Things that could be improved

[demagogue]

But EAX doesn't actually work in TDM, does it?

Somebody put up a YouTube video of a testmap of it working. I thought it was hardware specific, some sound cards have it, most don't. I don't recall too well though.

[grayman]

I'm not aware of the state of TDM's EAX support. I thought it could be used with an EAX-capable card.

 

Biker might know more.

[nbohr1more]

Greebo's 64-bit branch has an EAX equivalent called EFX. When it get's merged we will have this feature.

[MirceaKitsune]

Heh... I was planning to make a thread asking about sound reverb, then I noticed the above posts. I saw an EAX option in the menu but wasn't fully sure what it's for... since I'm on Linux it says it's not supported on my platform so I could never try it out. I really hope an alternative that works on all engines will be integrated, so environments can have proper sound effects as well (like echoes in cathedrals).

[Deadlove]

Do we already have feature for players to log info by typing into a journal or onto a map, I believe TMA had this?

[V-Man339]

Has there been any discussion of dropping keys like in Thief 1 and 2?

[Melan]

Mission authors can set keys (and any other inventory object) to be droppable or sticky by using the droppable spawnarg (0, 1).

[demagogue]

Actually IIRC the original default was droppable keys, but then the default was changed to non-droppable because of some issues with people making FMs unwinnable without realizing it. It's probably the better way, as good insurance, but I would personally prefer for authors to make keys drop-able to allow players to help clear out their inventory.

[Oldjim]

At least one FM has it where you could drop keys except for the ones where dropping them could mean the FM isn't completable

Now what would be good is for keys to become droppable after they have been used

[Bikerdude]

Now what would be good is for keys to become droppable after they have been used

Its down the to the mapper to do this, and I try to do this as its an old habit I like in thief games.

 

'inv_droppable' '1'

[Springheel]

I always thought it was silly that keys can't be dropped, especially since lots of people like to leave the map as undisturbed as possible when they leave.

 

Unfortunately, not all keys are movable entities, so if you set all keys to be droppable by default, the static ones will just float in mid air and even become an obstacle to AI.

[Melan]

Can't those defaults be fixed in a forthcoming release, though?

[grayman]

Can't those defaults be fixed in a forthcoming release, though?

 

Change which defaults?

 

Static keys aren't moveables, so they won't obey physics when dropped.

[V-Man339]

What about doors being relockable like in Thief?

[Melan]

They are relockable.

[Oldjim]

Not by the player as far as I have seen

[demagogue]

I just was watching Fen do it at the end of his LP of my FM. The key flashed green and the door clicked lock. And he had an angry AI on his heels that got stuck outside. He would have been minced if it didn't lock.

[New Horizon]

Not by the player as far as I have seen

 

They are.

[Oldjim]

Shows what I know then

[VanishedOne]

You have to do it with the Use button; frobbing won't work.

[Nico A.]

Some things I'm repeatedly thinking about...

 

- louder scream when you're dying

- NPC animations for opening doors that actually include touching the door handle

- more fitting menu style (not such warm colors)

- nicer depiction of body carrying (like seeing the body over your shoulder as in the first thief games), possibly also with an animation leading to it

- campaign preceeded by an own training mission that fits the story line (see TDP)

- campaign mode without having to start each new mission manually

- campaign mode, where the gold you found in the previous mission determines how much you can spend for equipment for the next mission

- higher player visibility when standing in front of a bright texture (like snow) than a dark one

[grayman]

Thanks for the suggestions. I wish we had the cycles to do many of the things people suggest.

 

Anyway, here are my responses to this latest set:

 

- Possible to do, but someone would need to record it.

 

- Big problem. Apart from needing new animations--always a difficult request--we'd need to redesign how door-handling is done to allow the AI to stand closer to the door and open/close it w/o getting whacked, which both stops the door and alerts the AI. This won't be happening.

 

- Not likely to happen because it's a big job, and I'm sure the original designers went through a lot of discussion to arrive at what we have today.

 

- This would require new artwork to depict every AI that can be carried. Not likely to happen.

