About this mod
Allows you to have all companions following you at once, and adds radios to the game to send commands to all followers.
- Permissions and credits
Recruit All Companions -and- Radios!
by HJL
Current Version: 1.02
Files in rar: HJLCompanionsv100.esp (required), ReadMe.txt
*Update: New versions of files will offer to give the player 7 radios when the mod is first loaded
*Update: Added optional file that contains the content for the radio stuff only; see the 'RADIO ONLY FILE' section at the bottom of this page for details
*Update: Added 'Cancel' option to radio menus (thank you orbmace for the suggestion!)
DESCRIPTION
This mod has two goals. The first is to allow you to recruit all eight of the standard companions at the same time. The second is to add a 'hand radio' item to the game that allows you to issue commands to all of your followers at the same time, or to a specific follower.
DETAILS (possible minor spoilers)
(Sorry for all the text, but I want to be thorough)
Companion Recruitment: This mod removes the various lines of script that prevent you from hiring more than one humanoid or more than one non-humanoid companion. It also adds separate wait timers for each companion so they still only wait 7 days before going home. The weapon confiscation scripts for the casinos and the fort have been modified so all companions have their weapons confiscated and stored in separate containers. For the Tops, the Ultra-Luxe, and the Fort, all nine containers (the player's plus 8 companions) are accessible in the bank/weapon storage area so they can still be retrieved; opening a companion's weapon locker will restore the items to the rightful companion. As far as I know you cannot retrieve your weapons in Gamorrah, but if this is not the case I will make those containers accessible as well. I also modified scripts that cause your companions to wait (when entering the lucky 38 for the first time, or the penthouse at anytime, or when entering Caesar's tent) so that all companions will wait, not just two of them.
Hand Radio: This item is available from various vendors and appears in the aid section of your inventory. When used, it will bring up a menu in game-mode (i.e. after exiting the pip-boy, or upon pressing a hotkey during gamepaly if it is assigned to the radio). You can choose to broadcast to all companions or to a single companion, and issue the following commands: Wait, Follow, Be Passive, Be Aggressive, Use Stimpak, Stay Close, Keep Distance, Use Melee and Use Ranged. Please note the following features/limitations:
*Acquiring radios: The radios have a 50% chance of appearing in the inventory of the following merchants: Chet (Goodsprings), Mr. Nash (Primm), Lacey (Mojave Outpost), Cliff (Novac), Old Lady Gibson (Gibson Scrap Yard), Michelle (188 Trading Post) and Ralph (Freeside). If you enable the mod during an existing game, the radios won't appear until the merchant inventories reset (waiting/sleeping for 72 hours should do the trick)
*Companion radios: Your humanoid companions MUST have a hand-radio in their inventory in order to receive your commands. EDE and Rex do NOT require a radio, since EDE basically is a radio and Rex... well I assume somewhere in his machinery and electronics is something that could serve as a radio ;) I may allow power helmets and combat helmets (and any similar equipment) to send/receive commands in a future update, but this is not an immediate priority.
*Using radio from pip-boy: I initially had scripts for both a pip-boy menu and a game-mode menu, but they seemed to cause issues with one another, so I got rid of the pip-boy menu. If you use the radio while in the pip-boy inventory screen, the radio menu will not open until you put away your pip-boy. This allows for you to still equip the radio to a hot-key and use it instantly while in game-mode, which I felt was more important. I am still looking for a way to include both options and will post an update when I find one.
*Use Stimpak - requires that your companion(s) have a stimpak in their inventory. If they do not, nothing will happen. This is due to the fact that they could be halfway across the map when you issue the command, and thus giving them one of your stimpaks would be a bit tough. Also, they will only use a stimpak if they are below 90% of max health, so issuing the command to all companions won't cause unnecessary wastage. The stimpak will heal for an amount based on the companions medicine skill and do so instantly, even in hardcore mode, as per the normal behavior of the companion wheel command. One difference is that stimpaks used through the radio command will not bring a companion's health to more than their maximum health. Also there appears to be a bug in the base game (at least for me) that using the companion wheel 'Use Stimpak' option while companions have stimpaks in their inventory will consume both one of their stimpaks and one of yours; I never put stimpaks in my companion's inventory before using this mod but even with the mod disabled the problem persists, so as far as I can tell the bug is unrelated to this mod (if not, let me know!).
