Catastrophe Prevention Drive Absolutely Broken

[Monkeywithtacos]

Gotta say up front, when these quests work they are awesome.... But this one IS definitely NOT working... If anyone has a workaround, please share it... All I find is old posts over 10 months old talking about the same issue which tells me this has not been addressed at all, which is sad.

As soon as I enter the BADTFL, the turrets are firing and the Hellhounds are talking about how to shut it off. Then the Lt says something over the PA about "new prey", Simon comments that he must be in the office, and then (I'm guessing here) Lena gets killed and I get a message saying I failed her tattoo collection quest and dumb arsed Simon turns hostile and starts attacking me... WTH??!!???

You guys on this mod team are better than this....
Previous playthrough I completed the quest before this one but it didn't even give me this quest, and now, when I am finally excite that I can progress and do this last part, I run into this quest breaking and ending bug? Please..... fix this. Please.

~MwT

Edit: I also was just reviewing the quest walkthrough you have posted and stumbled on this in the notes section:

• "If Lena or Simon are killed during this quest, the quest will fail and the CPD will be marked as your enemy."
  
  
  That is absolutely asinine!!!!! They blame the Sole Survivor if one of them dies?? WT.. Literal freaking... Hell???
  Whose "dropped the baby on its head" idea was this?? I could see if the SS actually pulls the trigger, but otherwise this is the most ridiculous thing I have seen or heard. and it confirms my suspicion that Lena is indeed being killed, likely by that damned turret.

 

[Monkeywithtacos]

Gotta say up front, when these quests work they are awesome.... But this one IS definitely NOT working... If anyone has a workaround, please share it... All I find is old posts over 10 months old talking about the same issue which tells me this has not been addressed at all, which is sad.

As soon as I enter the BADTFL, the turrets are firing and the Hellhounds are talking about how to shut it off. Then the Lt says something over the PA about "new prey", Simon comments that he must be in the office, and then (I'm guessing here) Lena gets killed and I get a message saying I failed her tattoo collection quest and dumb arsed Simon turns hostile and starts attacking me... WTH??!!???

You guys on this mod team are better than this....
Previous playthrough I completed the quest before this one but it didn't even give me this quest, and now, when I am finally excite that I can progress and do this last part, I run into this quest breaking and ending bug? Please..... fix this. Please.

~MwT

Edit: I also was just reviewing the quest walkthrough you have posted and stumbled on this in the notes section:

• "If Lena or Simon are killed during this quest, the quest will fail and the CPD will be marked as your enemy."
  
  
  That is absolutely asinine!!!!! They blame the Sole Survivor if one of them dies?? WT.. Literal freaking... Hell???
  Whose "dropped the baby on its head" idea was this?? I could see if the SS actually pulls the trigger, but otherwise this is the most ridiculous thing I have seen or heard. and it confirms my suspicion that Lena is indeed being killed, likely by that damned turret.

Edit#2: I used console codes to work around this whole mess, and felt dirty doing so, but it was the only way I was going to complete this. I sure hope it gets looked at and fixed. It is so ridiculous to have a buggy mess that you have no control over, and then have it be compounded by a quest writer who sets such harsh penalties that can be triggered through no fault of your own. Anyhow, here is how I did it, in case anyone else needs to get through the quest.

Outside of the BADFL, after talking to Simon, I used the "TCAI" command to toggle combat AI off. Then after zoning inside of the BADTFL I used the "KAH" (Kill all hostiles) command to destroy the turret that is incessantly firing. I then continued to progress my way through the BADTFL using the "KAH" command as needed. (Probably could have just fought the Hellhounds, but didn't want to risk getting penalized if Simon did something dumb and got himself killed). When I got to the final confrontation with Lt. Elisher I went through the dialogue and again used "KAH" when combat began (again to avoid being stupidly penalized if either of the Forsetti's got themselves killed). Once done, I finished the dialogue and exited the BADTFL and used the "TCAI" to turn Combat AI for everyone back on. I feel absolutely dirty for being forced to do it this way, but if it helps someone else who has become as frustrated as I have, with what had been up to this point an amazing questline, get through it then I hope it helps.


