New update compatible with latest Elden Ring 1.10 patch.
From a pair updates ago, I have kept the possibility to early cancel the attack animations, but I restricted the possibility to cancel during the active hit frames for the fine tuned weapons. This reduces the freedom a bit, but avoids few oddities when cancelling some attacks. It also keeps the "attack commitment" a bit, so you still have to calculate when to attack, although not in a so rigid way as in vanilla.
New features added: Timed Block mechanic and Weight Load added to light weight dashes.
****** INSTRUCTIONS FOR MERGING WITH OTHER MODS ******
In order to merge IMCO modifications with other mods, you will have to merge:
Animations files: These files are the TAE files you can find when decompressing the anibnd.dcx animations file with Yabber. They modify the speed of all attacks chains combos and the speed of some animations itselves, and also modify basic mobility actions.
- TAEs from 00 to 16: Changes in basic mobility animations, like rolling, crouching, throwing daggers, blocking, etc. DO NOT MERGE THESE TAEs with mods that also use them for basic mobility actions, like ERReforged.
- TAEs from 20 to 852: Changes in weapons attacks. Each TAE is a regular weapon category (some weapons share same attacks animations) or an special weapon one (some weapons have their own specific animations).
Params files: There files are the.CSV files you can find when exporting params data with DSMapstudio after loading a regulation.bin. The params files control multiple aspects of the game.
- SpEffectParam: this .CSV file sets special params, and in IMCO is needed for the Timed Block feature.
Merging process:
You will need both Witchy and DSMapstudio programs.
For the animations:
- Download Witchy from Github and paste it in your hard drive, no need to install anything. You can install it though for faster decompress process using integrated windows right click menu.
- Go to your mod folder where the file anibnd.dcx is. If you are using Mod Engine 2, it will be inside the folder >chr.
- Drag and drop this anibnd.dcx file into Witchy executable, or use windows right click menu integrated Witchy. Once the anibnd.dcx file is unpacked, you can erase it/move it elsewhere.
- The new created folder c0000-anibnd-dcx is where all the TAE files are. Navigate into it until you can see the TAE files.
- Now, go to the IMCO TAE folder you downloaded from Nexus. Copy the TAE files you want to replace with, and paste them over the previous generated TAE files. TAE from 00 to 16 are basic player movements animations, the rest are for the different weapons. Depending on the mod, you will replace all of them or just a few. For example, mods that only focus on magic attacks animations can have all the TAE provided replaced, but mods that also changes basic player mobility animations will need to keep the TAEs from 00 to 16 intact.
- Once TAE are replaced, repack that c0000-anibnd-dcx folder with Witchy (drag and drop over witchy.exe or use right click menu) into a new anibnd.dcx file. That new anibnd.dcx file will have both mods TAE merged and compressed into it. Now you can also erase the uncompressed folder created with Witchy and just keep the new anibnd.dcx file.
Dont forget to add the c000_a00_hi.anibnd.dcx (Sekiro Dash add on) in the same >chr folder as this new anibnd.dcx file is.
For the params CSV files:
- Download DSMapstudio from github or discord ?ServerName? server and paste it in your hard drive, no need to install anything.
- Open DSMastudio executable and create a new project (>File >New Project). Select the same folder as your merge regulation.bin is. Select game executable.
- Go to >Param Editor and in the params sections (the one in the left) select the param that matches the name of the CSV you are going to merge. For IMCO you will have to select spEffectParam.
- Go to >Edit >Import CSV >From File... >All and select the provided IMCO SpEffectParam CSV file. Make sure you selected the correct delimiter ";" in Import options.
Hi I know this sounds specific but would you be willing to make a version that adds some sort of FP regen? I know this would make the game easier, it is personal preference. This is my favourite mod otherwise, thanks!
Hi, nice to know you are enjoying it! FP regen would be out of the scope of this mod, that is solely focused on combat animations.
