Waylayer

Waylayer, a so small collection mod (see collection details at the end) [works with Free Lanes update]

With Waylayer, the space inbetween the Point of Interest (POI) turns from boring ground to cover to a full blown part of your adventure.

Its fully custom scripted open field random encounter system provides adventures inbetween the POI. About 250 (v1.5 Offworlders update increased this from 27 to about 250) different enemy types that can appear in up to three groups (each with up to 21 members) at the same time, from varying directions and at varying distances. Scaling around your level - but with very dangerous spikes or some cannonfodder inbetween. Sometimes it's better to run and not look back.

You might find three way battles between for example Varuun, Starborn and Terrormorphs. Or just a peaceful Vanguard patrol, some Grylloba buried into the ground, merciless killer robots - you never know what lurks out there. The encounter composition is fully dynamic.

Not bound to specific POI, planets or moons - it happens everywhere in the open, outside the POI/mission hubs. On over a thousand planets and moons.

As Waylayer is fully realized outside the PCM/packaging system of vanilla Starfield its custom script is very customizable. You can adjust the following 16 parameters easily to your liking, added to Starfield's ingame gameplay options menu:

1. Allow midcombat spawns
2. Maximum number of spawns at a single location
3. Spawn chances
4. Frequency of rolls for potential spawns
5. Disable spawns in front of the player
6. Disable spawns at the back of the player
7. Enable spawns even in POI outdoor locations
8. Spawn distance
9. Maximum number of enemies in a spawn group (up to 21 since v.1.4, with 21 better allow for only one spawn group each spawn for performance reasons)
10. Maximum number of spawn groups that can appear at the same time
11. Level range of the enemies
12. Chances for a location to not have any Waylayer enemies spawning (up to to a soft deactivation of Waylayer with a 100% chance set here)

Updated in v1.4 and v1.5: 13. New gameplay options for granular finetuning of relative spawn chances for each class of enemy types (off, 50% default, default, 200% default); classes are: a. Humans (Crimson Fleet, Ecliptic, Spacers, Varuun, UC Marines, SysDef, Vanguard), b. Starborn, c. Terrormorphs, d. Robots (A and S class), e. Giants (Grylloba, Aceles) and f. Critters (various fauna/alien types often used by vanilla starfield in multiple locations) g. NEW since v1.5: Offworlders (over 200 predators from the whole Starfield universe) 14. restricting enemy types on non-breathable atmosphere worlds (only Humans, Starborn and Robots allowed), 15. restricting enemy types on low or zero gravity worlds (only Humans, starborn and Robots allowed) and 16. allowing Waylayer spawns even when the player is at a POI (outside). Note: This last option - while chaotic fun for sure - is not really recommended though as it can cause enemies to spawn at settlements/mission hubs, too.

The enemies/allies that can potentially appear are:

Crimson Fleet, Ecliptic, Spacers, Varuun, Starborn, Terrormorph and their Elders, Grylloba as melee, ranged or even their Queens, same for Cataxi, Model A and Model S Robots, Marines, SysDef forces, Aceles, Cotilytes, Vanguard, predators from Porrima, Mantid cockroaches, Hexapod gliders, Mantid Coralbugs, Mantid Hooknecks, Octopede Exocrawlers and Octopde Maggot Crabs. Baeh, disgusting :-). NEW since v1.5: additionally over 200 predators native to other moons/planets in the Starfield universe.

A note on the Offworlders (v.1.5): The default chance of an Offworlder roll is only 10% (and a second roll picks then one of the over 200 Offworlders). You can crank this chance up (or lower it) in the gameplay options. I recommend keeping it rather low. The idea here is to surprise the player occasionally. This way you preserve a planets general impression when it comes to its native fauna. That said, seeing all those creatures interacting with each other in wild combinations is so much fun :-).

Have great fun with Waylayer - and keep your eyes always open :-)!

-- Installation and usage -- First, as with all mod installations make a manual savegame to return to in case anything goes wrong before installing the mod.

On first usage (after enabling the mod in Creations menu), please save your game and then reload into that saved game. Afterwards the mod is active. This has only to be done once, on first usage. Just play on normally afterwards.

