Defense of Bruma quest (MQ13, I think) : IV

» Fri Nov 18, 2011 10:10 am

(To those who have stayed in Cyrodiil:)

I've finally reached the Defense of Bruma quest: MQ13. (It's only taken me 5 years.)
Anyway, has anyone completed this with realism and increased damage mods?

I don't know what Duke's or Phitt's combat mods are like. But this quest is impossible with my Attributes and skills based damage modifiers at its default configuration. I'm finding the "weakness to magic" being dependant on the player's Intelligence and Willpower may be too detrimental during this quest - if you are a warrior.

I think it's main fault is that my player level is too low. I am at 15. I'm not sure if the quest has an actual minimum requirement or not. But I think that it should.

I may create a mod to balance out this quest "realistically". I think that the difficult of the quest should come from the objective of the quest being difficult to achieve instead of from simply being too weak to achieve that objective. Constantly fighting fresh invaders and their summoned creatures is difficult enough WITHOUT the invaders being at a higher experience level. I may cap the invader's level (by code) to equal that of the player's. This should make the battle easier without directly weakening or strengthening any part of the combat engine or the combatants. Basically, the difficulty will come from protecting Martin and fighting respawning fresh enemies rather than from simply being too weak against the enemy.

And I've had to add code to my Alternatives to death and reload to ignore their effects when this quest is active. Updates to this (and other mods) will be released this weekend.

Also, I'm finding that a mod is setting the invader's DremoraFaction rank to -1.
My NPCsYield adds its behaviours to the invaders. It's not game breaking but I want Deadras and Dremoras to never yield.
Anyone know which mod causes this?
Here's my load order:

Spoiler

Oblivion.esmFrancesco's Leveled Creatures-Items Mod.esmProgress.esmTNR - ALL RACES FINAL.espUnofficial Oblivion Patch.espUOP Vampire Aging & Face Fix.espOblivion Citadel Door Fix.espWindowLightingSystem.espBedrollsanyone.espDays&Months.espGuildOwnership1.2.espWillful Resistance.espEnhanced Economy.espkuerteeIgnoringTheMainQuestHasConsequences.espDropLitTorchOBSE.espkuerteeSittableRocks.espLock Bash Omega.espMap Marker Overhaul.espFrancesco's More Wilderness Life.espFrancesco's Optional Chance of Stronger Bosses.espFrancesco's Optional Chance of Stronger Enemies.espFrancesco's Optional Dungeon Chest Loot.espFrancesco's Optional Dungeon Chest Locks.espFrancesco's Optional Leveled Guards.espFrancesco's Optional House Chest Loot.espFrancesco's Optional Chance of More Enemies.espFrancesco's Optional Leveled Quests.espFrancesco's Optional Leveled Arena.espkuerteeWanderingEncounters.espTamrielTransportationNetwork.espza_bankmod.esproad+bridges.espHarvest [Flora].espBirthsigns Expanded.espDS Less Predictable Respawn.espDungeon Actors Have Torches 1.6 DT.espExterior Actors Have Torches 1.3 DT.espPersuasionOverhaul.espRealisticFatigue.espkuerteeEncumberingLootArmourAndWeapons.espNoBackwardsRunning.espkuerteeMagickaBasedMagicJeweleryLimits.espFizzle.espLightweight Potions.espSM Combat Hide.espattack and hide harder v2.1.espDeadlier Traps.espZumbsLockpickingMod - OBSE.espZumbsLockpickingMod - Hide Difficulty Addon.espkuerteeNoLootingDuringCombat.espSM Bounty.espkuerteeLootingDeadGuardsIsStealing.espEnhanced Grabbing.espDenock Arrows.espkuerteeAttributeAndSkillBasedDamageModifiers.espnGCD.espProgressGSD.espProgressMBSP.espProgressSBSP.espProgressRBSP.espProgressRacial.espProgressArmorer.espLet There Be Darkness - Cyrodiil.espbgMagicEV.espbgMagicAlchemy.espbgMagicEVAddEnVarNoSI.espTRAP.esp[GFX]_Initial_Glow-all.espbgMagicEVShader.espkuertee bgMagicEVShader default drain effects.espNRB4 Standard Road Record.espkuerteeEatAndSleep.espkuerteeBattleFatigueAndInjuries.espkuerteeGoldIsAnInventoryItem.espkuerteeClothingMatters.espPTFranReset.espkuerteeEspyCreatures.espDynamic Map.espkuerteeAutoFirstThirdPersonView.espHUD Status Bars.espkuerteeCrimeHasWitnesses.espkuerteeInventoryIsABackpack.espkuerteeConsole.espkuerteeNPCsYield.espkuerteeAutoSaveAndTime.espkuerteeCleanUp.espkuerteeHorseCommands.espkuerteeActorDetails.espUseful Houses.espkuerteeSimpleVampirismExpandedVerB.espkuerteeDetectLifeEffect.espkuerteeNightEyeShader.espkuerteeAlternativesToDeathAndReload.esp

