GMDXv9.0 Release

[Made in China]

Went over perks and perk descriptions. The demolitions perk "knockout gas" has ".." just after its title, so it doesn't fit the phrasing scheme of other perks.

I don't have any idea about the newer versions of GMDX, but the perks for lockpicking seem jarringly barren when you only have 1. Suggestions:
-Borrowing from thief - maybe peeping through a door's lock? This is pretty heavy modifications, as doors in Deus Ex don't have keyholes.
-Allow locking of doors which locks you've picked behind you, creating a barrier.
-Faster lockpicking.
-Allowing the use of certain items, such as paper clips, as improvised lockpicks.
-Detection - makes hidden mechanical locks glow a bit.

[SlySpy]

I don't have any idea about the newer versions of GMDX, but the perks for lockpicking seem jarringly barren when you only have 1. Suggestions:
-Borrowing from thief - maybe peeping through a door's lock? This is pretty heavy modifications, as doors in Deus Ex don't have keyholes.

First off, peeping through locks is not something you can do in Thief games. Second, why would lockpicking proficiency gain you the ability to look through keyholes? That doesn't really make any sense. Either you can or can't do it; that has nothing to do with lockpicking proficiency, so I don't see how it would be a viable perk. Aside from this, like in Thief games, Deus Ex has a sense of sound propagation, so you can listen to enemy footsteps on the other side of doors to interpret their positions.

-Allowing the use of certain items, such as paper clips, as improvised lockpicks.

You would have to implement paperclips as extra pickups in the world, and even then it has to make sense where you'd find them lieing around, along with being balanced enough that you don't get too many or too little if you have that park. In addition, to make it make sense, you have to make a first person model of that paperclip with animations. Not saying it can't work, but might be more work than necessary just to implement a single perk for lockpicking.

-Detection - makes hidden mechanical locks glow a bit.

Aside from being unsure of what the implementation for that would be, I honestly think that would be horrible. The game doesn't hide mechanical locks enough to make this necessary, and it just feels like it would be superfluous and hand-holdy for the style of game Deus Ex is.


The other suggestions you made make sense to me, but I disagree with simply adding in more perks just to add them. The reason why there probably weren't a lot was because there weren't too many to think about that would be sensible. Just keep that in mind; not trying to discourage you from coming up with more ideas.

[Made in China]

First off, peeping through locks is not something you can do in Thief games. Second, why would lockpicking proficiency gain you the ability to look through keyholes? That doesn't really make any sense. Either you can or can't do it; that has nothing to do with lockpicking proficiency, so I don't see how it would be a viable perk. Aside from this, like in Thief games, Deus Ex has a sense of sound propagation, so you can listen to enemy footsteps on the other side of doors to interpret their positions.

Perhaps I've confused Thief with Dishonored? Either way, the realism of this perk isn't really an issue, I feel like. There are perks which increase the blast radius of ammunition and allow you carry more medkits -- both don't really make sense when you think about it. The ability to peep through keyholes can sometimes replace the use of the vision aug, albeit with a more limited scope.

You would have to implement paperclips as extra pickups in the world, and even then it has to make sense where you'd find them lieing around, along with being balanced enough that you don't get too many or too little if you have that park. In addition, to make it make sense, you have to make a first person model of that paperclip with animations. Not saying it can't work, but might be more work than necessary just to implement a single perk for lockpicking.

When I played GMDX I always felt like there were too few lockpicks, so this might be balanced. The way I imagined it is just creating a lockpick for every 2 or 3 paperclips you find - making JC craft them on-the-fly without any need to implement new menus. Creating a new model and animation for it is excessive.

Aside from being unsure of what the implementation for that would be, I honestly think that would be horrible. The game doesn't hide mechanical locks enough to make this necessary, and it just feels like it would be superfluous and hand-holdy for the style of game Deus Ex is.

The mechanical locks glowing thing came after playing the first 3 levels of Dark Messiah of Might and Magic. You had some really well hidden secrets there, and investing in alertness could've been a worthwhile proposition of it didn't look completely hideous and you didn't have to stop moving for 5 seconds for it to work.
If the locks can't be very well hidden or it looks like crap, it becomes useless. But, it could work if the levels and secrets are built with it in mind.

