[Hexen][WIP] ERLBA Monster Pack [v 0.40]

[alexsa2015sa]

Download link:

v0.40
https://mega.nz/file/dn5zCKQL#v4_mcu_fH ... uSXIcVEoEg

The mod now has an official demo map - Sunrise Citadel(thread here)

This simple Zscript mod adds ~60 monster variants for Hexen along with boss enhancements. By default, new variants are introduced gradually as you advance through the maps in a given playthrough, but you can adjust it to your liking (from only ever seeing a single variety to having a new random roll every next room)

There are really only three good* things about the mod:
1) It. Is. So. Damn. TINY. No sprites, no brightmaps, no dynamic lights, completely nothing at all and the one sound I included is there because I have not figured out how to cut/pitch/etc it the way I like it yet. Only preexisting HEXEN.WAD assets and a little bit of elbow grease. The quality is debatable, but I honestly do not care for detail over gameplay.
2) It doesn't break stock Hexen scripts like a default unhandled RandomSpawner does and they usually work as intended. This means Gibbet bug is still there, which is a bit annoying to keep exactly 3 serpents but not hard-locking. Note to self: write a specialcasing for that so no user care is required anymore.
3) Difficulty is overall increased. Except centaurs, because to hell with bInvulnerable (and they are not). That said, Hexen weapons are so overpowered you should not have much problems regardless. Health increases are modest, nothing a Quietus blast can't handle, at worst you'll need several hammers if you don't axe the problem, or mage choosing weapon carefully.

Known issues:

1) All Hexen enemies are replaced with tweaked ones.
2) There is an options menu to tweak mod's behaviour, including ability to disable mod partially if you want other custom content for some unfathomable reason.
3) This is a beta release; it is completely functional. but balance might sometimes strain in custom conditions.
4) There are several variants which spawn under exotic conditions. This makes them uncommon otherwise. EDIT: Make that 0 spawns in entire IWAD. Even HexDD only helps so much.
5) Naming sense. I am really, completely and undoubtedly magnificient at doing that. Badly.

Main changes for 0.40:
- Added Sunrise Citadel support.

Some screenshots:

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ghosts1.png

Anyways, enough with words, try out the mod and tell me what you hated/liked about it!
Download link:
v0.40
https://mega.nz/file/dn5zCKQL#v4_mcu_fH ... uSXIcVEoEg

Older versions:

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v0.33https://mega.nz/file/4mJGSRwa#e57QfGaca ... EzxWESFEIA
v 0.30 https://mega.nz/file/gjYCkTxY#U6J1WK5Mn ... zj7ZT-AxcU
v 0.25https://mega.nz/file/92on3KSI#JmzBue2yw ... 98QMFCZRSc
v0.20 https://mega.nz/file/97Y3GaQQ#hExdmdZnX ... UetaN6TuMY
v0.15 https://mega.nz/file/92p0VSqR#QEgLXknGG ... G_crvywv6Q
v0.10 https://mega.nz/file/BuxWkLwC#qSvoihrYW ... 6x5-eDwLEw
v0.06 https://mega.nz/file/png2QLhC#_lhTEXpUv ... q_clYoFVh4
v0.05 https://mega.nz/file/Fq5X1SLD#PN0b7Zg3p ... yVnbLezdf4
v0.04 https://mega.nz/file/0ihUXSqa#LGFcTWMVK ... qkioYvesFU
v0.03 https://mega.nz/file/czowEZCJ#pWHwj2IKa ... tn3XtDN5h0
v0.02 https://mega.nz/file/wzggjJzS#Y6N2-h8Lu ... StmSry7VG4
v0.01 https://mega.nz/file/UigDxaRK#Q5TxudTZq ... 5upP1nGO1I

[alexsa2015sa]

Download link (v0.02)
https://mega.nz/file/wzggjJzS#Y6N2-h8Lu ... StmSry7VG4

Changes for 0.02:
- Extra centaur variant
- Brown Serpent breath fixed
- Some color schemes changed

I may admit I did not expect to have any feedback quickly and I was busy anyhow, but it honestly looks like no one noticed the mod to begin with and most of the views are bots, random lurkers and maybe staff. Uh, alright, I guess? There *is* a reason version number is so lo, I do plan for more stuff in here.

