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Insanity Mod Grenade Spam Video

May 9, 2013, 8:01 am
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I was testing Insanity Mod out and saw this scary situation unfolding. I don't have fraps/recording software installed (too lazy to do it) so I just whipped out one of my phones and recorded it. You can see it well enough. This is in Insanity Mod v2 which is in the RC2 build.
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Retaliation Testing Maps (6!)

May 9, 2013, 10:51 am
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Gave it a name and a background

Thanks to 'Male Shep' (follower), he let me know that you can load test maps includedi n ME3 Retaliation DLC. I've made an album of a few of them, none of them are finished, but the are kind of interesting.

http://imgur.com/a/3Ixf9
http://haaax.webs.com/apps/photos/album?albumid=14776815

I'll make a mod that enables them.

Update: There's also a beta of Thessia in MP2 called BioP_MPThes2. It doesn't spawn enemies, perhaps because there are no spawn points specified. I might try to fix this as it's the most complete extra map.
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Mod Manager 2.0 Release with DLC Injection

May 11, 2013, 9:55 am
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Mass Effect 3: Coalesced Mod Manager 2.0
Release


I am pleased to announce that I am releasing a major update to Mass Effect 3 Coalesced Mod Manager today, bringing it to version 2.0. This release has undergone several iterations, and it is now to the point where I would consider it stable.

Release highlights

  • Support for DLC mods that can be automatically applied through ME3Explorer
  • Restore original DLC files
  • Backup DLC files (and originals)
  • Moddesc.ini format changed slightly, still maintains backwards compatibility
  • Several interface changes, and pretty much a complete rewrite under the hood
  • CookedPCConsole directory has changed to BioGame directory

Mods included

    Mod Manager allows you to install mods like the
    Full Experience Mod
  • Super Coalesced - This ports everything from DLC into the main coalesced files that is typically relevant to modifying. It causes a lot of bugs from Gibbed's DLC compiler (and just the load order), but most things work. Some clients will get heavy cooldown times. The store is also screwed up pretty heavily, so I wouldn't recommend buying things if you want to actually unlock new items.
  • Zombie Mod [Supercoal] - Zombie mod is back and better than ever! Using the original 3 wavesets from the game, you can now get your fix for abominations on in three different flavors.
  • Full Multiplayer Experience Beta - Unlocks Chakram Launcher in the store, as well as giving access to 7 testing maps. This mod will have updates that fix issues in it soon as well as add back the original enemies in the original waves. Some notes on this mod:
    • The store is screwed up. This is due to Gibbed's compiler not saving properly, so you will get character cards that don't exist (Ultra Rare Slayers, etc)
    • Chakram Launcher might not show up properly, hard to test since it's kind of hard to get.
    • You might get a BattleField 3 Infiltrator. I'm still trying to get it be selectable in the list.
    • Strings have been edited, the names of the maps are NOT BioWare names. They never had names or backgrounds.
      • Lovely addition to the arsenal.
    • The maps that are marked as 'unavailable' can be selected if you select the map before entering the lobby. Players who don't have the mod installed will reset it, so they must join in progress. If you set the map to unavailable, you cannot enter the screen again in the lobby or it will force you to choose another map.
  • Insanity Mod - Revamped for DLC injection, wave edits are back, and now you have new enemies in the waves, including collectors! It still includes the original 4 wavesets from retaliation, plus the original 3 from the main game that have been modified to be difficult. There's also a new platinum difficulty for the original 3 waves that's pretty much impossible.
    • To pick the ones that have the new wavesets, Pick Cerberus/Geth/Reapers from the far right. There are 7 wave lists, the first 4 are the original waves and the last 3 are the ones that I have modified.
  • Juggy Sync - Adds additional pawns to the Juggernaut's heavy melee attack, leading to some hilarity.
  • Switch Team Keybinds has been removed from the download due to people using it in public matches.
    • Talon Keybinding Fix - Keybindings for the talon have been ported from Reckoning into the main coalesced file. There is an included source .json folder that you can modify and recompile using Gibbed's Coalesce tool by dragging the folder onto his EXE.

    Known issues

    • Anything to do with TESTPATCH doesn't work, mainly because editing it only crashes the game (I've built out partial support for it, but it won't backup and it won't restore either). One day I might remove it since it's pointless to leave on until we figure out how to edit it, if ever.
    • DLC Injection has issues because Gibbed's Coalesce tool for DLC is bugged. Store items will be messed up and maps might have duplicates, as well as other bugs.
    All the old mods are currently compatible with the mod manager (they run in 'legacy mode')

    Mod Manager 2.0 Interface

    System Requirements

    • Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8 [Untested on 8]
    • Java 7 Update 21 or higher (yes you will have to update to a modern version of java)
    • Mass Effect 3 1.03 or higher
    • DLC modding requires .NET 4 Client Profile or higher
    • DLC modding requires Warranty Voider's memory patch tool to make DLC authorize when modifed
    • DLC modding with backups requires ~20GB free disk space (backups+space for temporary packing file)

    Download

    Injecting DLC

    Backup DLC Window

      Directions

      Mod Manager 2.0 has similar setup to Mod Manager 1.x. I'll list out how to get a single mod installed, since the procedure is the same for all of them.

