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Horror themed fan mission - exploration of seemingly deserted keep in the middle of swamps. Spiders, undead, darkness. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is the story about the fate of my family. My uncle, Ralph Mac Roberts, is the baron of a keep nestled deep within the Rahenaen marshes. It was once an important outpost tasked with guarding one of the few Builder roads that cross the marsh, but after the Inventor`s Guild built a system of nearby dams that flooded the whole land, the road closed and there was no longer anything to watch over anymore. The keep itself needed reinforcement against the raising water level and the trade routes become almost impassable, not only for the carriages but for lone couriers as well. There hadn`t been any messages coming from the keep for over a year and my father was about to assemble a caravan so he could go on an expedition to the keep himself. However, in the middle of the night before he was set to leave, a carrier pigeon landed on his windowsill. My father received the letter and read the apologies from my uncle and his family, excusing their long absence. As a way to make reparations for their extended silence, my uncle invited me to the keep to stay there for a fortnight or so. My uncle had instructed me to leave my horse three leagues away from the keep by the nearest charcoal burning hut and hike the remainder of the road on foot, as the trek through the marsh is treacherous for horses. The weather will be awful this time of year, but my father insists that I should go anyways to ensure that our relatives are okay. These plains become dreadfully deserted - to the point where you more expect to meet the dead than the living. And by the way - I think I`m lost. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Download link: https://1drv.ms/u/s!Aj1DVS465udZgVkXteBbr6cUxdPH Thanks: to the TDM team for great tools, and all the contributors for their assets, to betatesters: Amadeus, Bienie, Boiler's_hiss, Dragofer, Filizitas, Judith, nbohr1more, s.urfer, again to Amadeus for proofreading and text tweaks, and to all the players for their time! Few screenshots: http://forums.thedarkmod.com/topic/10003-so-what-are-you-working-on-right-now/?p=434716 http://forums.thedarkmod.com/topic/10003-so-what-are-you-working-on-right-now/?p=429558 http://forums.thedarkmod.com/topic/19886-fm-marsh-of-rahena-beta-testing/?p=434507 Enjoy! Walk-through !major spoilers! Finding a way across the marsh area: Getting inside: Bed objective: Light sources: Maps: Enemies: Room objective: Hut objective: Sealed objective: Gold: Key: Bodies:

** As of 2.11 many of these assets have been further optimized and incorporated into the core mod** *These are reposted from the discord server* Conversions of cc0 licensed assets from https://polyhaven.com/models: **POLY HAVEN CC0 ASSET PACK 01 "SEATING"** - REV4 - narrow seats. wide seats - red seats. blue seats **POLY HAVEN CC0 ASSET PACK 02 "GOTHIC"** - Initial Release - Even more furniture - Interactive prefabs: Containers, cabinets, drawers, "working" grandfather clock - Fully modular pier kit - A very nice bed ! But AI can't sit in the chair ! Notes on "optimization": many of these meshes are particularly tricky for a very novice modeller as they contain a lot of smaller detail geometry which ideally would be baked into a normal map. That's a bit beyond me admittedly, so a much greater emphasis was put into keeping a higher level of detail but having as few shadow casting triangles as I could manage. The shadow mesh is typically only 10-20% of the overall polygon budget of an asset in the pack with some exceptions for the large "hero" assets like the bed.

Thanks for the explanation. The building where this happens is an "open plan" warehouse, 4 stories, with a wall at one end but 2 doorways in the wall on each side, so 8 total: Each doorway is a visportal. They are lined up on the X-plane. First question, are all of these portals unnecessary? They do reduce the tris somewhat, but maybe not worth it? Second question, I recall occasional problems when visportals are lined up exactly. Maybe I'll move each of them a slightly different amount in the x direction, see if that helps. I'll experiment and let you know what I find.

Summary A new plague threatens Bridgeport. There are rumors of a cure - let's see if you can find it, and get it to the people who deserve it. Background This is my first released DarkMod mission. Four years ago I created an FM and got it into beta testing. Based on the feedback, I tried to expand it and clean it up at the same time, and it fell apart (I lost focus and got frustrated). So I put modding aside. This time I plan to stick with modding for several reasons, not the least of which is that I have much more free time (I'm recently retired). To ensure that I would actually finish this FM, I kept it short and straightforward. Don't expect anything ground-breaking. (How's that for a soft sell?) My next FM (already sketched out in my head) will be more ambitious. Download The mission is available here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ymy4v38x7k286tx/warehouse.pk4?dl=1 (version 2, with a bug fix). Place the PK4 in your \fms folder. TDM will recognize it as a new mission. Build Time Six months running time. I have no idea how many actual hours I spent. I18n I have not yet done the work required for internationalization. Thanks Many thanks to the numerous beta testers, who really helped me get this mission into shape: Bikerdude, s.urfer, kingsal, Boiler's_hiss, Cambridge Spy, Abusimplea, Judith Bikerdude provided a window light projection texture, as well as instructions so that I (and others) can do it myself in the future. The video series by Springheel and Sotha were helpful and energizing. Thanks to the entire Dark Mod community for building an amazing project. Note This mission has only been tested on TDM 2.06. I have no idea if it works on older versions. Screenshots

