Useful Links Part Eleven - Menu Tutorial by Cipscis

Cipscis has posted another tutorial on his website. This tutorial describes how to make menus, covering small and large single- and multi-level menus (specifically, using a token system). Example scripts are included for each type of menu, as well as explanations of what is being done and links to the G.E.C.K. wiki when appropriate.

Recommended Mods Part Fourteen - Weapon Mod Kits (Update 1.1.6)

Weapon Mod Kits by Antistar
Anstistar has updated Weapon Mod Kits to version 1.1.6, which includes three small changes (below). He has also released optional compatibility plugins for Operation: Anchorage and The Pitt, so you can modify weapons like the Gauss Rifle and the Infiltrator.

• Added a check to see if the player has FOSE running. If not, a message displays every ten seconds telling the player that WMK will not function without it.
• Minor tweaks to Plasma Rifle mesh.
• Changed how the leveled lists that give modified weapons to NPCs are organised (tidier now). NPCs with modified weapons should be encountered more often now as well (still only at higher levels, though).

Recommended Mods Part 43 - Sandbag Retexture

Sandbag Retexture by Macintroll
This somewhat old and simple mod by Macintroll does exactly what it says, giving the sandbags an improved hi-res texture. While sandbags are only one small object, they are rather common in Fallout 3, so this mod is certainly a helpful improvement.

Recommended Mods Part Seventeen - Enclave Commander Update (0.90 Beta)

Enclave Commander by J3X
Since I last posted about Enclave Commander, J3X has updated the mod, and it is now up to version 0.90 (Beta). The mod now requires FOSE and Broken Steel, and has optional support for Operation: Anchorage and The Pitt. The latest version adds some new features and makes a few changes/improvements.

• Changed the Vertibird call in soldier system.
• Changed soldier types.
• Added stealth soldier.
• Added scientist soldier.
• Added mechanized squad.
• Soldier dismissing improved, they no longer just disappear.
• Prisoners will now be transported to a prison marker placed by the player.
• Vertibird travel including the short journey interior as featured in Broken Steel.
• Added Orbital strike.
• Replaced the command pointer with the command button (default = G).
• Added options menu.
• Added 4 new custom positions.

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Modding Miscellanea Part Four - FoxtrotZulu's Random File Tool

FoxtrotZulu has put up a fun little tool on his website which allows you to generate (and then visit) links to random Fallout3Nexus mods. The tool functions by accepting a prefix and a maximum limit for the added number after the prefix. For example, the prefix for Fallout3Nexus is "http://fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=". The prefix and limit can be altered by clicking the gear icon, so you can use the tool for other applicable sites.

I've actually randomly inputted numbers into the Fallout3Nexus URL when I had nothing else to do or was bored, so this tool is a nice way to speed up that process and find some mods I may have missed.

Useful Links Part Ten - Script Validator by Cipscis

Cipscis recently updated his own personal website, which will include tutorials, web-based utilities, and other things. The first utility he has put up is a Script Validator that will automatically indent scripts and also check f0r various structural errors (some of which the G.E.C.K. does not check for or detect).

The site also includes his "Scripting for Beginners" tutorial that I posted about earlier and an article about using loops with FOSE.

Modding Discussion Part Thirteen - Fallout3Nexus Rating Overhaul

Dark0ne has just overhauled the rating system on Fallout3Nexus (and TESNexus). The (utterly broken) 1-10 rating system is now replaced by an "endorsement" (thumbs up) and "non-endorsement" (thumbs down) system. There are also some additional checks for ratings, such as a download requirement and a 3 hour waiting period before you can endorse a file.

I see some new problems with this system (non-endorsements reasons are way too vague, a file with 101 endorsements and 100 non-endorsements has a better rank than a file with 100 endorsements and 0 non-endorsements, etc.), but so far, it is at least somewhat better than the "1 or 10" numerical system.

There may be additional changes made over time, so keep checking Fallout3Nexus for news of any changes. I will also try to post about any more substantial/major alterations to the system here.

Modding Discussion Part Twelve - Planet Fallout Project Safehouse Winners

Planet Fallout has (finally) posted the results of their Project Safehouse contest that ended in April. The contest involved creating a vault in one of three categories: personal, corporate, or government. The winners in each category are Carter Fallout Shelter by Eaglechunks01 (Personal), West-Tek Corporate Vault by Pax, and Enclave Station (The Ark) by Nexusnesss. The rest of the contest entries will be posted later.

