Age of Redemption v2011 LAUNCHED

[Javokis]

Here's a new summary of changes and goodies:

-New option added in config to causes the respawn timer to wait till level is cleared of enemies before starting.
-New config option to allow MP players to change into vampires during the embrace cutscene
-Additional optimization done to AI protocols to reduce multiplayer lag.
-Alterations done to lawmen ai so they don't attack players merely defending themselves from other enemies.
-Walk cycle actors now respawn and will resume cycle when respawned.
-Respawn timer will pause during conversations. Timer resumes when conversation ends.
-Rebalanced several discipline blood cost progressions to encourage spending on more dots for cost reduction benifits.
-Discipline benifits have also been adjusted...
   Too many minor changes to list, but some disciplines were costly and provided little effect like Tongue of the Asp.
   Other disciplines didn't seem to make sense spending more than one dot on, like Spirit Touch, and were quite
   expensive for such a small effect. Many disciplines and their effects had some stat changes all to provide better
   encouragement for progression and use.
-Fixed crash involving the Cloak the Gathering discipline
-Redid all AI files so that all enemies are given proper hierarchy of disciplines.
-Added new config option to set starting discipline level for enemies (aidisclevel option) - check config file for more info...
   This brings back the old AoR 2006 difficulty system, but in the form of a specific variable option for disciplines.
-Pets were restoring Health and Blood upon level transition. Fixed now so current Health and Blood levels are carried over.
-Almost every enemy can throw GIBs. Makes AoR a bit more bloody. Just a bit...
-Dilution now affects stats above 40 rather than 50... haha
-Incenerator now auto fires.
-Option to have Serena with you in London. Should make escaping SoL reasonable for those who were not prepared for dilution.
-Additional config file option to turn off duration limits on pet disciplines. Check config file for more info...
-Added progressive damage per dot level on Flash discipline.
-Increased blood and health percentages per dot level on Awakening and Shambling Hordes disciplines.
-Unholy Chainmail had low faith as a requirement... replaced faith with humanity to fit with the rest of the unholy set.
   Didn't make sense to have a non-human wearable item to require a human only stat
-Fixed an issue in single player where the teutonic knights wont drop the party member's magical items they were carrying
-Fixed issue with walk cycle scripts not going "full cycle". Actors were skipping patrol nodes.
-Fixed respawn issues in single player where timers weren't resuming when players leave a level.
-Added an option in config to auto add to party any specific story driven player that's spawned in mp. (Erik, Wilhem, Serena, ect)
   (Great for living things up in your MP game like spawning Lily into dark age chronicles or Serena into modern day)
   (Now they add to your "party" and aid you in combat when ever and where ever. Enjoy...)
-Added an option to set AI's limit of pet discipline usage. Check config file for more info...
-Molotov cocktails and greek fire are now much more dangerous - uses WODAL's lure of flames effect when explodes
-Oops... forgot to set the haven portal location when transitioning to modern day after vysehrad scene. FIXED
-Extended range of Cloak the Gathering
-The Saving crosses and ahkurns located in havens now revive fallen party members instead of saving.
   (These haven props were only useful in game version 1.0 before save anywhere was added in 1.1 VTMR patch)
   (They have been rather useless for version 1.1 users since so now they have a purpose.)
-After completing the Stephansdom in Vienna, players should be able to return to it and replay to heart's content.
   (Also... players should be able to use Haven Portal discipline there from then on)
   (Same goes for use of Haven Portal in Teutonic Base and Society of Leopold upon their completion)

This could most likely be a 2nd Edition to the 2011 depending on how long it takes to do some thorough testing to the new features. Likely not gonna be a 2012 release.

[Phantom of the Vamp]

That's awesome!!  I look forward to playing it!

[Populism]

This mod makes the game much better. I'm currently tweaking parts of it, trying to get the disciplines better balanced. Looks like your next version will offer that as well.

Bugs I've found so far

1. The WTA bug mentioned on the first page.
2. Gold is referred to as cash when you pick it up in the Dark Age
3. Entranced npc's were respawning during the level when you get captured by the knights...I ended up with several of them following me. (I have respawn turned off).
4. Neck braces don't stop vamps form feeding on you, I think it happens in the original game but I'm not positive.
5. Awake can be used to bring back enemy npcs...again might be the original game. ( started using your mod shortly after starting the game).

