Fan Mission: Volta III - Gemcutter [15th Anniversary Contest]

[kingsal]

 

VOLTA 3 : GEMCUTTER 1.1
[ TDM 2.12  REQUIRED] 
Please make occasional hard saves! There is a rare quick save crash that happens.

AUTHOR'S NOTE
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Can you believe it's been 15 years of The Dark Mod? Happy anniversary and please enjoy this mission.
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DESCRIPTION
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This is a medium size, dense city / boat mission that continues the Volta storyline. 
It's an evolving campaign - some  story details in here might not line up with Volta 1 and 2. 
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CREDITS
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VOCALS by Andrew Bartmess, Desino Mortem, Goldwell, and Yandros.

TESTING by Amadeus, AluminumHaste, Bikerdude, Dragofer, Epifie, Goldwell
Mat99, Mike A,  Skacky and WellingtonCrab. 

ADDITIONAL MODELS AND TEXTURES by WellingtonCrab and Epifire.

EDITING by Amadeus and Moonbo.
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SPECIAL THANKS TO
Goldwell for years of feedback and help  
Amadeus for helping get the Volta story into a good spot. 

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 FAQ / GUIDE (spoilers!)
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Spoiler

Volta 3 FAQ

In game maps!  where are they? 

Spoiler

• You start with a map of Caspian Bay in your inventory. 
• The Orchid map in the foyer of the Orchid as soon as you enter. Frob the map on the stand and it will enter your inventory. 

Objectives 

 

Spoiler

How do I get aboard the Orchid?

Spoiler

The Orchid can be boarded either via the lift by the starting area, or by using tools to climb up the side of the boat. There are two entrances on the deck, one portside and one starboard side.

    
Where is the card game taking place? 

Spoiler

The card game is happening in the Gambling Hall on the main deck of the Orchid. Look for signs labeled “Gambling Hall”

Light hint

Spoiler

Once in the Gambling Hall, look for a set of stairs in the back. 

Strong hint

Spoiler

There are two main routes to get to the gambling hall.  Once in the Gambling Hall, look for a set of stairs in the back. 
Route 1- Once you enter the Orchid, head down the stairs and look to your left (south). Follow signs for the gambling hall. This is tough and well-guarded. 
Route 2 - Pass through the lower decks. There is an entrance to the lower decks in the Main Hall labeled Terrarium.  Make your way to the south end of the lower deck (towards the aft) and take the elevator by the Fighting Pit. It will shoot you up at the back of the gambling hall. There are several ways in, but the front door is the most convenient. 

 

Why did I fail the card game objective? 

Spoiler

You likely were seen or heard by the guys in the private card game. They are two nervous cats,  stay quiet and out of their sight. 

Where is the dirt on Gordiff? (expert only)

Spoiler

Light hint

Spoiler

Head to Gordiff’s office in the Cargo Hold. You’ll need a key…

Strong hint

Spoiler

The Dirt is in one of the offices the cargo hold. Look for the one with an electric floor tile.  There are two keys that will open safe there, one on Gordiff's belt (see card game hint for his location) or one available buy purchasing a bribe at the beginning of the mission. (see bribes)

 

How do I exit the mission? 

Spoiler

Head back to the boat you started in. You need to actually climb aboard and go back into the hold below.  The easiest way is to board from the dock.

 

Bribes

Spoiler

What are bribes? 

Spoiler

Bribes are purchasable scrolls in the shop that give you hints on the whereabouts of special items. They will change the flow of the mission. They’re a little experimental.

            
Where is Gordiff’s Key Copy?

Spoiler

The key copy is in a newsstand on the west side of the market/ dock area. It's next to Vienco’s Tailors (check your map). The latch to unlock the newsstand is on the other side of the door.  

Where is the Dock Worker’s Disguise. 

Spoiler

The disguise is in the storehouses, bay 3. Check your inventory for a scroll with the code. There are several entrances into the storehouses, but the most convenient is the door on the south side of the building. Next to the fountain. 

Why did I get caught while disguised?

Spoiler

You either had a weapon out, tried to lock pick, steal something, attacked someone, or entered a building you shouldn’t be in. The entire Orchid is off-limits except for the deck.

