Deus Ex GMDX: Deus Ex Advancement Mod v9 Released!

[RoSoDude]

Could easily just restrict the Super MIBs to Hardcore, where the concerns of gameplay enthusiasts reign over m'lore inconsistencies. Don't ask me why I haven't done this already -- it's been so long since I've had the thought that I no longer remember what barrier I may have come across.

 

[Ash]

I wouldn't. Yeah hardcore mode is where some minor rules are broken, but vanilla late game offering little challenge is a huge problem, a major failure of design, and you've already removed some of the elites as-is.

 

[RoSoDude]

Also regarding important information possibly being overlooked: right now the repairbot interface is rendered starting with your equipment stuff. At the bottom is bioenergy recharge, which is more important than your new system. The new hierarchy and information dump obscures it I believe.

Understand all the points regarding information overload, but I would counter this particular point with the claim that recharging wearable equipment, particularly ballistic vests, is probably more important than recharging bioenergy in the early game, as the latter is only used for flashlight, muscle aug, and leg aug which doesn't drain much. Also helps communicate the overhauled wearable system in GMDX, where some players might be keeping a vest unused in their inventory as in vanilla. If I'd received any comments indicating confusion I might change my tune, but everyone I've seen play vRSD (old and new players, some livestreamed) has grasped the function of the interface immediately. Sample size is low, admittedly.

As for the HDTP toggles, I see it as not really different from the other GMDX advanced options. Consistency between weapons with/without visual attachments is a problem, but some HDTP weapons are genuinely ugly (I hate the new prod/baton and the grenades, and many dislike the new Dragon's Tooth), and I'd hate to force a tradeoff of higher poly count with worse animations, or vice versa if someone doesn't share my subjective tastes on the issue. As long as it's tucked in a menu somewhere with appropriate defaults, it's on par with the rest of the config options I'd say. Randomizers are definitely something that shouldn't be touched first playthrough, even of GMDX for returning DX players, because they're inherently disruptive to balance despite my efforts to reign them in.

One thing I'm definitely not sure about is how to proceed is with communicating functions like right click interact and now especially spacebar to rotate inventory items. While the former as a hidden function is acceptable, no released game with inventory tetris would ship without some indication of how to perform this action -- it's not even in the keybinds! But I don't want some ugly text shoved on screen either.

But the gameplay changes are weird. Some of them I don't even really understand like:
Reverted karkian minimum health from 10 to 50.

From the words of Ash himself to explain why this reversion is utter silliness:

Enemies running away: originally ALL enemies would run if health dropped below 15-30% (though it does depend on enemy type, e.g no robots, but most humans). shooting enemies with low powered guns such as stealth pistol or assault gun made pretty much every enemy run away. It was not ideal, almost comical and unbelievable that they ALL did this. And also too easy. With gmdx, only some enemies have the potential to run away. It's on an individual npc basis, hand picked. Much better
More human-like and also more challenging
the value equates to health. e.g if minHealth = 20, run away if health goes equal to or below 20
NSF vanilla min health if I recall was 30. Considering their HP was 75, that's just under half health and they'd all run away. Every. Single. NSF
It's amazing how DX could be, at least in my eyes and many others, one of the greatest of all time, yet also one of the most messy.
There's so many systems that it's easy to overlook all the rough edges

 

[Trithne]

Also helps communicate the overhauled wearable system in GMDX, where some players might be keeping a vest unused in their inventory as in vanilla.

Agree - I hadn't fully realised the changes made to wearables in GMDX until I got to the repairbot UI and it made it clear.

The Repairbot UI makes perfect sense to me as it is presented in RSDv9. Consider that this is a mod for a 20 year old game being installed mostly by grognards still insisting on playing said 20 year old game - We don't need to hold their hands every step of the way, and putting the recharge UI behind a button would just add annoyance since I'm usually going to repairbot to recharge a wearable, not my bioenergy.

 

[Carrion]

With Deus Ex there's a lot to learn and overcome as is, let alone all the stuff GMDX adds, now vRSD too, so much config, and the barrier for new players to get over with the shit graphics, old school mechanics (which are of course great but unforgiving) and the deceiving emptiness of liberty island. so the player installs the game which may or may not have been testing of their patience as-is, goes through all the config, comes across this weapon model toggle window and now they have found themselves fiddling with all the different models (and minor bugs with rendering when toggling in-game, if still present?) on the Liberty Island docks for 20 minutes before they've even started the game. At some point they tell themselves "ok lets actually play the game now, these all look like shit anyway" and they have a weird mish-mash of all the different models, some which visually change based on weapon upgrades, others which do not... Of course this doesn't apply to everyone and some may drool at the thought of having a toggle for every possible feature, but I disagree with highly modular design in most contexts as you know, and I do not think it's something a new player should be concerning themselves with.

