Hellfire Patch v1.02.A5: Classic HF with less bugs and more polish!

[Hammerskjold]

You can change the single handed attack speed of each character class pretty easily with a hex editor. From memory, you need to ensure that this value is either higher or lower (sorry, I can't remember which) than the frameset value for attacking, or they won't be able to attack.

I have the details for the memory locations, etc. somewhere on a drive or disc, and I'll see if I can dig them up. They probably are still online somewhere too, if you want to try looking them up.

I haven't looked at this in awhile, but if I recall correctly there is an internal table in the game somewhere that lists the number of frames in each character's various attack animations. In theory, setting that lower than the actual number of frames in the animation would speed it up. So I think it is just 1 simple value somewhere to edit as you hoped.

Thank you both for the info, I am quite n00b-ular when it comes to hex editing or anything to do with computer code, and it's likely my only option at this point. I've only opened and fiddled with a hex editor maybe twice, quite a long time ago.

I didn't know about any quirk with Bards and maces. That might be interesting to investigate. I'm pretty sure Jarulf would have spotted that in the attack speeds, but the information in his table doesn't say the Bard should be that fast.

AFAIK with that older post link, and last time I tested it's HF:F only. The slight speed change\quirk with the bard does not exist in vanilla HF, and JG's info still holds true for the unmodified version of HF.

I'm not clear why you're asking, though. Can I provide you with more information? Were you hoping to get the exact addresses of some locations you could play with, or some code you could try add to this mod file and adjust attack speeds with?

Short version of it, I'm quite interested in trying out changing the Warrior's and Barbarian base attack speed with melee weapons. For Warrior, all one handed weapons (sword&club) will be set to of Speed\Haste level. Two handed weapons will not be changed. For Barbarian, all Axes and Clubs one handed and two handed, base attack speed will be changed to of Speed. If they have an axe or club with "of haste", the bonus extra speed in HF will be retained (basically unchanged from regular HF). Attack speed for swords will remain the same for Barbarian. Speed with bows remains unchanged. Shield block speed unchanged.

The longer version and the "why" for anyone who is curious.

First to clarify, this would be a separate mod change, like I mentioned mostly for my own experimentation and use that I am still mostly just thinking about out loud. It'd be similar to something like "HF:Hack and Slash Turbo edition aka Arcade Mode aka Game Night Beer and Pretzel faster pickup game style." Emphasis is on fairly fast character growth, eg: enabling for multi, HF SP style level 1 char able to choose Nightmare or Hell difficulty right away. Warrior and Barbarian's base attack speed is boosted to decrease reliance on 'to hit% and of speed/haste' weapons or items, and allows for more flexible and affordable gear for them. Basically even a "plain" kings weapon can work as a KsoS in the hands of a warrior, or a to hit% weapon, or an AC penetrate weapon.

A rogue can stunlock advocates with any plain bow given sufficient stunlock dmg, a speed+ bow is very nice but not an absolute req in general for HF. (Though I do like that change back to the way it works in classic in your patch, since I'm not a huge fan of how arrow speed works in plain HF.) Sorcerors, they can practically go naked since he can sling powerful spells at the fastest rate in the game. Immunities schimmunities, unless I'm playing a challenge build variant, apoc even at reduced power in HF is still potent enough. Bards are quite potent jack of all trades, considering she has IIRC the second highest MAG base stat limit and she can play as a mini-mage quite well, she can sweep attacks when dual wielding swords or do well with a fast block shield+one handed sword. Monk is an uh..incomplete mess in vanilla HF but HF:F finally made him playable.

HF Warriors and Barbarians however, at least in general non challenge build variant gameplay. Can be fairly dependent on a +to hit or Damage Target's AC or sporting a Ring of Engagement, and a +speed weapon, preferably a melee weapon with both affixes. Vanilla HF has the Monk which has "of speed/haste" natural attack rate with his bare hands. I kinda want to try extending that boosted built in speed to the HF Warrior and Barbarian, since IMO those two are still more dependent on items relative to the other classes.

Secondary interest would be sweep damage mechanic, but this one I'm not sure if it's even possible. Sweep in vanilla HF while bugged, is kind of fun. Brute force way would be to simply re-enable it back and call it a "feature". But that's kinda inelegant. I was thinking more of sweep damage% = clvl x2. But again, I don't even know if that's possible to modify.

Again just to be clear, I'm not advocating any of the above to be in your next patch. It's just what I had in mind if I'm able to tweak some parts of the HF mostly for my own use\trial\preference.

If anyone would care to offer some feedback: Which bug fixes do you most appreciate so far that any of these projects brought to the community (HF:Fixed, Marsh's Mod, this)? And from this project specifically, which are your favorite and least favorite non-change fixes I've made?

From HF:F, for me basically everything Thenryb mentioned already.

From your project iirc, definitely the +speed bow change back to classic.

More specifically? If I understand it right, your modular approach\goal to the patch\mod.

Although I consider most of the changes that aren't strictly fixes by nature to be reasonably aligned with the spirit of the game, I am the first person to admit that this is interpretive. To that end, I hope to establish in a future version a way to easily differentiate these two different aspects of the project, so that users will have the option of choosing a pure fix package with no extra fluff, while retaining the option to use any of the extended features or adjustments they might want separately.

In general, your great attitude. You're a class act and I have no doubt in the future\near future, you are going places.