Publicity

[Chi Haotian]

There is a thread in News & Announcements called The Dark Mod In Gamestar.

 

Does The Mod need publicity at all? How would the project ever benefit from attracting random audiences?

[ascottk]

Well, the attention is nice Publicity could attract help for the mod too.

[Springheel]

How would the project ever benefit from attracting random audiences?

 

By attracting people who may want to help out, by attracting potential audiences for when the mod is finished, by massaging the egos of people who have worked on this for more than two years now with no compensation whatsoever....

[Chi Haotian]

But if publicity does attract people willing to help out, wouldn't accepting them make the TDM more like an FM project, or more like TDS? By accepting people thus attracted, TDM team risks getting people who haven't been there from the beginning and haven't grasped the depth of ideas that inspired the project from the start. Wasn't it a similar thing that ruined Thief: Deadly Shadows for so many who do not like it?

 

As for attracting players for when the Mod is finished -- most of them are on TTLG forums, so making an announcement there on the day of release would be enough.

 

As for gaining audience that would let the developers know that their work is appreciated and its results anticipated -- most of it is on these forums.

[Springheel]

But if publicity does attract people willing to help out, wouldn't accepting them make the TDM more like an FM project, or more like TDS? By accepting people thus attracted, TDM team risks getting people who haven't been there from the beginning

 

Lots of people who are working for the mod weren't there from the beginning. In fact, some of our most productive members fall into that category. I don't see why that would be a problem.

 

Wasn't it a similar thing that ruined Thief: Deadly Shadows for so many who do not like it?

 

Not from the stories I've heard.

[Crispy]

Don't worry. There's a lot of creative control going on behind-the-scenes. The only effect that accepting outside talent will have is to make things happen faster, which is a good thing.

 

There's also a lot of work (programming work especially) that doesn't need to have a Thief flavour - in fact it can't have a "flavour". From the player's perspective, it either works or it doesn't!

[Ishtvan]

But if publicity does attract people willing to help out, wouldn't accepting them make the TDM more like an FM project, or more like TDS? By accepting people thus attracted, TDM team risks getting people who haven't been there from the beginning and haven't grasped the depth of ideas that inspired the project from the start. Wasn't it a similar thing that ruined Thief: Deadly Shadows for so many who do not like it?

 

I think our Laser Hammerite would disagree!

[Nyarlathotep]

There's also a lot of work (programming work especially) that doesn't need to have a Thief flavour - in fact it can't have a "flavour". From the player's perspective, it either works or it doesn't!

Well, you could have global variables with particularly "thiefy" names...

 

I think our Laser Hammerite would disagree!

Don't you frighten me like that!

[Gildoran]

Ishtvan forgot to mention that we're planning on replacing rope-arrows with Quake-style rocket-jumping, since it turns out to be more versatile. (rope arrows aren't particularly effective for launching yourself across really wide chasms or blowing enemies to smithereens) We were also debating adding a jetpack, but we quickly decided that letting the player fly would interfere with the linear gameplay we've worked so hard to foster. We've also been paying careful attention to the user interface - we have a HUD that's so flashy and cool-looking, you'll have a hard time pulling your eyes off of it long enough to look at the levels. We are studying TDS, and by emulating Ion Storm's design decisions we're confident that we'll be able to appeal to a wider audience! (rest assured, catering to the 10-16 year old demographic is particularly important to us)

[New Horizon]

Chi Haotian, are most certainly on drugs? Regardless...I will further address your comments, as wacky as they may be.

 

But if publicity does attract people willing to help out, wouldn't accepting them make the TDM more like an FM project, or more like TDS?

 

I'm not sure what you think TDM is, but we ARE a fan mission project of sorts. We're creating a toolset to make fan missions. We have beta mappers and internal test maps. How this would make our project more like TDS...I really have no idea how you would come to that conclusion, it makes no sense. Thief 2 had new people come on board...and that didn't ruin the game. It's just a matter of the companies being different and different leaders. I'm sure the team could have put out a much better game if circumstances had been different.

 

Mods like this would never see the light of day if they didn't advertise for help. There is usually a small core group that sticks around, but then other members come and go. This turn over requires a lot of work to keep the level of productivity up. If we never recruited new members, the project would have been dead within months.

 

By accepting people thus attracted, TDM team risks getting people who haven't been there from the beginning and haven't grasped the depth of ideas that inspired the project from the start. Wasn't it a similar thing that ruined Thief: Deadly Shadows for so many who do not like it?

