clearing on 22/3/2011 at 10:40

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(http://lutonaut.wordpress.com/2011/03/20/heart-of-lone-salvation-dark-mod-mission-review)

Renault on 22/3/2011 at 17:58

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Coincidently, I just finished this mission. I understand the reviewer's attitude, I was very frustrated a several points, especially near the end. I did need the walkthrough to finish it. The worst part was this though, my final inventory totals:

Keys - 22, Readables - 29. :eek:

There's just got to be a better way. Maybe in a future version, TDM can implement a keyring, or a notebook feature so this doesn't happen. But I can tell you, it made trying to find anything else in my inventory a huge pain in the ass. Like a slow match.

That said, the mansion was a blast to navigate, the story was interesting, and I got more gameplay out of this free mission than many retail games, so I guess you gotta take the good with the bad.

Fidcal on 24/3/2011 at 14:35

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The problem is really playstyle I think. You might be surprised to learn that only FOUR keys (five if you don't KO) are essential to finish Heart and you do not need to search for any of them because they are placed right where you need them. If players could just forget about trying to find keys and just explore then they would find the four keys naturally are present as you need them (see below.) The rest are all optional. When I play an FM if I come across a locked, unpickable door I look around nearby but if there is nothing obvious then I assume the FM maker has arranged for me to find the key somewhere else so I don't worry about it. I'm not going to search a mansion let alone a city for a key without any clue. If you just explore Heart, read and follow up the clues you come across then you should naturally finish.

However, I accept that many do not play that way so in future I plan on less, and droppable keys and more in-game help (via optional player notes) so nobody should get stuck ever again in a Fidcal FM. haha! Dream on...

BTW another FM of mine will have five keys as one of the early objectives and it will tell you roughly where they are. So instead of a keyhunt it becomes a doorhunt. :)

OK, here's the sequence where the five keys practically jump into your hand:

Barracks clue > key in bedroom wardrobe > attic > library > secret room > key on shelf > housekeeper > key on wall > pump room > key under heart > interrogation room. To do it with four keys you need only KO the accountant as he enters the library.
You don't need those keys until you reach them.
So, two chances of finding the (non_essential) attic key are the clear clue or just find it anyway. the bedroom is not cluttered.
The housekeeper's key in the little secret room can hardly be missed. It's not hidden.
The pump room key is also not hidden - just hanging on the wall.
The interrogation room key is not hidden although I admit players might panic, grab the heart, and run, not realizing the spider will lose all its powers now you possess the heart.


I rest my keys. :cheeky:

Fidcal on 24/3/2011 at 21:38

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Can I then persuade you Brethren to vote for a category cycling option if you haven't already then because it should make it easier with big FMs where there are lots of inventory items. (http://modetwo.net/darkmod/index.php?/topic/12030-poll-inventory-cycling/)

I'd like to add to that the knapsack idea where you can move stuff to/from the inventory to/from a bag (a second inventory) to keep the inventory free of clutter without actually losing anything.