Modifying weapons

W

Wounded Ronin

First time out of the vault
I'm posting this thread after carefully checking the "read me first" thread at the top of this forum; many of the links to archived discussion were in fact broken.

If I wanted to change weapons in Fallout 2 by changing 1.) their graphics and 2.) their descriptions and 3.) their in-game statistics, and 4.) their ammunition, what would be my first step?

I know that this is possible because other people have made weapon mods in the past. I just need to know where to get started.

Thank you very much for your kind help and consideration.
 
1) Make a new .FRM with the same name of the one you want to change and put it in the correct folder (for inventory pics: fallout2/data/art/inven).
2) Unzip the master.DAT and open the folder data/text/english/game. You'll find a pro_item.msg file. Open and edit it with wordpad.
3) Once you unzipped the master.DAT uncheck the read-only feature of the proto you are interested in (or just uncheck the property of all the proto folder), *do not* run the game, run the mapper, edit the proto, shut the mapper, check the read only property *again*, done. When you run the game the proto must be a read only file, otherwise it will be erased.
If you want to distribute your mod then make a Fallout2/data/proto/item folder and put there the protos you want to edit. *Get rid of patch000.DAT*
4) Same as 3, unless you want to add more calibers. There's an *old* thread about how to do it.
Please note 3 and 4 are good to mod existing protos, if you want to make more then please download Coljack's tutorial about proto making.
See you and happy modding.
 
Thanks! I've gotten started using Cubik's proto editor, which seems excellent for my purposes.

I have just one more question for now:

What is the best way to change the large inventory item graphics for the weapons? For example, if I wanted to change the 10mm SMG into something which looks different (say a machine pistol), and I got a good graphic of a machine pistol off of the internet, how could I import the internet image into the Fallout 2 game?

Thanks again for the help.
 
Hi there.
1) Download the latest version of Frame Animator (It's here in the files section).
2) Turn your image in either .bmp or .gif or .png (these are the formats supported by Frame A.).
3) Make a .frm.
The item background must be blue, this way it will be clear in game (pure blue, i.e: blue=255, red=0, green=0).
The pic image must *not* be huger than 180x60, i.e. it must be not huger than the weapon slot is. If it's huger the game crashes when you close the inventory window.
If you need more then please let me know.
See you.
 
Sirren67 said:
Hi there.
1) Download the latest version of Frame Animator (It's here in the files section).
2) Turn your image in either .bmp or .gif or .png (these are the formats supported by Frame A.).
3) Make a .frm.
The item background must be blue, this way it will be clear in game (pure blue, i.e: blue=255, red=0, green=0).
The pic image must *not* be huger than 180x60, i.e. it must be not huger than the weapon slot is. If it's huger the game crashes when you close the inventory window.
If you need more then please let me know.
See you.
Click to expand...

Seems simple enough. Thanks for the help! :)
 
I've got a couple of questions.

1.) I decided that I want to make .45 ACP the most common cartridge in the wastes which is in keeping with the Americana theme of the game. I was going to change the 10mm ammo into .45 ACP. However, Fallout already has a .45 ACP ammo type. Is there any way to merge the two ammo types, or would I have to make the default Fallout .45 into something else?

2.) I decided that to make the game feel a little more realistic that I would reduce the APs for firing a gun but increase the APs required for reloading a gun and also increase the APs required for looking into the inventory. I think that Cubik's item editor lets me change these APs for items, but is there any way I could change the amount of AP needed for using the inventory in a combat?
 
Hi there.
1) Probably the easiest way would be to rename the 10mm cartridge (and edit all the text references), give it the .45 .frm and pretend it *is* a .45. As far as I know you can't merge protos.
Nothing prevents you from actually edit weapons protos and/or add a .45 caliber of your making, though.
2) As far as I know the amount of APs needed to operate the inventory in combat is hardcoded. The same goes for reloading.
If you really, really feel the need to edit such stuff, then I suggest you get in touch with Lich.
There are many skilled modders here, but I think he's the one who tinkered the most with the engine. I hope this helps.
See you.
 
Sirren67 said:
Hi there.
1) Probably the easiest way would be to rename the 10mm cartridge (and edit all the text references), give it the .45 .frm and pretend it *is* a .45. As far as I know you can't merge protos.
Nothing prevents you from actually edit weapons protos and/or add a .45 caliber of your making, though.
2) As far as I know the amount of APs needed to operate the inventory in combat is hardcoded. The same goes for reloading.
If you really, really feel the need to edit such stuff, then I suggest you get in touch with Lich.
There are many skilled modders here, but I think he's the one who tinkered the most with the engine. I hope this helps.
See you.
Click to expand...


Hmm. Seeing as I'm new to modding and still figuring out the basics, maybe I won't bother with the reloading and inventory APs at this time. I'd better restrict my focus to something manageable for now.

I guess this is what I'll do for .45 ACP: I'll make 10mm into my new .45 ACP and then just make all the .45 weapons use 10mm instead.

Of course, that would mean that I'd need to make the "old" .45 caliber into something else since I can't actually get rid of it, correct?

Does 9mm actually show up at any point normally in Fallout 2, or only in Fallout 1? Perhaps I could make the "old" .45 caliber into 9x19 mm Parabellum or something.

Thanks for all the help to a newbie. I really appreciate. :)
 
You could tinker with the regular 0.45 in the same manner. Just like the 10mm I mean.
To actually get rid of it you should edit the 0.45 weapons to use another bullet. The random encounter critter would automatically use the new version. Critters manually placed should too. (make a test in game, it's the only way).
I really don't remember about seeing the parabellum in the hands of a critter in Fo2...
If I remember correctly there are a merchant or two selling it, though.
See you.
 
Pay attention to what Sirren67 wrote, Wounded Ronin. That is important. If you modify ammo for a weapon, new weapons you place on the maps and weapons you find in random encounters will be correct.
However, all existing weapons in the games, those already on the maps (either on the ground, in a locker, or in a critter's inventory), will have the old ammunition until the it is used up. Then you can reload with the new ammo. If that really bothers you, then you will have to go through all the maps where that weapon is, delete it, then add it in again after your new protos are complete.
 
MIB88 said:
Pay attention to what Sirren67 wrote, Wounded Ronin. That is important. If you modify ammo for a weapon, new weapons you place on the maps and weapons you find in random encounters will be correct.
However, all existing weapons in the games, those already on the maps (either on the ground, in a locker, or in a critter's inventory), will have the old ammunition until the it is used up. Then you can reload with the new ammo. If that really bothers you, then you will have to go through all the maps where that weapon is, delete it, then add it in again after your new protos are complete.
Click to expand...


Let me make sure that I understand this, then. If I change 10mm to .45 ACP in my game and then change the 10mm pistol to a .45 ACP weapon everything will be fine since the .45 has taken the place of 10mm.

However, if I decided that I wanted to make the game's default .45 into 9mm but didn't change the tommy gun or the M3A1 both of them would start being loaded with 9mm, since the 9mm would have taken the place of the .45. Is that correct?
 
OK, this information provides me with a basis to organize my thoughts. I believe that a lot of mods fail to be completed because the mod maker is too ambitious at first. So, I'm going to break my effort down into manageable stages.

My overall goal for the mod is to convert most of the "small guns" and "big guns" into weapons which are period-appropriate for the Korean War and perhaps the beginning of the Vietnam War, since I think that would make for a better Americana atmosphere.

My first step will be to change 10mm into .45 ACP and then I'll change all of the 10mm weapons (10mm pistol, pipe rifle, 10mm SMG, P90, that's all, right?) into .45 ACP weapons. I will change the 10mm pistol into a M1911A1, the pipe rifle into a De Lisle carbine, the P90 into a M3A1, and the 10mm SMG into a Thompson M1A1. I don't suppose there's any way to simulate in-game how the De Lisle carbine was silenced, but it's not that important anyway since there aren't really gun based stealth kills in Fallout.

My second step would be to change the game's .45 caliber ammunition into 9x19 parabellum. I'll change the Thomson submachinegun into a Sten gun, and the M3A1 into a MP 40.

My third step would be to change the game's default 9mm ball, which I believe is not used by Fallout 2, into something that no gun uses just to eliminate any potential conflicts. Maybe .22 LR.

My fourth step would be relatively simple. I'll change the 14mm ammunition into .30 Carbine, and the 14mm pistol into a M1 Carbine.

My fifth step would be to change the game's .223 ammo, which is pretty much the best "real" cartridge in the original game, into .30-.06. I would change the .223 pistol into a generic .30-.06 carbine, the Hunting Rifle into a M1 Garand, the Scoped Hunting Rifle into a M1C sniper variant of the Garand, and the Sniper Rifle into a Browning Automatic Rifle. Would it be possible to give the Sniper Rifle a powerful burst mode for the purpose of converting it into a Browning Automatic Rifle?

