"Aftermath Mod" Status Update! Be A Hit At Parties!

Yes indeed! As by request,  I do believe it's time for some updates and to bring you all up to speed on the "Aftermath Radio" mod for Fallout: New Vegas.


Ah hold on...I saw that look on your face. You were bracing for some bad news, weren't you?  You were concerned the lack of news lately meant something had happened or maybe the mod was on hold.


No, you won't hear any bad news at all, in fact, just the opposite.   The mod is totally cranking full-speed right now.  I kid you not when I say I've been working each and every day (sometimes until 3am, no joke) on getting it complete and locking everything in.  Even on Christmas Day.  Trust me...my 5-year-old had Hexbugs and Minecraft...he didn't mind!  
As most of you who ever have done modding know, it takes a sick amount of time to make one.  In this case, it's kind of a "double-mod" because it's a fully features radio station AND a full-blown side-questline.  It's crazy how much time it takes to make this all work. I mentioned last time we were close.  We're even closer now.  So here's the status:


- THE RADIO STATION:  Ohhhhh nelly, was THIS a project.... I essentially revamped the entire radio flow.  You ever notice how Radio New Vegas starts to repeat fairly early on and kind of loses its flow after a bit?  I wanted to avoid this.  Some of the repetition I'm sure can't be helped but I wanted to try to push the bar way higher.  It was a pain in the arse, but I think I pulled it off.  Even despite a few GECK kit bugs.  Right now, almost all the dialog is recorded and locked. All of this was the majority of the time that this mod has taken.  This is why I've been off the grid for 2 months.  I had to take around 80 hours of recorded show and dialog, convert and re-edit them, and link them piece by piece into the GECK.  That's a frightening amount of editing.  I think you'll really dig what the extra effort went into, though.  I wanted this radio station to be done right.  I could have settled for having it just play non-stop podcast replays back-to-back, but I wanted this radio station to be something you want to listen to constantly.  Not something you'll get bored of after hearing the same thing a few times.  I wanted it to be dynamic enough to actually sound like Shawn and I are out there in wasteland broadcasting to you.  There are commercials, podcast episodes (I've divided each episode into 4 parts to help break it up a bit), random clips, and also the news reports.  And even some new intro skits.
  Oh, the news reports...speaking of other things that took alot of work.  This radio station has almost 70 news stories that play based on your current quests. Not just like Radio New Vegas, but even more.  Some of them will be similar, since they involve the major quest parts, but I've even added a bunch for smaller questlines such as the "Sunset Sarsaparilla Legend" quests and the "Tops Talent Quest".  You'll get a kick out of them.  You'd swear it was our podcast and we were reacting to what you were doing.  Like I said, I think you'll appreciate all the extra effort.


- THE QUEST LINE:  I tweaked the questline a bit...that's also been part of what took longer.  This story quest has essentially been a real-time version of our podcast intro skits.  It's insanely trickly to put an intro skit into an interactive form that keeps the action going without being annoying.  Things on paper don't always play well in-game.  Some of them you don't actually realize until you see it in the game and think "Frak, saying I'm not wearing pants sounded funny on paper but in-game I'm frightened."   When I ran the questline through, I felt like it was missing some things (no, they weren't pants).  So I went back and made some adjustments.  I feel alot better about it now.  I wanted it to have alot of the same humor as our intro skits, but also have an element of seriousness to the overall feel.  You'll really like the quests, if for any other reason than they fit into the overall Fallout lore and make sense.  I didn't want to just do a "kill the raiders" quest with jokes and all and be done...I wanted to add a bit of new content to the Fallout world.  All of the locations are based on real-life locations and are new ones you haven't been to yet in Fallout. More on this soon.
  Recording the dialog is almost done on this as well.  We had to record dialog for not only the overall script, but also the sounds Shawn and I do when we travel with you and fight.  So you have a ton of sounds just to have us be companions with you, like the "hit the deck!" things companions yell when you throw a grenade.  I also scripted alot of interaction to make things feel more realistic.  We'll be recording dialog with our post-apocalyptic guru-friend Megaton in the next week. If you don't already know who he is -- and shame on you if not -- he oversees the almighty "postapocalypticforum.com" and "postapoc.net"...so repent now and check the sites out.


  Oh, I didn't tell you Megaton is a main character did I?  Well, there's some teaser info for you.  Megaton is one of the main characters who helps start the questline and a big part of the story.

 So now the big question you're probably thinking.... how long till you can play it?  What's our release date?  Tough to say, since it's insanely hard to predict a timeline on a mod you're building (especially when you're a one-man-team) so I'm not sure I can give a definitive answer to that.  That said, I'll try.  I'll tell you what my personal goal is:


I want to have this in beta-testing within the next month or so.  And hopefully, in your hands, dear gamer, right after that.  So let's say.... hmmm...why don't we try for "before Easter" as a release date.  The majority of the mod is done, and it's just a matter of fine-tuning the rest, but you never know how long that can take.  


