Okay, I wasn't going to bug you guys about this; but Herculine's speedy finding of some of that Guyver stuff in the last post made me think there might be good odds at least someone in the audience would know...
I got it into my head the other morning to create an Aeris/Aerith Gainsborough (Final Fantasy VII) companion for Oblivion. I thought I had seen one before, thought I had the hair mesh... but no.
I'm not sure if it was in a previous install, and I've since lost the files; or if I'm just off my fucking rocker again and never did have them.
I've searched the Nexus, and run a couple Google searches as well; with no results. Lots of tutorials on how to cosplay as her... no hair meshes for Oblivion. Found her staff over on PlanetElderScrolls... but that wasn't really something I was worried about...
Kind of odd, really - I have two Tifa Lockheart companions for CM, and I'm pretty sure there are others out there that I didn't bother to download. I've seen her outfits in Oblivion, FO3, and now FONV as well.
But no love for the flower girl?
Guess it's true what they say: most guys really are all about the tits.
Anyway.
I found a hair in my myriad race installs that looks sort of similar... but I was hoping for a specific model - I mean, we have hairs for Tifa, Cloud, and that bishie-emo nutbar Sephiroth... so why not Aeris, too?
So, if someone knows of the hair meshes' existence, and could point me in the correct direction in the form of a download/file/forum topic link for either standalone hair, or a complete companion, I'd be much grateful.
In fact, if the pointing-to is just the hair meshes, I'll be happy to share the completed companion once she's ready to go.
I'm not even going to bother asking about a mesh for her dress...
Sunday, May 8, 2011
NosCo CM Plugins for Oblivion
I haven't made it any secret that I've been tampering with CM off and on over the last several months.
This has resulted in some plugins, that I have decided to share.
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=RYFKV2UI
(If Megaupload is a problem for you, let me know and I should be able to upload somewhere else)
These, as you might notice, are not on the Nexus. Call it a regular reader reward for the blog here.
There are three plugins, totaling less than seven kilobytes. No meshes or textures are required.
From the readme:
Nos' CM Partners Strip Order.esp adds a command near the bottom of the CM dialogue labeled simply enough "Strip for me." It does what you would expect. Useful for checking body mods, or... whatever. I'm not here to judge. Opening the companion's inventory and closing it again will cause them to re-equip their items as normal.
Nos' CM No Armor Wander & Offer Services Follow.esp modifies the CM system's Follow and Wander packages. With this active, companions will offer services (the buttons for merchant, repair, recharge, and training) even when following you; so that you can use your special companion's abilities at any time. The modification to the wander package sets it to use the "Armor Unequipped" and "Weapons unequipped" flags; so that they'll sandbox in normal clothing. Remember to put some normal clothing in their inventory, though.
Nos' CM Common Party Containers.esp was specially made at the request of my modding partner, Herculine. She wanted a companion container that would let you offload loot, but in a way that they wouldn't be able to equip it to mess up carefully coordinated outfits. I decided to put six, since Oblivion has that issue with too many items in one container causing engine bugs. You can find the new options on the "Party Items" menu, at the top. Fair warning, I have seen some instances of one of the containers "sticking" in the air in the dining room of Benirus Manor with the Better Benirus Manor mod active. I have no idea why this happens. It doesn't block movement; and is usually only noticable if you're looking for it, but it may bother some people. If I ever figure it out, a future revision will fix this - but since it isn't even an inconvenience; let alone game-breaking, it isn't high on the to-do list.
For the record, I add my handle to plugins not because of my severe pretentiousness (though that doesn't hurt) but because it makes it easier to keep track of them in the load order.
Comments/problems/whatever about the files should probably go in this post's comment section, but I couldn't add a link to the file's readme; what with the post not being made yet and all. Assuming this goes over acceptably, you'll probably be seeing some of my CM companions from over the years uploaded in a similar manner.
As well, this post is also going to be added to a new "Oblivion Files Uploaded" link list on the right side, for keeping track of everything in an easy-to-find locale.
This has resulted in some plugins, that I have decided to share.
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=RYFKV2UI
(If Megaupload is a problem for you, let me know and I should be able to upload somewhere else)
These, as you might notice, are not on the Nexus. Call it a regular reader reward for the blog here.
