SS2 Rebalanced Skills and Disciplines

[67410e5280c56RoSoDude]

Much hype! After official 1.08 release I suppose it's break time untill SS2EE comes out? It would totally make sense to me.

After 1.08 release it's break time until SCP beta 5 comes out (apparently soon) as I'll need to clean up some compatibility stuff. I don't predict SS2EE will change anything for me, I'm all-in with NewDark.

remyabelFirst my load order for this particular run:

Code: [Select]

...snip...
Vague health bar
enemy health randomizer
Scary monsters AI
Alternate start
RSD
Repairman
Alarming cameras
Stasis trap
...snip...

I've triple checked and think that's correct.

Assuming that highest in this list is highest priority (as in the mod manager), that's correct. I imagine you're also running SCP beta 4 at the bottom as that's required.

Anyway, I re-read the changes and somehow missed the fact that you can modify armor, I will check that out.

Enemies are more challenging and I am getting hit more often now. Attached is a screenshot where I was safely hacking while they were killing each other.

Did not mention this before but I like the research changes because now it forces you to actually invest in the tree if you want to make the enemies less challenging earlier instead of waiting for hydroponics deck if you want to conserve cyber modules.

I also found myself taking the "naturally able" trait more often because 35 CM is a lot and with the particular build I didn't feel like any other trait was immediately needed. 35% more melee damage is not needed if I can one hit hybrids with the wrench for example.

For alarms, it's still too easy to just run back to the security station and disable it. Might need to have the player hack it to disable it to make it more challenging but that also might make it too tedious.

Still with all the repair changes I still don't feel compelled to use it. It's one of those weird things where either the skill is so useless that nobody picks it up, or if you force players to use it, then they will have to invest in it everytime. But since you can get by in the game without ever needing repair, I don't pick it up except for novelty purposes. I think Secmod handled this by forcing you to repair energy recharged stations, but I always had enough automatic repair tools (at least on normal difficulty).

Regarding Naturally Able's 35 cyber modules, it's a 4% increase in total available CMs in the game (compare with vanilla 8 CMs, SCP 20 CMs), which just edges it out into being worth taking. I primarily balanced it around Impossible, where that little boost can mean a lot for affording 1.8x upgrade costs, especially as a first choice in preparation for the Cargo Bays where you're strapped for upgrades. While the same number of cyber modules technically goes further on lower difficulties, they're also less valuable in the sense that you can more easily afford the upgrades you need in the first place, giving room for other traits which expand your abilities laterally. Even on Normal difficulty, traits like Pack Rat, Cybernetically Enhanced, and Tinker will save you more cyber modules in the long run as these allow you to skip taking the highest level of stat/skill upgrades due to their bonuses (stats 1-6 cost 0/3/8/15/25/40 CMs, tech skills 1-6 cost 10/5/8/12/20/35). It's a valid playstyle choice either way, I think, without being strictly better than the other available options.

Alarms are easy to disable by running back to the console, but that's kinda the point. If you're tripping them constantly and running back, that'll still add up to a lot more enemies spawned overall, and thus more challenge. If you're trying to sneak by cameras instead and slip up, you have to scramble to open your map and find the nearest console in a panic, which I find really enjoyable. Having to hack security to disable alarms is a common suggestion, but I think this makes Hack too mandatory of a skill when it's already really powerful, and also makes alarms more of a fail state (inducing reflex quickloads) than they should be. As @sarge945 notes, later levels feature fewer security computers, as do higher difficulties, so Alarming Cameras can really make things painful if you don't have a way of dealing with them.

Repair is mostly a playstyle thing. You can definitely get by without it, but specializing in it gives a lot of utility (unjamming weapons, recharging batteries and prisms, and the occasional map-specific use like fixing the keypad in Recreation, the QBR in Command, or the Power Station in the Rickenbacker, plus repairing med beds and turning turrets to your side if you use SS2 Repairman). Mixing Maintenance and Repair in your build is a lot more sensible as maint tools don't go as far, so jams are a bigger threat than before. Modify and Repair make a good combo as you can apply a degradation reduction mod to make your weapon last longer between each jam (note that it's a 20% reduction in degradation rate AND chance to jam). Heavy and Repair see the most utility together due to the ability to reuse prisms, which ends up being cheaper than buying them by a large margin if your Repair/CYB is high enough. Energy weapons are easier to repair than to maintain as well, so really any combination of those two skills is viable. One of my players did a Heavy run with maxed Repair and Modify (no Maint) and found it really fun.

