Description
Flares that you can carry as a torch, drop to the ground, throw them in the air or even turn your shotgun into a flare gun and torch your enemies. Useful for lighting up an area, marking cleared rooms or grillin up some deathclaw.


Requirements
NVSE is highly suggested. The mod will operate without it, but you will need NVSE to take advantage of the re-equip feature and a few other things (see below).


Location
The flares are added to leveled lists so you will literally find them everywhere. The ammo versions are far more scarce, but easy to make from the handheld version. Flare crates have been scattered around the waste so keep an eye out for them. Chet in Goodsprings is known to have a little of everything to hold you over until the other vendors get their shipments.


Details
Light My Flare is still considered beta. I've been able to remove most every bug that I've found but there could be more. Please report any and all bugs. I'm also more than willing to incorporate new ideas, so please share your thoughts.

This mod adds the ability to use and make flares. There are 3 kinds of flares:

Road Flares:
Handheld flares that you can carry as torches and throw or drop to the ground. These are the most common type of flare. You can find them in toolboxes and other random containers. Most vendors will have them too. They can also be used as a weapon if thrown, causing a small amount of fire damage. Once equipped, you can use it as a torch. To get rid of it, you can either throw it or drop it. Drop the flares by equipping a new weapon. This comes in handy if you are ambushed in the dark. You'll light up the area and have your weapon ready in one step. If you are running NVSE, you can also drop a flare by holding block and then throwing the flare. Activate a lit flare and you'll pick it back up. If you try to equip a second flare while you are holding one, you will drop a flare to the ground. Flares dropped to the ground have a lifespan, picking them back up resets that lifespan. By default, that lifespan is 3 game hours. You can not put lit flares back in your inventory, you can only hold them; see Options below to change this. Also by default, if you are running NVSE, your last weapon will automatically equip when you throw a flare. You can create road flares at a workbench with explosive skill. Ingredients include pistol powder, a small pistol primer and a gecko hide. You can also breakdown flares into their base components.


Signal Flares:
Shot by 12ga Shotguns, they are basically road flares that can be shot. If they hit an enemy, they will take fire damage. Signal flares have a larger range than illuminating flares, so you can fire a few off, and then check out the area with a scope or binoculars. Once the flare hits the ground, you can pick it back up. They share the same lifespan as road flares. You can create them at a reloading bench with repair skill. Ingredients include a shotgun hull, shot primer, pistol powder and a road flare. They can also be broke down for their base components.

Illuminating Flares:
Shot by 12ga Shotguns. These explode shortly after being shot, leaving a glowing haze in the air; great for lighting up the battle field. Not suggested for inside use. If one flare isn't bright enough, fire more into the air. With enough flares, it will make any dark area look like daylight. Haze clouds have a lifespan of 10 game minutes by default. Being hit by an illum. flare causes significant fire damage when it explodes. You can create them at a reloading bench with repair skill. Ingredients include a shotgun hull, shot primer, pistol powder and a road flare. They can also be broke down for their base components.

Flares will also ignite gas traps; keep that in mind if you're carrying one through a dungeon.

A note on fired flares: These things will lower the condition of your shotguns faster than any ammo in the game (x5 the normal rate). Keep that in mind before you set out with an already damaged shotgun.

A lot of the flare crates respawn, not all, just ones in populated areas. In other words, the crates are not safe storage for your items.


Options
When you first find a flare, you'll be given a flare config item. When you use the config item, a menu will appear and you can change the following options. You can also access the config menu at any time by typing "Set ConfigureFlares to 1" into the console, without the quotes.

Reuse Flares: If enabled, you can put lit flares back into your inventory. This feature is turned off by default. Either use the configuration menu or type "Set FlareReuse to 1" into the console to enable this feature. You can put a lit flare back into your inventory by doing any one of the following:
-Picking up a lit flare while you have a flare equipped
-Picking up a lit flare while sneaking
-Unequipping a lit flare using the pipboy (inventory menu)
-Unequipping a lit flare while the flare is holstered
-(NVSE) Holding Grab while throwing the flare

Auto-Equip Weapon: This is only available if you are running NVSE. If enabled it will equip your last weapon when you throw a flare. By default this feature is enabled. To disable, either use the configuration menu or type into the console: "Set FlareNoWeapEquip to 1"

Flare Duration: This is how long the flare will stay on the ground until it disappears. If set to 0, the lifespan is infinite (although it might disappear when the cell resets). Either use the configuration menu to set or type into the console: "Set FlareTime to xx" where xx is the number of hours.

Haze Duration: This is how long the haze created by illuminating flares will persist. If set to 0, the lifespan is infinite (although it might disappear when the cell resets). Either use the configuration menu to set or type into the console: "Set FlareHaze to xx" where xx is the number of minutes.


FAQ
Q. I can't find flares anywhere except for Chet.
A. Patience is a virtue. You'll have to wait for the vendor's inventory to reset, even if you started a new game, this usually takes about 3 game days. Keep an eye out for flare crates; they're a very good source for flares. Hint: There are two crates in Goodsprings, both are outside.

Q. You should add an actual flare gun to the game.
A. I'd love to, but I lack the modeling skills to do that. If anyone would like to make one, I'll gladly incorporate it. I'll even texture it.

Q. Where did you get the motocycle from the video?
A. It's a port of J3Xified Drivable Motorcycle. I'm working on getting it ready for release, expect it on Nexus soon.



Future Plans / Ideas
-Colored Flares
-Signal flares call in allies?
-Flare gun, if someone can make the model
-More Flare Crates


Suggested Mods
Any mod that makes nights and/or dungeons darker.


Incompatibility
-I've been told that it will conflict with mods that add the ability to change weapon fire rates. Should only conflict if you try to change the rate of fire on a gun that has flares equipped or on a road flare itself.
-Any mod that adds more ammo to the 12ga shotguns. If you are using NVSE, load Light my Flare before the conflicting mod and a script will fix the issue. If you are not using NVSE, you'll need to use FNVedit to fix the conflict in the formlist, AmmoList12Ga


Known Issues or Bugs
-Flares will occasionally fall through uneven ground. Very rare.
-Too many flares in an area can cause lag on your system, use with care.
-Road flares will not work properly with god mode on.


Install
1. Extract the files to (install folder) Fallout New Vegas\Data
2. Start Fallout New Vegas Launcher, click 'Data Files', place a checkmark beside Light My Flare.esp
3. Enjoy


Uninstall
1. Ensure you do not have a flare equipped
2. Save the game.
3. Delete the files/folders associated with the mod:
Data\Light My Flare.esp
Data\Meshes\Flare
Data\Textures\Flare


Credits & Thanks
Djabend- Creator of the lit flare mesh. By creating the mesh, djabend inspired me to make this mod.
Fee510- Everything else. Including the additional textures and meshes.
Sophy & Sivlord- Helping me beta test.
Bethesda & Obsidan: Makers of FO:NV including the meshes and textures which were used to create the new ones.


Change Log
v1.01 02/12/11
-Bug Fix: CTD when NPCs use shotguns
-Bug Fix: Flare glow persisting after flare is thrown

v1.00, 02/11/11
-Initial release


Tools Used
G.E.C.K.
Nifscope
Gimp 2.6
DDS Converter 2
NVSE
WinRaR
Readme Generator


Licensing/Legal
Do not upload to other sites, other than that, do whatever you want, just give credit where credit is due. And of course, I am not responsible for any negative outcomes that may come from this mod; I'll take credit for the good stuff though.