Hey guys. First mod. Be gentle^^ Please let me know what you'd like to see added, or any bugs found. Also, if you're familiar with NPCs and AI packages, see below about my issues with the merchant's sandboxing. I'd really appreciate some help on that issue.

Thanks!

-Chesko

http://www.fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=14994

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

1) DO NOT USE WITH BLACKWOLF BACKPACKS 1.0a - Use this mod stand-alone only! Do not use with the optional "container" modules!

2) INTENDED FOR USE WITH FWE'S HARSHEST WEIGHT SETTING - For balance purposes.

3) PERMISSION - Yes, I contacted bunsaki for permission to use the Blackwolf resources, which he was more than gracious to do. Thanks!

Overview
--------------------------------
This mod is an attempt to take the fantastic Blackwolf Backpack mod by HarbingerSP001, balian, and bunsaki and better integrate them into the game. The primary goal of this mod was to make backpacks a key gameplay element with meaningful choices along the way. Backpacks are slowly made available as the player gains levels.

This mod is designed with the Harshest weight penalty of FWE in mind; using this mod with the lowest carry weight setting in FWE will bring your carry capacity slowly up to FWE default levels, possibly a little beyond.

I have also made the decision to de-brand the Blackwolf logo from the backpack textures, as I felt that made them fit better within the world.


Features
--------------------------------
1) 5 styles of the 6 Blackwolf backpacks, each with their own set of bonuses!

Nomad: "Dirty" burlap texture. Provides NO bonuses, and carries 10lbs. less than other packs. On the flip side, these are always available first, and are much cheaper.

Commando: Uses the Digital Camo design. Provides bonuses to Big Guns and Action Points (+2 to +5).

Operative: Black packs with stealth in mind. Provides a lockpick bonus (+2 to +5) and the smallest sneak penalty (see below).

Technician: Uses the ACUPAT design. Provides bonuses to Repair and Explosives (+2 to +5).

Field Medic: Uses the SNOW design. Provides bonuses to Science and Medicine (+2 to +5).

You'll note that I have eliminated the JDSF camo design from the original Blackwolf lineup for now, since I felt that there was an overabundance of choices here already. That, and the last thing this game needs is yet another item that adds a bonus to small guns.

Pack sizes are: Satchel (+25), Backpack (+35), Rucksack (+45), Trailblazer (+55), and Lonetrekker (+75). Subtract 10lbs. for Nomad packs.

2) New NPC vendor!

Han and Gail Douglas have opened The Pack Shack next to the watertower in Springvale. There, you'll find all the packs for sale. Han and Gail have daily schedules, and the shack itself should be Companion-friendly (it is navmeshed). Han doesn't react well to his merchandise being tampered with, so be careful...

3) Balanced by Level!

When you first arrive at the Pack Shack, you won't see much; one lonesome Nomad's Satchel occupies the far wall. As you gain levels, more packs will become available to you. You will see new releases from level 3 to 17, so check back often.

My philosophy is that the player can always get more caps; I think this is a better approach than making the top-rank packs extremely expensive. To get better packs, you'll need to actually play the game, which means gaining levels.

4) What was that noise?
The bigger your pack, the noisier you become. Players must strike a balance between how much they haul and how much they care about being covert.

Stealth penalties apply to all packs (except Satchels). Nomad is the worst in this regard (-10 to -40). The other packs still have their pre-war padding, and are a bit better (-10 to -30). Operative packs are designed for stealth and noise reduction in mind (-5 to -15).


Bugs
------------------------------
- Han doesn't do much, because for some reason he won't sandbox properly (when set to sandbox his legs "twitch" and tries to go in the direction of an idle marker, but he never makes it... strange, because Gail works fine). He is set to Travel AI, and will dutifully (albeit boringly) offer his services from behind the counter.

- The shop is open 24-hours a day while I figure out what is wrong with Han's AI (won't sandbox, won't lock the doors, etc). He remains ever-vigilant over his merchandise for now.

Incompatibility
------------------------------
I modified the Roving Trader outfit to have +10lbs carry weight, any mod that modifies that particular piece of armor will be incompatible. Any mod that changes the space directly to the right of the Springvale water tower will also be incompatible.

DO NOT use in conjunction with Blackwolf Backpacks 1.0a, as this mod uses that one as a resource, heavily. I have no idea what would happen if you tried to use it, so don't.

Should be fully compatible with FWE (as that was the intention in the first place). can be used with vanilla FO3 with no expansions, but you will end up with a crazy-high carry capacity by level 17.

Future Plans
-------------------------------

1) Backpacks in the Wasteland: I'd like to see regular Wastelanders and Scavengers toting around (level-appropriate) Nomad packs. This will involve releasing a compatibility patch for Project Beauty.

2) Quest-line: I have a quest written that I'd like to drop in very soon. It will involve allowing the player to help or hurt the Douglas family situation. Extra-marital affairs, backstabbing, or reconciliation; the choice is yours.


Boring Legal
-------------------------------
Do whatever you want, just mention myself and the other authors when you do so.

Cleaned with FO3edit for maximum freshness. 0% PlaceAtMe, MSG, and Trans Fats.