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Fan Mission: The Accountant 2: New In Town by Goldwell (2016/05/09)


Goldwell

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Whew. This was a doozy. Excellent mission all around. I can only echo praise that's been kicked about in this thread up until now, so you can just add my voice to all that :P I was struck by the top notch, professional quality of everything...

 

 

... until the final fifteen minutes. I thought things got kinda... rushed around that point, and the mission design (architecturally, that is - this could be a consequence of the map simply not being able to handle as much detail as the first 75%, though) suffered as well. I wouldn't condemn it as harshly as Cookie did, but there IS a noticeable dip in quality, in my humble opinion. The tonal shift from thieving to adventuring is very jarring.

Mind you, I do find the interdimensional stuff, as well as the overall direction of the plot, very intriguing (and it's nice that this was hinted at earlier with the alien thingy, so it's not totally out of left field,) I just hope it's all handled with a bit more finesse in the next go-around. Totally excited for the train stuff, too.

 

 

Anywho, I got 7/8 secrets, and am incredibly gratified to find that my

habit of checking toilets

has not gone unrewarded, at long last :P

 

A stupendous mission overall and I want to play the next one, like, now.

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Whew. This was a doozy. Excellent mission all around. I can only echo praise that's been kicked about in this thread up until now, so you can just add my voice to all that :P I was struck by the top notch, professional quality of everything...

 

 

... until the final fifteen minutes. I thought things got kinda... rushed around that point, and the mission design (architecturally, that is - this could be a consequence of the map simply not being able to handle as much detail as the first 75%, though) suffered as well. I wouldn't condemn it as harshly as Cookie did, but there IS a noticeable dip in quality, in my humble opinion. The tonal shift from thieving to adventuring is very jarring.

 

Mind you, I do find the interdimensional stuff, as well as the overall direction of the plot, very intriguing (and it's nice that this was hinted at earlier with the alien thingy, so it's not totally out of left field,) I just hope it's all handled with a bit more finesse in the next go-around. Totally excited for the train stuff, too.

 

 

Anywho, I got 7/8 secrets, and am incredibly gratified to find that my

habit of checking toilets

has not gone unrewarded, at long last :P

Thanks for playing!

 

A stupendous mission overall and I want to play the next one, like, now.

With the rather unexpected polarizing reaction to this mission I have absolutely no desire or motivation to touch this series anytime soon. So I'm sorry to say the wait may be long. Edited by Goldwell
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Your best mission yet to be sure. The aesthetics of the out-of-nowhere second part of the mission after you've done the initial goals were a bit off, but overall really nice mission. Much longer than I thought it'd be and very good use of space in that initial building you get into to do the stated initial goals. Second half was kind of raw, though. The outdoor and in the area with all of the patrolling zombies, to be exact.

 

Very good special effects with the red light monsters and all of that. The "John" apartment and its effects were really well done.

 

Only complaint was getting into that room with the zombie on Balcon's floor, there didn't really seem to be a way to drop into his room without making sound and waking him up since the access grates didn't seem to have ladder-like climbable properties to get low enough to drop down without making a sound.

 

The plot twist was completely unexpected but had that kind of feel a lot of things in some old great T2 missions that pulled similar twists had. Very nostalgic on that front.

 

With the rather unexpected polarizing reaction to this mission I have absolutely no desire or motivation to touch this series anytime soon. So I'm sorry to say the wait may be long.

You should definitely continue. It was solid. A lot of good missions have polarizing reactions. You can't and shouldn't make content to please everyone, usually ends in mediocrity.

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With the rather unexpected polarizing reaction to this mission I have absolutely no desire or motivation to touch this series anytime soon. So I'm sorry to say the wait may be long.

I really think you should reconsider that. I can only echo GUFF - you can't please all of the people all of the time without watering down your work. If some like one half of the mission but not the other, that's not bad at all. And what matters is making the missions you, personally, would like to play.

 

Some of my own FMs received rather strong negative criticism from people whose opinion I respect, but what can I do? They are the missions I wanted to make, and the missions I am able to make. Maybe the same people will like the next one. Or maybe we are not meant to like all of each other's work.

 

On a selfish note, I am also interested in where this decidedly odd story is going.

