Version :y12m12d16
Date :12/16/2012
Category:Gameplay Effects and Changes
Mod's Website :http://newvegas.nexusmods.com/mods/48630

Description

This mod makes everyone's health delicate (by altering game settings). The health you and the NPCs will have will be entirely dependant on the Endurance stat (aside from 10 bonus points given by the formula, see below), making it more important.

Detail

I started from this premise: the most durable actor, based only in the game settings, without any armor, would have to die from one shot in the torso of the most powerful weapon (damage-wise) in the game. That weapon would be the energy rifle YCS/186, according to the Fallout: New Vegas wikia weapon page, with a whopping 140 damage per shot. But this shot would not damage his health more than the strict necessary to death. Since the torso default multiplier is x1, he would have to have 140 health total. That is not taking into account any perk. The health formula, according to this entry in the geck website:

Health = (END*fAVDHealthEnduranceMult) + (10+((LVL-1)*fAVDHealthLevelMult)) + (90+(fAVDHealthEnduranceMult*fAVDHealthEnduranceOffset)

I edited all this values in GECK, for both the player and NPCs, as follows:
fAVDHealthEnduranceMult: from 20 to 13 (Player)
from 5 to 13 (NPC)

fAVDHealthLevelMult: from 10 to 0 (Player)
from 5 to 0 (NPC)

fAVDHealthEnduranceOffset: from 0 to -7 (Player)
from -1 to -7 (NPC)

As you can see, things got exactly the same for both player and NPCs, and it will reduce the health a lot. Let me give you an example:

Let's say that you and an NPC (George) have 3 Endurance, and you both are level 1. It's a pretty low value, so both of you should not be very durable. Let's see what your health will look like in both vanilla setting and my mod:

You (Vanilla): 160
George (Vanilla): 110

As you can see, even though you both have only 3 Endurance, you both have more than 100 health, and you have a clear advantage over George. Let's examine the mod values.

You (Delicate): 48
George (Delicate): 48

Now the values are more in line with 3 Endurance, and both of you are in the same boat. Again, that is not counting perks.

All this goes to make a more deadly, fast-paced and overall fair game, in my opinion.

Alternate Version(s)

pwinkle version: User pwinkle suggested the fAVDHealthLevelMult value be set to 1, making advancing levels render a tiny bit of bonus to health (virtually the amount of health correspondent to level, e.g., level 15, 15 bonus health). Done =)

Known Issues and Bugs

Nothing can go wrong, the mod changes just a few settings. Of course, some parts of the game will be trickier with this mod installed like

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SPOILER ALERT!
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the Nellis air strike.

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END OF SPOILER ALERT!
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If there's some part of the game that seems impossible with this mod on, just deactivate it, go through the part and reactivate.

Incompatibilities

Will only conflict with mods that change those settings. Nothing serious though, the latest in the load order will win possible conflicts.

Contact

Contact me right here, on the Nexus.

Manual installation

Just extract the zip file and drop the esp in the Data folder.

Nexus Mod Manager Installation

Download or add the mod with manager and activate it.

Manual Uninstallation

Remove the esp from the Data folder.

Nexus Mod Manager Uninstallation

Just uninstall in NMM.

Tools Used:

• G.E.C.K.
• 7Zip
  

Recommended Mods

Alternatives:

-Health Balance (My less extreme tinkering with health values. Still less health than Vanilla, though)
-Bodypart Data Mod (My mod that aims to make the game more deadly, but changing Bodypart Data on the GECK)
-Realistic Weapons Damages - New Vegas (A classic. If you want to know how nice a more realistic damage setup can be, go to this mod page and watch the video)

Legal and Licensing