Deus Ex GMDX: Deus Ex Advancement Mod v9 Released!

[PorkyThePaladin]

Ok, thanks, got it to run now. I set it to hardcore mode and enabled most options. What's the object translucency all about?

 

[CyberP]

Immersion/Simulation option. When you pick up a decorative object (e.g cardboard box, pillow, basketball) usually the object turns translucent. If you are someone who stresses over deep simulation & real world consistency to the latter then you can set that option to true and the objects no longer turn invisible when held in hand, but to the cost of your FOV when carrying big crates and such. By default the held object position is also lowered a bit so you carry objects at abdomen level as opposed to eye-level (so no longer running around with objects held up to your face).

tl;dr: pedantry.

 

[PorkyThePaladin]

So I played some Deus Ex today with your mod on Hardcore+ mode with all options enabled and I gotta say one thing: great job! At some point I gotta read through the entire changelist but I can definitely see significant improvements in both AI and difficulty, which is great. My game began with with me leaning around a crate near the dock where you start, and some NSF NPC immediately came to investigate at which point I blew his head off. Another NPC came running from far away and shooting at me, at which point my bro blew him up into pieces. Good stuff! When I tried vanilla recently, the AI was pretty much brain-dead.

I also really like the save points (and 100 credits to pay for them), gives the game more of a mission structure like say in Hitman games but at the same time, is still generous enough to let you save your progress before difficult encounters. Just finished up the first mission on Liberty Island.

Now if only Deus Ex had shooting mechanics like Fear 1.

 

[CyberP]

The way the weapons work (and AI use them) has received a lot of attention, and more is coming in v8.
I haven't even played/tested the game with the optional 100 credit toll for saving yet (though others have), so let me know how that plays out for you.

Keep up the feedback. If you have something to offer I will listen and act upon it.

 

[SniperHF]

No idea what happened to the GoG stream. "WEDNESDAY, April 29th 8pm GMT / 4pm EDT / 1pm PDT: Hardcore Wednesdays: Deus Ex (+GMDX mod) with Alex, GOG.com crew", yet they are playing Star Wars. Oh well.

Look what I found:
http://www.twitch.tv/gogcom/v/3888927 - first part.
http://www.twitch.tv/gogcom/v/3918251
http://www.twitch.tv/gogcom/v/3947302
http://www.twitch.tv/gogcom/v/4265235
http://www.twitch.tv/gogcom/v/4758507
http://www.twitch.tv/gogcom/v/3947302

One of the parts was uploaded wrong so I didn't link it.

Guy has some accent issues unfortunately.

 

[CyberP]

Thanks for sharing. The stream started a year ago today, it seems. So unfortunately the version in the video is rather outdated. What a shame.
I'll still give it a watch though. Best possible way to get feedback is to observe others play.

 

[CyberP]

So I've added a configuration option that when right clicking on a carry-able decoration you automatically holster your weapon to pick up the object (see: Invisible War and Human Revolution). It is anti-simulation but pro-gameplay flow. I hate myself for adding it but it is an option you can choose (disabled by default) and it will make for better flow in interaction with deco. It will probably be the only anti-simulation automated convenience feature I add.

What else have I done of significance since the last update...ah yes, I've expanded upon audio design quite a lot. DX was considerably underdeveloped in terms of audio design. For example, in DX we had sounds for:

AI Pain/grunts: did you know in DX1 ALL human NPCs used exactly the same pain and death sounds? "YAAARGGGH!" This has had even more focus in v8, along with other NPC changes.
Inventory: drinking soda, smoking cigarettes, using medkits and some others had sounds, none for drinking alcohol, eating soy, and many others, and now that is all in.
Augmentations: activation, deactivation, cloak, spy drone, aggressive defense. That's it vanilla. GMDX adds more where suitable and now even more so. Additionally, the HUD/infolink also emits a subtle audio warning when bio energy is running low.
Maps: ambient audio design in maps has also received some extra attention this time around, adding new ambient sounds for the sake of atmosphere and realism.
Player: yet more new footstep sound groups for variety and realism. I'm working on getting ladder climbing sounds to work. A number of new sounds for landing from height.
Weapons: Don't get me started on the oh so poor weapons, but that has mostly all been sorted in previous versions anyway.

