OLD THREAD - Fan Mission: The Siege Shop by PranQster (2011/06/26)

[Springheel]

Finally got around to playing this one.

 

I found it enjoyable and impressive for a first mission. The architecture was definitely not the strong part of the mission, but the creative elements made up for it.

 

 

Cons:

- a lot of lights bleeding through walls. Lights should rarely be set to no-shadows inside a house, IMO.

- many torches were too high on the walls...you could crouch right below many of them and still be almost completely unlit.

- some sound bleeding...the outdoor guards were alerted by sounds I made while inside.

- confusing keys...it was hard to know what the keys were for in some cases (the "desk key" was on a desk but didn't open that desk, didn't know what the "captain's room" was, etc), and there was a locked chest that had nothing but a key inside, which I couldn't frob.

- patrols were not very interesting and made AI very easy to KO...many would walk over to a spot with their back to the room and stand there for regular intervals. They might as well have had a "Please KO me" sign on their back.

 

Pros:

- balloon was very creative (though it would have made a much better EXIT from the mission, IMO)

- very creative use of model rescaling throughout

- lots of varied environments

- lots of great details (stew pot, spigot, etc) that added more life to the place

- I generally hate goofy easter eggs, but the Trojan Rabbit made me smile

- creative effect with the decapitated corpse

 

 

[PranQster]

Finally got around to playing this one.

 

I found it enjoyable and impressive for a first mission. The architecture was definitely not the strong part of the mission, but the creative elements made up for it.

 

 

Cons:

- a lot of lights bleeding through walls. Lights should rarely be set to no-shadows inside a house, IMO.

- many torches were too high on the walls...you could crouch right below many of them and still be almost completely unlit.

- some sound bleeding...the outdoor guards were alerted by sounds I made while inside.

- confusing keys...it was hard to know what the keys were for in some cases (the "desk key" was on a desk but didn't open that desk, didn't know what the "captain's room" was, etc), and there was a locked chest that had nothing but a key inside, which I couldn't frob.

- patrols were not very interesting and made AI very easy to KO...many would walk over to a spot with their back to the room and stand there for regular intervals. They might as well have had a "Please KO me" sign on their back.

 

Pros:

- balloon was very creative (though it would have made a much better EXIT from the mission, IMO)

- very creative use of model rescaling throughout

- lots of varied environments

- lots of great details (stew pot, spigot, etc) that added more life to the place

- I generally hate goofy easter eggs, but the Trojan Rabbit made me smile

- creative effect with the decapitated corpse

 

 

Glad you enjoyed it despite its newbie problems. I'm also glad you played this version and not the original release. My poor architecture in this version was still vastly improved over the original version I released.

I had only been tinkering with my tutorial map before this, and working on building contraptions out of brushes. When I started this map, I basically dropped in my drawbridge into a new map and then went.. "now what??", and built everything else around it. I tried making a little fortress inside a city and the result was rather retarded. My fix was to replace the city with a mountain/box-canyon type scene which, fortunately, turned out vastly better than the city block I had before

I'm still struggling with making things not so rectangular in my new map. I need to visit Europe and see firsthand some old architecture which wasn't laid out on a grid with right angles everywhere.

 

 

Mental notes taken on all of the cons.

As for the pros:

- Originally, the balloon was going to be the escape vehicle, but I had need for the player to use the drawbridge. So I had the player work their way down to the front gate.

- I love doing model re-scaling. It allows for variations and uses of models in new ways. An iron fence segment can be re-scaled to become a decorative portcullis, etc.

- The spigot on the wine barrel was one of the first custom things I made after I started my DR tutorial map. The bottomless mug beneath it makes me laugh. Expect to see that spigot in other missions I make.

- After making the catapult, the next step simply had to be the Trojan Rabbit. That or a large wooden badger. I'm still surprised that it turned out as decent as it did.

- I had a lot of fun making the corpse and the old London Tower executioners' block. That head model helped greatly, BTW . The trick was making the little neck piece. The real pain was getting the ragdoll body to stay put and keep laying face-down so the ragdoll's actual head wouldn't have its nose showing through the chest.

 

[lowenz]

Video

 

[SiyahParsomen]

nice one lowenz! That was sneaky.

[PranQster]

That was fun to watch Thanks for stopping before spoilers were shown.

Anyone notice the Full Metal Jacket reference?

That was a jelly donut in one of those unlocked footlockers.

 

[pusianka]

Just finished this and I must admit its the first mission where I was like: this is it? The end? I expected somehow more use of the shiny beautiful things like the balloon and catapult and all other stuff I've seen there. The dungeon was obviously lacking some feel to it and was too smaaaaaaaaaall.

 

One thing that I think should be used more often is this note thingy that you have in the left upper corner which you used to show what's in the mind of the thief. This should be used much mroe often!!!!

 

Now dont get me wrong, the mission was good but too plain if thats the correct word.

[Springheel]

One thing that I think should be used more often is this note thingy that you have in the left upper corner which you used to show what's in the mind of the thief. This should be used much mroe often!!!!

 

Huh?

[Sir Taffsalot]

Yeah I don't remeber this either.

[pusianka]

oh you know, this thing that is used in Training mission all the time. A message thingy in the corner of teh screen.

