Jump to content
The Dark Mod Forums

Fan Mission Reviews, walkthroughs


Springheel

Recommended Posts

 

 

I know. I've already tried like 10 times in the other thread but for some reason doesn't seem to work. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. I already knew how to do the spoiler thing. Maybe a mod can help? I also tried to hide it in sections but it didn't work either.

Have you tried a toy spoiler? Like just a sentence.

 

 

 

 

like this

 

 

 

  • Like 1

You can call me Phi, Numbers, Digits, Ratio, 16, 1618, or whatever really, as long as it's not Phil.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

Alright, let's try this.

 

So, I'm a very novice player. Very novice. So novice that I've never even played a Thief game before. Haven't even done Dishonored. As a result, please be aware that this review (and ones to follow) is from that point of view, and more important from the point of view of someone who didn't 100% the level. :P

 

 

The Tears of St. Lucia comes packed with The Dark Mod, so I figured I might as well hit it first.

 

The plot is simple enough. You assume the role of Not-Garrett (a common Dark Mod protag) to break into a poor church, steal the artifact which is causing the statue of the titular saint to cry blood, wreck said statute, and generally act like a jerk for cash. Not much in the way of plot, but it does a good job. There are some readables scattered around, but most of them are worldbuilding.

Layout-wise, the mission is good, starting out on the grimy streets before moving into the chapel of St. Roderick. The chapel itself is laid out nicely, not maze-like, but with more than enough room for players to roam and sneak past guards. I do question the precese of the air vents, as I personally never found a use for them, but maybe they were intended for pure stealth runs? Not sure.

 

Difficulty-wise, it’s pretty fair on the whole. Some people were complaining about That One Guard(™), but I thought that it was semi-clear you were supposed to find a way around him. Of course, maybe it wasn’t as clear in earlier versions of the mission, I wouldn’t know. I do think that the start of the chain to get into the sewers is a tad obtuse, but after that, it’s fine. The way to break the statue is also pretty clear, I feel. The loot goal is reasonable, and easy if you pay attention and explore.

 

Other than that, I don’t have much else to say. I know there were some water arrows I could never find, and I get how some might feel that the difficulty is too high for a newbie. Still, I’m new to Thief in general, and I didn’t have too many issues. Would recommend.

  • Like 2

Because in mystery novels, the first suspect is almost certainly never the murderer. No matter how much unmovable evidence there is, it will all be smashed in pieces by the wrath of the remaining number of pages of the story.

 

-"The Evil Spirit of the Zushi Clan" from Virtual Carnal Pleasure by Yamada Fuutarou

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Awaiting the Storm (by HappyCheeze) is an early mission for me, can’t recall if it was my second or third. I picked it because a review I read told me that is was easier than the average, which was pretty true. Still fun tho.

 

This time, Not-Garrett is a dock worker who gets word that a rich guy is coming through town to give some artifacts to a museum. He’s staying at a local inn, and Not-Garrett decides to take advantage of a storm to rob him. That’s about it there, not much else to say on the story.

 

Appearance-wise, it’s mostly average. The inn where most of the action takes place could have used a few more decorations here and there, less empty space. Where this mission shines is the build-up to the inn, taking place on the city streets during a raging storm. The storm idea is a neat one, and I’m a little surprised that this is the only mission I’ve played so far to make use of it. There are a couple of neat touches here and there, such as the lightning lighting up your hiding places, and a water logged tunnel to go through, with some neat door physics.

 

Difficulty-wise, it’s not hard. There’s only about ten or so NPCs to deal with, and the path is pretty clear, with easy to find loot (though there’s still one piece at least I can’t find…) thought there’s still some creative moments within, such as getting around a second-floor guard by going up via dumbwaiter. Experience fans will shoot right through it, but I do think it’s good for newer fans, or those who are unused to Thief-style gameplay. Ultimately, recommended.

Edited by The Dark One

Because in mystery novels, the first suspect is almost certainly never the murderer. No matter how much unmovable evidence there is, it will all be smashed in pieces by the wrath of the remaining number of pages of the story.

 

-"The Evil Spirit of the Zushi Clan" from Virtual Carnal Pleasure by Yamada Fuutarou

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

I don't have a specific mission in mind, but rather general observations.

 

While there are many high quality missions, and there are none I would call bad, I can safely say that I've become far too accustomed to sudden supernatural twists in situations where they weren't foreseeable, to the point that I don't especially find them surprising or shocking anymore.

I think many campaigns hit the perfect balance since they can afford to simply pick between missions, as one can see in Penny Dreadful and Thomas Porter, but singular missions tend to either have very basic crime elements involved or a sudden supernatural twist with very little go between.

