Fallout 5 — Combat, Co-Op, Scares & World Reactivity Upgrade (Design Pitch v0.1)

0) Design pillars

Weighty combat, readable danger. Clear feedback for recoil, stagger, armor hits, and limb trauma.
Fear with rhythm. An “AI Director” dials tension up/down so jump scares land instead of numbing.
Drop-in co-op, single-player first. Every system plays great solo and flexes seamlessly to 2–4 players.
The Wasteland remembers. “Rogues,” prisoners, robots, and returning factions leave marks on the world state.

1) Combat & Weaponry 2.0

Ballistics & damage

True projectile ballistics (drop, travel time, penetration) with calibers that matter against armor classes.
Hit zones & trauma: head (concussion/blur), chest (winded), arms (aim sway, reload speed), legs (mobility).
Armor model: light/medium/heavy + condition; AP, HP, slug, flechette, and micro-shrapnel variants.
Energy/elemental types: laser (bleed heat/ignite oil), plasma (corrosive splash), cryo (brittle shatter).
Gore/dismemberment toggle and “cinematic finishers” setting for accessibility.

Weapon handling & stances

Stance triangle: hip-fire (fast, inaccurate), ADS (accurate, slower), braced (highest control; deploy bipod, lean).
Momentum moves: sprint-break vault, slide-brake, shoulder-check (staggers in melee range).
Suppression meter: sustained near-misses shake aim and slow reloads (affects player & NPCs).

Melee that matters

Guard/Clash/Riposte loop: timed block → stamina drain on attacker → riposte window.
Targeted maims (arm to break aim chains; leg to stop rushers). Weapon reach and mass change poise/stagger.

Weapons 2.0: modularity + maintenance

Frame > Receiver > Barrel > Stock/Grip > Rail > Mag > Optic > Muzzle (every piece has stats + quirks).
Heat & fouling: energy weapons overheat; ballistics foul → clean at benches; field-strip skill shortens downtime.
Named proto-tech: Enclave gauss “Whisperline,” Brotherhood coilgun “Lion’s Spit,” Institute scatter-photon “Rake.”

V.A.T.S. evolved

Focus V.A.T.S. (solo): brief time-dilation, low-FOV tunnel; AP costs scale with armor/angle/limb state.
Sync V.A.T.S. (co-op): 1–2 sec slow-mo bubble; each player tags 1–2 actions; shared Team AP pool and team perks.

2) AI & Encounter Crafting

Goal-Oriented AI Roles

Breachers, flanks, medics, sappers, drone-handlers, captors. They retreat, regroup, capture downed targets.
Morale & comms: kill the radio-caller to stop reinforcements; jam sets cause panic/friendly fire.

AI Director for fear (“Tension Budget”)

Tracks light, noise, player vitals, ammo, recent wins/losses to schedule scares:
- Soft beats: distant footsteps, Geiger spikes, radio whispers.
- Hard beats: blackout flickers, vent-crawl bots, corpse-jerk “false wakes,” Doomsday robot footfalls.
- Cool-downs: safe pockets to loot/plan before the next spike.

Procedural encounter recipes

Prisoner Convoy, Bunker Purge, Derelict Lab, Ghost Town Sweep, Ambush Ridge—each with variant squads, props, and weather modifiers.

3) Single-Player & Co-Op (drop-in/out)

Modes: Story (1–2), Ops Board (1–4 short missions), Free-Roam (1–4).
Progression authority: host = world state; guests keep character XP, loot, faction rep, blueprints.
Scaling: enemy count/roles scale; elites unlock at 3–4 players; Co-op Affix (e.g., “Thermal vents” for plasma units).
Tethering: generous—hard gates only in story set pieces; quick Rally Zip to leader.
Co-op stealth: dual takedowns, synchronized picks, paired mini-games (overwatch hack + door breach).
Role synergies: Tech (jam/overclock), Scout (mark/trap), Heavy (shield/suppress), Medic (stim revive).
Friendly fire lanes: Casual (off), Hybrid (reduced), Sim (on with ricochet).

