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Which "genre" of TDM missions do you hope to see more of?


Glyph Seeker

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When I was playing "Dragon's Claw" by Bikerdude I was immediately struck with a longing to play the exploration / horror level of "The Haunted Cathedral". It's the closest thing we have to that Thief level, in the same way that BadCog's "The Rift" is the closest tthing we have to a "The Lost City" level.

 

It got me thinking, that Thief and Thief 2 created archetypes for what we expect from our FMs. Bafford Manor was an easy, straightforward loot-the-mansion mission, Assassins was a bait and switch where an objective in the briefing is quickly changed, Return to the Haunted Cathedral set up the strongest horror theme...

 

Speaking for myself - I don't get excited about huge City missions like most people do. It's the Lost City, Down in the Bonehoard type tomb raiding, monster-around-the-next-corner thrill I've enjoyed most. Flakebridge Monastery therefore is my favourite mission by miles of all the FMs produced so far.

 

===

 

So I wonder - even if you are a FM maker and try to create what you want to play, what itch do you have that isn't being scratched at the moment? What kind of levels would you like to see in the future?

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"No proposition Euclid wrote,

No formulae the text-books know,

Will turn the bullet from your coat,

Or ward the tulwar's downward blow

Strike hard who cares—shoot straight who can—

The odds are on the cheaper man."

 

From 'Arithmetic on the Frontier' by Rudyard Kipling

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I love undead missions as long as they capture the atmosphere, and house/mansion robbery missions too.

 

I especially love large missions that feature a little bit of everything: city streets, crypts, cathedrals, house robbing.

--- War does not decide who is right, war decides who is left.

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A total crap contest would be hilarious and if taken seriously could produce a cool mission that pushes the boundaries (ref: Incubus for T2). It's probably still much too early to consider though. Compare to the T2 contest which happened somewhere around Dec 2006-Jan 2007, which was 6-7 years after the game got released, vs. about ~2 years currently for TDM. I dunno if I buy the "it would throw off and confuse our casual ModDB players" argument, but there are still a lot of cool things to do before it's time for systemic mindfuck.

 

But there's good news! You can always "release" a pile of excrement on your own. Call it TDS - The Dark Shits (or TDP).

 

Responding to the title question, I'd like to see some of those gigantic institutional maps - something like a bank or museum as opposed to a police station / fort or a mansion. Good opportunity for massive loots, expansive rooms, lots of guards, puzzles, intrigue, exhibits, security systems, employees, multiple routes, etc.

Edited by jaxa
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SH you are just a little ray of sunshine, aren't you? =-P

"No proposition Euclid wrote,

No formulae the text-books know,

Will turn the bullet from your coat,

Or ward the tulwar's downward blow

Strike hard who cares—shoot straight who can—

The odds are on the cheaper man."

 

From 'Arithmetic on the Frontier' by Rudyard Kipling

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Whatever the theme of mission i like the ones with strong adventure elements. Where you need to plan your next steps forward the objective decide on an order of things to do,and on the how and with what resources.. in a nutshell Deus-exy missions..

Edited by _Atti_
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I don't care much about genre, but I want to see more missions with a strong storyline, and a sense that I'm intruding into the lives of real people. I find that I get bored pretty quickly with missions that don't provide me with any motivation for my Objectives, and that don't have any readables or visual storytelling.

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I wouldn't mind seeing a huge Bonehoard / Sepulchre of the Sinistral type mission. I might do one myself when the current project I am working on procrastinating about is completed.

 

Or something complex that takes full advantage of DR's scripting systems, and excels in all areas. Like A Score to Settle.

 

But really, I want a steady supply of small missions. That's the lifeblood of the mod.

Come the time of peril, did the ground gape, and did the dead rest unquiet 'gainst us. Our bands of iron and hammers of stone prevailed not, and some did doubt the Builder's plan. But the seals held strong, and the few did triumph, and the doubters were lain into the foundations of the new sanctum. -- Collected letters of the Smith-in-Exile, Civitas Approved

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I don't care much about genre, but I want to see more missions with a strong storyline, and a sense that I'm intruding into the lives of real people. I find that I get bored pretty quickly with missions that don't provide me with any motivation for my Objectives, and that don't have any readables or visual storytelling.

 

that's exactly what shadowhide is waiting for, he just tries to be humble and allow you to find out about that by yourself. I personally wish that you build connection between the player and characters we're encountering. It is pain in the ass to get that done - I understand and that's why I patiently wait for the progress. Keep up working guys and never get discourage. Whenever someone says something nasty and just for the fun of criticising just try to put it in opposite. Example!

A guy to a woman:

"Wow you have such nice boobs. I wanna fuck you till Death!"

