[tsl] Combat Simulation Arena v4

[stoffe]

Combat Simulation Arena

Latest version: Version 4

 

This mod can be downloaded here.

 

1. Screenshots

2. Recent changes (version history)

3. About the mod

4. Hints for playing

5. About opponent difficulty

6. Troubleshooting

7. Todo-list

 

 

 

1. Some screenshots

• Betting on a fight
  
• Watching a fight through the cameras
  
• Oh no, it's the Rancor!
  
• Talking to the healer
  
• Handmaiden fighting a Duel
  
• Crushing an opponent
  

 

 

2. Version History

 

CHANGED IN VERSION 4:

• New game type: Staged Pit Fight. It works like a normal pit fight, with the exception that you may compose your opponent force from all available arena combatants by picking them one at a time. Be warned that if you spawn too many enemies to fight at one time the game might slow down considerably.
   
   
  
• New game type: Tournament Ladder. A variant of duel matches where your selected character will fight 1 on 1 against a series of opponents in sequence with no pause in between each, starting out with weak enemies and them getting progressively more powerful. The Ladders are arranged after opponent categories, where you can fight against Jedi, Sith, Mercenaries, Droids or Beasts. If for example you pick the Sith ladder you start out fighting Assassins and work your way up through Dark Jedi and Sith Lords to finally face the Dark Lord at the end.
   
   
  
• Some new arena combatants to fight against, some with unique special abilities, most notably Revan and Malak.
   
   
  
• Tweaked the abilities and power of some combatants, and modified the group composition of some combatant groups.
   
   
  
• Added one more NPC match to bet on with the Hutt.
   
   
  
• Added an option to the arena control console to deactivate the force field in regular spectator matches if you'd rather see the action up-close than from the spectator galleries. This option will not be available on Betting matches arranged by the Hutt though to prevent you from interfering with the fight to tilt the odds in your favor.
   
   
  
• Some further tweaks and improvements to the NPC combat AI.
   
   
  
• Various tweaks and bugfixes too numerous and too minor to mention.
   
   
  
• Added 10 seconds of invulnerability at the start of turret games to avoid being ganged up on before gaining your bearings.
   
   
  
• NPC combatants with high dexterity, awareness and not using a rifle may attempt an evasive roll move to dodge grenades being lobbed at or near them by other NPCs. (Due to game engine limitations they won't be able to "see" if the player controlled character throws grenades at them though.)
  

 

CHANGED IN VERSION 3:

• Fixed Random Loot for the DeathMatch so all Jedi Robe types can be dropped.
   
   
  
• Included two turret minigame simulators in the Hutt's room. They offer a bit more challenge than the standard game turret minigames.
   
   
  
• Fixed arena console problem to make it easier to select and activate with the keyboard.
   
   
  
• Added a "Winged Drexl" monster to fight against with a skin texture made by "General Kenobi" on the StarWarsKnights.com forums. Thanks!
   
   
  
• Added a new "Defend the Holocron" test game type where the player must defend a holcron for 5 minutes while enemies continously spawn in and try to destroy it. I don't know how balanced this game type is for different levels of players. For my lvl 32 test character + party members it was hard but not impossible. Feedback would be appreciated. (Hint: Enemies can be briefly distracted from their objective by damaging them. Use force powers, rockets and grenades to incapacitate them as well.)
  

 

 

CHANGES IN VERSION 2:

• Added a "Death Match" game type. Similar to Pit Fight, but you can actually be killed in the Arena, ending the game if your whole party goes down. Defeated opponents in this game form may drop loot when they die, unlike the other, "safer" match forms, to make up for the risk.
   
   
  
• Adjusted strength and feats/force powers of several combatants and adjusted team compositions for Pit Fight and spectate matches.
   
   
  
• Added support for the Ultimate Saber Mod. If you have it installed, many "bosses" will use their own USM Sabers in the Arena.
   
   
  
• Added a handful of new opponents to the Arena Console initiated matches and rearranged teams a bit.
   
   
  
• Made the Twin Suns use their shields until they run out of charges rather than just once, and gave them some Stims to buff up with. Should make them put up a bit more of a fight.
   
