Fan Mission: In A Time Of Need by kyyrma (2013/11/12)

[kyyrma]

 

Show spoiler for screenshots:

 

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

Map: In A Time Of Need

Version: 1.00

Released: 2013/11/12

Theme: Mansion

Author: kyyrma

Testing: Bridge, 161803398874989

 

In A Time Of Need is small-sized mansion level in which the player is tasked with stealing a cache of spice from the house of a seafaring merchant. It is my first and (at the time of writing) only FM.

 

The difficulty level is low to moderate, and the mission is well suited for new players accustoming to the world of TDM. For players looking for more challenge I suggest ghosting, as the level has been designed to lend itself well for that kind of playstyle.

 

The map and objective layout change slightly between "Normal" and "Hard" / "Expert" difficulty levels. If you want to experience all the content the level has to offer, I suggest you start by playing the map through on Normal and then move on to higher difficulties.

 

Download links:

• Mediafire
  
• Private mirror
  

Installation:

1. Drop timeofneed.pk4 in you darkmod/fms/ folder
   
2. Run TDM and select New Mission. In A Time Of Need should now appear on the list of downloaded missions.
   
3. Install and play.
   

Known issues:

• AI pathfinding can be slightly erratic at times
  
• Outdoors can cause performance issues on low-end hardware
  
• Sleeping AI can glitch through the bed if KO'd or killed
  

Thanks:

• My testers Bridge and 161803398874989 whose input helped me shape the map into what it is today.
  
• All the TDM devs for creating such a great game
  
• Fidcal for creating the A-Z guide for beginners
  
• All the people who contributed to my thread at the Editor's Guild
  

 

Finally, my hat off to the community that has produced so many high-quality missions and made TDM thrive. The bar has been set frighteningly high!

 

I'm really not one for numerical scores or polls, so I decided not have any for my thread. However I would appreciate any criticism, comments and feedback you may provide. Leave me a message in this thread :-)

Edited November 12, 2013 by kyyrma

[demagogue]

Congrats on the release kyyrma!

As soon as I'm done with finals I'll be sure to play it.

[nbohr1more]

Congrats! Will do some testing and update the wiki and mission page when I get a chance (if nobody beats me to it).

[nbohr1more]

One thing, you don't need to place the pk4 in an FM sub-directory. When you copy the pk4 to the FMS directory it self extracts on install.

 

Mirror:

 

https://dl.dropboxus.../timeofneed.pk4

 

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/17706561/timeofneed.pk4

 

Added to the FM Page and Wiki

 

If you'll kindly supply a direct link to the actual pk4 I will remove my dropbox mirror and it will work in the mission downloader tool.

 

Biker will need to update the mirrors

Edited November 12, 2013 by nbohr1more

[Goldwell]

Whoo going to give this a a playthrough right now

[SirGen]

Gorgeous screenshots!

 

What a great first mission. I really like how the environment was so detailed. Makes me wanna make my first mission just a bit more.

Edited November 12, 2013 by SirGen

[grayman]

Congrats on finishing your first map, kyyrma!

[skacky]

New blood, heh. Congrats on the release!

[Sotha]

Congrats!

 

I'll await eagerly for my opportunity to play this.

[Goldwell]

I just finished the mission and I have to say it was very cool and I really enjoyed it. A great compact mission

 

Thanks for the upload and congrats on the first release!

[AluminumHaste]

That was a fun, quick little mission.

100% loot

Stealth score: 4

Time: 21:58

 

Hope to see more from you.

[kyyrma]

What a warm welcome! Thanks everyone!

 

  On 11/12/2013 at 2:59 AM, nbohr1more said:

If you'll kindly supply a direct link to the actual pk4 I will remove my dropbox mirror and it will work in the mission downloader tool.

 

Biker will need to update the mirrors

 

Updated the OP post with correct links, thanks for pointing this out and taking the time to add it there!

 

  On 11/12/2013 at 4:20 AM, SirGen said:

Makes me wanna make my first mission just a bit more.

 

It's a lot of hard work and not quite as much fun at times as you would expect (think leaks, visportaling, monsterclipping...) but I still can't recommend it enough. Not many things beat how satisfying it is to finally release your own level

Edited November 12, 2013 by kyyrma

[Sir Taffsalot]

Congratulations on the release kyyrma!

 

  On 11/12/2013 at 4:20 AM, SirGen said:

Makes me wanna make my first mission just a bit more.

