Fallout 4

About this mod

This mod brings to the game a new feature that allows almost all actors to be knocked out depending of the weapon used. Also, the player can now be knocked out instead of simply dying.
Because it's a framework, this mod also provides many functions and events to the modders who wish to enrich their own creations.

Requirements
Permissions and credits
Translations
  • Portuguese
  • Italian
Changelogs
Donations



Author : Seb263
Current Version : 1.4.0 (04/12/2022)
If you like this mod, don't forget to endorse it!




Historically, Bethesda's open-world games are among those that allow the greatest freedom of action to the player. However, despite the passing years, some features considered essential by many gamers are still missing in their games. As you know, the only way out of a fight between two actors in Fallout 4 is the death of one of them. This mod was designed to provide a reliable alternative to the lethality of a fight.

This mod is implemented in the most natural way possible and blends right in with the original gameplay. The mod's usability and fluidity is the result of a huge workload which relies only on scripts when necessary (No Papyrus event is used to determine when an NPC is K.O.). Because of this, the mod is constantly stable.

The mod is configured for realism by default, but it is entirely possible to customize every detail as you'd like through the in-game MCM tab or a holotape that is automatically added to your inventory (which can be discarded).

As a framework, this mod is equally available as a large resource of functions and events for modders who wish to enrich their own creations. If you're interested, please download the archive containing the Framework's source files and instructions.

How does it work?

It's as simple as it sounds :
When an actor should be killed by a weapon that is considered non-lethal, he is instead knocked out.
This also applies to essential wounded NPCs who can't keep fighting.

What weapons are considered non-lethal?

The framework itself considers (depending on the set parameters) unarmed melee attacks and gun bashing to be non-lethal to the target. Due to the framework's flexible nature, however, it is extremely easy to create mods that consider certain weapons to be non-lethal (a club or a rubber-ball rifle, for example).

I recommend you my "Non-Lethal Armory" mod which is an official extension of the framework. It makes all blunt weapons of the game (only the stock version) non-lethal. There are also various additions like stun grenades and non-lethal ammunition.

What happens when an actor is knocked out?

The actor will stay unconscious for an amount of time that can be customized through the mod's configuration menu. A specific or random event may also occur if you use a framework extension that allows it. When interacting with the bodies of a knocked out actor, you are presented with these options: Wake, Search, Kidnap or Finish (Move, if crouched). If the NPC is wearing a Power Armor, you can take it away from him and use it (this does not work on essential NPCs for security reasons).

Can the framework be used alone?

Absolutely. With the framework installed, the essential or protected NPCs that fall in battle will no longer wait around when downed but will be rendered unconscious (your followers can also be affected). Fall damage (if inferior to 200% of the player health) can also render unconscious and break certain bones...

The few NPCs who cannot be knocked out will stay downed until combat is over (with a minimum delay of 15 seconds).

Does this system also work on my character?

Yes, and it works exactly the same as for NPCs. With the release of the version 1.2.0, a default player knockout scenario has been integrated to the framework and works as follows:
If your character is knocked out in a dangerous area, nearby enemies may rob him, depending on the value of the objects he has. Once dispossessed of his belongings, your character will wake up, almost dead, in the spot you choosed in the configuration menu : the latest used bed (owned or not), the closest and safest bed or simply on the floor (Hardcore). A quest can then be followed to recover what has been stolen. All the process of this event is fully customizable from the MCM or the configuration holotape.

Can my character be knocked out instead of dying?

Yes, the framework applies to the player a feature named "Deferred Death". This feature will cause the player to be knocked out instead of simply dying, regardless of the conditions of death. If you have already played Skyrim with the Death Alternative mod, know that you will find here something very similar. This feature is optional and is fully customizable. It is also directly related to the framework's event manager, which means that scenarios can also be applied during a deferred death.






Since the release of the version 1.3.0, Fallout 4 Script Extender (F4SE) version 0.6.9 or later is required for the mod to work.
Knockout Framework is compatible with the Mod Configuration Menu but it is not mandatory.