I understand your reasoning, but you should also take into account that many GMDX players are DX veterans who've already played through the game countless times. For example, I initially cheated to gain access to Hardcore Mode right away, as it was the only way to get the most out of the improved AI. I really would've preferred more modular design there. It's a mod after all.

For new players, I think some sort of an "advanced options" screen with suitable warning texts would suffice. If someone wants to fiddle around, let them. A player who's willing to install a 20-year-old game and go through all the hassle shouldn't really be scared away by (GM)DX's graphics or old school gameplay mechanics.

 

[Ol' Willy]

I understand your reasoning, but you should also take into account that many GMDX players are DX veterans who've already played through the game countless times. For example, I initially cheated to gain access to Hardcore Mode right away, as it was the only way to get the most out of the improved AI. I really would've preferred more modular design there. It's a mod after all.

Yeah, I rarely play Deus Ex twice in a row myself... usually once per year: install - one run - uninstall. Locking some stuff under the completion will mean I'll never even know what is there.

 

[ironmask]

I was thinking of getting the GMDX community update. Glad I read this first. Might try out RSD instead.

 

[Lithium Flower]

Every single UI feature I added is subtle/"hidden"/at risk of being overlooked. All of them. Even those that probably shouldn't be such as right click inventory shortcuts and the perk system. With Deus Ex there's a lot to learn and overcome as is, let alone all the stuff GMDX adds, now vRSD too, so much config, and the barrier for new players to get over with the shit graphics, old school mechanics (which are of course great but unforgiving) and the deceiving emptiness of liberty island.

This is my thought process behind the three complaints I have (randomisers, toggle, repbot gui): UX design. If they were hidden away they'd be following GMDX design principles. The alternative is a unmistakably mod-like experience when I was striving for a definitive one.
Deus Ex was difficult for many to get into back in the day even with an old school mindset. Alongside making things look and play better, being cautious not to add information overload all at the start was a goal of mine. I've still not managed to encourage a single person I know IRL to play and stick with Deus Ex, though I stopped bothering about a decade ago but making the mod never made anyone reconsider. It's a shame so many still overlook or give up when trying such a wonderful game. Thankfully many wrote to me saying "GMDX got my GF/dad/whatever to finally play DX and for that I am grateful". Makes it sort-of worth it.

Or how about the player's time is respected and they are given all the options from the get-go without forcing users (who, lets face it, will overwhelmingly be Deus Ex vets and not newcomers) googling and diving into .ini files just to play the game on the hardest and arguably definitive setting (Hardcore Mode).

You talk about trying to keep even UI additions in line with the broader vanilla philosophy yet it's not like Realistic was ever locked behind player completion.

so the player installs the game which may or may not have been testing of their patience as-is, goes through all the config, comes across this weapon model toggle window and now they have found themselves fiddling with all the different models (and minor bugs with rendering when toggling in-game, if still present?) on the Liberty Island docks for 20 minutes before they've even started the game. At some point they tell themselves "ok lets actually play the game now, these all look like shit anyway" and they have a weird mish-mash of all the different models, some which visually change based on weapon upgrades, others which do not... Of course this doesn't apply to everyone and some may drool at the thought of having a toggle for every possible feature, but I disagree with highly modular design in most contexts as you know, and I do not think it's something a new player should be concerning themselves with.

The same argument can be made for literally any cosmetic option. Hey here is an idea to maximally fit your design principles - how about locking off the graphics setting to medium and the glorious 1280x1024 resolution (practically a modern standard, as we all know) until game completion, lest the players spent 20 minutes testing their patience by toggling between different texture levels? Let them have the choice to just play the game, by which I mean take away their choices to fiddle with anything.

I will fucking pay you to quit with this shit, unblock Hardcore Mode, drop your pedantry, and seek professional help for what is almost certainly a crippling case of OCD. Seriously. Hit me up on discord any time to discuss the terms. I can recommend some fine-ass shrinks; I practically know the mental health system inside out. I have been institutionalized more times than Joe. (Joe who? Joe mama! Haha, got you, bitch!)

I love you but you need serious help. But keep up the good work all the same.

VRSD is a cool guy, recommend it in a heartbeat. Also post your impressions maybe that will be the kick in the ass RSD needs to finally finish the fucking thing.

