OFP:R bench 5685, vetmode, no superaiReadMe:An even higher standard of readability than the last one.
suggestion *only*
"There is quite a lot of randomisation in the mission to increase its unpredictability. "
fear of god stuff. You neglected to mention that you do not respawn. You mention you don't cheat, but respawn is a terrifying possibility.
Overview:perfect. Great presentation. Slight niggle that 'Thobson' doesn't have a full spaced para to itself at bottom.
Intro:I had the impression this has changed. If not and regardless, it is picture perfect. There are so many residual 'memories' in this mission of so many spectacular events that happen, it is a little hard to recall if the Intro I see now is new, or just a recall of fabulousness. A derived memory. The action in towards Trinite is terrific, a mere glimpse of a surrendering soldier on Zoom. The 'execution' far more visually realistic, the pull back shot of the hung civilians, terrifying. Have the distinct sense that every change of music pitch has been synchronised against a scene.
Niggled by the text telling Alexei to bring the uncle back to the small Island. It never, and can't, happen. There is a suggestion here that I should, somehow, use that boat again. But, the phrase is contextually spot on. What else would my mother say? A niggle.
Briefing:You blurbed it out, just a little, and I don't like it. I think what concerns me is that damn boat. If it were me, I would have used that blurb to warn me (in your subtle understated style) not to use it. Am also getting a naggy feeling that you've done good here and I'm just unhappy that the mission's working more to your meaning than my (previous) interpretation of it. Random thoughts Thob.
General tabs:voiceovers remain perfect.
Mission:whooeee here we go (again). Did I tell you how much I hate mountain climbing? Especially when it's raining, especially when it's dark, and especially when I'm convinced the next bush has an AK47 pointed at me?
Selection:wooo! Distinct. The over-arching ultimately important override. You state flatly, the most important aspect. It has no effect on game play. Only annoyance is it instantly pulls me out of the game. Nothing you can do about that. I think the whole way you phrased it, and separately, the entire read me concerning it was perfect.
heard sound of engine, got into boat. Only a phool would drive it further. It 'felt' like it was sinking.
that terryfying climb has never altered in intensity for me. As a player, you just don't have any idea what's going to happen. A hundred different scenarios play in your mind. You can wing it and never trip over, you can stumble a hundred times and be thankful that you did. You can end up miles from the town, or slamn straight into it. No matter how many replays.
This time, jumped twenty metres backwards when the lightning hit. Wounded before I start <sigh>
Honest to god, that rain makes me feel less sweaty. I'm only half way up and already feel a victory, a win, at getting that far.
Vigny never changes it's terror for me, I am shocked by what looks so evil. Scrabble about and notice no fire. That building is no longer my first port of call. I eventually go near it because it's not destroyed. Clean out three loons, cutscene triggers. Unhappy at the loss of that fire but the chances of scouting around all buildings first are far greater. The chances of being shot by surprise are also far far greater. So all in all a good thing.
<bug>
It's changed for the worse here Thob, Tatyana is buried in the bed and persistently bobbing and wobbling during the cutscene. I caught a brief glimpse of her from outside, doing similar. Without the fire, there's too much 'grey' to distinguish her from another loon. My guess is, she'd be shot dead by most players because they've already been surprised in the gloom by three other loons. I'd shoot first, ask later, if it were me first time thru. Am having dfficulty here because is this 'better', and I think imight be. I'm just used to something else.
Also, the 'warmth' of the scene has been taken away without that fire. I know why you did it, but it's a poor compromise for me. It just doesn't fit well, at all. Would you consider moving her to halfway Vigny<>Pessagne? If I spot a light after scrabbling all over Vigny, then the moth to flames stuff would really work.
Noticed that none of the bodies now have voicovers (except Tatyana). Am sorry to see the rustling the corpse action dissapear but it was a good decision.
