Fan Mission: Business as usual by b1k3rdude (14/01/2010) Christmas FM Contest Entry

[PranQster]

 I like this one a lot. I have played it through twice so far, but am missing 10-15 loot. Last night when I played it I believe I ended up with 2068 loot and today I got 2063. So I either found 5 more last night or I found 2063 both times. I'll try again later to find the last 15 loot, but I've knocked out all but maybe 3 or 4 characters (gate guard and a few sleeping guys left alone) and searched all known places with a lantern or candle. Something is eluding me.

[Bikerdude]

I like this one a lot. I have played it through twice so far, but am missing 10-15 loot. Last night when I played it I believe I ended up with 2068 loot and today I got 2063.

The remaining loot is in the tavern cash box, 2 of the 3 coin stacks are steal-able, but 3rd coin stack with fail the mission - see the objectives..

[PranQster]

The remaining loot is in the tavern cash box, 2 of the 3 coin stacks are steal-able, but 3rd coin stack with fail the mission - see the objectives..

Ahhh... ok, I didn't even touch the cash box, thinking just opening it would fail the objective.

 

 

 

[Fidcal]

Extra note about saving prefabs: First drag the selection(s) roughly to coordinates 0,0,0 before saving the prefab (because it includes the coordinates as offsets.) Then in the target map, use RMB where you want it in grid view and use Insert prefab (instead of file menu import prefab) and it is inserted right there.

[Fidcal]

The remaining loot is in the tavern cash box, 2 of the 3 coin stacks are steal-able, but 3rd coin stack with fail the mission - see the objectives..

Whaaaat! I left that alone too. I did actually open it to have a peek inside but left it alone. How would anyone know which coins to take and why would they try to take any since it is an objective not to? I demand a recount! Oh! not counted yet. That reminds me...

[id3839315]

So did anyone get scared by the cat...

I had a look behind the tavern but I didn't see or hear a cat.

[Bikerdude]

I had a look behind the tavern but I didn't see or hear a cat.

Heh, you have to go right rounc the back by the stacked benches..

[id3839315]

Heh, you have to go right rounc the back by the stacked benches..

I think you can only hear the cat when you jump next to the benches from the barrel.

[Springheel]

I haven't finished the mission yet, so don't want to read the other posts yet, but I just wanted to say that this mission has the best machinery I've seen yet. The

water wheel in the sewers

with all the moving and rotating parts looked completely believable and sounded great as well!

[Bikerdude]

I just wanted to say that this mission has the best machinery I've seen yet. The

water wheel in the sewers

with all the moving and rotating parts looked completely believable and sounded great as well!

heh, that's the engineer in me. I didn't want to just plonk some machinery in a room, I wanted it to look like it was actually doing the job it was designed too, including the cooling fans above the generators.

 

But talking about the fans, an update to the objects needs to be done, as there is separate fan blades, but not a separate base.

 

[STiFU]

That simply cries for a new combo-entity...

[Bikerdude]

"underground" is just a concept and the water is the same. The only difference might be if there is no water surface but as I recall there is in this because I kept surfacing for air.

There is defiantly a surface texture on that water.

[Bikerdude]

Dude that would be badass! I want it for my own map

Here you go - http://www.filefront.com/15488329/hotel.zip

 

I've added some rafters in the attic as well and I've saved it in both map and prefab format.

 

Edited February 2, 2010 by Bikerdude

[Fidcal]

There is defiantly a surface texture on that water.

Ah yes but I meant if a room is totally underwater so the water is higher than the ceiling then its surface texture would not be in that room. (though I can't remember what this was about now. )

[Soulie]

Theres still one door I can't open/ find a key for. Any help?

 

The door in the alley opposite the hotel. Is there a key for it?

 

[7upMan]

Can you please post a screenshot? Although I play-tested the FM extensively, I don't actually get which door you mean.

[Bikerdude]

Can you please post a screenshot? Although I play-tested the FM extensively, I don't actually get which door you mean.

Same here

[plasticman]

Theres still one door I can't open/ find a key for. Any help?

 

The door in the alley opposite the hotel. Is there a key for it?

 

 

If that's the one you mean:

 

There's a room above the one you want to enter. Get there and look for a trap door on the floor.

 

[Fenn]

Great mission!

 

One thing that had me confused:

 

 

is the key hidden in the garden supposed to open the chest in room 7, as well as the the main objective chest?

 

[Bikerdude]

 

is the key hidden in the garden supposed to open the chest in room 7, as well as the the main objective chest?

No, its only supposed to open the chest, this was a bug that one of my bets testeres reported but I was unable to replicate...

[Land-Vogt]

May i add some constructive criticism? You did a really good job creating a mission with a great look, but for your next map you should focus a bit more on a good story and some fun objectives.

It's great to have neutral AI in the City. But I felt secure much too soon because there were just not enough guards. So in the end I spent most of the time walking around and searching for the key and the chest. (Make sure not to hide stuff to well, at least give a good hint, really couldn't find the chest without having to look it up in the forum.)

[Bikerdude]

May i add some constructive criticism? You did a really good job creating a mission with a great look, but for your next map you should focus a bit more on a good story and some fun objectives.

It's great to have neutral AI in the City. But I felt secure much too soon because there were just not enough guards. So in the end I spent most of the time walking around and searching for the key and the chest. (Make sure not to hide stuff to well, at least give a good hint, really couldn't find the chest without having to look it up in the forum.)

