Something I want to throw out there is an idea I've been kicking around for armor and maybe weapon rebalancing: a global script that would dynamically add effects (feather/burden being the main ones, I'm not sure if there's much else that's really appropriate) based on skill and type of equipment you've got, a la Dodge Mod.
[ . . . ]
At any rate, I really hope something comes out of this. I've got enough patience to make my game playable with 200 mods running, but rebalancing mods still scare me.
Me too.
As to the feather/burden script, it sounds more realistic, though personally I'd be more favorable to it either making for a fatigue drain or a Magicka casting cost increase for heavier armor. A scripted burden penalty for low armor skill makes it sound like the early game will a bit painful. But it is a good point you raise.
Do the current balance mods work well together? Someone earlier mentioned Venombyte + piratelord economy + creatures X.
They do for me, although I carefully pick and choose the modules. I figured out my own sort of solution to PTE merging difficulties (i.e., you can merge it, but you have to manually remove merchant NPC entries from the merge file -- I find that impractical and too much of a burden, since I tend to change something and remerge mods once or more per day) -- I tore the NPC entries out of it and placed them in a separate file loaded after the Merged Objects file and unchecked when I run TESTool's objects merge. You can see how I went about it in my list below, though as a caveat I certainly don't claim particular expertise or that I'm not somehow screwing something up.
I'm learning as I go. But it does seem to work.
Interesting.
Could you please post your full mod list?
Sure.
Quick note beforehand: Where I have a mod that adds weapons or armor that depart from TAD's standards, my rule is that I am not allowed to use them (so they become house decoration) -- after all, if I am testing TAD's numbers, it makes little sense to use equipment that is out of compliance with them. For the most part, though, I only use such mods where a TAD rebalance is available (unfortunately, these are all older than the latest versions of the weapons mods, so there was a bit of tweaking necessary).
Companions made the early game a bit easier, though they've been stuck in the house lately.
And by the way, with this layout, the lore dialogue that talks about Daedric ruins being horribly tough is actually true. These puppies start out with Daedric Bat artillery blasting me from the sky, then send out a wave of Scamp chaff to whittle down/exhaust me a bit, followed by the real nasties that resist/reflect magic and that I whack, and whack, and whack, inbetween healing, oh, about 100 times before killing.
GameFile0=Aduls_Master_Mod.esm
GameFile1=Assassins Armory.esm
GameFile2=Better Heads Bloodmoon addon.esm
GameFile3=Better Heads Tribunal addon.esm
GameFile4=Better Heads.esm
GameFile5=Bloodmoon.esm
GameFile6=Morrowind Advanced.esm
GameFile7=Morrowind Patch v1.6.5-BETA.esm
GameFile8=Morrowind.esm
GameFile9=THE Facepack Compilation.esm
GameFile10=Texture Fix - Bloodmoon v1.1 [Slartibartfast].esm
GameFile11=Texture Fix v1.8 [Slartibartfast].esm
GameFile12=Tribunal.esm
GameFile13=Ward of Akavir.esm
GameFile14=ASGW v1.0 [Sandman].esp <---
This is Armored Skeletons Gone WildGameFile15=Advanced Herbalism - Planter Add-on [Andoreth] (clean).esp
GameFile16=Advanced Herbalism v1.1 [Andoreth] Full with Flora Glow (cleaned).esp
GameFile18=Amulets and Rings v2.1A Full [Daduke].esp
GameFile19=Assassin's Armory v7.1 Arrows TAD Balanced (cleaned).esp
GameFile20=Assassin's Armory v7.6 TAD Balanced [Gluby] GCD NoScript Version.esp
GameFile21=Atmospheric Sound Effects (ASE) v3.04 [Duncan] TB (cleaned).esp
GameFile22=Authentic Signs - Inns and Taverns v1.1 [Nigedo].esp
GameFile23=Barabus's Fireplaces v2 [Barabus].esp
GameFile24=Better Almalexia v1.1 [Plangkye].esp
GameFile25=Better Bodies v2.2 [Psychodog Studios].esp
GameFile26=Better Clothes for Tribunal [Keazen].esp
GameFile27=Better Clothes v1.1 [Better Clothes Team].esp
GameFile28=Better Heads Argonian Playable Heads Pack v1.1 [Motoki].esp
GameFile29=BetterClothes_Patch.esp
GameFile30=BirthsignsAMFun_BM.esp
GameFile31=Bones [Qarl].esp
GameFile32=Book Jackets - Bloodmoon v1.0 [Daleth].esp
GameFile33=Book Jackets - Morrowind v1.0 [Daleth].esp
GameFile34=Book Jackets - Tribunal v1.0 [Daleth].esp
GameFile35=Clean Atmospheric Cities - Balmora v1.0 [Lucien Fairfax].ESP
GameFile36=Companion Project v3.1 Customized - Julia.esp
