The GUN Insider: An Unsung Modding Hero Roy Batty

Hello and welcome back ladies & gentlemen, to another issue of The GUN Insider. Today I bring you the the interview taken by our very own @dragbody, who sat down with a well known modder. One of which you have absolutely heard off or even tried his work. This man is nobody else than @RoyBatty.

The GUN Insider: An Unsung Modding Hero Roy Batty HXz641E

Dragbody: Thanks, Roy, for taking the time to talk with us. A lot of the Fallout community may not realize how prolific you are as a modder. Can you start us out by telling us a little about yourself and then giving us your mod resume?

RoyBatty: Oh, I dunno what to say there, I've always been interested in gaming and computers. Most of my adult life was spent around music and electronics, so it was kind of a natural transition to move more into games. I grew up in the 70s and 80s so I've been gaming since its infancy, and computers too, I guess I'm lucky in that regard, seeing things go from B&W pixels to full on 3D experiences.

I started messing with "modding" games back in the early 90s and did a lot of stuff between then and now, most of it on old 8-bit computers that no one cares about anymore. I started getting interested in doing something more tangible in 2010 or so I think when I did some simple mods for Quake in the Dark Places engine. Nothing really impressive there, just music packs and some environmental effects stuff. Somewhere around 2012 I finally started playing Fallout 3 and NV and got interested in modding after discovering the nexus.

The first "mod" I did was updating FNV4GB to work with the steam changes, I take no credit for that since Monochrome Wench made it and my friend Hendricks266 fixed a bug in it. Later on, I figured out how to patch the exe itself and did that together with Luthien Anarion, that's the current 4GB Patch available on nexus.

I went on to work on A World of Pain along with Athelbras. I created FOV Slider, BLEED with Puppettron, EDE-Advanced, Root N Loot, over 50 compatibility patches for NV and TTW, and some smaller mods on nexus. I've contributed or worked on Loot Menu, CASM with MCM, CaliberX (need to get new version out again), Project Nevada Extra Options, and Tutorial Killer. I've also contributed to AWOP4FO3, Unofficial Fallout 3 Patch, Yukichigai's Unofficial Patch, and made several small bug fix mods for Fallout 3. Helped with the MMM conversion and fixing bugs in it,

The main mod I work on of course is Tale of Two Wastelands. I spend most of my time working on that. I've converted a lot of Fallout 3 mods for use with it, and also made patches for many New Vegas mods. I've gone the extra mile on several mods including EVE which has combined the Fallout 3 and New Vegas versions. A total rework of Street Lights which has both wastelands and some DLC covered as well as additions for billboards and other things. I made scripts to combine NMC's texture packs for F3/NV together to make one mega pack. I helped to make a TTW version of Realistic Wasteland Lighting possible by converting the Fallout 3 version and merging them together as well as fixing some bugs in them. A merged WMX compatibility patch and expansion to Fallout 3 and DLC. An updated patch for Project Nevada which includes support for Extra Options. A TTW version of Weapon Mod Vending Machine. Converted and did a ton of bug fixing on AWOP4FO3, which is now out of date and I need to do it over again. Converted Point Lookout Reborn and did some bug fixing on that. A Patch for Flashlight NVSE. Converted Chesko's Better Balanced Backpacks and bug fixes. Fallout 3 and New Vegas Redesigned 1 and 2 combined and bug fixed. Rivet City Realigned bug fixes for AdonisVII's version. Regulators conversion and bug fixes. DX Power Armor retextures conversion, and merge. MTC Wasteland travellers conversion and bug fixes. Kentbury Way conversion. Museum Halls of Today conversion. DC Intro Street conversion. Autogates conversion and bug fixes. A Trail of Crumb's conversion and fixes. Devastated City conversion and bug fixes.

Bleh, that's a mouthful all that! Haha. Unreleased stuff is a new version from scratch of Acquired Immunity since the original version is broken and I can't get ahold of the author. The big one is New Vegas Uncut which is a huge mod combining MoBurma's Uncut mods, sandbox's uncut mod, some other stuff from various authors, more stuff I've done and also the biggest part is restoring the mini world spaces to the main wasteland with no load doors. That includes Camp McCarran, Aerotech Office Park, Vault 3 area, West Side, North Vegas Square, The Crimson Caravan and Boulder City.

Dragbody: Given the popularity of the Someguy Series for New Vegas, many players have played those mods a long time ago and not revisited the mod pages. Would you recommend that Someguy fans update their mods? If they do, what changes might they notice?

