Barefoot NPCs 1.0.0

Love a new bit of variety in NPCs, however I'm finding that a bit too many guarma or maybe black NPCs are spawning in towns making up more than half the population. Is this intended? Any way of remedying this?

5 hours ago, BadTouch96 said:

Love a new bit of variety in NPCs, however I'm finding that a bit too many guarma or maybe black NPCs are spawning in towns making up more than half the population.

Correct

5 hours ago, BadTouch96 said:

Is this intended?

Partially

5 hours ago, BadTouch96 said:

Any way of remedying this?

There is, but not an easy one. Each of the main ymts (a_x_m_xxx_towfolk, laborers and some others) contain around 30-50 models each, in vanilla, plus those added by me (the ones you are seeing as "new"). I need to go through each of the lists and remove some in order to rebalance. Not easy, not fast.

On top of that, the game seems to have a weird (or unknown to me) randomization engine. Meaning if you have two sets of models in an ymt (vanilla plus others added), if they are not interlaced in the files (and they aren't) it will pick a number of random NPCs from one "block", then switch to the other and pick another number of randoms. It doesn't seem to do real randomization, or at least I don't understand the methodology.

So yeah, whenever I get the time and the disposition I take one of the population files and go through each model, remove some, clone some, mashup some others, but there is no set calendar.

I was having the same thoughts as the guy above. But let me say I appreciate the fact that you are even attempting adding some variety to the NPCs. I notice so many cool models are not used or are used scarcely. For example, the female gambler NPCs would be cool to see spawning in towns but they, along with women on horses just aren't used. Why is it so RARE to see female NPCs riding horses? I only ever saw one outside of the story on a horse in Emerald Farm. She also had a unique model I hadn't seen before.

I'm going to keep a close eye on you and your mods because you seem to be one of the only modders doing the things that interest me. Also, do you know why more people don't tweak the NPCs? In terms of adding a few more models at least. Is it just too difficult to do?

1 hour ago, Toven said:

I was having the same thoughts as the guy above. But let me say I appreciate the fact that you are even attempting adding some variety to the NPCs. I notice so many cool models are not used or are used scarcely. For example, the female gambler NPCs would be cool to see spawning in towns but they, along with women on horses just aren't used. Why is it so RARE to see female NPCs riding horses? I only ever saw one outside of the story on a horse in Emerald Farm. She also had a unique model I hadn't seen before.

I'm not sure about riding horses, has not been a focus for me. There is this ambientpedmodelsets.metafile where you can specify which models go into which "ambient model set" which is linked to a specific set of sandboxing scenarios.

For example, I have added "abs" (Annesburg) females (the mining town) to be eligible piano players in Valentine. Which makes no sense until you factor in my other mod which spawns various females (including "abs") around the player, so you eventually do get "abs" females into Valentine and I want them to be able to sandbox as much as possible.

    <Item type="CAmbientModelSet">
      <Name>VAL_PIANO_PLAYER</Name>
      <Models>
        <Item> <!-- SAC -->          
          <Name>a_f_m_asbtownfolk_01</Name>          
          <Variations type="NULL" />          
          <Probability value="1.000000" />          
          <TimeOfDay />          
          <InventoryInfoHash />        
        </Item>

You can play with the file and use this barebone LML mod to get it into the game:  PedExpressBySAC.rar (replace the payload file with your modded one). Search for <!-- SAC --> to see where I made additions, for now I am testing Valentine only to figure out how the system works).

Please note that adding models into model sets also makes those models eligible spawns - in this case, you will get Annesburg females spawning as piano players in Valentine, not just sandboxing just in case they are there. Which is something I wish I knew before messing with the ymts to mix up population, but this feature is something I've learnt a few days ago.

This does not mean females will be able to perform all the male scenarios (far from it) because there are no female animations for that scenario - e.g. you cannot make females carry timber because there is no female animation for that, only male. I don't have a solution for that, I've tried making a female model to use a male skeleton but that did not go pretty. But some activities are accessible, I'm sure I've seen females driving carts around Valentine - riding, I don't know, haven't seen them, but that can also mean I need to add them into a different "model set" (e.g. "cowboys", Idk)

1 hour ago, Toven said:

Also, do you know why more people don't tweak the NPCs? In terms of adding a few more models at least. Is it just too difficult to do?

