Thief: The Dark Project 20th Anniversary Contest: RESULTS! Mar 1 2019 - by Yandros
Tannar on 23/3/2019 at 23:01
Darkness Walk With Us!
Very good FM. I really wasn't anticipating there to be anything beyond the inn section, what with all the bonus objectives (Ramirez's diamonds, the paint set, etc) that were there. You got me good when I was going down that fireplace, into the tombs beyond.
So yeah, the way things opened up like that was nice. That theme was pretty constant throughout, what with all the blocked doorways you'd end up opening with X or Y item, making it easier to traverse the level.
One of my favourite moments had to be the gauntlet with the fire guardian and the crushing ceiling. Talk about pressure! It was immensely satisfying to pull off.
Some of the solutions to problems left me scratching my head for a while until I figured them out, but then I suppose it wouldn't be a good puzzle if it didn't do that. Using the pressure plate trap to kill the second guardian felt a little unintuitive, if only because it felt like such a... seemingly supernatural enemy should die to conventional arrows; otherwise I really liked it.
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I loved what at first seemed to be a small hotel mission, but it turned out to have giant surprise areas (the tomb and the pagan areas). A lot of fun, even though the puzzles were a little tricky.
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What appears to be a throwback to the style of early Thief FMs (“I have just learned about cylinders, so I am making a circular window”) unfolds into a much broader puzzle mission. These are almost all logical (although opening up new portcullises from a distance does not really feel fair), and you are provided with the clues not to make them too frustrating. Some are highly original, going beyond the well-known ideas found in the base game. On the other hand, since you have to solve all puzzles to complete the FM, it is also quite linear in the way it progresses, concealed by backtracking which becomes a chore after a while. The same goes with the AI – at first scary, they eventually become tiresome speed bumps. It is not on the immersive side (and does some rather unpleasant things to the Thief canon), but the puzzles are just very good.
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Lacked all the issues I've had with previous Haplo missions (all personal preferences, rather than shortcomings of the author!). All the puzzles were intuitive, and whenever I got lost or confused, within five minutes of thinking and investigation I figured it out. Much less abstruse than other puzzle FMs I have played. The atmosphere was excellent, and it captured the feel of Bonehoard without copying its cavernous tombs; the many smaller rooms were creepy and tightly knotted, and the pacing and sequence of the puzzles gave the impression of slowly looping around and untying this said knot. The hotel was perfect appetizer for the main course, and provided a satisfying reprise at the end. Well done.
Tannar on 23/3/2019 at 23:01
Dewinder Manor
Solid Beginner Mission, story is silly so can't give it any higher but earns points for novelty. Good, solid Gameplay. Not much in way of atmosphere, but can't fault it for that too much.
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The construction of this mission and how it played are very reminiscent of some early fan missions. This is far from a bad thing, as it is very fun to play and the story, albeit rather humorous, was developed well through in-game text. Nothing spectacular was done here, but this does not noticeably hinder the experience and everything works well.
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The brushes and textures are reminiscent of early FMs like 'Geller's Pride' and 'Order of The Vine'. While the interior feels somewhat one-dimensional, it is at least less repetitive than Ramirez's mansion in 'Assassins'. A larger and less symmetrical layout might have given 'Lord Bafford's Manor' a run for its money, and the author's posts to The Editors' Guild have already shown a gigantic improvement. The Intruder painting puzzle was perfectly intuitive, and there are no obvious faults. It is essentially 10 minutes of simple Thief 1 fun.
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This mission is a classical T1-style one : trespassing on a manor house, robbing an object and getting out. It was a bit too short, but the manor was well-designed, even if a bit too simple, and quite little. But I remember I enjoyed the classical architecture of it and really had an impression to play a little T1 mission, like if it was one of the first missions of the original game.
For sure, it would need more polishing to be a more impressive mission, and above all, it would have deserved to be longer, but the author probably didn't have enough time to do so. Never mind, exploring the mission was nice, with not too few and not too many guards, and a little puzzle at the end to complete the objectives (taff, what is this thing people have with Dewdrop ?! ^^ ).
I'd also point out the shortness of the story too. It was rather interesting, with this noble having changed his behaviour after a trip, but since the mission itself was short, the story suffered from this. I was expecting to see more but quickly understood I had to do with it. Too bad, but good ideas so far.
So this mission deserves to be played, for it makes efforts to be a real T1 mission, with a classical and nice style within. It's too bad it's so short but it's worth the time to play it.
Tannar on 23/3/2019 at 23:03
Downtowne Funk
One of the best in the contest in terms of atmosphere. Author made some adjustments to the original TG sounds to make them feel somewhat new, and I’d say it worked pretty well. Also, nice use of particles in many places adds to overall feel, and the city is built brilliantly. The mission definitely has a classic Thief feel.
Generally, the mission plays well. It’s about finding your way, sneaking, and thieving. The city is very accessible with many additional locations to drop by. Usually, there are also multiple entrances. On the other hand, I found it really annoying that almost everything possible was locked up, interrupting the flow way too often and for way longer than necessary. Also, the guards’ patrol routes could’ve been thought-out better as many of them pass through the same spot so it’s easy to camp in one place and knock them down one by one, especially in the mansion area.
I liked that the story was partially derived from the original game, expanding one of its chapters. This way the action was entrenched in the original universe while still offering something new. Many fine readables were included. At the same time I thought it’s been cut too abruptly – it’d probably be better without that little twist near the end as it didn’t bring much in and left the mission feel unrewarding.
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Your mission felt like part of a Gold addition to the Gold edition : ) In fact, I wish it had been, as it made the original feel much more interesting. I hope we see part two someday. The ambients you chose were excellent, and your map was just the right size for fun gameplay and exploration, without exhausting the player. I loved the readables and little vignettes of humor throughout, while making your way through the story. As you, yourself, pointed out, the mission was incomplete in ways, and that feeling of incompletion can be felt at times, but even so you managed to create something fun for us to play.
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This little mission is a sleeper, kind of a gem. I say "little", but it's actually quite large, with several city sections to explore, as well as Reuben's fairly large mansion. The atmosphere is deceptive in that at first you feel like you're in a simple T1-style snatch and grab, but immediately as you start to progress, you are slowly and subtly sucked into a much richer environment than you see at first glance. This is due in part to the visuals: excellent use of stock textures in lovely ways, pleasing architecture that is both reminiscent of the OMs as well as organic and natural, and numerous little touches here and there, such as see-though windows which give the player a clue that a building can be entered.
The gameplay was engaging and immersive, and I had fun exploring this part of town and finding out how to proceed with my goals. There are many more places to explore than are first apparent, many homes and businesses contain entertaining glimpses into the lives of the inhabitants, with some clever and funny situations.
But the highlight of this mission is the story which is seamlessly woven into the original Thief canon, and furthers the story following the Thieves Guild mission offering a "what if" scenario that fits beautifully with the original. The writing here is original, clever, fun to read, and exceedingly well done, moving the story forward naturally from what happened in TDP. This would have made an excellent addition to the OMs, and certainly makes a wonderful tribute to them for this contest.
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Ever wondered how much easier it’d be to go from The Overlord’s Fancy to Reuben’s mansion without getting lost in those damn sewers? Wonder no more! It turns out the aboveground route is shorter, easier, and goes through a much more pleasant neighbourhood – the posh quarter above the seedy underbelly. It is an atmospheric, elegant-looking city mission with one focus point: Reuben’s mission, somewhat touched up to look better, but otherwise leaving it familiar. Something is still off about the place, helped by remarkably well-fitting ambients. Eerie.
The mission has more places to explore, with a whole lot of loot for the taking, but lacks a little direction – extra objectives for the higher difficulty levels would not have been bad. Colour light in a Thief 1 mission would be absolutely haram, but here, it looks fairly good, with bluish moonlit streets and colourful interiors.
Tannar on 23/3/2019 at 23:05
Heart and Soul
I thought everything was amazing overall in this FM. Beautiful architecture. Lots of secrets. Very creepy and melancholic atmosphere. Really liked the ambient sound and the look of the greenish rooms where you find the unfortunate souls turned into the undead. Another great thing about it is that though it reuses all the classic Thief:Gold assets/textures etc., it feels like it doesn't do that at all.
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There is a dingy and creepy vibe to this FM. It is the vibe that made everyone fall in love with 'Valley of the Burned' and 'Widow's Ire' in 2014. It is incredible that McTaffer has managed to seamlessly design a mission in collaboration with an author who has established such a distinctive style. Nothing feels misplaced or clunky; it feels like the work of a single auteur, despite being a collaboration built from an abandoned base. This speaks volumes about the talent of both authors.
This is like Thief Gold, but more in every way. Very well done.
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Nice effort and good textures, also good base idea for the story. But the superstrong undead can be really annoying at times, even for undead fans I think.
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Clearly the best “A Wizard Dun It” map since the original Widow’s Ire, this mission doesn’t delve too deeply into backstory, but delivers in spades when it comes to gameplay and atmosphere. Rather, it follows the rules of environmental storytelling: the location itself, a ramshackle and labyrinthine “wizard’s castle”, tells its own stories as you explore it. The place is irregular and maze-like, but never backs you into a corner: there is an astounding number of ways through the place, taking you through hallways, back rooms and dark oubliettes. (It is fun that a shop item buys you extra access through the complex). There are multiple access points and multiple exits for the crucial areas, all subtly different in the challenges they pose.
Along the way, the puzzles you will find are fantastic, but well rooted in Thief gameplay, and flow very naturally. The stock resources are also admirably customised, perhaps nowhere better than in the castle’s eerie, off-key catacomb system. All in all, this mission is a triumph, not just featuring a lot of smooth, well-tested design, but giving you something of the wonder of Thief as we first got to knew it. It is not quite “The Sword”, but the Lewis Carrol is strong in this one.
Tannar on 23/3/2019 at 23:06
In & Out
Awesome tour of Thief 1 environments. Fun to ghost! Story was a bit of an afterthought, but I liked how it expanded.
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A mission you could call "How did I end up in the Maw of Chaos from this taffing tiny Hammerite church ?" That was a most original gameplay choice and a very nice tribute to T1, suitable for such contest : exploring different T1 original missions in one single FM : more or less Undercover, Thieves' Guild, the Catacombs, The Lost City and the Maw of Chaos. Even if all of these little universes have few in common, the way you came from one to another in this mission was smartly designed and settled, with a little background to explain each change of universe. This mission was then all but monotonous and offered different and revisited parts of the original missions, enough so that you could recognize the inspiring mission without being a simple copy of it. For this, bravo !
I enjoyed the long-way-no-return feeling this mission gave me, like I had it in other games, above all platform games. You also go deeper and deeper throughout the mission , giving the impression it's long and vast. And it is, above all the catacombs part which I find the best designed and the most original. Hard when you see the numerous and well-designed catacomb missions in this contest, but it was definitely original too there. Also enjoyed the underwater-walking craymen, this function is so underused, it was more than clever and challenging to use it there.
Now the story is not the best you could find in a mission, its gameplay remains standard, and of course, since this mission reuses parts of the original missions, it loses in originality regarding the architecture and sound ambience. But this mission still has its own feeling and its choice of story-design, from a sub-level to another, was a good one to make this mission a good one. Also, even if the Trickster's beasts invasion at the end makes ending the mission difficult and almost unghostable, I still felt it was welcome, for it avoided a boring ending and still gave a little tension until you reach back the streets. So I won't blame the authors for that. Good mission with good ambience !
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If somebody made a Thief Gold amusement park, or turned it into a smoothie, you might get something like 'In & Out'. Where 'Ultimate Burglary' blended the city and mansion side of Thief Gold (warts and all!), this FM blends all the mystical and supernatural elements. You might call it jam-packed.
I didn't enjoy it as much as 'Ultimate Burglary', however, for two reasons. Firstly, I simply prefer the urban environments -- others have the inverse preference. Secondly, I feel as if 'Ultimate Burglary' fleshed out each of its four areas more, perhaps with the exception of its own zombie area. This might be a side-effect of that FM being non-linear, meaning I spent more time in each area, whereas this one is totally linear. Speaking of an amusement park, this FM is like a rollercoaster -- gripping, but over too quickly. None of areas were fleshed out enough to stand on their own. But they aren't meant to stand on their own! As a whole, this is an enjoyable pastiche.
