Version 1.1.1 was just released which includes some QOL changes and bug fixes to the configuration file. Here is the changelog which goes into the whole scope of this update.
If you run into any issues, check out the FAQ and known issues section on the mod page. If you still got questions afterwards, feel free leave a comment with as much information as possible and I will take a look at it.
Last but not least, a huge thank you to everyone providing feedback, testing or endorsing my mods :)
4/100 of course. I mean in the default configuration file there are 25 actions each with a 4% chance which literally adds up to a 100. There is also a note in the configuration page of the wiki that explains that anything past the sum of 100 of all action chances is ignored. There are even examples.
Yo Xeavin long time no see! Good 2 see you are still on the modding scene. I wanted to ask you, do you think it's possible to be able to spawn allies like Gabranth to fight by your side like when you fight Vayne? I would like to get back into modding this as well.
Hi, what you described already exists in the vanilla game unless I misunderstood you. Gabranth is basically a friendly foe that was specifically created for that location. If you want to modify that in any way or do the same for other locations, you need to modify the ebp script of a location with the VM Script De/Compiler. There is no guide on how to get started on that, so you would need to learn by looking at already existing scripts and try to replicate it with some trial and error. If you got any questions, you can always ask them in the modding discord though. This mod page wouldn't really the place for it tbh as its not related to this mod.
Thank you. Appreciate the hard work. I wanted to know if I could make a "Shades of Tech" where it only uses Technicks like Numerology, Souleater, Traveler, Horology, and many others.
So, I have implemented the instructions you have mentioned on Discord, and thank you once again. My final question: is it possible to create two different versions of Shades of Black where one version does magick and another version does technick within the same game without installing multiple mods? And thank you in advance.
Its technically possible, but not with this mod, nor do I plan to add it sometime in the future as that would require replacing an already existing action. Technically it could be made compatible via a config, but it could maybe overcomplicate this mod which I rather avoid. I may rethink it in the future, not sure.
The list shows different black magic spells that the technique can cast than what the mod descriptions mentions, for both versions. Not a big deal, but thought I'd mention. -- My 5.883 cents. I always liked the random nature of SoB, but it's so very dominant up to mid-game and still stays fairly strong and useful for a while after. The option of making it weaker would only change how soon it's going to become obsolete, without fixing its power spike in the early game. But what if it was possible to also make the technique cost HP, or MP, or GIL, or even a portion of a Mist gauge? I can't say how possible it is to mod it that way, but some sort of a configurable payment would make the technique more fair, especially with the ability to readjust the spells table that Curated Shades provides.
Oh, I must have mixed something up then, as I was working in a similar script for the insurgent's past where all these spells except Ardor are included, but each with their own chance. I have updated the mod description now and will publish a minor update soon that also addresses the default configuration. Thanks for pointing it out.
As for your suggestions: The thing with Shades of Black is that unlike other actions, its formula is not processed at all. So it only refers to another action and can therefore include no tweaks such as the ones you mentioned. To allow that, I would either have to find a way to allow the processing of its formula, or create these options from scratch via a configuration file. The latter however would only allow me to do so much and would, depending on the amount of options, possibly bloat the mod which I want to avoid. I will have to take a look at this another time in the future.
The default script's configuration also uses the Original game's spell list (compared to what wiki says) minus Ardor. Don't know if it was intended, but that's half of what I planned to do anyway. Since SoB can only refer to another action, I just tried a different approach. No no-damage duds like blind, silence and poison. With added Bonecrusher (kill at the HP cost or get killed), Souleater (may hurt at the worst time or even kill when at low HP) as well as Horology (low trigger chance to stay unpredictable), Numerology (funny to watch it grow big... once in a moon) and Traveler (low chance of triggering, so that it has time to gather more steps). Thought of adding Gil Toss, but that's just downright cruel. Three out of those, just like SoB itself, are potentially very powerful but in a more exciting way, with the other two being high risk high reward technicks. I might add some monster stuff if I see something peculiar as I play. Self-Sacrifice (407) was funny, but too powerful and hits in big AoE. -- Anyways, thanks for the mod, while I don't yet see ways of making SoB more balanced early game without nerfing it to the ground, at least I found a new toy to play with.
