Bittercup Companion TTW

[Nessa]

Annnnd... a different tribal outfit. Not too out there. Umm.. in terms of colors at least. Otherwise it is pretty out there....

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alright, now to update TTW (I'm like 10 versions behind) and get moving on the actual mod part of this!

[RDKateran]

Eurgh.  I should update TTW myself, I have no idea how far behind it is... nor do I really know how to properly update it with MO.

 

Those outfits look really nice though! (damn FOSE being so far behind I can't use this with the original game)

[Nessa]

Just managed to get TTW 2.9.4b installed and thought... "How about some Bittercup updates?"

 

So, nobody die of shock but I'm close-ish to releasing an update. But the updates need actual in game tests at least once... which brings me to a question:

 

Where does one get the TTW version of Alternative Start?   Before real life pulled me out over a year ago, that was supposed to be close to release. Now I can't find even a mention of it. I have to start a new game to test all the Bittercupy changes and the idea of going through that asinine birth/growing-up sequence just makes me want to do ANYTHING else.   

[harlequin1229]

I usually start in Vegas and use a mod called Halfway House to get to DC.  Never heard of an alternate start mod before.

[Nessa]

Erm...  Great, I must have forgotten the name of it then. (That might explain why I can't find it!) It was a pretty popular mod that let you choose where to begin in FONV and what faction you started in. You started in a shack and chose starting options via a terminal.

 

Come to think of it, it's called Atlernative Start in Oblivion and Skyrim. Oops!

[harlequin1229]

Found a mod on Nexus FONV:  Alternate Start - TTW.   Starting point right outside Vault 101

[Nessa]

Yeah, ran into that one too. You're supposed to start out in a shack near .... the place where stupid Dad got himself stuck. In the mod I'm talking about at least. Probably quit modding for some reason and pulled the mods with my luck...

[harlequin1229]

Yeah, found a number of forum posts with broken links.

[Nessa]

Yep, just found some broken links at the TTW forums. Figures, I was going to convert the original until I found out the author was doing a TTW version.

 

Well, I guess I can complain vociferously or just hunt down the original and TTW-ify it.

 

OK, I'll do both. WHAT THE BLOODY HELL!??? ARGH!!!

 

[shardoom]

You could just turn off all mods, run the birth - vault exit sequence - save in the tunnel before you leave and bingo, you never have to run the first scene again.

The cave exit door gives you all of the options of creating a new character anyway, even a sex change if you wanted it.

[Nessa]

Ah ah! I had an old copy and even found the Nexus link: Here. (No idea why that didn't turn up on my first search...)

 

Only... no TTW version. Also found this in the comments: "The mentioned future update will be primarily a TTW update. I also have some plans and ideas that I'd like to implement that would allow others to add in content to this mod, such as more histories, and maybe even start quests for those histories, in the event someone wants to implement that. But, beyond fixing any bugs, and the update for TTW, there will probably be no new content added to this mod."

 

That was -some- time ago. It appears he's abandoned the mod. (Or he got stuck in RL like I did.... )

[Nessa]

You could just turn off all mods, run the birth - vault exit sequence - save in the tunnel before you leave and bingo, you never have to run the first scene again.

The cave exit door gives you all of the options of creating a new character anyway, even a sex change if you wanted it.

 

Yes, I'll have to do that for testing I think. (Also I should -probably- take a look at the TTW extras!!) For playing though.... eeek. No Alternative Start is a deal breaker from ... the start!   Especially since I hate the main quest in FO3 so much. And who doesn't like starting as a raider from time to time?

 

Well... maybe it's time for a Skyrim style Alternative Start explicitly for TTW?

 

Just my luck, I think "Hey, I'm going to wrap up all my FONV mods that are 3/4 finished!" And then THIS.

[shardoom]

The FO3 main quest isn't mandatory even starting in vault 101. You can just leave and head straight for the train.