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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 appreciate the encouragement but I think you guys misunderstand, I'm not saying I'm never going to work on the series again just that I'm going to focus on other projects.

 

I would be lying if I said it wasn't disheartening to have the reaction this mission did but I'm not going to change the stories I've already written.

 

When making missions I always make what I enjoy and will continue to do that, just I want to focus my efforts elsewhere and come back to this series when I'm feeling more confident about it.

 

Again I appreciate the encouragement and nice words but I'm not leaving or stopping forever just stepping back and having a break.

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I appreciate the encouragement but I think you guys misunderstand, I'm not saying I'm never going to work on the series again just that I'm going to focus on other projects.

 

I would be lying if I said it wasn't disheartening to have the reaction this mission did but I'm not going to change the stories I've already written.

 

When making missions I always make what I enjoy and will continue to do that, just I want to focus my efforts elsewhere and come back to this series when I'm feeling more confident about it.

 

Again I appreciate the encouragement and nice words but I'm not leaving or stopping forever just stepping back and having a break.

 

I apologize sincerely if I've contributed to that lack of confidence in any way - rest assured this still ranks among my favorite maps, and in a field that's absolutely crowded with quality, that's no small praise! I mean any and all critique in the most constructive manner possible.

 

That said, yes, definitely work on what you want to do, not what you feel obligated to do. Considering your talents, I'll eagerly consume whatever you put out, anyway :P

Edited by Ryan101
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Alright I'm gonna start with the things I didn't like that much cause I don't want to leave a bad taste in the mouth of the creator cause I really think this mission was fantastic in general. Here we go:

 

 

 

The not so Good:

 

-The Lighting: I think the lighting in this mission really pulled down the overall feel almost killing the atmosphere and most importantly it stopped this mission from being the best in TDM. Most of the areas were just too damn bright in my opinion. Also the mission lacked highlights and I will give a few examples. At the beginning of the mission there's a big ship out that you can see through the windows but there's no light highlighting it so I noticed the ship the third time I passed by that particular window. It's important to highlight areas you want the player to see. Specially if you took effort in placing them there.

 

Also there's an puzzle in the game where you have to analyze a painting but the painting is not highlighted so it becomes really easy to ignore. There are areas that are perfectly lit but other areas felt untouched.

 

-There are some really nice scene triggers in some parts of the mission that got ruined by the area being too bright I noticed it in my third play through. I don't want to spoil but It has do do with candles.

 

- I often read in the forum players annoyed with some maps being too dark but hey this is the DARK mod. It should be pitch black with a few lights here and there to guide you through like Amnesia! I do understand the concept of lighting and difficulty but that can also ruin the atmosphere and that's important as well. Darkness could have been a great ally in this mission specially in the later areas.

 

- Some elements in the mission were not so lore friendly. Specially in some areas in the music which were too modern and didnt quite fit. I also added music in the things I liked as well cause I think the music is also great despite this small detail.

 

That's it.

 

 

The Good: ^_^

 

In terms of Gameplay I think this is a complete 10 out of 10 for me, with a ***BIG ASTERISK on the side that I think the mission creator should have forced some of the optional ones cause they're really good. Some of the game play elements felt inspired by Layers of fear perhaps? :D

 

-The twists of the map layout keep me entertained. When I though the mission was about to end but then boom, I landed in a completely different area. I can't deny some areas felt a bit disjointed but interestingly enough in this case it totally worked cause It kept me intrigued to see what was next. I also felt like I left some areas undiscovered behind but I assume it was due to this. And that feeling is always a plus as well.

 

-Loved the fact that the mission contained some controversial elements. This is the Dark Mod and as the tittle suggest it should be dark. We seriously need more nudity, sex and scandal in this game. A big plus for this! Taquito is all about nudity and controversy! I wish we could see more controversial elements in this game. Sex, Incest, Murder, Mutilation and Plague. How come we don't have plague in the Dark Mod? <_<

 

-I really enjoyed the puzzles. Specially the last one. I wish to see more in future FMs as well. Some of the game elements like enemies were amazing and the different dramatic cues and triggers in certain scenes were really well done! I don't want to make spoilers but there's a particular encounter that made me really scared and exited at the same time. :laugh:

 

- The intro video was really cool! I think it surpasses the ones in Thief games. Loved the different elements in the video the thief projection and the time lapse. So many small details and the final product was top notch. Well done! The art in the presentation was great too overall really nice job.

