Fan Mission: The Lieutenant 2: High Expectations by Frost_Salamander (2023/04/24)

[Frost_Salamander]

Announcing the next installment of 'The Lieutenant' series: High Expectations!

Never heard of this series before? That's because I just made it up.  Actually, it continues on from my previous FM, In Plain Sight. You don't need to have played In Plain Sight before, but there are some references to it in the readables that might not make sense if you haven't (some of which will be spoiler-ish).

 

"Follow the Lieutenant on his next mission to the City of Highborough"

Mission Type: City Missions

Beta Testers (thank you all!!!   @wesp5 @Acolytesix @Shadow @Cambridge Spy @AluminumHaste @jaxa @thebigh @joebarnin @Mezla @snatcher  @datiswous

Extra credit goes to @Mezla for providing the idea behind one of the objectives!

Notes:

• TDM 2.11 required
• You can explore most of the map from the start of the mission, but if you find yourself getting a bit lost or unfocused, just concentrate on the main objective
• Your objectives will become visible after you read your briefing in your inventory
• The map does not contain any secrets
• The only difference in the difficulties is the (optional) loot goal

This mission has some replay potential built-in.  Explanation below, but I suggest you read this only after your first playthrough:

Spoiler warning!:

Spoiler

The target spawns in different places depending on where you visit first, allowing for a different experience each time:

• If you visit the hotel first, he will spawn in the church
• If you visit the mansion first, he will spawn in the hotel
• If you visit the church first, he will spawn in the mansion

Download links (v1.4):

Proton Drive: https://drive.proton.me/urls/ZDTKN6DDM4#8Re0CpARxcbc

Github: https://github.com/FrostSalamander/fsx/releases/download/1.4/highex.pk4

Screenshots: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAB8qt

Known Issues

• it appears that to some players keys bound to AI are unfrobable. I don't have a solution as I've never been able to reproduce it.  As a mitigation, for these doors you can either lockpick them or an alternate key will be available.

Other hints

Atkinson/Burns objective

This objective is more about rewarding the 'explorer' types.  It's optional and requires you to find a lot of stuff to piece together the whole story of what happened. Most of these are not really 'hidden', but rather require a visit to most of the accessible areas of the map.  If you have given up searching, then:

Spoiler

To complete this objective, you need to:

• find Atkinson himself
• find and read a letter from Burns to Atkinson in the hotel room 21
• find and read a note from Atkinson in the The Hammer pub
• find and read Burns' journal
• find and read the first letter from Atkinson to Burns in Coates' office in the mansion
• find and read the letter from Coates to Sharpe in Sharpe's office in the mansion
• find and read the letter from the Mayor to Commander Bryant in the Watch Station

Hotel Safe Combination

hint:

Spoiler

Thoroughly search the hotel penthouse suite

spoiler:

Spoiler

look on top of the cabinet in the main room in the hotel penthouse suite

What's going on with Brother Gregory?

If this isn't clear, then read on:

Spoiler

There are 3 things that explain what's happening here:

• you need to access the upper floor/attic of the bookshop in Old Town and read the journal
• read the letter on Father Frederick's desk in the Abbey
• read the letter from Coates to Sharpe in Sharpe's office in the mansion

Finding the loot statue will 'cure' Brother Gregory

There's a wooden door in the prison that I can't open...

hint:

Spoiler

That door can only be opened from the other side. You need to find another way into that room.

spoiler:

Spoiler

That's the door to the prison/chapel office.  It's accessible from the chapel by climbing up onto the rafters and entering the stained-glass windows.  There is a key to door on the desk.

 

Edited December 18, 2023 by Frost_Salamander
remove fixed known issue about readables

[Amadeus]

Yeah! Congrats on the release! I am very much looking forward to playing this

[Shadow]

This is a great and expansive mod. Having beta tested it does not mean I have bias; as it literally is a blast to play and it’s gorgeous throughout and a homage to classic castle-ish missions.

[datiswous]

Congrats on the release!

Edited April 24, 2023 by datiswous

[Frost_Salamander]

Just now, datiswous said:

Congrats on the release! I understand my beta play submission came too late to get me credited. No problemo.

ah sorry no not too late just forgot  will add...

[wesp5]

Great to see that you took my idea and made a connection to your other mission! You should now rename "In Plain Sight", and maybe consider to just call these missions "The Lieutenant 1" and "The Lieutenant 2" while moving the title into the description, as otherwise the name will be cut short in the list. Speaking of which, is there a way to have the mission list sorted strickly alphabetical and not with "A" and "The" ignored? Because right now it's looking rather confusing to me...

Edited April 24, 2023 by wesp5

[Frost_Salamander]

4 minutes ago, wesp5 said:

You should now rename "In Plain Sight",

yeah that's the plan

[chakkman]

Grats on the release!

[thebigh]

Congratulations on the release!

[Wellingtoncrab]

I’ve really been looking forward to this! Congratulations!

[Xolvix]

Cool, turns out I actually completed "In Plain Sight" in February so hopefully I'll recognize the references. I have a feeling I'll end up lost in this one too but at least there's no obscure secrets to get annoyed about missing it seems.

5 hours ago, wesp5 said:

Speaking of which, is there a way to have the mission list sorted strickly alphabetical and not with "A" and "The" ignored? Because right now it's looking rather confusing to me...

I've wanted that for ages but I'm guessing there's a reason why it's coded to ignore "articles" (a, an and the) when sorting.

[nbohr1more]

The mission has been added to the Missions Database

For players who use the Fresnel Mod, something about this mission provokes a crash with it installed.

