I've just finished my walkthrough just the way I like it - quickly and quietly. Well, Mr. grayman, let me thank you oh so much for the grand experience, that is "In the North". I'm fairly new to TDM, but so far your FM is hands down my favourite. Creeping along the corridors of a church-turned-mansion, I was amazed by the intricacy and integrity of your level design. I mean, in order to build such diverse yet realistically looking locations one must have some sort of education in architecture, doesn't he? The mansion totally made sense to me. It was a believable environment, that had me think like a thief. Real people could probably live in that house. And that's something you almost never see in games nowadays, since all those "professional" designers tend to build obstacle courses rather than self-sufficient environments. "In the North" had me immersed, and that's exactly what I was looking for. That's to say nothing about the sheer beauty of it all. From the cozy, warm interiors to the bleak, snowy outdoors, from the vibrant blue shining of the "Hammer room" to the sinister bloody glow of the underground crypt - everything here is awe-inspiring. On a personal note, I am a dweller of the northernmost large city in the world, and as such I simply adore wintery setting in my games. While playing WS1 I would mantle some random window in the courtyard and just contemplate the gentle snowfall and the guards patrolling below me. So, by now you might think: "This guy sure feels enthusiastic about the mission". But I haven't even gotten to the best part yet. As if being immersive and charming is not enough, WS1 is also really well-balanced gameplay-wise. It certainly isn't the hardest of the FMs that I've played, but the multitude of ways, in which you can walk this mission through makes for some amazing replayability. I found scrutinizing the three maps of the level to be a highly entertaining pastime, believe it or not. As for the story, I think, that given the genre, it's main purpose is to add to the level design. All that verbally communicated information must draw player's attention to his\her surroundings, give it reason, breathe life into it. It's the combination of two that makes the largest impact. And as far as I'm concerned, your readables and cutscenes do a fine job. The church/chapel issue did confuse me for a bit, but I sorted things out. And mind you, I'm not even a native English speaker, so if I managed, then everyone else should, too. Also, I could barely make out what that apparition in the chapel was saying, mainly due to the loud ambiance music, but apart from that I have no cavils left. The plot was intriguing and the characters vivid. You know, not more than a month ago I was reading the materials regarding the new Thief game and thinking to myself: "Damn it! Another series that I loved since childhood bites the dust". I was kinda sad, really. Now, after playing several astounding TDM missions (yours included), my spirits have lifted. Screw Eidos Montreal. Screw console corridor gaming. Screw rope-eligible areas. Screw moronic puzzles and hints at every turn. I'm home.