th3overseer
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Steamy Romance Sidequests and Skintight Pants
🕑 Added 2024-07-28 20:58:57 +0000 UTCGreetings, attractive and magnanimous patreon backers. Going forward, updates and posts regarding the companion mod will be backer-only, so revel in your superiority, like the gigachads you are.
So, today I'm going to explain my release plan. Since I'm pretty sure you're all here from my discord, you're assuredly aware that I'm not exactly on friendly terms with Nexus. However, as I've said many times, I think it's really unfair to punish mod-users because the Nexus Staff are censorious hypocrites trying to break into mainstream corporate scumbaggery.
That would ordinarily, lead to a dilemma. Do I release the mod on Nexus where it'll have the best chance to be played by the most people, or do I restrict it to my discord, or ModPub, or GUN network, where far fewer people will get to play it?
However, I've accounted for this, and the solution is that there will be two versions of the mod. Standard Edition, on Nexus, and Deluxe Edition everywhere else. What are the differences? Right now, there are two big ones.
Difference number one is that the Deluxe Addition will give Lacie custom armor from Dragbody's excellent Boomer Overhaul on GUN Network. I've already received permission to use these assets, for which I'm very grateful. This Boomer Overhaul is already a GUN exclusive mod, and I believe is ineligible for Nexus in the first place on account of some ported assets. Perfect. As for what Lacie will wear in the Standard Edition, just a regular vanilla Boomer hat and jacket, with a custom low-res texture made by yours truly.
Another Deluxe Edition exclusive I considered was possibly trying an infernal companion romance. I've decided against this, for several reasons. I don't believe that concept works with a mod companion. Say the companion wants a monogamous romance, like Mass Effect. Well, sure, I can make the mod companion furious with the player if they sleep with Red Lucy or something, but what if the player downloads Willow and romances her? Or downloads THD and sleeps with Cap'n Lizzy? Either I'd need to make a thousand compatibility patches for every single other mod with sex and/or romance in it (no), or I'd need to make Lacie a bigamist, which feels... Videogamey and meta. (Oh, also, I've never written anything remotely romantic before, so that'd be pretty terrible.)
What the Deluxe Edition will have is optional flirting, which can lead to optional fade-to-black scenes. I had people wishing for something of that nature with Eliza, and (to my disgust) Charlie, so I will finally acquiesce with Lacie. In the Deluxe Edition.
Now, here's the bit where you handsome people can play an advisory role. If any of you have ideas for little bits and bobs to include in the Deluxe Edition, please feel free to give me suggestions. It'll depend on feasibility, of course, but I'm more than happy to listen to any ideas any of you have.
Thank you again for your support, and I look forward to (hopefully) making a companion character that isn't Eliza.
Comments
Th3overseer
Lacie's home situation is a bit "unique" for reasons that will eventually be revealed.
kcr
In a similar vein, could have a customizable home that's available to the player also, kind of like Willow's bungalow.
Th3overseer
I'm not entirely sure how the Boomer artillery bombardment script works, so I'll have to see if having a Gun Runners caravan move through that area is feasible or not. But I definitely like the idea of Lacie collecting souvenirs, so that'll definitely be implemented.
Lewis125
likewise since you are on tourist adventure with Lacie maybe you can find/buy some souvenirs/rare collectives for Lacie (depending on what you have them be, could be deluxe excusive) and have some shelves back at her Homebase to display them.
Lewis125
completing Volare! has the boomers open up abit to outsiders (several of the endings mention them trading) perhaps you could show the start of this (or perhaps even set it up in qeust with Lacie) and have a Gun runner explosive/ammo caravan start visiting and sell to the player too. GRA pack adds an several new explosive ammo types which you can't craft so having an extra source of them could be niffy little reward
Th3overseer
Reactivity to locations is planned. While her primary quest involves showing her specific landmarks and tourist attractions, there will be plenty of unmarked spots where she'll have things to say. As for reacting to quests, that's a lot more limited. Generally, I don't want to make edits to any vanilla scripts or quests, so while I could do something like stick a dialogue trigger in the control room for the REPCONN rockets and make her say something when the player enters it, I couldn't set it up for her to speak when the rockets specifically launch, for example.
kcr
Not really a delux feature suggestion, but rather a general one, a very cool thing to see would be a large amount of reactivity to quests/locations. I feel like that's what really helps to make the best companions out there feel less like NPCs and more like people, when they comment on the world and events and actually feel like they are a part of it.
Matt
Ah that's fair. Really, just more conversations and opportunities to roleplay in the RPG game is all I'd want from the mod, and it sounds like you already plan on that.
Th3overseer
That's a bit too deep into the "romance sidequest" stuff that I have no experience in writing, but taking her around to various locales and her reactions to them are going to be a main feature of the mod. The player will have various options to respond to her when showing her around, and the mod will take note of your responses when relevant.
Matt
Ooo, if we have optional flirting in the deluxe edition, can we also have optional date locations for Lacie? Nothing major, maybe just a couple mini side quests along the lines of: Go to the Goodsprings cemetery or wherever with two drinks in your inventory, drink, and have meandering conversation with her, like I dunno, if you have enough INT you can stargaze and point out constellations, and how she, having grown up in an area with limited space, is amazed people will dedicate land just to bury their dead. Or maybe you take her to one of the casinos for the first time and help her do things like not accidentally offend the people around her enough that it starts a fight (combat encounter optional), or steer her away from developing a gambling addiction. Or encourage it, lmao. I would really like to see that but tbh, what I found to be the coolest thing about your companions is how they feel reactive. Like how Charlie would walk up to you at certain locations and prompt you into a conversation that would change her demeanor towards you based on your answers. And even that mechanic aside, I just liked having branching conversations where they would ask questions about the player character, you could share your thoughts on the situation and vice versa. That's what I want more of, though it's not lost on me that that takes a lot of writing and lines to record.
Th3overseer
That's a great idea, and as it happens, the mod is going to require the GRA DLC as a prerequisite, and a fancy new 25mm Grenade APW would be pretty perfect.
Crashout Professional
Hmm... perhaps in the Deluxe edition Lacie could gift the player explosives or explosive ammunition, like Eliza and Charlie gift their own things? Or, perhaps you could include some unique weapon or another, like a unique version of the Grenade Launcher/China Lake.
