Nature reclaiming urban areas/buildings in FO:T maps

[Viktor]

I'm reading "Earth abides" and there are many passages on how nature will slowly overgrow and return to the urban areas/building now that mankind is now in very short supply and not able or willing to maintain these areas.

The image it reminded me of most is the scene from Logan's Run where Logan and the woman make it to the outside world and are greeted by a view of a Washington DC that is over run by vegation - especially the ivy-cloaked Capitol Building.

Now I can remember many derelict buildings/towns in FO2 and FO:T, but I can't remember any of them being slowly reclaimed by plant life....

Does such a tile set exist or is it possible to create one???

This would allow all sorts of "Search for artifact X in the lost city of Y" missions....

[Jimmyjay86]

I'm betting that it would be possible to simulate vine growth using the sprite editor. Of course it would be nicer with the tile editor.

Earth Abides is an interesting book - very well researched view of what could happen if a major portion of the population dies. I would recommend for anyone who likes Fallout.

[Viktor]

I really enjoyed "A Canticle for Liebowitz" too. The take on the whole Religon Vs. Science debate was very though provoking....

How about a FO:T mission where the BoS sqaud have to infiltrate a well defended Abbey to get hold of some pre-war weapons research data being preserved for posterity by the monks??

[Jimmyjay86]

I read "Canticle for Liebowitz" a very long time ago in high school. Should probably read it again. Looks like we have the "Crusty Old Timer" moniker instead of n00b!

[Viktor]

Yep!

I'm hoping I can keep it!

[OnTheBounce]

How about a FO:T mission where the BoS sqaud have to infiltrate a well defended Abbey to get hold of some pre-war weapons research data being preserved for posterity by the monks??

That's a pretty good idea, Viktor. I have something like this planned, but it's been hovering on the edge of getting axed largely because if a player isn't concentrating on building a fairly stealty squad you're setting him/her up for failure when they come to a certain mission. I suppose this could be circumnavigated by having a couple of 'cruits show up in the pool right as its time for this mission, with a couple of different ranks (rewarding higher ranked characters with a better stealth type).

It would definitely make for a Nifty SP Map, though. I done properly, of course.

OTB

[Viktor]

That's a pretty good idea, Viktor. I have something like this planned, but it's been hovering on the edge of getting axed largely because if a player isn't concentrating on building a fairly stealty squad you're setting him/her up for failure when they come to a certain mission. I suppose this could be circumnavigated by having a couple of 'cruits show up in the pool right as its time for this mission, with a couple of different ranks (rewarding higher ranked characters with a better stealth type).

It would definitely make for a Nifty SP Map, though. I done properly, of course.

OTB

How would you let the player (who might not be a 'check the pool every mission' fiend like me..) know that the Sneak Squad is needed for the mission??

- Have the briefing officier hint that stealth NPC are needed/available IF the player has not already selected/developed sneaky NPCs?

- From a comment by bunker personnel?

If you get any of the Sneak Squad killed, there should be a major drop in rank as they are specialised troops and hard to replace.

One thing I would like to see in SP missions are more sub plots/quests/objectives that aren't in the mission briefing (Quincy comes to mind) but are vital to mission success. Achieving extra objectives should result in beacoup brownie points and improved weapons/troops on your triumphant return to BoS Central!!

[OnTheBounce]

How would you let the player (who might not be a 'check the pool every mission' fiend like me..) know that the Sneak Squad is needed for the mission??

I can't see why a player that was going through a campaign - especially the first time - wouldn't check the Recruit Pool after every mission. You may have some decent troops at your disposal, but how are you to know that you aren't missing out? I guess I'm getting older and more grumpy, because I'm getting into that "give the player enough rope to hang himself with" school of thought. You drive a Jag, Viktor, but does that mean that you don't check out the new models?

- Have the briefing officier hint that stealth NPC are needed/available IF the player has not already selected/developed sneaky NPCs?

Aside from the fact that determing if the player has developed such a squad is a scripting nightmare I think simply having the mission briefing tell the player that they're going to have to do X then Y should suffice. For instance, you could have a techno-archive that is besieged by some unsavory types and the players have to punch their way in, then steal something from the grateful occupants. I'm sure you've seen enough 007 flicks to come up w/some verbiage that would describe what needs to happen. (Speech is a pain in the arse to put together, but you can have so much fun with it...]

