Maybe staying up for the game awards for once was a good idea : 3
itâs 3 am why am I doing this aggggh
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Itâs been a year since this DLC was removed from the stores. Has no one found a solution yet? I doubt it. I hope weâll see the pack for sale again next year
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Because it has all the bad design elements that do not fit in the Elusive Target format, which, as well all know, is a limited time affair. Insta-fails that donât really exist outside this mission, a tailing mission that is very confusing for players, background logic that fails you if you have prior knowledge on how it works (so one could argue it denies players the satisfaction of knowing how it worksâŚin a game all about counting the clock and getting ahead of targets), and all this in a mission that takes, at minimum, seven minutes to complete. It is slow and gets very repetitive when learning everything, and that is just plain bad game design for an ET.
Iâve talked before about designing gameplay so that youâre synergizing with it and not fighting it. This mission falls into the latter camp. @Kevin_Rudd also goes into more detail about why more complex missions and high effort ETâs are bad here.
The actual core gameplay would be okay if this were in 007 First Light; a tailing mission would be very well suited for a secret agent spy thriller, as well as if the gameplay was explained a bit better. But as it is, itâs a mission in an assassination game that is limited time, messy to play, and misleading to players. I hope that helps.
There are others that are equally bad/linear (I would love to see a glitchless run of the Sensation that doesnât involve the sprint-and-poison method)
Iâm not denying that, and I do think the Sensation is worse in gameplay freedom. But The Fixer has so many more problems piled on top of it that it becomes much worse with all the extra baggage. Itâs a bit like the Infiltrator; Itâs actually a fairly well-made mission, but itâs hampered by the level design, guard placements, and confusing setup (and that did get a minor rework!). I still think out of all the missions in WOA, The Mercenary is my least favorite to play and to complete; itâs a pain in the arse (and that one is permanent!) specifically because its gimmick is not fun to play against.
Some mechanics have aged better than others.
And I find this very funny considering the poll that added the Fixer had some of the worst ETâs in the top spots (Pharmacist and Angel of Death, which have less issues, but are also very bad gameplay-wise for being linear and annoying to deal with). There was clearly a motive of âwhat hasnât re-run in a whileâ by poll entrants, instead of âwhat do we actually want to play?â. The two ideas arenât mutually exclusive in fairness, but still, youâd think people would choose missions they know theyâll enjoy.
If I remember right, you also objected very passionately to it being added to Arcade.
I did, but thatâs more because I wanted it reworked first before doing so. Iâve also said in the past that, if I had to choose, then it being unmodified and put into ETA only is preferable than being an ET with no changes and thus lost to time. But again, Iâd rather IO rework and re-release it in both formats. That makes the most sense to me.
Oh Iâm not even going to try and argue there. All the (non-controversial celebrity) missions should be permanent, hopefully IO does that by the end of 2026. But another issue I have is people constantly propping the Fixer up as if itâs anything special, when the only thing special about it is how much it hasnât re-run because of its completion rate being so low. @schatenjager summed it up pretty well to be honest. At least with the Disruptor, there was a celebrity element, and people like celebrities, even if theyâve SAâd someone. Case in point:
I said that not reworking it and releasing it as-is was embarrassing, not that the mission was an embarrassment.
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Pff, dude⌠Bad example. I couldnât care less about Conor or the other celebrities. It couldâve been some random guy who voices minor NPCs (and to be honest, that wouldâve been better).
First of all, this is content that I, as a consumer, am losing forever because of IO Interactiveâs poor decisions. If the problem is with McGregor, why not rework the mission?
To me, the answer is obvious. The entire game is built around FOMO, and IOI knows this perfectly well. Thanks to Conor for giving them the idea â now we get these limited-time DLCs
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Digging through very old vids is fun, brings back memories
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Iâm sorry, but Iâm going to be honest with you: I just donât care enough to read a three paragraph response to my 6 sentence comment.
TL;DR:
Very bad game design elements that do not play nicely in a limited time mode, making the mission linear gameplay-wise, slow to complete in general, and causes numerous issues for players when learning the mission. Gameplay should not feel as if the player is fighting against the game, rather they should synergize with it. Games are fun when they are not pissing off the player trying to learn how it all works.