 

I cherish such beauty as Talbot missions, where a tone is decided on and I get a glimpse of a city's drama and get to actively play a role in it, with many notes and bits of information tripping over each other, a sense that I know what others are up to more than even they do.

One can really see things like this shine in very isolated scenarios such as One Step Too Far and the like, when things are intentionally isolated, which brings me to my next suggestion.

 

More focus on smaller, more isolated in the wilderness scenarios.

I would personally love to see more mechanical, more wilderness, more pagan and more barbarian settings and stories, though I know I'm not entirely popular in this opinion.

Edited by V-Man339
  • Like 2

I like to record difficult stealth games, and right now you wonderful people are the only ones delivering on that front.

Click here for the crappy channel where that happens.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Living Expenses by Sonosuke was my first experience with a true “hard” Dark Mod mission. The others had had their moments of difficulty, but this was the first time I’d had such a hard mission. Well, hard to me, anyway.

 

This time, Not-Garratt is running short on money, and decides to aim for the estate of a general that might be involved in smuggling. There’s valuables in there, and getting at them will be difficult, mainly because the mission forces you into a bit of a minimalist run. You see, Not-Garratt is so poor, that all he has are a few arrows and lockpicks. Lanturn? Gotta find one. Sword? Gotta find one. Blackjack? Guess what, gotta find one.

 

Layout-wise, it’s pretty decent. The graphics are a bit generic, but I like running around large manors, so not really a major complaint. The layout makes sense for a manor, barring minor oddness such as there only being one way up to the second floor. Most of the uniqueness comes from the limited technology in the manor, such as a skylight that you don’t have to play with, to the final show revealing the treasure you’ve been hunting for. It’s neat, and gives the mission some nice charm.

Difficulty-wise, I found it harder than the average mission, thought I was inexperienced at the time. The guard placement is very tight, especially in the foyer and dining room/library. See: having to either duck past a guard looking right at the door or through two rooms with people walking in them all the time. It lessens when the player makes it to the second floor, but remains tricky. Thorough searching is needed to find the loot to reach the goal, especially on Expert, where I’m almost sure you have to find a hidden room to reach the goal, and let me tell you that thing is hard to find. This was also my first run-in with a mission that cuts off your ability to knock out guards on the higher difficulties, and I’m not overly fond of it, though that’s my own personal preference/laziness talking.

 

All in all, this is a pretty solid, if slightly uneven, mission. I might not recommend it to those who are just starting The Dark Mod, but those who are looking for more of a challenge would like it.

  • Like 2

Because in mystery novels, the first suspect is almost certainly never the murderer. No matter how much unmovable evidence there is, it will all be smashed in pieces by the wrath of the remaining number of pages of the story.

 

-"The Evil Spirit of the Zushi Clan" from Virtual Carnal Pleasure by Yamada Fuutarou

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Creeps, by Mortem Desino, was another first for me, with more of a focus on horror than the other missions I had played up until now. The plot involves Not-Garrett aiming for an “easy” job: A creepy mansion where the reclusive inhabitants leave once a week, giving him free reign of the place. Needless to say, there’s more going on in that mansion.

 

The Creeps is different from the average Dark Mod mission, with more of a focus on horror and exploration over stealth. There are no guards on the grounds, and you more or less have free reign of the place. MD makes good use of this open space, however, and it’s not just you bumbling around in a creepy house for thirty minutes. There are puzzles to be found, not hard ones, but ones that force you to stop and think. Location-wise, it manages to avoid being too small or too large. The former would make the mission dull, and the latter would, I would think, run the risk of monotony, due to the lack of traditional enemies. The look of the place is also well-done, forgoing “traditional” colors in favor of a purple hue, which actually works rather well. There’s even a neat-looking tree, though it sheds way too many leaves.

 

It should also be noted that the place opens itself up to a little parkour, with multiple entry points (and loot!) waiting to be found. It isn’t much, but I’d just thought I’d mention it.

 

Difficulty-wise, it’s pretty easy, all things considered. The loot is relatively in the open, and even on Expert, hitting the goal is no issue. Most of the difficulty comes from the puzzles you encounter, but even they aren’t that hard.

 

Considering the type of mission, I feel that I should talk a bit about the horror aspects. To be honest, they aren’t that heavy. For the most part, barring a couple of scenes, most of the horror is mild until the tunnels are hit. To be honest, there could have been more focus on the horror. Atmosphere is good and all, but some of what’s up in the manor felt very tame. But horror is a very subjective genre.