 

-The interactions and comments made by the character and how he reacted to some of the objects were a really nice touch as well. It pumped the game play and atmosphere even more. I'm glad to see more missions doing this. Also the simplicity of not having to carry candles to turn them off was really convenient and an a great example for future missions.

 

-The music was really fantastic in some areas and really help set the mood for the area specially those areas filled with suspense. :unsure:^_^ !

 

-And finally the attic: My favorite area of the map: (Artistic wise)

 

 

Overall a great Mission, superior to most in terms of game play that may become the best for TDM with just a few teaks but that's obviously in the hands of the creator. I don't want to finish this review without thanking Goldwell for this amazing piece and I know how it feels when people overly criticize something you've done but do know that people tend to nitpick the things they like the most or the ones they see the most potential. I work as a creative and I know the feeling when people don't appreciate the amount of effort made but let me tell you this mission is your best work so far even with little details it is indeed among the best here. I wouldn't have bothered to write such a long Review if I thing it wasn't worth it. Nothing is in vain.

Edited by Taquito
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Alright I'm gonna start with the things I didn't like that much cause I don't want to leave a bad taste in the mouth of the creator cause I really think this mission was fantastic in general. Here we go:

 

 

 

The not so Good:

 

-The Lighting: I think the lighting in this mission really pulled down the overall feel almost killing the atmosphere and most importantly it stopped this mission from being the best in TDM. Most of the areas were just too damn bright in my opinion. Also the mission lacked highlights and I will give a few examples. At the beginning of the mission there's a big ship out that you can see through the windows but there's no light highlighting it so I noticed the ship the third time I passed by that particular window. It's important to highlight areas you want the player to see. Specially if you took effort in placing them there.

 

Also there's an puzzle in the game where you have to analyze a painting but the painting is not highlighted so it becomes really easy to ignore. There are areas that are perfectly lit but other areas felt untouched.

 

-There are some really nice scene triggers in some parts of the mission that got ruined by the area being too bright I noticed it in my third play through. I don't want to spoil but It has do do with candles.

 

- I often read in the forum players annoyed with some maps being too dark but hey this is the DARK mod. It should be pitch black with a few lights here and there to guide you through like Amnesia! I do understand the concept of lighting and difficulty but that can also ruin the atmosphere and that's important as well. Darkness could have been a great ally in this mission specially in the later areas.

 

- Some elements in the mission were not so lore friendly. Specially in some areas in the music which were too modern and didnt quite fit. I also added music in the things I liked as well cause I think the music is also great despite this small detail.

 

That's it.

 

 

The Good: ^_^

 

In terms of Gameplay I think this is a complete 10 out of 10 for me, with a ***BIG ASTERISK on the side that I think the mission creator should have forced some of the optional ones cause they're really good. Some of the game play elements felt inspired by Layers of fear perhaps? :D

 

-The twists of the map layout keep me entertained. When I though the mission was about to end but then boom, I landed in a completely different area. I can't deny some areas felt a bit disjointed but interestingly enough in this case it totally worked cause It kept me intrigued to see what was next. I also felt like I left some areas undiscovered behind but I assume it was due to this. And that feeling is always a plus as well.

 

-Loved the fact that the mission contained some controversial elements. This is the Dark Mod and as the tittle suggest it should be dark. We seriously need more nudity, sex and scandal in this game. A big plus for this! Taquito is all about nudity and controversy! I wish we could see more controversial elements in this game. Sex, Incest, Murder, Mutilation and Plague. How come we don't have plague in the Dark Mod? <_<

 

-I really enjoyed the puzzles. Specially the last one. I wish to see more in future FMs as well. Some of the game elements like enemies were amazing and the different dramatic cues and triggers in certain scenes were really well done! I don't want to make spoilers but there's a particular encounter that made me really scared and exited at the same time. :laugh:

 

- The intro video was really cool! I think it surpasses the ones in Thief games. Loved the different elements in the video the thief projection and the time lapse. So many small details and the final product was top notch. Well done! The art in the presentation was great too overall really nice job.

