Fallout 2 mod Metzger and guard rebalance mod

Suggestion:
+++raise their level/HP/AP and skill level to middle game stage. NOT their equipment or it would be holes for metagamer to exploit.
+++Put a .44 revolver, a SMG or a (burst-able) shotgun in the hand of Metzger

Reason: Their levels and equipments are suitable for early game stage, but NOT for their role in overall storymap.

Think: They serve as a middling man, selling slaves to VC for raw chemicals, and selling both chems and slaves to New Reno for... what? maybe Jet. They have unknown tie with Enclave.
++ A roundabout way to suspect their importance is BOS presence here (the other places merit such attention is NCR and SF). The Den seem to have hidden importance that's unexploited in game storyline. And the only thing of note in this town is Metzger Slaver Guild and his VC/NR/and possible Enclave connections.

Combined this and we can suspect they are a branch of Salvatore but not Mordino (since the amount of Jet in The Den is too low and Mordino doesnt seem to know about Enclave)... BTW, I suspect Rebeca Dyer is possibly a Wright daughter married into Dyers, and this is their effort to expand outside.

Also, killing them and the NCR Ranger know, meaning they are quite famous in certain circles.

Currently, Metzger and his guards are suitable for early level stage. A party of Sulik, Vic, and PC, armed with 4 dynamites, can cut them down with shotgun, .44 revolvers etc...

Detail:
Change their level to 16 to compensate for their 10mm pistols. That way their HP will raise so much you would need 10+ dynamites to do the job, which mean middle stage. Or at least shopping a lot in VC/Gecko (and/or NR/BH)
Change their SMG skill to 120 I think. Because otherwise their AP ammo cant do the job.
Keep their equipment as it is or metagamers would think of assasination one of them for easy highlevel loot.

 

MMmm~

Problem one: with Sulik and Vic, a trio wont be taking on the 13 of them. Too outnumbered, too under-armor, and under-arm. If you have 4 dynamites, then yeah, they can.

Problem two: If we return from VC/Gecko, it's most likely we have another 2: Cassidy, and Miria (as a distraction). With party of 5, plus the numerous weapons and metal armors we got from Modoc, VC, and Gecko, we are much more powerful than the 13 slavers armed with 10mm pistols.

So we have a situation that only metagamer (go to Modoc or Redding then return to The Den right away) can properly fight the gang as intended. Anything else would be either too easy or too hard.
++Theoretically you can lock the doors in the guild house so we can fight in 3 waves. Problem is: end the fight after killing ones we can reach is not easy due to windows allow they can see each other. Thus it's very rare for gamers to do that, unless they are VERY patient.

Thus I suggest a rebalance where we push Metzger gang into mid stage boss fight. Easy midstage boss fight because they only has 10mm pistols. If you want to impress the NCR Ranger all you have to do is to take a Den detour. And while the 13 slavers will hit hard (ap ammo) there is a Mom diner where we can heal by eating.

 

Basic mod: modify Metzger alone. Thus we have a very tough Metzger, worthy of a boss, the other guards can be normal. This way even if you concentrate dynamite on him alone it's not easy to kill him.
++As a 100HP Metzger, you are going to need 3 dynamites on him alone to kill or seriously injured him. Or serious firepower to start fighting from outside in. That kind of resource mean you are going to delay this fight until after VC or NR.

Advance mod: modify the Metzger guards and Slaver Camp guards. Problem is: they are generic, so mess with them will lead to messing with random encounter. I will table this for now.

 

Both.

1. I am doing this. However, as a noob of noobs modder, it's slow work. I learn as I do.

2. I am also enticing other modders paying attention to this (or that) aspect of the game that they (will) feel interesting. So either they will do it in their own time, or incorporate my (or others') work into theirs.

Please note that there's five different works on ammo modification, two (I think) on sfall, etc... There's no monopoly on idea for mods, and no consensus either.

 

>_> You have overestimated Metzger too far. Not surprising because every post so far show you are not a very good tactical player.

Current version Metzger and his guard is enough for a pre-VC or pre-NR party.

Get to Modoc or Redding. Collect or buy 2-3 dynamites.

Do what quest you can in Redding (few, but with extra weapons collected) or Modoc (all).

Return to The Den. You now have a better armed party (Redding) or higher level party (Modoc).

Drop three live dynamites on the Metzger room. This initiate combat.

Run to outer room. Fight until they explode and kill most of inside party (4-5). this even the odds.

Metzger and his guards need 100+ Hp to fight against this tactic.

THAT HP level is late game.

100+HP doesnt negate this tactic. It just provide a buffer for that, and possible RNG will make sure maybe they wont get killed by the tnts.

----

Why only 3 TNT? Because early levels can only collect that much. And it's acceptable cost to kill Metzger. If you invest for 5 TNT (after NR and VC) it's a losing business decision: you pay too much to loot so little.

 

THAT abuse two feature of the game: savescumming to steal items from Metzger gang. In that case, I dont consider it a tactic. A viable way of playing yeah, but not a tactic.

The Tyler gang is not a bad tactic, but a pricey one. You are going to have to give up on doing Lara's Night Assault. You have to stick your companions in a room and lock it, or they would run around getting hit and killed. Good for a solo character, yeah.

The give up on a quest thing is no good though. ESPECIALLY intentionally giving up.

====

And Vali, overstatement like "just getting leather armors would be enough to take on Metzger gang" say it all about the easy level of the game you play~ Also it illustrate nicely about the need to rebalance the whole Metzger gang.

And please consider the topic of this thread: Metzger gang rebalance.

The basis of that rebalance is they are too bloody weak for their level of importance in story.

Your argument of they being too weak just illustrate the need to rebalance them.

 

Like. I. Said. You are not a good tactical player~ Thank god Fallout 2 is not a very tactical game or you wouldnt be able to leave Temple of Trial.