GMDX: Deus Ex Mod.

[665b3c3f8248dJoin2]

SKILLS/PERKS

1. Notice how the addition of the stealth skill has extended the collection of skills over the UI border. Still got to fix that. Although I'm no texture artist I can make minor changes to textures so hopefully it shouldn't be a problem.

2. Perks button.

3. The addition of darkened out boxes that represent max level, just like the augmentations and new weapon modifications display.

4. Updated skill info.

Also shown: different font for the skill names. Looks much better.
[DeusEx 2015-10-04 15-12-39-069.jpg expired]

[665b3c3f825dcJoin2]

And that's it, for the personal UI at least. Other UI/HUD elements have updates too, such as door highlight boxes showing the door's damage threshold, and updated elements of hacking.
I'm not seeing any way in which the other persona screens (goals/notes, logs etc) can be updated. I'm all ears for other UI/HUD suggestions though, as I don't believe this is the best it could possibly be in terms of function.

[665b3c3f827dfJDoran]

I've been playing Deus Ex Revision (the fan-made mod) and whilst it's nice and everything (I'll wait until I complete it before forming a complete opinion), I have to say that I'm disappointed that the gameplay isn't more enhanced. I'm not knocking Revision for concentrating more on the maps and models than on the gameplay modding (which is mostly just adding Shifter (which is a great mod) and Biomod (which I've not yet properly played) so far, as far as I can see), but it's made me realise how much I want GMDX v8, as Join USSS!'s mod seems like it really is going to change the feel of the game and open up new ways of doing things.

I suppose basically I want to play Deus Ex with enhanced game functions, rather than Deus Ex with enhanced graphics and remixed levels.

[665b3c3f82c14Join2]

I suppose basically I want to play Deus Ex with enhanced game functions, rather than Deus Ex with enhanced graphics and remixed levels.

GMDX does improve graphics too. Gameplay is the primary focus but I've still put quite a lot of work into making the game look better, although it is very subtle so as to not change the style of the game, only enhance it.  Think of it like SCP's approach to visuals: updated projectile effects, pedantic tuning of the level design, new effects added (such as the muzzle flash in SCP's case) etc.

[665b3c3f82d1cJDoran]

Do you have a rough ETA for GMDX's release? Just a rough estimate, and if possible a quick list of what you still want to do before the release, please?

[665b3c3f82f8eJoin2]

Do you have a rough ETA for GMDX's release? Just a rough estimate, and if possible a quick list of what you still want to do before the release, please?

I will say nothing! 

Very soon I will be making an announcement.
Most of what I have wanted to do has been accomplished. All that's left that I desire is the help of an artist so we can have FP hand models w/ anims holding the remaining items (medkit, alcohol, fire extinguisher etc) but it doesn't look like that is going to happen.
So, please stand by. Not too long now.

[665b3c3f83287Djant]

Very soon I will be making an announcement.
Most of what I have wanted to do has been accomplished. All that's left that I desire is the help of an artist so we can have FP hand models w/ anims holding the remaining items (medkit, alcohol, fire extinguisher etc) but it doesn't look like that is going to happen.

Good to hear. A shame you don't have modelers or animators yet, but oh well.

[665b3c3f833b2Join2]

GMDX v8.0 is close to release & requires a English-speaking voice over artist to aid with promotional material. A clear, marketable voice as well as an adequate microphone is needed.
Please send me a PM or comment here if you can help. Thank you.

[665b3c3f834daJDoran]

Probably asking too much, but I take it that GMDX won't work with Revision, will it? That would make for a great combination.

[665b3c3f835fbJoin2]

Nope. Incompatible from both a design and technical standpoint, though if one was determined the technical side of things wouldn't be too hard to resolve.

[665b3c3f83a95Marvin]

Probably asking too much, but I take it that GMDX won't work with Revision, will it? That would make for a great combination.

No. Thank God, no.

[665b3c3f83d16Djant]

No. Thank God, no.

I take it you're one of the people who didn't like Revision? I would like to hear some honest opinions about it, because the Steam discussions are filled with fans shooting down any and all criticism as "nostalgia" or some other dumb excuse.

[665b3c3f84093Marvin]

I take it you're one of the people who didn't like Revision? I would like to hear some honest opinions about it, because the Steam discussions are filled with fans shooting down any and all criticism as "nostalgia" or some other dumb excuse.

I can only guess at what happened during the long development cycle but my money is on the inability of the team to understand what made DX's level design great coupled with the strong belief that more is always better.
In the early stages of the game/mod, care was taken to make things a little bit more lively and and brush up some of the more barren parts of the levels: Kaplan now has a small storage hut next to the compound, the bunker looks a lot more like a believable office space, the shanty "town" in battery park now actually looks like one. Which is nice. It all goes downhill as soon as they made functional design choices and added huge parts to existing levels or changed the original architecture. Many of these changes clash with the original look, try to make a level more realistic but end up making even less sense, or just feel tacked on. The silo is a good example: The original team did not design a way for the rocket to be transported to its spot so the Revision team added an enormous courtyard below the original level with huge blast doors and some new interior design. The latter is completely terrible in every way and the former looks like they glued unfinished parts of a Half Life deathmatch level to a DX map. It's like someone decided the Rickenbacker was in dire need of a redesign (true) and ended up adding a shooting range to MedSci because it "kinda looks cool".
Another problem is the new lighting: For some bizarre reason, someone decided to crank up the contrast to 11 wherever possible, causing severe black crush and making the game look like Willy Wonka's crazy tunnel ride in a few places.