      Here is a video guide on how to install the Insanity Challenge, other mods install exactly the same way:
      1. Unpack the zip you downloaded above to its own folder.
      2. Run the included executable, ME3CMM.exe. This is the mod manager launcher. Depending on your user privileges in Windows, you might need to run this as an administrator so you can edit the Program Files directory if your installation is in the standard Windows folder.
      3. Select your BIOGame directory by clicking the 'Browse...' button, and navigating to your Mass Effect 3 installation directory and opening the BIOGame directory. Once in that folder, click the open button (don't bother choosing a file), and it will validate it and offer to save the directory for next time.
      4. Select your mod, and press install. If this is the first time you have run Mod Manager (or first time on this build/first time in this folder), it will ask to backup your DLC. This will take up considerable amount of disk space (Up to ~20GB depending on which files you want to mod), but it will make restoring files very fast.
      5. Let the mod install. If it is only a coalesced mod, it will install nearly instantly. 

      Making mods for Mod Manager 2.0

      The mod format has changed for Mod Manager 2.0, since there is no requirement for Coalesced.bin files anymore, in the event your mod only injects files into the DLC. I'm going to break this section into 2 part: One for General Info/Coalesced, and the other for DLC Injection.

      General Settings

      Here is a template for Mod Manager 2.0 general settings:
      -----------------------------
      [ModManager]
      cmmver = 2.0

      [ModInfo]
      modname = Short Mod Name
      modver = 1.0 alpha 2
      moddesc = Put your mod description here. You can use <br> to tell Mod Manager to interpret it as a newline character. The description must be all on one line in the text file, otherwise the description will end at the newline.
      modcoal = 1
      modmp = Yes/No
      moddev = DevName
      modsite = Dev Site
      ---------------------------------
      The values explained:
      cmmver [required] = 2.0 is the version this mod is developed for, which right now is only read by Mod Manager 2.0 and above. Setting the value to less than 2.0 will force the mod into legacy mode where it will expect a coalesced file regardless of the modcoal value. This is for backwards compatability with normal Coalesced mods.

      modname[Required] is what appears in the left column for your mod's name. The name "No Mods Available" is reserved and cannot be used.

      moddesc[Required] is the description that appears in the right field. Since the ini library I use can't interpret \n, you must use the HTML <br> to have a newline. This description must all fit on one line. The program will convert <br> into newline characters.

      modcoal[Optional] is for telling Mod Manager that there is a Coalesced.bin in the root directory of the mod subfolder. It must be set to a 1 if there is a Coalesced.bin file that needs to be swapped. If it does not exist, the mod will be marked as invalid and will be ignored by Mod Manager. By not including this in your moddesc.ini file, it will not include a Coalesced.bin update to your mod (so DLC only). If the CMM version is less than 2.0, this flag automatically set to 1.

      modmp[Optional] specifies whether this mod affects multiplayer or not, which most times it will. If it only effects multiplayer (and not singleplayer), put "Yes, exclusively" instead of Yes.

      moddev[Optional] is the name of the person who developed the mod. For example, I am FemShep.

      modsite[Optional] is the site to go to get updates on the mod. Sometimes a dev will tweak it work with newer patches.

      DLC Settings

      This is where new items come into moddesc.ini file. The mod manager version marked in the moddesc.ini file must be greater than or equal to 2.0 or these settings will not be read.

      To get the files ready for this, follow the DLC Editing guide, but don't recompile the DLC. Use the new files as the 'newfiles' list below.

      Here is a snippet of a DLC syntax, which is the same for all of the DLC injection jobs that you need for your mod:

      [DLCNAME]
      moddir=SUBFOLDER_NAME
      newfiles=NewFile1;NewFile2...
      replacefiles=OldFilePath1,OldFilePath2...

      DLCNAME is the 'header' of that DLC section. It must match exactly one of the following, which maps several items specific to the DLC to the parameters you specify:
      • Multiplayer
        • RESURGENCE
        • REBELLION
        • EARTH
        • RETALIATION
        • RECKONING
        • PATCH1
        • PATCH2
        • TESTPATCH NOT WORKING SINCE IT CANT BE EDITED
      • Single Player
        • FROM_ASHES
        • EXTENDED_CUT
        • LEVIATHAN
        • OMEGA
        • CITADEL
        • CITADEL_BASE (this is part 2 of the citadel DLC, it comes in 2 parts just like the console versions)
        • APPEARANCE (Appearance Pack)
        • FIREFIGHT
        • GROUNDSIDE

      moddir is the directory in the mod's directory where the files you want to inject are located. Typically I keep these the exact same as the codename of the DLC, like MP1 for Resurgence. Put files that work for that specific mod in this directory.

      newfiles is the list of new files that will be injected. List their filenames, separated by a semicolon ; make sure the final file in the list does not have a semicolon following it. These files reside in the moddir folder specified above.

      replacefiles is the list of files in the DLC that will be replaced by the newfiles list on the line above. You must list the entire directory inside the DLC, use ME3Explorer to find the filepath. Make sure you use forward slashes / since this is how the directory structure is in the DLC. The files in this list must be in the same order as the newfiles list, and the number of files as well as their filenames must exactly match or the mod will be marked as invalid and not added to the list of mods.

      An example:

      [EARTH]
      moddir=MP3
      newfiles=Default_DLC_CON_MP3.bin;PCConsoleTOC.bin
      replacefiles=/BIOGame/DLC/DLC_CON_MP3/CookedPCConsole/Default_DLC_CON_MP3.bin;/BIOGame/DLC/DLC_CON_MP3/PCConsoleTOC.bin

      Look at the included Supercoal Package for a list you can copy and paste for multiplayer edits.

