fllood
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Posts
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Posts posted by fllood
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I can't judge distance/scale in TDM as well as I would like. ... it almost feels like a FOV problem. I will try some different things to see what happens.
I was very pleased with the movement right from the start. But like you I wasn't comfortable with the FOV and bow aiming at the beginning. Since I do set g_fov 85 in autoexec and use Dram's excellent bow-aimer add-in the distance and aiming do feel spot on to me.
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stumpy's Lord Dufford's is missing from the download manager as well.
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Hey Sotha you seam to grow some knack for toilet entries in your FMs
And of course just when opening the seat one of these dealer guys urged in...
Thinks I like in Mandasola in particular are:
- The good skyline (again)
- The "pastel" colorisation while outdoor (again)
- Multiple ways to enter (again)
- All loot being unmovable (I like that decision)
- The use of subtle ambient sounds
- The conversations
- Adding Mandasola to the lore
- The workbench logically being used to build equip (the player can grab)
- The visuals of the caves
- The evil dude and his "special" eyes.
- The amount and routes of AI (a good and balanced difficulty)
- Performance was very smooth through the mission (no low fps or stutters on my old rig)
Season is captured well. However Winter Harvest excels Mandasola in that aspect.
I encountered two issues during play:
* The sky does flimmer when exiting through windows to the seaside shore
* (Too) sudden change of ambient brightness between front and rear of the dealers' building (both in the tunnel as well in the street)
Even many things being excellent in this mission it didn't hooked me in that extend as Glanham Tower or The Transaction. Please note there is nothing wrong with the straight forward setup of Mandasola. However both Thomas Porter missions mentioned have such a great interest curve, accelerating points of interest and drama I loved and which I missed in Mandasola to some degree. The caves and their dwellers were great but they came by surprise and too unconnected having been able to build up that tension they could. ... of course I'm much spoilt from your terrific last offerings in that regard.
Thanks for the TP series so far Sotha!
It's an splendid series and Mandasola an excellent addition to it.
My Thomas Porter fun so far:
Transaction 4,5 > Glanham 4 > Mandasola = Knighton 3,5 > Beleagured Fence 3
Much looking forward with what you come up for us next...
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I have a question : what people want from update ? rework of architecture and bugfixing or rework of architecture and bugfixing+ new scripted scenes,new puzzles ?
Some story questions answered like I mentioned here.
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Very cool sketches Glyth
I would like to see the Pagan - and any other upcoming - lore and beasts in TDM different and original instead adding things with a different name and look from Thief. Thief stage it's world and lore so really well. Alas TDM should feel familiar but at the same time distinguish in offering some fresh and new elements to the world, fractions, beastary and religions.
Regarding pagans, Pict, Celtic, Saxon, North etc. mythology has ton to offer that all can be spiced with supernatural elements, for example. yeah, not that Thiefs' pagans hadn't be inspired from some of these as well
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Has anyone been using this in their missions yet?
Thanks for the wiki update.
I certainly would like to see different difficulty AI settings used by FMAs.
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That had been some nice taffing ... !
Loved many of the textures, the little twist and the visuals and feel of the garden area.
Also good to see lot of steampunk stuff included.
I can confirm the bugs mentioned (wrong loot objective amout, map inventory icon missing, broken sound propagation in the Lendermann house).
Performance hadn't be well on my rig unfortunatly. Though getting good 30-50 fps all way through I experienced lot of micro stutter. Especially with opening doors to the streets or taffing the streets. My PC tend rather at the low end. But strange enough I didn't experienced stutters in any of the other FM I played so far except Fauchard and RttC (v2). In Fauchard even more than in RttC.
Thank you Melan for this fun mission and the splendid dev diary read!
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missionscreen for the upcoming fm
Looks very T3-ish, this in a fantastic way
Dual language voice-clips? You guys are really ambitious... splendid!!
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What about a voice-over?
"Hmm, this would be a good way to get out once I'm done..." or something to that effect.