There are three plugins, totaling less than seven kilobytes. No meshes or textures are required.
From the readme:
Nos' CM Partners Strip Order.esp adds a command near the bottom of the CM dialogue labeled simply enough "Strip for me." It does what you would expect. Useful for checking body mods, or... whatever. I'm not here to judge. Opening the companion's inventory and closing it again will cause them to re-equip their items as normal.
Nos' CM No Armor Wander & Offer Services Follow.esp modifies the CM system's Follow and Wander packages. With this active, companions will offer services (the buttons for merchant, repair, recharge, and training) even when following you; so that you can use your special companion's abilities at any time. The modification to the wander package sets it to use the "Armor Unequipped" and "Weapons unequipped" flags; so that they'll sandbox in normal clothing. Remember to put some normal clothing in their inventory, though.
Nos' CM Common Party Containers.esp was specially made at the request of my modding partner, Herculine. She wanted a companion container that would let you offload loot, but in a way that they wouldn't be able to equip it to mess up carefully coordinated outfits. I decided to put six, since Oblivion has that issue with too many items in one container causing engine bugs. You can find the new options on the "Party Items" menu, at the top. Fair warning, I have seen some instances of one of the containers "sticking" in the air in the dining room of Benirus Manor with the Better Benirus Manor mod active. I have no idea why this happens. It doesn't block movement; and is usually only noticable if you're looking for it, but it may bother some people. If I ever figure it out, a future revision will fix this - but since it isn't even an inconvenience; let alone game-breaking, it isn't high on the to-do list.
For the record, I add my handle to plugins not because of my severe pretentiousness (though that doesn't hurt) but because it makes it easier to keep track of them in the load order.
Comments/problems/whatever about the files should probably go in this post's comment section, but I couldn't add a link to the file's readme; what with the post not being made yet and all. Assuming this goes over acceptably, you'll probably be seeing some of my CM companions from over the years uploaded in a similar manner.
As well, this post is also going to be added to a new "Oblivion Files Uploaded" link list on the right side, for keeping track of everything in an easy-to-find locale.
NCCS - "Improvements"
Hey I don't know anything about scripting but I'm nonetheless going to fuck your mod blue and tattoo it because I don't like something it does. You'll tell me how, right?
Seriously, people? You're still on this shit? You still think I just randomly pulled the teleporting code out of my ass and called it a system?
I tested more than a dozen revisions of that code; over months of play. I didn't use other code because the "better" code didn't work right!
From this point on, in effect is the policy that my ever-stalwart partner, Herculine, has been proposing for months now:
Fuck with my code, and you're on your own. "Tinker" with or "Improve" my scripting in any way, and the warranty is void and you get no tech support. (though of course she used less profanity and more grace)
I'm done hand-holding people who have no idea what they're doing but insist on messing with stuff anyway.
If I could get rid of the teleporting and have the companions not get lost every five damned minutes, I happily would. Results, however, have not been what one would call encouraging.
If you can do better; do it. I'm sure the community will welcome a superior system. But I'm not teaching you how.
Seriously, people? You're still on this shit? You still think I just randomly pulled the teleporting code out of my ass and called it a system?
I tested more than a dozen revisions of that code; over months of play. I didn't use other code because the "better" code didn't work right!
From this point on, in effect is the policy that my ever-stalwart partner, Herculine, has been proposing for months now:
Fuck with my code, and you're on your own. "Tinker" with or "Improve" my scripting in any way, and the warranty is void and you get no tech support. (though of course she used less profanity and more grace)
I'm done hand-holding people who have no idea what they're doing but insist on messing with stuff anyway.
If I could get rid of the teleporting and have the companions not get lost every five damned minutes, I happily would. Results, however, have not been what one would call encouraging.
If you can do better; do it. I'm sure the community will welcome a superior system. But I'm not teaching you how.
'Must Have' Revisions
I've been slacking in my updating of the FO3 "Must-Have" mods list over on the right side.
Tailor Maid is gone from the Nexus wholly; as are both Ling's mods. I've accordingly removed their links.
The 20th CW link has been modified to include a notice that it's currently unavailable.
Tailor Maid is gone from the Nexus wholly; as are both Ling's mods. I've accordingly removed their links.
