Tenebricus

I have absolutely no idea, but I guess it was an average time as seen on the other screenshots in this thread. Anyway, this data is rather inaccurate, since it doesn't take into account the time spent replaying the loaded fragments of the playthrough. And I did reload several times - that much I can say for certain.

Okay, about the ghosting stuff. That's exactly how I did it. TDM allows the AI to react to changes in their environment. This particular candle, however, is of no interest to any of the NPCs in the mission. Some of the other lights are and this one isn't. Zeroes in the mission statistics screen prove it. The same goes for valuables, the disappearance of which could arouse suspicion, but doesn't. In case it did, I'd have to search for items, that aren't on public display, yet there was no need to. Realistically speaking, is one candle going out in a drafty cellar to be considered a sign of malicious perpetration? Hells no! To the inhabitants, I emphasize, I really wasn't there. Now for the details of phrasing. "Undetected" doesn't quite cut it, since I could just KO everyone and still be undetected. In my video description on YouTube I settled for a "playthrough with zero NPC interaction". Who is to say it's not ghosting? Well, the author of the mission doesn't count it as one, but what ya gonna do? I could probably dispense with extinguishing that candle, but I believe the rigid approach like that is hardly justified. That's my subjective opinion and I urge you to just view my video as a quick, efficient walkthrough, if you disagree. Thanks for your time, by the way. You're completely wrong here. Mistaking a noble lady for a maid is my honest fault. I guess, I'm not too used to NPCs changing their location and behaviour throughout the mission. As for the cellar detour, I'm returning there later in the video, which I didn't realize at the time of recording. Skipping past that door could save me a couple of seconds, but it hardly matters, does it?

Here you go, then:

Well, you know, it's all about planning your route. And boy, does WS1 have room for that! I've had a couple of hours to spare last night, so I printed the maps, did some scribbling on them and played through the level. It gets better though. I'm not the biggest fan of pixel-hunting, and therefore I don't even have a complete loot map in my head. So, I am convinced WS1 can be played through even faster! Now I'm toying with an idea of making a video of "ghosting WS1 on Difficult under 10 minutes and without saves", if anyone's interested. I really doubt I could beat my time this way, since I had to load a couple of times yesterday, but it could still be interesting, no? P.S. Loot placement is another thing I liked about WS1. It was sensible, with a good amount of secrets. Yay!

If you still need more testers, you can count on me.

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.