Gaia is Great!

Introduction:

Upon the Exodus from Earth, the Cult of Gaia was forgotten. Memories of what they stood for have predominantly been lost to time. You are drawn by forces unknown on entering Cydonia. You won't like how this story ends.

What It Does:

This mod adds a quest guiding you toward relics of an ancient cult. It rewards exploration of the Universe (and Earth) while learning the history of this cult through notes and items that introduce benefits and dangers (detailed below). This second release (v2) introduces the cult's tragic origins, rewarding such discoveries with equipment that should have remained undiscovered. A number of random events can happen when one has the items equipped or uses them.

For questions, please refer to the FAQ section. If you do not find your answer there, please leave a comment on one of the YouTube videos for the mod (in the Media tab and below). I will get back to you promptly.

Installation:

New Installation: You can install this mod on Creation Club (or Nexus Mods). Updated Installation: Same installation method. Unequip, then equip the items given at the end of each chapter to start the next stage.

Getting Started:

The quest will be activated automatically while progressing through the Main Quest. Forces will call to you on first entering Cydonia.

Equipment Benefits (and Dangers):

Ashes with Melted Ring: On equipping the item, your character gains 5% increased weapon damage while losing 5 armor class for each helmet/armor equipped, contingent on the character not being in a committed relationship. Every time the player changes locations, there is a 0.5% chance that a Memory will appear to attempt to destroy the player, which drops lore on death. This chance increases as one gets closer to their companions, ultimately becoming zero on entering a committed relationship.

Robes of Gaia: Equipping the item gives a 10% chance of turning non-essential enemies who strike the player into a memory of Earth, with a 3% chance of summoning a fearsome creature to lay waste to all beings. It will only survive for 30 seconds before its essence is drained. The creature will be hostile to the wearer as well. After activation, the forces channeled by the armor require 30 seconds to return to equilibrium. If the forces are insufficient to transform or attempt the destruction of those who strike the wearer, remnants of Earth are still summoned. If a blasphemer is known to be essential for the wearer's journey and set to be destroyed, the striker will be brought closer to Earth and stricken with fear.

Scorched Hydraulic Bolt: Using this aid item will return you to your home (your active ship). If you then use it on your ship, you will be reminded of what you have lost and brought to a dark place. Your memories may become overwhelming when conducting such reflection on your ship, carrying forward feelings of regret, rage, and pain.

Gaia Tokens and Gaia's Seeds: The purpose of the collectibles is unknown to your character at this time. Perhaps you will discover their meaning in a future release.

Requirements:

This mod does not require any outside mods, including the Script Extender, and it does not require Shattered Space.

Media:

Recovery Room Release (v2.2) Showcase - https://youtu.be/WDdRMChc2Uk Robes of Gaia in Action, v2.1 Showcase - https://youtu.be/hDLisHokoJI Ashes with Melted Ring, v2.0 Showcase - https://youtu.be/9T9WOqmqXm4

Future Plans:

(IN PROGRESS) Make a quest line that tells a story of this forgotten Cult of Gaia.

Support Me:

Follow my YouTube channel here, where I make modding tutorials. https://www.youtube.com/@ImADoctorNotA Support me on Patreon here (and get voting power for my future videos). https://www.patreon.com/c/ImADoctorNotA

FAQ:

Q: What do I do if I notice a bug or have questions? A: Please leave a comment on the Youtube video that I have included with this mod. Nexus does not provide email notifications.

Q: Where is the story? A: There is a more concrete story in the notes that are quest items. A more subtle story comes in items that the Memory carries and quest objectives. My goal was to create atmosphere, so you'll get more from this mod if you try to read between the lines and make it your own.

Q: Does this mod have any conflicts with others? A: It should not. Everything added through this mod is a new entry. While it modifies some existing game entries (such as the Player object), it adds new scripts that should not conflict with existing or other mods' elements.

Q: I am in Neon (or another location), and the quest marker points towards an elevator I can't use? A: The floor you cannot access belongs to an NPC. Perhaps there is a way to get the key.

Q: A blasphemer initially forgot about me on equipping the robes, then soon attacked me again. What is happening? A: Gaia can make an enemy forget about you, but your enemy will not forget about your bounty or their nature, if they generally attack anyone that is not them.

Q: A key enemy was turned into a plant and I did not get their loot. What do I do? A: Progress to the end of the quest's Part 3. You will find them.

Acknowledgements:

phinix: Provided guidance on playing and stopping Wwise sounds in scripting. ZeeOgre: Provided a script to produce Xbox archive files.