SS2 DeSpawn

[673f3724575b2ZylonBane]

Alright, you convinced me to skip this mod. I just had the feeling the difficulty was meant for multiplayer mode.

Eh? Multiplayer mode in SS2 only exists because the publisher insisted on it, was tacked on in a post-release patch, and has never worked very well anyway. It is, at heart and by design, a single-player survival horror game.

[673f3724576eeVanZant]

I see. I suppose I was misinformed. I'm playing right now. Freaking hard game. I was also tempted to run the no degradation mod hahaha. I ended up reading the whole thread of folks trying to come up with a reason for that mechanic.

[673f3724577e9DMRN]

So what is the current status of this mod? Done? Tested to game completion?

[673f372457904Yankee Clipper]

The mod is complete, but I would be happy to update if any further bugs are found. I have not played the mod through the entire game. I did enjoy working on it, but I prefer to play the game with respawning active. Although there are some places in the game where the respawning seems a bit out of control, I still prefer it with all its warts than to play without it.

[673f372457c6aDMRN]

there are no endless hordes of mutants on hydro2 - as mentioned before, the spawning is very mild unless you set the alarm off.

There is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI2ZDzKvAxo&t=16m26s

And as you can see from Veriax' glee and efficiency, this is not his first trip through the deck, meaning it was pure ecology spawning leading to this thing that supposedly only happens during alarms. Granted, it is the only example this extreme I've seen in the game, but facing three or four enemies at once somewhere happens often enough.

Sorry to necro, but not only does the video validate this mod, it shows the authorities who try to shame fans of mods like these aren't quite as knowledgable as they pretend to be.

[673f372457d65ZylonBane]

All I saw in that video was one unusual clump of AIs, not an endless horde.

[673f37245807eKolya]

it shows the authorities who try to shame fans of mods like these aren't quite as knowledgable as they pretend to be.

No one tried to shame you and you're not fighting the powarrr here. Sit down on your ass, learn shocked and check the ecologies yourself. We're all volunteers here who do the same.

[673f37245823bAcleacius]

Thanks for your work on this mod!   

It's an enormous help in curtailing the absurd level of spawning, beyond any flesh or robotic presence.
I certainly don't begrudge anyone for wanting to experience the game the way they want or feeling
tension due to unlimited beyond all reason spawning.
It's caused me nothing but eye rolling disbelief at the ridiculousness. 

My question is, where do you suggest placing this mod in the load order?
My first guess is after all the graphic updates but before SCP.

Thanks

[673f3724583davoodoo47]

always remember, SCP lowest, then Obj_fixes, then SHTUP. the rest doesn't really matter - all other mods are deliberately constructed to not depend on priority as much as possible.

I usually go with the base (SCP+Obj_fixes+SHTUP), then graphics/audio enhancements, then everything else. whatever is the craziest (santa hats) should go on top.


also, as mentioned a trillion times, environmental spawning is very mild, and is an integral part of the game's mechanics, if you have a problem with that, it's all you.

[673f37245868bsarge945]

I think less people would have a problem with the respawning if it was area based instead of time based, like what PREY has.

So leave medsci for more than an hour, next time you come back the zone will be repopulated completely, but no respawning while you're on the deck.

I guess some people have suspension of disbelief ruined when a room they just cleared spawns an enemy, which feels very videogamey. I understand that. I turned off spawning in my first playthrough for this reason, now I'm pretty used to it.

[673f37245898bHikari]

sarge945
If  that could be done that would actually be pretty spiffy. However as far as I know time doens't exist for places you aren't. In fact i have many memories of leaving mid explosion, then loading back in an hour later to that same explosion finishing.

In fairness bathesda's fallout, games made  years later, have the same issue.

[673f372458a85voodoo47]

SCP can do global timers now. but implementing them everywhere.. eeeh.

[673f372458d4aJoin2]

Timed spawning is precisely the point, so that it is dynamic and an ever-looming threat.
It doesn't have to be viewed as "gamey", as a) The Many is aware of your approximate location at all times and sending more to end you would be of high concern, and b) who says they're not coming from the vents, from somewhere you didn't properly check, or were on your tail the whole time?

All SS2 needs in this regard is to enhance the illusion of it being real and not a designed system.

-Script some enemy spawns from time to time, often in areas currently being backtracked, complete with unique animations: A dead corpse previously passed gets up from the floor, now is in hybrid form. A hybrid crawls out from under some pipes. A monkey jumps down through a ceiling panel. A little scripting goes a long way, as long as it is not too frequent (and thus defeating the point of a dynamic system).
-Extensively ensure spawn points never have line of sight to the player (not just a simple trace, but a double/triple trace and distance check).
-If a spawn point is in a dead end with only one means to enter, ensure the player isn't anywhere near before a spawn can commence (greater distance check).
-Perhaps adjust dialogue for spawned enemies: e.g make hybrids say "we seek!" "Where are you?", make them *sometimes* behave like the post-combat state where they are looking for you, to provide the illusion that they had been on your tail rather than spawned in none the wiser.
-Perhaps even move some spawn points to bulkheads, with distance and line of sight checks described above they can never spawn when you're close, and it will certainly feel more organic this way (providing the illusion that they sometimes come from other areas).

Even vanilla, most of the time the spawning works perfectly. But it can be better.
It shouldn't be removed even if it damages immersion and believability, as the "gamey-ness" it brings is important, among other things (ensures frequent combat, drain of player's resources, adds tension and horror).

[673f372458f5fTheHoodedTeddy13]

Does this still work with modern patches and such? This is pretty much what I've been looking for.
For my 2 Cents, I would not enjoy this game vanilla.  Too much looking over my shoulder while trying to get things done with no reprieve wears me down and stops being fun after a while.  I'm not making a judgement about it being good or bad game design, in fact I think how the game is vanilla nails what the game is going for.  That being said, I'd like to have the option to lessen that so I can actually play through and appreciate the game without just getting stressed and tired from playing it.

[673f37245904dvoodoo47]

yes, it should work ok.

[673f37245913aTheHoodedTeddy13]

Will stuff still spawn from alerts and such?

[673f372459223sarge945]

yes. Alarms use a completely different set of ecologies for spawning.

[673f37245ad5efbr]

Just finished the game with this mod and it works perfectly. There were a couple of things that looked like respawns, but I think it was just scripted spawns. I installed it for last in the mod manager.

I've already finished the game a few times with regular respawns, including in Impossible, and using this mod really changes the mood and the gameplay. Particularly in the parts that you have to backtrack, they felt really empty and a bit pointless. On the other hand, I enjoyed playing with the high costs and deadly enemies of Impossible without the high respawn rate. However, as expected, I had a lot of resources to spare by the end.

In the end, I prefer to play in regular mode, but I'm really glad that this mod exists. For who is turned off by respawns, I would still recommend to try a bit harder to get used to them. However, if the alternative is to quit the game, give this one a try, even for a first run (you'll still have a lot to deal with, don't worry). But, sure, try regular mode another time.