[WIPz] Expanded Reilly's Rangers Compound : Fallout 3

» Sat May 28, 2011 4:04 am

01/08/09: Release, 1.0, get it while it's hot! http://www.fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=6068.

Readme:

Name: Reilly's Rangers ExpandedVersion: 1.0Date: 2009/08/01Category: Locations/FactionsRecommended: Fallout Mod ManagerAuthor: TubalSource: http://www.fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=6068Forum: http://www.gamesas.com/bgsforums/index.php?showtopic=970872Description===========Don't have any reason to return to the Ranger compound after completing Reilly's quest besides the caps? Feel that a mercenary team of 4 seems a bit small to operate in the DC ruins?Reilly's Rangers Expanded adds new rangers and new features to the compound over time. As you help the rangers to explore they expand their operation.Location========The Ranger Compound in Seward Square.Details=======This initial version adds new rangers as guards for the compound, a merchant, a player-owned tent, a wearable ballistic mask, and a few other minor tweaks. All features will become available by returning to Reilly with mapping data. Currently there is no consideration for how much data is needed, so 1 map marker is all that's needed to unlock another step. Leave the area for a day or so for the expansion to take place.Also retextures the Ranger Battle Armour, and the ranger logos decorating the place.Additional features are planned for the future.Install=======This mod is distributed as a FOMOD ready archive, and the RECOMMENDED way to install it is to use the Fallout Mod Manager (FOMM):1. Open FOMM.2. Select Package Manager.3. Select Add Package.4. Open the mod archive file.5. Find the created mod in the list and activate it.To uninstall using FOMM:1. Open FOMM2. Select the Package Manager3. Find the mod in the list and deactivate it.(4. optional: Right-click the mod and select Delete to remove completely from hard drive)The mod can be installed by extracting it into the Fallout 3 data folder. No instructions will be provided by me on how to do this.Incompatibility===============The mod is incompatible with others that change the named rangers, Ranger Battle Armour, the outside of the compound (the inside is not touched in this version), and possibly the random event involving Donovan.Depending on the type of change there may be acceptible conflicts, eg changing the Battle Armour will not affect the expansion of the compound.Known Issues or Bugs====================No bugs are known at this time.History=======1.0, 2009/08/01 - Initial release.Contact=======I can be found at the Bethesda forums, or the Nexus forums under the nickname 'Tubal'.Credits=======Credits to ME. You hear that?Also:Mezmorelda for Fallout Wanderers Edition, which is how I play Fallout.Timeslip for the Fallout Mod Manager.Robin at the Fallout 3 Nexus for hosting.Tools Used==========BlenderDDS ConverterNIFSkopeFallout Mod ManagerPaint Shop Pro 8the G.E.C.KOpera Browser lhammonds's Readme Generator (which really could use a Fo3 port)Licensing/Legal===============You can do whatever you want with this mod but all I ask in return is that you give me credit if you distribute any part of this mod.

Old Post:
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Basically I'm just posting this to 'claim' a Reilly's Rangers expansion for myself, since I haven't actually done anything but planning yet. Obviously I can't stop anyone from also doing one, but at least I can say I was first. I did a quite thorough search here and on the FO3 Nexus without finding anything major concerning the Rangers, but if I've missed one please tell me

I see FO3 as a modding tool more than a game. All the major sites (Megaton, Rivet City, Paradise Falls, RR Compound obviously, etc) seem unfinished, and there are just TONS of boarded up doors ALL OVER the DC wasteland. A console player would complain about missing content, a PC modder just rubs his/r hands

As there are projects already for many of the more obvious sites, I'll cover the Ranger's Compound.

Step one is to simply flesh out the area itself, primarily the outside. I will add a merchant or two, guards at the entrance, and a few more rangers that do different things (borrowing a little from the citadel courtyard). The ruined building will be furnished and repaired to house the new rangers.
Later on I'd like to add, in no particular order:

Some way for the compound to realistically react to the RR quest.
Specific exploration targets (to existing locations).
Hirable rangers (they're mercenaries after all).
A voiced character (though I'm not keen on using my own voice ).
Retextures of the ranger armour.
Matching ranger variants of other equipment (eg Merc Grunt Outfit).
Other things I may think of.

I see myself as a competend modder, and I'm capable of most things FO3, except modeling armour perhaps (never tried

), so I'm open to suggestions for anything I could add. Keep in mind that it's not supposed to be an equipment overhaul, just an expansion for Reilly's Rangers.

