Fan Mission: A Night in Altham

[joebarnin]

 

My new mission, A Night in Altham, is available. 

 

We are already up to version 2! @Dave the Tafferfound an problem that deserves a fix, so here is version 2:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/y4r1dmziuq6clh2im3qz1/altham2.pk4?rlkey=m3cv5v6v70lxbc9xha61nuxoj&dl=1. I will ask @nbohr1more to update the databases.

 

A special thanks to JackFarmer for several pieces of custom ambient music. They "complete" the mission, providing a unique feel to its locations.

 

Also thanks to the many beta testers (jaxa, Shadow, wesp5, Cambridge Spy, thebigh, datiswous, Mezla, MirceaKitsune, Melchior, Acolytesix, TheUnbeholden, prjames, Bergante).

 

Thanks to @peter_spy for his beautiful Builder Compound assets. 

 

This is a large mission, so be ready to take some time. I recommend that you do named saves occasionally (I actually implemented auto-saves for this mission, but it was causing crashes on Linux, so I removed it).

 

This mission has a lot of keys, so it implements a key management mechanism. Keys are removed from the game when no longer needed. This includes when you use a key to open a door, or if you pick a door/lock that also uses a key. Most keys are automatically removed, but there are a couple that aren't (for example, if they open up more than one door).

 

In a certain area, this mission uses the Keyhole Peek feature of TDM. Typically, this is when you lean forward (F key) into a door keyhole and you can see into the next room. But in this case you don't lean into a keyhole. It's a hole of another kind. It's an unconventional use of something that isn't used a lot in TDM; hopefully the mission context will make it clear when to use it. The mission does not use Keyhole Peek for regular doors. Be aware, there is a known problem on Linux, where the peek feature can cause a crash. Peeking is not required for mission completion.

 

This has been tested on TDM 2.11a and the current dev build of 2.12 (dev16854-10518).

 

Scary things warning:

Spoiler

This mission includes undead skeletons and spiders of all sizes.

 

 

Difficulty settings make a difference. Things that are affected by the difficulty level:

• Spoiler

  • Quantity of starting arrows
  • Two of the optional Objectives
  • Acuity of AI in general
  • Abilities and number of AI in a couple of key areas
  • A small number of other access points

Enjoy!

 

Edited June 23 by joebarnin
Added thanks

[nbohr1more]

Congrats on the release! ( Those beta testers made you really work for this one. )

[nbohr1more]

The mission is now available in the mission database and in-game downloader.

[Dead Rat]

Congrats and thanks, I'm just ready to start a new mission.

[lowenz]

Damn, what a multistage FM!

Spoiler

And the skeletons chasing you in the sewer waters! The experience is just amazing!

Little graphic issue in the levers room: 

https://i.postimg.cc/3NnDs71n/The-Dark-Modx64-2023-12-05-11-06-14-340.jpg

Edited December 5, 2023 by lowenz

[Amadeus]

Fantastic news! Congrats! I'm looking forward to playing this

[MirceaKitsune]

It was fun to get to beta test this! Not sure when I'll replay the release since I've already played it twice technically, but it will be nice to compare what has changed and see the full progress on everything

[JackFarmer]

Congratulations on the release! A massive project with lots of exciting places, and it includes in my opinion the best

Spoiler

sewer entrance/sewer system

to date!

 

[datiswous]

Congratulations! I have to go back and play this properly.

 

Edited December 7, 2023 by datiswous

[Dead Rat]

Well, didn't get far so far. I'm stuck...

Spoiler

...in the sewer, looking for key 7C.

 

[chakkman]

Grats to the release. Will be the next thing I play after I finished The Black Parade.  

[snatcher]

Congratulations on the release, joebarnin! Truly intrigued by this mission...

[thebigh]

Congratulations on the release!

[joebarnin]

1 hour ago, Dead Rat said:

Spoiler

...in the sewer, looking for key 7C.

 

Spoiler

Check out room 9 (that room actually has another way of proceeding)

 

[Dave the Taffer]

Hi, happy to post again in this forum! I presented myself a couple of years ago, if you can remember, and now I'm quite an experienced player. I hope that I'll be able to post more frequently now, if it's well accepted as I probably will never find the time to directly contribute to this project...but never say never.

Spoiler

I'm halfway playing this behemoth of a mission with the highest of the three difficulty settings available at mission start, and I'm having a lot of fun.

Maybe on the purely visual level the outdoor city sections (at least the first ones, those I visited at the moment) are more old school and a bit simpler than some of the new releases, but I think it's an aesthetic choice, given the percentage of the pure, old school brushwork used. I also played Now and Then in the past which had the more modern visual apperance of many recent missions, probably because of the use of modules, so I think it's a matter of tastes and aesthetics. I like this simpler aesthetic, even if in my opinion it gives its best with the static lighting and the pixelated graphics of old school shooters played with nearest texture filtering.