One easy way to add it by yourself would be copypasting Icon Shield hp regen effect, edit that new effect making it to regen fp instead, and inserting this effect in a talisman you then equip. All this can be done easily using DSMapStudio
You will have to unpack the anibnd.dcx using Witchy and then replace the corresponding tae. Use the moveset mod behbnd.dcx and regulation.bin (you will loose Timed Blocks unless you also merge the regulation.bin files using the provided .csv file).
You can just get rid of the c00_hi.anibnd.dcx file and dodges will be vanilla, although the cancel properties would still be the same as IMCO, and those are adapted to the dash, not the roll.
I mean, you will roll as vanilla but you will be able to cancel it earlier, and this could create some visual jankyness. Other than that, thats the easiest way to do it.
Bruh, installing and using DSMapStudio just to enable a feature isn't working out too well and is a terrible UX anyways. Like, bruh, just provide downloads for both versions in the same zip! Please!
If you dont want Timed Blocks, just use the \chr folder without the regulation.bin. If you want Timed Blocks, add the provided regulation.bin. As simple as that.
Unfortunately cant allow block cancel earlier than R1 follow up cancel, because then if player keeps the block button pressed whilst attacking, the first R1 of the combo chain is cancelled into itself. This looks very janky, specially when left handing torches.
Still, the block cancel is set earlier than vanilla and just a pair of frames later than the dodge cancel.
I will probably add block cancel in between hits for multihit animations though in future updates.
It sadly isn't fast enough to perfect block Margit's cheap spam that instakills you. Also I don't care about jank. I just care about good combat that lets me skill through everything which your mod does a great job of improving, but this is the only major defect that keeps this from being one step away from perfect (minor ones would be improvements for multi-enemy combat; improved camera targeting; probably more stuff I can't think of or haven't found yet). This mod with vanilla unchanged makes it very apparent the absolute dogwater garbage imbalance. At least with this mod, the player has more level playing field and doesn't die after one mistake.
As for Timed Blocks, I'm confused. You wrote that it's been removed and made optional to install via DSMapStudio. Nowhere in the readme nor the pinned comment here does it say anything about keeping or removing the regulation.bin to enable or disable Timed Blocks (which I've wanted enabled the whole time), so I made a new project in DSMapStudio, edited the Params, and that's it.
As for what you mean with regards to the R1 blocking and "cancelling into itself", you'll have to clarify.
Time Blocking multihits attacks in ER is a bit tricky. In ER there are post block animations, but its not like Sekiro where there are several different ones than can be chained. In ER you cancel the post block animation into another block wind up one. If this is performed very quickly, it looks somewhat jerky. Other mods opted by almost eliminating this post block animation (like in Reforged) in order to allow quick multi hits TBs.
I did many experiments, and I personally didnt like how it looked, nor I do like how it looks in Reforged. In IMCO theres still a bit of pushback when player blocks, and this keeps the feeling of being hit. But as you said, this has a downside, that is not being able to properly TB very quick multihits.
Its a trade off.
Still, 2handed weapons cancel the post block anim faster than shields (it looks better), so when 2h weapons like swords most multihit can be TB. But yeah, there will be some of them that are just too quick.
The self cancel thing is another thing. Basically you cancel R1-1 into R1-1 over and over infinitely if pressing block button (until your stamina depletes). This happens if I allow to block cancel earlier than R1 cancel.
Did you download latest update? In latest update the Readme explains briefly that in order to use TB you just use the provided regulation.bin.
Unless something changed somehow, the Readme from this exact version which I downloaded March 31st, 2024 is saying, "In order to allow the easiest merging process possible, Timed Blocks feature is not added by default, but you can just merge the provided .csv onto your regulation.bin to activate them." Perhaps you weren't paying attention.
