[MOD] A16 Better Balance Mod - Spikes, guns, mining, building etc. improvements

[SurvivalUK]

Spiritually successor to my A15 Better Balance Mod along similar lines.

 

I'll keep it brief this time around but you'll get the idea what this mod is about if you've seen the A15 version. Very simply it balances out the grinding and fun sucking defaults of A16 (imo). A16 really is about the race to get steel tools as the material bonuses and points increases while using them are significant. As before i recommend increasing Z spawns to take advantage of the mod.

 

The mod i created really for personal use and i'll keep it up to date as A16 progresses but it's really tailored for fun while not being too grinding. I make no apologies for making things easier to attain and progress quickened. Play vanilla if you're a sadist!

 

Further mods / tweaks i recommend:

>Blood moon fix< by Guppycur which fixes crappy horde nights

>Origin UI mod< by Tritox which is stellar

 

Stamina

Stamina reductions for the following items, you'll still be wanting points into Sexual Tyrannosaur and perks in the early game. Once you progress though it's more liveable than the asthmatic vanilla version:

Sledge Hammer

Hoes

Axes

Picks

 

Building

Wood log / Wooden spikes - marginal increase in durability

 

Mining

Stone blocks

• Maxdamage 500 --> 400

• Destroyed bonuses retained

> Harvesting tweaks

• iron ore 2 --> 3 (stone / iron harvesting scales with mining perks and the use of iron / steel tools)

> 10% chance of mining extra generic ores and 1/2/4% for rare ores upon destroying the block (these do not scale with perks to keep them balanced)

• nitrate (16)

• lead (4)

• coal (18)

• scrap iron (18)

• Silver (1) /(4%)

• Gold (1) /(2%)

• Diamond (1) / (1%)

Trees

• Feathers and eggs have a chance of being collected when a tree is brought down, the bigger the tree the potential for greater rewards (small trees excluded)

• A lot more wood from trees including destroyed bonuses, basically i kept A15 tree behaviour

 

Perks

Beginning tutorial reward increased to 10 points

Starting crafting levels 50 vs 25

 

Animal / Z spawns

All friendly animals spawns increased without being too abundant

Removed Zombie Stripper*

Z / hostile animals - detection / light detection range tweaked Full credit to BloodyBlackJack for his awesome efforts finding this, testing, sharing and the comprehensive post

Z / hostile animals - awareness radius increased from 180° to 270°

 

*I LAN play with my missus and kids so it had to go

 

Progression

Experience levels from 200 to 500

Levelling up points - Increased from 6 to 7

Levels requirements and multipliers reduced on the majority of perks

Treasure hunting default search radius reduced and each level upgrade has a smaller radius

Gated items reduced

• Chemistry station

• Concrete mixing

• Steel smithing

• Workbench

Levelling up to 600 skill / purple quality possible (500 cap removed)

• Gun smithing

• Misc crafting

• Science

• Armour

• Tool smithing

• Weapon smithing

 

Loot

Dukes - increased quantities if spawned

Military ammo - increased quantities if spawned

Military weapons - mp5 and sniper increased chances

Painkillers - hydration penalty reduced from -30 to -6

Tool and die set - marginal increase of spawn chance

Solar cells - added to more loot groups

Junk loot group - tweaks

Treasure chests remain after looting (remove with axe)

Workbench / cement mixer / chemstation / forge - working ones are lootable with a wrench

Tires - chance of being wrenched from cars

 

Weapons

Increased head shot bonus damage on bows, sledge hammer, hammer, auger, chainsaw, axes, picks, shotguns, hunting rifle, mp5, AK and .44.

