fllood

I'm stuck. How I'm supposed to leave the first room without the door unopenable and without alerting the door guard?

Very glad to hear! - thanks for the info update Fidcal.

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

1) Create a Light Entity and give it the name ambient_world. It's radius should cover your whole map beyond any walls. And the entity (as usual) not be in the void. 2) In the Light Inspector in the 'lights' list select 'lights/ambientLightnfo'. 3) Set the brightness 6 for a start. Voi la... The ambient_world light will now illuminate the whole map with a basic light, so no more pitch black shadows. ... later on you might consider using info_location to put different colored/brightend ambient lights to some parts of your map (not part of the A-Z however).

psst... this had been a Trojan we sent to get you to DR I'm still a huge pro-Thief man, but it's DR and this community that got me attracted to start learning to build ...

Good to see a new dromEd'er join ranks. Are there FMs you did release for T2/T3?

A green check mark already flag completed FMs. But indeed, any sorting possibility would be a fine improvement in usability. Specially for "Author name" and "Completed". If the players sort setting would persist between TDM sessions it would even be more splendid!!

I do compare to Thief FM's. It is a very personal impression as said. I may be wrong. Anyway do you come up with other reasons why people give up their work apart the ususal ones (found in every mod community)? Reasons that ties with TDM/DR itself? Like nbohr1mores thoughts about VPs?! And IF so, is there something that can be done about it to see less FM abandoned because of that reasons? yes, that is a major reason indeed! That some people claim again and again "oh just another room heist seen hundred times in Thief FMs" or that they won't play TDM for the lack of some "huge abitious killer missions" (see "ttlg stuck in the past" thread among others) won't motivate some new mappers doing a simple room heist or something resaonable ambitioned like Melan's latest FM speed build. Personally the one FM I do replay most is Too Late. So it will not detain myself... [edit: ah I'm with MD about Too Late]

If you take a short glance through the "what are you working on right now" and "newbie questions" threads it feels that more than a hundred people started a map but only twentyfive authors did release FM's so far - so there must be lot of abandoned assets. even if only parts worth reusabele as prefabs it would be a benefit to TDM as there is always some good share of intersting brushwork, ideas and experiments lost when people give up and vanish. It is not unusual that people start building with much enthusism and sooner or later lack skill, time or loose interest. But it feels to me it is higher-than-average in TDM that folks give up their mapping ideas. Do you have the same impresssion? What do you think are the reasons (beside time and fading interest) that so many people did abandon working on a map in TDM??

*lol* ... That's what I like to see in a playable map!! Terrific work MD

That would be a really good and maintainable approach to avoid "abandoned FMs in work" being lost as well as motivate people who hesitate to take over because not knowing if their time permit to finish them. Even if someone who adops an FM run out of time or motivation the additional work won't be lost. Like a chain project the FM eventually will be released to the community that way. It would be practicable enough if the abandoned FM's would be archived on a non-public TDM server and an list for abandoned maps added to the wiki with a link to a brief readme file which tell the rough setting, intended story and the build done so far. This should be added by an entry either "open for adoption" or the authors name who adopted FM with a due date he or she has to send the updates assets of the FM and any documentation ( unsolved issues, story details, etc.) to the volunteer managing the abandoned FM's. So in praxis any author getting stuck, dismotivated or don't have the time to work anymore on a FM hopefully send his work to the volunteer managing the abandoned FM's. Then any request to take over must be send to this volunteer as well. He then send the FM with any documentation and asset files to the new author and do update the wiki with author name and due date. Before the due date the author MUST send all updates uncalled to the person managing the abandoned FM's. If not the volunteer set the FM again to "open for adoption" and the most current version is still archived. (Only) the volunteer and the TDM team have always access to the abandoned FM's on the TDM server. This would also make sure if the volunteer should "disappear" one day anyone can step in for the role without any assets lost. And TDM team haven't to cope with all that abandoned FM workload! Would be a pity if abandoned great work would get lost...

Excellent Melan ... thank you for this awesome mapping diary!! looking forward to jump my taffers feed into the Fauchard Street ...

ohh... so pepole like me propably won't able to run your FM well, what a pity Athlon Dual Core 4200+ 2200Mhz, Geforce 8800 GT 512MB, 2 GB PC3200 RAM, Win XP (Return to the City V2 did run smooth on this spec)

... and a blue line on the floor to the next objective? ... a glint over the hidden loot? ... or a big red arrow over the secret doors?? Please DON'T! ... never take away from players to deal with unexpected situation as they like to do and see fit. my opinion: put the player in more of such gameplay situations like with the bookstore customer!!

Had the time to play this little gem last night. Wou... this is it! What a fun and well build mission Sotha!! I'm playing chronologically through the Thomas Porter series (so only Mandrasola left to enjoy) and it's great to see that every of your FM did progress and evolve better and better regards level design, storytelling, gameplay as well as always adding new things and more sophisticated building techniques to always surprise us. It's great to see how you dig more and more tricks Sotha and push what can be done with TDM My rating: 5/4/4 ... making it to the bunch of my most enjoyed FM's so far. Here are my detailed impressions: Can't wait for a final confrontation !!

I'm with the list of things Sotha said. I want to add another reason which really bugs me with decorative doors with handles: I'm supposed to be a Thief!! I approach a door because I want to open that door, enter and explore. Why else should I go and check?! ... so when I made my way to a door and it isn't operable I always think "why the heck are my lockpicks not good enough to open THAT one door" ... that breaks realism for me. ... To keep immersion on decorative doors with pro-handles there should be at least an audio/visual clue why it can't be opened or why I wouldn't bother entering. Something like "the lock is too hard to pick" or "a carpenter live here not worth checking" or similar. But then again a "too hard to pick" message would suggest that there might be a key and gameplay behind a door. Also brings up the question "I can pick a lock of a tresor but not even a simple street door???". And a note "not worth checking" brings me back to "why my character even did I bother going here??". ...

yeah... indeed both of that @nbohr good thoughts

lol @ "Taffer rating" I like the sounds... very dark story?! ... thanks for the teaser!

For that spirit I love TDM & it's archivements and have huge respect for each one in Team & Supporting keeping that idealistic mindset

Thanks for the link Melan, really interesting read! ;-) I read the same doomsday thoughts back in the days of T3 on ttlg Don't worry, as long as enough people love, play and map for a game associated communities will exist regardless of their bodycount. Naturally both a T4 success or failure will have some impact to T2 FM's. And failure probably raise interest for TDM because if that happens TDM will be the only true stealth game with a (comparatively) modern engine existing. One major difference to the "golden age" of TTLG games also is the huge impact of the internet since. It made live much more fast paced and did shorten the attention span of new generation gamers a lot with the next entertainment fix just one mouse-click away (also true for things outside gaming) ...

This is my impression as well. To be frank all that Thief versus TDM grow weary. and certainly won't rise a positive attitude. As it is all pro/con ttlg talk. To each his own. Communities always have a mixed bag of people, opinions, preferences ... This hobby is about having fun, not to proselytize Posting on ttlg (and any other place) let people know what's up with TDM and it's FM's. And that's good! don't expect much response there though - people catching up and really do like TDM will register and feeback at this forum. and this make sense. why should they do on ttlg?

cool Bikerdude! thanks. and an example it's not only about high-res that do create visual atmosphere. even on a typical FPS MP gameplay map. yep world ambient should be lower. a solid 50-60 FPS on my four years old rig.

That's cool brokenArts, thanks! please keep us updated... yaeh, definitively!!

Funny you mention that short-lived series as I just watched the DVD last week For a Aaron Spelling production (Beverly Hills, Melrose Place and similar lukewarm commercial stuff) it's quiet remarkable well done also regards to the White Wolf RPG canon and follow-up Masquerade PC games. I think that kind of game is not what Melan is looking for but for me VTM - Bloodlines is also still the most immersive dark themed FPS/RPG hyprid game done. even more than the great classics Deus Ex or System Shock 2. Shame about Activision pulling the plug on Troika and a possible sequel.

not really! I see no connection but being on a spaceship. DS is ok, but quiet repetitive. ++ two classic games of Monolith before they dumped gameplay for graphics since FEAR ... you have the choice of bullet or sneak your way through these stylish games though sneaking is very hard (ghosting near impossible). You also might try the last cool Monolith game really worth mentioning: Tron 2.0. I remember it being very unqiue and fun!