mods

 

11. USING OTHER PEOPLE'S RESOURCES

obviously with their express permission only, I have 600+ mods right now that I really only want parts of, such as a single outfit skin in a collection, a single mod on a new weapon, etc

How would you take these resources out, put them in your own ESM/ESP, and basically delete the rest of that ESP (later giving gratitude and credit to the original author on the mod's page) and do this 600 times?

 

I'll stop here!

[YouDoNotKnowMyName]

There are some great tutorials on YouTube for "beginners" that explain the basics of using the CreationKit (the mod-creation software for Fallout 4).

So I would maybe start looking there ...

 

I will try to answer some of your questions:

1. Like I said, basic editing of worlspaces / landscape / object placement -> see the "basic tutorials"
2. Large crowds, large battles are a bit of a problem as far as I know. If you have a really good and powerful PC, maybe ....
3. In game body customization (besides the character creation at the start): that can be done in the base-game without any mods
4. I have no experience with that (yet)
5. Rewriting the main plot? Sure, if you have lots of time! [Finally, I am not the only one who want to do this, but I have no great ideas ]
6. See 1
7. A script is basically like a text file that contains instructions for the gamesystem to execute. It is the way in which modders tell the game what to do. (For example: If the player enters this area, start that quest)
8. If I remembered correctly, there is a mod for that, but it requires a patch for every "new" weapon that you add. (The reason why I don't use it)
9. Yes, there is a way to set the "daily schedule" of NPCs that can also depend on certain conditions. Improving AI decision making, I don't know ...
10. The was that I do that is to take all those mods and "merge" them into one mod. But I don't plan to release any mods ever. This is just "for personal use". Or you can literally "remove" the unwanted stuff from mods with a nice little programm called FO4EDIT.

I am glad to see someone new who has "big plans" and lots of time.

 

[For me, it's the opposite: I have a bit of technical knowledge, but almost no "inspiration" or "good ideas"]

Edited April 10, 2020 by YouDoNotKnowMyName

[DocMoebius]

Have you ever started working on, or successfully completed, one of the things on your list? It sounds like work for several years for a whole team. Don't get me wrong, I definitely admire your passion and I wish something like this existed, but I think you should try to familiarize yourself with some of the points first to see how much work they require and to do one step after another and maybe start less ambitious. If you try to do everything simultaneously, you usually lose focus and become frustrated quickly.

 

Regarding 1: This will definitely break precombines, so you would need to generate them again(I recommend reading this https://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?/topic/5522717-fallout-4-optimization-and-performance-systems-explained/) The problem is that there are several popular mods which add/alter locations so I would assume that this would lead to a lot of conflicts or would require additional compatibility patches.

[YouDoNotKnowMyName]

Exactly!

Get familliar with the game systems and the limitations first. Then you can start to think about how to do "crazier" things.

If you have learnt the basics about the Creation Kit and FO4Edit, then you can really start.

 

Don't try too much at once, sometimes the seemingly easiest things take a lot of effort.

[winstondg]

Great responses thank you!

 

@YouDoNotKnowMyName

Just the kind of answers I'm looking for, new things I didn't know and correcting things I thought I knew, very helpful!

I've got my entire idea mapped already, I'm essentially adjusting my vision to fit the limitations and possibilites of the game as I learn about them.

 

@DocMoebius

You're absolutely right, reading that made me relax and drop 40/50 projects in my head lol.

I've made tons of small edits to games and mods over 10 years, all tweaks though never tried to package anything shareable.

Now that I want to make a shareable game overhaul, I've been writing down and organizing all my ideas into several main mods on Google Docs, with tables and stuff that can later be translated to CK and FO4Edit's language, which I can currently "read" but not "write," which is yes what I have to learn first and foremost. And I had never heard of Precombines, thanks!

 

Most helpful thing here is you guys' perspectives on the size of the project, I knew this wasn't a weekend idea but I don't know what I don't know!

Also, right after I had made the post I found this: https://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?/topic/5978333-fo4-modding-tutorial-list/

So now I suppose I have my week cut out for me!

[YouDoNotKnowMyName]

Of course!

My "projects" are also rather impossible difficult time consuming, so naturally I have a more "positive" perspective towards them.

(Man, I never thought I would say that I have a "positive attitude" towards anyting ... )

That's the most important thing when working on large projects.

Remember that you are doing this for fun.

That's the reason why I have multiple projects "on my desk" at once. When I get bored or loose motivation to work on something, I work on something else ...

Just do what makes you happy, otherwise you will get "burnt out" rather quickly.

