Scavver Changelog v1.06

SCAVVER - VERSION 1.06 CHANGELOG - 20160711 - "Stable And Willing"


- Scavver is now ESSENTIAL. I experimented with Protected, Respawn, and custom OnDeath scripts. Resurrect and ResetHealthAndLimbs attempts were full of Bethesda bugs, so the only real solution here is obvious. Scavver's faction and the player faction are allies now, so you can hit Scavver 3x with friendly fire per weapon draw before he fights back (just like vanilla Essential companions). If you want to reset friendly fire hits, holster or sheath your weapon. This status change was prompted by Scavver dying in a nearby car explosion caused by the player, plus other requests to make him Essential.

(Please do not ask to bring Protected back. Scavver has too much going on under the hood to stay Protected, and trying to circumvent limitations was only multiplying problems.)

- Scavver's mod menu now has an option for returning stolen items. I hope this is no longer happening to anyone, but since Scavver can no longer be killed, there needed to be another way to retrieve items. The mod menu option transfers EVERYTHING from Scavver's inventory to yours, no limits and no questions asked. NPCs don't have encumbrance like we do, so take a friend to help you carry your loot home. (Then send me a bug report, because one settlement loot is too many.) The mod menu is the orange ham radio in Scavver's trailer at the edge of Vault 111 Exterior.

- Fixed glitch in list of route markers that sometimes prevented travel into Concord. If Red Rocket is unsettled, Scavver sandboxes between the Minuteman statue and the woodline for 10 minutes before moving on into Concord. This is what happens when Scavver is "visiting" but can't find furniture to interact with.

- Fixed "standing pose" glitch that occurred when Scavver changed packages while sitting on furniture. Now the timer ends by granting five-second rechecks until he stands up. Once standing, the packages change-- no more frozen Scavvers.

- Beard growth rate has been added to Scavver's mod menu by request. Choose between each stage lasting one Game Day (1.2 hours, default) or one Game Week (8.4 hours, immersive).



COMPANION MOD COMPATIBILITY HAS ARRIVED!

- The mod that users told me about, which I have been testing with Scavver, is Unlimited Companion Framework by Expired6978. The mod is located at http://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/11829/ .

- In order to make Scavver a companion, play the mod holotape. Select: Companion Module > Settings > Quick Recruit Eligible Only. Then talk to Scavver. (You will probably have to dismiss his merchant offer one time before recruiting.)

- In order to dismiss Scavver, play the mod holotape. Select: Companion Module > Settings > Dismiss Ineligible Companions. Be aware this may dismiss more than Scavver if you have multiple companions. I tried several workarounds, but this is the only option at present because Scavver's "Talk" option that companions normally have is overridden by his merchant dialogue.

- If dismissed while indoors, Scavver will immediately teleport to his route marker instead of trying to skyrocket through the roof and navbump. No more getting stuck in the rafters, or between subways and surfaces. If dismissed outdoors, he should walk back to his usual route (and may sandbox / visit before doing so, depending on the area). In general, it's better to dismiss Scavver outdoors in case you change your mind.

- You can still use the mod menu to mark Scavver on the map and compass. Or it can be toggled off at the mod menu.

- While a companion, Scavver will not attempt to navbump, "get unstuck", "emergency teleport", force favorite wield OnLocationChange, or broadcast 10-second distances (in developer mode). Basically, all of the strange behavior he exhibited as a companion should be gone until he is dismissed.

- Scavver always appraises weapons and outfits. He may change what he equips on his own, but you can override those changes in the companion trade menu.



KNOWN ISSUES

- Outfits can flicker for up to 10 seconds right after Scavver puts them on and starts walking. The behavior is random and hard to recreate. It used to happen most frequently with the drifter outfit on the corpse by the Minuteman Statue, but Scavver doesn't loot that location anymore.

- If you use a settlement boundary mod that expands the boundary beyond 10,000 units from the main workbench, the prior warning about the Venn diagram danger zone still applies. Check out the Version 1.01 changelog ( http://pastebin.com/FS0dPHcj ) for specifics.

- If you use a "build anywhere" mod that drops a workbench wherever, I CANNOT guarantee that settlement won't be looted. Because I don't know if that mod uses a vanilla or custom workbench. (If it is a custom workbench: send me the FormID and mod name, then I will add it to the FormList of checked items.)



SCAVVER FAQ

The FAQ is located at http://pastebin.com/jQP0vKTX and in the Articles tab on Nexus.



NVIDIA CONTEST RESULTS

Scavver did not place in the NVIDIA Fallout 4 mod contest. In truth, the mod needed more testing and polishing instead of rushing the deadline. Still, what a ride it's been. 2 months, 5 AI packages, 12 scripts, and almost 2,000 lines of code for ONE character. It was an experiment to see how far an NPC could be pushed, and although the playtesting was rough, I think Version 1.06 stabilization makes it a success. Scavver introduced numerous new features for NPCs, players, and developers. Plus, my grasp of Papyrus has improved with many all-nighters of practice. It would be a mistake to think we are walking away from this contest empty-handed.

Although, I understand the reaction of innovative scripters who feel like they have been sucker punched. We live in a world that often chooses whimsy over innovation, and nothing kills morale faster than being slighted. Sometimes hard work is its only reward.



MY PLANS FOR THE FUTURE

There is still a possibility of making a homeless version of Scavver, for players who can't try out the mod due to use of settlement expansion mods that annex Vault111Ext into Sanctuary. But it will be down the road. I need to take a break before I can resume quality work. Raider groups and dynamic settlers are still in the pipe dream phase.

My next personal AI project will be an overhaul of my Diamond City SWAT mod. I plan to add a female guard who goes on quests and teaches perks. Plus the guards will renovate the empty barracks and jail wings. But again, that's down the road.

Friendly Easy City Downs expansion is always a possibility... but there is no visible demand for that, strangely, from anyone. Nobody wants racing and/or betting?

I will be maintaining Scavver too, but at a less frenetic pace now that the mod is stable. Let me know if you have any pressing concerns.



ThoraldGM  |  @ThoraldGM  |  ThoraldGM at GMail.com