"Did you just say: Wow you're so inteligent and clever, if I don't marry you I'm gonna die."

 

well, not exactly how I wished it to sound like but I hope you get the concept ;D!

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Whenever someone says something nasty and just for the fun of criticising just try to put it in opposite. Example!

A guy to a woman:

"Wow you have such nice boobs. I wanna fuck you till Death!"

"Did you just say: Wow you're so inteligent and clever, if I don't marry you I'm gonna die."

 

well, not exactly how I wished it to sound like but I hope you get the concept ;D!

i dont get it

Proceed with caution!

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I prefer being part of the story but just a observer taffing treasures - the feel to be in a living and breathing world of peoples' places I'm taffing through. I like eavesdropping, personal conversations of AI and every day readables a lot for that reasons. Even if unconnected to objectives or from / about the secondary people around.

 

I'm mostly hooked by a setting that succed in creating a very dense atmosphere. I mostly find these in mystic and horror type FMs (like e.g. in Flakebridge Monestary) and Lost City or Dark Secret type ones.

 

Good choice of ambient and spot sound is very important for me to be sucked into a FM - even more than than top-notch visual details.

 

Settings with much intrigue between the people dwelling the city part or an estate is appealing to me as well. Bring them on!

 

Also I really, really love unexpected events in the story (like in The Transaction) or setting (e.g. Winter Harvest). To me a good surprise or unforseen turn-around add tension, dynamic and much immersion ... like in a good book ..... please more of such ... :smile:

Edited by fllood

"To rush is without doubt the most important enemy of joy" ~ Thieves Saying

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I have a hard time choosing a favorite mission genre but the genre I've developed a sweet-tooth for is the "Prison Escape". The mission "Trapped!" is often near the top of my list. I also enjoyed "Betrayal" though it beats my poor lowend PC senseless. I guess Beleaguered Fence counts to some degree. Hell I even get a kick outta the zombie prisons in NHAT and the mini prisons in several of Biker's missions. I am really looking forward to HappyCheeze's upcoming prison mission.

Please visit TDM's IndieDB site and help promote the mod:

 

http://www.indiedb.com/mods/the-dark-mod

 

(Yeah, shameless promotion... but traffic is traffic folks...)

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I have a hard time choosing a favorite mission genre but the genre I've developed a sweet-tooth for is the "Prison Escape". The mission "Trapped!" is often near the top of my list. I also enjoyed "Betrayal" though it beats my poor lowend PC senseless. I guess Beleaguered Fence counts to some degree. Hell I even get a kick outta the zombie prisons in NHAT and the mini prisons in several of Biker's missions. I am really looking forward to HappyCheeze's upcoming prison mission.

 

Yes there is a great thrill in the "breaking out" and "turning the tables" themes... It used to be a staple of FPS games that you'd be captured and beaten up and your weapons taken away... Deep Space 9 - The Fallen had a rather satisfying jailbreak level. Arx Fatalis of course, begins with you breaking out of a cell - as does Penumbra: Black Plagues first puzzle. Amnesia: Dark Descent has one too late in the game.

"No proposition Euclid wrote,

No formulae the text-books know,

Will turn the bullet from your coat,

Or ward the tulwar's downward blow

Strike hard who cares—shoot straight who can—

The odds are on the cheaper man."

 

From 'Arithmetic on the Frontier' by Rudyard Kipling

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Gentlemen please! No fighting in the war room!

"No proposition Euclid wrote,

No formulae the text-books know,

Will turn the bullet from your coat,

Or ward the tulwar's downward blow

Strike hard who cares—shoot straight who can—

The odds are on the cheaper man."

 

From 'Arithmetic on the Frontier' by Rudyard Kipling

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Which "genre" of TDM missions do you hope to see more of?

 

Me? I seem to favour the conventional thieving missions.

 

I'd like to see any kinds of missions with the following things:

*A break in or other stealth based mission with clear set of objectives.

*A map, which shows enough information so that the player can make intelligent decisions how to proceed with the mission and which equipment to buy.

*It is about thievery. Get in, get the dingus, get out, cause as low amount of commotion as possible.

*Many alternative routes to accomplish the mission. Alternatives with consequences.

*Real life-like AI patrols. AI's have interesting things to do. They should not be robots ever droning the same path tirelessly.

*Simple built in mechanic to increase the map replay-value. (Ie. slight variation between gaming sessions in AI patrols etc.)

 

Many of our current missions seem to have this "You are dropped into an area with no clue of your surroundings. Wander around and find things" -thing. Some missions have very vague objectives set.

 

TG_M2_map_PAGE001.jpg

 

Remember these pretty maps from thief 1? The clear and concise objectives? That is what I crave.

Clipper

-The mapper's best friend.

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