Yeah, the audio design work is a boring update, but cumulatively it has great significance.

 

[PorkyThePaladin]

Doing something about the crosshair spread might be a good idea. When you first draw your weapon or first aim at an enemy, the crosshair is spread 2 miles wide, even as your weapon skills increase. That makes no sense and sometimes leaves you in deep doodoo, as well as punishing the gung ho playstyle.

 

[CyberP]

In terms of the weapon spread, all that happens when drawing/swapping weapons that maybe shouldn't is the gradual standing still accuracy bonus is reset, even if you're still standing still. With master skill/100% accuracy this doesn't happen, as you cannot go over 100%/pin-point accuracy (obviously) and can only go lower than if your arms are damaged, but it's only a minor penalty at high skill levels.
Generally if you go combat the game is a tactical stat-based shooter for the first half of the game, gung-ho isn't really viable, and if you invest in 100% accuracy it becomes a almost pure player skill-based shooter in the second half (or really early on if you ignore all other skills and just focus on weapons). Personally I love that diversity about DX's combat, but maybe I should change that the standing still accuracy bonus is reset even when standing still, if possible. It will make the first half, the tactical stat-based half, easier as a result though.

Anyway, let me have a look at the code and I'll get back to you. It's certainly a good suggestion, but it definitely will make the first half of the game easier.

Edit: OK, it was a clear design decision.

function BringUp()
{
    if ( Level.NetMode != NM_Standalone )
        ReadyClientToFire( False );

    // alert NPCs that I'm whipping it out
    if (!bNativeAttack && bEmitWeaponDrawn)
        AIStartEvent('WeaponDrawn', EAITYPE_Visual);

    // reset the standing still accuracy bonus
    standingTimer = 0;

    CheckWeaponSkins();

    Super.BringUp();
}

I should maybe be able to simply remove the reset by commenting out that line. Weather I should or not, that is the question.
Opinions from the crowd?

 

[agris]

I say no, it was a conscious design decision to punish accuracy if you want to draw and immediately shoot.

 

[Jaedar]

I say no, it was a conscious design decision to punish accuracy if you want to draw and immediately shoot.

Also makes changing weapons on the fly harder.

I too say keep it, but perhaps refine it so you only lose a percentage of the accuracy bonus if you have the correct skill/aug.

 

[CyberP]

Very good.

 

[CyberP]

I have had plans to expand upon the skill system/tree to add branches to it.

Example:

Perk 1 --- Master --- Perk 2
             |
Perk 1 - Advanced - Perk 2
             |
Perk 1 -- Trained -- Perk 2
             |
         Untrained

Obviously this will make the RPG systems have far more depth. More C&C, more glorious choices in how to build your character.
A lot of the perks will be perks I've already added that are currently built in to each tier level (such as the new proximity mine beeping, Environmental Training granting poison resistance etc), but there would be new ones too, and this accuracy reset suggestion would be one of them. Unfortunately, I have no team members to make this happen because this mod is worthless garbage and not the Immersive Sim advancement long time coming, or something.

 

[PorkyThePaladin]

Are you saying when you get Master level weapon skill, the reticule will collapse very quickly? I have Advanced level pistol skill right now plus the combat speed augment, and it takes forever to collapse. Plus, this doesn't only happen when drawing your weapon or switching them, it happens any time you first lock in on any target after movement.

I personally feel like combat usually tends to suck in RPGs because they make it too much about character skills and numbers and not enough about player skill, and I try to turn FPS RPG combat into a shooter-type combat when I can. I modded Falout 3 and New Vegas for example pretty heavily to turn them almost into shooters, so I am a little biased on this, but to me the typical FPS way of handling reticules seems much better, where the reticule expands when you move, run, change weapons, etc, but then collapses pretty quickly once you keep still. In Deus Ex's case, the RPG system could be built into that by your weapon skill/augments controlling the speed of collapse, so at Untrained it would collapse forever, at Trained/Advanced, it would collapse faster, and at Master even faster. That's not what I am seeing now. But that's just my two cents.

