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Version1.3
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About this mod
This mod seeks to improve Prey's game balance without substantially altering its core design, with optional modules for hardcore and casual players.
- Permissions and credits
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Credits and distribution permission
- Other user's assets All the assets in this file belong to the author, or are from free-to-use modder's resources
- Upload permission You are not allowed to upload this file to other sites under any circumstances
- Modification permission You must get permission from me before you are allowed to modify my files to improve it
- Conversion permission You are not allowed to convert this file to work on other games under any circumstances
- Asset use permission You must get permission from me before you are allowed to use any of the assets in this file
- Asset use permission in mods/files that are being sold You are not allowed to use assets from this file in any mods/files that are being sold, for money, on Steam Workshop or other platforms
- Asset use permission in mods/files that earn donation points You are not allowed to earn Donation Points for your mods if they use my assets
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- Changelogs
-
-
Version 1.3
- -Removed auto-reload on security weapons when running out of ammo as reload animations can no longer be canceled due to the Survival Mode patch
- -Decreased Lab Tech I/II Neuromod cost from 4/6 to 3/5 (was not actually implemented as claimed in the initial changelist)
- -Decreased Mimic Matter I/II/III Neuromod cost from 2/4/5 to 2/3/4 (was not actually implemented as claimed in the initial changelist)
- -Changed GLOO ammo fabrication plan from 0/0/2/0 to 0/0/1/0 (was not actually implemented as claimed in the initial changelist)
- -Updated fSlide damage reduction in changelist to 75% (already in the game, initial changelist wrongly claimed 80%)
- -Decreased Mimic Matter I/II/III psi drain from 2/2/2 psi/s to 1/1/1 psi/s
- -Decreased Psionic Aptitude I/II/III Neuromod cost from 2/3/5 to 1/2/3
- -Increased Psychoshock psi cost from 30 to 35
- -Increased Superthermal psi cost from 45 to 55
- -Increased Nightmare Mindjack resistance from 50% to 75%
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Version 1.2
- -Included the LESSAMMO module, which was accidentally neglected in the previous version
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Version 1.1
- -Inventory max stack count changes (can always carry multiple stacks):
- -NOTE: May require a new game
- -GLOO ammo from 10000 to 500
- -Q-beam cells from 10000 to 500
- -Disruptor batteries from 10000 to 500
- -Psi hypos from 1000 to 20
- -All food from 1000 to 5
- -All alchohol from 1000 to 5
- -Superfruit from 10 to 5
- -Difficulty modifier changes (Story/Easy/Normal/Hard/Nightmare):
- -NOTE: New game not required
- -Added a 0.4/0.7/1.0/1.2/1.4x multiplier for concussion and fracture trauma intake
- -Reverted bleed trauma intake from 0.1/0.5/1.0/1.0/1.0x to 0.1/0.5/1.0/1.4/1.6x
- -Corrected the accidental removal of the "Cures fear" clause from the whiskey tooltip
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Version 1.0
- -Added a baseline oxygen decay at 100% suit condition. Now you have:
- -11:04 between 66-100% (between 33-66% vanilla)
- -8:18 between 33-66%
- -5:32 between 0-33% (vanilla)
- -2:46 at 0% (vanilla)
- -Decreased food burst healing from 5HP to 1HP
- -Decreased special food (Green Tea, Kafe Karsk, Siskak Unagi Rollz, Jellied Eels, Fish Sticks) burst psi from 5 psi to 4 psi.