EDIT: My sixth step would be to change Lil Jesus into a Japanese Imperial Army katana. Since we've got all those wakazashis anyway.

Those are all the steps I've concretely planned out so far, but I'm also considering changing 5mm into 7.62x39 soviet so that the assault rifle can be a AK 47 and the various miniguns could be RPK variants.

Any comments?
 
Leave the pipe rilfe alone, it's meant to be a weapon created after the war and the Delisle is far too a specialist and rare weapon for a straight swap. No reason there can't be a .45 pipe rifle.

Don't forget the P90s in the game come loaded with 9mm not 10mm.

Wasn't the grease gun also adapted for 9mm?
 
T-Bolt said:
Leave the pipe rilfe alone, it's meant to be a weapon created after the war and the Delisle is far too a specialist and rare weapon for a straight swap. No reason there can't be a .45 pipe rifle.

Don't forget the P90s in the game come loaded with 9mm not 10mm.

Wasn't the grease gun also adapted for 9mm?
Click to expand...

Hmm, I really don't like the pipe rifle, though. It's no fun. I liked how the .45 ACP mod got rid of the pipe rifle entirely and replaced it with a glock. I might consider finding a more common bolt-action .45 ACP carbine, though, since you're right when you say that the Delisle was pretty rare.


I didn't know/forgot that the P90s in the game come loaded with 9mm. If that's the case it means I'll have to do something constructive with the game's 9mm as well as with the P90s. Maybe I'd make the game's 9mm into 8mm Mauser and change the P90 into a FG 42 paratroop rifle. I'll have to think about that.


There might be M3A1s around which were rechambered in 9mm but it's the .45 ACP version which is most famous. I had a friend who was in Gulf War #1 who served in an armor unit. The PDW that they gave to the tank crew for the (unlikely) event of a bail out was actually a vintage M3A1 in .45 ACP. I'll have to think about what to do with the P90, then. Whether I should still make it the M3A1 chambered in 9mm or if I should do something different.

EDIT:

According to this FAQ: http://db.gamefaqs.com/computer/doswin/file/fallout_2_weapon_armor.txt

The P90 is 10mm so I guess I can stick with my original plan.
 
More likely an oversight, they probably used 9mm originally and then were changed to 10mm to make them more Fallouty.

I can't remember if Killap's patch fixes this or not (assuming you're building your mod on top of his patch) but if you're changing ammo types around it's something to watch out for.

Just noticed the edit, no Katanna's!!! Plus Sten guns and MP40's aren't really very Americanna. Perhaps change the existing .45 into .38 and the thompson and grease gun into a couple of pistols, though I'm not sure if the mobsters have pistol animations.
 
After I slept on this I decided that if the P90 is going to be ejecting 9mm I might as well keep 9mm as 9mm. In any case, it would really cut down on the amount of 9mm weapons I'd need to figure out.


It's true that Sten guns and MP40s aren't really americana, but the problem is that I'm running out of ideas. :/

I'd like to convert all of the "modern" firearms into something Korean-War era, and the problem is that since there's so many weapons I can't really think of a specifically American thing to make each of them. So, I was starting to expand the selection into other WWII or Korean War era weapons, just because I was starting to run out of Americana weapons. Also, if you get too obscure finding suitable graphics would be difficult.

Still, though, I'm definitely open to suggestions, if you've got any. I do kind of like the idea of adding .38. I was considering changing all the magnums (deagles and revolver) into long barrel and snub nose Smith & Wessons, which can accept either .357 magnum or .38. I'd change .44 magnum FMJ into .357 magnum and .44 magnum JHP into .38. That way the new Smith and Wessons could load either. Also, the extended clip mod would become a cylinder mod which raises the rounds stored in the cylinder from 6 to 8.



Regarding the sword:

I figure that a lot of American Marines brought back swords as souvenirs from World War II and so having one guy with a WWII era sword wouldn't be so horrible, since I wasn't planning on editing all the melee weapons to get rid of the wakizashis either.
 
There's alot of posts about why katanna's don't fit in with Fallout. There's always the knife that has a knuckle duster built into the hilt and you can replace the wakizashis with a machete.

As for the Sten and mp40, there's no reason they need to become submachine guns is there? What other 9mm pistols fit? Or if it has to be a submachine gun the Sterling would be better than the Sten. Not quite as old.
 
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