B42 Bows Mod

Despite the war, despite ruzzian invaders, sirens, missiles strikes, despite cold,

hunger, lack of electricity, suffering and deaths. We are still here. We persevere.

And I thank every single one of you who helps us. This one's for you.

The wait is over. The mod project that started its hard life in 2017 is finally here.

Introducing B42 Bows for Fallout: New Vegas. This mod adds a new level

of depth and realism to the game's combat by adding new type of weapon

Recurve Bows!

With this mod, players can now engage in ranged combat in a whole new way,

adding completely new layer of strategy, tactics, and excitement to the game.

Each bow can be customized, allowing players to adapt to different situations.

But the true star of this mod is the huge variety of arrows available, including

regular, hunting, armor-piercing, explosive, pulse, gas, proximity detonated,

all coming in different shapes and materials! Where each arrow type has its

own unique properties and can be used in different ways to take out enemies.

The mod also includes several new perks that are directly related to the use of

bows, as well as challenges that offer unique rewards and perks on completion.

And last but not least, the mod features awesome new animations, making the

archery experience even more immersive and satisfying!

This mod is a must-have for any fan of ranged combat in Fallout: New Vegas.

Above was written by an OpenAI's ChatGPT3, because I couldn't be bothered.

Two fully working, customizable bows, with unique 3D models, textures, and animations.

19 different arrows to choose from. From simple wooden ones to devastating explosives.

*Every arrow is unique, and has its pros and cons. With detailed descriptions included!

POISONS WORK!

Full NPC support, including seamless arrow change, based on the target they are facing.

Several perks to choose from to improve your archery experience.

Multitude of challenges with unique perks as rewards on completion.

Archery crafting support on the go, just look it up in your inventory.

Skill-based and material-based arrow and arrow shaft retrieval

And the best of all, of course, that nothing of the above gonna work because something breaks!

If it does work though, don't take it for granted. What you see is a carefully crafted catastrophe.

Enjoy the mod!

Q&A for Mod Users:

Q: 6 years of wait for this?!

A: Yep

Q: Where do I get the bow and arrows?

A: Vendors, NPCs running around, looting stuff

Q: Where do I find crafting materials?

A: Same. Vendors and looting stuff around.

Q: Is it compatible with xyz mod?

A: Probably

Q: Can you add xyz?

A: Depends on time and effort.

Q: Ca you change xyz?

A: Sure, if it's a reasonable change.

Q: Why so very few perks?

A: Because in the past people were slightly unhappy (they were seething angry alright) that I made a lot of perks. But don't worry, I've added challenges that give you free perks on completion.

Q&A for Mod Makers:

Q: How do I make new bows?

A: Make a model, make it geomorphed, first key = stationary, second key - fully drawn. Names of keys are in existing bow models, look em up.

Q: How do I add them in the game?

A: Tutorial how to add them, which is slightly more pita, will be added later (same applies to adding arrows). Sorry. Alternatively you can send your model to me and I'll do the rest.

Q: Wait, why bow anim is a replacer, and not full kNVSE? You already require it anyway!

A: First and foremost, it uses empty throwing group, so it doesn't break any other weapon. As for why? Because kMVSE ver 21, that's floating around, crashes the game. And until there's a fix on a horizon - people who use 21 should be able to play as well. And because when I started making this mod - there was no kNVSE, so everything was already set up. I do have a fully functioning kNVSE version, and as soon as we get a fix - it goes live.

Q: Why is it so difficult to add new bows? Why all the ini files and folders and headache?

A: It's not that hard, I'll write a tutorial. And I will release an in-game editor in the future, that will make pose matching and ini file creation far simpler. As for why, missing anim groups and required functionality entirely. Like, game doesn't have them. End of story. For example, cancelling the shot. Or changing aim during drawing, or cross-anim transitions. All of it had to be coded from scratch.

Q: But because of that it's impossible to make new anims easily, each change means new ini!

A: It's possible, you just have to add/replace ini files with new coded anim values (either by hand or by using YET unreleased editor). As for new bows with entirely new anims - will have to wait until kNVSE 21 is fixed for that. Still gonna need ini stuff anyway, because new anim groups won't just magically come into existence. I don't like it myself, but there is no other way. It's either like this, or the whole thing gonna look like ugly ass cheap hack and fall apart.

