I still (after 4.5k hours) dislike Death Sentence. Payday 2 always tried to be more of a horde shooter (which i amplified in Death Wish + before), yet it's highest difficulty has enemies that can 2-3 tap you from across the map. While allowing up to 120 of them to exist on the map at the same time.
This mod is my personal view of how DS difficulty could've been balanced in a different, hopefully more fun way, while still remaining challenging.
You might now ask:
1) Why and how to use this mod?
Why? For fun. For something different. For slight increase in challenge. And nothing else, since this mod DOES NOT affect mission xp/money payouts.
How? Install in mods, don't forget BeardLib, and you should be good to host a lobby with it.
Oh yes, haven't i mentioned yet?
This mod can be played with anyone. Only the lobby host needs to have it installed.
2) How difficult is it?
In my personal and subjective opinion, standard Death Wish difficulty sits at around 6-7/10, while standard Death Sentence at around 10/10.
This mod, at it's worst, can feel like a 12-13/10.
3) Ok, but what does it actually do?
IT DOES A LOT.
Gameplay changes
Over here you can find all possible information for every change. A lot of information and/or numbers included under the spoiler tag for every change.
Enemies take 50% less damage (2x the bullets).
Spoiler!
This effect is copied from Cpt. Winters, because this is the only way to make damage resistance sync to clients. Due to the way it's implemented, Cpt. Winter's icon will stay on everyone's HUD during the heist. This damage resistance is normally set to 50%, so double the bullets to kill.
This change actually has a small lie - damage resistance is set to 49% instead, to avoid damage breakpoints from breaking in some scenarios.
While miniboss is active on the level, damage resistance is increased to 66% (instead of promised 66.6%) which makes all enemies take roughly 3x the bullets to kill.
Enemies will try to defend "hotspots", such as objectives and your deployables.
Spoiler!
New system made for this mod, by yours truly.
Whenever you start an interaction, a 'hotspot' is created at your position. These hotspots have a 'heat' level, which tells enemy bots how important they are. Heat level depends on what objective/deployable you have interacted with when creating the spot and how many players are close to this area.
Hotspots can also be created at player's location without interacting with anything. There can only be 1 hotspot that is player-position based, and not interaction based.
Hotspot's heat level is constantly updated by the game, and it depends on amount of players in proximity to the hotspot. If a hotspot was left alone for long enough, it's removed.
Enemies will dedicate 12 units to guard 3 hotspots with highest heat level (5 for top 1, 4 for 2nd, 3 for 3rd). Some enemies are excluded from this task. Whenever unit is assigned to a hotspot, they will instantly rush towards it, locate nearest available position, and dig in. They will not move. They defend the hotspot untill it's discarded by the mod's logic.
This system does 2 things:
- makes objectives harder to defend, since enemies will try to go towards objectives and stay there until they are dead/hotspot is disregarded;
- makes camping harder, since hotspots created at player's areas will constantly have enemies come towards them, because players will continue to kill assigned units, after which, new ones will be assigned. On top of that, enemies will completely disregard safety and cover searching protocols, and instead try to get to the hotspot as soon as they can.
ECM feedback effect no longer stuns enemies.
Spoiler!
This is practically a nerf to Hacker Perk deck, because it's stun effect, and it's spammibility is way to high.
If i was a developer behind PD2's balance, i would just make hacker worse (oh but wait, i actually did that in a weapon/perk/skill rebalance i made), to avoid adding this change to a new difficulty like DSBW, since this implementation unfortunately affects standard ECM jammers as well, which i don't have a problem with.
This change does not disable Hacker's ability to gain health, and dodge for killing enemies affected by PECM, since enemies are still affected by it, they just don't get stunned, and can fight back.
Flashbang grenades, after detonation (with shorter fuse) can be replaced by a gas/fire grenade.
Spoiler!
Standard flashbang fuse timer is 3 seconds for lower difficulties. On mayhem and above it's set to 2 seconds (but currently is broken thx to update 237.something).
This mod's flashbang fuse timer is set to 0.8 seconds. Additionally, if flashbang was not successfully destroyed, it has a 20% chance to blow up as a standard flashbang, 40% chance to turn into a gas grenade, and 40% chance to turn into a fire grenade.
Neither of these grenades hurt enemy cop units.
Gas grenade has wider range but lower damage, while fire grenade has extremely high damage, but smaller range.
Enemies can now handcuff you during interactions.
Spoiler!
Works exactly as presented in the GIF above. Any interaction can be interrupted by any enemy.
When you start any interaction, area around you gets scanned for a nearby cop. If a cop was found, he will be chosen to come and arrest you, as soon as he reaches your position.
On top of that, there is an aggressive cuffing mechanic that allows for any other cop to cuff you (so not just the one that was chosen when you start the interaction). This mechanic checks if you have a cop close enough to your location (~1.5m radius around you), and if so, you will be cuffed automatically. This mechanic starts working 1.5 second after you start the interaction, BUT if your interaction is a player revive, it will be delayed, and only activate after 3.5 seconds.
