Replacing weapons for non-playable characters.

[ravager]

  I noticed that in Mass Effect games many characters using weapons that contrary to lore. For example: Turian soldiers on Menae and Tuchanka using Avenger of "Elkoss Combine" as a most common weapon. But we know that the turian army supplied by Armax Arsenal, and they must using Phaestons. So I decided to try to replace Avenger with Phaeston. I take file BioD_KroGar_100Landing.pcc for my experiment, that's level where mission on Menae begins. 

         With help of Package Editor i added names related to Phaeston Rifle. In game files that weapon named as "Cobra". Than i just changed all avenger's export data with that "Cobra".

       Also I tried alternative way: adding new raws with "Cobra", and not replace Avenger. But that way also required to add this weapon to turian soldiers instead of avenger, I facing some troubles with that. I wasn't sure about I did it properly, and when i launched the game, there was some strange bugs: turian just has the Avenger in his hands, and in a few seconds Avenger was replaced with Cobra. That was a little strange, so I decided to return to first way: complete replace of avenger.

Here is the raws related to Phaeston what I've got eventually in pcc file:


By now i can't add some particles related to this weapon which named as Imp and Muzzle, also can't properly add this raws:

 It contains some scripts.


Here what I've got in game:





Looks pretty good, but there is some catch. Turians got Phaestons only if Shepard or at least one member of his squad have this rifle in loadout. Otherwise, even though "Avenger" is replaced with "Cobra", its still avenger, like on this image:


I hope that explanation is understandable. Here Shepard and Vega equipped with vindicators, and Phaeston doesn't appear. Perhaps that because Phaeston requires something i missed, and that missing thing loaded only when this rifle appears in player's loadout. 

By this moment I can't solve this problem yet, but still trying find out what am I doing wrong. 

I thought, maybe someone is interested in that matter like me, so I decided to post results of my experimentation here. I didn't insist, but maybe someone can give me an advice.

[ravager]

So I added some things related to phaeston rifle and replacing avenger's things with that:

Model of weapon.


Textures of weapon.


Physics


Animations (without proper animation weapon visualized wrong)


Sounds (It's not critical but when turians shooting husks, you can hear phaeston sounds. Collapse and expand sounds actually doesn't needed because turians don't collapsing their rifles).

Also I replaced SFXWeapon_AssaultRifle_Avenger with SFXWeapon_AssaultRifle_Cobra as I did earlier. Without that avenger appears instead of phaeston if someone in your squad equipped with avenger. There is also particles for phaeston, but it's too much work to do, and it works well with avenger particles.

Finally, there is phaestons in hands of turian soldiers without this rifle in squad's loadout:


In the end of mission on Menae phaeston is already loaded in game because reaper maradeurs equipped with that rifle shows up. In this case I can just replace weapon type in GesturesConfig:

Name of weapon for ambient characters is located there. We need to replace weapon for each gesture:

Still can't find where I can replace weapon for cutscenes. In final cutscene general Victus still equipped with avenger, complete replacing avenger with phaeston does nothing. So I think for cutscenes weapons loaded somewhere else, independently.

Now I also trying do the same thing for salarian soldiers on Sur'Kesh, using Venom shotgun:


I replaced avenger with Falcon in GesturesConfig and then replace Falcon model with Venom model. But as I said before during cutscenes and dialogs it's still Falcon rifle, even if I replacing it with Venom.

[sil]

That's excellent work! Really helps with immersion ^^

[ravager]

Thanks, Sil! Thats very motivational
Still a lot of work to do. Salarian shotgun doesn't work properly because I can't find "Base" animation for that weapon. For some reason this animation in DLC's file is lacking. Without venom in squad's loadout shotgun use animation with folded handle.
Also I got some ideas for geth. They are using rocket launchers and flamethrowers that created by humans or some other organic races. I think - maybe it is possible to replace M-451 Firestorm with model of "Geth Combat Software" that was used by player during the mission in geth consensus. This thing looks more authentic for weapon that supposed to be used by geth. I can't remember is there quarians with guns in game, maybe in mission with admiral Koris? Also asari troops for some reason using Phantoms and other weapons instead of Disciple shotgun in most of the cases.

[ravager]

So, Geth flamethrower with model of Legion's combat software



Also hunter with Geth shotgun in ME2.

[ravager]

Geth snipers for ME3 with Javelins. Now trying to do this for whole mission "Rannoch: Admiral Koris".