 

Also, I’ve been having a very odd glitch with this mission, because the intro seems to override any mission I do after I play it. This forces the player to delete the mission after playing, which is annoying, to say the least. Still other than that, this is a solid mission, especially if you want a slightly different experience.

Edited by The Dark One
  • Like 3

Because in mystery novels, the first suspect is almost certainly never the murderer. No matter how much unmovable evidence there is, it will all be smashed in pieces by the wrath of the remaining number of pages of the story.

 

-"The Evil Spirit of the Zushi Clan" from Virtual Carnal Pleasure by Yamada Fuutarou

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I gotta say, I'm really enjoying these reviews. You should consider cross-posting them to the TTLG mega review thread.

 

Hey thanks! Even I don't get why these reviews are good (I'm a very novice and inexperienced player, heck I haven't even played the Thief games) I'm happy to entertain. :P Hope to get every Dark Mod mission at some point.

 

And I could add them to TTLG, I suppose, I just don't know that much about it. XD

  • Like 1

Because in mystery novels, the first suspect is almost certainly never the murderer. No matter how much unmovable evidence there is, it will all be smashed in pieces by the wrath of the remaining number of pages of the story.

 

-"The Evil Spirit of the Zushi Clan" from Virtual Carnal Pleasure by Yamada Fuutarou

Link to comment
Share on other sites

More focus on smaller, more isolated in the wilderness scenarios.

I would personally love to see more mechanical, more wilderness, more pagan and more barbarian settings and stories, though I know I'm not entirely popular in this opinion.

As I understand it this is mainly an assets problem, especially AI assets, because those take the most skill and effort to get working. Pagan-wise we have a male pagan, and I believe an unrigged female exists, but neither has a dedicated vocal set (this was reportedly holding up a mission as of 2013). Machine-wise we have the lantern bot (reportedly in spite of difficulty in arriving at any consensus) and a buggy security camera--although that doesn't seem to have discouraged ERH+. Monster/beast-wise we have undead and spiders; the werebeast is now semi-animated; I'm not sure what state the fire elemental is in, or whether any more has been done with the mantian. I don't mean this as a lament or counsel of despair - I think it's great news the werebeast is walking about now - just an explanation of current limitations faced by mappers.

Some things I'm repeatedly thinking about...

 

- louder scream when you're dying

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Patently Dangerous (by demagogue) was another first for me, being my first experience both with a city mission, and with a more story-based mission. The plot is simple, Not-Garratt is hired by an inventor’s guild to steal some semantics from the reclusive scientist Soren. It sounds simple, but getting into the house will require a bit of running around. And that’s before you take the serial killer running around into account.

PD is, as said, a city-based mission, and serves as a good place to muse on what I do and don’t like about said missions. On the one hand, these types of mission offer built-in freedom, with the possibility of multiple locations to break into and explore. The problem comes in that it’s far too easy to leave the player with no real direction as to where to go. This mission mostly avoids that, though I did have a moment or two where I was running around without a clue. (Of course, I am an idiot, so make of it what you will.) The first came when I figured out where to to, but a wall I was meant to climb was just a bit out of range, required very a specific jump to get onto. The second time was trying to get into Soren’s house, which required the player to notice faint wooden boards for rope arrowing. (And, I admit, a window, but I think the rope arrow is the intended way.)

Most of these flaws were made up for by the excellent final sequence. I don’t want to spoil what exactly goes down, but it was a good, tense, and creepy experience, almost more so than the last mission I reviewed, which was a straight horror mission.

Graphics-wise, it’s nothing amazing, though still solid. The touches in the final sequence were the best, but other than that, nothing stood out to me, but I’m a horrible judge of such things. The difficulty also wasn’t to severe, some carefully exploration and rooftop jumping will serve you well.

All in all, very good. Recommended.

P.S. Though I still don’t know why that gas arrow was there. It’s needed, yes, but why there?

  • Like 2

Because in mystery novels, the first suspect is almost certainly never the murderer. No matter how much unmovable evidence there is, it will all be smashed in pieces by the wrath of the remaining number of pages of the story.

 

-"The Evil Spirit of the Zushi Clan" from Virtual Carnal Pleasure by Yamada Fuutarou

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The second time was trying to get into Sorens house, which required the player to notice faint wooden boards for rope arrowing. (And, I admit, a window, but I think the rope arrow is the intended way.)

For reference, the original intended way to get in was

in Harlan's attic, the window opens to his roof and you can hop over into Soren's house through the window over by his table. The rope arrow wasn't necessary, but some people requested it for version 2. In ver1 the roof window was the only way forward, and now I've noticed that ropearrow misleading people in playthrough videos. They don't check the window. The way you went in, btw, was meant to be the exit originally.

