A Brawl in the Tombs Oct/02

[Dinksmallwood]

Hey John D.,

I've just downloaded your new mission. This is a wonderful tomb-/undead-mission with partly a very unusual gameplay (I don't want to give away too much). Great work!


I fear the announcement of this new FM gets lost in the Yummy-underground-thread ... so would you please say some words 'from Builder to Taffer' about your new FM here in this thread

[John D.]

I'm glad you like it!

I like undead missions, so I decided to try my hand at
one (with a few twists )
My architecture is a little on the primitive side, but I learned
a lot of things about Dromed in the making of this mission!

I would like to thank everyone at the Editing Forum for their
generous assistance! Without your guidance
THIS FM WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE!
Special thanks to Aslyum for his permission to use his
Hidden Agenda textures!

I also forgot to put this tip in my txt file, here it is:

spoiler:

Your sword has a holy stim to kill zombies! But do backstabs only! If you kill a zombie head on, its burst could take you out with it!

If you like undead, (or just like to see them get smashed)
You'll like this FM! Have fun!

P.S. I hope you like the note from the Keepers Nightwalker!

[Nightwalker]

Ooooh! I was going to go to bed and play this tomorrow, but maybe I'll stay up instead! You've made me curious and I love playing undead missions at night, anyway!

[wild_inferno9]

ok i need a hint john:

spoiler:

ok i found most of the loot, i still havent found the scroll mentioned in bugs, but i'm having problems obviously i'm missing a scroll or something cause objective wont check off, i've been in the thieves guild, the lords basement, is there a way to get into the upper area of the lords, and i been into the chapel and behind, i've gotten everything that wasnt nailed down, dang those mined sections hurt, lol. allittle help with it i need. great fm, i let the guards and hammers deal with the hords of undead. so funny.

[John D.]

Hmm is this scroll:

spoiler:

Mechanist or Hammer information? If Mechanist, it will be in Lord Linus's basement in a wall safe inside Friend Arbez's lab. If you're looking for a Hammer Scroll, it should be in one of the small rooms behind the the underground chapel. It's the one where Thoren has a couple of diaries, there will be two scrolls there, one of them is the Hammer info you're looking for!

There's no way out of the basement except back into the tombs, the doors at the
top of the stairs are unopenable, the Mech's keep them sealed at night.

spoiler:

If you havent already, try flipping the big switch in the basement for some fun! (stay in the shadows!) Also there are secret passages that can bypass the
mined areas and set you up for one NASTY Hammer/Haunt fight!

[Nightwalker]

I found the Keeper's scroll, John. That's my very first mention in an FM! Thank you! I found it after only about 15 minutes, so I still have most of the mission to explore. So far, I love it!

[John D.]

No FM has ever had any kind of tribute to you Nightwalker!?
Shame on them!

You dont know how many times I was stuck, trapped, confused
in many a FM, and you showed me the way out!

[pale]

I just got done playing this mission and I loved it. I kept going back and watching the hammers/mechs/guards battle it out. what fun. Their fighting and I'm collecting loot. Love the tunnels and secret entrances. Just enough dark for me to avoid being seen and loose them when I need to. I had a blast. I used to hate undead FM's but now they don't bother me. I end up ghosting because it is too much trouble to get rid of the undead. again great mission.

[Silver Sorrow]

I usually don't make quick judgements about FMs, but this one's going on my "Best Of" list.

spoiler:

I especially enjoyed being hit with holy water arrows by serious-looking archers...kind of a different experience, to say the least.

[Sharga]

Originally posted by Nightwalker
I found the Keeper's scroll, John. That's my very first mention in an FM! Thank you! I found it after only about 15 minutes, so I still have most of the mission to explore. So far, I love it!

I bet Karras' Diary mentioned your name in that big book of names. But then again it might have been just FM authors, can't remember. Anyhow, will have to give this a try, sounds fun!

[John D.]

Quote

spoiler:

I especially enjoyed being hit by holy water arrows

Hehe

spoiler:

I originally wanted the archers to use fire arrows or broadheads, but they tended to exterminate their friends rushing to their aid from the other chambers!

[tacky]

I must say, this truly is a well done FM. I like the atmosphere so much, and something about all of the different worlds brought together; thieves, hammerites, mechanists, undead. And all of the books and scrolls that describe each of their struggles against the undead are truly creative and original. The concept of bringing all factions and groups together makes the FM exciting and never boring at any time. Well done.

I'm almost done ghosting this mission. I just have to find the sword... I've found everything else.

[Master Garett]

[rant]
I just can't understand what this is lately with some new missions by making everything dark?! Is it that difficult to add light to a mission?

I'm sorry, but such mission completely take away the joy of the experience of playing thief...
[/rant]

I'm sorry, but I had to say this...

[Avallon]

Awesome mission but it is really too dark for my comfort. I would appricate at least more torches!

[pale]

I like the dark missions the only problem is that you have to play them in the dark. I usually play theif at night (all my rooms have windows and plants and I don't want to deprive my plants of sunlight). Playing in the dark allows the missions to be clearer. I didn't find that Brawl was that dark. I was able to see detail very clearly and could tell where I was going. I hate missions that have no contrast and I feel like Garrett is stumbling around in the dark. This one was just right for me.

[John D.]

I had planned to use more light sources, but I started to run into some
'out of dynamic light' error, so I cut them back, If you're having a hard time
seeing, try cranking up the gamma setting a notch or two. I tried to
balance the light level where you could see where you're going, yet still be
realistically dark (its underground after all)

Of course you could always light a flare...