 

[CyberP]

How to explain it...

1. Draw Weapon. Upon drawing weapon the accuracy is calculated based on weapon base accuracy, any skill and/or accuracy weapon mods you have applied, and the condition of your arms.

2. Stand still. Now after standing still for a variable amount of time the crosshairs start to collapse.

If you have been upgrading weapon skills and applying accuracy weapon mods then 2 becomes irrelevant, because eventually your weapon will have 100% base accuracy, meaning when we start at 1 we already have 100% accuracy (as soon as we equip the weapon).

Basically, just keep applying weapon mods and upgrading weapon skills and you'll have pinpoint accuracy at all times just like any other FPS.
Additionally, the laser modification overrides all this and gives you 100% accuracy as long as it is active. The targeting augmentation also gives you better accuracy whilst it is active too.

Look at your weapons in the inventory, they display the modified base accuracy which will be the accuracy of your weapon when you equip it. If it is, say, 85% then the crosshairs will only be 0.5 miles wide as opposed to 2 miles wide or whatever.

This mod doesn't touch the accuracy system at all so far. It is the best implementation of a real time stat-based shooting system there is.
It isn't nonsense as in, say, VTM:B or Alpha Brotocol. It actually enriches the game in DX and the player has a lot of influence over it.

 

[PorkyThePaladin]

That seems weird to me, as you go from 0 to 99 accuracy, there is barely any improvement but then at 100 it suddenly jumps to FPS behavior? Wouldn't it be more logical and fun to gradually improve?

Another weird thing I just noticed (not about your mod but Deus Ex gunplay in general), usually the reticle shows where your bullets can go, so an expanded reticle means your bullets will fly all over the place, but in Deus Ex, even if the reticle is expanded, the bullets fly right into its center (as I just had happen time after time with the sniper rifle). Weird...

 

[CyberP]

It does improve gradually. Like I said, look in your inventory. You'll see (as an example): "accuracy: 70% + (10%) = 80%"

70% is the base accuracy. Unmodified accuracy of the gun.
+10% is the extra accuracy we are granted by weapon mods and/or skills.
80% is the result.
When you draw your weapon you'll have 80% initially (unless your arms are severely damaged). Then the standing still bonus will take you to 100%.

As for the sniper rifle, well spotted. I didn't notice it for years. Vanilla bug, and it is already fixed in v8.

 

[CyberP]

Bigger scope view:

 

[CyberP]

Minor update:

New Armor System:

-Ballistic Vests and Hazmat suits only degrade with sustained damage. Tech Goggles, Rebreathers and Thermoptic Camos remain time-based.
-At low Environmental Training skill levels hazmats and bal. vests do not sustain much damage before durability hits 0.
At high levels they will last longer, but not so much so to be detrimental to game balance.
-Hazmat protects against 60% hazard damage and ballistic vest protects against 30% bullet damage. (Fixed value regardless of skill level).
-Ballistic vest no longer protects you against explosive damage; bullets and melee only (just like the aug counterpart).
-Increased skill point costs of environmental training skill back closer to vanilla levels now that the skill is worth it.

Also a couple of minor things for those that are invested in the little details:

Spoiler

-You can now destroy control panels as an alternative to hacking them. However, they have a very high damage threshold.
-EMP damage causes an augmented MIB's augmentations to malfunction.
-If a military bot stomps over a corpse the corpse will gib.

 

[CyberP]

Well, I tried porting the perk system from 2027 (which I had planned to expand upon considerably) and failed miserably. I lack knowledge in extensive UI coding, unfortunately. Help would be greatly appreciated. It would do a lot for the game.

 

[Icewater]

What do you want? How would you improve Deus Ex?

New weapons and levels, a new setting and storyline, etc. — in short, more content. Deus Ex isn't a perfect game by any means but I love it I've played it [and all currently available mods] so much that simply refining the already-existing experience isn't very attractive to me.

