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About this mod
Adds multiple patrolling and wandering guards along with elevated turret platforms to the upper deck and immediate exterior areas of Diamond City.
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This mod adds guards and turret platforms to the upper deck and immediate exterior areas of Diamond City. These added guards will patrol and wander on the upper deck as well as the surrounding streets of Diamond City. This was done mainly to give the guards a fighting chance in the face of some of the extra spawn mods out there. These types of mods tend to greatly increase the lethality and frequency of patrols, wanderers, and just general chaos that the guards of Diamond City have to face off with as they attempt to protect the city. With this mod, the defenders of Diamond City will have a fighting chance to survive for more than a few minutes now.
This does not mean the added defenses are impenetrable, in my testing a crazy enough enemy spawn or patrol or repeated sequence of attackers can overwhelm even this level of defense but they will put up a much better fight than the default defenses would have which were clearly never designed with added spawn mod chaos in mind. If you don't use an extra spawn mod, you can still use this as it isn't a hard requirement to use such a mod. Just keep in mind that the additions will be mainly cosmetic in that case as the beefed up defenses were designed for such a gameworld with extra attackers and will almost certainly stomp all over the base game spawn levels and settings.
Added Fortifications and Access Points
The upper deck of the exterior of the city has been taken over and fortified in many places for the benefit of added security. There are overwatch bridges, catwalks, and cover spots to allow for the guards on the upper deck to fire down on attackers from cover and an elevated vantage point. These added pathways, stairs, and catwalks entirely encircle the city on the upper deck level making this level a complete path - it is possible to get onto the upper deck and then completely circle around the entire city and get back to where you started all on this upper level and never touch the ground. You can also find some scattered loot, some useful crafting benches, as well as some places to sleep if you feel like it or just need to save if you're playing in survival mode. There are also two added entrances to the city for the Dugout Inn as well as the Diamond City Security offices you can get to from the inside of the city. These entrances have been placed on the roofs to allow for quick access to the city if you need to get in or out and on your way without bothering with the main gate.
In order to be able to reach these new entryways, also added are two new exterior access points from the wasteland that lead to gated stairs to the upper deck and the interior city. These are provided for quick access points to the upper deck and eventually the city from the main game world for return trips to the city if you're nearer to one of them than you are to the main gate. Very handy for players coming from the Hangman's Alley settlement or CIT Ruins that don't want to go around to the main gate.
These added entrances are hard locked with "key required" hatches that cannot be picked but must be opened with the master key which can be found on the main desk in the Diamond City Security office. This is to prevent any issues with accessing the city before you've entered it as you're expected to via the main gate. There is one last access point for the upper deck that needs to be mentioned - it is located on the inside of the main gate near to where Danny Sullivan stands for most of the game, tucked away in the corner. There's a ladder that is usable for both NPCs and the player so you can get onto the roof that way if you need to.
By The Numbers - What Exactly is Added
3 Main Gate Guards
6 Patrolling Guards
8 Wandering Guards
12 Turrets
This may seem like a lot but keep in mind that Diamond City is a huge piece of territory to defend and there usually won't be more than 1 or 2 of these guards plus a turret in any given spot at one time. Combat may of course bring backup from other elements of the guard detail and the supporting turrets and there are some exceptionally high traffic areas that have been given extra attention and therefore extra protection as well. Here's a breakdown of how each individual guard type or turret works and where they are used:
Main Gate Guards
These guards will generally stay fairly close to the local vicinity of the main gate - this is where you meet Piper for her introduction scene and confrontation with the mayor when you first arrive at DC. In my experience using extra spawn mods, the main gate tends to see some of the heaviest combat as it is a frequent transit crossing point for patrols and wanderers headed to or from other locations and so it gets the extra protection it needs.
Patrolling Guards
These guards will move about the lower routes around the city as well as the upper deck sometimes on preset paths so that there is always a standard guard presence close by when you're near the city. A few of the patrols are wide ranging around some of the more remote outskirts of what could be considered DC territory, some of the others are more closely linked to high NPC traffic paths such as the main road to the West of the city that passes by Hangman's Alley that usually sees high NPC density.
Wandering Guards
These guards are placed and will move about a fairly wide range of the exterior of the city in a semi-random fashion. You could come upon a particular spot on the outside of the city or the upper deck catwalks and find no guards, one guard, or 3 or more of them near at hand at any particular moment and performing different actions. This is by design and adds an organic and more realistic feel for the patrol patterns of the guards as you're never sure exactly where these roving guards will be found.
