Post feature Report RSS Armor Changes

A detailed list and brief overview of changes made to armor in the upcoming release of VLM.

Posted by on

A rmor in Mass Effect 2 has generally weaker armor effect bonuses than in Mass Effect 3 as well as many of the armors providing completely different effects entirely. While on face value increasing the bonuses provided by 100% could result in some imbalances by making the game easier, I believe it just gives you the chance to have greater effects in different areas. If you choose to enter combat with a 50% health boost then by all means, but you'd be sacrificing the chance to have stronger shields or do more weapon damage instead etc.

VLM adds one unique armor option and a variant of the no-helmet option; the Cyclops Visor and the no-helmet with headset. While I'm sure these will appear in other mods if they haven't done already, the difference here is that VLM does things properly and gives these pieces unique armor effects and proper localization entries to match. Below are specific changes made to each individual armor piece at this time (I may make minor changes and update this article closer to release).


Helmets



No Helmet

I added a new helmet option here, the option to wear a headset. I also added a armor effect that grants a +10% negotiation bonus while using either the no helmet or headset option.

  • Power Added (negotiation bonus +10%).
  • Optional headset/no headset visual choice added.

N7 Helmet / N7 Breather Helmet

The only change here was to increase the original armor effect by 100%. Wearing the N7 Helmet / Breather Helmet will provide you with a +10% health bonus.

  • Power Changed (health +5% to health +10%).

Archon Visor

The only change here was to increase the original armor effect by 100% Wearing the Archon Visor will provide you with a -10% power cool-down bonus.

  • Power changed (power recharge -5% to power recharge -10%)

Capacitor Helmet

I made no changes to the the Capacitor Helmet, it still provides a +10% shield recharge speed bonus.

  • No changes.

Cyclops Visor

This is a new piece of armor that this mod adds. While other mods have 'hacked' in pieces of NPC armor before, they do not have unique armor effects and proper localization entries to match.

  • Power added (weapon damage +5% and power damage +5%).

Death Mask

I changed the armor effect from negotiation bonus to a melee damage bonus; wearing the Death Mask will provide you with a +10% melee damage bonus.

  • Power changed (negotiation +10% to melee +10%).

Kestrel Helmet

Initially this had more bonuses than any other helmet; VLM balances things and swaps the bonus effects to a singular effect providing ammo capacity bonus by +10%.

  • Power changed (headshot damage +5%, weapon damage +3% and shield strength +3% to ammo +10%).

Kuwashii Visor

  • No changes.

Recon Hood

The only change here was to increase the original armor effect by 100%. Wearing the Recon Hood will provide you with a +10% weapon damage bonus.

  • Power changed (weapon damage +5% to weapon damage +10%).

Sentry Interface

The only change here was to increase the original armor effect by 100%. Wearing the Sentry Interface will provide you with a +10% shield strength bonus.

  • Power changed (shield strength +5% to shield strength +10%).

Umbra Visor

The only change here was to increase the original armor effect by 100%. Wearing the Umbra Visor will provide you with a +10% power damage bonus.

  • Power changed (power damage +5% to power damage +10%).

Shoulders/Chestplate/Gauntlets/Greaves

The lower armor is organized into five distinct sets and given matching names (where applicable) to their Mass Effect 3 armor counterparts.

N7 (Default)

The default armor I essentially changed to pure health bonuses, the powers they previously gave can be found on the other armors.

  • N7 Chestplate power changed (power +3% to health +10%).
  • N7 Shoulder Guards power changed (weapon damage +5% to health +10%).
  • N7 Gauntlets power changed (heath +3% to health +10%).
  • N7 Greaves power changed (shield strength +3% to health +10%).

Batarian State Arms

These armor pieces aren't found in Mass Effect 3 so I assigned them under this manufacturer. The reason for the choice was the appearance of the armor is a modified version of the stock armor, so I went with the idea of corporate espionage (and Batarian State Arms is a suitable choice for this idea). While by no means an upgrade to the N7 Gear, certain players would find this armor situationally better given the ammo bonuses it provides (I found this really useful while using sniper rifles given their low reserve ammo count).

  • Shield Harness power changed (shield strength +5% to health +5% & shield strength +5%).
  • Asymmetric Defense Layer power changed (health +5% to health +5% & shield strength +5%).
  • Off-Hand Ammo Pack -
  • Ordinance Packs power changed (heavy weapon ammo +10% to ammo capacity +10%).

Kassa Fabrication

The Kassa Fabrication armor set focuses primarily on shields, providing mostly a bonus to overall shield strength.

  • Amplifier Plates power changed (power damage +5% to shield strength +10%).
  • Capacitor Chestplate no changes.
  • Stabilization Gauntlets power changed (weapon damage +5% to shield strength +10%).
  • Stimulator Conduits power changed (storm speed +10% to shield strength +10%).

Rosenkov Materials

The Kestrel Armor has bonuses that makes the armor much more powerful than the standard in-game armors. By using the reduced effects given to the armor in Mass Effect 3 the armor is much more balanced. This armor now provides solely a reduced cool-down to powers.

  • Kestrel Shoulder Pieces power changed (shield strength +8% and melee damage +10% to power recharge speed +10%).
  • Kestrel Torso Sheath power changed (melee damage +10%, weapon damage +5% and shield strength +3% to power recharge speed +10%).
  • Kestrel Arm Sheathing power changed (weapon damage +3%, shield strength +3% and melee damage +10% to power recharge speed +10%).
  • Kestrel Power Pack power changed (shield strength +8% and heavy ammo +5% to power recharge speed +10%)

Serrice Council

The Serrice Council armor set is built around providing power damage bonuses. The powers this armor previously had can be found in varying degrees on other armor pieces and/or helmets.

  • Strength Booster Pads power changed (melee damage +25% to power damage +10%).
  • Aegis Vest power changed (health +5% to power damage +10%).
  • Heavy Dampening Gauntlets power changed (shield strength +5% to power damage +10%).
  • Life Support Webbing power changed (health +10% to power damage +10%).
Post comment Comments
Guest
Guest

Hi. I was wondering if you're close to releasing the mod with all the changes you've made to armour and weapons (to make them more like ME3)?

Reply Good karma Bad karma+2 votes
Post a comment

Your comment will be anonymous unless you join the community. Or sign in with your social account: