T2 FM: The Ritual (Dec. 4, 2000)

[twisty]

Unfortunately there is a bug with the version of the Ritual that was released yesterday that only popped up after beta-testing. Luckily Viper6 informed me, and so I rushed off to Despot and have now put up a version that doesnt have this bug. The only problem is that 50 people have downloaded it before I realised. I was suprised that this many people have downloaded it in the first day and a half.
I hope that this hasn't been too much of a hassle. Sorry

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Check out my New FM!

You can download it at :
Cheap Thief Missions
The Circle
The Keep
Darklurker

[varas]

i have played ritual for some time now, and could you tell me something. i don't where the marius's office is. i'm now in the old hammerite catacombs(quite scary place!). and know what, you should remove that merimee from the mission, because it's very annoying that she follows you every place you go, blocks your way, pushes you to the light from shadows so that the guards may see you. well, the mission itself is quite good, and story is very good. do you have any new projects going on lately?

-varas(thief)


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The shadows playing, i'm watching, blackjacking.

[twisty]

Hi Varas,

Marius's Office is on the first street. Theres a sign above the door. Its next to the library. If you downloaded the latest version of The Ritual, you may have noticed that Merimee now steps back when she reaches you, which prevents you from getting stuck. She is also just a little girl, who is no good at sneaking so you have to really watch the Druzilites to make sure that they don't spy you or her.

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Check out my New FM
The Ritual
You can download it at The Underground

[varas]

WHAT?!?! but i searched EVERY office or apartment, and i didn't find anything that would give the objective completed, so where is the information, is in some kind of paper or in a book? it's bad, because, as you can remember, i'm in the old hammerite catacombs, so when i have completed things on there i will surely visit the marius's office. well, that's it for now, bye

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The shadows playing, i'm watching, blackjacking.

[brother taffer]

yeah twisty, I see that Marius' safe is locked, how is it opened? I have done everything in the mission on Expert, I'm missing 95 gold, I killed all the haunts and spiders and blackjacked all the other AI except the first guard who can't be blackjacked, and this safe is the only thing I haven't completed, unless it doesn't have 95 loot in it.

[Garrettwannabe]

What a tremendous accomplishment sir....these new skins, schemas, ect are just totally cool & the gameplay is pretty intense. Just what I love - a big level with lot's o places to go. The creativity is really great also and some of the architecture is just really different and cool.

Thanks so much for the level & I encourage everyone to download this one for sure - in fact, I'm gonna go back in now.....

[twisty]

Thanks guys! But now, whats a taffer have to do to get their FM posted at the circle? I've sent Dan 2 emails already (one of them a week ago), but I still get no reply!
The solution to Marius's office is SPOILER
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Theres a key in the second room - where the lab stuff is - which is in a hidden compartment next to the bookshelf on the floor. Pull the carpet up and there is a key which opens up the safe. There is a book inside which will give you some good background into the shadowy history of the Druzilites.
I'll have to get around to writing a walkthrough soon.

Hope this help

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Check out my New FM
The Ritual
You can download it at The Underground

[Hidden in shadows]

Fear not, Im still consumed in your beta-stage-level.

[brother taffer]

I did everything, but when i take merilee (or whatever) back to my start point, nothing happens. All other objectives are checked, except don't kill anyone, keep Merilee alive, and return with her to your start point. What's up? I waited around.

[AznDoDo]

Argh, my Download speed on my super pathetic 56k modem is download like 28 bytes a sec. Whoo, I get to play TFC while I'm downloading.

[Viper6]

After betatesting Twisty's "The Ritual", I would rate this mission as a Must Play, and no apology is necessary even with a couple of bugs in the beta version. This is one awsome mission, new AI's, new voices, architecture that will knock you out of your chair, more baddies than Oblivion, and a completely new interaction never before seen in an OM or FM. This is the first bona fide hostage rescue mission ever. Parts of it are a real "MUTHA", but all of you will enjoy this one.

And this is Twisty's first mission!

Twisty, from the land down undah.

[Sneaksie Thiefsie]

Hey twisty, I think I've run into a problem with your fan mission.

