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esme

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Posts posted by esme

  1. Here's one I'd really like at the moment, something to highlight the hidden switches that open a secret door, I am going blind scouring bookshelves & bits of decoration looking for one at the mo, you can never be sure there isn't one, only that you haven't found one

    --EDIT--

    Found the switch I was looking for, took a good hour of searching, well if it were easy it wouldn't be fun

  2. Dear lord this thing goes on forever, it's huge & so many things to explore

    Spoiler

    I haven't even got to the plague district yet

    This is your first map ? ๐Ÿ˜ฎ

    You've set a high bar for any new authors there, this feels a lot like The Painters Wife, so major kudos there ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘

    I do have a problem though

    Spoiler

    I'm in Lady Ursines & can't find the vault combination, I understand her portrait may be the key to this but I can't see a combo on it even using the special glasses

    There's rather a lot of blood on the wall, when I use them,presumably from the previous steward, but none on the portrait so maybe it was put there after the blood spatter ?, does it move ?

    There seem to be 2 extra faces when using the glasses but I'm not getting the significance

    Also

    Spoiler

    Are there any rope arrows in this mission ?

    I've managed to get to some really out of the way & high up places without one, using some fairly hairy acrobatic moves, often finding loot as I do, so I'm guessing it was designed not to use rope arrows

    You're going to tell me I missed one under my bed or something aren't you ๐Ÿ˜‚

    And finally I would like to say thank you, not just for a superb mission but for including a feature I have always wanted to see
    ย 

    Spoiler

    I cleaned out both weapons shops without making a purchase YEEEESSSSS!!!

    I have always wanted to do that ever since the first smug, smarmy git, safe behind their bars popped up in Northdale

    Although in the shop nearest home when I KO'd the shop keeper, one of the water arrows was still 5g while everything else was 0g but not a worry as I also cleaned out the cash box too

    That was just sooo satisfying ๐Ÿ˜ˆ

    Thank you

    • Like 1
    • Thanks 1
  3. On 2/9/2022 at 10:50 AM, datiswous said:

    Is there a benefit of putting the onboard graphics on the secondary monitor instead of using the external gpu for both?

    TBH I never actually tried it on the k600, I use the 2nd screen mainly for debugging so I don't need fancy graphics on it, Plus as I remember the first cable I laid my hands on happened to fit so I just used that, next time I'm juggling cables I'll give it a shot

  4. 10 minutes ago, Dragofer said:

    Yes, as well as a way to encourage players to try the game mode (how many people would have semi-iron manned Hazard Pay of their own volition?) and a way for mappers to know that (most) players will be playing by those rules on that difficulty. Like how a mapper knows the player will have limited equipment during the early phase of a jail-break mission.

    "how many people would have semi-iron manned Hazard Pay of their own volition?" - presumably those that wanted to ?

    Sorry but I'm still not seeing anything in being "Forced", "Encouraged" or not being my "own volition" that makes me want to rush out & play this

    But if that's what people want, let 'em have at it, I won't be joining them though

  5. 32 minutes ago, datiswous said:

    I think if a mission author is really motivated to add such a feature to their mission and a minority of players likes it, it should not be blocked or discouraged, but the mecahanic should be helped implemented without ruining the core gameplay of tdm.

    Kingsal was already talking about this in 2017:

    ย 

    I agree mission authors should make the mission they want to, but if you're catering for two different save systems there's a tradeoff as Kingsal also pointed out

    On 2/1/2022 at 5:36 PM, kingsal said:

    Yeah I would recommend being very careful trying to retroactively fit save rooms into a mission. ย I designed Hazard around the mechanic and even then its hard to balance it out.
    ย 

    Having it on Expert seems fair, ย but for larger missions it would need to be accompanied with auto saves or other ways of saving. ย Also things like mandatory jumps, rope arrow mistakes, and deadly traps are brutal. ย 

    Anyways, I would encourage authors to try it but only if it works for their mission and theyโ€™re willing to do more testing than usual. If balanced well, I think it can be really fun for players looking to do a challenge run.ย 

    ย 

    • Like 1
  6. 1 minute ago, peter_spy said:

    And that's okay, I bet most authors won't care, as they will be busy engaging with players that do want to play such missions. It's you who are making it sound like as it was one of the most serious things in the world for some reason.

    Also, since you've been repeating the same stuff over and over again, and now you're parroting my sentences, it means you've run out of arguments. I'm out too, no point in wasting the forum space.