Edit #3
I also noticed that besides the Hellhounds, that the Raiders had respawned back into the BADTFL. Perhaps that is part of what is causing the issue that gets Lena killed and causes Simon to go hostile. I am surprised that they are still respawning in the, what I assumed was an entirely new, instance that the quest takes place in. If I understand correctly you guys created new instances of GNN's interior once it becomes HQ, thereby nullifying any of the interior Gunner respawns there, if so, then why not with the BADTFL?
~MwT

 

[Monkeywithtacos]

The more I have mulled this over, the more I am becoming convinced that the issues I was having was due to the Raiders respawning inside the interior of the BADTFL when trying to complete that portion of the quest. They seem to be triggering aggro towards Lena and towards the turret. The dialogue they were saying was the same dialogue you get the first time you go into the building to take down Sparta and her gang. This needs to be addressed, as well as the whole idea that the CPD will become hostile if either of the siblings is killed, unless it is directly by the Sole Survivor. The player should not be penalized for actions beyond their control (We all know how stupid the AI can be.)

Anyhow I hope someone can look this over and see if they can fix it. I am back to square one due to, I think, save bloat. My save game files are somehow at 82mb (My character is at L82 and 11+days played) and whenever I try to save it says "Saving..." and sits there with the audio playing in the background. Checking task manger it says that Fallout 4 is "Not Responding" even though I can see the percentages changing numbers like it does normally. I am going to cut way back on the items that I collect and save in workbenches for my settlers and only focus on the bare necessities; ammo, caps, food, drink, medicine...

Thanks for reading through my gripes and hopefully you can solve this so others don't have the same frustration.

~MwT

 

[TooN0ble]

The more I have mulled this over, the more I am becoming convinced that the issues I was having was due to the Raiders respawning inside the interior of the BADTFL when trying to complete that portion of the quest. They seem to be triggering aggro towards Lena and towards the turret. The dialogue they were saying was the same dialogue you get the first time you go into the building to take down Sparta and her gang. This needs to be addressed, as well as the whole idea that the CPD will become hostile if either of the siblings is killed, unless it is directly by the Sole Survivor. The player should not be penalized for actions beyond their control (We all know how stupid the AI can be.)

Anyhow I hope someone can look this over and see if they can fix it. I am back to square one due to, I think, save bloat. My save game files are somehow at 82mb (My character is at L82 and 11+days played) and whenever I try to save it says "Saving..." and sits there with the audio playing in the background. Checking task manger it says that Fallout 4 is "Not Responding" even though I can see the percentages changing numbers like it does normally. I am going to cut way back on the items that I collect and save in workbenches for my settlers and only focus on the bare necessities; ammo, caps, food, drink, medicine...

Thanks for reading through my gripes and hopefully you can solve this so others don't have the same frustration.

~MwT

Its natural for saves to get bigger and bigger as you progress. With SS2 it grows faster. It happens also with Skyrim. Some people believe that having a very large amount of saves can make the auto and exit saves take longer. I personally keep my save folder down to about 10 saves or less usually. My saves are currently at 108MB each. I have the whole vanilla storyline completed and HQ fully upgraded and most settlements at level 3. My saves are sometimes instant, sometimes they take a few seconds at most. You should try clearing your save folder or at least moving alot of the files to a different folder.

 

[Monkeywithtacos]

Its natural for saves to get bigger and bigger as you progress. With SS2 it grows faster. It happens also with Skyrim. Some people believe that having a very large amount of saves can make the auto and exit saves take longer. I personally keep my save folder down to about 10 saves or less usually. My saves are currently at 108MB each. I have the whole vanilla storyline completed and HQ fully upgraded and most settlements at level 3. My saves are sometimes instant, sometimes they take a few seconds at most. You should try clearing your save folder or at least moving alot of the files to a different folder.

