Fan Mission: The Builder's Influence (2010/03/20)

[V-Man339]

 

I feel like this is one of the better office levels I've played, to say the least.

[Frost_Salamander]

On 1/11/2013 at 5:55 PM, TheUnbeholden said:

Slight problem, the compass is point the wrong way (according to the map of the office, Gerrards office should be in the south east corner, but it shows up as the north east corner according to the compass.) its very unprofessional for our smuggler friends to draw a map without having your bearings.

I think mission authors do this on purpose, and I was going to ask why.  Is it to make it more challenging?  I personally have a terrible sense of direction and get lost easily, and stuff like this puts me off.  Depending on the map, some places are more easily navigated than others.  If a particular environment is very symmetrical (like a lot of office buildings) and the map is disorientating it's not fun IMHO.  I know having terrible maps is part of Thief culture, but I wish wrong orientation wasn't part of it.

Just finished this with 2991 loot (short of 3000) on medium difficulty.  I'm not the best of ferreting out all loot, but I'm not terrible either.  Frustrating not to meet the loot goal.

Having said all that, it's very well done and challenging.  I didn't feel like giving up on the mission objectives and enjoyed dealing with the AI, but felt the loot goal wasn't worth carrying on for.  I did however finish the rest of the Corbin series without any difficulty, so this is just some (hopefully) constructive feedback

Edited March 19, 2020 by demilich666

[thebigh]

Awesome a good old-fashioned mission. I finished with $3,581 and a stealth score of 6.

Things I liked:

• The wide tiled hallways with narrow rugs under lights were excellent. You could either rely on shadowy corners or run silently on carpet, depending on situation.
• Builder patrol routes were well planned out; they rewarded patience and close observation rather than dumb luck
• Secrets were well hidden enough to function as secrets, but not too obscure

Things I didn't like:

• The buildings outdoors looked like you can go inside but you can't. I did not like dodging the patrolling Builders in the courtyard for no payoff.

[Mawerick]

Anyone else having problems with this?

[JackFarmer]

23 minutes ago, Mawerick said:

Anyone else having problems with this?

@stgatilov

[Zerg Rush]

10 hours ago, JackFarmer said:

@stgatilov

Yes, for last time I tried it yesterday, with this advice as result.

[darksilence]

I had a blast with this (11-year old!) mission: extremely good atmosphere, challenging and rewarding. I also enjoyed its backstory and sociopolitical context.

Playing on difficult, I found that tension when trying to enter certain rooms was really high, but observation and patience really pay off here, and the rewards for entering such rooms are usually well worth the increased heart rate .

Edited May 28, 2021 by darksilence

[nbohr1more]

@RailGun @Springheel

 

@Fiver has found some z-fighting:

https://bugs.thedarkmod.com/view.php?id=6542

[Fiver]

In 2.12, the placing of two objects in the kitchen need adjusting:
* The cauldron is floating to the left of the stove at coordinates (246.74 523.07 30.25   -6.1 179.2 0.0).
* A bowl is sticking out from the bottom of a shelf at coordinates (229.17 696 30.25   -15.9 -174.3 0.0).

I otherwise enjoyed this mission which is well crafted in both mapping and story.

Things I particularly liked:
* That it was possible to get an overview from the roof tops.
* Multiple entry and exit points.
* Evenly distributed keys and notes with hints resulted in driving the story forward in a good pace.
* The setting and story elements: The rationale for builders patrolling the streets and the city hall. The chilling descriptions of the inquisition in books and notes, and how the city had invited this evil (or possibly even been tricked into doing so).

Things that could improve:
* I agree with thebigh's comment that it would have been nice if it was possible to enter some other building. Perhaps a room of a relative, or friend, of a victim of the inquisition and with a diary where they describe the victim's innocence and the fear of unfounded accusations keeping the larger public from ending the panic by coming forth with questions or as an alibi. Partly for additional story (mood) but also partly because it makes the surrounding accessible area appear more of an actual city than a scenery flat. Both OMs, A New Job and Tears of St. Lucia, have one such room each.

Edited June 18, 2024 by Fiver
clarify suggestion

[Wallace]

Agree with Fiver. Loved this one, it had a nice goose chase vibe with one clue leading to another in a very organic and fluid way. Was quite proud of myself when I found that one hidden key. Loved all the texts about the inquisition, some brutal torture methods there.

Edited May 18 by Wallace