- From a comment by bunker personnel?

I have a guy that does things like this. If the player wants to simply go on what the mission briefing says he can, but there's always more info available through another source.

If you get any of the Sneak Squad killed, there should be a major drop in rank as they are specialised troops and hard to replace.

You actually can't affect the gain/loss of Rank w/triggers. All you can do is affect Reputation, which can indirectly affect Rank, although this seems to be a case where you can only affect it negatively.

Stealthy troops hard-to-find? *hehe* Not in my campaign, Viktor! I'm a big fan of stealth and I give you the troops to do it with. There are only a couple of "thief" types. (What I call "B+E Specialists" [Breaking and Entering], though.]

Achieving extra objectives should result in beacoup brownie points and improved weapons/troops...

I agree. One thing the core campaign didn't really do enough of was let your actions affect the course of the campaign. Take the EMP prototype for instance, you had to get it. You couldn't complete the mission w/o getting it. I think it would have been far better had they included campaign variables that affected what armor you could get.

My solution is to include things like a "bonus" or "secret" mission that you aren't assigned unless you find something in one of the missions. It's hard to get to, requires non-combat skills, but if you do manage it you are treated to one of the hardest levels (relative to the level of the PCs) in the campaign, and you are offered to opportunity to recover data and equipment, the former changes what items are available through the QM.

Another thing I'm doing is not making it automatic that certain recruits are added to the pool. For instance, in the Quincy mission, if you saved the Ghouls, you were a hero and the Ghouls joined the BoS. If you didn't save them, you were scolded, and the Ghouls joined the BoS. I've set up situations where if you save people, they're happy and join you. On the other hand, if you fuck up, they don't join and in some cases you'll start encountering hostile random encounters because of it.

While FoT isn't a RPG, I still think that a player should influence the course of the game to the maximum extent that is realistically feasable.

Cheers,

OTB

[OnTheBounce]

Looks like we have the "Crusty Old Timer" moniker instead of n00b!

*hehe* Now it's "Scurvy-Afflicted Leper". Someone's still tinkering w/titles, methinks...

OTB

[Max-Violence]

Achieving extra objectives should result in beacoup brownie points and improved weapons/troops on your triumphant return to BoS Central!!

Oh, hell yes! The one thing that stands out for me is when, in the normal game, you get to St. Louis (the first mutant mission). Remember the huge-ass base in the map? And the fact that you aren't supposed to assault it? Well, the first time I played the thing, I didn't. The second time, I did, and aside from the normal "rewards" (ammo, XP, etc.), nothing changed! Not one single, "Hey, good job clearing out the mutant base" from the general, NOTHING! That single event really PISSED me off!

But yea, I think if the player goes that extra mile, they should be rewarded so.

...

Viktor has a Jaguar? Bastard!

[OnTheBounce]

Remember the huge-ass base in the [St. Louis] map? And the fact that you aren't supposed to assault it? Well, the first time I played the thing, I didn't. The second time, I did, and aside from the normal "rewards" (ammo, XP, etc.), nothing changed! Not one single, "Hey, good job clearing out the mutant base" from the general, NOTHING! That single event really PISSED me off!

I think that the mission debrief should have taken some things into account:

1. If you assaulted the base and didn't lose anyone in there you should have gotten a combination reprimand/pat-on-the-back. After all, you did disobey orders.
2. If you assaulted the base and lost people in there you should have really gotten an ass-reaming and lost Rep as well. Maybe w/a blurb about how if they hadn't just lost 6 full squads to SM guns you'd be peeling potatos for the rest of your BoS career.

This would have been easy to do w/a few triggers like "Quantity Team" with the condition geared toward your team having people alive and/or dead in a certain zone, as well as SM alive/dead in the same area.

OTB

[Viktor]

You drive a Jag, Viktor, but does that mean that you don't check out the new models?

At almost $5 a gallon for gas, I can afford to buy a Jag, but I'd have to push it to the office!