Q: Arrows are skinned objects? Jebuz on a pogo stick, man, why? Why adding new arrows require so much effort? Why not make arrows part of the bow model like xyz mod does?

A: Same as with bows themselves, arrows as a thing was just not there. This isn't Oblivion, and there is no hidden leftover code everyone believes in, that makes thing whoosh and magically working. I wanted arrows to be a) not bound to the bow model, to be able to add new ones at any time and literally from any third-party mod, b) NPC support, that would've been absolute nightmare to add properly otherwise, c) custom, per arrow, quivers support.

Q: So much effort for something dumb/irrelevant/miniscule, why? No one probably gonna add new arrows anyway lol!

A: It doesn't matter then, mod works as it is supposed to work, and what's underneath shouldn't be a concern.

Q: Why code so spaghetti? Event this, global that, oof. Why so many wild and strange code too?

A: Because I'm just human, and I do what I can, with tools that I have. Sometimes there's no other way but to smash together some ugly stuff, sometimes I just don't know how to do it better, simple as that. Most of the time the wildest and weirdest code parts are commented and more or less explained.

Q: Why gamemode? Don't you know it's bad? Don't you know it lags?!

A: Urban legend. Debunked time and time again. But if you're curious, here's some food for thought. I'm running NV on a laptop with Pentium T4300, 3 gigs of ram and ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4330, ie very old and very bad laptop. There's no difference with or without Bow & Arrow mod. Or cars (except cell loading, that one is on HDD)

Q: Why so many requirements? Two of your own mods are required as well! Why?

A: I didn't want to add duplicating functionality from those mods into the bow mod, simple as that. If there are mods that make my life as an author easier - I will always use them, mine or someone elses. I also wanted to put FO76-like crafting mod as a requirement, but it changes the game too much, so I had to pass on it.

Q: It doesn't work with my mod, what do I do?

A: Just message me, and we'll figure out how to make both mods play nice togheter.

Q: Why no Cryo Arrows?

A: There's just no way to make them work properly at the moment, without breaking the hell out of the game.

100% incompatible with mods that replace:

1gt locomotion and 1gtidle/aim/turn/equip/holster anims.

This will be fixed in the future when kNVSE is updated.

Nothing else jumps to my mind right away.

Huge kudos and endless thanks to all these people, without whom this mod would be dead (in A-Z order)

Alcatraz, early suggestions, brainstorming and testing. Bud, I hope you're okay, wherever you are.

Ashtonlp101, Proof-reading, descriptions changes

Bwones, 3D & 2D for fantastic special type arrowheads

Carxt, backend, critical fixes and events, linux insights, W2S menumode fi.. oh wait, no, still not fixed

DarianStephens, absolutely critical workaround suggestions, brainstorming, early testing

Demorome, backend, super helpful, bestest new events period

ElPascal, lists & world integration.

F@Nt0M, 3D & Car03 texture obsession. Special type arrowheads.

Hitman47101, anim tech, rigs, tricks, manuals, fixes, brainstorming, moral & mental support

Hopper31, lots of suggestions, geck help, brainstorming

Jazzisparis, tireless 24/7 backend, a man who got grey hair 20 years early bc of me

Konradl, post-release testing & suggestions, crafting benches recipes implementation

Kormakur, backend. xNVSE & kNVSE daddy, do I need to say more?

lStewieAl, backend, spaghet archeology to unearth engine secrets and help an idiot (me)

MadAce, collision suffering, particles fixes, skeleton shenanigans

Millenia, 2D. Lovely cubemaps, and just bestest person <3

MrRadioactiv, 3D & 2D for the bow, initial idea, brainstorming

Quicksilver, 3D & 2D for the quiver, suggestions, brainstorming, early testing

Tgspy, early suggestions, brainstorming, early testing

Voidwalker, balance suggestions (that I might've ignored, or no), geck help, brainstorming

Weijiesen, very fancy sounds

And probably some more people that I forgot to mention, because of course I did

OpenAI, for writing the description

Bethesda, for this sweet engine

Obsidian, for New Vegas

Ubisoft, for Far Cry games that I love dearly, and take inspiration from

Armed Forces of Ukraine, for keeping me alive and safe

Слава Україні!