Turrets
These are hardened turrets placed on elevated platforms scattered around the entire main exterior pathways of the city that provides for added support and defense for the human guards when they need it the most. The base game actually adds a few of these in some locations by default but they tend to be not very powerful, not very sturdy, and poorly positioned with limited sight and firing lines so that they either get taken out by tougher enemies with relative ease or they're ignored and out of the fight when they would have been needed. While certainly not invincible, these newly added turrets are far better placed and will give a much better showing of themselves I think you'll find.
Stats and Equipment
All of the above are a minimum level 35 and level with the player up to level 150 with commensurate amounts of stats, resistances, and equipment. By default the guards have some of the higher end weapons as possible choices in their load-out - assault rifles, plasma rifles and so on. The rather pathetic pipe rifle defaults are still possible a small amount of the time but mostly they should be outfitted with some much better equipment than the base guards do. If you're using a mod that alters the standard DC Guard equipment to give them mod added weapons there is a chance they will use such weapons assuming they are better than their default options. The armor the new guards wear appears to be the default armor for lore/immersion reasons but it has been buffed considerably from the defaults to actually provide some solid protection now.
Compatibility and Load Order
Any mod that alters or adds to the upper decks of the exterior of DC has a good chance to conflict. Any mods altering the default navmesh in the same exterior cells surrounding DC also have a good chance of conflicting. Any interior DC mods should be fine as this mod doesn't deal with or alter the interior worldspace of DC at all, excepting two small additions of doors in the Dugout Inn and the DC Security office. This mod is located near to the potential player settlement of Hangman's Alley so scrap mods should be placed below this one so that they continue to function normally for that location. I personally use Scrap Everything and placing said mod below this one has both mods functioning without issue. Beyond that, place this mod as low in your load order as possible as location mods generally need such a placement to function at their best.
Known Issues
Despite the fact that Bethesda clearly intended the player to be able to reach much of the upper deck either through clever jumping or via a power armor jet pack, there are some visual glitches due to LOD and occlusion planes in various locations as you walk around the upper level that are not going to be fixed without an extensive reworking of the exterior of DC. I've done my best to mitigate and mask the worst of them with some wooden plank walls that hide the problems where possible but there are still visual "pop-ins" and "pop-outs" of certain objects at certain spots and from certain angles. Just try to ignore them as much as you can.
Similarly, there are a few spots that needed to be player and NPC navigable to make the entire upper deck a viable path that necessitated working the path through or around locations clearly not intended for players to be. This leads to some odd views "inside" of DCwhen the real interior is obviously not loaded as you're in the exterior worldspace. Again, nothing I can do about this really just something to keep in mind when using this mod. Oh and if you happen to get out of the intended path I made and try to enter the exterior world version of DC, you will either teleport to the real entrance to DC or fall through the map. So in light of that I advise you to stay on the path, do so and you should have no problems.
Suggested Extra Spawn Mods
It was pointed out to me in a comment that not everyone would be aware of what extra spawn mods exist or I've tried with this mod. So to that end, here are some suggested extra spawn mods you might like to try in your game when using this mod. None of these mods are hard requirements for using this mod, this section is just some suggestions for your game so you can see the guards and turrets in action.
NPCs Travel - I've used and continue to use this mod in my games - a very well done mod, highly recommended. If you're curious, almost all of the "action shots" in the screenshots for this mod were taking with NPC attackers and patrols from that mod attacking the defenses.
True Storms - this mod is not an extra spawn mod in the traditional sense, but it does have a feature to add feral ghoul swarm attacks during and after radstorms. Crank up the settings for those and you'll get some excitement coming at you when the skies turn green. Oh and it's a kind of ok weather mod too I guess. That was joke in case it isn't clear, True Storms is a fantastic weather mod. All of the rainy or radstorm shots and the feral ghoul attack screenshots are from that mod in action.
Endless Warfare - this mod I've tried only briefly, it seemed to by working fine and did what it said it would from what I could tell in my short time testing it.
War of the Commonwealth - this mod comes with the caution that it can cause instability, at least in the old version I used to use. There supposedly is a new version in the works that attempts to solve the instability issues by starting over from scratch and doing a complete rewrite of the spawning system. Merely mentioned here for completeness, I suggest you read up on this mod before using it in your game.
I'm sure there are others, but those are the ones I have experience with. Again to be clear, none of these are required, just some possible suggestions for you on extra spawn mods to try out with this mod.
