Fallout 2 Skills Rebalancing?

[roshan]

I wonder if it is possible at all to alter the SPECIAL system used in Fallout 2, and also modify the skill checks in the game.

The problem I have with it is that most of the skills are useless beyond a certain point, although you are allowed to pump up to 300 points into them. It would be great if the maximum limit for the various skills could be decreased to a standard point, and the ingame skill checks modified based on that.

I was wondering, isnt it possible to change the skill checks in the game, and then alter the limit so that the skills would "max out" at either 100, 150 or 200? For example, the most useful skills, the combat ones, and probably stealing, stealth and barter, would be capped at 200 and would remain essentially the same. Other semi-useful skills with limited in game use - speech, science, doctor, gambling, repair and lockpick would reach their maximum at about 150. Virtually useless skills such as traps would be maxed at 100. Also, couldn't the first aid skill be removed somehow, and merged with doctor?

I was also wondering - does anyone know what the highest skill checks for speech, repair, science and doctor are in Fallout 2?

 

[Nimrod]

I'd say this is impossible without major modifications to the EXE, and probably not even then. I suppose you could conceivably replace a skill such as repair or science that is used mostly by scripts and then alter every script in the game that checks them, but... uh... not a project for me.

Regarding the skill checks, read Per's guides as that boy did one MOTHER of a lot of research. The highest check that I remember from his guide is a 175% science skill (give or take) to get something completely useless out of the Enclave computers.

And First Aid and Doctor are handled differently. First Aid is for quick patch ups (slapping on a band aid), while Doctor can remove adverse conditions in addition to healing (stitching up, resetting broken bones and splinting, etc). Combining them, even if it were possible doesn't sound plausible.

Easiest solution IMHO - Just don't boost certain skills over what you feel is useful.

 

[Lexx]

Instead of decreasing the "max out", I would prefer to set the needet points higher. So, that you don't need 1 point to higher the skill 1 point, you need 2 points to higher the skill 1 point, etc.. like it is already in game, but with "harder rules".

But I think, this isn't possible, because of hardcoded, and so on... don't know if it is possible to hack the exe for this.