4) “Find Better Objects” — Loot, Craft, Blueprint Codex

Legendary 2.0: affix pools tied to faction provenance (Enclave = mil-spec sensors; Railroad = clandestine silencers).
Blueprint Codex: scan relics to reverse-engineer parts; partial scans craft jury-rigged variants with drawbacks.
Conditioning: mods stress parts; reckless overcharge can scar a weapon (unique quirk… or flaw).
Field benches: micro-benches deployable in cover; risk of ambush ping if used too long.

5) Robots, Prisoners, and Rogues (Dynamic Populations)

Robot Framework

Chassis (Protector, Assaultron, Sentry, Doomsday) + Core (Power rating) + Behaviors (Patrol, Guardian, Berserk) + Mounts (arms, tools, weapons).
Engineer companion questline: convert Doomsday robots into “Kamikaze-Safe” companions (explosive charge vents outward; self survives). Craft Remote Det and Panic Recall.
Salvage trees: higher skill yields intact servos/optic arrays → unlock advanced mounts (arc welder, cryo lance).

Prisoner System

Dynamic captures: slavers, raiders, or factions transport captives. Intercept → outcomes: recruit, ransom, escort, intelligence.
Trust/Betrayal: hidden traits (coward, zealot, opportunist) can flip later—spawning Nemesis arcs.

Rogue NPCs

Tags: Bounty, Debt, Oath, Vice, Grudge. Rogues seed radiant quests, ambushes, or unlikely ally moments.
Reputation math: your faction optics change how rogues greet you (e.g., Enclave gear scares wasters; Railroad gear calms synths).

6) Returning Factions & “Conclaves”

(Assuming “Conclaves” = Enclave remnants—plus other legacy groups)

Enclave Remnants (“Conclave Cells”): clean-room bunkers, black-ops patrols, gauss & seeker drones. Mechanics: propaganda towers, ID spoofing, bunker lockdowns.
Brotherhood of Steel (Splinters): doctrine splits (Tech-Maximalists vs Humanitarian Knights). Mechanics: squire mentorship, patrol airdrops, Paladin Trials.
NCR Pathfinders (expeditionary detachment): caravans, forward bases, supply politics. Mechanics: trade routes, fortify waystations, taxation choices.
Institute Diaspora: gen-3 synth cells, identity crises. Mechanics: ethics flags for synth rights, memory clinics.
Railroad Remnants: clandestine networks. Mechanics: disguise & cover ops, safehouses, “rail sign” puzzles.
Gunners 2.0: merc PMC with contracts board; contract difficulty changes Wasteland sentiment toward you.
Vault-Tec Projects (e.g., X-21 tie-ins): experimental wings, ethically gray upgrades. Mechanics: mutation crafting & containment events.

Faction gameplay

Reputation lattice: choices tip alliances; joint ops unlock cross-faction tech (e.g., Enclave optics + BoS coil receivers).
Uniform & insignia disguise: craft credible disguises; fail checks under scrutiny (papers, speech, or bribe).

7) Set-Piece Missions (examples)

“Blackout at Hangar 12” (fear + robots): power cut → strobes, echoing servos; Doomsday footsteps telegraph; engineer’s mod turns one into a deployable ally mid-fight.
“Prisoners’ Parade” (systems crossover): slaver convoy with jammers; split-team co-op: sniper overwatch, infiltrator detaches clamps, heavy stops reinforcements.
“Conclave Echoes” (Enclave bunker heist): Synced V.A.T.S. breach, radiation flooding puzzles, propaganda tower sabotage changes patrol density region-wide.
“Rogue’s Debt” (nemesis arc): a rescued rogue sells you out; track them to a Gunners black site; choose justice, mercy, or leverage.

8) Scare Crafting Toolkit (for designers)

Tension Curves: Lo/Lo/Hi/Cooldown templates per biome; Director schedules soft (audio, silhouettes) → hard (encounter) → cool-down.
Cadence knobs: darkness bias, decoy frequency, false-safe probability, “breather” probability.
Diegetic scares: malfunctioning Mr. Handy leaks a lullaby, holotapes that change on replay, mannequins that re-pose when unobserved.

9) Difficulty Lanes (your preferred framing)

Casual/Assisted: generous ammo & stims, V.A.T.S. longer, friendly fire off, simplified armor.
Hybrid/Standard: default survival, suppression on, basic armor interactions, friendly fire reduced.
Sim/Discipline: full ballistics, armor/heat/fouling, friendly fire ON, limited HUD, harsher limb trauma.

