Seasons Contest Entry : Winter Harvest by Shadowhide

[Baal]

Then keep it small and close the place of with a couple of facades. You could then, for example, build a small sewer section through which you enter the cellar of one of these houses (and so on). Just a few rooms to keep it manageable. That's not very ambitious but still fun to play.

[Thiefette]

These look good, especially the first one.

 

 

 

I agree Shadowhide, don't give up. There's lots of help out there and remember no ones good at everything but everyones good at something. There's alot of potential in what we've seen so far. You put something out there and that in itself is a victory.

[Shadowhide]

sorry,no more missions from me

if somebody interested to look on my abandoned castle map,you can get it here :

http://www.gamefront.com/files/20337548/castle1.map

[pusianka]

You gotta be kidding... Don't make us beg you! ;D

[Nielsen74]

I agree Shadowhide, don't give up. There's lots of help out there and remember no ones good at everything but everyones good at something. There's alot of potential in what we've seen so far. You put something out there and that in itself is a victory.

 

 

I´l giv Thiefette right DON`T GIVE UP just take a LITTEL brake and when you got your energi back you´l come back with an even grather mission next time

[7upMan]

What EVERYBODY said, plus:

 

Every mapper can do everything himself (except beta testing and voice recording or mappers who unite into small team to build good quality missions )

 

I think there you are wrong. Since FM building is such a huge task, many people look for help from others. Have a look at the maps that have already been released. Many of them have more than one contributor. You said it yourself:

 

mappers who unite into small team to build good quality missions

 

There are projects that are desperately looking for mappers, like Ozkar's. I'm sure he won't mind you dropping in.

[DeTeEff]

In short, the only bad thing about your work is that it SHOULD have been betatested more throughly. The purpose of this is that you get to see if the mission is playable as intended. When we work, some things may seem certain, but for an outside player who has never seen your mission, it's different. They will try things that you couldn't think of. They may spot bad texture allignments, bad performance but most important, things that may render the mission unfinishable, like in your mission:

The crown under the bed and the Book bug

 

 

Springheel mentions a lot of these things in the thread about how to upload a mission.

 

One painful thing about beta testing is the saying 'Kill your darligs'. In this case it means that some beta tester may be suggesting you to change something in your mission, because different reasons. It may be a boring/time consuming moment, something that doesn't fit so well in the mission for various reasons. But it is painful for you to perform this change since you have used a lot of time for designing that particular thing/event. Your mission may probably benefit by this change, but remember that the beta testers are there as assistance and guidance; it's up to YOU to decide on whether you alter your mission.

 

I've said it before, DarkRadiant and mapping is like a roller coaster for the mood. One time it flows well smootly and the lighting in your maps falls like tender silk onto your project...

 

Other times everything goes wrong and you just want to throw the computer out the window!

 

But it is definitely worth the effort when you sit and lean back in your chair and look at the excitement from all fellow mappers who are downloading your work

Edited May 16, 2011 by Fieldmedic

[Shadowhide]

my mission didn't get any attention on moddb and didn't added to released fan missions list.I wander : is my mission that bad ?

[nbohr1more]

I will add it to the wiki.

 

 

As for Moddb... I was hesitant to have this mission be the first impression for a potential Dark Mod fan.

 

I think it has it's charms but it definitely screws with your play-style expectations.

 

If you are a Dark Mod regular it's a gloriously bizarre divergence from the norm but new players seeing this as representative of the mod, I am not so sure...

 

I suppose I could warn folks that this is not a normal FM but I was also concerned that labeling like that would be offensive... I supposed being absent is worse...

[Baddcog]

I think it just takes time... Everyone is busy and missions eventually get added, but someone has to get around to it.

 

As far as ModDB, I don't think it's bad to list all missions, but that site isn't loading for me at the moment. However it's not just your mission, didn't see any contest missions, and even the latest RTC isn't included unless I missed it.

My maps isn't on there anywhere and I've been on the team for years.

Fiasco is but that's part of an interview page showcasing the ability to speed map for TDM.

But nborhr1more is in charge of that.

[nbohr1more]

The vertical contest was half the reason I pushed for "someone" to update Moddb (little did I know that "someone" would be me ). I thought it was a crime that the vertical contest wasn't promoted there. Baddcog's mission belongs there as well as a whole slew of the initial batch of missions.

 

(There is still no consensus about whether all missions should be up there for an alternate download location...)

 

Baddcog's say is good enough for me, I will have a Winter Harvest article up soon.

[Baddcog]

I'm not pushing you to do more

Just stating that it's nothing personal, not everything gets posted at ModDB

 

 

When looking at the page though if you do add all missions (of course this is a chore now but over the years it might grow into a tough chore to keep it always updated depending on how many releases start to roll in) it might be nice to have an actual page for that with a tab up top.