- -Decreased special food WellFed bonus duration by half
- -Increased the duration of the WellFed bonus by 5x, decreased the healing rate by 2.5x to 0.4HP/s, decreased the stamina boost from 100% to 50%
- -Psi-healing food adds half of the effect of normal food
- -Metabolic boost doubles the duration
- -Duration stacks up to 6 instances of normal food (3 with Metabolic Boost)
- -Increased base medkit healing from 30HP to 40HP (see difficulty changes and changes to Field Surgeon for context)
- -Decreased psi healing from water fountains (after completing the "Psychic Water" quest) from 50 psi to 4 psi
- -Increased the duration of the drunk status by 5x to encourage its use to block fear and grant boosted physical damage
- -Duration stacks up to 3 drinks
- -The duration added by each instance of food/alcohol actually increases as you consume them, so strict estimates are difficult to provide
- -Decreased weapon repair rate per spare part from 25/35/50% to 5/10/20% with Repair I/II/III
- -Weapon durabilities (all had 100% chance to jam at 1% durability, except the Huntress which could not degrade or jam):
- -Shotgun durability loss of 0.5% per shot, 60% chance to jam below 5% durability
- -Pistol durability loss of 0.2% per shot, 40% chance to jam below 5% durability
- -GLOO durability loss from of 0.2% per shot, 20% chance to jam below 5% durability
- -Stun Gun durability loss from of 0.5% per shot, 75% chance to jam below 5% durability
- -Q-beam durability loss of 0.0125% per shot, 5% chance to jam below 5% durability
- -Huntress durability loss of 0.4% per shot, 40% chance to jam below 5% durability (couldn't break before)
- -Golden Pistol durability loss from of 0.1% per shot, 40% chance to jam below 5% durability
- -Golden Shotgun durability loss from of 0.25% per shot, 60% chance to jam below 5% durability
- -Quadrupled recoil on Pistol (still VERY minor), added the same recoil to Golden Pistol (which had none)
- -Reduced random GLOO ammo pickup count from 12-36 to 12-18
- -Loot tables rebalanced with the following priorities:
- -Drastically reduce the number of Suit Repair Kits (76 slots with high probabilities -> 27 slots with low probabilities)
- -Significantly reduce the number of Psi Hypos
- -Moderately reduce the number of Spare Parts and Medkits, GLOO ammo (there's already a ton in the world), and amount of free food
- -Slightly decrease the number of EMP grenades
- -Slightly increase the number of trauma-clearing items (competing with medkits and psi hypos in medical containers)
- -Slightly preference synthetic over mineral in junk distribution
- -In vanilla, all container types have one slot of guaranteed loot. This is now limited to at most one guaranteed slot of only junk except for high-valued containers
- -Destroyed Engineering Operators now have a 75% chance to carry Q-beam cells OR Stun Gun ammo, latter reduced elsewhere to compensate
- -Decreased the radial menu world slowdown from 100% to 50%
- -Decreased Combat Focus world slowdown from 60% to 50%, increased player slowdown from 40/20/0% to 50/25/0%
- -Increased psi cost of Combat Focus from 20 to 30
- -Removed 0/10/25% bonus damage on Combat Focus I/II/III
- -Decreased Conditioning boosted health from 115 to 110
- -Increased Conditioning boosted stamina from 105 to 110
- -Removed Conditioning speed bonuses (4% sneak, 5% crawl, 5% run)
- -Decreased Toughness I/II/III boosted health from 150/200/300 to 125/150/200
- -Decreased Stamina I/II Neuromod cost from 3/5 to 2/4
- -Standardized Mobility I speed bonuses to be 25% as claimed (sneak was 25%, crawl was 29%, run was 31%)
- -Decreased Psionic Aptitude I/II/III boosted psi pool from 150/200/250 to 120/150/200
- -Removed Nightmare-spawning "heat" from Psionic Aptitude (should only be alien skills)
- -Decreased Physician I medkit bonus from 150% to 125%
- -Decreased Physician II medkit bonus from 300% to 200%
- -Decreased Neurostimulant I psi hypo bonus from 150% to 125%
- -Increased Neurostimulant II Neuromod cost from 3 to 4
- -Increased Sneak Attack II damage multiplier from 250% to 300%
- -Rescaled Suit Modification I/II/III bonus suit chipset slots from 2/2/2 to 1/2/3
- -Increased Suit Modification I/II/III Neuromod cost from 2/4/6 to 3/5/7
- -Rescaled Psychotronics I/II/III bonus scope chipset slots from 2/2/2 to 1/2/3
- -Decreased Psychotronics I/II/III Neuromod cost from 3/5/6 to 2/4/6
- -Decreased Lab Tech I/II Neuromod cost from 4/6 to 3/5
- -Made the last two upgrades to the GLOO's incapacitation rate require Lab Tech II like all other upgrade paths (only the last upgrade required it)
