Okay, I know this isn't FO3 - or even video game in general - related, but fuck me I just had to post it anyway...
http://failblog.org/2009/11/27/girlfriend-fail/
"I thought the Japanese had more shame than this..."
Obviously, he doesn't pay attention to the true depths of pathetic-ness gleefully indulged in by the Otaku.
I'll confess, this is a bad one, even by their standards, though. Not as bad as the Japanese guy who tried to marry a comic book character awhile back... but still pretty bad.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Scripting Woes and Stupidity
...Mine, for once.
Big fan of the 20th Century Weapons mod. Have been for a long time.
Hell, I love any mod that lets me use weapons I actually own. Or, at least similar to. No one's made a MK14 Mod 1 model yet, as far as I know. Slackers.
Anyway.
Awhile back, the author of 20thCW noted in his file comments that he was looking for someone to help him out with a weapon selector script. So that instead of carrying an AR-15, AR-15 with scope, AR-15 Full auto, etc... you carry ONE, and when you equip it, you select the features you want. Scoped, non, semi, full-auto, suppressor or no. Make it like your digital self is adding or removing the accessories, and using the selector switch.
Well, I'd done that type of scripting before, and didn't see any problem, so offered to help.
The script... didn't work right. I got caught up with fixing the stuff you monkeys keep finding wrong with the RR Companions Vault, and never remembered to update him.
He PM'd me tonight, saying that v4 is going up soon, and had I made any progress. Had to report that no, it wasn't ready, and I probably wouldn't be able to devote the time to make it work. Abject apologies, mouth wrote check ass can't cash, and so forth.
After sending my reply, I decided to crack it open in the GECK and give it one last go, to see if I could get it at least partially working, to offer him a framework to create the other files from.
...It seems some moron who looks suspiciously like me left an extra endif command in the selector scripts... causing them to error, and not run.
Remove said leftover code, and they work fine. I mean completely. No issues with players or NPCs or anything
Fuck.
So I PM again, correct myself, and offer him a working base to create the rest for. I still don't have time to do all four HUNDRED plus weapons in the mod... but I oughta be able to knock out a couple extra weapon families before he PM's back.
Must learn to pay more attention, one of these days. My brilliance would be astounding if I wasn't so fucking out of it all the time...
Big fan of the 20th Century Weapons mod. Have been for a long time.
Hell, I love any mod that lets me use weapons I actually own. Or, at least similar to. No one's made a MK14 Mod 1 model yet, as far as I know. Slackers.
Anyway.
Awhile back, the author of 20thCW noted in his file comments that he was looking for someone to help him out with a weapon selector script. So that instead of carrying an AR-15, AR-15 with scope, AR-15 Full auto, etc... you carry ONE, and when you equip it, you select the features you want. Scoped, non, semi, full-auto, suppressor or no. Make it like your digital self is adding or removing the accessories, and using the selector switch.
Well, I'd done that type of scripting before, and didn't see any problem, so offered to help.
The script... didn't work right. I got caught up with fixing the stuff you monkeys keep finding wrong with the RR Companions Vault, and never remembered to update him.
He PM'd me tonight, saying that v4 is going up soon, and had I made any progress. Had to report that no, it wasn't ready, and I probably wouldn't be able to devote the time to make it work. Abject apologies, mouth wrote check ass can't cash, and so forth.
After sending my reply, I decided to crack it open in the GECK and give it one last go, to see if I could get it at least partially working, to offer him a framework to create the other files from.
...It seems some moron who looks suspiciously like me left an extra endif command in the selector scripts... causing them to error, and not run.
Remove said leftover code, and they work fine. I mean completely. No issues with players or NPCs or anything
Fuck.
So I PM again, correct myself, and offer him a working base to create the rest for. I still don't have time to do all four HUNDRED plus weapons in the mod... but I oughta be able to knock out a couple extra weapon families before he PM's back.
Must learn to pay more attention, one of these days. My brilliance would be astounding if I wasn't so fucking out of it all the time...
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
RR Companions Vault, v5.1 (upcoming)
So much for getting to sleep all night. Was up again before midnight... which is pretty typical for me.
Suppose I can sleep when I'm dead, and sanity is for the weak.
Anyhow.
Got the new Guard barracks/rec room, locker room, toilets, and shower room all navmeshed, and tested. New guard packages set up, and they actually work.
Thought you guys might like a little preview of 5.1
Here we have Zoe, one of the new guards, modeling the new V1 combat armor. She's standing in the rec room section of the barracks.
This is the Guards' storage room, chock full 'o weapons, ammo, armor, and medical supplies.
The Guards' rec room/barracks. Couches, radio, pool table in the front; beds in rear, each with a bedside table and dresser.
Two of the guards taking advantage of their down time to hit the rack. Dividers set up to create "rooms" to give the guards at least a little bit of privacy.
These guards won't be like the others, inside the vault proper. They won't be recruitable as companions, and will be scripted to take off their armor when off duty.
No, they won't walk around naked off duty. Pervert.
Six guards total, three on and three off at any given time. Thus far, the guards are already patrolling, relaxing, sleeping, eating, cooking, and bathing.
Some small details to work out yet, adjustments to be made. The important thing is that the packages all work right, and the AI doesn't seem to consider anything crash-worthy.
Still have undressing activators to add for the baths and showers, and some tweaking left to do to the idle animation packages. Mostly tweaking timers and such.
Once that's done, I get to start all freaking over, and begin creating the new areas for the vendor and her staff.
Thankfully, those rooms will be much smaller, and so FAR less time consuming to produce.
Also adding a new weapon to the mod: a custom, scoped .44 Mag. Is a weapon that I've had written for months, but never uploaded. I figure this new vendor will be a perfect place to sell it, without having to mod anyone's inventory.
Nothing game breaking. Six or so power scope, higher accuracy, no jam on reload. Think of it like a Performance Center piece.
Suppose I can sleep when I'm dead, and sanity is for the weak.
Anyhow.
Got the new Guard barracks/rec room, locker room, toilets, and shower room all navmeshed, and tested. New guard packages set up, and they actually work.
Thought you guys might like a little preview of 5.1
Here we have Zoe, one of the new guards, modeling the new V1 combat armor. She's standing in the rec room section of the barracks.
This is the Guards' storage room, chock full 'o weapons, ammo, armor, and medical supplies.
The Guards' rec room/barracks. Couches, radio, pool table in the front; beds in rear, each with a bedside table and dresser.
Two of the guards taking advantage of their down time to hit the rack. Dividers set up to create "rooms" to give the guards at least a little bit of privacy.
These guards won't be like the others, inside the vault proper. They won't be recruitable as companions, and will be scripted to take off their armor when off duty.
No, they won't walk around naked off duty. Pervert.
Six guards total, three on and three off at any given time. Thus far, the guards are already patrolling, relaxing, sleeping, eating, cooking, and bathing.
Some small details to work out yet, adjustments to be made. The important thing is that the packages all work right, and the AI doesn't seem to consider anything crash-worthy.
Still have undressing activators to add for the baths and showers, and some tweaking left to do to the idle animation packages. Mostly tweaking timers and such.
Once that's done, I get to start all freaking over, and begin creating the new areas for the vendor and her staff.
Thankfully, those rooms will be much smaller, and so FAR less time consuming to produce.
Also adding a new weapon to the mod: a custom, scoped .44 Mag. Is a weapon that I've had written for months, but never uploaded. I figure this new vendor will be a perfect place to sell it, without having to mod anyone's inventory.
Nothing game breaking. Six or so power scope, higher accuracy, no jam on reload. Think of it like a Performance Center piece.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Delays...
Alright, trying to keep the personal whining off the blog, but there's gonna be a bit of a delay in 5.1.
Why?
I've been up twenty-eight straight hours, am running on Rockstar and Venom brand energy drinks... and I just got home after leaving at 0750 this morning.
Not a happy Nos right now. Need to pass out and pretend I'm dead for awhile...
On the up side, the Guards' bathroom is effectively done. I've just got to add in the clothes-removing activators for the showers and tubs.
Guards' bunk room/rec room is done and ready to go.
