Kept my level 20 saves, in case I need to go back for whatever reason, but I created a new set.
There were new mods I wanted to play on that worked best with a new game, and I was topped out on XP and had found pretty much every location in the game. Also, I wanted to minimize 'dirty save' issues when working on the new Redecorated, and Vault 1 is really bad about dirtying saves for some reason.
This new playthrough is much like a new game. I've added Arwen's Tweaks, the Auto-aim fix, ammo toolkits, the Dragonskin armor, Expanded Talon Company, Fellout, MK14 series rifles, Tailor Maid, Useful Wasteland Clipboards, and WAR Radio. Granted, I like Ink Spots as much as the next guy, but I can only listen to someone warble I don't want to set the world on fire so damned many times...
I tried to add IMCN, for even more fun, but the author for some reason decided to code it to only start properly if you play through the tutorial, or use FWE's alternate start. It ain't that cool a mod to get me to do either of those.
Arwen's is probably the most interesting of the bunch. Her smarter AI module is playing hell with my companions. It's a testament to the rest of the package that I'm going to the trouble of trying to adapt the girls' AI to work with it. Still hit or miss, but they're performing decently. Standard RR companions shouldn't be affected, since they all use standard game combat styles - that are also modified by Arwen's smarter AI module.
It's an interesting experience. The weapon skill requirements kept me from even being able to use the sniper rifle AS-R started me with. Had to get by on a 10mm pistol.
Thought I'd be sneaky, and just use a 20thCW rifle, once I made it to the vault - which took a while, since I'm not letting myself use fast travel in this game; save to get into and out of Megaton, since the main gate is apparently perpetually fucked for companions.
Went to pull the Sig552 I had taken from the guard house, only to be informed that I couldn't use it at my skill level.
I have to grant Arwen this: it's not often my evil schemes are thwarted so skillfully.
Fortunately, I've seen to it that the Vault 1 guards are well stocked, so it was just a simple matter of putting the 552 back and grabbing a bolt gun to use until I could level up and get myself some skill points.
Perhaps most interestingly, the skill requirements also apply to NPCs. At level one, I saw several guards in the vault who couldn't use the weapons they had spawned with.
Been playing in between redecorating sessions, and am level six now. With backpacks on, me and my two traveling companions can still carry a fair bit 'o loot, but without fast travel, we still ditch quite a bit in the course of walking to a vendor as we come across more valuable stuff.
For once, I'm not using Enclave Enabled. Coming across an Enclave patrol at level two is bad enough in the standard game. I think it'd be nigh-suicide in this one. Especially considering the number of Enclave camps that include a deathclaw.
In the course of playing, I've also had a bit of inspiration for the companions pack. I'm going to see about setting it up so that you can ask one of the girls for help, if they have the appropriate skillset. Since the game has no provision for getting an NPC to pick a lock for you, I'll simulate them "helping" by giving the player a temporary buff to the relevant skill. This will allow you to combine your skills to make up for deficiencies, as well as giving you a reason to keep companions in your party who might not be the most useful fighters.
And now, because no game report is complete without showing off the latest tweaks to my personal girls...
Gotta say, I really dig Tailor Maid. The sheer variety of outfits you can set up is amazing. Will get even more interesting when we roam far enough to get some of the cooler outfit pieces.
Trust me, you don't want IMCN. It was....a pain more then anything yet is tailor maid that good? I know I see the mod but never gave it much thought and thanks for letting people know of the auto aim fix thing and useful waste clips.
ReplyDeleteYou know, while I'm not quite conceited enough to think I had anything to do with it, shortly after I complained IMCN had a new plugin to "force initialization" for people who used an alternate start mod other than FWE - so apparently quite a few people complained.
ReplyDeleteAm not thrilled with it, thus far. Despite being overloaded on calories, protein, and hydration, my character is bucking malnutrition constantly. Either the author doesn't know much about balancing vitamin content to caloric intake, or all food in the future is made by McDonalds.
Tailor Maid, though, is quite interesting. It doesn't actually add any new stuff, really. It's all chopped-up pieces of vanilla armors. Shoulder pads, boots, belts, gloves, body armor/vests. Similar to a lot of the pieces in Ling's, but from normal game armors instead of being Type 3 specific.
