T2 FM: Fortress By The Sea (Version 2.0, 12 Oct. 2005) - by Master Garett
Ottoj55 on 18/4/2006 at 20:31
the image itself if you can see it is the clue, there is no text written on it.
The Phantom on 22/4/2006 at 00:11
Quote Posted by Ottoj55
the image itself if you can see it is the clue, there is no text written on it.
Yeah I mean the scroll is blank. No text, no image, nothing.
Anyway, I finished the mission on expert with help of the walkthrough.
Enjoyable mission Jason. Layout is well done, the story is interesting, it's ghostable, and the AI battle at the end is very fun to watch :cheeky:
But when I opened the gate and moved onto the grounds, into the light, the invaders started to attack me as well. I thought Garrett was on their side?
And it seems that the invading army is too small to deal with every guard in the fortress :p
It was fairly easy. Even with a knockout restriction, the mission was far from difficult. For me at least.
But it was fun to move through the fortess, avoiding the patrols, and turn off all the generators.
The overall detail isn't spectacular, but I know that will be highly improved in the new version :)
STATS
Difficulty: Expert
Loot: 1824 of 2114
Time: 44 min, 31 sec.
Now on to beta-testing the new version. I'm looking forward to see all the changes :thumb:
A question: are you going to override the old version of the mission with the new one? Or do keep two versions available for download?
Taffer36 on 23/4/2006 at 17:25
I'm having the same problem. The generator shutdown notes are blank. I checked Thief2/books/english and found all of the other maps, but there is no diagram like the one you are describing, unless like Phantom said it is the TextFont file, which I can't seem to open.
Ottoj55 on 23/4/2006 at 20:12
its the way i packaged this beta, lets keep beta discussion in that thread in the editors guild.
The Phantom on 2/7/2012 at 12:48
Fortress by the Sea is Jason Otto's (Ottoj55) debut fan mission and first arrived back in 2003. An updated version with better graphics was released three years ago, but the following review is about the classic austere version, that still appeals to me.
The war is not going well for the Baron. His navy is trapped at sea with no means to escape, unless a key enemy fortress is conquered. A captain of the Baron's Fleet has hired the best burglar in the city, Garrett, to infiltrate the fortress, find a way to open the gates so that the Baron's forces can take over and the fleet can escape to safety. One of the objective restrictions, "you can't leave these guys defenseless, no knockouts", which is typically Garrett, who doesn't care who dies as long as he get's his money.
It's quite an interesting assignment and I love the references to the war and the Baron, as originally mentioned in the original T2 missions. I can't think of any other examples of FMs who used this concept :). It's a straightforward story and no plot changes are implemented but several writings in the form of diaries are present, giving some background about the fortress, tell about the attempts to get some systems working and share a hint about a missing ring. Sadly no secrets are available, although a few hidden buttons and switches can be located for extra loot.
No detailed map of the structure is attributed at the start or up for grabs during the game so navigating can be a bit confusing at first, before every room and corridor are charted. Some difficulty could surface in finding a way to the basement level of the fortress, but a diary proves helpful in finding a way down. Don't let the kill and knockout limitations discourage you, for the game isn't that hard to accomplish. Patrols can be easily circumvented, plenty of water arrows are at your disposal, and there are often multiple ways to reach your destination.
The fortress is quite small, with long corridors, nicely decorated rooms and a large courtyard. It looks quite good in terms of textures and AI skins and the layout is convincing. A soft layer of fog is included in the mission and the sky is fully covered by clouds, making up for a sober atmosphere. The view on the courtyard and the water, seeing while standing on the walls, looks very appealing. Don't expect the most realistic fortress or castle mission out there however. Some elements to make it stand out more, like defense systems (catapults, ballista's) to use against the Baron's fleet for example when it sails by, or a large shed to withstand a long siege, are absent.
The AI battle at the end is the big climax, with each time it takes place a different outcome is possible. The slaughter between both troops makes up for a spectacular watch :D (popcorn anyone?). Too bad the Baron's troops refrain from patrolling the inside of the fortress for remaining defenders, to deal with remaining archers on the walls, but stick to the inner grounds instead. Prior to opening the gate (or afterwards, whatever your preference) an unfortunate pagan can be released from his cell to cause some disturbance and act as a decoy :ebil:. Watching the AI fight reminded me once again of how ingenious the AI system in the Thief games is. Drawing your sword at one injured guard prompts him to fly but attack two injured guards combined and they'll launch a joint attack ("come on, together we'll take him").
Most apparent flaw in Fortress v2 is about the Generator Shut Down scroll that displays only a blank page once opened, the (
http://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=73759&p=1439320&viewfull=1#post1439320) same problem I had years ago :erg:. This leaves the player ignorant about the correct order to shut the generators down and open the gate, unless he consults this thread or opens the text through explorer. Maybe you can fix this in a potential 2.1 release, Jason?
Other (minor) flaws involve a rat that can be picked up and displays a carry-body icon (humorous ;)), some sound issues, a few errors in in-game texts, a patrolling guard that walks over the wall onto a lower cliff, and a 'return to your rowboat-objective' that completes before Garrett's returns at his starting point.
But despite the above though, there's nothing actually wrong with Fortress by the Sea version 2 and the flaws can easily be attributed to first-time mistakes by an author who would deliver us with many high-quality FMs in the future. People will undoubtedly enjoy the infiltration of the fortress, finding a way to open the gates while staying undetected, and watching the spectacular AI battle at the end :thumb:. The fortress itself is nicely designed and decorated, with a convincing layout. Some aspects could be worked out a bit better or more realistically, and the blank scroll bug is a let down, but those fancying a relatively short, small mission involving a fortress exploration with restricted killing/blackjacking, and fans of bloody AI battles, like myself, will no doubt be entertained. Definitely worth it a try.
StatsDifficulty: Expert
Time: 1 hour 19 minutes 7 seconds
Loot: 1914 /
2114Secrets: N/A
PS: the same review with screens included will be posted in the (
http://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=124349) FM Review & Discussion Thread.
Samantha1 on 20/11/2020 at 21:12
Hello. Was the blank "generator shut down" scroll never fixed? Because I am having the same problem as described a few comments above and now can´t finish the mission, cause I have no idea which is the correct order for the generators to be shut down :/
downwinder on 20/11/2020 at 23:46
going to replay it now,will post what order to do :) here is order to shut down generators boiler room #1,wall power #2,basement #3,keep #4,gatehouse #5
to get diagram to visualy see order its out side on ground level in building on right side behind a guard standing in front of it,if you need more help let me know
Samantha1 on 21/11/2020 at 12:34
Thank you downwinder :) I have the scroll "generator shut down", so you mean there is sth. else where I can see the exact order? Where is that exactly? On the right side when you stand in front of the front gate or from which direction are you coming? There are more doors with guards in front of them. Is it a scroll or what exactly am I looking for? Thank you :)
downwinder on 21/11/2020 at 18:51
exit dining room to outside area look to right for door that is a workshop inside open the tool box to get picture of order :)=outdoor ground level ,nned more help please let me know
Samantha1 on 21/11/2020 at 19:19
Ah yes thats the scroll I have but as already mentioned its blank..