Oh, I didn't understand that you meant when your arms were crippled. I guess I should have clarified my statement:

My mod doe not DIRECTLY alter the swing effect of weapons, based on your skill level.
It does however increase the penalty for having crippled arms, which has a major effect on your accuracy (by apparently increasing the swing effect)
My mod also greatly reduces the damage you do with melee weapons when your arms are crippled.

And I haven't (yet) messed with zoom or scoped weapons directly (all my weapon changes are global).

Thanks so much for clarifying this (I'll try to be clearer in my next readme).

Nope, the two work really well together, so I'll keep them both. That's because I want changes that both make and, yes, I know they overlap a lot, but until now it's not a major problem. And the game is not unbalanced at all. I'm currently at level 13 and trying to kick the slavers out of Paradise Falls and, as it should be, it's not easy at all. As I already said, the balance is great. It actually made me appreciate F3 even more. Of course, I get enough crashes but I use about 30 mods so I guess it's nothing unsual.

Arwen, thank you for the hard work you've put into this Fallout 3 mod and for sharing it with everyone. :trophy:

Your Morrowind Journal helped to demystify that game for me way back in 2003 so I can't wait to read through your Fallout 3 Journal. Again, thanks for the time you have spent in this community making all the games much more enjoyable. :foodndrink:

You're very welcome Sunsi. I'm very happy to be able to contribute what I've been able to, especially since I've benefited so much from all the efforts of others. I honestly never expected to be able to create any FO3 mods ... it just sort of happened when I became frustrated that I couldn't find any mods that made the changes that I wanted in my game. Once I figured out how to make the changes, and create an esp, sharing my work just seemed like the thing to do (although packaging, updating, writing readmes, and providing support for mods can eat up a lot of time).

PS: And I LOVE wolves and polar bears! Wolves are actually making a very slow return to my area, since the moose have had a population explosion here. So thanks for your sig link.

I'm hoping to get my latest update packaged late today.
I've just got to check for any errors, update the readme, and merge the esps into my FULL esp ... and then upload to FO3Nexus (but it's a nice day here, so I'm about to load up my sea kayak, and have some fun on the water for a few hours first).

Version 2.2 will have the following changes:

Arwen_Tweaks_Survival.esp:
Guns were still a bit too wimpy, and melee was still a but too powerful, so:
- Global Weapon Damage Increased 50% (all weapons are now more deadly)
- Melee Damage Strength Mult is half what it was with v.2.1 (to balance above) - this should result in melee weapon damage being roughly what it was in v.2.1, while all other weapons will do 50% greater damage
- NPCs with Crippled Arms will now have a greater accuracy penalty (increase in gun spread), but still a bit less than the player penalty (for balance)
- Running or walking, and shooting: less shooting accuracy (tweaked running and added walking, which was not part of v.2.1)

Arwen_Tweaks_VATS.esp:
- spread in VATS is now the same as in regular combat (instead of being only 50%)

Arwen_Tweaks_Sneak.esp:
It was a bit too easy to remain undetected in version 2.1, so:
- If running, player will make 3 times more noise than when walking (default was only 50% more) (unless player has Silent Running perk) - this will allow the NPCs to hear you move
- Increased visibility detection while running in lit areas (even in dim light)
- Increased sneak action multiplier a bit over 2.1 - more visible when moving
- Increased visibility detection while moving in lit areas (even in dim light)
- Doubled the detection of noise that you make while sneaking
- NPCs will now find you easier when you are hiding (than with v.2.1) - will not need to get as close (will not stand right in front of you without seeing you)
- NPCs will be a bit more alert to your presence (and stay alert longer) - will spend more time looking for you
- NPCs will sleep a bit sounder - will not wake up quite as easy when you are nearby

Version 2.2 is now available. I just updated my opening post in this thread to reflect my latest changes.

http://www.fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=7565

Version 2.3 is now available.

This a MAJOR UPDATE that corrects some MAJOR balancing errors in my survival module.

After beginning a new game with my Realism Tweaks, I discovered some balancing errors that were not showing up in my previous testing. Apparently some mods that I had previously been using had left changes in my saves, which were altering my game play in these areas.

I'm really sorry, but all previous versions of Arwen_Tweaks_Survival.esp were not balanced in the ways that my own testing was indicating. I stayed up half the night to complete this update, which should correct all my errors.

I've updated the first post in this thread to reflect the changes that version 2.3 makes.

http://www.fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=7565

Version 2.4 is now available! This a MAJOR update . . . the FULL esp jumped from 9KB to 23 KB (v.2.4 has 2.5 times more code).

Major changes in Version 2.4:

1.) Added new SmarterAI module (for details, see first post, under Modules #6)
2.) Increased default Base Movement Speed, turning speeds, holstered weapon bonus, and reduced swimming speed (Main module)
3.) Increased default Armor DR cap from 85% to 95% (Survival module)
4.) Pain now has greater effect on player (Survival module)
5.) Automatic weapons now take 3 seconds to cool down [default was just 1 sec.] (Survival module)
6.) Doubled the NPC maximum gun wobble, when their arms are crippled (Survival module)
7.) Made some major changes/additions to my Sneak module (to mesh better with my new SmarterAI module)

I've updated the first post in this thread to reflect the changes that Version 2.4 makes [see opening post for more details].

http://www.fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=7565

I'm doing my best to find the best gameplay balance ... so, if you're using my tweaks, I would really like to hear what you think (both the good and the bad).

