KH3 Light vs. Darkness [PC mod]

Three-part image exemplifying some changes to revenge values in the "Light vs. Darkness" 2.0 update. From left to right: - Sora in Toy Box, using "Proximity" (AEO) Firaga against Heartless, which is set to incur more revenge values than Fire or Fira - Sora in Monstropolis, casting "Double" Aeroga, spawning 6 projectiles towards Unversed enemies. This is set to incur less revenge values than before, but also less damage per projectile or hit compared to other types of magic. - Kairi in an Olympus Coliseum match, unleashing her combo finisher against Ansem, Seeker of Darkness. This illustrates how her combo attacks have lesser revenge values, allowing her to fully combo Ansem before he escapes.

We're doing now some tuning to revenge values (RV), focused on (counter)balancing certain techniques, eg. AEO magic and double magic (whose low RV could be exploited against some bosses). It's pure math 😵‍💫

Kairi has also had lower RV on her attacks, to allow full combos before targets retaliate.

Nice, Kupo.

(Thanks for the love on the synthesis tutorial! I hope it's been helpful!) 💙

Updated images (with no typo in the title) illustrating changes to attack data rebalancing in the "Light vs. Darkness" 2.0 update. From left to right: - Sora using Counter Shield's combo finish, with Thunder elemental damage based on the Magic stat (instead of the Strength stat) - Sora using the Storm Flag's "Water Kraken" formchange finish, now dealing Magic-based Water damage (instead of Physical damage based on the Strength stat) - Sora and Mickey using the Faith Volley team attack, now using the Magic stat to deal Neutral damage (instead of the Strength stat)

… and now without typos in the image 😅

(Note that in the previous post, the examples are about the specific attacks shown in the image. We won't be changing the element attached to all attacks from all formchanges, just some whose VFX are visually magical but were using the Strength stat to calculate their damage.)

Three images illustrating changes to attack data rebalancing in the "Light vs. Darkness" 2.0 update. From left to right: - Sora using Counter Shield's combo finish, with Thunder elemental damage based on the Magic stat (instead of the Strength stat) - Sora using the Storm Flag's "Water Kraken" formchange finish, now dealing Magic-based Water damage (instead of Physical damage based on the Strength stat) - Sora and Mickey using the Faith Volley team attack, now using the Magic stat to deal Neutral damage (instead of the Strength stat)

This also plays into how, with the 2.0 update, we're rebalancing the damage output of all playable characters… including the element and stat attached to some formchange attacks.

Some formchanges will have Magic-base attacks or deal elemental damage, which may not always be optimal for all "paths"!

Set of three images describing and illustrating Sora's different paths in the "Light vs. Darkness" mod. From left to right: - Warrior Path (Sora in Strike Form clothing) - Fast agility - Strength-oriented - Poor defense - Mid-game force - Mystic Path (Sora in Element Form clothing) - Airborne combat - Spell master - Glass cannon - Late-game force - Guardian Path (Sora in Guardian Form clothing) - Defense and survival - The team's tank - Prize-oriented - Late-game force

Something unusual in our mod, is that you can install 3 different progression paths for Sora: Warrior, Mystic, or Guardian.

Each one has its own base stats, level up stats and abilities, but also different jumping, running, wall-scaling, swimming, and gliding powers!

#KingdomHearts #gamemod

Composite screenshots of the equipment menu of "Kingdom Hearts 3", showing stats and stat changes of two weapons: Astrolabe+ (for Donald), and Clockwork Shield+ (for Goofy). The screenshots shows their specific abilities, text descriptions, stats, and the changes on Donald's and Goofy's overall stats (including changes to elemental resistance and weakness like Fire and Thunder).

More stat rebalancing for #KingdomHearts 3! With our #gamemod, Donald, Goofy, and all party members will have new weapon stats.

Staves and shields will have some subtle combinations of stats and abilities (including elemental resistance), hopefully making all weapons interesting even in late-game.

The Shacknews Staff had a lot to say on the importance of Kingdom Hearts on PlayStation 2. #PS2 #KingdomHearts #Gaming

Note that stats in the video may still change, and are also the final stats (Forge LV10) for the Keyblades shown above.

(Apologies for the white noise in the video, we didn't realise how loud it was 😅)

Continuing a bit with stat balancing for LvD 2.0, now with Sora's Keyblades! We'll be giving them new abilities, stats and descriptions.

We'll also move the OP abilities (like "Magic Roulette" and "Aeroza") up to higher Forge levels (LV7-LV9), with rare synthesis items needed to upgrade.

Spreadsheet comparing the stats of most party members in "Kingdom Hearts 3". This includes comparing their total Strength, Magic and Defense stat during certain key points of the game's story. Columns are coloured to emphasise the relative values of these stats for all characters, and cells have different outline and text colours to reflect which party members are in the top 3 (golden accents) or bottom 3 (purple accents) for a given stat at any key point of the story.