Automatic Installation:
To install the mod automatically, use the mod manager of your choosing.

Manual Installation:
1. Download the latest recommanded version the mod.
2. Open the archive using 7zip or Winrar.
3. Put "Knockout Framework.esm", "Knockout Framework - Main.ba2", "Interface", "MCM" and "F4SE" in the "Data" folder of the game. (Default: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Fallout 4\Data)
4. Launch the game and enable the Knockout Framework mod.

If you updated the mod and didn't get a message telling you that the mod has been updated, then you have to use the reset function of the holotape / MCM.




IMPORTANT: Before proceeding with the "physical" uninstallation of the mod (plugin removal), you must uninstall it in-game, from the MCM or the mod holotape then save your game. If you don't do this, you may have some nasty surprises (nothing irreparable).

Now you can uninstall all the mod's files ("Knockout Framework.esm", "Knockout Framework - Main.ba2" and all the concerned files in the "Interface", "MCM" and "F4SE" folders).




Question: Does this works on companions?
Answer: Yes, it is working for vanilla and modded companions.


Question: Is this mod compatible with [insert your mod here]?
Answer: This mod is completely self-contained and should not conflict with any other mod.

Question: Can you kill an actor after knocking him out with a non-lethal weapon?
Answer: If he is not essential then yes, you can finish a K.O.'d actor using a power attack, a gun bashing or a lethal weapon.

Question: Do you gain experience by knocking out other actors?
Answer: Yes, and you can adjust the XP multiplier in the configuration menu.

Question: What is an actor's current alert level when waking up from being unconscious?
Answer: If an actor wakes up while his aggressor is still in the area, he will try to find him for a few seconds (as if he had heard something). He will never run to his aggressor if he can't see him when waking up.

Question: Does the power armor also allows to knock out other actors?
Answer: Yes, it can also be used to knock out other actors.

Question: My character dies even if the deferred death system is activated.
Answer:
Check that the player can be knocked out in the "Conditions" tab of the configuration menu. In order for the default player knockout scenario to be executed, you must have used a bed in one of your settlements (they act as checkpoints).

Question: Each time I try to launch my game with this mod enabled, it crashes right before the main menu. What should I do?
Answer: This mod was designed to use strings files (the official localization system used by Bethesda's plug-ins). If the strings files for your language cannot be found by the game, it won't let you access the main menu. Three things can cause this:
1. The ba2 archive of the mod does not exist or could not be loaded.
2. The strings files of the mod already exist in the "Data\Strings" folder but are not those of the latest version of the mod. It is therefore necessary to delete all strings files bearing the name of the mod.
3. The strings files of your language have not been created (unlikely).




All the mods listed below have been optimized to take full advantage of Knockout Framework.
If you enjoy these mods, don't forget to endorse them.




An optional archive containing functions, events, and a few examples is available in the download tab. The sources provided contain all the functions and events available. All of these functions and events are documented for problem-solving and to save you time. If the examples provided aren't enough, please consult the Wiki page of the Creation Kit on inter-mod communications (You should read this over once to be safe, either way).

Finally, if you have any questions or suggestions to improve the Framework or it's API, do not hesitate to post in the thread made for this purpose (found in the mod page's forum tab). I will do my best to provide answers quickly.




Thanks to bbe for the translation of the mod's description.
Thanks to Epervier 666 for his ESP-ESM Translator tool.
Thanks to the F4SE team members for Fallout 4 Script Extender.
Thanks to kassent
for the source code of his Floating Damage F4SE plugin.
Thanks to Bethesda for Fallout 4 and the Creation Kit.




Source code available here: https://github.com/sebastien-colin/Fallout4_KnockoutFramework/

Do not hesitate to send me translations for this mod.

Feel free to use any source file of this mod's API for your own creations.

This mod may not be modified or published without my permission.
I do not endorse Bethesda's recent and intensifying behavior towards his community and so decided that none of my mods would be present on bethesda.net, for both PCs and consoles. Please, don't waste your time sending me queries about this.