I never thought this day would ever come but this is my first public mod for an Elder Scrolls or Fallout game (and I hope many more to come in the future). I've always wanted to get into the modding scene and finally got around to it last year. I started creation on this ACR weapon nearly a year ago. The real challenge for me was not modeling or textures but rather the whole creation kit setup learning how to convert my files to the proper formats and the requirements for a weapon mod. The best way to describe it is I feel like I'm graduating from Fallout 4 weapon modding college. It has been a long road with many late nights, frustrations when things were not working, and celebrations when I figured the issues out. In the end it was worth it now that I have a weapon I can use in the wasteland built exactly the way I wanted. I have to give a big thanks to this community and the members on various other platforms that had tutorials, YouTube videos, or answers left in their posts in the creation kit forum section. Those who took the time to help others are really what allowed this mod to come to fruition for all to enjoy. I have listed several of them below in the credits/special thanks section for those interested.




The Adaptive Combat Rifle (ACR) is my all time favorite modern weapon in modern fps games. This weapon was first introduced in Modern Warfare 2 and ever since has stuck with me. I love the angular style and look the gun has. Similar to how a sleek F-22 fighter jet appears I see the ACR design the same way. I wanted to bring this gun to life in Fallout 4 but go a step further and add my own personality with it as well. I play a lot of games including the Call of Duty series and took inspiration from their most recent titles such as Black Ops III that incorporates modern weapons but with a futuristic feel to them. Thus why it is officially called the ACR-W17 and not just the 'ACR'. The ACR-W17 is the latest version of the gun with many new features and attachments. I've pretty much spared no expense and didn't want to release this mod until I was personally satisfied it had all the customization options I wanted to see on my weapon. For a quick run down of what this weapon offers here is the quick checklist:

-Scratch made Models and Textures
-Custom scratch made animations for 1st and 3rd person
-Scratch made sounds
-Multiple attachments including some more unconventional ones
-Multiple camo/skin colors to choose from
-Weapon added to leveled lists via a script

Before we dive in you need to know how you can obtain the weapon of course. There are several ways to get the gun. On a new playthrough once you exit the Vault to the right behind a container you can find a basic worn stock version of the ACR-W17 along with a few boxes of ammo to get you started.



The weapon is injected into the leveled lists as well via a script so you should find it in vendors and on enemies from time to time. Different variations of the gun from just the basic stock to ones with the more expensive attachments can be found. If you happen to lose your gun or just want another one in the command console you can obtain it as well by typing 'help ACR 4 weap' from there simply add the item using the player.additem command.




The fun part about a weapon in Fallout 4 is customization and the ability to apply different attachments and truly make the gun a unique combination. I created the standard type attachments with several extra ones that can greatly enhance or alter how the gun can be customized.

Receivers

Automatic Receiver: Standard Automatic Firing Rifle, this is the default Receiver for the weapon.

Semi-Automatic Receiver: Offers single fire mode for short controlled bursts.


Barrels

Short Barrel: Comes with the stock ACR and offers optimal range and accuracy.

Long Barrel: Extended length for increased damage and increase in range.

High Caliber Barrel: Maximum damage increasing the length of the receiver. Adds a bonus to melee damage as well.


Stocks:

Regular Stock: Factory stock that comes with the ACR by default, provides the user with a good baseline in stability.

Extended stock: Same as the regular stock but in its extended position to increase stability even more.

Lightweight Stock: Using lightweight materials reduces weight from the gun and increase the rate which action points regenerate. Has a penalty in stability that heavily decreases aiming for long ranges though. This stock is best used for close quarter combat setups.

Ergo Stock: Similar to the regular stock but offers even more stability and reduced weight.

Tactical Stock: While a bit more on the heavy side the Tactical stock is the ultimate attachment for best weapon stability for longer ranges.


Magazines:

Regular Mag: Stock mag that comes with the ACR, provides 30 rounds per mag.

Regular Mag (fast grip): With fast grip on the mag this decreases the reload time slightly.

Extended Mag: Extended version of the regular mag that provides 60 rounds per mag for longer firing.

Extended Mag (fast grip): With fast grip on the mag this decreases the reload time slightly.

Fast mags: Two extended mags taped together to provide very quick reloading. New reload animation included as well when this mag is in use.


Scopes:

Iron Sights: Default stock sights that comes with the basic ACR. Still provides good visibility for accurate down range shots despite being the most basic sights available for the weapon.

Glow Iron Sights: Modified version of iron sights with glowing sights for better efficiency in the dark. Comes in 3 different colors (red, green, blue).