Roy Batty: Yes I would recommend they update them. He's fixed a lot of bugs and added content to a few of them as well as made their integration better.

Side note on that, I've been fixing his older mods too and converting them to esm's to fix the navmesh issues.

Dragbody: One of the most anticipated mods ever for New Vegas is The Frontier and you have a hand in that project too! Can you share a little about what your role in the project looks like?

Roy Batty: My role there is mostly to help out and maybe do a little work on small stuff. Most of the time I've been giving advice on pitfalls to avoid and helping solve some of the technical issues that have arisen. I've been passing on some of the things I've learned to the team about quirks with the game I've run across. I'm learning how to model and I get a lot of help from Mindboggles, Weijiesen and Macintroll in return.

Dragbody: Let's talk now about Tale of Two Wastelands (TTW). Most people probably know about it, but how would you describe it to someone without exposure to it?

RoyBatty: Tale of Two Wastelands is an epic mod that brings Fallout 3 and all it's DLC into the New Vegas engine and seamlessly integrates them into one massive game. This allows everyone to play Fallout 3 and New Vegas with the mechanics of New Vegas and optionally some of the mechanics of Fallout 3 such as the repair system. It's the best of both worlds and we're really excited about it. The 3.0 update is looming near and the amount of work put into by the team is staggering. It's going to be amazing and I can't wait for people to get a hold of it and play it.

Dragbody: Who else is part of the main team for TTW?

RoyBatty: If I mention one, I have to mention everyone so I'll just go down the list active or not and no particular order. Jax Firehart, Chucksteel, sesom, The 3rd Type, TrickyVein, Risewild, thermador, Yukichigai, Gribbleshnibit8, pintocat, rickerhk, retlaw83, jazzisparis, luthien anarion, Puppettron, TJ, LT Albrecht, Scorpion, Niveus Everto, Senterpat, darthbdaman, Thatchor, deadboy, plumjuice, Micalov, Kai Hohiro, rbroab and steviestevens. Previous members also include Kuroitsune, and MasterYster who founded RFCW to begin with.

Dragbody:I personally think the ability to take two amazing games and make them compatible with each other makes for one of the greatest RPG experiences available. However, not every NV player is a TTW fan. One problem players have is the immersion loss when it comes to bridging the time gap between 3 and NV. What kind of steps have you taken to address this with TTW 3.0?

RoyBatty: That's always going to be an issue for some, we have a new transition video which is 4 years instead of 9 to keep the dates correct. Outside of that, there is nothing. I'm going to have to quote my friend Jokerine here and say "I don't care about your precious immersion." Smile

We'll work together with the Project Brazil team to make a patch where the player goes from the Capital Wasteland to Project Brazil before starting New Vegas.

Dragbody:What if I am a player who prefers starting in NV? Can I play TTW 3.0 while starting in the Mojave?

RoyBatty: Yes, that's always been an option. There is optional to do exactly that, although not all options (if any) will be included with the initial 3.0 release, they will be in the first update.

Dragbody:The idea that TTW is just a merge of 3 and NV doesn't do justice to all the original content that has been put into the games to bridge them. What can the player find in TTW that would otherwise be absent from the two games on their own?

RoyBatty: You can find some new armour if that's enabled. Weapon mods for the Fallout 3 weapons. All the Fallout 3 weapons have iron sights if applicable. Columbus Circle and the train station there is quite large and an amazing work by the team. A few new harvestable plants. Food with recipes in the CW for Hardcore mode players.

Dragbody: Any future TTW-exclusive content planned?

RoyBatty: I don't have any plans currently for TTW exclusive content outside what we already have planned for options. As for mods for TTW, sure there are quite a few things I want to do for it, but very little exclusive to it. Most of that stuff is just ideas at the moment so nothing I could really talk about.

Dragbody: Fans have been debating this for years but let's get your take. As someone who has been deeply involved in the two games for a long time, which game is better; Fallout 3 or New Vegas?

RoyBatty: I like both games equally and can't choose one over the other. I like the atmosphere and world space of Fallout 3 more than Vegas, and I like Vegas's mechanics except for speech and repair, and I like the writing better than Fallout 3. I can't really choose one over the other so putting them both together is the solution for me. Very Happy

Dragbody: While we're debating the merits of a Fallout title, can you give us your perspective on Fallout 4?

