[WOTC] Weapon and Item Overhaul

[WOTC] Weapon and Item Overhaul

This mod is a rather comprehensive rebalance of many items, weapons, and weapon attachments for WOTC. It began with just weapon stat and cost tweaks, but developed over time into a series of interconnected changes, of which the primary features include:

• Completely new primary weapon attachments grouped into 4 main categories (Barrel, Frame, Optic, and Magazine).
• Rebalanced weapon stats, costs, and range tables for most primary and secondary weapons.
• Rebalanced armor stats and costs for basic, advanced, faction, and ruler armors.
• New Bridge Techs that both smooth and extend the weapon/armor tier progression, without actually adding more tiers and/or items. These techs are also lightly plot-gated – you have to advance some elements of the story to unlock the later tiers.
• Built-in config support for Finite Items and auto-detection of Covert Infiltration (if true, will automatically use the single-build item system when Covert Infiltration is active).
• Full support for Covert Infiltration for all supported items, including supported mods. No need for bridge mods when playing with CI.

Details on all the changes can be found in the GoogleDoc Here[docs.google.com].

This should be applied to a new game – some things will behave strangely if loading in an existing campaign.

The goal here was to increase variety and offer and/or force choices, while limiting power creep in the late game. Most weapons now have similar maximum damage output within a tier, but slightly different constraints on how they apply it; some weapons are more consistent in damage, while others are more consistent in range, etc. Costs are updated to reflect the new power levels of the respective weapons. Primary weapons have a built-in ability that helps to differentiate each weapon class and these abilities align with, and count as, one of the weapon attachment categories.

Only 1 attachment from each category may be equipped at a time. Basic attachments have a small bonus, while Advanced attachments have a medium bonus, but also a downside. Superior attachments are much harder to come by now, and have the same medium bonus from Advanced attachments, but with no downside.

To smooth out the Tech Tiers (Conventional >> Magnetic/Plated >> Beam/Powered) without adding new tiers/items, I’ve introduced 2 Bridge Techs in-between the jump from CV to MG and MG to BM. These techs add +1 damage to weapons and +1 HP to armors of that tier and are required stepping stones to advance to the next tech level. A 3rd "Mastery Tech" is available later that provides the same bonuses to Beam/Powered items, resulting in 5 smaller, more spread out steps rather than 2 big steps (one of which many players rush by the 2nd month) on the power curve.

These techs are plot-gated, meaning they require completion of certain story techs/projects. The requirements are not particularly heavy, but in order to advance beyond basic Magnetic/Plated tech, you’ll have to either visit the Blacksite or recover an inactive Codex Brain from Skulljacking an ADVENT Officer. In order to get access to the final +1 boost to Beam/Powered tech, you’ll have to complete the analysis of the Codex Brain in the Shadow Chamber.

At the end of tech progression, you’ll end up at a similar or slightly lower power level than base-game Beam/Powered tech, but will progress on this path at a smoother and more steady rate.

The mod is mostly feature-complete at this point, but may be expanded in the future to include other items (if so, first up will probably be heavy weapons and some utility items, like ammo types).

This sort of mod is also an absolute compatibility nightmare and there are still some issues to hash out with other mods. Current updates and requests for compatibility can be handled in This discussion.

The following mods are required for things to work properly:

• WOTC Community Highlander
• WOTC Free Reload Anytime (only needed for the penalty on the Advanced Speedloader to work properly – can safely run without… but why would you?)

Suggested companion and supported mods include:

• WOTC Veehementia’s Visual Attachments Addon
• WOTC Robojumper’s Squad Select
• WOTC Point-Based Not Created Equal
• WOTC Loot Pinatas Light
• WOTC LW2 Secondaries
• WOTC Musashi’s Axe Mod
• WOTC Iridiar’s Rocket Launchers
• Pathfinders / Hunter Rifles
• Rescue Denmother (reward weapon)
• MOCX (reward weapons)
• Covert Infiltration / Prototype Armoury

Support for Covert Infiltration is also built-in for supported mods, if installed, and CI bridge mods for them are not needed with CI.

I’ve learned much from MANY members of the community, but I’d especially like to thank Pavonis/LW2, robojumper, Musashi, Iridar, and xylthixlm – their assistance with my questions and their mods as assets and examples have been crucial in getting this to release!

1.1.4

• Had to temporarily (hopefully) disable changes to Covert Infiltration’s default modifiers for Infiltration hours and Deterrence due to build/workflow issues.
• Fixed unlocking/upgrading Rockets with finite build/CI. Standard rockets will now upgrade with other proving ground projects affecting grenades and rockets since the Launcher schematics are not in play.
• Removed corpse costs for Hunter Rifles in the finite build conversion.