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(Fan Mission) "Lockdown Part 1"


GameDevGoro

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Hi!:)

 

So. Tis finally time, my good people. My first FM is ready!

 

I'll put up some screenshots of it. I'll point out, however, that the screenshots are rather gigantic. So heads up. Therefore I wont link them directly as I know that sucks. :laugh:

 

So here are some remote links instead!

 

Screenshot 1

 

Screenshot 2

 

Screenshot 3

 

And yeah. Here's the thing: How exactly do I get someone to beta test the FM before I can release it for real?

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Interesting shots there! I hope we will be able to play this sooner or later. :)

 

(I'd put some grime decals on walls, though - they look just a bit too clean with those textures. It is not much work, but a nice improvement in visuals.)

Come the time of peril, did the ground gape, and did the dead rest unquiet 'gainst us. Our bands of iron and hammers of stone prevailed not, and some did doubt the Builder's plan. But the seals held strong, and the few did triumph, and the doubters were lain into the foundations of the new sanctum. -- Collected letters of the Smith-in-Exile, Civitas Approved

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And yeah. Here's the thing: How exactly do I get someone to beta test the FM before I can release it for real?

 

Just like this, I guess! ;) Some people will volunteer, when you ask. I can test it as well, if you want. But in the future, please call your thread something like "WIP: [Missiontitle]" (WIP = Work in progress), if you just want to post some screenshots. I instantly got over exited again as I read about this thread in my mail, because I assumed I'd get to play a new FM... ;) For that matter, if you actually release your FM, you should open a new Thread and call it "FM: [Missiontitle] ([Date])". This naming convention has always been present in thief-based forums.

 

 

Edited by STiFU
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Hello again. :D

 

@Melan: Yes. I'll take a look at using grime decals. Thanks for the feedback! ;)

 

@STiFU: Well. I'm sorry for the confusion but the mission is in fact ready. I guess I will upload it right now then!:)

 

Download

That link is good for 10 downloads (I guess?). If anyone wants me to upload it somewhere else I'll be glad to do it! :laugh:

 

(And oh... Should I rename it then? The topic? If I'm able to?)

 

Enjoy!

Edited by GameDevGoro
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Screenshots look nice! There could be maybe some more junk/details on those streets though, cause currently they look a bit empty. Also bricks in second shot are too big. (for some reason people usually make bricks larger than they are.) But I like the atmosphere - fog always help.

As for the fog not affecting the background - I've noticed, that if fog light bounds ends just before the skyportal texture, then background is affected by fog. This little trick can be used only if your gameplay area is more or less squarish, of course. (that won't work with L-shaped map layout, nor even more complex, cause fog light will extened beyond the skyportal texture. In that case you have to alter your skybox, so it looks like fogged. Maybe create some simple greyish overlay material and apply it to some cube inside the skybox?)

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This thread reminds me that this forum really needs a sticky for instructions/best-practices for beta-testing and releasing a FM, on the model of the TEG sticky, Best Release Practices - http://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=82438

 

(A lot of the things in that thread should apply to Dark Mod releases too.)

What do you see when you turn out the light? I can't tell you but I know that it's mine.

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sURE HE'D LOVE YOUR COMMENTS eLSTER.GRRR caps lock...

As an author it's always nice to hear any feedback before final release.

-------------

 

I played through and it's great to see a finished mission by a non-team member. It's probably the best compliment we could get, that someone actually wants to use the Mod and to spend their time creating something for it. I'd rather see that happen then 400 pages of 'you did great'.

 

I played on difficult, though it seems like there is only one difficulty anyway. I thought it was fun, only took about 15 minutes total (not including reloads, etc... and after a few I kindof rushed some parts a bit). Found all loot. 4 pick pockets, and like I said, I started to rush so I did end up BJing a few. The story line was good and I liked the layout. It was fun to have several options on each path. You got me on the exit the first time, I started back away from it and thought, 'I better double check...' smile.gif

 

OK, that's a brief summary of my experience. Following are spoilers so don't read unless you want it spoiled...mainly just things I think need fixed.

 

 

Texture alignments. I found a few things that were obvious.

 

In the builders building, top floor balcony area, with one torch, one window and one guard (above stairs). The tex to left of window (looking out) is misaligned.

 

 

Inside the storage room, above the door there is a brush with misaligned tex, and the brush z-fights with the brush to the left of the door.

 

Across the street is the red brick building. The bricks outside are very large, but in the doorway and inside are smaller. I'd make the outside ones smaller and aligned to the inside ones.

 

Misc issues.

Same red brick building. Outside on the awning, the window is really bright, but no light shines outside. I'd probably place a dim small radius light just to light it up a little bit.

Inside that building it's real hard to get the loot upstairs without the guys outside seeing you (or hearing you?) ,I think they saw me.