- -Compare the 10/11 upgrades locked by Lab Tech I/II vs the 15/19 upgrades locked by Gunsmith I/II for 4/6 Neuromods, with lower barrier to entry
- -Rescaled Hacking I/II/III/IV puzzle times from 12/17/25/30s to 12/20/24/26s (Tier II hack layouts are denser and more difficult, Tier III and IV are wide open and too lenient)
- -Decreased visiblity while moving with Mimic Matter I/II/III from 1.0/1.0/1.0 to 0.4/0.3/0.2, while standing still from 0.2/0.2/0.2 to 0.2/0.1/-1.0
- -Compare with 0.4 while sneaking (0.25 with Stealth I), 0.3 while crawling (0.2 with Stealth I), and 1.0 when running
- -Decreased Mimic Matter base psi cost at all ranks from 10 to 5
- -Decreased Mimic Matter I/II/III Neuromod cost from 2/4/5 to 2/3/4
- -Increased Phantom Shift cooldown from 0.75 to 2.0 seconds
- -Increased Phantom Shift psi cost from 10 to 15
- -Decreased Psychoshock I/II/III damage from 45/65/90 to 20/40/60
- -Decreased Psychoshock I/II/III nullwave effect from 10/15/20s to 5/10/20s
- -Increased Psychoshock III Neuromod cost from 5 to 7
- -Decreased Superthermal I/II/III damage from 75/100/125 to 50/75/125
- -Increased Superthermal III Neuromod cost from 5 to 7
- -Decreased Kinetic Blast I/II/III damage from 50/75/100 to 40/60/100
- -Increased Kinetic Blast III Neuromod cost from 5 to 7
- -Decreased Electrostatic Burst I/II/III damage from 25/40/55 to 20/30/50
- -Increased Electrostatic Burst III Neuromod cost from 5 to 7
- -Decreased Thermal/Electric/Ether Resistance damage reduction from 50% to 25% (Absorption still grants the full 50%)
- -Decreased Ether Absorption Neuromod cost from 3 to 2
- -Increased Fear Restance reduction from 25% to 50%
- -Decreased Fear Resistance Neuromod cost from 2 to 1
- -Decreased Lift Field II Neuromod cost from 5 to 4
- -Decreased Phantom Genesis I Neuromod cost from 4 to 3
- -Decreased Remote Manipulation III Neuromod cost from 5 to 4
- -Decreased Mindjack I/II/III duration from 20/40/60s to 10/20/40s
- -See resistance changes below; for ranks I and II this is functionally the same for most enemies, just more transparent to the player
- -All Phantoms/Mimics now get the full duration, while Telepaths/Weavers/Nightmare get half
- -Decreased Machine Mind I/II/III duration from 30/60/90s to 20/40/80s
- -Decreased Machine Mind III Neuromod cost from 5 to 4
- -Increased Regeneration I/II Neuromod costs from 3/5 to 4/6
- -Decreased player damage threshold for enemies to break free of mind control from 50 to 10 (use it for actual AI manipulation rather than yet another stunlocking tool)
- -Decreased Aggressor Amp chipset damage multiplier from 1.2x to 1.1x
- -Increased Electrostatic Amp, Kinetic Amp, Psychoshock Amp, and Superthermal Amp chipset damage multipliers from 1.1x to 1.2x
- -Increased fSlide chipset damage reduction from 50% to 80%, to encourage using it as a dodge
- -Increased the ARTAX Propulsion Gen 1 chipset glide speed bonus from 40% to 50%
- -Decreased the ARTAX Propulsion Gen 1 chipset glide duration bonus from 267% to 50% (description only mentioned glide speed anyway)
- -Increased the ARTAX Propulsion Gen 2 chipset glide duration bonus from 0% to 50%
- -Decreased Coral Psi Extractor chipset psi regeneration rate while standing in coral from 10 psi/s to 1 psi/s
- -Increased Fear Reactor chipset chance to create a fear blast on nearby Typhon from 10% to 100%, reduced range of blast from 10 units to 5 units
- -Decreased Fear Shielding fear resistance from 75% to 50%
- -Decreased Kinesthetic Assister chipset stamina regeneration bonus from 143% to 100% (stacks additively with WellFed bonus)
- -Increased Impact Dampener chipset damage reduction from Zero-G collision from 50% to 75%
- -Increased FarScan chipset scanning range bonus from 33% to 50%
- -Decreased Potentializer chipset psi pool bonus from 50 to 30
- -Increased M3cht3ch chipset repair time reduction from 50% to 75%
- -Decreased Impact Amp chipset knockdown chance boost from 300% to 100%
- -Increased Optimizer chipset energy cost reduction from 10% to 20%
- -Increased ReActivator chipset cooldown reduction from 20% to 50%, added 50% cost increase to all ALIEN psi abilities
- -Increased Battery Optimizer chipset drain reduction from 50% to 100% (infinite flashlight battery)
- -Increased Last Chance chipset cooldown from 5s to 60s
- -Increased Psychoshock Shielding chipset resistance from 25% to 50%
- -NPC stat changes:
- -Added a 50% resistance to nullwave on the Nightmare. Psychic DAMAGE is still 1.5x effective, but you can no longer render it helpless for so long
- -Removed 50% resistance to Mindjack on the Thermal/Voltaic/Etheric Phantom
- -Decreased resistance to Mindjack on the Telepath/Weaver from 75% to 50%