 

 

Most of these flaws were made up for by the excellent final sequence. I dont want to spoil what exactly goes down, but it was a good, tense, and creepy experience, almost more so than the last mission I reviewed, which was a straight horror mission.

FYI, that part of the FM was taken pretty directly from a nightmare I had, same images and beats. Goes to prove how good our dreams/nightmares are at channeling emotion.

 

All in all, very good. Recommended.

 

P.S. Though I still dont know why that gas arrow was there. Its needed, yes, but why there?

Thanks a lot!

The gas arrow was just an easter egg for finding that side path. It's not really an in-world thing.

  • Like 1

What do you see when you turn out the light? I can't tell you but I know that it's mine.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

For reference, the original intended way to get in was

in Harlan's attic, the window opens to his roof and you can hop over into Soren's house through the window over by his table. The rope arrow wasn't necessary, but some people requested it for version 2. In ver1 the roof window was the only way forward, and now I've noticed that ropearrow misleading people in playthrough videos. They don't check the window. The way you went in, btw, was meant to be the exit originally.

 

 

 

FYI, that part of the FM was taken pretty directly from a nightmare I had, same images and beats. Goes to prove how good our dreams/nightmares are at channeling emotion.

 

Thanks a lot!

The gas arrow was just an easter egg for finding that side path. It's not really an in-world thing.

 

Forgive this awkwardness, not sure how to separate quotes. D:

 

1. I remembered you saying that there was an intended and unintended way to get in, I just couldn't recall which was which. I probably should have noticed the first time I played this mission, but then, I was terrible then (and probably terrible now!)

 

2. I recalled you saying something about a nightmare. Tis interesting, and the mission is all the better for it.

 

3. Ahhh. XD That answers that!

  • Like 1

Because in mystery novels, the first suspect is almost certainly never the murderer. No matter how much unmovable evidence there is, it will all be smashed in pieces by the wrath of the remaining number of pages of the story.

 

-"The Evil Spirit of the Zushi Clan" from Virtual Carnal Pleasure by Yamada Fuutarou

Link to comment
Share on other sites

More focus on smaller, more isolated in the wilderness scenarios.

I would personally love to see more mechanical, more wilderness, more pagan and more barbarian settings and stories

 

I'm very much of the same mind. For me the appeal of Thief and its fan missions has always been the huge diversity of missions and the ability to choose from any of these and become immersed in its setting. It's like having the world at your fingertips, almost always complemented with rich stories and plenty of exploration.

 

Isolated settings are, for me, the most visceral form of this Thief experience. Nowhere else is the sense of interloping as strong as here. Atmospherically they're laden with opportunities to create something unique, as you find themes here which are much stronger than in city-based missions: a real sense of being completely on your own; a harsh environment exposed to the elements like sea and wind; a struggle for survival. Incidentally, such settings make excellent horror missions, whether or not this is the stated aim.

 

To be more specific, isolated wilderness settings can take many forms, not only pagan or beast missions. Things like a lighthouse, a ramshackle coastal village, an eerie mansion or bandits' hideout in the woods would be prime examples.

 

Personally I'd very much like to see more missions placed in bleak isolated settings, in particular ones that take place in Newfoundland, on the other side of the ocean in uncharted territory. This is already what I myself am doing.

 

 

Alright, let's try this.

 

Thanks The Dark One for making these reviews and also for using this thread for it. TTLG's 'General Fan Mission Review And Discussion Megathread' is always a great read and I'd have liked something like that for TDM as well. The established review culture in TDM is to post reviews directly in the mission thread.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

I'm very much of the same mind. For me the appeal of Thief and its fan missions has always been the huge diversity of missions and the ability to choose from any of these and become immersed in its setting. It's like having the world at your fingertips, almost always complemented with rich stories and plenty of exploration.

 

Isolated settings are, for me, the most visceral form of this Thief experience. Nowhere else is the sense of interloping as strong as here. Atmospherically they're laden with opportunities to create something unique, as you find themes here which are much stronger than in city-based missions: a real sense of being completely on your own; a harsh environment exposed to the elements like sea and wind; a struggle for survival. Incidentally, such settings make excellent horror missions, whether or not this is the stated aim.

 

To be more specific, isolated wilderness settings can take many forms, not only pagan or beast missions. Things like a lighthouse, a ramshackle coastal village, an eerie mansion or bandits' hideout in the woods would be prime examples.

