About

This mod displays tips and game session information on the level loading screen, where available.

Previews

Usage

Installation of the mod is straightforward - simply install the mod the same way as any other BLT mod. No configuration is necessary.

Notes

• When a controller is being used, the loading screen will periodically (every 10 seconds) switch between the game information screen and the controller infographic (demonstration here)

Credits

• The localizations loading code was from TdlQ's excellent Lobby Player Info mod
• The French translations were provided by Mr.PlayYou [BE] and LASTBULLET_Babyforce
• The Russian translations were provided by Magic Bitard
• The German translations were provided by Luca- and FeelAlive
• The Italian translations were provided by 4loris4
• Some custom tips were submitted by the following people:
  • KouRyuu
  • Alcat101
  • Fooksie

Download

http://download.paydaymods.com/download/latest/loadingscreeninfo

Changelog:

0.0.1 / revision 1:
- Initial release

0.0.2 / revision 2:
- Added French translation by Mr.PlayYou [BE] and LASTBULLET_Babyforce (game
  information and custom tips; default tips are OVERKILL-translated ones)
- Added Russian translation by Magic Bitard (game information and all tips;
  OVERKILL did not provide Russian translations with the game)
- Added 11 custom tips
- Added 8 custom tips by KouRyuu
- Implemented support for custom tips
- Reduced loading screen fade in duration from 1 second to 0.5 seconds
- Increased tip text size
- Tips and briefing information are no longer forced to uppercase
- Added box corners and darkened backgrounds for consistency with the game's UI
  design
- Fixed stale lobby information being displayed when loading the safe house level
  or starting an offline game

0.0.3 / revision 3 'Better late than never!':
- Added German translations by Luca- and FeelAlive (game information and custom
  tips; default tips are OVERKILL-translated ones)
- Added Italian translations by 4loris4 (game information and custom tips; default
  tips are OVERKILL-translated ones)
- Added 2 custom tips by Alcat101 (only available in English for now; translations
  on the way)
- Added the first set of 6 custom tips by Fooksie (only available in English for
  now; translations and level-specific tip support on the way)
- Fixed a crash issue related to custom campaign briefings (thanks to Martini and
  =TBM=[PHE$] BangL for reporting the issue)
- Pro jobs are now indicated in the level name
- Tactic and kicking icons are now displayed where applicable (no icons for the
  'Any' and 'Host Kick' options, however)
- Fixed player counts occasionally being shown as 1 instead of the actual number
  of connected players
- Disabled default tip 'tip_law_enforcers_as_hostages' (since
  'loadingscreeninfo_tip_dominator' already covers it; thanks to Fooksie)
- Tweaked text sizes for readability at very low screen resolutions
- Added basic controller support
  - When a controller is being used, the loading screen will periodically (every
    10 seconds) switch between the game information screen and the controller
    infographic

0.0.3.1 / revision 4 'U138 crash hotfix. Also, why's the text all chipped and
                      eroded since U100? OVK, what did you fix this time?':
- Added a new 'Host Reputation' field, which was introduced in U107
- Added support for the additional risk levels introduced in U109.1
- Fixed a potential nil crash issue
- Fixed the risk level indicator being broken by U124 or U125
- Reworded several default tips to reduce the number of cringes per heist

0.0.3.2 / revision 5 'Wait, people actually use this mod?':
- Jostled the game's default tips/trivia panel to the left to resolve a collision
  with the briefing panel
- Resolved a namespace conflict that caused the game's default tips/trivia panel
  to lack box corners

0.0.3.3 / revision 6 'OVK, make up your minds on the panel design already, will
                      you?':
- Adjusted offsets for the game's default tips/trivia panel to resolve a clipping
  issue
- Fixed a crash issue related to controllers due to a code change introduced in
  U144

0.0.3.4 / revision 7 'Newer and shinier is always undeniably better, right?
                      Yeahno.':
- Updated for compatibility with BLT 2.x
- Added an empty placeholder icon (cba to make a proper one atm)
- Fixed the backdrop panel identification logic for compatibility with LuaJIT,
  which was introduced in U153
- Fixed the fallback behavior to create the game's default tips/trivia panel (if
  desired) whenever possible instead of falling back to an empty pre-U140 screen
- Fixed an issue where level names containing non-alphanumeric characters (e.g.
  Brooklyn 10-10) are being appended unnecessarily to the contract name despite
  the two strings being identical
- Refactored the code to use panels more efficiently and make rearranging them
  easier in future
- Moved the game session information panel up to resolve a collision with the
  game's default tips/trivia panel (thanks to Ellie for reporting the issue)
- Added autoscrolling functionality to the custom tips panel
- Added preliminary Crime Spree support

Tips

Default tips

(will be rewritten in future to better fit Payday 2)

• You can reload your weapon even if you haven't completely emptied your current ammo clip.