10) MVP → V1 → V2 roadmap

MVP (vertical slice, 1–2 regions)

Core gunplay + stances, suppression, basic armor classes.
Sync V.A.T.S. (2-player), Ops Board with 4 mission recipes.
AI Director with 3 scare beats; Doomsday robot encounter + engineer mini-quest.
Prisoner Convoy system (recruit/ransom), Rogue Nemesis seed.
Enclave bunker + small BoS patrols; Blueprint Codex Tier-1.

V1 (campaign ready)

Full weapon modularity, heat/fouling, expanded calibers.
6+ faction loops, disguise, propaganda towers, patrol world-state shifts.
Robot Framework (mount variety), prisoner traits/betrayals, rogue arcs.
10+ set-pieces, biome-specific scare palettes.

V2 (post-launch)

4-player story option via optional “Squad narrative” routes.
Advanced co-op roles (shield link, overclock link), settlement raids/defense.
Mutation crafting wing, Vault-Tec rogue-like containment breaches.

11) Player-facing UX notes

Readability: hit shield, armor crack, blood mist, and limb icons are distinct.
Audio: suppression whine, armor ping, heat hiss, cryo crystal-tinkle—noisy but informative.
Settings: granular toggles for gore, spook intensity, arachnophobia replacements, camera shake, colorblind, and caption tiers.

Fallout 5 — Combat, Co-Op, Scares & World Reactivity (Design Addendum v0.2)

1) Weapon Families, Mods & Fail States

Ballistics (examples & roles)

.22 LR (varmint/stealth), 9×19 (SMGs, sidearms), .45 ACP (stopping power), 5.56 NATO (mid-range), 7.62×39 (brush/penetration), 7.62 NATO (DMR), .50 (anti-materiel).
Shot: buck, slug, flechette, dragon’s breath (ignition hazard), cryo shell (brittle debuff).
Specials: Gyrojet micro-rockets (silent velocity), caseless (heat/FTR spikes), subsonic (suppression↓, stealth↑).

Energy/Elemental

Laser (beam; heat stacks → ignite oils), Plasma (blob; corrosive splash), Cryo (cone; brittle threshold), Ion (EMP arcs vs. robots & power armor).

Melee Classes

Light (machetes, batons) fast/stagger-light; Medium (fire axes, hammers) poise break; Heavy (sledge, super sledge) area cleave & armor crack; Exotic (shock baton, ripper) status-heavy.

Mod Slots & Examples

Receiver (match-grade: crit spread↓; caseless: heat↑ recoil↓), Barrel (heavy: sway↓ ADS-time↑; integrally-suppressed: sound↓ range↓), Stock/Grip (folding: mobility↑ recoil↑), Mag (drum: capacity↑ reload-penalty), Muzzle (comp: recoil↓ flash↑; precision brake: recoil↓ noise↑), Optic (prism 1×, LPVO 1-6× with tunnel vision), Rail (rangefinder = drop compensation; shot counter = fouling alert).

Maintenance & Fail States

Heat (energy) → overheat jam; Fouling (ballistics) → misfeed; Wear → accuracy cone bloom.
Quick-Clear Mini-Game (risk/reward): fail = long jam; success = back in action, small durability hit.

2) Combat Math & Tuning Knobs

Penetration Score = Caliber Base × Barrel Factor × Ammo Type − Target Armor Tier (min 0).
Stagger Check = (Impact Impulse × Hit Zone Multiplier) − Target Poise; success = flinch/knockdown.
Suppression accumulates per near-miss/impact within radius; decays with cover, leadership perks, chems.
Limb Trauma Thresholds: arm (aim sway + reload penalty), leg (sprint lock + crouch speed boost), head (tunnel vision + tinnitus) — each with medic tool counters.

3) AI Packages & Behaviors

Role Brains

Breacher (flash → entry → close-quarters grapples), Flanker (pathfinds side angles, traps), Sapper (mines, doors), Drone-Handler (spotter quadcopters), Captor (non-lethals, zip-cuffs).
Commander AI: issues retreats, calls reinforcements, rallies morale; killing/isolating them collapses squad cohesion.