The issue I had (I already beat Margit today) was specifically not being able to immediately guard after guard countering. Maybe I just didn't notice with normal meleeing, but guard counters are definitely failing me here, and this one is most definitely on the devs. From footage I've seen of people playing the game on YouTube, these cheap spam attacks from the boss with zero defensive options in that regard seem to be a common theme. At least IMCO allows you to now dodge those, but I'm not interested in dodging all day because of some retarded boss design from From Software. The RNG is what saved me here ultimately even with the increase in skill since this obstacle is impossible to overcome and reduces to the pure vanilla combat system unless you fix this (and I hope said future update will be soon ;-;).
> Its a trade off.
A trade off that shouldn't exist from the perspective of good design. I can dodge and weave all day, and also hit things mindlessly, but if offense trades off defense and vice versa, then all I'm doing—all that I can be doing—is looking for openings by memorizing unique attack patterns rather than becoming more capacitive through skill and able to take on new and old attack patterns—even constantly varying ones—because I have the capacity [skill] and agency to react to anything, though the poor advertising of attacks (both visible and audible) certainly doesn't help anyone no matter how good the combat system.
Because of this retarded mentality that's infected many people's minds today of "risk-reward' like this you're gambling in a casino (as opposed to reward and punishment for the sake of nurturing and guiding) and "there's always a trade-off" (even though individual capacities exist in their own right without mutual contingency), this sort of stuff passes for good in the "wisdom" of laymen, who, after then being deceived through experiencing the appearance of proof of their naive theories (and it's "proof" because they naively presume so), become gatekeepers that pass on error as fact, and armchair designers who think they know better than human tradition and the wisdom of the academic and the learned in the industry. I'm sure you understand what I'm talking about. I mean, heck, bruv! The ER gatekeepers and fanboys have even forced Shadiversity's hand! I can't believe the disrespect for such person's wisdom! You've done a better job than From Software as far as I can tell. They seem as equally deluded as the very fanboys they've created. I thank you for this mod making this game worth at least 5/6ths of its full price.
I'm not 100% sure why people praise such poor combat design in the base game. Taking away all manner of agency, and then punishing your mere attempts to progress with cheap punishments like Margit's glowing sword, and insanely disproportionate punishments, namely death, for making any kind of mistake, is not how you make an enjoyable experience that relies solely on the player's skill. The leveling system doesn't help at all and would be better if they just tossed stamina and the entire leveling system altogether. It's not hard to solve this without tossing the difficulty if you think about it. Seems it's up to modders as usual (Minecraft much?) to do "corporations'" jobs.
Also yeah I haven't been using shields, just two-handing. I can't be bothered to go look for shields with parry when I can just git gud with two-handing anyways, and the Timed Block removes the need for any kind of pointless defense stuff not pertaining to skill.
I should also note that I am strongly of the opinion that agency (one's capacity to exercise one's capacities) should never or almost never be taken away as it's the very cause of skill. Instead of taking it away, it should be mutated, so for instance, any sort of passive harm should not even so much as stun the player, but provide an immediate change in how agency is applied. For a more straightforward example, if there's a poison mushroom effect, perhaps try applying screen effects that warp the appearance of things without even changing the base mechanics and that will be like changing all the mechanics (if it's disorienting enough). If the player gets seriously cut on an arm by an attack, disable that arm, but double the capacity of what remains in the good arm, and restrict it to various kinds of one-handed attacks and defenses. In this way, skill truly is the only issue because the possibility of overcoming was never truly taken away from the player, only mutated into something different as a result of a defect being applied (whether temporary or not). Only as a last resort and as the most severe of punishments (e.g., being absolutely careless or getting too comfortable with certain kinds of errant or inefficient attack patterns) should agency be removed.
Mmm... thats weird, sure you have latest update? Im reading the Readme text file included after downloading latest one from Nexus and it literally says:
Installation:
Use Mod Engine 2, and put the provided \chr folder inside Mod Engine 2 \mod folder.
If you want to use Timed Blocks without merging other mod, also just add the provided regulation.bin inside Mod Engine 2 \mod folder.