RoyBatty: My opinion of Fallout 4 is that is a game without a clear direction. It removed things I loved about Fallout and added things I don't think belong in a Fallout game as part of its base. The writing is uninteresting and unengaging. The dialogue system is awful and didn't need to be a Mass Effect clone. It seems like they were trying to do new things, but taking things from other successful games rather than coming up with new ideas that fit what Fallout has already been defined as. A lot of fixing what wasn't broken, and breaking it in the process. I really don't understand what they were trying to do other than making something to appeal to a larger audience of people, which isn't necessarily a good thing for Fallout. But I guess it's about making money these days and not making games that become beloved by their fan base.

Dragbody: If you were deemed project lead and had unlimited options, what Fallout 5 game would you create?

RoyBatty: I would do Fallout 5 in Chicago. The BoS, the Enclave, Mutants, Legion, and the Calculator. I would make a much darker Fallout game, where you're not always the "good" guy, and you can't be perfect and do everything for everyone. A game where your choices really matter, and whether people live or die is on your shoulders, something that makes you think about what you are doing instead of just connecting the dots to get to the cheese at the end of the maze. The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

Dragbody: Wow, that's a solid sounding plan. Having the Legion and Enclave in a single title and potentially in conflict sounds very cool. Like Alien vs. Predator almost in its villain against villain potential. I have to ask though… who or what is the Calculator?

RoyBatty: The Calculator is a sentient AI from Tactics, in that game you can either destroy it or merge with it. Pretty interesting actually, I need to play through tactics again and get familiar with its lore a bit more.

Dragbody: Do you think it would be to Bethesda's benefit to release a kind of *official* TTW? They've got these two compatible titles that the community still loves. Couldn't they do a "Special Edition" and gain a lot of traction?

RoyBatty: I don't think so no. I dislike remakes and remasters for the most part unless they are left untouched. I don't really see where that would benefit them to do.

Dragbody: What do you think of some of the ambitious mods for Fallout 4 that are attempting to build the Capital Wasteland and the Mojave?

RoyBatty: I think it's a great idea, and the people working on them have amazing talent. I have faith that they can pull something off that's really good.

Dragbody: As someone who is plugged into the modding community, are there any Fallout mods you're excited about on the horizon that we haven't talked about yet?

RoyBatty: I'm definitely excited for the final version of Project Brazil, I really want to have a play at that. With someguy2000 coming back and mentioning he may make another mod for NV, I would definitely be excited to play it no matter what it is. Then there is always Willhaven Wink

Dragbody: Finally, what is the best way for players to stay informed about the development of TTW and your other mod projects?

RoyBatty: Probably by following me on Twitter @RoyBatterian

Dragbody: Okay, awesome. Thanks for everything! It’s a great interview. I really appreciate your time.

Well there you have it folks, another interesting interview of an amazing modder. Hope you found this interview as interesting as I had. I would like to give my special thanks to @dragbody for doing the interview, @RoyBatty for agreeing upon doing the interview and @keatit71 for the spell checking. Thank you all for taking the time to read this interview and stay tuned for another issue of The GUN Insider!

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The GUN Insider: An Unsung Modding Hero Roy Batty Ddjvs54-637772a6-c3d5-4588-b44a-de50e6197404.gif?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7InBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcL2MxMmM1ZTIxLTc5YmQtNDk5OS04MmE3LThmNWFkY2ZiYTRmY1wvZGRqdnM1NC02Mzc3NzJhNi1jM2Q1LTQ1ODgtYjQ0YS1kZTUwZTYxOTc0MDQuZ2lmIn1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmZpbGUuZG93bmxvYWQiXX0

Thanks for posting! I hope others enjoy the read as much as I did.

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The GUN Insider: An Unsung Modding Hero Roy Batty Banner-New

Another fantastic read. Great job! Love all the work you guys put in on it! Thumbs Up

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The GUN Insider: An Unsung Modding Hero Roy Batty Newveg10

OMG!!! That project Brazil patch for TTW would be freaking incredible!!! It would give me a reason to start Fallout all over again. Very Happy

This interview was pretty good and I think it's pretty amazing what @RoyBatty has done for the modding community!!! Thanks for the read.

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The GUN Insider: An Unsung Modding Hero Roy Batty Berser10

Another fantastic interview @dragbody I'm familiar with RoyBatty's work but I never knew much about him and what he really, really does on his teams. Nice to get some insight on him and his projects.

