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NEW CP for Project Nevada! PN users, come and get it!

NEW Hotfix to boost you to version 1.3! Thanks to jediakyrol for catching a bug in 1.2, fixing it, and letting us all have it! You're awesome, man!

NEW in version 1.2:
Streamlined the download a little bit to reduce size, also did some housekeeping in the ESP file to fix missing icons and mesh references so you can drop the workbench-created items and they won't disappear into the void anymore like in version 1.1 -- if you do manage to drop one of your perk items before using it, it will look like a holotape.

NEW in version 1.1:
There is now a schematics vendor (complete with amateurish voice acting by me) called "Paladin Ario" in the Brotherhood Safehouse that sells recipes for making items that give you the new perks. The particular ingredients are outlined in the readme included in the download, but I will tell you that some of the ingredients are pretty rare, and they are destroyed in the research process. Also, the skill requirements to get the perks at level-up have been raised pretty high... it will be much easier to use the workbench recipes, if you can find the ingredients. You will need to have Power Armor Training before the new vendor at the safehouse will sell you anything.

BTW, the items you make with the workbench recipes have to be USED before you get the perk actually added to your character. You can find the items under the AID tab in your Pip-Boy... it's just like using any other Aid Item.

thanks to jediakyrol for his excellent recipe suggestions!

Mod Features:
* 8 new perks, available at 2nd level, after you receive Power Armor Training from somebody (or cheat with the console...)

* The effects attached to Power Armors are slightly altered, but the item references themselves are untouched -- meaning that if you are running a mod that changes meshes or textures of PAs, this mod will not screw your stuff up. It will also not change the DT, cap value, or item HP or anything else besides what effects you can see in your Pip-Boy under "Stats--EFF" when you are wearing a suit of Power Armor.

* So, this what I modded in the effects: all power armors give +1 to STR, can carry their own weight (carry +50 lbs), and have at least +20% to rad resistance. T-45d armor has only a -1 to AGL. All power helmets have +10% rad resistance, T-51b helmet still has +1 to CHR, and Enclave helmet models still have -1 CHR. Tesla variants still have the +10 to Energy Weapons.

* The perks have some skill requirements, depending on how burly they are... one of the toughest perks has a Science 70 and repair 60 requirement, due to the fact that it boosts STR by +3 and AGL by -1. I did not make any of the perks dependent on SPECIAL attributes -- it is all about skill levels. So anybody can eventually get all of the PA perks if they want to.

* If you are running a different mod that makes previously unavailable vanilla power armors buyable or findable, it will be fully 100% compatible with this mod. For example, if you are using Ishumiko's T6M equipment replacer, then all of the armors he made available will work here. Don't ask me why the game devs left so much stuff from FO3 in the game files and didn't use them in New Vegas -- they just did. And I added all these unused references in the game files in this mod, just to be on the safe side for compatibility's sake. It wasn't hard -- I just added them to a single formlist and all was good and easy. To reiterate: this mod will not make Enclave PA from Fallout 3 available in New Vegas -- it is just compatible with mods that do.


The perks
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Tactics Link - Gives the effect of having both EDE and Boone as companions at the same time. Must be wearing a Power HELMET (this is the only one that requires the helmet) Basically, highlights enemies when you aim and makes enemy detection (on your compass) happen at a wider radius.

Enhanced Speed - Offsets the heavy armor slowdown effect from Power Armor, and adds a tiny bit more on the top. You will be just a little faster than someone in light armor with the Travel Light perk. You will not be outrunning Deathclaws, though... you are not Speedy Gonzalez. NOTE: it is possible to buy this perk at level-up while wearing Power Armor and not see the effects right away, particularly if you are using a different mod that messes with movement speed mechanics like Project Nevada or a sprint mod. The solution is very easy: take off your power armor and then put it back on, or hit the sprint key for a second. Your new perk from this mod will now work.

Enviro-Shielding - adds +30% to resistance vs. radiation, poison, and fire. Basically, it's like gecko-backing leather armor or metal armor, although your base radiation resistance with this perk and a full suit of PA will be +60% without Rad-X... which makes sense. Power Armor is supposed to be like Hazmat on steroids, according to the annals of the Brotherhood of Steel archives.

Air Conditioning - yes, all PA has air conditioning, but this perk tweaks it to perfection. +2 to END, and +33% to healing items effects.

Energy Ammo - makes your chance of recovering drained energy ammo always 100%, no matter what type. So... not infinite ammo or anything, but this synergizes very well with Vigilant Recycler and high-powered energy ammunition. For example, even with the VR perk, your chance of recovering a drained ECP from a spent MAX charge ECP is only 10%. With this perk, you won't be so annoyed gallivanting around the wasteland trying to find ammo. Make friends with a gatling laser now... it's okay!

Gyrostability - Here's one for PA users that favor Guns instead of energy weapons. This perk reduces spread by 80%, which makes high-spread weapons like shotguns and submachine guns really, really nasty. You won't be sniping with a shotgun or anything, but you will definitely not be blasting away with a 10MM SMG and only hit with 4 or 5 bullets per clip. Again, this is a perk to reduce the annoyance of constant ammo gathering down to a manageable dull roar. Besides, it only makes sense that you could use the servomotors in PA to greatly stabilize high-powered automatic weapons. Think of a minigun attached to a tripod: most of the bullets hit instead of miss.

Control Chip Overclocking - a simple +2 to AGL while in Power Armor. Handy for getting a few more AP points or for increasing reload and equip speeds without any other perks.

Servomotor hack - This is the +3 to STR and -1 to AGL I mentioned earlier. You hacked the servomotor control chips and get a teensy bit clumsy as a result of all that extra strength at your disposal. Start carrying around a Fat Man for giggles now... you probably have a 10 STR as a result of this perk. You already got a +1 from the basic power armor effect, so now it's +4 -- Yeesh! Try not to throw your grenades into geostationary orbit...

Have Fun!
-Loth

PS To install this mod, simply unpack LothPAPerks.rar into your New Vegas Data Folder, and enable it in the launcher or your Mod Manager of choice. Put this mod near the bottom of your load order, if you do not mind overwriting any other mods that alter Power Armor effects. Putting this mod above other PA mods in your load order will not cause a catastrophe, but if they really boost the effects attached to the Power Armor items, you might be too awesome to play your game and have fun. I have kept the common item effects modest (IMO), as the perks introduced by this mod can really make you a bad-ass, if you invest heavily in them.