*Follow - this command will not allow companions to follow you into areas that they would not normally be able to, such as Mr. House's Penthouse (or the Lucky 38 the first time you enter), and Caesar's tent. If I forgot any areas let me know. Also for Boone ONLY I added special checks when you are in Legion territory; he will ignore 'Follow' commands issued to 'All' companions when you are in Cottonwood Cove, the Fort, Nelson, the Legion Raid Camp, and Techatticup Mine, as having him following you causes legion npc's to attack you. This only takes effect if he is waiting; if you forget to tell him to wait he will still follow you into these areas. The first time you will be given a message-box warning; after that a warning will display as a notification in the upper-left corner of your screen. If you want him to follow you regardless, issue to follow command to him alone by selecting 'Boone' from the main radio menu, then 'Follow'. I tried to give the areas above a reasonable border, but if you feel they are too large or too close to the areas in question I can adjust them. Also, let me know if I missed any "major" legion areas that should have the same warnings.
*EDE: There are actually 3 versions of EDE in the game, and your choices in EDE's quest determine which one is 'active'. If you use console commands to enable more than one version at a time, the mod may not work as intended. You have been warned!
INSTALLATION
Download the .rar file and extract the .esp file into your Fallout New Vegas Data directory (for steam users, should be Steam\steamapps\common\fallout new vegas\data). Run the game launcher and click 'Data Files'. Check the box next to HJLCompanionsv100 and click OK, then proceed to play the game as usual.
UNINSTALLATION
Uncheck the box next to HJLCompanionsv100 to temporarily disable the mod. To permanently remove it just delete the HJLCompanionsv100.esp file from your Data folder.
DISCLAIMER/COMPATIBILITY
Disclaimer: Though I have tested this mod extensively, there is a lot of ground to cover for just one person so I cannot guarantee the mod is bug free (not that I could even with 300 testers, but I think you get my point). If you encounter any strange behavior or errors please let me know by leaving a comment, and I will do my best to isolate and fix the issue. The more details you can include the better; ideally let me know what companions you had recruited, which ones were following you at the time, what you tried to do and what went wrong, any mods you are running concurrently, and any other relevant details.
Compatibility: This mod is only intended to work with the standard companions. I don't know how it will interact with mods that add extra companions, or with other 'unlimited companion' type mods, but suspect it will cause problems due to the script alterations. Furthermore, this mod may be incompatible with mods that alter the standard companions or their behavior, or mods that alter weapon-confiscation scripts. You are welcome to experiment and see what happens, and I'd welcome any feedback about compatibility, but note that I don't intend to add compatibility for mods like those described above at this point (though I may be able to depending on the circumstances). Mainly this is because I don't know that it is possible to add compatibility with companion-mods in a general manner, and doing so on a case-by-case basis would be an extraordinarily long and complicated task. Other than that I don't foresee any incompatibilities, but there is always the potential, so I recommend making a save-game before activating this mod. I would greatly appreciate feedback about any compatibility issues, even if it is expected, so that I can keep a list in the mod's description and/or see about adding compatibility.
VERSION HISTORY
v1.02 - The 'All' 'Follow' option no longer prevents Boone from following the player while in Legion territory IF the player is already an enemy of the Legion.
v1.01 - Added 'Cancel' option to both menus associated with the radio (thanks to orbmace for the suggestion)
v1.00 - Initial release
KNOWN ISSUES
v1.00 - There is a notification when the player hires more than one humanoid or one non-humanoid companion. It does not interfere with the new companion joining the player.
v1.00 - In small areas, companions may block doors making them difficult to activate. Will try to find a solution.
v1.00 - (Base-game issue?) Healing companions through the companion wheel consumes a companion stimpak as well as a player stimpak if both actors have a stimpak in their inventory
PLANNED UPDATES
-Finish testing radio-only file
POTENTIAL UPDATES
-Allow power helmets and combat helmets (and any others which appear to include electronics or communications equipment) to send and receive commands
-Allow the use of number-keys to select companions and commands from the menu
RADIO ONLY FILE
I have added an optional (or rather alternative) file which only adds the hand radios and associated scripts. This should allow compatibility with most companion mods. Note that I have not yet fully tested this file (and won't do so until the thought of running the game doesn't made my head hurt... hopefully not too long), but in theory there shouldn't be any problems. The only standard files that were altered were the item lists for certain vendors so they can sell the radio. Note that if a mod adds new followers to the game, they cannot be controlled using the radios. Also, any mods which rename variables in the game's follower scripts (though I can't imagine why anyone would do that) may interfere with this mod.
*****
As always, please let me know of any errors or problems you encounter and I'll do my best to help or fix the mod.