Senses & Signals

Light cone (dark-bias), sound graph (material aware), smell (ghouls/mutants), comms net (jam/decoy).
Capture Loop: downed player/NPC → drag to cover → bind → move to extraction → timed rescue window.

4) Co-Op Systems (1–4 Players)

Team AP & Sync V.A.T.S.

Generation: headshots, assists, suppressing fire, utility plays (heal, jam, revive) → Team AP bank.
Activation: 1–2 sec slow-mo bubble; each player commits 1–2 queued actions; bubble strength scales with bank.

Class Synergies (soft classes via perk trees)

Tech: jammer (enemy comms-off), overclock (ally fire rate burst), turret deploy.
Scout: recon ping (marks weak points), decoy thrower, silent takedown chain.
Heavy: deployable cover, shield wall, suppressive cone (wider suppression radius).
Medic: stim-lance revive, trauma patch (limb debuff clear), team DR aura.
Dual Plays: shield-peek breach, paired hacks (one overwatch snipe + one hack), dual takedowns.

Scaling & Affixes

+1 player = +roles not just +HP. At 3–4, introduce elite affixes (Thermal Vents, Piercing Rounds, Drone Swarm).

5) Tension/Scare Director (Advanced)

Inputs: ambient light, noise, ammo, player health, recent deaths, time since last scare, biome tag.
Budget: Soft beats (0–1), Medium (2–3), Hard (4–6). Director spends/earns points based on player state.

Beat Library

Soft: Geiger ticks, shadow sweep, radio desync whisper, distant clank, “false footstep”.
Medium: short power flicker, vent-crawl bot silhouette, corpse twitch, door slam behind last player.
Hard: blackout wave + red emergency strobes, Doomsday robot approach (infra thump), feral swarm burst.

Biome Palettes

Metro: echo/metallic pings, rat swarms, railcar rattle.
Wetlands: bubble pops, gas pockets ignite, fog silhouettes.
Labs: PA ghosts, auto-surgery arms twitch, specimen tank cracks.
Suburbs: TVs auto-on, mannequins re-pose when unobserved, child-song music box detunes.

Toggles: Arachnophobia replacements, spook intensity slider, “No sudden audio spikes” accessibility.

6) Robot Framework & Engineer Companion Arc

Chassis & Mounts

Protector (shield + baton/taser), Assaultron (optic laser, blade arms), Sentry (tri-mount heavy), Doomsday (vented charge).
Mounts: arc welder, cryo lance, ion emitter, grapple claw, riot foam sprayer, saw arm.

Hack & Bonding Tiers

Tier 1: temp override (short-term ally)
Tier 2: re-key core (companion slot)
Tier 3: behavior rewrite (custom routines, emotes, patrols)

“Kamikaze-Safe” Conversion

Re-engineer the charge to directional vent (45° forward cone).
Damage model: High in cone, minimal to chassis; timed arming; player-placed det or AI-decide under Director rules.
Counterplay: EMP stuns cancel charge; wet surfaces boost ion arc.

Quest Beats (Engineer Companion)

Recover corrupted firmware from a Conclave cache.
Field-test vented charge in a live nest.
Decide: keep lethal cone or convert to stunning concussive variant (non-lethal crowd control).
Unlock Fabrication Bench: print mounts from salvaged servos/optic arrays.

7) Prisoners, Rogues & Nemesis

Prisoner Traits (hidden, revealed via speech/perception)

Coward, Zealot, Grifter, Loyalist, Opportunist, Plant (spy), Healer, Tinkerer.
Outcomes: recruit (temporary follower), ransom (caps/resources), safe-escort (reputation), intel (map updates).
Betrayal Seeds: low trust + opportunist/plant → defection; spawns Nemesis with personal taunts, gear growth, ambush chance.

Rogues

Tag web: Bounty, Debt, Oath, Vice, Grudge.
Trigger radiant quests (Heist, Hunt, Protection), unique shops (black market kits), or double-cross set-pieces.

8) Returning Factions & Conclaves (Mechanics)

Enclave “Conclave Cells”

Propaganda Towers (radios sway locals; debuff player rep unless sabotaged), ID-spoof armor, gauss & seeker drones.
Heist Loop: spoof badge → vault access → decontam puzzle → data/tech heist → tower sabotage shifts regional patrol density.

