Fan Mission: In the North (by grayman) (2012/10/20)

[grayman]

Congrats on making it to the top! That's quite a feat. If D3/TDM didn't have framerate problems when drawing lots of stuff, I would've gladly painted all the missing textures and allowed the player to roam the rooftops freely. It would have made for a much better mission, but, alas, it wasn't in the cards.

[simplen00b]

 

That ledge above us is tantalising, but out of reach. Our way is blocked. Is the tower just barricaded off? Are our hopes in vain? Anyway, we will at least build a crate tower so tall, we will see what is on the top! We return to the basement. For more crates. /...

Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. Above and beyond. (Pretty sure I'd've given up less than half-way through.)

 

It is possible to get a rope arrow into the wooden beam that the bell hangs off, but the rope doesn't go anywhere useful...

[Bikerdude]

I don't think ethics (morals) are involved. It's a design choice the mapper makes

I think Melan is just yanking yer chain Gman

[Melan]

I was being facetious. As a mapper myself, I like leaving possibilities like this open, though. Let people climb.

 

LOL Melan, what r u like? how long did it take to collect all those crates...

It did not take that long, maybe 45 minutes or something. If there were more crates near the rooftop, I'd have been up there much sooner. And of course, this is not Angelwatch (which has also been climbed).

[demagogue]

Crate climbing is a distinguished & silly grand tradition. I'm always happy to see the legacy continue.

[Eldrad]

I can't get the mission to run. It starts and then it just dies and the entire program ends. Redownloading it now. BTW what is a localization Pack? Do I need that?

[Springheel]

Are you running 1.08?

[grayman]

I can't get the mission to run. It starts and then it just dies and the entire program ends. Redownloading it now. BTW what is a localization Pack? Do I need that?

 

If it dies right away, you're probably running 1.07. The OP mentions that 1.08 is required.

 

No, you don't need the localization pack if you're running in English. Language packs are forthcoming for other languages.

[i30817]

Invisible walls considered harmful. To fun

[Sotha]

Just played this. Yeah, I know I am well-known complaining critic around here, but here is a little review:

 

 

 

I've never given any mission full grades in all categories. This mission is the first and hopefully not the last. Everything was spot-on. Everything was great! I can't figure out anything to complain about. Truly commercial quality stuff.

 

I went in and decided to move towards the tower as it just sounded interesting. Made it into the barracks and got busted. Got hit a few times, but escaped the guard and let things cool down. Then I carried on in the order of perceived location importance. All the stuff was found where I expected. I never frobbed any painting, but when I came to the lord's office, the only painting I frobbed was the first and exactly the correct one. I just felt: "THAT one is a FAKE!" and bingo. Strange... Maybe great minds think alike? All the puzzles/problems were of the correct level of difficulty and there was never the problem of not knowing what to do.

 

The alert cascade seems to work very nicely. Soon every guard I met was wielding swords ready after that one guards saw me. Praise the AI!

 

The level geometry was pretty and well thought.

 

The lady wandering around with the guard was a great idea. I saw RITs were in use and the guard/servant life felt very natural, people going on their business.

 

There was a lot of notes and documents and all sorts of stuff. They were concise and made their point and it was fun to combine the pieces of the puzzle together. In the end I was fully aware what was going on in the location. At first I was fearing there was too much of the note clutter, but in the end I was very happy. Just a few more would have been too much though, but as the stuff were interesting and added to the story, it was great. This mission is a mortal strike towards those who claim that an excellent storytelling mission needs to be linear or a key hunt.

 

What else I had to say, I'm not sure as this mission made me rather speechless. Keep up the good work.

 

Overall: a genius mission!

 

My end stats:

Isn't it a bit strange that the stealth score was only 6? A guard saw me. I got hit twice with a sword and then I managed to escape and the whole manor was alerted and everyone took wielded arms? Also I'm not sure where the damage dealt came from: I never attacked anyone. I never KOd anyone.

 

And here is something extra:

 

"Friend, I think there are some things you should be aware of... Oh, and here is a gold bar. Enjoy! Buy something for the girl!

Best regards, WS."

 

 

[Tels]

Haven't finished the mission yet - got busted to many times, the RIT and the guards wandering around make you always to be on your toes - excellent. Anyway, I can just say brilliant job, top notch. Loved the run-down place, the texuring work is outstanding. The little details, just wow.

 

v1.08 also makes this very enjoyable (Thanx Springheel for all the sound touches, this makes it come alive!).

