Escape! Redux - Sealurk - Version 1.2



Description
===========

Broadly speaking, when playing Fallout 3 you have two options regarding how to start the game. Either play through the vanilla, probably far too familiar opening or opt for an often immersion-breaking quick start mod of some description.

Now you can take the third option!

"Escape! Redux" alters and expands on elements of the opening quest that see your character escaping from Vault 101 while generally remaining balanced and lore-friendly. The changes aren't necessarily huge, but they should be enough to make things interesting again.



Features
========

-MORE TO EXPLORE

Vault 101 remains familiar and largely unchanged, but new areas have been added mainly by unlocking previously [INACCESSIBLE] doors and adding new spaces behind them, as well as using otherwise familiar and existing areas accessed at different times of the game, suitably altered to fit with the atmosphere of "Escape!". One entirely new area helps expand the quest, enhance the atmosphere and explain one oddity of Vault 101's internal layout.

For the most part, changes to the existing architecture of Vault 101 have been kept to an absolute minimum (with one minor and one major exception), and for the sake of consistency and immersion, these changes have been carried through to other applicable instances of Vault 101.

-MORE TO DO

The original 'Escape!' made things quite easy on the player. Now you should find it more challenging, and consequently more rewarding. This time around you'll have to search the Vault and apply a little skill in order to acquire useful gear and supplies that were previously made very easy to acquire or even handed straight to you.

Ammo is in short supply, and the gun Amata gives you is substantially weaker. Partly to compensate and partly to help balance the game a little, the guards also have weaker firearms, but greater health to offset this.

-MORE TO READ

There are several terminals now scattered throughout the Vault that add some useful information that will point you to useful areas and loot, as well as some lore friendly 'flavour' and background material.

-MORE TO KILL

In "Escape! Redux" Radroaches are common enough that it now feels like a true infestation and Vault emergency on top of the more important events, and if you don't pay attention, they just might pose a threat. The security officers have been improved as well, but weapons are also slightly more common if you're willing to explore.

-MORE TO LOOT

Vault 101 now has plenty to offer the more patient and perceptive player, especially those with sufficient skill. Every single one of the newly added items is one you would expect to find in a functioning Vault to preserve immersion, consistency and lore-friendliness, and none of the loot on offer is game-breaking (no Gatling Lasers or Deathclaw Gauntlets here), but may still offer a useful boost, and the good stuff is generally offset by being placed behind locks or enemies.



History
=======

v1.2

- Fixed glaring error with half the kitchen disappearing due to room marker and portal issues.
- Removed annoying vent near kitchen door in every instance of Vault 101.
- Added an alternative means of entry to kitchen, but you'll have to look around for it.
- Radroaches no longer show up on compass during "Baby Steps".

v1.1

- Fixed the diner door in "Growing Up Fast" so it is now [INACCESSIBLE], as it should have been (thanks castellcorp).
- Stopped vent floating in midair, also in "Growing Up Fast".
- Changed lockers in Equipment Room during "Escape!" so that they are now empty and cannot provide unrealistic or over-powered loot.
- Changed the quest completion bonus from 150 XP (vanilla is 200 XP) to 100 XP as stopgap to prevent player gathering excessive experience but not levelling up twice. Note that this now means that it is possible for a player to exit the Vault and NOT level up immediately (by bypassing all combat, locks, mini-quests etc.
- Changed the health of all Vault 101 security guards (except for Chief Hannon and Officer Mack) to 20, double the vanilla amount.
- Changed the health of the Vault Dwellers in the Common Room to 10 (from 80!).
- Added two more radroaches to Officer Kendall encounter to compensate for added health.
- Restored and altered some dialogue options with Butch - you can now offer to give him a police baton if you took Officer Kendall's, or a pool cue from the Common Room.
- Made some purely aesthetic changes to the player's personal terminal and the Common Room.



Compatibility
=============

Only Vanilla Fallout 3 components have been used, so no DLC or other mods should be required, and I can barely script as it is so you don't need FOSE either at the moment.

This mod will almost certainly not be compatible with any mod that significantly alters the internal layout of Vault 101 at any point in the game. That said, this mod hasn't been tested with any others yet, so let me know if you find problems or even better, if you find it works fine with other Vault 101 focused mods.

Minor changes have had to be made to Vault 101's architecture throughout the game, but these are cosmetic and should have no effect on gameplay. I am working on testing it with kinetickat's "Vault 101 Revisited" now.

WARNING: These architectural changes have not yet been fully tested in game, as in both cases the changes are simple architectural substitutions, so I saw no need. Please alert me if you encounter problems.

Cells altered:

-Vault101a
-Vault101b
-Vault101d
-Vault101aMS16
-Vault101bMS16
-Vault101dMS16



Future
======

This version of "Escape! Redux" is finished and functional, but almost certainly not the last. I had planned to add a mini-quest that proved surprisingly problematic - there are one or two artifacts of this remaining in the game, but they won't affect gameplay at all (and they may even assist immersion for the more die hard roleplayers out there!).

My skill with Fallout 3 mods is improving, but still limited, so some of my design choices may be viewed in the GECK as 'inelegant'. I try to avoid scripts and quests where possible, though hopefully this will change soon. I'd appreciate any offers of assistance in these areas for future releases!

In the future, I want to add:

-at least one mini-quest, ideally more
-consequences for some decisions
-more Vault Dwellers, good, bad and neutral
-more options to accomplish existing goals in order to support different play styles
-more 'flavour' material in the form of notes, holotapes, terminals and dialogue if possible



Recommended Mods
================

***SPOILERS***

As with all of my mods, I created this mod to suit me first and foremost, and my preferred style of play. Nevertheless I hope you enjoy it, but to enjoy it more you may wish to add one or two other mods, specifically one that slows down levelling (you still won't level up until you are outside in the Wasteland sun because it's scripted, but depending on your play style, you may fall short of the Level Up threshold, or exceed it considerably - this is being worked on) and one that slightly improves the .32 pistol. I haven't altered either because I feel using one or both should be your decision. My aim with "Escape! Redux" is simply to revitalise and revisit one of the parts of the game I'm most tired of.