Taquito
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Posts
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Joined
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Days Won
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Posts posted by Taquito
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Congrats on your first of many releases Kingsal (I hope). There goes my weekend.
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Thank you for that wonderful review, very detailed and I really appreciate the kind words and the constructive criticism you've offered (the lights and highlighting in particular has given me some good ideas for future FM's actually so it really helps).
If you ever decide to tweak this mission in the future please:
Add the option to turn up the water heater in the shower scene for those sadistic players like me.
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Thank you all for the kind words about the video! <3
It's really interesting seeing what people have to say about it, knowing all the stuff that went into it
Again, thank you guys!
The video itself deserves a review on it's own. It was not just a collage of pics together it had some really nice elements. The thief shadow projection was brilliant.
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Alright I'm gonna start with the things I didn't like that much cause I don't want to leave a bad taste in the mouth of the creator cause I really think this mission was fantastic in general. Here we go:
The not so Good:
-The Lighting: I think the lighting in this mission really pulled down the overall feel almost killing the atmosphere and most importantly it stopped this mission from being the best in TDM. Most of the areas were just too damn bright in my opinion. Also the mission lacked highlights and I will give a few examples. At the beginning of the mission there's a big ship out that you can see through the windows but there's no light highlighting it so I noticed the ship the third time I passed by that particular window. It's important to highlight areas you want the player to see. Specially if you took effort in placing them there.
Also there's an puzzle in the game where you have to analyze a painting but the painting is not highlighted so it becomes really easy to ignore. There are areas that are perfectly lit but other areas felt untouched.
-There are some really nice scene triggers in some parts of the mission that got ruined by the area being too bright I noticed it in my third play through. I don't want to spoil but It has do do with candles.
- I often read in the forum players annoyed with some maps being too dark but hey this is the DARK mod. It should be pitch black with a few lights here and there to guide you through like Amnesia! I do understand the concept of lighting and difficulty but that can also ruin the atmosphere and that's important as well. Darkness could have been a great ally in this mission specially in the later areas.
- Some elements in the mission were not so lore friendly. Specially in some areas in the music which were too modern and didnt quite fit. I also added music in the things I liked as well cause I think the music is also great despite this small detail.
That's it.
The Good:
In terms of Gameplay I think this is a complete 10 out of 10 for me, with a ***BIG ASTERISK on the side that I think the mission creator should have forced some of the optional ones cause they're really good. Some of the game play elements felt inspired by Layers of fear perhaps?
-The twists of the map layout keep me entertained. When I though the mission was about to end but then boom, I landed in a completely different area. I can't deny some areas felt a bit disjointed but interestingly enough in this case it totally worked cause It kept me intrigued to see what was next. I also felt like I left some areas undiscovered behind but I assume it was due to this. And that feeling is always a plus as well.
-Loved the fact that the mission contained some controversial elements. This is the Dark Mod and as the tittle suggest it should be dark. We seriously need more nudity, sex and scandal in this game. A big plus for this! Taquito is all about nudity and controversy! I wish we could see more controversial elements in this game. Sex, Incest, Murder, Mutilation and Plague. How come we don't have plague in the Dark Mod?
-I really enjoyed the puzzles. Specially the last one. I wish to see more in future FMs as well. Some of the game elements like enemies were amazing and the different dramatic cues and triggers in certain scenes were really well done! I don't want to make spoilers but there's a particular encounter that made me really scared and exited at the same time.
- The intro video was really cool! I think it surpasses the ones in Thief games. Loved the different elements in the video the thief projection and the time lapse. So many small details and the final product was top notch. Well done! The art in the presentation was great too overall really nice job.
-The interactions and comments made by the character and how he reacted to some of the objects were a really nice touch as well. It pumped the game play and atmosphere even more. I'm glad to see more missions doing this. Also the simplicity of not having to carry candles to turn them off was really convenient and an a great example for future missions.
-The music was really fantastic in some areas and really help set the mood for the area specially those areas filled with suspense.
!-And finally the attic: My favorite area of the map: (Artistic wise)
Overall a great Mission, superior to most in terms of game play that may become the best for TDM with just a few teaks but that's obviously in the hands of the creator. I don't want to finish this review without thanking Goldwell for this amazing piece and I know how it feels when people overly criticize something you've done but do know that people tend to nitpick the things they like the most or the ones they see the most potential. I work as a creative and I know the feeling when people don't appreciate the amount of effort made but let me tell you this mission is your best work so far even with little details it is indeed among the best here. I wouldn't have bothered to write such a long Review if I thing it wasn't worth it. Nothing is in vain.
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What a beauty of a mission Bikerdude! I just wanted to push this baby up. My only complaint was finding the exit to the mission It was totally confusing given the mission objective exit explanation which made it feel like a dead end or perhaps give the feeling of an incomplete mission. Excellent lighting, great atmosphere, Great architecture. You really know how to work small spaces and make the most of them. Loved this! Here are some nice pics I took while traveling this amazing mission:
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But that's like Chinese Torture to a Kleptomaniac. I want to feel somehow compensated for the effort, specially in difficult missions. Like as a thief I like to feel I'm not losing my time someplace with no loot when I can be in a manor making myself rich. The difficulty system is TDM is annoying. There should be a consolidation between the difficulty in missions and the difficulty of the AI light/Sound in the menu options.
Perhaps making stuff more expensive in difficult?
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*At the beginning of the game it says "Made with Unity".
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What game/engine is that are are any of the textures/models available..?
An indie game called Layers of Fear. Very similar to TDM in art concept. There's a lot of materials already in TDM but other nice stuff that could be implemented as well. Looks even better in video:
I'm don't know which engine it is or the models being available.