 

The door on the guard house, the backside. It 'floats' in the doorway, the hinges side at least should have a wood plank behind it for the hinges to attach to.

 

The street outside the bar was pretty plain, but I didn't notice the rest of streets to be plain. Maybe they could use more detail, but it was that last stretch of road that really stood out to me. Maybe a few crates, barrels..

 

Oh yeah, the load screen is fantastic!

 

The fog issue is weird, like I said before, I haven't messed with it. But Pink Dot had some good suggestions. Honestly I think the fog just kindof washes everything out and I'm not a huge fan of it myself. But that's no biggie, I'd just either like to see the sky be fogged to match, or have no fog at all. Maybe it's something we need to find a better fix for if possible. Not really sure.

 

One thing I think you've missed is ambient sounds. We've got some great ones and they are pretty easy to put in. Deffinately add a few in key spots, like when you get into pub 2nd floor. Inside the builders place, and maybe wind, crickets or something outside. I love ambient noise and it seemed missing. If you only fix one thing in this list I think that's the most important.

 

And regarding the pub. I had a really hard time reading the note. Maybe make the thing it's attacked to unfrobbable so it's easy to grab. I spent a few reloads and a bit of time working on that. Had to push it up against a crate before I finally got it.

 

 

 

 

I think that's everything. Fun mission and goals completed correctly. No major bugs, just minor stuff. Good job and thanks smile.gif

 

-edit

 

few more things.

 

In the briefing first line it says (sorry, forgot exactly) 'are' but should be 'is'. My grammar isn't perfect so you might want someone whos is to double check all that stuff.

 

And the objective 'there will be no blood tonight'/. I suppose this might be confusing, maybe moreso to people whos native language isn't english. I don't know. I took it to mean 'no kills' but maybe you should put '(no kills)' after it just to be sure people get it. Might not even matter.

Dark is the sway that mows like a harvest

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@Elster: Yeah, of course. I'd love to hear your comments about it! ^^

 

@Baddcog: Thank you very much for the feedback. :) I'll get on those issues right now and I will fix every one of them.

Yeah I've thought about some of these "issues" a long while. But I guess those can be added like- right now?

Since beta testers are primarily those that pick out and present problems so that I might fix them? :)

So yeah. Thank you again ^^. I'll fix the problems now. :)

And that "is/are" thing. Really. *Slaps forehead* That shouldn't have passed my grammar checks even though it's not the best. :laugh:

 

Oh and as a general detail. Regarding the hand painted loading screen dealy. I WILL make one of these for each FM I make. ^^

I'll just make sure that I catch the true definition of "Thieving" in both the image and the FM.

 

And to everyone else who happens to come by: Should I re-upload it somewhere else? Or maybe I should just fix the problems first?

 

Oh and another thing I forgot. Ehm. Is there a texture brush that can be applied so AI doesn't see through it?

Edited by GameDevGoro
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quote"Oh and another thing I forgot. Ehm. Is there a texture brush that can be applied so AI doesn't see through it?"

 

Don't think so. You probably mean for that one window eh? I think the only way is a non-transparent window. But that one light is real bright too and no way to turn off so...

Dark is the sway that mows like a harvest

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i played it a second time, this time trying to ghost.

 

First of all, it was a nice short mission, but i noticed that on the small wooden bridge by the builders doesn't make a sound when stepping on it. I could run and jump up and down, but there was no sound.

I didn't find the robber's plans in my first playthrough, maybe i wasn't attentive enough, but it might be betterlocated somewhere else.

Also i think that the underground grave is a little bland, more like a forgotten cellarroom than an actual grave. Or did i just misunderstand something?

As it was mentioned before, the design of the streets could be improved a little bit, but something can always be improved ^^

 

 

So thats what i think of the fm, hope the feedback helps.

All in all, it was an enjoyable fm, no real problems.

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Could you please upload the mission to http://www.mediafire.com/ or http://megaupload.com/ or any other unrestricted host? The 10 downloads limit @rapidshare has already been reached !

 

Or you nasty people could've waited for someone (like me) to upload the FM on his rapidshare premium account, but now the file cannot be accessed anymore. ;) We need a re-up... Maybe PM a new URL to me and I'll upload it!

 

 

Edited by STiFU
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Oh snap, people! :blink:

 

Yeah. I just made another release with all the above errors fixed? Except some little one that I've not had the time to... So what now?

Re-up it anyway and go from there??

 

As for the bridge thing. I dunno what to do with that one. And the guard seems to make right footstep sounds when he trots around on it. Weird indeed.

Edited by GameDevGoro
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Re-up it anyway and go from there??

 

 

Yeah, please re-upload it using STiFU's account or through mediafire/megaupload. I'll gladly beta-test the map.

My Eigenvalue is bigger than your Eigenvalue.

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