Give me some examples of what you mean by "models". Due to reasons that escape me, RDR uses different skeletons for the unique characters, which means that haircuts or clothes that fit unique characters cannot be worn by vanilla NPC skeletons. This is also why the player cannot wear NPC clothes, mismatched skeletons.

But mashing up some models can be achieved the same way I did this mod, as long as the skeletons are compatible.

Honestly I'm not at all good at modding so I'd be a bit too afraid to try any of this on my own as I'm sure I'd fail at it. I didn't really think about male sandboxing not being able to be performed by female characters but I suppose that does make sense. As far as what I meant by models I meant variety in general. I mess around with various trainers and spawn NPCs often enough to notice that so many are only used once, or not at all. If I knew how to do anything with modding I'd attempt to make a lot of those unused or rare NPC models appear in the towns, roads on horses as any other NPC does. Not sure if you are familiar with GTA 5, but if you are then the mod World of Variety is what I'd hope someone could eventually make for RDR.

3 hours ago, Toven said:

Honestly I'm not at all good at modding so I'd be a bit too afraid to try any of this on my own as I'm sure I'd fail at it. 

Failing is part of the process. I've failed dozens (hundreds) of attempts to do various stuff, depending of the complexity, a lot of which due to the fact we are doing this partially in blind for lack of documentation, another lot due to sheer incompetence until I've learnt better.

You cannot do permanent damage (the game saves are not persistent enough to do so), just give it a shot, see what happens. Worst case scenario, you delete the mod.

(btw, speaking of failing, my example above is failed due to the fact females, or at least NPC females don't seem to have animations for piano playing, meaning they just stand around the piano with a blank look on their faces... oh well, notch another fail)

Please test these (overwrite the initial ones) and let me know if they provide a better balance for males in Valentine (it's a balance test for males that I've done for Valentine only for the moment).

a_m_m_valtownfolk_02.ymt a_m_m_valfarmer_01.ymt a_m_m_vallaborer_01.ymt a_m_m_valtownfolk_01.ymt

16 hours ago, SAC said:

 

Please test these (overwrite the initial ones) and let me know if they provide a better balance for males in Valentine (it's a balance test for males that I've done for Valentine only for the moment).

 

 

a_m_m_valtownfolk_02.ymt 705.62 kB · 0 downloads a_m_m_valfarmer_01.ymt 485.76 kB · 0 downloads a_m_m_vallaborer_01.ymt 745.75 kB · 0 downloads a_m_m_valtownfolk_01.ymt 549.72 kB · 0 downloads

Just overwrote the 4 files and I'll let you know!

It seems a tad bit better but it's still pretty heavily populated with Guarma guys. If that's what you wanted to me to be testing?

Also just as a side-note, the female rider I saw in Emerald Ranch I THINK is a variation of female Rough Travelers according to a trainer I used to spawn some. I just don't understand why they are so rare to spawn in naturally. I've sunk 200.2 hours in RDR2 and have only ever seen 1 spawn in by themselves.

4 hours ago, Toven said:

It seems a tad bit better but it's still pretty heavily populated with Guarma guys. If that's what you wanted to me to be testing?

Yes, I did some changes and was asking if it feels more balanced now. I think I'll add in the bunch of quasi-hillbillies from Rhodes.

4 hours ago, Toven said:

 

Also just as a side-note, the female rider I saw in Emerald Ranch I THINK is a variation of female Rough Travelers according to a trainer I used to spawn some. I just don't understand why they are so rare to spawn in naturally. I've sunk 200.2 hours in RDR2 and have only ever seen 1 spawn in by themselves.