      Complete example of moddesc.ini:



      [ModManager]
      cmmver = 2.0

      [ModInfo]
      modname = Insanity Mod
      modver = 2.0 beta 4 - rebuilt for Mod Manager 2.0
      moddesc = Insanity Mode Mod takes everything you know about teamwork and throws it out the window. This mode will require lots of reviving, split second decisions on consumables, and if your allies are worth risking your life for.<br>Insanity mod is an extended hard mode, where full extractions on gold are rare (excluding farming).<br>Platinum? You'll never beat Insanity Platinum.<br>Note: This mod might make some enemies invisible, no clue why. Mainly affects clients.
      modmp = Yes
      modcoal = 1
      moddev = FemShep
      modsite = http://me3tweaks.blogspot.com

      [EARTH]
      moddir=MP3
      newfiles=Default_DLC_CON_MP3.bin;PCConsoleTOC.bin
      replacefiles=/BIOGame/DLC/DLC_CON_MP3/CookedPCConsole/Default_DLC_CON_MP3.bin;/BIOGame/DLC/DLC_CON_MP3/PCConsoleTOC.bin

      [RETALIATION]
      moddir=MP4
      newfiles=Default_DLC_CON_MP4.bin;PCConsoleTOC.bin
      replacefiles=/BIOGame/DLC/DLC_CON_MP4/CookedPCConsole/Default_DLC_CON_MP4.bin;/BIOGame/DLC/DLC_CON_MP4/PCConsoleTOC.bin

      [PATCH2]
      moddir=PATCH2
      newfiles=Default_DLC_UPD_Patch02.bin;PCConsoleTOC.bin
      replacefiles=/BIOGame/DLC/DLC_UPD_Patch02/CookedPCConsole/Default_DLC_UPD_Patch02.bin;/BIOGame/DLC/DLC_DLC_UPD_Patch02/PCConsoleTOC.bin


      Frequently Asked Questions

      Q.I made a mod, but it isn't showing up in the list even if I close and reopen mod manager. What's wrong?
      A. Many problems typically extend from a improperly named file to an incorrect header. Go to Help>About and turn on Mod Debugging mode, and then restart the mod manager. It will create a file called me3cmm_last_run_log.txt in the same directory as the manager. Close mod manager and then read the log. Typically it will say where it invalided your mod.

      Q.Your program throws an unhandled exception when I'm trying to inject DLC.
      A.This is an issue in ME3Explorer's DLC Explorer. I modified it to automate, but for some reason some people can't seem to get it to work, and I can't seem to reproduce it. Send me a debugging log (see above Q/A) as well as a copy/paste of the exception log and put it on pastebin and put a link in the comments and I'll see what I can do.


      Q. Can I combine mods?
      A. Yes and no. Mods are full-file replacement. Typically they are also only Coalesced edits, since that's mainly what CMM handles. If you install a mod that works on reckoning, then install one that works on earth, they will combine. If you install one that works on earth AND reckoning, then one for only reckoning, only the final reckoning version will work. 


      Q. Why does it need 20GB for 3MB of files!?
      A. Each DLC is at least ~300MB, give or take some. If you backup your DLC (and it will automatically even if you choose to not - it just won't verify authenticity), you can restore it easily. This means for every file you either A) Backup manually and/or B) Injecting files into, it doubles the space that DLC takes. And each injection creates a temp file which eventually grows to the size of the DLC as it is being repacked. It is deleted after the end of injection for that DLC, but on large DLCs, this means you might run up 1.2GB if the .sfar file is only 400MB.



      Q: Where can I get the original Coalesced.bin from Patch 3?
      A:  Download it here.

      Q: I want to go back to the original vanilla game. How can I do this?
      A: Go to Tools>Restore all to vanilla. It will take a few minutes, but as long as you backed up your DLC it will restore everything, including Coalesced. Otherwise, pick what you want from the tools menu to restore.

      Q:Some of my DLC keeps downloading itself again after I install a mod. Why?
      A: Origin is detecting you have some 'corrupt' data. Go into Application Settings in Origin (under File), and uncheck the box to automatically keep games up to date. Just restore your backup and install the mod again if it starts to make progress as it might corrupt the data.


      Q: In Multiplayer, a wave ended, but the next one won't spawn any enemies. Why is this?
      A: The game does not crash if it cannot load an enemy. Instead, it just doesn't spawn them. If the game can't parse the line that describes what enemies should appear, none will spawn and the wave will never end. The only option you have is to quit the match. Typically it is due to a misspelled enemy pawn, like WAVE_COL_GethPrime, which isn't a valid enemy. It's a very easy mistake to do, and I find myself doing it quite often.

      Q: I installed a mod, but the old one is still active. How do I make the new mod work?
      A: The game needs to be restarted in order to reload Coalesced.bin.

      Q: Where are the DLC backups stored?
      A: In the same folder as the .sfar file, there will be a .sfar.bak file. This is the backup file.

      Q: I didn't choose to backup my DLC, but it did anyways. Why is this?
      A: If Default.sfar.bak doesn't exist, when injecting DLC, ME3Explorer will automatically make a copy of the existing sfar, regardless if it is backed up or not. 

      Q: I didn't choose to backup my DLC, but it did anyways. Why is this?
      A: If Default.sfar.bak doesn't exist, when injecting DLC, ME3Explorer will automatically make a copy of the existing sfar, regardless if it is backed up or not. 


      Q: I backed up modified DLC but it refuses to restore it. Why?
      A: I haven't built functionality for this yet. It will likely come in a bug fix 2.0.1 or 2.1 in the next few weeks.


      Q: It's taking a long time to inject files into DLC/restore back to normal. 
      A:Depending on the speed of your computer, it could take several minutes. My desktop can inject and restore DLC in less than a minute, but my laptop takes several.

      Q: I have a question that isn't answered here.
      A: Leave a comment and I'll get back to you.

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        Editing Store Contents Update

        May 13, 2013, 10:27 am
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        I've done some thinking about writing a store editing guide, and I've played around with the console a bit and figured out which commands work on the store (for their debugging) and which ones do not. I've also edited Coalesced files to make the store give new items, Chakram Launcher, BF3 Infiltrator, and Polonium Rounds.

        However, I have chosen to not to make a guide on how to do this. I'm sure some readers are disappointed, but that's how it's going to be.

        My reasoning:

        • BioWare is a game development studio, which makes games in trade for people's money. It's a business. And they make money off microtransactions in the store, and in exchange we got free Multiplayer DLCs. Without this, I'm sure I would have abandoned Mass Effect 3 long ago, since the Single Player mode was not very interesting.
        • As a business, I think it's fine how they are choosing to make money this way. And by releasing this information it would allow people who want to cheat to do so and skip. It's the same argument as DRM - does it really make more sales? Maybe 5% of those who pirate would have bought the game if it wasn't able to be pirated, so maybe 5% of the people would buy at least 1 pack from the store if they didn't know how to cheat it.
        • Other player's who have spent countless hours trying to complete the game would be surpassed in minutes by people who decide to cheat, ruining their experience. You might not think it matters, but think, if you are showing off a car to someone, and someone else pulls up in a better car which outshines yours, how does that feel?
        I might mod the game and have a dislike for EA, and have some beef with some of BioWare's decisions/stances on modding, but I don't find it acceptable to blatantly allow people to cheat. Some items I've made might make it easier to cheat (like people who use my guides to cheat and others items like console commands, which I've got a few reports of sighting on BSN, shame on them), but I never condone it. All of the current methods I have posted to edit the game would require a large amount of time to make it worthwhile, which would include a huge credit hack (since the store is ridiculously slow and random).

        As much as I feel BioWare has messed up some stuff on ME3, without multiplayer how else would I have used my 700+ hours playing it. I haven't played any game as much as I have ME3 Multiplayer and I love modding it.
        So thanks BioWare.

        TL;DR: No store editing guide. 




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        Full Experience Mod Progress Update

        May 13, 2013, 10:35 am
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        So I'm going to be fairly busy this week, but I'm trying to finish and put out an update to the Full Experience Mod. There's a beta that has a few features in it in the Mass Effect 3 Coalesced Mod Manger 2.0 post that unlocks 1 or 2 extra items.

        I've made a few galleries of the full version:

        So far here's what I've changed:
        • Chakram Launcher now available (its pretty well balanced given the weight) as a gold card
          • It sometimes unequips itself, I don't think it's fully MP ready, but I don't know how to get it to fix it
        • BattleField 3 Infiltrator card appears in store (haven't figured out how to add it to the character list yet, that'll be sometime soon)
        • 7 new maps
          • 6 Testing (sky doesn't draw on some, one is clearly a test, maps are huge, most are untextured)
          • 1 Map doesn't spawn enemies but is pretty much done except for a little graphical work (thessia beta)
          • 3 are marked as unavailable, not sure why they are doing this, hopefully can find a fix.
        • Added polonium rounds I II III to the store (Jumbo Equipment packs and Veteran I think)
          • See gallery for details
        • Added original Firebase White/Glacier/Giant back in
        • Added original wavesets before retaliation back in with original enemies (sans the fixed phantom)
        • Turned on the Prothean Artifact Objective that is turned off by default
        • Allow enemy 'squads' to be spawned (don't know what this does yet)
        Should be out in a few days, testing right now.
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        A challenge for BSN...

        May 14, 2013, 10:02 pm
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        Thunderdome is weak. I'll be issuing a slightly modified Insanity Mod for the Insanity Challenge I'm going to give out in a couple of days. I'd love to see the 'elite' players see how they stack on the totem pole.

        Look for the mod in the coming days, as well as rules for participating. Feel free to post about it on BSN to get some attention for it.
        Feel free to use the image as well.






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        Mod Updates coming soon

        May 15, 2013, 10:26 am
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        So following some reports on BSN that some people are using my work for mischief (switching teams in PUG matches is NOT OKAY!), I'm going to update some of my mods so that public matches are locked out.
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        Full Experience Mod coming in 1-2 days

        May 15, 2013, 9:26 pm
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        Another update on the full experience mod, currently have it out to a few testers right now, and given their feedback I'm making some tweaks and fixing some bugs. Expect it out in 1-2 days, along with Insanity Challenge (testing that too).

        Pushing out a release candidate build to my testers tonight.

        Here's a gallery: https://plus.google.com/106050344635835556810/posts/GrGPLvdTFmF

        Just a heads up.

        Update: Found one critical bug that's might delay it... otherwise I think it's ready :/
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        Insanity Challenge

        May 16, 2013, 6:10 pm
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        He's not dancing because he wants to kill you. He's happy that you're already dead.

        I've made a challenge with my Insanity Mod for the elite players of ME3 Multiplayer to complete. This is Insanity Challenge. It's an insane mode mod that I made, which makes the current platinum look like a joke. It's meant to be insane, and it's only to be completed by the best of the best.

        Insanity Challenge

        Rules:
        • No Armored Compartments on gold
        • No Farming (No box of shame mainly)
        • 2 Players (or less) on an insanity gold match, 3 players (or less) on an insanity platinum match
          • Installed Insanity Challenge Mod (see below)
          • For "Official" wins, video must be recorded from opening the lobby to the end of game screen. 
            • You must also show everyone's loadout.
            • Numberpad 0 takes a screenshot. If you can't record it, take screenshots.
          • Other mods are not allowed to be installed (they will mess up the challenge)
          • No Geth Juggernauts (way too cheap) on Gold
          Cerberus Gold is by far the easiest, Geth Gold is the hardest for the Insanity Gold factions.
          Geth Platinum is the hardest on Insanity Platinum.

          To submit your victory (or a magnificent attempt, but utter defeat): Post a link in the comments section of this post.

          For people who complete the challenge, I will post your video on this post showing you have completed it. Completing the challenge requires that you extract, dead or alive.

          Insanity Challenge edits the following items in your game:
          • Coalesesced
          • Earth DLC
          • Retaliation DLC
          • Patch 2 DLC Module
          They can all be restored easily as long as you follow the directions.

          NOTE: If BioWare is in a bad mood, you could get banned. I've been modding for over a year now and nobody I've played with has been banned (myself included). As long as you don't cheat or play public matches, you should be fine. This mod clearly does not give you performance enhancements beyond a single bonus:
          • Better cooldown (so casters stand aren't locked out on this mode)50% bonus)
          Feel free to post about it on BSN too. This is mainly so we can figure out who's really the best. Sorry console players, get a PC next time.

          Some gameplay:

          What you win
          • Bragging rights over people who are too afraid to try it, as well as console players, since they can't play it all ;) I'm sure you love bragging rights. I also am getting 30,000 views a month now.
          • A good time

          Teams that have completed the challenge

          Download

          The challenge files are constantly being updated to tweak it so it's a bit more balanced.

          • INSANITY CHALLENGE IS NOT THE SAME AS INSANITY MOD. INSANITY MOD IS OLDER AND WILL NOT COUNT AS INSANITY CHALLENGE.


          This tells you that insanity challenge is installed.


          Changes in Insanity Challenge from stock MP:
          Insanity Challenge implies 'Insanity'. It's going to be brutal. A lot of you will never finish it.

          I won't list all the changes, but here's a few of the highlights:
          • Telemetry has been turned off (data going back to BioWare) - assuming the Coalesced flag actually works (no way to tell)
            • Update might just remove all the hooks they use
          • Credits have been reduced ~10% so BioWare doesn't get all unhappy saying 'this might make it easier!' (when clearly it does not)
            • Didn't make it zero since you deserve the money you get so you can buy JEP and come back for more
          • Enemy weapons have been modified. They don't do more damage (damage is all the same), but they'll fire more often, and the roles they have on the field have changed (geth prime is now a suppressor  Abomination is now a timebomb)
            • Phantoms shoot much less, their gun is way cheap on insanity difficulty
          • Waves have been altered. Later waves will be full of bosses as you progress.
            • I hold nothing back for Platinum. It's called Insanity for a reason.
          • Brute sync-kill chance raised 10% (but its not really noticable since it always chooses other attacks anyways)
          • Your encumbrance has been boosted to allow an additional 50% since this is a suicide mission.
          • Many bosses require teamwork to kill, and soloing will be nigh impossible due to shield recharge rates.
            • This is intentional, for teamwork. Or to piss you off. Pick one.
          • More enemies on the field at a time (12 I think)
          • Bronze and Silver have been locked out, as well as being able to play public matches (you're welcome BioWare/BSN)
          • The 'new' versions of Firebase White/Glacier/Giant have been moved to the end of the map list, meaning that the original versions are available to play on.
          • Extraction has a nice surprise.
          • NumberPad 0 key turns into 'shot' command allowing you to take a screenshot at any time in a match. It doesn't work outside of a match, and it doesn't work on the talon.
          • Explosions stagger you and your teammates... because that's what explosions do
          • And more






          Directions on how to install the Insanity Challenge

          These directions look long and scary, but installing the mod is actually really easy.

          These directions are REQUIRED for the host, optional for the client - but clients might have desync issues, so if you want the best experience, all players should follow these directions and install the mod.

          Here is a video tutorial on how to install the mod, see text directions below as well if necessary.


          1. You need Mass Effect 3 Coalesced Mod Manager 2.0.  I've made a bundle with the mod included, which you can download here.
            1. You'll need about 1GB of space for backups and installation temp files for just this mod. Installing other mods might introduce some issues.
            2. You need Java 7 Update 21 or higher.
            3. You need .NET 4 Client Profile (should be installed on most computers already)
            4. All Multiplayer DLC and patches.
            5. Warranty Voider's DLC Memory Patch tool, download here.
          2. Extract the zip file of ME3CMM 2.0.x above into it's own folder. Extract the LauncherWV.exe as well to a folder.
          3. Move the LauncherWV.exe tool to the Mass Effect 3 Binaries\Win32 directory. The program is built to look for MassEffect3.exe in the main program folder, and it won't work without, even if the game is already running. This is not a crack. It makes modified DLC authorize, otherwise it will not load. It does not modify any files. Leave this window open, you will need to come back to it in a minute.
            1. Typically this is C:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\Mass Effect 3\Binaries\Win32 for a 64 bit computer with default Origin options
          4. Open ME3CMM.exe from the ME3CMM folder you made, and select the BioGame directory for your installation.
            1. C:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\Mass Effect 3\BioGame is the default one for a 64 bit computer with default Origin options
            2. You don't need to a select a file, just navigate to the folder and then press OK, it will validate and ask to save it.
          5. Backup your DLC.
            1. Go to Tools>Backup DLC.
            2. Select the MP DLCs on the left, including the patches. TestPatch is greyed out since it can't be modified.
            3. Back up the DLCs. It might take some time as the files are large and it will consume considerable disk space (~1-2GB).
              1. This step is for restoring when you want to go back to vanilla games.
              2. Coalesced will be backed up when you install a mod, so you don't need to do that.
          6. Select the Insanity Challenge mod on the left. Click 'Apply Mod', and it will inject them using ME3Explorer. It will take some time depending on your computer performance, as it is very resource intensive.
            1. Note: Talon Keybindings fix is included, but you cannot install this with the Insanity Challenge Mod. It is there in the event people want to fix their talon keybindings in other matches.
          7. Once it has installed, start the game, and go to the title screen (just do not go to the part where it says Connecting to EA Servers) - NOT the main menu.
          8. Open your Binaries folder, and run LauncherWV.exe. It will print some text saying either SUCCESS! or 'No match'. If it says success, then it has patched the memory of ME3. If it continously fails, it means 1 of 2 things:

            1. You aren't on an original EXE. (e.g. you have it cracked)
              1. You have to use an original EXE.
            2. Mod Manager automatically ran it for you (timing issues prevent it from working) when the game was run.
              1. If this happens, it might already be patched.
            3. If the patcher crashes, run it again. If it keeps failing, make sure you aren't running ME3 as an administrator, or run the tool as an administrator. If that fails, leave a comment with the error you get.
            4. Failure to follow this step will result in this message:
          9. Go to the next screen (main menu). DLC should not fail to authorize now. If you didn't complete step 8, the game will show a message with failed DLC authorizations. If it doesn't show that, you should be good to go. Test verify:
            1. Open MP Menu
            2. Create a match. Silver/Bronze should be locked out, as well as being able to play public matches.
            3. Text should have changed some.

          Known Issues
          • Store is goofy, this is an issue with one of our tools that we don't have a fix for (Gibbed's compiler for Coalesced-DLC)
            • Solution: Don't use the store, only do it once you revert.
          • Challenge in the menu in-game doesn't show any text. I think it's related to me disabling other difficulties
          To revert back to vanilla
          In ME3CMM:
          •  Select 'Revert all to vanilla' from the Tools menu. This requires that you backed up your DLC beforehand. It will also restore coalesced for you.
          • If you didn't back up (SHAME ON YOU!), use Origin, and right click on your DLC under shop for addons, and right click on a DLC->Check for Updates. Same for basegame if you lose Coalesced.
            ↧
            ↧

            100 Enemies Mod added to list of mods

            May 17, 2013, 6:01 pm
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            There's a new mod on the List of ME3CMM mods post by xXHAVOCXx. He has provided some feedback on some my mods, so you should go check it out. I'm not quite sure how he wants people to give him feedback on it.

            It is ready to use with Mod Manager 2.0, just drop the file into the same directory as ME3CMM.exe, the same as all the other mods.

            100 Enemies Mod

            Fight against 100 Enemies on field with Fully Customized Waves with 4 different enemy types in 4 difficulty levels! Cerberus and Geth for intense Firefights, Reapers for Zombies Mod, Collectors for insane Boss Spam Mod! Number of enemies and wave budgets increase according to difficulty level you choose. Recommend choosing difficulty according to the number of players. (Bronze for 1, Silver for 2, Gold for 3, Platinum for 4)
             
            [Cerberus]
            [1] AssaultTrooper+Cannibal
            [2] Engineer+Guardian
            [3] Husk+Abomination
            [4] Centurion+Collector Captain
            [5] Geth Rocket Trooper+Nemesis
            [6] Husk+Abomination+Guardian
            [7] Geth Hunter+Geth Bomber
            [8] Geth Pyro+Ravager
            [9] Phoenix+Phantom
            [10] Husk+Abomination+Brute
            [11] Banshee+Prime+Scion+Atlas+Praetorian
             
            [Geth]
            [1] Geth Trooper+Collector Trooper
            [2] Engineer+Nemesis
            [3] Husk+Abomination
            [4] Guardian+Geth Rocket Trooper
            [5] Marauder+Collector Captain
            [6] Geth Pyro+Guardian
            [7] Ravager+Scion
            [8] Geth Hunter+Phantom
            [9] Husk+Abomination+Brute
            [10] Atlas+Geth Bomber
            [11] Banshee+Prime+Scion+Atlas+Praetorian
             
            [Reapers]
            [1] Husk+Abomination
            [2] Husk+Abomination+Brute
            [3] Husk+Abomination+Brute
            [4] Husk+Abomination+Brute+Ravager
            [5] Husk+Abomination+Brute+Ravager
            [6] Husk+Abomination+Brute+Ravager
            [7] Husk+Abomination+Brute+Praetorian
            [8] Husk+Abomination+Brute+Praetorian
            [9] Husk+Abomination+Brute+Praetorian
            [10] Abomination+Brute+Praetorian+Banshee
            [11] Banshee+Prime+Scion+Atlas+Praetorian
             
            [Collectors]
            [1] Phantom
            [2] Brute
            [3] Abomination
            [4] Atlas
            [5] Geth Prime
            [6] Abomination
            [7] Scion
            [8] Banshee
            [9] Praetorian
            [10] Abomination
            [11] Banshee+Prime+Scion+Atlas+Praetorian

            Mod Version: MK. 1 (Standard)
            Modifies: RETALIATION, COALESCED

            Modifies Multiplayer: Only
            Mod Developer: xXHAVOCXx
            ↧

            Full Multiplayer Experience Mod

            May 17, 2013, 6:29 pm
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            I have finished conducting the first set of tests on my new mod, Full Multiplayer Experience. I have added some new strings as well in a test to make the mods feel more natural.


