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Fan Mission: The Outpost by angua & greebo (2009/10/17)


greebo

  

14 members have voted

  1. 1. Gameplay: Enjoyment. Fun duration. Smooth flow, ect. Versus Bugs. Frustration, Boredom.

  2. 2. Appearance: Visual pleasure, lighting, visual style

  3. 3. Story & Text: Story. Text. Briefing. Graphic storytelling

    • Ok
      0
    • Good
    • Excellent
    • Near perfect
      0


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You can get this FM on our downloads page: http://www.thedarkmo...ondetails/?id=1

 

I guess it's a rather easy missions for players used to Thief Fan Missions, but feel free to post here in case you're stuck. Angua and me, we are humbled that this small map made it out of the door, accompanying the TDM 1.00 release.

 

edit: poll added November 11th, 2011

Edited by greebo
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I think it's also worth mentioning that the vast majority of this mission was completed in a single week. It's a great example of what you can do in a relatively small amount of time with TDM.

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I actually liked this mission the most out of the three. Very "classic" in feel, with the top-bottom architecture, a couple alternate routes, and everything believably placed. Oh, and thanks for giving me all those candles in the storeroom to light and play with.

 

EDIT: Also, I appreciate the "no knockouts" rule on Expert. I know a lot of fans don't like such restrictions, but it was nice to know that I was attempting a challenge that was actually designed instead of imposing my own rules on a mission that might not be well-suited for it.

 

 

Climbing up the rope and emerging into a familiar-looking Thief-style kitchen was definitely a "It's good to be back" moment.

 

I also really like how the upstairs guard has a window overlooking the chapel area, along with that area's rafters and side entrance into the upstairs room. Interconnected locations like this are where this kind of game shines.

 

Edited by Wormrat
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My impression as well. It is actually a very simple level, and could easily be done in Dromed (with less eye candy), but it just works. The interconnectedness was a nice surprise, although I spent a lot of time vainly looking through the rafters to find something hidden. No luck!

Come the time of peril, did the ground gape, and did the dead rest unquiet 'gainst us. Our bands of iron and hammers of stone prevailed not, and some did doubt the Builder's plan. But the seals held strong, and the few did triumph, and the doubters were lain into the foundations of the new sanctum. -- Collected letters of the Smith-in-Exile, Civitas Approved

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Only this FM is too dark on my computer. All the others are fine. Is it possible to increase a mission's overall gamma in Dark Radiant to avoid pitch blackness everywhere?

 

The overall gamma is controlled in settings>video>gamma

 

In Darkradiant, to increase the overall "darkness" would be to brighten the ambient_world, which is a very low light thats cast throughout the whole map. To brighten it, would make it harder to sneak around (because it would be brighter all around)

|=-=------=-=|

happycheeze.deviantart.com

 

Moddb

 

Gamers Outreach, a nonprofit that uses videogames to raise money for chairty.

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Only this FM is too dark on my computer. All the others are fine. Is it possible to increase a mission's overall gamma in Dark Radiant to avoid pitch blackness everywhere?

 

Would be better to increase the gamma in the TDM video settings. Ambient light affects the lightgem in TDM, so it can't be too bright without having an impact on gameplay. Although that may end up washing things out and looking horrible, so let us know how that works out.

 

Whoops, didn't see the previous response.

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I liked a lot this simple map.

 

Very good design, simple but with consistency, and a great example of what it's possibile with only 1 week of work with the fantastic new editor.

 

Thanks you work!

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This was a very nice starter map. I'm glad I chose this one to play first. I'm still cringing from the footfall sounds, though. Are there any plans to replace them? I feel like I'm stomping around with steel-tipped boots, and it seems that they are too loud in general. It's the one aspect of the Mod that seems very unrealistic.

-DS:12

--- Author of:

 

Tomb of Horrors (coming January 2011)

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This was a very nice starter map. I'm glad I chose this one to play first. I'm still cringing from the footfall sounds, though. Are there any plans to replace them? I feel like I'm stomping around with steel-tipped boots, and it seems that they are too loud in general. It's the one aspect of the Mod that seems very unrealistic.

-DS:12

 

We're very happy with the footfall sounds. Goldchocobo came in and created the majority of them for us in his recording studio when we had nothing but 'borrowed' sounds from various sources. The quality of these sounds are second to none.

 

We're taking the comments about them being too loud into consideration, but the reality is that they need to be reasonably audible for player feedback. What you hear as the player isn't what the AI is hearing. It's a gaming convention, but a necessary one. We'll take reducing the volume into consideration, but likely won't scale them back too much. I can't really say I find them too loud, personally.

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What you hear as the player isn't what the AI is hearing. It's a gaming convention, but a necessary one. We'll take reducing the volume into consideration, but likely won't scale them back too much. I can't really say I find them too loud, personally.

 

I agree, .

 

IMHO too it's not too loud, and I like a lot the foots sound quality recorded, pretty real.

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My problem is probably the dark textures then. I used the Training Mission to calibrate my brightness and gamma settings and all the maps were fine except the Outpost. Most of it's textures are dark toned. But I still really enjoyed this level, so congratulations! :)

Winkler Studio: youtube.com/user/woszkar

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Outpost's ambient has been increased the last minute before release to 6 I think.

 

On a related note: thanks to Hyeron we now have a French version of The Outpost: voilá L'Avant-Poste. Grab it from our website. :)

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I should have been more specific in my post about the footfall sounds. The quality of the sounds is outstanding - very professional. Also, most of the footfalls sound very good to me. I only didn't care for the stone material sound. It reminded me too much of the Doom combat boots.

