GUIDE General Feedback

[GrantSP]

We need to add the occurrence of this dialog box to the MO bug list so Tannin can look into it. For now I will add this to the guide.

It is noted as part of an existing, open issue regarding FWE not installing correctly. Probably is a good idea to make it a separate issue as now it seems it isn't exclusively a FWE issue.

 

New issue here #972

[Kelmych]

Help!, I have been playing my clear and present danger game for a while now and have just reached evergreen mill foundry. When entering the building almost all of the interior is missing, its almost all blank. Any ideas what I may have done wrong in my install?

Otherwise the guide has been great. Any help is much appreciated.

We try and keep problems like this in the support thread. I'll answer it there.

[Kelmych]

 

So I found a modder who has retextured all the DLC and Robots in Fallout 3.  I've gone through the robots pack and so far it is better than almost all retextures.  It is meant to complement NMC's pack for the main game.  There is a single pack of all the DLC, but it contains an .exe installer which I try to avoid.  There are however individual packs for each DLC which are just texture archives.  However all the downloads are in Russian:

 

• Operation Anchorage: https://modgames.net/load/fallout3/modeli_i_tekstury/dlc_operation_anchorage_retexture/33-1-0-16671
• The Pitt: https://modgames.net/load/fallout3/modeli_i_tekstury/dlc_the_pitt_retexture/33-1-0-16642
• Broken Steel: https://modgames.net/load/fallout3/modeli_i_tekstury/dlc_broken_steel_retexture/33-1-0-16752
• Point Lookout: https://modgames.net/load/fallout3/modeli_i_tekstury/dlc_point_lookout_retexture/33-1-0-16648
• Mothership Zeta: https://modgames.net/load/fallout3/modeli_i_tekstury/dlc_mothership_zeta_retexture/33-1-0-16847
• Robots HD: https://modgames.net/load/fallout3/modeli_i_tekstury/robots_hd_retexture/33-1-0-18616

A couple translated pages:

• Broken Steel: https://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&hl=en&prev=search&rurl=translate.google.com.au&sl=ru&u=https://modgames.net/load/fallout3/modeli_i_tekstury/dlc_broken_steel_retexture/33-1-0-16752&usg=ALkJrhjHC7GOlzFnLh4xhDWyLI9adrkxHA
• Mothership Zeta: https://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&hl=en&prev=search&rurl=translate.google.com.au&sl=ru&u=https://modgames.net/load/fallout3/modeli_i_tekstury/dlc_mothership_zeta_retexture/33-1-0-16847&usg=ALkJrhg6EQRhwG9AOZRQVyULXW8s1ts7vg
• Robots HD: https://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&hl=en&prev=search&rurl=translate.google.com.au&sl=ru&u=https://modgames.net/load/fallout3/modeli_i_tekstury/robots_hd_retexture/33-1-0-18616&usg=ALkJrhi8FZ5DjbH7Jazxm_EEeyAYRCLmEg

 

Thanks; I downloaded these from moddb.  Have you had a chance to look at these in the game yet to compare with some of the ? They certainly have some high resolution textures in some cases. For my system I'm planning to use the ULTRA versions when available and use DDSopt to resize any 4kx4k textures to 2kx2k. The Zeta textures would replace many of those from Mothership Zeta Retextured. As you mentioned, they don't conflict with the NMC textures.  Most of the textures replace vanilla Fallout ones, so it's hard to see why we wouldn't want to use these.

[Kelmych]

Another small clarity improvement suggestion - on the DDSopt guide page at https://wiki.step-project.com/Guide:BSA_Extraction_and_Optimization#tab=Setup_BSAopt , the sentence " Instructions for installation and initial setup of BSAopt are available here" links back to the same page and tab.

 

I found it quite confusing until coffee finally kicked in and I noticed the tabs - the link probably should be to https://wiki.step-project.com/Guide:BSA_Extraction_and_Optimization#tab=Setup_and_Use_of_BSAopt instead.

 

EDIT - the rest of the procedure went swimmingly, thanks for the guides and .bat. Between that and those arcane settings for StutterRemover, the game is fluid even with 2K textures and some downsampling.

Thanks. I fixed the pointer in the BSAopt guide. I will be changing the instructions for optimizing vanilla Fallout textures; I found some additional body-related textures that shouldn't be optimized.

[Adonis_VII]

Hi Kelmych,

 

I haven't had a chance to compare the DLC ones in depth, but I have gone through the Robots HD and compared it to all robot mods I could find for both Fallout 3 and New Vegas (There is quite a bit of overlap of course).  And so far it has been equal to or better texture wise except for Robot Revolution HD Protectron.  EVE has nicer glows and in some cases (some turrets) EVE wins because of that, but it covers everything.  Therefore it should be the base, then override with EVE weapons and HD Protectron, covering all robots until someone comes along with textures on the same quality as the power armor.  I have comparison images of them, what is the best way to present that here?