Hints on secrets  (this will basically spoil them)
        

Spoiler

Docks

Spoiler

On the rock ledge to the left of your starting boat
Below storehouse 1

 

Orchid

Spoiler

Behind the bar (bow)
Around the generator above the Orrey (bow)
Below the elevator in the galley. Look for something out of place. (bow lower deck)
Lady Volta's suite (midship / middeck)
Lombardo's suite (midship / middeck)
In the rafters next to the builder chapel / above the bow elevator. (aft / middeck)

 

Hidden Objectives they’re no fun if I spoil them but:

Spoiler

The first:  

Spoiler

Return “Pookie” the stuffed toy to their owner's bed or locker nearby. Pookie is somewhere in the Galley.

The second:

 

Spoiler

Frob all the snails in the mission. There are 4; 2 in the docks and two in the orchid. Good luck.

 

 

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BRIEFING SCRIPT  (spoilers!) 
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Spoiler

Volta 3 : Bellero’s Theater Script

Bellero:
“Ho ho! Good to see you sir. Come, we have much to discuss. Welcome to my theater, it's been in my family for generations. Oh you should have seen it back in the day, glorious.”

The Thief:
“Your letter mentioned something about a job?”

Bellero:
“Haha, straight to it I see! Well.. I wanted to thank thee again for clearing up our little situation the other night."

The Thief:
“I'm no bodyguard, if those beasts snatch you again…”

Bellero:
“Nay! I shan’t step foot towards those troglodytes evermore. For my next venture I have an eye for something much more grand and profitable. You see the gem you acquired, tis a rare and valuable thing and I’m in the business of expanding.”  

The Thief:
“Right… more gems for the mantlepiece?”

Bellero:
“Oh no no my dear boy, where art thou ambitions? I seek to collect more of these. In my youth, I thought it enough to just be upon the stage, to revel in the glory of the crowd, but now I shall be the stage itself. The gems… oh the gems! Imagine all the theaters I’ll be able to purchase and all of the coin that will spill out from them.”

The Thief:
That's a fine dream Bellero, but dreams don’t pay the rent.  If that’s all you’ve got to say to me..”

Bellero:
“Seventy-five thousand, all in advance.”

The Thief:
“Well, if you put it that way.”

Bellero:
“There there! See? I’m a man who rewards his friends and I wish to make you a very cherished friend indeed. A toast, under the eye of the gods, may they grant us their favor. ”

[End]

Volta 3 : Gemcutter Briefing Script

The Thief:

“Bellero’s looking to get in on the City’s underground gem trade. Well lucky for him, I know just on whose door to go knocking. 

Gordiff the Gemcutter; guy’s an old-school racketeer, deals mostly in bogus gems and knock- offs, but his recent stuff;  it’s lookin’ a little more authentic, and going for a fortune at the auction houses, sounds like the ole’ cutthroat has a new source.”

Gordiff is hosting a card tournament aboard the Orchid, one of the City's more upscale leisure boats. She’ll be crawling with high-stakes rollers tonight and Gordiff’s new supplier will be there.

Pulling this off will be risky, but if I can find out who this new supplier is, Bellero will put a tail on ‘em and lead us right to more gems.

It’s nearly dawn and the only gamblers left are those with deep pockets. I’d better make my way down the docks and see if a few careful bribes can get a ne’re-do-well like me in on tonight’s games.”

Youtube link courtesy of Goldwell:

 

Edited October 27 by kingsal

[Amadeus]

Yes!!!! A huge congratulations for getting this beautiful beast out the door!

[Goldwell]

Congratulations Kingsal, this mission is absolutely incredible!

[Bergante]

Wow --- the next Gem cutted by kingsal          Merci

[jaxa]

Looking at that screenshot, I might want to install a graphics card for this one.

[nbohr1more]

Sorry for the delay. This mission is now available in the database.

[chakkman]

Just finished this. Amazing mission, very well done.

Spoiler

As usual with Kingsal's mission, the gameplay was nearly perfect. It always appears to me as if you know exactly what makes a mission enjoyable and fun to play. I loved the shooting range, that was a nice touch, and something new.

The difficulty was good, although I thought there might have been a few too many A.I. in some places. Speaking of A.I., it behaved a bit odd, greeting me before becoming hostile. Also, I think you tweaked the hearing of the A.I. a bit? Seemed to me as if the range they hear you from was a bit less than in other missions (which is good in my opinion).

The mission felt very polished, I haven't come across any places where I got stuck, or noticed any other issues. I got a bad lag on the Orchid though, and, the longer I played, the more severe the lags got. Not so much bad framerate, rather stuttering. Every time I quickloaded, the stuttering was gone, but then started again, the longer I played. 

The visual quality was excellent, all very coherent, and the lighting was great as well.