I have created a new version of the Fresnel Mod that works with this mission:

https://www.moddb.com/mods/the-dark-mod/addons/fresnel-mod-211-unofficial

[Xolvix]

OK this is a bit frustrating. I'm on version 2.11 (technically 2.11a) and not only is the inventory image for the "Map of Highborough" item black but the map itself is also black. Have I screwed up something here?

EDIT: Did some debugging. I did a condump looking for issues and found this:

----- idImageManager::EndLevelLoad -----                                       
WARNING:Couldn't load image: font                                              
  [map entity: func_static_29]                                                 
  [model: models/map_specific/symbols/H.ase]                                   
  [decl: font in <implicit file>]                                              
  [image: font]                                                                
WARNING:Couldn't load image: guis/assets/game_maps/map_of_icon                 
  [map entity: atdm_map_of_1]                                                  
  [decl: guis/assets/game_maps/map_of_icon in <implicit file>]                 
  [image: guis/assets/game_maps/map_of_icon]                                   
WARNING:Couldn't load image: guis/assets/game_maps/map_of                      
  [map entity: atdm_map_of_1]                                                  
  [decl: atdm:map_of in def/tdm_shopitems.def]                                 
  [window: Desktop]                                                            
  [window: background_map]                                                     
  [decl: guis/assets/game_maps/map_of in <implicit file>]                      
  [image: guis/assets/game_maps/map_of]                                        
    0 purged from previous                                                     
  194 kept from previous                                                       
 2679 new loaded                                                               
all images loaded in   6.8 seconds                                             
---------------------------------------

I opened the highex.pk4 file for examination. The game is trying to load the map images in guis/assets/game_maps, but it appears the PK4 has the actual location of guis\assets\game_maps\guis\assets\game_maps. There's a second level of directories added for some reason.

 

Edited April 25, 2023 by Xolvix

[Frost_Salamander]

Hmm yeah.  I just checked the original .pk4 in the Github link I provided and it's fine there, but the version on the mirrors has the extra folder in it.

@Xolvix try running it from here and see if that works: https://github.com/FrostSalamander/fsx/releases/download/1.0/highex.pk4

@nbohr1more it seems there's an issue with the version on the mirrors...

[Xolvix]

@Frost_Salamander I can confirm the github version fixed the issue.

[nbohr1more]

I have fixed the package on the mirrors.

For some reasons Github was renaming files to their file paths when I downloaded the package from there

so had to repack the mission but I must have overlooked these. ( sorry )

I'll have to see whether different browsers behave differently but even now if I try to gather the package from github it is a mess of filenames that are supposed to be file paths.

[Frost_Salamander]

21 minutes ago, nbohr1more said:

I have fixed the package on the mirrors.

For some reasons Github was renaming files to their file paths when I downloaded the package from there

so had to repack the mission but I must have overlooked these. ( sorry )

I'll have to see whether different browsers behave differently but even now if I try to gather the package from github it is a mess of filenames that are supposed to be file paths.

Thanks!

The file paths thing is strange - might it be something on your end though?  It's never been a problem for myself or any of the testers in any of the FMs I've done and they've all been distributed via Github. 

If I have to do an update I'll get you the file some other way, as the repack step just adds room for error.

[snatcher]

This map is huge but varied like no other: each and every area feels like a mini mission. I enjoyed every minute of my play and so will you!

Congratulations on the release @Frost_Salamander and thanks for sharing your talent with us!

[Heuli]

Congratulations on the release i like the mission very well done

[esme]

Congratulations, I think I'll replay in plain sight first & then have at this one

Thank you  

[JackFarmer]

Congratulations on the release!

 

[Marbrien]

I have a problem.  Playing on Expert, I went to the hotel first.  I have done the optional objectives relating to Atkinson, Burns, and Sharpe.  I have 866 loot.  I'm still getting warning messages about entering the prison, although I have made some limited forays in there out of curiosity. I haven't found the combo for the hotel safe. But I can't seem to find Coates.  The first post indicates he should be

Spoiler

in the church

, but the only people in there are Griffin and two of Coates' bodyguards, all now unconscious.  I have also been to his mansion and, as I say, to the hotel, and he doesn't seem to be in any of those places either.  Is it me or is something wrong?

Edited April 27, 2023 by Marbrien

[Frost_Salamander]

2 minutes ago, Marbrien said:

I have a problem.  Playing on Expert, I went to the hotel first.  I have done the optional objectives relating to Atkinson, Burns, and Sharpe.  I have 866 loot.  I'm still getting warning messages about entering the prison, although I have made some limited forays in there out of curiosity. I haven't found the combo for the hotel safe. But I can't seem to find Coates.  The first post indicates he should be

  Reveal hidden contents

in the church

, but the only people in there are Griffin and two of Coates' bodyguards, all now unconscious.  Is it me or is something wrong?

Spoiler

Yes he should be in the church if you went to the hotel first.  I'm guessing you've been to the mansion and he's not there either?

 

[Marbrien]

That's right, he's not in any of the three named locations.  Presumably, despite Coates enjoying disguises, the player should be able to identify him somehow otherwise they would be repeatedly failing the 'don't kill non-targets' objective.

[Frost_Salamander]

4 minutes ago, Marbrien said:

That's right, he's not in any of the three named locations.  Presumably, despite Coates enjoying disguises, the player should be able to identify him somehow otherwise they would be repeatedly failing the 'don't kill non-targets' objective.

it sounds like he didn't spawn - I'm guessing this is a bug although nobody experienced it in beta.

Can you remember exactly how you entered the hotel?

Spoiler

as for identifying him, he's wearing a red coat and red hat like it says in the briefing.