Presuming I don't drop the fuck dead tonight, it should only be another two, three days to have it all done, navmeshed, and ready for you all to destroy with your filthy load orders full of bad, conflicting mods.
Urgh... heavy stimulant doses don't agree with ulcers... have to flee now...
Why?
I've been up twenty-eight straight hours, am running on Rockstar and Venom brand energy drinks... and I just got home after leaving at 0750 this morning.
Not a happy Nos right now. Need to pass out and pretend I'm dead for awhile...
On the up side, the Guards' bathroom is effectively done. I've just got to add in the clothes-removing activators for the showers and tubs.
Guards' bunk room/rec room is done and ready to go.
Presuming I don't drop the fuck dead tonight, it should only be another two, three days to have it all done, navmeshed, and ready for you all to destroy with your filthy load orders full of bad, conflicting mods.
Urgh... heavy stimulant doses don't agree with ulcers... have to flee now...
Monday, November 23, 2009
Vault 1 Merchants, Part II
Guards coded, patrol paths set up and appear to be working fine. They look mighty fine in their Vault 1 Combat Armor, too. I figured being out in the tunnels, they'd opt for something a bit better protecting than plain cloth.
Merchant, her guards, and lackeys created. Still haven't decided where I want to put them to start, though. Thinking Canterbury, at the moment.
New guards didn't like going between cells to sleep and eat, so I'm just going to give them quarters and a mini-messhall in the tunnels. Cluttering rooms sucks with all that overhead pipe.
Merchant, her guards, and lackeys created. Still haven't decided where I want to put them to start, though. Thinking Canterbury, at the moment.
New guards didn't like going between cells to sleep and eat, so I'm just going to give them quarters and a mini-messhall in the tunnels. Cluttering rooms sucks with all that overhead pipe.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Vault 1 Merchants
So, it's been complained idly that the Vault 1 merchants suck.
I knew this myself, and had toyed with the idea of doing something about it... but we had major navmeshing and companion issues to deal with.
Those are dealt with. Now I'm free to tinker, again.
I've been turning the idea around in my head, the last couple days. I don't want the Vault 1 merchants to just magically get stuff to sell. Being isolated as they are, it occurs that getting new stuff (other than what the player brings in) would be difficult.
What to do, though?
I considered altering the trade caravan routes... but if I do that, I create an instant and fatal incompatibility with every mod that changes the caravans. This includes CCCP, MMM, and Phalanx, just to name a few. That alienates a fair portion of the FO3 playing community right there. Add in FWE and FOOK2 - which I'd both wager modify the caravans, too - and I'd axe a solid half the potential players out there, including in all likelihood a decent portion of the players I already have.
I considered making my own caravan to add to the chain. This would stop immediate conflicts... but it leaves the player having to track them down to do any trading. That part about dealing with the vanilla traders always annoyed the holy living shit out of me.
Well, what about making a trader, but leaving him just stand around in Springvale? Could do that... but who in their right freaking mind would do that? Standing around as Raider-bait in the open, baking in the wasteland sun... not the way to a long and lucrative life.
I was thinking of a small quest. Convince a trader somewhere far off - like, a newcomer to Canterbury Commons, for example - to come help supply the vault. Use enable and disable commands to change one of the burned out houses into an open shop.
This has problems of its own. Because of its proximity to Vault 101, Springvale is a favorite of mods to place things. ttomwv's choice for where to locate Vault 1 is a prime example.
Then, it struck me. Again, I am being a dumbass, and not seeing the forest for the trees.
I just created a cell with a half dozen empty rooms, right next door to Vault 1, and with access points that lead out all over the wastes.
Convince the trader to come set up shop in the access tunnels. You're underground - no rads, some shelter from raiders, out of the sun, can tie into Vault 1's water supply.
Supplier, naturally, sees profit potential and agrees on the condition that either you provide security, or retrofit one of the tunnel rooms to board their security... I haven't decided which, yet. Mercenaries would be more in line with realism, but providing security from the Vault would give me an excuse to get Vault 1 guards out and patrolling the tunnels.
So... a half-dozen roving guards in those spiffy V1 guard uniforms that I loves so very much (yeah, I'm biased, but they DO look mighty good)... and another half dozen of the trader's private goons to be on station in the shop. Say, standard rotation... two on duty at any given time, eight hours on, sixteen off. Add in a few lackeys to have packages setup to run them to various townships to trade, and bring goodies back for the Vault 1 inhabitants...
Maybe even grant the trader and employees permission to R&R inside the Vault, for a few new faces now and again.
It is - as most things that fall into the category - beautiful in its simplicity. NPCs, scripting, packages, cell changes, quests... all well within my not-insubstantial abilities. It opens the door to further my evil schemes for Vault 1 later on, adds more variety, gets more gear to the player - AND a source of caps to sell lewtz - and best of all, it gives me an excuse to create a dozen plus new hotties.
Yeah, I'm a letch. You get used to it.
Problem is: adding a dozen NPCs, packages, and cell-clutter is going to increase system load, too. Would kind of nix that whole relaxing-for-your-PC-buffer-cell thing we've got going on now.
Still, though, it's a fairly simple cell. Even cluttered, it shouldn't be too much of a resource whore... you think?
One way to find out...
I knew this myself, and had toyed with the idea of doing something about it... but we had major navmeshing and companion issues to deal with.
Those are dealt with. Now I'm free to tinker, again.
I've been turning the idea around in my head, the last couple days. I don't want the Vault 1 merchants to just magically get stuff to sell. Being isolated as they are, it occurs that getting new stuff (other than what the player brings in) would be difficult.
What to do, though?
I considered altering the trade caravan routes... but if I do that, I create an instant and fatal incompatibility with every mod that changes the caravans. This includes CCCP, MMM, and Phalanx, just to name a few. That alienates a fair portion of the FO3 playing community right there. Add in FWE and FOOK2 - which I'd both wager modify the caravans, too - and I'd axe a solid half the potential players out there, including in all likelihood a decent portion of the players I already have.
I considered making my own caravan to add to the chain. This would stop immediate conflicts... but it leaves the player having to track them down to do any trading. That part about dealing with the vanilla traders always annoyed the holy living shit out of me.
Well, what about making a trader, but leaving him just stand around in Springvale? Could do that... but who in their right freaking mind would do that? Standing around as Raider-bait in the open, baking in the wasteland sun... not the way to a long and lucrative life.
I was thinking of a small quest. Convince a trader somewhere far off - like, a newcomer to Canterbury Commons, for example - to come help supply the vault. Use enable and disable commands to change one of the burned out houses into an open shop.
This has problems of its own. Because of its proximity to Vault 101, Springvale is a favorite of mods to place things. ttomwv's choice for where to locate Vault 1 is a prime example.
Then, it struck me. Again, I am being a dumbass, and not seeing the forest for the trees.
I just created a cell with a half dozen empty rooms, right next door to Vault 1, and with access points that lead out all over the wastes.
Convince the trader to come set up shop in the access tunnels. You're underground - no rads, some shelter from raiders, out of the sun, can tie into Vault 1's water supply.
Supplier, naturally, sees profit potential and agrees on the condition that either you provide security, or retrofit one of the tunnel rooms to board their security... I haven't decided which, yet. Mercenaries would be more in line with realism, but providing security from the Vault would give me an excuse to get Vault 1 guards out and patrolling the tunnels.
So... a half-dozen roving guards in those spiffy V1 guard uniforms that I loves so very much (yeah, I'm biased, but they DO look mighty good)... and another half dozen of the trader's private goons to be on station in the shop. Say, standard rotation... two on duty at any given time, eight hours on, sixteen off. Add in a few lackeys to have packages setup to run them to various townships to trade, and bring goodies back for the Vault 1 inhabitants...
Maybe even grant the trader and employees permission to R&R inside the Vault, for a few new faces now and again.
It is - as most things that fall into the category - beautiful in its simplicity. NPCs, scripting, packages, cell changes, quests... all well within my not-insubstantial abilities. It opens the door to further my evil schemes for Vault 1 later on, adds more variety, gets more gear to the player - AND a source of caps to sell lewtz - and best of all, it gives me an excuse to create a dozen plus new hotties.
