Fan Mission: The Painter’s Wife v1.2 by Fractured Glass Company (2020/07/01)

[Lzocast]

@Shaz No worries mate, yeah the keys are one of those things I personally find you have to take a risk of popping the lantern on for a second to get a clearer view of an area you think might be hiding them.

Let me know how you get on with the Hidden Loot, there's a post little bit further up the chain where I'm compiling a list of all the locations I've found so far. Got 10/12 at time of this post so feel free to reference it and if you find any that aren't on there already let me know

Edited July 5, 2020 by Lzocast

[NeonsStyle]

Really enjoying this. I'll keep my views till I finish. In the meantime, noticed a bug thats a bugger. 

The elevator won't stop on the 3rd floor, and when I found it, it was stuck between floors with sa dead elite guard on the

roof and a dead elite guard inside. 

[Amadeus]

41 minutes ago, NeonsStyle said:

In the meantime, noticed a bug thats a bugger. 

Drats! that's been a problematic bug for a while, I thought we had solved it. Oh well 

Edited July 5, 2020 by Amadeus

[D.Brown]

feels like Wm Steele Home Again which is cool.

 

edit: i salute you grayman btw, for making awesome maps.

Edited July 5, 2020 by D.Brown

[Mezla]

Seems like what's one's life project can light many lives, too! Congrats to all involved, I'm sure you put all of yourselves into this project. 

I've just found this mission and...even after the intro and MAP - are you kiddin' me? An FM? It's a whole new game! WOW!  
Thanks a lot, I feel like discovering the entire chocolate manufacture just for me My preciousss...

[grayman]

2 hours ago, D.Brown said:

feels like Wm Steele Home Again which is cool.

 

edit: i salute you grayman btw, for making awesome maps.

Thanks! 

[Celester]

@Lzocast

I have 11 out of the 12. Need to compare the ones I have against your list but do you have:

 

 

 

 

1

Spoiler

The chalice found with a note from a thief that is one the ledge above and to the right when you come out of the captains office where you leave the incriminating letters? Which I believe is market square. You can climb a pipe further up and go onto the ledge to a flat area. 

 

And I can't remember if this was one of the hidden loot but was there one in the area where you find the letters from the men who all met at the lions head? I think that is one you are describing but I have memory issues so I quickly lose track of names. 

 

[Celester]

I have been playing this since the day it came out for several hours. LOVING IT SO FAR! This is exactly what I love, lots of exploration, so much world building, tiny lives to get a glimpse of, and optional quests along the way.

Few questions:

1. Can you get into the tower above St. Andrews? Looks like there is light from up there and maybe the bell and I want up there so badly but I am not sure I am supposed to be trying to get up there haha

 

2. Is there a use for:

 

 

1

Spoiler

the Chalice? The Stone had a use for getting the mask so I am wondering if the Chalice has more of a purpose than I am figuring out since it is a stand alone object and not being added to my loot. 

 

 

[AndrosTheOxen]

I always love the surprise when I stumble into a FM that I have done voicework for, because as a Certified Old Guy, I lose track of them... But some real joy in getting to play this gem!  The graphics really take advantage of the latest version, and it is absolutely MASSIVE in scale!  My chosen style is knock out everybody you can and get on to the MYSTERIES!  I LOVE exploring, and man, this one gives a LOT to explore.  I had expected it to be Just Another Mission, but the huge scope is wonderful... kudos to everyone who had a hand in this amazing FM!  (And if you like  my grieving husband character, check me out at www.everybodyandme.com , and keep me in mind for your own future missions.  I have done a LOT of Dark Mod/Thief character work, and would love do donate some to your next project!)

[MrMunkeepants]

I've found a few locations where geometry and collision don't match up, mostly walking through chairs and window frames; tonight I found several crates and barrels in the warehouse had larger collision than they appeared (or at least misaligned) leading to 'dead zones' I couldn't traverse without climbing on invisible barriers. the hanging rope outside the double doors (over Lower Street) threw me off a couple times as well.

I'm loving everything else I've found so far, trying to be systematic but also just getting lost

[Lzocast]

@Celester Just been to check it out and that was not one of the secret locations I had found so congrats that puts the list at 12/13 (Updated total to reflect info from Devs) now with your contribution. Just one piece of hidden loot left to find folks.

List updated.

