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Fan Mission: The Heart of Lone Salvation by Fidcal, Baddcog & Bikerdude (2010/04/02)


Fidcal

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It´s too late to edit my post, so please don´t post sth like this: ;)

http://www.forumspil...Double_post.jpg

 

I just forgot to comment about the briefing-text-delay, because I couldn´t read all in time and hence it was hard to notice the pictures.

 

The actual version of Somewhere above the City has a perfect delay and also the text is split that makes it more easy and fun to read and to watch the shots provided during the briefing. Maybe Graymans values should be wikified? For the sake of slow-readers and non-english-speakers?

 

edit: Damn you Fidcal, you ruined my Double-Post-joke by posting at the same time! :laugh:;)

 

Okay, then I´ll try it in Director´s Cut, so I´ll have to use the Thief2´s note-system that I never used before, though it´s a nice feature.

Edited by LEGION

-> Crisis of Capitalism

-> 9/11 Truth

->

(hard stuff), more
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The reason I didn't use more ambience music is more likely I didn't think of it. I think I put some dramatic music when you first got inside to signify danger and in one or two places I put sound ambience. Guess I didn't dwell on it too much.

 

Please, do dwell on it more. Ambient sounds are major contributor to atmosphere, and yours FMs are almost perfect by any means.

Do you remember that moment in NHAT when you enter the vertical shaft ? Ambient sound that starts to play makes me shiver... it makes the moment more enjoyable, and imprints it to your memory.

Your dramatic moments are working well, but i agree with Legion, please use more ambient, its worth.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I already stated here how much I liked this epic mission of yours but I feel like saying it one more time!

 

No sentence can stress enough how much I enjoyed every aspect of this mission but here it goes >>

THIS IS MOST DEFINITELY ONE OF THE GREATEST MISSION I HAVE EVER PLAYED IN GENERAL!!!

 

 

 

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  • 4 weeks later...
[quote name='PranQster' date='05 April 2010 - 05:08 PM' timestamp='1270444092' post='213777']Somewhere there is 150 loot still calling to me, but I cannot locate it.[/quote]

I'm working on the loot list for this mission now, which could help aid you in working out what you're missing.

The alpha list is already done. Will play through in super-secret stealthy mode tomorrow to refine for the beta, then add up all the numbers for a hopeful final.
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I'm working on the loot list for this mission now, which could help aid you in working out what you're missing.

 

The alpha list is already done. Will play through in super-secret stealthy mode tomorrow to refine for the beta, then add up all the numbers for a hopeful final.

 

Here it is, the loot list in all its glory.

 

I'm working on a walkthrough as well, which takes you through all of the secrets too.

 

I should also add that all the loot lists are listed at our wiki too:

http://wiki.thedarkmod.com/index.php?title=Fan_Missions_for_The_Dark_Mod

Edited by pmw57
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Ruth's

footlocker is in the same room as her key (in the west corridor.)

 

 

I'm finding that the key doesn't want to work on what is supposed to be Ruth's footlocker.

 

 

 

To be clear, this is the maid's room where under a pillow is Ruth's footlocker key, and at the end of that bed is the footlocker that the key is supposed to open.

 

 

Instead of being a bug, could this possibly be explained in-game?

 

 

Where Ruth's attitude causes Emma to get back at her by switching her key with one that doesn't work? Needless to say, the master footlocker key does the job instead

 

Edited by pmw57
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Yes it's a bug caused by a wrong name. It was working at one time but all the chests had to be changed at a later date.

 

I'm still sticking with infighting among the maids. Emma gets back at Ruth for her poor attitude by switching keys on her.

 

The walkthrough is now done, for a wonderfully complicated mission. It guides you through all of the clues, keys, secrets and objectives.

 

I'm all a gibber now, but can't quite bring myself to some up with pretty photos for it.

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I was just able to play this recently as well (it came out during my nomadic period last year). This was a great mission, and made all the hard work we put into TDM well worth it. :) I got a bit fatigued with searching for things after a while, because I started at 8 PM and didn't finish 'till 4 AM, but that's the sign of a good mission!

 

Had to look things up three times:

Once in the library to find the secret door, because I had somehow walked past Ruth's room without going in, thinking I had already been there. Once to look at where the switch was to open the weight blocking off Sam's pit. I tried standing on the crates and checking the upper beam, but I didn't put it right at the corner where the switch was. I don't think that switch can be seen at all from the ground if you're looking up at it. Evil! And I cheated finally to find out how to destroy the Heart, when flushing it down the pool drain or the tub wasn't working. Overall great mission. I loved the Heart chamber with its protector (although the first time I accidentally bumped a stone underneath where the mechanical beam comes down, breaking the whole thing and forcing a reload). The story overall was excellent.