Glad you're enjoying your second run, appreciate the discussion as always.

[67410e528133aJDoran]

If you're coming from Secmod I'd at minimum install Scary Monsters and perhaps Alarming Cameras to retain a degree of challenge. SS2-RSD is harder than vanilla across the board, but veterans will still find it fairly easy by itself. Scary Monsters makes it harder to melee cheese enemies so ammo and weapon condition management become more important, and Alarming Cameras turns security systems into an actual dynamic threat. You might also look at Alternate Start and Cutscene Skipper for repeat playthroughs, plus Inventory Fumbler if you're like me and you actually enjoy kludgy inventory micromanagement

Your link for the 'Scary Monsters' mod is wrong, it points to the 'Alarming Cameras' webpage. It should link to:

https://www.systemshock.org/index.php?topic=11575.0.

Excellent work with your mod, BTW, as always 

[67410e5283886remyabel]

RSD has less auto repair tools (it removes some), plus it adds a broken QBR on command and a broken energy recharge station on the Rick. Do you have any suggestions for other broken recharge stations?

sarge945
I figured that it had been suggested before and don't really have any additional ideas.

Assuming that highest in this list is highest priority (as in the mod manager), that's correct. I imagine you're also running SCP beta 4 at the bottom as that's required.

Correct. Good to know.

Even on Normal difficulty, traits like Pack Rat, Cybernetically Enhanced, and Tinker will save you more cyber modules in the long run as these allow you to skip taking the highest level of stat/skill upgrades due to their bonuses (stats 1-6 cost 0/3/8/15/25/40 CMs, tech skills 1-6 cost 10/5/8/12/20/35). It's a valid playstyle choice either way, I think, without being strictly better than the other available options.

Makes sense.

Alarms are easy to disable by running back to the console, but that's kinda the point. If you're tripping them constantly and running back, that'll still add up to a lot more enemies spawned overall, and thus more challenge.

Also makes sense, did notice the additional enemy spawn, hence the hilarity in my screenshot.

Modify and Repair make a good combo as you can apply a degradation reduction mod to make your weapon last longer between each jam (note that it's a 20% reduction in degradation rate AND chance to jam). Heavy and Repair see the most utility together due to the ability to reuse prisms, which ends up being cheaper than buying them by a large margin if your Repair/CYB is high enough. Energy weapons are easier to repair than to maintain as well, so really any combination of those two skills is viable. One of my players did a Heavy run with maxed Repair and Modify (no Maint) and found it really fun.

Sounds advanced I will have to try it out.

Glad you're enjoying your second run, appreciate the discussion as always.

Indeed.

I'm also getting used to these old-school BBS. Haven't used them in a while and I'm screwing up every now and then. 

[67410e5283afdremyabel]

Hmmm... I seem to encountered a strange issue where one of the cameras are already destroyed. But the other cameras don't seem to be affected.

EDIT: continued playing up to ops and haven't noticed similar broken cameras. I couldn't have destroyed the camera myself because it happened before I even did anything and I saved and resumed from autosave to make sure. Pretty strange.
[Screenshot_2022-01-17_18-25-31.png expired]

[67410e5283d35voodoo47]

that camera starts out as destroyed. so it will be destroyed once you find it destroyed.

[67410e5283e83remyabel]

Odd how I have never noticed that... I really need to get my memory checked.

[67410e528440csarge945]

that camera starts out as destroyed. so it will be destroyed once you find it destroyed.

Why can't we Undestroy it then?

[67410e528450avoodoo47]

don't temp me.

[67410e5284632RoSoDude]

Meh, that camera wouldn't add much to gameplay. No security console in the area, and if one were added it would logically have to be in central corridor right by the camera. The map geometry doesn't really support alarm dynamics so much as it's about spooking the player with spiders and creepy ambients.

[67410e52847a1ZylonBane]

And also, y'know, because none of the pre-destroyed cameras are set up with the required links to the ecology manager.