Those are definitely good workarounds for this limitation. I will publish another mod in the future that will allow to modify action formulas, so when that is released, you could use your current workaround in combination with it to basically create almost any type of action you want. Until then, you can play around with what's possible.
Words cant describe how happy this mod made me, I was just thinking of something like this when revisiting my SFF playthrough, I woke up the next day and said why not check Nexus - low and behold this editor is here
This allows a lot of flexibility: early game or in LLG, you can reign in the upper ridiculousness of SoB by removing spells like Scathe but improving your odds of lv2 and later lv3 spells, making it more consistently useful yet less overpowered. Or instead you can opt for a full status effect lineup by removing the elemental spells and instead going with stuff like Sleep, Slow, Silence, Bio, and Scourge for a dedicated but random debuffer - a different take on the Arcane toolset. This would be fun as well for a Shades only run where you can use this as your source of offensive magic, making it stronger over time (when you reach Raithwall, Archades, & Pharos perhaps)
This mod is amazing! Shades have always been one of my favorite technicks and this makes it compliment some builds even more
20 comments
If you run into any issues, check out the FAQ and known issues section on the mod page. If you still got questions afterwards, feel free leave a comment with as much information as possible and I will take a look at it.
Last but not least, a huge thank you to everyone providing feedback, testing or endorsing my mods :)
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My 5.883 cents. I always liked the random nature of SoB, but it's so very dominant up to mid-game and still stays fairly strong and useful for a while after. The option of making it weaker would only change how soon it's going to become obsolete, without fixing its power spike in the early game.
But what if it was possible to also make the technique cost HP, or MP, or GIL, or even a portion of a Mist gauge? I can't say how possible it is to mod it that way, but some sort of a configurable payment would make the technique more fair, especially with the ability to readjust the spells table that Curated Shades provides.
As for your suggestions: The thing with Shades of Black is that unlike other actions, its formula is not processed at all. So it only refers to another action and can therefore include no tweaks such as the ones you mentioned. To allow that, I would either have to find a way to allow the processing of its formula, or create these options from scratch via a configuration file. The latter however would only allow me to do so much and would, depending on the amount of options, possibly bloat the mod which I want to avoid. I will have to take a look at this another time in the future.
Since SoB can only refer to another action, I just tried a different approach. No no-damage duds like blind, silence and poison. With added Bonecrusher (kill at the HP cost or get killed), Souleater (may hurt at the worst time or even kill when at low HP) as well as Horology (low trigger chance to stay unpredictable), Numerology (funny to watch it grow big... once in a moon) and Traveler (low chance of triggering, so that it has time to gather more steps). Thought of adding Gil Toss, but that's just downright cruel.
Three out of those, just like SoB itself, are potentially very powerful but in a more exciting way, with the other two being high risk high reward technicks. I might add some monster stuff if I see something peculiar as I play. Self-Sacrifice (407) was funny, but too powerful and hits in big AoE.
--
Anyways, thanks for the mod, while I don't yet see ways of making SoB more balanced early game without nerfing it to the ground, at least I found a new toy to play with.
This allows a lot of flexibility: early game or in LLG, you can reign in the upper ridiculousness of SoB by removing spells like Scathe but improving your odds of lv2 and later lv3 spells, making it more consistently useful yet less overpowered. Or instead you can opt for a full status effect lineup by removing the elemental spells and instead going with stuff like Sleep, Slow, Silence, Bio, and Scourge for a dedicated but random debuffer - a different take on the Arcane toolset. This would be fun as well for a Shades only run where you can use this as your source of offensive magic, making it stronger over time (when you reach Raithwall, Archades, & Pharos perhaps)
This mod is amazing! Shades have always been one of my favorite technicks and this makes it compliment some builds even more