Edited July 6, 2020 by Lzocast

[Dragofer]

 Many thanks on behalf of the team once again!

@Celester

Spoiler

There's no way up into that tower. Tower tops tend to be problematic because they're freestanding and high up, so making them accessible would interfere with the invisible sky walls that partition the map into areas and are essential for good performance. I remember how I really would've liked to let the player access the clocktower secret by prying one of the clockfaces open, but that would've been a no go.

Also, I can confirm that there's no use for the chalice currently. Should take another look at how that's been done.

@MrMunkeepants yes, collision has been a big thing in the beta test. In order to comply with the limit of 8192 entities, many models had to be merged together, and it turns out that when a map is as large as this one, those merged models sometimes lose their collision. Took a lot of manual work finding & fixing as many of these as possible - and reports of any that were missed are always welcome.

@mmij Thanks for your ideas - I have indeed noticed how i.e. churches tend to be central to their local surroundings. I can tell you, though, building a city level isn't easy, especially  - there are a lot of competing interests that need consideration, i.e. good performance and having many routes and connections. Real-life inspired patterns are another consideration, but would have to somehow enter into that balance.

@Lzocast Very nice work on finding that many secrets! Would just say that actually there are 13 secrets - I suppose the figure 12 comes from how when you find the 1st secret, the message tells you there are 12 more.

Spoiler

The one that's accessed through the miniature doesn't officially count as a secret (#14) - that map area is quite large for a secret, and having a "You've got x more to go" message at the end doesn't really fit the moment, at least in my opinion.

 

[NeonsStyle]

I think the best solution to the elevator bug is monster clip it off so they can't use it. I know you want them to use it,

but at least it won't break levels. Another problem I find with two guards just spinning. I'm still playing this after 5 hours

and still nowhere near complete but loving it.

[Lzocast]

@Dragofer Oh? For some reason I had assumed the Loot up in the Clocktower was a trigger for the scavenger hunt not a part of the total so hadn't listed it. Having loaded an earlier save and picked up a different bit of Hidden Loot first, yeah it doesn't matter which you grab first, gotcha. I'll add the clocktower's loot to the list, still leaves only one to find. Care to share any hints? A street perhaps?

[Oleron]

This map is an exquisite smorgasbord of Thiefy goodness. I've been in two hours and I haven't even considered the main quest yet.

[mmij]

Dragofer,

I completely understand what you're saying. I've dealt with problems that fit this profile before, it is most assuredly a work of gigantic proportion and has myriad complexities to consider. And I love what everyone did to build this wonderful map and write these delightful missions.

One thing that can be done to make things easier is modularization of the textures. The architecture throughout the game follows a similar style, so that is not something to be too concerned about in a build. So if the map is laid out by what will be natural or planned city growth, then it's mainly just selecting what textures to place on roads and facades of buildings that will fit an area's theme.

I believe the routes through the city are fine, it just gets a little disorienting for the above mentioned reason. I played for most a day and night (much to my wife's dismay), and I really enjoyed running around and exploring. I even took the targeting off for a while just so I could bebop around and have fun without Builder interference. Some of it reminded me of the Dragon Temple near Nakon Pathom and the Golden Mountain in Bangkok.

(If you ever want inspiration for something to build with verticals and unique subterranes, look at some of the Buddhist temples in Thailand.)

[NeonsStyle]

What's up with this?

 

Theres no way through the fire trap, when you have low health. I have 65% health and no matter
what, I alway die. There seems to only be one point where you can get through and survive if
you have full health, but at 65% I'm dead every single time. So I can't get through here, and that
means I can't get back as I saved after I entered the bookshelf. 3 nights of work gone! B(

So the only way I could get through that entire section was to go God mode and Noclip over
the gap you can't jump, even if you use the invisible player clip. Soz, but this is why I hate traps
that don't allow for low health. 

 

 

In a room owned by a man complaining of the clutter his father left. There's a step ladder,
and an attic entrance. In the attic is a pedestal with something on it, that hilights when
you frob it, but it doesn't do anything, or make any sound when you frob it. What gives with
with this?

I really hate that I have to hit shift enter here now to make a new line. Programmers can be
intensely inefficient at times. Sometimes you have to ask, just cause I can do something, should I?

Edited July 7, 2020 by NeonsStyle

[Amadeus]

7 minutes ago, NeonsStyle said:

n attic entrance. In the attic is a pedestal with something on it, that hilights when
you frob it, but it doesn't do anything, or make any sound when you frob it. What gives with
with this?