Fun fact, if there's something we learned with game balance, is that spreadsheets are unavoidable…

… especially since the game has 20+ party members, and that other mods like the Olympus Coliseum allow the player to choose whomever in the party.

In-game image of Sora and other Guardians of Light fighting in the Keyblade Graveyard a horde of enemies, including a massive Darkside and hundreds of Shadows. The user interface shows in the top-right that Riku, Aqua and Mickey are levelling up to LV67, with different bonuses for each character.

Our mod is rebalancing pretty much everything in "Kingdom Hearts 3" (except the Gummi ship…), including total stats for all of Sora's party members, their weapons, level bonuses, etc.

For the upcoming 2.0 update, all Guardians will level up like other party members, with new level up stat bonuses!

In-game screenshot of Sora and Terra in the menu of "Kingdom Hearts III", showing them in idle animations. Terra is a modded in a party member, and the camera is clearly not framed correctly around his body and face. Unlike Sora (showed from face to upper thighs), the camera is framed with only Terra's upper face showing up, the rest being off-screen or covered by the UI, making him look funny (or ominously hiding behind the UI) compared to Sora.

In rare cases, he will be visible in the menu; his existing party member slot (that we're using in this mod) has this hard-coded functionality, eg. if you are KO:d when he is in your party.

As such, we set him up there with idle animations… but not without error and trial with the camera framing…

Also, Terra joins the party!

For the next update, we've developed him and added the list of party members in the game (without replacing anyone).

Aside from combos, he can summon meteors, cast Curaga, and use his Ultima Cannon shotlock from BBS.

Here is he in one of Olympus's battlegates:

One good example for today is Kairi!

In LvD 2.0, as a party member, she'll use Barrier to guard and counter-attack enemy damage, prioritising airborne foes, and using the same (expanded) moveset as when you directly play her.

Likewise, all party members will actively evade or dodge damage. (2/2)

The core of our "Light vs. Darkness" mod is a full rebalance of all of #KingdomHearts 3, including animations, stats, abilities, story rewards…

Part of it consists of making party members more useful and active in battle. In our mod, they have expanded abilities and new behaviours in combat. (1/2)

3*2 grid of square screenshots from the video game "Kingdom Hearts III" with the PC mod "Light vs. Darkness 2.0": - (Left column, top row) Sora on the San Fransokyo bridge, engulfed in a green storm, rushing toward a massive mechanical troll monster as it spits fire towards the camera, creating blue lens flares on-screen - (Middle column, top row) Sora standing in the Badlands of the Keyblade Graveyard, facing an endless horde of enemies that include a black Darkside, a Sorcerer, Flame Cores, Shadows, Dusks, and more - (Right column, top row) Kairi and her ally Riku in the Badlands at night, caught mid-battle in their battle stances, facing a red, dinosaur-like enemy (Catastrochorus) flanked by flying ice-based birds (Frost Serpents) and larger-than-life dinosaur-inspired toys (Supreme Smashers). Kairi's other ally, Sora, is running ahead of her, rushing towards the enemies while in his Light Form attire. - (Left column, bottom row) Sora in his battle stance facing various enemies in Olympus (a gold and yellow Greek-inspired area with water features on the floor), flanked by his ally Terra as he transforms his weapon into a massive magical cannon that is about to shoot - (Middle column, bottom row) Sora in the Dark Realm (a place at dusk with organic contraptions and large arches madeof black rocks). He is surrounded by light (a light shield with particles of light), floating above a summoning arcane circle, facing a large Darkside in front of him - (Right column, bottom row) Sora, Riku and Mickey shielding themselves with a magical and transparent spherical shield with hexagonal panels, atop the brown and faded ruins of the Keyblade Graveyard

We're currently developing the 2.0 of our main PC mod, "Light vs. Darkness"!

This update will rebalance further all of KH3's gameplay, including combat, synthesis, stats, rewards, enemies, party members, abilities, UI…

This will come alongside new additions, such as Terra as a party member ;-)

3*2 grid of square screenshots of the video game "Kingdom Hearts III", as seen with the PC mod "Light vs. Darkness" with: - (left column, top row) A Darkside in a nighttime water world, punching Sora to death with his heart exiting his body; - (middle column, top row) The Gummi Ship's Starlight Way area, casted in darkness with asteroids and vertical rock formations floating in space - (right column, top row) Sora, Riku and Mickey affected by a Slow status affect - (left column, bottom row) Sora in his KH1 attire, floating downward in a sky of starts towards his stained glass platform - (middle column, bottom row) Sora in his yellow Guardian Form attire wielding the Boom Hammer weapon, facing a white Ace Gigas robot in San Fransokyo's downtown at night - (right column, bottom row) Sora gliding on a ray of light in Olympus, with a Greek temple in the clouds in front of him, with the nighttime sky far behind

We're the team behind the PC mod "Light vs. Darkness" for #KingdomHearts 3, finally joining here!

In 2022, we presented at @marchcaprice.com and then released the first version of our mod: a full rebalance of KH3's gameplay, with a "Dark World" overhaul.

3 years later, there's still more to come!