If you want to use Timed Blocks merging with other mod, discard the provided regulation.bin, and you will have to edit that other mod regulation.bin using DSMapStudio and import the provided .csv file in spEffectParam category.
That is, if no merging, you dont have to do any additional step other than copy pasting the provided \chr filder and reg.bin file.
I also agree with the faulty ER combat design. Besides the weird long uncancellable recovery times and slow wind ups for most attacks, there are issues with lock on system and camera. And dont get me started ranting about the horrible design of dodge being on button release instead of on button press. At least IMCO improves it a lot, although this makes the game easier. But Im my opinion difficulty should not be a consequence of clunky players mobility, thats and old design that should be discarded.
When I mentioned trade off I meant a trade off between improved gameplay and visual polishment. Unfortunately game is not designed with free block cancel in mind so if allowing it there would be some ugly visual hiccups. So I made it as free as possible avoiding jankiness.
I also added a brief post-TB auto damage negation window, so very quick multihits will be automatically damage-negated. But this only kicks in when TBng really quick ones.
I think the only Margits attack sequence that cant be properly TBd currently (because they are too quick) is the double holy dagger slash, rest can be TBd. Let me record a test video to show.
Afaict I can TB everything provided I don't guard counter. Unfortunately, I would say it's a little awkward to TB and then press guard counter as a second action that I can't just press within a window from successfully TBing. In order to be able to TB effectively without draining stamina, I need to release before pressing the TB button, but releasing the button negates the capacity to guard counter. Make it something along the lines of permitting strong attack to guard counter within 100ms + fastest boss attack from one move to the next (absolute time). ( https://www.arealme.com/reaction-test/en/ )
Mmm... the TB negates any blocked hit stamina drain, but the following actions will use stamina normally, being a GC or any other action.
In previous IMCO versions, I allowed players to cancel the GC animation at the very first frame after the last hit frame, so you could perform a GC and dodge/block inmediatelly with no recovery window. But after many testing I realized this was somewhat unbalanced, because it turned combat into a uni-dimensional TB>GC loop. So I reverted it and let a bit of recovery window in order to make players to decide when is a proper situation to GC and when it is better to use a regular attack after the TB. These recovery windows for all GC are still shorter than vanilla ones though.
GC are very powerful attacks than can trivialize difficulty if being spammable freely, so I wanted to achieve a balance.
>In previous IMCO versions, I allowed players to cancel the GC animation at the very first frame after the last hit frame, so you could perform a GC and dodge/block inmediatelly with no recovery window. But after many testing I realized this was somewhat unbalanced, because it turned combat into a uni-dimensional TB>GD loop.
M8, you need to realize that you're trying to improve a one-dimensionsal combat system in the first place that requires slowly and painfully dying a million times until you know every single opening for your current weapon and boss until the HP bar is zero. Base combat is the 1D dodge, hit in opening loop. Current version IMCO is TB->GC; die to boss spam. Previous version with the superior TB->GC loop; skill through everything where you can take on hordes of enemies at once like in MGRR while also first-timing bosses if skilled enough. Yes, if you implement a fundamentally different system, you're going to unbalance everything in the entire game. ERTE is the only solution at your disposal: you're improving an otherwise flat combat system in the first place :)
And before someone mentions it: dodge and TB existing simultaneously are redundancies. Removing the TB->GC loop like you did only makes dodging necessary in a manner that regresses the system back to pure vanilla combat insofar as it is necessary as you cannot in fact build dodges onto GCs nor vice versa afaiu. Needs a total rework overall to be less flat.
No, not really, I mean, I reverted the change but only at some extent. GC recovery windows are still way shorter in IMCO/ERTE than in vanilla. It is just not so extreme now as in previous IMCO versions. It looked a bit weird also, player dodge/block cancel at the very first frame after the hit ones chopped off the GC animation in a too abrupt way.
Lets say you can GC with more leniency in IMCO than in vanilla, but its not completelly free.