[67410e52848e0RoSoDude]

Well sure, I'm arguing why it wouldn't be worth the effort to set up those ecologies anyway.

[67410e5284a18voodoo47]

there wouldn't be any kind of benefit from being able to repair the cameras and make them friendly, as them raising a friendly alarm and spawning friendly hybrids would make no sense. you would need to set up a completely separate security faction that can change allegiance, Bioshock style. the Talon droid could be used for that purpose, but this would be a very complex mod, not easy to create.

[67410e5284b87remyabel]

Sorry for bringing up the camera guys. Didn't mean for this to go off topic. 

Finished another play through on standard/heavy/modify/maintain. Felt satisfying for everything to be fully modified. The progression and difficulty felt Just Right (TM) with the mods you recommended. It's good that Shodan had more HP because I liked wasting my AP ammo on full auto, then finishing her off with the fusion cannon on death mode. I also made use of the SFG a lot more which ended up being enjoyable.

[67410e5284c7dsarge945]

Man has good time using stasis field generator

More at 11

[67410e5284d8aRoSoDude]

I should check if SHODAN avatars are vulnerable to stasis...

[67410e5284e81voodoo47]

they are not. to the SCP b5 mobile!

[67410e5284f78RoSoDude]

Fixed on my end for 1.08 as well (Stasis and Electron Suppression will both work).

[67410e5285ccbRoSoDude]

Insanely huge beta update. I keep saying "this is the last one" but I mean it this time. Beta is necessary because of my ENORMOUS PSI REWORK.

Basically, I realized I can actually swap psi powers around in tiers. Even some that I'm really not supposed to (like Invisibility, which I rebuilt on my own with hacks). The new unlock tiers can be found here, should make tier 5 much more worth it:

https://imgur.com/a/9meywwX

There's also a bunch of changes to visuals (bullet tracers, impact FX, triple shotgun casing ejection, the works), and tons of resource distribution changes. Bug reports and feedback needed before release.