If, as you say, the AI are not hearing them as loud, then it will only be a matter of adjusting my perception.

-DS:12

--- Author of:

 

Tomb of Horrors (coming January 2011)

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We're very happy with the footfall sounds. Goldchocobo came in and created the majority of them for us in his recording studio when we had nothing but 'borrowed' sounds from various sources. The quality of these sounds are second to none.

 

We're taking the comments about them being too loud into consideration, but the reality is that they need to be reasonably audible for player feedback. What you hear as the player isn't what the AI is hearing. It's a gaming convention, but a necessary one. We'll take reducing the volume into consideration, but likely won't scale them back too much. I can't really say I find them too loud, personally.

 

This reminds me of something I wanted to say for a while to the loudness of sounds: There is a difference between playing with headphones (where you hear every sound cristalclear and louder) and playing over (possible tiny) speakers. So, where the sounds tested with both methods? There might well be significant differences in perception of different sounds. Also, (dont have doom here right now and cant test), but is it possible for the user to specify which speakers he has?

"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man." -- George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950)

 

"Remember: If the game lets you do it, it's not cheating." -- Xarax

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I don't doubt that the volume levels of crouch-run-creep-walk-etc. may need revisiting.

 

My KOSS studio headphones (that I use for recording gigs) tell me very well how sneaky my footsteps are. (CL-OMP, Clack, Tap, Tip-toe)

yay seuss crease touss dome in ouss nose tair

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I don't doubt that the volume levels of crouch-run-creep-walk-etc. may need revisiting.

 

My KOSS studio headphones (that I use for recording gigs) tell me very well how sneaky my footsteps are. (CL-OMP, Clack, Tap, Tip-toe)

 

Erm, yes, and what about all the other players that do not have such expensive headphones? (reread my post please :)

"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man." -- George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950)

 

"Remember: If the game lets you do it, it's not cheating." -- Xarax

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Fantastic mission!! :D

I like it a lot, excellent way to restart thieving again after a few years!

I got to exact 942/946 loot, someone must have dropped some coins somewhere!

 

Anyway i found a very uh spooky bit of possessed water, it seems, and its right next to where you're entering the building!

It seems the little bowls have a sort of "force" interaction that repulses them from eachother. Also they can be suspended above the water, by holding them there and pressing R. I have 4 bowls on the screenshot that just hang there, steadily, doing nothing. :o

 

But all hell breaks loose when you release a beermug a bit above the water, the water seems to turn into a reactive trampoline, making the mug jump to the ceiling, come down again, jump up again, many times! its freaky :)

 

Hopefully this effect was completely intended, otherwise something is a bit spooky for sure :rolleyes:

post-3339-125616418445_thumb.jpg

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Thanks for the feedback everyone, this is appreciated! :)

 

Hopefully this effect was completely intended, otherwise something is a bit spooky for sure :rolleyes:

This is why

the kitchen staff was so nervous ;)

 

No, seriously, this is some kind of physics bug, I think I have already seen something similar in Saint Lucia. Good one though :laugh:

 

Oh, and could you please continue the player footstep discussion in another thread and keep this one for map-specific feedback? Thanks!

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Fun mission, small but I think I almost prefer small missions over really large ones. Alot easier to keep track of everything, especially if you come back later to finish.

 

I had no issues with ambient, same setting across all 3 missions. But I thought the world ambient light DIDN'T effect light gem. I thought that was the whole point of it was to raise gamma and not effect players.

The textures are dark though so that's probably why this one felt darker, a deffinate change between these and victorian tex for ambiance.

 

I don't like how the chests were done with the lid frob in this mission though. Seemed harder to grab stuff than the whole chest frob in the other missions. I absolutely could NOT frob the coin stack in the chest with the gold bar. I tried many times, even removving the other items so they wouldn't highlight. Even tried climbing on chest and facing away from the lid. Several minutes and a few loads and could not get them.

 

The layout was awesome, the chapel and alternate route to 3rd were great.

 

I played on medium because I thought 'no KO' was gonna be too hard. Turns out I didn't KO anyone, so the AI were done very well IMO. Enough to make it tense, not too many to get around. The patrols were well done too.

 

I was short 40 gold in the end, not sure if I missed more than that coin stack in the chest.

 

If it only took a week I expect a sequel next week ;)

Dark is the sway that mows like a harvest

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A very nice shorter mission. The level is well-designed and makes good use of the available space. Plenty of flavour text hanging around, with nothing seemingly out of place. One point though:

 

 

I loved the utility of rope arrows in this one; ninja-ing up and smacking the bishop with my blackjack gave me warm fuzzies - I had an evil grin pasted to my face for a few minutes there. I had originally thought there could have been an alternate (but risky) way into the second floor with a cleverly placed rope arrow. Is there one and did I not spot it?

 

 

I think I could probably try to pressure my friends into trying to play TDM using this and I look forwards to trying it pr0 with non-KO. :)

 

M0ar plz?

Edited by greebo
spoilerized
Ha! So what if I am, huh? Anyways, I work better when I'm drunk. It makes me fearless! If I see a bad guy, I'll just point my sword at him. And saaaaaay "HEY! Bad guy! You're not s'pposed to be here! Go home or I'll stick you with my sword...'til you go...'Ouch I'm dead!' Ahahahah (hic) See? Ain't no one gonna be messin with old Benny."
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