Melchior

What TDM Needs: EVEN MOAR LANTERNS! ^ I note, every existing map with a mine hasn't ever had 'dampf' concepts - of any kind; would make a interesting challenge...

Neat idea for Complex/Difficult mission debreifing screen / end-of-campaign final screen: An "Accomplishments" list / display for mapper defined ... 'Attained' "Whatevers" ( Awards / Difficult-deeds / Medals / Special-finds / Certificates / ect...) Each would / could have a textual description, icon or image added to a post-play final-screen (all customizable). Controlled thru map-script & campaign state flags, so there could be different sets per playthru - or any combination of factors.

Why I put a big IN MY HUMBLE OPINION; preface . TDM being a (mainly) a game engine for playing FMs - cannot ever really have an official campaign. This is fine, many gaming-systems work like this; such as classics like AD&D for example. There COULD be a "In-the-box" included campaign - even a short 3 mission mini-campaign (trying for an 'ideal' or best-examples of what TDM is trying to be...). The FM author may diverge from the 'standard' as artistic intent requires. The other 'problem' around split FMs, is...Having played the original Voltas - years ago I've forgotten exactly what happened in the previous 2...now to replay so the storyline makes sense again (if it ever did?). A campaign keeps the "progression" fresh - and mabey allows for mission to mission interaction. (Theoretical, but I think TDM can do it)

What a wonderful, fun and visually striking map! It has a BUNCH of 1st's for TDM: I hope there are 7 more Voltas' in the works. IMHO: it IS the TDM campaign.

The last part of this fragmented review ( 3/3 ); Ol' Zach got itchy itchy fingers - but could not take the heat in the kitchen. If you thought the previous parts were EASY; play as the thief! You are trapped in a enclosed space - with MANY wandering (hostile) NPCs, luckily the guards are quite disorganized - even a random walk supplies trouble soon enough, even for the most ghostly shadows...Even quick-save spam won't save you always, keep sets of saves when you really need to back-out of a unwinnable spot. Its truely the nature of this map, by design - and would be worse with smarter, better communicating AIs. ...I've NEVER had to 'bail' on a mission before. A first. Worthy challenge to those veteran taffers who've seen/done/looted much. Rating: Play it, if you DARE.

mechanical fire-alarm: True - it probably itself needs to be IN-flame to work...

Onwards, with the deranged Mr.Peabody... part ⅔: Once you are 'familiar' with the layout of the airship, mission execution is just a matter of planning...Or once you know the tricks - its easy to cause mayhem. Too easy, infact - the real trick isn't to go berzerk and make a bigger mess than even a ruthless pagan warrior can handle. Thoughts on the Airship ("defects") itself: General thoughts one TDM (engine) features that are now needed / apparent: Guard patrol end/start loop "check-ins": accomplished however - verbal ack. from a guard captain, or the 'Punch-Clock' system (yeah actual time-sheets, I bet they have metrics to meet in 1760 still) Remote 'alert' system; possibly Intercom - to alert non-local NPC's that somethings amiss elsewhere... The information Aggregator entity (NPC?); to whom all these bits of status/events go - and who reacts upon them...somehow. [Sending patrols? altering map-state, making other envrionmental changes? ] Also; proper support for NO-BOW player starts. Meaning: until you get a bow - any arrows CANNOT BE USED. And - I guess any "Taffer" with a bow visible - even with a fine silk smoking jacket on, would be considered a hostile villian. [Could be implimented as a 'Anti-Bow' object in inventory that is 'removed' when a "bow" is obtained.]

