PS4 mod limitations (Xbox limitations if any) and the impact on my idea for a mod... i.e precombined

[al9984]

I'd like to better understand the PS4 limitations imposed by Sony. In my searches on various forums I've ascertained that you can't have "external assets" - *insert big list of things here* but the one was this does effect my plans is "No New Precombined Environment data "

My mod idea is to open up the boarded up buildings all over the commonwealth but unlike the dozen or so mods that do this already I plan to..

1.Not break precombined data (or rebuild it using the tutorial videos we didn't have available when a lot of the other mods came out)

2.Maintains a balanced loot ratio... no locations with 50 bottles of Nuka cola etc.

3.Release it on the consoles (or at least a "lite" version if the PS4 limitation prove too much)

4.Not be too ambitious - no new NPCs, no new perk mags, no gnomes, just empty, abandoned buildings... possibly the odd molerat or ghoul... and maybe a HHGTTG reference here and there

If I can't make new precombined data for the PS4 then does that mean I can't edit the external world spaces? will I be limited to adding a door in front of the boarded up doorway and creating internal spaces using vanilla/DLC assets?

I've already created one mod that's done this and as far as I can tell (in FOedit) it doesn't break precombined.

Sorry I've waffled on a bit but basically what I'm asking is... am I right?

Will I be limited to internal cells?

Is adding a door to an external cells an ok thing to do without breaking precombined data?

And of course the most important question... would anyone be remotely interesting in this sort of mod or would I be wasting my time creating something that others have already done in different ways?

[MissingMeshTV]

If you’re only adding new records to a cell, you won’t be breaking precombines. If that’s all your doing and you’re not touching, nudging or otherwise interacting with any vanilla refs, you’ll be fine. Because no, PS4 mods can’t include the external files that result from generating new precombine and previs data. They can only be an .esp file with no additional assets whatsoever.

 

It’s very easy to add new items (like a load door) to a cell without breaking anything in the optimization system in the CK by locking (or “freezing” as it’s called in the CK) all vanilla layers and creating a new layer to add your mod’s items to. If you so much as touch a vanilla ref that is part of a precombine, the CK may record that as an edit and you’ve disabled the optimization for that cell without realizing it: the infamous “dirty edit” that can be removed in xEdit. But using layers to your advantage prevents all of that.

 

I've made a video showing how I use this process to prevent any vanilla assets from being interacted with.

 

As far as “opening up” any boarded up buildings, you’ll actually be placing load doors over the top of those boards. You may have to use some beams or other objects to help blend the door into the space you want to place it in. One static assets that is very useful for this is the concrete door fame: Bld01AddDoorFrame01. I’ve used this with one of the metal utility doors many times in various locations. It’s good for hiding things like a wall that isn’t straight of has one of those aforementioned boarded up doors that clip through the load door you’ve placed. Since you can’t remove anything with breaking something, you sometimes need to get creative in covering and hiding things that might be in your way. Dressing up your load door area with a few crates, barrels and signs can also help blend them in a little more and make them feel part of the base game. As long as you keep those new items on their own layer and lock all the vanilla layers, you won't be able to interact with any vanilla refs that can cause problems.

 

If you can make your exterior workspace changes in a way that you work around disabling or moving vanilla refs, you’ll make less work for yourself and your mod will be far more compatible with other mods, as well as the gaming console thingies you want to publish on. It really is kind of overkill (and silly) to remove a single clump of trash to add a load door and regenerate precombines. It’s equally silly (and wrong) to disable that clump of trash and leave the optimization for that cell broken...especially if it is in the downtown area.

 

Best of luck with the mod. Having more interior cells to explore is always a good thing! And don't forget the Vogon poetry.

[al9984]

Thanks RedRocketTV, I actually watched that video (and a couple of others of your's) earlier today. It was watching this one ( https://youtu.be/hPENZq2ub1c ) last week that inspired me in the first place...and made me revisit my most recent mod to check I hadn't broken any in that, then I realised that I could release it on PS4 and well the rest is history...