 

Starting in FNV via TTW tends to break shit, if you don't use that train at least one you end up with an instant ctd when approaching doc mitch's house, ghostly khans at the GS cemetery, spawns that don't appear... Loads random shit that I can't remember.

 

You could just RP that upon exiting the vault you thought, "Fuck it, this wasteland is MINE bitches!" and go full on raider from there. Hell if you have the crap packs you even get a set of raider styled shit at that point too...

[Nessa]

True but it's more elegant to choose raider and start off at a random raider camp from the very beginning.

 

Assuming "raider" and "elegant" should ever be in the same sentence.

[RDKateran]

Ah ah! I had an old copy and even found the Nexus link: Here. (No idea why that didn't turn up on my first search...)

 

Only... no TTW version. Also found this in the comments: "The mentioned future update will be primarily a TTW update. I also have some plans and ideas that I'd like to implement that would allow others to add in content to this mod, such as more histories, and maybe even start quests for those histories, in the event someone wants to implement that. But, beyond fixing any bugs, and the update for TTW, there will probably be no new content added to this mod."

 

That was -some- time ago. It appears he's abandoned the mod. (Or he got stuck in RL like I did.... )

 

He's still around and still responds to some people about the mod.  However he's kind of a jerk, as the current version of his mod is actually broken (seriously, I came here to request help on fixing it), told him where it was broken and offered him a fixed version for him to upload, and thus far he's completely ignored me.

[Nessa]

I've done a little tinkering and I don't think it will be too bad to make a new one. I don't know if I'm going to have as many options but the first thing I'm going to do is -not- have a shack somewhere in the DC wasteland. (For compatibility reasons.) Also... a shack? That's not very sexy. A tropical island? THAT is sexy. Or maybe I'll go full dream-like and make another floating island.

Anyway, whatever the place is doesn't really matter. You start there, pick your options (including vanilla start) and then are warped to a starting position somewhere in DC.

 

This is also important for testing in fact. Got to thinking about it and occasionally I'll need to test scripts starting from a new game anyway. (For instance, the updating version of Bittercup that I'm sitting on has startup scripts that must be tested using a new game.) Going through the stupid FO3 birth sequence got old when I played it the -first- time. Revisiting the same dumb thing now is unthinkable.

[RDKateran]

If you're using Roleplayer's Alternative Start as a base, I can provide you the fixed version, since it had four origins bugged and unavailable.

[Nessa]

Actually that would be fantastic. I'll still redo everything from scratch but it would be great to have a working guide.

 

Hopefully I can get this finished rapidly and get back to ... all my other mods I intended to finish!

[Nessa]

Ok, THIS is my idea of a sexy starting zone:

 

 

 

 

Not that many will get the reference but Cloud Nine is in the distance.   (From my Another Kick in the Head TTW mod...)

 

I'm going to have the player talk to Thomas (Jefferson) in order to enter the game. So:

 

1. You warp into wonky dreamland on a new game.
2. Behind you is a computer where you can choose your starts. (A Jefferson statue will tell you do to this.)
3. After you pick your start, pick up your gear (if any) at a nearby dresser.
4. Talk to The Jefferson to get into the game.

Much faster than dealing with that stupid stupid birth/growing up/blah blah blah sequence again.

 

I may be able to allow other mods to plug into the system (like ASLAL for Skyrim). Have to do some checking on that. To start with, only DC area starts because I keep hearing about craziness if you use TTW and try and start in the Mojave.

 

Initial planned starts:

 

• Vault 101 Full Start. (Vanilla. Who would pick that? )
• Vault 101 Quick. (Start at the gate.)
• Megaton.
• Rivet City.
• Wastelander. (Random location start or perhaps pick your region.)
• Raider. (Random raider camp, option to be part of raider faction. Perhaps start -outside- of a raider camp if you're not in the faction. Otherwise: OUCH.)

 

[RDKateran]

Actually that would be fantastic. I'll still redo everything from scratch but it would be great to have a working guide.

