Deus Ex GMDX: Deus Ex Advancement Mod v9 Released!

[Jaedar]

I think I prefer the left one.

The streets of paris are kill. I'm having genuine trouble.

Really? Aren't you a Dark Souls fan? This is nowhere near as hard even on hardcore mode.
Which map? Any particular issue?

It's the paris paris map, "near champs elysses". Mainly, the issue I had is that there are two exits from the catacombs. One plops you up right in the middle of 6 mj12 dudes and is basically instant death. The other plops you up between two milbots and a patrolling commando, which is doable, but hard, especially since you don't get much opportunity to scout ahead. And as soon as anyone fires a shot, all the map -3 cops will come running.

Still, I don't really mind. It was an interesting situation even if it made for a difficuty spike. And I could have mitigated it better if I hadn't used up all my plasma ammo.

EDIT: I also forgot to mention that the non-suicide option requires the unlocking of a 50% grate.

 

[CyberP]

Hmm, perhaps I'll do something to make it a little easier. Never had any complaints until now though.

 

[Carrion]

unsure with which model & skin I should go for, HDTP or vanilla?

Go with vanilla. No real reason to change it if you don't think the change is a clear improvement in the first place. It looks better anyway.

 

[Jaedar]

I've played up to vandenberg at this point. Man those allied milbots are weak. They both exploded while only having taken out one of the enemy bots.

I also really don't get the people who don't like this map. It's good.

 

[CyberP]

I also really don't get the people who don't like this map. It's good.

Indeed.

 

[CyberP]

As for the allied bots, they are just as good as the other milbots. It just depends on which bots start using rockets first, which has an element of randomization to it (AI switch weapon code).

 

[Jaedar]

As for the allied bots, they are just as good as the other milbots. It just depends on which bots start using rockets first, which has an element of randomization to it (AI switch weapon code).

Yeah, figured as much. In hindsight, I should have rocketed one or both of them, then had the friendlies clean up the smaller bots and troopers.

 

[Jaedar]

Played until the ocean lab. Those kustom milbots man, pretty cool. That spider on the elevator though, not so cool.

Simons was also really easy. Considering how hard I find MiBs and commandos, this seems a bit bad. Problem is he refuses to fire his plasma rifle at close quarters, and doesn't move fast enough to get away, so just following him with a melee weapon is enough. He should probably get a secondary weapon, or at least some level of the speed aug.

 

[CyberP]

Simons does have higher speed than your average NPC. And yeah, there is maybe more I should do for him. All I've done for Simons is make him cloak earlier and increased his health some. I really haven't done much for the bosses. Perhaps I should go hard on Simons though as he is meant to have an "upgraded version of the firmware".

Okay, Codex. Or you, Jaedar, and the guy that keeps yapping on about the bosses, what do you want me to do. Brainstorm.
I haven't done too much for them for a number of reasons, but I want to.

 

[ZagorTeNej]

Simons does have higher speed than your average NPC. And yeah, there is maybe more I should do for him. All I've done for Simons is make him cloak earlier and increased his health some. I really haven't done much for the bosses. Perhaps I should go hard on Simons though as he is meant to have an "upgraded version of the firmware".

Okay, Codex. Or you, Jaedar, and the guy that keeps yapping on about the bosses, what do you want me to do. Brainstorm.
I haven't done too much for them for a number of reasons, but I want to.

Simons is supposed to mirror the player basically (they're one of the very few nano-augmented people around) so think of your average JC player build that is meant for straight combat (I doubt WS is the sneaky pacifist type that uses baton and pepper spray) and start from there, make him challenging because of his augs and skills not because he's a bullet spounge that can deal a ton of damage (something which I always considered to be lazy design).

BTW. Been playing your mod a bit and don't know if it's a bug but the exit from detention keypad (in secret MJ12 facility) has only 3 digits while it's supposed to be 4 (the code that is on the datacube nearby). I can get out when the guard is going through the door so it's not a big deal, I just don't like leaving Miguel to his fate.

 

[CyberP]

"make him challenging because of his augs and skills not because he's a bullet spounge that can deal a ton of damage (something which I always considered to be lazy design)."

So what are you suggesting? He already has the vision aug (increased accuracy), he already has the ballistic protection and energy shield augs (increased health and a protection to the related damage types) he already has speed enhancement (although not really upgraded if you do the math), he already has cloak.
What more, besides ADS and giving him the visible energy shield effect could I possibly do? Personally I want to do two things: make him seem intelligent in how he decides to move around the game world (though if I can pull that off in a significant way I may as well apply aspects of the algorithm to all NPCs) and give him more attacks, most of which can be dodged/avoided in some way (but then I may as well give those attacks to other NPCs too, since 75% of attacks in Deus Ex are hitscan attacks unfortunately).

 

[Jaedar]

Give him a skulgun so he has a weapon which can be used at close quarters.

 

[CyberP]

As for the keypad, yes, a known bug that will be resolved next release. You can still rescue Miguel even with it present though.