» Fri May 27, 2011 11:52 pm

Basically I'm just posting this to 'claim' a Reilly's Rangers expansion for myself, since I haven't actually done anything but planning yet. Obviously I can't stop anyone from also doing one, but at least I can say I was first. I did a quite thorough search here and on the FO3 Nexus without finding anything major concerning the Rangers, but if I've missed one please tell me

I see FO3 as a modding tool more than a game. All the major sites (Megaton, Rivet City, Paradise Falls, RR Compound obviously, etc) seem unfinished, and there are just TONS of boarded up doors ALL OVER the DC wasteland. A console player would complain about missing content, a PC modder just rubs his/r hands

As there are projects already for many of the more obvious sites, I'll cover the Ranger's Compound.

Step one is to simply flesh out the area itself, primarily the outside. I will add a merchant or two, guards at the entrance, and a few more rangers that do different things (borrowing a little from the citadel courtyard). The ruined building will be furnished and repaired to house the new rangers.
Later on I'd like to add, in no particular order:

Some way for the compound to realistically react to the RR quest.
Specific exploration targets (to existing locations).
Hirable rangers (they're mercenaries after all).
A voiced character (though I'm not keen on using my own voice ).
Retextures of the ranger armour.
Matching ranger variants of other equipment (eg Merc Grunt Outfit).
Other things I may think of.

I see myself as a competend modder, and I'm capable of most things FO3, except modeling armour perhaps (never tried

), so I'm open to suggestions for anything I could add. Keep in mind that it's not supposed to be an equipment overhaul, just an expansion for Reilly's Rangers.

Sounds cool.
I was going to make more versions of Riellys Rangers Combat armour in FEV but it seemed pointless with there only being 5 of them...

» Sat May 28, 2011 3:58 am

sounds brilliant and i completely agree that F3 is a modders paradise!!!
i dont know how you see this going but perhaps gradual upgrade of the premisis over time after the rescue
so the growth of company over time eg contract of more members rebuilding of base into a fortress to be feared
and new contracts pore in as their prestige grows

i dont know how doable this is but seems to be a possible way to hit many of your plans

» Sat May 28, 2011 7:31 am

I've started to flesh out the compund a bit, and I'm planning out what NPC's are needed.

I'm going to need someplace to heal, to repair, and a merchant. Traditionally the healing is done by a doctor, and the reparing is done by the merchant, but the Rangers have named NPC's to do doctoring (Butcher) and repairing (Donovan) so if they're alive I'd like to reuse them, maybe adding a few packages to have them 'work' in the compound after the quest is completed. If they're dead you'd get a more generic NPC that gives worse prices

» Sat May 28, 2011 9:59 am

I've started to flesh out the compund a bit, and I'm planning out what NPC's are needed.

I'm going to need someplace to heal, to repair, and a merchant. Traditionally the healing is done by a doctor, and the reparing is done by the merchant, but the Rangers have named NPC's to do doctoring (Butcher) and repairing (Donovan) so if they're alive I'd like to reuse them, maybe adding a few packages to have them 'work' in the compound after the quest is completed. If they're dead you'd get a more generic NPC that gives worse prices

Just a thought, you might not want butcher being a full fledged doctor. Combat medic, sure.

It'd just would seem odd having a soldier curing my rad posioning or addictions. Setting broken limbs though seem great

Anyhow thats just my two-cents

» Sat May 28, 2011 2:32 am

Hmm, Butch works for free right? Maybe I'll just add a new doctor and repairman, and let the player use Butcher/Donovan if they're available (alive). I could still have them hanging out above ground during the day to make them more accessible.

» Sat May 28, 2011 1:17 am

Awesome! Sounds like a fun project. One quick suggestion: You might want to coordinate with the DC Interiors project people, they seem to be making a nice little confederation of modders who are all doing the same thing and trying to be certain not to conflict with each other. So far as the Ranger compound goes, I think it would be cool if there were more scripted large battles to fight in...

» Fri May 27, 2011 9:25 pm

I checked out the DC Interiors, but it doesn't look like it's going to be a problem. They are mainly opening boarded-up buildings, I'm editing an existing location. Thanks for the information though.

Scripted battles is something I've though about but don't hold your breath... They're far in the future in any case.

