FM: Rake Off (19 06 2011)

[SeriousToni]

I didn't find out why

 

 

there was a zombie moaning in the bedroom (or outside). Can anyone help?

 

Liked this mission pretty much. Season theme captured very well. Puzzle was good. I had fun!

But I felt so bad as I found the treasure and had to take it for myself after reading all the notes - I had so much compassion for this guy.

 

Good work!

 

[Chiron]

Finished it with all the loot, but one egg short

 

 

 

I liked the general atmosphere, stuff like the scarcity of proper food and firewood, collapsed sectors and the general state of the manor.

I also liked that each guard had its individual name.

 

Bonus points for the easter-eggs hunt.

 

The winter theme was captured very well, but it missed some details like snowdrifts, snow

on the stairs (if all servants are gone, who sweeps the stairs??)

 

The puzzle was a nice touch, but I would have incorporated it more into the story.

 

"The lack of money is so severe that we had to use some of the weird old mosaic pieces

from the basement to patch holes in the floors and walls."

 

A hunt for the missing pieces would have ensued..

 

 

 

[Aprilsister]

Season and Gameplay really wanted to give both ~3.5 so hit one @ 3 and the other @ 4... Aesthetics + Storytelling (should be separate) a 4

 

 

 

• On Aesthetics: I'm no doubt a digger of yer style; I really liked the look and feel of that shadowy garden hall, for instance.
• On Story: Nicely done moving the Tales of Woderose on; And, offhand, love the (hopefully) laying-of-the-groundwork/legendizing/documenting for some (vampirish?) cannibal clan.
• On Season: Wasn't integral but was integrated well enough... so can't give it much above the 3.5. Not complainin', just sayin'; a thematic contest I think implies a bit more in the integral department.
• Gameplay: Had a lot of fun for sure, but I always do with TDM to be honest. I did like the puzzle but also agree, realizing that it's a fine line to walk before falling over into arbitrary (<mumble rage>goddamned bullshit nonsense! </mumble rage>) the other-side-of difficulty, that in future these excellent things might have be a bit more difficult. And. it. freaking. worked (apparently I went overboard spinning the pieces and meticulously dropping them only when I felt correctly aligned ).

 

[PranQster]

I enjoyed this one a lot. Very nice aesthetically

Something interesting:

 

The objective for finding 10 easter eggs was checked, even though I only had 9 in inventory.

 

I only missed finding 35 loot. Usually I'm short a few hundred my first time through a mission.

One more thing I found strange:

 

I found 2 levers which I didn't see what they did. One was in the kitchen on the wall and the other was in the main dining hall near where Rake was sitting. I could neither see nor hear anything reacting when those levers were thrown.

 

[Jesps]

I enjoyed this one a lot. Very nice aesthetically

Something interesting:

 

The objective for finding 10 easter eggs was checked, even though I only had 9 in inventory.

 

Anyone else experienced that? The counter needs to be activated 10 times to trigger.

I only missed finding 35 loot. Usually I'm short a few hundred my first time through a mission.

One more thing I found strange:

 

I found 2 levers which I didn't see what they did. One was in the kitchen on the wall and the other was in the main dining hall near where Rake was sitting. I could neither see nor hear anything reacting when those levers were thrown.

 

 

They are light switches. For the light over Rake's table, and for the light outside the kitchen door.

 

[Bikerdude]

I didn't find out why

 

there was a zombie moaning in the bedroom (or outside). Can anyone help? Liked this mission pretty much. Season theme captured very well. Puzzle was good. I had fun!

But I felt so bad as I found the treasure and had to take it for myself after reading all the notes - I had so much compassion for this guy. Good work!

 

 

It was there for atmosphere I believe, but more importantly did you figure out how to

operate the switch

..?

[kittykat]

Congrats on the release. I liked this mission very much, great story and fun to play. Found all eggs but missed about 150 in loot. Cool feature using the candle and the puzzle. I also heard the zombie and was wondering where he was and was it possible to get to that side of the window?

[Diego]

@Bikerdude:

 

 

Melting the snow with a candle! I love these subtle puzzles

 

[Bikerdude]

I missed it the first time round..

[SeriousToni]

It was there for atmosphere I believe..?

 

Are you sure? Wasn't pointed out clearly enough (for me). If so, he should let walk him by the window outside. But also the place wasn't the right.. why in the bedroom?

It's just so mysterious ^^

[Bikerdude]

It's just so mysterious ^^

there is yer answer :-)

[Jesps]

Yup, just for atmosphere.

