Fallout 3: Van Buren (Spoilers!)

[hexer]

As some of you know ( http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/index.php?threads/fallout-2-cc-my-expansion-pack.87979/ ), I've been modding Fallout 2.

Lately, I've been busy with modding Van Buren into Fallout 2 (yaaay). I'll post short updated here from time to time. All of the screenshots are WIP.

Vipers' camp in Mesa Verde - Ciphers location.

 

[felipepepe]

How much of VanBuren plot you guys have access to?

 

[m_s0]

I'm guessing they're using the design docs that were made public.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Interesting. Good luck.

 

[Bitcher1]

I don't think Fallout engine can facilitate all the stuff there was in the docs. The Hoover Dam especially would be damn hard to render properly. But I don't suppose you'll going for a complete conversion anyway. Good luck, though I seem to remember someone had that idea before.

 

[laclongquan]

Dont forget to post your progress on NMA-fallout forum so that bunch can bug you more.

 

[hexer]

How much of VanBuren plot you guys have access to?

Only the info that has been released publicly via design documents, Van buren tech demo, and interviews.

I don't think Fallout engine can facilitate all the stuff there was in the docs. The Hoover Dam especially would be damn hard to render properly. But I don't suppose you'll going for a complete conversion anyway. Good luck, though I seem to remember someone had that idea before.

We'll do the complete conversion. No one wants it any other way.

Dont forget to post your progress on NMA-fallout forum so that bunch can bug you more.

Of course.

 

[Untermensch]

Sretno

 

[hexer]

Bro, if you're not, USE THE FONLINE ENGINE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD.

Don't worry, I'm very familiar with Fallout 2 modding. I'll check out the new FOnline Reloaded engine, of course.
If it's better and I can do everything that I need to do, I'll switch over.

If you need a writer I could help. I have been reading the Van Buren design docs a lot lately, in order to design the Van Buren's nations and tribes and peoples and put them on the FODD Darkest Hour Mod.

Yes, writers are always welcome to breathe life into the characters. When you find the time, PM me and we'll give you a location you can write dialog for.

One possible suggestion is that you might want to add some extra quests, characters and quest twists in order for people not to use the design docs like walkthroughs.

As you can see here ( http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/index.php?threads/fallout-2-cc-my-expansion-pack.87979/ ) , I have lots of custom content already made. The current plan is to finish Van Buren and release that extra content as an expansion pack. It would be a real shame to see it go to waste.

Which version of New Canaan/Jericho you are going to add? I prefer the one with New Canaan still existing, having a refugee crisis, Jeremiah Rigdon, Powder Ganger attack, etc. Jericho seems boring.

Are you going to add ALL locations or exclude the cut ones (Circle Junction, The Crater, Moletown)?

New Canaan, Circle Junction, The Crater and Moletown are all in

 

[Yoshiyyahu]

Good luck sir.

 

[hexer]

Thanks to everyone wishing us well!

I'm checking out FOnline right now. I like how I can easily implement new features from Van Buren.

Are you going to expand the map or put that stuff inside the default Van Buren map? The area is quite big, if a bit desolate.

I was planning on expanding the map.

BTW, one thing you gotta mind, is that Van Buren seems to have been planned to be less linear than the original Fallouts.

I wouldn't say that that original Fallouts were more linear, but that their locations were revealed in such a manner that you were always left with only one new option to travel to. So it was almost always: "I got a new location on the map. I can either go there or I can explore on my own." Obviously, most players didn't explore on their own. In the end, how much of the new locations will we reveal on the map precisely or just point the player in their general direction (e.g. South-East) is up to us. Personally, I'm leaning more to the latter.

Ins't Moletown like prototype Bombay Jack? Bombay seems to have a better reason, too, the guy in Moletown just seems to be there.

I planned on using Moletown as a sort of a tutorial area and a training area for Bombay Jack later (Moletown would be easy but Bombay Jack would be tough. Experience you got from Moletown would save your life later).

Since it was nearby, what about a Fallout Tactics reference? *You see: A dead soldier in strange, and quite horribly looking Power Armor with a different Brotherhood of Steel insignia*

LOL

 

[Rake]

 

[JohnTheRevelator]

Oh man. This sounds too good.

 

[BGMD]

Good luck, zemljak!