Desperately short of ammo, I look at the morning sky and decide that I'd as soon travel in daylight so I spend a lot of time fossicking about Vigny, hoping for an ammo crate or something. Soon shot dead by enemy patrol. Restart and spend my time picking them off for their ammo stash. Not without being deadled several times. Of the perhaps 5 loons that were foolish enough to come into my town, 3 of them had red flags.
Sound of armour North West'ish. Drive in and up to La Pessagne. Got into centre of village by mistake, hop out, and instantly hit with lead from all directions. Retry. Take out the standing loon next to garage, the other at the roadblock, then the fun begins. 3 man squad race right accross road a luck grenade deals with them, and it was, lucky. Crawl back to my jeep only to find a nasty waiting for me. splat. Retry.
Same scenario, but I'm pleased I delayed my move to lodge. Mist is there, but it's beginning to brighten up. Clean up town and check those two jeeps. First time, I notice refuel barrels, and I do so. More for me, less for them. I park jeeps as roadblocks to just cause havoc with anything that might come that way later and move on after collecting a single rocket (rpg). Gee, thanks very much.
Just as I rise over the ridge near 1st civils, four mosquito jeeps flash by. I get out to do some damage, but they're too fast. I decide to chase them back to La P, and as I hit the ridge again a god damn T72 rolls straight over the top of me. Litterally crushing the police jeep and it's contents. Restart.
Phew, examining my options. I don't have any. There's nowhere near enough punch in my collected armory to do anything. So, it's going to be a quiet, stealthy trip to the lodge for me. Vain hope I think.
The mist is 'good'. It's not a pea soup, you can just make out what you need to, along the road in the headlights. I get up to the wooden hut with two dead res soldiers (voiceover). Small back ground sound of mosquito jeeps trying their best to negotiate my roadblock way down valley in La P. Ho ho. There's the faintest suggestion of menace. Some almost inaudible sound of squeaky wheels. Get back in my Police Jeep and a tank from god knows fires a shell directly over my head towards mountain. I actually see the missile shrinking as it passes me. Definite change of underpants after that.
I'm in a murderous mood. I leap out find a bush, and an M113 is unfortunate enough to meet my bad temper. One rocket one dead M113.
I think I should have kept my temper.
I race out of there and happen to land on the dirt road to 1st civils. Taking a punt, I head towards them.
No matter which way, no matter how I approach, I'm dead. After many retries because I'm totally intrigued, I figure you've got a killzone switch. But a clever one. One that starts and ends with the sound of a bullet, so that player always assumes he's just not smart enough to outwit (a non-existent) enemy. There's sound of shooting going on near the civil hut and I'm dead keen to go in and help, but can't. I shall return, hopefully with re-inforcements.
Got to bus roadblock. Voicover a little trickier to achieve. And it has been repositioned.
Got to hamlet after Goisse turn off. All destroyed, and no sign of wooden hut now.
Got to lodge. Preferred the warning shot which is now missing.
Cutscene has worsened. Tatyana's bed has moved from wall somewhat and that part of the scene is poorer for it. A sort of vacant camera view to half-nothing. Tatyana herself is not bloodied. V1.23, she was, slightly, and subtly. Other than that, everything remains excellent.
Checked radio trigger by going far away, checked radio, all fine.
Armed everyone fully with good equipement, only because I was obsessed with making sure I had some to begin with.
Boarded truck, looking for ghosts.
Echoes of chopper flying around.
There is no lag, zero, nada, zilch and only the merest suggestion of it when I was near that nasty 'orrible T72 monster that took a swipe at me.
I am aware of how evil you can be to the player and am constantly alert for randomised patrols. Other than the tanks/mosquitoes, I encountered none, this time through. In version 1.23 I actually started the war up here at this point so whatever's happened is for the better.
Everything remains oily, terrifying, and slick, except for some damage done to Tatyana and her bed. The jury's out for me on lack of campfire, I definitely don't like it, but, I suspect there's an entire new gameplay here for the unwary. A good thing.
Btw, have I ever mentioned to you how much I like this mission
Topic: (Review Completed) [SP] Abandoned Armies (Read 218963 times)