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The GUN Insider: An Unsung Modding Hero Roy Batty Wonderlad

@RoyBatty, enjoyable read! Smile

I hadn't realised you signed up to GUN. Welcome aboard! It's OrmrSnaethorsen from the Nexus by the way Wink

I was aware of your contributions to the modding community, but I didn't know to what extent you were involved in some of the bigger and popular modding projects. Been following your New Vegas uncut mod for a while; those screenshots you posted in the Nexus. Can't wait!

I may eventually switch to TTW post 3.0.
Am I correct in saying there will be a new weather system integrated into it by Marcurios and weijeisen?

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Posts : 105 Join date : 2015-01-27 Location : Hongkong

Very enlightening.
The concept of the lone wanderer over the course of 4+ years becoming the Courier is an interesting thought to entertain.

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The GUN Insider: An Unsung Modding Hero Roy Batty YLdFSkpM

A very interesting read at that , I love a lot of the mods ray worked on and want to thank him if he reads this for his awesome work.

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Intresting reading, nice interview Dragbody. Wish you both good and luck))

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The GUN Insider: An Unsung Modding Hero Roy Batty NBgFzcg

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Posts : 95 Join date : 2015-01-25 Age : 51 Location : Mars

@TheHermit No there is no mods included in TTW outside small things for balance reasons or the train station, that would be out of scope. TTW is not a "mod" per se, it's a game, and we're very conservative when it comes to altering the content in any way that's not purely for balance reasons or for integration purposes.

Additions to TTW are always in the the form of optional files, people can choose how they want to make it. For those who want as pure a vanilla F3 experience as possible, they can omit any of the optionals and have it.

Another great article. I love Roy Batty's work, TTW is a great experience. Nice to find out new things about him. Also great to read his thoughts and ideas. Really interesting to read. Can't wait for the next one!
Thanks Dragbody for doing the interview and William Lionheart for posting it. Also thank you Roy Batty for the interview and all the hard work you do for us all! Stay awesome man.

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The GUN Insider: An Unsung Modding Hero Roy Batty Robbie10

Posts : 7 Join date : 2017-06-15 Age : 32 Location : Brazil

Fantastic interview, It's very good to meet our heroes. Very Happy

(sorrry for english)

Holy cow, no offense, but I didn't even know that Roy Batty existed, much less the extent that he's had an impact on the Fallout modding scene. Really glad I gave this a look.

Those bigger, world-shaking, earth-shattering mods are some that I either avoid, or build an entire modlist around. Tale of Two Wastelands was one that I wanted to try more than anything, but couldn't find the time (or motivation) to completely rebuild my modlist from scratch, and bring myself to limit it to the mods compatible with TTW. However, I always understood that it was a colossal piece of work, one I was somewhat jealous of due to the sheer skill and time invested to make something like that.

So definitely, major kudos to Troy for all his amazing work, it absolutely does not go unappreciated. I'm somewhat ashamed that I've actually used all these amazing bug fixes in the past, but not known who exactly was responsible for them. Great interview.

Posts : 262 Join date : 2014-03-08

The enduring dedication of the Fallout 3/NV mod community is almost otherworldly, I swear; very neat to hear from/about the architect of TTW, this was an entertaining and interesting post. Thanks to all involved.

Posts : 17 Join date : 2016-07-31

Glad to see someone publishing an interview of Roy The GUN Insider: An Unsung Modding Hero Roy Batty 1f609

, you'd have to be blind to not see how important he is to our community The GUN Insider: An Unsung Modding Hero Roy Batty 1f61c

A short while back, I had an issue with one of his mods. Roy spent the time to help me diagnose and fix the issue. It meant a lot, considering the volume of comments daily. Glad to see that kind of thing doesn't go unnoticed.

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Roy Batty wrote:: @TheHermit No there is no mods included in TTW outside small things for balance reasons or the train station, that would be out of scope. TTW is not a "mod" per se, it's a game, and we're very conservative when it comes to altering the content in any way that's not purely for balance reasons or for integration purposes.

I still haven't played TTW.. yet Sad

and I'm 900 hours in. Will do!

Also every time I see your avatar on the Nexus or now on GUN I hear
1:32:40

..it just plays in my head. Of course being a huge Blade Runner /RutgerHauer fan doesn't help! October will claim me....

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The GUN Insider: An Unsung Modding Hero Roy Batty

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