Deus Ex GMDX: Deus Ex Advancement Mod v9 Released!

[Black]

Speaking of the basketball, if you have the aug for throwing the ball will shatter when it hits anything

 

[Ash]

-Hitting corpses with your melee weapon seems to produce a hit sound depending on the surface beneath the corpse rather than the organic 'squish' sound when you normally hit someone with a melee weapon

Vanilla. Will fix.

-Weapons can be holstered by double-tapping the use button, but can only be unholstered by pressing the respective number key on your toolbelt? Considering my last weapon I just used is highlighted on the toolbelt, I'd expect that pressing the fire or use key would unholster that weapon, but it doesn't, and having to press the respective number key again is a bit unwieldy

Assuming you have the "Inivisible War Toolbelt" option enabled, right clicks holster and draw weapons. Disable the option for vanilla weapon switching.

-Grenades as secondary weapon are equipped and have to be thrown afterwards, rather than being immediately thrown once you press the Secondary Weapon key, unlike thrown and melee weapons, which kind of defeats the purpose of secondary weapons

Pretty sure you are mistaken. Can you try again to confirm?

-In the Liberty Island level, I picked up and immediately dropped one of the many UNATCO troop corpse, which alerted and prompted a nearby patrolling NSF soldier (who should have already seen that corpse and ignored it long before I entered the scene) to check out the corpse and the surrounding area. Does the NSF AI on Liberty Island ignore UNATCO corpses as long as you don't move them?

They should ignore all except allied corpses. Will check over the code.

-Are there no Build Engine-style bloody footprints when you step in a puddle of blood?

Nope.

-Are fire extinguisher gas and pepper spray supposed to trigger tripwires?

Nope. Fixed in v9.0.

You can't use your secondary weapon when holding items in your hand other than weapons, such as flares, extinguishers, and so on.

Yeah, I should maybe do something about that.

-Wouldn't it be more useful to have some kind of indicator when you're aiming at someone's head/back and are ready for a backstab? Sort of like how Spy in TF2 raises his knife when he is in backstabbing range. Stealth games operate on a very thin margin of error, and alerting the enemy just because you missed a vague hitboxes by a few pixels isn't really that fun

Maybe I'll do something like that.

-I remember (in another mod?) being able to click the use button on a locked door which would automatically pull out my keyring for the sake of convenience. Is this feature not present in GMDX? (the same could also be done for locked doors and lockpicks, security and multitools, and so on)

Already in v9.0.

-When you don't have anything equipped, pressing the secondary weapon key in order to attack with your melee weapon instead equips your melee weapon first, and doesn't let you attack with the secondary weapon button once you have the weapon assigned to the secondary weapon button equipped, which is quite confusing

It's not really a problem once you learn how it works, but maybe I'll do something to ease potential confusion.

-Minor suggestion: displaying the Hacking level required in order to hack a device just by aiming at it (like displaying lock/security strength) would be useful

Good suggestion.

-Minor gripe concerning basketball physics: IRL basketballs keep rolling around after a bit after they stop bouncing, whereas in GMDX they come to a complete standstill

Small thing, but I should be able to simulate it even with primitive physics.

 

[Excidium II]

Whenever I try to quick load while getting hit/dying game crashes with this error message:

^
It's not just at Area 51, by the way. Happens everywhere.

 

[Durandal]

Assuming you have the "Inivisible War Toolbelt" option enabled, right clicks holster and draw weapons. Disable the option for vanilla weapon switching.

Ah, that fixed it.

Pretty sure you are mistaken. Can you try again to confirm?

My mistake, this ties in to the aforementioned tidbit of the secondary weapon key only equipping the secondary weapon when you have nothing equipped. I can throw grenades as secondary weapons just fine when I have a gun or melee weapon equipped.

Also, is it me, or has the speed augmentation been nerfed from vanilla? I swear having the speed aug at level 4 let me run and jump much higher and faster.

 

[Excidium II]

Also, is it me, or has the speed augmentation been nerfed from vanilla? I swear having the speed aug at level 4 let me run and jump much higher and faster.

No idea, but I think it should be buffed either way because mantling largely does the job of higher jumping for free.

 

[Ash]

Whenever I try to quick load while getting hit/dying game crashes with this error message:.

Disable the "First Person Death Perspective" option. Fixed in v9.0.

Also, is it me, or has the speed augmentation been nerfed from vanilla? I swear having the speed aug at level 4 let me run and jump much higher and faster.

Base running speed is faster, speed enhance boost lowered to compensate. This benefits silent running players vastly, and general non-augged gameplay, while speed enhanced players will not be negatively affected. It just seems less effective as there is not as big a jump between base speed and enhanced speed when you activate the aug like in vanilla.
Jump height is slightly higher (like + 2% to clear a big bunch of obstacles that are 192 unreal units tall that you'd barely not get up before), not lower.

Remember the base speed boost doesn't make the game overall notably easier compared to vanilla, as AI and obstacles are considerably more competent too. Also the stamina system.

 

[Excidium II]

Disable the "First Person Death Perspective" option. Fixed in v9.0.

Still happens. Nevermind, guess I had to restart.

Nope, still happens.

 

[eXalted]

Dropping a second weapon (from the inventory) with the scroll button just after another one has been dropped gives me a crash with "Deus Ex Not Responding" error.

 

[Zero Credibility]

Made some progress, just finished the airport level / found all ambrosia.

A balance issue I think - there seems to be a lack of lockpicks early in the game. I have more multitools than I know what to do with them, but just not enough lockpicks, even though I've been saving them by blowing doors up and looking for keys as much as possible. Couldn't open the secret room at the airport, hope I didn't miss an aug upgrade there. Both electronics and lockpicks are at advanced level. Btw, advanced is really underwhelming for these skills - just 15%? I feel like it should be 20% (double of trained), it really feels like a weak investment unless I'm planning on then taking master for 50%.

And a question - passive ballistic protection seems useful, but it also looks like it could drain a lot of power if I get hit badly enough, and so far power seems like a scarcer resource than health. Will power recirculator also reduce its energy drain when hit as well? Also, can I later replace augmentation with another or is the procedure permanent?

 

[Ash]

Made some progress, just finished the airport level / found all ambrosia.

A balance issue I think - there seems to be a lack of lockpicks early in the game. I have more multitools than I know what to do with them, but just not enough lockpicks, even though I've been saving them by blowing doors up and looking for keys as much as possible. Couldn't open the secret room at the airport, hope I didn't miss an aug upgrade there. Both electronics and lockpicks are at advanced level. Btw, advanced is really underwhelming for these skills - just 15%? I feel like it should be 20% (double of trained), it really feels like a weak investment unless I'm planning on then taking master for 50%.

Lockpicks are well hidden. There's enough if you know where they all are.

May increase advanced to 20%. We'll see what future playtesters think with their experience with v9.0 tweaks in that regard.

And a question - passive ballistic protection seems useful, but it also looks like it could drain a lot of power if I get hit badly enough, and so far power seems like a scarcer resource than health. Will power recirculator also reduce its energy drain when hit as well? Also, can I later replace augmentation with another or is the procedure permanent?

Power Recirculator only works on active augmentations, not passive. You'll see that in its description when you get it.

 

[Excidium II]

There's definitely much more multitools than lockpicks, I finished game with lockpicking on master and electronics left on trained. Though I guess it balances out a bit in that a lot more stuff that needs lockpicking can be destroyed.

Speaking of item availability, how many shock bolts are in the game in total, 12? Also I think the flare darts perk shouldn't be a perk but just normal behavior...it's not that strong with so few of them in the game.

 

[Dev_Anj]

Yeah, I've heard many complaints about the availability of lockpicks versus multitools. I've heard that lockpicks are allegedly equal in number but well hidden, and I honestly still don't believe in it, even though I haven't checked that in UnrealED yet. Besides, even if that were true, there's just way more movers that use lockpicks rather than multitools, especially considering the shops added. It's true that multitools have more general purpose uses, but the problem is there isn't much that justifies using them for those even under GMDX's system. Example: it's great that you can hack a turret to stop it from firing when there's an alarm in progress, but you can also usually hack it using a security terminal if you know the code. Ditto for cameras, and while the perk that zaps people trying to use hacked alarm panels sounds like a decent empowering feature of the skill, the opportunity to actually uses it rarely arises, because some AIs are coded to immediately attack you upon discovery while others are coded to run for the alarm panels, and the distinction isn't very clear.

I also completely agree that 15% for Advanced level sounds weak. I understand that Ash wants people to invest all the way to Master to open stuff, but the 5% increase barely makes the jump from Trained to Advanced feel worthwhile, at best it saves like a lockpick/multitool or two. There are many locks and movers on which the change has minimal impact, or utilizes the exact same number of lockpicks or multitools. Compare that to the increase from Untrained to Trained, a 50% jump in lockpicking/multitooling power, and you'll understand why it feels underwhelming even more. 20% sounds like a good number, but we'll see.

Yeah, I also agree that the taser darts feel a bit too rare. They aren't even all that powerful, they're just ranged riot prod shocks, but the low number of them makes them feel like "too good to use" ammo and actually actively discourages using them, since they keep feeling like power ups you should be reserving for something very important rather than ammo that complements your general attacks.

 

[Ash]

It's true that multitools have more general purpose uses, but the problem is there isn't much that justifies using them for those even under GMDX's system. Example: it's great that you can hack a turret to stop it from firing when there's an alarm in progress, but you can also usually hack it using a security terminal if you know the code. Ditto for cameras, and while the perk that zaps people trying to use hacked alarm panels sounds like a decent empowering feature of the skill, the opportunity to actually uses it rarely arises, because some AIs are coded to immediately attack you upon discovery while others are coded to run for the alarm panels, and the distinction isn't very clear.

I think part of the problem is people are so used to all the security systems doing absolutely fuck all that they are set in their ways of not bothering to use multitools to hack and instead find alternate methods, myself included. In GMDX there should be plenty incentive to hack security systems:

Alarm units

NPCs that spot allied corpses go for nearby alarms.
With the sabotage perk, hacked alarms zap NPCs that attempt to trigger it.
Alarm units when triggered call in reinforcements (location-specific).
Additional new scripted security measures like bulkhead doors locking while an alarm is active.
NPCs are sometimes scripted to go for an alarm immediately upon spotting the player.
Alarms are heard by other NPCs and devices at a greater range.
Alarmed NPCs receive a very minor perception stat boost when an alarm is triggered.

Cameras

On Realistic and Hardcore difficulty camera range is doubled.
On hardcore mode cameras detect downed corpses.
On hardcore mode nearby NPCs notice when a camera is beeping at you.
New v9.0 addition: cameras that spot the player also trigger nearby alarm units, potentially unleashing any scripted shitstorms as described above.
Bugfix: non-swinging cameras reset their view rotation after spotting the player.

Other

ALL security devices are cheaper to hack with multitools than they were vanilla.
The perk that increases multitool hack range further encourages hacking devices, as hacking security computers you have to go to that specific location to hack it, whereas the range perk lets you hack from nearly any nearby location, within reason.
Hacking computers now features skill requirements, so the hacking skill no longer makes the electronics skill redundant in nearly every way.
Turrets have increased rotation speed.

Probably lots of stuff I'm forgetting.

However there are some new features that counter these new much-needed balancing efforts, like the thermoptic camo and radar transparency aug enabling you to pass through laser triggers without sounding the alarm, and control panels can now be destroyed with explosives.

I understand that Ash wants people to invest all the way to Master to open stuff, but the 5% increase barely makes the jump from Trained to Advanced feel worthwhile, at best it saves like a lockpick/multitool or two.

It can save up to 3 more picks/tools per door/device over trained. That's a lot.

Yeah, I also agree that the taser darts feel a bit too rare. They aren't even all that powerful, they're just ranged riot prod shocks, but the low number of them makes them feel like "too good to use" ammo and actually actively discourages using them, since they keep feeling like power ups you should be reserving for something very important rather than ammo that complements your general attacks.

Taser darts put the most formidable enemy in the game out of commission in one shot. They will forever remain rare. They may also be nerfed (reduced incapacitation time).

 

[eXalted]

Just had the boss fight with Walton Simons in the MJ12 Sub Base.

I didn't kill any of the Greasels in that cave before that so when I met him I got scared that he began firing at me right after the cutscene and closed the door between me and him. This left him in the cave with all the Greasels and monsters in there. It was such fun listening how he is trying to kill them all and how they are hitting and spitting on him. Then I opened the door, shot him twice with the crossbow and he died.

:mrpresident:

 

[Ash]

Nice!

I'm scratching my head as to why Simons and the greasels weren't fighting before you had your conversation though. Maybe there was a few stray greasels in the darkness that you didn't kill so simons and the greasels never spotted each other until you started fighting?

Or maybe you are on a low difficulty mode, which makes all AI have poor (vanilla old man style) eyesight.

 

[Dev_Anj]

It can save up to 3 more picks/tools per door/device over trained. That's a lot.

In theory, yes. In practice there are very few doors and devices on which you get these savings. Take for example something with a decently high lockpick/multitool strength, like 50%. The trained user uses 5 lockpicks/multitools, while the advanced user uses.. 4 lockpicks/multitools. Yay!