 

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I tried standing on the crates and checking the upper beam, but I didn't put it right at the corner where the switch was. I don't think that switch can be seen at all from the ground if you're looking up at it. Evil!

 

It depends on where you stand.

 

 

If you're near the wall (block in front of you, doorway beyond that) then it's not too hard to see a dark rectangle when you look up at one end of the supporting beam.

 

 

Yeah okay, it's hard to know what that relates to until you get to it.

 

And I cheated finally to find out how to destroy the Heart, when flushing it down the pool drain or the tub wasn't working.

 

Umm, the objective says:

"by casting it at the far end of the pure spring waters below Edridge", which since I entered via the water well, helped to remind me about it.

 

 

I don't know if you saw it, but

the pump room has a message too about "pure spring water beneath the foundations of Edridge Hall"

 

Edited by pmw57
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Umm, the objective says:

"by casting it at the far end of the pure spring waters below Edridge", which since I entered via the water well, helped to remind me about it.

 

 

I don't know if you saw it, but

the pump room has a message too about "pure spring water beneath the foundations of Edridge Hall"

 

 

 

 

I saw that, but I also saw the note about how the bathing pool draws up the spring water. So I figured hey, same water. But apparently that's not how the magic works. :) How was I to know that the underground river I used to enter the place was the underground spring water the notes referred to? For all I knew, that was a separate sewage line. It was accessible by a manhole after all.

 

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I saw that, but I also saw the note about how the bathing pool draws up the spring water. So I figured hey, same water. But apparently that's not how the magic works. :) How was I to know that the underground river I used to enter the place was the underground spring water the notes referred to? For all I knew, that was a separate sewage line. It was accessible by a manhole after all.

 

 

Yeah, that puzzled me too.

 

 

I figured that the water at the bottom of the well was pure, but by the time you've waded down to the end of the tunnel, there's stuff from the water well and from the manhole cover that would be affecting the water. Not to mention my grotty socks and feet.

 

 

Surely the water gets more pure upstream?

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Yes, some things were necessarily contrived because I think up ideas as I go along rather than design the whole idea before building.

The idea of destroying the Heart at the far end of the spring water was because the Heart is bound up in the owner's intent. So I had the vague idea he has to totally abandon it so he can't retrieve it. Since I already had the water it seemed an opportunity to use that end for a purpose plus the purity of the water seemed kind of symbolic.

 

 

I learn from feedback from each mission so the next one won't have so many keys, will have more clues, etc. Having said that, there will still be at least 5 or 6 main items to find so I'm going to have to try to make them challenging while at the same time not frustrating for all types of player mindsets. No pressure! :rolleyes:

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I learn from feedback from each mission so the next one won't have so many keys, will have more clues, etc. Having said that, there will still be at least 5 or 6 main items to find so I'm going to have to try to make them challenging while at the same time not frustrating for all types of player mindsets. No pressure! :rolleyes:

 

You're doing a great job so far, and even though you're far above my level of skill, it's great to know that you're still on the path to refine things to a more excellent degree.

Edited by pmw57
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Just read through the walkthrough. Good job - very comprehensive yet concise. I'll add a note to the ttlg thread if you've not already.

 

Notes:

 

 

Worth mentioning that everything can be ghosted so blackjack and water arrows are optional (eg, banquet hall.)

 

Blackjack the lord if no gas arrow or indeed, it is possible to ghost it by timing it carefully.

 

Use F key to reach gems. I would say "lean forward (default F key)"

 

"Ceremonial dagger in lady Helena's chamber" I'm wondering if players will think only of the bedroom? Maybe say 'chamberS'?

 

"Agnes is dead, meaning that Martha pretends to be Agnes to console Helena" This is incorrect. Lord Edridge deceives Lady Helena that Agnes is still alive and that Martha is with her by getting someone else (unknown but note it is the same handwriting as Ruth!) to write letters to Helena pretending to be Agnes.

 

Worth emphasing that the interrogation room key is in the cabinet below the Heart. One or two players grabbed the Heart and ran because of the spider.

 

Man in cage is not a blacksmith he is a guard named Bladesmith.

 

 

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Just read through the walkthrough. Good job - very comprehensive yet concise. I'll add a note to the ttlg thread if you've not already.

 

 

Thanks. I did a preliminary one and realised that notes and secrets were sometimes out of order. I realise that multiple paths may be possible, but despite that it was possible to reorder things so that clues came before what they were used for.

 

Notes:

 

 

Worth mentioning that everything can be ghosted so blackjack and water arrows are optional (eg, banquet hall.)

 

 

Blackjack the lord if no gas arrow or indeed, it is possible to ghost it by timing it carefully.

 

 

Yep, I went through today picking up no loot, no weapons, just getting all the notes/books/secrets/objectives on super hard and it was a great time.

 

I'll update the walkthrough with your improvements. Thanks.

