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When modders first started modding this game, over five years ago, we didn't know how to do many things properly. We didn't understand the way the game's files worked, we didn't understand how to properly add new files to the game, we didn't understand what many things did, and we didn't understand how different mechanics worked together behind the scenes. We used some very crude methods to accomplish some of the things we wanted to do because it seemed to work fine at the time. Over time it has grown into a big problem for me though. The files are a mess and it's limiting what I can do with the mod.
Version 5.0 will focus on completely remaking this mod from scratch. Clean edits to all of the files so everything is clear and simple again, and everything just works as it's intended to. This will potentially allow me to do some things with the mod that I've wanted to for a while. This will be quite a large project, so don't expect it anytime in the very near future, but it is what I plan to work on next in regards to this mod. It's something I have been thinking about doing for a long time and I think it's something that really needs to be done.
Version 5.0 will likely be the first update to include the nightmare edition of the mod that I've talked about before. I will also be looking at reworking how damage from explosives and fire works. I want to take another good look at the skill trees and see if I can do anything interesting with them. Finally, I'd like to rework the syringes in the game because I feel most of them aren't very useful.
How I want explosives to work in the future:
• Explosion damage will be spread throughout several rings that are centered around the source of the explosion. The more rings you are hit by, the more damage you take. This will effectively add a gradual damage fall-off to explosives, so they don't do massive damage when you barely got hit by them.
• Each ring from the explosion will do one of two types of damage: explosive or physical.
• Explosive damage is from the inner rings of an explosion, with the biggest ring of this type being about the same size as the visual explosion that you see. As in the vanilla game, this type of damage will completely ignore body armor so all damage will be dealt directly to the player's health. The Ironsides skill will reduce this damage for the player, but NPCs will always take full damage from this damage type.
• Physical damage is from the outer rings of an explosion, simulating the effect of shrapnel and debris. The number of rings of this type, as well as the maximum range, will vary depending on the type of explosive used. For example, a frag grenade will do a much higher ratio of physical damage than something like C4. Physical damage can be reduced by body armor, but won't be reduced by the Ironsides skill (except in the casual edition of the mod). This damage will also be reduced on NPCs wearing armor.
• Both types of damage will also scale properly with difficulty.
Some details on the nightmare edition of the mod:
• Compass, health bar, armor bar and syringe counter removed from the HUD.
• All weapons removed from the shop other than the 1911 and melee weapons. (No attachments for the 1911)
• Ammo and consumables removed from the shop.
• Several crafting upgrades removed, reducing the amount of supplies you can carry.
• Loot tables completely redone. Junk loot removed. Looting will be the only way to obtain ammo, and you'll need to use whatever you can find.
• Manual healing disabled. Can only heal by crafting syringes.
• Reduced ammo from weapons dropped by NPCs.
There will be some other changes to this edition of the mod as well, but those are some of the more game-changing highlights. The goal for this edition of the mod is to take you out of your comfort zone of just being able to buy whatever weapon you like and use it for the entire game. You pick up what you can find, and use whatever ammo you can find for it. Stealth will be much more important when ammo is somewhat scarce. You might not have enough ammo for the weapon you want to use so you'll have to switch out your weapons frequently in order to survive.
Some other Far Cry 3 projects I am hoping to tackle at some point this year:
• Modding guides. Many people have asked for me to teach them more about how to mod this game so they can customize it to their personal liking. I have already started writing some guides to walk people through it in a very easy-to-follow way. I hope people will use these guides to customize their game to their liking since I cannot create custom mods for everyone.
• Modding resource packs. To compliment the guides I am writing I am working on some resource packs that will help people better understand how the game's files work, and how to edit them more easily. A lot of useful tools and files to help people customize the game to their liking.
• An alternate version of my mod designed for first-time players or people who prefer the vanilla game's balance. My Far Cry 3 mod has added a lot to the game, but the only way to get that extra content is by playing the game through my mod. I am planning on making another version of the mod that will strip away all of the rebalancing that I did. This alternate mod will allow players to experience the game the way the developers intended, but with the additional content I have added to the game.
20 comments
Also, please, make the leaf icons on the compass simple again, as they were in the past. I ask this on behalf my old (literally) man. He can't make out the complex icons you use, due to his color-blindness.
- more immersive -- definitely. Losing most of the HUD garbage and environmental cues is fantastic. You will probably need to play through the unmodded game first to figure it out.
- varied -- only in how you have to adapt your game play and really focus on hunting and gathering, and stealth. The animals, pirates and environment appear to be unchanged
- difficult -- way more difficult. But not impossible.
- weight as a limitation of load-out, armour, stuff you can pick up &ct: how much you can carry in total weight, how much it slows you down, and whether you can do stuff like wing-suit, swim and climb steep terrain. Get rid of all the wallets, pouches and handbags. You can carry what you can carry, no more, no less.
- you can sell weapons you don't want/need.
- heavies (enemy armoured dudes) are too numerous, too poorly armed, too ambulatory, and too difficult to kill. They should be limited to base or vehicles, manning mounted HMGs and grenade launchers (or mortars).
- large predators should be faster, stealthier, more dangerous, and more vulnerable to crippling/lethal damage. They should run away when fired upon and circle back, not charge the guns.
- enemies (pirates & privateers). should STFU, during firefights, instead of shouting threats and insults. Pirates might do this, relatively trained and professional soldiers not. They should also react with better defensive maneuvers to incoming fire, including firing back from behind cover, and using flanking tactics
- RPG launchers have ridiculous range and accuracy
- when you are injured, you are slowed down, louder, and can't hold your gun steady.
Anyway, if any of this is doable, I think it might improve the game. I look forward to trying your mod!
You mentioned that you are interested in creating a guide to modding Far Cry 3. I've learned the basics myself, but I'm having trouble with two things.
First, starting in version 4.0 of your mod, you made NPCs do less damage to NPCs that the player has to protect in order to complete a mission (such as Oliver). Did you accomplish that by modifying the enemy NPCs' weapons (perhaps within the WeaponProperties files in entitylibrary.fcb), by editing the protected NPCs (like Oliver), or some other way? I'd really appreciate knowing which files you changed.
Next, how do you edit .xml files which represent data in binhex format? There are files I'd like to edit (e.g., encounterspawnsettings.lib), and I know how to convert them into .xml files, but they contain lines like '<field hash="D0BDA715" type="BinHex">00000043</field>', and I have no idea how to decode them. Do you use a hex editor, and if so, which one? Or do you have another method?
(BTW, I'm not planning on releasing a mod that uses your work. These are for my personal use, and if I were to put it online, I would ask your permission first).