  This way you make sure that you have a full clip the next time you run into trouble. This is called a "tactical reload".

  (yes, I know they're called magazines, not clips. I'll change this up when I rewrite the default tips)

• Different weapons are more effective at different ranges, and are therefore suited for different situations.

• It is always quicker to switch to your sidearm than reloading your primary weapon.

  So if you run out of ammo for your SMG and you're in a tight spot, switching to your sidearm instead of reloading could save your life.

  (will reword to LMG instead of SMG when I rewrite the tips)

• If you often run out of ammo, it might be a good idea to bring a bag of extra ammo.

  When ammo is running low, place the ammo bag on the ground and use it to refill your stash.

• Shots to the head are more effective than shots to any other body part.

• The four types of special units are very dangerous, especially if you face them alone.

  Team up to take them down!

• If a robber is shot down he goes into "bleed-out", where he can't move and can only shoot with his sidearm.

  A robber in bleed-out can be helped back up at no cost.

  (will remove the "at no cost" portion. Old PD:TH cruft)

• Don't shoot civilians. For each civilian you kill, penalty time is added to your regular custody time.

  This means that if you are put in custody, you will have to wait longer before the police make an offer to trade you for a hostage.

• A robber who loses all his health is put in custody. When in custody, you can only be brought back through a hostage trade.

  The police will contact Bain to set up the trade.

  (will reword to "is not helped up in time")

• Shout at civilians to keep them in check.

  A living civilian is always an asset, and lying down he/she is more likely to stay alive.

• The police will always take the opportunity to free hostages when no robber is nearby.

  Spread your crew out and keep an eye on all the hostages - they are your life lines!

• Aiming down your sights allows you to shoot more accurately than you do when you shoot from your hip.

• A hit with the butt of your weapon can be a good way to finish off an opponent.

  This is especially useful if you are low on ammo.

  (will reword to "your melee weapon")

• While in bleed-out, you can still fire your sidearm.

  When a partner is helping you up you can protect the both of you, but provoking law enforcers while on your own makes you an easy and helpless target.

Custom tips

• Doctor Bags and First Aid Kits are both pickups that restore health, but there is a key difference between the two:

  Doctor Bags will also reset the number of bleed-outs you have remaining, while First Aid Kits will not.

  As far as possible, conserve Doctor Bags for use only when your view turns gray since they can be used fewer times in total.

• Keep track of the number of times you have entered bleed-out. Upon the third bleed-out (or your view turning gray), use a Doctor Bag immediately or you will go into custody if you are shot down again.

  Once in custody, you can only be traded out with a hostage.

  Incapacitation by Cloakers or Tasers does not count toward your bleed-out limit.

• Perk Decks provide a way to complement or enhance your skill set with additional abilities.

  Some provide abilities such as increased armor or health regeneration, while others may grant interaction speed or team-wide boosts.

  Used correctly, they will transform you into a formidable criminal adversary.

• Death Wish has an implicit requirement that all teammates know exactly what they need to do, and places them in demanding situations where a split second can mean the difference between success and complete failure.

  If this does not describe your current experience level, you are strongly recommended to train with lower difficulties instead to first gain an understanding of both the game's mechanics and the given heist's objectives and requirements.

• The "ECM Feedback" Ghost skill enables ECM jammers to be interacted with to cause a feedback loop that incapacitates all enemy units nearby, including special units (Cloakers are immune to it, however).

  All ECM jammers, even basic ones, can be used to open ATMs in place of a saw.

• Not all loud builds require armor. In fact, outfit does not typically dictate playstyle - instead, skill sets, perk decks, and loadouts do.

  For instance, the "Low Blow" and "Sneaky Bastard" Fugitive skills both mandate low concealment values, which armor counteracts.

• Not all Ghost skills are focused exclusively on stealth. The "Silent Killer" skill allows silenced weapons to deal potentially more damage than their unsilenced counterparts.

  The "Nine Lives" skill raises your bleed-out limit from 3 to 4, and adds a 35% chance to recover from bleed-out without any help when aced.

