Adds text messages from the lost Mass Effect: Datapad iOS app back into the game using on-screen notifications to simulate the experience of receiving periodic text messages.
Permissions and credits
Credits and distribution permission
Other user's assetsAll the assets in this file belong to the author, or are from free-to-use modder's resources
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Conversion permissionYou are not allowed to convert this file to work on other games under any circumstances
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Author notes
Open permissions specifically for compatibility patches (predominantly for this mod I imagine that would be editing the same classes via merge mod or needing to amend conditionals to adjust/prevent the delivery of specific texts).
If you want to add text messages to your own mods and set this one as a requirement, please see the article on how to do this.
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Changelogs
Version 0.9
Initial release. Open beta to collect information on timing errors.
iOS Datapad Messages Integration
Integrated Omni-Service (iOS)
A standard omni-tool application for real-time text messaging, iOS operates across interstellar extranet relays. Its user-friendly interface and dependable encryption have earned it widespread adoption. Pre-installed on most consumer models, it includes adaptive privacy modes to to ensure messages arrive during appropriate moments.
This mod restores the text messages from the now lost Mass Effect: Datapad app for iOS devices. This app delivered text messages from characters in the game to an iOS device dynamically as you played.
This mod attempts to restore this experience by implementing a new text message delivery system via on-screen popups (in the same size/location as codex and war asset updates), delivered periodically as you play. The messages are then archived in a section of the secondary codex for later reading.
Delivery is semi-randomised, with viable messages being delivered after short intervals and a priority system to ensure particularly urgent or time-sensitive messages arrive quickly. This should prevent texts from arriving immediately after the relevant interactions, but not so much later it feels strange.
Open Beta
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This mod should be stable and usable, but the huge number of variable play states means its difficult for me to test all potential outcomes or game paths.
Additionally the timed delivery system attempts to ensure all messages are delivered at a sensible point during the game, but particularly given the fact that the vanilla texts are not distributed evenly throughout the game, creating bottlenecks, I want to collect data on how this is working. I will not be able to address every edge case, but I would like to know how often edge cases are occurring.
Please provide feedback in the comments, ideally along with a save, your mod settings, and information about when the message appeared.
Important Note: Language & Font
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This mod is currently only available in English. I would like to provide localisations in other languages and will be actively looking to do this when it's out of beta. Meanwhile, if you are able to provide a translation, please contact me.
Please don't release standalone translations, they will not work properly for this mod. An apparent limitation of the LE3 notification system is that it doesn't support text on the body of the message and so the popups are done via images of the text. I will create fully localised images if I obtain text translations, using the same templates.
For now, you can use this if playing in a language other than English but the text messages will all be in English.
This also means that mods that change the game's font, in general, will not work with the text popup portion of the mod (though MyriadPro Begone has incorporated a patch with a custom popup design). If this is aesthetically distressing, I have implemented a setting that will have the popup show an image of the sender instead (a "lock-screen" option if you will), and you can then visit the secondary codex to read new texts. See below for mod settings options.
Mod Settings
If you use the LE3 Community Patch (which is highly recommended), you will gain access to a number of mod options. These can also be set directly in your save with the save editor, and I have noted the relevant bools/integers for this below. You can also directly set the integers for greater personal customisation than the selection of defaults available in the settings menu.
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Bool 8702 - Change from text to sender icon on the notification (default: text) Bool 8703 - Disable iOS messages entirely (default: enabled) Bool 8704 - Enable delivery of messages during combat missions (default: disabled) Bool 8705 - Shorten pause between message delivery cycle dynamically in proportion to the number of pending messages (default: enabled) Integer 12203 - Maximum messages to be delivered per cycle (cycles restart on level load) (default: uncapped) Integer 12202 - Number of seconds to wait before delivering the next message (default: 300) NOTE: this will frequently be shortened while dynamic delivery is enabled. Integer 12201 - Notification display time in seconds (default: 7)
There are no requirements in terms of patches or installation order. You can install it midgame (as long as you have not installed *.mem texture mods), but you will receive an avalanche of backlogged texts.
You cannot safely uninstall this mod without restoring your SFXGame.pcc file which will wipe out other merge mods and isn't recommended. Instead, use the mod options to fully disable text message delivery if you want to stop using it.
Compatibility
I'm not aware of any mods with hard compatibility issues. I've made a best effort attempt - where it's possible to do so without a patch - to disable some of the messages if using another mod that significantly alters a character's story line. Report any issues with this and I will explore whether adjustments are feasible.
MyriadPro Begone is compatible, and ships a custom look for the popup.
However other mods that amend fonts won't change the font of the text message on the notification itself unless they specifically patch for this mod. In that circumstances, I would suggest changing to sender notifications icons if this bothers you and reading the texts in the codex as they arrive.
Other Mods Making Use of Datapad App Content
Other mods making use of this content will technically work but will obviously duplicate the content to varying degrees.
These mods both implement the content via the email system. My personal recommendation is to use DAME over Immersive Emails if you want an email-based implementation. This is because Immersive Emails is no longer being maintained. DAME expands some content to make it more appropriate to the email format, contrasting with iOS Datapad Messages Integration's attempt to replicate the short format text message experience.
Technical Information / Use in Other Mods
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If you would like to include text messages in your own mods, based on the framework provided by this mod you may do so and set this mod as a requirement. iOS messages can be independently disabled in the settings menu, so mod users would be able to opt out of that content and install this mod solely for the text message delivery framework. I have written an article on how to implement text messages in other mods.
Knighthawk1895 & Tajfun403 for advice on unreal script. stasismind for testing assistance. The ME3Tweaks toolset devs for their continued development of and support for the modding toolset.