 

I personally make mods to "fix" things in the vanilla game that annoy me / break my immersion. And to add new stuff to the game that makes it more interesting.

Because if you don't like the main quest of Fallout4, there is really not much to do, because all of the Faction questlines are tied into the MainQuest.

So something like a "alternate main quest" would be really cool and I completely support any efforts made in that direction (but I don't have good ideas, or I would have made something myself .... )

[winstondg]

Thanks for the motivation! You sound critical of what a good idea is lol so maybe you can give your opinion on mine, idk if I should move it to another forum though or is this an appopriate place?

[YouDoNotKnowMyName]

Thanks for the motivation! You sound critical of what a good idea is lol so maybe you can give your opinion on mine, idk if I should move it to another forum though or is this an appopriate place?

Depends ...

If you want the "public" to know about your ideas ...

Some people like to keep their work secret until they actually release the mod.

Everybody has their own preferences ...

 

If you want you can send me a PM.

[winstondg]

That's ok lots of people are already doing this, just wanted to keep forums organized and such.

I saw this forum about making Fallout 4 into a Neon Wasteland:

https://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?/topic/3965640-ultimate-fallout-4-mod-compilation-neon-wasteland-edition/

and consequently found this video of the Neon Wasteland trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rdjMkZ6zmU

 

So now I want to do that to Fallout 4, but properly, and not just aesthetically but really use the resources that people have been coming up with. *spoilers*

 

Plot: when your DAUGHTER "Shauna" was kidnapped and became "Mother," head of the Institute, she wasn't a d*ck about it (get it??) So, she helped the Commonwealth instead of terrorizing it for 60 years. By the time you get out after 60 years of Mother making amends for the Institute's past crimes and getting everyone to come together, the Commonwealth should be redeveloped.

The main plot itself starts out pretty much the same and most of it can remain consistent, tweaking it to fit in with everyone getting along.

 

World:

-Cyberpunk/Blade Runner city with giant energy radiation shields covering Cambridge + the whole downtown Boston area

-BoS+Institute+Automatron+VaultTec+Railroad+Minutemen(etc) future military and police force

-lots of crime/gangs: Yakuza, Triads, NeoNazis (they misread the name for Neon) Triggermen, etc

-NukaWorld Raiders into Ravers, Mother has been shipping them so many drugs that they're all chilling and partying now, giant rave park

-communication redone: functional radio headsets, shout out general commands to everyone near you, silent signals when stealthed, etc

-Wasteland is to be taken seriously; cover your skin, bring a gas mask, bring friends, bring a big gun

-population with classes (rich A-holes in Diamond City, where there are no synths/ghouls, poor people at the edge of the Wasteland)

-rebuilt tram, subway, railroad and highways with patrols and driveable vehicles

-Cybernetic(Synth) + Genetic(FEV) + Pip-Boy Augmentations available to you and NPCs

-Automatrons for sale for any purpose, Pip-Boy attachments and "2287 Pip-Boy software update"

-you and NPCs need to go make money (work, army, contracts, crime) have fun (go to bars/play games) and have needs (eat/sleep)

-redo perks & leveling so it's achievement-dependent instead of menu-dependent

-Commonwealth Alliance Prestige Score currency system for use within the Alliance.

 

Etc etc, think GTA V style world, in Fallout 4 lore, with a Cyberpunk 2077 theme

Pretty much everything I listed currently exists as separate mods on the Nexus, so that's where my huge balls on this mission come from; it's all already been done lol

[YouDoNotKnowMyName]

Ok, wow!

You really have big plans!

Just from a technical standpoint:

The only problems that I are driveable vehicles, a custom level system and the whole PipBoy thing.

In my limited experience, it seems like everything that has to do with making big changes to the user interface is not really possible ...

 

I am not too familliar with Cyberpunk/Blade Runner but I think I get the "vibe" that you are going for here ...

(I am also not too familliar with the "lore" of Fallout, I have more experience with Skyrim and ElderScrolls in general and mainly started playing/modding FO4 because somebody once told me it was like "Skyrim with guns")

 

But I mean I was asking myself the same question:

What if the Institute was actually "good" and worked for/with the people of the Commonwealth?

 

But like I said, I am better with the actual technical stuff, rather than the "creative stuff" ...

 

Sorry that I couldn't really offer any "creative advice" ...

I am just impressed with all of the things you want to implement.

[Maybe I have to do some "research" into the whole cyberpunk - setting thing ... ]

[Or maybe I need to sleep a bit for a change and let my brain process all of this ... ]