Fan Mission: The Terrible Old Man

[Ansome]

"...to a robber whose soul is in his profession, there is a lure about a very old and feeble man who pays for his few necessities with Spanish gold."

 

Good day, TDM community! I'm proud to release my first FM: "The Terrible Old Man", an adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's short story of the same name. This is a short, 30-45 minute mission in which you are the getaway driver in a team of three small-time thieves. You and your associates were fortunate enough to overhear rumors of a famously wealthy and frail old man, but things change when your cohorts do not return from what is supposed to be their easiest and most lucrative job. Now it's up to you to brave the old man's house and find your associates.

 

Download:

The in-game mission downloader

TDM Website's Mission Page

Dropbox

 

Special Thanks:

The kind beta testers: Cambridge Spy, stgatilov, xlm, wesp5, nbohr1more, and Dragofer.

peter_spy and Dragofer for answering my endless barrage of editor questions while learning DR.

The TDM Discord for their warm welcome.

Ending stinger courtesy of Zapsplat.

 

Content Warnings:

Spoiler

This FM features cobwebs, but no spiders living or dead.

Ghosts.

Zombie models are used for corpses, but there are no active zombies in this FM.

Enjoy!

Edited March 14 by Ansome

[nbohr1more]

Congrats on the release!

Hopefully the first of many!

[Heuli]

Congrats on the release!

Thanks for the great mission, I had a lot of fun. I played the mission with Linux and had no problems

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 11 by Heuli

[Amadeus]

Congratulations on getting this out the door! Looking forward to playing it soon

[JackFarmer]

Congratulations on the release!

[JackFarmer]

Spoiler

 

Looks very good, sounds very good and has a great atmosphere!

Took me more than one hour to complete on Easy difficulty until I stumbled over the

Spoiler

ship's wheel.

The last two scripted scenes were great and added perfectly to the LC setting.

Good job!

 

[nbohr1more]

I was quite surprised by:

Spoiler

The appearance and threats after leaving the attic.

Many have compared this to:

Spoiler

Dragofer's mission but I kinda think that Goldwell's "Spring Cleaning" bears a closer resemblance ( structurally ).

Regardless, I think this stands on it's own merits as a very high quality mission and easily rivals great missions by veteran authors.

[thebigh]

Congratulations on the release! You've put a lot of work into this, and I'm going to enjoy every minute of it.

[Ansome]

On 3/11/2024 at 1:32 AM, nbohr1more said:

Hopefully the first of many!

On 3/11/2024 at 6:36 PM, nbohr1more said:

I think this stands on it's own merits as a very high quality mission and easily rivals great missions by veteran authors.

You're too kind! I don't think I've created something on par with what some of the veteran creators have put out just yet, but I'm very happy about how well it's been received. It's been especially nice reading messages sent to me about the lighting and sound design inside the house, as I spent a long time tweaking it and was afraid others wouldn't appreciate those tiny details. I'll certainly be back again to release another mission in the future as you've all been very welcoming, especially the dev team!

[Cambridge Spy]

Here's my playthrough of The Terrible Old Man:

 

 

[thebigh]

Nice mission! I really enjoyed all the lighting, and had fun solving the mystery. Good work!

[nightmare]

Great mission. I love the readables. Everytime I came across "face too symmetrical" I think off dr. Steinman from Bioshock.

Edited March 13 by nightmare

[kin]

I love missions with big surprises. Congratulations I really enjoyed it.

[Kopfrkingl]

This is a great first mission and a neat adaptation of Lovecraft's short story. I especially loved the start - the streets after dark, the door that slams shut as you approach, and the house's silhouette against the starry sky as you walk up the road. The atmosphere was so thick one could practically cut it! Once inside the house, I kept expecting the inevitable, and my enjoyment of finding loot was matched by my paranoid dread of encountering the terrible old man. The end was not unexpected but definitely well done.

Spoiler

As I neared the exit with bags full of loot, I almost hoped for Czanek to escape and avoid his fate as dictated by the original story. Oh well.

 

[Dragofer]

Congrats on the release! Remember to check ThiefGuild as well as the DarkFate forums (via Google Translate) for additional feedback.

[Bergante]

Hi Ansome  
 What a nice surprise
kopfrkingl had just now told what could have been my statement . (but mine has some Criticism)

I´m not a modder myself and it seems your first mission ,

and I can feel with how much work / intention / ambition and love you´ve finished this one !!!
Atmosphere and design are wonderful, only the house is a bit tubular
and I am happy you offered “The terrible old man” to us
Please : keep on going !

Like somebody once said : yes you can !
Sometimes - with a little help from your friends (here are plenty around)
 

I hope you´re ready and fine with/for some Criticism
i´ll put it in spoilers - so you don´t need to read it every time you come up

Spoiler

The terrible old man
By Ansome

Hello Ansome
maybe at first I should call you “Awesome”
because my next sentences may sound harsh
sorry but I am disappointed – but to stay clear – the fact how you made me disappointed -

in itself it is more a praise than something different .
The mission catched my mood from the beginning .
The intro story (a bit long) opened the mystery ;
The outside has a fantastic Design ; and for my peace - I had no Rope/Crates - otherwise I would have tried to climb everywhere , before entering the House . Even so i´ve been near to carry all Crates from inside -out !

Inside – the design for the first balcony was cleverly done (for people like me who are trying to get everywhere without leaving a trace / yes you could collect a lot of boxes, but that's not necessary)

The effort you showed in the backstory in the books caught attention and kept my intention alive to expect something special around the next corner .

So I (mostly a supreme Ghoster !) kept on crouching - sneaking around lighten places – throwing an eyesight in every corner .
But – the books never made a real sence/story to me , the bottles became more and more just atmospheric touch and every step ahead told – there's ´s no need to sneak .

Later – the statuettes – they must have something to do with all these lost and missing people .
Maybe I'll find out and save them – and what the hell happened to my colleagues ?
You can take them - but not collect (no Loot) so there´s possible some way to make them interact !? So I put them in a secure spot – for later .

Than – I spotted my colleagues – saved – awaiting – the old man is coming out - with glowing eyes (like one of the statuettes -the fat one) ? So – take care - you better keep watching what´s gonna happen .
But no – nothing is gone to happen , he´s only going here+there+here+….

So pick up the loot in his office - It seems he just killed my friends --- no hint if he put their mind into Bottels ? (soo? Maybe do him the same!) but for the first run – no - leave –

I have a Save and do this later !!!

wow – Attention anewed : something changed - former light are out , the bottles are glowming and haunts are passing by . Ooh don´t forget about - the last Loot is in reach .
And again – so sorry about – no secret to lift - Statuettes don´t fit to bottles - Haunts are easyly to avoid – no holy ground for my friends (not pickable) – there´s only one thing to do – Leave !!!

a last Idea – maybe somethings gonna happen with the Statuettes if I carry them outside / out of his reach ?! - no

I hope you can understand my disapointment
but !!!

in the same time – accept my praise !!!

To have awakened in me the expectation – for a mission like for example :
“ Down by the riverside “

and to feel like this is really high expectation !

I´m not a modder myself and it seems your first mission ,

and I can feel with how much work / intention / ambition and love you´ve finished this one !!!
Atmosphere and design are wonderful, only the house is a bit tubular
and I am happy you offered “The terrible old man” to us
Please : keep on going !

Like somebody once said : yes you can !
Sometimes - with a little help from your friends (here are plenty around)

P.S.: like I said earlier now i´m going back – to save my life !!! ( if it´spossible ! )

 

[Bergante]

On 3/11/2024 at 7:36 PM, nbohr1more said:

Many have compared this to:

  Hide contents

Dragofer's mission but I kinda think that Goldwell's "Spring Cleaning" bears a closer resemblance ( structurally ).

Yeah - I totaly agree !
my expectation have realy been unfair - but as i said - I got into this mood 
and i think this is worth a praise 
your right " Spring Cleaning " is much more the mission to compare them

[chakkman]

I haven't played the mission yet, so, I can't comment on it. Regarding the criticism: I think it should also be allowed to note some things you saw as points of criticism. Actually, IMO, negative criticism is better than positive, because it points out what you maybe didn't think through thoroughly, or you simply didn't see when you created the mission on your own. I'm aware that there is a lot of work involved, and people do it in their spare time for their own or other people's pleasure. But, that really shouldn't be a reason to praise everything to the skies. Actually, I've seen my fair share of average missions which have been totally overrated.

Again, that shouldn't knock anynone's work, and, I have no idea how this mission is. Just wanted to point out that noting negative things shouldn't be taken as discouraging, but rather the opposite. I've seen some mission authors for Dark Mod going from average to absolutely fantastic missions, because they learned what it takes to make good missions. It's an art, and obviously takes time to perfect.