To get rid of cuffs, you need to either wait for a minute to uncuff yourself, or one of your teammates needs to come and rescue you. Inspire does not get you uncuffed.
All cuffing mechanics work on other (human) players as well, exactly the same way.
Unlike current version of Death Wish +, has LOS (line of sight) checks, and doesn't cuff players through walls, at least on your screen. Clients may disagree due to ping issues, but that's the limits of mods for you. (i'll add most QOL features like this one to dw+ soon. i hope.)
Miniboss can spawn during the assault wave, increasing difficulty until it's defeated.
Spoiler!
A lovely friend of yours from a nightmare dimension is going to hunt you down while buffing everyone else around them.
(If you have tried Death Wish + before, you might know this guy a little too well.)
Miniboss spawns ~50 seconds after assault's main part (sustain) begins.
Boss's spawn location is chosen by scanning latest used spawn points on the map, choosing a random player, finding closest available spawn to said player, and spawning there. After spawning, boss tries to move to selected player's location. If target player is dead, targeted player will be replaced.
For the 1st assault - miniboss can spawn in, only if that assault is endless (Hoxton breakout day 1 for example).
If heist you are currently playing on, is tagged as "fast" (heists that skip easier first assault due to logic/difficulty reasons, like Alaska. more info under assault pacing tab) they have 66.6% chance to spawn on the first assault and 100% for 2nd assault and onwards.
For other heists chances are 0% for first wave, 66.6% for 2nd wave, and 100% for 3rd and onwards.
While miniboss is alive, enemies will take 66.6% less damage, (3x bullets to kill), and will respawn 2x faster. If you kill the miniboss, (both of them, hehe), these buffs dissapear for the rest of the wave.
If miniboss is not defeated by the end of an assault, it despawns and their buffs are removed. This can also happen if boss is despawned via mission scripts (like going up the elevator shaft on Beneath The Mountain).
Almost all enemies use different weapons, leading to dealing more damage most of the time.
Spoiler!
Heavy swats keep using their 225 damaging rifles.
Light swats can use m249 LMG's, r870 shotguns or same rifles as heavy swats. LMG has lower dps but faster rate of fire, while shotguns deal 500+ damage per shot, but are very slow.
Most special enemies use various weapons with slightly (but barely noticeable) higher damage.
Bulldozers have the most fun mix-up, like sprinting green bulldozers with miniguns, medic dozers with pump action shotguns, black dozers with the stunning shotgun from the marshal shield. That's not all of it, and it's a bit more mixed up, but as a TLDR: their damage will most likely feel about the same, but fighting them will be different each time, due to RNG involved in what weapons they use.
Enemy spawns are different: enemies squads will spawn a bit faster, but squad size on average is smaller. Specials will spawn a bit more often.
Spoiler!
Max possible amount of enemies on the map reduced from 120 to 38.
Enemy squad's respawn timer is reduced by 25%.
Enemy squads will have less enemies per spawned squad (going from 3-6 units per squad to 2-4).
Specials spawn more often when compared to vanilla, but their special limits in some cases are smaller.
This should make enemy spawns feel a bit more varied, while keeping overall pressure at slightly higher then normal level, without bullshit situations with 80+ alive enemies on the map.
Enemies are much harder to intimidate.
Spoiler!
Light swat have 25% chance to surrender. Heavy swat's chances are set at 15%.
Getting them to less then 33% health will double your intimidation chances.
As a bonus: super light cops and guards, will have 100% chance to surrender regardless of circumstances.
If you are struggling with intimidations, use relevant skills in the Mastermind tree, get enemies as close to <33% hp threshold, and try getting guard-like cops at the very beginning of the game.
Assault pace is altered - assaults will last longer, but breaks in-between are MUCH longer.
Spoiler!
Very first assault wave is shorter and easier then the 2nd and onwards. During the first assault wave, enemies from normal, overkill, and mayhem difficulties will spawn in, as 'recon' units. By the end of the first assault, some zeal units will start to appear, but in smaller quantities.
After a regroup, 2nd assault and onwards will be in full force. Acting quick and accomplishing objectives during the first wave is preferable.
Second assault and onwards have a duration of 4,5 minutes, or 270 seconds. After assault is finished, fade phase begins, this fade will ALWAYS last it's maximum duration of ~60 seconds. During this phase no enemies spawn in, so you should clear enemies that are left alive, and complete your objectives. After fade ends, regrouping/waiting phase begins, during which enemies also do not spawn.
During the next, anticipation phase, enemies will spawn as quickly as possible, to fill up the map, and after assault moves on to sustain phase, respawns are set back to 25% faster then vanilla.
Some maps are exceptions to the rules above, and will have a less forgiving first assault, that will be slighlty under 3 minutes, and will also be a bit easier, but nowhere near as easy as standard maps. 2nd assault and onwards have full force.