 

Since that page is mainly to promote the mod overall I don't know if it needs to have a review of every FM on the news page. Might be best just to have a seperate FM's page. And maps could be posted as a few screens and sentences to full reviews depending on who wants/has time.

 

Then most pages stay as 'mod' pages. And one page is FM's.

 

But this discussion if it needs to be discussed more should probably move to appropriate place (sorry for derail)

[AluminumHaste]

my mission didn't get any attention on moddb and didn't added to released fan missions list.I wander : is my mission that bad ?

 

That's partly my fault, I've been dragging my feet taking screenshots for Moddb so nbohr1more doesn't have anything to post yet. I'll try and finish your map tonight and one of the others also. I have to say, I love the lighting you used in the map, very Thief like and moody.

[nbohr1more]

Article has been posted:

 

http://www.moddb.com/mods/the-dark-mod/news/winter-harvest-released

 

It will take a couple of days to authorize. Hopefully AluminumHaste will get a chance to collect some pics to accompany it shortly.

[Bikerdude]

As promised I updated a small section of WH and dropped Shadowhide a pm so he can decide if he wants me to continue with the update..

[7upMan]

Thanks man. While I'm way behind with playing FMs, I'll happily wait with playing WH until you/SH squashed the worst bugs.

[SiyahParsomen]

I have encountered 2 critical bugs. Quote from my previous post:

 

First bug is about the revenant. You should definitely fix it. Since I don't have any weapons, I also creeped close to walls. That black revenant appeared then dissappeared suddenly. I didn't understand anything but some horror factor. In my second try, I walked straight ahead to him although he's armed and I'm unarmed! Then talked with him and understood what to do next. Second bug is about the final boss. I used all my fire arrows and missed only 2 broadhead arrows but he didn't die! I noclipped and killed him with blackjack lol.

 

[Melan]

Finally had the opportunity to play this. I must say, it is a good mission for a newbie effort.

 

 

The mission's main strengths are the following:

• An excellent use of coloured lights to create atmosphere. Liked the warm glow of the torches against the snow, the dramatic red of the prison, the contrasts of the library and the light after the passing of the winter. It is, if simple, a visually good mission with a twisted fairytale appearance and one that is properly dark.
• The voice acting.
• Story -- linear and pretty much a keyhunt, but within the limited scope, it does not become problematic (not for me anyway).
• Nonstandard elements like the prisoners, passing the book through the bars (clever!), even the duel with Quintus. It is not a thiefy mission strictly speaking. But it has strengths of its own. It could be said to be one of the directions TDM can be taken in.

I played the updated version, so the only bug I found was that I defeated Quintus without finding the crown (nonstandard problemsolving to get out of the room, but it distracted me from a crucial objective), and had to replay that part because there was no way to get back. Maybe the crown could have been used as a key item to pass a deadly barrier, or activate a secret passage... keeping with the theme of the mission.

 

Here are some images that demonstrate what I liked about the atmosphere:

 

 

So to sum up: different, problematic in spots, but likeable. Keep building!

[Sotha]

So... Is there gonna be an update or bugfix set?

 

I was thinking of trying this FM again, but I'd like to know if there is a bugfix around the corner I should wait for..

[pusianka]

So... Is there gonna be an update or bugfix set?

 

I was thinking of trying this FM again, but I'd like to know if there is a bugfix around the corner I should wait for..

 

it's hiding... In the shadow... Be aware...

[Bikerdude]

Im still waiting for a reply from SH...

[Bikerdude]

Good news taffers, SH and myself are gonna collaborate on v2 of WH. I will do the mapping and SH will do all that complicated scripting stuff

 

[id3839315]

Thank you for this nice misson.

 

 

The big building is meant to be an abandoned church - when you approach the tomb a builder revenant appears and asks you to find his body and lay it to rest.

 

 

There was someone there but I didn't hear a voice and it vanished shortly after I noticed it.

 

I tried to hide because he had a sword.

 

Edited May 20, 2011 by id3839315

[pusianka]

Ok finished the mission however I couldnt find the valuable thing. I got out of the room by being a clever thief that "pulled builders leg". This should be more clear that you have to get the crown and it should be impossible to leave without it.

 

I really liked the ending. Especially grave sayin thank you. I liked the boss fight however it was very, very easy. Shadowhide has very interesting way of lightinig and building if he had someone to beta test his missions and check the coding then he would be on the top. But now it was definetly less impressive because of all the issues. Hope to see more.

[Thiefette]

Good news taffers, SH and myself are gonna collaborate on v2 of WH. I will do the mapping and SH will do all that complicated scripting stuff

 

 

Glad to hear. Will play again when you're done.