twhalen2600 on 19/7/2015 at 04:29
I've been replaying a lot of Thief missions lately, and just recently a few of Thief 3's, and there's one major flaw I've noticed with the Cradle, and that I think I thought on before, but only now have fully realized. It's that you can meet / 'activate' Lauryl's ghost before going into the Inner Cradle.
I think the attic should be locked, and a key for it should be lying somewhere in the Inner Cradle. (Along with this, the fuse would need to be located elsewhere in the Outer Cradle besides the attic.) This way, you can't activate Lauryl before going to the Inner Cradle for a first time. I think exploring the Inner Cradle while still on your own, without Lauryl, is crucial to the upkeep of the atmosphere of dread as you go into that section.
This change would also encourage players to explore each patient's cell. With Lauryl guiding players, one might just unlock one cell to use the first 'toy' they can come to, but if players haven't met Lauryl yet, they might more want to explore the whole area, and all the cells. (Maybe dying in the Cradle's memories would lead players to using all the patients' items, but still).
I also think the pounding noise from the attic door would be creepier if that door was also locked. You'd wonder--what's on the other side? Think of the 'hanging-rope' noise in Ominous Bequest. (And the 'Note' added to the menu would be all the more ominous.)
I remember not feeling that scared the first time I played the Cradle; when I replayed it a few years later, I was horrified by it. I think it's because the first time through, I had met Lauryl before going into the Inner Cradle, and had her 'with me' when first exploring that area. On my replay, I went into the Inner Cradle before activating Lauryl. I think this was key to me being more frightened my second time through (though there were other variables; the first time through I was a kid and mostly rushing through the game, etc.). Each playthrough since, I've always explored the Inner Cradle before activating Lauryl.
I had to share this here because, as I re-explore and analyze these missions, this has particularly been driving me crazy. I want to learn how to edit Thief 3 missions just so I can go in and make this change. I think it'd improve the mission substantially.