Yeah, I'm a letch. You get used to it.
Problem is: adding a dozen NPCs, packages, and cell-clutter is going to increase system load, too. Would kind of nix that whole relaxing-for-your-PC-buffer-cell thing we've got going on now.
Still, though, it's a fairly simple cell. Even cluttered, it shouldn't be too much of a resource whore... you think?
One way to find out...
Saturday, November 21, 2009
RR Companions Vault v5
Yes, I'm being a slacker and not typing it all up again.
Companion system fixed.
NPCs byoo-tee-fied.
Nos pass out now.
http://www.fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=3644
Companion system fixed.
NPCs byoo-tee-fied.
Nos pass out now.
http://www.fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=3644
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Progress, Part V
Well, most of the upgrades are done.
I've got good news, and bad news.
Let's get the bad out of the way first. I've been testing with some *ahem* "custom" companions, and not the stock ones from the RR master, or even my companions pack.
Consequently, I missed and completely forgot about a small error left over, that occasionally causes a stock companion to default to sandbox, the first time you change cells after hiring them. This problem forcefully reasserted itself while I was collecting up Jill and the gang to do my gauntlet test.
The up side is that it's a small problem, and I know exactly what's causing it, since I dealt with it once before to get my companions pack working right. It'll delay the release of v5, but not for very long.
Now, the good news.
With the companion system "fixed" I decided to stop dicking around, and give it the 'ol trial by fire.
Left three of my special companions behind (keeping two) and went and collected up Jill, Joan, Sandra, Michael, and Rick. Wanted to be SURE the stock companions were working and all.
Went into and explored every square inch of Vault 106 with SEVEN RR Companions in tow.
SEVEN.
Number of stoppages?
ZERO!
Fuck me but I'm good, some days.
Ran into numerous other problems, not directly related to the companion system. Those being:
Running seven followers is a not insubstantial strain on the CPU, especially when my squad met four or five enemies, and a fight broke out. That much AI usage is going to take a toll on anything, though, regardless of the follower system used.
CPU issues aside, seven followers is just plain too many. Our group didn't fit into many rooms; when moving, our traveling overwatch line stretched a good twenty meters, even with only 150 distance between each companion. Left at 300, I shudder to think how far away the last one would've been. Congestion hung us up at doorways and choke points, especially after a fight - when everyone wasn't in line anymore. Entering small cells was interesting - the congestion was so bad at one point that it took me almost a solid minute to shove my way out from against the door, and get the group moving again. I can see why Tarrant wrote in a "Make a hole!" command for his system. I may have to borrow that one...
So, even though the system will now take it, I really have to continue my recommendation that you keep it to two to three companions, for practicality's sake.
The new hatches all work correctly.
The Vault 1 Access Tunnel lighting has been dimmed, at the Springvale door. The lighting there is now just about in line with the rest of the tunnels.
That little twerp Ellie swiped an H&K auto-shotgun I had been storing in the Guard House. Kids today! In my day, we had single-shot .22's, and were happy to get them!
Oh, and because someone will ask: the outfits Sandra and Jill are wearing in that screenshot are a replacer for the Merc Charmer outfit, and can be found here:
http://www.fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=8163
I've got good news, and bad news.
Let's get the bad out of the way first. I've been testing with some *ahem* "custom" companions, and not the stock ones from the RR master, or even my companions pack.
Consequently, I missed and completely forgot about a small error left over, that occasionally causes a stock companion to default to sandbox, the first time you change cells after hiring them. This problem forcefully reasserted itself while I was collecting up Jill and the gang to do my gauntlet test.
The up side is that it's a small problem, and I know exactly what's causing it, since I dealt with it once before to get my companions pack working right. It'll delay the release of v5, but not for very long.
Now, the good news.
With the companion system "fixed" I decided to stop dicking around, and give it the 'ol trial by fire.
Left three of my special companions behind (keeping two) and went and collected up Jill, Joan, Sandra, Michael, and Rick. Wanted to be SURE the stock companions were working and all.
Went into and explored every square inch of Vault 106 with SEVEN RR Companions in tow.
SEVEN.
Number of stoppages?
ZERO!
Fuck me but I'm good, some days.
Ran into numerous other problems, not directly related to the companion system. Those being:
Running seven followers is a not insubstantial strain on the CPU, especially when my squad met four or five enemies, and a fight broke out. That much AI usage is going to take a toll on anything, though, regardless of the follower system used.
CPU issues aside, seven followers is just plain too many. Our group didn't fit into many rooms; when moving, our traveling overwatch line stretched a good twenty meters, even with only 150 distance between each companion. Left at 300, I shudder to think how far away the last one would've been. Congestion hung us up at doorways and choke points, especially after a fight - when everyone wasn't in line anymore. Entering small cells was interesting - the congestion was so bad at one point that it took me almost a solid minute to shove my way out from against the door, and get the group moving again. I can see why Tarrant wrote in a "Make a hole!" command for his system. I may have to borrow that one...
So, even though the system will now take it, I really have to continue my recommendation that you keep it to two to three companions, for practicality's sake.
The new hatches all work correctly.
The Vault 1 Access Tunnel lighting has been dimmed, at the Springvale door. The lighting there is now just about in line with the rest of the tunnels.
That little twerp Ellie swiped an H&K auto-shotgun I had been storing in the Guard House. Kids today! In my day, we had single-shot .22's, and were happy to get them!
Oh, and because someone will ask: the outfits Sandra and Jill are wearing in that screenshot are a replacer for the Merc Charmer outfit, and can be found here:
http://www.fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=8163
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
RR Companions Vault, v5 (upcoming)
So, I promised you all a list of the improvements coming in v5 last night.
I had intended to deliver, but got drug off to bed instead.
Today's a new day, though, and I'm free to post and GECK again.
As always, modding is very much an evolving process for me. Features tend to change at a moment's notice, I get flashes of inspiration or something decides to stop working without warning and has to be axed. So I can't give you 100% that these will make v5, but here's the tally as it now stands.
First and foremost, we have the improved companion system. This continues to astound me with its performance. Reminds me of Oblivion, where I could play for hours on end without my cadre ever getting lost. Unless I was dumb enough to tell them to loot. Looting didn't work any better in Oblivion than it does FO3.
The improved companion system includes more than just some following fixes. It also removes auto-looting (though the commands to loot will be left intact for the time being), removes much commented-out code in the script that wasn't doing anything but wasting space, resets the follow distance to 150 by default - plugins will be released to allow you to change this, but 150 is working too damned well not to implement fully.
The health system still acts a bit wonky now and again. Unfortunately, anything that's set to run during combat is going to be this way. The AI's hardcoded behavior is to attack nearby enemies. Sometimes the health system overrides this fully, sometimes it don't. Still, with the resets in place, it should be functioning fairly well. I haven't noticed any problems with the severely wounded player function though - thus far the only problem has been the OnCombatEnd check to see who's below 50% health. Companion self-healing appears to be working beautifully.
The Vault 1 Access Tunnels will be modified slightly. No clutter yet, but I'm going to crank the lights in the main entry tunnel back a bit. All lights in the tunnels are the same light... but as Sgt Ovakll pointed out awhile ago, they're a bit bright where I doubled up next to the Springvale exit. Looked okay in the GECK, not so much in-game. Not going to scale them back too far. They're 768 power now, I'm thinking I'll knock them back to 512 and see how it looks.
The wasteland-side of the Vault 1 Access Tunnel hatches will be upgraded to actually work correctly for companions. The problems have been caused by an oversight on my part in the navmeshing. I have tested on the Paradise Falls hatch, and once this oversight is corrected, companions follow out the hatch correctly, even in large groups.
The Vault 1 encounter zone is going to be modified to allow respawns. I realize this may cause some problems for the prisoner system, but the containers and spawn zones NOT resetting is getting on my fucking nerves. This will be a change to the encounter zone itself, and not a resetting of the active zone in the cell options, so no "compatibility fixes" will need to be made to plugins.
