fllood
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Posts
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Posts posted by fllood
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Deadlove adopted 'Settin the Scene' from _atti_
High Society is still open for adoption.
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You can also add shaderParm args to the FS to make the bush gently move and sway.
Nice. Which shaderParm args precicly?
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Will your next FM a train?? Nice :-)
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Nice work so far Giskard!
Give me a heads-up per PM if no one has taken over your work so far.
I would archive an asset snapshot on the TDM server and add it to the Abandoned List of FM for anyone interested to proceed your work in furtue.
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Thanks for the FM Kyyrma - A much fun and very entertaining map perfect for one evening session!
The FM felt very classical regards Dark Project in terms of optic and gameplay. Which I did much enjoy. For me it has the perfect map size, very non-linear gameplay (even with the keyhunts) and lot of possibilities to choose your route. For example I like the many different possibilities to enter the shop.
Though classic in feel and story setup to The Dark Project it made perfect use of TDM' features. Specially for the AI like noticing open containers, doing Random Interesting Things and relight lights where reasonable. That kept me always on toes and kept the gamplay intersting within the individual areas.
The story and gamplay flow had been smooth and fun. Also because of the discoveries you can make, the 'sidequests', the new optional objectives and the little twists in the course of playing the map. Added to that there are a lot of small (and not too small) intersting inventions to be discovered (like the
radio badge for the cameras
as well as nice little graphical ideas (I like
the moshroom in a glas as lighting source for certain people in the world).
It had been a challenge to find the sewer key. But because of that it was very rewarding finding it. I think that the key is not too well hidden. For the lower difficualt level(s) you might think about to add a notice placed somewhere that hint to the rough area to look for.
What I didn't like that i didn't found a way but to
run through the siders. I wish there would be some way to sneak through their lair.
The loot objective is a little bit too high. I played on hard and only could made the loot objective after dicovering
the treasure cheast in the sunken boat (great idea btw. !!)
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I generally like the idea that the player tools have to be found in the map itself. It work well in this map. I do advise to give the player the lockpicks right from the start though. Without the lockpicks the player may be too much closed to areas until the lockpicks being found. Same goes if too much keys have to be found to make progress in the map.
Visually you might try to a add a few more visual patches and details here and there. One can blame the map feels graphically back to the days of older T1/T2 FM's. This is based on it's more simple geometry and architecture (specially regards to recent masterpiece releases from the verteran mappers). But to me this is as strength of this FM! Keeping the geomtry less sophisticated can be a good thing. And even a decision to make it feel 'classic' and nostalgic. To me that is great! My advise: If balancing your time between graphic goodness or gamplay - always go for gameplay!
I found one graphical bug: You might like to
player clip the electrical machine in the yard to avoid getting the player inside that model.
Much looking forward to the sequel!
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I agree that it isn't a bad idea if FMs of a series generally add a prefix their title like grayman does.
The pk4 needn't be touched for that. Renaming "title" in darkmod.txt is all it should take to change the FM's name in the download list.
Reuploading to all the servers the most challenge.
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@ Biker
got it. Thanks! Added Baddcog's map to the list.
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Impressive!
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Actually, those of you who have played it, how was the performance? Especially in the front door / balcony area?
i didn't habe no problem at all. I just think there is a intenal VP leak in the portal for
secret room for sound propagation from the guard outside didn't lower when the wall did close behind me. Sry don't have the time to did into DR right now to verify. Anyway it isn't a problem for the small secret room though. My girlfriend did think the guard was right behind us although I know he couldn't as the wall had been closed.
Also when I run back from the side you can climb to the balcony to where you start to finish the map there also seam to be a clipping error probably because of a misaligned visportal. I could see the skybox for a second where the gate fence and outer wall was supposed to be. But no big deal imo.
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That was fun half an hour of good old ghosting & taffing. Thank you for your release kyyma!
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Another download spike is going to hit us soon, I guess. The German gaming magazine Gamestar just posted a big special on The Dark Mod
Btw, the featured video (in German) is a really a well done and very positiv video review.
> 41000 views in less than two day, not bad either ... :-)
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What do experienced players like? The opposite of the above things? Other aspects?
Things I like in a mission:
- I like it if most areas do have tight gameplay or story relevance in some form or another. And dislike too much empty spaces / rooms which just connect one important gamplay ara to the next.
- I like multiple ways to get from A to B, and if there is some vertical option to find my way around areas and challanges I usually go for that one.
- I love rope arrows, I like mantling and hate jumping parts (I suck at them)
- I like consistency in gameplay and story regardless which way I explore and get through a map.
- I like optional objectives, and objectives changes along story twists during gameplay
- AI cleverly placed at important "hotspots" to avoid / deal with. And AI with clever routes for a challange. I do like mixed AI in a map, like drunken guards and unamored AI mixed with keen and amored AI. I do not like it every AI being fully armored or every AI having keen eagle eyes. It should make sense for the situation. It isn't fun having a map only with hard challanges on every area. I rather like the balance and alternation of 'challanging' spots with 'calm' areas regard AI.
- More lighting and relighting lights on "hard" is another good option to increase difficulty instead of increasing the awareness or number of AI.
- I don't having three or more lockpicks to use and/or long lockpick sequences on 'normal' locks (one of the few things I dislike about "Requiem".). Save that for special locks as it hinder game flow and get boring if every lock is long-winded to pick.
- I like loot mixed with about lets say 50% easy to find, 25% not so easy to see/find/locked and 25% clevery hidden. I like it if most cleverly hidden loot there are hints (optical / in readables / in conversations) and only a small part is only to find with pure exploration. Different loot locations at different difficulty setting add variation and replay value.
- I disagree on the key-hunt being indisposed for fun - To me finding a key following clues in the story or texts can be really rewarding IF logical hints are given where to search for! It helps gameplay flow and avoid frustration to many players to make at least two clues: one rather vague wher to search and a second one more detailed where a key is to look for. If a critical key to progess probably even more or a straightforwrd clue wher to look for, at least on the lower dificulity levels.
- I do not like hunting the "last loot" coin. Thus I do favor loot objectives being optional for challanging loot values.
- I perfer 1-5 page long readables. I like paper and books from AI that also tell about their personality, every day business, relations to other AI and/or add to the world lore. I do not like if the one and only readbles in a FM are clue giver. If a readable central for the story has a long length I might enjoy it as well, but if so, it should be really a interesting relevant read.
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What about a new poll??
... Now with two years past, many new fine FM's released and lot new players chiming in alongside 2.0:
And to help new players:
What about making the results of the top missions available in TDM?
I do not think about something complicated to be implemented in the downloader. A simple text list with the "top recommened missions of the Community" accessable somewhere from the menu would do to help new players and people who do not like dig through forum posts. Technically the displayed list could simply taken from a flat file (like darkmod.txt for the maps) which content could be easily adjusted in update builds if needed.
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This FM truly has so many original ideas and jawdropping implementations to enjoy.
For me it play as an adventure than a classic Thief heist, something I think Shadowhide did try to archive with his FM "Winter Harverst". Requiem proves TDM fits that type of FM excellent as well.
An awesome FM indeed! And what a large one on top on that... (spend over six hours to explore and playthrough)
Congrats' Gelo for your huge archivement!
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Of the missions I already enjoyed following more haunting FMs come to my mind:
Alberic's Curse, Flakebridge Monastery, Glenham Tower, House in Blackbog Hollow, Requiem, The Creeps, The Rift ... (in no particular order)
I rather feel Werebeasts more as monster type than horrorific in itself - if not set in a horror style ambience / story.
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Don't get your hopes up, the only thing that ever wins there are zombie shooters.
We have zombies, we have holy water and we have arrows!!
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http://www.chip.de/downloads/The-Dark-Mod_64819987.html
Download-Chart Position 15 of 425 and 100% recommandations so far - not bad :-)
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Now THIS is what I feel when I want to play a near perfect Stealth experience: tense story, atmospheric visuals, well thought gameplay, good AI challenge, great flow, perfect mission length... and what others said. On top on that innovative elements, great vocal work and excellent RIT implemetations. That FM was much fun playing on every level. Six stars from me Sotha!