1.08 BETA 10
-Fixed Viral Proliferator self-damage mod causing crashiness on game load
-Fixed degradation parameters not consistently resetting when switching weapon settings
-Fixed Shotgun spread mod getting reset after killing shotgun hybrids
-Fixed edge case where armor mods couldn't be selected after using a French-Epstein device with the stat display active
-Fixed edge case where modified weapons would display incorrect mod level after being broken
-Fixed incorrect research requirement display on "?" key
-Fixed weapon auto-equip not functioning properly with a full inventory due to beta 8 container compatibility fixes
-Fixed Laser Rapier not being able to go into containers
-Fixed inability to stack split piles of maintenance tools, portable batteries, or french-epstein devices
-Fixed Worm Launcher not inheriting damage bonuses from modification, research, and Sharpshooter
-Fixed inconsistent drag charging behavior between empty prisms/batteries vs dead power cells
-Fixed Localized Pyrokinesis audio spam with environment and player psi shield
-Fixed reload animation conflict with Kyu's WeaponFX (load SS2-RSD above)
-Fixed Turret Repair skill requirement changes still getting overwritten by SS2 Repairman
-Fixed compatibility issues with RealSG
-Fixed doubled locker blocking frob in Ops B [credit SS2Tool]
-Added inventory cursor string to armor to invite users to the new equip screen
-Added inventory icons for upgraded weapons and armors
-Added sounds for changing weapon settings (except for Laser Pistol)
-Added sound for using portable batteries
-Added missing Grenade Launcher shockwave effect on contact (only occurred on terrain hits)
-Added missing Fusion Cannon shockwave effect on contact (only occurred on terrain hits)
-Added triple casing ejection for Shotgun TRIPLE mode
-Added tracers for bullets/slugs/pellets fired by the player
-Reworked bullet impact effects:
   -Glow particles emerge on contact with all objects and terrain except flesh
   -Bullets and slugs produce highly visible sparks instead of gray debris alongside smoke
   -Pellets produce contact glow and a small amount of smoke
   -Impact produces blood when hitting fleshy objects and goo when hitting eggs
   -Cyborg Assassin impact particles are now small sparks instead of gray debris
-Added missing bullet impact effect on contact (only occurred on terrain hits)
-Added bullet holes on impact for shooting target objects
-Increased size and number of spark particles on EMP Rife OVER mode to better distinguish from NORM mode
-Refined cosmetic recoil parameters on Shotgun, Grenade Launcher, and Fusion Cannon
-Reverted Pistol secondary fire to 3-round burst
-Increased Pistol clip size from 8 to 9
-Decreased Pistol BURST shot interval from 0.7 seconds to 0.5 seconds (equal to NORM mode)
-Decreased Pistol reload mod from -50% to -30%
-Increased Shotgun TRIPLE slug spread from 300 to 350
-Changed Shotgun level 1 reload mod to capacity +50% mod
-Changed Shotgun level 2 capacity mod to reload time -50% mod
-Increased Assault Rifle BURST shot interval from 0.25s to 0.5s
-Increased Assault Rifle BURST vertical recoil by 25%
-Decreased Assault Rifle AUTO recoil by 20%
-Decreased Assault Rifle reload mod from -50% to -30%
-Decreased EMP Rifle OVER mode consumption from 20 to 10
-Decreased Stasis Field Generator clip size from 12 to 8
-Decreased Stasis Field Generator AREA mode consumption from 4 to 3
-Increased Grenade Launcher degradation rate from 1% per shot to 2% per shot
-Decreased Grenade Launcher projectile speed mod from +100% to +50%
-Decreased Fusion Cannon clip size from 40 to 24
-Decreased Fusion Cannon DEATH shot interval from 2 seconds to 1.5 seconds (NORM mode is 1 second)
-Decreased Viral Proliferator reload mod from -50% to -30%
-Increased Viral Proliferator self-damage mod from -50% to -75%
-Decreased Worm Launcher reload mod from -50% to -30%
-Changed Worm Launcher level 1 capacity mod to self-damage -75% mod
-Changed Worm Launcher level 2 consumption mod to capacity +100% mod
-Increased grenade pickup count from 3 to 4
-Decreased Wrench Smasher damage from 11 to 10 (1.83x->1.67x multiplier)
-Increased Laser Rapier Smasher damage from 19 to 19.5 (1.46x->1.5x multiplier)
-Adjusted psi burnout time for Tier 1/2/3/4/5 from 2.0/1.5/1.0/0.75/0.4s to 2.00/1.50/1.08/0.75/0.50 seconds