This would be of course best but such only work when having a common protagonist like in Thief. In TDM mappers have very different player characters in their FM's. So we would have to stick to one guy doing all the voice acting for very different alter egos for upcoming FMs having voice overs. And even possibly end in a mismatch of voices for the same player character having some common stuff in TDM like "this would be a good way to get out once I'm done" and FM specific custom lines probably done from a different voice actor...
That is one of the reasons I'm more tempted to go for text messages regarding player thoughts.
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Backtracking most of the time isn't much fun. Therefore I am really thankful for every mapper who choose a different exit location as the "leave where you came from".
With a popup message there is the question: is the info that important that you want to break the player's immersion by throwing a message before his eyes?
Yes. I think it could be that important.
For example after all taffing done in RttC I didn't know where I was supposed to leave even I've already found the exit long before completed all objectives. A subtle message with a players thought "I have some thing to do before leaving town" would have helped. And would have less broke immersion but wandering not knowing where to leave even I already been there without knowing
What if the player is busy swordfighting some AI's and happens to retreat to the popup area? He fights blinded by a message?
An atdm:gui_message gui without background image doesn't block sight much
. ... Indeed I try to use messages for displaying thoughts of the protagonist similar like voice overs in Thief OM's, NHAT or 1940's hard boiled Film Noir movies. Not everyone might welcome such kind of elements. But to me "player thoughts" can add A LOT to identification!
Just wish mappers could position message gui's relative on screen. for example with an arg like 'bottom middle', 'middle middle', 'top left', et cetera - probably just didn't found it or have to learn to make my own gui?
Edit: found the args, changing the rect values in windowDef myMessage in the gui file do the trick
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In any case it is already silly since the smith just stands there with the hammer in his hand but doesn't have an animation to show him hammering on his work.
A smithing sound would add well to the atmosphere I think. So why not using the hammer sound until opening the room door (or crossing some stim brush)? It can be heard taffing around nearby and making the player aware that there is a blacksmith. Maybe even let the smith pause his job, sit and eating upon the player entering the room (explaining the sound did end). With Fidcals solution if the AI is KO/killed.
Just an idea...
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Glad to see your much promising work steadily progessing PranQster
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There is a way to lower the lightgems value a bit to compensate for this. I forgot how but it should be very simple.
try lightgem_adjust on worldspawn. As this affect the whole map that might not do the trick if the colored ambient light is locale.
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Strangely, this topic have forced me to think twice before I totally give up and donate my works.
For the last time, I'll put effort to finish any of them...
Even better if we got you motivated trying to finish any of your hibernating maps SP!
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Exiting new assets Springheel! ... love that subtle moody loading screen as well
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Bikerdude teamed up with Shadowhide for an updated version of Winter Harvest. WH (v1) has some technical glitches which will be dealed with in v2. It isn't abandoned or was offered as such. Glad to see that new cooperation between Biker and SH for v2
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Added Shadowhide's castle.
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Following the discussion of the Released and Upcoming thread Fidcal and I came up with some ideas how we could save abandoned labours of love. We came up with the following for contributing and adopting unfinished work maintained in this thread:
How to contribute?
If for any reason you decide to quit working on a map, map parts, etc. please consider contributing your abandoned work to the community!
Proof of concepts and appealing results from "just playing around" alike may be interesting for other people to pick up.
To do so just send a private message to a team member (preferably a mission manager like nbohr1more) with all relevant information about your work so far (see format below) and a link where it can be downloaded. Please do not post any download links in this thread. Your work will be archived on one of the Team's TDM servers.
FM's (WIP) Name: ...
Former author(s): ...
Current author(s): (If any)
Status: (free for adoption / in work)
Due Date: (the next date I expect a new WIP version and progress report)
Type: (Mansion, City, Crypt, Wilderness, ...)
Theme: (Gold Heist, Horror, Story Focused, Inventors, ...)
Progress: (Geometry, Details, AI, Gameplay, ... in some rough percentage)
Informations: (anything the authors like to share about the work so far)
How to adopt?
Send a PM to a team member (ideally a mission manager).
If you have already released an FM for TDM then most likely adoption will be granted.
If you have never released an FM it'll be less likely..
If you did release FM's for Thief or a mod for any other game please send details that help us to decide.
If you're the original author you can always pick up your committed work again as long as it is still (or again) "free for adoption".