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An in-and-out job.. Garrett often gets more than he bargains for. This one started out deceptively slow, but the build was good, and surprises kept coming. The tombs were well-built and maze-like, and the new enemies fun to interact with. The baby crays.. adorable.. and the she-monsters.. I literally laughed out loud getting killed by one or three. Had a great time playing this, and it was a fun tribute to the OM's. Also, thanks for the abundance of fire arrows.. it was truly cathartic making use of them.
Tannar on 23/3/2019 at 23:11
Lord G
I have a simple job planned for this evening. Break into a guarded mansion, steal another fat nobleman's priceless trinket, and leave quietly. Well, almost. This is a surprisingly high-concept mission which evokes the tasteless, gaudy atmosphere of Lord Bafford’s... with a surreal tone and a dark undercurrent. While simple in architecture, quite a lot of creativity has gone into the look and feel of the mission, and the detail-work is rather nice.
There is also a story which is delivered expertly – at least until an unnecessary, on-the-nose cutscene which spells things out a bit too much (“show, don’t tell” comes to mind). There are some gameplay issues. Stealth bottlenecks are unreasonably challenging, and the loot goals are extra-steep. There is something odd about the mansion layout, too, which necessitates way too much backtracking through an enormous outside garden. For all that, it is entertaining, and has some really tasteless interiors in the best sense.
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This mission felt vast in size but was unfortunately rather empty. Much of the gameplay consisted of traversing across the entire map in order to find a key in order to progress. It seems as if only half of the mansion was actually accessible, and what was explorable was surprisingly devoid of challenge. Originally, the expert difficulty loot requirement was quite high but was later patched. However, this "patch" consisted of simply putting an item at the end of the level that was worth more by itself than the loot requirement, meaning this requirement does not add any additional difficulty and is completely irrelevant. Most of the AIs were places in a single room with no intended way to effectively sneak past them, which is a strange design choice. These things having been said, there were parts of the mission which I found enjoyable. The conversation witnessed in the cave and the plot twist it reveals is interesting. Much of the loot was fun to seek due to its interesting placement. While I did not find this particularly enjoyable, I believe that it could have been better if the above criticism had been addressed.
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Lord G had much potential. First impressions are promising, with a vast and beautiful mansion and strong ambiance. Unfortunately, it becomes evident that large areas of the mission are unfinished, with extremely low levels of architectural detail and no interesting guard patrols. Progression through the mission is more or less linear and depends on finding an obscure switch and following somewhat ambiguous instructions. Perhaps the most glaring flaw is that it is very easy to put the mission into an unwinnable state (the author provided patches to fix this, which is commendable but I played the original version).
Despite all this, Lord G has some strong points. There are some good looking areas with clever details (the ball room and the top floor living areas stand out). and the mission maintains a mysterious atmosphere throughout. The plot twist that occurs later in the levels was actually surprising and felt sort of like the Thief FM equivalent of an episode of The Twilight Zone.
I hope that Lord G receives an overhaul by its author. With more work, this could be a great FM.
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The interior of the mansion was very underdeveloped, and the plot was essentially incomprehensible. However, the exterior was impressive, especially the east-side, and the translucent doors were interesting from an aesthetic and gameplay standpoint. Neither the worst nor most disappointing FM I have ever played, and obviously made with good intentions.
Tannar on 23/3/2019 at 23:19
Lost Among The Forsaken
Lost Among the Forsaken is quite clearly the best Old Quarter mission I've ever played. If you love getting lost in ruined cityscapes with zombies as company, this mission is 100% for you. The Old Quarter has never looked this good and sounded this spooky, with some very awesome sound manipulation that makes it sound like the mission is using custom sounds when it's not. The work on stock-derived ruined textures is also quite amazing here. This very much feels like a mission that uses a ton of custom assets.
The layout is very interesting, with many ways to reach the main objectives. The readables are all great and I never had any trouble finding my way around or finding little secrets referenced in journals or letters. The mission features a human-populated area with incredible atmosphere that makes you want to stay there for hours. There is a lot of subtle scripting as well in this area, making the whole situation feel that much more realistic and tense. You can also buy a contract to find items scattered around the quarter, encouraging exploration even more.