 

Hopefully I can get this finished rapidly and get back to ... all my other mods I intended to finish!

 

Here you go: http://www.loverslab.com/topic/62540-mo-geck-crashes-and-examining-the-alternate-start-mod/?do=findComment&comment=1574227

 

 

Initial planned starts:

 

• Vault 101 Full Start. (Vanilla. Who would pick that? )
• Vault 101 Quick. (Start at the gate.)
• Megaton.
• Rivet City.
• Wastelander. (Random location start or perhaps pick your region.)
• Raider. (Random raider camp, option to be part of raider faction. Perhaps start -outside- of a raider camp if you're not in the faction. Otherwise: OUCH.)

 

 

How exactly are you going to work the Vault 101 Quick start?  There's various actions you can do in the full tutorial start that influence how the return quest plays out.

[Nessa]

Thanks for that!

 

For the quick start, I was thinking of a messagebox where you get to choose the various things that happened in the usual startup. That should allow me to setup everything appropriately and then just deposit the player outside Vault 101.

 

Or if it ends up being too complicated, I'll just omit that one.

 

Come to think of it, I'm now wondering why I'm bothering with a terminal at all. Why not just "Talk" to the statue, make your choices, and move on? If I make the talking part an actual conversation, it would be very easy for other mods to add new options in as well.

[Nessa]

OK, I'm approaching a release for the new ASLAL-NV mod. (What? So I totally stole the name from the Skyrim mod! )

 

I opted to go the same route as the other mod for the beginning. When you start a new game:

 

1. You design the look of your character.
2. You choose whether to start the vanilla beginning, or go my route.

 

Once in my area, you use a terminal to do things like name, traits, SPECIAL, karma, blah. For SPECIAL I have 3 options. Vanilla, slightly less SPECIAL, and hardcore (basically a duplicate of Arwen's where you don't have many SPECIAL points).

Then you get to talk to Thomas and pick your start!

 

Current starts:

 

• Outside Vault 101 -- Basically deposits you outside the vault with everything inside already finished. It -seems- to be working on a very quick test. I'll do a more thorough test before release. Currently I just make all the choices for the player. Possibly some kind of of question and answer system could be used instead. (Did you save Butch's mom? Etc. )
• Raider -- Starts the player at random in any number of existing raider camps. The player is in the raider faction! I'm thinking this needs some extra tweaks like maybe removing the raider faction after awhile.
• Ex-raider -- You start outside (at a safe distance; will need more testing) from a random raider hideout. You are -not- in the raider faction!
• Merc -- Rather blase start. You have merc gear and appear at random in one of the caravan route locations.
• Escaped Slave -- OK, so this is my favorite one. Appear randomly at a safe location (can include safe uninhabited camps)... with nothing at all but a deactivated slave collar.
• Left for Dead -- My second favorite. You appear at random in a safe-ish location.. with absolutely nothing at all.

 

Probably those last two are just for hardcore survivalist types like myself. Possibly the ex-raider might be a little tough too depending on how safe a distance I make it from the camp.

 

If anybody has any start suggestions, now is the time to mention them. Once I'm done with this start mod, it's back to wrapping up Bittercup!

 

EDIT: I think setting up additional mod that add starts will be possible. I might try a little Sexout starts mod as an example. Nothing too fancy. I'm currently thinking:

 

• Dukov's -- Girls: you're girl #3... yay you...   Guys: You're a friend invited for the drinks and such.
• Raider Slave -- Plenty of slave locations to start for this. Likely will include some kind of scene in which you will make your escape. And yes of course, works for guys and girls!

[shardoom]

Did you forget about Bittercup?

Or just get distracted by a shiny new idea. lol

[Nessa]

@Keyser

 

*bonks*

 

Ahem:

 

Once I'm done with this start mod, it's back to wrapping up Bittercup!

 

[shardoom]

Haha my bad!