Brotherhood (Splinters)

Tech-Maximalists (exos, coilguns, confiscation laws) vs Humanitarians (community patrols, squire program).
Paladin Trials unlock perks (braced stance buff, armor repair in field).

NCR Pathfinders

Trade Routes & waystations; choose tax/defend/raid → alters caravan traffic, prices, and guard presence.

Institute Diaspora & Railroad Remnants

Synth rights flags affect quest availability; disguise ops (papers, voiceprint checks, rail sign puzzles).

Gunners 2.0

Contract board with shifting employer reputation; “go loud” contracts reduce settlement trust.

Cross-Faction Tech

Combine optics (Enclave) + receivers (BoS) = coil-gauss hybrid, etc. Requires dual goodwill or black-market workarounds.

9) Loot, Blueprint Codex & Economy

Scan-to-Blueprint: complete scan → clean craft; partial scan → jury-rig (quirk + flaw).
Affixes tied to provenance (Railroad silencers = heat↑ sound↓↓; Conclave optics = aim assist cone↓ precision↑).
Black Markets: sell contraband, falsify IDs, craft disguises; risk of sting ops.
Conditioning: overclock mods raise Stress; crossing thresholds can scar the weapon (permanent quirk) unless serviced.

10) Encounter & Mission Recipes (Ops Board)

Bunker Purge (hazmat, vents, timed fans), Ambush Ridge (killbox vs. counter-snipe), Prisoner Parade (jammer truck), Derelict Lab (power routing + specimen breaches), Ghost Town Sweep (hollow houses + scare beats).
Mutators: Low-Vis Fog, Ammo Drought, EMP Storm, Predator Pack, “No HUD” Challenge, Friendly Fire “Sim”.

11) Progression & Perks (high-level)

Trees: Combat, Tech, Survival, Charisma (co-op synergies across all).

Combat: Braced Mastery, Controlled Burst, Riposte+, Armor Crack.
Tech: Field Strip Pro, IDSpoof, Drone Buddy, Overclock Chain.
Survival: Quiet Footing, Scav Savant, Trauma Care, Chem Craft.
Charisma: Interrogate, Rally (suppression resist aura), Double-Deal (rogue negotiations), Co-op AP Boon.

Signature Perks

Shot Caller: killing a commander grants team AP burst.
Ghost Walk: consecutive stealth kills extend detection buffer.
Last Zip: auto-deploy cover on revive; short DR window.

12) UX & Accessibility (player-facing)

Hit Clarity: armor crack sprite vs. flesh mist vs. brittle shatter are distinct.
Status Rails: top-left limb icons + timers; bottom-right heat/fouling; center suppression vignette.
Assist Sliders: aim assist, recoil help, V.A.T.S. duration, friendly fire lanes, spook intensity, colorblind & caption tiers.

13) World Reactivity & Newsflow

Patrol Density Map changes with tower sabotage, faction rep, contract choices.
Radio News & Rumors reflect player heists, rescues, betrayals.
Wanted System: take hostile contracts → bounties posted; bribe/clear via faction contacts.

14) Set-Piece Concepts (new)

“Signal Lost”: EMP storm disables optics; fight by muzzle flash & lightning silhouette, Scout leads via flares.
“Glass Menagerie”: cryo tanks cracking; timed valves; choose to save specimens or weaponize breaches.
“Taxman’s Due”: NCR convoy dilemma—defend for rep or skim goods for black market favor.
“Paper Saints”: Railroad infiltration with paper checks, voiceprint mimic mini-game, shadow tailing.

15) Vertical Slice Checklist (playable goals)

1 biome (Metro), 1 Ops Hub, 4 mission recipes with 2 mutators each.
Gunplay: 2 ballistics families + 1 energy, heat/fouling, 10 core mods, 3 fail states.
Melee Guard/Clash/Riposte loop with 3 weapon classes.
AI: 4 roles + Commander, capture drag, comms/jam.
Tension Director: 6 soft/4 medium/3 hard beats (toggleable).
Robots: 2 chassis + Engineer quest beat 1–2 + Kamikaze-Safe test.
Factions: Enclave tower, BoS patrol, 1 disguise check.
Prisoner/Rogue: 3 traits live, 1 Nemesis flip.
Co-Op: Team AP + Sync V.A.T.S., 2 class synergies, friendly-fire lanes.