- -Decreased resistance to Mindjack on the Nightmare from 80% to 50%
- -Decreased Etheric Doppleganger health from 50 to 30 (spotting them early will save you a lot of trouble)
- -Decreased Thermal Phantom superthermal fire damage from 60 to 50
- -Decreased Telepath shockwave radius from 16 units to 12 units (was 40 units pre-Survival Mode patch, compare with 3.5 blast radius for enemy Superthermal attacks)
- -Decreased Telepath shockwave psychic damage from 100 to 25 (already nullwaves the player for 10s with limited telegraph)
- -Increased Mikhaila Ilyushin (sick) and Ekaterina Mulsaev health from 0.1 (lol) to 5
- -Miscellaneous hazard changes:
- -Decreased gas ignite initial fire damage from 15 to 5
- -Decreased Cargo Bay leaking fuel tank fire damage from 90/s to 20/s (all other environmental fire damage is 10/s)
- -Difficulty modifier changes (Story/Easy/Normal/Hard/Nightmare):
- -Changed most damage intake modifiers from 0.1/0.5/1.0/1.4/1.6x to 0.1/0.5/1.0/1.0/1.0x (crush and laser damage stay at 0.4/0.7/1.0/1.2/1.4x)
- -Changed suit damage intake modifiers from 0.25/0.25/1.0/1.0/1.0 to 0.25/0.5/1.0/1.2/1.4
- -Retained damage output modifiers at 1.25/1.1/1.0/1.0/0.8x
- -Changed medkit/psi hypo/food psi rates from 2.0/1.2/1.0/0.8/0.8x from 2.0/1.5/1.0/0.75/0.5x
- -Added a 2.0/1.5/1.0/0.75/0.5x modifier on WellFed duration
- -Added a 0.4/0.7/1.0/1.2/1.4x multiplier for radiation intake
- -Fabrication plan changes (Organic/Mineral/Synthetic/Exotic):
- NOTE: Needed to make sure there are absolutely no fabrication plans that allow you to grind for infinite material with the MOREMAT module
- -GLOO Gun from 0/3/3/0 to 0/3/2/0
- -GLOO ammo from 2/2/0/0 to 0/0/1/0, count from 84 to 50
- -Q-beam ammo count from 200 to 150
- -Typhon Lures from 0/2/1/1 to 0/1/1/1
- -EMP Grenades from 0/1/2/0 to 0/2/1/0
- -Nullwave Transmitter from 0/1/2/1 to 0/2/1/1
- -Skeletal Repair Kit from 0/1/0/0 to 1/0/0/0
- -Brained Pills from 0/1/0/0 to 1/0/0/0
- -Coagulating Gel from 0/0/1/0 to 1/0/0/0
- -Recycling yield changes (Organic/Mineral/Synthetic/Exotic):
- NOTE: far fewer Suit Repair Kits in loot tables mean much less synthetic, needed to be adjusted elsewhere
- -Wrench from 0.00/1.00/0.00/0.00 to 0.00/0.75/0.00/0.00
- -Shotgun from 0.00/1.00/0.25/0.00 to 0.00/1.00/0.75/0.00
- -Golden Shotgun from 0.00/0.50/0.15/0.00 to 0.00/1.00/0.75/0.00
- -Pistol from 0.00/0.75/0.25/0.00 to 0.00/0.50/0.25/0.00
- -Golden Pistol from 0.00/1.00/0.30/0.00 to 0.00/0.50/0.25/0.00
- -Q-beam from 0.00/1.50/1.00/0.00 to 0.00/1.50/1.50/0.00
- -Stun Gun from 0.00/0.30/0.50/0.00 to 0.00/0.40/0.40/0.00
- -GLOO ammo from 0.01/0.01/0.00/0.00 to 0.00/0.00/0.01/0.00
- -Shotgun shells from 0.00/0.15/0.10/0.00 to 0.00/0.12/0.08/0.00
- -Pistol bullets from 0.00/0.06/0.02/0.00 to 0.00/0.03/0.01/0.00
- -Foam darts from 0.00/0.00/0.06/0.00 to 0.00/0.00/0.05/0.00
- -Nullwave transmitters from 0.00/0.50/0.50/0.25 to 0.00/1.00/0.50/0.25
- -Recycler grenades from 0.00/0.50/0.50/0.00 to 0.00/1.00/0.50/0.00
- -Typhon lures from 0.00/0.00/0.50/0.50 to 0.00/0.50/0.50/0.25
- -EMP grenades from 0.00/0.50/0.50/0.00 to 0.00/1.00/0.50/0.00
- -Corroded Coil from 0.00/0.48/0.12/0.00 to 0.00/0.45/0.15/0.00
- -Plastic Tubing from 0.00/0.00/0.33/0.00 to 0.00/0.00/0.40/0.00
- -Burnt Circuit Board from 0.00/0.12/0.30/0.00 to 0.00/0.10/0.30/0.00
- -Wire Spool from 0.00/0.36/0.15/0.00 to 0.00/0.30/0.15/0.00
- -Broken Cooler Fan from 0.00/0.10/0.10/0.00 to 0.00/0.10/0.20/0.00
- -Fried Hard Drive from 0.00/0.45/0.12/0.00 to 0.00/0.45/0.15/0.00
- -Typhon Plasma from 0.00/0.00/0.00/0.75 to 0.00/0.00/0.10/0.75
- -Created optional add-on modules for the following additional effects:
- -0.5x recycler yield (HALFMAT)
- -1.5x recycler yield (MOREMAT)
- -No healing from fountains and no restoration from operators except traumas, WellFed status grants trauma reduction instead of healing (NOFREELUNCH)
- -Reduces the counts of ammo found in containers and in the world (LESSAMMO)
- -Pistol range mods and Shotgun recoil mods replaced with critical chance mods (WEAPMODCRIT); experimental and not totally verified
- -Updated many in-game tooltips:
- -Added numerical descriptions for all relevant chipset effects
- -Added psi costs to all alien Neuromod abilities
- -Updated Neuromod skill descriptions (changed numbers + added some info)
- -Added resistances to enemy research data where relevant
-
PREY CORE BALANCE MOD - Version 1.3
by RoSoDude
https://rosodudemods.wordpress.com
by RoSoDude
https://rosodudemods.wordpress.com
#### What is CORE BALANCE? ####
Spoiler:
Show
CORE BALANCE is a modification that seeks to improve Prey's game balance without substantially altering its core design.