    And again with belittling, you just can't help it can you

    But fair enough we can disagree on this, I've stated my position & you've stated yours

    • Like 2
  7. 6 minutes ago, peter_spy said:

    Hell no, I like games doing weird and experimental stuff, and I don't mind plenty of challenge modes for all the different groups of players. I play most games on easy because my time for playing is limited, but I don't mind all the crazy options in hardcore survival modes, Ironman or time modes for speed-runners. I love diversity and I respect tradition, but I have no problems with questioning it, if it takes me somewhere interesting.

    Good for you

    Question: have I said don't implement this ?

    I'll answer for you, NO I havent

    I've said you make whatever mission you like, but if it has this feature I won't play it & if it's on a particular difficulty I won't play that difficulty

    And considering it's already in the game, protesting it's implementation is a bit redundant

    So please make whatever weird & experimental missions you like, I'll still be using my standard metric of "Am I having fun?" when I play & if I'm not then I'll stop

    Are you OK with that ? or is there something else you want to try & make me do ?

    • Like 1
  8. 6 minutes ago, peter_spy said:

    You are still playing the same broken record. Authors will add features because they'd like to, not because they have to. They will sacrifice whatever they deem unimportant for it. That's not your concern, it's their personal decision. It's funny that one of the arguments for altering the saving system was that authors get too controlling โ€“ again, do you realize how controlling your post sounds like?

    You're lecturing me on "controlling" ๐Ÿคฃ

    Have a read back through your previous posts please

    And once again it's a players personal decision to play a particular game, and that's not the authors concern, I keep saying you make what you want, but I don't have to play it

    To paraphrase, "You can lead the player to a game, but you can't make them play it"

    Yeah my broken record is the other side of yours

    • Like 1
  9. 15 minutes ago, peter_spy said:

    No, not anymore, since multiple people were trying to explain the same thing with different wording, and most of the responses were like: "IM NOT LISTENING TO YOU, COVERING MY EARS, LALALA, STOP TAKING MY FREEDOM!" :D

    Sorry, but this is just begging to poke fun at.

    And your response shows that you either still don't understand the topic, or don't really want to understand it. All you seem to be interested in is your particular needs only. To the point that you are, again, protesting against an optional, experimental mode that was inspired by other games. Something that you probably won't play, but for some reason can't stand the thought that author might include in their mission. This is how your response looks like. Do you realize how silly it looks?

    And there we go again with the belittling "your response shows that you either still don't understand the topic, or don't really want to understand it" well I do understand the topic if I want to play games with restricted saves I can throw a dart blindfold & play the one I hit

    And I just made the point elsewhere so I'll make it here too

    What's the trade off for this optional & experimental feature, how much effort will an author expend making a mission that plays well with the existing save function & also plays well with a restricted save function ?

    What will they miss out, what won't get added because they're busy implementing both systems ?

    All of these intangibles will remain so because you want to crowbar a mechanism from other game systems into this one

    Again, add something fun or something useful, don't do things just to frustrate the player

    And the other point going off the poll, which I know only has 28 responses, between a quarter & a third of players probably won't bother with that level so all that work will be wasted for them

    And yes I'm interested in my particular needs just like you are

    • Like 1
  10. 6 minutes ago, Dragofer said:

    This part has me thinking there's a misunderstanding. FMs that offer "save room" modes will also offer regular modes with unrestricted saving that you can choose instead. Is your argument that you only want to play a mission on Expert difficulty, which is probably going to be the difficulty that would have the restricted saves? The technical implementation of new gameplay modes can probably be improved so that it doesn't need to use up a difficulty slot.

    As for mapper time investment - some players enjoy this mode, and some more players would enjoy this mode but might just never try it without a mission that's designed for it. I think it's good to cater to a variety of playstyles in the mission catalogue. Thief FMs intentionally change up gameplay all the time.

    I made the point in another thread

    How much effort will mission authors expend on making a mission that plays well with a standard save feature & for at least one difficulty setting uses a save room type feature, what other gameplay features won't be implemented or probably won't be thought of because the author spends their time implementing both systems, what's the trade off ?

    And the other point, according to the poll, somewhere between a quarter & a third of players probably aren't going to bother playing a restricted save level so all that effort will be wasted for them. How will the author respond, put extra goodies in the restricted save level to encourage people to play it ? have sections of the mission unavailable unless you play it with restricted saves ?

    Why not concentrate on innovating things that increase the fun & the gameplay rather than taking away a non gameplay mechanism we've had for 20 years, basically for the reason that "we've had it for 20 years & all these other games force you to do this & isn't that great" well yeah, why not go play one of those games then ? why mess with this one ?

    • Like 1
  11. 1 hour ago, peter_spy said:

    I must say that the lack of open mind and imagination here is rather disappointing, not to mention the 'muh freedom' reaction. Meanwhile "This is how we've always been doing things here" stance is the most commonly known factor for stagnation or killing any innovation.