 

[kingsal]

There is always something.. I found a minor but kind of obvious bug of a few missing grate models. Ive updated the OP. 
If you have already started a play through, this isn't mission breaking but if you haven't. Please update

@nbohr1moreWould be as so kind as to update the servers for me? Its enough of a bug to fix. No idea how it happened  
gemcutter 1.1

 

Edited October 18 by kingsal

[Tarhiel]

Congratulations, this looks fantastic!

[nbohr1more]

7 hours ago, kingsal said:

There is always something.. I found a minor but kind of obvious bug of a few missing grate models. Ive updated the OP. 
If you have already started a play through, this isn't mission breaking but if you haven't. Please update

@nbohr1moreWould be as so kind as to update the servers for me? Its enough of a bug to fix. No idea how it happened  
gemcutter 1.1

 

Fixed version is up by the way.

[kin]

Just started and I love the intro that is obviously inspired from the "sword" mission in T2. The "sword" was one of my favorite missions. Something tells me that this one is going to be a winner.

Edited October 18 by kin

[lowenz]

Damn, a Kingsal FM is like an entire game

[Filizitas]

Hello Kingsal!

I see that you ahve left Discord, so i had to come here to tell you!
Your new mission is a blessing  are you doing all the 3d meshes yourself? Its so professional!
Really good job.

[Heuli]

wow kingsal great mission a real adventure thank you

[joebarnin]

A simply gorgeous mission! I love the unique textures, especially the stonework in the storehouses/market area. Intriguing layout, both of the storehouses and the ship. The lighting was outstanding - visually, and from a gameplay point of view.

Spoiler

Gameplay was just right - basic objectives were doable for mediocre players like me, secrets and max loot were more challenging (hey, at least I found a couple secrets).

Spoiler

I paid the bribes, just to give them a try. They helped, but even before I used them I could see how I could accomplish the objectives without them. But there were plenty of arrows around in the mission, so it didn't matter that I couldn't afford to buy many at the start.

Here is some z-fighting that I noticed:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/prpoujb1lhd5ybftw3von/ACbqye0LJOevb6FZipoS8sM?rlkey=cyfx6z3st6v1du0cmedoi51od&st=zldqvjoh&dl=1

[Bergante]

Hello kingsal 

as i said before : an other gem - cutted by kingsal
one of my most beloved mappers 

i´m still not sure how to vote : but for sure - you now get some " - " 

sorry but you are kingsal - you get some extra expectation  for you´re a profi .
in the outside area of the ship - not everything is accessible as it should be .
sorry - i understand it´s in addition to to the mission - to get a proudly atmosphere 
but since  " Hazard-Pay "  i expect that every thing is consistent 
and here one can´t climp everywhere  where it looks possibele 
also - wooden stuff is not allways wooden stuff where rope-arrows fit . 

I´m sure you´l accept this as an minor critics -
and i may ask you : is it you - who is a genius - to know what solutions are needed - to give a sup.ghost a chance to fulfill his ambitions ? ---  or is it my genius to allways find one ?
your secrets are very well done ! and the statues value and the second builders cross needed some extra ideas to get them unseen .

By the way ?

Spoiler

did you ever expect in " hazard-pay " that some one gets into the storeroom undetected by any use of inventory items ? -I feeel it´s been made for sup.ghosts - but i can´t imagine you thought of my solution to do so 

 

[Tarhiel]

This was an aboslute blast to play!

I did not expect anything less after other fms from you  So far, my most favourite of missions from this contest, with imperial sword as a close second.

Still have 3 more left to play.

Again - I loved the setting (I always wonder how do you do this life-like level design, where you use a lot of sharp angles and symmetrical geometric shapes (i.e. the square with the warehouses and a statue in the middle), yet the levels doesn´t seem bland nor boring), whole middle-eastern aesthetic and setup of the story. Also lightning and whole lot of a new textures (?). And making a boat - a limited space of usually rectangular rooms not boring and monotonous and dividing it into sections, which are vastly different to have for a player something to explore - hats off.

I also noticed some of the missions have this ability where if you take a loot, it does not just disappear, but it instead fly over screen to you - is that something you as a mission creator have to turn on? I find that effect cool.

I absolutely enjoyed the shooting minigame - that was brilliant idea, as I find those targets underutilized in missions and this finally forced me to shoot something else beside rope arrows 
 

Spoiler

And that switch hidden in the portrait was nasty - I was able to find it thanks to my obsessive nature of frobbing everything interesting in sight and reach

I was able to find 6 out of 8 secrets, 7th I had to help myself with

Spoiler

(I didn´t knew the rocks on the cliff were climbable, but that was my mistake, should have at least try more thoroughly, which I usually do)

, but I couldn´t find the 8th secret, although I have all the loot, so maybe some script didn´t execute properly?