What do we expect from authors who did adopt assets?
All former authors must be given credit upon release.
You may like to use the unfinished assets the way you like: use parts in your own map or continue finishing the abandoned map.
We and the former authors have to trust anyone given responsibility of the assets of a possibly already superb unfinished map.
We all know that it sometimes happens that people cannot continue a work for various reasons (if so, please PM the team member), lose interest or in the worst case just disappear! In this case, or if we try to contact you for a status update and do not hear from you in a reasonable amount of time, we will offer the map again for adoption to someone else who might want to finish the FM.
We hope to see some great unfinished works being worked on again and completed.
So, fellow authors ... contribute your unfinished work
List of Abandoned Works
_________________________________________Please check the wiki for details of abandoned work free for adoption and adopted maps:
https://wiki.thedarkmod.com/index.php?title=Abandoned_Works-
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@flood :
sorry,but I will not do anymore updates or another missions.Story of this fm - is everything I can think of.I know,this is my first attempt to create playable mission,but it fail.Look at another people first missions... Return to the City is very good example what talented mapper can do even in first mission.
No first release is expected to be a "Magus Opus". You put very ambitious stuff in your very first FM.... and see, votes aren't that dishearting so far, are they? Even "Rome wasn't build in one day"
Melan is an excellent mapper who did build long years in dromed before changing to DR. And even he did not really succeed with RttC (version 1) with a performance far from good because of an also too much ambitious frist TDM map . And know what?? Even advanced mappers need and ask for help sometimes. And even an excellent, intelligent FM author like Melan did not hestiate when Biker offered his help ... and together they rebuild the very excellent polished Version 2 merging the strengths of Melans architecture & story with Bikers skill doing great visual details and performance optimizing
Just remember: Mapping isn't about competition! It's about you having fun creating and mapping!! Even consulting with others is sometimes fun... And if a few people have some good hours playing what you've build and give positive feedback that's of course great. It needs time (and some FM releases) to get that experienced to be able to build very ambitious works. Just notice how Sotha and Biker get better and better with every new release! Even people like Purah and Yandros didn't build their master works in their first map! ( And no, don't even try to compare with Saturnine
) So don't be easily dishearted....!
Just listen to the many experienced people around when the say: Start small! show some respect for other peoples efforts. And ask (politly) for advice is needed.
Bugs can be fixed.
Intro easily changed for good.
Story and people's background is in your head. It just need to be fleshed out in some readables like mentioned.
... add to that a little polishing in architecture and gameplay here and there ...
together with a proper beta test ...
... and your FM will doing well
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Congrats to your first release Shadowhide!
Find my detailed thoughts in the spoiler:
The good
* Different setting. That's always a matter of opinion of course! but while I like any classic Thief style FMs that try to be different in setting are always welcomed to me. It was nice for a change to play a little fantasy tale instead of hide and sneak. I like that.
* The very saturated lighting colors. They fit the fantasy setting imo. I liked them. Specially the use of blue colors.
* The friendly spider
* Conversations
* Different locations
* I liked the individual cells of the small prison and their visuals, the starting hut, the broken architecture of the room where the dead thief is found. And also the look of the library. (I'm not that critical about things like a few misaligned textures or similar minor oversight)
* Some few nice details like the "Thank You" on the grave of the pagan after releasing the world from winter.
* Story idea, BUT ... (see below)
What can be improved
* Some briefing texts had been too quick. I did have to reload three times to got them fully read.
* Briefing should have more info: Why I'm here? Who are these guys I'm supposed taking to? Do I know them?
* I don't like starting a FM standing within a bed.
* The wind blowing sound in the wood is *very* repetitive and much too loud, very annoying. Do consider changing that sound. (the much more subtle wind sound outside the castle is much better)
* Couldn't understand many of the conversations as of loud ambient sound (had to reload multiple times)
* Wind ambient sound are in the buildings at the same loudness level as outside even with closed doors (not closing Portals?)
* The abandoned church felt too empty. Some broken rotten stuff would have filled that emptyness.
* I wondered where that debris came from in the corridor to the prison?? If you put in cave-in rubble the roof should also be collapsed.