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Some interesting pics I found from a game that holds a very similar aesthetic to TDM:
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A few lonely houses outside the City waiting to be discovered:
A nice option as a beginner's mission.
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It would be more plausible to just concentrate in one mission in Thief as inspiration to translate it into the TDM wolrd. Not just Thief but there are some pretty good Hitman, Deus Ex, Splinter Cell and many more missions that could be used as inspiration to transform the mission into the Dark Mod Universe in terms of the layout of the map and dynamics. I think a few mission creators here are doing it already.
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WTF is wrong with people voting this mission "Good" in Appearance?. This Mission is Excellent in Art Direction, Architecture and lighting! And the more you discover, the better it gets. Even with no lights on you can still see the blue/greenish light produced outside through windows.
As I mentioned before the lighting serves it's purpose well at highlighting and creating points of interest without any exaggerations or making the map to look like a Christmas tree. All well balanced.
The best way to approach the city is to take things slowly. The city left me wishing for more and I wish we could discover more places inside other buildings in future episodes since I think the city has the potential of continuity. Great job!
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An autoexec.cfg to be exact:
seta image_lodbias "-1"
seta tdm_lod_bias "-1"
seta r_brightness "1.238095"
seta r_gamma "1" -
It seems I'm having a few technical issues with the mission. One of the big fences on the arch is missing as well as the stairs in the bar. Both completely invisible.
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I just been playing for around two hours and right off the bat I can say this is one of the best ones in terms or Architecture, Art Direction and Lighting. Specially lighting. Perhaps the best one in terms of lighting. You really know how highlight areas and create points of interest with light. My only complaint is the auto closing doors. To keep the game running smoothly? IKD. I'll add a small review when I'm done.
Kudos! -
Oh the intro is awesome Goldwell!
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I think the blue ambient looks perfect for interiors. Besides the windows are blue so they are reflecting their color as well. For exteriors it should be more subtle as the light that emanates from the moon.
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Thank you for this Durandall.
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thank you very much for the info nbohr1more. Perhaps in the future it can be set as an option in the menu since some of of prefer the crisp kind of old school feel. And it also helps a bit to the frame rate with the negative bias at least on my end.
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"seta image_lodbias" What's the other cvar? I usually change it to -3.
Could you explain the whole autoexec.cfg file thing? Thank you for the quick response.
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Sorry if this question has been asked before but how do I permanently modify the lod bias in the game? I normally modify it in the cfg file but for some reason it always seem to reset back to default. I happen to prefer the crisp look rather than the blurry aliased effect. Any help here?
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This hurts my eyes
That's the point. ;P
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I saw this beautiful texture made by a Sim Fan Called Ineliz from Luxembourg. For those who are into making textures.
Fan Mission: Volta and the Stone by Kingsal (05/26/2016) V1.3
in Fan Missions
Posted · Edited by Taquito
TAQUITO'S REVIEW: VOLTA AND THE STONE!
ARCHITECTURE: 10/10
The balconies, the Halls, The Streets with the canals, The atrium, the library. This is perfection! Loved the scale of the buildings which were big enough yet never felt gargantuan or exaggeratedly gigantic. Excellent scale! Oh the geometry of the map with the angular hallways, a delight! There are so many things to discover, so many places to climb, so many routes and paths to take and nothing felt out of place, everything perfectly balanced between the big and small spaces. The whole map had a sense of reality in scale. One great detail to mention is the whole map had areas which perfectly highlighted the Tower which was pretty much the center of attention in the layout of the map.
ART DIRECTION & MUSIC: 10/10
From the very beginning of the mission, you feel like you're about to experience something special. The intro video artistically design with a specific palette of colors, the reverse twisted music which surprisingly feels quite fitting to the aesthetic of TDM. The little plaques describing each room was a really nice touch. The fog effects were nicely placed giving great atmosphere in certain areas. The music is also perfectly presented adding to the feeling of tension in the right areas. The object placement was great as well with rooms perfectly decorated with the right amounts of objects.
GAMEPLAY & STORY: 10/10
Another perfect ten here. The AI was perfectly placed, with great pace. There were instances where I had to stop and think my approach. The Mission is filled with so many great little details like the auto save, the interactive cues by the player's character. The textual cues in the center of the screen during certain events which I think could be a great addition when objectives are completed. The challenges were perfectly balanced and the story was interesting, engaging and fitted quite well with the setting. I personally liked the cruelty presented in some texts and how well it set the whole feel of the story. The game play elements were well executed with nice challenges that never felt out of place. All in all a well balanced game play.
LIGHTING: 10/10
Another perfect score in the lighting department. ALTHOUGH, I think the beta version of this mission the one with the entire concept by Kingsal was slightly superior to the one now. I felt the lighting was dumbed down for no particular reason and it lost a bit of atmosphere here and there. I still don't get why people want dark areas to be visible in the game, this is the DARK Mod. For the Grace of God there is a brightness option in the menu! Is way easier to brighten the map with the menu option than trying to get the game to look naturally dark. The beta version felt pretty much like playing a T2 Mission with better graphics. I do think the original textures also had to do with this. Either way the lighting still great with good balance between darkness and light and Oh, the highlighting was amazing!
FINAL THOUGHTS:
All in all a Great Mission that could be considered The best so far. I had so many feels with this one, from feeling nostalgic with T2 memories, to feeling Paranoid hearing things and getting scared in the dark isolated rooms when I cleared most of the map from the AI. If there's a Mission that should be packaged with the new version of Dark Mod I think this would be a great candidate and I wholeheartedly recommend this mission to everyone. Excellence across the board! Hope to see much more from Kingsal. You are a great addition to the line up of already great Creators here. Congrats!