Research Projects – Modifications Collection
Disclaimer: This mod is in its alpha stages. There should not be any stability issues, but many of the modifications made here are ongoing and will be refined as development continues.
This mod was made to satisfy my own curiosity as to what is currently possible with the modding resources we have at hand. In many ways this is my own research project, but each object in the pack is also themed as a scientific project of some kind. I want to play with energy weapons, create cryo, gamma, tesla, and plasma advancements for different weapons, and give much more freedom to the kinds of weapons you can create, without imbalancing the system.
Power armor mods on other gear were a no brainer. The utility of power armor is amazing, and the number of Targeting HUD and Jetpack mods out there got me thinking about it. I extended this to new armor types like the cybernetic implants. I saw some of the institute advancements in that field, but I was overwhelmingly disappointed by the fact we could not get them for our own characters.
There’s a lot here that I will be doing, and I will try to keep it all balanced, both in terms of cost and in terms of utility. You can also look below for detailed descriptions of each section of the mod.
What does this mod have to offer?
Power armor mods usable on combat and synth armor.
Cybernetic implants using synth components.
Plasma conversions for ballistic weapons (only 10mm so far).
Gamma Conversions for energy weapons (alien blaster and gatling laser so far).
Modifiable Pipboy!
Throwable mini-nukes!
Much more coming soon!
Research Projects
Throwable Mini-nuke: It dawn on me one day, the super mutants learned how to modify the mini-nukes for their suiciders. Super mutants, the least intelligent of the bipedals on this blasted out crater of a planet, figured out how to utilize their destructive power without the aid of a Fat Man. Now, I know the risks, and you should too, but hear me out. When you throw this, and you won’t be able to throw it very far, run – like – hell!
Craft the Mini-Nuke Grenade at the chems station from a mini nuke and a circuit. They work like grenades, but can’t be thrown very far. You were warned that these things are insanely clumsy. Don’t blow yourself up!
Modifiable Pipboy: I received one of these Pipboys today in trade with the local dwellers of Vault 81. They were certainly loathe to part with one, but now that I have it I cannot wait to begin unlocking its secrets. I will start by hooking up some of the more advanced targeting systems from a spare suit of power armor to it. I am sure this VATS can be used for more than just aiming a pistol.
Modify the Pipboy at the Armor station, and give it a variety of upgrades. I will be working on custom looks (materials) for the pipboy as well. If you have Legendary Modifications installed, you will be able to add legendary mods to it as well. WARNING: Do not ever unequip the Pipboy, you may not be able to put it back on. Requirements for crafting will be the same as on power armor.
Combat and Synth Armor Mods: With armor this light, I know it will not offer the same kind of protection, but with some wires and a decent power source, I see no reason I cannot attach some of the more advanced combat systems to it. It would certainly help the covert troops. Not every operation can be approached with the banging of power armor.
Some power armor mods will be usable on armor pieces. Combat Armor and Synth armor will be able to receive these mods, but other armors may be able to use them as well, especially from other mods, depending on how they are set up. All power armor mods take the misc category. Requirements for crafting will be the same as on power armor.
Cybernetic Implants: Today, a business associate brought me two items of interest. They were called a cybernetic pain inhibitor and a cybernetic limb actuator. My associate says there was another, a brain implant, but it was destroyed. These two items fascinate me, and I feel I must unlock their potential. I never knew the institute was capable of making something like this. To think, there might actually be some benefit to mankind in their technology.
A brain implant, limb actuators and pain inhibitor take the various armor slots but show no model on your character. They provide protection against energy damage, poison damage, electrical damage, and radiation, but confer no bonuses to physical protection. They can be given an extra set of power armor modifications in place of the more advanced material modifications that most armor get. The otherwise useless cybernetic parts you find during the main quest (no spoilers) can be turned into components for crafting the implants. Crafting in the chems table, it requires Science and the Medic perk.
Plasma Conversions: I started with my first prototype today, modifying an old 10mm pistol with a variation on ammunition. I can’t easily change the whole firing mechanism, but with some modifications to the clip feed and a dose of plasma material inside the rounds, I know I can make the payload of these bullets far more deadly, or at least surprising to your foes.
Certain pre-war guns will be able to receive a modification that changes their ammo type to Plasma, and deals additional energy damage. Where possible, this will be a clip or magazine modification to the weapon. Right now, the 10mm pistol is the only weapon to receive this treatment, as a way of testing it.
Gamma Conversions: My business associate brought me another item today. They had been down in the glowing sea, something I warned against profusely, and found an interesting little item. Now, I have heard of the gamma gun before. I never got to see one though. The crude makeup of the weapon just will not do though. I know I can make it better! Fortunately, they had another item, a strange energy pistol they ran out of the proprietary power source. I think I can make the energy pistol run off the same power source as the gamma gun. If so, this could mean big things for my other client. They express to me constantly about the fusion cores they go through running their gatling lasers.
This changes the ammo type for certain energy based weapons to Gamma Rounds. If you are like me, the gamma gun itself wasn’t all that useful, and it felt strange having the extra Gamma Rounds and nothing to use them in. Gamma Conversions convert some of the energy damage into radiation damage, and the ammo type to Gamma Rounds. So far only the Alien Blaster and Gatling Laser have this ability. This is a capacitor mod, and requires science and the nuclear physicist perk.
Installation:
Extract the .zip into your Data folder as per the usual jazz.
You will need to have enabled modding as usual as well.
Go here if you don’t know how: Enable Modding for Fallout 4
To uninstall, delete the Research Projects.esp, though you will want to clean up the files in the Meshes Materials and Textures folders too. Hopefully when I can put those in a .BSA, that will no longer be an issue.
Alternatively, just install with NMM, and you should be golden.
Bugs, Incompatibilities, Q&A:
Known Issues:
The Alien Blaster targeting computer looks pretty bad. I need to figure out how to rescale and modify it.
Some of the mods have misleading names when unistalled. As far as I know, they still work just fine.
Unequipping the Pipboy makes it so you can’t use the Pipboy. Duh, that’s why it says do not unequip. I had to make it like that in order to apply mods to it.
Incompatibilities:
Anything that modifies the Pipboy. The unequippable Pipboy mod for instance. This does that already anyways.
Changes to power armor mods may not effect the power armor mods for combat and synth armor.
Q&A:
What all will you be adding to this mod, and can I make suggestions? I won’t know entirely until the new version of the GECK comes out (whatever that will be called for Fallout 4). I have some plans, but nothing is set in stone aside from what I wrote down here already. You can make suggestions, but I may not take them if they are a complete pain in the butt to make happen.