[Adonis_VII]

I've also gone through some mesh upgrades.  While there is nothing like SMIM, I did find some good ones.  Here is an imgur link with before/after images of each object with links. https://imgur.com/a/ATiGg 

You obviously already have Better Bottles listed.

Edited January 13, 2015 by Adonis_VII

[Ghostwise]

- I've removed two unnecessary masters from the Great Old Ones proto-patch

 

- The second weapons proto-patch is progressing

 

- During research to set reasonable values for ZealotLee's weapons in FWE, I've noted that the base VAT hit chances in FWE's .esm are all over the place. For instance three very comparable submachineguns have base VATS hit chance of, respectively, 8, 20 and 45. I wonder if that should be fixed, or if there's a reason why the numbers aren't coherent. Do we have a way to learn more ?

 

- ZealotLee's MP5 is distributed on numerous levelled lists - say raider1gun, raider2gun and raider3gun. Would simply removing one of these help with the omnipresence of the MP5 in the world ? I would assume that STEP has people who know a lot about levelled lists.

[Kelmych]

You might also want to look at the weapon compatability patch I mention in the Mods part of the forum which is also trying to balance the weapon stats.

 

Looking at the second patch, it looks like it might make more sense to separate at least some of the Millenia weapons from the vanilla ones (as you suggested), particularly since few of the Millenia weapons support WMK. The Millenia textures are great, but I suspect many of them are not compatible with the WMK meshes.

 

Also, when a weapon is setup to use RH_Ironsights (when it has the proper meshes) the "Don't use First Person animation flag" needs to be removed (e.g., chinese assault rifle but not Millenias AK47 unfortunately). Part of what I did with the ACRfor FWE plugin was to remove these flags so the Ironsights animation would work for weapons that had the proper meshes for RH_Ironsights (which for the ACR was all of them)

 

Yes, as you mentioned the MP5 is in too many leveled lists. I think removing it from some of the lists you mention will accomplish at least some of that.

I've also gone through some mesh upgrades.  While there is nothing like SMIM, I did find some good ones.  Here is an imgur link with before/after images of each object with links. https://imgur.com/a/ATiGg 

You obviously already have Better Bottles listed.

What mod has the other meshes you like?

[Adonis_VII]

the "Tweaked" series by LordInquisitor (There are links under the images in the album too)

 

Automat: https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout3/mods/12867/?

Chems: https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/37255/?

Coffeemaker: https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/37255/?

Generator: https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout3/mods/12353/?

Intercom: https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout3/mods/10003/?

Power Fist: https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout3/mods/12349/?

Register: https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/40329/?

Wrench: https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout3/mods/10212/?

 

I made the previously linked album so people would have a better idea than some of the images on the nexus.  I realize they're quite small mods, but I find every bit helps...Now if I can just find some real utensils....

 

He also has one for bottle caps that is in the F&L loathing guide (https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/40792/?), but I haven't looked at that in depth.  We should be able to hid the NV files and keep upgraded mesh.

[Adonis_VII]

Here are some images of Robot Textures from different packs.  https://imgur.com/a/JEoU0

[Kelmych]

Are there other Fallout 3 mods at the moddb site you feel should be in the guide? The texture mods you posted seem quite impressive.

[Adonis_VII]

I'm not sure.  There are actually two main Russian sites for Fallout 3/NV mods that I'm looking at.  I don't actually know any Russian however so it's kinda slow.

[Ghostwise]

You might also want to look at the weapon compatability patch I mention in the Mods part of the forum which is also trying to balance the weapon stats.

 

Aye aye. Mind if I invite the guy to come discuss here ?

 

Looking at the second patch, it looks like it might make more sense to separate at least some of the Millenia weapons from the vanilla ones (as you suggested), particularly since few of the Millenia weapons support WMK. The Millenia textures are great, but I suspect many of them are not compatible with the WMK meshes.

 

We could re-introduce them not as replacers but as stand-alone "Elegant AK-47", "Elegant Combat shotgun", etc. with the normal FWE stats for their parent weapon, +10% health, +15% value and their own script to distribute them in the world, perhaps. Or as "Millenia Arms AK-47", etc. if you want to be cute about it.