Jaedar: Skulgun is a mechanical aug, and something only mentally unsound individuals like Gunther want. Waltons is nano. Health regen? (no reasonable way of conveying it is active to the player plus it isn't mentioned in the datacube, although he could have just as well installed it since that analysis was made) Give him the tooth sword for close quarters and increase his melee attack anim rates (combat speed, and may be overkill, plus NPC behavior with melee is retarded and I cannot fix because I have no animators)? Microfibral Muscle is not possible because no NPC anims for picking up and holding boxes. Silent running has no significant purpose, though It would be one more aspect that counts in making him a worthy adversary. Vision aug could be cheaply conveyed by just increasing his cooldown times significantly, although he is already meant to have the rival vision aug: targeting, so it would be an inconsistency. Spy drone would not be practical. Power recirculator, aqualung, synthetic heart & radar transparency irrelevant...and that is all the augs except environmental resistance which he already has despite it not being mentioned in the datacube:

//
// Damage type table for Walton Simons:
//
// Shot            - 100%
// Sabot        - 100%
// Exploded        - 100%
// TearGas        - 10%
// PoisonGas    - 10%
// Poison        - 10%
// PoisonEffect    - 10%
// HalonGas        - 10%
// Radiation    - 10%
// Shocked        - 10%
// Stunned        - 0%
// KnockedOut   - 0%
// Flamed        - 0%
// Burned        - 0%
// NanoVirus    - 0%
// EMP            - 0%

Note that shot, sabot and exploded may be 100%, but it is meant to be his increased health that represents ballistic protection and energy shield, as well as his immunity to fire.

 

[CyberP]

Right, hi-ho, it is off to work on Simons I go. It won't be much, but something is better than nothing, or what little I did before rather.

 

[Jaedar]

Right, hi-ho, it is off to work on Simons I go. It won't be much, but something is better than nothing, or what little I did before rather.

Yeah, he doesn't need much, its just that he should be harder than a MiB with a full auto shotgun. And the only reason he isn't is that he can't or won't fire his weapon in close quarters.

 

[CyberP]

I'm not entirely sure why that is. Either because he is programmed to not fire if he is to be in the blast radius or because the fireOffset of the weapon is derp. I'll get it sorted.

 

[ZagorTeNej]

CyberP Maybe you could give Simons the assault shotgun he'll pull out if the player gets close? He executes those two NSF prisoners with it afterall IIRC.

Also, love what you've done with the gore, blowing up MiBs in 'Ton's hallway was very satisfying. I loved that whole sequence though I still feel it's stupid that Paul survives if you get killed (well knocked unconscious) during the hotel fight but dies even if you execute every enemy there but exit through the window afterwards, it feels arbitrary.

 

[Jaedar]

Oh yeah, concerning the gore: It's glorious, but the way it interacts with water causes massive framedrop on my computer. I noticed this when doing the waterlogged parts of underwater base. After firing a shot of plasma I got a painfully low framerate for a second or so.

Not sure if you can do anything about it, but there it is.

 

[CyberP]

Having design ideas and then being able to execute them with code is glorious. To be able to do practice with a game like Deus Ex tops it off. And I'm doing it justice.
Two new code-based developments today: I've perfected the mantling code: it is entirely consistent now. You can mantling anything successfully at any point of a jump/fall as long as it is waist high. The other is Simons, I've given him a number of buffs. Nothing special, but he will put up a fight comparable to the crazy MiBs. PM me if you want this update.

 

[Major_Blackhart]

What have you done to him? I may want it to be honest.

 

[CyberP]

Increased movement speed/speed enhancement to MiB levels.
Reduced # of provocations to 0. (so if you shoot him just once as he comes to talk to you he will immediately anger).
Gave him energy shield visual effect.
Use fallback weapons = true. (if false he will only use the dragon's tooth when run out of primary ammo).
Increased his health, or ballistic protection and energy shield strength if you prefer, by 200.

All very basic stuff. Mostly simply tweaking of vars. I can do more, but what would be acceptable? I leave it up to you guys. If I agree with your ideas I will implement them, so let your imaginations run wild! My design talent will be used elsewhere in the meantime.

 

[CyberP]

Oh I also increased his cooldown time so he wont immediately forget about you if you hide like every other NPC; It will take a little bit longer for him to give up the chase.

 

[CyberP]

Shall I give him the assault shotgun too then? JC can carry a great number of weapons so I see no possible qualms with Simons having three.

 

[CyberP]

Oh, for the extra observant: yes, I also increased his running animation rate along with his movement speed.
Sigh, the admins should really give me my editing privilege right back.

 

[ZagorTeNej]

Wow, Spy Drone is super useful now. I always thought it was underrated (just had a name that is very different to it's actual function which is a guided powerful EMP attack) but now with nearly triple reduced energy cost, scarcity of resources (you aren't sitting on 10 LAMs, EMP grenades and 20 rockets all the time, quite the opposite), much higher frequency of turrets and more dangerous cameras it really feels like a worthy investment (at level 3 atleast, don't see much point in upgrading it to max level).

Also, DTS is still a beast even in its nerfed state, with only level 1 combat aug and untrained at low tech it still cut through MJ12 commandos attacking Lucky Money without much trouble on Hardcore (I had a maxed out ballistic aug though but you could just use ballistic armor instead). Seemed like an optimal tactic too, even as a pistol user because from what I've seen MJ12 commandos have beefed up rockets and nerfed machineguns so engaging them up close seems like a better option now. Overall, really like what you've done with that scenario, feels like an actual raid now instead of few MJ12 commandos that get taken out promptly by Red Arrow bouncers before you even get to them.

Regular MJ12 troops using cloak is maybe a bit of an overkill (I'm guessing they're not augmented but rather using cloak devices similar to young Tracer Tong in HR so it doesn't exactly conflict with game lore) but it does make the encounters with them more challenging in an interesting way, I was taken by surprise the first time I raided Maggie's apartment. Haven't found a way to mess up with their cloak aside from Spy Drone and EMP grenades yet, maybe Vision aug from Versa Life?