Once this is all done, new versions of my companions pack, RRGuards, and my alternate guards plugins will be released to mesh with the altered companion system. The v5 companion system WILL be fully backwards compatible, so if you have your own companions, and don't want to upgrade them, they'll still work. They won't work as well, and will still have the occasional stopping problem, but they will work without change.
Upgrading a companion to the new version of the system will take longer to load the plugin in the GECK than it will to make the changes. Upgrading will consist simply of opening your companion's NPC editing window, and selecting another script from the drop-down box. Full instructions will be included with the update, and I intend to write a new tutorial, once this is all done and released.
I had intended to deliver, but got drug off to bed instead.
Today's a new day, though, and I'm free to post and GECK again.
As always, modding is very much an evolving process for me. Features tend to change at a moment's notice, I get flashes of inspiration or something decides to stop working without warning and has to be axed. So I can't give you 100% that these will make v5, but here's the tally as it now stands.
First and foremost, we have the improved companion system. This continues to astound me with its performance. Reminds me of Oblivion, where I could play for hours on end without my cadre ever getting lost. Unless I was dumb enough to tell them to loot. Looting didn't work any better in Oblivion than it does FO3.
The improved companion system includes more than just some following fixes. It also removes auto-looting (though the commands to loot will be left intact for the time being), removes much commented-out code in the script that wasn't doing anything but wasting space, resets the follow distance to 150 by default - plugins will be released to allow you to change this, but 150 is working too damned well not to implement fully.
The health system still acts a bit wonky now and again. Unfortunately, anything that's set to run during combat is going to be this way. The AI's hardcoded behavior is to attack nearby enemies. Sometimes the health system overrides this fully, sometimes it don't. Still, with the resets in place, it should be functioning fairly well. I haven't noticed any problems with the severely wounded player function though - thus far the only problem has been the OnCombatEnd check to see who's below 50% health. Companion self-healing appears to be working beautifully.
The Vault 1 Access Tunnels will be modified slightly. No clutter yet, but I'm going to crank the lights in the main entry tunnel back a bit. All lights in the tunnels are the same light... but as Sgt Ovakll pointed out awhile ago, they're a bit bright where I doubled up next to the Springvale exit. Looked okay in the GECK, not so much in-game. Not going to scale them back too far. They're 768 power now, I'm thinking I'll knock them back to 512 and see how it looks.
The wasteland-side of the Vault 1 Access Tunnel hatches will be upgraded to actually work correctly for companions. The problems have been caused by an oversight on my part in the navmeshing. I have tested on the Paradise Falls hatch, and once this oversight is corrected, companions follow out the hatch correctly, even in large groups.
The Vault 1 encounter zone is going to be modified to allow respawns. I realize this may cause some problems for the prisoner system, but the containers and spawn zones NOT resetting is getting on my fucking nerves. This will be a change to the encounter zone itself, and not a resetting of the active zone in the cell options, so no "compatibility fixes" will need to be made to plugins.
Once this is all done, new versions of my companions pack, RRGuards, and my alternate guards plugins will be released to mesh with the altered companion system. The v5 companion system WILL be fully backwards compatible, so if you have your own companions, and don't want to upgrade them, they'll still work. They won't work as well, and will still have the occasional stopping problem, but they will work without change.
Upgrading a companion to the new version of the system will take longer to load the plugin in the GECK than it will to make the changes. Upgrading will consist simply of opening your companion's NPC editing window, and selecting another script from the drop-down box. Full instructions will be included with the update, and I intend to write a new tutorial, once this is all done and released.
Progress, Part IV
Yeah, we're winding into the home stretch.
Made it through Old Olney.
Four of the five got lost coming out of the Vault 1 access tunnels. I have no idea why this happens.
It's a known issue wit the FO3 engine itself, and no one's entirely sure where in the holy fuck the game puts them.
Normally, followers lost in this way reappear the next time you fast travel or change cells.
This in mind, I took the one companion who was left, and soldiered on.
Four, five minutes real-time down the road, my game lagged (like it does, when spawning NPCs, if you play I'm sure you know the particular lag I mean). Glanced around, wondering if the game had opted to spawn a Deathclaw in my back pocket, and I see the four MIAs coming to join us at a dead run.
None the worse for wear, weapons ready, and a'rarin' t'go. Interestingly, their follow package was still dominant, and they didn't need to be issued new orders. That makes the Washington monument the last time I had to issue an order to the girls.
After clearing out the Old Olney sewers and picking up the Prototype Medic armor, we headed to Red Rock Olney, and then on to the Republic of Dave, where I narrowly managed to avoid the urge to kill everything.
From there, we were about out of northern wasteland to ravage. Fast traveled back to the VAPL-58 power station, and made for Vault 106. Took care of some wildlife, cleaned out Kaelyn's, and saved at the entrance to Vault 106.
The computer was acting up again, and it's better for my already beleaguered blood pressure if I keep the game from crashing if at all possible.
Keep telling myself I need more playtesting... to make sure it works. I've "fixed" things too many times now, only to find out that I really didn't.
Still... we're talking about almost ten hours of playtesting here. I think if a problem was going to crop up, it would have.
I've tried to break the companions on more than one occasion, and even after a jaunt through the tenth dimension, they keep right on following.
It seems the only things that will break them are the things that break Jessi and Kelsey, Tarrant's crew, and pretty much ALL followers in the game.
Good as I apparently am, I know I don't have the skills to rewrite portions of the game engine... even if such a thing didn't violate the EULA - which I'd wager it does.
I'm still going to run Vault 106, because hey, I can.
Once that's done, I'll start making the modifications to the master. The exact planned features of which will be listed in the post directly after this one.
Ugh. You know, somewhere I still have to find the time to finalize and release the version of my companions pack with the hefty set of custom textures I've modified from the Type3 set.
Much as I wanted to sign on to the 20thCW project, and help with the new weapon-changing scripting... I just don't think I can. I've got too many irons in the fire as it is, and I don't want to let the RR system suffer because I bore easily.
Made it through Old Olney.
Four of the five got lost coming out of the Vault 1 access tunnels. I have no idea why this happens.
It's a known issue wit the FO3 engine itself, and no one's entirely sure where in the holy fuck the game puts them.
Normally, followers lost in this way reappear the next time you fast travel or change cells.
This in mind, I took the one companion who was left, and soldiered on.
Four, five minutes real-time down the road, my game lagged (like it does, when spawning NPCs, if you play I'm sure you know the particular lag I mean). Glanced around, wondering if the game had opted to spawn a Deathclaw in my back pocket, and I see the four MIAs coming to join us at a dead run.
None the worse for wear, weapons ready, and a'rarin' t'go. Interestingly, their follow package was still dominant, and they didn't need to be issued new orders. That makes the Washington monument the last time I had to issue an order to the girls.
After clearing out the Old Olney sewers and picking up the Prototype Medic armor, we headed to Red Rock Olney, and then on to the Republic of Dave, where I narrowly managed to avoid the urge to kill everything.
From there, we were about out of northern wasteland to ravage. Fast traveled back to the VAPL-58 power station, and made for Vault 106. Took care of some wildlife, cleaned out Kaelyn's, and saved at the entrance to Vault 106.
The computer was acting up again, and it's better for my already beleaguered blood pressure if I keep the game from crashing if at all possible.
Keep telling myself I need more playtesting... to make sure it works. I've "fixed" things too many times now, only to find out that I really didn't.
Still... we're talking about almost ten hours of playtesting here. I think if a problem was going to crop up, it would have.
I've tried to break the companions on more than one occasion, and even after a jaunt through the tenth dimension, they keep right on following.
It seems the only things that will break them are the things that break Jessi and Kelsey, Tarrant's crew, and pretty much ALL followers in the game.
Good as I apparently am, I know I don't have the skills to rewrite portions of the game engine... even if such a thing didn't violate the EULA - which I'd wager it does.
I'm still going to run Vault 106, because hey, I can.
Once that's done, I'll start making the modifications to the master. The exact planned features of which will be listed in the post directly after this one.
Ugh. You know, somewhere I still have to find the time to finalize and release the version of my companions pack with the hefty set of custom textures I've modified from the Type3 set.