[alexsa2015sa]

Download link (v0.03)
https://mega.nz/file/czowEZCJ#pWHwj2IKa ... tn3XtDN5h0

Changes for 0.03:
- Heresiarch rework. Now has random set of runes to blast you with, and classic attacks are stronger.
- Generic fire death for monsters. Nothing very interesting, but ashes are certainly tidier than guts everywhere.
- Added several vaguely interesting monster variants, like hook ettins. Total +20 new monster variants
- Still no options menu because I keep getting distracted with pretty recolors.
- Added a level postprocessor "fixing" Shadow Wood ettin chasm... because why not?

Anyways, feel free to try it out and leave your feedback if possible. (Sidenote: Making screenshots is way too hard... I'd rather write code all time instead)

[alexsa2015sa]

Dowload link:
https://mega.nz/file/0ihUXSqa#LGFcTWMVK ... qkioYvesFU

"Not much to see here, move along"

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ERLBA4.png

Main changes for 0.04:
- Fixed SerpentLeader and Heresiarch replacements being incorrect in some circumstances.
- Expanded firedeath handler for a few hardcoded colored flame deaths (green fires and purple fires). Todo: figure out what this service thing is, to put the WERLBA checks into WERLBA proper, as well as let anyone hook other Hexen mods without altering ERLBA files.
- Heresiarch no longer harms the minions directly.
- Added 3 Afrit variants to dilute oppressive Ghost Afrit abundance and fixed spawncheck code which was half-baked. Now there are 9 afrit variants total.
- Other minor tweaks.

[alexsa2015sa]

I did not think it will be this easy, and I was entirely... wrong.

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ERLBA3.png

ERLBA v0.05
- Options menu is added.
- Revised Korax fight. It is harder now. Then again, maybe not...
- In completely utterly absolutely certainly unrelated news, a Heresiarch's very special attack is telegraphed better.
- Rewritten all the internals to glue with options. More rewriting expected to more flexibility.
- Reave and Mist serpents fire leading fireballs
- 1 Centaur and Slaughtaur variant added
- Centaur shield handling tweaked re: Sapphire Wand and other fast rippers

Good news: you can now disable something really irritating, be it a weak monster or a strong monster or just a poorly-colored monster. Or disable everything, period, and enjoy slaughtering almost-but-not-quite default Ettins. Aactually now that I think of it, an option to disable replacement for a single monster completely is going to happen for next release; it's a logical progression.
Bad news: in my attempts to restructure internals, I likely broke more than a few things. If you discover something weird (like, say, every dark room having a ghost afrit) do not make an assumption it is an intended behaviour and please report it. ...There are no ghost afrits in every room anymore in the release version, aren't there? Aren't there?!

Download link:
https://mega.nz/file/Fq5X1SLD#PN0b7Zg3p ... yVnbLezdf4

[mofumofu]

Tried out ERLBA, but didn't get very far because... every afrit in the guardian of ice and the guardian of fire was a ghost afrit lol! Very frustrating when I only have the violet wand...

Also, it's a little annoying that ettins can continue to hurl an infinite stream of morningstars at you, but I guess it's fine since they do pathetic damage, hehe.

I'll try it again later, maybe with the ghost afrits disabled. I really don't like "ghost" enemies, they're super tedious and unfun.

[alexsa2015sa]

Tried out ERLBA, but didn't get very far because... every afrit in the guardian of ice and the guardian of fire was a ghost afrit lol! Very frustrating when I only have the violet wand...

Also, it's a little annoying that ettins can continue to hurl an infinite stream of morningstars at you, but I guess it's fine since they do pathetic damage, hehe.

I'll try it again later, maybe with the ghost afrits disabled. I really don't like "ghost" enemies, they're super tedious and unfun.

That is, like... I mean... Uh... Random numbers are so random...

I was joking but I really should have believed that "a small chance of that happening" means someone else actually stumbles upon a quite improbable (took 5 minutes of console spamming to reproduce, though in hindsight that is very much "probable") combination of "ghost afrits can spawn in Seven Portals" and "levels have a chance to be all single monster type equal to first monster spawned" in a single day. There's also a chance of shadow afrits but they're less mean.

Seriously though, that is literally what options menu was added for. Disable ghost afrits before restarting the game and they won't show up anymore, problem solved

[alexsa2015sa]

Uh... So far I could not kill newfangled Korax version with less than three Icons of Defender stored. I mean, I spend two of them killing monsters over the boss. That is after I toned down the Korax for 0.06... Yeaah, custom WADs need a better Korax replacement option, if they do not provide their own boss.
Changes for 0.06:

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- Korax main attack is slower and only firest twice half the time
- Added a CVAR for Korax replacement. Because uh... it's too scary.
- Heresiarch and Korax health scales up in coop (does this even not desync?.. don't know, try at your own risk)
- Ettins and centaurs try pulling down anyone not onground on melee contact. If they corner you, they corner you.
- Heresiarch casts spells better under skill 5 in some circumstances
- Firehead and Lightning spells of Heresiarch are less overwhelming
- Finally fixed duplicate monsters on stairs not working correctly. Probably.
- 1 ettin variant added: Reave Ettin. 1 bishop variant added: Dark Abboth.
- Reave Serpents reworked to match new ettin variant.
- Basic ettins throw maces less often in normal conditions
- Shielded centaurs can ignore blastradius unless you poke them hard enough
- Pulltaurs and Pull Serpents both use a prettier missile sprite.
- Bluefire Ettins have larger hitbox and throw slower maces
- Removed autoaim immunity from bishops since it interferes with more things it should
- Forbidden Dark Brothers to be brothers of whatever they want
- Made floor flames and icicles move with sector
- Added options menu to apply current settings (it, uh, was missing)
- Fixed 1-length levels requiring 2 spawns to roll over
- Fixed dark monster spawn conditions (no more ghost afrits early etc.)
- Fixed Demon15 special

Download link:
v0.06
https://mega.nz/file/png2QLhC#_lhTEXpUv ... q_clYoFVh4

[alexsa2015sa]

Download link v0.10
https://mega.nz/file/BuxWkLwC#qSvoihrYW ... 6x5-eDwLEw

Sometimes I wonder how do I get my version numbering for mods, since it usually has nothing to do with actual completion percent. Then I boot up the Red Keep hub 3 and remember why, exactly, did I start procrastinating badly making pretty sprites.

Main changes for 0.10:
- Added more Heresiarch spells and let him armor up minions.
- Fixed buried wraiths, since I accidentally'd them at some point. Heh.
- An event handler to handle a certain event. To prevent things going splat that aren't meant to.
- Even more Heresiarch spells for Red Keep Heresiarches.

Among other notes: I probably should withhold updates for my two mods, because I actually want to complete Red Keep sometimes, damn it. It is embarrasing to realise you have 8 months delay on an absolutely 99% completed hub just because you cannot make a few frankensprites you like...

Download link v0.10
https://mega.nz/file/BuxWkLwC#qSvoihrYW ... 6x5-eDwLEw

[alexsa2015sa]

Download v 0.15:
https://mega.nz/file/92p0VSqR#QEgLXknGG ... G_crvywv6Q

I guess there are still new ways to skin a cat, despite my previous belief I ran out of original variant ideas, but at this rate the final release will be something like v0.30. On the other hand I might even update Red Keep instead.

- Added option to disable various ERLBA spawners, for whatever reason
- Added option to merge Chaos and Brown serpents into single spawner, disabling infighting as well, since their purpose is identical.
- Fixed Serpent aim offset when shooting at bottom.
- Changed electric sprites of Serpents and Centaurs to more unique ones
- Heresiarch lightning is now entirely purple (except red wrath bolts)
- +2 Bishop variants; Confessor and Inquisitor; both aimed to stop your circle strafing.
- +2 Serpent variants: Wave Serpent and Spine Serpent; you are likely to only see the first reliably.
- +2 Centaur and Slaughtaur variants: Minitaur, Shocktaur, Laughtaur and Stormtaur.

As always, feel free to comment on stuff or provide me with monster ideas that don't boil down to "cybruisers are not deadly enough", since I seem to be short on these.