» Sat May 28, 2011 7:03 am

looking forward to this

» Sat May 28, 2011 4:40 am

Sounds like somebody else agrees that the Rangers compound should be expandable.
A few suggestions; have the leader of the Rangers have a modified version of the Rangers armour,
also eventually have members of the Rangers team able to follow you (so you can kick Talon ass
together) and the possibility of working with the BoS or Outcasts to gain the same prize in a quest.
I got a question about the Rangers, i know enough about the rangers, since they are mercenaries
who are good hearted and get paid to scope out area's, what do they specify in getting they're contracts
finished? Is it Stealth or Weapon ability? maybe both? Because in the quest rescuing them, they seemed very
good at blasting stuff away. What if one of the guy you hire is a stealth expert, ex-CIA or KGB, whatever who
teaches the rangers his ways of killing? Wouldn't that be cool when you have the Ranger(s) in the field with you,
they can either blast away or they can take the stealthy approach? Sniping from distance, using stealth to sneak up
and kill enemies with knives? Can this be possible with scripting?

» Sat May 28, 2011 6:25 am

I just had an idea while reading this thread. What if you created small Ranger outposts around DC? There are all these unused buildings whose only purpose is to be where they are to force you along the linear paths, with a lot of unused space behind them. Tear down a wall, remove a door and create an interior with crude fortifications, an ammo box and maybe an automated turret and let a ranger squad hang out there.

You could even create several of these and leave some (most?) unoccupied and let the rangers patrol between them. Together with an increased super mutant spawn it would create the illusion that the rangers actually ARE doing the job they claim to do.

» Sat May 28, 2011 3:28 am

Awesome! Sounds like a fun project. One quick suggestion: You might want to coordinate with the DC Interiors project people, they seem to be making a nice little confederation of modders who are all doing the same thing and trying to be certain not to conflict with each other. So far as the Ranger compound goes, I think it would be cool if there were more scripted large battles to fight in...

I checked out the DC Interiors, but it doesn't look like it's going to be a problem. They are mainly opening boarded-up buildings, I'm editing an existing location. Thanks for the information though.

Scripted battles is something I've though about but don't hold your breath... They're far in the future in any case.

Speaking as a member of the D.C. Interiors Project, I can guarantee that there will be no conflicts between this and our Seward Square mod

And with that said, I'm looking forward to seeing this completed. Good luck

» Fri May 27, 2011 7:15 pm

I just had an idea while reading this thread. What if you created small Ranger outposts around DC? There are all these unused buildings whose only purpose is to be where they are to force you along the linear paths, with a lot of unused space behind them. Tear down a wall, remove a door and create an interior with crude fortifications, an ammo box and maybe an automated turret and let a ranger squad hang out there.

You could even create several of these and leave some (most?) unoccupied and let the rangers patrol between them. Together with an increased super mutant spawn it would create the illusion that the rangers actually ARE doing the job they claim to do.

This is a really good idea. It is probably beyond the scope of OP's project, but it would be cool: Some repeatable "delivery" quests, bringing supplies from HQ to the outposts, etc.

» Sat May 28, 2011 6:17 am

Wouldn't that be cool when you have the Ranger(s) in the field with you, they can either blast away or they can take the stealthy approach? Sniping from distance, using stealth to sneak up and kill enemies with knives? Can this be possible with scripting?

Some things are possible with combat styles, a few more with scripts, but nothing like what you're suggesting I don't think.

I just had an idea while reading this thread. What if you created small Ranger outposts around DC? There are all these unused buildings whose only purpose is to be where they are to force you along the linear paths, with a lot of unused space behind them. Tear down a wall, remove a door and create an interior with crude fortifications, an ammo box and maybe an automated turret and let a ranger squad hang out there.

This is a really good idea. It is probably beyond the scope of OP's project, but it would be cool: Some repeatable "delivery" quests, bringing supplies from HQ to the outposts, etc.

Outposts isn't something I'm planning on, but they wouldn't be too hard really. I wrote in the OP about "exploration targets" which would essentially be fetch-quests without an item.
Something I have been thinking of is to revive the F1/2 (I forget which, possibly both) caravan escort missions where after accepting you were teleported to the ambush site (or the destination if you were lucky). These would be in separate world-spaces just large enough for the ambush and not much else. After the enemy is defeated you talk to the caravan leader (who would be essential just in case) to continue. The more brahmin that get through, the more you're paid.

Speaking as a member of the D.C. Interiors Project, I can guarantee that there will be no conflicts between this and our Seward Square mod

Great.

There may be conflicts if I decide to go with the outpost idea, but I'll worry about that when/if I get there.

Also: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v483/Tubal/F3/tubRRScreen01.jpg.

Doesn't look like much, but it took a WHILE to figure out why the rangers decal wouldn't accept partial transparency in the texture. It turns out the original mesh didn't have it's flags set to allow it.

