Author First Contact in WolvenKit

Build First Contact from the supplied start project in WolvenKit. The completed checkpoint is available alongside it for comparing resources and connections.

Required environment and clean-save rule

For frozen runtime acceptance, establish the two documented untouched manual originals, neither of which has ever loaded any CQA Lab 1–5 candidate. Keep them outside the game’s rotating autosave set. During Case 1, create the exact pre-scene, post-contact, and completed manual seeds under the unchanged canonical candidate; later cases use closed-game full-slot clones. Labs 3 and 4 share this site, and a save made with any prior tutorial checkpoint can retain quest, journal, trigger, or world state after its files are removed. A save made with the Lab 5 start checkpoint is also not clean for either original: both checkpoints use the same paths, journal IDs, scene identity, world identities, and fact.

1. Open and isolate the start checkpoint

1. Download and extract the start ZIP.

2. Make an untouched backup of the extracted checkpoint, then make a separate working copy. Keep WolvenKit closed while changing project identity.

3. In the working copy, rename CQA_Lab05_FirstContact_Start.cpmodproj to CQA_Lab05_FirstContact.cpmodproj. Open that XML file in a plain UTF-8 text editor and change only these two elements:

   <Name>CQA Lab 05 First Contact</Name>
   <ModName>CQA_Lab05_FirstContact</ModName>
   

4. Rename source\resources\CQA_Lab05_FirstContact_Start.archive.xl to source\resources\CQA_Lab05_FirstContact.archive.xl. Its YAML content and six registration roots do not change.

5. Confirm the working copy has no _Start.cpmodproj and no _Start.archive.xl, then open CQA_Lab05_FirstContact.cpmodproj with File > Open Project. Reopen WolvenKit if it had cached the old project name.

6. Confirm source\archive and source\raw each contain the eleven CR2W paths in the overview.

7. Confirm the archived WEM exists at source\archive\mod\cqa\cqa005\localization\en-us\vo\contact_i_85c3283507e7ef2f.wem.

8. Confirm the renamed loose ArchiveXL file is under source\resources and the source WAV plus provenance are outside source.

9. Do not install the untouched start backup and completed working project together.

The cooked files are the editable WolvenKit resources. The parallel CR2W-JSON files are focused review artifacts; do not edit JSON as the reader workflow.

2. Audit the closed resource inventory

Before touching a graph, account for every owner:

If any owner is absent, restore the untouched checkpoint. Do not compensate by adding a guessed duplicate registration or by copying a base-game resource.

3. Verify the six registration roots

Open CQA_Lab05_FirstContact.archive.xl. Its registered paths are:

quest.phases       cqa005.questphase
journal            cqa005.journal
onscreens/en-us    cqa005_onscreens.json
subtitles/en-us    cqa005_subtitles_map.json
vomaps/en-us       cqa005_vo.json
streaming.blocks   cqa005_first_contact.streamingblock

Do not add the child, scene, subtitle entries, WEM, or sectors. Confirm how each is reached before proceeding:

4. Audit prefab and world ownership

Open the root phase and retain one phasePrefabs entry:

#cqa005_pr_first_contact

Open the child and retain phasePrefabs: []. Open root phase node 13 in the start graph and retain phaseInstancePrefabs: [], phaseGraph: null, and the soft path:

mod\cqa\cqa005\phases\cqa005_contact.questphase

Open the streaming block and inspect both descriptors:

• the Quest descriptor mounts the finite sector under $/mod/cqa/cqa005/#cqa005_pr_first_contact;
• the AlwaysLoaded descriptor reaches its sector independently.

Open the Quest sector. Match its four nodes to four nodeData placements and four nested NodeRefs. The local tails are shown here as authoring shorthand:

#cqa005_tr_setup
#cqa005_tr_cleanup
#cqa005_spot_contact
#cqa005_com_contact

Open the AlwaysLoaded sector. Match the scene marker and map marker to string NodeRefs. The third node is the registry, whose placement uses its numeric world identity rather than a fabricated nodeRefs string entry.

5. Audit all community identity joins

Record these typed values separately:

These values use RED4’s alias-aware NodeRef hash. A generic text FNV tool that includes the # marker will produce a different number.

Confirm the joins in WolvenKit:

1. compiled-area sourceObjectId.hash equals registry-item communityId.entityId.hash;
2. the registry placement identity differs from that source identity;
3. compiled-area spotNodeIds[0] equals workspotsPersistentData[0].globalNodeId;
4. the registry template’s spotNodeRefs[0] names the full placed AI spot;
5. source, registry, and spot IDs are nonzero and mutually distinct.