I had ignored the mod for months. Seen references around, but hadn't paid much attention because the name implies maid outfits. While I have several odd fetishes for dressing my girls, that ain't one of them.
Was browsing one of the character screenshot threads over on the Bethsoft forums, though, and saw what people were doing with the mod, and what it actually included. Went looking for more info, and ended up downloading the main package, and the Black retexture package.
The two can be run simultaneously, and I recommend them both.
The only downside thus far has been the amount of work required to make it look good. There are dozens of pieces, set up to occupy several different body slots. So not only do you have to mix and match, but sometimes multiples of the same "type" of clothing piece can be equipped at the same time. Belts and shoulder pads are bad about this.
I run the standard plugins, but there is an "all in one location" optional that puts all the pieces into one container, instead of scattered all over the wastes. If you want less adventure and to just make with the dress-up games, it's probably the one to run.
Maybe it is a good idea to keep saying what mods you use and get word of mouth around.
ReplyDeleteand I must ask now but what several odd fetishes?
Your comment reminded me I should probably really do a review post, and go mod by mod over all the new ones I've tried and what I liked and didn't.
ReplyDeleteMy "weird" armor tastes are much less interesting than you'll be thinking.
As far as I can tell from forums and whatnot, given the mods I run and my GECK skills, as a twenty-seven year old straight male I should be editing the 'skimpy rags' in Ling's to have equal stats to power armor, so that the girls can wear next to nothing for the entire game.
Being the weird guy that I am, I prefer putting the "field companions" in real armor whenever possible.
I love the Cod:MW2 Ranger armors for companion use. Metal armor is decent, too. Trying to get to the point where I can afford to scrounge us up three of those Dragonskin tactical getups in this game.
The only times I don't make them dress in a protective fashion is when there's nothing else available (see the Wasteland Seduction armor Maeva has on in the posted screenshot - had a DR of something like 30) or when the girls are muling loads of armor for me to a vendor. In those cases they put on whatever they like best from their inventory.
In this case, it was the Seduction armor and a Bloodrayne outfit, that I made less ridiculous via the addition of armor parts from Tailor Maid.
I've been trying for weeks now to find simple, conservative outfits for normal wear for them. I'd love to get hold of one that's just a knee-length pleated skirt, button-up dress shirt, and pair of boots. No spikes or skulls or gaudy jewelery or bared midriff. Maybe a nice pair of blue jeans and a solid color T shirt.
Been digging through Ling's, trying to find such an outfit to piece together. There's a skirt I can retexture, but am having trouble finding a shirt. I know there's one in there, I just haven't been able to find it yet. Assuming I ever do, I can piece the whole mess together using biped model armor parts, and put it together into one normal, "upper body" slot outfit. For weirdos like me who don't want their fireteam-mates running around half naked.
Beyond that, I'm even weirder apparently in that I don't like flashy, stupid weaponry. Given the option, I like to pass out stuff like Government Models and M14s. Don't think I've ever even used a katana mod or similar. HATE those gold plated desert eagles.
Though granted, I did (very briefly!) consider getting a copy of a mod that included the giant spiked mace from Bokusatsu Tenshi Dokurochan.
Fellout
ReplyDeleteIs it bad on the fps? I know you use a older computer so wondering how it works with the frame rate.
The 'official line' from the creator is that if anything, you'll see a slight boost to FPS because the game isn't having to render the tinted imagespaces anymore.
ReplyDeleteI haven't noticed a significant difference either way. There's a bit more lag around the new water (the Potomac especially) but not enough to nail down as being from Fellout.
On the whole, it makes things look quite a bit better, and doesn't noticeably hinder my FPS, so I'd say it's at least worth a shot. Easy to uninstall, if you don't like it.
Thanks Matt!
ReplyDeleteSorry for asking the review mod questions of the week even if they are very detailed answers.
Oh, I don't mind tossing out my views.
ReplyDeleteIt's just that I don't have time to get to everything right away, most of the time. I'm solo-ing the work of about four people as it is.
Working on my new Redecorated, still working on the companions pack, working on the main master, helping NeilUK02 out with getting Brooke running right as a wasteland wanderer, I give Fry some help now and again on Refurbished when he hits a scripting wall... and boring real-life stuff like cleaning my apartment and doing laundry keep cropping up.
Half the time I don't remember to eat more than once a day. Good for my waistline, not so much the health.