"The Refinery" by OTB (Single Player)

[OnTheBounce]

Didn't quite finish it yet. The farthest that I got, Anna was the only one alive.

Goddamn! 8O

But when she got downstairs, she couldn't past more than 2 slavers. So I'm trying again to see how far the full squad can get.

Basically, I'd say that if you loose more than two people your squad is pretty much "combat ineffective" (read:toast). Try to make as much use of teamwork and stealth as possible. Using one of the 'cruits w/Fast Shot armed w/a pistol is a good way to keep people supressed while someone else sets up to chew the enemy up w/a burst weapon. Try approaching bunkers from the side and popping up right after an enemy has fired and it nice and low on Action Points. Things like that.

It is challenging, I can't get a ful handle on the weapons/ammo combinations yet.

"Challenging" is music to my ears. I hope you aren't finding it "impossible", because that's not what I set out to do.

Trying to place mines or det packs doesn't seem to work. I can't get the det packs to explode.

How exactly are you trying to plant mines/set off det packs?

Barricades are next to impossible to take down -is that how you wanted it?

Barricades effectively impervious to anything except Explosive damage, so Dynamite will do the trick, or if you don't use Frag. Grenades in combat you can use 'em to clear barricades with.

Jackson always dies when trying to disarm mines.

Some mines are more difficult than others. He has trouble w/the mines in certain areas, but not in others. I think I'll make that more homogenous for the Phase 2 release.

Thanks for the input, JJ86!

OTB

[Jimmyjay86]

I finally finished. Anna was the only one to finish but this time Alannah made it almost all of the way. She died in the last room in the basement. The hard part is the near corner of the base. Everyone always gets killed there.

Yeah, I can't get the dynamite to work or the det packs or the mines. When I double click on them nothing happens. The remote det will ask for the channel but the det packs won't.

Not quite as difficult as MV's monstrosites (I mean that in a good way, Max!).

[Max-Violence]

Gee, thanks!

[OnTheBounce]

I finally finished. Anna was the only one to finish but this time Alannah made it almost all of the way. She died in the last room in the basement. The hard part is the near corner of the base. Everyone always gets killed there.

Well, now I'm glad I included contingencies in the Debrief for those kind of casualties.

Although you managed to halt the Slavers' operation, the fact that your squad was nearly wiped out makes a sad day in the history of the NCR Rangers. Our opponents are vile scum that vastly outnumber us and our policy of quality over quantity means that we have to avoid debacles like this. One more infraction and you'll be on KP for the rest of your career, ranger.

Look familiar?

Ah well, they were brave Rangers. Too bad they're dead now.

If you're having trouble w/the corner of the base, I suggest either taking a different route, or going and recovering the Hum-Vee so that you can assault in (relative) safety. There are some pretty dangerous parts in where you'll end up getting hit w/too many people and often from too many directions.

Yeah, I can't get the dynamite to work or the det packs or the mines. When I double click on them nothing happens. The remote det will ask for the channel but the det packs won't.

Hmmm...those are stock entities from the core campaign. I'm thinkin' the game "hiccups" sometimes and screws up w/stock entities. For instance, Max had the problem w/Lazarus' Ghoul Armor not displaying the description. To remedy that I'll simply make sure that I don't use any of the core campaign's entities, saving a copy in the mod's folder just to be on the safe side. That way if one of my fellow Map Rats (I noticed that it's only been modders that have complained...) has screwed up his/her stock entities it won't affect their game.

Not quite as difficult as MV's monstrosites (I mean that in a good way, Max!).

Well that's good to hear. I say that because you've referred to him as a sadist before and I wouldn't want that "Killer Dungeon Master" pall hanging over me.

OTB

[Flamescreen]

I played a bit more during my illness(my reason of abscence for the past days) and it's flowing well. I'd say so far it's tactics at it's finest. And I mean the real thing(or rather as much it could be implemented considering the limits of the game). I still have the entire team intact but lately I decided to go through the unerground area(though I think I can survive in the surface too. If I have time I may choose that way too).

