Classic Fallout encounters
Contents
Overview
In the Classic Fallouts, there was no "wandering the wasteland" you traveled using a world map with a grid, so while on the world map and traveling between one area to another you'd occasionally get interrupted by enemies randomly (a random encounter).
Special encounters were different though.
As Quoted From The Vault "Special encounters are random encounters, often non-canonical, and are unique compared to more common encounters which may consist of hostile NPCs. They usually serve as entertaining points of humor, though some are very dangerous (Mad Brahmins), while some grant access to unique, sometimes powerful loot (Bridge Keeper). Most of these encounters consist of humorous pop culture references or other games or even earlier Fallout games (The Cafe of Broken Dreams).
My ideas
I've started this thread with the hope that we can hash out a way to making the Classic Fallout encounters (Bridge of Death, Godzilla Footprint, Tardis, Vorpal Bunny, etc.) possible, and perhaps open the possiblites of new ones in the future.
All encounters should of course be tied to the Wild Wasteland perk, so that way players can play the game with or without encounters (Which are all silly since that is what they are all supposed to be)
I came up with two possible ways (Saying this now, I'm not a modder I'm the idea guy)
Method 1
Using New worldspaces (theres a mod with a blank one) and a script that activates on new exterior cells.
The details are this, the script has a chance of activating everytime you enter a new cell while your outside (so you can't walk into a building and encounter the bridge of death)
The script would up your chances of encounters by your luck skill, level should also probably be a factor so you don't get weapons and armors too early.
The script once activated, would give you a choice by using a standard message box, The box would say something like "You have encountered a group of men banging halves of coconuts together (Monty Python), Do You wish to proceed? Yes or No." Choose yes and your character is teleported to the worldspace of that encounter, does the encounter and leaves using an activator and message box. Choose no and continue on your journey until the script promts you again.
This method would ensure no space is used that could conflict with other mods. And makes the encounters truely random, as there would be no specific cell to go to, to force the encounter. Of course their would need to be certain cells that activate the script so you don't encounter things in towns or while fighting outside.
Method 2
The encounters would be done similar to upgrading houses, by having the objects always present but disabled, and a script that activates either randomly or upon something like the 4th time the courier loads that cell. Then by disabling normal area objects and enabling the encounters objects the encounter would appear. However this would make the encounter use possible conflicting space, and also would make them in one set location rather than truely random. A second script would need to activate to disable all the objects again after the courier is done with the encounter, so as to minimize conflicts possibly.
So those are hopefully how special encounters may be done, as I said before, I can't even mod a bit, not even port mods, but this is what I could come up with. I look forward to any critisim since it'd make the community one step closer to Classic Fallout type encounters.
The Bridge Of Death
The most recognized encounter is Fallout 2's Bridge of death.
Based on Monty Python's Bridge Of Death.
Using a blank worldspace, making a canyon with a bridge. Perhaps using invisable walls so as to keep people from jumping off into the canyon.
And using the forcedialog script to make sure the player doesn't just immediately kill the bridgekeepr.
The actual bridgekeepr, would use robes like this, which would be very resistant to energy weapons.
He would have a large amount of HP, but no weapon.
To voice him you can use sound clip sites.
The three questions could be.
1. What is your name?
Answer: PCname
2.What is your quest?
Answer: To find the men who shot me. (We will assume you haven't killed them yet)
Now the third one I've been a bit undecsive
I'd suggest if possible, a way to make more than one possible third question,
Such as
What is the airspeed of an unladen swallow? (This would be voiced)
Then there would be Fallout Related questions.
And on all wrong answers there would be an instant kill script (that should work even if your in god mode) just like in the original.
First Encounter With King Arthur's Knights
The original makers of Fallout were apparantly fans of Monty Python since there has been several references in most of the games.
In Fallout 2 There were three special encounters involving Monty Pythons Holy Grail
1. Bridge Of Death (Mentioned Above)
And I'll post how the other two could be made right now since I'm talking about them.
The encounters would have to be in order otherwise it wouldn't make since so I'll go into how that could be done later.
The first encounter would be King Arthur's Knights (However in-game we would call it, a group of strange men in power armor. Since your supposed to get the reference in the dialog, not off the bat.)
It would be a small playing area (to fix the problem where you can see forever, I'd suggest surrounding the area with montains or large rocks to block the view of the blank world)
There would be 5-7 heavily armed men in power armor and one man standing in front of everyone else. (Since in Fallout 2 you could get their armor, and that should be the case here as well, kill them if you want but no reward for it.)
Again on approach you'd be forced into dialog with the one in front. His name will simply be Strange Man
Some of his dialog could be voiced using the sound clips from the movie,
His first line would be voiced
Who are you?
Your answer
This next line cannot be voiced unfortunately
Do you know where we may find the Holy Hand grenade of Anitoch?
(Now even though you may have the grenade you will not be able to say that you have it.)
[Puzzled, You point in a random direction and nod.]
You know much that is hidden, o Tim (I'd suggest using audcity to cut off the O Tim part of the sound clip)
Monty Pythons Completely Useless Website (It's where I got the sound clips)
And with that dialog ends, and the knights walk away and dissappear or walk out of sight, the courier then uses the exit and leaves the encounter using a scripted activator to return them to their inital location.