 

Also, when a weapon is setup to use RH_Ironsights (when it has the proper meshes) the "Don't use First Person animation flag" needs to be removed (e.g., chinese assault rifle but not Millenias AK47 unfortunately). Part of what I did with the ACRfor FWE plugin was to remove these flags so the Ironsights animation would work for weapons that had the proper meshes for RH_Ironsights (which for the ACR was all of them)

 

Will adjust the ZL-MP5s. I don't think the ZL-Dragunov needs this since it's always scoped, right ?

 

I only have about 1/3 of the gazillion ACR entries left to finish, would be done already were it not for those dang paying clients taking my time. :-)

Edited January 14, 2015 by Ghostwise

[Ghostwise]

So I've expanded Kelmych's ACRforFWE plugin to replace the old mods by The Third Type and adapt ZealotLee's MP5s, SVD Dragunovs and Adaptive Combat Rifle to a fuller, better-scaled FWE environment.

 

For testing :

Link -  https://8f9784a776.test-url.ws/tmp/ClearAndPresentAdjustment_Beauty_Weapons_2.esp

 

Comments :

- Rescaled ZealotLee's MP5 submachinegun stats. It is a robust 9mm weapon, more accurate than the 10mm SMG but slightly less powerful. The kurtz variant (MP5K) is a bit faster in VATS and not as good at longer ranges, and the silenced version is handled as it if had received a WMK silencer for coherence's sake.

- All these MP5s can be repaired like any 9mm SMG, and be used for parts to repair to repair similar weapons. They also are set up for Iron Sight.

- Raiders will now carry far fewer such MP5s - not only are these weapons on too many levelled lists, FWE tweaked the lists by release 6.0 so raiders would have lower-tech weapons. The Talon Company remains fond of these MP5s, though.

- ZealotLee's SVD Dragunov is SLIGHTLY less powerful and accurate than the basic .308 sniper rifle, to partially compensate for its 10-round magazine. No offence meant to the venerable 7.62x54mm round. The same relationship exists between the People's Dragunov and the Reservist's Rifle.

- Both Dragunovs can be repaired like any sniper rifle, and be used for parts to repair .308 sniper rifles

- The Adaptive Combat Rifle (ACR) in 14.5" performs much like the basic assault rifle. The short-barrelled version is a bit better at close range (higher ROF, easier to handle in VATS) but poorer at longer ranges, and the 18" barrel is a bit less powerful than a 5.56mm sniper rifle (the DKS 501). The LH configuration is as damaging as the basic FN-FAL, but heavy and slow in VATS. The ACR is also a bit less robust than a basic assault rifle. It's not a super-weapon ; what makes it good is that it can be reconfigured in the field.

- All ACR configurations can be repaired like any 5.56mm assault rifle, and be used for parts to repair 5.56mm assault rifle. They also are set up for Iron Sight.

- Fixed a typo that made a few ACR variants overpowered by an order of magnitude

[Kelmych]

 

You might also want to look at the weapon compatability patch I mention in the Mods part of the forum which is also trying to balance the weapon stats.

 

Aye aye. Mind if I invite the guy to come discuss here ?

 

Sounds like a great idea; he requested collaboration.

 

Looking at the second patch, it looks like it might make more sense to separate at least some of the Millenia weapons from the vanilla ones (as you suggested), particularly since few of the Millenia weapons support WMK. The Millenia textures are great, but I suspect many of them are not compatible with the WMK meshes.

 

We could re-introduce them not as replacers but as stand-alone "Elegant AK-47", "Elegant Combat shotgun", etc. with the normal FWE stats for their parent weapon, +10% health, +15% value and their own script to distribute them in the world, perhaps. Or as "Millenia Arms AK-47", etc. if you want to be cute about it.

 

Millenia Arms ... as a brand name sounds good to me. They won't have WMK additions so it makes sense to have them be a little more powerful than the vanilla un-WMK-modded version.

 

Also, when a weapon is setup to use RH_Ironsights (when it has the proper meshes) the "Don't use First Person animation flag" needs to be removed (e.g., chinese assault rifle but not Millenias AK47 unfortunately). Part of what I did with the ACRfor FWE plugin was to remove these flags so the Ironsights animation would work for weapons that had the proper meshes for RH_Ironsights (which for the ACR was all of them)

 

Will adjust the ZL-MP5s. I don't think the ZL-Dragunov needs this since it's always scoped, right ?

Yes, AFAIK scoped weapons have their own animation

 

I only have about 1/3 of the gazillion ACR entries left to finish, would be done already were it not for those dang paying clients taking my time. :-)

 

I limited the ACR changes I made so it wouldn't be too different than the T3T ones, but since you're incorporating these into a larger new mod more extensive balancing can be done. Ideally we can eliminate the need for the old T3T mod since its outdated.