Neuromod skills, chipsets, status effects, etc. are essentially the same, but numbers are tweaked to even out the viability of strategies, while also reducing the abusability of certain systems.
The player's strength will start out on par with the base game, but they will have a longer route to unstoppable godhood, with fewer no-brainer skills and more playstyle flexibility.
The total number of Neuromods needed to fully upgrade Morgan remains roughly the same, but overabundant resources are reduced and character progression is slightly decelerated.
Survival Mode options are now finely tuned to provide the intended depth and challenge, where in the base game they were easily trivialized by resource balance and other numerical oversights.
Far from simply nerfing everything, this mod aims to enable greater creativity and player expression by bringing underpowered options up to par, so every Neuromod and chipset is an interesting choice.
Enemy designs and hazards are also rebalanced, with some previously undodgeable attacks and instant death events mitigated, and enemy resistances made more intuitive and explicit for the player.
This mod is NOT designed purely for hardcore players, though there are optional modules to suit them as well as more casual players and everyone in between, making for a highly tweakable experience.
CORE BALANCE is Prey as it should have been; retaining all of the nuanced gameplay that Arkane is known for, but with none of their famous balance mishaps!
Neuromod skills, chipsets, status effects, etc. are essentially the same, but numbers are tweaked to even out the viability of strategies, while also reducing the abusability of certain systems.
The player's strength will start out on par with the base game, but they will have a longer route to unstoppable godhood, with fewer no-brainer skills and more playstyle flexibility.
The total number of Neuromods needed to fully upgrade Morgan remains roughly the same, but overabundant resources are reduced and character progression is slightly decelerated.
Survival Mode options are now finely tuned to provide the intended depth and challenge, where in the base game they were easily trivialized by resource balance and other numerical oversights.
Far from simply nerfing everything, this mod aims to enable greater creativity and player expression by bringing underpowered options up to par, so every Neuromod and chipset is an interesting choice.
Enemy designs and hazards are also rebalanced, with some previously undodgeable attacks and instant death events mitigated, and enemy resistances made more intuitive and explicit for the player.
This mod is NOT designed purely for hardcore players, though there are optional modules to suit them as well as more casual players and everyone in between, making for a highly tweakable experience.
CORE BALANCE is Prey as it should have been; retaining all of the nuanced gameplay that Arkane is known for, but with none of their famous balance mishaps!
#### Overview of Changes ####
Spoiler:
Show
Most weapons no longer auto-reload when running out of ammo as reload animations can no longer be canceled due to the Survival Mode patch.
Food heals over time and more slowly (but for a longer duration).
Oxygen is limited in space in Survival Mode even when at full suit condition.
Weapons degrade at vanilla rates (so trading for new copies remains viable) in Survival Mode, but have a chance to jam below 5% condition. Spare parts are much less effective at repairing weapons. The Huntress Boltcaster can now degrade and break too, just like a real nerf gun!
Loot tables contain far fewer Suit Repair Kits, and psi hypos, spare parts, medkits, and food are somewhat rarer. Trauma-clearing items are slightly more common in Survival Mode.
Difficulty settings expanded with greater impact on the effect of healing items and trauma acquisition, while damage intake scaling on Hard and Nightmare is removed.
The radial selection menu only slows time down by 50% rather than stopping it entirely, the effect of Combat Focus is downtuned at every rank, and it no longer provides any bonus damage.
Directly damaging alien abilities require more investment to ramp up to full potency, and higher ranks are more expensive.
Less direct alien abilities such as Remote Manipulation and Lift Field are slightly cheaper, and Mindjack/Machine Mind last longer at the higher ranks.
Mimic Matter now provides increasing benefits to stealth camouflage, and base visibility while rolling around as a coffee cup is as low as while sneaking (rather than as high as running)
Human skills offer increasing benefits as you upgrade them, rather than often suffering from diminishing returns except in the case of already overpowered skills.
Hacking puzzle times are rescaled, so tier II hacks are not more difficult than tier III and IV hacks.