Much as I wanted to sign on to the 20thCW project, and help with the new weapon-changing scripting... I just don't think I can. I've got too many irons in the fire as it is, and I don't want to let the RR system suffer because I bore easily.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Progress, Part III
Taking a break here. The PC was starting to complain a bit too much for my taste, and I think we were about to enter Crashville.
I'm just about ready to call it good.
My little retinue has now also been drug through three more Enclave Camps, Canterbury Commons, Corvega Factory, Wheaton Armory, The Raid Shack, and the Bethesda Ruins - along with all the overland territory contained therein.
ZERO STOPPAGES.
Z-E-R-FUCKING-OH!
Don't get me wrong, it's a framerate hit, but it works.
It's really amusing, too - watching the girls sweep a building. They call warnings, taunt the enemy, and then call clear when it's over.
Beats the shit out of those guys I get stuck with in CoD4, let me tell ya.
Still want to run Old Olney, but at this point it looks like it's going to work fine.
I'm sure some monkey will find some way to break it... but if I can't get it to b0rk in my personal game, that's about as good as I can do.
I'm just about ready to call it good.
My little retinue has now also been drug through three more Enclave Camps, Canterbury Commons, Corvega Factory, Wheaton Armory, The Raid Shack, and the Bethesda Ruins - along with all the overland territory contained therein.
ZERO STOPPAGES.
Z-E-R-FUCKING-OH!
Don't get me wrong, it's a framerate hit, but it works.
It's really amusing, too - watching the girls sweep a building. They call warnings, taunt the enemy, and then call clear when it's over.
Beats the shit out of those guys I get stuck with in CoD4, let me tell ya.
Still want to run Old Olney, but at this point it looks like it's going to work fine.
I'm sure some monkey will find some way to break it... but if I can't get it to b0rk in my personal game, that's about as good as I can do.
Progress, Part II
Testing some more this mor... shit, it's afternoon already...
*ahem*
Anyway.
Testing this afternoon, and still seeing perfect performance from the cadre.
This time, we fast traveled from GNR to the National Guard Armory, moved north to roll an Enclave Camp (#23, I think it is), and then into the rocks and further north to Vault 108 to pick up the Bobblehead.
There were no scripted follower-fucks from Bethesda this time, so we had not a hitch one. Even a "this doesn't count, cause it does it to every follower system". Nada.
It was... wonderful. I had forgotten how much fun it is, adventuring with a squad instead of a partial fireteam.
and just because I can...
Lessons learned:
1) Giving one of my girls the Firelance results in much hilarity and many ash piles.
2) 'Ol Gary may as well have been a paper target, for as long as his many incarnations survived contact with my girls.
3) It's damned hard to get any kills with five of them around.
Going to test a bit more. I want to run through the Bethesda Ruins, and Old Olney and Vault 106. If they make it through those excursions with the same level of performance they have thus far displayed, I'm calling it good and making it an official change to the master file and my companions pack.
*ahem*
Anyway.
Testing this afternoon, and still seeing perfect performance from the cadre.
This time, we fast traveled from GNR to the National Guard Armory, moved north to roll an Enclave Camp (#23, I think it is), and then into the rocks and further north to Vault 108 to pick up the Bobblehead.
There were no scripted follower-fucks from Bethesda this time, so we had not a hitch one. Even a "this doesn't count, cause it does it to every follower system". Nada.
It was... wonderful. I had forgotten how much fun it is, adventuring with a squad instead of a partial fireteam.
and just because I can...
Lessons learned:
1) Giving one of my girls the Firelance results in much hilarity and many ash piles.
2) 'Ol Gary may as well have been a paper target, for as long as his many incarnations survived contact with my girls.
3) It's damned hard to get any kills with five of them around.
Going to test a bit more. I want to run through the Bethesda Ruins, and Old Olney and Vault 106. If they make it through those excursions with the same level of performance they have thus far displayed, I'm calling it good and making it an official change to the master file and my companions pack.
Progress...
Don't want to jump the gun here, but I think I may have done it.
Just ran the Museum of Technology quest with FIVE companions in tow, and not a single hitch.
No, I didn't cheat, and use others from another system. These were all RR.
Had the one stoppage that always occurs. I don't count it. The game is coded to stop companions from accompanying you into the elevator, and up into the Washington Monument. Forcing them to stop following the player has the predictable side-effect of making them default to whatever else they do. Vanilla followers stop and stand there, RR companions default to a sandbox.
A group order to follow brought the whole merry band back into line, and we continued off.
No hesitations, no stopping, no delays in following me through cell-change doors... I think I may have finally done it...
Just ran the Museum of Technology quest with FIVE companions in tow, and not a single hitch.
No, I didn't cheat, and use others from another system. These were all RR.
Had the one stoppage that always occurs. I don't count it. The game is coded to stop companions from accompanying you into the elevator, and up into the Washington Monument. Forcing them to stop following the player has the predictable side-effect of making them default to whatever else they do. Vanilla followers stop and stand there, RR companions default to a sandbox.
A group order to follow brought the whole merry band back into line, and we continued off.
No hesitations, no stopping, no delays in following me through cell-change doors... I think I may have finally done it...
Vault 1 Companionscript
Learned a few things (I think) from my testing, and am ready to move on and be a bit more... aggressive.
Consequently I'm editing the companionscript in the main master now, and just noticed something interesting.
Original version = 517 lines
Experimental 1.3 = 384 lines
So when I say I cut ten metric fucktonnes of shit from the script, I ain't a'kiddin'.
Will this work?
Hell if I know, but I'm running out of options here, and signs point to yes, as the old Magic 8 Ball used to say.
Consequently I'm editing the companionscript in the main master now, and just noticed something interesting.
Original version = 517 lines
Experimental 1.3 = 384 lines
So when I say I cut ten metric fucktonnes of shit from the script, I ain't a'kiddin'.
Will this work?
Hell if I know, but I'm running out of options here, and signs point to yes, as the old Magic 8 Ball used to say.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Bug fix?
Had a flash of inspiration earlier, and I think I might know why the limit on RR system followers is so much lower than those from other systems.
Going to do some testing. If it's what I think it is, it's going to partially screw the "make your own companion" schtick, but will allow me to fix the existing companions.
We'll find out.
Going to do some testing. If it's what I think it is, it's going to partially screw the "make your own companion" schtick, but will allow me to fix the existing companions.
We'll find out.
RR Companions and the Experimenal plugin 1.3
Alright, I admit it. I've sort of been holding out on you all. Don't get me wrong, I'm not sitting on a perfectly working companion system, laughing at you all for falling for my buggy prank.
But there is a new version of the AI improvement plugin that hasn't been uploaded yet. Why? I wanted to get some play time in on it and make sure things are still actually improving.
I think they are.
I played six odd hours yesterday (really last night and this early morning), across two sessions. For the record, you'll see me reference three hour play sessions a lot. This is not a tribute to Gilligan's Island. It's just that three hours of straight play is about what my system can handle before the cache is full, and FO3 starts trying to crash on a regular basis. Which works out fine - after three hours I really need to get up and move my lazy ass around some, anyway.
During this six hours, I saw lots of combat, ran over some of the roughest terrain in the game, and actively tried to lose the companions on more than one occasion.
How many "stops" did I have with my girls?
Two.
Compare that to the unmodded companionscript, where you're doing good to make it to Megaton from Vault 1 without a stoppage.
Started in Vault 1, as I so often do. I tend to make my numbered saves after going home and unloading my lewtz.
From Vault 1, we headed north; cleaned out the Springvale School, and moved on north. Hit Enclave camp 19. Here I want to note something amazing. I had left the Enclave camp, and turned east towards the mirelurk spawning grounds. The terrain is very rough, made up largely of chunks of concrete that you can't pass without jumping onto and over the blocks. I figured this move on my part was sure to lose the companions, and I'd have to go back and get them - or that they'd pull their usual move, and swing around the long way to get to me over normal terrain.
I turned to snipe a mirelurk... and heard a call from behind me. Looked back, and they had both somehow crossed the impassable terrain, and were about to begin unloading on the two mirelurks that had noticed me taking pot-shots at their buddy.
