Samantha1 on 2/11/2022 at 15:21
I can only agree with that, my vote went to hidden agenda aswell :)
marbleman on 2/11/2022 at 15:24
Couldn't have said it better myself. As influential as CL was, it doesn't hold up nearly as good as Hidden Agenda.
Azaran on 2/11/2022 at 15:38
Between Calendra's Legacy and Ruins of Originia, the latter wins by a fraction for me
Calibrator on 6/11/2022 at 09:02
I'm a bit astonished at the support Hidden Agenda and Ruins of Originia get nowadays.
No, I'm not here to criticize these missions - I replayed them in the last years - but to me they aren't anywhere near Calendra.
To me, Calendra's three missions are not only influential for builders - they are innovative for players, each one offering something not done before.
Whether it's the enormous optional content of the first mission (you "win" the mission to discover how much you missed - a real shocker back then!)
or the massive "Venice-like" city level not done before in this scope & quality
or the keeper compound - a design that still produces echoes to this date in other fan works.
Not to speak of other custom contents, custom lore and lots of secrets and a bit of humor.
It felt never boring, never repetitive, but completely enthralling to the player.
All of this was incredibly pretty & detailed for its time -- as it was possible without NewDark.
Back then it was simply sensational and the forum basically knew only one topic for several days.
But of course one may have had to be there to appreciate this.
Some say that this mini campaign felt disjointed but to me it was "three highlight episodes out of the incredible life of our favorite hero".
But I get that some people need a more linear campaign that goes like this: Garrett gets a letter, Garrett wanders the city, Garrett bords a train, Garrett wanders the train, Garrett arrives and wanders the city, Garrett enters the mine and steals the idol... ;)
To me Calendra resides in the highest tier of missions & campaigns, together with the Une Nuit a Rocksbourg, The Seven Sisters, L'Arsene, Behind Closed Doors, Disorientation, Godbreaker, Morbid Curiosity and others.
The difference? All of those were made later, often much later.
Galaer on 6/11/2022 at 12:35
I think the biggest problem with Calendra's Legacy is forced ghosting. Especially mission 2 can be quite annoying with forced ghosting and time limited objective. Then you get blackjack, but due to undead invasion all people die. So now you need sword, but it's not there. So there is more ghosting required and that's not for everyone.
Ruins of Originia has similar problems. First 2 missions are great, but also very hard. This will be a barrier for many less experienced players. I don't like mission 3. Huge maze with burricks and forced killing objective really feels like a filler. Mission 4 has some cool ideas and it has less tight design than first 2 missions. So this is the reason why less experienced players may like this mission, but I don't really like it because of that.
So I think that less experienced players will probably not vote for these campaigns simply because they are too hard. Also noticed small problem in poll - Making Tracks is TTGM part 4, not part 3.
michael a on 6/11/2022 at 12:48
I would pick Calendra's Legacy. There are lots of different (and very good) missions, but it tries to make gameplay varying and often places player out of his comfort zone (mostly in 2nd mission). It's not the most polished of those missions, Hidden Agenda is better in this regard. But CL proposes challenge to the player without using obscure puzzles (except for that optional tomb in 1st mission) or switch hunting. That's not for everyone, but it is different.
Hidden Agenda is the second best. It's well-polished and... somewhat linear in its progression: it shows one huge area after another. It's very good, it's elegant, and it's predictable, classic Thief gameplay. I often replay it.
Ruins of Originia's first mission lever puzzle was... show-stopping. Perhaps I'll return to it in future.
Lord Taffer on 10/11/2022 at 18:41
Yesterday I finished Hidden Agenda for the first time and it really surprised me how balanced it was! The gameplay is top notch and difficulty felt just right. It felt like playing an OM, a very good one.
Samantha1 on 10/11/2022 at 19:27
:thumb: I´m very pleased to see how close hidden agenda to calendra´s legacy is :D
Samantha1 on 12/11/2022 at 14:53
With it´s last vote, "hidden agenda" managed to pass by "Calendra´s Legacy".. now this was a surprise to see! :D
So the winners are:
1. Hidden agenda
2. Calendra´s Legacy
3. Ruins of Originia
Congratulations! :thumb:
The next poll will start in a few minutes :)
marbleman on 12/11/2022 at 16:20
Quote Posted by klatremus
If Calendra's Legacy doesn't win this one, I will officially boil my knickers.
:cheeky:
