Do you guys prefer achillies' game balancing mod or beancounters hardcore mod?

[test]

I tried playing beancounters mods early in the game (TSL) and its much too hard...does it get better at the end of the game, or are the battles still rediculous? On the other side im considering achillies' mod...but is that too easy later on?

 

thanks

[Achilles]

Based on what I've seen, many people use the two together. Asking for a comparison isn't entirely fair as the two aren't comparable (apples and oranges). Based on my understanding of beancounters' mod, a set of modifers is applied to all opponents based on the level of difficulty selected by the player (therefore everything is harder).

 

My mod just enhances the system that Obsidian already built into the game but didn't have time to test. My mods makes the game much more challenging, but won't give you the run for your money that beancounter's will.

 

With that said, I still think you need therapy for your committment issues. Why don't you just install it, play for a while, and form your own opinion?

[REDJOHNNYMIKE]

Play on easy, use Visas headgear:D

[The_Maker]

I use both to be honest, I use Achilles mod to lvl up faster and get better xp, and I use the hardcore mod to counter-weigh the fact that I level up so quickly.

[Achilles]

^^^^

The .2da already does that but I understand that some people prefer to the challenge of an even tougher fight. If I wanted to make a mod that just made you level faster, I would have turned to xptable.2da.

[The_Maker]

True, but I found it a little too easy with your version so I use both

[Achilles]

Sure thing. Your post implied that all the game balance mod did was make you level faster and I wanted a opportunity to clarify

[Grifman]

Based on what I've seen, many people use the two together. Asking for a comparison isn't entirely fair as the two aren't comparable (apples and oranges). Based on my understanding of beancounters' mod, a set of modifers is applied to all opponents based on the level of difficulty selected by the player (therefore everything is harder).

 

My mod just enhances the system that Obsidian already built into the game but didn't have time to test. My mods makes the game much more challenging, but won't give you the run for your money that beancounter's will.

 

Sorry, but I don't understand. Beancounter's mod applied a modifier based upon difficulty, yes. But you have also adjusted the modifier used by Obsidian so in at least some sense you are also adjusting the difficulty of all opponents, right?

 

I think the only difference - other than how each of you adjusted the difficulty - is that Beancounter's is tied to difficulty level, while your mod just adjusted the overall modifier for each opponent regardless of difficulty - and I think you also modified a number of the bosses if I remember correctly. So wouldn't everything also be harder in your mod? It's just not tied to difficulty level.

 

Sorry, just trying to better understand the differences. Thanks.

[Achilles]

Beancounters mod applies a flat modifier to everybody (IIRC). There are multiple levels of difficulty that you can select with a corresponding modifier (again, IIRC).

 

The system that OE put in place allowed you to add separate modifiers to various classifications, so a grunt might be Step 1, whereas a boss might be a Step 5. With the game balance mod, the modifier applied to the grunt might not be the same modifier applied to the boss and so on and so forth.

 

So, if Beancounters mod applies a +5 modifier to everyone's stats, then that +5 is added to grunts and bosses alike. Using OE's system, grunts might get a +1 modifier and bosses might get a +6 modifer. Add to this that the game engine already adjusts difficulty based the selected difficulty setting and I think you'll find that the mod that I made might be more aligned with the game we would have bought from OE had they taken more time to test their system.

 

The changes that I made to the bosses were more philosophical than anything else. Traya had 65 WIS and 18 CHA, but Nihilus' highest stats were 40 WIS and 26 CON. Why is Traya so stat heavy if you fight her solo, but Nihilus is weak with 3 on 1? How come these are sith lords, but they all have first level force powers? I thought that something with a slightly more d20 feel was in order. At the end of the day, I think it helped to make those fights more challenging and more realistic.

 

Does that help to clarify or are there still unanswered questions?

[beancounter]

Both mods will make the game harder. Using the autobalance will buff the boss characters more then the regular characters because there base stats are higher to begin with.

 

Just to claify the Hardcore mod will boost the regular characters by a percentage, but the boss characters are buffed a 150% more then the regular NPC's. So if a regular character get 50 extra hit points then a boss will get 75 extra hit points.

 

In comparision using autobalance will probably give a regular NPC 20 extra hit points, but the boss characters will get 80 extra hit points.

 

So to sum it up the Hardcore mod will give a big boost to every character and a slightly bigger boost to bosses, and the autobalance will give a very slight boost to the regular NPC's and a huge boost to the bosses.

 

The one thing I really like about using the Autobalance is you do get more experience points for a fight. (I know what Achilles said about changing the XP tables, but it does not feel like cheating this way.) And the one thing I like about the Hardcore mod is the regular characters do not die in one hit. So to be honest I use both mods myself. The best thing for you to do is try out each mod. Either one is a vast improvement over the stock difficulty setting in the game. My only warning is do not get carried away and use the Hardcore Mod at Insane settings. The game is not fun at that point when every battle is life or death.

 

I have been planning on revising the Hardcore mod to grant extra feats and force powers. Maybe even change the AI. I really like using Stoffe's Improved AI.

[Achilles]

I have been planning on revising the Hardcore mod to grant extra feats and force powers. Maybe even change the AI. I really like using Stoffe's Improved AI.

That would be extremely cool!

 

And agreed on Stoffe -mkb-'s AI mods. Never leave home without them.

[Grifman]

Man, using both is tough early at Telos when you have that running fight by yourself in the Ithorian compound. I was only able to get through that by turning the game difficulty down to "easy" while using both mods. Even then I had to clear the lobby, rest and heal, then enter the main room, kill a couple, run out, then kill the rest, then do the same in the room where the hostages were. Very tough.

[Grifman]

BTW, Beancounter, thanks for clarifying the differences between the mods. That was very helpful.

[Renegade Angel]

like achilles said, i use the two together.