I have no idea how the girls managed that, but I wish to hell I had been watching.
From the Mirelurk spawning grounds, we followed the south-side of the Potomac around past the Super Duper Mart, crossed to the north side of the river, and switched back, heading north. Went to Wayland, and explored Gomorrah (an underground town added by the 85 Outfits Recolor mod by BeZen - very recommended).
After checking it out, we went back topside and continued on. Hit the Pop Stop, switched tack again, and headed to Minefield to take care of that part of the Wasteland Survival Guide. From there, we headed on north, hitting locations and killing everything in our path. Before I knew it, we were only about five hundred meters from the Isolated Camp, so I decided to pop in there and pick up Mai and Sabine; since I really needed to check out the custom body texture I've been working on for them.
On leaving the Abandoned Tent, we immediately had stoppage number one.
Not unexpected, as I did violate my "no more than three companions" rule. Mai and Sabine defaulted to sandbox mode as soon as we were outside.
I'll point out here, though, that there was no hesitation in following me outside the tent through the cell-change door, for any of the four.
Tapped wait, and gave them an hour. No go. Went up, and issued an individual follow order to each, and they came on without a hitch.
Fast traveled back to Vault 1, unloaded my loot, and had Mai and Sabine stay. No slowdowns, stops, or erratic behavior whatsoever in traversing the access tunnels, or Vault 1 itself. They stayed without issue, and the new texture looks pretty cool, to boot.
With my usual two followers in tow - and several hundred pounds of loot lighter across the three of us - we left Vault 1, headed for Megaton, and finished off the Minefield part of the Wasteland survival guide.
We fast traveled back to the Abandoned Tent, and spent the night inside (I hadn't found a PA helmet yet, so no night vision - makes wandering the wastes on an overcast night dangerous). Took off the next morning, continuing north and west. Passed the Shady Toolshed, avoided the two satellite relays as I didn't feel like dealing with the Raiders at that time. Walked clear to the Northern edge of the map. I was so wrapped up in keeping an eye on my companions that I didn't pay attention to where exactly we were. Switched direction again, headed southwest. Ended up on the western edge of the Potomac, and followed it south from the northwest corner of the map.
Made it to the third relay station; the one occupied by Enclave scientists. Cleaned it out, and went south, crawling along the rocks awhile.
At this point, I was actively trying to get my companions lost. I was hopping from rock to rock, going through impassable terrain, and just generally picking the shittiest path I could find. They kept up amazingly well, and never stopped following.
Perched on a rock overlooking Bluefish Jetty, I sniped some Raiders, and decided to head down into the valley to collect my spoils.
Had stoppage number two. One of the two companions stopped. She didn't revert to sandbox; just stood there. I had her tracking entry active, and decided what the hell; I'll just go on, and see what happens. Worst that could happen is I'd have to go back and get her.
Made it to the docks, and was midway through collecting loots... two to three minutes real-time, if I had to guess, and the tracking marker on my HUD starts moving. She started following again on her own. Caught up to us, and continued on without incident.
From there we headed on south, and got onto the Rocky Overpass. Took out the Enclave camp there, and continued on the ramp for its entire length past the Abandoned Car Fort without issue.
Went around the MDPL Mass Relay Station, stopped briefly around the VAPL-58 Power Station to clean up some Protectrons, and then continued on to Arefu. Got into Evan King's house... and the game crashed.
I was over the three hour mark here, and the game had been acting buggy and slow for about twenty minutes. It was mostly my fault for pushing on, and not saving, exiting, and taking a break.
Fired the game back up immediately, took care of getting the Repair bobblehead, checked in on the residents of Arefu, and saved and called it a morning.
If you take a look at the map you see I damn near circumnavigated the northern half of the wasteland.
This is one of the best performances I've ever had from the RR system companions.
This leads us to one of the largest problems with bugfixing the mod, and companions especially. That being that many of the problems people are reporting simply don't exist in my game.
If I can't reproduce it, I can't fix it.
Incidentally, if I can't reproduce it, it also usually means that it's either a corruption in your savegame, or another mod interfering. People never like to hear that, though.
But there is a new version of the AI improvement plugin that hasn't been uploaded yet. Why? I wanted to get some play time in on it and make sure things are still actually improving.
I think they are.
I played six odd hours yesterday (really last night and this early morning), across two sessions. For the record, you'll see me reference three hour play sessions a lot. This is not a tribute to Gilligan's Island. It's just that three hours of straight play is about what my system can handle before the cache is full, and FO3 starts trying to crash on a regular basis. Which works out fine - after three hours I really need to get up and move my lazy ass around some, anyway.
During this six hours, I saw lots of combat, ran over some of the roughest terrain in the game, and actively tried to lose the companions on more than one occasion.
How many "stops" did I have with my girls?
Two.
Compare that to the unmodded companionscript, where you're doing good to make it to Megaton from Vault 1 without a stoppage.
Started in Vault 1, as I so often do. I tend to make my numbered saves after going home and unloading my lewtz.
From Vault 1, we headed north; cleaned out the Springvale School, and moved on north. Hit Enclave camp 19. Here I want to note something amazing. I had left the Enclave camp, and turned east towards the mirelurk spawning grounds. The terrain is very rough, made up largely of chunks of concrete that you can't pass without jumping onto and over the blocks. I figured this move on my part was sure to lose the companions, and I'd have to go back and get them - or that they'd pull their usual move, and swing around the long way to get to me over normal terrain.
I turned to snipe a mirelurk... and heard a call from behind me. Looked back, and they had both somehow crossed the impassable terrain, and were about to begin unloading on the two mirelurks that had noticed me taking pot-shots at their buddy.
I have no idea how the girls managed that, but I wish to hell I had been watching.
From the Mirelurk spawning grounds, we followed the south-side of the Potomac around past the Super Duper Mart, crossed to the north side of the river, and switched back, heading north. Went to Wayland, and explored Gomorrah (an underground town added by the 85 Outfits Recolor mod by BeZen - very recommended).
After checking it out, we went back topside and continued on. Hit the Pop Stop, switched tack again, and headed to Minefield to take care of that part of the Wasteland Survival Guide. From there, we headed on north, hitting locations and killing everything in our path. Before I knew it, we were only about five hundred meters from the Isolated Camp, so I decided to pop in there and pick up Mai and Sabine; since I really needed to check out the custom body texture I've been working on for them.
On leaving the Abandoned Tent, we immediately had stoppage number one.
Not unexpected, as I did violate my "no more than three companions" rule. Mai and Sabine defaulted to sandbox mode as soon as we were outside.
I'll point out here, though, that there was no hesitation in following me outside the tent through the cell-change door, for any of the four.
Tapped wait, and gave them an hour. No go. Went up, and issued an individual follow order to each, and they came on without a hitch.
Fast traveled back to Vault 1, unloaded my loot, and had Mai and Sabine stay. No slowdowns, stops, or erratic behavior whatsoever in traversing the access tunnels, or Vault 1 itself. They stayed without issue, and the new texture looks pretty cool, to boot.
With my usual two followers in tow - and several hundred pounds of loot lighter across the three of us - we left Vault 1, headed for Megaton, and finished off the Minefield part of the Wasteland survival guide.
We fast traveled back to the Abandoned Tent, and spent the night inside (I hadn't found a PA helmet yet, so no night vision - makes wandering the wastes on an overcast night dangerous). Took off the next morning, continuing north and west. Passed the Shady Toolshed, avoided the two satellite relays as I didn't feel like dealing with the Raiders at that time. Walked clear to the Northern edge of the map. I was so wrapped up in keeping an eye on my companions that I didn't pay attention to where exactly we were. Switched direction again, headed southwest. Ended up on the western edge of the Potomac, and followed it south from the northwest corner of the map.
Made it to the third relay station; the one occupied by Enclave scientists. Cleaned it out, and went south, crawling along the rocks awhile.
At this point, I was actively trying to get my companions lost. I was hopping from rock to rock, going through impassable terrain, and just generally picking the shittiest path I could find. They kept up amazingly well, and never stopped following.