Precisely, if you notice in that gif I posted, I perform two GC after the TB, and at least one of them would have been punished in vanilla. TB>GC loop is still there, but not as broken as in previous versions.
Dodge and TB are not redundant indeed, there are situations where using dodge is better, and others where it is better to TB. Take a look at this video example of an ERTE Margit boss fight, TB based:
Nice to know it is working. Take into account there could be some issues with some weapons because Convergence also edits anibnd.dcx file heavily, so replacing it with IMCO one can make some things to break.
How do I merge this mod with Elden Ring - Defuckenated?
I tried to replace the chr file but it doesn't seem to change anything, well beside dodging become rolling but everything else seems to be the same. Are there any change on regulation.bin file as well beside Timed Block?
I have compared the vanilla .bin file and the one provided, doesn't seem to be any other changes beside the Time blocked. Were there something that I do wrong?
THANK YOU SO MUCH. I could absolutely not play this game due to the movement. I have played too many competitive FPS games and games like like Chiv 2 and Skyrim so much, I must have the screen locked in on direction when moving...this is so much more intuitive now...why the game was not made normally in the 1st place is beyond me.
Good to know you are enjoying it! There are another issues with combat mechanic in ER I have not addressed, like the horrible lock on system or the dodge being on button release, but now at least player character doesnt feel like a wretched old man.
Mmm.. I have just tested and its working perfectly fine on my side.
Ah I see you merged with Convergence. Most probably there will be issues here and there, Convergence is a big overhaul with many changes on weapons and animations.
583 comments
From a pair updates ago, I have kept the possibility to early cancel the attack animations, but I restricted the possibility to cancel during the active hit frames for the fine tuned weapons. This reduces the freedom a bit, but avoids few oddities when cancelling some attacks. It also keeps the "attack commitment" a bit, so you still have to calculate when to attack, although not in a so rigid way as in vanilla.
New features added: Timed Block mechanic and Weight Load added to light weight dashes.
****** INSTRUCTIONS FOR MERGING WITH OTHER MODS ******
In order to merge IMCO modifications with other mods, you will have to merge:
Animations files: These files are the TAE files you can find when decompressing the anibnd.dcx animations file with Yabber. They modify the speed of all attacks chains combos and the speed of some animations itselves, and also modify basic mobility actions.
- TAEs from 00 to 16: Changes in basic mobility animations, like rolling, crouching, throwing daggers, blocking, etc. DO NOT MERGE THESE TAEs with mods that also use them for basic mobility actions, like ERReforged.
- TAEs from 20 to 852: Changes in weapons attacks. Each TAE is a regular weapon category (some weapons share same attacks animations) or an special weapon one (some weapons have their own specific animations).
Params files: There files are the.CSV files you can find when exporting params data with DSMapstudio after loading a regulation.bin. The params files control multiple aspects of the game.
- SpEffectParam: this .CSV file sets special params, and in IMCO is needed for the Timed Block feature.
Merging process:
You will need both Witchy and DSMapstudio programs.
For the animations:
- Download Witchy from Github and paste it in your hard drive, no need to install anything. You can install it though for faster decompress process using integrated windows right click menu.
- Go to your mod folder where the file anibnd.dcx is. If you are using Mod Engine 2, it will be inside the folder >chr.
- Drag and drop this anibnd.dcx file into Witchy executable, or use windows right click menu integrated Witchy. Once the anibnd.dcx file is unpacked, you can erase it/move it elsewhere.
- The new created folder c0000-anibnd-dcx is where all the TAE files are. Navigate into it until you can see the TAE files.
- Now, go to the IMCO TAE folder you downloaded from Nexus. Copy the TAE files you want to replace with, and paste them over the previous generated TAE files. TAE from 00 to 16 are basic player movements animations, the rest are for the different weapons. Depending on the mod, you will replace all of them or just a few. For example, mods that only focus on magic attacks animations can have all the TAE provided replaced, but mods that also changes basic player mobility animations will need to keep the TAEs from 00 to 16 intact.