Edited March 13 by chakkman

[Ansome]

2 hours ago, Bergante said:

I hope you´re ready and fine with/for some Criticism

I'd love some criticism, thank you! I'm very glad that you got super absorbed into this FM's atmosphere, I loved reading your theories about the story! Your criticism about the readables/story is entirely valid and highlights an element that is most often criticized about Lovecraft's work: you rarely get straight answers or a clear picture of the greater threat. I encourage you to read the original "The Terrible Old Man" (all of H.P. Lovecraft's works are in the public domain and readable online), as you'll get an idea of how short and vague the source material was as well as the careful moves I had to make to not show my hand too much when constructing the narrative.

Whether or not I kept in line with Lovecraft's principles is for others to judge, but I'm glad your imagination went wild with this FM! Your curiosity regarding what the bottles are, what the purpose of the little statuettes is, and immersion into the story from what little breadcrumbs I planted gave me a smile from ear to ear. Thanks, Bergante!

[Ansome]

54 minutes ago, chakkman said:

Just wanted to point out that noting negative things shouldn't be taken as discouraging, but rather the opposite. I've seen some mission authors for Dark Mod going from average to absolutely fantastic missions, because they learned what it takes to make good missions. It's an art, and obviously takes time to perfect.

Rest assured, I haven't received nothing but praise thus far. Most of the constructive criticism about this FM's design arose during beta testing, and Dragofer in particular gave me a very useful write-up about what can be improved next time. Some examples being that he FM is a bit too spacious at times, its difficulty is rather low (a sentiment shared by thebigh), and the house design is a bit strange or tubular as a result of the FM's more linear nature. It's all been invaluable feedback as I continue to learn DR, and I intend to write up a post-first FM release retrospective near the end of this week going over what I've learned.

I'm quite overjoyed about all the positive feedback I've received thus far, but that's not because I'm afraid of criticism, rather I was afraid of how a less traditional mission would be received by the community. I wanted to make something a bit weird with my first mission, and I was wary of how a short, linear mission with a limited player toolset would be viewed. Fortunately, the community has been very welcoming and accepting of weird little ideas, and I intend to take what I've learned into my next project right after my eyes stop burning from all those late-night Dark Radiant sessions. I hope you enjoy the FM, Chakkman!

[Bergante]

1 hour ago, Ansome said:

I encourage you to read the original "The Terrible Old Man" (all of H.P. Lovecraft's works are in the public domain and readable online), as you'll get an idea of how short and vague the source material was as well as the careful moves I had to make to not show my hand too much when constructing the narrative.

Thanks for your nice answer 
me too  upps - love lovecraft (what a fine name /makes me think for "Good Will Hunting )

i don´t know this special Story , and i surely prefer his darker Chutullu works :
but most of all is Algernon Blackwood´s  "The Willows" ( a TDM of that would be Incredible ; but like it had been said about a Dune-Film ; i think it´s not possible ---- but give it a try  )

[thebigh]

21 hours ago, Ansome said:

its difficulty is rather low (a sentiment shared by thebigh)

 

TBF though, I've caught a lot of grief over at the Guild for my levels being on the difficult side. XD

[The Black Arrow]

I can't wait to try this, Lovecraft's works are one of my top favourites all time, so glad to know there's more than one author who is inspired by it.

I never got the chance to read "The Terrible Old Man", but I did read "The Picture in the House".
I have this good memory of playing Neverwinter Nights, somebody made a fantastic module about the work I just mentioned, "The Picture in the House", it's actually what inspired me to read it.

Let's see how influential this mission will be!

[mango777]

Excellent FM Ansome!

It's a really tense one that's for sure. High quality alround. Worked brilliantly with the recent new Darkmod and my framerate was hitting max fps @ 144 with my gfx card and processor barely getting warm. 

I could not wait to get the hell out of there

Thanks for all your hard work and to all those who helped you. I hope you make another one - bigger, creepier

[hightide]

this was a nice little mission, though just long and twisty enough to create a sense of dread! next Dark Mod update needs 

Spoiler

some ocean-related monsters, whether craymen, kurshok, or something new.

I fully expected the bottles to become important later, and they did.

The layout was a bit tubular, especially coming back - having some new pathways open up and others close at the big trigger would have been interesting.

I didn't try to get onto that first balcony because I figured I would reach it later. Well, I did but 

Spoiler

after the ghostly sailors had appeared and I had to climb the walls while one patrolled!

I did find it a little strange that the moon was low on one side of the house, but there was such strong light coming in windows from both sides even on the lower floor. It added atmosphere, but I kept wondering where it was coming from (since the surround area has been built up, and probably overshadows the house).

Edited March 16 by hightide