Basically the opposite of the moss arrow

[BEAR]

Not a bad idea, but I think a better idea might be just being able to listen carfully or be able to put something in their way rather than implementing another tool just for that one purpose.

 

Somewhat on topic, I'd be curious to know if there is any way to jam or block doors to make it harder for an AI to get into a room. Obviously you wouldnt want it to be impossible, meaning it would become fairly complicated. It would add alot to the realism if you could push something heavy in front of a door (probably not as easy with doom3 as with HL2 or something).

[Fidcal]

Yes, that is possible at the moment though I've never tried it but I have seen stuff jamming a door. But I don't know if in the final release doors will push stuff out of the way. Even if they do I'm sure they will vary with mass and/or size so yes, my guess is that this would work without any special coding - just by the natural physics of Dark Mod. Don't quote me - I might try this with a crate next time I'm test-playing through.

[STiFU]

It's a nice idea, but to be honest, I don't think it's necessary. I wasn't surprised by a guard very often and if it happened I just hit f for the flashbang and busted out. Your idea might become interesting to mappers though. Imagine a long hallway with a carpet in its center and a broken vase somewhere on the way. This would make gameplay more demanding on such an area. Wet carpet could have the same result only with a lower amplitude.

 

The suggestion that all vases and bottles should be breakable for this purpose isn't that good in my oppinion, because we saw that guards are able to throw bottles and stuff, which would create a lot of noisy-floors...

Edited November 26, 2007 by STiFU

[Mr Retarded]

Well then why not introduce a dustpan and brush, so you can sweep up the mess on the floor without making a horrible racket.

[Hewer]

I don't see how a warning powder or device or whatever would be very useful, but then in real gameplay, I didn't find speed, health and slowfall potions, fire arrows, moss arrows or oil flasks very usefull, either. I rarely ever used flash bombs, too. Most of the equipment in the Thief games I only ever used when I decided to screw around and try to get every guard in the place chasing me or something.

 

I think the idea has some interesting possibilities for specific missions designed for a warning type of device, though.

 

I would think it would be easy to implement- just alter the properties of a gas mine to emit sound rather than gas when an AI gets within a certain proximity. It would alert a lot of guards and cause a lot of ruckus- maybe a diversion. The only way I can think of for it to not alert a guard (or maybe only make him mildly suspicious) is if the new mine emitted a bird call or something only you would recognize as a warning (hoo! hoo! hey you!- lookupere! lookupere! lookupere! (Three Amigos if you didn't know)).

 

The sound could be transmitted directly to you similarly to the mechanical eye in Thief 2, but I think the DM folk would reject that idea for some of the same reasons as not implementing a mechanical eye in the first place.

[Ombrenuit]

Well then why not introduce a dustpan and brush, so you can sweep up the mess on the floor without making a horrible racket.

 

Haha. Or a magic vacuum.

 

[M] aid Mode Activated

Edited November 28, 2007 by Ombrenuit

[BEAR]

This kind of thing would be great for enemies that sneak around (something I think is totally cool). As you guys probably arnt planning on implementing anything like that its not really an issue, but the thought that some monster or guard is sneaking around looking for you and you might want to cover your back if you are going to be working on something for a while with your back turned (like a lock).

 

It would also (IMO) be totally awesome if normal NPC's could move quieter, IE if they think they see you and you have your back turned they might try and sneak up to give you the business.

[Domarius]

Yeah we plan to have elite guards that can move quietly when searching.

[BEAR]

Awesome, I should have figured you guys would have thought of that. That does lead to there being some use for what the OP was asking about, not that I think you should do it exactly.

 

If you threw a pile of crap in a doorway that a guard had to come through to get at you, how would that theoretically work? Could an elite guards silent abilities allow him to not make sound from walking on those things or would you be able to hear a noise from it?

[Fidcal]

The more I think about this idea the more I like it, and think most practical, is the subject heading itself - reversing the moss arrow. This would fit in to the basic DM/Thief theme: lay down a crunch carpet of some innocuous material like broken nut shells or glass (a guard might be puzzled but hardly would sound the alarm?) It would only be used now and again and vary with player like any other tool or weapon. I don't know that it would be included as any official TDM resource but after launch who knows what ideas people will implement to add to TDM just as they have with Thief. I would definitely use this in the right situation.

[Crispy]

Yeah we plan to have elite guards that can move quietly when searching.

Well, sort of. They don't sneak, they just engage in mindless "I'm humming and/or muttering now so that you know where I am" behaviour less frequently than regular guards. If they see a thief, they'll charge and attack it in the same manner as normal guards do, though.

 

In particular, they don't do this, and I doubt we'll find time to implement it:

if they think they see you and you have your back turned they might try and sneak up to give you the business.

 

It would be pretty cool, I'll admit. (For special AI only, not regular dumb guards.) We've got more general AI behaviours to sort out first though.

[STiFU]

Also, guards causing no footstepps at all would make the game frustrating in the end, even WITH the "glass arrow", since you woun't be shooting one at every corner, but an elite guard could sneak around every corner. Footsteps can be smoothed out when they sneak, but not completely removed. So the glassarrow would only be needed on longrange-hearing.

[Ishtvan]

If some stealthy AI tried to stay in the shadows (which might be possible to add after the 1.0 release with some fiddling with the LAS system), you might want a way to light them up when they move thru a certain area too. That situation calls for a biopiezoluminescent goop arrow!

[SneaksieDave]

Yeah we plan to have elite guards that can move quietly when searching.

Don't forget maybe also sp... nah, maybe I'll keep that one secret.

 

STiFU will like it though.

[STiFU]

You just got me interested in this mod... ;D

 

No seriously, I am fucking curious what you're talking about!

 

Edit: Crap!! Don't tell me you got sneakin' spiders. WAHHH!

Edited November 28, 2007 by STiFU

[Mr Retarded]

Spiders, perhaps?

 

[Edit] I'm too slow it seems.

[Nyarlathotep]

Oh! You were talking about spiders! Of course, how silly of me to think you were talking about--well, something else....

[Crispy]

We should really figure out how to make the spiders climb on the walls and ceiling.

 

And then have them sneak above you and drop down on your head when you're least expecting it!