 

We have plenty of people who have not been here from the beginning. It was certainly not a similar thing that ruined Deadly Shadows. Being made by a different company, making the game cross platform, poor management, that is what cursed TDS.

 

As for attracting players for when the Mod is finished -- most of them are on TTLG forums, so making an announcement there on the day of release would be enough.

 

We're not only trying to attract players, we need to attract Mappers more than anything, which is why we have beta mappers. There are also many people who have played Thief and have never visited TTLG. Aside from that, it doesn't take a Thief fan to make appropriate looking textures, it doesn't take a Thief fan to model a wooden chair....nor does it take a Thief fan to write the code for menus and much more. What it takes, is someone who is interested and dedicated enough to learn about the Thief series, and then put the time and effort into making these assets work within our design.

 

We don't just accept any Sam or Sally off the street, we have an interview process where we evaluate whether or not their skills/style will work within the mod.

 

As for gaining audience that would let the developers know that their work is appreciated and its results anticipated -- most of it is on these forums.

 

I highly doubt it. We're constantly seeing people sign up who have only now heard about Dark Mod. Every person who has ever played Thief doesn't hang around message forums all the time.

[New Horizon]

Ishtvan forgot to mention that we're planning on replacing rope-arrows with Quake-style rocket-jumping, since it turns out to be more versatile. (rope arrows aren't particularly effective for getting across really wide chasms or blowing enemies to smithereens) We were also debating adding a jetpack, but we decided letting the player fly would interfere with the linear gameplay we're trying to foster.

 

Don't forget about the rape simulator and the 'spontaneous' ejaculation feature...by pressing CTRL-J, the player will have a spontaneous orgasm to relieve stress.

[Gildoran]

Don't forget about the rape simulator and the 'spontaneous' ejaculation feature...by pressing CTRL-J, the player will have a spontaneous orgasm to relieve stress.

Yes, stress management is now an important part of the game, since it decreases your chances of dying from a random heart-attack.

[Maximius]

I think our Laser Hammerite would disagree!

 

 

hehe, is this a reference to those moronic star trek pistols the keeper assassins carried in TDS? Set phasers to anti-immersion!

Edited January 22, 2007 by Maximius

[SneaksieDave]

Heh, I think some have mistaken you as joking, Ishtvan.

[Komag]

Although those are all jokes the mod WILL have the player going around to assasinate all the medieval Christians because Christians are ebil!

[Gildoran]

Komag! You weren't supposed to let that slip. Now Assassin's Creed will be all over us for copyright infringment! I guess we'll just have to change the gameplay to a tactical shooter now.

 

Hmm, I can picture it already... "Delta Squad! Ready your crossbows and prepare for Alpha-Tango!"

[Ishtvan]

Oh, the Laser Hammerite is no joke. But don't worry, we're giving the player a little something to even the odds. Just make sure to execute the Butterfly Twist and deploy chaff before UltraBurrick gets you on radar!

[Vadrosaul]

They looked more like a Goa'uld Zat than a phaser

[Ishtvan]

Seriously though, a laser requires an optical gain medium (some chunks of crystal pumped by the same mystery whizz bang energy that makes the street lamps work) and a resonant cavity (some mirrors). Are you telling me they couldn't find either of those in Victorian times??

[Domarius]

Ah but I think they lacked the technical ability to focus the energy into a single beam.

 

Ahh the Keeper Assasins... "I sense, I'm under attack!!" That line is pretty much straight out of Team America (which is a satirical comedy).

[Maximius]

They looked more like a Goa'uld Zat than a phaser

 

 

hehe, true! I wasn't dissing Star Trek BTW, Im not a huge fan but its better than most sci fi television out there.

[Maximius]

Dominator:

 

Ah but I think they lacked the technical ability to focus the energy into a single beam.

 

Just as Eidos lacked the technical ability to focus TDS into a coherent game!

Edited January 22, 2007 by Maximius

[OrbWeaver]

Don't forget about the rape simulator and the 'spontaneous' ejaculation feature...by pressing CTRL-J, the player will have a spontaneous orgasm to relieve stress.

 

Not just for stress relief, that's our replacement for both the water arrow and the oil flask.

[Nyarlathotep]

Don't forget about the rape simulator and the 'spontaneous' ejaculation feature...by pressing CTRL-J, the player will have a spontaneous orgasm to relieve stress.

CTRL-J only enters the masturbation mode. You have to use the mouse to achieve orgasm, replete with sound effects.

[Crispy]

CTRL-J only enters the masturbation mode. You have to use the mouse to achieve orgasm, replete with sound effects.

Because lockpicking minigames are so last year.