Problems with SS2 (Modded)

[6742a84a4f9cfCyrusVonNox2001]

Hello.
 I've been having some problems with my version of SS2. I've installed some mods and I'm certain they're the source of the problem. I will post my mod list here followed by the problems I've been having.

1. SS2_Vaxquis_VintageSongRemake
2. SHTUP-ND beta 2
3. Four Hundred v21U
4. Super QBRs
5. RealSG_1.05
6. Assassin-Rapier_1.00
7. Scary-Monsters-AI_1.03
8. SS2-RSD_2.04_BETA
9. SCP_beta5

Problems I've noticed: (So far)
1. NPC's have trouble fighting in close range. (The first Hybrid I encountered in SCI would just run at me and only attacked when I raised my Wrench. The monkeys I encountered in the room in MED with the monkey cages would just freeze when I got up close to them.)
 
2. When I got to MED, the soundtrack wouldn't play, I played most of the MED section in silence until I got Dr. Watt's key card and doubled back through the the Crew Corridor to use the surgical unit and the soundtrack finally started.

3. Sometimes text on the skill menu when I access the Upgrade Units would bleed outside the UI borders. Also, when I open the hacking menu, I could see the security countdown numbers through the hacking menu.

That's what I have so far, I've played SS2 to completion or at least to the BOTM at least 3 times, and I didn't notice this stuff in my last playthroughs.

If you think I should take this to any particular mod authors to have this sorted out, just tell me. If you think I should just rearrange my mod order or remove a particular mod, tell me as well.

[6742a84a4fbc0voodoo47]

first, I would rearrange the mods;

1. Scary-Monsters-AI_1.03
2. SS2-RSD_2.04_BETA
3. Super QBRs
4. SS2_Vaxquis_VintageSongRemake
5. Assassin-Rapier_1.00
6. Four Hundred v21U
7. RealSG_1.05
8. SHTUP-ND beta 2
9. SCP_beta5

then I would check the RSD mods and see whether those you currently have are SCPb5 compatible. aaand Scary-Monsters-AI_1.03 isn't (b4 only, as mentioned in the mod description). ta-daa?

audio tracks can be wonky, are you able to replicate the issue?

for the visual issues provide screenshots, you may be running some kind of unsupported resolution/hud scaling combo.

[6742a84a4fce6CyrusVonNox2001]

I'm kinda new here, how do you post images? It looks like you can link to an image, and that's what I did when I first joined. But is there any way I can upload an image directly?

[6742a84a5027dsarge945]

I would check the RSD mods and see whether those you currently have are SCPb5 compatible. aaand Scary-Monsters-AI_1.03 isn't (b4 only, as mentioned in the mod description). ta-daa?

Scary Monsters is supposed to work with b5 too

From my brief overview of SCP Beta 5's object hierarchy I think Scary Monsters and Rapier Assassin are still fully compatible.

[6742a84a5039bvoodoo47]

then it's time to start disabling mods one by one until the problem goes away, using the list I posted, and starting from the top.

as a new user you can't attach pictures yet but you should be able to link them.

[6742a84a50477CyrusVonNox2001]

Is there any good site to post my screenshots where I can link them here?

[6742a84a5058eCyrusVonNox2001]

OK so I deactivated the skill rebalance mod and the Super QBRs mod and the text bleeding problem seems to have gone away. I might reactivate them when I can figure out how the HUD scaling works. I remember an earlier version of SS2 and SS2Tool had the HUD scaled smaller. Is the setting in a config file somewhere?

[6742a84a5082fZylonBane]

It is literally impossible that Super QBRs is doing anything to text anything.

Is the setting in a config file somewhere?

cam_ext.cfg
d3d_disp_scaled_2d_overlay

[6742a84a5091csarge945]

Rebalanced Skills modifies some strings but the problem you're having is scaling related?

[6742a84a50a05CyrusVonNox2001]

I have some screenshots I could show you about the scaling and text bleeding problem. Where's a good place to post them so I can link them here?

[6742a84a50ad1voodoo47]

imgur for example. google can help.

[6742a84a50ba5sarge945]

Imgur is the way to go

[6742a84a50c9evoodoo47]

and try to pinpoint which mod exactly is causing the text bleed, so it can be reported to the author as well.