- Once TAE are replaced, repack that c0000-anibnd-dcx folder with Witchy (drag and drop over witchy.exe or use right click menu) into a new anibnd.dcx file. That new anibnd.dcx file will have both mods TAE merged and compressed into it. Now you can also erase the uncompressed folder created with Witchy and just keep the new anibnd.dcx file.
Dont forget to add the c000_a00_hi.anibnd.dcx (Sekiro Dash add on) in the same >chr folder as this new anibnd.dcx file is.
For the params CSV files:
- Download DSMapstudio from github or discord ?ServerName? server and paste it in your hard drive, no need to install anything.
- Open DSMastudio executable and create a new project (>File >New Project). Select the same folder as your merge regulation.bin is. Select game executable.
- Go to >Param Editor and in the params sections (the one in the left) select the param that matches the name of the CSV you are going to merge. For IMCO you will have to select spEffectParam.
- Go to >Edit >Import CSV >From File... >All and select the provided IMCO SpEffectParam CSV file. Make sure you selected the correct delimiter ";" in Import options.
Done, you have merged both mods.
One easy way to add it by yourself would be copypasting Icon Shield hp regen effect, edit that new effect making it to regen fp instead, and inserting this effect in a talisman you then equip. All this can be done easily using DSMapStudio
You have a brief tutorial in the sticky post.
I mean, you will roll as vanilla but you will be able to cancel it earlier, and this could create some visual jankyness. Other than that, thats the easiest way to do it.
Still, it wouldn't hurt you to just make two versions for with and without Timed Blocks.
Unfortunately cant allow block cancel earlier than R1 follow up cancel, because then if player keeps the block button pressed whilst attacking, the first R1 of the combo chain is cancelled into itself. This looks very janky, specially when left handing torches.
Still, the block cancel is set earlier than vanilla and just a pair of frames later than the dodge cancel.
I will probably add block cancel in between hits for multihit animations though in future updates.
As for Timed Blocks, I'm confused. You wrote that it's been removed and made optional to install via DSMapStudio. Nowhere in the readme nor the pinned comment here does it say anything about keeping or removing the regulation.bin to enable or disable Timed Blocks (which I've wanted enabled the whole time), so I made a new project in DSMapStudio, edited the Params, and that's it.
As for what you mean with regards to the R1 blocking and "cancelling into itself", you'll have to clarify.
I did many experiments, and I personally didnt like how it looked, nor I do like how it looks in Reforged. In IMCO theres still a bit of pushback when player blocks, and this keeps the feeling of being hit. But as you said, this has a downside, that is not being able to properly TB very quick multihits.
Its a trade off.
Still, 2handed weapons cancel the post block anim faster than shields (it looks better), so when 2h weapons like swords most multihit can be TB. But yeah, there will be some of them that are just too quick.
The self cancel thing is another thing. Basically you cancel R1-1 into R1-1 over and over infinitely if pressing block button (until your stamina depletes). This happens if I allow to block cancel earlier than R1 cancel.
Did you download latest update? In latest update the Readme explains briefly that in order to use TB you just use the provided regulation.bin.
The issue I had (I already beat Margit today) was specifically not being able to immediately guard after guard countering. Maybe I just didn't notice with normal meleeing, but guard counters are definitely failing me here, and this one is most definitely on the devs. From footage I've seen of people playing the game on YouTube, these cheap spam attacks from the boss with zero defensive options in that regard seem to be a common theme. At least IMCO allows you to now dodge those, but I'm not interested in dodging all day because of some retarded boss design from From Software. The RNG is what saved me here ultimately even with the increase in skill since this obstacle is impossible to overcome and reduces to the pure vanilla combat system unless you fix this (and I hope said future update will be soon ;-;).
> Its a trade off.
