Important Note:

Mod now installs in a non-running state. This prevents function overload when you start a new game or NG+, when all other mods are usually firing up. In order to make the mod active, all you need to do is equip a piece of armor, whether that is a helmet, a spacesuit or a boostpack, even a piece of clothing will do it! once you do, the mod's functions will become active.

For those who are already running the mod, you need do nothing - its running state will remain constant, until you go through Unity, at which point, it will be dormant, until you do the above.

Advanced Needs Vol.4 - Exploration+

What is Exploration+?

This mod introduces a "loadout locking" mechanism where accessing your inventory can be optionally locked to specific safe areas, like a house, your ship, cities, space stations, etc. Or, to simulate the immersion of rummaging through your backpack, when you are sitting down.

The mod also introduces spacesuit damage systems, where critical hits against you from enemy fire could cause a suit breach, which on an O2-less world, could be a very bad situation for you.

The mod is aware of Bethesda created vehicles, REV-8, Deimog and Moonjumper, and takes advantage of them for the purposes of mitigating the effects of a breached suit and allowing access to your inventory if you have the optional loadout locking enabled.

Damaged suits can be repaired with mod-introduces patch kits, craftable at the Industrial Bench.

Optionally, there is a new suit mod, Emergency O2 Reserve Tank, that you can craft onto your suits, that will effectively double the amount of time you have to get to safety in the event of a suit breach. This tank auto refills every time you enter a breathable environment, including the Deimog and Moonjumper (as they are both enclosed spaces).

Damage caused to your suits lowers their ability to protect you, and increases the odds of a breach occurring. And optionally, you can tell the mod that a suit with zero health is "destroyed", which removes it from being worn, until you repair it.

Your suit can also be damaged by Environmental Hazards, Starborn powers being used against you, and especially if you receive Lacerations or Puncturing Wounds, that is an automatic breach that is exempt from "critical hits" occurring.

Your Starborn powers that change up the systems introduced in this mod are: Moon Form and Reactive Shield, these will block damage to your suit's health, and potential breaches while these powers are in effect. Also, Personal Atmosphere cancels out the penalties of having a breached suit, so long as it is running.

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What Exploration+ isn't, is a mod about enhancing "exploration"; its solely about the perils of exploring, and combat situations while doing so. Its about the synergy between having to deal with damaged gear while in a heated combat situation and not having access to your inventory, having to rely on your favorites wheel to get you through the "suck", until it is safe to sit and rummage through your gear to repair it all, as required.

There is a lot to be said for what the mod does, how it handles things, but I don't want to flood this screen with all the minute details. If you are curious and want to know more, the full documentation is over on the mod's Nexus page. And if you don't want to read a novel, the mod's Game Settings are fairly well documented on what they do to affect your gameplay.