Developers, have you had a chance to look at Combat Enhanced Mod?

[BoboTheMighty]

Developers, have you had a chance to look at Combat Enhanced Mod?

http://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/212/?

There have been a lot of posts about what people like or dislike about Witcher III combat, but after playing with this mod for a while, it largely feels that this is what "vanilla" should have been like...stronger emphasis on stamina management, more balanced signs, far less exploits, overall more balanced and less restrictive skill system, more immersive enemies, etc...
I'm more interested in hearing your commentary of how you guys look at some of the changes here, and are you planning to implement anything similar in the future patches or expansions. Thank you for listening.

 

[moonknightgog]

I honestly don't like that mod. It makes the game harder than what should be, because it nerfs even thing that shouldn't be touched, without gives to you other tools to use in combat. In Quen is something that is useful to use, with this mod it's a nightmare, because quen is nerfed, as long as the stamina regeneration, but there's nothing else that can replace that sign.

---------- Updated at 08:07 PM ----------

I mean, this

"Whirl and Rend cost more to use and delay stamina regeneration for longer after every usage."

This is a bullshit. I miss some mobs because it's hard to turn around with whirl, and then I'm basically screwed because I have no stamina and I can't do anything.

 

[Merwanor]

One thing I like about the mod is that all abilities such as Whirl is not tied to a specific skill. I always pick the skills that grants new abilities no matter what. Because I just want to have all the tools at hand. To be honest, the skill points in Witcher 3 is the worst part of the game imo as I don't find it fun at all and I only take the stuff I feel I just have to have or else I will miss out on certain aspects of the game. So what this mod does when concerning skills is great.

But I have never been that challenge seeking person and I have never enjoyed stamina management in games. So most of the changes in the mod is not for me.

 

[SoloCreep]

Honestly this mod here does it much better. http://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/442/?

All higher enemies stay higher. All enemies that you have out leveled, are now your level. Also the loot they drop from what I have experienced is also scaled to your level. As for DEVS seeing these mods, it doesn't really matter.

The devs know exactly what they are doing and make a game they think will appeal to the masses. If they wanted they could make something that would blow away any of these mods. There are just too many differences in opinions on whats good, bad, or the best. They let the modders handle that aspect. Let me put it another way. When you buy a car you might add a better stereo and speakers. You might put fancy rims on it or modify some of the engine and make it faster. You don't go to the manufacture and tell them "hey you should make your car like this". Its the same way with games, cars, computer setups, motorcycles and many other things.

 

[seph1c0]

I don't like the mod at all due to how they punish the player with a consistent lack of stamina. It makes the combat experience slow and boring when it should be fast paced and challenging. If the creator of the mod wanted to make the game more difficult - thats fine, but they shouldn't approach it by having the player do less.

A FAR better mod is Enemy Upscaling with Stronger Bosses: http://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/442/?. The content remains consistently challenging and the bosses always being at least 6 levels higher makes all the contracts and story encounters exhilarating - rewarding the players for fighting strategically with a mixture of potions, bombs, signs and tweaked combat abilities. If CDPR plans to incorporate any of the combat balancing the community has done into the base game they should start there and NOT the combat enhanced mod.

 

[moonknightgog]

Honestly this mod here does it much better. http://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/442/?

All higher enemies stay higher. All enemies that you have out leveled, are now your level. Also the loot they drop from what I have experienced is also scaled to your level. As for DEVS seeing these mods, it doesn't really matter.

The devs know exactly what they are doing and make a game they think will appeal to the masses. If they wanted they could make something that would blow away any of these mods. There are just too many differences in opinions on whats good, bad, or the best. They let the modders handle that aspect. Let me put it another way. When you buy a car you might add a better stereo and speakers. You might put fancy rims on it or modify some of the engine and make it faster. You don't go to the manufacture and tell them "hey you should make your car like this". Its the same way with games, cars, computer setups, motorcycles and many other things.