 

-The interactions and comments made by the character and how he reacted to some of the objects were a really nice touch as well. It pumped the game play and atmosphere even more. I'm glad to see more missions doing this. Also the simplicity of not having to carry candles to turn them off was really convenient and an a great example for future missions.

 

-The music was really fantastic in some areas and really help set the mood for the area specially those areas filled with suspense. :unsure:^_^ !

 

-And finally the attic: My favorite area of the map: (Artistic wise)

 

 

Overall a great Mission, superior to most in terms of game play that may become the best for TDM with just a few teaks but that's obviously in the hands of the creator. I don't want to finish this review without thanking Goldwell for this amazing piece and I know how it feels when people overly criticize something you've done but do know that people tend to nitpick the things they like the most or the ones they see the most potential. I work as a creative and I know the feeling when people don't appreciate the amount of effort made but let me tell you this mission is your best work so far even with little details it is indeed among the best here. I wouldn't have bothered to write such a long Review if I thing it wasn't worth it. Nothing is in vain.

 

Thank you for that wonderful review, very detailed and I really appreciate the kind words and the constructive criticism you've offered (the lights and highlighting in particular has given me some good ideas for future FM's actually so it really helps).

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Thank you all for the kind words about the video! <3

It's really interesting seeing what people have to say about it, knowing all the stuff that went into it :)

 

Again, thank you guys!

 

 

The video itself deserves a review on it's own. It was not just a collage of pics together it had some really nice elements. The thief shadow projection was brilliant.

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Thank you for that wonderful review, very detailed and I really appreciate the kind words and the constructive criticism you've offered (the lights and highlighting in particular has given me some good ideas for future FM's actually so it really helps).

 

 

If you ever decide to tweak this mission in the future please:

 

Add the option to turn up the water heater in the shower scene for those sadistic players like me. :ph34r:

 

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Couple of questions. I couldn't seem to astral project to the 8th dimension. I found the pagan orb but when I put it in the chamber pot with a fart trapped inside nothing happened. Was I supposed to also put a carrot or something inside? Also, after the credit roll, is the mission supposed to end with the mission complete screen or just stay black?

My FMs: The King of Diamonds (2016) | Visit my Mapbook thread sometimes! | Read my tutorial on Image-Based Lighting Workflows for TDM!

 

 

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Couple of questions. I couldn't seem to astral project to the 8th dimension. I found the pagan orb but when I put it in the chamber pot with a fart trapped inside nothing happened. Was I supposed to also put a carrot or something inside? Also, after the credit roll, is the mission supposed to end with the mission complete screen or just stay black?

 

There is no astral projection in this mission so maybe you have it confused with another?

 

And yes the mission ends after the credits roll.

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I assume that you mean the pagan orb and it is supposed to let you see the past I believe (from The Accountant 1 perhaps)

It is a while since I played it but I don't think you put it in a chamber pot - will have a check

 

These are screen shots of the room and the pot

post-8491-0-15197600-1464338560_thumb.jpg

post-8491-0-07952500-1464338564_thumb.jpg

 

Edited by Oldjim
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Yeah, I'm just being obtuse and hyperbolizing as to not overly spoil. But I did put the orb in and nothing happened. I may try again later and see if the event activates.

If you wish to avoid posting spoilers an easier way is to just wrap the spoiler in a spoiler tag. You just put [ spoiler]message in here

 

 

As for the pagan orb and enchanted pot you have to drag it there very carefully otherwise it breaks.

 

When you were playing did you ever use notarget or noclip? As that could have broken the ending trigger

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Yes, liberally before the sewers as I was testing around for 2.04 bugs and selectively alerting AI. Tried being more thorough now and managed to make it work.

 

Now with that out of the way I should post my thoughts about the actual mission. I definitely felt the mood the mission set up and sold me, but I feel it wasn't as cohesive as it ought to be. I loved a lot of the jokes in the readables and some of the random little things, I've always loved stories of just a lot of quirky, clashing characters forced to live near each other and the situations that unfold, I loved the twist too. The mission itself though, as if feeling guilty of trying to go its own way, tried to pull away at points and it rocked the boat for me. The visuals followed this, map and lightning played their own roles and their scripts had plenty to say about the spaces these people occupied, but I felt the lightning flubbed its lines - to continue with my analogy - at some points.

