Keeper Jonas on 3/12/2008 at 09:13
Interesting, I wonder if that's the article I read...no matter, I'm going to read or reread this one anyway. I guess the Cradle left quite an impression on the author. The longest article on a level ever? I hope so, Thief deserves such an honor.
thanks jtr7
This might be off topic, but it does concern one of the levels that this thread is about:
I just finished a run of Down in the Bonehoard, something wacky looking but probably not that exotic happened.
I was on my way back to the surface and decided to deal with the first Burrick of the level, the one by the wooden plank, with a couple surplus fire arrows. I was in the mossy greenish tunnel beneath the grey stony tunnel in which it walks back and forth. My first shot was a direct hit that failed to kill the burrick. The beast lifted off the ground backwards and disappeared into the ceiling of the tunnel. :weird:
I have no technical knowledge of the physics engine, does anyone have any ideas on this incident?
kamyk on 3/12/2008 at 12:51
Oddly it was somewhat hard for me to choose. I finally voted for The Cradle as I do consider it truly a masterpiece, and actually it is what led me to Thief in the first place (long story). I would have to place RTTC at 2nd place easily, and THC would be 3rd. However...
I almost voted for Fort Ironwood. Twice now I have been down in those crypts, and small area or not, love or hate the new Haunts, twice now I have had to run in terror for my life from down there. The first time I played it I was a Thief n00b, the second time this last year. I am rambling... (I will combine the two stories).
Ok, I snuck down into the crypts, and ghosted all the undead there. Except one. There is this one Haunt on the bottom floor on the right side down a long set of stairs. The first time I thought it was a Hammer, and figured "ooh an ally down here". My shock was total when it turned and shrieked that god awful shriek and charged me. The first time I nearly fell out of my chair. Ran-Like-Hell. You CANNOT lose those things. Not in places there are NO jumps, no cliffs, no ladders nearby. I ran all the way back out of the crypts, the hordes of hell at my heels, all the way back into the chapel. It was right behind me every step of the way. I ran four laps around the chapel with it charging right along behind me before the hammers finally reacted enough to retaliate on it, and get it off my back.
This has (more or less) happened twice. I dread those crypts.
Dront on 3/12/2008 at 14:53
I voted for Down in the Bonehoard. I was really SCARED of zombies there, I remember I even had a horror dream after one of the evenings I tried to make it through.
After the Bonehoard, others don't seem so creepy. But I'd also like to say about the Haunted Cathedral (not RtC) - it made me shiver when walking down these abandoned streets... No places to hide, and in every moment a zombie or an apparition can appear from round the corner... This is really a masterpiece.
Keeper Jonas on 3/12/2008 at 19:36
Quote Posted by kamyk
love or hate the new Haunts, twice now I have had to run in terror for my life from down there.
I enjoy the DS Haunts. I was very disappointed that they cannot really defend themselves to say nothing of approaching the ferocity of the TDP Haunts. But spiritually, the are a better show. Their movements are brutal, fast and merciless, if totally inaccurate. Sometimes they literally 'punch' with the hammer in close quaters and that is the only time they ever score a hit on me, but they look and sound awesome.
I know this matter is being discussed in another thread, but I feel that it was a mistake of TMA to give the Haunts hammers and to do the same in the third game. Yes, it is more logical. But to this day I can't survive three TDP Haunts at the same time.
Petike the Taffer on 4/12/2008 at 01:32
Down in the Bonehoard, The Haunted Cathedral and the Shalebridge Cradle all have their freaky share of undead, but, to be honest, I always felt they were either overdone (the first two) or underdone (the last).
I really felt more uneasy, while trying to manouevre the horribly labyrinthine caverns of the Cragscleft Mines. Darkness everywhere, narrow spaces, and I keep bumping into these ferocious moaning guys every minute ! You wouldn't believe how happy I was, when I discovered the abandoned chapel with some holy water... I started pwning the pathetic walking corpses right away ! :cheeky: ;) It was a big relief, when I finally got to the Hammerite prison and started fulfilling the main objectives.
The Abysmal Gale. Zombies. Lots of them. In all imaginable varieties (28 Days Later-style Infected Guards, wooot ! :D ). Weirdo ambient music, unhealthy oozish gases and fog all other the place. The ship turned out to be an unpredictable maze as well... GREAT... Lots of scares when I first played this one. I was later even more affraid in the Cradle, but the puppets were few and far between... and not that threatening, when they showed up under electric lamps...
EDIT : Oh yeah... And how can I forget my first encounter with TDS Hammer Haunts... "What's a Hammer Guard doing down here in the tombs ? Time to blackjack him !" I thought and started closing in on him, smiling. Thump. "Hrrrrrrr.... Aaaaaa... Rrrriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii !!!" Needless to say, the next thing I remember, was running backwards and searching frantically for that darn Holy Water Flask.
Jarvis on 4/12/2008 at 04:16
Return to the Haunted Cathedral.
I had a very genuine and real fear of the Haunts, and in particular the chain sound they made when they walked and the laugh when they saw you. My fear of them was so great, that I huddled in empty rooms for sometimes up to 10 minutes at a time, unable to see anything. I'd just sit and listen to the chains, just to try and gauge how far away they were, and how long their "approach" was vs their "departure". I was never sure of anything, so really I was sitting there trying to build up the courage to open the next door.
They scared me so badly that I froze twice in TMA at the mere sound of their chains. Once outside the mechanist compound in the graveyard, and again in Truat's home near his chapel.
...but most notably, the ghost of the Hammer (Brother Murius?) priest makes RtoHC stand out. By the time I had the eye and was out in the cloister, I was ready to make my escape and get the hell out of there. When the good priest asked me to start roaming the area looking for seemingly trivial objects, I genuinely didn't want to. Not out of boredom, and not out of a desire to hurry to the next stage. I was SCARED!
Ooooh I was so pissed when he didn't actually have the gate key. I wanted to bring him back to life just to kill him again.
Keeper Jonas on 5/12/2008 at 22:47
Jarvis, your post reminds me of the first time I ever saw a haunt.
This was at Return to the Cathedral.
I entered the building and took the door to my right.
I tried the elevator, after walking on it loudly. :p
It didn't work, so I tried jumping up to the next level. Now why on earth would I have put a moss arrow down first? :nono:
Seeing as I wasn't getting up to the second story from there I went down the hall way towards the main altar.
I barely had time to hear noises of a very frightening nature when the door at the opposite end of the hall opened.
I was not prepared for what I saw and it has flavored my reactions to the game and skeletons ever since. The Haunts were leading all the zombies and the ghost right at me and their faces screamed "there he is!"
I pressed ESCAPE and was grateful that the button had not decided to stop working.
jtr7 on 5/12/2008 at 23:04
Sometimes the ESCAPE button takes on a profound and urgent meaning.:laff:
Keeper Jonas on 6/12/2008 at 03:53
Indeed, urgent.
Petike the Taffer on 6/12/2008 at 14:55
Quote Posted by jtr7
Sometimes the ESCAPE button takes on a profound and urgent meaning.:laff:
Tell me about it. :p