 

There were only one or two mod bugs: when you are in the blue bedroom, and wake the lady, she falls through the floor, and sometimes the AI would pile up and get stuck. But even that can't distract from this fine mission. Nothing but praise

 

It all feels so natural, guards going for a snack, the lady guards following their lady, even saw one guard go and have a lay down. Faboulous!

 

Now on to play more and finish the mission

[ECHELON]

I've finished the mission last week and i think it is a very very nice mission.

 

what a pity i've ruined my enjoyment checking for translation problems and waiting almost 2 minutes to reload each time the mission to fix problems. :/

 

And, without doing it on purpose, i hadn't visited the upper floor. :/

 

Just finished without seeing it.

[cool_climber]

Awesome mission!!!

 

Really enjoyed the new sounds; armour clinking as patrols walked by, opening chests, doors, etc.

 

Loved how big the mission was. I'm usually pretty good at getting my bearings with the compass, but by the end I still was having trouble figuring out where to go and where I was!

 

I'm proud to say that I didn't have to check the forum once for hints, because I didn't get stuck! That's huge for me I think this for sure has to do with multiple hints in the readables and nothing very random that had to be done to continue foward. Well done Grayman for making such a smooth flowing mission!

 

I do have one question though, and I'm guessing this is in relation to having to update to 1.08 to play the mission. Has anyone else noticed that the screen isn't as crisp as it used to be? For example, I had a hard time reading the name of people's keys as I was cycling through my inventory. Same goes for the name of the readable, and also the readables themselves (although these weren't much of a problem since the text was bigger to begin with). Is there a setting somewhere that I should be changing to make things more clear like before?

[Scope]

Gray, the architecture and aesthetics of this FM are stellar, as were puzzles, loot placements and random guard patrol's.

 

I feel the bar is always raised in FM's whenever we get a new patch and this FM is no exception.

 

The story telling was brilliant start to finish! - I have never once seen an FM use cutscenes (something I am hoping we will now see a lot more of) - it was a massive boon to the narrative. It felt like more than just a typical "Taff and Grab", looting mission - we were introduced to a Player Character with a motive other than just petty theft, and NPC characters with seemingly real personalities.

 

The use of...

... Optional Objectives helped to reveal more of the player characters personality - he see's a moral dillemma and it bothers him enough that he would go out of his way to put it right and make it an objective if he can. I found this to be a nice touch in endearing the player to the protagonist.

 

 

Other than having a great plot, the FM is aesthetically pleasing, and fun to play - the Snow was a nice touch as I have not yet seen it used in an FM - my only criticism on this would have been that the outside areas were larger - perhaps starting the mission in the grounds outside the building in oppose to being already in the tunnels would have made the mission feel less labirinthine and enclosed. But that is a small drawback on an otherwise brilliant mission.

 

I am really looking forward to the next installment in the Wm. Steele series,

 

Well done Gray!

Edited November 3, 2012 by Scope

[Xarg]

Scope, I assume you are a new player? If you want to see more cutscenes, check out Sotha's The Knighton Manor and The Transaction. I believe A Score to Settle has one as well.

[Scope]

Actually... No.

 

I just must be one of those unlucky few who hasn't noticed them before. I am a fan of Sotha's work - but I have never noticed cutscene's mid game. I am pretty sure I have Knighton Manor installed - I must give it another bash

 

Never played the transaction though - I will give it a shot as well.

[Springheel]

but I have never noticed cutscene's mid game

 

Most of those missions just have cutscenes at the beginning or end. Transaction does have one in the middle, but it's the only other one I can think of.

[Sotha]

Grayman's excellent "Above the City" uses cutscenes too! Highly recommended!

[jardakrupka]

Be in chapel,I can't find entrance to the crypt.Who will help?Thanks Jarda

[ECHELON]

Be in chapel,I can't find entrance to the crypt.Who will help?Thanks Jarda

 

 

look for something hot.

 

Edited November 5, 2012 by ECHELON

[grayman]

Be in chapel,I can't find entrance to the crypt.Who will help?Thanks Jarda

 

 

 

There's a clue in Harckoff's To Do list in the unlocked desk in his chambers.

 

 

[jardakrupka]

Pro PPOE jsem z Prahy. Jsem i na českém thiefovi jako "alois"

[Tels]

Pro PPOE jsem z Prahy. Jsem i na českém thiefovi jako "alois"

 

I'm glad we started with the Czech translations

[jardakrupka]

I'm glad we started with the Czech translations

 

Unexceptionable report,me much English doesn't go.I be born behind "king Klacka"(Stick) plus in mine age already it to the head Nelia. Where find accounting("evidence")?Otherwise is that a excel mission.

[grayman]

Could someone translate for me? I don't know if there's a question here or a positive comment or a negative comment.