Does that mean something could happen that stalls the release goal?  It's possible.  Do I anticipate it?  I don't think so.  I'm hopeful this is going to click together just fine in this last stretch.  I've gone to some crazy lengths to make sure this mod plays nicely with a minimal fuss.  I'm hoping it pays off in the end with a smooth testing phase.  I suppose the main bugs that could likely pop up would be ones where I still continually have to work around actual bugs in the GECK kit and FO:NV engine itself.  But I remain optimistic after all I've done so far. Heck, I've got 4 times more dialog than Wayne Newton did in the game and that's sounds cool when I say that to people who don't know what that means!


The whole project has taken a while but that's always the game-design world, isn't it?  It's mainly because I want this mod to shine and I hope you all feel the same when you play it.  I think you'll feel that way.  If not, I'll throw up in my mouth a bit.


Watch for some more updates here in these last few weeks.  I've got more things planned to show you.  Also, if you have any requests for things you'd like to see, let me know.  


We'll talk again soon. 


 In the meantime...Stay alive out there!

And At Last, the Mod's Storyline....

When I started making this Fallout: New Vegas "Aftermath mod", there was a few reasons why I chose to do it.  One was to give back something to the TTAM community for all the years they listened to our podcast.  Another reason was because it gave us a chance to continue to be part of the Fallout world and even group up with you, even if it was in a virtual sense.  The third was that it was a bit of closure (those of you who have podcasted will likely agree that you never really feel closure all the way) and also a way to bring the whole TTAM story full-circle.  The mod in itself accomplished the first 2 goals for the most part, provided I made sure I gave the mod everything it deserved.  The last one was a bit tricky.  So how do I bring the whole "broadcasting in the wasteland" story all the way around and make it great fun for those who listened to the show, and not just another questing mod?  You're about to find out.

  Ever since Shawn and I started the podcast, we've always role-played it as having an underground bunker where we broadcast our radio signal.  As the show went on, our episodes found us attacked by raiders who wanted our dish, having power issues with the antennae array, getting lost out in the wasteland and having to hide in wooden crates, finding bio-weapons we thought were apple-flavored air fresheners -- and of course -- the running joke that someone was always trying to take out our forums.
  Ah those forums!  I don't know what happened back there, but someone really liked hacking the crap out of our forums. Shawn and I were constantly banging our heads against the wall about it.  In the end if you recall, the hacking got so bad, Shawn took the forums down and now our good friend Megaton helped integrate it into his own great forums at postapocalypticforum[dot]com.  But wow, did our jokes fly before that.  "Skynet's after us!" or "Whose computer did we piss off??" was a constant joke for months after all was said and done.  The last teaser screenshot last week even has Shawn's angered words on the bunker chalkboard (you DID notice that, didn't you??).  Even the beginning of several of our shows talked about "those hacked forums".

  Well, my friends... THAT where the story-hook for the mod begins.  When you first run the mod, you're going to get word from a friend of ours that something bad has happened at our Radio Bunker.  Shawn and I are missing and you have to find out what happened and where we went.  And let's just say, you'll finally get to see who is the one responsible for attacking our forums all those times.  And along the way, you'll come across the raiders who wanted our radio dish, quite a few more friends, an apple-flavored bio-grenade, and a ton of jokes.  And in the end, you'll help us put the Bunker back into working order, which will make the "Through the Aftermath Radio Station" a permanent signal on your Pipboy radio.  You'll get episode replays, new commercials, and a chance for Shawn and I to help you on your own Fallout NV journey as a companion.

  Does all that sound like a worthy closure to the Aftermath legacy?  I'm crossing my fingers you'll think so.  I've put a crazy amount of time in the last few months into making this the crown jewel.  Many Bothans died to bring you this thing. And maybe, just maybe, all those times I said the word "Fallout" on the show will finally be redeemed.

...okay, maybe not, but at least you can hear me yell "SOOO GOOOD!" as I help you shoot Benny.

