Fallout 3: Van Buren (Spoilers!)

[Kaucukovnik]

People often seem to flat-out require to be able to edit every aspect of the game and add various spectacular stuff in order to consider an engine usable. Which tends to end up in one of two ways:
-the original engine is stretched beyond limits and mess ensues (look at Morrowind, it can do pretty much anything, but most implementations are messy and new features stick out of the game like sore thumb)
-a new engine is adopted, but everything goes into hibernation during the transition as most stuff has to be rebuilt and people lose enthusiasm

So it might be best to stick with the engine you already know and design your content around its limitations.

Of course, I'm not familiar with the particular annoyances of FO2's hardcoded parts. Just speaking from general experience here.

 

[shihonage]

It's definitely better to mod an engine that's been proven to work, if it's possible. If sfall now makes it possible, that's great.

 

[Baron Dupek]

Wonder what will be released first- one of your mods or Underrail (not counting Wast2 because it will sux, lol).
Just wonder which game will help me in waiting for other.

 

[hexer]

I everything goes by the plan, the game will be finished in between a year and a year and a half.

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

On a different note, you got other people working on this too? Also, is Circle Junction going to be used and who's going to flesh out Tibbets?

 

[hexer]

At the moment 3 writers (including you) and me are working on this. So that's 4 of us.
Yes, Circle Junction is in and I'll flesh out Tibbets if no one picks it up before me.
Anyway, this is a team effort so we're all involved.

 

[Zero Credibility]

Man, if you can pull this off my hat's off to you. I've been reading what there is about the setting and story of Van Buren wishing that we somehow get this game someday.

Seriously, sretno.

 

[hexer]

Thank you!

I'm working on it every day. Although I sleep less because of it, it's somehow empowering me and giving me extra strength.

I even sometimes dream of it (I blame Hakunin for that one).

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

I'll start reading the design documents for Nursery and Reservation this weekend, and then start writing the first set of flavour texts for one of them. Once I'm done with both (eventually), if there's more writing to go I'll see what I can do.

 

[Jedi Master Radek]

I was always curious- what portion of documents was published? Did bethesda published everything or if it just published the more general documentation?

 

[DragoFireheart]

I was always curious- what portion of documents was published? Did bethesda published everything or if it just published the more general documentation?

Not even worth it

Sup Drog

 

[Jaesun]

Do you have someone doing music?

 

[hexer]

I don't have a musician at the moment, but I already have around 20 tracks I picked from various artists. However, I'm not sure if I'll get the permission from artists to use all of them.
Technically, I could release the music without their permission and then wait for them to ask me to take it out. But that would be majorly asshole-ish.
I was thinking on contacting a few musicians on Soundcloud - there's a bunch of talented people there. I'm sure some of them would be interested in this.

Why do you ask, Jaesun?

 

[Jaesun]

Why do you ask, Jaesun?

I was just curious. And yeah contacting some artists on soundcloud is a good idea. A number of artists on there have stuff that is under creative commons copyright so you can use their work.

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

Once this starts getting off the ground, getting more people who can do the technical and art asset side of things involved is also a good idea. I'm pretty sure "guys Van Buren is going to happen for realz" is going to garner interest at the places where FO2/FOnline proficient people hang out at.

Also read the Nursery design doc today. I'll try and write the first batch of flavour text for each area past the canyon edge (which has one included) on Sunday. On a related note, you want me to include suggestions for Karma changing dialogue like the design doc suggested handling most karma changes in the place?

 

[hexer]

Why do you ask, Jaesun?

I was just curious. And yeah contacting some artists on soundcloud is a good idea. A number of artists on there have stuff that is under creative commons copyright so you can use their work.

I heard your music on Soundcloud. Didn't know you're composing until yesterday! Maybe you could create a song or two for Van Buren one day if the inspiration hits you.

On a related note, you want me to include suggestions for Karma changing dialogue like the design doc suggested handling most karma changes in the place?

You're thinking of different journal entries for good/bad Karma or the way they handled it in New Vegas? Anyway, I am for Karma changing dialogue where it is appropriate. Wait 'til you see my dialogs, they're branching into an Amazon forest :D

 

[hexer]

OK people, let's vote for location names together! In the spirit of Fallout 1, let's decide on location names which shouldn't be the same as their pre-War names.

For example:

Los Angeles = Boneyard - YES
San Francisco = San Francisco - NO

At the moment the names look like this so please state your suggestions if you disagree:

Ciphers (Mesa Verde)
The Dam (Hoover Dam)
Boulder
The Crater
Circle Junction
Dogtown (Denver)
The Canyon (The Grand Canyon)
Fort Abandon
Tibbets
Nursery
Hangdog Village
The Space Center (Bloomfield Space Center)
Ouroboros
Reservation
Maxson's Bunker
Jericho
New Canaan
Twin Mothers
Burham Springs
Moletown

 

[Ninjerk]

People can't remember the old name of their city but they can remember Ouroboros?

 

[Awor Szurkrarz]

I wouldn't say that that original Fallouts were more linear, but that their locations were revealed in such a manner that you were always left with only one new option to travel to. So it was almost always: "I got a new location on the map. I can either go there or I can explore on my own." Obviously, most players didn't explore on their own. In the end, how much of the new locations will we reveal on the map precisely or just point the player in their general direction (e.g. South-East) is up to us. Personally, I'm leaning more to the latter.

Talking with Ian reveals both Junktown and Hub. Talking with people in the Hub reveals all other towns - Necropolis, Brotherhood and Boneyard.

 

[Awor Szurkrarz]

People can't remember the old name of their city but they can remember Ouroboros?

It's not a question of forgetting but of a new name for the new world. They still remembered the original names of Necropolis and Boneyard. It's just that these places have changed their nature.

 

[hexer]

It's much cooler to find out the old name of the city from small bits of in-game info - like when you see that Boneyard was Los Angeles from this map.
I loved that and I think that was made on purpose during Fallout 1's design. It also a bit mystical and gives a better sense of a new world that has arisen from the ashes of the old world.

 

[Ninjerk]

I get that, and I remember thinking it was cool when I figured out where I was at in FO, but it seems like a really specific, mythological/philosophical thing to name your settlement "Ouroboros" comparatively speaking with Boneyard or Necropolis.

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

I get that, and I remember thinking it was cool when I figured out where I was at in FO, but it seems like a really specific, mythological/philosophical thing to name your settlement "Ouroboros" comparatively speaking with Boneyard or Necropolis.

Well it's a compound of fanatical snake-worshipping tribals devoted to a self-proclaimed goddess.

 

[hexer]

The Brazilian Slaughter "Tandi's Dam"

Oh, forgot to ask something:
1. Hangdogs separated from Blackfoots or together?
2. Black Canyon is gonna be included?

Whoops, forgot the Blackfoots. Yeah, they're separated.
Wish I could add Black Canyon but the current info is scarce. Maybe one of the writers will tackle it. If not, I will - I have too many ideas going around my mind.

I agree, Ouroboros is a stretch. If we keep it, I'll make sure we have a good in-game explanation how they got that name.

 

[Ninjerk]

Vaarna's explanation could work. I don't know the specifics of the settlements, but, for instance, with a place like Boneyards it would have been weird to have a name like Ouroboros because the portion of LA that we see is pretty much just a bunch of thugs, teenage punks, and an amateur botanist?