Fallout 5 — Combat, Co-Op, Scares & World Reactivity (Design Addendum v0.3)

1) Core Tuning Ranges (first-pass, VS-ready)

1.1 Armor & Penetration

Armor tiers: Cloth (0), Scrap (20), Light (45), Medium (70), Heavy (100), Powered (135).
Pen Score = (CaliberBase × BarrelFactor × AmmoMod) − ArmorTier; clamp ≥ 0.
- CaliberBase: .22=18, 9mm=35, .45=48, 5.56=55, 7.62×39=62, 7.62 NATO=75, .50=120.
- BarrelFactor: Short=0.85, Carbine=1.00, Rifle=1.15, DMR=1.25.
- AmmoMod: AP=+20, HP=−15 (but +30 flesh dmg), Subsonic=−10 (stealth perks negate).
Damage multipliers by hit zone: Head 2.0× (helmet mitigates up to 30%), Chest 1.0×, Abdomen 0.9× (bleed↑), Arm 0.8× (sway↑), Leg 0.8× (mobility↓).
Brittle threshold (Cryo): if target has “Brittle” ≥ 100 and receives Pen Score ≥ 40 → shatter check (25% base).

1.2 Limb Trauma Thresholds

Arm Trauma: 40/80/120 (tiers). Effects: +10%/+20%/+35% sway, reload +5%/+10%/+20%.
Leg Trauma: 40/80/120. Effects: sprint off / crawl speed +20% / periodic stumble.
Head Trauma: 30/70/110. Effects: tinnitus (audio low-pass 6s/10s/15s), tunnel FOV −5/−10/−15 deg.

1.3 Heat & Fouling

Energy heat cap: 100. Overheat at 85+ (jam animation 1.2s). Heat per shot: Laser +8, Plasma +12, Ion +10, Cryo +9. Passive cool: −6/s (moving) or −10/s (braced).
Ballistic fouling cap: 100. Misfeed at 80+ (clear mini-game 0.9–1.6s). Fouling per shot: pistol +1, rifle +2, shotgun +4. Quick clean (field strip): −35; Bench clean: reset to 0.

1.4 Suppression & Morale

Suppression gain per near-miss (<2m): pistol 6, rifle 10, MG 16, explosion 30.
Suppression decay: −8/s in cover, −4/s exposed; Commander aura +3/s.
Morale states: Steady (≥70), Shaken (30–69), Broken (≤29). Broken units seek hard cover, may surrender (5–15%).

2) Sync V.A.T.S. & Team AP (spec)

Earning Team AP: headshot +6, assist +3, revive +10, utility play (jam/heal/trap) +4, elite kill +12.
Cap: 100 AP. Activation costs:
- 2-player bubble: 30 AP (1.2s slow-mo @ 40% time scale)
- 3–4 players: 45 AP (1.4s @ 35%).
Queued actions per player: base 1; Charisma: Tactician II → +1.
Armor/Angle AP surcharge: targeting Heavy frontal plate adds +3 AP per shot; flank angle (≥50°) refunds 2 AP.
Cooldown: 10s global; −2s if bubble ends with “Overwatch Finish” (last target downed).

3) AI: Role Brains & Blackboard Keys

Blackboard keys: threat_map, last_shot_dir, suppression_level, commander_status, ally_state[], capture_targets[], jammed_channels[]

Breacher BT (abridged):


Selector
 ├─ If(door_intact && flash_ready) → ThrowFlash → BreachEntry → CloseQuartersCombo
 ├─ If(suppression_level > 60) → SmokeCover → ZigRush
 └─ FallbackCover → LeanFire

Commander BT:


Parallel(Policy: Succeed On One)
 ├─ EvaluateMorale → If(Broken) → OrderRetreat
 ├─ CallReinforcements (cooldown 45s; jammed_channels blocks)
 └─ MarkTargets (broadcast priorities to squad)

Captor BT (new):


Sequence
 ├─ FindDownedTarget → DragToCover
 ├─ ZipCuff (3s)  // creates "prisoner" actor
 └─ RouteToExtraction (spawns timer event & map ping)

4) Tension Director FSM

States: Calm → Unease → Dread → Crescendo → Breather → (loops)

Budget per loop: 8 points. Soft=1, Medium=2, Hard=4.
Escalation rules: if player HP <35% or ammo <20% → +1 free Soft, never Hard. After two Hard beats in 5 min → force Breather.
Inputs: ambient lux, noise, last scare time, biome palette, co-op size, arachnophobia toggle.
Diegetic hooks: lights, radios, vents, mannequins, PA systems, Geiger spikes.