The 20th CW link has been modified to include a notice that it's currently unavailable.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Weekend Oblivion Mods
Well, I had planned to type out a big piece on "big mods"; discussing a couple of the "big ideas" I've had, that others have had, and why they invariably almost never come to fruition - whether mine or other.
But... Friday sucked. Today sucked more. I'm wiped, and just not feelin' it.
So, instead, I hope to placate the rabid masses with an offering of some more obscure Japanese mods.
I know we all love companions, 'round these parts. CM is the standard, but what bout taking other characters as companions? Well, there's CSR, but it has some issues.
I ran across a new mod that's (supposedly) considerably better. It's called Mad Companionship Spells or simply MCS. Despite the page being in moonrunes, the mod itself is supposed to be in English.
If you take a look at the screenshot, it also appears to keep track of recruited NPC locations.
On that note, I may have to dig into the scripting to see how they did that. Would make for a great addition to NCCS - even if NVSE was required (which it almost certainly would be).
Now, I use qualifiers like "seems to" and "supposed to be" because I haven't tested the mod, yet. It's downloaded, and installed; but I haven't fired it up just yet.
I do have some small modicum of trust in the source, though; so I don't foresee many problems. Interestingly, one of the forum-goers reports that MCS is so good it's completely replaced CSR in his install. Apparently there are fewer problems with ex-Bandits getting into fights with the guards, and NPCs in general wandering away when left in their new homes.
There's also the MCS Extension. Machine translations are dodgy at best, but the extension appears to... add new functionality. (ZOMG AN EXTENSION THAT EXTENDS? WHAT NEXT?!)
Specifically, it seems to add things like better inventory management - I see one function here that's supposed to get your new companions to equip tail-slot items; long the bane of we CM players. There is also a sort of 'sleep now' order; something here about telling them whether to wear clothes or armor, some stuff about managing factions to prevent companions from attacking you or each other... and something about an escape portal from "Oburibiongeto" (Oblivion?).
Hell, I dunno. I'll edit the post and report more when I've played it. I would suggest some caution while figuring out what's what, but the system on the whole appears to have quite a bit of potential.
Edit: As promised, I fired the game up and actually had a lookie-see at MCS.
Interestingly, as the name implies, it is not the traditional dialogue-based companion system most of us are used to. MCS is spell based (hence the word 'Spells' in the title, I suppose...).
Rather than speak to a potential or current companion to issue orders, you hit them with the spell:
Now, one of the things that sets MCS apart from other mods, are the other spells:
You get to clear bounties for one, but if you look below it; there's also MCS Repair/Recharge. Hit someone with that spell, and it repairs and recharges all their equipment. Handy.
Not only is this less trouble than CM's dialogue option, but it works on any NPC regardless of their companion system framework - or more to the point lack thereof.
I still haven't gotten to play with it heavily - or use the extension at all - but so far it seems a straightforward and user-friendly universal companion system. I doubt it will wholly replace CM in my game, but it's nonetheless pretty cool.
(and of course, you can also see my hot-as-fucking-hell redhead-wolfgirl character. MBP, how did I live without you...?)
Edit the second:
Done some more playing with MCS, and I'm rather impressed. The MCS extension includes the outfit selector that I mentioned before. What I didn't realize, was that when the setting says "auto", it means it - when weapons are sheathed, the companion dressed in clothing; but when weapons drawn and they go into alert status, they switch to armor automatically. Less than amazingly realistic, the insta-change... but it's nonetheless much better than other systems I've seen.
But... Friday sucked. Today sucked more. I'm wiped, and just not feelin' it.
So, instead, I hope to placate the rabid masses with an offering of some more obscure Japanese mods.
I know we all love companions, 'round these parts. CM is the standard, but what bout taking other characters as companions? Well, there's CSR, but it has some issues.
I ran across a new mod that's (supposedly) considerably better. It's called Mad Companionship Spells or simply MCS. Despite the page being in moonrunes, the mod itself is supposed to be in English.
If you take a look at the screenshot, it also appears to keep track of recruited NPC locations.
On that note, I may have to dig into the scripting to see how they did that. Would make for a great addition to NCCS - even if NVSE was required (which it almost certainly would be).
Now, I use qualifiers like "seems to" and "supposed to be" because I haven't tested the mod, yet. It's downloaded, and installed; but I haven't fired it up just yet.
