forgottenspiral

This blog post details a collection of tweaks, quality-of-life additions, and enhancements I've made for The Messenger mod. These changes aim to improve gameplay, visuals, and the overall user experience while preserving the mod's atmosphere and spirit.

List of Tweaks

- Enhanced Bullet Penetration: Improved bullet piercing mechanics for more realistic combat scenarios.
- Reduced Head Bobbing: Mitigated excessive head bobbing during movement for a smoother gameplay experience.
- Named Quick-Saves: Implemented the ability to create descriptive quick-saves for easier organization. Access the main menu and press "S" while in-game.
- Hide/Restore HUD (Optional): Added functionality to hide and restore the HUD for convenience. Disabled by default. Set _toggle_hud = true in ui_main_menu.script to enable.
- Clean HUD: Hid the quick slot element for a cleaner and less cluttered interface.
- Hidden Scrollbar: Disabled the scrollbar in the inventory and talk menus by default for a streamlined visual presentation. Inventory box width is also adjusted for better alignment.
- Improved Inventory Icons: Enhanced the visual appearance of specific inventory icons, including weapons, bandages, anti-radiation drugs, and other small items.
- ZRP Flashlight Beam: Added the ZRP flashlight beam, which penetrates farther but may be less bright, for a better alternative to the vanilla flashlight.
- Widescreen Scope Fix: Ensured proper scope functionality in 16:9 widescreen resolutions.
- Matched Field of View: Set Call of Pripyat's field of view to 67.5 to match SOC and CS for consistency.
- Faster PDA Messages: Eliminated the 1-second delay on certain PDA messages for quicker information access.
- No Weapon Sway on Strafe: Disabled weapon sway during strafing for improved aiming precision.
- Tracers for 12x70 Buckshot: Enabled tracers for 12x70 Buckshot for better visual feedback in combat.
- Helmet in Third-Person View: Player retains their equipped helmet during third-person view for visual consistency.

Optional Tweaks

- Optional Performance Boost: Added the optional LuaJIT library for potential performance improvements.
- Optional Reduced Iron Sight Zoom: Added the option to reduce zoom when aiming down iron sights for a more balanced gameplay experience.
- Optional Widescreen Scope Fix (DX10/11): Added the optional Widescreen Scope fix for DX10 and DX11 users.
- Optional Alternative Player Character Portrait: Provides a portrait of a loner with a gas mask and sunrise suit for player selection.

Screenshots

Notes

- These tweaks are safe for your current playthrough; a new game is not required. Updates also don't necessitate a new game. However, always back up your savegames for safety.
- I haven't significantly modified core mod scripts or config files that determine the plot or core gameplay mechanics. If this changes in the future, I'll highlight it.
- While I haven't completed a full playthrough with all tweaks enabled, I've tested them individually to ensure proper functionality.
- This mod is built on top of vanilla Call of Pripyat, known for its stability within the trilogy, so compatibility issues are unlikely.

Installation

1. Download the mod from either: Disk.yandex.com.tr or Drive.google.com.
2. Download the translation: Moddb.com.
3. Copy and paste the translated "gamedata" folder into the base mod folder, overwriting when necessary.
4. Move the "gamedata" and "bin" folders to your Call of Pripyat folder.
5. Download the tweaks from: Drive.google.com.
6. Extract the 7z file, copy and overwrite the "gamedata" and "bin" folders into the previously moved folders.
7. Choose any optional features from the optional folder (if desired). Copy and overwrite the corresponding "gamedata" or "bin" folders as in the previous steps.
8. Launch Call of Pripyat and begin your game.

These tweaks offer a way to personalize your experience with The Messenger mod while staying true to the original atmosphere. Feel free to experiment with the changes and find the settings that best suit your gameplay preferences. I hope you enjoy the enhanced gameplay.