SneakyJack on 13/1/2009 at 21:10
Not trying to be an ass - but can we make a new thread for the fog troubleshooting? It really doesn't belong here, and we're almost at two pages of it now. :erg:
Quote Posted by sh_b
So the question is: do you prefer to run through a new FM or just take a time lurking and staring around neverminding tons of other FMs?
How much time IRL (not on stats screen ;) ) it took you to finish particular FM, for example Ashen Age?
This is a hard question to answer due to the quality of FM's being so different and playstyles being so different depending on the mission. Some of them penalize you for not being quick (ghosting and following someone without losing them or being seen for example) so I base the time I spend on how much I enjoy the mission. Take DrK's missions in Rocksbourg series for example - he puts so much work into fleshing out the city (and in ink and dust the atmosphere is truly unreal) that you'd be doing yourself a huge disservice not to explore every nook and cranny to take it all in.
Then again you have missions that are very straight forward and don't have any hidden secrets or much to see and do other than a few simple objectives. I usually tend to blow through those.
If a mission has a ton of hidden secrets or branching hidden passages or multiple ways in and out of target structures I will explore as much of the entire fan mission as I can. I've many times spent at least four or five hours on a good fan mission, sometimes more. If the mission suits me I can spend all day in it - Take "Pirates Ahoy" mission 1 for example.. I've replayed it at least six times now, each time spending more than two hours making sure I do everything, find everything and blackjack dozens of folks. Its a ton of fun.
If you feel like you are spending too much time or not enough time in a fan mission, you probably are. :laff:
Quote:
2. I can't start The Inverted Manse.
Question: which way is to start this goldhammered FM easier: just walking forward and overcoming difficulties as they appear or trying to plan my way making landmarks in progress?
I'm not a huge fan of undead missions, so I approach every situation where I can see them coming slowly and overcome them one at a time - saving often and ducking out of the way somewhere safe and dark to regroup when they give me a good startling. Hammer haunts are the worst for me - those bastards and their speed are terrifying sometimes.
I save after every hammer haunt or undead I manage to take out or safely distance myself from by sneaking - and if I fail I try to plan my approach on the second play through. I never run and gun through an undead mission - thats the fastest way to death for me - I get too rattled.
Dunno if either of these answers helped - but I'm glad you enjoy the thread and please continue to discuss!
Nightwalker on 14/1/2009 at 14:00
SneakyJack is absolutely right. This thread has gotten entirely derailed and needs to come back on track. Any more discussion of fog problems belongs in the Legacy Tech forum. I've shifted all the posts about fog from this thread into (
http://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=124867) this one where you can discuss it to your hearts' content.
nickie on 14/1/2009 at 14:40
Yup! Apologies for my part in said derailment and as contribution to discussion instead, since I've missed quite a lot this year, I'm now working my way through pav's 2008 review - so far - and have just finished Doschtles' Labyrinth, which, despite being a German only mission and therefore I couldn't understand anything, was a lot of fun.
Even Dia might like it. :ebil:
Honestly Dia, the AI are so easy, you might get cured. :)
SneakyJack on 14/1/2009 at 18:51
Thank you for splitting the topics Nightwalker, it is appreciated :D And no worries nickie - I'm going to give that German mission you mentioned a shot and see how far I can get without understanding a word. :laff:
I've been replaying some of my favorite fan mission entries to sorta cleanse the FM pallet before going back to some ones that I gave a short try and gave up on - mostly undead missions.
I don't know what turns me away about them - perhaps its not so much the undead aspect as it is always being centered around a cave/sewer/abandoned church. I guess I enjoy the more inhabited settings than I do the feeling of running through hallway after hallway of dark uninteresting cave architecture. :laff:
Anyone have any recommendations for undead missions for someone that wants to ease himself into playing them?
Tannar on 14/1/2009 at 18:56
Well, The Kindred Vault by eepcat from the anniversary contest is not too bad. It might not be the best one to play first but maybe second or third on the list.
nickie on 14/1/2009 at 19:19
I'll go with Kindred Vault - the beta before it got tweaked. :laff:
I got more used to, and happier playing, undead fms using a walkthrough. When I knew what was coming then it wasn't nearly so bad and then it was just a bit of practise after that. My only objection to undead now is I either have to sneak or kill - no bonking on the back of the head which is my preferred method of despatching irritating things that get in my way.