Recommended Mods Part 42 - Fellout - The Fallout 3 Weather Overhaul

Fellout - The Fallout 3 Weather Overhaul by Hattix
Fellout, "The Fallout 3 Weather Overhaul" by Hattix, is designed to get rid of that "awful green tint" that pervades Fallout 3 by making changes to the weather and lightning. Hattix describes the new environment as "harshly lit" and "reminiscent of the Sahara Desert." In addition to changing the exterior weather and lighting, Fellout also neutralizes indoor lighting and "degreens" it. The mod's default version includes very dark nights, but there is an optional "Scared of the Dark" version which makes the nights "not so dark."

Fellout is compatible with Enhanced Weather (which I recommended earlier), which will add rain if installed and eabled. Additionally, Fellout includes Atmospheric Sun Glare (which was one of my very early recommendations).

Finally, there are also addons for Operation: Anchorage and Broken Steel, as well as a recently released addon for Point Lookout.

Useful Links Part Nine - Companions and Followers Tutorial

FoxtrotZulu has written a tutorial for creating companions and followers with the G.E.C.K. The tutorial details how to create companions who will follow, wait, return home, and have their inventory managed, and covers AI packages, quests, dialogue, and some scripting. The tutorial is organized well and covers the "basics" effectively, so check it out if you want to learn how to make your own companions.

Recommended Mods Part 41 - Gauss DX

Gauss DX by Wei Jie Sen
Wei Jie Sen has revamped the Gauss Rifle from Operation: Anchorage with Gauss DX. In addition to retexturing the rifle and changing its ammo to electron charge packs, there are a variety of new visual effects.

• When the gun is on your person, the coils will pulse with energy.
• When the gun is fired the coils will become electrified with arcs (as Bethesda promised...).
  
• The projectile is a slug and no longer a "blue ball of death."
• The projectile PASSES THROUGH enemies but not walls.
  
• In standard VATS you have a chance to see the slug pass through with a long energy tail behind.
  
• In SLOW VATS you WILL see the slug pass through with sonic rings trail behind.
  
• Explosion is better, no longer looks like a blue Dukenukem3D blast.
• Occasionally a sizzling spot of glow will be left after impact.

The new effects are more interesting and somewhat more appropriate for a Gauss weapon than Bethesda's, the new texture is good, and though the used ammo is still a bit strange, at least it is less strange than Bethesda's choice of ammo.

Recommended Mod Lists Part Eight - Arwen's Fallout Mods Index

Arwen has a Fallout (3) journal, where she includes, among other things, a list of her recommended Fallout 3 mods. As she says...

These are my recommended mods for Bethesda's Fallout 3 role-playing game. These are the mods I have selected in my own personal quest to make Fallout a better game . . . and "a better game" in this case, refers to a "better role-playing game." I did not make any of these mods.

Her recommendations include details about each mod as well as her personal notes, opinions, experiences, etc. She has divided her list into six parts: Utilities/Interface/Rebalancing/Patches, Graphic Mods, Realism Mods, Extreme Realism Mods, Add-Ons, and "Archived Mods" (those she is not using). Many of the mods that I have recommended here are recommended by Arwen as well, though she is way ahead of me on some fronts.

Patch Discussion Part Nine - Patch 1.5 Bugs Fixed?

The recently released patch 1.6 for Point Lookout has apparently fixed at least some of the mod issues caused by patch 1.5. Reports in various threads (see below) state that the first two issues involving non-persistent references (crashing on save and vanishing objects) have been fixed by patch 1.6, while the white NPCs are still not fixed.

There are also reports that you can still continue to use FO3MasterUpdate with patch 1.6 with no problems, which would fix all three issues. If you would like to stop using FO3MasterUpdate for some reason, you can use FO3MasterRestore or the -restore switch.

Here are some threads discussing the issues:

• To patch or not to patch?
• FO3Edit/FO3MasterUpdate
• Does patch 1.6 fix the esm/esp problem?
  

Recommended Mods - Recap (31-40)

Up to 40 recommended mods now, so time for another recap. Below is a list of the recommended mods so far.

