Cradle. Dear God... - by mol
ETI_Caligula on 28/6/2004 at 21:22
Quote Posted by Thiefsie Fool
I love Undead missions. Though none reeeallly managed to scare me so far, as in quickening my heartbeat rate, or generally inducing panic. Inverted Manse was a very good FM, but it still didn't quite scare me fully, from what I read here, "Cradle" just might be what I'm looking for. ;)
I seriously doubt it. If you really have read it all here, you've pretty much ruined it for yourself. And if you did the same for other supposedly scray Thief maps, you shouldn't wonder at all why they didn't quicken your heartbeat rate. :rolleyes:
When Thief manages to be scary, it almost always happens in your own mind. The only scary thing is not knowing. Not knowing what is ahead. And even when you know there is something dangerous ahead, not knowing exactly where it is (because the sounds don't give away its location). Or whether what is ahead really knows that it has to obey the standard Thief rules (creatures can't detect you when you're ghosting, rooms can't change their lighting all of a sudden without you being able to predict it).
Now that you've read about the loading zones in the Cradle and about the monsters inhabiting it, how on earth do you expect it to scare you? :wot:
cheese_thief on 28/6/2004 at 21:33
After reading all of the posts, I thought it was going to be really scary.
It's slightly unnerving.
The first half wasn't scary at all. I could see perfectly and I could stay easily concealed in shadow. Like at the attic door (the pounding sound is great, has a good "get me the hell outa here" wham wham wham), I just pressed up against the wall and opened the door, if something was in there, it wouldn't be able to see me. I'm on the second half now and I'm stuck on a ladder and a resident is stuck on a door, if I go up, he sees me. :erg:
The best thing about the level is that the Cradle has this damp and living qualtiy to it, like it's a breathing entity. This was more noticable in the first half.
The scariest part for me so far was Cell No. 7, the resident patrolling outside made the lights flicker, but the light inside was constantly flickering as well. It didn't occur to me that there was one in there until i flashbombed the one patrolling (he was too unpredictable, hed be gone for a long time, but hed be back sonner or later), the one in the cell started stamping around and it hit me like a rubber chicken. Wow.
The residents look like regular zombies, though, they could be much scarier.
Overall, the level has impressed me a lot, despite it's minor flaws. I kept wanting to go into each of the cells even though I had all of the loot I needed.
This level has more than just a personality, it is a charachter.
Nice job Null!
Wynne on 29/6/2004 at 03:34
Quote Posted by Jomero
I actually feel bad for those of you who say you weren't freaked out by the cradle at all, or didn't find it scary. I feel bad because you're going out of your way to not be immersed in the game or get the full effect of the place. I know some people who make jokes at scary movies because they don't want to be scared.... they are terrified of letting something like that get to them. To me, that's missing the point of watching the movie at all.
...Thief, the original Thief, the game that DEFINED the series, was littered with the supernatural and undead. It's interwoven into the city and has been there since the game hit the shelves. Hell, it was a part of the very second mission from the get-go. Return to Cathedral was designed to freak you out. Just as the Cradle was.
My sentiments exactly. The Cradle felt like pure Thief to me. And I agree with lumpenprol--I wasn't affected by the news about
Gamall as much as I could have been due to seeing the spoiler picture. If you read about the Cradle before playing it, then you can't make any kind of judgment on its scariness any more than I can judge the value of the moment of the big reveal.
If you don't experience something untainted, then you ruined it for yourself (or someone else ruined it for you). That's why they're called
spoilers--they spoil the experience. Fear truly is not knowing.
Blackjack on 1/7/2004 at 13:00
Well, as someone who's known for a broadly anti-woo stance, I have to admit that the Cradle was nothing short of inspired gameplay genius. Null and the team have left an indelible mark on the genre with this level. Without doubt, the scariest part was NOT seeing anything for the entire first part of the map. My imagination went wild at the sounds from the attic room and I immediately headed for the basement - I was just too frightened to go up ... THERE! As for the patients ... crap can those run! :erm:
Ducky on 1/7/2004 at 19:45
Warning: Please be advised that the following post may contain spoilers.
