14. February 2024, 17:09:14

#20

Hans SchmidtQuote

Any news on this?

This mod is much better balanced in my opinion than the equivalent Hard Security Mode minimod, since it makes the game harder but still leaves several ways to bypass the alarm (hacking, psi, and stasis). Since trying it, i can't even imagine playing the game without it, it would be too easy to just shoot the cameras.

The only changes from the minimod that i would like is the requirement to hack the security console to disable alarm (at reduced difficulty) and triggering alarms on failed hack. If that was integrated into this mod, keeping the alarm reduction on the psi power would actually become useful for non-hackers.

14. February 2024, 17:11:54

#21

ZylonBaneQuote

You know you can hack and stasis cameras in SCP too, right?

14. February 2024, 18:00:55

#22

Hans SchmidtQuote

Oh, thanks ZylonBane for the info on the stasis option in SCP. However, it is the least useful option, given how late you get the stasis field generator.
But since you commented, is this compatible with the other minimod allowing to lay the stasis traps? It actually makes the weapon useful, which is definitely a good change.

Yes, you can hack cameras individually. But that is much more clunky and dangerous compared to shooting them, since you need to be close. And is more expensive, as the poster in that thread noted.

This mod on the other hand gives multiple ways to deal with them at range, and very realistically too, but all require cybermodule investment. And the more practical options are given to the paths generally considered harder at the beginning, which actually improves game balance in the beginning levels between specializations. That is why this mod is so good.

The only thing that could improve it would be to change the hacking 'minigame', to one where choices actually matter. But i guess that would be way out of scope of a simple small mod.

14. February 2024, 19:30:18

#23

ZylonBaneQuote

So what you're saying is, of all the ways Alarming Cameras gives players to deal with cameras, psi is the only one you like.

14. February 2024, 20:45:27

#24

Hans SchmidtQuote

On the contrary, in this mod both psi and hacking are practical, only the stasis field generator is the inferior one, and only due to how late you find one. If it (and some ammo) could be added to an earlier location, it would be perfectly balanced.

But this actually makes sense when looking at the game balance as a whole. There are 2 kinds of obstacles in the game - enemies, and technology. In the original game, cameras specifically might as well not exist, since you can just shoot them with no downside. This meant hacking skill 1 was only useful for the turrets, and those can be shot as well, making marine strictly better start early on.

But with this mod, both present similar level of danger, and all 3 of the main specializations are now balanced around them in a very logical way:
- Marine is better at killing normal enemies and turrets, and not so good at dealing with security cameras
- Hacker is now best at dealing with technology, since after hacking a security terminal, you can destroy cameras without triggering alarm, and turrets without getting fired on
- OSA agent is somewhere in between, he can deal with cameras easily, but not that well with enemies and especially turrets.

The minimod on the other hand makes the cameras much harder to deal with, to the point where hacking is practically mandatory (unless you want to force marines and OSA to rely on sneaking), and even then you need to hack cameras up close. So, the added difficulty is good, but imbalance between the different paths is not.