If you like this mod, please endorse it!
by HJL
Current Version: 1.02
Files in rar: HJLCompanionsv100.esp (required), ReadMe.txt
*Update: New versions of files will offer to give the player 7 radios when the mod is first loaded
*Update: Added optional file that contains the content for the radio stuff only; see the 'RADIO ONLY FILE' section at the bottom of this page for details
*Update: Added 'Cancel' option to radio menus (thank you orbmace for the suggestion!)
DESCRIPTION
This mod has two goals. The first is to allow you to recruit all eight of the standard companions at the same time. The second is to add a 'hand radio' item to the game that allows you to issue commands to all of your followers at the same time, or to a specific follower.
DETAILS (possible minor spoilers)
(Sorry for all the text, but I want to be thorough)
Companion Recruitment: This mod removes the various lines of script that prevent you from hiring more than one humanoid or more than one non-humanoid companion. It also adds separate wait timers for each companion so they still only wait 7 days before going home. The weapon confiscation scripts for the casinos and the fort have been modified so all companions have their weapons confiscated and stored in separate containers. For the Tops, the Ultra-Luxe, and the Fort, all nine containers (the player's plus 8 companions) are accessible in the bank/weapon storage area so they can still be retrieved; opening a companion's weapon locker will restore the items to the rightful companion. As far as I know you cannot retrieve your weapons in Gamorrah, but if this is not the case I will make those containers accessible as well. I also modified scripts that cause your companions to wait (when entering the lucky 38 for the first time, or the penthouse at anytime, or when entering Caesar's tent) so that all companions will wait, not just two of them.
Hand Radio: This item is available from various vendors and appears in the aid section of your inventory. When used, it will bring up a menu in game-mode (i.e. after exiting the pip-boy, or upon pressing a hotkey during gamepaly if it is assigned to the radio). You can choose to broadcast to all companions or to a single companion, and issue the following commands: Wait, Follow, Be Passive, Be Aggressive, Use Stimpak, Stay Close, Keep Distance, Use Melee and Use Ranged. Please note the following features/limitations:
*Acquiring radios: The radios have a 50% chance of appearing in the inventory of the following merchants: Chet (Goodsprings), Mr. Nash (Primm), Lacey (Mojave Outpost), Cliff (Novac), Old Lady Gibson (Gibson Scrap Yard), Michelle (188 Trading Post) and Ralph (Freeside). If you enable the mod during an existing game, the radios won't appear until the merchant inventories reset (waiting/sleeping for 72 hours should do the trick)
*Companion radios: Your humanoid companions MUST have a hand-radio in their inventory in order to receive your commands. EDE and Rex do NOT require a radio, since EDE basically is a radio and Rex... well I assume somewhere in his machinery and electronics is something that could serve as a radio ;) I may allow power helmets and combat helmets (and any similar equipment) to send/receive commands in a future update, but this is not an immediate priority.
*Using radio from pip-boy: I initially had scripts for both a pip-boy menu and a game-mode menu, but they seemed to cause issues with one another, so I got rid of the pip-boy menu. If you use the radio while in the pip-boy inventory screen, the radio menu will not open until you put away your pip-boy. This allows for you to still equip the radio to a hot-key and use it instantly while in game-mode, which I felt was more important. I am still looking for a way to include both options and will post an update when I find one.
*Use Stimpak - requires that your companion(s) have a stimpak in their inventory. If they do not, nothing will happen. This is due to the fact that they could be halfway across the map when you issue the command, and thus giving them one of your stimpaks would be a bit tough. Also, they will only use a stimpak if they are below 90% of max health, so issuing the command to all companions won't cause unnecessary wastage. The stimpak will heal for an amount based on the companions medicine skill and do so instantly, even in hardcore mode, as per the normal behavior of the companion wheel command. One difference is that stimpaks used through the radio command will not bring a companion's health to more than their maximum health. Also there appears to be a bug in the base game (at least for me) that using the companion wheel 'Use Stimpak' option while companions have stimpaks in their inventory will consume both one of their stimpaks and one of yours; I never put stimpaks in my companion's inventory before using this mod but even with the mod disabled the problem persists, so as far as I can tell the bug is unrelated to this mod (if not, let me know!).