This definitely comes into play, its not a glitch or anything. Pay close attention and keep exploring the map, and I think you'll be able to figure out what to do. But I won't ruin the surprise just yet...

[NeonsStyle]

Stuck. Finished all objectives except for Marlow. He's supposed to be in the Thiefs den, but they all scattered

when I was detected, and I havn't seen hide nor hair of any of those patrons since. Clue?

[NeonsStyle]

1 hour ago, Amadeus said:

 

  Hide contents

 

This definitely comes into play, its not a glitch or anything. Pay close attention and keep exploring the map, and I think you'll be able to figure out what to do. But I won't ruin the surprise just yet...

 

 

I think my copy must be broken lol It does nothing either in the attic, or downstairs. No sound, no motion, nothing opening

or closing. zip. 

[Dragofer]

@NeonsStyle:

Spoiler

Marlow is described in the assassin's journal as wearing a green noble's suit (some of the text got cut off) - alternatively, you can opt for the non-lethal method by finding evidence against him in his mansion and dropping it at the courthouse.

Regarding the pedestal, it's fully intentional that it highlights, but doesn't do anything yet: you need a special item from another part of the map. This kind of setup is something you see frequently if you play Thief 2 FMs, but players in TDM don't seem too familiar with that yet.

@Lzocast having conferred with the others, there's a preference to let the players discover the secrets without intervention from the devs. That said, I did make a map of all the secret locations that can be uploaded when the time comes.

[Lzocast]

@Dragofer I sort of figured there'd be a bit left to go on the usual embargo for Dev hints but never hurts to ask. I've decided to step back and take a break from the map for a few days after some frustrating hunting street by street with no luck for this last bit of Hidden Loot. 

I'll tidy up my compilation post on page 2 a bit more for the folks that seem to have found it useful to be a bit clearer on quest locations etc discovered.

[NeonsStyle]

Dragofer,

I have all 4 of the letters but can't drop them I'm assuming on the court officials desk (where the two letters are talking about laws).

Regarding the pedestal, I have that item (death mask), it's glitched it does nothing. 

Is there a way through the fire trap sequence without having to cheat? I watched it for ages, and there seemed no
safe way to proceed. Water arrows had no effect. Then with the next obstacle, you can't jump the distance, even
if you land on the invisible floor mid way across, the next jump you hit the roof and fall to your doom. Again, only way
across was noclip.

However the Book Room was absolutely brilliantly done, and so refreshing. What a great idea  When you go in,
and look back, was the outside room large scale or was there a texture showing the outer room of Marlows library?

Loving this

[Shaz]

@NeonsStyle 

Spoiler

The letter bundle goes on a desk in another room than that one, I think? I know I dropped on one desk to no success and went out that room, down a walkway and into another room and the desk there worked.

I at first tried to use the mask on the pedestal like using a key on a door to no success. But when I used the 'use item' hotkey, it worked. Have you tried that?

Regarding the fire trap: Maybe (probably?) I was just really really lucky, but once I realized there was no way to put the fires out, I sat and waited until it seemed I kinda sensed a pattern, then ran through and took no damage. Maybe I was imagining a pattern, but no jets flared when I was within damage range.

Regarding the jump: I did this jump twice. The first time I made it across no problem, got the mask, left the area, and BARELY HEARD <mumble mumble gold mumble mumble> as the player voice volume was ridiculously low (despite being set to max in settings). So I had to reload from a save I had right before the jump and go again, because I wanted to hear what was said, in case it was important. I then failed the jump 3 times before making it across again.

I'm sorry I can't really be of help in giving advice on how to avoid the obstacles, but it is possible to do them.

Edited July 8, 2020 by Shaz

[Dragofer]

@NeonsStyle

Spoiler

- the mask needs to be used like a key (press enter) on the pedestal, to make sure the idea to put the mask on the pedestal comes from you and not from the game. When you've done that once, the mask can be taken off and put back on by just a simple frob from then on.

- the flame jets are timed completely randomly, but there are safe spots (with a catch) inbetween the jets.

- you're not supposed to jump over the chasm, but to look more closely at the ceiling to find the invisible path across.

 

For the book room, Bikerdude took an envshot while still standing in the library in front of the display, then turned that into a cubemap texture.