5) Disguise & Suspicion (Conclave/Railroad ops)

Suspicion meter (0–100):
- Baseline by uniform authenticity (cloth 20, crafted 40, stolen real 70 + papers 20).
- Behavior modifiers: sprinting +10/s, pointing gun +15, lingering in restricted +5/s, wrong passphrase +40.
- Counterplay: present papers (−35), passphrase (−25), bribe (−20), leave zone (−8/s).
Checks: gate sentry (quick), officer (deep); at 100 → alarm & ID flag for region 30m.

6) Prisoner & Rogue Systems (state flow)

Prisoner pipeline:
Downed (rescued) → Stabilized → Interrogated → Outcome

Outcomes: Recruit (temp follower), Ransom (caps/resources), Escort (reputation), Intel (map POIs).
Hidden traits gate betrayal seeds; if Trust < 40 and trait∈{Opportunist, Plant} → Nemesis spawn with personal taunts and growth gear.

Rogue arcs:

Seeds: Bounty, Debt, Oath, Vice, Grudge.
Branches: Deal → Double-Cross → Hunt OR Ally → Unique Shop OR Debt Cleared → Favors (free Fast-Travel once/day).

7) Faction Reputation Lattice (simplified)

Factions: Conclave(EN), Brotherhood(BoS), NCR, Railroad, Institute Diaspora, Gunners, Settlements.
Vector Rep[F] ∈ [−100, +100]. Action yields Δ to one and projections to rivals:
- Example: +20 BoS patrol rescue → EN −8, Gunners −10, Settlements +6.
Thresholds:
- −60 Hostile (kill on sight);
- −10 Wary (searches, higher prices);
- +40 Allied (shops, contracts, co-op ops);
- +75 Trusted (cross-tech crafts, elite quests).

8) Economy, Loot & Blueprint Codex

Rarity: Common, Uncommon, Rare, Epic, Prototype (faction-tied).
Affixes by provenance (samples):

Conclave Optics: Precision Core (+15% headshot crit window, −10% ADS speed).
Railroad Silencer: Whisper-weave (−25 dB, +10 heat per mag).
BoS Receiver: Coil-stabilized (recoil −20%, maintenance cost +1.5×).

Scan grades: Partial (60–89%) → Jury-Rig blueprint (quirk + flaw). Full (90–100%) → Clean blueprint.

Blueprint entry (example):


Item: Coil-Gauss Hybrid Receiver
Provenance: BoS × EN cross-tech
Reqs: Electromagnetics 2, Machining 2, EN Optics Scan (≥80%), BoS Receiver Scan (≥70%)
Stats: +25 Pen Score, -12% ROF, +10 recoil
Quirk (Jury-Rig only): Occasional coil whine (stealth -5 within 10m)

9) Ops Board: Mutators & Mission Recipes

Global Mutators: Low-Vis Fog (sight −20m), Ammo Drought (ammo spawns −50%), EMP Storm (scopes flicker), Predator Pack (elite melee rushers), No HUD (expert), Sim Fire (friendly fire ON).

Recipe skeleton:


MissionType: Prisoner Parade
MapTag: Metro
Forces: Slavers (Sapper+Captor), 1 Commander truck (Jammer)
Objectives:
 - Disable jammer (Sapper toolkit or Sync V.A.T.S. breach)
 - Free prisoners (3 cages; keys or lockpick)
 - Extract with ≥2 alive
Variants:
 - Fog + EMP
 - Conclave interest (reinforcement chance +30%)

10) Content Data Schemas (authoring-facing)

Weapon (YAML):


id: "rifle_mk1"
frame: "AR"
caliber: "5.56"
barrels: ["short","carbine","rifle"]
receivers: ["stock","match","caseless"]
mods:
  muzzle: ["comp","brake","suppressor"]
  optic: ["iron","prism1x","lpvo"]
heat_profile: { per_shot: 0, decay_s: 0 } # ballistic
fouling_profile: { per_shot: 2, misfeed: 80 }
base_recoil: 1.0
tags: ["ncr","common"]