 

Sure no probs, I'm already working on my next mission :-)

[ungoliant]

hey biker, i took a break from my mission design to finally play this map, and i'm glad i did.

 

I had lots of fun doing things like jamming the water wheel with the big hook laid next to it and experimenting with how close i could get to all the sleeping AI by mantling beds / leaning forward before getting busted and waking everyone up and trying to run away. very cool machinery in this level, and i loved the non-linearness of the entire mission. only complaint/criticism: in a mission with rooms / corridors so small, theres too many doors. or maybe the doors are just too large, or open the wrong direction, or are hinged from the wrong side. And there are certain "things" that shall remain nameless for laziness of typing in a spoiler that should have a larger frobbable area. anyway, the vast majority of this mission was pure pwn and i loved it.

 

i finished the mission missing only 5 loot (i think it was 2073) and i assume the only bit i missed was the 1 coin stack in the tavern cashbox that caused mission failure. must admit i never thought i'd see the day in a thiefy game when a conditional objective would be set as

if(take_loot()) {fail;} lol

[Bikerdude]

• only complaint/criticism: in a mission with rooms / corridors so small, theres too many doors. or maybe the doors are just too large, or open the wrong direction, or are hinged from the wrong side.
• i finished the mission missing only 5 loot (i think it was 2073) and i assume the only bit i missed was the 1 coin stack in the tavern cashbox that caused mission failure. Must admit i never thought i'd see the day in a thiefy game when a conditional objective would be set as if(take_loot()) {fail;} lol

 

I made the mission narrow on purpose, I was aiming for a T2 look and feel and my next mission is more of the same..

yeah, that was deliberate certain aspects of the mission were trying to be closer to real life..

[LEGION]

So, finally found the damn chest. (beautiful chest, btw)

It was really hard to find cause of the minimal frob distance! But on the other hand it is more realistic, like touching the wall for a secret lever or something. (I would have hidden the last, but I don´t know how?)

Have 100 loot missing, wonder what I have missed.

 

I found the cat! It was a little annoying cause I´m playing with headphones and the cat-sound is really loud! It felt like a flashbomb, was out of control for seconds!

 

I liked the interior of this mission very much (the waterwheel was nice), but outside it was a little too small. Would´ve liked more streets and patrolling AI´s. But for a first mission release (what was it, 3 weeks or 3 months build-time?) it is a very good mission. I´m looking forward to the updated version you talked about. I appreciate more readables, can´t have to read enough in a mission!

 

Now the bug-report:

Only one mission-related, wonder why no one else mentioned it: After I took up the main objective, I had an invisible object in my inventory! (on second place, after the loot) When I cycled backwards it showed me a second spyglass, but it´s not usable. Couldn´t drop it either. When I dropped the real spyglass, I wasn´t able to take it back! (could not highlight it!)

 

The next bugs are very likely DarkMod-related:

 

In the guardhouse, I waked the sleeping guard: He stood up and walked to the near chest and opened it, I think he took his arrows. Either he just wanted to stand there or I blackjacked him too fast. Here comes the bug: When I closed the chest (That the chest was still open is may evidence that I interrupted his animation) I wasn´t able to highlight him! It was only possible, while the chest was opened! I tested this several times! I did get one arrow from the guard, though.

 

Again, like in the TrainingMission (until now, I only played Outpost and this mission), I had a sound-bug after quickloading. The music, clocksounds, and firesounds were missing! I got to another place, saved, loaded an older save where all was right, and quickloaded again. Then, I got the music and clocksounds back, but the firesounds were still missing.

BTW, the clocksounds seemed a bit strange to me, some reverb-effect in there? First I heard it, I thought this is a music-track!

 

At the beginning, I waked my neighbor and he took the patrolling guard from the guardhouse. Then the neighbor stands in front of the courtyard door (little opened) and the guard was going in circles right behind him. (I guess cause he couldn´t get through) But he didn´t seem to relax, was always searching for me. (At least he talked like that) I 'solved' this by luring him upstairs and finally blackjacked him. (after 15 attempts!) Then the neighbor seemed to be 'free' and, I don´t remember exactly if he just run, or spotted me and then run, but finally he brought another guard! Don´t know where he came from, the tavern maybe? The one sitting by the gate was still there. (He didn´t react when I walked in the light, not even when the neighbor was fleeing of me in front of him!)

After I blackjacked the second guard the neighbor came to rest by the gate and the guard I talked about in the brackets. I hope you could follow me!

 

I have to add that I was very sad when I realized that there is no real cat, just a sound. But the rats were cute, nice animations they have! But some rats in the sewers seemed to be frozen(alive, but not moving around). Apropos sewers, I missed 'walking-on-water'-sounds while walking on the left watery side. And I missed the key for the door to the hideout. IMO should doors, which are not intended to be opened, not be able to highlight, so there is no confusion. Not realistic, but good for smooth gameplay, I think.

 

This is the last, I promise! I took the key from the hotelguy while I was standing in front of him. So he didn´t bother. Maybe too drunk or he had given up on everything and was ready to accept his fate: Not a noble anymore, just ripe for thieving!

 

Damn it, I have an intention for writing too much! I hope, I haven´t bored you!