nbohr1more

The objective is to get mappers to use newer features. The Asset bonus is capped to 2 perfect votes averaged into the visual score. I was considering only awarding bonus points for code features ( game-play, visuals ) but the Asset bonus allows mappers to decide (risk) only to use one code feature or none at all and still have a little buffer against others who use them. Hopefully the vote participation will be high so that the bonus bias won't be too exaggerated anyway. ( I may need to add a scaling factor if 18 additional votes is half or more of the overall vote participation. ) I ask you to consider joining the fray as you always add stellar submissions to contests! Otherwise, please consider joining "in spirit" and adding story connections and 2.07+ features to your WIP and targeting the 2.10 release window. There is no obligation to declare your participation before submitting your entry. Yes, for 2.10 features players will need to install a 2.10 Dev Build or Beta version: https://forums.thedarkmod.com/index.php?/topic/20824-public-access-to-development-versions/ they can either use this as the primary TDM install or install it separately. As for 2.09 "features"? You're right, I guess I should say "feature" as the only player exposed feature is the new physics based particle setup: https://wiki.thedarkmod.com/index.php?title=Particle_collisions_and_cutoff

The bonus cap will be: Two feature awards ( based on the highest two TDM versions used ) ( added to either game-play or visuals ) One asset award ( based on the highest used TDM version ) ( added to visuals ) One "Connection" award ( based on voting for how connected the mission is to other missions 1 - 5 ) ( added to story ) So 6+5+2+5 = 18 perfect votes biasing the average. Side note: One easy thing to add to get a feature score is to add an EFX 2.0 reverb definition as that was added in 2.07

I think this is a @taaaki comment since I used the native poll creation feature. That said, it would probably look better to write out One Star, Two Starts etc given the current design.

Hello all! It has been too long since a contest has been organized so this is an overdue proclamation. Part 1: The theme of this contest is "connections". This means that the mission must in someway relate to the story or characters of another existing TDM mission. For example, you could create a mission that creates a side story that connects a Thomas Porter series mission to a mission in the Penny Dreadful series. You could also create a mission that tells the story of what happened to a side character in a Thomas Porter mission before the events of a subsequent Thomas Porter mission. If you are the author of a mission series, you are free to create another entry in your existing series but are encouraged to somehow connect that new mission to a different author's series. If you are not the author of the series, it will be up to you to decide how strongly you describe or imply that your mission is connected to the series. Feel free to make branch stories of the main TDM campaign missions or be more adventurous and branch out from a unique gem like Blackgrove Manor. If you do intend to strongly associate your connected mission to a mission not created by the TDM team or Crucible Team, it may be best to reach out to the original author of the mission for approval or guidance. You are only free to create "official sequel" missions for a series if you either created that series or have approval from it's author. For example, should you decide to create a new Chronicles of Skullduggery mission and call it "COS 4: Sneaky Snacks" chances are that Bienie would not approve of this unofficial sequel and we could not host it or allow it to compete. It is safer if instead you create a mission that tells your own story but incorporates location names, characters, and story elements from an existing mission. Further, when incorporating these elements they should remain largely untouched. You can have your character discuss where Thomas Porter was going (etc) but you should not change Mr Porter's sexual orientation or conjure some story about his desire to quit his adventures to become a hot-air balloon operator. ( Unless the author Sotha approves of your fanciful divergent version of Mr Porter ) More "safe" ways to "connect" your mission to an existing mission: A story book (readable) that tells a fable version of what happened in a different mission. A character who hates the protagonist of a different mission for some reason. A character who has visited a town from another mission. The "connection" attribute will add to the "story score" and will be voted on. ( Ranging from 1 added perfect vote to 5 added perfect votes biasing the average. ) Part 2: 2.10 OPTIONAL Dev Build Bonuses To help promote the 2.10 beta process and encourage more testing, additional points will be added for using features from the latest TDM versions. This will be a risk \ reward scenario since cutting edge features may need to be changed or even removed by the final 2.10 release. We will work hard to ensure that features that are critical to the design of these missions are maintained and improved but we may not be able to guarantee 2.10 beta features will be considered stable for production. Mission authors are free to release a two versions of their mission ( 2.10 and 2.09, or 2.10 and 2.07 etc ) if they want to allow players who don't want to use TDM 2.10 beta ( Dev builds ) to play their mission. This isn't just a 2.10 initiative, you can see below that we are also awarding authors who use features from 2.07 to 2.09 as well. The newer the feature, the greater the reward. The reward for using a new 2.10 graphic or game-play feature will be 6 perfect votes added to your voting average. The reward for using a new 2.10 asset ( texture, model, sound, etc) will be 2 perfect votes added to your voting average. The reward for using a new 2.09 feature will be 5 perfect votes added to your voting average The reward for using a new 2.09 asset will be 2 perfect vote added to your voting average The reward for using a new 2.08 feature will be 4 perfect votes added to your voting average The reward for using a new 2.08 asset will be 2 perfect vote added to your voting average The reward for using a new 2.07 feature or asset will be 2 perfect votes added to your voting average These points will be averaged into either the graphics or game-play section of voting depending on what you add. I will attempt to identify what features are being used but will kindly ask that authors declare which features are being used in their submission thread. Standard Contest Scoring: Total Points = (gameplay * 3) + (Appearance * 2) + (Story \ Theme * 1) Max Possible = Total Votes * 5 (Outstanding) Category Score (%) = Category Points /Max Possible * 100 Total Score (%) = Total Points /Total Max Possible * 100 The vote count was equal in all categories for everyone so: TotalMaxPointsPoss (TMP) = AllCategoryVotecount(ACV) * 30 Full Weighted Score (FWS) = (Gamescore*3 + Visualscore*2 + Storyscore) / TMP Pre-existing maps: The contest will be for newly created missions. Authors can use modular assets and prefabs and limited pre-made map sections. If you wish to use an existing WIP mission, you will need to declare this in your release thread and other participants will need to agree that your mission should be allowed to compete. Otherwise, if multiple authors with WIP missions decide to join we can create a separate scoring for those missions. The submission deadline will be Christmas Day ( but we can extend the deadline if all participants agree to the request. )