Reflex Red Dot: The red dot sight provides a single dot in the middle of the reticle for precise aiming. Very lightweight and offers the user minimal obfuscation.

Holographic sights: With increased zoom the holographic sight is a good hybrid between a reticle sight and a long range scope. While a larger portion of the user's viewing will be covered the benefit of seeing down range and still being able to fight in close quarter combat scenarios is available.

ACOG scope: The iconic scope of the ACR, the ACOG is the best see through scope when it comes to long range firefights. While the user will not be able to see as easy to the sides when scoped in the precise accuracy of the ACR makes this scope very deadly at long ranges. 

Night Vision scope: This scope is most efficient for dark situations or use in the night. With long range viewing it will give the player ultimate sniping accuracy from same distances with the cover of night.

Thermal scope: Similar to the night vision scope but has the added bonus of still being useful during the day time as well.

HTF (Hostile Target Finder) sight: With advanced technology this scope gives a real time overlay of all enemies within the vicinity. The HTF is very deadly regardless of the weather, time of day, or location. All enemies will appear red making it very easy to target for elimination.

VLO (Virtual Light Optics) sight: The ultimate sight with the most advanced optics. This sight has no glass and places a virtual optic light in the air. With the fastest aim down sights speed and little to no obfuscation it makes for a deadly attachment for any combat situation.


Extras:

Suppressor: For stealth situations will provide less chance to be detected when firing the weapon.

Foregrip: For maximum stability gives the user best accuracy when aiming down sights in long distances. The foregrip essentially eliminates any aim recoil and will even negate other attachments which cause recoil to be worse.

Laser Sight: Increased hip fire accuracy and can be used as a guide for aiming down sights as well. Many color choices available. 

Tactical Flashlight: Light that can be attached to the weapon to replace pipboy light.

Heartbeat Sensor: Tracking system for easier detection of dead bodies and any loot they carry, increases perception slightly as well.

Damage Modifiers: Several damage modifiers are available that will allow you to increase or decrease the overall weapon's damage output. If you choose to use a higher damage output it will cost caps to purchase as a penalty.

Ammo Conversions: The standard .45 ammo can be converted to a few other ammo types. So if you prefer to use a different type of ammo for the gun or running low on one type you can which the ammo used on the weapon.

Ammo types:  Available at higher levels when certain perks are unlocked the user can added special ammo rounds such as incendiary or radiation as examples. These ammo types will include increased damage and can make the weapon even more deadly.

Nameplate: Customize your weapon with extra flair using a nameplate to make your gun truly unique. When a nameplate is attached Charisma is increased as a bonus. Nameplates range from well known Fallout reviewers, in-game references, and so on. For creating your own nameplate please see below:

By default the 'player' tag just has the name player. If you wish to alter this to create your own character's name there is an optional download file called 'Nameplate Customization'. In there you will find the file you can edit to make your own and also instruction of where the file will go in the data folder.




At the start you will only see one camo choice in the workbench. You may find in vendors or on enemies a few other skins but for the most part its up to you to earn the camos. New weapon colors can be earned by simply using the gun and earning kills. Below you can find out the requirements for each one:



Factory Worn Paint
Kills required to unlock: 0

Factory Paint
Kills required to unlock: 25 (50 in hardcore mode)

Tan Worn Paint
Kills required to unlock: 50 (100 in hardcore mode)

Tan Paint
Kills required to unlock: 75 (150 in hardcore mode)

Black Worn Paint
Kills required to unlock: 100 (200 in hardcore mode)

Black Paint
Kills required to unlock: 125 (250 in hardcore mode)




Along with camos being unlocked at certain kill counts if the player uses the weapon long enough they will begin to unlock what are known as prestige attachments. These attachments are very unique compared to any of the other available attachments the gun has to offer. There are 3 types of prestige attachments and each one unlocks a new ability that will not only make the weapon possibly more powerful but the player that wields it as well. Keep in mind these abilities are only available when the player has an ACR equipped and the attachments are added to that gun. If you get kills with any other weapon it will not count towards weapon progression (same way camos can only be earned by using the ACR).While it may just require kills to unlock these the player must also require the right amount of resources to craft. So it will require a substantial amount of resources to craft one of these.

Scavenger Prestige:
The scavenger prestige attachments offer the player more carry weight and higher chance of better loot found. This attachment is added to the top front rail of the gun. Each level increases its effectiveness when attached to the gun.