Keep in mind that Waylayer enemies will/should not spawn when you are at or even near a POI/mission hub (even outside buildings, but still like 100 meter or so nearby, depending on the set up of the POI). Also, the faster you move or even drive, the less spawns you will likely notice.

Word of advice/warning: Waylayer is - especially if you crank up its settings - a chaos engine. I have set up a comprehensive list of conditions to prevent the spawns from appearing at inappropriate times and locations. I also did the creation with performance in mind. Still, I expect situations where things might get nasty. Better save a bit more often than you usually do :-).

-- Contact, bug reporting and feedback -- I will create a thread on Starfield reddit after release (search for "Waylayer" mod and my name there: yourfellowglitch) for feedback, bug hunting, updates and general chat with a good Terrabrew in hand.

-- so small collection -- This mod is part of the "so small collection" of mods. These mods dont require each other and can be played stand alone, even balancewise. They form a greater whole though - the more of them you combine, the more you see this final shape. The overarching idea is to create a gameworld that feels immensely vast, begs for thorough exploration, is full of mysteries, plays truely challenging and lasts very, very long. In other words the goal of the mods is to make the player feel: so small.

Here's the so small collection's homepage for further info: https://youngneil1.github.io/so-small-collection/

And an overview video on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKrZ3oP20aA

Finally a list of the Creations in the so small collection in case this idea resonates with you:

Dynamic Universe: A universe that dynamically scales up with your character level - be it star systems or individual enemies. No more outleveling of content, no more overleveled starts of NG+.

Gear Progression: Gear Progression adds levels to all weapons, suits, helmets and backpacks. Your character level must match these in order to equip the gear. Each NG+ these levels raise further.

Economy: Economy shifts income generation away from tiresome loot hauling. Ship building becomes the long term goal it's meant to be. As credits get more scarce, rewards remain meaningful.

Explorer: An immersive overhaul of the resources - crafting - exploration loop. Get out there into the Starfield and explore - the rewards are much bigger now, but so is the need to do it.

Linearity (alternatively have a look for "Death" or "Ruin" mods): A new gameplay mode where reloading is your last resort. Live and embrace your adventure as it unfolds, imperfect as it may be. You can always save to quit and continue later.

Slow Travel: Slow Travel makes your journey through Starfield much more tactile and immersive by grav jump costs, less map markers, no move on overencumberance and restricted fast travel.

Star Powers: Live as a Spellblade in the Settled Systems. Powers are rebalanced so that eg crowd control, slowed time and near invisibiilty become interesting instead of game balance breaking.

The Isotopes: A compelling reason to explore POI in all Star Systems. Loot the 75 new Isotopes, each specific to a singular Star System. They are needed for rank 4 skills and gear mod crafting.

High Level Weapons: Continue to find better weapons, all the way up to level 300. 7+ new revisions/tiers for each of 50 weapon types. Uniquely named, legendary, each hidden in a specific star system.

High Level Armors: Continue to find better armors up to lvl 255. All HLA share about the same power level - mix and match for the looks you like. Starborn armors improve in quality and variety, too.

Counterfire: Starting with level 85 the player gets 1% more ground combat damage for each level. Idealy used in combination with the "High Level Weapons" mod.

Terra Incognita: All ground surface maps disabled. No markers, no topography, no top down small buildings, no white dots - nothing. Welcome to Terra Incognita - the universe is yours to discover.

Helium-4: Gravjumping requires a pilot to inhale new Helium-4. Not storable and non-tradable - lasts 2 jumps. Explore those moons to get it. Can you chart a course across the Blackest Sea?

Dusty: The new stat Suit Energy depletes rapidly on airless worlds. Mine minerals or take shelter to survive. Five very hidden grains of Elder Dust reward the true Dusties out there.

Less XP: Extra XP for more difficult vanilla gameplay options removed. New options to turn off crafting XP, lower XP for killing fauna and adjust XP gain rate to 75/50/25/10 percent.

The Waiting Game: Whenever you wait or sleep you will sell loot for zero profit for the next 60 real time minutes. Go visit vendors at different places, adventure naturally, quit the waiting game.

Further entries (space gets too short here :-)): POI Rotation Enter Unity Rarity Health Journey Building Rarity Time PPOI Deserted UC Listening Post Waylayer GunFu Difficulty Buildup