Can I have a list of secret locations (in a spoiler tag, of course)?

PS: Oh, and I forgot to mention that beautiful intro animation - did you do that yourself?
That was breathtaking - I love the original Thief (or Black Parade intros, for that matter, as they are homage to the original), but this was very nice upgrade and modernization over the traditional style.

Edited October 20 by Tarhiel

[chakkman]

8 minutes ago, Tarhiel said:

I did not expect anything less after other fms from you  So far, my most favourite of missions from this contest, with imperial sword as a close second.

Same here. 

Regarding the secrets, there are hints in the first post of this thread.

[kingsal]

Thanks for playing! 

A heads up, the briefing doesn't have subtitles yet, I'll do that in a future update. I just ran out of time.
The OP has the briefing scripts written out along with an FAQ as chakkman mentioned. 

Goldwell was kind enough to host the briefing on his youtube which does a decent job with automated captions.

I made the briefing using photoshop and blender. Cut it all together in premiere. 

 

Edited October 20 by kingsal

[Tarhiel]

6 hours ago, chakkman said:

Same here. 

Regarding the secrets, there are hints in the first post of this thread.

Thanks,

Spoiler

I was missing the generator on the boat above the orrery.

 

Edited October 20 by Tarhiel

[Oleron]

Okay, so far I'm just dropping by to say that: to whomever coded/created the...

Spoiler

archery skill game...

Fucking next level. Not that the rest of the mission isn't exemplary but, wow, cool as fuck.

[hightide]

this is a very impressive mission!

I've gotten physically stuck a couple places, most notably in the wall of the cargo hold office with 

Spoiler

the electrified plate.

this one caused a crash, though maybe it was the quick load crash mentioned above when I tried to reload a bit back from it? I will investigate tomorrow.

[DeTeEff]

This was impressive on many levels!

Game play 5 stars

Everything went smoothly, no getting stuck on anything. I love all small details (that enhance stuff, without infringing upon gamepley), like the latches on boxes and doors, and small knick knacks. I love that you could move almost anywhere and get where you want without linearity/chokepoints. The possibility to choose your way is a big plus from me; you can take the high road, or you can search for all these little latches and hatches and sneak the sneak way. Lovely!

Story 5 stars

I have only played Volta 1 so I'm not familiar with everything but that didn't stop me from enjoying the characters and environments. They felt realistic and not over the top. All in all, it felt good to rob that Gordiff of his gambling/smuggler money!

Visuals 5 stars

Wow! This mission has a buttload of custom assets! I felt from the start, with the custom menu screen and the beautiful briefing/video that this is not your ordinary mission building looser crapdog, sitting in his basement, trying to figure out coding. This is some graphic designer or painter or somebody else with knowledge in the visual arts! Just that video and briefing must be weeks of hard work!

Somehow the guards/AI gave me an Thief 2 vibe, I don't know why. Maybe something about the design of the custom people. It felt disconnected with the ordinary mod, definitely in a good way! You're truly a King, mr Sal!

[waxhead]

Excellent mission. What I found most enjoying about it was that having a sense of direction was easy, and unlike so many other missions it was not a maze where you forget where you have been and where you are. Stunning visuals and excellent design.

One minor thing / bugreport(?): It was possible to throw a vase inside a display case. I was hoping to break the glass with it , but instead the glass cracked more and more as I kept throwing, and the extra geometry consumed a lot of CPU or GPU power slowing the game down to 2-3 fps. Once the glass was broken (using the blackjack) it was not a problem anymore. Perhaps it is possible to set a limit for how much the glass can crack.

[chakkman]

5 minutes ago, waxhead said:

Excellent mission. What I found most enjoying about it was that having a sense of direction was easy, and unlike so many other missions it was not a maze where you forget where you have been and where you are.

I think this is an important and often neglected point (not so much by mission authors, rather by people who review missions). My favorite missions have this sense of direction, where I actually proceed in the game, going where I'm "supposed to go". Not to be confused with various path to the objective, which is of course totally fine. But, missions which have a logical structure are the most enjoyable to play for me.

And, I also have to say that kingsal's missions are excellent in that regard, that's one of the reasons I explicitely emphasized the gameplay in my post above.

Edited October 21 by chakkman