 

Personally I'd very much like to see more missions placed in bleak isolated settings, in particular ones that take place in Newfoundland, on the other side of the ocean in uncharted territory. This is already what I myself am doing.

 

 

 

Thanks The Dark One for making these reviews and also for using this thread for it. TTLG's 'General Fan Mission Review And Discussion Megathread' is always a great read and I'd have liked something like that for TDM as well. The established review culture in TDM is to post reviews directly in the mission thread.

 

Hey, thanks! I thought about putting them in the threads, but didn't want to revive all those old ones.

 

And good points on desolate environments.

  • Like 1

Because in mystery novels, the first suspect is almost certainly never the murderer. No matter how much unmovable evidence there is, it will all be smashed in pieces by the wrath of the remaining number of pages of the story.

 

-"The Evil Spirit of the Zushi Clan" from Virtual Carnal Pleasure by Yamada Fuutarou

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lockton Manor by buck28 is another of what I’ve seen Melan dub, “Victorian burglary simulators”. Thankfully, this is a good one. The protagonist, who actually has a name and as such can’t be called Not-Garratt, learns from a contact about a solid hit. After finding the note with the needed information (which you can miss easily if you don’t look) he sets off to the titular manor.

Lockton Manor is sort of a city mission and a mansion mission. You have to walk the streets of the city, taking time to slip into a few homes and rob them, before reaching the manor itself. Along the way, you can creep through an inn, a tavern, an inventor’s house, etc. This is all well done, especially the inn, where you can creep through, picking pockets (well, one) at will. The manor itself is more typical, with a simple layout and a friggen huge staircase.

Graphics-wise, it’s pretty good. The streets to the manor are a tad generic, but the manor itself (especially that staircase) is nice and opulent, even if the layout seems a little confusing. The only place where the graphics break down is in the inn, which is just weirdly designed. Reminds me of a tiny Winchester House.

Difficulty-wise, not bad. There are some unblackjackable guards hanging around the manor, but they’re easy enough to get around. The only place where the placement feels unfair is in the inn. The innkeeper will got hog wild on you with a sword for no reason, and if she happens to be at the front desk when you open the door, sorry. The light can be turned off at the front, but the timing is too short. The main trick is the loot, especially on higher difficulties, because you’ll need to get most of it, and a good bit of it is well-hidden. Special mention goes to that chest in the guard’s house, which took forever to find, and the chest you need to find on expert. You get the room it’s in, but other than that, you’re on your own.

I do wish we saw more of that mechanical thing in the inventor’s home. I’ve never seen it really be used in a mission, the only other one I’ve seen is Inn Business, and it’s in a place you don’t have to go-like in here.

All in all, a very fun mission. While not the greatest mission of all time, it’s clear the creator had *fun* with this mission, and so did I. I guess that’s the main thing, in the end.

Edited by The Dark One
  • Like 3

Because in mystery novels, the first suspect is almost certainly never the murderer. No matter how much unmovable evidence there is, it will all be smashed in pieces by the wrath of the remaining number of pages of the story.

 

-"The Evil Spirit of the Zushi Clan" from Virtual Carnal Pleasure by Yamada Fuutarou

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Outpost by angua & greebo is, if the archives on The Dark Mod aren’t lying to me, the second mission made for it. Made in about 50 hours to showcase was the mod was capable of, and it did a good job of it.

This time, Not-Garratt is aiming for a Builder outpost with a huge ingot of gold lurking within. And that’s it. That’s the whole story, and it works well.

Graphics-wise, it’s decent. The outpost is a small, green brick building, without a whole lot of graphical flair. It doesn’t really need said flair though, as it does a good job of giving the impression of a simple building, and it is a believable layout.

Difficultly-wise, it’s pretty fair. Even though Expert makes you indulge in the hated forced ghosting, it works far better than most examples. This is partially due to the small mission, and part of it is because the creators play perfectly fair with you. The guards are fairly placed, the shadows are abundant, and it all works very well. It actually might be a good mission for newbie ghosters, honestly. The loot is in plain sight, for the most part, and finding it is not difficult (even if there is at least one piece I can’t find). You have plenty of arrows to work with, even a rope arrow or two to make getting into the chapel easier.

All in all, very fun. The review is short, but this is mission is both fun and replayable. Recommended, especially for newbies or novice ghosters.

  • Like 3

Because in mystery novels, the first suspect is almost certainly never the murderer. No matter how much unmovable evidence there is, it will all be smashed in pieces by the wrath of the remaining number of pages of the story.

 

-"The Evil Spirit of the Zushi Clan" from Virtual Carnal Pleasure by Yamada Fuutarou

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Swing (by Komag) is...different. Very different from anything I’ve played in The Dark Mod.