* A few things unconneted to the "objectives" would have been great to find: some papers to read about the people and places, something in the area behind that pool, some loot ... yes! it's so satisfying to hear that lovely loot sound
even it must not always be an loot objective alongside that.* I didn't like how the castle was designed. I do not speak about the visuals. These are fine enough here. But about gameplay: Linearity might not always be bad on its own. But in this FM it just felt like having four rooms build around what you suppose the player to do and not being in an castle. At least two or three more rooms unconntected to any objective would have been nice. possibly with some background about that castle and that evil dude.
* One can fail the FM if not playing it the way you had exactly in mind! For example missing the crown when escaping the room in a way you did not design and expect the player to do. I did.
* Conversation was not triggered in the church when I was hide- and sneaking along the walls. I got stuck behind the table in the first room in the castle (reload). I got stuck in a snow dune in the area before the boss fight (reload). and yes, after five minutes I finally managed to escape that "pool of doom" ... just seconds before giving in to the reload button!
About Objectives
This mission is 100% railroaded as mentioned: You can only proceed after completing the tasks you set up for the player to complete and cannot do something interesting meanwhile additionally. If one cannot understand half of the conversations a player easily is lost. In the first room of the castle I didn't came up with what I was supposed to do at all. I didn't see the crown. So I alerted the guard by purpose, escaped while he was searching and later failed the mission because of missing the special loot. Not even knowing why.
For all that reason it's beneficial for story-telling type of FM's to add new objectives when they come into play, like: find the house key, bury the body of the ghost, get the book of nature, ... Sotha's Transaction does this very well!
About the Story Telling
Though I like the idea of the AI conversation and applaud the efforts that went into it (also good job MD!) the story-telling is much deficient. The setting is very promising but was barely fleshed out. It felt clued together to bring in different locations and various (seemingly) unconnected people. While I like the idea of so different settings in one map the two different parts felt very disjointed. There is absolutely no background for what this is all about:
- Who are these two "friendly" guys and what is my attitude to them (briefing text, diaries...)?
- Who is that dead guy in the caved-in building? What was he about to steal? How did he died here?
- Why the hell is that guy at the cart standing in the midst of the wood the whole night in winter?
- Who is this pagan I'm supposed to rescue and why should I do so? - why not hide an old book with history of the land, old memories of former inhabitant about the pagan written on paper or stones, etcetera...)?
- What happened to that guy in the church?
- How are the pagan and that winter dude are connected?
- And who is that evil wizard? Why did he brought the winter?
- What's the story about that crown being evil? Why is that room magically locked and why does that crown opens the door?
... with so many questions just being unanswered the player practically is given no reason to feel connected to all of that - or in this FM get rich at least - but just continue playing for curiosity what next....
If you will flesh out the story details the player will become emotionally connected to that and the people/AI's so that the objectives, world and playthrough will be much more immersed.
I think you had some good ideas.... the mission has a good premise, ok visuals, and also some enjoyable moments. But also bugs, some bad sound choices, a few poor map-design decisions, no story background and two or three moments of frustration (to me). Nothing that couldn't be fixed and improved in an updated version...!
back to "Winter's coming" Game of Thrones ...
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Is nobody using the autosave-to-snapshot feature?
I do. .. and very glad about that feature greebo. works without problems on my system.
Try to use it guys ... it will save you some headaches
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I'm stuck. How I'm supposed to leave the first room
after been teleported
without the door unopenable and without alerting the door guard?
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It's on hold at the moment but it's not abandoned. It will be completed eventually.
My best estimate at the moment is probably between next Christmas and the Christmas after.Very glad to hear! - thanks for the info update Fidcal.
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I had never seen this Dram slideshow: http://www256.pair.c...rt%20manor.html
XXL indeed.
Is there any update news of the status of Blackheart Manor? Is it still worked on?
The classic Thief style intro made me speechless. Just awesome in the best meaning
ttlg - stuck in the past...
in The Dark Mod
Posted
Really strange about the movement - ... after TDS the dunken Thief TDM is such a huge relief in the feel of movement.
Dram's bow aimer