I don't know where to start with this, but...it's exactly the contrary. The level scaling is a gimmick to make the game appeal to the masses (and no surprise, because there are TWO SH making that bullshit, Bethesda and Bioware).. Not the "no level scaling".
The level scaling you posted is nothing then junk.

 

[BoboTheMighty]

Level scaling works to a point...when you encounter lvl 30 "wolves", it has moved well passed it. And the higher level of enemies results in only higher hit points and damage...which only means more spamming light attacks, rolling or, as always, Quen. In other words...makes it more tedious. It also completely ruins immersion for me...Geralt, the greatest swordsman in the North...until he runs into another overleveled bandit or guard.
What I like the most about the mod I mentioned is that it punishes YOUR reckless actions...you cannot spam attacks, abilities or signs... like in Dark Souls, every action you take matters and you have to better utilize the resources you have and use it at the right time.
It simply requires excellence from the player and makes all combat mechanics shine as a result, in vanilla challenge works up to a point until you simply outlevel/surpass enemies with your stats and equipment.

 

[pateuvasiliu]

It's an amazing mod. My fav so far. Really makes it difficult and engaging. I fought a water hag boss in Skellige along with 2 drowners, I literally used all of my bombs to win that one.

I like that you can use alt signs and select your skills without pumping points in the tree, it allows for hybrid builds that imo are the most fun and lore friendly.

The ONLY thing I dislike is that decoctions feel weak.

But it has a lot of good things like:

- better skill balance
- better builds
- combat is more fun, difficult and engaging
- level gap matters less. As a level 15 5 lvl 6 nekkers can kill me if I go rambo
- you can kill npcs much higher lvl than you. I killed 3 lvl20 leshens as a level 7 ( near the manor where you find Letho )

And so on.

Definitely recommend it.

 

[Exentryk]

I had a quick look a while back, and it seemed like it killed Sign builds (probably Alchemy too?). This is basically for people that prefer playing as a sword build.

 

[MarkPiasecki]

How about Ucross' Hardcore Mod?

Has any of you guys tried it? Is it any good? Both Ucross' Hardcore Mod and Better Combat Enhanced sound nice, which is better in your opinion?

 

[BoboTheMighty]

I had a quick look a while back, and it seemed like it killed Sign builds (probably Alchemy too?). This is basically for people that prefer playing as a sword build.

True...you can no longer easily win by signs alone...but isn't that also more lore friendly? It raises overall game play on a completely different level for me. Where previously, I could play and (almost) watch TV at the same time, now I have to always think at least one step ahead and plan my every move.
It simply feels like a damn shame that this game doesn't have an extra difficulty with integrated features similar to those in this mod... this would not require a lot of work from developers and would attract a lot of players looking for a more "hardcore" challenge, similar to Souls series and the like.

 

[thibaudv]

True...you can no longer easily win by signs alone...but isn't that also more lore friendly? It raises overall game play on a completely different level for me. Where previously, I could play and (almost) watch TV at the same time, now I have to always think at least one step ahead and plan my every move.
It simply feels like a damn shame that this game doesn't have an extra difficulty with integrated features similar to those in this mod... this would not require a lot of work from developers and would attract a lot of players looking for a more "hardcore" challenge, similar to Souls series and the like.

That's exactly how I feel. Geralt isn't a mage, he can't just burn an Arachas until it dies, that's stupid. Sign builds should improve the utility of signs, not their damage.

 

[pateuvasiliu]

How about Ucross' Hardcore Mod?

Has any of you guys tried it? Is it any good? Both Ucross' Hardcore Mod and Better Combat Enhanced sound nice, which is better in your opinion?

I played Ucross. It cripples stamina regen ( you get a sign every 10 seconds or so ), it makes all your items sell for 1-5 gold at the merchants ( which makes no sense, hey bro I have this legendary sword gimme 2 coins for it ) and it makes you have 1000 vitality instead of the standard 5000. Oils only have 6 hits per application though the damage is +50% instead of 10% for basic oils.

I died at the Griffin boss around 10 times.

It's more annoying than it's hardcore.