Not to derail my own topic to far, but I have been deleting saves as I go along my through usually in batches of 25 to 30, saving one at each of the hundreds... for example... I save my first 5 saves, then when I reach 30, I go back and delete save 06 through save 29, then at 50 I delete 30 through 49, then again at 75 I delete 50 through 74 and then again at 100 I delete 75 through 99. I keep the saves at 100, 200, etc, along with my first 5. I have auto saves turned off. I will try deleting them every ten or so and keeping the ones at 100, 200 etc still... I think I was at save number 982 when it stopped saving for me. At that time I had approximately 30 saves in my folder(doubled since it saves a smaller f4se file and regular save file each time it saves. I assume that is normal?) I'll definitely try to keep much less of them than I had been. The advice you gave, and any other you can give, is very much appreciated. Thanks!

~MwT

 

[SarahAda]

the f4se co-save is normal. it keeps stuff that is used by the Fallout 4 script extender, but is not in the typical FOS save file. keep them together and treat them like 1 file.

i do not have any troubles with BADTFL assault, but i also don't have whatever turns the random raider npc into a memorable encounter (i though this was a mod character, but apparently she is in vanilla, just utterly forgettable) and that's what i suspect is happening here. you have some other mod that is interfering with the way the space is repurposed in prevention drive (it JUST dawned on me that the cutsie way the quests are named means you can't use acronyms) and that is triggering lena's death and simon's blood rage.

unlike most other space reuse quests in SS2, BADTLF uses the default interior cell and just replaces all the actors. if you have something else messing with the actors in the default space, then that space is going to get crowded.

edit: contract'dn't

 

[Monkeywithtacos]

the f4se co-save is normal. it keeps stuff that is used by the Fallout 4 script extender, but is not in the typical FOS save file. keep them together and treat them like 1 file.

i do not have any troubles with BADTFL assault, but i also don't have whatever turns the random raider npc into a memorable encounter (i though this was a mod character, but apparently she is in vanilla, just utterly forgettable) and that's what i suspect is happening here. you have some other mod that is interfering with the way the space is repurposed in prevention drive (it JUST dawned on me that the cutsie way the quests are named means you can't use acronyms) and that is triggering lena's death and simon's blood rage.

unlike most other space reuse quests in SS2, BADTLF uses the default interior cell and just replaces all the actors. if you have something else messing with the actors in the default space, then that space is going to get crowded.

edit: contract'dn't

I figured that was the case with the F4SE save file. Glad to know I was figuring correctly.

Yeah, the first time you go to the BADTFL, whether it is on your own, or you are sent there by Lena to claim it for the CPD, you fight Sparta and her gang. In the vanilla game, if it's been a bit of time since you have been there, the raiders (except the for the named one) will respawn inside the BADTFL. I know that I didn't run the CPD quests one after the other, after the other, after the other. I did parts of it when I had other quests near to the quest locations, with some time between them.... except for the last three in the series (confronting Pete and Patty, going to the Hellhound camp, and then racing to save whomever went back to the BADTFL) where it is setup with a bit more of a sense of urgency. The last two, in my experience, have been super touchy. For ex in the one where you search the camp, if you do not listen to the holotape exactly when, and where, you pick it up, it doesn't add the next quest to your pip boy quest list, and then what I described above with the respawning raiders in the BADTFL. I hope, in particular, the latter gets looked into and a separate instance can be created where the raiders do not respawn, as I could also see it being an issue in the future where something dumb with the AI happens causing either of the Forsetti's to be killed and triggering that ridiculously punishing mechanic of having the whole CPD suddenly becoming hostile to you without you even knowing what happened or why? Thanks.

~MwT

Edit: Yes, the fight in the BADTFL against "Sparta" and her gang isn't in anyway memorable nor from any mod, it is part of the base games series of Raider gang base quests. I just remember who she is from killing her over the years, hehe. SS2 incorporates it into the quest Lena gives you to take back the BADTFL via her dialogue lines, regardless of whether you have been to the BADTFL prior to talking to Lena or not. The raiders respawning inside the BADTFL is actually part of the base game as well. I'm guessing it was just bad timing that they respawned when I was doing that last CDP quest, but it also shows that the quest needs it's own separate instance of the BADTFL set up, which I thought was happening in the first place due to all the changes in furniture placement that occurs during that last quest. It could be something as easy (I assume) as disabling the raiders (re)spawning there, which I'd think is something that should be done for reasons stated earlier in my post as well.

 

[SarahAda]

so i definitely do not have respawning raiders at BADTFL. i did Conquering Principal Dwelling many in game hours and several in game days before doing Catastrophe Prevention Drive in the last play through, while crossing the space between many times, and while the super mutants in the under construction tower block always resurrect themselves to shoot at me, the raiders never came back.

maybe you have a old script or something? i do know lots of bug fixes and improvements were made to the CPD quests between late versions of SS2c2 1.0-ish and 2.2.

 

[Antoine Soverie]

Stuff like this also happens in the vanilla silver shroud quest in the hospital with robots. Stupid things ruin it before you even get to the last floor. Bad timing, yes... I did have raiders respawning in BADTFL after I took forever to get there once. Wasn't the last quest part, I got the call to meet up with Simon etc but went to BADTFL instead and raiders were there. I also couldn't talk to them where the quest wants since End of the Beginning borked it (think that's fixed?)
I'd probably suggest to make a save (just in case), go to BADTFL, kill everything then proceed as normal.

 

[SarahAda]

i was dismissive of this, but my current game hung on "Camp Patrol Duties" after the holotape, so i ignored it for "months?" and by the time i got around to forcing the quest forward, i ran into exactly this same issue.

i'm not sure if it's something in the stage between 60 and 75 of Camp (the stage i had to force forwards) or if it's the in-game months i waited between Camp hanging and Catastrophe Prevention Drive starting, but either way, it's appears this may actually be happening, and someone should (at minimum) look into doing a door hijack on the BADTFL front door so no raider spawns can be guaranteed.

 

[SarahAda]

i TAI'd and TCL'd into the room and found a turret directly over Lena's head shooting her dead. this appears to be the problem with immediate death. this is probably the turrent that was shooting at the two raiders hiding behind the couch the first time you clear this space.

 

[SarahAda]

one more update. it looks like there is a script or worldspace trigger or something that generates raiders that aren't already in the space if you somehow bypass the cinematic with the turret. this is probably how it's so quiet during that scene, those are the only raiders in the map and they are friendly.

the CPD quest doesn't disable the turret, and doesn't disable this other raider creation method, so there's two issues.

i eventually solved this by setting lena essential, and maybe this is a minimum effort hotfix, i.e. have Lena set essential by the start of Catastrophe, and have that essential flag cleared by the huntsman's speech.

 

[SatansGerbil]

Edit#2: I used console codes to work around this whole mess, and felt dirty doing so, but it was the only way I was going to complete this. I sure hope it gets looked at and fixed. It is so ridiculous to have a buggy mess that you have no control over, and then have it be compounded by a quest writer who sets such harsh penalties that can be triggered through no fault of your own. Anyhow, here is how I did it, in case anyone else needs to get through the quest.

Outside of the BADFL, after talking to Simon, I used the "TCAI" command to toggle combat AI off. Then after zoning inside of the BADTFL I used the "KAH" (Kill all hostiles) command to destroy the turret that is incessantly firing. I then continued to progress my way through the BADTFL using the "KAH" command as needed. (Probably could have just fought the Hellhounds, but didn't want to risk getting penalized if Simon did something dumb and got himself killed). When I got to the final confrontation with Lt. Elisher I went through the dialogue and again used "KAH" when combat began (again to avoid being stupidly penalized if either of the Forsetti's got themselves killed). Once done, I finished the dialogue and exited the BADTFL and used the "TCAI" to turn Combat AI for everyone back on. I feel absolutely dirty for being forced to do it this way, but if it helps someone else who has become as frustrated as I have, with what had been up to this point an amazing questline, get through it then I hope it helps.


Edit #3
I also noticed that besides the Hellhounds, that the Raiders had respawned back into the BADTFL. Perhaps that is part of what is causing the issue that gets Lena killed and causes Simon to go hostile. I am surprised that they are still respawning in the, what I assumed was an entirely new, instance that the quest takes place in. If I understand correctly you guys created new instances of GNN's interior once it becomes HQ, thereby nullifying any of the interior Gunner respawns there, if so, then why not with the BADTFL?
~MwT

Thank you for the workaround, I don't feel bad at all if I have to console my way through a quest. I run over 600 mods in my load order so it's to be expected once in a while.