A trade off that shouldn't exist from the perspective of good design. I can dodge and weave all day, and also hit things mindlessly, but if offense trades off defense and vice versa, then all I'm doing—all that I can be doing—is looking for openings by memorizing unique attack patterns rather than becoming more capacitive through skill and able to take on new and old attack patterns—even constantly varying ones—because I have the capacity [skill] and agency to react to anything, though the poor advertising of attacks (both visible and audible) certainly doesn't help anyone no matter how good the combat system.
Because of this retarded mentality that's infected many people's minds today of "risk-reward' like this you're gambling in a casino (as opposed to reward and punishment for the sake of nurturing and guiding) and "there's always a trade-off" (even though individual capacities exist in their own right without mutual contingency), this sort of stuff passes for good in the "wisdom" of laymen, who, after then being deceived through experiencing the appearance of proof of their naive theories (and it's "proof" because they naively presume so), become gatekeepers that pass on error as fact, and armchair designers who think they know better than human tradition and the wisdom of the academic and the learned in the industry. I'm sure you understand what I'm talking about. I mean, heck, bruv! The ER gatekeepers and fanboys have even forced Shadiversity's hand! I can't believe the disrespect for such person's wisdom! You've done a better job than From Software as far as I can tell. They seem as equally deluded as the very fanboys they've created. I thank you for this mod making this game worth at least 5/6ths of its full price.
I'm not 100% sure why people praise such poor combat design in the base game. Taking away all manner of agency, and then punishing your mere attempts to progress with cheap punishments like Margit's glowing sword, and insanely disproportionate punishments, namely death, for making any kind of mistake, is not how you make an enjoyable experience that relies solely on the player's skill. The leveling system doesn't help at all and would be better if they just tossed stamina and the entire leveling system altogether. It's not hard to solve this without tossing the difficulty if you think about it. Seems it's up to modders as usual (Minecraft much?) to do "corporations'" jobs.
Also yeah I haven't been using shields, just two-handing. I can't be bothered to go look for shields with parry when I can just git gud with two-handing anyways, and the Timed Block removes the need for any kind of pointless defense stuff not pertaining to skill.
I should also note that I am strongly of the opinion that agency (one's capacity to exercise one's capacities) should never or almost never be taken away as it's the very cause of skill. Instead of taking it away, it should be mutated, so for instance, any sort of passive harm should not even so much as stun the player, but provide an immediate change in how agency is applied. For a more straightforward example, if there's a poison mushroom effect, perhaps try applying screen effects that warp the appearance of things without even changing the base mechanics and that will be like changing all the mechanics (if it's disorienting enough). If the player gets seriously cut on an arm by an attack, disable that arm, but double the capacity of what remains in the good arm, and restrict it to various kinds of one-handed attacks and defenses. In this way, skill truly is the only issue because the possibility of overcoming was never truly taken away from the player, only mutated into something different as a result of a defect being applied (whether temporary or not). Only as a last resort and as the most severe of punishments (e.g., being absolutely careless or getting too comfortable with certain kinds of errant or inefficient attack patterns) should agency be removed.
Installation:
Use Mod Engine 2, and put the provided \chr folder inside Mod Engine 2 \mod folder.
If you want to use Timed Blocks without merging other mod, also just add the provided regulation.bin inside Mod Engine 2 \mod folder.
If you want to use Timed Blocks merging with other mod, discard the provided regulation.bin, and you will have to edit that other mod regulation.bin using DSMapStudio and import the provided .csv file in spEffectParam category.
That is, if no merging, you dont have to do any additional step other than copy pasting the provided \chr filder and reg.bin file.
I also agree with the faulty ER combat design. Besides the weird long uncancellable recovery times and slow wind ups for most attacks, there are issues with lock on system and camera. And dont get me started ranting about the horrible design of dodge being on button release instead of on button press. At least IMCO improves it a lot, although this makes the game easier. But Im my opinion difficulty should not be a consequence of clunky players mobility, thats and old design that should be discarded.