Edited by pmw57
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I finally played this FM too, and I have to say I really enjoyed this mission!

There were just a few negative aspects in my opinion, in some cases the AI dont work correct, for example in the beginning area

near the main gate i killed some guards with the bow without causing a alarm, some of the other guards get out of their quaters too look out for a stranger, they ran above the dead bodies of the other guards without calling for an alarm.

Also there were many books and papers to read, probably because my english is not the best this was a bit hard for me.

After i knocked out everyone in the map, I was spending hours of time to search for keys for locked doors in the map, in the end i found every key except the one for the library (how to hell do i get in there?!;))

The atmosphere, the sounds and the gameplay was really cool, i really was addicted to this mission, i played hours per day, I couldnt stop playing,

probably going to play this mission again

10/10!

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This is like my first fan mission to play on Dark Mod (I just got Dark Mod lol)

 

I was wondering throughout the mission "are they all this good?" because the Heart of Lone Salvation is a really great mission. I really like the progression and the different paths you can take.

 

That said, I quickly began feeling completely overwhelmed with the onslaught of objectives! I chose the expert mode (b/c I have a "high-end" pc), and I'm not having a problem avoiding detection and whatnot (with the help of many quicksaves), but I have yet to figure out how to get the heart of the box, where to get the evidence, and pretty much every other objective (without going into spoilers).

 

But I'll keep playing. I was reading through this thread and already read a couple spoilers (my own fault).

 

One thing I can't figure out is how to open the door in the courtyard area that has the rickety door and the green ambient light everywhere..

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I was wondering throughout the mission "are they all this good?" because the Heart of Lone Salvation is a really great mission. I really like the progression and the different paths you can take.

 

This mission is up among the best ones that are out there.

 

That said, I quickly began feeling completely overwhelmed with the onslaught of objectives! I chose the expert mode (b/c I have a "high-end" pc), and I'm not having a problem avoiding detection and whatnot (with the help of many quicksaves), but I have yet to figure out how to get the heart of the box, where to get the evidence, and pretty much every other objective (without going into spoilers).

 

The major path of the mission starts when

you find the secret room that one of the maids was writing about

 

 

But I'll keep playing. I was reading through this thread and already read a couple spoilers (my own fault).

 

One thing I can't figure out is how to open the door in the courtyard area that has the rickety door and the green ambient light everywhere..

 

 

That's the garden door.

The cook wrote something about the key to the garden area

 

 

If things do get desperate, a walkthrough and loot list are available for this mission from our missions wiki page.

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  • 5 weeks later...

Replaying a bit of this for betta to beta 1.03.

 

Thought I'd mention a couple of things I wish was standard FM craft:

 

  1. The Objectives explicitly tell you if you are going to miss anything by selecting this or that Level Of Difficult. (bonus here is that there is none of this nonsense anyway, IIRC, but if FM authors insist on doing this kind of thing I'd hope they'd let those who are about to choose an easier difficulty know).
  2. On the higher Levels OF Difficulty the "no-kill" "no-KO" and "no-alert" Objectives are optional. So they are kept track of (and it works because I plugged the very first merc I saw with a broadhead to the mid-brain), but they are not mission ending.
  3. During the sometimes long (and I'm sure very long for low-end PCs) initial "Mission Loading" phases what to do? Get cuppa, sure but then you might get your ass kicked if you go for you cuppa for too long and the mission opens dropping you in at a move-yer-ass-before-it-gets-kicked time and place. So, barring that and knowing that this phase is not where the team can programatically get at it to do anything about pre-loading, or allowing other things to happen... what do Fidcal & Badcog do? They at least give us a bit of "readable" on the splash screen for this phase. Nice.

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Haven't played nearly long enough to have expected the mangled or mysteriously dead bodies... but I will say that:

 

 

 

Up where the archer who is due off at a certain hour patrols I alerted the whole bunch of guards that will be alerted if an alert alerts... and they didn't exactly "get stuck" on each other in such a way that you could see them bumping into each other, but they did indeed seem to be reluctant (or down-right incapable) to go looking much beyond the door beneath the target (if you know where I'm talking about). It was almost as if they were stuck running into each other but yet they would move out of each others way and still not go beyond, say, 2-3 feet outside that door even though they were all on where-the-fuck-is-he search mode.

 

 

 

I took up this FM because it has been a favorite; and it is big enough that I can, even though I am loathe to replay, enjoy it; and it had those strange problems; and it was listed as one not tested with 1.03 yet... and all that... so I will continue to report on the things you asked about.

 

...

 

Now, if you, as the authority on FMing, will add to all wikis, guides, readmes and instructional videos those things I mentioned as nice features to your mission here as strict guidelines whose very violation will disqualify any FM from any endorsement, hosting, or even acknowledgment by TDM, I think the world will be a better place.

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