And here's an Actor details output of a Dremora:

Spoiler

Dremora Kynmarcher FF015619base object: Dremora Kynmarcher 0004738CDremora Kynmarcher Dremora Kynmarcher h:145/145 m:131/212 f:251/267 skills:466essential: 0 persistent: 0script:  00000000package:  FF015620    type:     location type:         radius:         object: Cheydinhal Soldier 0003E46D        object type:     target type:         value:         object: Cheydinhal Soldier 0003E46D        object type: GetDisposition player: 0.00GethouldAttack Player: 95.00inventory:0: kuerteeAttributeAndSkillBasedDamageModifiers.esp: Attribute-based weakness to magic: 36000804 x 11: Willful Resistance.esp: Willful Widget: 0B001CAF x 12: kuerteeBattleFatigueAndInjuries.esp: kRIToken: 48000826 x 13: Oblivion.esm: Dremora Kynmarcher Boots: 0003E9B3 x 1 equipped4: Oblivion.esm: Dremora Kynmarcher Greaves: 0003E9B5 x 1 equipped5: Oblivion.esm: Dremora Kynmarcher Cuirass: 0003E9B4 x 1 equipped6: Oblivion.esm: Alluring Gaze: 00084AEF x 17: Oblivion.esm: Weak Potion of Light: 0009847F x 18: Oblivion.esm: Ring of Nihilism: 00098420 x 1 equipped9: Oblivion.esm: Dremora Claymore: 0003E9C4 x 1 equipped10: nGCD.esp: : 3700B914 x 1spells:0: Oblivion.esm: Kynmarcher Resist Magic: 0003E9A91: RealisticFatigue.esp: Realistic Fatigue Effects: 260008102: : Willpower: FF00092Ffactions:0: Oblivion.esm: Kyn: 0003E9A6: -1...

Getting to this point (after all these years) is kind-of a milestone, so I thought I'd share my experiences with this quest (with my mods active).

» Fri Nov 18, 2011 2:36 am

I think it's main fault is that my player level is too low. I am at 15. I'm not sure if the quest has an actual minimum requirement or not. But I think that it should.

I may create a mod to balance out this quest "realistically". I think that the difficult of the quest should come from the objective of the quest being difficult to achieve instead of from simply being too weak to achieve that objective. Constantly fighting fresh invaders and their summoned creatures is difficult enough WITHOUT the invaders being at a higher experience level. I may cap the invader's level (by code) to equal that of the player's.

They are by default. Everything in Oblivion is by default. Only reason a level 1 character couldn't finish the main quest was that you need to be level 2 to get a daedric artifact. And with level 2, you could do it.

» Fri Nov 18, 2011 11:47 am

You must be a BIG kuertee fan with all of those kuertee mods in your load order

Is it the toughness of the creatures or the number of them giving you most trouble? If you can survive long enough for the great gate to open while your allies fight them and hoping Martin does not get killed (he is not that weak) then once you get in the great gate he should stay safe.

Having a share and recruit or CM partners would help as you could recruit more people. That seems realistic enough

» Fri Nov 18, 2011 5:56 am

My main problem with that quest is that FPS pretty much go down to 0 when the mobs appear, making it impossible to enjoy it. But other than that, I use Duke's combat mod, so 50% of the key to survival is hitting before getting hit, and... 25% or so, aiming to the head (those arrogant Valkynazs have the bad habit of not trimming their horns enough to wear helmets)

I can't tell what mod would be removing dremoras from DremoraFaction, but if you have suspicions about a certain one, you can open the esp file in Notepad++ and search for 'setfactionrank' or similar, it should carry you to the script lines which use that command (don't edit anything there or you'll corrupt the mod though, you have to use the CS)