Blunderbuss - overall damage increased

Pistol - rapid fire shot to shot

Shotguns - marginal improvements shot to shot (shot sound can sometimes be quirky if rapid tho)

Sniper rifle - magazine 5 --> 10 shots (SR-25 capacity)

 

Recipes

Bottled water - added cooling effect

Torches - tweaked

• coal + cloth + wood recipe

• tallow + cloth + wood recipe

Steel Polish / Upgrade recipe - added

• crafted in the chemistry station - 5 forged steel / 1 glue = quantity 20, 10 secs mix time

• perk unlock - 20 points / 75 construction tools

Refilling empty jars / buckets now possible from sinks

Splint - Removed the duct tape requirement

Wood spike - wood requirements increased to 25 vs 20

Mini bike - quality linked to Misc Crafting instead of Science

---

All the following have their material requirements reduced:

Club - barbed

Club - iron

Club - spiked

Forged iron

Forged steel

Hoe - Iron

Iron bars

Pickaxe - Iron

Pickaxe - Steel

Shovel - Iron

Shovel - Steel

Scrap iron spikes

Grilled meat

Meat stew

Ladder upgrades

Forged steel and iron crafted in the forge

Crucible

---

Fertilizer - reduction in requirements in the cement mixer

 

Storage

Storage increases for several raw materials

 

Misc

Swimming speed increased - swimming is bit quicker than vanilla, shallow water walking is a lot quicker

 

Files:

blocks.xml

buffs.xml

entityclasses.xml

entitygroups.xml

items.xml

localization.txt

loot.xml

materials.xml

progression.xml

quests.txt

recipes.xml

 

Copy files to your Steam folder:

<whereever installed>\Steam\Steamapps\Common\7 Days To Die\Data\Config\

 

** Don't use on an existing vanilla saved game as the tweaks to the perks / skill progression will probably screw up your existing character **

 

Link - v2.2:

Download link or Download link Google Drive

** make sure to use the latest version of winrar / 7zip **

 

History - latest release highlighted in gold

 

v2.2 - A16.4b8 compatible, stack size changes, refined tire drops from cars

v2.1 - Player max level reduced from 500 to 250 due to it impacting loot quality, screamer new loot list (rare loot added, junk removed, guaranteed loot), more loot tweaks, removed toilets etc from construction crates.

v2.0 - Internal

v1.9 - A16.3b12 stable compatible

v1.8 - A16.3b12 compatible

v1.7 - A16.3b7 compatible, air drops are back to default disappearing after looting

v1.6 - Adjusted wrench stamina again, added a chance to get tires from wrenched cars similar to engine drops, minor refinements in existing xml

v1.5 - A16.3b1 experimental compatible

v1.4 - Code correction for XP gain noted by Lavendarjosh

v1.3 - Code tidy up with excellent feedback from SMiThaYe

v1.2 - Upgraded for A16.2b7 compatibility, removed quest timers / increased points, made working workbench / cement mixer / chemstation / forge lootable with wrench, tidied up a few bits

v1.1.1 - Forgot to add the the entitygroups.xml file for animal spawns, Chump misses nothing! hehe

v1.1 - Sped up swimming, airdrop crate / treasure chests remain after looting, Solar cell added to more loot groups, Z / hostile animal sight range increased to 60m (vs 30m) + light changes, circling Z / animal fix added, Z / hostile animals detection radius increased to 270°

v1.0 - A16.1 B1 compatible

[habibo]

Removed Zombie Stripper* You monster!!

 

but seriously looks like a nifty mod

[Eloc Freidon]

Thank you, you are a life saver! You've saved me hours of my life for each skill you've balanced.

[SnakeWildlife]

I always use your better balance mod, thank you for updating it and im hoping we can relive the freedom A15 gave us, definitely not a sadist and have found A16 to be unplayable for me and our group. Progression stank to the point we didnt want to play and guppycurs been helping us out on the forum for Cons of the current progression system.

 

Thanks again for updating this, You guys do us proud. Rep Up!

 

Keep up the good work, we will start playing with this mod again and give ya a poke if we have any feedback.

If anything from the new version i think that super-slow swimming needs a tweak back to how it used to work.

[SurvivalUK]

@habibo, hehe

 

@Eloc, great to hear thanks, i know i'd rather put time into productive building or whatever than being slowed to a snails pace for reasons

 

@SnakeWildlife, you're more than welcome and thanks. Happy to keep it going because i just can't get on with vanilla. You're spot on regarding the treacle like water, it's on my v1.1 list to resolve together with adding the solar panels to the rare loot tables to remove the reliance on traders / secret stash perk.

 

Travelling at the moment and back on Friday when i hope to have the above couple of bits done.

 

Thanks for the great feedback all, really appreciated and nice to know it is be used .