*Follow - this command will not allow companions to follow you into areas that they would not normally be able to, such as Mr. House's Penthouse (or the Lucky 38 the first time you enter), and Caesar's tent. If I forgot any areas let me know. Also for Boone ONLY I added special checks when you are in Legion territory; he will ignore 'Follow' commands issued to 'All' companions when you are in Cottonwood Cove, the Fort, Nelson, the Legion Raid Camp, and Techatticup Mine, as having him following you causes legion npc's to attack you. This only takes effect if he is waiting; if you forget to tell him to wait he will still follow you into these areas. The first time you will be given a message-box warning; after that a warning will display as a notification in the upper-left corner of your screen. If you want him to follow you regardless, issue to follow command to him alone by selecting 'Boone' from the main radio menu, then 'Follow'. I tried to give the areas above a reasonable border, but if you feel they are too large or too close to the areas in question I can adjust them. Also, let me know if I missed any "major" legion areas that should have the same warnings.
*EDE: There are actually 3 versions of EDE in the game, and your choices in EDE's quest determine which one is 'active'. If you use console commands to enable more than one version at a time, the mod may not work as intended. You have been warned!
INSTALLATION
Download the .rar file and extract the .esp file into your Fallout New Vegas Data directory (for steam users, should be Steam\steamapps\common\fallout new vegas\data). Run the game launcher and click 'Data Files'. Check the box next to HJLCompanionsv100 and click OK, then proceed to play the game as usual.
UNINSTALLATION
Uncheck the box next to HJLCompanionsv100 to temporarily disable the mod. To permanently remove it just delete the HJLCompanionsv100.esp file from your Data folder.
DISCLAIMER/COMPATIBILITY
Disclaimer: Though I have tested this mod extensively, there is a lot of ground to cover for just one person so I cannot guarantee the mod is bug free (not that I could even with 300 testers, but I think you get my point). If you encounter any strange behavior or errors please let me know by leaving a comment, and I will do my best to isolate and fix the issue. The more details you can include the better; ideally let me know what companions you had recruited, which ones were following you at the time, what you tried to do and what went wrong, any mods you are running concurrently, and any other relevant details.
Compatibility: This mod is only intended to work with the standard companions. I don't know how it will interact with mods that add extra companions, or with other 'unlimited companion' type mods, but suspect it will cause problems due to the script alterations. Furthermore, this mod may be incompatible with mods that alter the standard companions or their behavior, or mods that alter weapon-confiscation scripts. You are welcome to experiment and see what happens, and I'd welcome any feedback about compatibility, but note that I don't intend to add compatibility for mods like those described above at this point (though I may be able to depending on the circumstances). Mainly this is because I don't know that it is possible to add compatibility with companion-mods in a general manner, and doing so on a case-by-case basis would be an extraordinarily long and complicated task. Other than that I don't foresee any incompatibilities, but there is always the potential, so I recommend making a save-game before activating this mod. I would greatly appreciate feedback about any compatibility issues, even if it is expected, so that I can keep a list in the mod's description and/or see about adding compatibility.
VERSION HISTORY
v1.02 - The 'All' 'Follow' option no longer prevents Boone from following the player while in Legion territory IF the player is already an enemy of the Legion.
v1.01 - Added 'Cancel' option to both menus associated with the radio (thanks to orbmace for the suggestion)
v1.00 - Initial release
KNOWN ISSUES
v1.00 - There is a notification when the player hires more than one humanoid or one non-humanoid companion. It does not interfere with the new companion joining the player.
v1.00 - In small areas, companions may block doors making them difficult to activate. Will try to find a solution.
v1.00 - (Base-game issue?) Healing companions through the companion wheel consumes a companion stimpak as well as a player stimpak if both actors have a stimpak in their inventory
PLANNED UPDATES
-Finish testing radio-only file
POTENTIAL UPDATES
-Allow power helmets and combat helmets (and any others which appear to include electronics or communications equipment) to send and receive commands
-Allow the use of number-keys to select companions and commands from the menu
RADIO ONLY FILE
I have added an optional (or rather alternative) file which only adds the hand radios and associated scripts. This should allow compatibility with most companion mods. Note that I have not yet fully tested this file (and won't do so until the thought of running the game doesn't made my head hurt... hopefully not too long), but in theory there shouldn't be any problems. The only standard files that were altered were the item lists for certain vendors so they can sell the radio. Note that if a mod adds new followers to the game, they cannot be controlled using the radios. Also, any mods which rename variables in the game's follower scripts (though I can't imagine why anyone would do that) may interfere with this mod.
*****
As always, please let me know of any errors or problems you encounter and I'll do my best to help or fix the mod.
If you like this mod, please endorse it!