So, I've begun work on adding powers to my Mjolnir mod (link in Sig) and I've found the easiest way to introduce knockback to the hammer was using the werewolf knockback effect (which is conveniently already available to be put on weapons, so that makes my job easier). And it actually works wonderfully. The knockbacks are smooth (unless they happen to be in close vinicity to a wall. Then they bug out but that happens with all knock back anyway) and its fun to use.

However, balance wise its off because as it stands now, every hit with the weapon causes a knockback, essentially making you invincible against that one enemy. And if you can keep hitting all of the enemies in the area before they get up, then you're solid.

So, I would like some help in figuring out how to limit the knockback so that it only happens every so often and most importantly doesn't happen against enemies that reasonably shouldn't be able to be knocked about so easily (which I haven't actually tested, but a safeguard against it either way would be preferable if its not already present in the effect itself). I know that it should be possible, because IIRC Mehrunes Razor works on a similar principle with its instant kill effect.

(and it should be good to note that I have zero experience with this sort of thing (i'm good at texturing items and doing the basics of adding them to the world. Beyond that, I'm clueless) so some step-by-step would be best in explaining it to me)



And just as a side note if anyone could give me an idea as to how balanced the weapon is (disregarding knockback, which as this topic implies I'm working on balancing) that'd be wonderful. Stats are:

Weight - 20
Reach - 1
Speed - 0.85
Damage - 25 (probably a bit high. It is supposed to be a powerful artifact though)
Crit Damge - 10
Crit Mult - 1
Stagger - 1.3

Its enchantment is 25 shock damage. At this point though I wonder what would be ideal enchantment values. I currently have it set so that the weapon basically never runs out of charges (mostly for testing) but obviously thats not good for balance, but then again I don't want the weapon to be something that just dies all of a sudden either. I want it to be something that could work its way through an army of giants and still be ready for some more.

What I think could do is have a magic effect tied to the weapon and script that by cannabalising the Unrelenting Force script; then making it work conditionally depending on the target's scale, level or whatever.

So step-by-step you'd need to;

1. Add Magic Effect to Mjolnir
2. Introduce the Unrelenting Force script to the magic effect; in the lower right hand corner using the add button, pick the voicepusheffectscript.
3. Edit this with your conditions.

Yes, but how? I get adding the script (because the werewolf effect is based on unrelenting force, so its already there anyhow), but editing it is still beyond me.

That is to say, what would I use to set my conditions.

Right click the script in the list and click edit source, to do your conditions I would cannabalise existing conditions on other weapons like Mehrunes Razor and the Wabbajack.
The Razor uses an immunity faction. You could make immune or partially immune faction lists.
Wabbajack uses keywords, ie. If (Target.hasKeyword(keyGiant)).
You could use either one of these methods. Your conditions would be alterations of the pushback code.
ie. A standard pushback is - Caster.PushActorAway(Target, PushForce)
A large pushback is - Caster.PushActorAway (Target, (PushForce*2)
Half a pushback is - ...(PushForce*0.5))

Okay, so if I'm understanding this then it would appear that Wabbajack would work towards preventing the effect from being used on things it shouldn't be (like giants and dragons), and the Razor effect would be good towards randomizing the effect activating otherwise correct?

If so then I would need to know what specific parts of both scripts I'd need (and then i'd be able to go from there and hammer it out), and so far just looking for them has failed me.

Shummp. There's no way I'm going to figure this out myself apparently. The scripting language isn't that easy to comprehend just looking at it as I'm doing so I'm at a loss here.

You wouldn't be using both Wabbajack and Razor methods of determining which enemy to push, I don't think.
Do you want randomisation or just making sure that not every enemy is shot too far into the sky?

I might give the script a go of my own. I think I should get something workable.

Welp after playing with it, randomization is the best option I think. Its just too fun to be able to smash giants up into the air and I'd rather not take that away for everyone else. It still shouldn't occur with every hit however. The force as of now (as in directly copied from the werewolf knockback effect, which I believe is a normal 1x pushback) is fairly appropriate as it doesn't send NPC's flying too far away but it still sends giants flying a satisfactory way.

If at all possible I would think that the bigger the enemy the lesser the chance of being able to push them back. And seeing as these bigger enemies would mostly just be giant spiders, giants, dragons, and mammoths, that shouldn't be too much to code in (but then again I don't know any better).

Well, I figured I would give it a go without scripting, and I ended up with a hammer that would launch giants or pretty much anything out of sight. The precipation of giant bodies when I moved zones was hilarious. If you were going to code in size as a deciding factor, you would want to use , the thing to use would be the target actor's scale, though so far I haven't found a way to reference this in the scripting system.

My testing being spawning 100 giants at my location then proceeding to hammer my way out. I used the werewolfknockback magic effect. I used the werewolfknockback script, which basically just put people got the ground for a while.

Yes, the magic effect is what I used when i initially found it.

vv This is the esp I have (the one that says Powered towards the bottom)

http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=7040

And insofar the effect as I have it setup isn't so bad. It sends giants flying, but not so crazy-like like it seems your version does. Still hilarious though

Nothing wrong with crazy

http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198045244801/screenshot/488875594376025695?tab=public

http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198045244801/screenshot/488875594376028700/?tab=public

http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198045244801/screenshot/488875594376117476/?tab=public

0.o

Way to kick the power up to 9000, jeeze.

Shumpity Shump bump.