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Fan Mission: The Phrase Book by Sotha (2012/05/12)


Sotha

The Phrase Book  

52 members have voted

  1. 1. Gameplay: Enjoyment. Fun duration. Smooth flow, ect. Versus Bugs. Frustration, Boredom, framelag

  2. 2. Appearance: Visual pleasure, lighting, visual style, deduct bad texturing etc.

  3. 3. Story & Text: Story. Text. Briefing. Graphic storytelling



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Something I've been meaning to ask about Leofrick:

 

When you stop him from hanging himself, you get the "You have postponed a tragedy" message.

 

I initially assumed that using the word 'postponed' was your dark sense of humour (i.e. "You have postponed a tragedy; however, you have only postponed it and it is a foregone conclusion that something equally or probably even more awful will happen to this couple later on"), but I then wondered whether you actually meant 'prevented' or 'averted' (which offers a bit more hope for a 'Happily Ever After' scenario.)

 

Not a biggie. Just wondered. :)

 

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I think:

 

 

 

"postponed" is the correct term, since you just KO'ed the poor guy, and think about his state of mind when he wakes up: "Omigod, I'm even more forlorn than I thought, because someone dislikes me so much that he knocked me out. Where's that rope?"

 

 

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Thanks for the heart warming feedback! I'm glad you have enjoyed the mission so much.

 

 

 

The outside generator controls only the lights nearby. It is good for distraction & easyish entrance via the front door.

 

 

I figured it out now.

 

On my first playthrough....

I didn't get the opportunity to find the hidden vault under the wine cellar as the book was found in the study, and I didn't actually notice the hidden button on the torch to open the passage behind the tapestry. On my second playthrough now, so I have a found almost all loot including the stuff in the display cases..

 

im on 3950 of 4000 - theres a pesky 50 loot out there somewhere which I am having problems finding - It is probably in a really mundane place as I think I have found most of the harder stuff on top of wardrobes and the likes :P

 

Edited by Scope
-Scope
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On postponing a tragedy..

 

 

Guys! Does this mean nobody found the OTHER hidden objective dealing with Leofrick? There are two...

 

A hint: grayman is exactly right...

 

 

Clipper

-The mapper's best friend.

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On postponing a tragedy..

 

 

Guys! Does this mean nobody found the OTHER hidden objective dealing with Leofrick? There are two...

 

A hint: grayman is exactly right...

 

 

 

I think I did...

 

I dropped Annabelle's diary in Leofricks room, as common sense would predict that upon awakening he would read the diary and find out she was forced to write the letter, which would in turn stop him commiting suicide altogether.... It worked :) got message for secret objective no#2 - "You have PREVENTED a tragedy".

 

P.S. - I found that final 50 loot hiding in a bookshelf in the library - completed on hardest difficulty, with 1 knockout (on leo), 4000 loot, and both secret objectives in 1:00:51 - next play through will be with v1.08 as I don't want to dull my taste for this FM :)

 

Edited by Scope
-Scope
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I think I did...

 

I dropped Annabelle's diary in Leofricks room, as common sense would predict that upon awakening he would read the diary and find out she was forced to write the letter, which would in turn stop him commiting suicide altogether.... It worked :) got message for secret objective no#2 - "You have PREVENTED a tragedy".

 

Wow...I stand condemned; that 'common sense' option didn't even occur to my cold, thieving heart (sob)...

 

***admiration for Sotha's story-telling/game-planning/general-TDM-geniusness rises even further***

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Heh.. Actually, I got the idea, free of charge, from Springheel.

 

 

 

In Knighton Manor, SH said he carried the note of the murdered servant in the well to Knighton's room to help justice to happen.

 

I realized it would be an excellent idea to reward observant players doing extra things in the mission. A simple additional objective would give more joy of discovery.

 

 

 

So thanks SH!

Clipper

-The mapper's best friend.

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Heh.. Actually, I got the idea, free of charge, from Springheel.

 

 

 

In Knighton Manor, SH said he carried the note of the murdered servant in the well to Knighton's room to help justice to happen.

 

I realized it would be an excellent idea to reward observant players doing extra things in the mission. A simple additional objective would give more joy of discovery.

 

 

 

So thanks SH!