   
  
• Gave Darth Nihilus a new special ability he may use at most twice during a fight to make him thouger.
   
   
  
• Equipped the Military Tank Droid with Rocket Launchers. Watch out.
   
   
  
• Jedi/Sith opponents will now use the various saber/force forms as appropriate.
   
   
  
• Added a "Jedi Council vs. Sith Lords" team makeup for Spectate matches, as requested.
   
   
  
• Added a new "Allies" category to the Duel match menu.
   
   
  
• Added a "special" opponent team to try a Team Pit Fight against...
   
   
  
• Added "Onslaught" option to Gauntlet matches which will pick enemies from all opponent categories randomly, and an "I feel lucky" option that will pick an opponent category randomly.
   
   
  
• Made various further enhancements and tweaks to the creature combat AI.
   
   
  
• Added a few more cameras to the arena spectator terminal.
   
   
  
• Fixed potential crash problem if a controlled non-Exile party member leaves the Arena without starting the fight when a Duel Match has been initiated.
   
   
  
• Moved the Arena Exit trigger a bit further up the ramp to eliminate problem with accidentally tripping it and ending an initiated match prematurely.
   
   
  
• Fixed AI problem with the Wookiee combatants not using their Wookiee Rage/Fury/Frenzy abilities.
   
   
  
• Tried to balance the opposing teams in the Hutt betting matches a bit better. (MI)
   
   
  
• Lots of other smaller bugfixes, corrections and adjustments too small and numerous to mention.
   
   
  
• Fixed a bunch of bugs/problems where certain force powers wouldn't work as they should when used by non-partymembers. (Note that if you already have a k_sp1_generic.ncs file in your override those fixes will not happen.)
  

 

 

3. What is this?

The Arena is a "mini-game" module where you can practice fighting against a variety of opponents, watch games between AI-controlled combatants, bet on AI matches and compete in the arena for credits.

 

This module will only work as intended with the English-language version of the game. If you use a foreign language version, the dialogs will contain no text. If you have no non-english mods installed you may remedy this by opening your game's dialog.tlk file with TalkEd and change its language setting to English (File menu --> Set Language). This will only affect mods and not change the language of the normal text or dialog in your game.

 

Note: This mod will modify the behavior of some of the game's standard force powers, grenades and rockets to make them work better when used by a group of NPCs in Arena combat. Some powers did for example buff your party no matter what, even if an enemy used them. If you have another mod installed that modified the behavior of those same powers those changed will likely be overridden. (If you know how to mod the game you can manually merge those changes into the st_sp1_generic.nss script though. If you don't, then you'll have to choose which mod you want the effects of.)

 

Other changes include: Grenade and rocket damage increase with the Demolitions skill of the one using them (party and player included), and the effectiveness of healing powers increase with the Healing skill.

 

 

 

4. How do I use it?

To get to the Arena in a game, build a "Combat Arena Teleporter" armband at the nearest workbench, it should be under the Other/Misc category. Equip it on The Exile and activate it, and you will be teleported to the Arena. Please exercise common sense as to in what areas you use the armband. The game may not react in a good way if you warp out of an area that is normally unescapable and only can be entered and left once (G0T0's yacht or the Ebon Hawk en route to Citadel for the first time, for example). Any area you can leave and return to by foot should be safe to use it in.

 

Talk to the Hutt to bet on fights or fight for credits. There are currently 5 matches to fight and 6 matches to bet on with him. For the matches that allow you to bring party members, select your desired group before speaking to the Hutt to start a fight, you won't be able to change your party once a match is on.

 

The fights can be fairly hard, so it might be a good idea to do some training matches first to get a feel for how things work, and stock up on shields, grenades and stims beforehand. The arena matches are designed to present a challenge, not to breeze through like most other fights in the game. Most opponents have their strengths and weaknesses, figuring out what those are and adjusting your party members, items and tactics accordingly can make a real difference in difficulty.

 

Use the terminal next to the Force Field to set up the arena for "training" matches. You will not get any credits for those, but you'll still earn XP for defeating the opponents. Unlike the Hutt-arranged fights, the terminal allows you to choose game type and opponents freely. There are a lot more opponents and game types available than those the Hutt lets you fight. This is where most of the Arena content is accessed from.

 

Note: When fighting duel or ladder matches you can only pick who should do the fighting among the party members you currently have with you. Make sure the desired character you wish to use is in the active party before you use the console.

 

If you get injured in a fight or deplete your force pool, visit the twi'lek healer in one of the side rooms to get yourself and all party members fully restored for free.

 

To exit the arena and return to where you came from, activate the armband again while in the Arena area.

 

 

 

5. About Opponent difficulty

The opponents are made to present more of a challenge than most opponents you meet in the game, often requiring use of buff and protection Force powers or items like stims and shields to be beatable. Pay attention to what party members and equipment you use against which opponents. Almost all opponents have some kind of weakness you may exploit to make the fight easier.

 

The toughness of the opponents vary a lot, so if you get constantly beat up by some no matter what you do, try fighting something else to gain more experience.

 

The arena is mostly designed for fairly high level characters (15-20+), though the difficulty of the opponents scale with the level of your character, though their force power and feat selection will not. The opponents are balanced against the default autobalance settings of the game. If you don't know what this means there shouldn't be any trouble. If, however, you have a custom autobalance.2da file originating from another Mod (such as Achilles game balance mod) in your Override folder it's possible that the opponents may become too difficult to beat.

 

Since the Arena combatants use a significantly modified variant of the combat AI scripts, the "Hardcore mod" or similar scripted approaches to increasing enemy difficulty has no effect on anyone you fight in the arena. Hopefully they will be tough enough anyway to offer a challenge even without such a boost.

 

 

 

6. Troubleshooting

1. Armband problem:
   Q: The Combat Simulator Armband says it has lost track of where I came from when I try to leave the arena?
   A: This is most likely caused by either:
   1. 
      
   2. You didn't use the installer application to install the mod.
      
   3. You have installed another mod after installing the arena mod which overwrites (rather than modifies) the "globalcat.2da" file. The modification the Mod Installer does to this file is essential for the Armband to work correctly. To fix this, reinstall the Arena Mod after having installed your other mod.
      

 

 

[*]Crashes when certain opponents spawn:

Q: When some opponents in the arena spawn the game crashes! Why?

A: This is most likely caused by either:

1. You didn't use the installer application to install the mod.
   
2. You have installed another mod after installing the arena mod which overwrites (rather than modifies) the "appearance.2da" file. The Mod installer makes some changes to this file to allow some combatants to appear properly. To fix this, reinstall the Arena Mod after having installed your other mod.
   

 

 

[*]Bad StrRef problem:

Q: A box with the text "Bad StrRef" appears on screen when starting a match. Why?

A: This is most likely caused by either:

1. You didn't use the installer application to install the mod.
   
2. You have installed another mod after installing the arena mod which overwrites (rather than modifies) the "dialog.tlk" file. The Mod installer makes some changes to this file to allow showing text in floating boxes on the screen. To fix this, reinstall the Arena Mod after having installed your other mod.
   

 

 

[*]Getting your cold dead head served on a plate:

Q: The Arena opponents utterly crush my hapless party into a fine powder every match. Is this intentional?

A: Maybe, depending on which of these possibilities is the reason:

1. You are too low level. Most arena enemies, while scaling to meet your level, are intended for level 15+ characters. Either pick easier opponents at first, or level up though other means and try again.
   
2. You are too high level. The enemies get tougher the higher the level of your main character is. If your Exile is level 50, the opponents won't be far behind. Unlike yours, their damage output goes up with level.
   
3. You have installed a mod containing a tweaked "autobalance.2da" file. The combatants have been balanced against the normal game settings. Mods that boost the enemy difficulty by altering this file may shoot their level and bonuses through the roof.
   
4. You did not prepare properly before battle. The merchant selling combat-related supplies (grenades, stims) is there for a reason. Use the resources at your disposal, use the force powers that protects, buffs and defends your characters. The arena combatants are intended to put up more of a fight than most normal encounters in the game.
   
5. You didn't bring the right party members (for game forms allowing you to use a party). Explore the strengths and weaknesses of your party members against the different types of opponents. Most enemies have weaknesses as well as strengths that different party members should be better suited to deal with.
   

 

 

[*]The best defense...

Q: The "Defend the Holocron" games are impossible! No matter what they destroy the Holocron!

A: It is hard, but not impossible. The thing to be aware of is that unless you distract or incapacitate them most of the enemies will go straight for the Holocron, ignoring your party. If you damage them, it may distract them from their task and they will go after you for a while instead. If you have them, mass-incapacitating force powers like Stasis Field and Insanity are handy to stop the attackers. Force Wave is very useful as well. If you have no offensive force powers, grenades and rockets will do fine. Remember that you gain little more than XP by killing enemies in this game form, more will just teleport in to fill out the ranks. You can't kill them all since they respawn indefinitely as long as the match is on. Sometimes it's more effective to keep a group of packed-together enemies incapacitated rather than killing them.

 

 

7. The To Do List

These things are planned for future versions of the arena and may or may not be implemented as time, patience and motivation permits. If you have some good idea you think should be listed here, let me know.

• Add support for High Level Force Powers mod for some of the "bossiest" enemies. (Need to test this carefully, they might get too hard to beat.)
  
• More types of enemies in Defend the Holocron matches.
  
• More paid arena fights arranged by the hutt
  
• More betting matches arranged by the hutt
  
• Add a pazaak playing NPC for when wanting a break from the fighting.
  
• Make some of the harder Hutt fights grant non-monetary rewards as well.
  
• Add some more combatant types (Rakata, Sand People, Selkath)
  
• Add Staged Spectator match game type.
  
• Add ability to spawn friendly NPCs to fight on your side in Pit Fight battles.
  

[The_Maker]

w00t first post,

Great work stoffe, I already got my dl

[Jeff]

Excellent. Great job stoffe

[ChAiNz.2da]

Fantastic as always stoffe!

 

You never cease to amaze us

[stoffe]

Thanks.

 

Has anyone here tried the mod and got it to work?

 

Seems like a few people are having trouble, but "it crashes" isn't much to go by to figure out why. If it doesn't work for anyone then I've probably goofed up when I packed up the module. If it works for some people then it's probably either some installation issue or a conflict with other mods.

 

There's always something to go wrong it seems...

[Tupac Amaru]

Has anyone here tried the mod and got it to work?

I tried the new version and it worked fine for me.

[ChAiNz.2da]

I tried the new version and it worked fine for me.

same here Everything seems to be in place... though since I installed this mod over the beta you had released, not sure if that made a difference.

 

I'll try a clean install after I get home from work.... but I suspect I'll have the same results

[Ancharos]

I had no problem with it, it's amazing!

[stoffe]

I had no problem with it, it's amazing!

 

Thanks. Was this the first version of the mod you installed, or had you installed any of the test versions previously?

 

* * *

 

This is a very strange problem. I've checked through all the files and nothing appears to be missing from the module, and I've made sure I don't have anything in the override folder than the Arena area uses. I've downloaded and reinstalled the file from PCGM and everything works fine, but still at least 3 people experience crashes when the area loads. Gaah...

 

(Initially I suspected that I might have forgotten to remove an USM saber from one of the arena NPCs when I made the public version, but I've checked through all the templates and they only use standard game resources.)

[ChAiNz.2da]

I'm still guessing "User Error"...

 

I can only bet people are not using the installer but rather dragging & dropping the files. If so, some may inadvertantly place the .mod file in their "override" rather than the "Modules" folder...

 

That's the only thing I can think of right off hand that will cause a 'crash'

(of course, I speak with experience having done this one time with the Easy Swoop Mod ) hehehe

[SpaceAlex]

Sounds great. I'll be sure to check this one out once i get home.

[Emperor Devon]

I've had no problems with this mod, or the previous version. Great work, as always!

[kampher]

For some reason I cant access PCgamemods anymore. I immediately get a "The page cannot be displayed" error. It doesnt even seem to try and connect to the site. I tried going back to IE and that didnt fix the problem. I've got all my security settings at what they should be, yet it doesnt do the trick.

[stoffe]

I'm still guessing "User Error"...

 

I can only bet people are not using the installer but rather dragging & dropping the files. If so, some may inadvertantly place the .mod file in their "override" rather than the "Modules" folder...

 

I'm starting to suspect something like that too. I've pulled the mod apart and checked everything and I can't seem to find anything wrong with it. I even made a small utility that scanned all the Resrefs in all files and compared them against the Override content in case I missed something, but still nothing showed up.

 

Unless someone has any ideas of what's going on I'm going to leave it at this for now. I can't fix a problem I can't reproduce or find any trace of.

 

I guess there will always be problems, no matter what precautions you take.

[ste87]

i tried the mod, the battle and everything works well but sometimes it crashes the game when i use the bracer to return to the normal game (it's like 25% probability probably it's all the others mods i've installed). i just make a quicksave before using the bracer again and if anything goes wrong i just reload it the only real problem is that they're too powerful for my poor consular the droids team disintegrated my whole team in about 10 secs!

[stoffe]

sometimes it crashes the game when i use the bracer to return to the normal game (it's like 25% probability probably it's all the others mods i've installed). i just make a quicksave before using the bracer again and if anything goes wrong i just reload it

 

Hmm, that's strange. I've never had any crashes when loading and returning from the area.

 

What area are you going back to? And when does it crash? Immediately when you use the armband, during load of the module, or when the module has finished loading?

 

While you can currently use the armband anywhere as long as you are not in combat, it probably isn't a good idea to use it in areas that normally are unescapable, since the game may react oddly when the player unexpectedly leaves/re-enters that area. When I've made a full playthrough I'll probably update the armband with area filters to prevent using it in some areas if it seems to cause odd behavior.

 

the only real problem is that they're too powerful for my poor consular the droids team disintegrated my whole team in about 10 secs!

 

Hmm, what level are your characters, and are you using any other mods that boost opponent difficulty? Are you using buffs, shields and such to prepare your team for the battle?

 

I'd also recommend picking party members based on what you are going to fight. Visas is for example a good choice against the droids since her Sentinel class makes her immune to being frozen immobile by their carbonite guns. Equipping your party with Ion/Anti-droid weaponry before the fight is probably also a good idea. Try out tactics in a practice match before competing to avoid losing any credits.

[ste87]

well it happens in the loading of module, about half way and i was aboard the ebon hawk after leaving telos

 

my chars were about level 12 ( i know, i need more training), im using hardocore mod, i used knight speed and energy resistance level 2 (thanks kreya!) and knight valor plus battle meditation.

Try out tactics in a practice match before competing to avoid losing any credits

oh tactics never used that in this game

 

currently im on dantooine, later i'll try again some matches using the bracers while on the planet

[stoffe]

I would appreciate it a lot if someone had time to help me test something. I've had some odd irregular crashes with some changes I've made to the Arena mod, and could use some help to test if I've finally managed to get rid of that.

 

It's nothing too time consuming, I just need someone to download this version I'm working on and fight Nihilus a handful of times and verify that it doesn't crash when he uses his new Force ability. It only does this occasionally and I've tried to prevent it, but I'm not sure if I have succeeded since it happens so rarely.

 

Is there anyone who could help me?

[TheOssusKeeper]

I would appreciate it a lot if someone had time to help me test something. I've had some odd irregular crashes with some changes I've made to the Arena mod, and could use some help to test if I've finally managed to get rid of that.

 

It's nothing too time consuming, I just need someone to download this version I'm working on and fight Nihilus a handful of times and verify that it doesn't crash when he uses his new Force ability. It only does this occasionally and I've tried to prevent it, but I'm not sure if I have succeeded since it happens so rarely.

 

Is there anyone who could help me?

 

 

I'll help you Stoffe, it's the least i could do since you helped me out a bunch of times... where do i get the new version?

[JediKnight707]

Sure I'll try to help as well

[stoffe]

COMBAT SIMULATION ARENA V2.0

 

(Made a quick Micro-update as I forgot to pack a few of the AI source code files. If you have no interest in the scripts you can ignore it since this has no effect on how the mod itself work. The corrected version is called csarena2r1.rar rather than csarena2.rar)

 

The Combat Simulation Arena is a "mini-game" module where you can practice fighting against a wide variety of opponents, watch games between AI-controlled combatants, bet on AI matches and compete in the arena for credits. Available match forms are Team Pit Fight, Death Match, Duel and Gauntlet.