<----- These are my companion babes/mulesGameFile37=Companion Project v3.1 Customized - Naeara.esp
GameFile38=Companionable Cats v1.1 [Emma].esp
<--- Um, not really essential to my testing, but my two little boys love themGameFile39=Creature Pack v1.1 [Mephisto].esp
GameFile40=Creatures.esp
<----- PirateLord's Creatures XGameFile41=DB Armor Replacer Expanded with Ranks v2.0 DDBA.esp
GameFile42=Daedric Invocation v1.1 [Endrek] (cleaned).esp
GameFile43=Decorator+ (Balanced).esp
GameFile44=Dirnae's Slower Walk [Dirnae] (cleaned).ESP
GameFile45=Disturb_the_dead.esp
GameFile46=Disturb_the_dead_BM_SA_Addon.esp
GameFile47=Dog Companions v2.0 [Emma & Grumpy].esp
GameFile48=Dremora Lords v1.0 [Quorn].esp
GameFile49=Dwemer Armor Replacer v1.3 [Sandman101].esp
GameFile50=Entertainers [Official] (cleaned).esp
GameFile51=GCD v1.08 with Startscript (COMBINED).esp
GameFile52=Gluby's Creature Loot Mod v1.11.esp
GameFile53=Gluby's Nascent Game Rebalance.esp
<---- This is my own ongoing tweaks file, which incorporates many of Gato's suggested changesGameFile54=Guar Followers Fix.esp
GameFile55=Healers v1.0 [Raejak] (cleaned).esp
GameFile56=Improved Followers v1.3beta [Lurlock].esp
GameFile57=Improved Positioning v1.0 [HeyYou].esp
GameFile58=Improved Skilled Magicka [PirateLord] (cleaned).esp
GameFile59=Index Fix v1.0 [claudekennilol].esp
GameFile60=Key Replacer v1.4 + Key Renamer [shadowwriath] (cleaned).esp
GameFile61=Key Replacer v1.4 [Daduke] MW+TB+BM.esp
GameFile62=Mashed Lists.esp
GameFile63=Master Index Journalfix [DeusXMachina].esp
GameFile64=Master Index Upgrade v1.0 [Garren-Poobah].esp
GameFile65=Master_Index [Official] (cleaned).esp
GameFile66=Merged_Objects.esp
GameFile67=Minions of House Dagoth v1.0 [Neoptolemus].esp
GameFile68=MixedSignposts.esp
GameFile69=Morrowind Advanced (Required).esp
GameFile70=Mournhold Sewer Fix [Enmesharra].esp
GameFile71=NOM 2.13.esp
GameFile72=NOM PirateLord's Creatures X patch v0.5 [Gluby].esp
<--- Secret developmentGameFile73=Neo's Unique Creatures [Neoptolemus].esp
GameFile74=New Argonian Bodies - Mature.esp
GameFile75=New Khajiit Bodies - Mature.esp
GameFile76=Pearls Enhanced - Colored Pearls Add-on.ESP
GameFile77=Pearls Enhanced.ESP
GameFile78=PirateLord's Trade Enhancements v3.3 [PirateLord] MERGEABLE CUSTOMIZED.esp
GameFile79=PirateLord's Trade Enhancements v3.3 [PirateLord] NON-MERGEABLE NPCS.esp
<--- This loads virtually last in load orderGameFile80=Propylon Guild Guides v1.0 [Sandman].esp
GameFile81=RAMF_Mer_for_NPCs.esp
<--- Loads very late too -- not friendly for mergingGameFile82=Rational Wildlife v1.0 [Max].esp
GameFile85=Service Requirements v1.3 [Vanhikes] WGI version (cleaned).esp
GameFile86=Seyda Neen Hill House v1.0 [Sgaileach1] (cleaned).esp
GameFile87=Sgaileach Estate v1.21 [Sgaileach1] (cleaned).esp
GameFile88=SkipTutorial1.0.esp
GameFile90=TAD Balanced Aduls Arsenal.esp
GameFile91=TAD Balanced Alchemy v1.5a (MPP, Wrye Patched) [Taddeus, ed. Gluby] (cleaned).esp
GameFile92=TAD Balanced Armors v1.2 Full Version (cleaned).esp
GameFile93=TAD Balanced Armors v1.2 MPP+LGA+CAJ Patch v0.7 [Gluby].esp
GameFile94=TAD Balanced Objects v1.2 Full Version (cleaned).esp
GameFile95=TAD Balanced Objects v1.2 MPP+BC+LGA Patch v0.9a [Gluby].esp
GameFile96=TAD Balanced VA_EmeraldYmsidril.esp
GameFile97=TAD Balanced VA_WMIndoril_Armour (cleaned).esp
GameFile98=TAD Balanced Weapons v1.3 (cleaned).esp
GameFile99=TAD Balanced Weapons v1.3 MPP Patch v0.9a [Gluby].esp
GameFile100=TAD_AmuletsRings2.1UpA.esp
GameFile101=TAD_MWA1.82.esp
GameFile102=TAD_Mist Clean House_spear.esp
GameFile103=TF Fireplace Replacer v1 [TextureFreak].esp
GameFile104=Tools [SirLuthor].esp
GameFile105=Tribunal Bloodmoon Ingredients [PCC].esp
GameFile106=Tyrthyllanos Magicka Regen v1.0 Slower [Tyrthyllanos].ESP
GameFile107=Undead Revival v1.666 [AstralFyziks] (cleaned).esp
GameFile108=Unique Banners and Signs v1.11 [Notelaers] (cleaned).esp
GameFile109=VenomByte's Economy Fixes v1.1 [VenomByte] GameStats.esp
GameFile110=VenomByte's Economy Fixes v1.1 [VenomByte] ItemLists.esp
GameFile111=VenomByte's Economy Fixes v1.1 [VenomByte] MWA182.esp
GameFile112=Vivec Signposts Plug-in [Reznod].esp
GameFile113=WGI v9 Modular [Wakim] - Dialogue.esp
GameFile114=WGI v9 Modular [Wakim] - Game Settings.esp
GameFile115=WGI v9 Modular [Wakim] - NPC Spellcasting.esp
GameFile116=WGI v9 Modular [Wakim] - Spells.esp
GameFile117=Westly's Master Head Pack X v1.0 [Westly].esp
GameFile118=Ymsidril Armour and Scimitars v1.0 [VagabondAngel] Ebony Replacer.esp
GameFile119=Ymsidril Armour and Scimitars v1.0 [VagabondAngel].esp
GameFile120=abotGuars.esp