Maps that are exceptions, are usually made this way due to logical reasons (like Alaska being a set up, so "recon" assault is not needed), or to make maps feel better (like default bank heist, because it has an absurd delay before enemy spawns start).
Escape days will now always have endless assaults.
Spoiler!
This was done purely to make them harder, and to make them count as 'harder' maps, and to have miniboss spawn immediately.
Something that eases the pain: SWAT turrets no longer can self repair.
Spoiler!
SWAT turrets are stupid design, need i say more?
You as host can now kill Cpt. Winters - more of a bug prevention attempt then anything else.
Spoiler!
If you happen to be in a situation where Cpt. Winters bugs our your assault and it becomes endlessly endless, you as host, and only you, can try to kill the captain. Doing so forces endless assaults to stop. Should help with this annoying bug.
This mod is balanced for 4 players in your team - if you play solo, you will get same amount of spawns as in co-op and you might be overwhelmed quickly, so i would recommend against turning bots off.
Additional changes
This section may include non-gameplay related changes, but you still should know about them, especially if you plan to host DS_BW lobbies publicly.
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When players join your lobby, you can get information in chat on their skill point amount, used perk deck, their PD2 playtime (if possible) and infamy level. You can choose which ones to enable in settings. Used mostly for easy cheat detection.
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When a heist ends, statistics of your choice (like kill/death ratio, headshots etc.) can be printed in chat (Host only)
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While hosting a game with this mod, your lobby will have "DS, but Worse" set as it's name, if you selected a contract on Death Sentence difficulty. This can be disabled, but you should only do so, if you have other mods that change your lobby name.
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If you have this mod installed, lobbies on Crime.net that have their name set as "DS, but Worse" will have their name highlighted to you in orange color, for ease of finding lobbies with this mod.
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Every person who joins your lobby, will get a welcome message when they join, to let them know what this mod does (only on DS difficulty), this message includes chat commands that allow players to get more info on this mod.
Using these commands sends relevant information to the requesting player in a private message. You can also use these commands to send a public message to everyone, with information that these commands usually send privately.
Individual Heist Adjustments
1 - "No Mercy" heist has slightly longer assault wave duration and faster breaks in between assaults to compensate for it's smaller map size.
2 - "Boiling Point" heist has a few changes.
Due to the fact that this map has broken enemy damage, causing enemies to deal Death Wish levels of damage, this map had a small overhaul.
- Firstly, one unit that can deal DS levels of damage is added. Unfortunately their health is set to 40, so they will be glass cannons.
- Secondly, all enemies now take 75% less damage by default (4x the bullets), and miniboss sets this value to 80% (5x).
- Lastly overall amount of enemies on the map is reduced even further.
With these changes combined, boiling point becomes a miserable experience, just like any other DS heist, just in a different, more manageable thanks to DPS skills, way.
Other mods compatibility:
BeardLib is used for auto-updates. After installing a new version, you should restart your game in case there are some major changes. If you want to check patch notes you can check changelog on this page.
- NGBTO (newbies go back to overkill) is not compatible with DSBW, use TDLQ's Lobby Settings as an alternative.
- Death Wish + doesnt have complete compatibility when it comes down to non-gameplay adjustments. Everything gameplay related should be ok, but other features may mix and much in funny ways, because i haven't tested it much. Feedback on bugs is appreciated.
- DSBW will conflict with any mod that changes enemy spawns.
- DSBW should have no problems with mods that affect enemy ai and how cops think. You can try using those at your own risk. One thing i know for sure is that LIES will most likely cause crashes, while Full Speed Swarm should be ok. However i highly recoomend against using FSS - clients that don't have latest version of fixes installed are likely to crash to copactonhurt bug, and FSS makes this bug happen more often for clients, due to faster AI updates. DSBW should be challenging enough as is.
For modders, or to check for compatibility: DSBW only has 1 critical function override, everything else is done via post/pre hooks and function overrides that execute original versions of the function. Function in question: lib/managers/firemanager.lua: FireManager:detect_and_give_dmg()
Mods that could work well with DSBW:
Spoiler!
- Immortal Dominated cops - may prevent frustrations when playing with randoms
- Gilza - my own weapon/skill rebalancing mod. It makes gameplay overall slightly less dependant on DPS skills, but overall is harder due to harsher weapon control.
- Lobby settings by TdlQ - saves lobby settings properly and allows you to limit players who can join your lobby based on their infamy/playtime but unlike NGBTO will do all these checks while players are connecting, so they wont be kicked after joining, but rather declined on the Crime.net screen
- Anti crash - self explanatory. People sometimes are assholes, and DS difficulty attracts these assholes like no other.
- Peer Mod List Highlighter - highlights mod names with color you specify when viewing player's mods. Helpful for avoiding cheaters.
I hope you will enjoy this alternative version of DS, and have as much fun with it as i had when making/playtesting it.
If you feel like supporting me in some way, you can checkout my other mods here, maybe you'll find something else to your liking.
Or if you feel extremely generous you can friend me on steam and gift me something ;)
GLHF!

