Development: No Infinite Running (Deleted Mod Community Replacement)

[SpaceMachineSixThousandOne]

Development wise.

 

 

I've only thought about it a few times. The original mod was removed due to some drama between the author, and some users. Since then we tried to rectify it in the digital space, and also to match Oldrim Skyrim. Because some players have a tendency to want to get things done, they run the whole time. Instead of this the sprint drains AP. Then we walk normally. When we want to run we press shift, and it runs. This drains AP as well. When AP hits zero the PC can no longer run. For example, a player character is being attacked, trying to run, but between No Infinite Running, VATS, and Sprint the AP reaches zero, and now the player can only walk, which is a really nice freak out moment.

 

 

I'm only writing because I've made some headway in the initial game mechanic design, and technical side. No Infinite Running could under some conditions cost a bit of performance, but this was rare. I have no idea how they made it. Instead we'll just have to develop a new one that the community can agree on. So just consider what I say, it's not set in stone. I'll end up making it however I want to play FO4 anyway.

 

 

Performance comes first, so how do we do this without dumping in a game mode script running. Well, this pointed me to a script that adds a perk which runs a spell. Because the engine is designed to do this already I thought it wouldn't be as bad on performance. The real question is will it allow us to do that with the SDK or FO4edit. I don't know yet.

 

 

Add Perk

Spell

is PC running

if 1 subtract Action Points

 

Then

 

Script via spell on conditions

if timer less than beginning timer amount for timer seconds (idk pick a amount)

and

global greater than zero attempts left to start running = use more AP (as penalty for lack of control, and as the effort we put into beginning to start running, messing up for example)

 

 

The script does two things right now, shown below.

 

 

(Here, we want to provide the ability for the player to start/stop running a few times, which uses more AP, and will Ragdoll them if they try to many times, as if beginning to run was more of a weighty feeling, the player thinking out their controls carefully.)

 

 

(Then we implement the progression path of running itself. The longer the player runs the higher the AP gets. Maybe throw in a couple of choices instead of AP higher than 256 at level 10 or below, so stagger the amount. But VATS almost always works better when we have a large amount of AP, and it's here that it's original function actually works, it provides ability to fight when FPS or 3rd person combat won't do the job because the player literally can't, or later on just to mix up the combat. Because of that, ideally by running the player would eventually get 1024 Action Points, something like that, and yes I know it's drastically increased, I am a gamer, this is how we do things, make them fun. What good is any of this in this game when it's gated off by limitations.)

 

 

Then don't forget the Ragdoll is added in to this part above to simulate a person freaking out trying to run, and stumbling or falling to the ground, easy peasy, and fun.

 

 

The tie into action point increase really is just setting the distance that the player can run, but it also benefits VATS. If you wanted to make that turn based it wouldn't be difficult to implement that as penalty for such increased VATS use by way of increased Action Points, and going along with that maybe the VATS system overheats, but we can still run.

 

 

The progression part rewards the player with messages or sounds, and thus makes running or long distance running another non-combat activity to enjoy while roaming Boston. Quest in the Boston marathon if you want. I mean, it is Boston after all.

 

 

Then at the end there was some simple menu messages that ask the player questions about their character, and then we make changes without really telling them what we did. Okay, good. Yes, that will work great, then just nerf the crap out of them. It's not a lie, we just want to hide that part. Like FNV with the personality test or the Rorschach. The GECK aptitude test? Never know what you are going to get, but it's fun for the player. Stuff about the character could effect AP and/or speed, but I figure most people use Immersive Fallout which changes speed anyway to a slower amount that the engine does better with, which kicks that part out, and we can focus on AP.

 

 

Does your character have big boobs? blah blah blah, yes those are big. (harder to progress as a runner, to get more AP, more work)

Is your character a fat dude behind a desk? Oh that's not so bad, I'm sure you'll do fine. (nope, you and big boobs McGee can race in the back)

Then just add simple messages, or message box in sort of roleplay text based stuff, sounds of heavy breathing, dehydration due to sweat, runners high when you ran so far you got drunk off it basically but it's a high, random tripping and falling at speed we got to do that, and some kind of lasting effects like injury or stinking like BO from exercise. You would be surprised how far a little text can go for roleplay in games.

 

 

Admittedly this isn't well thought out. It contains a broader idea, that came together all of a sudden, so I wrote it down, and at least tried to describe it. It's in the hope that we can find a elegant solution to limit the distance the player can run or sprint, but provide them agency, progression, dumb stuff that is fun for gamers like animated pipboy icons for the level up menu ex & Pipboy perks/effects sections, limitations on the super hero player character, interesting combat situations, non-violent activities in the digital world, and there is probably more there to find.

 

 

Then just buff the Power Armor legs/mods so we can run faster in PA at the cost of less carry weight; in reverse too, more carry weight for slower run speed, because we can run fast in PA up to the point where it begins skating which is a different speed for each set of PA. With it in mods it would be easy to limit that to like 30% faster speed on T-45 (at vanilla speeds) then slower amounts for the others. But this sort of playing into those West Tek Servo System, or whatever Sturges was talking about.

 

 

Thanks for working on it, thinking about it, continuing the development on Skyrim No Infinite Running to see what new ideas we found by exploring around this replacement of a mod that was deleted due to Nexus drama.