The rest of you have a good one ok

 

[agris]

I agree with the nutjob, gating game options like that behind completion requirements is counterproductive for a mod like this. You should respect your audience.

 

[Lithium Flower]

Yeah buddy I love you too

 

[Ash]

"You should respect your audience"

You guys always were my target audience, as in actual gamers. Most are not worthy. You know this. Hardcore mode and associated features are locked behind a easy to overcome barrier (one bool in config file) because I can trust that the dedicated will look into the mod in detail first and discover how to remove it. The rest, the majority, are not worthy. For a lot of people just installing a mod is an accomplishment in itself. This mod has over 100,000 downloads, I wanted to reach those less technically capable or just new to computers (everyone starts somewhere of course). The game design is hardcore, but the UX design is intended to be as accessible as possible and I stick by that. I wrote an installer just for people to not have to stress about it. That was a horrible but interesting experience. Didn't enjoy it.

Also, even among RPG Codex, less than half is ready to accept hardcore mode as the superior or "definitive" design.

 

[Lithium Flower]

Yeah and most people are not going to play your mod, famalam. I'm sorry but the "GMDX will herald a modern Deus Ex revival" ship has been sunk by USS Square-Revision and the gang of, as you would call them, all fur coat no knickers tosspots crewing it. The folks in this thread are not your core audience, they *are* your audience. The best you can do is not personally annoy them with your totalitarian pretenses, lest more posts like these be written (and then where would we be?)

I know this is a bitter load to swallow. At least take it willingly from me, someone who loves and cares about you, as evidenced by the fact that I have been sneaking into your flat to sample your bathwater on the weekly for the past eight months (but only to check for parasites or somesuch other health concerns, as opposed to any lewd end, of course)

 

[RoSoDude]

VRSD is a cool guy, recommend it in a heartbeat. Also post your impressions maybe that will be the kick in the ass RSD needs to finally finish the fucking thing.

Yeah, feedback is always appreciated and is pretty much the most motivating thing for me. Otherwise I'll do something silly like starting yet another "minor" balance mod for yet another game instead of actually finishing this one. Dying Light and New Vegas have been giving me the side eye lately and I don't want to give into the temptation, ya feel me?

 

[Ash]

Yeah and most people are not going to play your mod, famalam. I'm sorry but the "GMDX will herald a modern Deus Ex revival" ship has been sunk by USS Square-Revision and the gang of, as you would call them, all fur coat no knickers tosspots crewing it. The folks in this thread are not your core audience, they *are* your audience. The best you can do is not personally annoy them with your totalitarian pretenses, lest more posts like these be written (and then where would we be?)

I know this is a bitter load to swallow. At least take it willingly from me, someone who loves and cares about you, as evidenced by the fact that I have been sneaking into your flat to sample your bathwater on the weekly for the past eight months (but only to check for parasites or somesuch other health concerns, as opposed to any lewd end, of course)

To this day I stick by the overwhelming majority of design decisions and principles I followed 100%. My dedication to UX design included.
And no, GMDX gets plenty downloads daily. Still plenty popular three years on. While dedicated nerds are my core audience, they're not my only audience.

 

[Lithium Flower]

Smegma.

 

[Ash]

Smegma.

Some things never change eh

 

[†††]

Imagine not knowing that you can unlock hardcore mode by invoking one of the endings with the help of a console code

lmao at you

 

[RoSoDude]

Imagine not knowing that you can unlock hardcore mode by invoking one of the endings with the help of a console code

lmao at you

Not even necessary. Go to [Documents]\Deus Ex\GMDXv9\System\gmdx.ini and set every instance "bHardcoreModeUnlocked" to "true" and "bFirstTimeGMDX" to "false". If playing vRSD, it's [Documents]\Deus Ex\GMDXvRSD\gmdx.ini and there's only one of each

 

[JohannDaart]

Hi guys!

I'm trying to run GMDX on my laptop, which has a maximum screen resolution of 1366x768.

On 1366x768 No GUI Scaling, GUI is too small: https://imgur.com/Unwt3LW

On 1366x768 2x GUI Scaling, GUI is waaay to big: https://imgur.com/tYRXOUa

So I've tried sticking to 2x GUI Scaling, but setting up a higher, 16:9 resolutions.

1920x1080 with 2x GUI Scaling seems perfect: https://imgur.com/9eKWwHg

BUT... I can't move my cursor outside the area that I've marked with yellow border (which is 1366x768 of my original screen I suspect).


