Fallout 2 General Modding Questions (Custom Critters)

K

Kalte Lanze

First time out of the vault
Greetings, all. I want to start by saying that I do realize there are tutorials for modding, I am not asking HOW to mod, I am asking some general questions about modding.

Anyway, I don't know about the rest of you, but if someone were skilled enough (or a team of someones, lol) to take the Fallout 2 engine and start from the ground up to make another Fallout, even if they were to do this a few times over a course of a few years, I would buy copies of these titles. It is an excellent game, one of my favorites, and the only problem I have with it is it lacks a high level of replayability, for me at least. The aged graphics don't even bother me.

This is why I am extremely curious, to those with modding experience for Fallout 1 or 2 (I'd prefer 2, more features), what sort of skills would be required, how much time would be necessary, etc, for one person to sort of build a new Fallout from the ground up with a current install of Fallout 2? I realize it would be a task and a half, I'd just like an estimate.

Also, what sort of modifications would be necessary to add custom "critter" graphics to the game, or to alter some? For example, what if I wanted to make a Fallout game where you are a Deathclaw, what would be required to just make that change (not the entire game, but to make the "player" graphic a deathclaw)? In addition, what program would be needed to draw up your own graphics if I wanted to add some variety in NPCs or something along that line.

It could be a very interesting and worthwhile task to build a "Fallout 2.5" or something completely original where you play as a Deathclaw.

Just a couple of ideas I had rolling around in my head, I love 2 and 1 and would like to add to the replayability.

Thanks for your time, I look forward to hearing from you.
 
Kalte Lanze firstly welcome an secondly look up FIFE it is a open source engine that simulates fallout. And there is a project called fanmade Fallout.
 
Appreciate the reply and welcome, I shall have a look ASAP.

Edit: I had a look into it and at the moment it is a little much for me. I guess my main concern right now would be if anyone could point me to the link or tutorial (if it does exist because I couldn't find it :p) that would explain how to create your own critter animations and add them to the game (Fallout 2 preferred).

I would like to give myself some custom NPCs, basically. I know adding completely new NPCs would be insanely difficult to do, but if someone could explain what one needs to do to create new animations/critter files, and add them to the game to replace a current NPC that'd be great.

Editing some of the text they speak would be a good tutorial for me too.

Again, if I missed these tutorials somewhere, I apologize, I honestly did not find them. (it is a vast forum, so :p)
 
On the front page some ware and look for out for wooz he has done some tutorials so has ColJack.

Oh and there is some in the download section
 
Okay :p The ones I see in download section are either mods that alter NPCs or your character. The closest one is that "customizable" NPC but it sounds like you can't customize what he/she looks like, he/she just changes with the armor he/she is wearing.

Also, I did go to the tutorial page on the front page but didn't see something that shows how to draw/create your own isometric critter files and add them to the game.

That's basically what I'd like to do :p

Edit: Ah, FRM also stands for the critter, okay, at least I found that :)

This does, however, lead to another issue, is there a tutorial on how to make the screen that shows up when you target a specific part of a critter's body? It'd be funny to make a custom critter that I would assume by default uses the human one :p
 
Don't know about that last one some of the much more advanced people would have to answer that one but it would be cool to see different screens for the aimed attacks :)

as a side note did you ever look at at the master from fallout with a aimed attack man did he look like one fucked up jet baby.
 
Creating new critters steps
1) you'll need a 3D software (3DSmax, Maya, Lightwave... all very expensive) or (Blender etc... free)
2) you'll need a 2D Paint software (GIMP is free and good enough, some people use Adobe Photoshop too)
3) FRM Animator made by Joshua, for handling FRMs
4) Basically, you need to make a critter in 3D, then render it to bitmaps (2D), then use FRM animator to align and put all the bitmaps into FRM format.

Targeting screen - check out this list, you'll find "target_picture" there, plus some more info about indexing game graphics (FRMs)

EDIT: Almost forgot, you can make a new critter combining some of the existing, there's a tutorial explaining it here.
 
Thanks all for the suggestions, advice, and general help.

To Iisac:

1) Luckily I do have Maya on disc but not installed, never used it =/
2) Have Adobe Photoshop and Paintshop Pro 5.0. Not too skilled with AP.
3) Can get that easily enough :)
4) To do this I would assume you make it in 3D, then position it at the proper angles (SW, S, SE, E, etc) and then render the eight directions in 2D BMP before using the FRM animator? Or am I mistaken on that?

Thanks again for your valuable help and time :)
 
Kalte Lanze said:
4) To do this I would assume you make it in 3D, then position it at the proper angles (SW, S, SE, E, etc) and then render the eight directions in 2D BMP before using the FRM animator? Or am I mistaken on that?
Click to expand...
No, you're absolutely right. It's a tedious job, but it can be done. Also, you can check out this thread, the last post contains some useful info.
 
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