http://newvegasnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=38610 v.004

The Blurb

Have you ever decided to betray Mr. House, but wished you got at least a little something for collecting these snowglobes afterward? Well, that's what this mod does. A little reward that doesn't go over the top for each snowglobe you find.

Short Description

Basically, this mod gives you a +1 S.P.E.C.I.A.L. stat boost when you find a snow globe, via pithy perks.

Notes

Normally I don't advertise me mods because I'm rather self-conscious and lacking in confidence, as is par the course for me, buuut... this time I need help testing something. I recently added some code which should (I hope) detect whether the player has snowglobes in their stand at the time the mod is installed and activated, so they won't need to pick them up and put them down again.

It should work (I think), since I've used the same method as the game itself does for checking that stuff, but I can't be 100% sure. So if anyone who happens to have snowglobes in their stand already wants to give this a spin and report back, I'd appreciate it!

Sounds like something worth checking out.

As much as part of me doesn't want to return to the "over powered bobblehead" days... the flip side of that is that I've never really bothered to find more than... I think three of the snowglobes, due to lack of incentive mostly.

From a balance standpoint, I do somewhat worry about the combination of snowglobes + implants... that makes for a maximum possible what... 54 SPECIAL points without even taking a single rank of improved training?


...I guess for balance purposes some perks that did something other than raise SPECIAL might be a bit more in tune... but so what. I'm adding this to my list of things to try on my next play through, regardless.

I was thinking about this, and I have a proposition.

How about if I make it so that the snowglobes won't award perks if you have 7 or above in a stat, and if you get the perk, it marks you as being unable to get that particular stat implant?

The "not being able to get the implant" thing doesn't make much sense. Maybe, if you have 7 or higher, instead of a SPECIAL point, it gives an effect somewhat based off of the location depicted by the snowglobe. Like the Test Site snowglobe giving some rad resistance. And as for the implants, if you get the snowglobe +SPECIAL perk first, it's a similar thing for them, just related to the stat that would of gone up instead of the snowglobe location or whatever.

Standard disclaimer: This is your mod, do what you want.

My opinion however... neither sounds like a particularly good idea.

For the "only if your stat isn't 7 or higher"... sure that cuts down the power some, but now you have a system where someone with stats of all 5's and 6's is rewarded more for exploring and finding the snowglobes than someone with 4/7/4/7/7/4/7 stats for example. Last thing you want to do is make someone feel "punished" for playing their character the way they want (ie, "Aww man... I found this new snowglobe for the first time... had I taken a Str of 6 and put one more point to my int, I would have gotten a benefit from it... but not now...") Or worse, someone taking intense training to bump to 7, and then finding the snowglobe...

Limiting the stat implant... first it doesn't really make much sense. Second, it again feels like something that encourages min/maxing too much. Ie, making sure to use what stat implants you can get based on your End, to raise you attribs that are already 7 or higher, using snowglobes to fill in the rest.


Personally I'd rather see something different from the snowglobe perks... even keeping close to the SPECIAL aspect, just by doing something that is close to another perk related to that SPECIAL and/or the benefits of that SPECIAL.

Example:
"Str" snowglobe: Instead of +1 Str, gives you a 20lb carry bonus and a +1 Str to weapon handling checks (so basically a weak version of both the Strong Back and Weapon Handling perks -- while still stacking with the original perks)

"End" snowglobe: Instead of +1 End, gives you +15 hit points and +1 DT (so a weak version of Life Giver and Toughness perks)

"Int" snowglobe: Instead of +1 Int, gives you 1 extra skill point per level and skill magazines last 50% longer (weak version of Educated and Retention perks)

By using weak versions of multiple other perks, you increase the chances that everyone will find every snowglobe at least -somewhat- useful, rather than a total write-off. (Example: a Str10 character won't care about the +1 Str to weapon handling checks, but the 20lb carry weight increase is still useful)

Plenty of other perks to look at for inspiration along those lines: Action Boy, Better Criticals, Quick Draw, Finesse, etc.


This is all just some rough ideas off the top of my head -- but IMO, that is a direction you could look at to avoid the problem mentioned before.