» Fri Oct 03, 2014 7:06 pm Skyrim has a big problem with too much action game, and not enough role playing game. And a big part of that problem, is not leveled lists, not NPCs, not items, but rather how stats themselves work, and how attributes don't exist. Also stamina being laughably unimportant, and health regenerating for no explained reason other than making the game easier. While I'm currently busy with other mods, I eventually want to hopefully get around to making a mod like what I'll describe, especially after playing Daggerfall recently.
So recently, I've had an idea, of making my own little overhaul. One that doesn't change NPCs, vanilla perks, perk trees, or items, or leveled lists at all. With these stats being altered for these effects.... Also ideally, this would make for a much more strategy based form of character building, helping bring back the ability to have strengths balanced against weaknesses, rather than all characters eventually end up with identical stats. Also unlike nearly every perk mod, this mod would not alter vanilla perks, or even perk trees at all, as it would instead rely on addperk scripts, and perhaps some addspell scripts.
I'm currently so focused in other mods I'm working on- improving an old one, and making dwemer ships/hoverbikes, that I probably won't get around to this project for a while though... To get to the point I'll explain the ideas.
Magicka Regeneration much much slower, slower than Oblivion even, though it still exists.
Stamina Regeneration significantly slower.
Health Regeneration 0.
Under 40% stamina your magicka regeneration is 0. At under 20% stamina, spells cost three times as much, and power attacks require you be over 20% stamina.
The idea of this overhaul, is trying to take in the best RPG stat features, from both Morrowind and Daggerfall (as well as a few new ones), and put them into Skyrim in a mixed up way, as best as Skyrim's engine could do such a thing. And even, something similar to Morrowind's attributes, but handled differently than that Attributes Of The Third Era mod.
How would it work? As soon as the player loads into Skyrim, they get asked which perks/and/or/constant effect spells they want to be added to them, in a manner very similar to Morrowind or Daggerfall's starter menus, and then after selecting all the desired choices, they'd permanently remain on said player character.
Since health no longer automatically regenerates anymore, abilities like Shadow Powered, Water Powered. and Solar Powered would be meaningful now. And it would at least be a little bit less jarring, then automatically regenerating health for no apparent reason. It would you know, also help emphasize characters who are based on shadows, sunlight, or water... Or none if that's what they want.
I don't think magicka regen or health regen is bad per se, but I think vanilla Skyrim went overboard with these, I feel with magicka regenerating way too fast, and I feel like regenerating health should at least require some sort of magical or environmental factor- as opposed to being like a modern first person shooter game.
As for the attributes? Unfortunately, I cannot find a way to make balanced attributes that strengthen as the player levels up, however I have a compromise based plan, that instead you choose what three attributes you want to have, and they provide a fairly small but noticeable bonus.
I wanted to keep the bonuses fairly small to be balanced if combined with other mods, but big enough to feel like a significant bonus starting out, and still big enough to help add a little bit of an edge at high levels as well. This mod is also supposed to help give destruction magic a bit of an edge, as well as make necromancy more worthwhile.
Starting bonuses.
Choose your advantages, and disadvantages. For every advantage you choose, you must choose a disadvantage as well. You can have a total of 6 Advantages.
Advantages.
Weapon resistances:
Tough Skin: swords, two handed swords, axes, battleaxes, and daggers do 25% less damage to you.
Bones of Ebony: Maces, hammers, and unarmed attacks do 25% less damage to you.
Ghostly Protection: You take 25% less damage from normal weapons, and unarmed attacks.
Misc
Professional Enchanter: Your self made enchantments are 20% stronger.
Professional Alchemist: Your self made potions are all 20% stronger.
Great Forger: Your smithing is 15% more effective.
Skilled Conjurer: Conjuration spells last 3 times as long.
Impenetrable Barrier: Your blocking is 15% more powerful.
Potent Necromancer: Reanimated minions have 225 extra health (stacks with vanilla perk).
Terrifying Visage: Your fear spells are 15% more powerful.
