There are more than a few mods that almost everybody uses, that offer valuable features. Here are a few that I would like to see brought into the base game.
{
ThrallRadius - this should be brought into base game and implemented as a server setting, modifies the base range
min_percent_distance_between_thralls = [0…200] [default: 100]
Valhalla Archery - this should be brought into base game to make archery worthwhile.
BouncyCastle - this should be brought into the base game as a server setting toggle (on/off)
thralls_take_fall_damage = [on/off] [default:on]
Dat Dang Lava - this should be brought into the base game as a server setting toggle (on/off)
thralls_take_lava_damage = [on/off] [default:on]
Tier 4 Thralls - Mild Increased Spawn - this should be brought into base game and implemented as a server setting, modifies the base percents
This would function as a multiplier on each thrall’s base spawn rate.
t4_thrall_spawn_rate_multiplier_percent = [0…500] [default:100]
e.g.
Thrall A default spawn rate = 1%, spawn_percent=200, actual Thrall A spawn rate = 2% chance
Thrall B default spawn rate = 4%, spawn_percent=300, actual Thrall B spawn rate = 12% chance
Stacksize Plus - this should be brought into the base game and implemented as a server setting
max_stacksize_multiplier_percent = [0…500] [default:100]
Kerozards Paragon Leveling - this could be brought into the base game as a server setting with various config options around leveling
max_level
feat_points_per_level
stretch_base_requirements
etc
Fashionist - the thrall outfitter and fashionist stands shoul be brought into the base game
Javelin Improved - the improved javelin functionality and hasta weapon type should be brought into the base game
Improved Quality of Life - the options for minimap and other UI improvements should be copied and set as server settings to enable/disable.
Less Building Placement Restrictions - the Arrow Indicator should be brought into the base game
Pickup+ - this functionality should be brought into the base game as a server option toggle
pickup_enabled = [on/off] [default:off]
}
This is a non-comprehensive list of just a few mods I use, but my reasoning for suggesting that these mods should be copied/cannibalized/brought in-house is that they offer valuable features that are lacking in the base game, and would result in valuable player quality-of-life improvements, yet still be offered as configurable options so that those who did not wish to use them could retain the defaults.
More options is better, and merging into the existing codebase would thereby require fewer mods in modlists, resulting in better performance and improved server stability.
We have had this discussion. While I agree with you I believe the modders themselves have said this is not really feasible.
Let me summon some modders to see what they say. @Multigun@Testerle
I would also like WYSIWYG wheel of pain added, it lets you see the thrall that is being broken and can be set for an empty wheel to stop. It’s another Testerle mod like Fashionist.
Unlikely they are going to take our mods and make them official. That would also require us to stop working on our projects.
Side Note: PLEASE stop asking us to give up our projects. At the very, very, very minimum, if you are all going to keep bringing up these types of suggestions, you should be including and asking the very mod authors whose mods you are proposing to add and for those mod authors to willingly stop working on.
Ultimately if funcom wanted to do this then they themselves would need to sit down with a mod author and have a whole discussion about it. The modders would also needed to be compensated fairly for their work IF and only IF they are willing to part with their work. Anything else is just scummy as all git.
I’m not asking anyone to give up their projects. I’m saying there are some very good ideas that should have been part of the game from the beginning, and are worthy of inclusion in the game now, and that there are multiple benefits to the larger community of players if they were to do so.
I assumed that it was a given that any ideas from mod authors would, at a minimum, require Legal to contact the mod author and discuss terms to incorporate functionality to avoid any IP infringement claims, as well as not create needless bad blood and kill their own modding community by stealing ideas without compensation and attribution.
If I’ve stepped on anyone’s toes by this suggestion, then I apologize. It was not intended.
I don’t think any of the mods have such an unusual or special idea that you have to ask anyone for permission for anything. So much for the point of “stealing ideas” or “bad blood”.
roughly speaking and extended by useful settings, this list would add several hundred additional server settings. I am not sure if this is really useful. more is not always better.
This server setting already exists: ThrallExclusionRadius.
Balancing takes place with almost every patch. I think extra configuration is exaggerated. Especially if this then only exists for a single weapon type. If you think this concept further than a very specific mod, then you end up with several hundred server settings for balancing every single weapon type and damage aspect. this alone will add serveral hundred server settings.
You don’t have to like every game mechanic, but both aspects have a balancing effect as well. 85% of the map you can walk without exposing your thrall to much danger, for the remaining 15% you have to be careful or do without your follower and fight your way through. The lava and the lava-damage is another degree of difficulty of the area.
The unwillingness of the players to adapt to the conditions is for me not a sufficient reason to demand a server setting. Alternatively, I can think of at least 20 other potential thrall dangers that must also have it’s own server settings for deactivation (e.g. poison damage - one option for npc damage and one for player caused damage on pvp servers, palisade damage, …)
this reads easier than it really is. this data is static, you can’t currently change it at runtime. for that you would need a completely new spawn system. very unlikely and probably not something the masses really need. i don’t think there are many server admins who would sit down and set the spawn rate for several hundred different thralls by hand. especially since many of the thralls have multiple spawn points and it probably doesn’t take 5 minutes until the first request comes to make the whole thing adjustable per spawn point. also several hundred settings…
i can get away with the mod and its range of functions because it is only a mod. for a base game implementation, however, this would simply not be enough. the number of change requests i have received over time is enormous (e.g. own multiplier per item type, exclude individual items, …)
and again, the implementation is not as easy as it looks and it wouldn’t make sense to take over the logic of the mod directly. my mod only runs on pc and that makes it a lot easier. everything funcom implements has to work well and stable on pc as well as on console.
most of the data is static. which is also the reason why there are infinite mods that change the max level, but none that has a configurable max level. so here too a complete reimplementation will be necessary incl. various systems that e.g. meaningful default values if only 1 aspect of the system should be configured manually (e.g. max level to 300 without defining the xp per level manually, linear vs. exponential increase of feat points, …). the simple solutions of the mods only work because they are mods.
oh dear, i think i’d rather not tell you how i implemented the outfitters bench and where the style is currently stored that is displayed on a thrall. but i’m allowed to because it’s just a mod. funcom would never implement something like this in this way, especially since i’m absolutely sure it wouldn’t work for consoles.
armor stands are suggested again and again. but funcom has already communicated in some dev streams that it is currently not an option for them from a performance point of view. again: i am allowed to do this because it is only a mod and i only have to consider pc.
yes i like the new mechanics the mod introduces a lot too, but what about all the other mods that add new weapons or combat mechanics? those are good too. they are also worthy of getting their place in the base game!
ok, enough written. time for a summary
many of the described mod features are great, no question. but the majority is unsuitable to transfer them identically into the base game. all would require an immense effort and significantly expanded concepts. many of the resulting server settings I do not see as suitable for the masses.
mods/modders have a completely different approach to bringing things into the game. much of what we do to achieve our goal would never come from funcom in this form. a mod often has a very limited view of a very specific problem and offers a solution for it. everything around it is ignored. this is not a valid approach for funcom. even if it may not always be directly obvious from the outside, funcom always has the overall system in mind. this then results in significantly different requirements and restrictions.
even though i consider many of the features listed above to be valuable, i don’t think that any of the features in the (limited) mod form are really useful or sufficient.
Like I said, it’s a great idea on paper, and I would certainly love some of my favorite mods be in the base game.
Just there are issues that we don’t consider, and the mod authors themselves deem it highly unlikely.
I will keep hopping that WYSIWYG Wheel’s features get implemented somehow.
On a personal note I hate the basic wheel of pain and Testerle’s mod makes it a little more tolerable.
(shuts down when empty and seeing which thrall is still unbroken)