And yes, this FM is 'Unusual' to me as well: For new AI challenge among other. But also due to the fact of exploring and building this excellent map with the modular building technique with great success.
The best Thomas Porter adventure. And to me one of the best FM's for TDM so far.
Thanks and Congrats to that release Sotha !!
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I figured i should get my eyes back on the ball, and give you guys one last teaser of my map.
Nice choice of using Wardruna for the ambient music for the teaser Kvorning! Nice teaser as well!! ... Very looking forward to the final FM :-)
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Goof idea bringing together all small scattered info pieces about what has been communicated and seen for Thief 4 so far.
Thanks Kvorning!
Is there yet any video available about the "Brdige Escape" sequence?
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2-4 for me (do though cross the word "ambitious"
).Graduated in commercial studies. Now a software architect by day. And enjoying time with my family in the evening / weekends. Once per week I run a RPG group (Pentragon, Call of Cthulhu) with the guys from youth for longer than I can remember. All that leaving but a few hours a week for taffing / gaming. And unfortunaltly even less to work on my map every now and then.
Welcome on the forum Nico!
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It's also possible that whoever was playing had played this sequence a million times and knows it like the back of his hand
This one I think.
Plus triggered AI wakend from idle when Garret cross certain points they set to move through in the demo.
To be fair - considering they had only 10 minutes to show a pre-alpha version I think it's an understandable move. These folk surly had tons of pressure from Square Enix not to have unexpected things happen during the (so-called) "live" demo in showing the features it had been decided to present to please the press, action oriented players and the people who are into the old Thief games. I won't reason back to much about scripted gameplay in the final game from that ....
It will be interesting to compare gameplay from an unbiased guy (not getting his pay-cheque from Eidos or the press) upon the game hit Beta - preferable a fan of the classic Thief games and not knowing the demo map.
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What the hell? So his hands really DO float around on screen, ALL THE TIME???
yeah, that's quiet annoying!!
... that streched hands all the time while walking looks like Garret being a Zombie Thief from Return of the Living Dead.
Hope all that game markers can be diabled in the options.
... so far Thief 4 seam to become even worse than expected!
Glad there is The Dark Mod for the "real" stealth experience
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That shot looks amazing flood!
Thanks Biker! It'S an incomplete WIP snapshot of this scene with some bells and whistles still to be done. However the atmosphere I'm aiming for is already visable. Obstler's fog script add well to that.
Why do you like horror style missions?
in The Dark Mod
Posted · Edited by fllood
Good horror themed missions have a strong focus on mood, story and exploration in an environment that feel very tense, everlasting unconfortable, isolated and dangerous to the protaginist. The fear & love of the unknown. The fear moving forward deeper and nearer into creepy environments and to the expected horrors. Met by the curiosity seeing and exploring just those at the same time. I like horror based missions that succeed in those elements because they do combine most of my favorite game ingredients.
Horror in a first person sneaker game is less about the AI. A zombie isn't horrifying by itself. For itself it just a monster to avoid or kill. It is the game environment, setting and story it is thown in that makes an undead spooky or horrifying.
To have horror levels work it need a tense atmosphere (in ambients, sounds, visuals, story), a setting of feeling lonely in the environement to explore bare of any AI that give the comfort being predictable or vulnerable. An uncertainty what is around the next corner. What might lie next door or happen with very next step. With a feeling slowly being setup that bad things happened at this place and the following perpetual impression that very, very horrifying things might be discovered anywhere next. All that with the appeal to find the pieces and secrets in game that might fill the mosaic that reveal some causes of the dark things what happened to the place or people. And the origin to the horrors. Creepy felt missions are very immersive because of those reasons.
An excellent example in Thief is the 'The Cradle'. In literature 'The Shining'.
Good summery AB.
That's why Doom 3, Bioshock and other horror shooters did fail to work as horror game to me. They reveal all it's horror elements to the player right in the first game level. After that the player is used to that effects and AI the game throws at the player. Added to that the player do not feel vulnerable anymore having obtrained the big guns ...