 

[hexer]

This weekend was productive! Maxson Bunker and Ciphers (Mesa Verde) maps are finished, Tibbets' maps are 75% finished.
Ciphers location is a beast, there will be lots of new art created for it. (I'll post screenshots later, once that new art is in place.)

Next on the horizon are Tibbets and the Twin Mothers.

Good luck, zemljak!

Greetings from inside the Maxson Bunker

 

[ghostdog]

Keep it up !

 

[Tzaero]

 

[Surf Solar]

Hook me up if you need any new sceneries or tiles, hexer - I've created a lot of them before I switched to more elaborate non-tiled graphics for my game.

 

[Kamoho]

Gushing aside, I wouldn't mind making a contribution as a writer if you still need some.

 

[Ninjerk]

Posting in here so I'll get alerts. I wonder if shihonage has seen this?

 

[shihonage]

Looks good.

But, like others here, I believe that in order to ever be completed, this project has to migrate to FOnline engine. If it doesn't, it will forever remain "an enthusiastic beginning", a relic from your youth that you will one way dust off and show to your grandchildren, wondering what could've been.

Your grandchildren will ask why it's not holographic, and then you'll try to explain it to them but they'll slide away on their hoverboards, cackling at the old man and his antiquated level editor, and a tear will slowly roll down the scar on your cheek that you got during the Great Invasion.

You'll look down the ring on your finger and wonder why you're still wearing it after the 5 divorces. Nothing has ever gone right ever since you tried to take Fallout engine beyond its limits. Your ambition always got ahead of you, and you refused to learn the lesson.

Suddenly it catches the corner of your eye - your senior friend is motioning for you to come over.

You completely forgot. It's bingo night.

 

[hexer]

Haha shihonage , you're a funny guy

Regarding FOnline engine, at the moment I'm only testing it and haven't decided to switch over.
Maybe you can help with my doubts and answer these questions. You seem to work with it since the start...

- I have Win XP and FOnline tools work only on Vista or newer Windows. I don't have the means to get a better computer. Since I'm the main developer, this is a BIG issue.
- I can't read russian and most of the documentation is written in russian language.
- Ambiental lighting is nice but makes the art look washed out. Can I prevent this?
- The game runs slowly (but this could be because of my old laptop with Win XP)
- GUI sometimes behaves strangely - I press ESC and the game quits immediately, there's no prompt window.
- Options screen isn't implemented yet. Can I implement it myself?

 

[shihonage]

Are we talking about the same project?

Shouldn't you be able to somehow change the source code to make it run on XP?

I don't have close contact with the engine, but I believe ambient effects are optional.

The general idea here is - you don't have Fallout 1/2 source code and the games are a terror to mod. I've read the post-mortem of Fan-Made Fallout project, and it went into a lot of detail about hardcoded garbage in Fallout 2 they had to dance around.

Mutants Rising, the ambitious Fallout campaign mod, has been in development for over a decade now? And they didn't even have to write their own engine...

FOnline may be a mess, but it does have source code and therefore can grow. It also takes Fallout 1/2 graphics assets so you don't have to make your own.

I think Surf Solar et al may answer in more detail about FOnline.

EDIT: except he's apparently depressed and ignores PMs now.

 

[Jim the Dinosaur]

The general idea here is - you don't have Fallout 1/2 source code and the games are a terror to mod. I've read the post-mortem of Fan-Made Fallout project, and it went into a lot of detail about hardcoded garbage in Fallout 2 they had to dance around.

The dancing around part has become a lot easier though in the (4/5?) years since FMF croaked with all the new sfall functions and hookscripts. I think the only real remaining frustrating part about FO2 modding is the mapping, which hexer seems to have little problem with (even that has gotten a bit easier with sfall allowing for custom tile patterns and some other stuff IIRC), and of course making new models, but that's a general sprite thing I guess.

 

[hexer]

Thanks for the info shihonage!
As Jim says, FO2 modding got easier (thanks to sfall) since FMF was cancelled and at the moment there're only minor issues left open - nothing to write home about. I'm still evaluating FOnline so everything's possible.

I'm more focused on content at the moment: mapping, dialogs, new art, sfx & music. Gameplay system and engine tweaks will be done at a later time.
To keep this project alive two things are needed - enthusiasm and skills. I'm pouring my heart and soul into this one - there's no other game I would like to play more than Fallout Van Buren. It's happening!