Tacky:

spoiler:

The sword is in the tomb of Lysander not far from the thieves area,
when you grab it, crouch down to avoid beeing seen and enjoy the show!

[Lynx67]

I'm confused! When you mention the thieves area, do you mean the Keeper's outpost? As to Linus's basement, where is it? I found a room with a safe and stacks of coins. Is this the basement? I am in front of the chapel right now. I'm still short of loot and have not found the information on the Mechanists.
This is by far the most enjoyable FM we have played. In fact, we enjoyed it more than the original missions. Some people have mentioned that it is too dark. Not so by our experience. Major kudos to the author for his originality, the sustained suspense and the multitude of surprises encountered. Our general impression is simply WOW!!!

We did it! All of the objectives are filled except getting out alive. I thought you just had to go back to the ladder that you came in on, climb up and be done. But nooooo, I climbed up, wandered around and then stood like an idiot waiting for the end. Nothing. What's wrong, is there another way out?

[DG1]

Really enjoyed it, a little different but all the better for it!

I've completed the objectives but have one question:

spoiler:

There's a locked chest in a locked room near the exit tunnel (Willy's room?). Can it be unlocked? Did'nt hang about as I was looking for the exit.

[Zapman]

I'm almost done playing this wonderfull mission now, seen alot of big fights which I really enjoyed. With the hammers I've thrown in a few helping flashbombs when it seemed they were losing. I let the mechs die though, don't like them. Was a bit surprised when the one spider bot killed four haunts and an apparition on his own after all it's fellows had fallen. After that I finished it with a fire arrow from the top of the pyramid, hehe. Just used my sunburst to blow up four haunts and open the doors at the same time, but the hammers still let one haunt live and it got three of them before I blew him up. Tsk tsk.

But now I've seen to have run into a little problem. I've got all the objectives except the leave alive one. I've found two grey keys beside the thief in the passage to the basement, but they don't work on the exit. Have I missed the key somewhere or is something going wrong? I've got enough explosives left to force the door, but I'd like to know.

Anyway, a very nice mission. I'm really enjoying being a one man army so far. The dead hammers in the destroyed outpost turning into haunts is a great touch. I led them straight into the water shooting archers (thanks, I needed a shower anyway), which was fun. And now the thieves are out in force, but I've already killed everything.

Oh yes, and I can't find the keepers scroll, where's that?

[wild_inferno9]

dg1:

spoiler:

nope cant be opened, when you try it gives a message saying haha taffer try again only i can unlcok the chest.

linx :

spoiler:

the thieves area is right near the left exit of of the tomb with 4 gold lost artifacts and sword area. you'll know when you get to the thieves area cause i wall door is birghter then all the rest, located on a side tunnel goin no where, click the wall.

[Lynx67]

Thanks for the help about the exit. We're done. If they are still giving gold hammers, this one sure deserves one. It was really sneaky to have

spoiler:

the thieves friendly. We spent at least a half hour (real time) sneaking and fighting before we got into the hideout proper and found all the goodies that would have been a god-send while playing the rest of the mission.

We have got to play this one over and over again!

[dealasteal]

Hey there John D.

Congrats on this mission as it showed some real character.

The Guard posts having water arrow defenses for zombies was so hilarious.
I tried to keep outta sight long enough to put a few torches out and dash around them but they always seemed to bless me with a splash of holy water, which by the way, came in handy when the hammer goulies were chasing my ass as i led the devil faced hammers right into them.

Most of all was the Theives Guild AC/DC Rock'n'Roll PAd!!!!
Now that was the SH(**&)!!!

I kicked back with my Bro's and helped myself to a hearty MEAL!!



Thanks for a terrific Zombie slasher

I still have more objectives to complete

I am returning to the shadows for more thrills

[John D.]

I'm glad you guys love it!

Zapman:

spoiler:

The exit to get out of the tombs lies in the Thieves Hideout. One of the keys should open the door.

If you are looking for the Keepers message for Nightwalker

spoiler:

Go for a swim

Willy's chest cant be opened, but there's a funny note by the hot tub!

spoiler:

It sounds like you blew the doors from the inside of the Haunt area! You can also do it from the other side, when you enter the secret tunnel where all of the vases are, keep looking up and you can mantle into a small tomb leading to a chamber lit by one torch, extinguish it (be careful to avoid the lantern carrying Hammer!) and shoot a fire arrow to the doors down the hall (where all of the explosives are!)

Im a Rammstien fan myself, but when I heard my little brother playing that AC/DC song I knew it fit perfectly!

[Zapman]

I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong here. I have three keys, the blue one you start with and two gray ones which the game treats as the same, they take one inventory slot. I've tried both of them on the exit, and neither of them works. I just get the same sound I get when I frob the door without anything selected, and not the "wrong key" sound I get when I try the blue key. I tried dropping one of the gray keys, but that doesn't help. I read that one of them opens the door and the other only triggers an event. Maybe they've somehow both become the same, useless key?

Bit confused here, I've already done everything and been everywhere

[John D.]

Thats strange! What difficulty level are you playing on? I tested the mission
on easy and expert and it worked fine then. I'll try the mission again later today to
see if I can find the error.

New Update:

Of all of the crazy things?! I played it on 'Robber' difficulty and I had the same
problem! By Ken's body there are two keys, a grey and cream colored one

This time I grabbed the grey key first, then when I grabbed the cream one,
it changed into a useless gray key!

I have NO idea how this happened! Has anyone else had this problem?
Everybody try to grab the cream colored key first!