The other suggestions you made make sense to me, but I disagree with simply adding in more perks just to add them. The reason why there probably weren't a lot was because there weren't too many to think about that would be sensible. Just keep that in mind; not trying to discourage you from coming up with more ideas.

I know some/most of these ideas don't fit Deus Ex's design, too. That being said, those ideas could be modified to work - the general idea is that the lockpicking perk tree will be equal in value to other skills' perk trees. Currently it's extremely specific compared to them.

[Cybernetic pig]

Lockpicking skill has three perks in the latest build. Should have been there in v8.0 really but I was being too pedantic about it being overly realistic for no good reason, considering the skill system is also only very loosely based in realism.

Also, updated stylization for the perk menu: https://i.imgur.com/po9X9Rs.jpg

[RoSoDude]

Lockpicking skill has three perks in the latest build. Should have been there in v8.0 really but I was being too pedantic about it being overly realistic for no good reason, considering the skill system is also only very loosely based in realism.

Also, updated stylization for the perk menu: https://i.imgur.com/po9X9Rs.jpg

The icons with the numbers are all that's new, right? I like the idea, though I think the number could pop out more. The muted color kinda blends in. I don't know if it's an easy tweak, though.

[Cybernetic pig]

Yeah, I've sorted it since taking that screenshot. Shouldn't need a drop shadow effect either.

What's new aesthetically: Icons, numbers, background gradient behind the perk name and icon. Should have been a simple change, but I hadn't done any UI coding in a while (which is horrible in unreal 1) and it ended up taking way longer than it should have.

[RoSoDude]

Ah, didn't notice the gradient. It's actually pretty nice, with the header clearly separate from the description. I do recall the v8.0 menu feeling a bit dense, and little things like this help to lead the eye to discern info more easily. Same with the icon.

[Shadowdancerxxl]

Speaking of perks..


I still think reprogramming turrets and bots to shoot at their allies should require from a player more than having the password to a security panel. I mean just because someone can log into a terminal (means he found the username and password) doesn't mean he automatically knows how to reconfigure the IFFs of bots. I think one of the perks should be replaced with this feature. Like the first perk with the STOP! virus.

Also there's this "Sharp Eyed" perk. I usually take this perk even if I don't use melee weapons at all simply because it makes the game more appealing to look at. Ever considered making it default? Since GMDX v9's main focus is visuals it would be awesome to have this visual enabled by default.
It could also be enabled for grenades. Maybe instead of white circles with grenades they could be colored according to the type of the grenade? Like LAM would be red, Gas would be green and so on.
I'd rather see a different perk for melee weapons like throwing knives getting a 50% chance or so to knock a weapon out of the enemy's hands. Like batman with his batarangs awww yeah

[Cybernetic pig]

Sharp-Eyed you'll be able to get without investing in the Low-Tech skill.

The turret suggestion, maybe on an extra hardcore mode.

[Shadowdancerxxl]

Sharp-Eyed you'll be able to get without investing in the Low-Tech skill.

Means there will also be a list of non-skill related perks? Because that would be awesome.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9pv-MU ... hJUbBq_2U5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05CFeiO ... hJUbBq_2U5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJ4TrY- ... hJUbBq_2U5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycna0nW ... hJUbBq_2U5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qE8R8SQ ... hJUbBq_2U5

Any idea where could you use this soundtrack in your mod? I know we talked about these unused trakcs, but since you're planning to make v9 your final GMDX release I thought I'd throw these at you one last time. Maybe someone on these forums can suggest some awesome use for these tracks which will convince you to put them into GMDX.

Edit: Personally I'd use the first one as an outro music when you break out of UNATCO.

Second one I'd use for the Ocean lab sub base level, because at this time hearing the main mj12 theme is probably become redundant for most people.

The third one was probably planned as an outro for area 51 or something with the moon mission, but since they scrapped those ideas I'd use it as some kind of combat music for Area 51. It really sounds like a final boss battle music. Maybe when you first encounter Aliens who use telekinesis and shit (as I've read in previous posts) against you? Yeah, I personally think the alien(s) should be removed from the Hong Kong lab and really only used on the area 51 maps as a special enemy.