            There are two mods in this mod pack:
            • Full Multiplayer Experience [Revision 7 - 5/21/2013]
            • MP Unlocker [Revision 4 - 5/21/2013]
            Credits to RiccoShot and 2 other anonymous testers for helping me debug the mod.

            Full Experience Mod adds the following features:
            • Adds 7 beta testing maps (athena won't spawn enemies)
            • Adds the Chakram Launcher to the store as a rare card
            • Adds BF3 Infiltrator to store (Unfortunately kits seem to be stored serverside so I can make it selectable)
            • Added old maps back (White/Glacier/Giant)
            • Enabled beta retreive objective (Prothean Artifact)
            • Added polonium rounds to store
            • Added  chance for squad to be enemy (Not sure what it does)
            • Added the pre-retaliation waves back as 'Old' enemies in enemy selection list
            • Note: Some testing maps say unavailable, no clue why. To select them, just pick them before you open the lobby.
            Full Experience Mod disables public matches.

            MP Unlocker is a subset that strips out the testing maps and the Prothean Artifact objective so you can play with friends easier, since the map selection resets quite often if someone joins your lobby and you have unlocked the test maps.

            Some notes on these mods:
            • Issues with Gibbed's compiler makes the store give out character cards so don't use this mod if you're trying to unlock new stuff beyond polonium/chakram
            • Cooldowns appear to be really high if you have a mod that adds weight to your gun, it's trying to use Earth's broken mods, it will not affect you in game. Not sure about clients. 

            Download
            Notes on maps:
            • Firebase Athena BETA does not spawn enemies (BioWare)
            • Clients joining that don't have the mod installed while you are in a lobby will make maps they don't have mapped (anything different from vanilla) from being able to be selected. To work around this, start the match before they join.
            • Some maps don't have a sky texture, so it doesn't redraw, which is why it's all f'ed up
            • Some maps don't have lighting so you're black.
            • Clients might not be able to see names of enemies or maps because they don't have the changes the host does.

            Directions on how to install the mod

            These directions look long and scary, but installing the mod is actually really easy.

            Video of installing Insanity Challenge (same process):


            1. You need Mass Effect 3 Coalesced Mod Manager 2.0.  I've made a bundle with the mod included, which you can download here.
              1. You'll need about 1GB of space for backups and installation temp files for just this mod. Installing other mods might introduce some issues.
              2. You need Java 7 Update 21 or higher.
              3. You need .NET 4 Client Profile (should be installed on most computers already)
              4. All Multiplayer DLC and patches.
              5. Warranty Voider's DLC Memory Patch tool, download here.
            2. Extract the zip file of ME3CMM 2.0 above into it's own folder. Extract the LauncherWV.exe as well to a folder.
            3. Move the LauncherWV.exe tool to the Mass Effect 3 Binaries directory.The program is built to look for MassEffect3.exe in the main program folder, and it won't work without, even if the game is already running. This is not a crack. It makes modified DLC authorize, otherwise it will not load. It does not modify any files. Leave this window open, you will need to come back to it in a minute.
              1. Typically this is C:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\Mass Effect 3\Binaries\Win32 for a 64 bit computer with default Origin options
            4. Open ME3CMM.exe from the ME3CMM folder you made, and select the BioGame directory for your installation.
              1. C:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\Mass Effect 3\BioGame is the default one for a 64 bit computer with default Origin options
              2. You don't need to a select a file, just navigate to the folder and then press OK, it will validate and ask to save it.
            5. Backup your DLC.
              1. Go to Tools>Backup DLC.
              2. Select the MP DLCs on the left, including the patches. TestPatch is greyed out since it can't be modified.
              3. Back up the DLCs. It might take some time as the files are large and it will consume considerable disk space (~1-2GB).
                1. This step is for restoring when you want to go back to vanilla games.
                2. Coalesced will be backed up when you install a mod, so you don't need to do that.
            6. Select the Full Multiplayer Experience mod or the MP Unlocker Mod on the left. Click 'Apply Mod', and it will inject them using ME3Explorer. It will take some time depending on your computer performance, as it is very resource intensive.
            7. Once it has installed, start the game, and go to the title screen (just do not go to the part where it says Connecting to EA Servers) - NOT the main menu.
            8. Open your Binaries folder, and run LauncherWV.exe. It will print some text saying either SUCCESS! or 'No match'. If it says success, then it has patched the memory of ME3. If it continously fails, it means 1 of 2 things:

              1. You aren't on an original EXE. (e.g. you have it cracked)
                1. You have to use an original EXE.
              2. Mod Manager automatically ran it for you (timing issues prevent it from working) when the game was run.
                1. If this happens, it might already be patched.
              3. If the patcher crashes, run it again. If it keeps failing, make sure you aren't running ME3 as an administrator, or run the tool as an administrator. If that fails, leave a comment with the error you get.
              4. Failure to follow this step will result in this message:
            9. Go to the next screen (main menu). DLC should not fail to authorize now. If you didn't complete step 8, the game will show a message with failed DLC authorizations. If it doesn't show that, you should be good to go. To verify:
              1. MP Should have at least 3 new maps: Glacier/Giant/White with the tag [Old] on the end.

