"Removing the suck from Deus Ex." It's an odd slogan, but that's what Shifter does, what little of it there is. In my opinion anyway. A little mod that started off as an effort to get the damn laser sight to turn on automatically now includes additional augmentations, unique weapons, new game mechanics, bugfixes, restored game content, and even a complete and working alt-fire option for almost every weapon. All of this, seamlessly integrated into the existing game, capable of running simultaneously with almost any other Deus Ex mod. Play your favorite mod, then play it again, "Shifter-ized".

For those of you who are sticklers for actual, quantifiable advantages, here are a few features which Shifter brings to Deus Ex:

  • "Replacable" Augmentations: Find a new aug you just have to have? Now you can replace an existing augmentation with one found in an augmentation canister. Just use a medical bot to install it, like you would with any other augmentation.

  • New/Better Augmentations: In unmodified Deus Ex, many of the augmentations were of limited to no value, or only useful in very specific situations. Shifter attempts to rectify this by modifying how some of these augs work (like Microfibral Muscle) or by replacing them completely with new, superior augs. (like Electrostatic Discharge)

  • Alt-Fire: Long since overdue, most weapons in Deus Ex now have alt-fire modes, accessed through a separate alt-fire key. Now you can unleash a napalm bomb from your Flamethrower, or throw those ever-so-common Combat Knives at unsuspecting NPCs. For weapons without alt-fire, the button doubles as a scope toggle key.

  • Unique Weapons: Scattered throughout the game in key locations are new and ever-so-deadly weapons. These weapons are unique, and only appear in that one location, nowhere else, to balance their power.

  • Random NPC Inventory: In a realistic setting one would never be able to say for certain what a random passerby on the street might have on them. Shifter incorporates this into Deus Ex, giving NPCs hostile, neutral and friendly alike randomly determined items. Perhaps nothing more than some extra credits, perhaps some food or cigarettes, but maybe even a contraband substance or weapon.

  • Additional Skill System: It seems somewhat unfair that a player is not rewarded with skill points for some acts of true skill, feats like defeating a room full of MiBs, or perhaps walking within just a few feet of them without being detected. Either way, combat or stealth, players are now rewarded for their feats of skill.

  • Deadlier NPCs: Many of the additions made to Shifter would seem to shift the balance of power almost exclusively to the player. To counteract this, NPC AI and skill has been upgraded. Enemies shoot better, aim quicker, and dodge faster. Never underestimate a Shifter NPC. (Well, when I finish all the AI tweaks, anyway. :P)

I've spent far more time on this mod than any other project I've ever undertaken, and I don't see myself stopping anytime soon. I may get distracted from time to time, or be mostly happy with a release only to find a few flaws in it several months down the road, but I will never abandon the mod. The day I stop maintaining Shifter is the day after the Deus Ex modding community officially dies.

For those of you who are brave, check out my Savefile Project Folder from time to time. It's where I store various "snapshot" builds of Shifter as I add features between releases. You'll get to play with new goodies between the official releases, at the slight cost of having to deal with possible bugs, crash-tacular errors, and other beta-esque things.

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0 comments by Y|yukichigai on Nov 2nd, 2009 digg this super bookmark


Okay, so the whole "Demo Version" issue is something which quite eludes me.  I'm not sure why my code - which works on most installs, by the way - randomly doesn't work, but there it is.  After trying a few alternatives I've decided to give up on that feature.  I'm releasing the result as v1.8.3.

This version is free of the game-stopping bug where it tells you to buy the full version, despite the fact that you are already playing it.  As a consequence anybody who tries to install this on a Demo version of the game won't be able to play it "Shifter-ized" without some extra work and typing things in via the console.  If any of you who this applies to can't figure it out, feel free to talk to me and I'll walk you through it.

Anyway, while ModDB approves the file you can download v1.8.3 from here.

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Shifter v1.8.3

Shifter v1.8.3

Nov 02, 2009 Full Version 2 comments

Mostly the same as v1.8.2: At least 80% support for The Nameless Mod, plus a few other bugfixes and some minor features compared to v1.8.1. The only difference...

Comments  (100 - 110 of 143)
Zip_Lightning
Zip_Lightning Feb 26 2008, 2:11pm says:

I didn't like this mod at all.

Firstly it's buggy. Played it for 10 minutes, got to the com van only to find my inventory was totally empty. My tool belt was OK though......Still, pretty much game over.