[Ladro]

Finished!

Really nice mission, congratulation!

 

2 high moments for me:

 

 

1) Malting the lever with the candel was excellent!

2) The puzzle at the end :-) (really simple, but it's a great example for future missions)

 

 

Bravo!

[Trickster]

Congratulations on release, and thanks !

 

Four stars everything from me. Nice season capturing, though nothing special. Gameplay-wise, almost player nirvana, seems your best FM to date. Liked that map seems huge, but gameplay flows without chance being stuck, that´s big plus. Nice visuals at some places, i am especially digging your ambient music choice, worked great, and i am kinda "ambient freak"

 

I don´t look for bugs, but i noticed easter egg objective was completed before i got all of them (5 @ easy).

 

Very enjoyable mission, didn´t played all contest entries yet, but so far this is my personal No. 1.

 

I mostly loved ambient theme that played at big open area with bridge, sort of generic dark noise with symphonic orchestra at top of it. Never noticed this theme in previous FMs, it was gorgeous blend.

 

Now bit off-topic: Hope that author of music i´m talking about wanders around here, if so, can i ask something ? I suppose that "symphonic" part wasn´t ripped from some commercial cd, and i believe he (or she) has not access to whole orchestra, so what the hell it was created ? Is it possible to create such living orchestra sound using plugins or some software ?

 

 

[Diego]

Is it possible to create such living orchestra sound using plugins or some software ?

 

Samplers Check this one out: http://www.soundsonline.com/Symphonic-Orchestra

 

edit: I'm NOT the author, by the way!

Edited June 24, 2011 by Diego

[Trickster]

Thanks, Diego ! Thats cool ! (and expensive : -) ) i will give that demo a try

***no more off-topic i promise***

[pusianka]

I liked the mission. Great performance. I really liked all the readables which do not happen often. Good idea with easter eggs .

A little too short but enjoyable. I am wondering was it just my luck or there was some script to make captain run back to his room? I could almost imagine him running into his room, lookin at the desk where his notes should be. Silent words come out slowly out of his mouth:

- Motherfucker...

[id3839315]

Another very nice and cool mission from the author of Pandora's Box aka Starship Enterprise for TDM.

Easter eggs in winter is a great idea and the puzzles were fun. Thank you !

[Glyph Seeker]

Four Stars across the board from me!

 

 

I must admit to being disappointed at the lack of nooks and crannies leading up to the manor (in spite of the Easter Eggs, which was a nice idea!). I was expecting werewolves or cannibals to attack me at any point! x-D

 

Loved the puzzle with the frozen switch.

 

I felt that the zombie moan was misleading and could perhaps be replaced with a "spooky" revenant cackle / laugh instead?

 

The overall design of the mansion - how it felt cold and decripit... It was great! The decay and the diaries describing how Rake feels trapped there - I really liked that. Fallen splendour, wrecks, ruins, these are my favourite things!

 

The puzzle for the treasure was grand - I was very pleasantly surprised by it! =-3

 

Loved how you're fleshing out your take on the Dark Mod universe with the readables and map - exactly what I want to see.

 

[fxdwg]

Just finished. Overall, a very enjoyable mission. Saw some cool innovative ideas. Nice Job!

[Jesps]

script to make captain run back to his room?

 

 

Yes when he gets alerted, he runs avay

 

 

I was expecting werewolves or cannibals to attack me at any point

 

The anticipation must have done something too, I hope

 

Nice Job

Thanks

[fllood]

Congrats Jesps. Been a fun two hours!

 

In particular I liked...

 

... the riddle, the guard cook, the cave and tunnel look, the crackled floor tiles and the way to enter the secret chamber.

Room and corridors of the castle had been too wide and high for my taste. It gave them too much feel of emptyness. While this fit the backstory I often felt too safe taffing around. And the eggs had been tooo unconnected for me to the setting to be sold on them. But generally I like seaching for extras beside loot.

 

Thank you for this mission!

[Jesps]

Thank you for this mission!

 

You are welcome

[raymeld]

Just spent half an hour of my life ( sad old man that I am )

waving a candle over the heap of snow on the bed in that bedroom. Is it supposed to melt or something? Is there a particular spot / way you put the candle on?

thanks for any help.

[Jesps]

Just spent half an hour of my life ( sad old man that I am )

waving a candle over the heap of snow on the bed in that bedroom. Is it supposed to melt or something? Is there a particular spot / way you put the candle on?

thanks for any help.

 

 

not the snow on the bed

 

 

the ice on the lever, can be melted