Mods 31-40 include a varied mix of mods: old and new, graphics and gameplay, large and small. There are three retexture mods, including Unique Weapons with Unique Textures, Aqua Pura 3000, and Hi-Res Weapon and Ammo Textures. Two mods, GNR - More Where That Came From and Existence 2.0, expand Fallout 3's radio system, and another two mods, Zooming Scoped Weapons and More Hotkeys, add new gameplay features. Enhanced Weather adds rain and snow, while More Map Markers adds...more map markers. Finally, the Fallout Interoperability Program helps address the ever growing issues of compatibility between large and/or popular mods.

First 40 Recommendations:

1. Enhanced Night Sky
2. Robco Certified
3. -UU- Unique Uniques - Update One - Update Two
   
4. Extra Weapon Accuracy Perks
5. Atmospheric Sun Glare
6. ArchiveInvalidation Invalidated - Update One
   
7. Spelling Errors Fixed (No Longer Exists)
   
8. Wasteland Whisperer
9. Radscorpion Retexture
10. Depixelated Revelations Quote

Recommended Mods Recap One (1-10)


11. Super Sledge Beatdown
12. Repair Rethought (Reborn)
    
13. Fallout Script Extender (FOSE)
14. Weapon Mod Kits - Update 1 - Update 2 - Update 3 - Add-On - Energy Weapons - Update 4 - Update 5
    
15. Flesh-Burning Plasma Weapons - Update One
16. Plasma Rifle Awesomefied - Update One - Hotfix
    
17. Enclave Commander
18. Fallout Mod Manager (FOMM)
19. FO3Edit - Update One - Update Two - FO3MasterUpdate - Update Three - Update Four - Update Five
    
20. Robobomb

Recommended Mods Recap Two (11-20)


21. Better Clutter - Update 1 - Update 2 - Update 3 - Update 4 - Update 5 - Update 6 - Update 7 - Full Package - Update 8
    
22. Multiple Ways to Attain Power Armor Training
23. Unofficial Fallout 3 Patch (UFO3P) - Update One - Update Two
    
24. No Lock Topic
25. CRAFT (Community Resource to Allow Fanmade Tinkering)
26. Community Ammunition Library (CALIBR)
27. Owned
28. Fallout 3 Overhaul Kit (FOOK)
29. Classic Advanced Power Armor
30. FWE - Fallout 3 Wanderers Edition

Recommended Mods Recap Three (21-30)


31. Hi-Res Weapon and Ammo Textures
32. Enhanced Weather - Rain and Snow - Update One - Update Two (Snow)
    
33. Fallout Interoperability Program
34. GNR - More Where That Came From
35. Unique Weapons with Unique Textures - Update One - Update Two - Update Three
    
36. Aqua Pura 3000 - Update One
    
37. Zooming Scoped Weapons
38. More Hotkeys - Update One
    
39. More Map Markers
40. Existence 2.0
    

Recommended Mods Part 40 - Existence 2.0

Existence 2.0 by Parjay
Existence 2.0 adds a new radio station of the same name, hosted by JunK'et, "a (yet) unknown model of robot wrought with perpetual existential angst and general malaise towards the world's current Existence." JunK'et plays "experimental ambient terror" music and sound, while also talking about its opinions on "being" and survival and revealing information about its past and intentions.

The new station contains 64 new tracks totaling over 3 hours of new, original music. There are also over 45 minutes of other broadcasts from JunK'et including "intros, dream diary entries, Philosophical Experimental Corner episode one, [and] handy proverbs on surviving in the wasteland." Also, Parjay has scripted the station so that it will not repeat broadcasts in a row.

Finally, Existence 2.0 also includes a mini-quest that can be received by listening to the station, which rewards you with additional music upon completion.

DLC Discussion Part Seventeen - Point Lookout Released

Point Lookout has been released. Watch out for the inevitable release problems and Games for Windows Live uselessness.

"Buy a ticket and hop onboard the Duchess Gambit, as Tobar the Ferryman takes you to the strange seaside town of Point Lookout. What secrets does the dilapidated boardwalk hold? Who lives in the sprawling mansion? Why is the Punga Fruit so important? And what horrors lie in the depths of the murky swamp? Point Lookout is the most open-ended DLC yet, and allows you to explore an entirely new and expansive gameplay area any way you’d like. A completely new questline allows you uncover the town’s hidden secrets, and wield powerful new weapons like the Double-Barrel Shotgun against the swamp’s dangerous, and deformed, denizens. So venture to Point Lookout, if you dare. Just pray it’s not a one-way trip."