A Problem Existent In Past Thief Games

[OrbWeaver]

Could you not allow us to see into the developement forums and watch the debates unfold?

 

What, like with the Unforeseen Consequences "project"?

 

<shudders>

[Maximius]

What, like with the Unforeseen Consequences "project"?

 

<shudders>

 

 

Whats that?

 

 

One thing about playing the TDS FMs, Ive noticed that my dislike of the lack of backlighting has shrunk somewhat. Im finding that a blend of "suspension of disbelief" about Garretts Keeper abilities to "cloak" himself and the general presence of magic in the Thief world are tempering my dislike of backlighting situations. And its not really the active lights that bug me, its when I think Im in the dark and then suddenly realize Im standing in front of a huge back lit stained glass window that the illusion is hit hardest.

 

When an active light is involved, i.e. a torch or lantern, Im usually avoiding it or Im getting lit up because there is no other way around it. I realize they can back light you as well but I guess its the usual activites Im involved in when active lights are around (hiding, slinking, dashing from shadow to shadow) that makes the jarring realization of backlighting less likely to occur to me.

 

Another criticism of the AIs in TDS. The selection of guard sounds and such are so stale. Sometimes they dont even make logical sense, for example the other night I made a noise by breaking a glass case filled with jewels. The guard in the next room shouts out "Whats that ?!" or something. I go and hide, he comes into the room, looks around, then says "Huh, guess my eyes are playing tricks on me" or something. Huh indeed! Needless to say, an AI who hears with his eyes is a bucket of cold water on the illusion of immersion. Sometimes I wonder if it would have been best to NOT make TDS, its so painful to have it around but to have it suck so damned bad. At least I got an opportunity to let the games designers know how I feel, which is why I havent posted on TTLG forums in about a year. One post comes to mind, where I said the style and layout of the powerups reminded me of another video game classic: Pac-Man.

[demagogue]

Whats that?

 

It's a nascent FM project for the dark mod when it comes out, or it *was*.

 

Not being on TTLG, you missed all the action: clicky

 

Showcasing the powerful DOOM 3 engine through the astonishing work of The Dark MOD, Unforeseen Consequences will take you through the mansions of the wealthy, the industrial estates of the Builders, the sanctuaries of the Pagans and into the tombs of the undead.

 

The project is apparently dead now - not that that's so surprising - but it was incredibly quick given all the heat they stirred up:

 

... I am still working on a Dark MOD based project, although it is not UC. That project died, but the thread did not.

 

The board is offline because this project is terminated.

 

The boards kind of got a reputation for soliciting anything cool from anyone and trying to throw it in, and for trying to do TDM's work for them. It didn't try very hard to command much respect; and the openness of it did NOT help ... but whatever. It just wasn't a well-defined project. I don't blame people for wanting to get a jump on mapping TDM FMs, though.

Edited February 16, 2006 by demagogue

[OrbWeaver]

The boards kind of got a reputation for soliciting anything cool from anyone and trying to throw it in, and for trying to do TDM's work for them. It didn't try very hard to command much respect; and the openness of it did NOT help ... but whatever. It just wasn't a well-defined project. I don't blame people for wanting to get a jump on mapping TDM FMs, though.

 

Yup, the whole thing screamed "amateur job" from the very beginning, and when Kingers eventually realised this he closed the project, without consulting other team members, in order to avoid tarnishing his name (or something).

[Vadrosaul]

You mean announcing a project with no advanced planning, no direction, and no team setup would tarnish his name. Heavens No....

[Maximius]

Macsens and Zylons and Goldfishes exchange was pretty heated! Too bad it didnt fly. I wonder if Kingser is still around?

Edited February 16, 2006 by Maximius

[sparhawk]

The project is apparently dead now - not that that's so surprising - but it was incredibly quick given all the heat they stirred up:

 

Not really a surprise. It's a direct consequence of the law of energy preservation.

 

The boards kind of got a reputation for soliciting anything cool from anyone and trying to throw it in, and for trying to do TDM's work for them. It didn't try very hard to command much respect; and the openness of it did NOT help ... but whatever. It just wasn't a well-defined project. I don't blame people for wanting to get a jump on mapping TDM FMs, though.

 

Actually I don't think it was the openness that killed it.

[sparhawk]

Macsens and Zylons and Goldfishes exchange was pretty heated! Too bad it didnt fly. I wonder if Kingser is still around?

 

Probably hiding in some hole now until everything is forgotten, upon which we will see the next announcement.

[Ishtvan]

$5 says it's an Oblivion mod.

[OrbWeaver]

Probably hiding in some hole now until everything is forgotten, upon which we will see the next announcement.

 

The ironic thing is that his name will now have been so damaged by the UC debacle that nobody who has read TTLG will ever join up to one of his projects in the future.

[sparhawk]

I dont think that this will be a problem, as his projects have the tendency to be anounced with much enthusiasm, but stopped after some short time. So it's safer for people who seriously want to do something.

[OrbWeaver]

I dont think that this will be a problem, as his projects have the tendency to be anounced with much enthusiasm, but stopped after some short time. So it's safer for people who seriously want to do something.

 

Indeed, it's not great loss. It is just funny though that he shot himself in the foot by bleating about how his good name would be tarnished when he was the one desperately begging anyone and everyone to join his project, even if they had no experience or skill whatsoever.