    And the continued ignorance of the fact that this is/wil be an optional mode or difficulty seems more like a "live and let live" problem. The fact that there might be a difficulty mode you won't master, perhaps even called 'Expert', does that hurt anybody's ego or something? :D

    You're very aggressive aren't you ?

    Someone doesn't like what you like, so out you come with demeaning & the belittling statements "lack of open mind and imagination here is rather disappointing", "The fact that there might be a difficulty mode you won't master, perhaps even called 'Expert', does that hurt anybody's ego or something? :D"

    Do you seriously think that's going to change anyone's mind or give your opinion any more weight ?

    I get the impression you think playing these games is all about bragging rights & anyone who doesn't just plain wrong & should be made fun of

    Well last time I checked there wasn't a league table & if there ever is I won't be taking part in it or care who's at the top or the bottom, I don't care how fast you beat expert, or your stealth score, or if you iron manned, or supreme ghosted, that's all you & I don't care

    All I'm interested in is one question "Am I having fun playing this ?"

    As for killing innovation, how about innovating something that adds to player enjoyment rather than adding to their frustration, give them something rather than taking it away

    Is it that innovation is hard & taking things away is easy?

    Or do you really think forcing a player to grind their way across the map covering the same territory & the same AI repeatedly is going to add to their enjoyment ?

    And before you turn this around & tell me I'm being belittling & demeaning remember you're attacking a non gameplay mechanism that's been part of the system without complaint since it's inception, which if you include the dark project is over 20 years & you got bent out of shape because I dared to say I wanted to know which missions would use this so I didn't waste my time playing something I wouldn't enjoy

    As I have said repeatedly, you create whatever game you like, I don't mind, but if you mess with basic controls like when I can save my progress I would like to know so I can go play something else & if it upsets you that your magnum opus, that you spent the last year making, isn't going to get played by me because of that, then I suggest that that's a you problem

    • Like 1
  12. Another couple of thoughts have occurred, how much effort are authors going to expend making these save rooms & building them into their mission ?

    What other actual gameplay features will be sacrificed ?

    I guess we'll never know this second one because those features won't be thought of as the author is busy

    And a final point authors are going to work harder making a mission that's engaging & fun to play with a normal save system & also for at least one level of difficulty they're going to change to a save room system without affecting the engagement & fun

    That's a lot of effort considering that between a quarter & a third of players probably aren't going to play that difficulty, based on a poll of 28 members @4th Feb 2022 so it may not be that representative

  13. Just an observation & I may be misreading, but most of the arguments for having the author control where the player can save discuss other games e.g. dark souls, left4dead, call of chernobyl etc or reference survival/horror genres, none of which I'm interested in playing

    And most of the arguments for having the player control where a game is saved reference TDM or Thief, which I am interested in playing

    My personal thought is that people who want to play these other style games are extremely well served & there must be some that allow authors to write fan missions, so why not write some for those

    Whereas those that want to play thief style missions in whatever playstyle they like, up to & including having one of those nodding glass birds perched over the save button, have Thief & TDM

    So if you want to author a mission that looks like these other games & you're going to stop the player from saving where they like because you really want them to experience the gut churning horror of it all, which seems to be the major argument, go right ahead

    I just want to know which ones do this, so I don't download them, start playing, save periodically, fuck things up, find my saves didn't work, complain to the team that my save function isn't working, waste half a day working out it's just this one game & it's not a bug it's a feature, wiping said game off my system, coming back on the forum & probably getting banned because of being less than complimentary to the author about the lack of warning

    I play these games for fun, not so I'm going to need therapy for the nightmares

  14. Authors don't have to cater for everyone - And players don't have to play their missions, we play these games because they are unique, there's nothing else like TDM & Thief out there

    You want to make missions that play like every other game on the planet, go ahead, I just want to know which ones they are so I don't play them

    Yeah save scumming has been in use for over a decade, I remember when it first came out, I got a warm glow then too, didn't affect my play style then & won't now

  15. I don't play games I don't enjoy & I don't enjoy games where I'm restricted from saving my progress when the phone rings

    Like @AluminumHaste I have a life and it dictates how much game time I get

    So if it's an option, fine, put it in as long as it doesn't detract from the mission for those who don't use it

    But if it's not optional then that's a hard pass from me, put it in if you want, other people might like it, I'd just like to know before I download it

    I know these things are free to the player & they involve months, sometimes years of work & I do appreciate that

    I really hate complaining about all that hard work, because .. well I'm a talentless git who hasn't made a single TDM mission, but for me this is a mechanic that adds nothing but frustration

    • Like 1
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