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This is a masterpiece of atmosphere that can be felt only minutes into play. This is one of my personal faves of the missions I've played, and I typically don't even like undead-style missions, which is quite a testimony to how well-crafted this world was built. Not only is it visually stunning, you took great care to work out the AI motions, conversations, and speech which added to the immersion. Also, your use of "new" AI was unexpected and often funny.. or scary. The way you built the suspense leading up to the end were wonderful.. the lighting, sound, readables.. all of them working together to create a truly immersive and tense experience. Your mission has a high replayability value, at least for me, because I missed a lot of nooks and crannies I suspect because I was often so scared I had to run away!. Fantastic work on this, thank you!
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Jesus christ that was terrifying at times.
Atmosphere was SOLID, fantastic detail, sound-design, and most importantly, enemy-design; someone has definitely been taking notes from old Half-Life horror mods. The main objective treasure room was horrifying. Wouldn't want to get entombed in there...
Gameplay was...disorienting. I think this added to the experience, but was at least slightly frustrating at times. The enemy design is the saving-grace here.
Story was very well executed. The atmosphere really just amplified it here.
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This is an exceptional mission in every respect, even the title immediately captured my interest and made me want to play it. The atmosphere here is top notch, and I can't say enough good things about it. The architecture, textures, sounds, as well as the debris scattered around the map, all serve to create a fine sense of emptiness and foreboding. I felt that atmosphere right from the start, but especially.when I reached the edge of the drop and looked out over the city.. there, it was thick and palpable. I got a delicious shiver down my spine, part tension and part excitement, and I couldn't wait to explore this beautiful map. At the same time I felt a sense of dread of what might lie in wait for me.. a perfect combination! I wasn't disappointed. The layout of the town, the tight, narrow streets, the twists and turns, the numerous paths and hidden passageways, all served to create a maze-like experience that was surprisingly never frustrating. Instead I was excited by each new discovery, uncovering yet another hidden route, building, or room, each of which was filled with ambience and often with pertinent and well-made readables.
The mission has a good story which is well told, and the readables are very well written and often quite humorous. Many of them offer wonderful little glimpses into the life of the denizens of the sealed quarter, while others add to the general feeling of foreboding and dread. For example, who are these tall men that are spoken of with such fear? You don't know, at the start, but you know you should be afraid.
The gameplay is top notch, keeping me engaged and on my toes the entire time. The AI are just numerous enough, and so well placed, that it is a constant challenge to proceed, while always feeling the desire to look over your shoulder, but I found this to be just right to create tension and excitement. I loved the flaming zombies, and the guy up on the heights. The altered speech of the AI was both chilling and eerie, and added greatly to the atmosphere of doom and dread. I was scared most of the time, and that's the way I like it. One of the best missions of the contest, and hands down one of the best missions I've ever played!
Tannar on 23/3/2019 at 23:19
Madness Of Wolfgang Handspiegel
Very short mission that tried to survive with hidden switch and key hunt. And this is a pity! The story is a bit cliche but still not boring but above all, the atmosphere rocks as hell! I recommend the author to keep his visual style since it worked perfectly but in matter of gameplay, this is a thing to improve (trying visual effects, triggers for puzzles or just sticking to classic navigation).
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Well, I played this sometime after your other mission - The Lost City of Gazing Glass - and was pleasantly surprised. As said previously, you obviously have a knack for detail and this mission proves it. I loved the telltale signs of the Trickster's influence throughout the mansion - from the cracks in the walls to... gaps in reality in the bathroom.
Reading through the diaries and piecing together what happened also helped to sell the uncomfortable atmosphere of the level, although the end was rather an anti-climax after the buildup. I also wish the level was a smidgen bigger, just to further realize this mission's title.
Still, this is easily the better of your two submissions and - as a huge fan of Constantine's Mansion and its surrealist styling - I hope it gets the recognition it deserves!
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A short, grotesque speed-build. This twisted mansion mission - a few rooms, really - manages to cram in more gameplay and discovery than its physical size might suggest. The theme is well realized, with a visual imagination - although some misaligned textures and other minor annoyances crop up. I am conflicted about the gameplay. Sneaking is tricky for ghosting, and offers a reasonably hard challenge for skilled players, but has just a little too much tile abuse for comfort (which slows down play substantially). Structurally, it is a key hunt. However, the mission is full of inventive little details, and has a brief but bizarre story that's quite fun.