I had read these forums just as I started playing Thief 3 and heard all the hype about the "Cradle" mission. I couldn't wait to try it out; I knew that it had to be quite an experience, as so many people were expressing their fear of it.
Well, finally I have reached the "Cradle" mission. I have been relatively stable throughout playing the other missions, with only minor shake ups (notably the "Sunken Citadel") along the way.
The clock next to my monitor hit 3:45am. I find my way into the "Cradle" though the right side entrance, walk down the stairs, climb up the ladder, and discover an electronic door-switch. "Great! It's broken." I complained to myself, as Garrett informed me of a fuse-box located in the basement.
Against my better judgement, I decided to take a look around before searching the basement. I brought myself to a doorway which read "Lobby", helped myself to some loot on the shelve, and then proceeded to turn around and head back towards the doorway I had just entered.
"Thud, Thud, Thud." was the distinct and resonating sound of someone walking towards me from behind. I froze momentarily, before spinning around armed with a broad-head arrow ready to take down whatever wanted me dead... but it was nothing.
At this point, I was already shaken. I know I would have been in a more stable state after this incident if something had actually been walking towards me, but instead, I was now playing a guessing game, not knowing if or when something would jump out at me.
Trying to stay focused, I climbed down the ladder (as well as an additional one) that I had climbed up originally, and found myself in the knee deep fog that filled the basement. I walked forward to read the note of a mentally unstable woman and her infant (in the form of ashes). This added to the tension I was already experiencing, but I told myself to carry on, which I did... for four steps.
"Wah, Waah, Waaaaah." was the blood-curdling cry of a young infant (presumably the one mentioned in the previously found note). At this point, my heart was pounding so hard that I could feel it trying to jump out of my chest. Instantaneously, I ripped off my headphones, pressed "ESC", and quit the game.
This is why I favour a horror genre game (that is done well) over a movie any day of the week. When you are controlling a character it becomes personal, it is involving, and the experience is much more believable. When you watch a movie you are simply spectating, you don't make the decisions, and it ultimately becomes predictable as to what is going to happen.
I have a pretty reasonable sound setup (Sennheiser HD515's running through a SoundBlaster Audigy), and I think the sound plays a major role in making the experience believable.
Back to the "Cradle"... :tsktsk:
Cromwell on 2/7/2004 at 00:45
first part of the mission i was freaked out as anything..second part i walked in thinking everything is fine theres no monsters its all fake...i ran into the area where the record desk was, i didnt see the shadow that runs behind it that u guys talk about...but i did run behind the record desk acting all brave and stuff cuz i didnt know anyone was there and i didnt think there was...so im about to enter the meal hall then for some reason i think i see something to my left...so i move the left, i look at this flickering lamp and im like "oh its just a lamp" i turn back around about to enter the meal hall then i see this shadow..i thought it was mine then suddenly it attacked me and i yelled out "HOLY SHIT OMG AHHHH!!!"...i just ran...after that i didnt bother hiding in the shadows, i just ran wherever i could and tried to run from them as much as possible...i had to quit playing 3 times, open my shades to allow light in, and turn off the sound in the second part cuz it was too damn scary...scariest level i've ever played...
evangelos k on 2/7/2004 at 06:59
When I played the Cradle mission, I did not know/realize the patients were zombies. I thought they were psychos left to die there or whatever, heh. I did not even try to use holy water or flashbombs to kill them. I sneaked through all of them through the whole mission, which in the end, made it better and even creepier - having to hide and watch my back all the time :D
Jasa_89 on 3/7/2004 at 14:37
Is the "Outer Gradle" (or what ever it is) different level that this scary one you are talking about? :p
Mechstra on 3/7/2004 at 15:02
The Outer Cradle is one half of 'Robbing the Cradle'.
Too Much Coffee on 3/7/2004 at 23:38
Has anyone here played Painkiller? If so, I'm sure you noticed the uncanny similarities between the patients in the Asylum level with the patients in the Cradle. They look and even sound very similar. Just an observation. :eek:
