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Petike the Taffer

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Everything posted by Petike the Taffer

  1. The latter might make some sense, but the former less so, as they were already over ten years old when they were orphaned. Most orphanages would probably take in only younger children, even though I'm not entirely dismissing the idea of them taking in someone in their very early teens. Still, it does seem a bit late to me. Most children of that age, with such a fate, would probably just be left to their own devices on the streets. The female character, though without parents, has some surviving relatives (a grandfather and an aunt), while the male character is pretty much all that's left of his family (his brother being the last member other than him to die, though that occured more than a decade before the story starts).
  2. That's true. However, I want to avoid making another "I was abused, pity me" backstory and instead go for something subtler, as the former can feel somewhat gratuitous. While abuse in families, etc., was less detested in earlier periods, it would have still been met with opposition from some people who would learn about it. Also, I find bad family relations that gradually spiraled out of control more compelling for a backstory, rather than just throwing in random domestic violence as the explanation for everything. Nevertheless, the backstory of both characters will be gradually revealed, even if I lay out the basics of it in the first FM.
  3. Question: Do you think it make sense for two different crucial characters to be both orphaned ? Is it improbable or not ? In one case, by an epidemic that hit the town years ago and killed off a lot of locals (leaving only the character's older brother, who nevertheless still died a bit later). In the second case, by an accident (either at work or due to weather/travelling) for the first parent and for the second parent, due to a different premature death. While I'm not one to think that life in a pre-modern society was "nasty, brutal and short" (as it's often sensationalitically described), it's nevertheless a fact that life expectancies were a lot lower than today, medicine for more serious ailments was not as reliable, serious injuries or illnesses were often a death sentence, and hygiene could have been sometimes poorer and inadvertently spread diseases. So, personally, I don't find the idea of both characters being orphans and only having distant surviving relatives to be that far-fetched in a society based on this period. But... Just in case, I'd like to hear your opinion on this as well. I dislike the cheesy "you, our hero, are conveniently an orphan !" scenarios and tropes that so often occur in stories in general.
  4. Yay, nice find ! The blog of Frictional Games might be of interest to those who ponder about narrative elements in gaming. Particularly horror gaming, but not just that. Here's a chronological list of some of their interesting articles on narrative design: A History of Violence (Part 1) A History of Violence (Part 2) A History of Violence (Part 3) What will save you ? Nothing will save you ! The Problem with Obstacles (Part 1) The Problem with Obstacles (Part 2) Puzzles in horror games (Part 1) Puzzles in horror games (Part 2) Puzzles in horror games (Part 3) Puzzles in horror games (Part 4) Puzzles in horror games (Part 5) Puzzles in horror games (Part 6) Puzzles in horror games (Part 7) The struggle between Light and Dark Why Horror Games Suck ! Future of video game interaction When focusing on fun fails How gameplay and narrative kill meaning in "games" Exploring deeper meaning in games Storytelling through fragments and situations The judgement predicament of audio and graphics Why trial and error will doom games Experience and live - not compete and beat Why I hate "Cinematic" Where is your self in a game ? On game lenghth What video games lack: Deeper intent Story: What is it really about ? How the player becomes the protagonist Player-avatar symbiosis The Player - the artist ? Is the player an artist ? - Redux The Problem of Repetition Narrative not a game mechanic ? Unconventional Design Tips 10 ways to evolve horror games The Self, Presence and Storytelling High-level Storytelling Design Goals and Storytelling Puzzles, what are they good for ? Puzzles and Causal Histories Nailing down terminology 5 Core Elements of Interactive Storytelling Useful Tips for Horror Game Designers 4-Layers, a narrative design approach Alien: Isolation and the two hardest problems in horror Thoughts on Alien: Isolation and horror simulation Thoughts on Until Dawn and Interactive Movies GDC 2016 Lecture Resources Thoughts on Inside and playable stories Traversal and the Problem With Walking Simulators Videogames - too much fun for their own good? Resident Evil and the power of narrative context Navigating the Space of Game Design Evoking Presence Mental Models Story - What is it good for? 6 Reasons For Having a Defenseless Protagonist The SSM Framework of Game Design Planning - The Core Reason Why Gameplay Feels Good Choices, Consequences and the Ability to Plan Gaps of the Imagination The Complexity Fallacy The Illusion of an Analog World Obviously, not all of these are 100 % relevant to TDM's style of gameplay, but they can still provide some food for thought. Also, possible tips for FM makers: On versioning (or how the simplest thing can save you from the hardest pain) What could possibly go wrong ? (Updated to November 2018 standards.)
  5. AFAIK, all base music for TDM is custom, so there should be no copyright claims. Adding copyrighted music to a video about TDM might be problematic, but other than that...
  6. Quite inventive. I especially like those doors. :-)
  7. Very interesting sailing ship, keep it up. BTW, does anyone know whether we have a good-looking cog ship model somewhere in the assets ?
  8. Uh, yeah, I almost forgot about Bridgeport still being in The Empire ! However, you've just given me a good idea on how to modify the backstory of Newport in a way that doesn't conflict with Bridgeport's history and what we know about The Empire.
  9. Other: I like both option 1 and option 3, though for the sake of TDM's successful future, I'd prefer an emphasis on option 1. If I get good at FM making and release at least two or three FMs in the coming years, I might try my hand at option 3 by making an FM set outside the standard TDM setting. And I'd have somewhere to place an FM like that: For about a year now, I've been developing my own fantasy setting and an RPG set in it (the game itself is the main reason I started developing the setting, though I made some early notes on it already years ago). The RPG is unusual, since I've centered it all around being a professional thief or a member of a thieves' guild. Naturally, there is some inspiration from Thief in it, though not excessive. I've also taken inspiration from other classic games like Arcanum, and a ton of various fiction and non-fiction, usually historical. The setting itself is a bit Discworld-ian in tone (an equal blend of humour and seriousness) and though it is European-inspired, I've gone for something of a "weird Europe" approach. While the inspirations are still firmly rooted in European history, I've reworked the "western" nations in such a way that they differ a lot from the standard fantasy tropes associated with them in most works. The rest of the continent has a sort of "more eastern" flavour and generally uses sources of inspiration that I think a vast majority of fantasy fans rarely exploit and tend to overlook. Guess that leaves more for me, heh ! Part of the reason why I'd prefer to contribute to TDM's own universe in at least my first few missions is exactly this reason. It's stil in flux, and even after tens of FMs, we're still only establishing some of its specifics (what might or might not become "canon", if you will). I like the simple beauty of this approach: The setting grows organically from our own works over time (and them occassionally cross-referencing each other), with a few basic rules for this universe being the overall glue that holds it together.
  10. But I like Newport. I'm already thinking about explaining its name as the result of some colonists from Bridgeport (and eventually elsewhere) originally founding a trade post with a small dock on the site of the future town. Over time, it became strategically important or lucrative for local shipping routes. What until then amounted to a hamlet, quickly grew into a bigger village, and eventually, a town. I might add a few colourful details to the backstory of the town (with a hint of inaccuracy or popular misconceptions). Some ideas I've had is that the creation or development of the the naval trading post might have been spearheaded by some nobelman or businessman who was originally from Bridgeport, but became infamous or unwanted over there (due to making enemies, or embarassing himself among the local cream of society, or having major debts or other economic problems) and decided to move out and start anew. Plus, he coupled this with an "I'll show them !" attitude and was instrumental in trying to prop up Newport's growth as a potential rival to Bridgeport. Ultimately, it didn't end up that way, but in the 200-300 years time, Newport did become a fairly major town (or small city) on that part of the coastline. Obviously, this backstory idea could influence the visual presentation of the town. Like many boom towns throughout history, I think Newport might be an odd mix of very regular town planning and very higgledy-piggledy, spontaneous construction from the past. The former would be predictable in parts of the town that were meant to serve as something of a "display case" of its economic prosperity, while the less regulated architecture would litter the bits that few cared about in the long run. As for the distance from Bridgeport, it should be at least a few dozen miles. In our modern measurements, maybe some 80 kilometers down the coast.