            ↧

            Mod Manager 2.0.1 Release

            May 20, 2013, 4:18 pm
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            Mass Effect 3: Coalesced Mod Manager 2.0.1
            Release

            I have made a few improvements and bug fixes based on some feedback from users of Mod Manager, and am today releasing an update, 2.0.1. It is a very small change from 2.0, but it adds a new feature (and fixes it one issue with it too) that makes it easier to use.

            Changelog 2.0→ 2.0.1:
            • Update: Added more pawns to the Juggy Sync mod (should be all of them now)
            • Update: Changed descriptions on a few mods
            • Update: Added alternate names for Warranty Voider's tool to allow it to be auto-executed when pressing Start Game
            • New: Warranty Voider's tool will now show in a command prompt window allowing you to see the result (it will still auto-close)
            • Fix: On first run of a DLC mod it will say you haven't backed up DLC even if you have already

            Download

            View the main post for details on how to use Mod Manager 2.0 and to view the FAQ.
            ↧

            Yeah... so I kind of forgot to add the chakram launcher back in.

            May 20, 2013, 7:46 pm
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            Yeah... so I was working on the Full Experience Mod like a week ago, and I made a copy of a different mod I have that added the battlefield 3 infiltrator card, but didn't have the chakram. (There was one that had it). I used the wrong folder (the bf3 one, not the chakram) and so all the MP Unlocker mods (Full experience, MP Unlocker) don't have it. I have just pushed out an update that will put it back in the store.

            I'm really sorry if you wasted lots of money trying to get it. At least it doesn't take a patch to fix, cause you'd be waiting 6 months to fix it.

            UPDATE: I'm adding it to another part of the DLC, I will update this post when I have uploaded it. Editing the store is a pain in the ass. Don't buy any packs till then!

            UPDATE2: I've updated it, again. This is the second update on the unlockers, so if you see this text, you should redownload it to get the chakram. The issue is that there are multiple store definitions that overwrite each other and I edited the wrong one. I have not yet tested this, but this should work, according to the WinMerge diff.

            UPDATE3: It works.

            UPDATE 4 or 5: I'm getting reports that the new maps are the same as the old ones, checking...
            UPDATE 6: Fixed a bug in the full experience mod where the new and old version of maps were backwards. Thanks RedJohn for reporting this.

            Get the updated build from the page.


            ↧
            ↧

            Coalesced Mod Manager Mod Pack 1 Release

            May 21, 2013, 2:00 am
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            Swarmer Hell mod.
            Except there's about 500 more of these guys.

            Mass Effect 3: Coalesced Mod Manager 2.0
            Mod Pack 1

            I have bundled up some of my unreleased mods, as well as xXHAVOCXx's 100 Enemy Custom waves and put them into a single zip file. There are also some updated versions of older mods from 1.0 and 1.1 bundles.

            My mods are not fully tested (they were just proof of concept for the most part) and might contain bugs.

            Download

            Need Mod Manager 2.0 or have questions about it? See this post.
            ↧

            How to split talon keybindings off the spacebar [Proper]

            May 21, 2013, 6:00 am
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            One of my minions posted on BSN the video I made of how to fix the keybinds for the Talon Merc so that you can split or remap keys. This does not replace it overriding your save with the values in this file. BioWare is too lazy to fix their broken piece of crap, so I have to for them. This also will not fix over cover grabs.

            Use the **NEW** Talon Keybindings Mod in the 2.0.1 package (download was updated about 2 hours ago) as a base to use as a keybinding.


            ↧
            Search

            It's called Coalesced.bin

            May 22, 2013, 8:21 pm
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            To: BSN
            From: Modders

            Just an FYI, everytime you call it Coalesced.ini, anyone who mods is going to disregard what you say, because if you actually did anything with mods (even just to look), you would know it's called Coalesced.bin.

            So FYI, if you call it Coalesced.ini, I'm going to assume you are dumb.

            ↧

            Fight back against people switching teams in the midst of a battle.

            May 23, 2013, 8:17 am
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            Bring disruptor ammo and give them a bad day.
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            New Mod Coming Soon

            May 23, 2013, 9:21 am
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            AirQuotes Mod
            Announcement

            I'm making a new mod, called 'AirQuotes Mod'. It's going to be epic.
            Release is in 1-2 days.
            ↧

            Messing with the demo

            May 28, 2013, 6:34 pm
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            I'm currently looking at the Coalesced.bin file for the demo of Mass Effect 3 and there appear to be a few goodies, like more information on how the store works.
            I might also be able to get it to work online again (a simple tweak), assuming that it uses the same matchmaking as normal Mass Effect 3 and won't crash out.

            I'll post some results later.

            Edit: I'm also doing Mod Manager 2.0.2.

            Since posts look cooler with an image, I found a random one for you guys to ponder:

            ↧

            AirQuotes Mod

            May 28, 2013, 7:27 pm
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            Your picture on BSN changes too much, so this is the
            one you get. 

            AirQuotes Mod
            Release

            I have made a mod just for AirQuotes to play. It's got some surprises, so I won't have any details, but it's wonderful.

            Inspired by your 'Atlases missiles are cheap' and 'Phantom damage reduction on host is too difficult' threads on BSN.

            Note: Edits don't take effect on platinum.

            Note: AirQuotes did not make this mod, hence why there is no ' in the mod name.

            Download

            ↧
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