Many other ETâs are bad too, but usually only for one or two key reasons â the Fixer has a lot of big reasons for why itâs bad (see above/ @schatenjagerâs comment). Complex missions donât really work in the ET format as they discourage experimentation due to the limited time nature of the mode.
Thatâs about as truncated as I can make it.
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You could have tl;drâd it even more, like âthatâs just a badly designed missionâ :x
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I never said any of this was wrong. I only wonder why you restate it so often.
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I would be curious to know if itâs intentional.
But I just realised that the Safehouse cosmetics from all of the Year 5/2025 Packs are fully non-overlapping.
You can have all of the Le Chiffre, Bruce Lee, and Eminem cosmetics active at once, side by side.
I remember that most previous ones being on the same gym+garden decoration slots was a slight complain.
If itâs intentional, kudos to the devs.
Another potentially intentional compared care is that the Y5/2025 Packs Items can all be brought in a single main campaign mission base loadout of two gears and a concealed weapon, what with the Kali sticks being available for the weapon slot.
Previous Y3 and Y4 ones could not.
It opens them to thematic runs, and to a more enjoyable âfull availability and baseline usabilityâ.
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Sorry for reviving this, but I just wanted to confirm, that The Serial Killer will be part of the ET Galore starting next year. 
Sorry if it was already mentioned later in the thread.
Edit: Lol. Just stumbled over my own reply in the thread. Damn. 
I need to keep a list where I communicated whatâŚand potentially wait for my first coffee of the day before I tackle this kind of stuff.
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No such thing as overcommunicating. 
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New challenge, and new unlock, are out! 
In Paris, Holidays Hoarder.
Keeping the Magic Alive
- Collect any 6 of the 12 items the burglars want and place them in empty presents found under Christmas Trees.
- Finally, put on your new uniform.
Doing so will unlock the Little Helper 47.
(Do note 47 pointy ears.)
As for some intels:
- Items:
- The items are the usual 12 items sought by the burglars, as in"Santaâs Little Helper", but you donât have to steal them before them, and you only need 6, but be careful, some will break if dropped in a subdue.
- The empty presents are semi random.
- 15 possible locations, each run 2 will be active per levels (ground, middle, auction), for a total of 6, all are in the building, none in the basement.
- Here is a visual example, they are highlighted in instinct:
More Precise Intel (spoilers)
Items:
- Harry
- Fireworks Remote Detonator in the AV Center
- Circumcision Knife in the Library
- Saber in the CICADA Security Control
- Branson MD-2 Microphone in the CICADA Security Control
- Cowboy Bust in the Attic
- Bust in the CICADA Security Control
- Marv
- Coconut in the Basement Cafeteria
- Apricot in the Basement Kitchen
- Cannonball in the Museum
- Toy Tank in the Gift Shop
- Battle Axe in the Bar
- Shuriken in the Backstage Corridor
Gifts
- Level 1:
- One in the room between the Bar and the restrooms
- One at the back of the bar
- One in the Grand Hall
- One in the antechamber of the Catwalk, after the Entrance Hall
- Level 2:
- One in the Dining Room
- One in the room next to the Ownerâs Study
- One outside the Living Quarters
- One in the Library
- Level 3:
- Four in the Auction Room, only one will activate
- One in the Voltaire Suite
- One in the Auction Office
- One by the CICADA Security Control
âPlace Theft-Prone Itemâ indeed. Same gift mechanic as in the Infiltrator, in the Dragon bedroom.
Thank you to @thrison , @AnthonyFuller, and Wiki Editors for the informations.
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Fun fact:
The jingle bell on the new Little Helper 47âs elf hat makes jingle noises as you move.
(also: I appreciate the production of this new challenge, itâs playful from the devs, and the celebrated appearance of the disguise inside the last gift when completed is a great touch. Itâs less a new challenge, and more a new Easter Egg)
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And where is this found?
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You get it from the last present box after you fill it confetti falls down and you get the change disguise prompt
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not sure if this has been discussed before, but the momâs spaghetti item can be used as a boosting item , much like the muffins, but they can be reused, as they have collision in their intact state instead of their broken state
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I never do stuff like this, but thatâs a great find.
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