AI Role (JSON):


{
  "role_id": "breacher",
  "weapons": ["shotgun","smg"],
  "utilities": ["flash","smoke"],
  "bt": "breacher_v1",
  "preferences": { "range": "close", "cover": "aggressive" }
}

Tension Beat (JSON):


{
  "id": "vent_crawl_bot",
  "tier": "Medium",
  "biomes": ["Metro","Labs"],
  "budget": 2,
  "cooldown_s": 120,
  "triggers": ["light<20","time_since_last>=60"],
  "fx": ["shadow_silhouette","metal_scrape"]
}

11) Encounter Script DSL (designer-friendly)


encounter "Blackout at Hangar 12" {
  biome = "Labs"
  director.state = DREAD
  on_start:
    power.cut()
    spawn("doomsday", at="hangar_far", patrol="slow_footfall")
    spawn_group("techs", count=4).equip("ion_pistols")
  beats:
    after 30s -> director.play("red_strobe")
    when player.heat>70 -> spawn("coolant_bot", route="leak_loop")
  objectives:
    "Restore Auxiliary" -> console.hack(diff=Medium)
    "Divert Coolant" -> valves.turn(3)
  success:
    reward.blueprint("vented_charge")
}

12) Co-Op Roles: Perk Nodes (examples)

Tech: Jammer I/II (comms off 8s/14s), Overclock I/II (+10%/+18% ROF 6s), Drone Buddy (spotter with weak-point marks).
Scout: Recon Ping (cone mark 8s), Ghost Step (noise −30%), Decoy Mk.II (draws 1–2 enemies).
Heavy: Deploy Cover (300 HP wall), Shield Wall (projectile DR 40% front), Suppressive Cone (+25% suppression radius).
Medic: Stim Lance (revive 1.5s), Trauma Patch (clear 1 limb debuff), Rally Pulse (+10 morale allies 5s).

13) Robots: Mount Table (samples)

Mount	Slot	Effect	Counter
Arc Welder	Arm	Chain lightning vs clustered foes	Rubber/insulated armor
Cryo Lance	Arm	Cone chill → brittle stacks	Fire DOT
Ion Emitter	Core	EMP burst (robots/power armor)	Faraday mod
Riot Foam Sprayer	Arm	Non-lethal immobilize (co-op capture)	Fire/acid
Grapple Claw	Arm	Pull target; opens melee riposte window	Poise high

14) Accessibility & Comfort

Scare Intensity Slider (0–5): 0 disables jump spikes; replaces with environmental tells.
No Sudden Audio Spikes toggle: caps transient volume deltas to −6 dBFS.
Arachnophobia Mode: swaps spider forms for crawler drones.
Camera: shake 0–100%, FOV range per platform, aim-assist curve sliders, subtitle tiers (combat/non-combat, SFX tags).

15) Vertical Slice (engineering KPIs)

Target perf (PS5/XBS): 60 FPS Performance, 40 FPS Quality (RT AO only).
AI: ≤28 active agents, ≤6 role types, comms/jam events ≤4/sec.
Netcode (P2P/Host): 120 ms bubble resync budget for Sync V.A.T.S., rollback window 150 ms for hitscan.
Memory: tension beat audio cache ≤64 MB, AI BB per agent ≤6 KB.

16) QA Scenarios (combat & fear)

Suppression loop: MG lane forces Shaken within 4s unless cover found.
Heat test: Plasma overheats after 8 consecutive shots (no perks), auto-cool ≤6s to safe.
Director fairness: No two Hard beats within 3 min; Breather enforced after Crescendo.
Capture rescue: 30s rescue window, map ping updates every 10s; co-op revive across bubble works.

17) Set-Piece Packs (ready to author)

“Signal Lost” (EMP storm, Scout leadership, flare pathing)
“Glass Menagerie” (cryo tank pressure puzzle, choice: weaponize specimens)
“Taxman’s Due” (NCR convoy ethics: defend vs skim)
“Paper Saints” (Railroad infiltration, passphrase & papers, suspicion mini-game)