[Pr00ch]

pretty neat, combats some of the anti-fun design decisions the team took with the recent update

[Dibbler]

Awesome work there and most appreciated

 

Great to see that there are modders who are not only able to mod this game but are generous enough to share their work

 

After 16 dropped it is great to find mods like this which put "fun" before "grind".

 

Excellent work.

[Blazer777]

survival is there any way u can place this in a rar file so its easier to download and less headache sounds liek an awesome mod

[SurvivalUK]

survival is there any way u can place this in a rar file so its easier to download and less headache sounds liek an awesome mod

Hi, when you click the Google link it'll show the individual files within the rar but if you look at the top right there should be a button to download the entire rar file. The button looks like a down arrow above a line.

[SurvivalUK]

pretty neat, combats some of the anti-fun design decisions the team took with the recent update

 

Cheers

 

Awesome work there and most appreciated

 

Great to see that there are modders who are not only able to mod this game but are generous enough to share their work

 

After 16 dropped it is great to find mods like this which put "fun" before "grind".

 

Excellent work.

Many thanks Dibbler and yeah it's an awesome community on here with so many amazing modders

[SurvivalUK]

v1.1 released - op updated

 

• Swimming speed tweaks
  
• Airdrop creates / treasure chests - remain after being looted (well in RL they remain so why not! Axe to get rid of them once finished)
  
• Solar cells - added to more loot groups
  
• Z / hostile animals - detection range increased + light detection changes Full credit to BloodyBlackJack for his awesome efforts finding this, testing, sharing and the comprehensive post
  
• Z / hostile animals - detection radius increased from 180° to 270° - you really have to be in a blind spot to avoid them and with the above range / light tweaks too you have far far more interaction with Z's / hostile animals. Screw stealth, be prepared!
  

I do hope they don't release 16.2 tomorrow night...

[Chump]

I don't see the following modification:

 

All friendly animals spawns increased without being too abundant

 

Is there supposed to be entitygroups.xml included also?

 

Awesome work! This mod should become the standard (it already is for most of us).

[Blazer777]

which folder do they go i nas im not sure

[SurvivalUK]

I don't see the following modification:

 

All friendly animals spawns increased without being too abundant

 

Is there supposed to be entitygroups.xml included also?

 

Awesome work! This mod should become the standard (it already is for most of us).

Epic fail on my part lol, i missed it out of the zip but i've added it back in now.

 

Thanks for the eagle eyes hehe and comments

 

- - - Updated - - -

 

which folder do they go i nas im not sure

Hi Blazer, here you go

Copy files to your Steam folder:

<whereever installed>\Steam\Steamapps\Common\7 Days To Die\Data\Config\

[Blazer777]

kk thx

[SurvivalUK]

v1.1 released - op updated

 

• Swimming speed tweaks
  
• Airdrop creates / treasure chests - remain after being looted (well in RL they remain so why not! Axe to get rid of them once finished)
  
• Solar cells - added to more loot groups
  
• Z / hostile animals - detection range increased + light detection changes Full credit to BloodyBlackJack for his awesome efforts finding this, testing, sharing and the comprehensive post
  
• Z / hostile animals - detection radius increased from 180° to 270° - you really have to be in a blind spot to avoid them and with the above range / light tweaks too you have far far more interaction with Z's / hostile animals. Screw stealth, be prepared!
  

I do hope they don't release 16.2 tomorrow night...

v1.1.1 - all the above but includes the entitygroups.xml

[Chump]

Awesome! Thank you, good sir.

[SurvivalUK]

Awesome! Thank you, good sir.

Enjoy! And thanks again for spotting it

 

More sleep less gin required, or maybe not...

[SnakeWildlife]

Once iv killed about 4 zombies around a town NO z's seem to spawn apart from the sleepers. Gone up to day 35 and unless i force stuff to spawn with forges and a lot of heat, theres like no wandering zombies around ever.

 

Not sure if it's the mod or how the game is by default but when theres no Z's for weeks outside its kinda...meh

[SurvivalUK]

Once iv killed about 4 zombies around a town NO z's seem to spawn apart from the sleepers. Gone up to day 35 and unless i force stuff to spawn with forges and a lot of heat, theres like no wandering zombies around ever.

