Jupiter Balance

A massive overhaul of many of Starfield's gameplay loops and combat systems, as well as new mechanics!

The goal of Jupiter Balance is to bring the overall feel of combat and gameplay mechanics closer to true realism—without sacrificing the fact that you are playing a game and should be having fun. This means I did not crank up the difficulty to the max so you’re not always one-shot killed. The mod is heavily balanced around the Normal difficulty settings for combat in the GPO (see picture for recommended settings). That being said, if you don’t find it punishing enough, feel free to increase the difficulty!

It would be impossible for me to list all the changes made to bring you this experience, so I’ll attempt to hit the key points here:

DISCLAIMERS: For the best possible experience, a new game is highly recommended, or you may encounter bugs. At this time, functionality does not extend to Shattered Space, but that will be added next!

NEW FEATURES: Armors can be broken during combat and must be repaired at an industrial workbench.

Armors are often found poorly fitted to your body and can be adjusted at a workbench.

Certain faction armors can disguise you! (Note: This functions the same as my standalone disguise mod—do not use both mods together.)

New SAP Cells can be found or bought to recharge your suit’s environmental protection.

WEAPONS: All weapons in the game have had their damage, reload speed, aiming speed, bullet spread, and recoil adjusted to feel weighty, lethal, and fun to use.

Weapons were renamed to reflect their manufacturer and particular modded state.

Most fully automatic weapons now have significantly more recoil, requiring active control.

Shotguns and heavier weapons now have serious kick.

It now costs O2 to aim or fire a weapon—this effect can be reduced through specific perks.

Weapon leveled lists have been overhauled so you start finding basic versions early and more kitted-out versions later.

Weapon attachments have been reworked to offer more sensible bonuses.

Weapons have been de-leveled, meaning you can encounter almost any type from level 1. (This mod is heavily about preparation—bring the right weapon and armor for the threat.)

All weapons have more sway and are less stable by default—skills improve these as your character grows.

ARMOR: All armors have had their environmental and other protections adjusted to reflect armor classes (Explorer, Balanced, Combat).

Armors now affect your O2 usage and movement speed based on their weight class.

Armors have been renamed to reflect their manufacturers.

Almost all armors now have multiple tiers that can be found at different levels—reflected in their stats and names.

In general, armors can survive in hostile environments much longer—though some suits are better than others by design.

Backpacks now actually give you extra carry capacity based on their size.

Backpacks can also be worn without a spacesuit, and many NPCs now wear them.

PLAYER AND NPCS: All humanoid and robot health pools and resistances have been adjusted for realism. (Note: This makes armor extremely important—it's often the only thing separating you from death.)

Robots are now highly resistant to energy damage, less so to physical, and even less to EM.

Hostile NPCs now level with the player across the whole universe.

Levels do not grant more health—only specific perks and armor effects do. (Armor is essential—bring the right gear for the job.)

NPC combat AI has been reworked—they now retreat, take cover, use superior numbers, and flank more intelligently.

Almost all NPCs have custom leveled loadouts based on faction or archetype:

Pirates = crude weaponry

Ecliptic = high-tech

Spacers = mixed

Security/military = standard issue

All NPCs have a primary, sidearm, and melee weapon. They will switch depending on combat range and ammo.

NPCs use ammo—if they run out, they’ll scavenge new weapons if available.

Faction-based NPCs now have more diverse armor loadouts—expect more variety.

NPCs can use more legendary effects like Disarm or Chameleon.

NPCs will often threaten the player when spotted, with attack timing based on enemy type.

LOOT, ECONOMY, AND VENDORS: All vendors now offer curated inventories based on location and store type.

Vendor credit pools have been massively increased—but are scaled based on shop size.

Most vendors do not sell Pirate, Ecliptic, or Varuun gear due to legal restrictions—Trade Authority is the exception.

Varuun weapons are considered contraband (but powerful).

Guns and armor are far more expensive—you’ll need to budget and plan purchases.

Jobs and quest rewards now pay significantly more—making missions a viable way to gear up.

Medical supplies are more expensive—healing is now a priority investment.

Medical services also cost more to reflect inflation.

Ammo is cheap and plentiful—stock up in cities!

Ammo, meds, weapons, and armor are far rarer in the wild—poor preparation may lead to being stranded.

Most looted armor will be either damaged or ill-fitted and require fixing at a workbench.

NPCs only drop armor and clothing they are actively wearing.

Boss loot has been reworked to offer better rewards.

Trade goods and minerals have increased in value—making scavenging and mining profitable.

Special armors added in patches have been integrated into loot pools.

Loot placement has been adjusted to make more sense based on context.

The value gap between being skilled and unskilled in Commerce is now much greater—you’ll need to invest to see big returns.

EXP AND SKILLS: The EXP curve is now linear—each level costs 1000 EXP. (This makes the early game more strategic and the late game less grindy.)

EXP gains have been standardized by action and enemy type.

EXP from location discovery and scanning has been adjusted.

Quest EXP has been increased—you’ll level much faster through jobs and story content.

Many skills have been adjusted to provide more realistic and impactful bonuses.

By default, your character is bad at reloading and aiming—these improve with skill.

Weapon skills no longer increase damage, but improve things like aim stability and crit chance.

Several skills like Spacesuit Design, Persuasion, and Deception have brand-new effects that tie into new mechanics introduced by this mod.

FOOD AND DRINK: All food and drink now heal much more and have longer-lasting, more powerful effects.

Negative effects (e.g., from alcohol or drugs) last longer than their positives.

Food and drink (especially crafted ones) are now more valuable—you can make a living as a culinary artisan!

Vending machines are pricier but more useful.

UI: Enemy health bars are disabled.

Scanner tool range is significantly shorter—encouraging navigation via terrain and exploration.

I’m starting to run out of room! There are countless other changes and roleplay elements I haven’t listed—you’ll just have to play and discover them yourself. Thank you for considering my mod. It has taken over six months to bring it to a place where I feel it’s worthy of a full release.