Jackson is not that bad 3/6 mines is normal for a "human equivalent" traps specialist(I didn't try to disarm more). I would hope that he gets an upgrade before the map ends though, since NCR best should do a bit better than that.

Anna is far from "useless" to my opinion. I expected her having high skills in the areas she did would come handy...Btw, the team is VERY realistic, if you think that if the NCR've send only six, would probably be six with as much scaterred skills as this bunch.

So far no casualties, but I am playing TB! Note: in some areas you have to play with the armors to pass unnoticed and the possible in game enemies LOS/PER.

I will send a full review when done(possibly with a map with the direction I picked), but I wanted to do some introductory comments.

[OnTheBounce]

I played a bit more during my illness(my reason of abscence for the past days) and it's flowing well.

Welcome back, Flamescreen. Hopefully you've not suffered some debilitating fungal infection that will prevent you from mapping due to your mouse hand being constantly occupied w/scratching... 8O

I'd say so far it's tactics at it's finest. And I mean the real thing(or rather as much it could be implemented considering the limits of the game).

Oh wow. Thanks, Flamescreen. While I'm generally more interested in hearing about the flaws of the map -- so that I can fix them -- it's things like this that make all those hours slaving away w/the Editor slowing to a crawl worth it. (Well, that and the playtesting. )

I still have the entire team intact but lately I decided to go through the unerground area(though I think I can survive in the surface too. If I have time I may choose that way too).

Yes, try the surface route at some time. Or, wait until v2.0 comes out and the place gets even more responsive to your squad's actions. (It's not that tough, you just need to use your head; playing to your squad's strengths and the enemy's weaknesses.)

Jackson is not that bad 3/6 mines is normal for a "human equivalent" traps specialist(I didn't try to disarm more). I would hope that he gets an upgrade before the map ends though, since NCR best should do a bit better than that.

I'll fix that in the next version. However, he won't improve, simply because this is intended to be a demo of how a mission in IOOI would play. My next mission will be geared more toward what might be considered a "typical" SP map, in that it will possible to gain a level or two before you end the mission.

Anna is far from "useless" to my opinion. I expected her having high skills in the areas she did would come handy...Btw, the team is VERY realistic, if you think that if the NCR've send only six, would probably be six with as much scaterred skills as this bunch.

I don't find Anna to be useless at all, either. While she's definitely not a "warrior's warrior", she opens up new possibilities for the squad and can -- in a pinch! -- lend a helping hand...er...Laser Pistol that can make the difference between victory or defeat. Anyone that doesn't like her probably won't like her counterpart in the campaign, but there is a superior version available, also...

Basically, that squad is set up to show you what type of squad you'll need to excell in IOOI, although you can win w/o a setup like that. It is also, IMHO, the way the core campaign should have been.

So far no casualties, but I am playing TB! Note: in some areas you have to play with the armors to pass unnoticed and the possible in game enemies LOS/PER.

I'm glad to hear that TB-players are having some success w/this map. Although I design my maps for CTB it is good to hear that our TB-brethren are not being left out in the cold! (Fiddling w/armor like that is pure gamesmanship and you should be ashamed of yourself! So what if Miles can't sneak w/Metal Armor on... )

I will send a full review when done(possibly with a map with the direction I picked), but I wanted to do some introductory comments.

Take your time, Flamescreen. Take your time. (You do realize that I didn't really mean that, right? :mrgreen: )

Cheers,

OTB

[bbill]

hello! i realise i'm late here but i hope not to late, you probably dont remember me (cue to say i rememebr you) but i was around ages ago but disappeared from mapping and modding and everything fallout. just returned to find theres a demo for your campaign otb....

...long and dull personal history out of the way....

