Plumph on 8/1/2025 at 21:09
I'm surprised that no-one has mentioned the genius touch of Tiptoe Through the Tulips in a certain bedroom :D
Tannar on 9/1/2025 at 02:07
@ Aged Raver: First, thank you so much for your wonderful post! We are thrilled that you enjoyed the mission so much, and it was very enjoyable reading about all the things you did (and didn't, lol) discover, as well as the shenanigans the AI got up to. :D
Quote Posted by Aged Raver
Even with the published lootlist I'm 65 short of max and as I've been going round in circles for days I'll have to wait for a Let's Play all-loot video.
The lootlist does list all available loot, though I know it can sometimes be hard to know which thing you missed.
Quote Posted by Aged Raver
I failed miserably to spot connections/jokes which I now understand are there and although I recognised
Tiptoe through the Tulips I didn't connect with
Tiny Tim, the singer, instead thinking of Dickens.
Cudos for recognizing the song at all! Yeah, we thought the duel association was fun.
Quote Posted by Aged Raver
Nevertheless I got hit by things lurking in my subconscious and something that stopped me dead in my tracks was reading Liesl's note saying "
Matches for sale".
Great to hear you made that connection!
Quote Posted by Aged Raver
Seeing Masons Wine Essence priced as
1/- and 2/- was a throwback to childhood, when currency in the UK was shillings and pence, and prices such as
1 shilling and
2 shilling were common-place, and designated as
1/- and 2/-Really glad that you noticed those and that it brought back such memories. I remember reading many British stories as a child and was as familiar with pounds, shillings and pence as I was with American currency. I loved that about those posters as well.
Quote Posted by Aged Raver
..the lady in the cells who was ill, after I'd taken the purse, had disappeared by subsequent visits.
Actually there is a note in the station mentioning that one of the guards is going to ask her to go with him to the tavern. You will find her there among the other revelers.
Quote Posted by Aged Raver
Strangely a civilian appeared on the roof above the Jewellery and TickTock shops (after I'd been there earlier). It took me ages to realise where the whistling was coming from. HaHa!
Early on there's a couple talking outside the police station - but each time I revisit that area, the lady is displaced a short distance along the path to the North. Currently she's beyond the window of the singing woman, and at the bottom of the steps. The chap remains outside the police station and both continue to gesture in conversation, although now about a hundred metres apart.
That made us laugh, lol. No telling what they will get up to. Sounds like it made for an interesting time!
Quote Posted by Aged Raver
I didn't pay as much attention as I should have to the fruitcake situation but with the crack of doom closed over I still have 2 fruitcakes left over.
Ah yes, well, that system could sometimes be less than reliable, but we prefer to think that those fruitcakes simply fight back and don't want to be destroyed. But you tried and that seems to be enough for Tiny Tim :cheeky:
Quote Posted by Aged Raver
I replayed the police station to see the reaction of the City Watch after delivery and I foolishly imagined those on patrol would join the party if I lured them inside but they were made of stronger stuff and chased me all over the Police Station. HaHa!
Hahaha, that's wonderful. I can just see that happening (with the Benny Hill music playing in the backgrround, lol)!
Quote Posted by Aged Raver
I agree that the different versions of
In the Bleak Widwinter, inside and outside Jane's house are so well set, and I love the videos and all the poems. Who read those?
We're so glad you noticed and appreciated the music, the videos and the narrations. And to answer you question, I read the narrations.
Thank you once again for playing and for sharing so much of your thoughts and experiences! We're so glad you enjoyed it! Have a wonderful new year!
Tannar on 9/1/2025 at 02:11
Quote Posted by Plumph
I'm surprised that no-one has mentioned the genius touch of Tiptoe Through the Tulips in a certain bedroom :D
Well, it was just mentioned in the post right above yours. :D
Quote Posted by Aged Raver
... I recognised
Tiptoe through the Tulips I didn't connect with
Tiny Tim, the singer, instead thinking of Dickens.
But we're very happy that you recognized it and made the right connection, lol! We've been wondering if anyone would, so cudos! :thumb:
Plumph on 9/1/2025 at 08:55
Quote Posted by Tannar
Well, it was just mentioned in the post right above yours. :D
Ah - missed that one.
Still - a stroke of genius and hats off to you.