Anomalies in chipset balance are resolved, and niche chipsets buffed to encourage unique playstyles. Thorough numerical detail is added to chipset descriptions to better inform player choices.
Enemy research data are expanded to include resistances, where it was previously poorly communicated that some enemies were resistant but not immune to Mindjack, Fear, etc.
Overly damaging enemy attacks and hazards are downtuned to lead to fewer cheap deaths and more recoverable situations in gameplay.
In addition, there are 5 optional modules which can provide further gameplay changes (these go in the same folder as the main patch file):
-patch_COREBALANCE_1-3_HALFMAT.pak halves recycling yield. Recommended for hardcore players (requires new game, not compatible with MOREMAT module)
-patch_COREBALANCE_1-3_MOREMAT.pak increases recycling yield by 1.5x. Recommended for casual players (requires new game, not compatible with HALFMAT module)
-patch_COREBALANCE_1-3_NOFREELUNCH.pak removes fountain healing and all restoration from Operators except Survival Mode traumas and replaces food heal over time with trauma chance reduction. Recommended for hardcore players
-patch_COREBALANCE_1-3_LESSAMMO.pak reduces the counts of ammo found in containers and in the world (requires new game). Recommended for hardcore players
-patch_COREBALANCE_1-3_WEAPMODCRIT.pak replaces the Pistol range mods and Shotgun recoil mods with critical chance mods (may or may not require new game)
The full changelist is provided in "CORE BALANCE changelist.txt".
Mooncrash is not currently supported. Stay tuned for similar balance updates for the DLC in the future.
Food heals over time and more slowly (but for a longer duration).
Oxygen is limited in space in Survival Mode even when at full suit condition.
Weapons degrade at vanilla rates (so trading for new copies remains viable) in Survival Mode, but have a chance to jam below 5% condition. Spare parts are much less effective at repairing weapons. The Huntress Boltcaster can now degrade and break too, just like a real nerf gun!
Loot tables contain far fewer Suit Repair Kits, and psi hypos, spare parts, medkits, and food are somewhat rarer. Trauma-clearing items are slightly more common in Survival Mode.
Difficulty settings expanded with greater impact on the effect of healing items and trauma acquisition, while damage intake scaling on Hard and Nightmare is removed.
The radial selection menu only slows time down by 50% rather than stopping it entirely, the effect of Combat Focus is downtuned at every rank, and it no longer provides any bonus damage.
Directly damaging alien abilities require more investment to ramp up to full potency, and higher ranks are more expensive.
Less direct alien abilities such as Remote Manipulation and Lift Field are slightly cheaper, and Mindjack/Machine Mind last longer at the higher ranks.
Mimic Matter now provides increasing benefits to stealth camouflage, and base visibility while rolling around as a coffee cup is as low as while sneaking (rather than as high as running)
Human skills offer increasing benefits as you upgrade them, rather than often suffering from diminishing returns except in the case of already overpowered skills.
Hacking puzzle times are rescaled, so tier II hacks are not more difficult than tier III and IV hacks.
Anomalies in chipset balance are resolved, and niche chipsets buffed to encourage unique playstyles. Thorough numerical detail is added to chipset descriptions to better inform player choices.
Enemy research data are expanded to include resistances, where it was previously poorly communicated that some enemies were resistant but not immune to Mindjack, Fear, etc.
Overly damaging enemy attacks and hazards are downtuned to lead to fewer cheap deaths and more recoverable situations in gameplay.
In addition, there are 5 optional modules which can provide further gameplay changes (these go in the same folder as the main patch file):
-patch_COREBALANCE_1-3_HALFMAT.pak halves recycling yield. Recommended for hardcore players (requires new game, not compatible with MOREMAT module)
-patch_COREBALANCE_1-3_MOREMAT.pak increases recycling yield by 1.5x. Recommended for casual players (requires new game, not compatible with HALFMAT module)
-patch_COREBALANCE_1-3_NOFREELUNCH.pak removes fountain healing and all restoration from Operators except Survival Mode traumas and replaces food heal over time with trauma chance reduction. Recommended for hardcore players
-patch_COREBALANCE_1-3_LESSAMMO.pak reduces the counts of ammo found in containers and in the world (requires new game). Recommended for hardcore players
-patch_COREBALANCE_1-3_WEAPMODCRIT.pak replaces the Pistol range mods and Shotgun recoil mods with critical chance mods (may or may not require new game)
The full changelist is provided in "CORE BALANCE changelist.txt".
Mooncrash is not currently supported. Stay tuned for similar balance updates for the DLC in the future.
#### Installation Instructions ####
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Place the patch_COREBALACE_1-3.pak file into Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Prey\GameSDK\Precache\, alongside patch.pak. This is the main mod file with gameplay changes.
