smert' on 13/11/2001 at 05:11
A very well constructed and thought, planned, and well just all in all a GREAT mission <img src="smile.gif" border="0"> ...
<br />IMO this is a mission best put into the "vault" with the rest of the GrEaT missions out there..
Good job team S
Darkwarrior on 13/11/2001 at 23:33
Heheheh...I forgot that gold was eleven...I meant to max out techs and archtecture but oh well. Anyway I noticed you put a "?" by Sneak. Sneakitude is how well you can sneak around in a mission-with it still being a challenge. I found that the mansion has a little too many guards, and the crypt doesn't really count, so I gave it a 6.
I love colored lighting too! I just thought the amb. sounds could have been vastly improved.
Sarik on 15/11/2001 at 01:17
Sorry, my defintion of "gameplay" and yours is different. Sorry about that <img src="wink.gif" border="0">
Keeper of Metal and Gold on 15/11/2001 at 04:03
I put ? for sneak not because I don't know what you meant but because I didn't try to sneak so I didn't know how well it is on that - I almost always blackjack everyone or kill if I can (though I usually play FM's on highest difficulty so I can't kill) <img src="smile.gif" border="0">
Darkwarrior on 15/11/2001 at 20:06
Oh...sorry, KoMaG. Thought you didn't know what it was.
[ November 15, 2001: Message edited by: Darkwarrior ]</p>
Joseph on 16/11/2001 at 02:11
Well, I personally felt the level: "The Seventh Crystal" is an extraordinary level, I just finished it, and I really enjoyed all of its elements.
I'm new to the forum, but I have been playing Thief for awhile now, but here is just my two cents on this issue...
I know most people loved this level, and a few didn't, and I'm in the majority that loved it, but having said that, here are a few things I feel about this...
I think the fact that this is Saturnine's first level is irrelevant when it comes to deciding whether or not it should be rated gold, and is also irrelevant as far as the level's design expertise, and here is the reason: "Known Knowledge and Content".
For example, in order to fairly compare a level of quality, you have to compare the level to "other" levels at the time period it was created, and I believe that The Inverted Manse is slightly better then this, but not much at all, it's very close.
However, I believe that Toni Hollming and Markus Lappalainen are the two most talented designers this place have ever seen and ever will see, and the reason is by evaluating the quality of their levels to the current ones at their time.
When Circle of Strain was released, there was no information to study, no other type of data to go on, to learn from, at a time when levels were simply square blocks, Hollming and Lappalainen, through their incredible natural talent, created true works of art that were so far beyond the current technology, the gap was so wide!
But today, levels are much closer in quality, and that is because there is so much DromEd information out there, the fact that a great level is released is devalued.
Markus's first level, Circle of Strain, was extraordinary, and Markus didn't have any info to go on, except his imagination, same with Hollming. But the level designers today have so much information to learn from, is it any wonder they are so detailed?
Anyway, that's just my two cents. <img src="smile.gif" border="0">
Keeper of Metal and Gold on 16/11/2001 at 06:25
Joseph is right that a mission must be compared to other mission of a similar release date to be fair.
By the way, Mokkis is working on (a couple mission? or just one?) for CoSaS, so we'll see what he comes up with! Purah's work has also always been ahead of his time in quality and "awesomeness" (see Autumn in Lampfire Hills and Calendra's Cistern)
HunterByNite on 16/11/2001 at 13:19
Great jumping fortune cookies!!! <img src="eek.gif" border="0"> <img src="eek.gif" border="0"> <img src="eek.gif" border="0">
I was stuck in Taiwan for the past few months or so trying to wipe a competitor's sales department from the face of the earth and what? No Thief to go along?!?
Sigh...How sad indeed I couldn't play Thief (forgot to put the game in my suitcase so I was stuck with Baldur's Gate II but my Fighter/Cleric finally reached his max levels and started gibbing Liches just by standing around) or even surf the Net 'properly' (time constrain and playing Cat-and-Mouse with the Chaotic Evil Taiwanese Parliament)! I just got back home a nervous wreck and I was shaking so badly from months of lack of Thief and home-made coffee.
Sniff! Above all, I missed my room.
First thing I did was kiss Stellar (my PC but gasp! She was all dusty, that old warhorse!), logged in and came to this board (couldn't even be bothered to take off my suit and shoes). From what Wynne said, this mission will make me feel like playing Thief for the first time. No better timing, I tell you! Months of no-Thief means the thrills and excitement back all over again, YAHOO!
Downloaded the game, played it and...and...
WOAH!WOW!I'm in Thief heaven! I couldn't stop and the next day called in sick (yeah, right) so that I could continue playing!
Inline Image:
http://members.tripodasia.com.sg/Hunter/Gifs/BigGrin.gifSaturnine, you sadistic bas***d! You'll be the death of all the rest of us dromedites' will to continue humping the camel! GGRRRR!!!!
Really, what are you waiting for, Christmas? Go download this mission now! Great job, Saturnine and gang! Finally, a reason for living!!!<br /> <img src="graemlins/thumb.gif" border="0" alt="[Thumbs Up!]" />
Omega on 16/11/2001 at 19:41
Just played the mission and I really liked it. It had indeed as wyn pointed out , a great story. I like the painting of dani, and the music of cradle of filth <img src="smile.gif" border="0"> . Post later on, no time....
varas on 20/11/2001 at 11:18
hmm..... what can i say? best break - into - a - manor mission there <br />is!!!! Story's great, architecture is inhumanly well done. and plus i olmust got a heart-attack when i tried to reach the book. Well sequel is needed indeed........ and oh by the way the athmosphere was gggrreat!!! <img src="eek.gif" border="0"> <img src="confused.gif" border="0"> <img src="graemlins/sly.gif" border="0" alt="[Sly]" /> <img src="graemlins/thumb.gif" border="0" alt="[Thumbs Up!]" /> <img src="wink.gif" border="0"> <img src="graemlins/devil.gif" border="0" alt="[Ebil]" /> <img src="graemlins/wot.gif" border="0" alt="[Wot?]" />