Gloria Creep on 10/1/2025 at 02:57
Thank you :thumb:
:angel:
Tannar on 10/1/2025 at 05:07
Quote Posted by Gloria Creep
I just finished playing the mission and I must say, I've never been touched by a Thief FM as this one. It brought me to tears several times, especially the end, when the book reading ended and also the beautiful different Christmas music. What a beautiful Christmas story to tell. The joy I felt playing it and discovering all the goodies and beautiful signs and posters and the hilarious stuff to find, I truly have no words to express how much I enjoyed playing this mission! This will surely be an again and again playing mission, especially around this time of the year. I just want to say: THANK YOU ALL who participated in making this FM. You're the best!!! :thumb:
Thanks Taffers!
Thank you Gloria, we're so very glad you enjoyed the mission so much! And we're touched that it brought you to tears. A belated Merry Christmas to you and best wishes for the new year!
ultravioletu on 10/1/2025 at 19:53
Quote Posted by Aged Raver
Even with the published lootlist I'm 65 short of max and as I've been going round in circles for days I'll have to wait for a Let's Play all-loot video.
If it helps you can watch my kind-of raw (and definitely silly) recording, which I already decided to NOT publish on YT & Co (it's far from the high quality, with which we are spoiled here by the usual suspects, therefore doesn't do this beautiful mission any justice. Also: I have in it some supreme busts, all avoidable hence awkward): (
https://1drv.ms/v/c/4757427096854658/EWM1jNycFYFJtl-ckLd35EMBXqwL4rFTBpwH5AI7bJcoCg). It's a full loot walkthrough, plus sucessful ghost, which makes it a perfect thief too (but I was aiming for perfect supreme...)
Remarks:
* Stupid built-in OneDrive viewer scales it down to 576p, which makes HUD texts, like loot display, unreadable. For full-res, it must be downloaded, or played in some OD-supporting players. (anything that allows you to quickly jump to a given time, skip n seconds, change playback speed etc.)
* Both viewers: please be kind with me, it's my first. And since YouTube slapped me back to reality today, and wants a 'verified account', read: 'phone number', for videos longer than 15 minutes, it's "game over" for me with publishing on this platform. I have my reasons for not linking my YT channel with the RL (via clearly traceable cell subscriber)
* (if someone here, with an established YT channel, feels compelled to host a "guest constribution by uv" - fine with me, and thanks. But be warned: it's sub-par)
Aged Raver on 10/1/2025 at 21:32
@ultravioletu
Brilliant. That's very kind! I'll be on to that tomorrow. Thank you again. Much appreciated. :thumb:
Update:
Thank you again for posting this video. It's very good and shows how to do it, in a short time with good commentary. Plus you created a map. Even now I have trouble remembering where places are. I liked the way you entered the Police Station to make the delivery. I did it the hard way, coming in the front door, causing mayhem. HaHa!
My 65 loot shortage was made of two items, and one, a bag of spice worth 40 (clearly stated in your lootlist) is in a room that I had searched perhaps 5 times before, but it is high up on top of a cupboard, in a corner, and is quite small.
Curse my failing eyes!
The other item I believe is a gem worth 25 which I still have to find. There are not many of them so I'll have to watch your video again, along with an eye on the lootlist!
Further Update: I was wrong about that but I got there eventually! Phew! :rolleyes:
Thank you again. :D
Vitro13 on 13/1/2025 at 04:20
I wish I'd have found this mission sooner, it was...amazing. I could really spend an hour typing about how altogether wonderful AVTCS is, so I guess I'll just mention a couple highlights I found particularly fun:
- It was a hoot when you drop the ale in the police headquarters and Vince Guaraldi's Linus & Lucy kicks in.
- Of course it's just a game, but I couldn't help feeling awful when I found that poor kid living in the sewers. That good deed was a particular joy/relief.
- I wasn't sure I wanted to give the other kid Dewdrop considering the distinctly un-Christmasy room I found it in.
- I loved the anguished wail as you dropped the hateful fruitcakes into the flaming abyss.
- I couldn't find any other way to pin the star on the tree except to take a flying leap at it and accept the punishment. Fortunately I still had plenty of berliners and sugar plumsies to refresh me.
On a side note: the acapela song playing in the ice garden sounded very much like the Mediæval Bæbes, if I am not mistaken..?
Anyway, I couldn't have imagined it was possible to pull off a such a flawless blend of gentle tongue-in-cheek Thief parody and genuine Christmas spirit, but here it is.