[6742a84a50db9CyrusVonNox2001]

Ok I'll try getting imgur set up. While I'm here, I took a look at SSPTool and did a quick scan on VirusTotal and like 12 AVs marked it as malicious. Usually, my limit for risking it is about 2-4 AVs, hence why I thought it safe to run SS2Tool as only 3 AVs didn't like it. What is it about SSP that makes VirusTotal panic like that?

[6742a84a50ee5voodoo47]

you don't set imgur up, you upload a pic there and link it into your forum post.

a patcher is an antivirus' worst nightmare, it's an exe that hides other exes and scripts that modify files on your drive, while requiring admin permissions. the only thing that's missing is a field for your credit card number.

so it's either you acknowledging the antivirus is being a moron, or not using the patcher.

[6742a84a50fe4CyrusVonNox2001]

Ok here you go.
https://imgur.com/a/xfkwTCQ

[6742a84a510devoodoo47]

yup, that's one of the mods adding more text so there's a bleedover (there is a hard limit on a few of those text fields). disable RSD scary monsters, if the issue is gone then it's that, if still present, it's RSD rebalance.

[6742a84a5125eCyrusVonNox2001]

Do the RSD mods change things about the maps? When I played, I noticed that the Surgical Unit in the Room in MED with the QBR was missing its activation key, I also ended up finding 2 activation keys scattered around the map. I also noticed that the pistol in the chemical storeroom is jammed, the shotgun you find in the storage room across from Dr. Watt's quarters is missing, and the shotgun you find in the room close to the room where you find Dr. Watts is also jammed. The last thing I noticed is that when I got to the MRI room where Dr. Watts is, he is missing the audio log where the Hybrid he was autopsying attacks him. While this does create a cool effect where I can't trust my memory, and it does up the difficulty a bit. These do seem like unnecessary changes. I did notice that SCP changed a lot of the Pre-Von Braun levels. I hope these weird changes on the Von Braun are not SCP related as I would expect SCP to be largely faithful to vanilla considering how essential the community views it to be.

[6742a84a53aa6ZylonBane]

Do the RSD mods change things about the maps?

Did you bother reading the description?

Level Design:

• New secrets and environmental hazards, extensive item redistribution
• New opportunities for power cells to open loot caches and access locked routes

• Final bossfight rebuilt for greater challenge and complexity

The last thing I noticed is that when I got to the MRI room where Dr. Watts is, he is missing the audio log where the Hybrid he was autopsying attacks him.

If you're playing with SCP, you literally walked right past the "missing" log.

[6742a84a53bf3voodoo47]

to be fair, I also almost missed that log when testing the map for the fist time.

anyway yes, if you install mods, things will be changed, that's kind of the point. in case of the RSD mods, they would be quite extensive.

[6742a84a54815RoSoDude]

Hello.
 I've been having some problems with my version of SS2. I've installed some mods and I'm certain they're the source of the problem. I will post my mod list here followed by the problems I've been having.

1. SS2_Vaxquis_VintageSongRemake
2. SHTUP-ND beta 2
3. Four Hundred v21U
4. Super QBRs
5. RealSG_1.05
6. Assassin-Rapier_1.00
7. Scary-Monsters-AI_1.03
8. SS2-RSD_2.04_BETA
9. SCP_beta5

Problems I've noticed: (So far)
1. NPC's have trouble fighting in close range. (The first Hybrid I encountered in SCI would just run at me and only attacked when I raised my Wrench. The monkeys I encountered in the room in MED with the monkey cages would just freeze when I got up close to them.)
 
2. When I got to MED, the soundtrack wouldn't play, I played most of the MED section in silence until I got Dr. Watt's key card and doubled back through the the Crew Corridor to use the surgical unit and the soundtrack finally started.

3. Sometimes text on the skill menu when I access the Upgrade Units would bleed outside the UI borders. Also, when I open the hacking menu, I could see the security countdown numbers through the hacking menu.

That's what I have so far, I've played SS2 to completion or at least to the BOTM at least 3 times, and I didn't notice this stuff in my last playthroughs.

If you think I should take this to any particular mod authors to have this sorted out, just tell me. If you think I should just rearrange my mod order or remove a particular mod, tell me as well.

1. What you're experiencing is actually a vanilla AI issue called the backpedal exploit. Enemies calculate that you'll be out of range for their swings if you backpedal (even quite slowly at AGI 1, only pipe hybrids need AGI 2), so they'll continuously run at you and never attack. Hybrids have triggers to dodge or attack if you swing your wrench which can break them out of the cycle, but rumblers will literally chase you in a circle while you backpedal wrench them to death. I've seen enemies get stuck trying to follow you even if you stop moving for some reason, as you may have noticed too. Scary Monsters has a fix for this, but there are a few enemies like the first hybrid in Med/Sci 1 or the caged monkeys in Med/Sci 2 that are set to not inherit scripts from their parent archetype, so they don't get this fix. I noticed this behavior before but didn't track down the reason until this report, so I guess an update is in order to add this script manually to the non-inheriting enemies in the maps. Ugh.

2. I have always had this soundtrack issue with SCP and possibly even the vanilla game. The soundtrack also fails to play in Ops D unless I approach a certain part of the level from a particular direction. SCP guys should look into this, it's very sad to miss out on Ops 2.

3a. Text bleeding over the upgrade window is an RSD issue I was lazy about fixing. The MFD window has an extra line of space so they all fit there, but a few are too long for the upgrade window. SCP b4 had the same problem with the updated Maintenance skill description, but they fixed it in b5. I have now fixed this for the updated Research skill description in the next version of RSD as well.
3b. The security countdown displaying on top of the hacking window is a nearly unavoidable issue in RSD, as I reimplemented the hacking minigame in a custom overlay, but custom overlays display behind native overlays. I tried a bunch of elaborate hack fixes to address this by disabling and re-enabling the windows when certain conditions were met, but it led to buggy alarm behavior so I ultimately gave up on it. Running the game at a different UI resolution may fix the issue just by having the hacking window relocate to another part of the screen.

Do the RSD mods change things about the maps? When I played, I noticed that the Surgical Unit in the Room in MED with the QBR was missing its activation key, I also ended up finding 2 activation keys scattered around the map. I also noticed that the pistol in the chemical storeroom is jammed, the shotgun you find in the storage room across from Dr. Watt's quarters is missing, and the shotgun you find in the room close to the room where you find Dr. Watts is also jammed. The last thing I noticed is that when I got to the MRI room where Dr. Watts is, he is missing the audio log where the Hybrid he was autopsying attacks him. While this does create a cool effect where I can't trust my memory, and it does up the difficulty a bit. These do seem like unnecessary changes. I did notice that SCP changed a lot of the Pre-Von Braun levels. I hope these weird changes on the Von Braun are not SCP related as I would expect SCP to be largely faithful to vanilla considering how essential the community views it to be.

All of those are changed in RSD for gameplay balance reasons, except the missing audio log -- I have not moved any of those around at all. As for the changes being unnecessary, I can defend each one:

• The complete med bed in Med/Sci 2 screwed over players who acquired and used the activation key just around the corner (it was optimal to save it). Now players are incentivized to learn how to use what they picked up
• The chem room pistol is jammed to reward Repair skill investment (it's in good condition once repaired) and conversely to enforce condition management on the remaining pistols in the early game, which are still numerous. On Impossible, you won't find a working pistol until Med/Sci 2
• The shotgun in the hidden cache across from Dr. Watts' office is removed on Hard/Impossible only. This makes Marine Standard +3 comparable to Energy/Heavy +1 in granting a weapon other classes won't get until later
• The shotgun on the way to autopsy is jammed to reward Repair skill investment and to follow the principle that weapons should be introduced broken first. These two changes help curb the Standard skill supremacy in the early game.

[6742a84a54964CyrusVonNox2001]

Sorry if I offended you by saying the changes are unnecessary. I was saying they were unnecessary in the context of if the changes were enacted by SCP because SCP is something I assumed was meant to be a more "improved vanilla" experience. I wasn't sure whether is was your mod that made the changes or SCP. I do like your mods and I will give it a more complete try some time.

[6742a84a54ab6voodoo47]

if only there were descriptions and changelogs included with the mods.

[6742a84a54ba6sarge945]

I guess we're all lucky he didn't play with the randomizer and then criticize SCP for moving all the items around...