Ravenus1 on 3/1/2021 at 21:04
I loved this so much. The great choices of lighting, bright ambient and the creepy dark. I tried ghosting, but was pleasantly surprised to see that although I had to fight in a few places it didn't seem cheap. This was excellent looking, sound was used very well and the different play styles I needed to complete "at least for me" made this an instant classic. Bravo!
ticky on 3/1/2021 at 22:38
Thank you for a great mission! Please promise that you will continue making fan missions.
This one had a vibe somewhere between Into the Odd and the daylight level of Gems of Provenance, with a little touch of Ascend the Dim Valley, but it had it's own very unique vibe. Daylight definitely did good for this mission. All the narrow streets and the interconnected areas are a very nice and exciting place to explore. When I arrived to the undead part, first I thought that this will be another "down in the bonehoard" kind of thing, but I was wrong in a good sense.
Keep it up! :)
Grandmauden on 4/1/2021 at 05:57
Another fantastic mission from the master of atmospheric and environmental storytelling! Hard to believe you were able to fit so much gameplay into such a small space!
Found 2814 / 3425 loot.
Lord Taffer on 4/1/2021 at 12:43
This mission is kind of a dark dream with lots of detail everywhere! It reminded me of Into the Odd quite a lot. The imagination behind this FM is quite something! I've done all the objectives, but have to go searching for more loot.
Finally found 3114/3425 loot.
<Username> on 5/1/2021 at 09:43
I have been trying to ironman Alcazar since January 1 and now finally succeeded. :D
1st attempt:
January 1, 2021
Normal difficulty
18 minutes 2 seconds
532 of 3425 loot
Killed when I closed a trapdoor in the tavern basement. I apparently was too close to the edge and the engine decided the force of the closing trapdoor squashes Garrett immediately.
2nd attempt:
January 4, 2021
Normal difficulty
40 minutes 17 seconds
1099 of 3425 loot
Took some damage when I was a bit too close when I blew up the undead with gas canisters on his back with a fire arrow, then got killed by a fire elemental that spawned in when I pressed a button.
3rd attempt:
January 5, 2021
Normal difficulty
24 minutes 30 seconds
929 of 3425 loot
Took a sword to the chest when the red guard patroling the Merchant's place saw and attacked me, then took some minor fall damage in the mine, then got killed when I was again a bit too close when I blew up the undead with gas canisters on his back with a fire arrow.
4th attempt:
January 5, 2021
Normal difficulty
41 minutes and 33 seconds
1794 of 3425 loot
Got hit twice by the fireballs of the moving statue. Finished the mission with three health left.
This is now one of my favorite Thief fan missions of all time. A clear 10/10 for me. The small-scale setting with a crypt buried underneath a shady watering hole is excellent. Not since Lady Rowena's The Tower have I seen such good use of limited space. Despite the size restriction, the mission feels large and features lots of different environments. Every room has some architectural details or unusual objects that drew my attention. Furthermore, the mission has a perfect flow with open areas at the beginning where you don't have to worry about guards, to some lightly guarded buildings, to a final area where you are surrounded by frightening supernatural forces. Just excellent stuff all around.
Twist on 6/1/2021 at 18:33
I've found the quality and polish of all the missions in this contest -- so far -- to be surprisingly consistent and strong. Thank you to Brethren for initiating and organizing this contest. It was well worth it.
Alcazar is now one of my all-time favorite missions. It almost perfectly captures that gritty, darkly mystical feel of the original Thief: The Dark Project.
The layout is ingenious; it amazes me how Schlock folds these crumbling, dilapidated areas into each other, yet somehow the layout's flow and connectivity remain readable and playable.
It featured a few points of Souls-like shortcut epiphanies, those "A-ha!" moments when you unlock a shortcut that loops back into an earlier area and makes further exploration easier.
The sound design was impeccable: this is quintessential Thief atmospheric sound, with a nice variety and smooth transitions between areas.
I've already played through it twice on Expert, and tonight I'll ironman it.
Shlock and Squada: Thank you!
JoergA on 6/1/2021 at 19:50
In the lava area I killed the fire elemental after pressing the button there, but I cannot find the button to get access to the next lava area. Need a hint please.
Renault on 6/1/2021 at 19:58
@JoergA - Look for another button close by.
JoergA on 6/1/2021 at 20:10
Found it, thanks for the hint Brethren.
Finished this stunning mission. Definitely a no 1 contender. It's astonishing how big this mission feels. :thumb::thumb:
nicked on 7/1/2021 at 08:54
Wow, this mission is astonishing. Really excellent in every way - it simply oozes atmosphere and the level design is top notch. It takes everything great about Into the Odd and put it into a leaner, tighter package that excises all of that mission's frustrations. Really well done!
I'm sure I missed plenty of loot, but the only thing that I'm really curious about is a really obvious secret door bookcase in the room next to the statue with the spellbook. I can't figure out how to open it, but it looks like it should be obvious.