Secondly, I got skill points deducted for killing a friendly UNATCO at the start. Are you serious? How can you dictate to me what is right or wrong in this game? (obviously you think it's wrong to kill these guys, even though you kill dozens of them later on). I sometimes like to play Deus Ex in "Psycho mode" (IE killing everybody), not a chance with this mod! Also its kind of stupid, how could I lose skill from killing anybody? Good or bad it wouldn't matter.

A good example is killing everybody in the medical centre in Hell's kitchen. This is REALLY hard to do as people will magically disappear. It takes a lot of skill to do, but I doubt I'd be rewarded for it using Shifter. :-D

The original was well balanced IMO....."if it ain't broke, don't fix it"

0 votes     reply to comment
JC_Fenix
JC_Fenix Feb 26 2008, 10:53pm replied:

Never heard of that problem, all I can think of is maybe you died and started a new game. There was supposed to be a fix so that your inventory wouldn't carry over and screw up the new game.

As for killing allies... Who cares? You're not supposed to kill them(except for maybe the UNATCO at the NSF HQ, but I like setting traps so they die shortly after turning on me.), You can still knock them out without losing skill points, and I'm pretty sure the skill points lost are cut in half. If it's really a big deal, go turn a med bot hostile to you, and kill it for 40 skill points. TADA! you got your skill points back.

You might try Shifter Plus though. Someone who shared your complaint made it, so it doesn't punish you for killing allies.
Darkreality.googlepages.com

Personally I'm fine with losing skill points for killing allies. Shifter already makes the game more combat oriented, if you were rewarded, or weren't punished for killing allies it'd be just like a stupid RPG; killing everyone and everything for the all might "experience points", and items. You can still get skill points from allies by making them hostile like I said, but this way there's a downfall to it, if you don't have the "skill" and patience to take out a ready willing, and hostile opponent.

+1 vote     reply to comment
Zip_Lightning
Zip_Lightning Feb 27 2008, 9:52am replied:

No, I started a new game from a fresh install (GOTY) and like I said my tool belt was OK but inventory was invisible......has noting to do with dying!

As for killing allies you say "who cares?", well I do! You also say "you're not supposed to kill them"

Oh Really?

Tell me then, why when you kill the UNATCO soldier at the top of the Statue of Liberty does Manderly question you about it? (and you reply with something funny like "friendly fire"). I guess NOBODY was supposed to hear that conversation because we're not supposed to kill allies. It's pretty obvious that you've never heard it and I guess you play the game the same way, time after time.....yawn!

I think you misunderstand me anyway, I don't kill everybody for skill points (like a stupid RPG as you state), I do it for fun! :-P
Killing everybody in some parts of this game is almost like a puzzle, and even more so in Invisible war.

Thanks for the link anyway, I'll check out Shifter's evil twin ;-)



0 votes     reply to comment
TheUnbeholden
TheUnbeholden Feb 12 2008, 10:11am says:

One day to go people, ive been saving my sperm for this... cause i want a massive orgasm for my beloved shifter. Such a long wait, last release was 14th February last year. tomorrow it will be officially one year with out the mod, What time will it be released tomorrow i'm guessing 12:00pm or so once you've woken up, unless your working on it all night.

+2 votes     reply to comment
Metzger44
Metzger44 Feb 11 2008, 11:19am says:

where the hell can i get the optional skins? cant find em in here or the page u posted

+1 vote     reply to comment
JC_Fenix
JC_Fenix Feb 11 2008, 6:28pm replied:

Savefile.com

From what I've seen right now it's only:
The rate of fire mod, the magnum, ilaw ammo, and a few visible indications of multiplayer skins.

+1 vote     reply to comment
TheUnbeholden
TheUnbeholden Feb 8 2008, 11:45pm says:

yes shifter Beta 9 is out WOOT

+1 vote     reply to comment
Veronika
Veronika Jan 31 2008, 5:06am says:

Very nice screenShots :)

+2 votes     reply to comment
galneon
galneon Jan 27 2008, 10:02am says:

How can I disable laser mod defaulting to on?

0 votes     reply to comment
JC_Fenix
JC_Fenix Jan 31 2008, 4:30am replied:

The ironic thing is that, that feature was the original inspiration for this mod, IIRC.

Anyway, I don't know of any way to do it, and supposedly there isn't any reason at all to turn it off anyway. Since in the current version all it does is show you where your bullet would normally hit even if you didn't have the laser sight. So unless you're allergic to red dots or range displays it shouldn't be any problem.

Also the simple answer would be to never install the laser sight on the gun.

+1 vote     reply to comment
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Deus Ex
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Y|yukichigai
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