Stay tuned, my friends.  We're nearly there.  Watch for more teasers as we go. :)

Aftermath Mod Teaser Screenshot #3

 Our third teaser screenshot is an example of one of things that I thought would be cool to "go the extra mile" and add to the mod.  After all, you can't have a New Vegas game and not have a "Through The Aftermath"-themed slot machine that you can actually play, right?  ;)

(click on the pic to see it full-sized)

Aftermath Mod Teaser Screenshot #2

  The work continues non-stop on the Aftermath mod as we get closer to when I can finally let it loose in the wasteland.  And with that, I give you yet another sneak peek at the Radio Bunker.  It's a great example of the amount of detail (and Aftermath podcast inside-jokes) I have in the Bunker.  Believe me when I say I've tweaked nearly every texture I've used so that this thing can be everything that made the podcast great.  Even the magazines on the tables have meaning.  And there's even a little "mini-game" where an object from just about every skit from the show is somewhere in the bunker (some obvious, some not-so-obvious) and you get to see if you can remember them.  Can't wait to show you. You're gonna love this. :)

(click the pic to see it full-sized)

Bethesda Releases "Lonesome Road" Trailer. Jonathan Weeps.

  With less than a week until Fallout: New Vegas' final DLC releases (Sept 20), Bethesda at last gives us the official trailer.
  And there was much rejoicing.
  For those of you unaware of the story of "Lonesome Road", you'll finally get a chance to meet Ulysses, the courier who decided not to deliver Mr.Houses's platinum chip when he realized you were next on the courier list.  If you recall, after Benny tried to kill you in the beginning of NV, you never really get alot of closure on who you really were.
   Why did Ulysses bail out like that?  Why was he so concerned when he saw your name?  And why do people make Fallout mods that turn the character into anime models from Final Fantasy?!  That doesn't even make any SENSE!!   I WANT ANSWERS!!

(*ahem*)

Whatever Ulysses knows, it's the final part of the story for you to cross paths and find out.  It'll also bring the DLC's full circle as well.  And after that?  Well, I'll probably be so sad it's over, I'll cry alot and listen to "The Cure".  Actually, promise me you won't tell anyone I just said that.

In the meantime, watch the trailer.  And remember "The Cure" thing never got mentioned.  Please.
 

Get More: GameTrailers.com, Fallout: New Vegas: Lonesome Road - Debut Trailer, PC Games, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

Aftermath Mod Teaser Screenshot #1

  Your patience has finally paid off!  Here's the first teaser screenshot of the "Through the Aftermath" mod for Fallout NV.  Now that we are getting close to the mod's release, you'll see a few more teaser screenshots between now and then.

  Today's screenshot is an example of one of the ads you'll see as you're out and about in the wasteland. There are inside-jokes galore in this mod.  If you listened to the podcast, you're gonna get a kick out of all of them. ;)

Click the picture to see it full-size...and stay tuned for more soon!

Me, Myself, and the "Aftermath Mod"

  What a summer its been!  Busy busy busy!  And finally, I'm very close to being able to show you some of what I've been busy with, and why I've been off-the-radar so much lately (and this time, thankfully, it wasn't health related).

  First things first!  Work on the "Through the Aftermath" mod is moving at a breakneck pace, and I'm juuuuuuust about where I can throw a teaser or two to you.  There were a few technical details we had to work out, seeing as there are some pretty screwy things Fallout NV's engine limits as far as modding is concerned.  The TTAM episodes are really huge in size, and I had to find a way to make them play nice. :)

  Now some goodies... the Aftermath mod is going to feature some new material, and some new skits. You didn't actually think you were just going to have to listen to straight replays of all the shows, right?  We had to make it something you WANT to hear while running around the wasteland. We had to make it sound like Shawn and I are actually there. There are commercials, some hilarious news clips, and some things I don't dare spoil for you yet.
  This extra material is why the mod took quite a bit longer than you likely predicted.  Believe me, it's worth it. :)

And now, my wasteland friends, I need YOUR help as well.  This is your chance to add a piece to the mod and the TTAM Radio station.  I'm looking for some great user-created content for the mod... something to help keep the variety going.  I'm talking skits, retro parody-commercials, or even something you think fits the bill as far as what you'd like hear on a RL "Through the Aftermath" radio station in the wasteland.  This is your chance to be part of the radio station and the mod.  At this point, the only stipulations we have are these:

  - Try to keep it clean.  We want everyone to be able to enjoy this.  No tags at religious, racial or political things.  People in Fallout NV are angry enough without us adding more.

  - Try to avoid anything that is going to break the immersion of the mod.  Remember, in the mod-world, it's a retro-50's post apocalyptic nuclear wasteland.  Shawn and I are broadcasting from a literal underground bunker.  If your material can be believable under those circumstances, you should be fine.

If you want to contribute, throw me an email at "aftermathjonathan[at]gmail[dot]com" and let me know what you have in mind.  The best part is that in the end, it'll help make this Fallout mod more of what made the TTAM podcast great... the community.  It'll be something we all added a piece to.  And then we can all listen to it while we head-shot Benny from the top of  the Lucky 38.

  So stay tuned.  You'll be playing this mod very soon. ;)