....so i got it and i've played it once so far and must say on first impressions its very good
hard mind, i made it inside through that underground tunnel with only one small skirmish which resulted in no losses on my side
took a whle to work out i had to crawl and climb - tell me what kind of ranger forgets his pocket torch! :p

...got ripped apart upon entering the mess area though :) forgot to watch my corners = lots of morticians nightmares (that was the prhase wasnt it?)

anyway yeah it rocked! to sound young-er and cool-er

cant wait for the next installment :)

[OnTheBounce]

hello! i realise i'm late here but i hope not to late, you probably dont remember me (cue to say i rememebr you) but i was around ages ago but disappeared from mapping and modding and everything fallout. just returned to find theres a demo for your campaign otb....

Yes, I remember you, bbill. You disappeared right around the time we moved from the GSI incarnation of DaC to here. I saw a post you made the other day and wondered, "Is that the bbill from the days of yore?"

....so i got it and i've played it once so far and must say on first impressions its very good hard mind, i made it inside through that underground tunnel with only one small skirmish which resulted in no losses on my side took a whle to work out i had to crawl and climb...

Good show, glad you liked it so far. (IIRC I altered the tunnel to get rid of the crawling under the pipe in v2.0.)

...tell me what kind of ranger forgets his pocket torch! :p

The kind of Ranger that is limited by issues that weren't implemented in FoT. ;) (There is a sprite for a flashlight/torch and an entry in the items.txt file, but -- sadly -- this type of item was never finished.)

...got ripped apart upon entering the mess area though :) forgot to watch my corners = lots of morticians nightmares (that was the prhase wasnt it?)

:lol: You should have seen that basement as it originally was. I changed the structure radically and removed the Mac-17s the guards were carrying as they needed some serious balancing work done. They were nearly always one-burst-one-kill weapons. (A burst would take a PC out 2 times out of 3, leaving him/her Almost Dead the third try.)

The phrase is "Undertaker's Nightmare", which is my way of paying homage to (read: ripping off) Wasteland, the "spiritual forebear" of the FO series of games.

anyway yeah it rocked! to sound young-er and cool-er

cant wait for the next installment :)

Glad to hear it! Phase 2 features a revamped version of The Refinery that is so different that you it will be worth playing again. I won't make any predictions, but it will be ready soon.

Thanks for the input,

OTB

[Lynxer]

A wonderful piece of work....just brilliant. I loved every second of it.

My compliments to OTB and whoever assisted him in crafting this allmost flawless extension.

On a critical note i would like to see Anna's stats slightly altered so that she too proves worhthy in the midst of battle. Framed in a combat-intesive scenario she's ..... sort of an apendix really. She was never in a situation to use the laser pistol she was administored, simply because any attempt of involving her into combat would be eventually futile...

Well, i just as well might enclose a brief summary of assets..

The team is well-balanced. Skill is allocated in such a way that non of the characters manifest as heroic, superhuman individuals. This induces teamplay-reliant gameplay, which is good imo.

The environment is constructed with a fine eye for detail, much to my satisfaction. It "radiates" the fallouty atmosphere several of the core-campaign scenes were lacking. Simply...astonishing

Well.....i hope you find solace in another customer satisfied.

Later,

Lynxer

[OnTheBounce]

Thank you very much for the input, Lynxer!

I will take the bit about Anna's stats under advisement. I've already repackaged this scenario for re-release in Phase 2, but one more change won't hurt, I suppose. I guess I could ding Anna's AG and raise her PE so she can actually hit something, although I was trying to make a point w/her being the way she is: you don't need to be Mr. Super-Duper-Bad-Ass to be a valuable asset to a squad in FoT, and she's geared up to be an honest-to-Betsy leader. Still, I'll think about tweaking her a bit. (Even if it does mean having to re-write her Description a bit.)

Cheers,

OTB

[Jazzmanstereo]

I know I must be being stupid, but I cant find it for download point me in the right direction? cause it sounds interesting

[Jimmyjay86]

I know I must be being stupid, but I cant find it for download point me in the right direction? cause it sounds interesting

Demo Here