 

Not sure if it's the mod or how the game is by default but when theres no Z's for weeks outside its kinda...meh

It sounds more like A16 itself than the mod as apart from removing strippers there isn't anything in there that impacts Z spawns. Even then strippers out of the group just means something else replaces it.

 

I have a SP world going at about day 15 that i've built heavily in as well as lots or torches / forges and i get at least a sleeper every few hours (3 the max i've been able to farm so far). And then large wandering hordes too.

 

Started a fresh MP world with my other half and got tattered by various sleepers and a massive dog horde on day 3, dead of night trying to find a cooking pot.

 

On various test worlds (all rwg) outside of roaming hordes Z's / sleepers, cities are very quiet if you're nomadic. Until a base goes up it is very quiet there as there are so few Z's about but again a trait of A16.

[SurvivalUK]

New version v1.2 for experimental A16.2b7

 

• Compatible with A16.2b7
  
• Removed quest timers and increased quest points to 2 points each
  
• Working Cement mixer / Forge / Workbench / Chemstation are now lootable with a wrench
  
• tidied up a few bits
  

[SnakeWildlife]

It sounds more like A16 itself than the mod as apart from removing strippers there isn't anything in there that impacts Z spawns. Even then strippers out of the group just means something else replaces it.

 

I have a SP world going at about day 15 that i've built heavily in as well as lots or torches / forges and i get at least a sleeper every few hours (3 the max i've been able to farm so far). And then large wandering hordes too.

 

Started a fresh MP world with my other half and got tattered by various sleepers and a massive dog horde on day 3, dead of night trying to find a cooking pot.

 

On various test worlds (all rwg) outside of roaming hordes Z's / sleepers, cities are very quiet if you're nomadic. Until a base goes up it is very quiet there as there are so few Z's about but again a trait of A16.

 

Yea that's a real shame. If im walking around and there's no random zombies wandering about it really slams on the 'boredom brakes' very quickly and makes me want to do something else.

 

A16 has rly crippled my mood to play at all.

[SurvivalUK]

Yea that's a real shame. If im walking around and there's no random zombies wandering about it really slams on the 'boredom brakes' very quickly and makes me want to do something else.

 

A16 has rly crippled my mood to play at all.

I wouldn't say there are no random Z's whether in the towns or country side but it is much changed due to the sleeper system imo.

[SMiThaYe]

Quick thanks for the update.

 

Decided against implementing wrenching workstations that would bypass level gates - that is my first thought on this - fine for those who are accustomed in A15. Can see some people wanting also instead of placing down multiple landclaim blocks for their base, not everyone is fan of them but they do offer additional protection. Appreciate the removal of challenges timers and additional recipies to name just a few aspects of this fun mod.

 

Not that it would affect functionality, meatStew in items.xml where emptyJar was commented out has left over code:

<property name="Create_item" value="emptyJar"/>[b] -->[/b]

 

There is additional spacing in several places in progression.xml after the quotation which again isn't a big deal, just search for " / and remove the space.

 

Not sure if intended since other loot tables have single instance; in loot.xml you have solarCell listed twice in tools.

[SurvivalUK]

Quick thanks for the update.

 

Decided against implementing wrenching workstations that would bypass level gates - that is my first thought on this - fine for those who are accustomed in A15. Can see some people wanting also instead of placing down multiple landclaim blocks for their base, not everyone is fan of them but they do offer additional protection. Appreciate the removal of challenges timers and additional recipies to name just a few aspects of this fun mod.

 

Not that it would affect functionality, meatStew in items.xml where emptyJar was commented out has left over code:

<property name="Create_item" value="emptyJar"/>[b] -->[/b]

 

There is additional spacing in several places in progression.xml after the quotation which again isn't a big deal, just search for " / and remove the space.

 

Not sure if intended since other loot tables have single instance; in loot.xml you have solarCell listed twice in tools.

Thanks for this, it's much appreciated

 

I've removed the trailing " /", the extra "-->" and the additional solar cell!

 

I know the lootable gated items will be decisive but with there sporadic appearance went for it.

 

I'll upload the new file shortly, currently travelling down the m6 (as a passenger) so the Internet is come and go. Stopping at services shortly with better connectivity and i'll update the OP.

 

Thanks again!