12 replies to this topic

[JackArbiter]

http://www.dragonage...ile.php?id=2519

Completely revamps damage in nightmare mode. It's fast but also hard. You have to be tactical. Let me know what you think/.

[randName]

http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=2519

Completely revamps damage in nightmare mode. It's fast but also hard. You have to be tactical. Let me know what you think/.

I'm hesitant to even try if assassins that now can almost one shot kill you will be given even more damage ~ but sure why not.

I actually do see a problem with 2 hand AoE FF damage, since its fairly badly implemented in DA2 as is, or you either micromanage your 2 hander, or she will bring ruin upon all but Aveline (that can take at least some of it).

Without any real option to control the swings my current game will most likely be painful since its already annoying that you can't limit the AoE area against single targets, as with elites, assassins and the like, something that in reality would be rather easy, and besides you wouldn't have much force at the start of the swing, in DA2 it doesn't matter at all, and you always hit due to how the mechanics work.

Since you are going through the files, is there any possibility of adding some sustained ability that suppresses the AoE range at the cost of stamina? Imagine the warrior only using vertical swings, or simply being careful to start the swings were you won't cut off your companions heads? This would actually be useful for mages as well, but anyway - since you can't get up the physical resists like you can fire, this would make fights easier to control, and it sounds like your mod would require it.

Edited by randName, 31 March 2011 - 10:17 PM.

[JackArbiter]

If you see an assassin disappear, one of your characters will definitely go down. But otherwise the assassin would be entirely useless, because nearly everyone can off you pretty quickly with this mod and the assassin spends a lot of time coming for you. If you can get to the assassin before he ghosts then he's probably dead, so a lot of times this will not be such a bad thing. It's aggravating - I know AOE is supposed to pull the assassin out of stealth, but so many things that I've tried that should just don't (with or without my mod).

As for 2h warriors, I feel your pain - and i don't believe we're at the point of adding more skills yet (until new mod tools come out), but mainly adjusting old ones. But I mainly adjusted enemy hp (and armor a little bit for balance) and damage enemies do to you, so damage you do to yourself isn't as much as it would be (in comparison with what you do to the enemy) in normal nightmare. But FF is next on my list to balance out, actually. And if you still think it's too much, read my description and go change the FF value in the file (like, to 0 if you want - note you'll still stun yourself). Or go into apr_base.gda and find the specific skill and see if you can't adjust the AOE range. I haven't checked to see if it's obvious or one of many inscrutable settings, as I'm holding off on adjusting abilities just now.

Just FYI for anyone reading this, I'm renaming the files tomorrow for better compatibility (forgot to before I left from work) and I'll be balancing some more if necessary so any feedback (especially later on with bosses since I've spent about 80 hours now just calibrating for the first 1/3 of the game and haven't actually let myself progress enough).

And keep in mind that you sometimes see 3 waves of badguys so it is very important that you pause very very often and assign every character to an action. Also, abilities you may have passed over to get away from badguys (the leaping back one for rogues, paralyze runes, etc. ) are much more necessary now. Chaining damage for rogues is much less useful. Abilities need to be adjusted but that's a long haul and I'd like to at least get the basics done first for obvious reasons, and I'm worried I'd change something drastically and screw an ability in late game so that it's not OP early game, or etc.

Edited by JackArbiter, 31 March 2011 - 11:24 PM.

[Rendalli]

this mod is pretty nice and if you have a warrior that has the +60% elemental resistance toggle with +resistance gear most mage FF damage doesnt hurt(unless the mage uses the walking bomb combo which does 3k+ spirit dmg without this mod). if a sin pops his stealth its always good to cycle thru your parties anti damage skills, ie Warrior-stonewall, Rogue-stealth, Mage-upgraded barrier. tho with this mod the first real boss is nigh impossible to beat(end of the deep roads). his aoe hits the entire room and 1 shots everyone. lol.