Designed for a vertical contest challenge, Swing places you in the role of a recruit for the King’s Navy whose initiation take is clambering all over the official King’s Navy swing to find a replica of the king’s crown. “Swing” is literal by the way. And the ship you were recruited from, Vertigo is also apt.

Like I said, this is a very different mission from normal. There’s no stealth, the whole mission takes place in the day, and it’s more or less a platformer. Yes, a platformer. Credit where credit is due however, because the mission creator took full advantage of the mantling system to make the whole thing….not painless, but at least far simpler than it would have been.

Difficulty-wise, it’s pretty high up, no pun intended. The path up is mostly clear, but there are plenty of difficult jumps to get there. The more sensitive falling damage doesn’t help matters, though that probably was intentional. It’s mostly intuitive, except for a but near the end, when the player has to notice that distant blocks are in fact wood (though you do have a spyglass, and it may be my fault for not using it) and the actual descent. Finding all of the bottles you need can be a pain as well, especially on higher difficulties (hint: look near the machines)

I might as well do a disclaimer that I cheated to beat this. I was testing noclip for a mission I need it for, and thought, “Eh, why not?” But I would have beaten the mission on the next lowest difficulty so it still counts. I think.

You might have noticed that I haven’t mentioned the graphics. That’s because I want it to be a surprise. It doesn’t start off too impressive, but once it gets going, it gets...very impressive. I was more or less repeating, “Oh, wow.” on loop the first time I played it.

Also, physics don’t exist here. Just a heads up.

All in all, pretty fun. It’s short, so you should at least give it a try. Unless you have vertigo or something. Then maybe not. Recommended.

  • Like 2

Because in mystery novels, the first suspect is almost certainly never the murderer. No matter how much unmovable evidence there is, it will all be smashed in pieces by the wrath of the remaining number of pages of the story.

 

-"The Evil Spirit of the Zushi Clan" from Virtual Carnal Pleasure by Yamada Fuutarou

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

I'm back.

 

Disclaimer: This review is a lot more disjointed than I wanted it to be, the end result of writing it on and off while insanely busy. I honestly did like this mission, because, technical issues aside, it was *fun*. Just not sure if it comes off that way.

Briarwood Cathedral (buck28 again) is a mission I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with. Not because it’s bad; it’s quite good. The problem that my computer has….issues with content-heavy missions and missions with lots of things happening at once, so a few bugs kept marring my enjoyment of what is honestly a pretty good mission.

 

The plot is simple: Not-Garrett sets off to break into the titular cathedral, which is currently in a state of disarray due to the murder of two members, apparently making it the best time to slip in and look for loot and a treasure chest said to be beneath the cathedral. This bit doesn’t seem like it meshes well, but eh, you aren’t here for plot.

 

Graphics-wise, the mission isn’t particularly beautiful, but it still meshes together well. You do feel like you’re in a cathedral, with what felt to me like a realistic and plausible layout, barring the maze like catacombs which you think someone would have cleared out years ago.

The mission does have some good atmosphere going for it, with the cloudy sky outside, and some well timed sound effects in certain places. Again, it’s hard to pin down, but it honestly felt creepy, especially in the bottom parts, when you know that you’re surrounded by undead, and (in my case) have to take to creeping around with holy water arrows to take them out.

 

Difficulty-wise, it’s harder than Lockton Manor, mainly due to the crypts. If you want to find that chest (and on Expert, you have to) you better be able to find a button shoved in a corner, or technically go the wrong way. Don’t want to get into fights? Too bad! You almost have to to have a chance at figuring out what’s going on here. Don’t like hunting for out-of-the-way buttons? Ha! You have to for an objective! And getting out of the dang crypts is a feat in and of itself.

 

And yet, I still love this mission. I don’t know what primal part of my brain the creator tapped into, but I honestly loved this mission. Was it annoying in places? Yes. It could have done with less keys, for one. But, even though I’m not really getting my point across well….it was fun. Not the best, but fun. Recommended.

 

P.S. I like the money trap, except for the fact that it stays in the air. But I like it.

  • Like 2

Because in mystery novels, the first suspect is almost certainly never the murderer. No matter how much unmovable evidence there is, it will all be smashed in pieces by the wrath of the remaining number of pages of the story.

 

-"The Evil Spirit of the Zushi Clan" from Virtual Carnal Pleasure by Yamada Fuutarou

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I think that Deceptive Shadows (by Shadowhide) is the first Dark Mission I’ve played that I didn’t like on it’s own merits.

