Thief 1 Mission: "Bloodstone Prison"... a Kung Fu Gecko production (Nov 24, 1999)

dkessler on 30/11/1999 at 01:26

Yes, I tried the sneaker method and it worked fine until I had my first rendevousz
with the new enemy (haunt with bow).
The location to the right of the stairs is supposed to be dark, but my gem lights up
and all the torches are out.
Maybe I am missing something.
So I had to take them out, but I am sure they did not feel too much

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Thanks for another great mission

[This message has been edited by dkessler (edited November 29, 1999).]

Tels on 30/11/1999 at 21:25

Havent seen much, but it is truly awesome! Although I do think at the very start you have too much areas where player can climb to the stars

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http://www.ttlg.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif (just nitpicking, you are a master-builder!) And that was all done without genVBR :-)

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Goit on 30/11/1999 at 23:33

Great mission, great architecture; I won't repeat all the praise that's already been lavished on this mission, but suffice to say that I agree with all of it.

Here's what I want to say though:
(1) Replaying Thief after buying Thief Gold, it seems to me that the minimum standard of architecture for a good fan-mission has surpassed the architecture of many of the original missions. Bloodstone Prison (and some other recent releases) are the best evidence of this.

(2) Plot, plot, plot, innovate. I can blackjack guards in my sleep and backstab haunts with one hand behind my back. But I have to pore over the scrolls in my inventory to defeat the undead prison warden. This was like playing Thief for the first time again - never quite sure what to do, insecure, thrilled by the unknown foe.

(3) Stand and observe. Bad AI lets you spot a guard in a corridor, dash after him, leaping from carpet to carpet over the tile, whip out your blackjack, swoosh, and stash the body - Boring.
Terrible AI defeats this tactic by overwhelming you with an impossible number of guards - Frustrating.
Good AI, as in Bloodstone, makes all this suicide; what I really liked was being forced to sit and observe the seen, the patrols, the possible routes through the shadows. Then when I dash out, sword ready, I know I've got a window of a few seconds to disable the guard or cut across the lit area before I'm spotted - Thrilling.

A really great level. It used to be that Return To The Cathedral was the only good undead mission. Not so any more.

P.S. There are some broadhead arrows you can pick up but don't increase the number in your inventory. Probably stack count is set to zero.

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SpudHunter on 1/12/1999 at 05:25

KungFu, Bloodstone rocks! By far the best FM I've played, bar none (and this is coming from someone who HATES undead missions).

IMHO it was perfectly balanced. I found no glitches or clipping (except for the aforementioned broadhead problem). From the very beginning, when the undead servant first turned around, thru the coolest sequence ever seen (Sebastin), to the climactic encounter with Jiggi, it kept me on edge all the way through. BTW, thanks for the water arrows, I really needed them right about there!

As far as the puzzles go, every time I was frustrated and ready to give up, the solutions seemed to suddenly present themselves. Perfect.

If this mission doesn't deserve a gold hammer, I don't know what someone has to do to earn one.

[This message has been edited by SpudHunter (edited December 01, 1999).]

Gonchong on 1/12/1999 at 19:44

First Class!

The puzzle solving elements of the mission certainly elevated it for me. It's dark and scarey. (The Voodoo 3 effect).

I was wondering what the book was that the warden discovered. Maybe him and Fistral from Shunned visit the same Library

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A great feeling of satisfaction when I completed this level. Get Jiggiwiggi with it!

J

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kfgecko on 1/12/1999 at 20:20

I was wondering what the book was that the warden discovered. Maybe him and Fistral from Shunned visit the same Library
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Heh. That's funny.

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http://www.ttlg.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif Ya know, I think maybe that Shunned book may have been delivered to the Library from the the Rose of Bantry at the Docks. Man, it contains some Information that that even a Lord Edmund might find Entertaining even though it might be the Death of Garrett. Who knows, stretching as far as Lampfire Hills to the Bear Pits all the way down to the Monastery of St Yora, it completes a Circle to Strain the mind to want Payback and Revenge.

Ack. That didn't turn out that good but oh well.

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It awaits! Check into (http://members.xoom.com/geckobeach/pcgames/thief/bloodstone/index.html) Bloodstone Prison (A Kung Fu Gecko mission)
Have you visited (http://members.xoom.com/geckobeach/pcgames/thief) The Library? "gem of a level" "tons of replay" "1.5 to 2 silver" - TDP TEG

[This message has been edited by kfgecko (edited December 01, 1999).]

kfgecko on 3/12/1999 at 18:57

Well, it seems that several people get stuck in my mission. I get the feeling my clues weren't clear enough. So, if you are stuck, here's the hints for the major puzzles. Find the Question you need, and careful highligh just below it. I will give progressively more descriptive hints.

Please have self control because this is a total spoiler for my mission. Check this only if you are stuck.