And I finally lost most of my terror (of undead) by testing - trying out different ways of doing things and letting a zombie kill you a few times sure takes the fear out of them.
Having said that, I still haven't finished Rocksbourg 3 - that's a whole different ball game to me. And BA's evil grin in reply to my questions about it, didn't help at all. Still, finishing that is on my list of things to do in 2009. Along with DP2, when and if I discover that there is no monster spider involved. And also Mission X I haven't yet had a go at.
SneakyJack on 14/1/2009 at 19:51
I finished Rocksbourg 3, but I'll be honest when I say that half that mission scared the living hell out of me. I think that was the intention, though. DrK loaded that mission with sounds and atmosphere that sucked me into the thief world so much that I couldn't help but be frightened by a few of the "surprises" that I won't list here. I think alot of the reason I really enjoyed the "somewhat undead" souls of Ink and Dust were due to the setting being different than your average 'yeap, another cave or abandoned church'. It was totally new, totally fresh and had an amazing backstory.
Oh, and invincible monsters are one of the most frightening things you could ever put into a thief FM :laff:
As for Mission X - I put it in my post for one of the best missions of the year simply because of it being a technical achievement of the likes that I've never seen before in a thief fan mission - everything about it (especially after the latest patch) was completely polished and well designed.
That being said - it just wasn't my kind of FM. I think the extreme difficulty pre-patch really turned me off - Not to mention that my first couple playthroughs were attempted without knowing you could lockpick light switches in some areas.
I'm probably in the minority when I say that I'd take "Pirates Ahoy" or "Broken Triad" over Mission X simply because the gameplay style I enjoy is more simple and Original Mission-like than most. But again, Mission X was incredible and I'm sure you'll enjoy it.
Edit: I just played the German language mission that you had mentioned - Definitely not for me. Poorly designed identical corridors in a maze full of hammer haunts. :laff: I think I'll pass on finishing that one.
nickie on 14/1/2009 at 20:24
Well yes, you're entirely right, but on the other hand, for learning to deal with the unmentionables, it's excellent! They're just completely non-fearful after the first minute but you feel like a Trojan for vanquishing them. And I like looking for hidden stuff anyway.
But I would highly recommend however, in this genre, Sepulchre of the Sinistral and Forgotten Forest 2. One of which I can't remember, I played the Polish version. Couldn't wait for the English. Game-play was first-class for me for both. And I suspect that I enjoy the type of fm that you do!!
But thank you for saying you finished R3 - shucks!! If you can do it - you chicken :) - so can I.
SneakyJack on 15/1/2009 at 00:23
Quote Posted by nickie
Well yes, you're entirely right, but on the other hand, for learning to deal with the unmentionables, it's excellent!
They're just completely non-fearful after the first minute but you feel like a Trojan for vanquishing them. And I like looking for hidden stuff anyway.
But I would highly recommend however, in this genre, Sepulchre of the Sinistral and Forgotten Forest 2. One of which I can't remember, I played the Polish version. Couldn't wait for the English. Game-play was first-class for me for both. And I suspect that I enjoy the type of fm that you do!!
But thank you for saying you finished R3 - shucks!! If you can do it - you chicken :) - so can I.
:laff:
No doubt, you owe it to yourself to experience the different zones in that FM that you may have missed. Rocksbourg 3 is getting close to the definition of "Fan Missions are an art".
I'll check out the two fan missions that you mentioned to see if they are my cup of tea - we do seem to have similar interests so I'm sure I'll enjoy them. Thanks for the recommendations!
Edit: The first one is from Thief 1 so I'll need to skip that one for now (Don't have it installed anymore) but I'm checking out the Forgotten Forest Series.
Lady Taffer on 15/1/2009 at 04:01
Hmm. . when I think about Rocksbourg 3, the Dark Zone actually doesn't scare me that much except for that shock on the bridge at the beginning that I won't spoil, and at the end when you're trying to get out. . which I also won't spoil. :ebil:
However, for me the scariest thing about the Rocksbourg series, I've decided, is that part at the end of Rocksbourg 1 . . .you know the one. :( :( :(
I honestly think subtle permanent damage is being done to my body every time I go through that part simply because of the amount of adrenal stress I undergo. . which is why I don't play Rocksbourg 1 much anymore. >_<