Place any other optional module pak files into Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Prey\GameSDK\Precache\. All pak files are loaded in alphabetical order
Copy the English_xml_patch.pak file over Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Prey\Localization\English_xml_patch.pak. Back up the original first if you like. This updates game descriptions.
To uninstall, simply remove the files from the \Precache\ folder and replace the original Localization file (delete and Verify Integrity of Game Files in Steam if you didn't backup of the latter).
WARNING: Many changes require a new game to go into effect. This also means that you must start a new playthrough if you wish to fully uninstall this mod.
Place any other optional module pak files into Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Prey\GameSDK\Precache\. All pak files are loaded in alphabetical order
Copy the English_xml_patch.pak file over Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Prey\Localization\English_xml_patch.pak. Back up the original first if you like. This updates game descriptions.
To uninstall, simply remove the files from the \Precache\ folder and replace the original Localization file (delete and Verify Integrity of Game Files in Steam if you didn't backup of the latter).
WARNING: Many changes require a new game to go into effect. This also means that you must start a new playthrough if you wish to fully uninstall this mod.
#### Recommended Configurations ####
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For most players, particularly first-timers, I recommend Normal difficulty with the Survival Mode options enabled or disabled as desired and none of the modules installed.
For casual players, I recommend Easy (or Story) difficulty with the Survival Mode options disabled and the MOREMAT module installed.
For hardcore players, I recommend Hard or Nightmare difficulty with the Survival Mode options enabled and the HALFMAT, NOFREELUNCH, and LESSAMMO modules installed.
Note that Hard and Nightmare mode no longer increase damage taken (affect medkits/psi hypos/traumas instead), so they are best paired with Survival Mode options and modules.
For players looking to acquire the Split Affinity and No Needles achievements, I recommend avoiding the hardcore setup, as it is designed around full engagement with the upgrade systems.
The WEAPMODCRIT module may be of interested to veteran players who want to spice up a playthrough, but is not recommended for first-time players.
I HIGHLY recommend playing without any form of save abuse -- just rely on the autosave and try to live through your mistakes! This holds many of the systems together, and encourages adaptive play.
The mod (and game) is tuned to provide a challenge even on Normal if you play this way, though I still found it reasonable on Hard and Nightmare for veteran players looking for punishment.
For casual players, I recommend Easy (or Story) difficulty with the Survival Mode options disabled and the MOREMAT module installed.
For hardcore players, I recommend Hard or Nightmare difficulty with the Survival Mode options enabled and the HALFMAT, NOFREELUNCH, and LESSAMMO modules installed.
Note that Hard and Nightmare mode no longer increase damage taken (affect medkits/psi hypos/traumas instead), so they are best paired with Survival Mode options and modules.
For players looking to acquire the Split Affinity and No Needles achievements, I recommend avoiding the hardcore setup, as it is designed around full engagement with the upgrade systems.
The WEAPMODCRIT module may be of interested to veteran players who want to spice up a playthrough, but is not recommended for first-time players.
I HIGHLY recommend playing without any form of save abuse -- just rely on the autosave and try to live through your mistakes! This holds many of the systems together, and encourages adaptive play.
The mod (and game) is tuned to provide a challenge even on Normal if you play this way, though I still found it reasonable on Hard and Nightmare for veteran players looking for punishment.
#### Compatible Mods ####
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CORE BALANCE is compatible with the following mods on the Nexus:
-Real Lights Plus Ultra Graphics: https://www.nexusmods.com/prey2017/mods/22
-Prey Xinput Fix: https://www.nexusmods.com/prey2017/mods/19
-PREY Super Easy hacking: https://www.nexusmods.com/prey2017/mods/8
-Prey Interface Customizer: https://www.nexusmods.com/prey2017/mods/18
-Proper Infinite Ammo: https://www.nexusmods.com/prey2017/mods/17
-PREY Immersion Mod: https://www.nexusmods.com/prey2017/mods/2
-PREY Better Scopes Mod: https://www.nexusmods.com/prey2017/mods/5
-Undarken: https://www.nexusmods.com/prey2017/mods/30
-Prey 2017 FPS Config: https://www.nexusmods.com/prey2017/mods/3
-Prey - Stunning Visuals: https://www.nexusmods.com/prey2017/mods/29
-mimics squek: https://www.nexusmods.com/prey2017/mods/16
-Horror Typhons: https://www.nexusmods.com/prey2017/mods/31
-One Button Hacking: https://www.nexusmods.com/prey2017/mods/43