Gun strap: (Carry weight 50+, Intelligence +1, Luck +1)
Level 1 unlock: 125 kills (250 in hardcore mode)

Top Rail Attachment: (Carry weight 100+, Intelligence +2, Luck +2)
Level 2 unlock: 275 kills (550 in hardcore mode)

Top Rail attachment with battery pack slots: (Carry weight 150+, Intelligence +3, Luck +3)
Level 3 unlock: 425 kills (850 in hardcore mode)

Top Rail attachments with advanced systems: (Carry weight 200+, Intelligence +4, Luck +4)
Level 4 unlock: 575 kills (1150 in hardcore mode)


Warlord Prestige:
The Warlord attachments offer the player more actions points, faster actionpoint regeneration, and more melee damage. The attachments range from aholder for a knife, bullets, and even a few melee attachments for the barrels of the guns. Each level increases its effectiveness when attached to the gun.


Knife Holder: (Damage Resistance +5, Action Points +25, Melee damage +5)
Level 1 unlock: 175 kills (350 in hardcore mode)

Knife holder with Combat knife: (Damage Resistance +10, Action Points +50, Action Point Regen +2, Melee damage +10)
Level 2 unlock: 325 kills (650 in hardcore mode)

Knife holder with Combat knife and bullets: (Damage Resistance +15, Action Points +75, Action Point Regen +5, Melee damage +15)
Level 3 unlock: 475 kills (950 in hardcore mode)

Barrel melee attachments: (Damage Resistance +20, Action Points +100, Action Point Regen +10, Melee damage +20)
Level 4 unlock: 625 kills (1250 in hardcore mode)


Medic Prestige:
The Medic Prestige attachments offer the player more health, health regen, and radiation regeneration over time. It is a on-the-go pack essentially to heal the player out in the wasteland when they are not in combat situations. The health and radiation regen only works when the player is not in combat. The medic attachments are added to the weapons stock on the right side. Each level increases its effectiveness when attached to the gun.


Medic Pouch: (Heal Rate +0.10, Health Points +50)
Level 1 unlock: 225 kills (450 in hardcore mode)

2 Medic Pouches: (Heal Rate +0.30, Health Points +100, Radiation Regen +0.10)
Level 2 unlock: 375 kills (750 in hardcore mode)

Medic Bag: (Heal Rate +0.50, Health Points +150, Radiation Regen +0.30, Radiation Resistance +0.50)
Level 3 unlock: 525 kills (1050 in hardcore mode)

Medkit: (Heal Rate +1.0, Health Points +200, Radiation Regen +0.50, Radiation Resistance +1.0)
Level 4 unlock: 675 kills (1350 in hardcore mode)




As of v1.1 the bonus content has now been merged with the regular content, no separate download required anymore.

You've probably already noticed the download size for the base gun is pretty large. The amount of attachments and textures for the few camos offered with the gun really fill up HDD space fast. In an effort to condense content this is an optional download users can choose to grab if they feel they want even more weapon progression and even more camo choices to choose from along with a few other things. If you download this add-on here are all the extra features you will have:

Additional Glow iron sights colors: Yellow, Orange, Teal, Light Blue, Pink, and Purple

Additional Laser sight colors: Yellow, Orange, Teal, Light Blue, Pink, and Purple

Additional Nameplates to choose from: 10+ new ones added

20+ new camo skins to unlock through progression:



Woodland Worn Paint
Kills required to unlock: 150 (300 in hardcore mode)

Woodland New Paint
Kills required to unlock: 175 (350 in hardcore mode)

Desert Worn Paint
Kills required to unlock: 200 (400 in hardcore mode)

Desert New Paint
Kills required to unlock: 225 (450 in hardcore mode)

Arctic Worn Paint
Kills required to unlock: 250 (500 in hardcore mode)

Arctic New Paint
Kills required to unlock: 275 (550 in hardcore mode)

Fall Worn Paint
Kills required to unlock: 300 (600 in hardcore mode)

Fall New Paint
Kills required to unlock: 325 (650 in hardcore mode)

Digital Worn Paint
Kills required to unlock: 350 (700 in hardcore mode)

Digital New Paint
Kills required to unlock: 375 (750 in hardcore mode)

Urban Digital Worn Paint
Kills required to unlock: 400 (800 in hardcore mode)

Urban Digital New Paint
Kills required to unlock: 425 (850 in hardcore mode)

Blue Digital Worn Paint
Kills required to unlock: 450 (900 in hardcore mode)

Blue Digital New Paint
Kills required to unlock: 475 (950 in hardcore mode)

