The Phantom on 29/3/2006 at 17:25
Thank you Timon for this enjoyable mission. It exceeds Part 1 in almost every way. Really a worthy sequel :thumb:
You did a great job with creating an underground complex. The layout, although a little confusing at first, is well made, and all those secret rooms and passages are a lot of fun to discover. The results of the masacre is noticeable everywhere, and all the plants and mushrooms that grow through the walls give the locations a real abandoned feeling.
Also compliments to the story about the secret order. Information about their hierarchy, various persons (like the Abbot, librarian, caretaker), their history (connections with the Hammers, the massacre), it's really interesting to learn so much about the order and the events that took place.
The atmosphere is really well done with all the haunts, corpses, cobwebs, different colours. Sadly there wasn't much life left after I destroyed the last Haunt (Sorry, I couldn't resist Greenpeace' orders ;) ) Next time I'll let them live.
Other things I liked were the self-made objects and textures, the many objectives (I found two bonus and one optional objective), the beautiful pictures in the library books, and the funny readables and other jokes you put in the mission. For example: The hidden switch in the sewers under the baths. First I thought: YES, a secret button. But it didn't had the result I expected. You bastard! :ebil: :cheeky:
Still they never gave me the feeling that I was playing a non-serious mission. It were enjoyable additions.
Some things were really tough to find out, but luckily the books/scrolls contain helpful hints.
There was one thing though that I would've never found out by myself: the way to find the Treasure Key. :p I've read the book earlier and I never expected the text would change after I read the librarians notes.
And I tried so hard to finish this mission without the use of spoilers/walkthrough :(
Eventually I had completed every objective except the shield, sword and loot ones.
I kept studying the forcefield statue, the wall hatch next to the toilets and the riddle next to the stone carving in one of the corridors, with no success.
After I found the Treasure Key and entered the vault everything became clear.
A few notes of criticism:
1 The difficult and unusual way of finding the Treasure Key.
2 The absence of any rope arrows (correct me if i'm wrong, but I didn't find any). There were times I would've liked to use one, and maybe ghosters encounter situations were they're really required.
3 A map of the complex to find would've been helpful (but luckily Bukary provided us with one).
A question: What about the switch in the dining room to escape to the surface. Is it there all the time, or does it appear only after you completed all the objectives first?
Overall an excellent mission. Atmosphere, story are well done, and thanks to all the secrets and extra bonus/optional objectives it has a good replay value. This campaign is getting better and better. I hope there will be third part.
Difficulty: Expert
Secrets found: 8 of 8
Loot found: 6184 of 6734
Time: 5 hrs 11 min 50 sec
DreamWalker on 5/5/2008 at 02:42
Replayed Part I (which was well done) and then proceeded to part II. Only to discover within a few minutes that I hadn't played this one before (the start is similar to another FM but I can't remember which).
Not being the most patient sort I soon concluded that the 'only good haunt was a dead haunt'; only to find out ... Fortunately, there weren't that many (even on expert); but finding all those switches without consulting the forum was exasperating and the list of objectives just keep growing and growing. But I got through ... on my own and in one piece (ok, I saved a lot ... can't trust FM authors ;) ) and was only 35 short of the max loot. The final (exit) goal did stump me for almost an hour since I kept looking for a way out under the monastery (per objective wording) and it was only happenstance that lead me to the switch higher up. :p
Good story line and the hints are there (just have to pay attention to what you read). Loved the murals, the medallion with the woman's picture, the movable mining carts and especially the setup of the 3rd Abbott's tomb. Sorry to find out that the Robin Hood role has already taken and am surprised to hear that Brother Constantine was once a member of the order. Tried to find out if there was a prophecy about me but couldn't find any. At least, I was able to retrieve that valuable orb.
Enjoyed playing this FM and am looking forward to more of the same. Thank you. :thumb:
Lyril on 5/5/2008 at 08:18
A terrific mission! I loved all of it, even getting lost as often as I did (being directionally challenged in RL as well), though I needed help getting into the Library.
The readables really added to the felling of immersion - this deserted, haunted, mossy place with all its secret hideaways which hadn't been secure enough.
But I wondered - though the reasons for the massacre are explained - why did all the residents turn into undead?
Esme on 9/5/2008 at 16:47
well that was excellent, I had to resort to the readme and the posts in this thread but it was still fun, if I ever need a small switch hiding I think I know who to ask
good one :thumb:
Garga on 2/9/2009 at 13:58
I can't find the third Abbot's secret or Gustavus the Blind's astronomical charts.
nickie on 2/9/2009 at 14:42
For the charts you need to look for a book under a table in the Library.
Garga on 2/9/2009 at 16:55
Thanks found them - finished but short of loot and missing four secrets.
Meisterdieb on 4/9/2009 at 16:34
Is there a key to the armory on expert? (If so - where?)
Stingm on 4/9/2009 at 16:38
You might want to check the walkthru at thiefmissions.com
:thumb::cheeky::D
P.S. Here is the armory section of the walkthru. The Armory
You begin inside the main entrance of the monastery. You need to equip yourself a little better so maybe the first order of business should be to find the Armory. Pick up 3 coins (+15) that are sitting on the bulletin board ledge then go down to the left (W) of the rubble inside the front doors and pick up a flare (all flares found count as 5). Walk through either one of the archways and you'll come to a large room patrolled by a haunt. (When playing on Expert, you have a choice to make. If you elect to kill any of the haunts, you will receive an objective to kill them all so your two options are to either sneak past all of them or clean the place out.)
As you advance into the room, pick up another flare from the floor by the pillar on the right. If you move the boxes in the corner of the southwest room, you can see an invisibility potion through a hole in the floor. There doesn't seem to be anyway to get at it from here, so perhaps you'll come across it later on. Look behind the pillar to the southwest of the altar with the fire on it for a silver poker (+200 = 215).
Proceed through the archway in the southeast corner and follow the hallway to the wooden spiral stairs. Descend, go in under the stairs and open the chest to find another flare. Walk straight ahead (E), up the steps and along a hallway littered with broken statues. At the end you'll enter a room with stairs leading up to a blocked passageway on the right and a door on the left. Pick up yet another flare from the corner and go through the door, after checking to make sure the way is clear. Turn left and then right at the corner. Go past the door to the Conference Room (Council Room on the map) and into the Armory office on the left.
Frob a tiny lever on the right-hand side of the bookcase down by the floor to move a pedestal in the corner. Concealed in the hole below is a blue key. Return to the hallway and go into the Armory. Use the key to unlock the door to the storage area and help yourself to the equipment on the shelves. That's a bit better!
Hope this helps! :thumb:
