SS2 Alarming Cameras (SCP Minimod)

[66492f37787fcHans Schmidt]

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.

[66492f37789f7ZylonBane]

You: "in this mod both psi and hacking are practical"

Also You: "Yes, you can hack cameras individually. But that is much more clunky and dangerous."

[66492f3778b0dHans Schmidt]

Followed in the next paragraph by "This mod on the other hand...".
In other words, the text you quoted refers to the Hard Security Mode minimod, since i am comparing it to this mod.

Hopefully my comments makes more sense now.

[66492f3778c09ZylonBane]

Hacking cameras is either practical, or clunky and dangerous. Make up your mind.

[66492f3778d75Hans Schmidt]

In this mod (SS2 Alarming Cameras) you don't actually hack cameras. Hacking itself is practical - you hack a security terminal, and can then destroy cameras (and turrets) with impunity.

Hacking cameras in the Hard Security Mode minimod is clunky and dangerous since you have to do it from up close, which means you first need to get there (hacking a security terminal or sneaking), and then stay in place for enemies to see, and spend extra credits of course. And without hacking, you can only sneak (until stasis field generator at least).

This mod is a 'medium security mode' compared to the minimod. Although the minimod has ideas i like too, as i written before.

[66492f3778e81ZylonBane]

You know you can hack security terminals in SCP too, right?

[66492f377904eHans Schmidt]

Yes, but that is only temporary. And i am not comparing this mod to SCP, but specifically to the Hard Security Mode minimod.

In the minimod "Destroying a security camera, whether or not security is hacked, will trip the alarm." Hence the need to hack cameras individually, which makes hacking clunky (yet absolutely necessary, since there is no alternative, until stasis).

In this mod, hacking security prevents alarm on camera destruction. So, after hacking a security terminal, you can simply destroy cameras with no negative consequences, just like with turrets. This is the big difference that makes hacking in this mod practical, and more consistent too.

It is a different design philosophy. In the Hard Security Mode minimod, shooting cameras is undesired in all circumstances.
In Alarming Cameras mod, you can still shoot them, but have to use a skill before that, which costs cybermodules. And there are multiple viable paths, which are well balanced, each of them having a downside.

[66492f3779702RoSoDude]

Hans Schmidt
Hi there. I've been busy over the last month so I haven't gotten around to releasing updates for compatibility with SCP. I will try to get on it soon though.

Having to hack security after tripping the alarm can be implemented fairly easily, but I'm not really interested in the feature as I think it makes alarms too much of a fail state, tempting players to reload a save. Dealing with monster spawns as you rush to a station is enough in my opinion.

The stasis field generator is available early as the new Heavy skill 1 weapon in SS2-RSD, which gives Marines a viable path for dealing with cameras in this minimod.

[66492f3779bc5Hans Schmidt]

Thank you.

Having to hack security after tripping the alarm can be implemented fairly easily, but I'm not really interested in the feature as I think it makes alarms too much of a fail state, tempting players to reload a save...

I considered it only in combination with the change to hack failure which starts an alarm instead of breaking the computer, which i think makes hacking more interesting, and could maybe even lead to less reloads. The psi skill with the original feature of shortening alarm (perhaps made stronger) would then become very useful for the OSA path (if it could do both - prevent alarm if cast in advance, and lower duration if cast after it started).

But you are right, for marines it would make reload even more tempting.

[66492f3779cfcA Watcher]

Go Go Roso, Go Go Roso!
Looking forward to grab this mod! 
Appreciate all you r nice modding work!

[66492f3779e15A Watcher]

Any news on the mod's progress? Hopefully its soon done, can't wait to use it.

[66492f3779f4cRoSoDude]

Ah, sorry, I've been really lazy about updating my SS2 mods, distracted by other products. It shouldn't take me more than a day or two to get it sorted out, I should have the time now.

[66492f377a1f2A Watcher]

RoSoDudeThats really great to hear! Thank you very much! 🤗

[66492f377a429A Watcher]

RoSoDudeI hope you find time soon