Here is a revised EFX reverb file:kiss.efx Since Baal already expressed that he wasn't happy with the current setup, this may be added as a replacement depending on feedback. Just add it to /darkmod/fms/talbot/efxs/ ( you'll need to create the efxs folder )

Hmm, did you have any missions installed? It may be that the mission you are trying to launch is not 2.09 compliant. Try moving all fms from your darkmod/fms directory then running the tdm_installer again so that it puts the default missions back. After this, try launching TDM.

A small fix for particle fog rendering near water: tdm_ghouse_sfx.mtr Needs to be added to a materials sub-folder in the darkmod/fms/northdale1 folder tdm_sfx.mtr

I think this is the right place. The other discussions should probably be moved here.

Fixed in rev 16360 The strange particle sprite used in the training mission collides with the flame material. Fortunately the material used here is not used in other scenarios that are fixed by sort last. That said, someday we need to make the heat haze in torch flames work better with water or glass materials ( known limitation ).

Hard to fix this one. If you universally highlight all alpha, it causes artifacts on door hinges or other transparent decal areas. Maybe a new material flag "frobAlpha" ?

I'll take a look. It could be that some of the particles in that torch are not set to sort last and other are.

Here are my latest settings: r_frobHighlightColorAddB = "0.00001" r_frobHighlightColorAddG = "0.00001" r_frobHighlightColorAddR = "0.00001" r_frobHighlightColorMulB = "0.3" r_frobHighlightColorMulG = "0.3" r_frobHighlightColorMulR = "0.3" r_frobOutlineColorA = "0.4" r_frobOutlineColorB = "0.4" r_frobOutlineColorG = "0.4" r_frobOutlineColorR = "0.4" r_frobOutline = "1" r_frobDepthOffset = "0.004" r_frobIgnoreDepth = "0" This produces a more subtle frob that more closely resembles the original version but has a slight glow due to the frob outline.

I have been bothered by the overly clear water effect in many TDM missions including this one. I have attached two modified material files: tdm_water.mtr tdm_sfx.mtr A water with a blend filter stage and the particle vfx material set to "sort last" so that lamp glares will render over the top of it. Add these to a materials sub-folder in your volta fm folder to try them out.