 

I'm not saying go full hog or nothing, I think that one can find a good blend of grimdark thief-y motifs and more light-hearted, noir adventure-y ones. I actually think the accountant series is set good on its tracks (pun possibly intended) to finding its own style and I do urge you to explore it further if you really feel like it!

 

I liked the custom assets (loot vases, doors, etc) and the consistency with which they were applied (not too numerous, not too few to make them feel like a gimmick). I liked the architecture in the last act, unlike others, it made me reminisce of certain Thief 1 levels. And no that's not a roundabout way of saying "lol ur map looks lyk it's made in dromed" haha. I think it actually invokes the atmosphere those particular levels did quite well. With that said the pacing of the final act was poor.

 

 

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My FMs: The King of Diamonds (2016) | Visit my Mapbook thread sometimes! | Read my tutorial on Image-Based Lighting Workflows for TDM!

 

 

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The first part of this FM. Holy fucking shit. Bloody awesome. Straight up the most fun I've ever had in any TDM mission. Great storytelling, not just in readables but also visual, incredibly nice touches all around. Seriously good stuff. If I had a criticism of this part, it's that the whole section "off to the side", where you jump to the balcony and then go through various vents before ending up back at the apartment, was too linear for my tastes. I had been playing for quite a while, reached all the objectives, so that jump was something I was trying near the end, I really didn't expect to spend another 15-20 minutes going through that area.

As I got down into the sewers I was expecting the mission to end, but instead there was a twist with a portal instead of the mundane ship ending. Took me completely by surprise but I thought it was a clever idea, and well-executed. So then there's this cutscene with the things flying by as the skull talks about them etc. etc. and the whole thing feels like it's setting up the direction the series is going to go in. I thought the cutscene was really well done as well, overall the narrative is very cohesive.

I was really surprised when, instead of the mission ending and getting a "To be continued..."-screen, I got dropped into a whole new, desolate, high-probability-of-zombies-incoming setting. I was already tired, and I don't like the undead stuff much to begin with, so once I realized that this was going to be a whole new area which required exploring and doing adventury-stuff I decided it was better to stop playing. I feel like collecting the crystals would be much better suited for another mission. Upon reading the thread I see you only collect two crystals in this instance and it just strikes me as a very odd way to pace things.

I wouldn't say I hated the second part, absolutely not, the twist is great, but tagging on a whole 'nother gameplay section, so different from what we've been doing before felt really jarring in an otherwise 10/10 mission.

 

 

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You can call me Phi, Numbers, Digits, Ratio, 16, 1618, or whatever really, as long as it's not Phil.

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Double post, because I forgot to add some things.

1. The music and voice acting was superb. Someone complained that the music was out of place for the setting, but it's a fantasy setting, so I don't see why you shouldn't use more modern music if it adds to the atmosphere. Really liked this, especially in the entrance hall and the bar area. Like I said, I really felt it was a very cogent whole.

2.

In the off to the side section where you jump down to the balcony, you can climb up on the open window panes and get to the roof of the factory bit. At first I thought this was the way to get back to the main mission (yes, I missed the gigantic pipe right in front of me), but it ended up being OOB. Super easy to do, definitely could use a little protecting against.

 

3. I've a question. How long will the second part of the mission take me? Maybe I'll go back and finish it before starting Volta and the Stone.

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You can call me Phi, Numbers, Digits, Ratio, 16, 1618, or whatever really, as long as it's not Phil.

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1. I can partially understand the turn off of the modern music because of the immersion breaker but with that said for me it made it more immersive (which is why I included it) so you can't please everyone I guess.

2. This will be addressed in a future patch, thanks for the note!

3. From the sewers to the end about 15-30 minutes. I would recommend playing it because it's important if you wish to play the rest of the series as the post sewer part sets up what Corbin will be going through for the remainder of the campaign.

 

Thank you for the kind words during your review and thanks for playing!

Edited by Goldwell
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  • 2 weeks later...

I shouldn't have started this after a long tiring trip , can't get going apart from second (?) floor. Oh dear , maybe try again when less tired perhaps but so far not my sort of mission.

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