Then inspect the registry template:

entryName: contact
characterRecordId:
  Character.jpn_tyger_claws_biker2_ranged2_copperhead_wa
entryActiveOnStart: 0
initialPhaseName / phaseName: default
appearance: default
quantity: 1
hour: Day
isSequence: 0

The compiled community area mirrors that template period. Under its one entry and one phase, require entryName: contact, entryPhaseName: default, one period with periodName: Day and isSequence: 0, and exactly one spotNodeIds row whose hash is 15950783814303760596. Do not audit the registry template alone: a mismatch in this compiled mirror breaks the template-to-world join even when the three headline IDs are correct.

Inspect the AI spot’s AIActionSpot.resource:

base\workspots\common\ground\
generic__stand_ground_cigarette__smoke__01.workspot

Keep the supplied cigarette workspot while building the lab. If you change it, check the new pose, approach, and scene acquisition at the contact location.

6. Audit geometry before behavior

Retain the supplied placement and outline values:

The setup node is worldTriggerAreaNode #cqa005_tr_setup; the cleanup node is the separate #cqa005_tr_cleanup. Do not reuse one trigger for both waits. The larger outer boundary is what makes delayed cleanup observable and testable.

7. Audit journal and onscreen localization

Open the journal and confirm this typed tree:

quests/minor_quest/cqa005
└── cqa005_01
    ├── cqa005_01_obj_meet
    │   └── cqa005_01_qmp_contact -> #cqa005_mp_contact
    └── cqa005_01_obj_leave

Open the onscreen localization resource and retain:

The child changes objective and pin state. The root changes quest state. The localization resource owns only text.

8. Audit the spoken-line lookup

Open cqa005_subtitles.json, the indirect subtitle entries resource. Its root data type is localizationPersistenceSubtitleEntries and it contains exactly one entry:

stringId: 9638591835734011695
femaleVariant: All clear. Keep moving.
maleVariant:   All clear. Keep moving.

Open the subtitle map. Its root data type is localizationPersistenceSubtitleMap; its one quest group entry soft-refers to cqa005_subtitles.json.

Open the VO map. Its root data type is locVoiceoverMap; its one locVoLineEntry uses the same string ID and the same WEM path for femaleResPath and maleResPath.

The source WAV is mono 48 kHz signed 16-bit PCM and lasts about 2.595 seconds. The prebuilt WEM is mono 48 kHz and lasts about 2.598 seconds. Keep its filename and VO-map path consistent when copying it.

9. Preserve the scene’s actor scaffold

Open cqa005_first_contact.scene. Keep scene version 5, cooking platform PLATFORM_PC, and category minorQuests.

Actor 0 is contact:

• type scnActorDef;
• acquisition plan community;
• community reference #cqa005_com_contact;
• entry name contact;
• lipsync animation-set slot ID 0.

Player actor 1 is V:

• type scnPlayerActorDef;
• acquisition plan findInContext;
• record Character.Player_Puppet_Base;
• lipsync animation-set slot ID 0.

In debug symbols, retain performer ID 1 for the contact and 257 for V. In resouresReferences—the serialized field is intentionally misspelled—keep one scnLipsyncAnimSetSRRef pointing to:

base\animations\facial\generic\interactive_scene\
generic_facial_lipsync_gestures.anims

Retain the typed empty arrays, scnSRRefCollection, empty embedded scnlocLocStoreEmbedded, debug symbols, and scene solution hash. Removing apparently empty typed containers can change serialization; filling locStore with the spoken line would also select the wrong localization system.

10. Preserve interruption and section safety policy

The default scnInterruptionScenario is ID 0, name Default, and enabled. Its speaker-distance interrupt condition is Greater 6; its return condition is Less 5. Retain playInterruptLine: 1 and talkOnReturn: 1.

This lab does not exercise active-line interruption/return or CutDestination. Its test guide covers the ordinary lifecycle, the supplied pre-scene seed loads, and post-contact_done plus completed reload; arbitrary pre-scene states and broader interruption claims need their own observed outcomes.

When you create the completed section, add actor behavior rows for actors 0 and 1, both OnlyIfAlive.

11. Add the screenplay line and event

In screenplayStore.lines, add one scnscreenplayDialogLine:

Leave male and female lipsync animation names at None. They are not WEM paths.

In the new section’s events, add one scnDialogLineEvent:

Set section duration to 2998 ms: line duration plus the deliberate 400 ms tail. The locstring ID and event ID are separate unsigned identity domains.

12. Expand the exact scene graph

The start shell has Start 1 -> 3 End. Keep those IDs and add:

• Section node 2;
• scnQuestNode 4, wrapping one questPuppetAIManagerNodeDefinition entry for the contact at AI tier Cinematic.

Wire exactly three destinations:

Retain these empty outputs:

• Section cancel output stamp 1/0 has no destinations;
• PuppetAI output stamp 0/0 has no destinations;
• End has outputSockets: [] and type: Terminating.