Modern Warfare Worn Paint
Kills required to unlock: 500 (1000 in hardcore mode)

Modern Warfare New Paint
Kills required to unlock: 525 (1050 in hardcore mode)

Pink Bliss Worn Paint
Kills required to unlock: 550 (1100 in hardcore mode)

Pink Bliss New Paint
Kills required to unlock: 575 (1150 in hardcore mode)

Neon Shards Worn Paint
Kills required to unlock: 600 (1200 in hardcore mode)

Neon Shards New Paint
Kills required to unlock: 625 (1250 in hardcore mode)

Stardust Worn Paint
Kills required to unlock: 650 (1300 in hardcore mode)

Stardust New Paint
Kills required to unlock: 675 (1350 in hardcore mode)

Gold Paint (ACR Prestige)
Kills required to unlock: 1000 (3000 in hardcore mode)

Platinum (ACR Prestige Master)
Kills required to unlock: 1250 (5000 in hardcore mode)

//CLASSIFIED (ACR Max Prestige Master)
Kills required to unlock: //CLASSIFIED (//CLASSIFIED in hardcore mode)



While I have thoroughly tested, retested, and even at times had to redo entire parts of the gun over the course of this long development process there are some things even out of my control when it comes to bugs. Listed below are some of the known issues and also a few answers to common questions I think will get asked often. Hopefully most people will at least read this section if they skip everything else so they know what to expect. I won't really answer questions in the comments section or will look into 'bugs' if it was something I already listed down below.

FAQ's

Q: When I install the weapon I see there are conflicts for a file called PersistantSubgraphInfoAndOffsetData.txt and WeaponLLInject.pex that another weapon I have uses.
A: This is okay and you can allow another gun to overwrite these files or let my weapon overwrite those files.

Q: So ... about an xbox version can I haz?
A: As with all my other mods, I only focus on pc where I mod and play Fallout 4. So short answer is no.

Q: Can I make a video/review about your mod?
A: Yes!

Q: Can I take content from your gun and alter/reupload it?
A: Please talk to me first if there is something you want to alter and re-upload on the nexus that requires one of the original files in this mod. I don't really want 52 different variants of my gun all over the place. If you are looking to make patches and stuff though feel free.

Q: When I equip the flashlight it doesn't seem to work and acts like the pipboy flashlight, what is wrong?
A: This is another wonderful bug from Fallout 4. Basically it sometimes overrides the parameters of my flashlight. The best way to fix it is remove all attachments you have on the gun that have a light associated with them (laser sight, heartbeat, and flashlight). Then attach your items back on the gun BUT attach the flashlight last. This usually fixes the issue for me whenever I see it appear.

Q: Help! Some of the textures on the gun like the gold camo seem to be dull. What is wrong?
A: This is a really simple fix which is not actually a bug from my gun but Fallout 4 itself. Some reason Fallout 4 has a bug where the cubemaps will not load in. So you may have to start the game again (I've had to restart it 3 times one time) to get the cubemaps to work correctly.

Q: I don't really like your animations/sounds/textures/models/etc. Can you change these?
A: Sorry to disappoint you on the quality in one aspect or another but I made everything from scratch. I will not and cannot use copyright material so everything on this gun was made strictly by me. I did the best I could with the time I had and outside of 3d modeling and textures the sounds and animations were just a fun aspect to do that I have not spent nearly as much time doing as a hobby like 3d modeling. I don't expect everyone will like the way the gun sounds or how it was animated but I did it all on my own so please don't be too hard on me. I cannot stress enough how much work it really was to make this single gun. The amount of tools, knowledge, processes, and time it takes is pretty absurd now that I have gone through the entire rigor from start to finish.

Q: The weapon inspect idle animation seems to play too often for me, is there a way to change this?
A: Download v1.2 or v1.1 this issue no longer occurs. If for some reason you are still on v1.0 View this post here

Q: My gun is invisible or has pink textures, how do I fix this?
A: Make sure to follow this guide: Here


Bugs
Known Bug: 3rd person Power Armor animations missing - As far as I know there is no way to properly animate 3rd person power armor. So by default the ACR uses the submachine gun reloading animations. I'm pretty happy I was able to animate all the other ones by myself so hopefully this will satisfy
everyone.

Known Bug: Minor clipping with the animation with some attachments. There might be minor clipping like when the Heartbeat sensor is attached to the side of the gun. Since it sticks out a considerable amount the hand might clip a little into it when reloading (though I don't think it is very noticeable since I animated around it best I could). Some of the stocks for the gun may stick into the character's shoulder too. This is usually a result of larger armor.

