I've just uploaded GH2v0.520 to SourceForge. The big change this time around is... the RIG-03a2 Gladius, a limited edition reproduction of the NT157 Robot Warriors grand prize, which was used in the battle against Typhon! It's available exclusively from the Pro Duelist Association at their shop in Gaos Spinner. In deference to the NT157 champion, the golden axe has been downgraded to a bronze axe, but other than that it's exactly the same. Start saving for the $3M+ it's going to take to buy it.
Several other mecha have also been added, including a lot of GH1 mecha for the Pro Duelist Association. Here's the complete list of changes.
- Added Dragon theme
The Dragon theme features a lot of kung-fu weapons and makes extensive use of the HYPER attribute. It's available to monks and NPCs with high Ego.
- Added BLIND status effect (ghweapon.pp)
Being BLIND applies a range-based to-hit penalty to all attacks. It also prevents the blinded unit from spotting enemies. I considered renaming this effect DARK after the Final Fantasy status effect, since a character affected by it isn't entirely blind. I need to add some weapons with this attribute to the Dark theme.
- Shopkeeper's skill will improve the more items purchased (services.pp)
As the shopkeeper's skill goes up, the quality and quantity of goods they have will also go up.
- Basic mode PCs get random talents (chargen.pp)
- Random character generator should provide better skills (chargen.pp)
With both of these changes, I've found that basic mode PCs and random NPCs are both better. Randomly generated PCs automatically learn the Conversation skill, while randomly generated NPCs automatically learn Weight Lifting.
- Added ESSENTIAL item category
The shop in the Cavalier's Club sells ESSENTIALs. This makes it much easier to find things like mobile phones and antidote pills.
- Shuttle service has no range (services.pp)
- Shuttle service now includes a meal (services.pp)
Now, you can travel from any spinner to any other non-enemy spinner with a single ticket. It makes getting around much more convenient.
- Movement systems mounted in legs, wings get a thrust bonus (movement.pp)
In designing the rules of GearHead, I don't think about what's realistic. Instead I think about what rules are needed so that the things found in mecha cartoons will make sense. Wings providing a thrust bonus gives a good reason to mount wings on a spaceship; legs providing a thrust bonus gives a good reason to mount jets in the legs rather than the arms or torso.
- Added Century, Gladius, Hariseng, Fenris, Secutor, Thorshammer, Gaunt, Eggman mecha
Of these, the Hariseng isn't available anywhere in the campaign world. I initially wanted to give it to the Pro Duelist Association, but it's far too similar in both price and capabilities to the Thorshammer. The Secutor is a new duelist mecha which will be appearing in next Tuesday's Ataraxia Theatre. The Gaunt is the low end mecha used by the Red Mask Raiders; it's very small and fragile, but extremely fast and well armed. The Eggman is MUGL Enterprises' second mecha, designed for the militia forces of the dusty ring.
- Master plot plotstatus-keyed rumors should now work (mpbuilder.pp)
- Fixed problem with dynamic encounter map generator (arenascript.pp)
- Fixed some problems with long strings (texutil.pp)
- Added Hanging NPC core story element (corestorystub.txt)
- Fixed a crashing bug with overcharger bonus (movement.pp)
- Investigation skill changed to Insight
- Encounters won't usually attack PC while on foot (gamedata/meta11.txt)
- Fixed crashing bug in map generator (randmaps.pp)
- Added faction/mecha analysis program (mekcheck.pas)
- For store placement, sets use average value of items (services.pp)
- Now easier to improve stats with limited skills (training.pp)
- Core story deadend instructs player to make report (playwright.pp)
- On an asteroid, space flight can substitute for regular flight (movement.pp)
- Rocket Arena now gets predefined map
- NPC equipment can be locally availiable (arenaplay.pp)
- Added \ChatNPCMecha message formatting string (arenascript.pp)
- Hovel Market has a guaranteed weapon shop (ATLAS_L5Region.txt)
- Fixed the "NPC in door" message bug (narration.pp)
- No buildings should be unreachable on city map (randmaps.pp)
- FieldHQ menu provides full names (pcaction.pp)
- NeverFail NewNPCs will have correct job title (playwright.pp)
- Chardesc accepts Friend,Family,Lover,ArchEnemy (gearparser.pp)
- NeverFail NewNPCs will be individualized (playwright.pp)
- Fixed leftover placeholder bug (mpbuilder.pp)
Save files from previous versions aren't fully compatible with v0.520; in order to make them so, you'll need to do a bit of editing. Search for the line "&AmoreNPC <N9>" in the save file, then directly underneath it insert the following code:
&SetHangingNPC <N= 10 ?>
&HangingNPC <N10>
element10 <C>
palette_entry_code10 <H>
To restart a deadended core story, open the console with # and type "rcs". Note that this only works to restart the core story- it has no effect on failed quests or anything else. Also note that you should only do this if you've received a deadend message; doing it when your core story hasn't deadended has unpredictable and usually bad effects.
Try it out and let me know what you think.