  11. Eh, but I'm not into translating the names of the settlements (despite working on a localisation now, which I will soon be finishing). I just wanted to ask whether Newport was ever used as a setting in any FMs, since I want to use it in mine and was interested whether there is any lore about it to build upon. I guess it'll fall to me to establish some stuff about it then !
  12. Sounds like the perfect opportunity for your's truly to finally use it for something. I also plan to have an off-handed reference to Singsmarsh in the FM, as one of the character's family originates from there. It's a town briefly mentioned (but not seen) in the older mission Lockdown.
  13. Well, here are some links: http://wiki.thedarkmod.com/index.php?title=I18N_-_Translator%27s_Guide#German http://forums.thedarkmod.com/topic/10648-german-terminology/page-5?do=findComment&comment=294719 "And that's all she wrote...", basically. Which surprised me, as I was under the impression that Newport is this already FM-established town, in the vein of Sotha's Glenham (and its multiple appearences, direct and through mentions).
  14. Weird question, but for all I've read of Newport, I haven't seen a single FM set there. I was wondering about this precisely because I wanted to know if it had been portrayed in any FMs, as I'm planning of using it as a setting in my own. I'd like to keep some of the "lore" on it (for lack of a better term) consistent, hence my search. (I've also been expanding the wiki's list of towns appearing in TDM, but that's more of a secondary concern.) Aside from the discussion on how to translate Newport's name in the German localisation, I have not see a single mention of it. So, is it currently in limbo as a location concept for the TDM universe ? Was it at least mentioned in some readables in any particular missions ? I'd really like to know.
  15. I love those shows. There's loads of insightful stuff in them.
  16. Some of you are probably familiar with these BBC living history documentary series, but to those who aren't, I recommend giving them at least a single watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5IMeODLND8 Secrets of the Castle (playlist of episodes) Learning about 13th century castle construction and maintenance via the long-running Guédelon Castle project. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1ERDYjsHBg Tudor Monastery Farm (playlist of episodes) Farming in early Tudor England, at the start of the 1510s. A Tudor Feast at Christmas (playlist of episodes) How the nobility and better-offs of Tudor England prepared and enjoyed their Christmas time feasts. Tales from the Green Valley (playlist of episodes) Life at a restored sheep farm in the Welsh borderlands in 1620, during the reign of James I. Victorian Farm Life at a Shropshire farm in the 1880s and 1890s. Now firmly in the industrial era, but still prior to the advent of mass motorisation. Victorian Pharmacy Barmy as well as reasonable medical treatments from the second half of the 19th century. Even pharmacies had their childhood hiccups before they became increasingly professional institutions. Edwardian Farm Life in early 20th century Devon, in the Tamar river valley. Farming, fishing, crafts, industry, mining, the rise of motorised transport, even tourism and seaside holidays... You can find plenty of inspirational stuff in them when it comes to portraying crafts, agriculture, industries, transport and even festive culture of the past. I think the pharmacy episodes might be a good bit of inspiration if you want to portray some early modern apothecaries in certain city-based FMs. The individual series have, inadvertently, covered the diapason of periods that served as sources of inspiration for Thief and TDM. So you owe it to yourself to try these out. I think they're really informative, plus the historians hosting each series have a good sense of humour to go with their professionalism. Note that I've sorted the shows by period, not by their actual production year. P.S. I don't condone unofficially uploading stuff to YouTube, but when it comes to these sorts of docus, I'm willing to turn a blind eye and thank those who've put them up.
  17. As I've promised earlier, I'll try to make some, and record them in a sound-dampened environment (I have a bit of experience with that, despite not having top-notch sound recording equipment at home). The downside is that winter has already passed and we didn't have that much nicely crackling ice this winter anyway. But that's nothing a little trickery with water, a freezer, a baking tray, a soft pad and a heavy boot can't fix.
  18. Sorry to hear that. If I could help, I definitely would. Pity there isn't much of a possibility for me to help speed up the development process on this campaign. It would be awesome if it was finished one day. If I may ask, how much of the campaign is finished at this point, expressed in percents ? Just curious.
