Fallout 3: Metro Car Armor
We understand that there are some misconceptions about how the Presidential Metro in Broken Steel works.
The way the scene works is quite interesting and we felt that we should explain how it's actually achieved, through a series of short videos!
When the player activates the train, an armor named “DLC03MetroCarArmor” is added to the player's inventory after the white fade-in.
The armor is identical to the train visually. It is not a hat, but a Right Hand glove. It will appear above the player's head in third person and block the player's view entirely if a weapon is unholstered in first person.
A script package named “DLC03MetroCameraPackage” is added to the player. This plays an animation called “DLC031stPersonMetroCam.kf,” which is what actually makes the camera shake, as well as makes the player/train move.
It is not intended to be viewed in third person and activating the train will always force the player into first person.
The armor is assigned to the player's Right Hand slot because hand models are visible in First Person, while headwear is not.
When combined with the armor and its associated script package, the armor adjusts its position, giving the result above. The white fade-in serves to hide the armor model repositioning itself, while also disabling (removing the model from the map) the original train that the player activated.
The armor and the animation are designed and also rely on the player being in first person. If viewed in third person, the player and the train are turned sideways and looks incorrect.
If you check the player's Right Hand in third person while the armor is equipped, their right hand will indeed become the train itself and thus, appear invisible.
So, there you have it folks! We hope this explanation was in-depth and informative! It was really fun to look into and discover how the scene truly works.
We did have multiple videos recorded for this, but Tumblr only accepts 1 uploaded video at a time. :(
We've made a page for the armor as well, which you can read here:
https://fallout.wiki/wiki/DLC03MetroCarArmor