Contract Mode - Unfriendlyness - Case: Miami

DrMekar · January 14, 2021, 6:19pm

So, I already did a similair Topic like this back on the old Hitman Forum, talking about the “Empty Shell” of Santa Fortuna, do to it’s awful overuse of NPC Models.

So today I want to take a look at Miami and how it’s not much better than Santa Fortuna or perhaps even worse, even though it could’ve been so much better. As we know, Santa Fortuna was made by another studio and I believe that this might be one of the reasons why it lacks NPC Models. Maybe the Devs just didn’t consider Contracts Mode? Who knows? Miami on the other hand is a totally diffrent Story, because, unlike Santa Fortuna it was made by IO, yet it also features a, not small level of NPC Reusage or rather NPC FACE Reusage. Let me give you an Example. This Guy is:

A Civillian

A Food Server

Another Civillian

A Race Marshall

Yet Another Civillian

A Medic

And Yet Yet Another Civillian, if you believe it or not

And even a famous Driver.

I also would like to add that every one of those NPCs with the exception of the Driver, Medic and third Civillin Appearence appear atleast twice on the Map. (+ about 8 more as Kronstadt Mechanics, who have slighly brighter Skin, though still the same Face.)

This was just an Example though, because my Main Issue with Miami is infact that existence of kind a few unique NPCs, who would make great Targets… if it wouldn’t be for one thing:

Stands in The Open, Doesn’t Move an Inch.

Stands on a Club Balcony. Doesn’t Move an Inch.

Stands inside a Stand. Doesn’t Move An Inch.

Stands Inside a Club, Doesn’t Move An Inch.

Sits on the Bench. Doesn’t Move An Inch. (Her Cloned Boyfriend Does Though

)

Lastly, the biggest missed oportunity that really does annoy me are the Food Stands.

This 3 People I circled in there are the only People who eat from Stands. The Woman with Glasses has one Clone in the Park, Mr. Press has atleast 3 Clones, one of them apparently being Jay Smart from 2016, despite the fact that he looks Nothing like him and the Employee also has atleast two Clones, so seriously what’s the point? I don’t get it, it’s just so much wasted potential and aside from wanting to talk about this in General, I’m also going to announce that I won’t do Custom ET Missions for the following Locations, until Model Swapping (Inmap or Outmap) is discovered.

Those Maps are:

Miami
Whittelton Creek
&
Isle of Sgail

So basically all Hitman 2 Basegamemaps, excluding Mumbai, because it’s my favorite Map and despite there also being alot of Clones, there’re also lots of unique NPCs, Hawke’s Bay, because there are a few unique Guards and Santa Fortuna, because I’m not a huge Fan of that Map, so The Analyst (The Analyst at Hitman 2 Nexus - Mods and community) I released yesterday will most likely be my only Santa Fortuna ET in the forseeable Future.

I apologize to all Fans of tha Maps (which will be many, I suppose), but I don’t want to make an ET under tide boundaries and with barely any Storytelling Room for me.

Thanks for Reading.

Pilz · January 14, 2021, 6:37pm

Is this a repasted thread of the old forum, or why do you complain about Miami now?

I agree on topic though, and hope the H3 maps are designed to also let Contracts mode shine and thrive

But tbh, we had a whole lot of nice Contracts in Miami.

TheContractor · January 14, 2021, 6:41pm

Ngl, I’d rather IO did this than waste game storage and time on unique NPC faces. And personally I’ve always quiet liked seeing repeat NPC faces in level

I must admit having unique NPCs who have boring/non-existent routes is very annoying

Edit: I do have some thoughts on how IO fails in gearing maps towards contracts tho. Considering contracts is how the game survives for most of its life cycle

Urben · January 14, 2021, 6:47pm

Especially if such a NPC is you and gets killed in every minute!

Well I like unique NPC faces. I often pick the first target in a contract by their face. If the NPC is unique, the contract is it too to some extend. But I don’t really dislike it if they keep up the clone rate.

TheContractor · January 14, 2021, 6:55pm

b60

Yeah having to lure urbeNPC is a hassle

I must admit to doing that too sometimes, especially in narrative-driven contracts

DrMekar · January 14, 2021, 6:57pm

Me too actually, so theres a limit for everything and the Example I gave above is defenitly way above that limit. Here’s an 2016 Example that I think is a good Example:

Four NPCs use this Face in Sapienza, They have two diffrent Skin Colors and only the Civillian appears multiple times.

TheContractor · January 14, 2021, 7:00pm

Yeah, this is a good way of reusing faces. Just to be clear I hate when I’m in a room and half the guards have the exact same face (which happens far too often)

Mixing up faces, outfits, hair, location is the way to do it

Urben · January 14, 2021, 7:02pm

Except it is Kurt Donovan. These are always funny.

DrMekar · January 14, 2021, 7:03pm

Yeah me too, though I don’t even count Guards, because they are a variabel that changes, depending on difficulty. Otherwise Miami would look even darker in that regard. There is a total of 5 Trooper Faces for 40.60 Guards I think.

DrMekar · January 14, 2021, 7:04pm

Him, his Moustaced Buddy I named Davis and that Guy with the shaved Hat are fine, Yeah xD. So even Donovan has a Moustace Version. (Even it’s restricted to Master Mode unfortunatly.)

DrMekar · January 14, 2021, 7:23pm

No, it’s an original Topic. I just pointed at my old Topic for reference in case someone says “But Santa Fortuna is so much worse in this case…”

Frote7 · January 14, 2021, 10:14pm

I mean, npc’s routes/positioning on the map/triggers determines if it’s a good contract target, not if he’s a clone or not.

93-126 · January 14, 2021, 10:42pm

It’s kind of the same as the accents, where some people see it as an essential thing while some don’t care.

DrMekar · January 14, 2021, 10:50pm

Purely based on Contracts Mode Gameplay this might be true, but for everything Story-driven it ruins the immersion and for my ET it’s essential, because the Target can not be seen in Instinct.