 

I might try to slip an elevator transition in somewhere as I watched a tutorial video on that earlier too

 

I've just been scouting areas in the game with boarded up building that have also not already been heavily covered by over similar mods (or at least not the ones I've played) and I think I'll be starting in the areas around Fort Hagen and the Collegiate Administration Building. Hopefully after a couple of houses I'll be back in practice with the CK and be able to finish off my last project (Super Duper Mart Expanded). Possibly even combine it with this one.

[MissingMeshTV]

Cool! Sounds like you're on the right track. If you're looking at adding either transition elevators or a same-cell elevators, I'd suggest the tutorials on each by Seddon4494. I did one on transition elevators, but it was long before I discovered the elevator pack-ins that already exist in the CK. Pack-ins save a TON of time and effort. Seddon4494's tutorials use the pack-ins and I'd recommend those videos over mine for the sheer simplicity of setting things up with them.

[al9984]

I've begun work on what I'm provisionally calling "Boston Unsealed & More" or *B.U.M." (Because I'm a mature 35 year old that still finds rude/childish acronyms hilarious)

(

)

 

There's still some tweaks to do and then some cluttering but everything is coming back to me.

I realised that by using the prebuild boarded up houses (this one is Bld01FreesidingARes01) I can created a template of the inside walls, floors, and ceilings and then just material swap and fill with different clutter etc. for the 20 or so scattered around the commonwealth... there's a dozen similar buildings of various sizes so should be able to have a variety while still producing in bulk and saving time.

 

One question that has arisen is the use of DLC assets... Do most people have all the DLC by now (or at least FH and NW) or is there still a large portion of users running only the base game?
It would be nice to have the DLC content to pull from but if I'm going to get loads of requests for a non-DLC version then I'll just leave them out of it.

[SKKmods]

I saw some stats from steam that 90% of active PC users have the DLCs.

 

But some (like me) choose to run without them unless absolutely needed for a run as the DLCs dump a bunch of start game quests and active scripts into the system that can (observed) affect script system resources.

 

Don't know about your Xbox / PS4 target markets though

[Zorkaz]

The hell, why is there such a limitation...

Can't you copy files from your USB-drive on the PS4-drive and then they work?

[al9984]

I'm having a problem with the lights... or rather the shadows. There's a seam in the middle of the ceiling fans (I've tried quite a few) that I can't seem to get rid of despite fiddling with the light settings.

 

see examples and light settings here - (https://imgur.com/a/QChJiOg)

 

Can anyone offer assistance? Or will I have to switch back to the non-shadow version?

[MissingMeshTV]

@al9984: The seams on the lights are from light mesh itself. You can angle/rotate the light marker to try and obscure it but you can’t get rid of it.

 

You’ll also want to be careful about how many shadowed light sources you put into a cell. Too many shadowed lights can cause the game to puke when loading into the cell. By “puke” I mean low frame rates and/or stuttering as the game struggles to render all the shadows. Lower spec hardware in particular can have problems having to render too many shadows, but even beefier rigs can occasionally have issues. Quitting and reloading can clear it up, but it does get annoying. I try and limit shadowed lights to one per room, depending on cell size.

 

As for using DLC assets, just make the mod the way YOU want to make it. I find many of the DLC assets to be more interesting than those in the base game and they can add some much needed variety. Automatron's animated doors come to mind. The base game has nothing like them.

 

It all depends on your project. If there are DLC asset that would round out your creative vision, by all means use them. If you can accomplish your vision for a project with only vanilla assets, do so. But don’t limit yourself based on people who still don’t own the DLC for a nearly five year old game. Make the mod to fit your desires first and foremost. If someone doesn’t have the DLC and they miss out, oh well. Sad day for them.

[HeyYou]

The hell, why is there such a limitation...

Can't you copy files from your USB-drive on the PS4-drive and then they work?

Unfortunately, no.... Some files are in proprietary formats on PS/4, sounds being right there on the top of the list, and I *think* textures as well.... So, it's not a simply drag and drop operation.....

 

Leave it to Sony to make things as complicated as possible. :)