[ungoliant]

if your talking about the little "protip" gui overlay in the training mission, I definitely want to see it kept out of proper missions.

[pusianka]

why is that??? It's easier then having to recorded the character's voice to say what he thinks and yet its working pretty much fine... I like it!

[Springheel]

A message thingy in the corner of teh screen.

 

I don't remember seeing that in this mission.

[pusianka]

ending in the dungeon thats where it says "I better get taht bridge lowered and get out of here!"

 

and I say we use it more often!!!!!!!

[PranQster]

Just finished this and I must admit its the first mission where I was like: this is it? The end? I expected somehow more use of the shiny beautiful things like the balloon and catapult and all other stuff I've seen there. The dungeon was obviously lacking some feel to it and was too smaaaaaaaaaall.

 

One thing that I think should be used more often is this note thingy that you have in the left upper corner which you used to show what's in the mind of the thief. This should be used much mroe often!!!!

 

Now dont get me wrong, the mission was good but too plain if thats the correct word.

 

Yeah, it's a small mission. My first one. My next one, if I ever get back to working on it, will make up for this.

[melrief]

Nice mission, I liked it. IMHO it was too much easy because if you can kill then why you shouldn't? And there are a lot of arrows in this mission, so it is very easy to snipe every single guard.

[PranQster]

Thanks. It was my very first mission and not very complex. When I get my next mission done, it will have a broader range of difficulty.

[TheUnbeholden]

I loved the

steambot, heheh I never seen that before and it added a new dimension to stealthing this mission.

 

I also liked opening the draw bridge and having to go down into the cells, and fly the air balloon. WoOOhooo, its like a real bad ass heist, although some people might not appreciate the difficulty of the hidden key which leads to the others. But hey, sometimes the hardest fruit gives the sweetest juice.

Readables leaves alot to be desired.

 

Edited January 29, 2013 by TheUnbeholden

[Oldjim]

Did you try hitting it with an arrow - most gratifying

[Obsttorte]

You can also knock it out with your blackjack.

[mikenowo]

Hmm .. ok I have all the objectives but still can't find a way to..

 

 

 

lower/get to the drawbridge. It looks to be the door behind the cage but I can't find a way to open the cage.. roped up top and see nothing there that opens it either.

 

Also not sure what the footlocker inspection key is for, I opened all the footlockers I found via lockpicking

 

What am I missing?

 

Edited January 19, 2013 by mikenowo

[PranQster]

Hmm .. ok I have all the objectives but still can't find a way to..

 

 

 

lower/get to the drawbridge. It looks to be the door behind the cage but I can't find a way to open the cage.. roped up top and see nothing there that opens it either.

 

Also not sure what the footlocker inspection key is for, I opened all the footlockers I found via lockpicking

 

What am I missing?

 

Hint

 

What needs to occur to unlock the drawbridge happens in the dungeons area. Also, I think the footlocker inspection key was just there as a joke.

 

Bigger hint

 

You'll need the workshop key from the guard captain's quarters, then the dungeon key from the workshop area.

 

[PranQster]

Fixed (some) problems with TDM 2.0 compatibility*. For some reason I had unpacked some AI materials files and included them in the mission. At the time, I believed I needed them or thought I had modified them.

I just deleted those & rebuilt/reinstalled siegeshop after dmap. All looked as it should with no materials errors. Though my custom catapult blueprints graphic has the same texture problem as some of the wood textures (blue, orange, or black regions in the texture plus scrambled grey graphics) and the mountain sunset sky. This happens in all maps using those textures since TDM 1.08.

I think I'm going to do some extra work on this map to fix several issues.

 

* I have not uploaded any update yet...just announcing work in progress.

 

Medium-to-Major overhaul is now underway for Siege Shop.

• New construction will be underway for both the map entrance and the siege shop itself. The way the player enters the map will now be the "back way in" and will be expanded upon. The fortress will have a proper, roomy cavern front entrance w/ gates, etc.
  
• Old materials files, which had accidentally been packed with the map, have been removed.
  
• Missing textures are being replaced...many of these are decals of grime, soot & blood.
  
• Many textures will be changed, as well as some of the architecture of the main building.
  
• Since many textures of models have broken alpha transparency since 1.08, I will be either replacing those models or applying a different skin.**
  
• Readables will become more...um, readable. The main story will be slightly modified as well.
  
• All will require new lighting too.
  

** Some doors and beds and shelving with old wood texture show scrambled grey textures, sometimes with orange or blue regions on them. The same goes for silver textured models, such as goblets, platters & steins. The mountain sunset sky is also screwed up. This has been a problem since 1.08 and it screws up almost every map for me.

Edited May 27, 2013 by PranQster

[lowenz]

Good to hear this!

Thanks for caring for the old babies

[Springheel]

You should probably get 2.0 before changing any textures, since they may already be replaced.

 

What model textures are screwed up?

[PranQster]

Since 1.08, all of the default 2-hinge & 3-hinge doors with old wood texture are screwed up. Also, the older looking beds and kitchen shelving, most silver items: stein, goblet, tea pitcher & platter. Also the alpha blend areas in prefabs such as the pile of dirt. Also the mountain sunset sky texture looks grey and scrambled too.