-Adjusted overload threshold at PSI 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8 from 85/82/78/73/67/6/52/0% to 89/85/80/74/67/59/50/40%
-Swapped psi powers in tiers
   -Psychogenic Agility from tier 1 to 3
   -Neural Toxin Blocker from tier 3 to 4
   -Enhanced Motion Sensitivity from tier 3 to 4
   -Psionic Hypnogenesis from tier 3 to 4
   -Remote Pattern Detection from tier 4 to 3
   -Photonic Redirection from tier 4 to 5
   -Electron Suppression from tier 4 to 5
   -Psychogenic Endurance from tier 4 to 1
   -Remote Circuitry Manipulation from tier 4 to 5
   -Instantaneous Quantum Relocation from tier 5 to 3
   -Metacreative Barrier from tier 5 to 4
   -External Psionic Detonation from tier 5 to 4
-Decreased Localized Pyrokinesis damage from 1 per 0.4s to 0.5 per 0.4s
-Decreased Localized Pyrokinesis duration to 7s + 8s per PSI above 1 to 5s + 5s per PSI
-Increased Remote Pattern Detection duration from 60s per PSI to 120s per PSI
-Increased Enhanced Motion Sensitivity duration from 30s per PSI to 60s per PSI
-Decreased Photonic Redirection duration from 5s + 5s per PSI to 5s per PSI
-Increased Molecular Duplication chance from 30% + 10% per PSI to 40% + 10% per PSI
-Increased Recursive Psionic Amplification buff from +2 PSI to +3 PSI
-Photonic Redirection now deactivates Localized Pyrokinesis on cast
-Removed Remote Circuitry Manipulation initial psi cost
-Rebalanced Adrenaline Production from 1.00+0.25*PSI multiplier to +1 base damage per PSI
-External Psionic Detonation now damages robots (0.5x multiplier)
-Neural Decontamination now clears radiation in addition to providing 80% radiation resistance
-Neural Toxin-Blocker now clears toxins in addition to providing 100% toxin resistance
-Remote Pattern Detection now detects items in containers and corpses
-Enhanced Motion Sensitivity now detects robots, turrets, and cameras
-Molecular Transmutation nanite output now scales with difficulty (0.85/1.00/1.4/1.8x on Easy/Normal/Hard/Impossible)
-Instantaneous Quantum Relocation improvements:
   -Placing the teleport marker no longer costs psi points
   -Teleport marker no longer has collision
   -Teleporting maintains current view angle
   -Teleporting more consistently confuses pursuing enemies
-Decreased Repair nanite costs for SS2 Repairman
   -Slug/Laser Turrets from 50 nanites to 20 nanites
   -Rocket/Rick Turrets from 50 nanites to 30 nanites
-Added stasis and Electronic Suppression vulnerability to SHODAN avatars
-The broken Shotgun in Engineering now comes with a clip modification instead of a reload modification
-Added a Strength Booster to an Engineering supply closet
-Added a Strength Booster to Engineering near Engineering Control
-Added a Strength Booster to Hydroponics A pool
-Added a Strength Booster to Hydroponics B near hazardous storage
-Added a Proximity Grenade clip to Hydroponics B hazardous storage
-Added a Strength Booster to Ops B spider ambush apartment
-Added a Strength Booster to Ops C power admin
-Added a Strength Booster to Recreation A gym
-Added more beakers:
   -Large beaker to Med/Sci 1 in R&D
   -Small beaker to Med/Sci 2 near Crew keycard
   -Small beaker to Med/Sci 2 in Watt's room
   -Small beaker to Engineering security room
   -Small beaker to Hydroponics A storage corpse
   -Small beaker to Hydroponics B ambushing midwife
   -Small beaker to Hydroponics B chemical room
   -Large worm beaker to Hydroponics B hazardous storage corpse
-Removed some items on Normal/Hard/Impossible difficulties
   -A Surgical Key in Recreaction C security room on Hard/Impossible
   -A Surgical Key in Rickenbacker A tunnels
-Added new secrets for psi pull
   -Maintenance tool to Med/Sci
   -50 nanites to Engineering
   -Maintenance Tool to Cargo Bays
   -Proximity Grenade Clip to Hydroponics A
   -20 nanites to Hydroponics B
   -Shotgun at condition 6 to Hydroponics B
   -20 prisms to Ops C
   -Portable Battery to Ops C
   -[moved] Medical Kit to Ops D
   -Strength Booster to Recreation C
   -Armor-Piercing bullets to Command A
   -Psi Hypo to Command B
   -Disruption Grenade clip to Rickenbacker A
   -Incendiary Grenade clip to Rickenbacker A
   -Strength Booster to Rickenbacker A
   -Psi Hypo to the Body of the Many
   -Medical Kit to the Body of the Many