When I mentioned trade off I meant a trade off between improved gameplay and visual polishment. Unfortunately game is not designed with free block cancel in mind so if allowing it there would be some ugly visual hiccups. So I made it as free as possible avoiding jankiness.
I also added a brief post-TB auto damage negation window, so very quick multihits will be automatically damage-negated. But this only kicks in when TBng really quick ones.
I think the only Margits attack sequence that cant be properly TBd currently (because they are too quick) is the double holy dagger slash, rest can be TBd. Let me record a test video to show.
Afaict I can TB everything provided I don't guard counter. Unfortunately, I would say it's a little awkward to TB and then press guard counter as a second action that I can't just press within a window from successfully TBing. In order to be able to TB effectively without draining stamina, I need to release before pressing the TB button, but releasing the button negates the capacity to guard counter. Make it something along the lines of permitting strong attack to guard counter within 100ms + fastest boss attack from one move to the next (absolute time). ( https://www.arealme.com/reaction-test/en/ )
In previous IMCO versions, I allowed players to cancel the GC animation at the very first frame after the last hit frame, so you could perform a GC and dodge/block inmediatelly with no recovery window. But after many testing I realized this was somewhat unbalanced, because it turned combat into a uni-dimensional TB>GC loop. So I reverted it and let a bit of recovery window in order to make players to decide when is a proper situation to GC and when it is better to use a regular attack after the TB. These recovery windows for all GC are still shorter than vanilla ones though.
GC are very powerful attacks than can trivialize difficulty if being spammable freely, so I wanted to achieve a balance.
GC and dodge/block inmediatelly with no recovery window. But after many
testing I realized this was somewhat unbalanced, because it turned
combat into a uni-dimensional TB>GD loop.
M8, you need to realize that you're trying to improve a one-dimensionsal combat system in the first place that requires slowly and painfully dying a million times until you know every single opening for your current weapon and boss until the HP bar is zero. Base combat is the 1D dodge, hit in opening loop. Current version IMCO is TB->GC; die to boss spam. Previous version with the superior TB->GC loop; skill through everything where you can take on hordes of enemies at once like in MGRR while also first-timing bosses if skilled enough. Yes, if you implement a fundamentally different system, you're going to unbalance everything in the entire game. ERTE is the only solution at your disposal: you're improving an otherwise flat combat system in the first place :)
And before someone mentions it: dodge and TB existing simultaneously are redundancies. Removing the TB->GC loop like you did only makes dodging necessary in a manner that regresses the system back to pure vanilla combat insofar as it is necessary as you cannot in fact build dodges onto GCs nor vice versa afaiu. Needs a total rework overall to be less flat.
Lets say you can GC with more leniency in IMCO than in vanilla, but its not completelly free.
Precisely, if you notice in that gif I posted, I perform two GC after the TB, and at least one of them would have been punished in vanilla. TB>GC loop is still there, but not as broken as in previous versions.
Dodge and TB are not redundant indeed, there are situations where using dodge is better, and others where it is better to TB. Take a look at this video example of an ERTE Margit boss fight, TB based:
Margit Boss Fight Timed Blocks based
"CSV has wrong number of values"
What could it possibly be? Thanks!
I tried to replace the chr file but it doesn't seem to change anything, well beside dodging become rolling but everything else seems to be the same.
Are there any change on regulation.bin file as well beside Timed Block?
I have compared the vanilla .bin file and the one provided, doesn't seem to be any other changes beside the Time blocked.
Were there something that I do wrong?
Try cancelling a charged R2 in the wind up. If you can cancel it, I guess the mod is working.
I love this mod so much, really!
The only problem i have is the Rivers of Blood, i cant hit anything when using normal attack :(
other attackmoveset are perfectly fine tho
Any ideas how to fix this?
Thanks!!!
Ah I see you merged with Convergence. Most probably there will be issues here and there, Convergence is a big overhaul with many changes on weapons and animations.