Quick Learner: Your skills level up twice as fast.
Shadow Affinity: Your magic regenerates twice as fast when indoors or at night. (Can't be combined with Solar Affinity).
Solar Affinity: Your magic regenerates twice as fast when in the sunlight. (Can't be combined with Shadow Affinity).
Health Regen
Shadow Vitality: Regenerate 2 health per second while at night or indoors. (Can't be combined with Solar Vitality)
Solar Vitality: Regenerate 2 health per second while outdoors in daylight. (Can't be combined with Shadow Vitality).
Water Vitality: Regenerate 35 health per second, and 20 magicka per second while in water (Cause waters much scarcer than Sunlight or Shadow, and swimming is so nerfed in Skyrim, I think it must be very strong).
Weapon Skill Specializations.
Pulverizer: Hammers require half as much stamina to power attack, do 10+ damage, and are 10% faster.
Melee Champion: Greatswords require half as much stamina to power attack, do 10+ damage, and are 10% faster.
Gallant: Swords require half as much stamina to power attack, do 10+ damage, and are 10% faster.
Brutal Cutthroat: Daggers require half as much stamina to power attack, do 10+ damage, and are 10% faster.
Executioner: Battleaxes require half as much stamina to power attack, do 10+ damage, and are 10% faster.
Cleaver: Axes require half as much stamina to power attack, do 10+ damage, and are 10% faster.
Bludgeoner: Maces do 10+ require half as much stamina to power attack, do 10+ damage, and are 10% faster.
Professional Marksman: Bows do 10+ damage, are 10% faster, and you recover 22% more arrows shot at enemies.(Which stacks with the vanilla Hunter's discipline for 88% total arrow recovery chance).
Martial Artist: Unarmed attacks do 25 more damage, are 10% faster, and require half as much stamina for power attacks.
Also for character customization... Specialization in certain materials- although daedric is still the most rewarding even with these.
Material Advantages
Stormcloak Rebel: Stormcloak armor has an 10+ armor rating and you do 10+ melee damage when in a Stormcloak uniform.
Imperial Officer: Imperial armor has 15+ armor rating, and imperial weapons do 10+ damage.
Hardy Hunter: Hide armor has 15+ additional armor rating, and bows do 8 additional damage.
Falmer Researcher: Falmer armor has 15+ armor rating, and falmer weapons do 10+ damage.
Elven Infantry: Elven weapons do 10+ damage, and eleven armor has a 15+ armor rating.
Glass Warrior: Glass weapons do 15+ damage, and glass armor has a 18+ armor rating.
Dwemer Scientist: Dwemer armor has 15+ armor rating, and dwemer weapons do 10+ damage.
Silver Champion: Silver weapons do 10+ damage.
Ebony Adept: Ebony armor has 20+ armor rating, and ebony weapons do 20+ damage.
Dragon Clad: Dragon armor has a 20+ armor rating, and dragon weapons do 20+ damage.
Daedric Master: Daedric armor has 35+ armor rating, and daedric weapons do 35+ damage.
Draugr anolyst: Draugr armor has a 15+ rating, and draugr weapons do 10+ damage.
Orcish Munitions Expert: Orcish armor has an 18+ armor rating, and Orcish weapons do 17+ damage.
Combat Advantages vs specific enemy types.
Murderer: You do 20+ damage to humanoids.
Hunter: You do 20+ damage to animals.
Dragon Slayer: You do 50 extra damage to dragons.
Paladin: You do 20+ damage to Daedra and Undead.
Battle Mechanic: You do 20+ damage to Dwarven machines.
Magic/elemental/disease resistances.
Fire Resistance: 30% Fire Resistance.
Poison Resistance: 30% Poison Resistance.
Shock Resistance: 30% Shock Resistance.
Frost Resistance: 30% Frost Resistance.
Magic Resistance: 15% Magic Resistance.
Disease resistance: 15% disease resistance.
Disadvantages.
Weapon Weaknesses.
Outlaw's Hardship: Imperial weapons do 50+ damage to you.
Unholy Being: You take double damage from silver weapons.
Severe Bleeder: Daggers, axes, swords, battle axes, and greatswords all do 50+ damage to you.
Fragile Bones: Maces, and Warhammers do 50+ damage to you.
Misc.
Unskilled Forger: Your smithing is 15% less effective.
Mundane Enchanter: Your self made enchantments are 30% weaker.
Stale Alchemist: Your self made potions are all 20% weaker.
Clumsy: Your stamina regenerates much slower, and your power attacks consume double stamina.
Puny Weakling: -30 Carry weight, and your melee attacks do 15 less damage.
Shadow Dependance: You cannot heal yourself while in sunlight.
Solar Dependance: You cannot heal yourself unless in sunlight.
Slowpoke: You move 15% slower.
Slow Learner: All your skills level twice as slow.
Shadow Mage: Your magicka does not regenerate in sunlight.
Solar Mage: Your magicka does not regenerate unless in sunlight.
Mundane: You start with only 30 magicka, and destruction spells do half damage.
Unhealthy: Restoration spells heal you for half as much.
Obvious Presence: Your sneaking is 50% worse.
Brittle: You have 50 less health.
Sickly: You are 50% more likely to get diseases.
Combat disadvantages.
Bad Shot: Your bow attacks do 20 less damage.
Combat deficiency: Axes. One handed axes do 20 less damage.
Combat deficiency: Battleaxes. Two handed axes do 20 less damage.
Combat deficiency: Swords. Swords do 20 less damage.
Soft handed: Your unarmed attacks do 14 less damage.
Phobias of certain enemy types.
Phobia: Dragons. You do 50 less damage to dragons.
Phobia: Humanoids. You do 50 less damage to humanoids.
Phobia: Animals. You do 50 less damage to animals.
Phobia: Undead. You do 50 less damage to undead.
Phobia: Daedra. You do 50 less damage to Daedra.
Forbidden Materials.
Forbidden Material Draugr: Equipping anything Draugr will cause you to be damaged 200 points per second until you die or remove it.
Forbidden Material Imperial: Equipping anything Imperial will cause you to be damaged 200 points per second until you die or remove it.
Forbidden Material Falmer: Equipping anything Falmer will cause you to be damaged 200 points per second until you die or remove it.
Forbidden Material Steel: Equipping anything steel will cause you to be damaged 200 points per second until you die or remove it.
Forbidden Material Dwarven: Equipping anything Dwarven will cause you to be damaged 200 points per second until you die or remove it.
Forbidden Material Elven: Equipping anything Eleven will cause you to be damaged 200 points per second until you die or remove it.
Forbidden Material Iron: Equipping anything iron will cause you to be damaged 200 points per second until you die or remove it.
Forbidden Material Daedric: Equipping anything daedric will cause you to be damaged 200 points per second until you die or remove it.
Forbidden Material Ebony: Equipping anything ebony will cause you to be damaged 200 points per second until you die or remove it.
Forbidden Material Silver: Equipping anything silver will cause you to be damaged 200 points per second until you die or remove it.
Forbidden Material Orcish: Equipping anything Orcish will cause you to be damaged 200 points per second until you die or remove it.
Forbidden Armor Types.
Forbidden Armor Heavy: Equipping any heavy armor will cause you to be damaged 200 points per second until you die or remove it.
Forbidden Armor Light: Equipping any light armor will cause you to be damaged 200 points per second until you die or remove it.
Elemental/Magical/Disease vulnerabilities.
Fire Vulnerability: 30% fire vulnerability
Poison Vulnerability: 30% poison vulnerability
Shock vulnerability: 30% shock vulnerability.
Frost vulnerability: 30% frost vulnerability.
Magic vulnerability: 15% magic vulnerability.
Disease vulnerability: 15% disease vulnerability.
Traits: Choose one trait, two traits or no trait.