I've already browsed Google for solutions, but they didn't solve this cursor problem:

• Going lower resolutions instead of higher ones with No GUI Scaling, cursor is limited to a certain area too.
• Installing the old "OTP UI FIX" and enabling it in GMDX.ini - it doesn't seem to work with GMDX 9.
• Ticking "Disable display scaling on high DPI settings" option on/off in Compatibility tab of GMDX and Deus Ex exes properties.

Nothing of the above fixed this cursor problem

Anyway, thank you guys for keeping Deus Ex alive. I remember playing it 16 years ago when I was a teenager, just wanted to revisit it
I remember it being a bit too hard and cold, but then on a second try it just sucked me in with amazing atmosphere and smart gameplay.

 

[†††]

On 1366x768 No GUI Scaling, GUI is too small: https://imgur.com/Unwt3LW

This one looks fine to me?

Anyways, have you tried changing your screen resolution (outside the game) to something like 1280x720 and stretch the image to fill the screen?

Also, welcome.

 

[JohannDaart]

This one looks fine to me?

I've tried getting used to it, but it's too small and uncomfortable during longer gameplay. Maybe my eyes are not as good as I thought, but I don't have glasses yet to help me out

Anyways, have you tried changing your screen resolution (outside the game) to something like 1280x720 and stretch the image to fill the screen?

I can't set up a resolution higher than the native 1366x768, yep, I've also already tried it, by changing "Display1_DownScalingSupported" in Windows registry.

It seems that Deus Ex engine is taking Windows cursor position, instead of tracking it independently. So if my Windows resolution is 1366x768, that limits possible cursor positions from 0x0 to 1366x768, even if in-game resolution is 1920x1080.

Thanks for answering!

 

[JohannDaart]

Sorry for writing two posts in succession, but I've found a partial solution guys!

I gave up on playing DX, I thought maybe I will play it again if I'm going to have a bigger screen in the future... Let's move either to Clive Barker's Undying or Deep Space 9: The Fallen (great game BTW, it was ahead of its time with cinematic cut scenes).

I guess my unconsciousness was working its gears, because suddenly I got an idea "maybe that mouse acceleration option will change a thing?".
And it does. Unchecking "Raw Input" in the launcher, solves cursor problem. My cursor is no longer limited to a 1366x768 area if I set 1920x1080 with 2x GUI Scaling.

But obviously, now mouse movements are accelerated

So the way GMDX handles disabling mouse acceleration, creates a problem, when user sets a resolution different than his native screen. Cursor position is then restricted by boundaries of his native Windows resolution, not by (upscaled/downscaled) in-game resolution as it should.

 

[agris]

What about the part where you’re playing the game at 2x the resolution of your screen?

 

[JohannDaart]

What about the part where you’re playing the game at 2x the resolution of your screen?

The problem occurs also on resolutions lower than the native of the screen.
I don't think running either higher/lower resolutions is such an "edge case" for older games. In a way, by using widescreen patches, we already play them in a way that wasn't intended.

I dug deeper, and the problem that I've described, results from how Kentie Launcher handles disabling mouse acceleration:

Instead of using a mix of DirectInput and raw input to combat mouse acceleration, raw input is now a dedicated mode. In this mode, standard Windows input is used for the menu mouse cursor, while the player camera uses the raw input API to be acceleration free.

http://kentie.net/article/dxguide/files/Readme.htm

Considering that at the same time, the launcher allows for setting up various resolutions, this solution (taking Windows input for menus) for disabling mouse accel wasn't the best.

I guess making separate options "Use Windows input for menus" and "Use raw input API for player camera" would cover most user cases. (Mouse accel in menus is not as irritating as mouse accel for aiming during gameplay).

With old games on modern systems, nothing is ever perfect. Oh wait... No game is technically perfect, old ones back in their days too...

Anyway, I've already started playing GMDX with mouse accel and I really appreciate the direction of this mod - modernizing the spirit of old-shool games.

 

[JohannDaart]

I'm playing GMDX on Normal.

In the first mission, is it normal for GMDX, that the "sniper NSF" soldier in the dark alley, near the statue entrance, doesn't drop the sniper rifle?

I've picked the GEP gun (I'm not using it anyway, waste of space for my playstyle) from Paul, knowing that I can get a Crossbow+Sniper in the first mission, but I'm near the finish of it and I realized, that I still didn't meet "the guy" with the sniper, I checked back my saves, turns out that I've already knocked him, but he didn't drop the Sniper...