SS2 Heavily Tweaked

[66480df643a93Yankee Clipper]

This mod tweaks the lineup in the Heavy Weapons category. The Stasis Field Generator (SFG) is now the entry level weapon. The Fusion Cannon is the mid level weapon and the Grenade Launcher becomes the uber weapon of the category. The SFG has been modified to have a larger clip size and the length of its stasis effect on enemies has been doubled.

The replicator in the MedSci Xerxes room will now sell prisms and an SFG is now available to be found on the MedSci level. A Fusion Cannon is available on the Hydroponics level.

My vision for the modded Heavy Weapons is that during the beginning parts of the game, the player can use the SFG to freeze the tough enemies and then either go beat on them with the wrench or simply skate by them. Even though the SFG is available very early in the game, the player will still be limited by the lack of prisms and the fact that maintaining the weapon will be an issue. My strategy in the early game was to save my ammo so I could use the SFG on the tougher enemies: Maintenance Bots and Midwives. The hybrids were just wrenched. Once the Fusion Cannon becomes available, then it was a mix between the 2 weapons. If the enemy is a quick moving or quick firing, freeze them first and then switch to the FC (or the wrench). Even though I maxed out to Heavy 6, and so I could have used the Grenade Launcher, I didn't want to tie up all that inventory space (3 weapon plus 5 ammo) so I just didn't bother with it.

During my play through, the only offense I had other than the two Heavy weapons was the wrench and the Psi skill Cryokinesis. I enjoyed the change of pace and think the mod makes the SFG a more interesting and useful weapon.

Sorry Kolya - no screenshots. The entire mod is under-the-covers kind of stuff, so I couldn't think of anything visual to capture. If anyone has any ideas for appropriate screens, let me know.

Thanks to voodoo47 for the scripting used to convert one object into another. Very handy!

[66480df643de5voodoo47]

had a quick look at the dmls, and they look ok (even though trying to re-add physics on the weapons will not work, but it won't do any harm either, so whatever), but the mod name is a bit undescriptive - something like heavy weapons tweaked (HWT) would do a better job, I think.

also, the SFG under the bar makes little sense (would probably make more in the lab parts of the level), but then again, that was also true for the launcher. it's also easy to miss, unless one already knows about the (kind of secret) shelf. if you want to promote its early use, it should be placed somewhere where the player is not that likely to miss it - the room with the jailbreak monkeys would be a good candidate (as it's safe to assume that such a tool would be useful when handling them). the big radiation room would do as well - just make sure the weapon would be visible from outside, as some players do like to skip the room (scared of the unhealthy green). now they would have one more reason to go in there.

[66480df643f54Yankee Clipper]

Since a shotgun is kind of the traditional weapon to have under a bar, I thought about doing a 3 way switch with the shotgun from that hidden little alcove down the hall ending up under the bar and the sfg going up to the alcove. But, if stasis weapons were available, I think they would be a better choice for an under the bar weapon since the bartender could just stun the problem instead of blowing its head off.

But, good point about making it more visible. On the other hand, the only people who will be able to find it in the first place are those who download the mod, so I think they will already be looking for it anyway. This mod isn't part of a large project like the SCP, so the unaware newbie will be unlikely to have this mod installed.