Wednesday, June 1, 2011

SSDD

Got two Nexus PMs in the last twenty-four hours that bear mention, lest I go insane(er).

One is from a person who wants to use part of NCCS in their own mod. I ask what part, curious which bit of my work they found so enchanting and useful. The answer? "The bit that lets me make my own companions."

So... the entire fucking mod, then? I mean, what else does NCCS do? Did it start making coffee and delivering pizzas while I wasn't looking?

So now I'm more curious. Is this individual actually planning to copy the entire mod to run a couple of NPCs in "his" mod? Or is this another moron who thinks that creating a companion plugin is including "code" from the master, and thus requires reuse permission?

Second PM, is another of those thrice damned "can I use your mod to create creature companions?" questions; but with a twist. This one is regarding the RR companions vault. Though the questioner didn't bother to specify whether they meant RR for FO3 or NV. Assuming FO3, I had to respond that you can; but it's not really a good idea. What's interesting is that this revolves around RR -- you know, the mod I haven't updated since November, or even answered any comments on since what? February? March, maybe.

Herculine has suggested I simply surrender to the tide, and add a creature framework. I have to admit, it wouldn't be that big a deal. I know from the NCCS quick menu how to script non-dialogue driven orders; so it would be a fairly simple matter to set up creatures to have their own scripts and packages.

The thing is, I don't get the appeal. Creature companions suck. They can't use weapons, can't change outfits, can't play idle animations, can't talk. They suck at combat, don't use stims, can't equip items at all...

It's just an animal that follows you around and gets in the way. And if you put food in their inventory, they'll be attacked by random NPCs.

The other issue, of course, being that I'm still not planning to update RR anytime soon; so additions would be for NCCS only.

This whole minor notoriety thing really isn't working out like I thought it would. Einherjrar, Dimon99, EARACHE42, Slof, and Colourwheel; modders that if not idolized, I have at least respected -- they all seemed to get endless streams of fawning praise; hundreds of kudos and thousands of endorsements.

Me? I get a steady stream of idiots wanting me to teach them to mod, or complaining that my mods don't do what they expected and are trash and so forth.

As I type this, NCCS sits at 7005 unique downloads; and has 122 endorsements. My math skills aren't good enough to calculate that percentage off the top of my head on four hours' sleep.

I wonder, sometimes: did the CM crew have to put up with this crap? Do they still get PMs begging for help running their mod?

The real pisser of it is I've got a whole stack of mod ideas for all three games; but by the time I've answered the day's inane questions from people too lazy to read documentation or check the forums, I don't care to work on anything for public consumption anymore.

11 comments:

  1. I don't care for creature companions either, but I think my neurons just spontaneously fired in the proper random manner that I may have an idea why they appeal to others so much.

    D&D is partly to blame. Druids. I once sat at the table with a guy who would play nothing but Druids, and in combat he would do nothing but summon animal familiars. Perhaps a RL animal lover or perhaps just someone fascinated by that type of character, either way he was always a Druid.

    Oblivion mods are also responsible. If you've ever seen the old teaser vid for Oscuro's Oblivion Overhaul, you may recall that one of its big selling points was animal companions. Later, CM Partners made it possible for animal companions to follow you around Cyrodiil as well. Great news for Druid-lovers.

    Now people who have played these games come to the Fallout games, visit the Nexus and find mods that on the surface appear to be just like CM Partners and they think: "Yes! Now my Dru-- er, my Lone Wanderer can have a Deathclaw companion!" They try to make their own creature companions -- which don't work the way they had imagined they would because the system isn't designed for that. So they send the PMs...

    Thus I blame Druids and Cutthroat Mods. It's all their fault...

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  2. I can see the D&D influence being a factor. I have occationally used animal companions with a ranger or familiars with a wizard.

    Some people might just want something different to travel around with. Looking at all the different companions on just the Nexus, you begin to notice some similarities between them. For some people the answer to being different or unique is an animal companion.

