Monthly Modder: LlamaRCA

In this month’s modder interview, we’re chatting with LlamaRCA – the author of two of Fallout’s most acclaimed companion mods – about developing responsive followers, character backstories and more!

LlamaRCA is the author behind “Willow for Fallout: New Vegas,” and “Heather Casdin,” which we are featuring this month for Fallout 4. Both are personable and realized in incredible detail, so we were interested in how she brings these characters to life within these games.

Image by Thunderclap

You have very detailed followers, how do you develop their story and personalities?

It’s important to me that my characters offer their own unique perspective on the gameworld, but they should also blend into the gameworld and its stories and lore as though they were always there. To that end I play with the vanilla companions to make sure I’m not inadvertently copying an existing character before I finalize my plans, and I look for storylines that capture my imagination to use as a launching pad for my own work.

Luckily, in Fallout 4, what I wanted to do with Heather’s personality hadn’t been done and I was captivated by the synth themes and stories in the game, so I used that as the basis of her backstory.

Image by RedRocketTV

Your followers are also extremely responsive to the world around them and the quests you take them on. What’s your process for expanding them like this?

I start by playing the game a lot. I’d do that anyway, but when I’m going to develop a character I pay close attention to a few particular things while playing.

First, my own responses to the content inform how my character responds. Not that we react the same way, but some of the things that stand out to me become the things that she’ll notice. For example, in Fallout 4 Gunners like overpasses, a surprising number of Deathclaws are found in interiors, many NPCs tell you that Greygarden is run by robots, Sturgis needs help to hack that terminal, the puzzle to get into the Railroad Headquarters isn’t all that difficult, etc. These are obvious observations, but when she acknowledges them it makes her seem more present and real.

Second, I look for existing game mechanics that I can use to make the character interact with the gameworld in a way that enhances her purpose and personality. If there is no way to demonstrate a major character trait then I will discard that trait and find a different one that I can illuminate through gameplay. In Heather’s case that process resulted in her using chemistry stations to support her trader role and being a trader dictated a significant number of her other character traits or behaviors (she hates raiders, loves gossip, talks to other traders, etc).

And third, I look for multiple ways to add commentary that displays the character’s personality alongside the more traditional methods of commenting during quests or the expected companion chatter. For example, Heather comments when the player listens to several of the holotapes that can be found in the world. It’s an experience she shares with the player while exploring and it’s fairly mundane, so it adds to the feeling that she’s really there experiencing it along with the player. Similarly, there are items of personal importance in her bunker that if the player activates them she’ll talk about why they have meaning to her. She frequently talks about how much she hates raiders so when you kill and loot the raider bosses around the gameworld she comments about that. She responds to a couple of random encounters, talks to some of the vanilla companions and a few other vanilla NPCs while following the player. These things all contribute to a clearer picture of who she is as a person.

Image by mondello90

Who is your favorite vanilla companion in Fallout 4 and why?

I love Nick. I think he’s the best written and implemented companion in Fallout 4. His participation in the main quest and in Far Harbor improves the experience of doing those quests. He is funny, warm, thoughtful and interesting both as an independent character and when he follows the player. And his obvious humanity despite his synth form reinforces one of the most important themes in the game. Other companions do that too, but I don’t think they measure up to Nick as both an independent NPC and a companion.

What do you enjoy most about modding?

That moment when I play through a chunk of content after hours of building it, massaging it, testing it, fixing the last little details of it and think, “That’s it. That’s what I want.” It’s so satisfying. My least favorite thing is the voice acting. It takes forever!

Are you working on anything currently?

I’m slowly working on a companion named Liliana for Skyrim Special Edition. 2020 has been a big challenge for me, unfortunately, and keeps getting in the way of progress.

Image by Elianora