Future Plans and Suggestions
As a core concept this mod is feature complete and does what I want it to do. That said, if you have an idea for a change or improvement to some aspect of the mod I'm always willing to listen in the comments. If it is felt that a "hardcore" or "super tough" version is needed as the defenses present in this mod are being overwhelmed and are still not strong enough, I wouldn't rule out such a version if the need presents itself.
This does not mean the added defenses are impenetrable, in my testing a crazy enough enemy spawn or patrol or repeated sequence of attackers can overwhelm even this level of defense but they will put up a much better fight than the default defenses would have which were clearly never designed with added spawn mod chaos in mind. If you don't use an extra spawn mod, you can still use this as it isn't a hard requirement to use such a mod. Just keep in mind that the additions will be mainly cosmetic in that case as the beefed up defenses were designed for such a gameworld with extra attackers and will almost certainly stomp all over the base game spawn levels and settings.
Added Fortifications and Access Points
The upper deck of the exterior of the city has been taken over and fortified in many places for the benefit of added security. There are overwatch bridges, catwalks, and cover spots to allow for the guards on the upper deck to fire down on attackers from cover and an elevated vantage point. These added pathways, stairs, and catwalks entirely encircle the city on the upper deck level making this level a complete path - it is possible to get onto the upper deck and then completely circle around the entire city and get back to where you started all on this upper level and never touch the ground. You can also find some scattered loot, some useful crafting benches, as well as some places to sleep if you feel like it or just need to save if you're playing in survival mode. There are also two added entrances to the city for the Dugout Inn as well as the Diamond City Security offices you can get to from the inside of the city. These entrances have been placed on the roofs to allow for quick access to the city if you need to get in or out and on your way without bothering with the main gate.
In order to be able to reach these new entryways, also added are two new exterior access points from the wasteland that lead to gated stairs to the upper deck and the interior city. These are provided for quick access points to the upper deck and eventually the city from the main game world for return trips to the city if you're nearer to one of them than you are to the main gate. Very handy for players coming from the Hangman's Alley settlement or CIT Ruins that don't want to go around to the main gate.
These added entrances are hard locked with "key required" hatches that cannot be picked but must be opened with the master key which can be found on the main desk in the Diamond City Security office. This is to prevent any issues with accessing the city before you've entered it as you're expected to via the main gate. There is one last access point for the upper deck that needs to be mentioned - it is located on the inside of the main gate near to where Danny Sullivan stands for most of the game, tucked away in the corner. There's a ladder that is usable for both NPCs and the player so you can get onto the roof that way if you need to.
By The Numbers - What Exactly is Added
3 Main Gate Guards
6 Patrolling Guards
8 Wandering Guards
12 Turrets
This may seem like a lot but keep in mind that Diamond City is a huge piece of territory to defend and there usually won't be more than 1 or 2 of these guards plus a turret in any given spot at one time. Combat may of course bring backup from other elements of the guard detail and the supporting turrets and there are some exceptionally high traffic areas that have been given extra attention and therefore extra protection as well. Here's a breakdown of how each individual guard type or turret works and where they are used:
Main Gate Guards
These guards will generally stay fairly close to the local vicinity of the main gate - this is where you meet Piper for her introduction scene and confrontation with the mayor when you first arrive at DC. In my experience using extra spawn mods, the main gate tends to see some of the heaviest combat as it is a frequent transit crossing point for patrols and wanderers headed to or from other locations and so it gets the extra protection it needs.
Patrolling Guards
These guards will move about the lower routes around the city as well as the upper deck sometimes on preset paths so that there is always a standard guard presence close by when you're near the city. A few of the patrols are wide ranging around some of the more remote outskirts of what could be considered DC territory, some of the others are more closely linked to high NPC traffic paths such as the main road to the West of the city that passes by Hangman's Alley that usually sees high NPC density.
Wandering Guards
These guards are placed and will move about a fairly wide range of the exterior of the city in a semi-random fashion. You could come upon a particular spot on the outside of the city or the upper deck catwalks and find no guards, one guard, or 3 or more of them near at hand at any particular moment and performing different actions. This is by design and adds an organic and more realistic feel for the patrol patterns of the guards as you're never sure exactly where these roving guards will be found.
Turrets
These are hardened turrets placed on elevated platforms scattered around the entire main exterior pathways of the city that provides for added support and defense for the human guards when they need it the most. The base game actually adds a few of these in some locations by default but they tend to be not very powerful, not very sturdy, and poorly positioned with limited sight and firing lines so that they either get taken out by tougher enemies with relative ease or they're ignored and out of the fight when they would have been needed. While certainly not invincible, these newly added turrets are far better placed and will give a much better showing of themselves I think you'll find.