---------- Updated at 08:15 AM ----------

I had a quick look a while back, and it seemed like it killed Sign builds (probably Alchemy too?). This is basically for people that prefer playing as a sword build.

Nah, signs are still strong.

You can jump straight into Pyromancer from level 2 and chain burn your enemies with alt Igni. It's ridiculous. But I prefer Physical attacks+Alchemy because holding Q and seeing my enemies be chain stunned while burning is lame.

 

[thibaudv]

I played Ucross. It cripples stamina regen ( you get a sign every 10 seconds or so ), it makes all your items sell for 1-5 gold at the merchants ( which makes no sense, hey bro I have this legendary sword gimme 2 coins for it ) and it makes you have 1000 vitality instead of the standard 5000. Oils only have 6 hits per application though the damage is +50% instead of 10% for basic oils.

I died at the Griffin boss around 10 times.

It's more annoying than it's hardcore.

---------- Updated at 08:15 AM ----------



Nah, signs are still strong.

You can jump straight into Pyromancer from level 2 and chain burn your enemies with alt Igni. It's ridiculous. But I prefer Physical attacks+Alchemy because holding Q and seeing my enemies be chain stunned while burning is lame.

Me too, but some things are a bit broken. Like the instant kill perk, I killed the chort in white orchard (the one that defends the cows) at level 2 with this, just by building up some adrenaline..
It's still the best one out there though, no doubt about it.

 

[TelandorSortas]

Just a question to those ones using "combat mods" did you already play the game on the hardest vanilla difficulty?
And did you skill your character?

Because I did my first walktrhough on deathmarch. And I did not specialize very much (meaning I spent points on every tree) , thus the game was quite hard already.
And the Combat sucked tbh.....

 

[thibaudv]

Just a question to those ones using "combat mods" did you already play the game on the hardest vanilla difficulty?
And did you skill your character?

Because I did my first walktrhough on deathmarch. And I did not specialize very much (meaning I spent points on every tree) , thus the game was quite hard already.
And the Combat sucked tbh.....

With the Better Combat Enhanced mod, blood and broken bones is harder than death march vanilla. On death march with the mod, you'll need to analyse enemy attack patterns and really figure out what works best against certain types of enemies. For me that adds the layer of depth to the combat that the vanilla game was missing.

 

[TelandorSortas]

Which patterns? Those are really simple.... 2 or 3 different moves.
Btw. I've had most problems or lets say the most enoying enemy have been humans. Because of their blocking behaviour. It was just lame fighting against them.

 

[pateuvasiliu]

You can disrupt their block with Alt Yrden, Ard/Alt Ard, Igni, Strong Attacks and Axii.

 

[thibaudv]

Which patterns? Those are really simple.... 2 or 3 different moves.
Btw. I've had most problems or lets say the most enoying enemy have been humans. Because of their blocking behaviour. It was just lame fighting against them.

One on one fighting is the easy part. Try a group of 6 drowners of your own level. Or specters, even worse!

I think a lot of the people who disliked the combat in the game just kept doing the same thing over and over again. Sure, you can do it that way but if you switch between fast attack strong attack, dodge, roll, all signs and their alternate modes, the special attacks, all the different bombs and potions... the combat becomes quite fun imho.

 

[TelandorSortas]

Igni and ard didn't work most of the time and always using axii was kinda lame.
As I said I did not concentrate my skill points. I've had the same amount of points in every tree.
This skill tree or system just sucks. It's not really interesting at all.

One on one fighting is the easy part. Try a group of 6 drowners of your own level. Or specters, even worse!

I think a lot of the people who disliked the combat in the game just kept doing the same thing over and over again. Sure, you can do it that way but if you switch between fast attack strong attack, dodge, roll, all signs and their alternate modes, the special attacks, all the different bombs and potions... the combat becomes quite fun imho.

Yeah so? The movement patterns of drowners are especially limited. Dunno I just kinda disliked the combat system.
It didn't fit somehow

Maybe I just didn't get it, but the combat system rarely felt dynamic. It was simply tedious and boring for me. I don't know why exactly something was missing. Maybe I just expected more.