Known Bug: Laser sight beam clips into fingers. There are two laser sight attachments available to avoid this clipping issue so you should attach the one that correctly corresponds to if you have a foregrip attached or not. There is a 'no foregrip' version which moves the laser back to avoid clipping. Or if you have a foregrip you can use either version since no clipping will occur.




ACR-W17 Development:
3D Modeling: N7R
Textures: N7R
Sound recording and mastering for gun sound effects: N7R
Animations: N7R
Creation Kit hookup: N7R


Special Thanks:
WastelandMelody (Reddit) - He answered a lot of my core questions on how a weapon mod in fallout 4 works a year ago. Really would not have had the basic understanding for how to even start with a fallout 4 gun if it was not for him breaking down the creation kit process for me.

The Shiny Haxorus (Youtube) - I watched, then rewatched, and then watched again in my sleep his Fallout 4 animation setup tutorial like it was my favorite movie. Guys like him that spend the time to make such in-depth vids for complex processes like that are really why my gun even has animations. Sure I did do them all on my own but it was much easier to know how after seeing his video. He also was kind enough to answer several of my stupid questions in the comments section when I asked.

GmCee aka: Skibadaa (Youtube) - If animations were not hard enough doing the subgrapgh data is the next part of the battle. He just so happened to have a video created on youtube when I was looking for more info on how to implement my animations for my gun. Another awesome youtuber that had a precise tutorial that makes the process so much easier with a video showing the step by step process.

Gerokeymaster (Youtube) - This guy is really awesome in helping the Fallout 4 community by creating tutorials (primarily script based ones) when his users ask for a video to be made. Not only did he make the video I asked for but you can see the result in my weapon. The whole reason I was able to accomplish the weapon progression/unlocks for the ACR was due to him showing me the scripting process in his video.

ajhakra (Beth.net) - Together we worked together trying to figure out how to make cubemaps properly for Fallout 4 for shiny objects like chrome and such. Main reason I was able to achieve the gold camo design on my gun was from learning with him how they are made.

a_blind_man (Nexus) - Thanks to his level list injection script it made adding the weapon to the world of Fallout 4 a lot easier.

ExoPulse (Nexus) - If you need someone to help isolate bugs or play test your mods he is your guy. Thanks for helping out when the mod released with all the bug reports coming in.


I am sure I may have forgot someone else but these are the ones that played a big role no doubt in helping. There are so many others like the people that created the animations tools like MakeCG and ShadeAnimator or Necrocytosis with his Add On Node tutorial that really gave me the information I needed to create cool stuff for this mod. In other words: Thank you to all who provide tools, resources, and tutorials. They really do make a big difference because this gun is a result of that. So whenever you are creating a tutorial it really does make a big difference in helping others make mods.

Development on my next weapon will begin soon (I already know what I want to make). Who is to say how long it will take me this time around now that I know how to make a gun mod from start to finish. I hope it won't take me as long as this one did but I never rush anything. There are some things I am hoping someone in the community can answer for me though. It would make my future weapons even cooler if they can be done:

- Ammo Counter: If anyone knows if it is possible to script/create an ammo counter on a gun please let me know. Would love to
add a feature like this on my future weapons.

- Under-barrel attachments: If these are even possible like noob tubes or an under-barrel shotgun would be a cool attachment. If anyone knows if things like this are possible would love to be pointed in the right direction.

- Switching firing modes on the gun itself. I hear something like this is possible but no clue how I would set it up myself. If you know how feel free to contact me.



As far as the ACR goes I am very satisfied with the weapon on its initial release. Unless there is some major bugs to resolve I am pretty much done with this gun. For the immediate future here are the things you can expect with the ACR-W17 though:

- Critical or any minor bugs that are easy to fix will be looked into and tried to be resolved

- Do You want even more camo designs made? If there is a demand and file size won't be an issue I don't see why I can't make another camo pack that the community would like to see. No promises though, all depends on the time I have and if there is a big enough demand but really the sky is the limit here. I can make whatever from scratch. The only real issue is how much HDD space everyone is willing to give up. I feel like I already pushed the limit on the size for a gun mod as it is though lol.


Wow guys we've made it to the front page hot files. I really don't know what to say other than thank you. Glad to see many are enjoying it =)

My Bethesda mod portfolio:

Fallout 4:
ACR-W17
Geist Suit
BR77
Valerian Armor

Skyrim Special Edition:
Sword of the First Ember
Mystical and Continuum
Butterfly
Female Armors and Accessories Collection