Perched on a rock overlooking Bluefish Jetty, I sniped some Raiders, and decided to head down into the valley to collect my spoils.
Had stoppage number two. One of the two companions stopped. She didn't revert to sandbox; just stood there. I had her tracking entry active, and decided what the hell; I'll just go on, and see what happens. Worst that could happen is I'd have to go back and get her.
Made it to the docks, and was midway through collecting loots... two to three minutes real-time, if I had to guess, and the tracking marker on my HUD starts moving. She started following again on her own. Caught up to us, and continued on without incident.
From there we headed on south, and got onto the Rocky Overpass. Took out the Enclave camp there, and continued on the ramp for its entire length past the Abandoned Car Fort without issue.
Went around the MDPL Mass Relay Station, stopped briefly around the VAPL-58 Power Station to clean up some Protectrons, and then continued on to Arefu. Got into Evan King's house... and the game crashed.
I was over the three hour mark here, and the game had been acting buggy and slow for about twenty minutes. It was mostly my fault for pushing on, and not saving, exiting, and taking a break.
Fired the game back up immediately, took care of getting the Repair bobblehead, checked in on the residents of Arefu, and saved and called it a morning.
If you take a look at the map you see I damn near circumnavigated the northern half of the wasteland.
This is one of the best performances I've ever had from the RR system companions.
This leads us to one of the largest problems with bugfixing the mod, and companions especially. That being that many of the problems people are reporting simply don't exist in my game.
If I can't reproduce it, I can't fix it.
Incidentally, if I can't reproduce it, it also usually means that it's either a corruption in your savegame, or another mod interfering. People never like to hear that, though.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
RR Companions Vault v4.99 Released
Yep, that's right. Another new version.
I'm still tinkering, trying to get the navmesh worked out, and some final bugs bitchslapped into behaving.
The biggest thing this time isn't in the file, but comes with the master. I finally got off my dead ass and wrote a real readme for the mod.
The changelog has been stripped out, and made into a separate file.
Hopefully this should cut down on the number of mind-numbingly moronic questions I have to answer...
...probably not, though.
"Update 4.99:
IMPORTANT! Remove all items from the refrigerators in the mess hall, and the wardrobes in the dormitory apartments BEFORE installing this update! If you don't save them beforehand, the items will be lost.
Fixed some (apparently rarely noticed) issues with the occlusion planes clipping into the armory and some dorm rooms.
Replaced the fridges in the mess hall with new ones. One respawns, the other doesn't. This maintains your small, semi-random food source, but allows you to store food in the kitchen like a normal person without fear of it being lost to the respawn gods. Fridges are named appropriately to indicate which they are.
Replaced all thirty wardrobes in the dormitory apartments with new ones, that each bear a special randomized list of clothing, eyewear, and headwear. These do NOT respawn, and are perfectly safe to store things in. This should be a one-time change, as it was necessary to add the item list to the wardrobes without adding it to every wardrobe in the game.
The wardobe change will pave the way for a new plugin I have in mind, that will sexy up the Vault 1 NPCs via the use of Ling's Finer Things. If this sounds like something you'd be into and don't already have it, you might want to get a'downloading on LFT - the master is pretty big."
I want this blog to be a go-to spot, to not only keep track of what I'm working on that isn't being released yet, but as a quick reference for updates.
I'm going to try to update whenever I upload a new version of any one of my mods, and throw out some general comments that might not be what one would call appropriate for the Nexus. Things I couldn't get away with there.
FUCK FUCKITY FUCK FUCK!
Like that, see? Alright, I'll endeavor to make them more intelligent in the future, but I haven't thrown out a good swear tirade in a couple days now, and I was due.
As always, the RR Companions Vault can be found here.
I'm still tinkering, trying to get the navmesh worked out, and some final bugs bitchslapped into behaving.
The biggest thing this time isn't in the file, but comes with the master. I finally got off my dead ass and wrote a real readme for the mod.
The changelog has been stripped out, and made into a separate file.
Hopefully this should cut down on the number of mind-numbingly moronic questions I have to answer...
...probably not, though.
"Update 4.99:
IMPORTANT! Remove all items from the refrigerators in the mess hall, and the wardrobes in the dormitory apartments BEFORE installing this update! If you don't save them beforehand, the items will be lost.
Fixed some (apparently rarely noticed) issues with the occlusion planes clipping into the armory and some dorm rooms.
Replaced the fridges in the mess hall with new ones. One respawns, the other doesn't. This maintains your small, semi-random food source, but allows you to store food in the kitchen like a normal person without fear of it being lost to the respawn gods. Fridges are named appropriately to indicate which they are.
Replaced all thirty wardrobes in the dormitory apartments with new ones, that each bear a special randomized list of clothing, eyewear, and headwear. These do NOT respawn, and are perfectly safe to store things in. This should be a one-time change, as it was necessary to add the item list to the wardrobes without adding it to every wardrobe in the game.
The wardobe change will pave the way for a new plugin I have in mind, that will sexy up the Vault 1 NPCs via the use of Ling's Finer Things. If this sounds like something you'd be into and don't already have it, you might want to get a'downloading on LFT - the master is pretty big."
I want this blog to be a go-to spot, to not only keep track of what I'm working on that isn't being released yet, but as a quick reference for updates.
I'm going to try to update whenever I upload a new version of any one of my mods, and throw out some general comments that might not be what one would call appropriate for the Nexus. Things I couldn't get away with there.
FUCK FUCKITY FUCK FUCK!
Like that, see? Alright, I'll endeavor to make them more intelligent in the future, but I haven't thrown out a good swear tirade in a couple days now, and I was due.
As always, the RR Companions Vault can be found here.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
RR Companions Vault v4.97
Yeah, I updated.
If you're interested, read about it here:
http://www.fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=3644
I'm still in the middle of a severe sinus flare-up, slept ALMOST four hours this morning, and am too wiped to be bothered typing it all out again.
If you're interested, read about it here:
http://www.fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=3644
I'm still in the middle of a severe sinus flare-up, slept ALMOST four hours this morning, and am too wiped to be bothered typing it all out again.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
State of the Vault
So, I've been "in charge" now for almost a week.
ttomwv never returned my last PM, so I'm guessing when he said he was moving on, he didnae mean eventually...
Already, I'm getting the urge to fucking throttle some players.
I'm apparently now being blamed for problems in MMM. I've already been blamed for FO3 on the whole, FO3Edit's Masterupdate nonsense, and problems with the UP.
Nos may have to choke a bitch.
Large sections of the mod may be going bye-bye anyhow.
The prisoner system is twelve kinds of fucked. It doesn't work with named NPCs at all, and doesn't seem to work right with generics. The last I heard from ttomwv before he took off was not encouraging either, and amounted to: "Oh, yeah... those fixes I made? Turns out they may have broken it worse."
Even if I can fix it - and that's a helluva 'if' - it may well require an almost total rewrite of the system. A system - I might add - that I don't even use, nor like. Don't see the fascination with capturing people.
You want more people in el vaulto? Run one of the damned plugins. Guards, more men, more women... add them in with my companions pack, alternate guards, and drag in all five of the basic companions in the mod, and you'd have something like twenty-five NPCs roaming about Vault 1. I don't care what kind of 1337 h4xx0r system you've got, that's gonna cause a framerate hit.
Refurbished adds another six or so on top of that. Granted, Fry1969's extra NPCs don't do much beyond shower and lounge naked... but they're there, all the same.
Sorters are apparently still bugged, too. Another system I don't use, nor like. Nor have much of an idea how to fix.
The irony, is I do NPCs. Pretty girls with guns who hurt people and look nice in a skimpy outfit. Working over the companion system I can do. Hell, I wrote my own the other day from the ground up. Turned out it didn't work so well as a modular, 'make your own companions!' deal, so I shelved it for now.
I don't mind prettying up interiors - as evidenced by Redecorated - but buildings really aren't my thing.
At the moment, I'm seriously considering pulling a CM. Stripping the companion system out, making it a separate plugin, and let the hole in the ground fall where it may.