To be honest... I've only played ⅓ of this FM. Steampunk to the hilt - an Airship (not the only one, but the best so far). After walking a few miles in Mr.Mortimer's shoes, I think that kind of specialist, has it 'easy'. Or is the luckiest assasin alive; If the locations / people / things are randomized (and they appear to be a little); it has the highest replayability of any single FM so far. (and its NOT a huge maze-like map...infact it has ingame floor-plan posters on some walls) Also, it should be noted; The TENSION-O-METER, works PER-ROOM. (not quite obvious to me until had played a bit more) -Very excellent idea, and works well for this map. There are some HILARIOUS (limitations) TDM's assets make for such an exotic local as the passenger gondola of an airship. Also the thunder claps seem to cut right thru the (quite thin) walls, seems overly loud [I personally don't like it]. Mis-using Inventor scientists as pilots/technicians must be VERY wage invensive, and broadsword armed guards - mabey they could have a baton or a club instead, seems overkill for unarmed passenger security. A few AI bugs cause NPC's to spin-in-place when blocked by annother AI... Guards/Crew are very twitchy about nefarious passengers sneaking into forbidden areas; mabey VERY explicit signs / wall-paint or "crew-only" decor features let the player know they are in ; less fancy fittings or plain-metal walls / no decor. Trying to replicate: > THIS < in TDM and getting anywhere close is an accomplishment. Good Job My Rating: PLAY IT NOW. (Unless you are already playing Volta 3...)

As with any advanced High-Technology; its 'magic' to a illiterate primitive / simple-folk.... to everyone else its probably the usual unstable chemical concentrates. Speaking of which; my new Photostat enthusiast, has slipped annother silver-colloid plate into my collection. ...will have to send 'em a'nother box of the nice imported hootch, and silver dubloons. This, just confirms my suspicions - this was from an earlier page; a 'sound' trigger alarm. Going to have to invest in silk slipper futures mayhaps?

For once, the provenance of acquired Intel is known... this photostat - is a copy of a prominant Guildsman's work-journal ~ so may or may NOT represent reality; but a possiblity? I got it cheaply too; a box of fire-wine and some silver...was it worth it? What are ...Iron Sentinels... and they "Listen" too? I dislike these new concepts, and the Guild has enough apparatus to secure things as it is!

A Fantastic feast served up, just a little more RAW than you expected. Still, while I thought about calling the waiter to send it back - I didn't, and it was still a meal fit for a prince. (Yeah: I played 99% of the Version 1.0, now outdated and Bugtastic...) Thoughts; Links up with the 1st 2 FM parts - while still being self-contained, would be an awsome Mini-FM campaign if there was some small inter-connector maps. Fantasic *new* setting! Everything is so clean & amazing archecture to behold... Great use of the new lock & bolt assets. Somehow, even on V1.0 - everything WORKED. (All objectives so far - completable, and other things too) Flaws & Defects; existing Moore NPC Voices; These don't match the setting _AT ALL_ Big immersion breaker! The map has holes like swiss cheese, also zillions of tiny errors on brushes (offsets, mis-aligned, 1 pixel slice gaps) - mabey fixed in later updates... I'm going to complain about the lamps still; (Not mappers fault, they have to work with TDM's limited bits) - mabey more "oriental" / "persian" / "morrocan" style? My Rating: Play. Now..? Mabey wait? (or not?) YMMV.

A great addition... ...while those all seem to fit great for utilitarian/industrial/fortress settings - what about quaint manor homes and/or stone-castles, as well as rustic scenes? (examples included)

So far ... (and I'm not that far in); it is MOST EXCELLENT. Yes. the textures look very dated, YES Chunky map Polygons, YES original (er updated) Thief engine is creaky....One of the best T1G campaigns in YEARS. These are Expert-ONLY maps; and they do give the Master Taffers a real test of their skills.

Even _I_ missed the Punched Tin Lantern(s) ; apparently quite common & inexpensive 'back in the day'...seems a match for TDM. (Too bad I don't know Blender & texturing tools, and/or DarkRadiant enough to make one of those...TODO?)

Seems like something that could be replicated with a script - player enters AI sight-line / semi-hostile zone, AI. grumbles...a timer starts; if they linger longer than '20 seconds' A.I. Barks with "OUT NOW, TAFFER!" type yell, and the AI alignment configuration changes to hostile. On player exiting sight-line / zone, A.I grumbles again - "and stay out!" (unless they became hostile - does nothing then). Changing types from INT to FLOAT would probably break all existing maps, and piles of engine-C code; seems unlikely any Dev would do that.