EDIT: hotfixed with following changes:

-Fixed Powered Armor icon staying unpowered after charge when unmodified
-Fixed FE devices not working with SCP Inventory Fumbler installed
-Fixed frob highlight showing up for out of reach items
-Increased Adrenaline Overproduction duration from 10s per PSI to 20s per PSI
-Decreased Sympathetic Resonator nanite cost in Replicator from 100 to 50

EDIT2: Accidentally left Powered Armor draining energy 100 times a second from testing, please redownload the hotfix with that removed.
[SS2-RSD_1.08_BETA10hotfixed.7z expired]

[67410e5286150RoSoDude]

"This is the last one", haha. Good joke. Anyway, here's Beta 11, the main focus of which was rebalancing psi overload. Main changes:

• Power Psi O/S Upgrade now increases overload bonus from +2 PSI to +3 PSI instead of removing burnout damage and psi point cost
• Duration-based powers can now be overloaded (previously only projectile and one-shot powers)
• All powers can be overloaded up to a maximum effective PSI of 10, or 11 with Power Psi (previously only 9 of 35 powers benefitted from PSI up to 10)

I've also added a bunch of new radiation hazards to the game, as I always found it was a rather underutilized threat.

Full changelist:

1.08 BETA 11
-Reduced mod size by swapping psi icons via psihelp.str instead of included images
-Fixed out of reach objects being unfrobbable even when in reach (e.g. via Metacreative Barrier)
-Fixed out of reach objects being frobbable after repeat game loads
-Fixed ops1.mis not supporting new overlays (modification, armor equip, etc.)
-Fixed Instantaneous Quantum Relocation icon showing forever after initial cast (now only shows with marker active)
-Fixed Localized Pyrokinesis SFX blocking frob
-Fixed vanilla bug where Kinetic Redirection would time out early when cast in quick succession
-Fixed vanilla bug where Kinetic Redirection would not end after the pulled object was picked up
-Fixed Soma Transference visual FX appearing on untargetable enemies and objects
-Armor equip screen now shows default armor icon (without upgrade arrow or power status)
-Spent prisms no longer spawn in front of the player if they have no inventory space available
-Reverted SCP Hazard Suit rad/tox protection from 80% to 75%
-Swapped psi powers in tiers
   -Neural Toxin-Blocker from tier 4 to 3 (vanilla)
   -Remote Circuitry Manipulation from tier 5 to 4 (vanilla)
   -Electron Cascade from tier 3 to 5
-All duration-based psi powers now benefit from overloading
-Power Psi O/S Upgrade now increases overload bonus from +2 PSI to +3 PSI instead of removing burnout damage and psi point cost
-All psi powers can now be overloaded up to an effective PSI 10 (11 with Power Psi)
-Decreased Psionic Agility/Strength/Endurance duration from 120s + 60s per PSI to 60s per PSI
-Decreased Localized Pyrokinesis duration to 7s + 8s per PSI above 1 to 5s per PSI
-Decreased Recursive Psionic Amplification duration from 10s + 10s per PSI to 10s per PSI
-Decreased Psycho-Reflective Screen duration from 20s + 30s per PSI to 20s + 20s per PSI
-Decreased Psycho-Reflective Aura duration from 10s + 20s per PSI to 15s per PSI
-Increased Neuro-Reflex Dampening duration from 1 minute + 20s per PSI to 1 minute + 30s per PSI
-Decreased Metacreative Barrier health from 150 + 50 per PSI over 5 to 30 + 20 per PSI
-Reverted Molecular Duplication chance from 40% + 10% per PSI to 30% + 10% per PSI
-Increased Psi Booster nanite cost with Molecular Duplication from 20 to 30
-Assault Droid fusion shots now inflict radiation damage, blast damage reduced from 12 to 10
-Added new secrets for psi pull
   -A radiation hypo to Ops C
-Added new radiation hazards
   -Radiation clouds as part of trap in Ops C hallway
   -Radiation barrels in Ops D Fluid Ops
   -Radiation cloud in Recreation C mall
   -Radiation cloud in Command B escape pods
   -Radiation barrels in Command B escape pods
   -Radiation barrels in Command A shuttle bay
   -Radiation barrels in Rickenbacker A
   -Radiation clouds in Rickenbacker A

[67410e528661bThiefsieFool]

AWESOME MOD BRO!

[67410e5286732ZylonBane]

/activates SCP Steal-O-Vac

[67410e5286941Bratmanntoffel]

Awesome mod!
A few question though. Is it intentional that cameras and turrets can see and attack the player with Photonic Redirection active?
Also I could not get to hack 6 with Remote Circuitry Manipulation. Looks like it does not benefit from Power Psi upgrade at all, not reaching Psi 11 and also not gaining +3 with Overcharge.

[67410e5286a83RoSoDude]

Did not intend for cameras or turrets to be able to see you while invisible, I'm not sure why that's happening. Should be able to fix though.

And yeah, I'm aware of Remote Circuitry Manipulation not overloading correctly with Power Psi, it's a limitation of the engine code. I think I can hack it to work "correctly" but it is a bit convoluted so I left it out of Beta 11.

Thanks for playing!

[67410e5286bb8Bratmanntoffel]

No thanks to you! Your mod already improves the game so much. So many things feel much better now.
One thing I might ask maybe, I can't find any use for the O/S upgrade Security Expert. Even after your improvement of counting for min requirements it falls far short compared to just getting +2 hacking with Naturally Able. Maybe it would be good when working on hacking turrets too? Wouldn't be that much of a stretch as turrets are somewhat security too?

Other than that, keep up the good work!