I'll post more as I find them

Just curious, but due to the new drop system you get incredibly rich without trying. I was hoping to reinstate misc treasure with a few changes...I can't get the NOT editor to allow new tags for the templates, any advice?
    
6. Npc's refuse to use many of the disciplines assigned to them, for example war ghouls do not use fortitude or potence.
7. There is a error in the AoRAITactics file line 35 duplicate variable "pet".
8. While feeding if you are hit you often continue drawing blood even though the animation is broke, also the one being feed upon stays in the animation.
9. Not a bug but I vote for the orginal backgrounds for  inventory, char screens...etc. The modern ones don't fit at all.

[Phantom of the Vamp]

You'll be my hero populism if you can figure out how to add disciplines to AOR. 

Heck I'm just gonna play AOR over again in the mean time. 

[Populism]

If you mean new disciplines that are not in the game, sorry, I'm not that skilled. I'm mostly a notebook modder, though I learn as I go. Currently I'm using Notebook, Eclipse and Not editor. I remove, add or alter values already in the game. I've done a ton of work and testing to this end. I'm going to release it if I can get premission from the AoR makers.

I'm trying to just finish the game and testing (first time through), but as I play I keep finding things I want to try or change...so the readme's getting huge.

Nice to see some life here

[Luke1987]

That's awesome!!  I look forward to playing it!

Yeah!! Me too!!
Great to have Serena, Lily (& other squad members) in my MP game!!

[Phantom of the Vamp]

I was testing AOR 2011 in single player mode.  Somehow I got stuck at trying to kill Orsi in the factory.  For whatever reason his health is dark red (and with no more blood) but he just doesn't die.  Acid, Fire, Aggravated damage, Lightning, guns, everything I could throw at him and he just wouldn't die.  Any thoughts?  I couldn't find a cheat for single player mode that would let me kill Orsi either to progress the scene.  Tried changescene/changechronicle but that didn't seem to work.

Just an FYI for the next release.  Other then that I thought it was pretty neat being in modern day and using walk the abyss to end up in old prague.  We have a Temporis power!!    Scroll of Temporis oh yah.

[Luke1987]

I was testing AOR 2011 in single player mode.  Somehow I got stuck at trying to kill Orsi in the factory.  For whatever reason his health is dark red (and with no more blood) but he just doesn't die.  Acid, Fire, Aggravated damage, Lightning, guns, everything I could throw at him and he just wouldn't die.  Any thoughts?  I couldn't find a cheat for single player mode that would let me kill Orsi either to progress the scene.  Tried changescene/changechronicle but that didn't seem to work.

Just an FYI for the next release.  Other then that I thought it was pretty neat being in modern day and using walk the abyss to end up in old prague.  We have a Temporis power!!    Scroll of Temporis oh yah.

I have the same problem with Orsi, this problem will be fixed in next release (like Javokis said) (see change notes 4 next release).

[Javokis]

I received a message from a member around a week ago asking how the enemy cap option can be used to increase the number of enemies on a level. As of 2011 edition, the enemy cap system is only meant to reduce enemies on a level and not to increase them beyond the fixed number spawned in a level. With that stated, this gives me idea for a procedural spawning system for next release with options to set a "percentage" increase within a given level that removes the fixed spawn location system of the original game to a procedural spawn system akin to "Left for Dead". This should keep the players guessing while increasing the replay value even further. I'll put down some footnotes about this feature and see if anyone wants to add ideas to this:

-Enemies could re-spawn in different locations every time they are killed.
-Enemies with walk cycles MIGHT not be affected. Unsure how this will work if they are affected.
-Bosses and cutscene enemies should remain at the same location... or should they?
-Trap door enemies (like in Teutonic Base) might not be affected... if they are procedural, any ideas on how this could work?
-The procedural spawning could be affected by the position of the players (so that spawning could occur around corners: out of sight).
-Procedural spawning could change the type of enemies spawned based on player's skill level, gradually increasing difficulty as you go.
-Some changes to the levels may be needed to make this procedural system work right (design changes, spawn changes, and script changes).

Could be a lot of fun... and a lot of work...

[Luke1987]

@Javokis, I just wanna to say thank you, and that I can't wait for AOR 2012 release!