Nice mod. Light touch and good attention to detail.
Going to also chime in and say I disagree with the barcode idea. Barcodes were not adopted into use until the 70's whereas binary has been around and in use far longer. (Though now that I say that... I think I may have seen barcodes used in the game in other places.... hmmm...)
Not to say that the Institute couldn't have had a better system of marking synths... such as with the binary tag of their 'Name'. But that is probably a decision that was more related to practicality in game rather than lore. The tattoos are barely visible, but are a nice subtle touch. Taking the effort to have a different texture for each Courser would not be the best use of development time... i.e. such as how all the gravestones are illegible and look mostly the same. None of this is a request, this mod is perfect. This is just me musing on what others have posted.
That said, in my head cannon is a unique binary stamp of their name.
And after all that rambling, thank you for this mod. :)
I've tried to look at characters in-game and their texture files, but I haven't been able to see any similar markings or tattoos. Which is kinda weird considering how DiMA and Nick were prototypes that were virtually identical to standard Gen-2 Synths before wear and tear caught up with them (and the former's modifications).
No other Gen3s use the tattoo except a bunch of unnamed coursers. (Levelled list templates for random encounters, I believe, and a few that you bump into during the main quest. I think the one you fight at Greentech might use it as well.)
it's not applied to a single standard gen3 (and it would be really stupid of the institute to mark their Gen3 infiltrators so I kinda get why it's not on everyone)
Gen2s are made of plastic and you can't tattoo plastic. (You could mark it in other ways, but no Gen2s make use of this or anything similar.)
In regards to Nick and DiMA, actual prototypes aren't always easily distinguishable from the production version and it's sometimes down to minute differences. In their case, since they're post Gen2, they were likely just 'off-the-shelf' Gen2s to start with - their biggest differences would be in software, so to say, and perhaps some minor hardware modifications to accommodate that (well, before they escaped the institute, of course. We know things changed with DiMA.)
(I have done texture edits for Nick and DiMA so I can verify that they don't have any markings along the lines of this tattoo.)
It's always bothered me that they don't have more data on their uniques/prototypes, at least now with this it gives the illusion that they could simply scan the synth and the correct file would be fetched from their intranet.
I totally agree with you that it would make zero sense for any kind of code, prototype number or unit number on any synth designed to leave the Institute (that isn't a loyal teleporting assassin), since the primary role of gen 3's on the surface is infiltration and intelligence gathering. I'm very grateful you extended it to some of the experimental synths. I totally didn't realise the issue with DiMA's neck haha, how about Shaun? Is it that you can't put them on children?
Young Shaun would require another adjusted mesh. I did consider it, but since he's not aware of the fact he's a synth, giving him the same tattoo kind of pokes some holes in that... Surely he would have asked about it in the institute, had he noticed? They'd have to have kept him away from mirrors his entire life.
Just strikes me as an extremely unlikely situation.
i can and will always overthink the lore suitability of everything i make and will back it up with essays, lol. (swear i'm not usually this chatty about it in the comments, but it IS my own mod, i think i'm allowed)
I have an idea for a mod. Could you make a mod that gives Dogmeat Heterochromia, like in Fallout 3? https://i.pinimg.com/236x/c3/43/7b/c3437b19bd1dfa261a613eeaca620583--german-husky-german-shepherd-rescue.jpg
Seriously, I didn't see it. Such Grey Color on his dark Skin is stupid... xD Bethesda did that right? What did they think lol Unless they didn't wanted anyone to ever see. I was like "where the hell is the Tattoo?" then I kind off saw it. They all have that?
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Going to also chime in and say I disagree with the barcode idea. Barcodes were not adopted into use until the 70's whereas binary has been around and in use far longer. (Though now that I say that... I think I may have seen barcodes used in the game in other places.... hmmm...)
Not to say that the Institute couldn't have had a better system of marking synths... such as with the binary tag of their 'Name'. But that is probably a decision that was more related to practicality in game rather than lore. The tattoos are barely visible, but are a nice subtle touch. Taking the effort to have a different texture for each Courser would not be the best use of development time... i.e. such as how all the gravestones are illegible and look mostly the same. None of this is a request, this mod is perfect. This is just me musing on what others have posted.
That said, in my head cannon is a unique binary stamp of their name.
And after all that rambling, thank you for this mod. :)
(Nick V., DiMA, child Shaun, Eve, requisition officer, cafeteria worker)
it's not applied to a single standard gen3 (and it would be really stupid of the institute to mark their Gen3 infiltrators so I kinda get why it's not on everyone)
Gen2s are made of plastic and you can't tattoo plastic. (You could mark it in other ways, but no Gen2s make use of this or anything similar.)
In regards to Nick and DiMA, actual prototypes aren't always easily distinguishable from the production version and it's sometimes down to minute differences. In their case, since they're post Gen2, they were likely just 'off-the-shelf' Gen2s to start with - their biggest differences would be in software, so to say, and perhaps some minor hardware modifications to accommodate that (well, before they escaped the institute, of course. We know things changed with DiMA.)
(I have done texture edits for Nick and DiMA so I can verify that they don't have any markings along the lines of this tattoo.)
Nick, DiMA and Eve are unique and the cafeteria and requisition gen 2's have unique jobs.
I'll be a bit busy this weekend and I have to fix some issues in my game so it might be a few days.
It's always bothered me that they don't have more data on their uniques/prototypes, at least now with this it gives the illusion that they could simply scan the synth and the correct file would be fetched from their intranet.
I totally agree with you that it would make zero sense for any kind of code, prototype number or unit number on any synth designed to leave the Institute (that isn't a loyal teleporting assassin), since the primary role of gen 3's on the surface is infiltration and intelligence gathering.
I'm very grateful you extended it to some of the experimental synths.
I totally didn't realise the issue with DiMA's neck haha, how about Shaun? Is it that you can't put them on children?
Just strikes me as an extremely unlikely situation.
Logic sound as ever.
https://i.pinimg.com/236x/c3/43/7b/c3437b19bd1dfa261a613eeaca620583--german-husky-german-shepherd-rescue.jpg
Such Grey Color on his dark Skin is stupid... xD Bethesda did that right? What did they think lol Unless they didn't wanted anyone to ever see.
I was like "where the hell is the Tattoo?" then I kind off saw it. They all have that?