 

Go for it! if someone who's as useless with computers such as myself can make anything resembling a TDM FM, then I believe anybody with some time and patience can.

Edited November 12, 2013 by Sir Taffsalot

[161803398874989]

Congratulations on the release!

[Melan]

An enjoyable first mission! It was solid in all respects, with enough loot-hunting, secrets, AI and well-written readables to feel fun throughout. I was careless and got spotted by multiple guards while casing the perimeter, and that added some extra challenge - but nothing too prohibitive.

 

Congratulations!

[Oldjim]

Played on easy and was impressed for a first mission.

Now playing on medium and the differences are interesting.

OK completed on medium and hardest and I couldn't see much difference between the two harder levels bar the increased loot requirement - am I missing something

To summarise a very nice compact mission which is very suitable for a new player as the readables give detailed hints to find the hidden loot

Edited November 12, 2013 by Oldjim

[Loa4ever]

Gratz on the releasing.

[kyyrma]

  On 11/12/2013 at 4:52 PM, Oldjim said:

Played on easy and was impressed for a first mission.

Now playing on medium and the differences are interesting.

OK completed on medium and hardest and I couldn't see much difference between the two harder levels bar the increased loot requirement - am I missing something

To summarise a very nice compact mission which is very suitable for a new player as the readables give detailed hints to find the hidden loot

 

Thanks for the impressions!

 

Regarding the difficulty, there is a change in the map when going from Normal to higher difficulties. The only difference between Hard and Expert is the loot limit however. I'm sorry if I worded that wrong in the OP post.

 

  On 11/12/2013 at 4:36 PM, Melan said:

An enjoyable first mission! It was solid in all respects, with enough loot-hunting, secrets, AI and well-written readables to feel fun throughout.

 

I'm glad to hear someone appreciated the readables. I tried to add a bunch of mood-setting stuff despite the small scope of the level, just for the sake of immersion. My own favorite is the book that describes the various safe uses of spice.

 

---

 

For those of you who have already had the chance to play the mission on both Normal and Hard / Expert:

 

  Reveal hidden contents

I was hoping to give the player a little Huh? moment when you open the hidden safe and expect the spice to be stashed there

 

Did I get you or was it too obvious?

 

Edited November 12, 2013 by kyyrma

[AluminumHaste]

No I wondered where the spice was. Looked all around that room lol. It was a good mission.

[Oldjim]

Actually I had the opposite reaction when playing on easy -

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what is the spice doing there it's supposed to be money as explained in the letter in the maid's room

but then in the harder difficulty

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I read the builder's note but not the detailed hint one so I spent a fair bit of time trying to find the switch for the stairs

I will try it again but this time ghosting without any black jacking as that will be a little more tricky

Edited November 12, 2013 by Oldjim

[kyyrma]

  On 11/12/2013 at 5:50 PM, Oldjim said:

Actually I had the opposite reaction...

 

 

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That is a slight illogicality, now that you mention it. However the person who wrote the letter in the maid's room didn't see exactly what Ferryham was stashing there, so I guess its still acceptable.

 

 

When building a level its really hard to try and put yourself in the shoes of all the different players out there. It's really interesting to hear all the different ways people play through the level, and in what order they pick up readables an such. I'm hoping to learn as much as possible from player feedback, and use that when the time comes to make another FM.

 

I know there are a few people out there who do Let's Plays of FMs. If at some point somebody would be willing to do one of In A Time Of Need, that would be really fascinating to watch.

Edited November 12, 2013 by kyyrma

[Sotha]

Hey hey!

 

Just played this and enjoyed it greatly. I especially liked the

 

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interior lighting. Very bright lighting with just a few pockets of shadow and electrical light controls with relighting AI. Perfect! Even the AI pathing, while non-random, was very natural with the stopping, looking around a bit, then continuing.

 

Almost crapped my pants in the main bedroom. I was approaching the door and just 1m away the door opened and a guard came in. I literally lunged straight into the crapper and the AI behind me said.. "hmm.. the door..." When I peeked out the toilet he closed the door and was gone. A great moment! Very tense.

 

A special commendation for the toilet access, it was quite clever.

 

 

 

I have to say that you have made The Perfect Beginner FM Author Mission. This is what people should strive for when they start with DR. Keep it small. Make it fun. Don't cram too much ideas into one mission, but keep it pure. Tune the aesthetics, performance, gameplay and plot into perfect balance. Give a map and choices for entries.

