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

[Lux]

I have also been replaying this in 1.08 (the last time was on release). Great fun, but some of the readables - The Book of Rogues and Lord Edridge's diary - are messed up, with occasional bad page ordering and text flowing over pages. Is this a unique glitch or did the mission break due to new TDM versions?

 

I also noticed this in the same two books. I'm not sure if its page order or if there are pages missing entirely. I tried reading from a cut off page and continuing on multiple other pages but none of them made sense to me so I believe some pages may be missing. I was really getting in to the story.

 

EDIT: I checked the xdata file and it appears all the text is there so maybe a font size was increased a bit in an update that pushes the text off the page? Just a theory.

 

 

 

I did have a repeatable crash at the bathtub. Before I retrieved the heart, whenever I turned the water valve, if I moved my mouse AT ALL, the game would crash. I did figure out though that I could turn it on, don't move at all, turn it off, and then everything was fine.

 

I also noticed later that after I had the heart, I could turn the water on or off AND move around and everything was fine but only after I had the heart in my possession. I thought it was because the pure spring water thing, that this was another way to dispose of the heart. Fill the tub, toss in the stone and open the drain. But that didn't do anything so it kinda foiled that idea. I thought maybe the game checked previously when I was operating the water/drain and I didn't have the heart in my inventory and that was causing the crash. Not sure what was going on when I didn't have the heart.

 

Thoroughly enjoyed this mission, Fidcal and Badcog. Wow... just wow. So many readable books/pages, so many keys, so many objectives. I completed them all however I did get the same thing mentioned at the top of this thread where when I released the Heart at the well tunnel grate, I got the "Objective Complete" message, the objective complete sound, but it would not check off my list of Objectives. A shame too cause I spent nearly 7 hours trolling through this map...absolutely loved the majority of it. Also, because of this, I don't get the Green Checkmark on my FM lists on the TDM main page :\. I know I finished it but no green check mark.

 

The only part I found very frustrating was dragging Sam through the tunnel after finding his skeleton. I eventually did it however after dragging him so far and all the twists and turns and the blocks getting caught on his legs, etc. It didn't occur to me to "shoulder" him at the end of the tunnel where you had additional height. I don't know why but I was like, "well there's water there and it must be spring water cause that's all there is around this map so maybe thats a "sacred" place??? So I put him down there which was a mistake cause then you can't get him out of there and jump back up with him shouldered. And I also thought at first, "is this the water I dump the heart in?" , though it doesn't "exactly" jive with the story from the books, I figured, once that stone goes down, its gone....

 

So, its my feeling on these two things that the water should be removed from that area at the end of the tunnel crawl after finding Sam. This would completely remove any suspicion regarding burying him there, thereby dragging him off the edge and then not being able to get him out.

 

The other thing is the tunnel crawl, I actually really liked it though it was kind of fidgety and frustrating. Not that frustrating is always a bad thing and a little goes a long way. If the tunnel of moving blocks where 2 high instead of one, you could shoulder Sam the whole way and that would alleviate all of the "pulling the skeleton along" stuff. Or maybe some other solution.

 

Initially after coming over the wall, I went down in to the cellar and searched around, then I came back up and noticed that window above was ajar. I'm like.. weren't there a bunch of boxes in the cellar? YEAH! So I brought up about 8 small boxes and stacked them on the crates and hoisted myself up the balcony and hopped in the window! I absolutely LOVE moments like that. They feel very emergent and make the player feel so smart and cunning. Excellent. I later realized there was a trap door in the cellar and I could have easily gotten in that way but I liked my shortcut better

 

 

Thank you guys so much for this! Detailed rooms, lots of guards, secrets!, great story elements and lots of them, kept me busy for 6-7 hours! An excellent and ambitious FM.

Edited May 7, 2013 by Lux

[chakkman]

I agree with most of the comments on this mission, it really was enjoyable for me, up to the point where i was thinking "Wow, this is the best mission you played so far". In the end, there is some things which really frustrated me though.

 

The level design itself seems flawless, really reminded me off some of the best missions in the Thief series, also nice atmosphere in the parts of the house. However, i think there's a little too much packed into this mission. I'm quite near the end of the mission at the moment, and my inventory contains like 50 items, 10 readables, 20 keys and what not. I still lack the keys to 5 or 6 rooms, and i can't figure out for the sake it where to find the keys to it. I never had a problem to find things in the Thief games, but in many Dark Mod missions i have big problems finding those. And in this mission the amount of hints, and side stories, as nice as they are, is a bit too much. It gets really confusing for me. Also the amount of locked doors, for which you need a key: too much... some keys i can't even identify what they are for... and with the master footlocker key i can open footlockers which i also have a specific key for it seems. I'd really recommend for a little "less is more" next time, because apart from the things i just mentioned, this mission totally rocks.

 

Btw, the doors i miss a key for are the following: Housekeeper room, Pump room, the room with the zombie woman (?) upstairs, 2 rooms without a sign, near the office, and i remember one door with a cell block like gate. I know, this has gotta sound pretty noob, but honestly, i usually don't have a problem finding all the keys in the Thief series... as i said, this mission has too many locked, key required doors...