 

I’ve had issues with other missions, such as Brierwood Cathedral and The King of Diamonds, but those were technical issues that didn’t really hurt the mission’s quality. This was the first where I just didn’t like the thing.

 

The plot is slightly more involved than normal. Not-Garrett takes aim at a Builder’s purse and bungles the job, getting knocked out for his troubles. After coming too in a cell and escaping (and pain in and of itself), he finds out that the entire building is under Pagan segue and is on magic lockdown, making escape a tad bit more involved.

 

On the bright side, the focus on the Pagans is slightly refreshing, as most Dark Mod missions go for either the Builders or the City Watch, and seeing the more mystical elements in a mission is good. It also allows for some good visuals when you reach the overtaken basement, with plants and fog obscuring things. There are a few good bits, such as a jumping across a void, and the finale, while flawed, is definitely thrilling.

 

The problem is that it’s so dang tedious. Someone in the comments of the YouTube walkthrough I watched because I have no shame said it felt like an adventure game, and I agree. A Sierra-era adventure game. Or one of those dang Japanese room escape games that I love yet am terrible at. The things you need to escape are scattered all around the place, and you’d better be ready to look into every nook and cranny to find them. There’s a lever lying in the corner, rope arrows crammed behind a bookcase, getting the (thankfully optional) loot goal requires careful searching and in one case going out of your way back into a room you have no reason to return to.

 

The tedious part comes in that if you miss any of this you’re stuck wandering up and down the place trying to find whatever it was that you missed. I replayed this mission a week or two ago to see if the issue the first time was just me being a moron. Turns out that yes, it is that tedious, even if you know what you’re doing.

 

You also don’t get a good reason why half of this stuff is anywhere. Why is the key to a hidden door in a lock box and the key to that is somewhere else? Why is a key hanging in plant room under an altar? And then we have story questions: How can a person’s body decay in a few days, at most? How did no one notice a boarded up door? Why break the lever on one gate but not the other? Why is there a demon gargoyle in this place? Why does taking a random amulet cause the place to start shooting lightning at you? (This bit, while fun, is also annoying, because you have no idea what to do when it starts.) Normally I wouldn’t nitpick this much, but the creator seemed to be going for more of a story bent, so I’m talking about that.

 

And the top floor is too dark. Can’t see the dang guards half the time.

 

All in all, it’s an interesting mission, but the sheer tedium is simply too much. Not Recommended, sadly.

  • Like 2

Because in mystery novels, the first suspect is almost certainly never the murderer. No matter how much unmovable evidence there is, it will all be smashed in pieces by the wrath of the remaining number of pages of the story.

 

-"The Evil Spirit of the Zushi Clan" from Virtual Carnal Pleasure by Yamada Fuutarou

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is slightly out of order, as I’m trying to review these in rough playing order, but eh, it’s short.

 

Poets and Peasants (by Digi) has Not-Garrett angling for some good old-fashioned payback. A chance encounter in a bar leads him to the home of Flowers, a thief who ripped Not-Garrett off sometime ago. Now that he has money, it’s time to strip it from him.

 

Graphics-wise, it’s nothing special. Not in a bad way, just that there’s nothing overly standout about it. I do think it’s one of those missions where you need to keep an eye on your light gem to see how illuminated you actually are, because it’s easy to feel like you’re so lit up that multiple Vegas casinos want to hang you when you’re perfectly fine. That being said, I did like the mild variety in locations for such a small mission.

 

Difficulty-wise, harder than you think. Getting the loot total requires you to duck around one of those guards who can’t be knocked out, and while it’s easy when you get the timing down, it wasn’t what I was expecting in the mission. Getting into the school is also harder than it looks, though part of this is due to needing to make a jump that doesn’t seem possible, if you want that sweet sweet darkness, anyway..

 

All in all, it’s a fun little mission, nothing amazing, but still solid. Recommended.

  • Like 2

Because in mystery novels, the first suspect is almost certainly never the murderer. No matter how much unmovable evidence there is, it will all be smashed in pieces by the wrath of the remaining number of pages of the story.

 

-"The Evil Spirit of the Zushi Clan" from Virtual Carnal Pleasure by Yamada Fuutarou

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Closemouthed Shadows (by LordSavage) is a different sort of mission, being more of an assassination mission. Not-Garrett is recruited by a friend to kill said friend’s neighbor because he has stolen from said friend. It’s a short and sweet set-up, and I admit I enjoy a good assassin mission every now and then, if just because the bow is fun.