Intro: "East of the Rahen Mountain, there is a swampy area, a backwater of river Rahna. Approximately twenty years ago the Inventors Guild began their effort to secure the rights to the land and presented the construction projects of water dams and locks in endeavour to create a water trails for flat-bottomed vessels. The prospect of increased economic exchange between the plains and the mountain settlements prevailed over the objections of displeased neighbours and just five years later the water level in ponds allowed for flow of barges. Good mood of the local lord diminished though, as more and more crops and farms disappeared under the water, wells began to stink, and dysentery started to collect a heavy toll. Guild excuses that thawing and hardship of communication with lock's staff was to blame didn't resolve the crisis. What did, was a compensation - a one-off shipment of nearly half a ton of rock crystals. This aroused comments among people not normally interested in the Inventors and their dealings. People like me. The trail leads to one of inaccessible facilities of the bulkhead oversight in the network of ponds, where, the crystals are mined, pre-processed and sorted out. Several months later... Crossing the flooded and deserted five furlongs in one-man boat was risky enough, but I took my chances and tried to take the boat through the lock, to be closer to the guardhouse. The bulkhead mechanism was too complicated for one person to operate though. Now I don't have the means to go back and water scattered my equipment all over the pond. And with no boat the only way back is a walk along the causeway towards the mountains, but for that I will need to get a good supply of food and water, so not to loose my strength carrying the loot." Description: Break in into castle infested by undead. Thanks: TDM Team for great tool and their dedication in improving it. Bikerdude for working out all bugs, optimisation, improving graphics and readables details. Caer (from Polish Thief forum) for translating. Testers: AluminumHaste, Baddcog, lowenz, nbohr1more, adriannn (PTF), Nivellen (PTF). Build time: Basic playable version 1,5 months, final release after 1 year. Update info: Unbelievable how long it was under construction, but I hope you will enjoy exploring this mission . Can't name all things added to previous version -just tons of them. Known issues: Low performance in few spots. Game sometimes freeze a bit in area around building.

Not so long ago I found what could make a pretty good profile picture and decided to try it out on these new forums. But I couldn't find a button anywhere that would let me change it. I asked on Discord and it seems Spooks also couldn't find anything anywhere. So I logged into an old alternative account and, lo and behold, that account has a button. This is on the first screen I get when I: 1) click on my account name in the top-right of the browser -> 2) click on 'profile'. Compared to my actual account: Are you also missing this button on your account? It'd be very much appreciated if that functionality could be restored to any of the affected accounts.

Yes, I started a new map, made my usual Large brush box (with default lighting/etc.) and saved it. Then loaded the box and imported the original layers. Things are fine with each layer, no internal leaks or external leaks. As I have been proceeding, and adding more structure/areas - each in it's own layer I am only having normal(?) blunders as I am trying to re-learn scripting, DEF's, etc. Can't seem to seal any building with transparent windows, and in one new area DM drops two portals but does not say why (no lin files) and throws another out as useless (inside a non leaky building but separating two rooms). Still have a long to-do list, finish town, visportals, add AI, yadda yadda. BTW I downloaded a free to use 3D cowboy hat but it is in obj format. Imported it in DR how do I orient it/attach to heads? Man, this stuff is time consuming! but loving it.

Building ThirdParty libraries fails on Linux with the latest gcc. But I have fixed it. Could someone kindly add the fix to the SVN? https://bugs.thedarkmod.com/view.php?id=6314

Building on what @HMart said, here's a technique that extends the existing 'text' entity. In the "def" folder of your mission, create a <whatever>.def text file. E.g., mytext.def. It should contain this: entityDef mytext { "inherit" "text" "editor_setKeyValue force" "0" "editor_setKeyValue playerOriented" "0" "editor_setKeyValue text" "Default text" } (you can name it something else besides "mytext"). Since it inherits from the default text entity, it will behave correctly. In DM, create a "mytext" entity - it will have those three properties initialized to the values specified in the .def file.