  19. Well, of the existing missions... Lord Dufford's is set in Lunarium, "a city that lies five thousand leagues east of Bridgeport, and is home to many people who came here due to the magical healing properties in the air surrounding the spires". I have not played that FM, but it sounds interesting. (And it's possibly a homage of sorts to TDP's The Mage Towers mission). Briarwood Cathedral had, for some strange reason, palm trees. I know it's on an island and there is a pirate subplot in the story, but I always found the presence of palms to be a bit peculiar in that mission.
  20. Played this on medium difficulty. I usually don't like missions with forced ghosting and very minimal equipment, but I've really enjoyed this one. The general's hidden safe impressed me with its technical finesse, though it took me a while to figure out how it works. The only major bug I've experienced in the mission was when the drunk bowman occassionally got up, walked towards the wall next to mess hall entrance, and kept on walking, making some rather hilarious animations. All in all, a very good mission, Sonosuke.
  21. I've finished playing both In A Time of Need and Breaking Out the Fence tonight (the former on highest difficulty, the latter on medium difficulty), Excellent work on both Kyyrma ! The first one is an exemplary easy mission for someone who's just learning the ropes on TDM gameplay. I wouldn't hesitate to say that it would be an excellent mission if it was included alongside the training mission and The Tears of St. Lucia. As for the second one, you've done some proper hard work on making the rainy environment look very convincing and atmospheric, the spider tunnel was quite spooky, the design details of the tavern and the shop were great (in some places downright exquisite), and most of all, you've made an excellent prototype for security sensors ! I second those who've asked you to maybe offer them as a permanent addition to the game assets. They'd be great to see in other FMs ! The little pier with the boat, the green coded safe and the light switches in the hallways and rooms gave me a very Thief II-esque vibe. No mean feat on your part. These are simply great missions !
  22. it is ? Dang... I still haven't finished it. I guess I still have to postpone updating my copy of TDM.
  23. Thank you. Actually, this might even work ! Not sure yet, but now that I've seen the screenshot, I'll give it some thought. I'd need to do some reskining, obviously, (the symbols would have to go, etc.), but it does look serviceable for the character. Given that I want the lady to reoccur in some future FMs featuring the same protagonist, and the fact that I want to use her as a semi-active part of those storylines, she'll need a more practical and less homelier look (as she's basically an ordinary maid during the events of the first FM). This hooded look with the long cloak might be just right for her (especially in the later FMs), provided I can make a somewhat unique skin for her AI. If the new vocal set for the female mage gets done by then, I'll need to find a different female voice actor either way, given that this will be a recurring character and I want to make her feel a bit unique.
  24. I like your suggestion of using a different AI and reskinning it as a time-saving measure, guys, but if the clothing that the female mage is wearing is a bit too robe-like, I think it might not seem as realistic. Obviously, I could adapt the visual side of the story to this temporary solution a bit, but I just need to be sure that the mage lady is not dressed in something that looks too much like... well, a night gown. It would be unintentionally amusing, even if I reskinned the clothing. So I'm hoping that she's wearing something roughly in the vein of a warm cloak that would make sense during the winter time. As I currently have DR uninstalled and I only plan to put it back on once I run the TDM updater (which is not yet), could I ask you for a simple screenshot of the female mage AI ? That would be really, really helpful. Thanks in advance ! To explain my need for such an NPC a bit further: The storyline of my FM will feature the protagonist cooperating closely with a female ally, and though she won't be by his side for the entirety of the FM (only from around the middle of it), both characters will have to cross quite a big chunk of the city streets in the FM, and reach a certain gatehouse. They'll walk outside the gate and into the wilderness and the mission will end there, as they're leaving the city (preliminarily, I am thinking of utilising Newport as the setting for the FM).
  25. I've listened to your tracks and I like quite many of them, but you would probably have to practice more ambient stuff at first. Your tracks are usually closer to more orchestral or instrument-heavy music. You seem to know your stuff, though, so feel free to offer us help if you start work on something that could fit TDM. Seconded.
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