I've got through the grate, looted all the houses around that little sewer grate (is that the well?), and I've gone east from there, down a little street that ends at a T-Junction. I turn left, and I'm back at the end of the street where I started. I throw a scouting orb, to check when the archer's back is turned, and get an error - "Too many starting points" or something - and then Thief freezes. I had to ALT-TAB out and shut Thief down that way.

Any suggestions, or should I wait for the patch?

Sneaksie Thiefsie

BTW, what I've seen so far is great! That unblackjackable guard is a real challenge to get by! Is there anything behind any of those tapestries that is worth going back for?

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Thou Shalt Not Rob From The House I Have Built, Or Commit Any Theft Or Unrighteousness, Lest Ye Be Struck Down And Driven Into The Earth Forthwith, And The Land Of The Heathen Consume You

Now here: The Hand of Karras. Check out this fanfic at www.thief-thecircle.com

[Viper6]

Try not using a scouting orb to look around the corner while we bug check this. Just peek around real quick, preferably at a crouch, and when her back is turned, whack her. Another technique is get them to chase you down the alley to your right. Keep circling the building at a run, and the guard will loose you. When guard starts searching, or gives up and walks toward patrol route, then whack him/her.

But, for this mission...spoiler...leave the two sword guards alone for right now. They will inadvertently help you out later in the mission.

Keep playing. The fun has yet to begin. Heh, heh.

[twisty]

Sorry about the late reply, Sneaksie Thiefsie. I have never come across the problem with the startingpoint error before, or even seen anything on the forum about it. Ill have to do a search on it . But for now, Id take Viper6's advice and avoid throwing a scouting orb there (strange thing, however, as I've done this myself alot of times and never encountered any problem). One possibility is that it is a video card related problem, but I doubt that this is the case as you have probably used it lots of times in other OMs+FMs.

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Check out my New FM
The Ritual
You can download it at The Underground

[Sneaksie Thiefsie]

Thanks for the advice. I'm intent on removing as many people as I can from the mission, due to the fact that I like to run around and admire the architecture when I've finished. I managed to take the sword guards out in the beginning after a lot of work and watching of patrols - avoiding the other guard was a real challenge

I've never before had the problem with the scouting orb or anything of the sort. My system specs are:

PIII 800
128 MB RAM
45 GB Hard Disk
64 MB GeForce DDR
Soundblaster Live! Value

I'll try the area again - it may just be that that was a one-off. I'll check back, and thanks for the quick response

Sneaksie Thiefsie

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Thou Shalt Not Rob From The House I Have Built, Or Commit Any Theft Or Unrighteousness, Lest Ye Be Struck Down And Driven Into The Earth Forthwith, And The Land Of The Heathen Consume You

Now here: The Hand of Karras. Check out this fanfic at www.thief-thecircle.com

[frobber]

Finished Ritual last night on "Normal" and found it quite unique and interesting. I plan to follow developments for a while, play it a couple of more times, then possibly write a review.

But I do have a few questions and comments ... and since they may sound like quibbles, I'd prefer at this point to send you (Twisty) email directly. Could you check out the header of this message to get my address, then send me your email address?

Thanks

frobber



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THE ENTERPRISE now playing. Rate it here.
Also, check out my essays on story telling in games entitled Inducing Reality.

[frobber]

I'm writing a review of Twisty's new FM, the Ritual, and I'm trolling for comments in the "What others have said section." -- but so far there hasn't been much buzz.

Anyone playing this yet?

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THE ENTERPRISE now playing. Rate it here.
Also, check out my essays on story telling in games entitled Inducing Reality.

[sp4f]

Yup I've played it. Can't say that I like the city sections but once you get past a certain point into the catacombs then it does improve and generally becomes more fun.

[Naartjie]

I enjoyed the city sections a little, and the very small section in the park ( as well as the park itself) were nicely done.