If you retrofit your GMDX enhancements onto Revision when it comes out I will shit a brick.

 

[CyberP]

What do you want? How would you improve Deus Ex?

New weapons and levels

I've made some very cool expansions to level design recently, one I'm most proud of being the Paris Hub level. On one side you had a fair bit to see and do (club, bakery, hostel, houses to loot) and on the other side all there was was a cafe and a load of nothing. It is a lot more interesting now on this other side of the hub. Both sides have also had plenty visual improvements (as have most maps).

Weapons, well there's the new Laser Rifle community made add-on. Expanded weapon modding system. Refined weapons etc. I'd rather the current weapons be the best, most fulfilling and polished they can possibility be before adding any more.

levels, a new setting and storyline

I want to make a TC using all of GMDX's refinements, expansions etc, but that would just be insanity, especially given that I've not even finished with GMDX itself yet.

I love it I've played it [and all currently available mods] so much that simply refining the already-existing experience isn't very attractive to me.

Well the way I see it Deus Ex is one of the best games of all time. If GMDX expands upon its design quite considerably what does that then make it? By improving and expanding upon it I'm treading new ground in terms of game design.
A TC will never surpass DX itself overall, as close as some have come, so for me there isn't much appeal for me to attempt it in that regard. No point reinventing the wheel, just expand and refine it instead.

If you retrofit your GMDX enhancements onto Revision when it comes out I will shit a brick.

Having looked into Revision a little lately, It isn't likely. They aren't looking to be compatible from a design standpoint. For example

Spoiler

Revision features an Arx Fatalis-inspired crypt horror section with magic swords and such. As much as I love both Arx and DX, obviously fantasy elements to that degree don't fit in too well with DX's intended setting and design. Another aspect is game balance. When I played an unreleased version of the first level there was multiple rebreathers right at the start, which obviously messes with the RPG systems and general game balance, which is a notable aspect GMDX focuses on.

Regardless I'm looking forward to playing it (reluctantly with shifter or something, which fucks the game's design philosophy even more so) and obviously it is all subject to change. For all I know the magic swords and such won't even be in the official release. We'll see.
GMDX strives to stay true to the original design, just advance it, and thus is incompatible with most DX mods from a design standpoint (in addition to a technical one).

 

[PorkyThePaladin]

CyberP Umm, how thoroughly do you test your mod? I ran into an "interesting" issue on the "unknown location" map where you are trying to escape from Unatco/MJ12. You find a data cube on the guard desk near your cells which says use code 4089 on the detention block doors, BUT the keypad next to that door only has space for 3 digits, so it obviously fails to open the door. I haven't been able to find anything on this bug on google, so I am wondering if it's the mod.

 

[Jaedar]

CyberP Umm, how thoroughly do you test your mod? I ran into an "interesting" issue on the "unknown location" map where you are trying to escape from Unatco/MJ12. You find a data cube on the guard desk near your cells which says use code 4089 on the detention block doors, BUT the keypad next to that door only has space for 3 digits, so it obviously fails to open the door. I haven't been able to find anything on this bug on google, so I am wondering if it's the mod.

I remember this too. I also remembering resigning to using a multitool, but the code might be in there somewhere.

 

[PorkyThePaladin]

CyberP Umm, how thoroughly do you test your mod? I ran into an "interesting" issue on the "unknown location" map where you are trying to escape from Unatco/MJ12. You find a data cube on the guard desk near your cells which says use code 4089 on the detention block doors, BUT the keypad next to that door only has space for 3 digits, so it obviously fails to open the door. I haven't been able to find anything on this bug on google, so I am wondering if it's the mod.

I remember this too. I also remembering resigning to using a multitool, but the code might be in there somewhere.

Well the problem is I'm only Trained in Electronics and no spare skill points, so it requires 2 multi tools to work that keypad and I can only find one on that level. I am also playing on the Hardcore difficulty which disables console. So I might just be fucked. Going back over the thread, looks like it's a known issue fixed in v8, but that doesn't really help me.

EDIT: Never mind, found the new code on ModDB's page for this thing, it's 101.