-Mooncrash Weapon Cosmetics in Prey: https://www.nexusmods.com/prey2017/mods/50
-1st person player model overrides: https://www.nexusmods.com/prey2017/mods/47
-Apartment Intro Skip: https://www.nexusmods.com/prey2017/mods/54
-Mimics With Silly Hats: https://www.nexusmods.com/prey2017/mods/55
-All keycodes are 1111: https://www.nexusmods.com/prey2017/mods/60
-An updated version of Detailed Tooltips (https://www.nexusmods.com/prey2017/mods/39) is already included
-Real Lights Plus Ultra Graphics: https://www.nexusmods.com/prey2017/mods/22
-Prey Xinput Fix: https://www.nexusmods.com/prey2017/mods/19
-PREY Super Easy hacking: https://www.nexusmods.com/prey2017/mods/8
-Prey Interface Customizer: https://www.nexusmods.com/prey2017/mods/18
-Proper Infinite Ammo: https://www.nexusmods.com/prey2017/mods/17
-PREY Immersion Mod: https://www.nexusmods.com/prey2017/mods/2
-PREY Better Scopes Mod: https://www.nexusmods.com/prey2017/mods/5
-Undarken: https://www.nexusmods.com/prey2017/mods/30
-Prey 2017 FPS Config: https://www.nexusmods.com/prey2017/mods/3
-Prey - Stunning Visuals: https://www.nexusmods.com/prey2017/mods/29
-mimics squek: https://www.nexusmods.com/prey2017/mods/16
-Horror Typhons: https://www.nexusmods.com/prey2017/mods/31
-One Button Hacking: https://www.nexusmods.com/prey2017/mods/43
-Mooncrash Weapon Cosmetics in Prey: https://www.nexusmods.com/prey2017/mods/50
-1st person player model overrides: https://www.nexusmods.com/prey2017/mods/47
-Apartment Intro Skip: https://www.nexusmods.com/prey2017/mods/54
-Mimics With Silly Hats: https://www.nexusmods.com/prey2017/mods/55
-All keycodes are 1111: https://www.nexusmods.com/prey2017/mods/60
-An updated version of Detailed Tooltips (https://www.nexusmods.com/prey2017/mods/39) is already included
#### Tweaking the Mod ####
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All you need to modify CORE BALANCE is to rename the .pak file to a .zip, extract its contents, and edit the .xml files (preferably in Notepad++).
Then zip up the contents, rename to .pak, and place it in Precache. Remember that all .pak files are loaded alphabetically in the case of any conflicts (one .xml overwrites the other, no merge).
This is limited to the .xml files that I included in the .pak, while the .pak files you'll find in \Prey\GameSDK\ need to be decrypted before they can be manipulated in this way.
For more details, please check out my full Prey Modding Guide: https://rosodudemods.wordpress.com/prey-modding-guide/
Then zip up the contents, rename to .pak, and place it in Precache. Remember that all .pak files are loaded alphabetically in the case of any conflicts (one .xml overwrites the other, no merge).
This is limited to the .xml files that I included in the .pak, while the .pak files you'll find in \Prey\GameSDK\ need to be decrypted before they can be manipulated in this way.
For more details, please check out my full Prey Modding Guide: https://rosodudemods.wordpress.com/prey-modding-guide/
#### Credits and Use ####
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I (RoSoDude) am the sole creator of this work. You may modify my work as you please for personal use, but please ask for permission if you wish to use my mod as a base for your own.
Thanks to Sir Kane on the XeNTaX forums for the modding tools.
Thanks to other Prey modders for inspiration, especially the creators of Prey for Death Hardcore, Prey Survival Mod, Neuroshock, and SHOCK.
Special thanks to Buzboy, creator of the SHOCK mod, and jmx7777, creator of the Real Lights plus Ultra Graphics mod, for technical help and design feedback/discussion.
Special thanks to kida and ProudNitro on the PREY Discord for testing, detailed information on the game and design feedback/discussion.
Special thanks to Ash, ciox, Durandal, Zakhad, <3sRichardSimmons, Average Manatee, and Ventidius on RPGCodex for testing and design feedback/discussion
Special thanks to AugmentedTTV for testing and streaming my mod at https://www.twitch.tv/AugmentedTTV
And thank you for your interest! I welcome any and all feedback. Please let me know if you encounter any bugs that you believe are the result of the mod, or if any features don't work as claimed.
Thanks to Sir Kane on the XeNTaX forums for the modding tools.
Thanks to other Prey modders for inspiration, especially the creators of Prey for Death Hardcore, Prey Survival Mod, Neuroshock, and SHOCK.
Special thanks to Buzboy, creator of the SHOCK mod, and jmx7777, creator of the Real Lights plus Ultra Graphics mod, for technical help and design feedback/discussion.
Special thanks to kida and ProudNitro on the PREY Discord for testing, detailed information on the game and design feedback/discussion.
Special thanks to Ash, ciox, Durandal, Zakhad, <3sRichardSimmons, Average Manatee, and Ventidius on RPGCodex for testing and design feedback/discussion
Special thanks to AugmentedTTV for testing and streaming my mod at https://www.twitch.tv/AugmentedTTV
And thank you for your interest! I welcome any and all feedback. Please let me know if you encounter any bugs that you believe are the result of the mod, or if any features don't work as claimed.