[chakkman]

Oh well, nevermind. The key (literally) to go on, was

to find the secret room on top of the spiral stairway.

It all goes on from there! Guess i just got confused and bored from looking around.

[Springheel]

I was going to read all 17 pages of this, but instead....

 

Can anyone remember if the original mission had any problem with a weird moving light shining through walls? I've updated this mission for 2.0, but I'm seeing this in several places. At one point it shone through a wall into the outside area, and in a few places in the hallways I've suddenly been lit up brightly by a light that appears suddenly and disappears. It's as if there's a character carrying a very bright white light somewhere that's set to noshadows. Anyone remember if this was present in the original mission? I have some vague recollection of something like this. If not, it may be a 2.0 issue I have to track down.

[Friendly_Taffer]

It is in the original mission Springheel. I myself saw it too (just played it yesterday).

[Springheel]

Ah, thanks.

[Fidcal]

Sorry, my subscription to this thread must have got broken over the years.

 

I'll take a look at the xdata text. All the original readables were definitely faultless so that's a change.

 

The wall light in Lord Eldridge's bedroom I'll look at.

 

The phantom light I never heard of. I can't remember which, if any, of the AI carry lights but I'll keep a look out if I can.

 

 

Dragging Sam was meant to be a difficult challenge so that's why it's optional. It's a sub-game using game physics. I test-played it day after day. It is intended that you can't shoulder him in the tunnels - I deliberately made the tunnels too low - but it's not to everyone's taste. He should become shoulderable on exit at that water drop but I guess it's possible that might have gone wrong if the trigger was somehow missed or the Dark Mod code changed. I might take a look at that.

 

[Springheel]

I'll upload the most up-to-date version of the .pk4 this morning.

[Fidcal]

Erm... I just downloaded from the other thread.. So there's a more up to date one to come?

[Springheel]

See that thread...I've updated the link.

[Springheel]

A couple other things...anyone remember these happening in 1.08?

 

1. In the area just outside the

overgrown jungle room that the heart is in, there is half a foot of water on the floor. Objects splash and make a sound, but the player footsteps are just regular stone ones.

 

2. The huge chain and stone plug that traps you with Sam does not make noise going up or down.

 

[Sakonosolo]

So I'm playing through this mission and I'm kind of stuck. It feels like I've been everywhere but I haven't gotten anything that could be for the achievement about finding more info about the Heart.

 

 

I've been to the library, but apparently there's a switch or something in there that I need to find. I've been to the top of the stairs with the demon girl and gotten the objectives added to my list. I got the book of rogues. I'm sure that the info about the Heart will help me if I could just find it. Need a little help with doing that though.

 

[Fidcal]

Sakonosolo: Sorry, missed this. There's a big thread for Heart here...

 

so if you have any further problems I recommend you post there.

 

[EDIT SORRY- this IS the thread! It's me that's in the wrong thread. I thought this was a dev thread link.]

 

Meanwhile, as to your specific problem:

 

 

As I recall there is info in a book or scroll in one or both of the footlockers in the women's quarters (ground floor, south west area.) From memory you grab a chair from the middle of the library and stand it near the bookshelf to the north of that nearby. Stand on it and search the books for a trigger. Click it and it opens a bookshelf nearby to the east. I can't remember but I think after a few seconds it closes again so if you don't find it fairly quickly then throw the switch again.

 

[Sakonosolo]

After reading what you posted I do seem to recall a locked footlocker in a room with a woman sleeping in it. Wonder if I have the correct key for it though. Thanks.

[TeeJay]

See that thread...I've updated the link.

Is there an updated version of this mission available somewhere? I can't find the "other thread" referred to above, and there is no download link on the mission page (http://www.thedarkmod.com/missiondetails/?id=17).

[Springheel]

Not yet. It still needs a bit more work to be made 2.0 compatible.

[Warrior88]

I am waiting for the updated version too! Never played it and sound like great FM to play with the awesomeness, ie, TDM 2.0!!

[Bikerdude]

Be patient little grasshopper, I/we are working on it...

[Robobobo]

So, I'd love to play this mission - sounds fantastic - but everytime I try to load it, I get an error message.

I can make my choice in the objectives and then the mission seems to load normally, but right before it should start, I get the following message:

 

IDmoveable ´sheet_paper6´: cannot load collision model models/mapobjects/filler/paperwad1.lwo

 

Any idea what I could do?

Thanks in advance!

[Fidcal]

The mission is to be updated eventually (ETA unknown) so it will work in Darkmod 2.0. The one you have should work in earlier Darkmods if you have one.

[Robobobo]

Ah well, I have no earlier version, so I'll try to be patient. Luckily there are still a lot of other missions I haven't played yet. Thanks anyway.

[Bastoc]

Flanders has just posted a vid about this FM. Reminded me I'm looking forward to playing it (and the sequel)! Keep it up!

[Jon Irenicus]

Flanders has just posted a vid about this FM. Reminded me I'm looking forward to playing it (and the sequel)! Keep it up!

 

Edited December 18, 2013 by Jon Irenicus

[Bikerdude]

The mission is to be updated eventually (ETA unknown) so it will work in Darkmod 2.0. The one you have should work in earlier Darkmods if you have one.

Im still working on it.

[PsymH]

Any news?