Q: How do I get into the prison?
- Not by the front gate, that's for sure.
- Rope arrow up the tree on the south west corner of the complex (the one with the light mushroom high up in the branches).
- Use two rope arrows, it's pretty high.

Q: How do I open the safe?
- Read Bix's letter (scroll in dining room), the Warden's diary (lockpick your way into the bedroom at the north end), and Sebastin's letter (north bedroom on west end).
- The Hammer ghost at the altar in the chapel is Sebastin, he won't notice or hurt you.
- Sebastin mentions in his letter that when his candle goes out, he goes to the warden's safe to get more candles.
- Pinch out (frob/use) or water arrow the candle flame.
- Follow Sebastin's ghost to the safe, snatch the key while he opens it momentarily.

Q: I went to the lower levels of Cell Block 1, now I can't get back up because the stairs are broken!
- Swim around
- Check the open cells.
- Check a flooded cell.
- Cell 12 has a hole in the wall leading to the boiler room. Climb the ladder, get the key from the pile of bones, go out the door.

Q: Where's the diamond Bando's prison mate swallowed?
- It's somewhere in cell block 1
- Read the prisoner log behind the Haunt archer.
- If the prisoner swallowed the diamond, how would he retrieve it?
- The log says the prisoner in cell 5 is proccupied with sifting through his dung.
- There's a hole in the floor of cell 5.
- Swim into cell 9 and climb up the broken cell door into cell 5.

Q: I'm in the dome with the torture devices and two haunts, how do I get out; the door's locked!
- Read the note near the locked door.
- The note suggests all personnel keep the key with them at all times. Are there any personnel in the room?
- Check the body on the floor (you can stay in the shadows and still reach the key).

Q: Now I'm past the dome, but I can't go anywhere because the double doors are locked!
- Check the toilet room.
- Jump down the toilet.

Q: I'm stuck in the docks because the upstairs door is locked! - You need a key.
- One of the haunts has the key.
- Knock out the torch for enough shadow to sneak by.
- Knock out torch, walk along thin ledge to the gate leading outside (you can't go out), crouch and slip into the water as quietly as possible, climb out the other side behind the broken boat, look at the haunts through the hole in the boat, go behind the haunts and steal the Bloodstone Key. (This key also opens the front door, the double doors from the admittance room, and the gate between north and south wings.)

Q: Where's the stupid vault key?
- Read the note near the vault.
- Warden has the key in his office vault, and only warden and Sebastin can access it.
- Warden won't get it for you, but Sebastin (Hammer ghost in the chapel) might.
- See question "How do I open the safe" (above).

Q: Hey, there's something over on the floor of cell block 2 but froggies are all over the place. How do I get to it?
- Run past 'em or use broadheads for some target practice.
- or, from the 2nd level ledge, mantle up the wall and drop down to the body, get the stuff, and run out!

Q: How do I kill the Jiggiwiddi (warden's ghost, a different looking apparition)?
- Read the book near the holy hammer.
- St. Judel killed a Jiggiwiddi with a holy hammer.
- Throw the holy hammer at the Jiggiwiddi.
- Watch out for the explosion! It fatally wounded St. Judel!

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It awaits! Check into (http://members.xoom.com/geckobeach/pcgames/thief/bloodstone/index.html) Bloodstone Prison (A Kung Fu Gecko mission)
Have you visited (http://members.xoom.com/geckobeach/pcgames/thief) The Library? "gem of a level" "tons of replay" "1.5 to 2 silver" - TDP TEG

[This message has been edited by kfgecko (edited December 03, 1999).]

Tels on 3/12/1999 at 21:52

There is one problem, though. I managed to kill the apparition without the holy hammer (didnt know that it existed) and that didnt tick of the objective. Now I am completely stuck

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"Why do you go so slowly? Do you think this is some kind of game?"
(http://bloodgate.com/thief/) The Keepers Archive - Demo missions, mini-FAQ, automatically generate levels and thiefy artwork

kfgecko on 3/12/1999 at 23:35

What? Although I intended that the apparition be killed by the holy hammer, if the player does manage to kill him by holy water arrows/sword, then the goals should still be checked...

Waitaminute, are you playing Expert level? If so, did you already get the book to give you the *NEW* objective to kill the warden?

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It awaits! Check into (http://members.xoom.com/geckobeach/pcgames/thief/bloodstone/index.html) Bloodstone Prison (A Kung Fu Gecko mission)
Have you visited (http://members.xoom.com/geckobeach/pcgames/thief) The Library? "gem of a level" "tons of replay" "1.5 to 2 silver" - TDP TEG

Tels on 4/12/1999 at 00:38

Yes, i read that book hours ago. Yes, I play at expert. I killed him, but the objective was not checked. Uhm. I will try that again. It should work if you say so...

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"Why do you go so slowly? Do you think this is some kind of game?"
(http://bloodgate.com/thief/) The Keepers Archive - Demo missions, mini-FAQ, automatically generate levels and thiefy artwork