• Always spot special units, especially those nearby. This will alert your teammates to their presence since they pose a higher threat than most regular units.

  Left unchecked, a single Cloaker and Taser pair can quickly and efficiently doom an unwary team to failure.

• The "Spotter" Mastermind skill causes special units marked by you to take an additional 15% damage.

• With the right skills, trip mines can be useful in both stealth and loud heists. The "Combat Engineer" Technician skill, when aced, enables trip mines to mark guards that pass by in stealth or special units during loud heists.

  The "Shaped Charge" Technician skill, when aced, enables trip mines to be converted to shaped charges to facilitate quick opening of certain doors and safes.

• Your name is not John Rambo, nor is this an arcade game. Stop thinking you can tank bullets and shrug off attacks by waves of police, and start using cover to your advantage.

  Then watch as your survivability increases dramatically.

• The "Pistol Messiah" Mastermind skill allows you to recover from bleed-out instantly upon killing an enemy with a pistol, while the aced version enables two additional uses of this ability for a total of three charges.

  Together with the "Inspire" aced Mastermind skill, you may be able to salvage a situation that would otherwise have ended in failure.

• If you have the "Inspire" Mastermind skill, consider giving your teammates a movement and reload speed boost by interacting with them at close range so that your character urges them to hurry up.

  This can be a boon for teammates wielding LMGs, RPGs, flamethrowers, or other slow reloading weapons.

  -- Submitted by KouRyuu

  Note that beckoning teammates to follow you does not trigger the speed boost, so please do not yell at them continually as that quickly becomes annoying.

• If you are already spec'd into the Mastermind skill tree, consider acquiring the "Dominator" skill as it will allow you to intimidate a regular cop into a hostage, who can then be used to trade a teammate out of custody - even after all civilians have long been rescued from the scene.

  -- Submitted by KouRyuu

• Consider purchasing the same weapon several times and modifying each differently to suit different circumstances.

  This will allow you to select a suitable weapon for any situation at any point in the game, since weapons cannot be modified while a heist is underway.

  -- Submitted by KouRyuu

• The more enemies you can see, the more enemies there are with a clear shot at you. Minimize exposure to enemy units whenever possible.

  -- Submitted by KouRyuu

  This is especially important on Death Wish, where enemies can deal significantly more damage than usual.

• Do not underestimate light law enforcement units with lower health than others, for they can deal significantly more damage than their heavier counterparts.

  Examples of such units are Hostage Rescue Team units ("whiteshirts") and Blue/Yellow SWAT units.

  -- Submitted by KouRyuu

  On Death Wish, pay attention to GenSec Elites as well since they deal very heavy damage.

• If you have a few unused skill points, consider picking up the basic "Cleaner" Ghost skill as it grants you a 5% damage boost against special units.

  -- Submitted by KouRyuu

• The safe house is not just for show - use it to try out your weapons and get a feel for certain skills, away from the heat of battle.

  -- Submitted by KouRyuu

• Don't forget to check what throwable you are bringing to the heist, if such an option applies to you.

  Ace of Spades cards are not much help if what you really need is a frag grenade to clear a hallway, or a molotov for area denial.

  -- Submitted by KouRyuu

• Special units will take an additional 15% damage when marked by trip mines that have been planted with the aced "Tactical Mines" and "Combat Engineer" Technician Skills in tandem, similar to the "Spotter" Mastermind skill.

  -- Submitted by Alcat101

• Consider bringing silent throwables, such as Ace of Spades cards, to stealth heists as they will safeguard against accidental grenade throws.

  Alternatively, consider rebinding your grenade key.

  -- Submitted by Alcat101

• The Doctor Bag resets the number of times you can be shot down before going to custody.

  When your screen turns gray, you're on your last down, so patch up.

  -- Submitted by Fooksie

• If you have leftover ECM jammers during a stealth job, you might be able to open some ATMs for additional cash.

  -- Submitted by Fooksie

• Remember to conserve resources, but not too much. Sometimes you'll have more supplies than you need, so find a good balance.

  -- Submitted by Fooksie

• Cops will target loot bags and attempt to steal them. Sometimes, you can use this to your advantage to distract them from sabotaging objectives and rescuing civilians.

  -- Submitted by Fooksie

• Cops will pick up loot bags they can find, revealing their location by the bags' floating contours.

  -- Submitted by Fooksie

• If you can't see a sniper, you can usually trace their red laser sight to where they are hiding.

  -- Submitted by Fooksie