I tried not to get too ambitious with my first map. If I can figure out how to flag entities for spawning on triggers, I might work that into a Version 2. In hindsight, putting the tavern beyond the theater so you can't encounter it before reaching the target building might have been wiser, but I think I'll chalk this up to a learning experience for now. He shouldn't, perhaps I didn't edit his listening acuity spawnarg correctly. I'll have to look into that.

Thanks for the replies, gonna try those spoiler Tags again now for my short review (oh well it inserted one above my text now and I can't seem to delete it on mobile - this text editor is strange)

Just finished this mission and wow I gotta say in great honor to Grayman and of course the rest of the team picking it up, this was something I've never seen before in any other TDM mission, especially visually wise. I am so happy that grayson gave green light for other experienced mappers to finish his last mission. And what came out of this is really something special. I'll put my review in spoiler tags since I'm now referring to critical mission details. Edit - How do I put spoiler text here on mobile?? [spoiler] test [/spoiler][SPOILER] test [/SPOILER] [spoiler[spoiler [sfah

sorry i was using your fan mission when i made random funny videos and posted bunch of it on random video of the day thread on off-topic section. My videos are "Unique way to kill yourself in The Dark Mod : getting knocked over by iron gate" and "Hurting a guard by throwing a pickable sword for fun " . However, i really enjoyed every aspect of this mission, is this FM take place in far top of the city? The raising bridge adds a uniqueness to this fan mission and you can prevent the bridge from raising up by placing unconscious body on the corner between iron gate / building door and the bridge passage. I got a huge fps dip when i am walking on the bridge roof and in another open area and i am accustomed to withhold my composure with intel HD graphic performance

Is this building missing from the mission?

Public release v1.7.6 (with Dark Mod support) is out. Improvements since the final beta 14 are: Fixed a few remaining bugs with zip/pk4 support. Game Versions window now properly displays TDM version. Import window no longer has a vestigial off-screen TDM field (because TDM doesn't need or support importing). Web search option is now disabled if an unknown/unsupported FM is selected. If an FM with an unknown or unsupported game type is selected, the messages in the tab area now no longer refer to Thief 3 ("Mod management is not supported for Thief: Deadly Shadows"). The full changelog can be viewed at the release link. The de facto official AngelLoader thread is here: https://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=149706 Bug reports, feature requests etc. are usually posted there. I'll continue following this thread though. Thanks everyone and enjoy!

How you can help depends a lot on what skills you have. I can Record Video Recording "Let's Play" videos or simple walkthroughs of existing missions and posting them to Youtube is great exposure for the mod (see example .) Be sure to let us know so we can link to them. If you have some editing ability, Video tutorials, where you explain how the mod works, or how to use specific tools, would also be great. Video trailers, showcasing interesting places and features, are also great for publicity. An example is . I can Write Writing reviews for missions are always nice, especially if they include good screenshots. Not only does it give us something to post on other forums, but it makes mappers feel good when their mission gets attention (especially if it's positive). We have a collective thread to post reviews in: http://forums.thedar...s-walkthroughs/ Writing reviews of the mod as a whole, targetted an an audience that doesn't know much about TDM, is also very useful. You could also try offering your services to mappers to create interesting readables, or to proofread for their mission. I can Act and Record Audio We are always on the lookout for good quality audio recordings for vocal sets. If interested, you can pick a few different lines from this script: http://wiki.thedarkm...t:_Average_Jack and send the recordings to Springheel, who then writes a script based on the type of voice you have. I can Translate We could always use translations of our menu/hud into more languages. Also, only a few FMs are aavailable in more than one language, so there is a lot of work there, see the I18N Translator's Guide in the Wiki. I can Model Great! Take a look at the model request thread:http://forums.thedar...-requests-here/ and pick something that interests you. Or just post a, "Hey, anybody want a model?" thread in this forum and I'm sure mappers will get back to you. I can Animate Fantastic. We can always use more good animations. Our current character rigs use a Maya skeleton. PM Springheel for more info. I know C++ Have a look at our coding section in the wiki, pick an issue or feature from the bugtracker of the mod or the leveleditor, download the recent sourcecode release (or better ask for an SVN checkout) and get cracking. Make sure nobody is already working on that specific issue and feel free to ask questions. I can Edit Images We can always use completely new textures and/or improved versions of older textures. How to get started and how to import them into the mod. I can Take Photos Good quality photos of useful textures (medieval-ish building facades, dirt, rocks, wood, etc) are always welcome. The fewer directional shadows and higher resolution, the better. I don't have any skills Even if you can't do any of the above, you can still help out. Talk about TDM in other forums; share your (preferably positive) experiences with other gamers you know. Last, but not least, compliment people when you like their work. Saying "thanks", to a developer or, "I really enjoyed your mission" to a mapper will make their day. -------------------- I'll update this further as more things occur to me.