    I have Loxy's Deathclaw companion and I enjoy having him in my group. I don't have to "babysit" as much as I do the others. He doesn't use weapons, so no need to keep him stocked with ammo or maintian his guns. I try to remember to feed him though, as it is rather disturbing to here him saying that he's getting hungry...especially since I reskinned him as a Xenomorph O.O

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  3. I suspect that there's an impression that creature companions are simpler. Being able to change weapons, armour and keeping them stocked with ammo is too much work for them.

    Regarding the notoriety thing, those other modders mostly created stuff you can just install and use while using NCCS has the additional, really difficult steps of "read docs" and "use brain".

    BTW, has noone complained that the RR_Logo.jpg seems to be missing from the top of the page in the docs?

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  4. "BTW, has noone complained that the RR_Logo.jpg seems to be missing from the top of the page in the docs? "

    Amazingly enough, no one has. I forgot to remove those tags when I was converting the original RR guide for NCCS, and have never worked up enough care to reupload the files just for that.

    I've expected complaints about it... but apparently most people don't read the tutorial closely.

    ...Come to think of it, that would explain a lot...

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  5. I'd like to say I'm surprised but, well...

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  6. Also: Herculine? I am taking your advice, and adopting the position of the Baptist Pastors' Association.

    Blame D&D! It's that damned devil game! Someone ban it! For the children!

    Also also: before anyone thinks I'm being trendy-douchebag-atheist-antichristian-for-its-own-sake, I'll have you know I was raised Southern Baptist. I have heard the tirades against devil gaming and devil music, thankyouverymuchsah. Plus, I'm y'know... not an atheist. I'm pretty sure my religious beliefs qualify as the antithesis of atheism, actually...

    ...What was I talking about, again?

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  7. Seriously? You made a post because I sent you a pm asking about the possibility of a creature mod? Mate stop being such a retard nerd, I'm not into this "mod world" like you, I just registred an account couple days a go to make a run on fallout with mods, that I never used before... I really don't use mods on any games piratically, I don't even play that much games... I just read your comments there, I thought that you were the one working on the mod, so I msg you, and that's it? I have never see you anywhere before, no idea of your "works" on other games, that I don't play by the way... Seriously? :D

    @Herculino, I never heard about those games that you comment, only D&D that I've played on I was younger, and not a video game, was table rpg or whatever the name is in english...

    The reason I asked was, I download some other mod, which was a creature, and I really like dogmeat, so I thought, well, maybe I can get another creatures to become companion, like dogmeat and the claw companion... No idea where to start tho, so I msg this bitch...

    And you "nosco" were very polite, very attentions, that I even msg you again later... Now I found your blog, and mate... Grow some balls...

    See ya o/ :)

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  8. BTW, everything you said that can't be done, won't work or whatever, and a lot more... Nice creature mod here, a damn cute and nice dog!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxdVlPZmU7A&feature=player_embedded

    :) nexus link on description...

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  9. I briefly considered defending my position, but you know what? Fuck it.

    I'm not going to pretend to be sorry that I get annoyed when someone who can't mod comes along and blithely harasses me to add features to one of my own mods that I don't think are even necessary. Let alone when two dozen of you pricks do it.

    You found your way into this blog, feel free to find your way back out. You don't like my attitude, Skippy? Go play someone else's mod. I don't owe you or anyone else a damned thing in regards to this game.

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  10. Go get a job, seriously... Internet rage? I just made you a question and you answer politely, and then made a big post crying because I ask you something? "Dozen of pricks who can't mod" LOL!!!

    So what? Like this is a big thing, it's cool, pretty at least, but it is just another skill man, don't need to brag about it...

    If you think the requested features for your mods are not necessary, just say no man. Just let it go, don't need go nerd rage about it...

    You talk like you're Linus Torvalds, you just made some mods for another game, some plugins, you didn't even create anything, you just scripted them, it's a hell of a plugin, scripts, whatever, yeah it is, but it's just a plugin in the end, just an addon...

    Seriously, "Fuck it"

    LOL

    See ya "Skippy"

    :D

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  11. And you're pretending to be cool by blowing it all off and making a graceful exit.

    Seen it in every 4chan troll thread ever. Not impressed.

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