TrueElex

Description

Everything on Magalan evolves around Elex, and they say—it changes the minds as it changes the bodies, and it's forbidden to consume it.

While they didn't lie about the unnatural Albish power a human can gain if he throws all their warnings to the winds, they did lie about the tragical consequences. Innumerous times the lavish, exhilarating fluids streamed down our thirsting throats, and we didn’t change. No failing of an igneous mood. No cooling mockery, no rationale, no temper, no stirring of a long-growing love dying. What happened?

I was torn between my futile attempt to ignore the creators' decision to build a world around Elex while denying the cataclysmic nature of this xenial substance in the game-play, making it more of a gamey power boost instead of the grave entity it is in the world of Magalan, and my vibrant and increasing unsatisfaction about this instance while playing—and I found my desire inexpugnable and watched out for a change.

No mod has been released so far doing the inevitable: bringing the True ELEX to the planet!

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It’s not world-shaking what the mod that came out as result is undertaking (in truth, the whole game would require a redesign, mainly in dialogues, status effects and Player-NPC interactions, to more believably transport the game’s premises), but some changes to various elements concerning Elex Potions and the Natural Elex have, I think, quite an effect on how the game plays and what experience it has to offer.

Now drinking Elex Potions is a decision to be made, a decision against humanity with not much room for a revision, always close to the borders of what lies beyond the Neutral Status (a mysterious state of the middle, not an impulsive, instinct driven animal, not a computing machine), quickly crossing them if the urge for Elex and its power and the dissatisfaction with one’s human deficiencies (or one’s deficiencies as a player) become too strong. Now there’s no room for humanity AND unnatural power, and one has to keep oneself away from the One Ring Elex to not become a cold, rationalizing, apathetic Alb again—now one has to accept what comes with a weak flesh and a weak mind. Though, staying neutral and benefitting from Elex from time to time, in small doses, is still possible.

The general Elex-driven progression curve should be more balanced even for the most bold drinking the Elex like apple juice, now there are higher crafting requirements to meet—skill- and resource-wise—and higher monetary prices to pay to gain the Natural Elex, something claimed to be costy and highly demanded as to transforming it into Mana or running the machines.

I recommend trying the Standard Version I_1 with high Cold effect, but for whom this may appear to unforgiving I created a more moderate Version (I_2) and a Version with low Cold effect (I_3). The other Versions (s. Optional Files; some with changes to crafting and requirements etc., some only with increased cold effect and one for those who only want the price and crafting changes) use the high Cold effect. You can read the modding guide (see under Miscellaneous files) to learn how to make changes to the mod files (and maybe change the Cold effect to the values of Version I_2 or I_3) and find the best solution for yourself.

Playing the mod along with other mods, the Elex Overhaul mod for example, should be possible and worthwhile. If you use even more mods, there may be a mod limit though (only two mod .pak files at a time?, according to another mod author: Phoynix). If so, combining the mods' .pak files with help of Baltram's Resource Manager (Resource Manager) may be a solution.

I also recommend adding an extra roleplay rule for a new playthrough: Only learning new skills from those teachers who can be considered capable and willing to teach the skill. The chemistry skill, for example, would require a longer search at different factions, maybe a stim chemist of the Outlaws.

Please endorse the mod, if you like it, and use the Post (resp. the Discussion/Forum) section for questions and feedback, especially on how (and if) the mod changes the experience of the game and the way you play!

Thanks for playing!

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