I do have some small modicum of trust in the source, though; so I don't foresee many problems. Interestingly, one of the forum-goers reports that MCS is so good it's completely replaced CSR in his install. Apparently there are fewer problems with ex-Bandits getting into fights with the guards, and NPCs in general wandering away when left in their new homes.
There's also the MCS Extension. Machine translations are dodgy at best, but the extension appears to... add new functionality. (ZOMG AN EXTENSION THAT EXTENDS? WHAT NEXT?!)
Specifically, it seems to add things like better inventory management - I see one function here that's supposed to get your new companions to equip tail-slot items; long the bane of we CM players. There is also a sort of 'sleep now' order; something here about telling them whether to wear clothes or armor, some stuff about managing factions to prevent companions from attacking you or each other... and something about an escape portal from "Oburibiongeto" (Oblivion?).
Hell, I dunno. I'll edit the post and report more when I've played it. I would suggest some caution while figuring out what's what, but the system on the whole appears to have quite a bit of potential.
Edit: As promised, I fired the game up and actually had a lookie-see at MCS.
Interestingly, as the name implies, it is not the traditional dialogue-based companion system most of us are used to. MCS is spell based (hence the word 'Spells' in the title, I suppose...).
Rather than speak to a potential or current companion to issue orders, you hit them with the spell:
Now, one of the things that sets MCS apart from other mods, are the other spells:
You get to clear bounties for one, but if you look below it; there's also MCS Repair/Recharge. Hit someone with that spell, and it repairs and recharges all their equipment. Handy.
Not only is this less trouble than CM's dialogue option, but it works on any NPC regardless of their companion system framework - or more to the point lack thereof.
I still haven't gotten to play with it heavily - or use the extension at all - but so far it seems a straightforward and user-friendly universal companion system. I doubt it will wholly replace CM in my game, but it's nonetheless pretty cool.
(and of course, you can also see my hot-as-fucking-hell redhead-wolfgirl character. MBP, how did I live without you...?)
Edit the second:
Done some more playing with MCS, and I'm rather impressed. The MCS extension includes the outfit selector that I mentioned before. What I didn't realize, was that when the setting says "auto", it means it - when weapons are sheathed, the companion dressed in clothing; but when weapons drawn and they go into alert status, they switch to armor automatically. Less than amazingly realistic, the insta-change... but it's nonetheless much better than other systems I've seen.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
FONV - Monte Carlo Apartments
I've mentioned on more than one occasion my feeling that there's a need for decent, companion friendly housing in FONV.
Most house mods are either too small - the various Goodsprings shacks, the Vault built for 2, and several others spring to mind; or they're huge but almost obscenely opulent and completely out of character for the wasteland (Fry's Freehold comes to mind, here); or they're the full Vault-type mod, and have a general feeling of "Here, have a fortress, random person I just met!" to them.
Where, then, is our simple, expedient place to billet companions? Someplace that has bedrooms; that has work rooms; that has access to New Vegas... but doesn't look like something from an episode of Lifestyles of the Wasteland Rich and Famous?
From the first time I cleared it out, I've always liked the Monte Carlo Suites. Here was a cell that wasn't huge or overdone; but could handle eight or so companions with ease. You had reloading and work benches, bathrooms, beds.
The problem being, you have no real provision for fixing it up once the Scorpions are cleared out.
Since the NosCo HQ is a long way from being done, I decided to "convert" the Monte Carlo into apartments.
Most people would have just loaded it up, and started making changes. This carries many downsides. Deleting things from a master isn't a good idea if you MasterUpdate - and no one ever listens when I tell them not to. Conflicts are another issue; though I can't think of any mods off the top of my head that change the place.
So I opted to take a less conventional, but more freeing route. Basically, in this method one copies a cell wholesale. Gives it a new ID, and makes whatever changes they want without worry of conflict.
Then, you script it so that on the plugin's activation, the normal door into the cell-to-be-changed is disabled; and enabled in its place a door that leads to your new cell.
The downside of course being that the mod requires an uninstall command or plugin; to re-activate the original door in the even that the player wants to remove the mod - since the disabled door is part of the base game, it won't be automatically reverted or replaced, and on removing the plugin, a gaping hole will sit where the door should be.
I've been working on it over the last couple days, and finally got the cell itself done tonight. You may be wondering why the rooms would require work, if the cell is copied.
One of the things I wanted to do was remove the rubble blocking the stairs, and open up the second floor.
There is no second floor in the cell; so one had to be created.
With residences on the second floor, the first floor will be converted into utility spaces. Work rooms, storage, a kitchen; probably some basic medical amenities.
The east, west, and south sides of the ground floor had dual rooms on each side. I knocked the walls out, creating three large rooms; with the original two small ones on the same wall as the door.
Bathrooms have been left it place; so that it looks like converted apartments.
The second floor is mostly a carbon-copy of the first; save that I think I'm going to add a ninth apartment where the exterior door is on the ground floor.
Still have to actually put stuff in the rooms - they only have lamps at the moment. Each "apartment" will probably get a suite similar to the ones in the Vault 1 apartments: a bed, desk, dresser, and a chair or two. The Hollywood Hilton it ain't; but it would beat the hell out of being a transient.
The big decision being, of course: how much to give the player? Voila, and your apartments are converted? Or make it an empty shell by default; that you have to visit some vendor to buy stuff to put in it? On-site vendor and/or doctor who just magically show up? Or leave it all to the player?
Most house mods are either too small - the various Goodsprings shacks, the Vault built for 2, and several others spring to mind; or they're huge but almost obscenely opulent and completely out of character for the wasteland (Fry's Freehold comes to mind, here); or they're the full Vault-type mod, and have a general feeling of "Here, have a fortress, random person I just met!" to them.
Where, then, is our simple, expedient place to billet companions? Someplace that has bedrooms; that has work rooms; that has access to New Vegas... but doesn't look like something from an episode of Lifestyles of the Wasteland Rich and Famous?
From the first time I cleared it out, I've always liked the Monte Carlo Suites. Here was a cell that wasn't huge or overdone; but could handle eight or so companions with ease. You had reloading and work benches, bathrooms, beds.
The problem being, you have no real provision for fixing it up once the Scorpions are cleared out.
Since the NosCo HQ is a long way from being done, I decided to "convert" the Monte Carlo into apartments.
Most people would have just loaded it up, and started making changes. This carries many downsides. Deleting things from a master isn't a good idea if you MasterUpdate - and no one ever listens when I tell them not to. Conflicts are another issue; though I can't think of any mods off the top of my head that change the place.
So I opted to take a less conventional, but more freeing route. Basically, in this method one copies a cell wholesale. Gives it a new ID, and makes whatever changes they want without worry of conflict.
Then, you script it so that on the plugin's activation, the normal door into the cell-to-be-changed is disabled; and enabled in its place a door that leads to your new cell.
The downside of course being that the mod requires an uninstall command or plugin; to re-activate the original door in the even that the player wants to remove the mod - since the disabled door is part of the base game, it won't be automatically reverted or replaced, and on removing the plugin, a gaping hole will sit where the door should be.
I've been working on it over the last couple days, and finally got the cell itself done tonight. You may be wondering why the rooms would require work, if the cell is copied.
One of the things I wanted to do was remove the rubble blocking the stairs, and open up the second floor.
There is no second floor in the cell; so one had to be created.
With residences on the second floor, the first floor will be converted into utility spaces. Work rooms, storage, a kitchen; probably some basic medical amenities.
The east, west, and south sides of the ground floor had dual rooms on each side. I knocked the walls out, creating three large rooms; with the original two small ones on the same wall as the door.
Bathrooms have been left it place; so that it looks like converted apartments.
The second floor is mostly a carbon-copy of the first; save that I think I'm going to add a ninth apartment where the exterior door is on the ground floor.
Still have to actually put stuff in the rooms - they only have lamps at the moment. Each "apartment" will probably get a suite similar to the ones in the Vault 1 apartments: a bed, desk, dresser, and a chair or two. The Hollywood Hilton it ain't; but it would beat the hell out of being a transient.
The big decision being, of course: how much to give the player? Voila, and your apartments are converted? Or make it an empty shell by default; that you have to visit some vendor to buy stuff to put in it? On-site vendor and/or doctor who just magically show up? Or leave it all to the player?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)