[665b3c3f8419dDjant]

Sounds like what I feared about the mod, they would go overboard without properly understanding level design. Thanks for writing your impressions.

[665b3c3f845b3JDoran]

I have to admit that I'm dissapointed with Revision, so far. Bear in mind that I've only played it through the first mission and into UNATCO HQ, so I can't really judge it properly, but for what it's worth, here's what I think so far. I am disappointed with the changes they made to Liberty Island, both by the changes themselves, and how few changes there are. I've heard that later levels are changed much more, but considering that Liberty Island is the first level you see, surely they should have changed it much more, to intrigue you and make you want to see the later levels?

Instead, other than adding a shed at the start, they've made no attempt to make the jetty area feel like it's regularly used by people. And when you leave the jetty, and go onto the island proper, not twenty feet away from the entrance (where the armed UNATCO soldiers and a bot are), you find an NSF terrorist SITTING ON A BENCH, AS THOUGH HE ISN'T MERE SECONDS AWAY FROM A POSSIBLE FATAL BULLET TO THE HEAD! Sorry, but I refuse to believe that anyone, be they a skilled and experienced terrorist, or a school teacher who's never held a gun before and has been drafted in to help liberate a barrel of life saving medicine from a corrupt and cruel organisation, would relax so much that they'd sit calmly on a bench when they know that literally a few dozen feet from them are trained enemy soldiers who want to kill you, plus they have an armed and armoured bot that's programmed to shred you with bullets.

And one of the problems with Deus Ex was that UNATCO's HQ was only a few hundred yards from the terrorists' stand-off in the statue, yet UNATCO didn't bother to protect UNATCO's HQ more. I know that for the story and the game's inability to render too many NPCs at once (it ran on year 2000 PCs, remember) this setup was probably necessary, but with modern PCs, Revison could have made the map bigger, and made it seem like UNATCO took the presence of the terrorists seriously, by having more soldiers patrolling around the HQ. Instead we're left with the same, unrealistic state where a couple of UNATCO soldiers are outside the HQ, and less than thirty seconds walking time away there are armed terrorists walking back and forward, apparently not bothered enough by the presence of the HQ or the soldiers that they don't feel the need to watch the HQ or hide in wait in case the soldiers come to kill them.

Also, some of the areas of the island are too dark now, which would be good if Deus Ex's stealth was as powerful as in the Thief games, but since it's not (the enemies can still see you even when you're in a dark corner) then what's the point of making things so dark?

But I keep coming back to the question - why, since this mod is so ambitious (and has taken seven years to make) does it change so little in the first level? We Deus Ex fans have all played this level a dozen or more times before, so they should surely have altered things more, such as enemy placement, the layout of the statue interior, different routes on the island, more enemies, etc. Instead, I've not gone back to it since I played it once, and got to explore the interior of UNATCO's HQ (which is nice, but so far it's just a few cosmetic changes and a some minor layout changes). I might well go back to it, but at the moment I don't feel like I want to, as what I've seen so far failed to grab me.

If I were going to go back and play DX again, then I would choose Revision over the vanilla version, to see all of the changes, and maybe the later levels would make me prefer Revision, but so far it's not made me want to replay the game. Well, I do want to replay the game, but I know DX backwards, so I want to either wipe DX from my mind and play it afresh (when that becomes possible, won't it be brilliant for your favourite books/films/games/etc?) or play it with enough changes to make it a new experience. And Revision so far is just the same game with new paint and the furniture moved around.

[665b3c3f84812Join2]

v8.0 Release Date announced as December 7th 2015

Alongside the date announcement is three videos:

Part 1: Artificial Intelligence: https://youtu.be/rKHPtfammNY
Part 2: Player-Controlled Mechanics: https://youtu.be/ny0wLI-ZWOY
Part 3: Sim Systems and Effects: https://youtu.be/lsOoTF5TL0Y

As we draw closer to release more videos will be released covering other notable feature categories of the mod.

Further reading on the Website.

[665b3c3f8492bDjant]

Looks pretty good! This is such a pleasing sight after the disappointment of Revision. I eagerly look forward to the next videos before the release.

[665b3c3f84cb1System Shocked]

v8.0 Release Date announced as December 7th 2015

Join usss!

I've eagerly read all your recent updates and just watched your newly released videos 1, 2 and 3 concerning the upcoming release of GMDX v8.0. All the changes that you've made to the original Deus Ex are ABSOLUTELY staggering. As I mentioned before, I've never finished Deus Ex, but I fully intend to do so once GMDX v8.0 is released. SCP Beta 2 finally released in November and Deus Ex GMDX v8.0 to be released on Dec. 7/15  -  -  -  What a great two months  -  -  -  Just FFF'nnn WOW ! ! ! 

[665b3c3f84e05Djant]

Also unrelated, but this is a good video on how Revision gets a lot of design decisions wrong: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jScXFj2V-3E

[665b3c3f84ef5Marvin]

I wish you the best for the release.

[665b3c3f85031Join2]

Part 4:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-bSLkfzWYc

Full screen viewing advised.

"Game makers should focus more on making believable characters than believable guns."
-Warren Spector

I find both to be of equal value, and with mods we can have it all.

[665b3c3f8527eJDoran]

The videos are great (is that your voice in the videos?), but I do have a couple of suggestions for new features:


1. How about having New Game options that force you to only be able to use certain augmentations (so you don't receive the other augs during the game), such as


Stealth, which only allows you to use stealth augs, such as run silently, and the cloaking mods, but of course the upgrade augs still exist,

Maximum Force (can only use offensive augs, which pretty much means just Aggressive Defence System, and Combat Strength), but of course the upgrade augs still exist,

Minimal Aug Strength , where you can find and use any augs, but you can't upgrade them beyond level 1,

Upgraded at the Start, so that before you start the game, you can choose four augs, which you then start the game with, but you cannot find (or use, of course) any other augs during the game, but you can still find and use upgrades.


I think that game modes like that could add interest to the game.



2. Could you add a new weapon, or make a new ammunition type for either the crossbow or the sniper rifle, that only works on humans, and when a human is shot with it, then he becomes 'confused' and attacks his own side instead of you. Perfect Dark has this weapon (called the Psychosis Gun), and it's great, but (like PD) if you decide to implement this then you should probably make the ammunition very rare as otherwise it could be used often and make the game much too easy.

[665b3c3f85387Marvin]

Option 1 is just a custom playstale, you can do that yourself already. Can't speak for JoinUs but 2 should be easy to do by just copying the scrambler grenade code.

[665b3c3f85b19Join2]

Suggestions are always appreciated, JDoran.

Stealth, which only allows you to use stealth augs, such as run silently, and the cloaking mods, but of course the upgrade augs still exist,

Maximum Force (can only use offensive augs, which pretty much means just Aggressive Defence System, and Combat Strength), but of course the upgrade augs still exist,

Minimal Aug Strength , where you can find and use any augs, but you can't upgrade them beyond level 1,

Upgraded at the Start, so that before you start the game, you can choose four augs, which you then start the game with, but you cannot find (or use, of course) any other augs during the game, but you can still find and use upgrades.

The aim is to make the game more challenging without taking anything notable away, rather the player has far more options than ever before, yet still more difficulty should he/she desire it:

In the original game only bullet damage was influenced by difficulty level. Difficulty levels in GMDX however influence a wide variety of encounters related to stealth, combat & exploration. Difficulty levels have been expanded upon considerably to provide a suitable experience relative to the player's skill level.

Just some examples of influenced behaviors are as follows:

STEALTH

-NPC vision range.
-NPC vision sensitivity.
-NPC cooldown times.
-NPC hearing sensitivity.
-NPC reaction times.
-NPC stealth-based intelligence, such as seeking behaviour.
-Camera vision range.
-Weapon noise levels.

COMBAT

-NPC accuracy.
-NPC speed.
-NPC grenade blast radius.
-Turret attack range
-Player accuracy levels (on the easiest difficulty the standing accuracy bonus is accelerated).
-Ammo availability.

EXPLORATION

-Environmental hazard lethality.
-Proximity mine detonation time & radius.
-Stamina drain rate.

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HARDCORE MODE

A new difficulty mode that emphasizes choice & consequence, challenge, balance & strategic tension.
Not for those averse to a challenge.

You must first complete GMDX on any difficulty level to unlock hardcore mode.

How it works:

Saving:

-Disables manual saving, enables save points and map transition autosave.
-Cycles through 20 save slots (# of slots can be increased or decreased via options menu).

Additional rules:

-Disables weapon auto reloading.
-Disables console commands/cheats.
-All aspects of the User Interface must be navigated in real-time.
-Ammo is slightly more scarce in hardcore mode.
-On hardcore mode doors and their locks are more resilient, as are hackable devices.
-AI is more intelligent in hardcore mode and much more.

The mod has been designed with Hardcore and Realistic as the standard, most of all this is "dumbing down" for the lesser skilled, and because Deus Ex's difficulty levels did jack shit vanilla so it is just better design.

Suggestion 2 is too illogical for DX (we are far from learning much about the human brain) and too nooby (easy, as you mentioned). There's now taser darts that whilst rare are very satisfying anyway.

The videos are great (is that your voice in the videos?)

Nope, the voice you hear is of an aspiring voice actor I had to seek out because the Deus Ex communities ignore this mod, despite showing massive support and offering voice talent & other services for pretty much every other DX mod ever made, including the shitty ones. If GMDX had the support those other mods received it could have been even better.
SystemShock.org (and the DX fans that frequent it) have supported this mod far better than the DX communities, and for that I am grateful.