2.10 compliant version added to the original post

I thought that it might take a bit of work to port these changes to nhat v4 but the changed mainmenu_custom_defs.gui works without any changes needed. Nhat v4 repackage: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xyPwDQjMQH1TAH98Vd29UUiB0Nki1-7j/view?usp=sharing

A must watch: Wikipedia of the past represents what was great about early internet culture. The public was rushing to bring new information to light and illuminate all aspects and viewpoints. It was a truth accelerator because all views and facts could be openly challenged until only the most robust ones emerged. The current incarnation of Wikipedia is a hellish landscape of censorship, partisan views, astro-turfing, PR, and corporate subservience. I suppose that someone with a religious bent would say that us "free-loading sinners are reaping what we sow" by ignoring Jimmy Wales' pleas for pocket change to keep the site alive. I would grimly suggest that if Wikipedia wasn't easily susceptible to sway by the power brokers of the world, it would instead be tarnished by paid actors and turned into a turgid landscape of fake racist \ sexist comments to be fodder for news pundits who would cry "shut it down!". In short, if it weren't for Wikipedia's willingness to abide the powerful it would have the same fate as voat: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voat .. which started as a strongly "free-speech reddit clone" but was subject to non-stop attacks and subversion and was posthumously labeled as a "racist alt-right blog" by a powerful coalition of political propaganda groups and their friendly media outlets. I fear that all sites that offer viewpoint neutrality and free speech on political topics are at risk now. The new modus operandi is to "de-platform" anything that does not align to the approved narratives. For example, reddit just banned the "No New Normal" forum where anti-vax crazies share their memes and articles. In the past, when such a group would arise out on the internet it would either be shrugged off and ignored or people would engage with it either directly or indirectly to debunk whatever nonsense was being spouted. This was the case for flat earth discussions, young earth creationists. etc. Now, rather than letting nature take it's course and allowing users to discuss and debate the topic... it is simply labeled "too dangerous to exist" and banned. If you wanted to radicalize a segment of the population, you could go no further than "banning all their speech" and this action seems to be exactly what an authoritarian would want if they wanted to start a little civil war. I am strongly inclined to believe that Reddit's Chinese investors are intentionally encouraging this censorship model. China would be all too happy to inflame the partisan divide by banning all right-leaning speech. Someone needs to remind people that we have had anti-vax crazies since at least 1998 and before that we had whole religious sects who forbade any medical interventions: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Science The answer to that "problem" was not "duct tape their mouths shut". It was instead to have lots of open and frank discussions or vigorous debates. If "No New Normal" could be co-opted to mean that we no longer use "censorship as a shortcut" to avoid the hard work of countering the ill informed then I could count myself into the numbers of those who appose this "new normal".

It really cannot be stressed enough how insane of an achievement this is: 1) Let's pre-compress normal maps so that we can lower load times due to slow mipmap generation 2) Nah, instead I'll write a compressor and mipmap generator that is better and more optimized than "Nvidia", "AMD", "Intel", and "id Software's" designs

If you can't wait to try it, feel free to try development releases:

The latest hotfix has now been committed to the mission database. It should show as a new mission update.

You can create an overlay and apply your own GLSL to that overlay but such effects are better handled by integrating them directly into the engine since you can better optimize what the shader is executed against.

So with further testing, I can confidently say that there is a divergence in AI behavior when alerted by audio verses visual alerts. Debug cvars: tdm_ai_showalert Shows the underlying values used to calculate alert levels and the roles of AI in regard to search tdm_ai_showstate Shows the final results of the above values along with other state details With the showalert cvar, you can see that audio stimulus causes values to rise but the AI do not stop conversations. With the showstate cvar, you can see that the with audio stimulus the AI stay in state "conversation" but if you make yourself visible they go into searching state or higher. I can see this as an intentional design choice ( audio having less impact while AI speak to each other ) but the visual alert still breaks the conversation and thus the intended design of forcing the conversation to play regardless of alerts.

Newest Hotfix release added to the original post: Gdrive - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1e_LHa4RdZ0a1AD3FhgLq7OwvBmWUchJZ/view?usp=sharing Onedrive - https://1drv.ms/u/s!AuwAFc1gTZzehn0z9PsAVEIH0iFn?e=Gj0p6O ( No critical fixes in this hotfix, just very minor fixes for small visual issues along with some further optimization )

I had to clean up my SVN working copy with a fresh checkout last night so I didn't get much time to test but it seems that the AI sensitivity to sound is lower during conversations but visual acuity doesn't seem that much lower if at all. I will tinker more tonight. ( I believe there are debug cvars that show the actual acuity numbers. )

Did you try Blackgrove Manor: or A House of Locked Secrets or Knighton Manor or In the Black Go to the missions wiki and sort the missions by type to find Manor missions. https://wiki.thedarkmod.com/index.php?title=Fan_Missions_for_The_Dark_Mod