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This is a fun little mission with a unique feel to it. The textures were simple but in keeping with the OMs. It's a small mission, and there aren't many AI, but the choices in AI and their patrol routes made for a fun experience. I like that the AI were principally creatures from the maw, always one of my favorite parts of the original mission, so I felt right at home here. It was not always clear how to proceed and I needed to hunt around quite a bit to figure out what to do next. That detracted a bit from gameplay, but on the other hand there were a few clever bits that made finding them worthwhile. The story is simple but classic, and the resolution was satisfying. This was a nicely done entry, especially for a first time author. I applaud you for making two missions for the contest, and for choosing to submit your first ever missions for a contest, especially one as large as this. Looking forward to seeing many more missions from you in the future.
Tannar on 23/3/2019 at 23:21
Making a Profit
Very well made. It is not the best city of this contest, but then the competition there is essentially insurmountable. Personally, I prefer a narrative that is less expository, and city gameplay that is less scripted and linear. Aside from these features, it is fantastic. I imagine those who have the opposite preference will have close to a perfect experience.
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Making a Profit may very well be the most ambitious first mission since Pukey's Morbid Curiosity. Not only are Making a Profit's scale and scope very high, but all the scripting behind the scenes is just mind-boggling.
This mission presents you with a massive cityscape dominated by a mountain with a manor on top. The lady's presence looms over you the entire time since you can see the mountain from most areas in town, which makes for a perfect landmark. The cityscape is quite interesting and open, with many streets that can take you wherever you want. They're overall fairly basic but feel good to traverse. There is also some Roman architecture sprinkled here and there, most notably near the lady's manor. The sheer amount of locations you'll visit is also staggering: a cathedral, a manor, a cemetery and other nice places such as caves, and they're all interesting and well designed.
This mission is overall packed with stuff to do and the scripting is absolutely stellar. The mission has a few light puzzles that are interesting to solve and never overstay their welcome. The cemetery puzzle in particular has no less than four solutions to it, with one of them being very funny and very clever. The story is a bit generic but the way it's conveyed is very good and I had a few good laughs, most notably with the nature of that Anax item you need to steal. One issue I had with the mission is that the loot goal is quite steep, I had a hard time reaching the objective on Expert.
Overall I think Making a Profit is a stellar debut and definitely an incredible mission that everyone needs to play.
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Perhaps the best game-play of the contest. Logical map. Conversations were spot on. Good puzzles. Never lost or at a loss. Just felt empowered and sneaky! Architecture was on the weak side and it did suffer a tad from just being bigger than it needed to be but didn't diminish the fun factor
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What a fitting mission this was for my last-played of the contest. Firstly, the story of this mission managed to be both original and captivating, taking turns and venturing into unexpected territory. This was aided by the variety of custom voices and conversations, which is a mark of quality. The chase after taking the hand was excellent! Later, the ritual was fun to play through and required both thought and planning to sabotage with stealth in mind. Through these examples and many others, the time and care put into this mission was certainly made evident. Very well done.
Tannar on 23/3/2019 at 23:22
Mother Redcap's Last Request
This is a simple beginner mission that does nothing really wrong overall. Classic manor with a surrounding garden and some guards to keep watch over the Lord's property. I liked the fact that there is a short sewer with thieves under the house. Roombrushing is quite sloppy but this is arguably one of the hardest aspects of DromEd.
The mission flows pretty well and offers a few different ways to get to your objective, which is how it should be done. The story itself was also quite nice if classic, the readables were well written overall. Hopefully Swiz sticks around and makes more missions!
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Uniform texturing on large open areas, especially interior section like the entry staircase, make it hard to hide boxy and symmetrical brushwork. By OM standards, the architecture and interior design are about as dull and spartan as Ramirez's Mansion -- many rooms contain only a couple of objects.
However, the gazebo was quite nice, the guard patrols were balanced and well-connected, the story actually made sense and progressed with appropriate pacing. If the post plot-twist section had been extended a bit, and the brushwork and object placement embellished somewhat, this would be fine competition for an OM.
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Very simple mission obviously made by a beginner. Blocky architecture and basic gameplay, but it doesn't make any major design mistakes and is decent enough. Average mission overall.
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Fun, solid FM. Boxy, gives the "First FM feel" but no problems with execution. Not a hard mission by any stretch. Good number of readables, and there was a bit more to the plot than I expected of it. Good work for a first outing, author should keep up the hobby!