» Sat May 28, 2011 2:42 am

is it possible to rework the team based combat that was shown in Anchorage. In Anchorage the team based combat allowed you to leading a squad, but is it possible to script so that when you enter inside a deserted building, your squad mates take up firing angels automatically. For example two could be upstairs shooting from the windows and the other team member would cover the front or back door. Even with the script extender can this be implemented?

» Sat May 28, 2011 8:59 am

No, it's not realistic to add so advanced programming. The FO3 AI's limitations mean that I would have to add manual waypoints to every location, and then script new behaviour in some way. Anchorage just uses the normal follow behaviour that all NPC's can use.

» Sat May 28, 2011 7:57 am

Just a note for compatability: I've built a player home inside Reilly's Rangers as part of my Homes to Let mod (WIP) that is located on the interior, just as you go downstairs, instead of turning left into the main compound, the new entrance is on the right - so it's a new cell leading off from the existing interior cell. If there's any possibility of you leaving that wall alone, I'd be grateful.

As for suggestions, yes, it's a great idea. You could put at least one other entrance into the compound from one of the exterior walls, again would need to seem fortified, and then put character housing in there so they're not all holed up in one room. You could reassign their AI packages to make them go into their bunkers at night. Yes, there's a lot that could be borrowed from the Citadel - the services and meeting hall, and perhaps a cafeteria/recreation lounge where they can eat a bit more comfortably, and enjoy a few beers and a card game. I have an idea that they'd basically be bringing supplies of alcohol and smokes back with them from their reconnaisance missions, then playing poker after dinner in a makeshift mess hall.

» Sat May 28, 2011 7:23 am

Ok if this is made, you should have Reily have a modified armour mesh different from the rest of the rangers

» Sat May 28, 2011 6:48 am

definitely love the hirable rangers aspect. i have my four current followers decked out in ranger combat armor anyways so they will fit right in.

» Fri May 27, 2011 9:19 pm

*snip*

Actually, I'm not planning on changing the interior much, I'm just populating the ruined building outside. There are all these sandbags, ammo boxes, board walkways etc, but no one to use it all.
I probably won't add more then say 10 rangers: some guards, a medic/doctor, and a few that idle around to make it look interesting, and furnish the ruin so they'll have somewhere to sleep and work,
I'll also put in a merchant, but I'm not sure if it's going to be a ranger or an independent though.

I'm also considering a few ways to have it grow after the quest. Right now the focus is on the design, but I could later have the new stuff spawn after certain conditions have been met. That the quest is finished is a given, but it should also be possible to tie it to how much exploration reward the player has received.

» Fri May 27, 2011 7:07 pm

Been working on some skinning, just testing out patterns so far: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v483/Tubal/F3/tubRRScreen02.jpg. I'm torn between keeping the green colour, or giving them a more useful urban camouflage pattern.
Also, new ballistic mask based on the hockey mask model.

» Sat May 28, 2011 7:58 am

Been working on some skinning, just testing out patterns so far: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v483/Tubal/F3/tubRRScreen02.jpg. I'm torn between keeping the green colour, or giving them a more useful urban camouflage pattern.
Also, new ballistic mask based on the hockey mask model.

When in doubt, do both

Afterall why wouldn't they have a couple extra sets of BDUs laying around, using as needed (green for nighttime, since there isn't much "green" to be found in the wasteland, urban camouflage pattern for day ops)

Acolyte only problem with visiting Reilly is

Spoiler

the idiot screaming in the alley

» Sat May 28, 2011 2:02 am

have a quartermaster, someone you can go to for supplies ie. ammo, health, bartering items.
If your with the rangers the quartermaster can give u a set amount of supplies once a week or so.
Have one of the rangers who is a specialist with the fat man, because the main character is the only
individual who uses the fat man and that has never made any sense to me.

» Sat May 28, 2011 1:49 am

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v483/Tubal/F3/tubRRScreen03.jpg.

» Sat May 28, 2011 6:45 am

Tubal,

just a quick thought . . . the backstory for the rangers is that:

Spoiler

two of Riley's favorites had died, and Theo became the replacement, and also died.

. . . how about having one of the features of the mod be to help riley recruit some new rangers, who would then start to populate the base, rather than just having 10 or so new guys pop up. Riley's rangers is pretty small + intimate outfit, and having it grow super quickly would be a little strange.

I could see having a series of missions where Riley sends you off to resuce some people, or map something specifically, and when you get to the locattion, you meet someone that you can bring back to the ranger compund and get them sworn in. Might be more fun that way