Forth one hmmm conversation music, but which one?

Fifth one is definitely for cemetary level. Since that level is silent this could be used there and the beginning really has this creepy graveyard feeling to it. Well, at least in my mind.

[RoSoDude]

Sharp-Eyed you'll be able to get without investing in the Low-Tech skill.

Means there will also be a list of non-skill related perks? Because that would be awesome.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9pv-MU ... hJUbBq_2U5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05CFeiO ... hJUbBq_2U5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJ4TrY- ... hJUbBq_2U5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycna0nW ... hJUbBq_2U5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qE8R8SQ ... hJUbBq_2U5

Any idea where could you use this soundtrack in your mod? I know we talked about these unused trakcs, but since you're planning to make v9 your final GMDX release I thought I'd throw these at you one last time. Maybe someone on these forums can suggest some awesome use for these tracks which will convince you to put them into GMDX.

Edit: Personally I'd use the first one as an outro music when you break out of UNATCO.

Second one I'd use for the Ocean lab sub base level, because at this time hearing the main mj12 theme is probably become redundant for most people.

The third one was probably planned as an outro for area 51 or something with the moon mission, but since they scrapped those ideas I'd use it as some kind of combat music for Area 51. It really sounds like a final boss battle music. Maybe when you first encounter Aliens who use telekinesis and shit (as I've read in previous posts) against you? Yeah, I personally think the alien(s) should be removed from the Hong Kong lab and really only used on the area 51 maps as a special enemy.

Forth one hmmm conversation music, but which one?

Fifth one is definitely for cemetary level. Since that level is silent this could be used there and the beginning really has this creepy graveyard feeling to it. Well, at least in my mind.

Based on this site the fourth one was unused conversation music for the Tunnels level (in Vandenberg). You know, because there aren't any conversations there. But if you ever adapt the Tunnels music somewhere else, you have a conversation track ready to go (I kinda want it to be the music for the Paris Catacombs because I think it's nice, but thematically it doesn't really fit)!

Also, the fifth track actually was intended for the Naval Base or Graveyard in some capacity.

[Shadowdancerxxl]

Based on this site the fourth one was unused conversation music for the Tunnels level (in Vandenberg). You know, because there aren't any conversations there. But if you ever adapt the Tunnels music somewhere else, you have a conversation track ready to go (I kinda want it to be the music for the Paris Catacombs because I think it's nice, but thematically it doesn't really fit)!

Also, the fifth track actually was intended for the Naval Base or Graveyard in some capacity.

Yeah, it does remind me on the Tunnels. Too bad there isn't any conversation going on down there. Yeah it's nice, but you're right it wouldn't really fit the Catacombs, but then again the Paris theme didn't really fit it either. I kinda like it in GMDX with the silence and a few ambient background sounds here and there. Although https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gmnel3q ... C9&index=9 This is something I could imagine in those creepy tunnels. Or maybe even this one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQpr_Ii ... 9&index=10

Yeah, that's why I immediately suggested the Graveyard, because it was probably made for that stage. I mean they probably didn't want to leave the Graveyard silent.

[Cybernetic pig]

What Unreal associated program opens UMX files? I could maybe use one or two of those tracks if only I could find the right darn track within the UMX files.

Unsuccessful search engine results so far...

[Shadowdancerxxl]

What Unreal associated program opens UMX files? I could maybe use one or two of those tracks if only I could find the right darn track within the UMX files.

Unsuccessful search engine results so far...

"Programs that open UMX files

Epic Games Unreal Tournament
Epic Games UnrealEd
KMPlayer
MODPlug Player
OpenMPT
VideoLAN VLC media player
Nullsoft Winamp with UMX Decoder"
>>>>>

This is what I've found. Not sure if this helps though.

[Cybernetic pig]

I need whatever program it is that lets you see the order of tracks within a UMX.

Should be these:

MODPlug Player
OpenMPT
Nullsoft Winamp with UMX Decoder"