In addition, the movers where advanced gives those huge savings(odd strength movers/devices divisible by 5) are pretty rare in the game. I guess the benefits rise if you consider extremely high strength containers, but for those I would rather hold off until Master anyway.

The problem with all the stuff about multitools you stated is that they still don't really make for much appealing effects, mostly all they do is reduce chances of alarms or take a turret or two out of comission. That stuff is only relevant if you're sneaking or planning to fight in a room guarded with turrets. Furthermore, consider that maybe opening up doors is generally seen as preferable to merely hacking security devices, especially if you won't be in the area for long. The solution to this is probably just to somehow emphasize using them through the level design without blocking off routes to the non multitool specialized player, yet this is difficult to do. You could also try stuff like being able to turn the turrets on enemies, or somehow use the hacked cameras to spy on enemy movements, but not sure if they will be balanced or be feasibly implemented.

I still don't see much of a use for the taser darts, they still feel too much like ranged riot prod stuns. If they somehow have significant effects, like maybe KOing MJ12 commandos from afar, then I might accept the reasoning. Otherwise, they just feel like a weird addition that does nothing besides maybe sometimes help the player KO enemies alongside normal attacks.

 

[eXalted]

Nice!

I'm scratching my head as to why Simons and the greasels weren't fighting before you had your conversation though. Maybe there was a few stray greasels in the darkness that you didn't kill so simons and the greasels never spotted each other until you started fighting?

Or maybe you are on a low difficulty mode, which makes all AI have poor (vanilla old man style) eyesight.

Playing it on Medium. I find it impossible to walk in that cave without them spotting you. I used the cloak augmentation to sneak past them (killing only the Karkians in the small room on the side) because it was very hard to sneak past all of them. The cave is full of them.

Is it possible that he is spawned just before I open the door? Or that they are in one faction and not hostile to each other until I activate the cutscene?


Loaded the save before the battle to check again the whole situation. When everything got silent, I opened the door and damn... the little bastards managed to kill him

 

[Excidium II]

radar transparency aug enabling you to pass through laser triggers without sounding the alarm

About this aug, it really does not feel worth upgrading since all it does is reduce cost, but you just pop it for a second or two as you cross laser and camera/robot view range.

Perhaps it could be balanced with lowered cost but limiting what will ignore you by rank.

 

[Major_Blackhart]

If you do that, you run the risk of it lacking viability until rank 3 or 4

 

[Excidium II]

How so? Could be Laser -> small bots and turrets -> Cameras -> Big bots

Though it'd have to be available earlier to get the most out of it.

Speaking of which, the mj12 elites are supposed to have various scanners/radars, is this actually factored in game mechanics?

 

[Ash]

Versalife Skybox enhanced. First you're shown the vanilla map with all the graphics mods, then, the same mods with GMDX.

This video is a simple demonstration of how GMDX faithfully enhances the visual experience of Deus Ex. Think what was shown in this video, applied to the whole game.

This is only about 2-3 hours of work. Maybe I'll do more but it's a nice enhancement as it is.

If there are any skilled texture artists reading this, an update of the vanilla floor mosaic would be nice, as the current replacement is inadequate.

And I will respond to the previous posts later.

 

[Ash]

https://www.reddit.com/r/Deusex/comments/5288nx/should_i_use_the_gmdx_mod_or_the_revision_mod/

lol. Even reddit knows how it is.

 

[Latelistener]

What's the difference between DX9 and DX10 renderers?

-Wouldn't it be more useful to have some kind of indicator when you're aiming at someone's head/back and are ready for a backstab? Sort of like how Spy in TF2 raises his knife when he is in backstabbing range. Stealth games operate on a very thin margin of error, and alerting the enemy just because you missed a vague hitboxes by a few pixels isn't really that fun

IIRC Ion Storm did the same thing in Deadly Shadows.

 

[Excidium II]

What's the difference between DX9 and DX10 renderers?

Nothing much since you can configure to be the same settings.

However I had a problem with GMDX + DX10 that caused some dark areas to flicker when illuminated by flashlight, so I switched to DX9.

I do have a problem with a chunk of wall/floor meshes going invisible when looked from a certain position but it's p. rare and mostly when crouching at or near stairs. Not sure if caused by DX9.

 

[Latelistener]

Nothing much since you can configure to be the same settings.

However I had a problem with GMDX + DX10 that caused some dark areas to flicker when illuminated by flashlight, so I switched to DX9.

I do have a problem with a chunk of wall/floor meshes going invisible when looked from a certain position but it's p. rare and mostly when crouching at or near stairs. Not sure if caused by DX9.

Thanks, won't bother then.