I liked the catacombs in some places, but they didn't feel like catacombs due to their regularity or their texturing. The evil cult were also nicely done- the way they all came back and forth to the gong was good. I would have prefered it if they spoke properly , though, and maybe only some of them were Burricks

There were some problems in the level, for instance my ability to break open the wooden door next to the Hammerite Chapel (btw...more could have been done to make this feel more of a Hammerite influenced area...the small chapel, rest area and office didn't have the effect they could have done) and then fall our of the level. Apart from that, a highly interesting and fun level.


Naartjie

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[Bruny]

Is there a walkthrough? I'm stuck at the altar with the three priests. Isn't there supposed to be a girl there? How the %^$# are you suppoed to get past that crushing wall and those pressure plates in the pool of poison whatever? I did it, but my method was so crude I'm thinking there's an easier way. First I *had* to shoot a rope arrow into the ceiling on the floor above before going downstairs. Of course there was no way for me to know this until I went down there and killed myself 20 or 30 times. Then I used a speed potion and leaped across the pressure plates, ran to the end of the trap corridor and climbed my pre-shot rope arrow. Anyway, I found the teleport lever which transported me to the top of the room, looking down on the altar. I have knocked out *everybody* in the catacombs. The three priests with a flash bomb and three quick conks on the head, the two guards in the entryway with my trusty forggy eggs, and everybody else with some delicate blackjacking.

By the way, I like this mission. Very tomb-raideresque as somebody else mentioned. And the whole cult thing, blood red moon, etc., makes for a genuinely creepy experience.

[Despot]

http://www.3dactionplanet.com/thief/...lkthrough.html

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Eschew obfuscation.

[Bruny]

Okay, thanks. But Merimee still isn't there. Just a stone altar in the center (in Dromed she's there).

[Martek]

Originally posted by Bruny:
Okay, thanks. But Merimee still isn't there. Just a stone altar in the center (in Dromed she's there).

Same thing happened to me, in a different way (Master level):

Earlier I removed Merimee from the altar and set her down on the ground. Then I left her there, right next to the altar, to go and finish up the rest of the goals.

Later, after getting all the gold, I came back for her, and she's gone!

I've searched the entire level for her and there's no sign of her anywhere.

Damn, and it's a great level except for this bug.

Happy Holidays!
Martek

[Martek]

Originally posted by Bruny:
How the %^$# are you suppoed to get past that crushing wall and those pressure plates in the pool of poison whatever? I did it, but my method was so crude I'm thinking there's an easier way. First I *had* to shoot a rope arrow into the ceiling on the floor above before going downstairs. Of course there was no way for me to know this until I went down there and killed myself 20 or 30 times. Then I used a speed potion and leaped across the pressure plates, ran to the end of the trap corridor and climbed my pre-shot rope arrow.

Yes, I did it slightly differently:

• First I did not prep a rope arrow before heading downstairs.
• I worked my way across the pressure plates by jumping carefully (I did take four damage doing this).
• At the top of the stairs, just before stepping on the long pressure plate that triggers the crushing wall, I readied my rope arrow.
• I hopped across the pressure plate to the far end; then kept hopping. This keeps the crushing wall from coming all the way over.
• I aimed my rope arrow overhead, and stopped hopping long enough to start pulling the bowstring (you can't pull it while hopping).
• As soon as the bowstring started to pull, I began hopping again (the bowstring will continue to pull even though I've resumed hopping).
• I shot the rope into the overhead wood, then climbed out.

Happy Holidays,
Martek

[Martek]

twisty,

Just finished your level, The Ritual.

An excellent level! Great layout, good puzzles, and a good story.

I have just one little problem. Thought you'd want to know: I've lost Merimee!

I came to her before I had all the gold collected (for Master level goal), so I took her off the pedestal and layed her on the ground next to it. The I went searching for all the gold (well, enough to meet the goal as at this point I still don't know the total availabel).

After finding enough, I came back for Merimee. She's gone!!!

I have now searched all over the level for her, including all the back the starting point. She's nowhere to be found.

So for the moment I am unable to finish. I am not ready to start over just yet.

Someone else had a similar problem. See: Help with "Ritual"

Any ideas?

Happy Holidays,
Martek