[alexsa2015sa]

Download link v0.20
https://mega.nz/file/97Y3GaQQ#hExdmdZnX ... UetaN6TuMY
Finally the class bosses are replaced, too (and beefed up some in the process) - only the Death Wyvern remains unchanged. There are also some minor bugfixes but nothing too important.
- Zedek has charge attack and flechettes, and takes reduced damage from melee attacks - main use is cancelling Wraithverge. Still dumb muscle.
- Traductus prefers melee attack over Wraithverge unless you run away, and spams clouds of poison. Traductus is also reflective to all ghosts.
- Menelkir has seven different attacks, and is not any longer a "hold repulsion to survive". Conversely, Menelkir holds repulsion compulsively.

Looking for a way to justify my version numbering goof, an idle thought has occured to me that I can use even more monsters as base species.
Several problems with that:
- I do not want to provide any resources I will need crediting with this mod so that I can keep minimal filesize of scripts only
- many sprites use non-Hexen palette which is doable (I am making translation anyways), but worse are custom paletted and especially truecolor sprites, worst of all those which are not using monotones like Hexen is.
- are people actually playing few Hexen wads often enough to bother?
- do I want to goddamn update Red Keep or not?
I could also write a Doom version, but this edges into just bloatware with hundreds of mods already existing, so why would I bother,. It goes double for Heretic which I really dislike for being too Doomed and not Hexen enough, incorporating the worst elements of both games (weapon design and monster design, respectively)

[alexsa2015sa]

Download link v0.25
https://mega.nz/file/92on3KSI#JmzBue2yw ... 98QMFCZRSc
Some more tweaks to class bosses, and Death Wyvern replacement added.
Overall, nothing much exciting, but then again, not having feedback I can miss anything, including Porkalator not working.

[kalensar]

On the low feedback: Hexen is an awesome game that had some massive mistakes done with it's general gameplay. The switch hunt is rather garbage and I have no clue what they were thinking when they made the switch graphics tiny and very hard to see unlike in Heretic and Doom. That is the single biggest and even crippling flaw with Hexen. The low monster variety didnt help at all either, but thats where mods like yours come in.

Personally, I love Hexen, indeed pretty much everything on Doom Engine, but Hexen is the worst game on Doom Engine simply because of the switch hunt for switches that are barely visible. The rest of the Hexen is stellar and is literally the most plundered game for art assets on Doom Engine.

[Crudux Cruo]

I thought this was interesting, would be nice to know what each variant does in a TXT file so i know what i'm running into. also the weapon mod is nice too.

[alexsa2015sa]

I thought this was interesting, would be nice to know what each variant does in a TXT file so i know what i'm running into. also the weapon mod is nice too.

Ask and ye shall receive, I guess. Even if I think I actually forgot some details and missed some obvious things since I haven't tried a proper playthrough for over a month. I didn't write anything about bosses either, if only because their new abilities is really the only way to make them a challenge. Except Heresiarch I guess, but then again there are so many spells that hub 3 and hub 4 fights actually are different now.

Download link v0.30:
https://mega.nz/file/gjYCkTxY#U6J1WK5Mn ... zj7ZT-AxcU

Changes for this version:

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- Attached text manual. Does not contain any hints to bosses (die and find out), but describes ~60 variants in brief detail with important stats like damage resistances listed. No promises about adding a PDA or anything, but might happen.
- +2 Afrit variants; Reave afrit and Darting afrit
- Fixed Boulder Afrit swoop attack/bouncing, added better failsafes/sound cues, removed infighting, tried to write line-of-movement check.
- Heavily revised Death Wyvern so that it now almost certainly definitely absolutely unable to get stuck no matter what (not). Also fixed icedeath not triggering scripts.
- Added 3 Death Wyvern variants with electric, poison and ice missiles, with only missile changes
- Revised Ice Ettins to raise an ice barrier ahead of self, and use missile attack. Old variant was way way too laggy in 50+ crowds due to all the icicle spam
- Improved several Ettin attack animation to backhand (hits faster)
- Fixed untyped damage factors applying when they should have not.
- Fixed zombie Disciples. Probably.
- Fixed Reave and reduced amount of noise somewhat