 

Like I said, this is short. Very short. About five or so rooms total. That’s not to say you can’t have a good mission with that size, see Thieves Den, but this feels too short. It was the author’s first, so I can’t blame him, I suppose, but I still would have liked more to do.

Difficulty-wise, pretty simple, with finding a key into the apartment you need to get into being the only part that might cause trouble. I admit, I do have to wonder at why the friend is perfectly fine with letting his friend rob his own apartment as well, but maybe we can assume a creative interpretation of the request. Some of the loot is hidden, but you shouldn’t have any trouble hitting the goal.

 

In the end, I’m having a harder time recing this that I thought. While it’s true that a short mission can still have plenty going for it, it feels too short. While the last mission I reviewed was as well, it felt like there was more content. It was a first mission, but there just doesn’t feel like there was enough here, though with some expansion it would be much better. I can neither recommend or not recommend, too good to dismiss, too short to rec.

  • Like 2

Because in mystery novels, the first suspect is almost certainly never the murderer. No matter how much unmovable evidence there is, it will all be smashed in pieces by the wrath of the remaining number of pages of the story.

 

-"The Evil Spirit of the Zushi Clan" from Virtual Carnal Pleasure by Yamada Fuutarou

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's worth noting that this mission was originally released in 2008, before the mod was even publicly available, by a fan using the demo release. It was updated since, but that's why it is so limited.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's worth noting that this mission was originally released in 2008, before the mod was even publicly available, by a fan using the demo release. It was updated since, but that's why it is so limited.

 

Ahhh. Makes sense then! I'll have to remember that when I post this to TTLG then.

Because in mystery novels, the first suspect is almost certainly never the murderer. No matter how much unmovable evidence there is, it will all be smashed in pieces by the wrath of the remaining number of pages of the story.

 

-"The Evil Spirit of the Zushi Clan" from Virtual Carnal Pleasure by Yamada Fuutarou

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Rightful Property (by jysk) is another city mission. The plot is simple: Not-Garratt has stolen an orb from a Builder church, and is moving to hand it off to a fence when a raid forces him to flee...without his money. Since Not-Garratt is not a man to go without money, he decides to track down his fence, get back the orb, and maybe hit a bank while he’s at it.

 

This mission is, in contrast to the previous two I’ve reviewed, quite long. The city, while linear, has quite a few places you can slip into, which I enjoy. Due to the linearity, you can’t really get lost. I did wish that it was clearer about which houses you could go into, but that’s a minor issue.

 

Difficulty-wise, it’s...up there. The loot goal is high, and you’ll have to dig around a bit to find everything. Guards are abundant, and the bank contains the bane of all thieves everywhere, especially those who wear tap shoes: marble floors. But the placement is mostly fair (I feel like there are a few too many outside of the inn, but that was on my first playthrough, the second was much smoother), and this mission actually provides a reason for so many guards on the streets, which you have to find out to complete an objective. Interestingly, you can complete it in two different ways, which I appreciate, since one way is very easy to miss.

 

Since the graphics are standard (so, good), I figured I’d talk briefly about the horror aspect of this mission, which, while minor, is good. The build-up and foreshadowing is done well, giving the player a sense of foreboding, waiting for the threat to emerge. It’s minor, but I knew what was coming and was still caught off-guard by it. Very well done.

 

All in all, a very solid city mission with a dab of horror. Recommended.

  • Like 4

Because in mystery novels, the first suspect is almost certainly never the murderer. No matter how much unmovable evidence there is, it will all be smashed in pieces by the wrath of the remaining number of pages of the story.

 

-"The Evil Spirit of the Zushi Clan" from Virtual Carnal Pleasure by Yamada Fuutarou

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


  • Recent Status Updates

    • Petike the Taffer

      I've finally managed to log in to The Dark Mod Wiki. I'm back in the saddle and before the holidays start in full, I'll be adding a few new FM articles and doing other updates. Written in Stone is already done.
      · 4 replies
    • nbohr1more

      TDM 15th Anniversary Contest is now active! Please declare your participation: https://forums.thedarkmod.com/index.php?/topic/22413-the-dark-mod-15th-anniversary-contest-entry-thread/
       
      · 0 replies
    • JackFarmer

      @TheUnbeholden
      You cannot receive PMs. Could you please be so kind and check your mailbox if it is full (or maybe you switched off the function)?
      · 1 reply
    • OrbWeaver

      I like the new frob highlight but it would nice if it was less "flickery" while moving over objects (especially barred metal doors).
      · 4 replies
    • nbohr1more

      Please vote in the 15th Anniversary Contest Theme Poll
       
      · 0 replies
×
×
  • Create New...