Warrior traits=red, mage traits=turquoise, traits that fare poorly in melee or risky combat=orange, indeterminable or balanced traits=purple. And of course... Traits that would absolutely contradict each other, can't be combined together. Pink traits can be combined with nearly anything other than each other. Traits that don't amplify violent forms of power- thus compatible with Peaceful Healer have a green+ sign on them.
Night Person/Early Bird can't be combined with each other, though they can combine with every other trait other than Peaceful Healer. The orange traits, Peasant's Defense, Feeble Wizard, and Streak of Glass can't combine with Athletic Intellectual or any of the red warrior traits, and none of the warrior traits can combine with the orange traits.
Berserker, and Brutal Simpleton can't be combined with Athletic Intellectual, although Athletic Intellectual can be combined with Walking Boulder or Golem. Walking Boulder also can't be combined with Berserker, because ones focused on glass cannon esque melee stats, and the others focused on defensive stats. Peaceful Healer being a true pacifists trait can only be combined with Feeble Wizard, Golem, Walking Boulder, Streak Of Glass, Night Mage, Early Bird, and Night Person.
Peasant's Defense: Crossbows do 15+ damage, but all other weapons do 30 less damage.
Feeble Wizard: You have 100 more magicka... At the cost of all your melee attacks doing 30 less damage. +
Streak Of Glass: You have 20% better sneak, 20% better lockpicking, 20% better pickpocketing, and 40 faster speed, but 80 less health, and take double damage from magic and melee attacks. +
Berserker: You do 35 additional melee damage, and have 20+ stamina... At the cost of having 80 less magicka, spells costing twice as much, 50 less archery damage, 50% worse sneak, and 30 less health.
Brutal Simpleton: You do 25 additional melee damage, have 45 extra carry weight, 20+ stamina, and have 30 more health, at the cost of having 80 less magicka, and 3 times more expensive spell casts.
Walking Boulder: You have 130 extra health, but move 20% slower. +
Golem: You have 40+ armor, and 40+ health, but take double damage from magic. +
Peaceful Healer: You do half damage for EVERYTHING, but your heals are twice as powerful. +
Arcane Recklessness: Your destruction spells do 20 more damage per hand but all spells cost twice as much magicka, and you are 10% weaker to hostile magic.
Night Mage: You have 30+ magicka, and 10+ better sneaking. +
Athletic Intellectual: You do 10 extra melee damage, have 30 extra carry weight, 20 more health, 15+ stamina, and 20 more magicka, at the cost of having 50% worse sneaking.
Balanced But Bland: You have 10+ to every attribute, and every skill except for speechcraft... Because of you seeming very average, boring, and bland, your speechcraft is 20% worse.
Night Person: You have 15+ to every attribute and skill when outside of sunlight... But have 20- to every attribute and skill when in it.
Early Bird: You have 15+ to every attribute and skill when in sunlight... But have 20- to every attribute when not in the suns rays.
Choose three main attributes.
Attributes.
Strength: 10+ melee damage, 10+ block effectiveness, 70+ Carry Weight, intimidation is twice as effective.
Agility: 20+ stamina, 10+ sneak, 10% faster melee attacks, double stamina regeneration, 20% better lockpicking, and pickpocketing.
Endurance: 40+ Health, 20+ armor.
Intelligence: 60+ Magicka, potions and enchantments are 10% better.
Personality: Calm spells are 20% more effective, prices are 20% better, Persuasion is 20% better.
Speed: You move 15% faster.
Willpower: Your magicka regenerates twice as fast.
In short, you'd balance advantages against disadvantages, then choose your main attributes, and traits, to make a truly unique character, that feels more like an RPG character, than some action game character.
So anyways I am curious... What do other people think of this idea? It's SUPPOSED to bring back some of the best missing features from Morrowind and Daggerfall, and while MANY mods do this, this one in particular is focused on compatibility with other mods, and focused on being balanced even if combined with hundreds of other game altering mods.