Okay, I had no idea, I have googled it up now and you are right, to my own surprise. Done, I´ve put some paragraphs which were previously not in spoiler tags into spoilers.

Thebigh is right. The pronunciation tripped me up too, but that is apparently how Leicester is pronounced. Also @TarhielI'm glad you are loving the FM but do you mind putting spoiler tags on your post please

Time for a new contest eh? This contest will almost be a speed build contest since we are shaving a few days off the typical 3 month span of a standard contest. TDM has no shortage of horror themed missions but since we missed the chance to have a Halloween contest this is a "gift" to the large contingent of TDM fans who enjoy some horror in their life. I wont go crazy with bonus points in this contest but there will be a few incentives... The overarching theme of this contest will be placing the player in dangerous locations. Having to climb down into elevator shafts, narrow caverns pits, etc to acquire loot or trigger objectives. This theme is meant to be paired with an incentive to use vine arrows to escape (etc). There is no hard requirement to adhere to this theme but players can judge your theme score using this concept as a baseline. Bonus incentives: 3 Perfect votes added for creative Vine Arrow usage 1 Perfect vote for creative Mine usage 1 Perfect vote for creative Flash-bomb usage 2 Perfect vote for EFX audio 1 Perfect vote for Subtitles 1 Perfect vote for adding Translation string support As with the previous contest, we may need to add a scaling factor if there is lower than expected participation from voters. 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. ) Please declare you intention to join in the fun!

I just want to say, kudos to @Wellingtoncrab for so steadfastly championing the pro-change side of this discussion! The people who will benefit most from this change are people whose voices we would normally never hear. It is courageous of you to lend them a voice. Also, at risk of beating an already dead horse, I'd like to raise an objection against the anti-change argument earlier that the current set of control complications are all explained in the training mission, and therefore anyone who doesn't find them has only themselves to blame. That requires the training tutorial be fit for purpose, and according to modern standards it is simply not. The TDM training mission is technically competent, but it fails at the critical requirement of giving new players motivation to slog through the learning curve in order to play the game proper. This is an area where Thief inarguably did it better even 20 years ago. TDM's tutorial is too long. It is bloated with too much non-essential information, and lacks any teasers of the world building or gameplay loops that would motivate a player to try the game proper. To anyone with modern gaming sensibilities, the training mission says this game does not respect your time. People today expect game mechanics to be discoverable in the course of gameplay, which largely means clinging to genre conventions as much as possible, and teaching the rest through minimal, immersive tutorialization within the main gameplay loop. A New Job is a big step in the right direction as a replacement, but unless I am misremembering, it is only a partial one. It wisely focuses on the essentials of moment-to moment play, leaving the advanced stuff for the player to discover on their own. Except the whole problem is these advanced features are not at all designed to be discoverable. If your argument is that something is fine because anyone who played the whole training mission would know how to deal with it, that in itself is a sign of a major problem.

Good work! I enjoy short missions because things are nice and focused - you get in, you get out. Also I tend to do better with the loot amounts and I was able to get all the loot without too much trouble, which is rare for me. If I were to make a suggestion though - I found the intro briefing sequence a bit distracting because it was so obvious the narration was pitch-shifted to make a deeper voice. If you felt the original voice wasn't deep enough for your needs, I would either get someone on the forums to record it for you or just leave as is. That's my only real complaint and it's not even about the mission itself, so pretty good first start!

We will look at some of this stuff, but SPOILER tags, please!!!

This may make sense in that the performance impact of the volumetric effect can scale with how much of the effect is filling the screen. We shipped with a “performance mode” but had to setup the entities by hand to do it (so it’s not perfect). If you change the LOD detail settings to “Low” or “Lowest” this will disable certain lights, particles and such that can be very heavy to render. You can try these settings and see if you notice an improvement. If not sending us some pictures of heavy areas (with spoiler tags please) will be helpful with tuning these “performance modes” in subsequent patches. Thanks for playing!

Hi, I need to know what the code is to use Spoiler Tags. I am using my tablet and I don't have the options to use anything, like spoiler tags, quote tags, text changes etc. Thanks

From the video presentation, I think I prefer the current (2.11) lean. I also currently see no need for it, but maybe a testplay can convince some of us folks. Is there another way to test this than building tdm? For example creating seperate unstable branches that can be set in the installer. This should be possible.