*Yoink*!

=D

Great work Arwen. Thank you for the continued support on this. Minibalance and your mod are the "mods of choice" for those that don't want to overcomplicate things with FWE and some parts of FOOK but desire a more balanced and realistic experience.

Raziel_Alex, I'm also interested in this mod but how do you combine them together? At first glance there seems to be a lot of overlapping with Minibalance. Since you are using both mods is there an optimal load order you use?

You should NOT use Rhoark's MiniBalance mod with my Tweaks, as the two mods are NOT compatible, since they change many of the same things in different ways. Using the two together will make the game unbalanced (making some things too easy, while making others too difficult).

I've worked really hard to balance my mod (and I'm sure Rhoark has as well), so you need to decide which one works best for you and then use ONLY that one in your game. My suggestion is to give each one a try and pick the one that makes the changes that you like the most. Both mods make the default game much more balanced (and more challenging) . . . but the combination results in a bunch of incompatible changes, which were never intended to work together.

Arwen?

I was wondering what mods I should use to get a good experience.
I'm torn between Better Combat, Real Injuries and your main tweaks.
Help meh?

I use your power armor/sneak tweaks + Primary Needs + Bltc

I use all the mods on my http://amito.freehostia.com/Fallout/FO-mods.htm in my own game.
But everyone has their own idea of what defines "a good experience."

My Power Armor module was really made to be used with my Main module (due to the decrease in carrying capacity). My Smart AI module was originally made as an add-on for my Sneak module (so the two work best when used together).

I highly recommend Real Injuries, especially if you are using Primary Needs and BLTC ... just make sure that you also get Orfev's RI/BLTC patch ... and load my Realism Tweaks after all three (see my website for load order).

I'm not sure what "Better Combat" mod you are referring to.

Allright Arwen, thanks.

Well, Arwen just wants to insist that the two mods are COMPLETELY incompatible. Again, please note this: I know they overlap a lot BUT I've played with both of them + MMM and it was a great experience. I don't have F3 installed for the moment (again) and I think I've used version 2.1 and 2.2 of Arwen's Tweaks and I don't know how to stress this enough: I know they overlap a lot, but it was a great experience and the game was not as Arwen says (unbalanced). Au contraire. And here's one objective reason to use both: Minibalance also has a plugin for the DLCs (one of the very important changes is that it eliminates the stupid damage bonus enemies in PL do to the player) so for that alone I need Minibalance.
Back to the present moment, seeing how both of these mods evolve beautifully (again, thank Arwen for the mod) on my next install I might consider to install only one based on the comparisson of them BUT please, don't just say that using both makes the game unbalanced. I have at least 30 hours with both of them and MMM and F3 was almost a new game for me. Sorry for repeatting all of this, but I wanted to try to make myself understood. I don't say everyone should use the combination - both of them are great alone but they were great together. Who knows, maybe sometimes in the future we'll see a merged version of them... I sure hope so. And again, thank you Arwen (and I hope the controversy about combining your mod and Minibalance stops here).

There is no controversy. I know what my mod does. And I know what MiniBalance does. The two are NOT compatible. And I'm sure that Rhoark would agree with me.

My mod is specifically designed to work with all the other mods in my mod list (such as RI/PN), and mini balance is not. And my mod globally makes ALL weapons do more damage, while MiniBalance makes some weapons do more damagel . . . the end result is that these weapons become way over powered ... which is totally unbalanced in my book. My mod globally increases the DR of ALL armor, while MiniBalance increases the DR of some individual armor ... so, again, the end result is totally unbalanced ... because the DR of some armor ends up being way too high.

Yes, you can use both in your game ... but I recommend NOT doing so. Personally, I don't care which one you decide to use ... Rhoark and are are not competing, but are providing different ways of adding some better balance to the game. Slapping the two mods together, and calling the resulting mess great, totally defeats what we are both trying to achieve here.

Whatever. I'm sorry you exibit this attitude towards what I said. It seems you just have something against the combination of the two. You rush to call it a "mess" when I tried to tell you it was far from this - no overpowering with nothing: no weapons, no armor, no "total unbalance" as you like to call it. I already said I understand that the mods are NOT COMPATIBLE and that you DO NOT RECOMMEND THEM TOGETHER. But that doesn't mean the combination is a mess. You seem to be a great girl, but there's no need for this attitude if I choose to combine the mods and find out it works. Anyway, I'll try to shut up about this from now on and not waste your time with it anymore. Back on topic.

i had a quick question, is this mod compatible with MMM and FOOK1.6?

My mod is completely compatible with MMM, as they don't touch the any of the same settings. I've tested my mod with MMM installed.

I'm not using FOOK, so I can't say for sure. My mod changes global settings for ALL weapons and ALL armor, and my Power Armor module tweaks all power armor ... so there could be some balancing issues if you used my FULL esp. My guess is that you could use most of my modules without any problems (but, as far as FOOK goes, I'm only guessing here).

More difficult I get, but the 'more effective' bit is lost on me. I read through the full post (ok, I admit, I just read the posts containing 'sneak') and I see you are putting a lot of work into modifying sneaking. But there seems to be a shortage of details. Yes, sneaking is very un-realistic in some ways, but reading your descriptions leaves me picturing a soft foam ball. As a sneaker I'm already SOL if I get detected. So what's in it for me, aside from an advantage with the occasional dozing raider? Here are some observations from my skulking about (in Vanilla), with relevant questions:

When being heard rather than seen is the issue, will I be better or worse off? Because from point 5, it seems like worse off. Already I get detected absurdly early when coming from behind, even at night. And what about during the day or in more intense light? If I am unseen, does the light level still affect things?
Will my critical sneak head shots with a 10mm continue to be lethal (to humans and lesser beasties at least) at higher levels, unlike vanilla? And when not lethal, can you expound on the new effects of head crippling in your base esp? It doesn't seem to have any noticeable effect in vanilla.
From my perspective, the only 'heavy armor' I've seen in the game is power armor. If your perspective differs widely from this, could you explain what are considered heavy and light?
I see you take away the warnings, but I figure the game effect is still there. One thing that I'd love to see is the sneak attack multiplier to extend into 'Caution' mode. That alone would be worth the nerfs. Is that implemented? If not, is it even possible, based on your understanding?

Thanks for taking the time to read my post.

My mod makes sneaking more strategic. If you are careful, you can remain undetected at distances that are much closer than with the default settings.

In the default game, with all else being equal, you are detected indoors when you are ~117 ft away; and outside, when you are ~234 ft away.
With my mod, you can sneak closer (if you are careful): indoors you can get within ~84 feet, and outside you can get within ~194 ft.

The "careful" part involves wearing light armor [quieter under 10 lbs (than default), but noisier over 10 lbs], staying in the shadows, not turing on you PipBoy light, not moving when NPCs are looking in your direction, not running, and not firing off your gun.
In the default game, you can shoot an NPC while undetected and another NPC who is standing right beside the one you shot will not even react. With my mod, the second NPC with know right where you are (from your gun shot), and come after you.


My mod makes sneaking a bit more realistic. Being stealthy involves being quiet, so unless you are being stealthy, you will be worse off with my mod ... in the sense that you'll have to work harder to sneak up on someone. But the plus side, as I detailed above, is that you can also sneak much closer if you are careful. You can get closer at night, than in the daylight, but there doesn't seem to be any real difference between sneaking on a sunny day or on an overcast day. Inside the difference in lighting has a much greater effect ... so stay in the shadows. And my mod increases your chance of re-hiding after you are detected.


My Sneak module does not touch weapon damage.
My Survival module affects weapons and armor, but there is no easy answer to your critical head shot question, as there are just too many factors to consider.

I reduced the Combat Sneak Bonus for both guns and melee (in my Survival module), but with my mod ALL weapons now do 2.5 times more damage (but will not do nearly as much damage if they are not in good condition); and everyone (including creatures) have considerably less HPs; but All armor has 50% more DR (but much less DR when not in good condition). If your weapon is in good condition, and your arms are not crippled, and you have some decent skill with small guns (like 25 or higher) you should find that it takes fewer shot to kill both NPCs and creatures. Of course your character will also be easier to kill. So this works both ways.
Perception is reduced a lot more when you are suffering from a concussion (when your head is crippled), so enemies will be harder to spot and you won't be able to aim nearly as well.


I just removed the text warnings ... the effects are still all there. As I explained above, I reduced the Combat Sneak Bonus. It was too high in my opinion: a bullet doesn't do more damage just because the victim doesn't see their attacker (I did not remove the bonus, due to gameplay ... but I reduced it quite a bit).

As I've pointed out, my mod makes sneaking more strategic. With my mod a stealth character is VERY playable (but a stealth character does not wear heavy armor, try to hide in brightly lit areas, turn on their PipBoy light, moving when NPCs are looking in their direction, run when NPCs are nearby, or fire off their gun, and not expect to be noticed).

For the record, I tried a Fook 2 build with some of Arwen's mod picks (No MMM) and her tweak mod.. I know.. call the cops and all that. It made combat uber deadly as they raise some of the weapon damage themselves. Interesting it didn't seem completely out of balance, just much more like a tactical shooter, Operation Flashpoint type shoot out.

I was getting to many game crashes though, so I quickly went back to just using mostly Arwen's mods. Might try that again in the future when fook 2 is out of beta.

I've found that Orfev's patch has a bug, when bottling water it reduces radiation levels. I think the intention was to suffer partial radiation increases. It's been mentioned on the nexus thread just recently, it took a while to track the disappearing rads down to the script in the patch.

This looks like the perfect mod for. I might edit a few things here and there, but I mainly wanted a balance mod that didn't add tons of mods/items.

I will let you know how it works.

Quick question... will these changes affect all DLC's? Thanks!