[JackArbiter]

:o

I figured they'd be hard/impossible. They should have much less health but aoe is hard to balance for. I'll have to drop their specific damage modifiers down - I'm just worried the fights will turn out like they normally do (three minute potion-potion-potion fights)... that or you'll have to be able to take a boss out so fast you don't see him really fight back at all.

I'll try to forge ahead in my game tomorrow and balance it some.

In the meantime if you need to, look up the values I listed and drop the boss damage values as desired. Let me know if a certain value seems best.

[Rendalli]

its all good tho i mean this is a good mod for the lack of a toolkit.

[JackArbiter]

0.11b -

Renamed files and increased compatibility by removing unmodified rows
Reduced boss and elite boss damage by 2/3 - temporary measure until more testing is done
Added HardArmor version (2x armor values) for people who want more challenge - enemy assassins and wizards will still be glass cannons but a rogue backstab on a "normal" enemy melee will not finish in one blow.

[randName]

So installed the normal pack.

So far I find it too easy, and that enemies goes down too fast ~ I'll try the alternative armour version soon, but it mostly feels like the game gets restricted in a different direction; from abilities that deal a lot of DPS, to AoE and fast simple attacks; while spells like Horror, or abilities like Assassination currently feels meaningless; and my vanguard build more so, since enemies die without me activating anything. (Scythe is to be feared on the other hand).

Or I don't really like it when even weaker enemies are killed by simply being in the AoE zone of the two hander when she uses default attacks without any boost at all to damage.

In the end it might be hard to balance, maybe AoE hits from 2 handers should mostly be glancing hits, or in general do less damage, and easier to doge ~ and that both friends and enemies shouldn't take much damage from a glancing blow.

Edited by randName, 01 April 2011 - 02:24 PM.

[JackArbiter]

I'll definitely have to go back and balance for AoE. The problem right now is some skills may change in value as the campaign progresses so it's hard for me to tell - really have to balance for the whole class.

Balanced again since I encountered dragons (lieutenants) and mature dragons (bosses):

0.12b -

Reduced lieutenant damage 1/3
Increased boss damage back 1/3
Increased lieutenant health
Increased boss health
Increased elite boss health

Feedback, esp. on elite boss fights, is still appreciated.

[randName]

Tried the latest with the harder/increased armour setting ~ and for at least the fights I've been in so far it feels too simple.

A Scythe, a mighty blow, a barrier to keep damage contained ~ and my reaver slays everything in a few seconds, and the rest of the party at most needs to buff her up a bit.

& I suspect that if you don't nerf spells like Horror Dragons and the like might go down fast as well given the damage I now deal, and that I would be able to keep damage off me for 30 seconds easily from bosses like Mature, or even High Dragons.

I'm a bit worried about it, since currently even lieutenants go down without me having to use Cleave and Assail, and this party is still just getting up to speed, with my main both lacking in Reaver abilities, but have yet to get Adrenaline and the like. & my mages sometimes die due to reinforcements, and I was close to lose Hawk once as well, but ~

& Combos and the high damage abilities all feel pointless now.

Also mostly my companions are killed due to Hawk, its funny how a 2 hand abilities (outside whirlwind obviously) can damage companions standing behind the warrior.


That said, against soft targets esp. it often feels right - or the animation, the blood, the sounds fit with the damage I do now; and that is nice, but it also feels like it gets a bit less tactical since everything dies so fast, well including me. Also I really don't like it when Mighty Blow without upgrades will kill a fully healed Aveline, even if it was a direct hit ~ but when the AoE does it, and the damage zone looks something like.

.........E....E.
A..H....E...E
.............E...

A being Aveline, and H Hawk, and Aveline goes down as I centre the attack on the first Enemy in front.

Sure this is also a problem in the normal game, but usually its not fatal if the health of A is at a 100% since she got a decent armour and so (no defensive skills, I tank/soak with the reaver, she uses Battle Synergy, and in the end maybe friendship to carry some of the damage). If possible Glances should be more common I think, and do a lot less in damage, esp. against targets with high Armour.

Edited by randName, 01 April 2011 - 10:44 PM.