 

 

Definately agree, there have been times both in TDM FM's and in actual Thief games where I have done similar things but they are never scripted in and it is done more for my own reward... I really like that you have recognised this, and while there is no tangible reward for carrying out such tasks - it gives some satisfaction in knowing i found a secret "easter egg" and makes me feel an increased level of involvement with the story for sure.

 

 

AluminumHaste, on 30 May 2012 - 05:58 PM, said: I don't think I ever found the ladies book ...

 

Me neither.

 

I certainly didn't on my first run through - but since I was going for full loot, I stumbled upon it by accident... actually I found a lot of similar little things that I didn't notice on my first play through, the narrative of the whole story was told really well with these placeables I found :P

Edited by Scope
-Scope
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One word to describe this mission is "balanced", excellent balance.

 

This mission has everything I want, and nothing I dont want.

 

I voted your mission 5/5/5. It's very very close to perfect.

Not a single boring moment in the entire mission. Fun and challenging, from beginning to end.

Sotha, did you make this mission by yourself? because it's a masterpiece.

 

 

The shop is fine. There should be too many items for sale in the shop. The player should not be forewarned based on what items he can and cant buy.

I bought 2 holy waters and zero breathe potions. I completed the mission on expert, with help of the Thief's cache and numerous healing potions.

 

Edited by Partol
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What do I do with the

burnt letter...I feel like I should put it somewhere the inventor can see it, but so far no hidden objective tics off

?

 

 

 

Not all objects have a hidden objective behind it...

 

 

Clipper

-The mapper's best friend.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Crap, almost forgot to write my small review...played this a few days after it was released so it's been some time now...

 

First of all: Really great mission!

 

 

 

I envy your skills to create large outdoor/city areas that connect through buildings and inns and such.

Perfect balance between performance and visuals.

 

Also very challenging with random patrol routes as one can never be sure of where the guards will be :) Add to that I played on Expert and I don't think I KO:ed more than one...It's so typically me; To save all equipment and KO's until the end :) ("Cannot use that now, may need it later. Better reload and try a thousand times to sneak past that guard, than waste a water arrow...")

 

It felt stream lined to be able to snuff candles without picking them up. Nice touch!

 

I like the machinery and security gadgets you've put in some of your missions :) I was a bit surprised/scared when I dropped into the watery tomb and had to pick my way out :) I was planning to have a water trap in A night to remember but it didn't work the way I wanted so I skipped it...

 

 

 

As a sidenote I can mention that I, as Toni, also bougth the holy water in case of undead encounters, but there never was any undead...I just shrugged and let it go. I feel the same as the author; one should analyse the briefing and see what you will need. It adds a lot to the experience to be able to make crucial choices and maybe buy stuff you don't need. If one replays the mission several times one may stream line the choices. But as with lots of other things, this is a mapping thing, to make sure that some equipment may give the player special opportunities and possibilities as for how to enter the perimiters of the missions goodygood-places and such :)

 

 

 

Edited by Fieldmedic
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I said I was going to wait for 1.08 but I needed a TDM fix and I have no regrets. Great FM. It could even be my favourite Sotha FM to date. High praise I think considering all of your FMs are of a high standard.

 

I loved the Thieves highway bit. That was perfect for TDMs excellent mantling ability. The hot pipes was a nice touch that made things that bit more challenging.

 

I loved the use of RITs. I gave up trying to work out peoples patrol routes as that was getting me no where. I just went for it by either sneaking past or taking a gamble and blackjacking them. It really gets the heart pounding as you have no idea if it will work or not. If you know that someone is going to stand in front of the fireplace for 20 seconds everytime they walk into the living room then knocking them out is a piece of cake.

 

 

I found the phrase book just a few minutes of getting into the mansion. I saw the piano and literally said out loud "that would be an interesting place to hide the book" and there it was. Maybe I just got lucky but as this was the main objective I got a feeling of "is that it?" I still had to make up the loot count and the mansion was very beautiful so I still had plenty of motivation to keep on exploring it.

 

 

Even though I was going to wait for 1.08 I'm still very motivated to play this again plus I got my TDM fix. Thanks for making this great FM Sotha.

"I believe that what doesn't kill you simply makes you... stranger"

 

The Joker

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I thought I would be clever so instead of

knocking out the grieving lover I collected the diary first and dropped it on his desk where the note is. This achieved the objective but I was hoping that he would read the diary and introduce a new result. However after waiting a while it didn't happen.

So much for me trying to be clever although it did allow me to complete all the objectives without a knockout :D

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