Stats and Equipment
All of the above are a minimum level 35 and level with the player up to level 150 with commensurate amounts of stats, resistances, and equipment. By default the guards have some of the higher end weapons as possible choices in their load-out - assault rifles, plasma rifles and so on. The rather pathetic pipe rifle defaults are still possible a small amount of the time but mostly they should be outfitted with some much better equipment than the base guards do. If you're using a mod that alters the standard DC Guard equipment to give them mod added weapons there is a chance they will use such weapons assuming they are better than their default options. The armor the new guards wear appears to be the default armor for lore/immersion reasons but it has been buffed considerably from the defaults to actually provide some solid protection now.
Compatibility and Load Order
Any mod that alters or adds to the upper decks of the exterior of DC has a good chance to conflict. Any mods altering the default navmesh in the same exterior cells surrounding DC also have a good chance of conflicting. Any interior DC mods should be fine as this mod doesn't deal with or alter the interior worldspace of DC at all, excepting two small additions of doors in the Dugout Inn and the DC Security office. This mod is located near to the potential player settlement of Hangman's Alley so scrap mods should be placed below this one so that they continue to function normally for that location. I personally use Scrap Everything and placing said mod below this one has both mods functioning without issue. Beyond that, place this mod as low in your load order as possible as location mods generally need such a placement to function at their best.
Known Issues
Despite the fact that Bethesda clearly intended the player to be able to reach much of the upper deck either through clever jumping or via a power armor jet pack, there are some visual glitches due to LOD and occlusion planes in various locations as you walk around the upper level that are not going to be fixed without an extensive reworking of the exterior of DC. I've done my best to mitigate and mask the worst of them with some wooden plank walls that hide the problems where possible but there are still visual "pop-ins" and "pop-outs" of certain objects at certain spots and from certain angles. Just try to ignore them as much as you can.
Similarly, there are a few spots that needed to be player and NPC navigable to make the entire upper deck a viable path that necessitated working the path through or around locations clearly not intended for players to be. This leads to some odd views "inside" of DCwhen the real interior is obviously not loaded as you're in the exterior worldspace. Again, nothing I can do about this really just something to keep in mind when using this mod. Oh and if you happen to get out of the intended path I made and try to enter the exterior world version of DC, you will either teleport to the real entrance to DC or fall through the map. So in light of that I advise you to stay on the path, do so and you should have no problems.
Suggested Extra Spawn Mods
It was pointed out to me in a comment that not everyone would be aware of what extra spawn mods exist or I've tried with this mod. So to that end, here are some suggested extra spawn mods you might like to try in your game when using this mod. None of these mods are hard requirements for using this mod, this section is just some suggestions for your game so you can see the guards and turrets in action.
NPCs Travel - I've used and continue to use this mod in my games - a very well done mod, highly recommended. If you're curious, almost all of the "action shots" in the screenshots for this mod were taking with NPC attackers and patrols from that mod attacking the defenses.
True Storms - this mod is not an extra spawn mod in the traditional sense, but it does have a feature to add feral ghoul swarm attacks during and after radstorms. Crank up the settings for those and you'll get some excitement coming at you when the skies turn green. Oh and it's a kind of ok weather mod too I guess. That was joke in case it isn't clear, True Storms is a fantastic weather mod. All of the rainy or radstorm shots and the feral ghoul attack screenshots are from that mod in action.
Endless Warfare - this mod I've tried only briefly, it seemed to by working fine and did what it said it would from what I could tell in my short time testing it.
War of the Commonwealth - this mod comes with the caution that it can cause instability, at least in the old version I used to use. There supposedly is a new version in the works that attempts to solve the instability issues by starting over from scratch and doing a complete rewrite of the spawning system. Merely mentioned here for completeness, I suggest you read up on this mod before using it in your game.
I'm sure there are others, but those are the ones I have experience with. Again to be clear, none of these are required, just some possible suggestions for you on extra spawn mods to try out with this mod.
Future Plans and Suggestions
As a core concept this mod is feature complete and does what I want it to do. That said, if you have an idea for a change or improvement to some aspect of the mod I'm always willing to listen in the comments. If it is felt that a "hardcore" or "super tough" version is needed as the defenses present in this mod are being overwhelmed and are still not strong enough, I wouldn't rule out such a version if the need presents itself.