Set startNodes to node 1 and endNodes to node 3. Keep entry start -> 1 and exit contact_done -> 3. The PuppetAI branch is deliberately fire-and-forget; wiring it into End would create a different join policy.

Save and reopen the scene. Confirm the typed node IDs, socket stamps, screenplay item, event, and entry/exit remain unchanged.

13. Expand the contact child

Open cqa005_contact.questphase. Keep Input 0, terminating Output 1, and their interface names In1 and Out1. Add nodes 10 through 22 from the exact child table, then connect this one chain:

0.Out -> 10.Active -> 11.Active -> 12.In -> 13.In -> 14.In
      -> 15.In -> 16.start
16.contact_done -> 17.Succeeded -> 18.Inactive -> 19.Active
                -> 20.In -> 21.In -> 22.Succeeded -> 1.In

Where the shorthand crosses a node, use that node’s ordinary Out socket. Do not connect Default INT, Default RET, or any CutDestination.

Set the decisive payloads:

• node 12: one Activate action for community #cqa005_com_contact, entry contact, phase default;
• node 13: questCharacterSpawned_ConditionType, Greater 0, entireCommunity: 1, same community reference;
• node 14: player IsInside #cqa005_tr_setup, with isPlayerActivator: 1;
• node 15: checkpoint debug string cqa005_first_contact, with endGameSave, ignoreSaveLocks, pointOfNoReturn, retryOnFailure, and saveLock all 0;
• node 16: soft scene file, scnWorldMarker #cqa005_sm_contact, interruptionOperations: [], freeze/reapply/music flags 0, and exactly the five sockets described above;
• node 20: player IsOutside #cqa005_tr_cleanup, also with isPlayerActivator: 1;
• node 21: one Deactivate action with entry and phase both None, meaning the whole referenced community;
• node 22: succeed the leave objective before returning Out1.

Both trigger conditions retain an explicit empty activatorRef; player selection comes from isPlayerActivator, not from inventing an entity reference. In each gameEntityReference, keep dynamicEntityUniqueName: None, names: [], a uint64 NodeRef reference of 0, sceneActorContextName: None, slotName: None, and type: EntityRef.

The journal nodes are not labels alone. Give each objective action the exact gameJournalPath owner and payload below:

On all four objective actions set optional: 0, sendNotification: 1, trackQuest: 1, and version: Initial. Nodes 11 (Active) and 18 (Inactive) both target this map-pin path with className: gameJournalQuestMapPin and disablePreviousMappins: 0:

quests/minor_quest/cqa005/cqa005_01/cqa005_01_obj_meet/cqa005_01_qmp_contact

All six child gameJournalPath values also keep editorPath: "" and fileEntryIndex: 2. These fields belong to the serialized path object; do not omit them merely because realPath already looks unambiguous.

Keep child phasePrefabs empty.

14. Expand the registered root

The start root already contains Input 0, external child 13, and Output 1. Build the completed graph with the exact IDs in the overview. Node 12 becomes the external child in the completed candidate; IDs are resource-local, so this does not change the child resource’s interface.

Wire:

0.Out -> 10.In
10.False -> 1.In
10.True -> 11.Active
11.Out -> 12.In1
12.Out1 -> 13.Succeeded
13.Out -> 14.In
14.Out -> 1.In

Node 10 compares cqa005_completed Equal 0. Node 14 sets it to exactly 1. Retain the root prefab, the child’s soft path, null inline graph, and empty instance-prefab list.

Root journal node 11 sets the quest Active; node 13 sets the same quest Succeeded. Both use className: gameJournalQuest, realPath: quests/minor_quest/cqa005, and the exact action flags optional: 0, sendNotification: 1, trackQuest: 1, and version: Initial. Their two gameJournalPath objects also use editorPath: "" and fileEntryIndex: 2.

15. Save, rebuild, and compare

1. Save every changed resource.
2. Close and reopen the project; inspect both phase graphs and the scene.
3. Use WolvenKit’s project build/package action.
4. Confirm the packed archive and loose .archive.xl have the project name CQA_Lab05_FirstContact.
5. Confirm the package contains eleven CR2W depot paths plus the exact WEM.
6. Confirm the child, scene, subtitle entries, WEM, and sectors are archived even though they are not direct ArchiveXL roots.
7. Compare decisive properties with the unmodified completed checkpoint.

Successful saving, cooking, and packing prove serialization and packaging—not gameplay. Use Test First Contact with the unmodified completed checkpoint for the canonical runtime candidate.

Failure isolation before launch

Lab sequence: All labs · Previous: Lab 5: First Contact · Next: Test First Contact.