 

This mission was so solid, that I'm afraid I don't have much mapper advice to give to you. I do hope to see more from you! Thank you!

[Oldjim]

Just to finish off with no black jacking and a really impressive first mission

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[simplen00b]

Just played through on all levels, and can only back up what everyone else has said so far: really good, tight little mission.

 

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Got spotted and whacked a few times but managed to tough it out without reloading (although a healing potion or two in the kitchen would have been welcome).

The guard turning the lights back on was excellent, although I noticed (i) he didn't do it every time (in the bedroom anyway), and (ii) a couple of times he came into the bedroom when the light was off and the bathroom door was open; checking the bathroom door seemed to take priority over turning the light on - not a biggie, just seemed a bit odd. I'm afraid I usually neutralised him by

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waiting outside by the bureau for him to go into the bedroom and then putting the bureau chair in front of the door.

I have no shame.

I did have a little "Huh?" moment when I opened the secret wardrobe switch on medium level. It would have been nice to have had a bit more of a challenge on the highest level (maybe a surprise guard down with the spice?) but I'm nit-picking.

The only other problem I had was that you had playerclipped the outer walls and roofs rather too effectively for my liking, but with a determined effort and (if I may say so) some rather creative stacking of furnishings & fittings I managed to get somewhere I shouldn't:

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I am truly, truly sorry.

 

Anyway, my near-OCD determination to go skybox-walking aside: well done again! Excellent first-time map which may even stir me into trying to go through the tutorial. Again. Thanks for your time and effort - much appreciated!

[kyyrma]

  On 11/12/2013 at 6:19 PM, Sotha said:

I have to say that you have made The Perfect Beginner FM Author Mission. This is what people should strive for when they start with DR. Keep it small. Make it fun. Don't cram too much ideas into one mission, but keep it pure. Tune the aesthetics, performance, gameplay and plot into perfect balance. Give a map and choices for entries.

 

Thanks, I really appreciate this coming from you Sotha. Some previous experience in programming has taught me that being too ambitious when still learning the ropes is a recipe for failure, so I'm glad I managed to restrain myself when building my first FM. I had quite a few features planned for the level which I decided to cut in favor of a smaller polished level.

 

  On 11/12/2013 at 6:19 PM, Sotha said:

  Reveal hidden contents

interior lighting. Very bright lighting with just a few pockets of shadow and electrical light controls with relighting AI. Perfect! Even the AI pathing, while non-random, was very natural with the stopping, looking around a bit, then continuing. Almost crapped my pants in the main bedroom. I was approaching the door and just 1m away the door opened and a guard came in. I literally lunged straight into the crapper and the AI behind me said.. "hmm.. the door..." When I peeked out the toilet he closed the door and was gone. A great moment! Very tense. A special commendation for the toilet access, it was quite clever.

 

 

  Reveal hidden contents

Because the average playthrough is quite short, most players probably won't notice but there is some degree of randomness to the NPCs (I picked up this trick from something you had added to the wiki). In the kitchen, the guards will either have something to eat or go take a break outside. Upstairs, the guard may or may not stop to look out from the window. Outside, the guard going around the house can walk by the balcony, or walk around the tree and flowers instead.

 

Also, the guards inherit each others patrol routes (to sort of simulate them looking for missing comrades). So you knock out the guard outside, the balcony guard picks up his patrol route. Knock out the guard inside, one of the outside guards picks up his route etc. It's based on hidden objectives, and once again one of your old forum posts describing this method

 

 

  On 11/12/2013 at 7:51 PM, simplen00b said:

Just played through on all levels, and can only back up what everyone else has said so far: really good, tight little mission.

 

I agree on difficulty. Of course the TDM community is a tough crowd, as most here are pretty much stealth gaming veterans

 

 

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Originally I had planned that on Expert Ferryham and his guards would return to the house either after the player has picked up the Spice or after a certain amount of time. This is one of the features that ended up getting cut however, first because hiding/showing characters through paths doesn't really work well in TDM and didn't want to put in the effort to learn how to spawn them through script, and second, because adding any more guards in the level simply made pathfinding look really awkward (guards kept bumping into each other, opening doors on each others faces etc.)

 

Also, about getting out of bounds. Man, that is some determination. When I noticed that pile of furniture there on the balcony I just burst out laughing. This is simply the kind of antics that the engine allows you to do, I friggen' love it. I haven't had this much fun with gaming since I dunno' - Arx Fatalis maybe?

 

Edited November 12, 2013 by kyyrma