 

Many of the opponents are more difficult than most enemies you may fight in the regular game, and they use a slightly tweaked combat AI to make them a little more agressive and a little less stupid. As such this is mostly meant for fairly high level characters, though the opponents scale in difficulty with your character level.

 

Do not download this module if you haven't finished the game yet as it contains spoilers.

 

The mod can be downloaded

here

.

 

(I remembered to include (hopefully all) the script source code this time too, for those who are interested in such things.

)

 

 

New in version 2:

• Added a "Death Match" game type. Similar to Pit Fight, but you can actually be killed in the Arena, ending the game if your whole party goes down. Defeated opponents in this game form may drop loot when they die, unlike the other, "safer" match forms, to make up for the risk.
   
   
  
• Adjusted strength and feats/force powers of several combatants and adjusted team compositions for Pit Fight and spectate matches.
   
   
  
• Added support for the Ultimate Saber Mod. If you have it installed, many "bosses" will use their own USM Sabers in the Arena.
   
   
  
• Added a handful of new opponents to the Arena Console initiated matches and rearranged teams a bit.
   
   
  
• Made the Twin Suns use their shields until they run out of charges rather than just once, and gave them some Stims to buff up with. Should make them put up a bit more of a fight.
   
   
  
• Gave Darth Nihilus a new special ability he may use at most twice during a fight to make him thouger.
   
   
  
• Equipped the Military Tank Droid with Rocket Launchers.
   
   
  
• Jedi/Sith opponents will now use the various saber/force forms as appropriate.
   
   
  
• Added a "Jedi Council vs. Sith Lords" team makeup for Spectate matches, as requested.
   
   
  
• Added a new "Allies" category to the Duel match menu.
   
   
  
• Added a "special" opponent team to try a Team Pit Fight against...
   
   
  
• Added "Onslaught" option to Gauntlet matches which will pick enemies from all opponent categories randomly.
   
   
  
• Added an "I feel lucky" option to Gauntlet matches that will pick an opponent category randomly.
   
   
  
• Made various further enhancements and tweaks to the creature combat AI.
   
   
  
• Added a few more cameras to the arena spectator terminal.
  

 

 

Bugfixes in version 2:

• Fixed potential crash problem if a controlled non-Exile party member leaves the Arena without starting the fight when a Duel Match has been initiated.
   
   
  
• Moved the Arena Exit trigger a bit further up the ramp to eliminate problem with accidentally tripping it and ending an initiated match prematurely.
   
   
  
• Fixed AI problem with the Wookiee combatants not using their Wookiee Rage/Fury/Frenzy abilities.
   
   
  
• Tried to balance the opposing teams in the Hutt betting matches a bit better. (MI)
   
   
  
• Lots of other smaller bugfixes, corrections and adjustments too small and numerous to mention.
   
   
  
• Fixed a bunch of bugs/problems where certain force powers wouldn't work as they should when used by non-partymembers. (Note that if you already have a k_sp1_generic.ncs file in your override those fixes will not happen.)
  

[TheOssusKeeper]

awesome, simply awesome can't wait to see what your next project will be, whatever it is, it will be awesome also...

[animeangel]

Excellent Job!

When I first tried it (aboard the Ebon Hawk) it crashed during the loading process. It works everywhere else I have tried it though. Perhaps something to do with the Hawk???

[stoffe]

Excellent Job!

When I first tried it (aboard the Ebon Hawk) it crashed during the loading process. It works everywhere else I have tried it though. Perhaps something to do with the Hawk???

 

Thanks.

 

Hmm, the crash thing is odd though. Try as I have, I have never been able to make it crash during area transition either when entering or leaving the arena, so I'm not quite sure what could be causing that.

 

However, if it only happens from one area perhaps it's not that much of a problem. I could add a filter to the activation armband that blocks its use in certain areas.

 

In general you should only use the Arena Armband in areas which you may enter and leave at will on foot, since the game might react oddly if you leave and re-enter areas you normally only can enter and leave once (such as G0T0's ship and certain interlude sets).

[MasterIbis]

because of the use of the patcher will it be fine to use with say...USM/Holowan plug-in combo ?