Editing weapon stats, especially action points for grenades

Hello,

Can someone please point me to a resource if one exists that describes how to modify weapons? I would like to balance things a bit by toning down the Mechanized Gun and Pyrotechnic Axe, making the Acid Gun better (it seems useless), perhaps improving some of the other guns.

Also I would like to add an Action Point cost to molotov cocktails and the other grenades that cost none in Turn-Based combat, if that is possible. I am surprised no one has ever done this, which makes me wonder if it is possible.

I also would like to make the Pyrotechnic Axe cost fuel.

Any help would be appreciated. Haven't tried to do any modding other than tweaking the background for Bookworm to give +6 IQ and +4 PE to make gunslingers more fun to play from the beginning.

 

An old face I see.

I would point you towards the downloads section but it appears to be down at the moment.
When it is available, check out the proto modifying docs courtesy of DKoepp.
It involves hex editing. It may look scary but it's not that difficult.

Simply decrease the speed of the item. However this will make it slower for everyone, not just the people who benefit from the 0 action point bug.

This is a bit more complicated. I've recently done it for my hack. The easiest way to do it is to duplicate the flamethrower, change the art and change the stats. I use the word "easy" loosely.

 

Thanks for the info. I have looked at the proto docs. Unfortunately they don't seem to deal with things like grenades.

I cannot locate the .pro file for molotovs with any certainty. According to the docs, and looking in the description.mes file, molotovs should be in 015229 - Generic.pro (015209 plus 20).

According to the proto notes, 015229 - Generic.pro should have a link in it to the sound file for the item, which in this case is 8808, Explosives-GenericBoom.wav, as named in the snd_item.mes. However, the 015229 file does not have the value 8808, in hex (2268 or 6822) or in decimal, in it anywhere. This makes me think it is not actually the right file. Also, since it is not a weapon file, who knows where the speed factor is.

You mentioned those affected by the "0 action point bug" and how adjusting the speed factor would make molotovs slower for everyone. I don't understand. When I test the game, anyone, even with no throwing skill or training, can throw molotovs with 0 action points. What is this bug you refer to?

Thanks again.

 

You have located the correct .pro file.
The molotov is a consumable item, not a weapon in the way that a sword is a weapon. When consumable items are used (throwing a molotov or drinking a potion) they call a spell. The sounds you are looking for are a part of the spell, not the item.

For the speed thing, ignore what I said about who benefits from the bug. I've never really used turn-based so I was just talking off the top of my head (or out of my arse if you prefer).

To introduce a speed factor you'll have to get creative. Perhaps alter the spell or make use of a global flag that resets after a couple of seconds.

Do the grenades suffer from the same bug as the molotovs?

 

Yes, all grenades suffer from it. In fact all thrown consumables appear to suffer from it - buy something from a store and throw it at someone in combat, 0 action points. Of course it's usually pointless unless it's a Corrosive Acid, but it makes me think it is indeed a bug in the program itself, rather than a speed factor assigned to the item in question.

I have been using Molotovs with the honor system, docking myself 4 Action Points every time I try to use one.

Explosives in general seem rather broken, they are overpowered. Stun Grenades make the combats a joke. The various Dynamite products allow you to blow enemies up from another room and no one even gets upset.

I did change Mechanized Gun, Pyrotechnic Axe and Charged Axe to tone them down, which is fun because now I can actually use these items in my game instead of avoiding them because they are overpowered. Thanks to everyone who poste here and especially the authors of the proto mod documents!