I know, I probably won't. I'm exhausted, frustrated, and pissy in general. My apparently-dying Dad isn't helping my frame of mind, nor are the constant stream of people too fucking stupid to read the docs.
It amazes me some of these people can even power on a computer, let alone figure out how to sign on to the intarwebz. I still blame AOL.
ttomwv never returned my last PM, so I'm guessing when he said he was moving on, he didnae mean eventually...
Already, I'm getting the urge to fucking throttle some players.
I'm apparently now being blamed for problems in MMM. I've already been blamed for FO3 on the whole, FO3Edit's Masterupdate nonsense, and problems with the UP.
Nos may have to choke a bitch.
Large sections of the mod may be going bye-bye anyhow.
The prisoner system is twelve kinds of fucked. It doesn't work with named NPCs at all, and doesn't seem to work right with generics. The last I heard from ttomwv before he took off was not encouraging either, and amounted to: "Oh, yeah... those fixes I made? Turns out they may have broken it worse."
Even if I can fix it - and that's a helluva 'if' - it may well require an almost total rewrite of the system. A system - I might add - that I don't even use, nor like. Don't see the fascination with capturing people.
You want more people in el vaulto? Run one of the damned plugins. Guards, more men, more women... add them in with my companions pack, alternate guards, and drag in all five of the basic companions in the mod, and you'd have something like twenty-five NPCs roaming about Vault 1. I don't care what kind of 1337 h4xx0r system you've got, that's gonna cause a framerate hit.
Refurbished adds another six or so on top of that. Granted, Fry1969's extra NPCs don't do much beyond shower and lounge naked... but they're there, all the same.
Sorters are apparently still bugged, too. Another system I don't use, nor like. Nor have much of an idea how to fix.
The irony, is I do NPCs. Pretty girls with guns who hurt people and look nice in a skimpy outfit. Working over the companion system I can do. Hell, I wrote my own the other day from the ground up. Turned out it didn't work so well as a modular, 'make your own companions!' deal, so I shelved it for now.
I don't mind prettying up interiors - as evidenced by Redecorated - but buildings really aren't my thing.
At the moment, I'm seriously considering pulling a CM. Stripping the companion system out, making it a separate plugin, and let the hole in the ground fall where it may.
I know, I probably won't. I'm exhausted, frustrated, and pissy in general. My apparently-dying Dad isn't helping my frame of mind, nor are the constant stream of people too fucking stupid to read the docs.
It amazes me some of these people can even power on a computer, let alone figure out how to sign on to the intarwebz. I still blame AOL.
AI Progress
Is coming along, albeit slowly.
Since being left in charge, I have effectively been given free reign to do whatever in the holy hell I please with the RR mod.
Consequently, one of the first things I did was strip out about fifty lines of nonsense in the companionscript.
The warp system, death checks, moving dead companions away (they're essential, okay? they don't freaking die) and about six commands that forced a new AI package on the poor companions anywhere from once every few minutes to once every few seconds, depending on what you're doing.
My theory, was that the AI was getting confoosled, as we all do when there are four people yelling in our ear at once.
Solution? Lower the amount of data being shoved down the AI's throat.
'Lo and behold, tell it from the mountaintops! It seems to actually be working. Not perfect yet, but I've gotten in three separate play sessions now, each in excess of three hours apiece, without having to re-issue a follow command. Not once.
Still get an occasional stoppage. The difference now is that the girls sort themselves out, and start following again on their own. The worst I have to do is tap 'wait' and give them an hour.
Usually, all I do is keep right the hell on walkin' - after a few minutes they get their shit together and catch up. Must have separation anxiety.
Health system is apparently a tish buggier than I thought. All is working well, here. The companion occasionally gets interrupted and the behavior overridden, but on the whole it seems to be working. Even when the heal player behavior doesn't fire, the companions still keep themselves uncrippled and healthy, which was the big point of the endeavor.
In an effort to un-fuck the system for the few people having troubleses, I've changed the code slightly; resetting the three separate checks to each fire based on a different variable. That way, if one ends up mis-set, the other two still work. Have tested, and it still seems to work fine, so I really need to upload the new Experimental plugin, and see if it helps people.
Failing that, I can pull the variable checks altogether, but that will result in one companion starting dialog with the player while they're talking to another companion already. Wouldn't break anything... but it could easily get confusing. Plus, only one companion should really break combat to heal the player, while the remainder continues providing cover.
I dunno. All I can do is keep banging away, right?
Since being left in charge, I have effectively been given free reign to do whatever in the holy hell I please with the RR mod.
Consequently, one of the first things I did was strip out about fifty lines of nonsense in the companionscript.
The warp system, death checks, moving dead companions away (they're essential, okay? they don't freaking die) and about six commands that forced a new AI package on the poor companions anywhere from once every few minutes to once every few seconds, depending on what you're doing.
My theory, was that the AI was getting confoosled, as we all do when there are four people yelling in our ear at once.
Solution? Lower the amount of data being shoved down the AI's throat.
'Lo and behold, tell it from the mountaintops! It seems to actually be working. Not perfect yet, but I've gotten in three separate play sessions now, each in excess of three hours apiece, without having to re-issue a follow command. Not once.
Still get an occasional stoppage. The difference now is that the girls sort themselves out, and start following again on their own. The worst I have to do is tap 'wait' and give them an hour.
Usually, all I do is keep right the hell on walkin' - after a few minutes they get their shit together and catch up. Must have separation anxiety.
Health system is apparently a tish buggier than I thought. All is working well, here. The companion occasionally gets interrupted and the behavior overridden, but on the whole it seems to be working. Even when the heal player behavior doesn't fire, the companions still keep themselves uncrippled and healthy, which was the big point of the endeavor.
In an effort to un-fuck the system for the few people having troubleses, I've changed the code slightly; resetting the three separate checks to each fire based on a different variable. That way, if one ends up mis-set, the other two still work. Have tested, and it still seems to work fine, so I really need to upload the new Experimental plugin, and see if it helps people.
Failing that, I can pull the variable checks altogether, but that will result in one companion starting dialog with the player while they're talking to another companion already. Wouldn't break anything... but it could easily get confusing. Plus, only one companion should really break combat to heal the player, while the remainder continues providing cover.
I dunno. All I can do is keep banging away, right?
Monday, November 2, 2009
Updates
Updated my companions pack, the alternate guards plugin, and Vault 1 bedroom redecorated this morning.
Companions and guards have gotten a compatibility fix, to stop conflicts with beautification mods, and the redecoration update is just what I've got done at the moment. Decided to upload what I had, since I really need to turn my full modding attention towards the main RR Companions Vault.
Found out last night that apparently there isn't a readme for the mod. Got to looking, to smite someone for asking stupid questions... and found that the file labeled readme is nothing but a changelog stretching back to 1.0.
Joy. This means I've got to write one. On top of that, the companion system still needs work, the prisoner system is buggy as fuck, the sorters don't work right for some folks... and I stupidly signed on to YET ANOTHER mod project this morning.
I will apparently never learn.
...It's a cool project, though. Puts T/C Encores into the wasteland. I ran up versions of the little weapon in everything from .22lr up to 7.92mmJS.
Trying to convince the original author to do a new version of the mod with a can on it, to go through and add suppressed variants of all the pistols.
Companions and guards have gotten a compatibility fix, to stop conflicts with beautification mods, and the redecoration update is just what I've got done at the moment. Decided to upload what I had, since I really need to turn my full modding attention towards the main RR Companions Vault.
Found out last night that apparently there isn't a readme for the mod. Got to looking, to smite someone for asking stupid questions... and found that the file labeled readme is nothing but a changelog stretching back to 1.0.
Joy. This means I've got to write one. On top of that, the companion system still needs work, the prisoner system is buggy as fuck, the sorters don't work right for some folks... and I stupidly signed on to YET ANOTHER mod project this morning.
I will apparently never learn.
...It's a cool project, though. Puts T/C Encores into the wasteland. I ran up versions of the little weapon in everything from .22lr up to 7.92mmJS.
Trying to convince the original author to do a new version of the mod with a can on it, to go through and add suppressed variants of all the pistols.
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