 

- We have one major campaign in the works, and it won't include a separate training mission. Players will need to rely on the training mission that comes with TDM. There are other existing campaigns with a few missions each, and I'm sure the authors won't be interested in going back and retrofitting a prequel training mission.

 

- Campaign mode exists today.

 

- Campaign mode exists today.

 

- This is a tough one to implement. We've had "backlit player" discussions before, and this fits that mold. Not likely to happen.

[Destined]

Some things I'm repeatedly thinking about...

 

- louder scream when you're dying

- NPC animations for opening doors that actually include touching the door handle

- more fitting menu style (not such warm colors)

- nicer depiction of body carrying (like seeing the body over your shoulder as in the first thief games), possibly also with an animation leading to it

- campaign preceeded by an own training mission that fits the story line (see TDP)

- campaign mode without having to start each new mission manually

- campaign mode, where the gold you found in the previous mission determines how much you can spend for equipment for the next mission

- higher player visibility when standing in front of a bright texture (like snow) than a dark one

 

- I think the player voice can be turned up in the menu. If not, I believe it is at least planned, see http://forums.thedarkmod.com/topic/17456-player-voice-over-spawnarg/for the current discussion on player voice overs

- Would be nice, but I see one problem: The handle position is determined by the mapper, so you would have to get the information, where the handle is, and include that in the animation. I have no experience with animations, so I don't know, how easily (if at all) this is possible

- The Mission menu is currently redesigned by a small group of people, see: http://forums.thedarkmod.com/topic/17332-improved-mission-menu/for the thread, maybe you want to make your suggestion there

- Don't know, how this could be done... Maybe a floating ragdoll would do the trick. Regarding the animation: again: I am not sure, how easy or difficult this is

- A tutorial mission with story was also just recently discussed, but I believe, noone has the time right now But if anyone would pick the thought up and do it it would be appreciated

- Campaigns can be set as such by map authors. If you want to play some: In the missions list on the homepage, you can find the column "Type". In there "C" stands for "Campaign", while "S" stands for "Single Mission". But Building a campaign out of all missions is not possible: The amount of money you have at map start is set by the author and if you would carry too much money from the mission before, this would break the next one.

- This is done in Campaigns

- I cannot answer that. It depends on the system recognising secondary (i.e. reflected) light in general. If not, it might be worth looking into, but I fear it might make the game too difficult in general, since visibility would also rise in corridors, since other surfaces would also reflect light.

 

I hope I could help you (even if it's only with pointing to the existence of campaigns).

 

Ninjad. And with much more knowhow at that...

Edited October 15, 2015 by Destined

[Springheel]

- louder scream when you're dying

 

Easy enough if we had the vocals, though I'm not sure if there's much desire for this...it's the first time I can remember hearing it.

 

- NPC animations for opening doors that actually include touching the door handle

 

 

Too difficult, as others have mentioned. Has any Thief game ever done this? Even the most recent AAA one?

 

 

- more fitting menu style (not such warm colors)

 

 

 

Don't agree with this one. I love our menu designs.

 

- nicer depiction of body carrying (like seeing the body over your shoulder as in the first thief games), possibly also with an animation leading to it

 

 

I wouldn't want an icon, but I'd like to see a small player animation too. Just a small dip of the player view while picking up or dropping a body would go a long way. As for seeing the body, that probably could be done too, but it would take some work.

 

 

- higher player visibility when standing in front of a bright texture (like snow) than a dark one

 

 

Extremely difficult to do, and makes things very difficult for the player since there is no way to give them feedback about what background they are up against to any given AI.

[Melan]

To add, don't take it too hard if it doesn't happen. Projects like this have a lot of historical weight and a lot of in-depth discussions behind them, and every feature is there for a reason (not necessarily the best one, but at least something representing team compromise). There was a lot of hard negotiation involved behind going down on route or anoter. I have seen people quit collective projects over the climbability of pipes and vines, so you can imagine how hard it is to make decisions that are acceptable for most people.

 

So things like contrast-based visibility probably will not be happening, not because it is necessarily a bad idea, but because it was considered and another decision was taken. Although this gives me an idea of a colour-based stealth game now... which is an odd thought.