In a nod to the franchise's history, modders have released a new Pip-Boy design for Fallout: New Vegas, drawing inspiration from the cancelled title Black Isle Studios' Van Buren. The project, known as Fallout: The New West, aims to recreate the original third Fallout game and has now introduced the Lil Pip 3000, a Pip-Boy iteration based on Van Buren's original design documents.
This particular Pip-Boy model was intended for use by inmates in Tibbets Prison, a location already recreated by the modders for a demo of their Van Buren remake. The Lil Pip 3000 has now found its way into the New Vegas world, with the modders placing it in the Mojave near Nipton. It functions as a standard Pip-Boy, and the creators state it should be compatible with existing mods that add functionality to the device. A key feature highlighted by the modders is a custom animation that causes the Pip-Boy's lid to flip open when it is activated.
Alongside the Lil Pip 3000, the Fallout: The New West team has also released a Wattz Weapon Pack. This pack includes five laser weapons in the classic Fallout style, including a burst pistol design from Van Buren. These weapons feature custom animations and are designed to integrate seamlessly into New Vegas' arsenal. The pack also offers compatibility with the Tale of Two Wastelands mod, which combines Fallout 3 and New Vegas' worldspaces, distributing the weapons throughout the Capital Wasteland.
To install either the Lil Pip 3000 or the Wattz Weapon Pack, several requirements must be met. Both mods necessitate the New Vegas Script Extender, JIP LN NVSE Plugin, JohnnyGuitar NVSE, and kNVSE Animation Plugin. The weapon pack additionally requires the Gun Runners’ Arsenal DLC, ShowOff xNVSE Plugin, ISControl Enabler, and Sound Extender.