Install the mod I've attached earlier, edit ambientpedmodelsets.meta, search for "val_", find the relevant female Valentine Town model sets, add the rough traveler, see if they spawn and sandbox

    <Item type="CAmbientModelSet">
      <Name>VAL_TOWN_FEMALE_FANCY</Name>
      <Models>

        <Item> 
          <Name>A_F_M_ValTownfolk_01</Name>
          <Variations type="NULL" />
          <Probability value="1.000000" />
          <TimeOfDay />
          <InventoryInfoHash />
        </Item>

<!-- ^^ this is the original entry -->

        <Item>
          <Name>a_f_m_roughtravellers_01</Name>
          <Variations type="NULL" />
          <Probability value="1.000000" />
          <TimeOfDay />
          <InventoryInfoHash />
        </Item>

<!-- ^^ this is added --> 

      </Models>
      <SpawnDistance value="100.000000" />
      <AIMemoryGroup>VALENTINE_RESIDENTS</AIMemoryGroup>
    </Item>

<!-- ... -->

    <Item type="CAmbientModelSet">
      <Name>VAL_TOWN_FEMALE_POOR</Name>
      <Models>

                <Item> <!-- SAC -->          
                  <Name>a_f_m_roughtravellers_01</Name>          
                  <Variations type="NULL" />          
                  <Probability value="1.000000" />          
                  <TimeOfDay />          
                  <InventoryInfoHash />        
                </Item>

        <Item>
          <Name>A_F_M_ValTownfolk_01</Name>
          <Variations type="NULL" />
          <Probability value="1.000000" />
          <TimeOfDay />
          <InventoryInfoHash />
        </Item>

      </Models>
      <SpawnDistance value="100.000000" />
      <AIMemoryGroup>VALENTINE_RESIDENTS</AIMemoryGroup>
    </Item>

<!-- ... other relevant model sets -->

Do I copy all of the above? And do I copy it directly below?

<Name>VAL_TOWN_FEMALE_FANCY</Name>
      <Models>

        <Item> 
          <Name>A_F_M_ValTownfolk_01</Name>
          <Variations type="NULL" />
          <Probability value="1.000000" />
          <TimeOfDay />
          <InventoryInfoHash />
        </Item>

2 hours ago, Toven said:

        <Item> 
          <Name>a_f_m_roughtravellers_01</Name>
          <Variations type="NULL" />
          <Probability value="1.000000" />
          <TimeOfDay />
          <InventoryInfoHash />
        </Item>

 

This it the item (model) you want to insert. Notice it starts with <Item>, closes with </Item> ( / is for closing) and inserts what between them. Where you add it is up to your own testing, what I've posted is some examples of proper placing where it would have a noticeable impact.

Thanks! Just so I'm clear, the ambientpedmodelsets goes into the stream folder, yes? Also, I have ambient gangs installed, would that conflict?

5 hours ago, Toven said:

Thanks! Just so I'm clear, the ambientpedmodelsets goes into the stream folder, yes?

No, it goes into lml\PedExpressBySAC\PedExpress after you unpack the mod I've provided you above, however... 

5 hours ago, Toven said:

 

Also, I have ambient gangs installed, would that conflict?

of course it would conflict, Ambient gangs introduces new models and updates the sandboxing by updating the same file.

So, in this case, forget PedExpress and modify the ambient gangs file direcly (which, if I read it right, should be in \lml\Ambient Gang - RDR1 Gang). This way you are effectively creating what we've called a "merged patch" in FO4/Skyrim, i.e. two mods coexisting even though they affect the same file.

Backup the AG file in advance, keep in mind that updating Ambient gangs will overwrite your modded file, so back it up while you work on it.

You can use https://www.xmlvalidation.com/ to make sure you are not introducing errors - upload the file after you mod it and it will tell you if you have structural issues.

Thanks! I have been trying to figure out what exactly I am doing wrong. I've added roughtravellers to the ambientgangs file we discussed but I'm noticing no differences yet. I must be missing a step or perhaps not putting the lines for roughtravellers in the correct place. Even though I think I am!

7 minutes ago, Toven said:

Thanks! I have been trying to figure out what exactly I am doing wrong. I've added roughtravellers to the ambientgangs file we discussed but I'm noticing no differences yet. I must be missing a step or perhaps not putting the lines for roughtravellers in the correct place. Even though I think I am!

DM me:

- the modded ambientgangs file

- ModManager.log, vfs.log (from the RDR2 root directory)