Gameplay-wise I find the mission really, really fun, not too hard, not too easy (I went for the almost-ghost playstyle with stealth score 0 in my mind), the occasional puzzles are fun and easily solvable, which for me in a game like TDM it's almost always a big plus. And it's huge, I don't even know if I'm really halfway through it...

I also appreciated what I think are little literary citations here and there.

I'm finding it a really fun and quality mission overall, congratulations for this (and for Now and Then too!) 

I also found what I suspect is a bug:

Spoiler

I opened the grate (only openable with its key, frobbable from a patrolling guard) which ends the first city section after the warehouse, passed through it and closed it behind myself. If I try to open the grate again, this time from the other side obviously, the grate opens, but the inner part of another similar grate appears behind it, blocking me and preventing me to come back to where I came from.

I'm playing on Debian 12 Gnu/Linux 64 bit with the highest of the three difficulty settings available.

 

Edited December 6, 2023 by Dave the Taffer

[joebarnin]

1 hour ago, Dave the Taffer said:

Spoiler

I opened t grate (only openable with its key, frobbable from a patrolling guard) which ends the first city section after the warehouse, passed through it and closed it behind myself. If I try to open the grate again, this time from the other side obviously, the grate opens, but the inner part of another similar grate appears behind it, blocking me and preventing me to come back to where I came from.

 

Crap. That’s a bug alright. There is another way out. Or, noclip through the obstruction. Sorry about that. 

[Dead Rat]

11 hours ago, joebarnin said:

  Reveal hidden contents

Check out room 9 (that room actually has another way of proceeding)

 

Thanks, don't know how I missed that!

[nbohr1more]

@joebarnin version 2 is up in the mission database now.

[grodenglaive]

Excellent, congrats on the release - I'm really looking forward to playing it! 

[Dave the Taffer]

21 hours ago, joebarnin said:

Crap. That’s a bug alright. There is another way out. Or, noclip through the obstruction. Sorry about that.

I just logged in to say that that wasn't necessary to

Spoiler

close and reopen the grate, it was sufficient to simply pass it and look behind

to trigger the bug, but I see that you've already fixed it! 

Spoiler

I also found the "other way out", it was one of those "Ohh!" moments 

Spoiler

Technical question: I inserted this spoiler by error, how do I remove it from the smartphone interface?

 

Now I'm way deeper into the mission, it's really a great one.

[lowenz]

I also appreciated what I think are little literary citations here and there.

Smitty -> "Smitty, is that you?" from TDS?

[datiswous]

15 hours ago, Dave the Taffer said:

Technical question: I inserted this spoiler by error, how do I remove it from the smartphone interface?

You have to tap on the title (Spoiler) and then tap backspace.

Works similar with code (<>) blocks.

 

The mobile (portrait view) editor recently got some more buttons (I asked Taaaki), but it's still a selection of probably most used ones.

Edited December 7, 2023 by datiswous

[Bergante]

Congrats for the Release --- yoouuu     Grazy Bastard    
and thanks for this hint at the beginning !      That you´ve changed the LOOT !
at first sight I thought it´s a Bug --- but I got distrusted - and checked the beta !
ooohkay - you deleted one of the most difficult --- and you added some new (for Beta-Testers  )
that´s why there are 430 Saves , I realy searched every impossible Place
But this new one is sooooo grazy !!!
(thankfully I love to climb - and couse of your tip i searched for every wooden material )
[ for your Tip : this time i sneaked him several times ] 
and here is my only displeasure - invisible Platforms Completed = grrrrrr
so the only chance - is to do it like intended !
(but I´ll keep the Beta - your rocks are so beautifull to climb )
And to force others !!!       Supreme Ghost is possible !!!   (easier than on my BetaRun)
1.  The Hint
2. Things to bring back
3. Booty at end of  happening 
Thanks       I was enjoying (nearly) every minute of it 

Spoiler

 

Edited December 8, 2023 by Bergante
arrange Pics (never works like it should)

[staterathesmol]

Does anyone know where the crown is so i can put the spooky scary skeletons back to bed? ive ran up and down the east sewers now found the dagger and scepter and honestly just godmodded to kill the skellies so i could run up and down easier looking for the crown. ive checked every possible route that rowe COULD have taken running out of the tomb and i honestly just cant find it. its not on any bodies of the skeletons as far as i can tell and not in any of the rooms. im afraid its somewhere in the horrible water recflecting jank water and ill have to crawl up and down for it. if anyone knows where it is im not afraid of spoilers i just wanna play more of this fun map. im a completeionist you see. 

[woodwarrior]

I've managed to get through the sewers and up to the warehouse courtyard and I've spent 30 minutes trying to find where to go! Help! I was doing 'man' looking. Sorted!

 

Edited December 8, 2023 by woodwarrior
Found what I was looking for.