Happy New Year, Mister Lambert! by Gaëtane

[gaetane]

I'm very glad you enjoy the mission

Lightningline : Lady Lambert leave the bath after you read the three codes.
Look for near the main staircase

[The Mike]

Awesome, awesome, awesome mission!
Really great, a whole lot better than I even imagined it would be. Great murder mystery/horror story, and really well made on top of that. This one has everything that, in my mind, makes a great FM: an interesting story, cool design, some general creepiness (and some humour to offset it), good writing, and well-disperesed puzzles that never become frustrating (I love the fact that you always KNEW which room was going to have a hidden switch in it). I still have some questions, now that I'm done with it-

spoiler:

first of all, is there a way to get into that vent to the right of the dead body on the table down in the basement? Second, was there anything interesting in that small downstairs area with the christmas tree? I had no real reason to go down there, so I kind of ignored it. Finally, are there any other areas where "Jack" makes an appearance besides in the room with Sir Lambert?

Once again, great job! Can't wait for your next FM...

[Sir Lance]

The Mike

spoiler:

Search the area with the Christmas for a secret lever. Can't answer your other queries though. I am still lloking for the secrets as I'm still 200 short of loot and only 2 secrets found!!!

[bobber]

Fantastic mission. Such detail too. Thank you gaetane. I think you have raised the bar here

to the mathematically challenged, here's the safe code:

spoiler:

************** 7284 *****************

[gaetane]

The Mike and Bobber,
first, big thanks for your compliments

The Mike,
For your questions :

spoiler:

- no, there's no way behind the railings in the basement (near sir marcus).
- Jack appears only at Lambert's quarters

[lonzboy]

Now that I'm done The Time That Has Passed, I'm off to download this one. I read some of the posts (but none of the spoilers, I want to try it all fresh first), and it sounds like I'm in for a real treat!

[The Mike]

Thanks Gaetane and Sir Lance for the answers.

spoiler:

I figured something was around the Christmas tree...I just saw all the tile flooring down there and was like "Hell no."

Yeah, great mission! I'll have to play it again sometime on expert.

[billdun262]

Short mission but good.

spoiler:

I don't think the Mazarins were getting along too well. Sir Mazarin was obviously writing a note to his lover just before he was killed. There would be no reason for him to write a note to his wife telling her what he doing when he could simply go to the room and talk to her. For that matter, she should already know why they are at the Lambert's residence. Secondly, Lady Mazarin doesn't get upset at all when she discovers her husband's corpse. She freaks out at the site of most other bodies, though. In fact, nobody gets upset at the sight of the bodies of Marcus, Henderson, or Mazarin. Those guys must have really been unpopular.

[mxleader]

The best part is the

spoiler:

hidden switch in the mini library where what's his name is stuffed up the chimney and the most amazing hidden switch that has teleport capabilities. I must have tried it a dozen times, just watching the body vanish then end up back in the chimney was a good laugh.

Well done gaetane.

[gaetane]

billdun262

Mazarin wrote to friend, and not to his wife.
Maybe there was a problem of understanding here?

[gaetane]

mxleader

Oops... it's a little bug

[Sir Lance]

gaetane thank you for this mission - great plot, well placed secrets and even better plenty of clues and a non-obscure safe code (I always need help on them normally but not this time!!!)

[dirtyoldman]

mxleader

Oops... it's a little bug

It's NOT a bug! in fact it is only natural for undead to hide their victims using switches with supernatural properties

[billdun262]

billdun262

Mazarin wrote to friend, and not to his wife.
Maybe there was a problem of understanding here?

My dear seems an odd beginning for a letter to a friend unless it was writen to a lover as well. I figured he wasn't writing to his wife. I was just being a little sarcastic. It might have lost something from translation into English, but it's no big deal, even to annoying intellectual anuses like me.

spoiler:

It is humorous that you can drop her husband's corpse in her bed and get no reaction from her. I guess that's just a natural feature of the Thief 2 engine for a body that was dead at the beginning of the mission. Jack's corpse doesn't get any reaction either, but the bodies of enemy AIs in Thief 2 don't. I remember in Cragcleft in Thief 1 that the Hammers would kill escaped prisoners and then freak out at the sight of their corpses, swearing vengeance for the deceased. Anyway, I've enjoyed all of your missions, and I like any mission that gives a chance for third party fights.

[gaetane]

It's NOT a bug! in fact it is only natural for undead to hide their victims using switches with supernatural properties

Well... I should make a small update for the mission

And I should change the "Dear" of Mazarin's letter too

[Stingm]

Okay I must be missing something obvious. I can not find a way into the castle and I have been everywhere. All guards and folk are knocked out in the city, and I have been everywhere except in the open window at the beginning...I have tried everything to get in there. Can someone please help me get into the castle and this window? By the way i was able to get on the rooftops too, but could not realy go anywhere. Thanks for any help!

Sting

[Lady Jo]

Okay I must be missing something obvious. I can not find a way into the castle and I have been everywhere. All guards and folk are knocked out in the city, and I have been everywhere except in the open window at the beginning...I have tried everything to get in there. Can someone please help me get into the castle and this window? By the way i was able to get on the rooftops too, but could not realy go anywhere. Thanks for any help!

Sting

spoiler:

Turn over to the tavern and look in lower part of the parchments.

[Stingm]

That helped alot...thx so much. Anyone know how to get in that open window at the beginning?

Sting

[ZylonBane]

Okay I must be missing something obvious. I can not find a way into the castle and I have been everywhere.

Unfortunately the way into the castle is extremely NON-obvious, and can only be accomplished if you just happen to notice a key in a spot where Garrett has absolutely no reason to be looking for one. Oh and did I mention that it's hidden underneath some stuff?

[bdkl]

blahh...crap. I knew that key had to be somewhere. As for the open window , it makes a useful platform up to the rooftops and a handy workaround to the key problem . I never did find a key to the guarded door in the first part of the map . This was anther excellent mission , but from my standpoint it lacked the flow and gameplay of gaetane's earlier efforts . The bedroom switch in particular broke the immersion factor . On the plus side the dance music was a hoot and the undead guard was really well rendered .

[Lothar]

On the plus side the dance music was a hoot and the undead guard was really well rendered .

Yeah, Rammstein, the famous barbarians from the north It seems that many Thief fans like metal music (including me). Take for example Saturnine and his Cradle of Filth influenced 7th Crystal. Or Yandros and his music references in The Burrick's Head Inn (one of the books I found there was Hallowed Be Thy Name by Steve Harris ).

And Jack the Guard was great, he really earned my respect after killing me three times in a row. I had to snipe him from the other balcony through the door. He took seven arrows and I then charged him and survived with three HPs.

[Norman Druart]

With a combination of sneaking and the invisibility potion, I was able to turn Jack loose on the rest of the household. Made treasure clean up a lot easier. Lambert survived though! Great mission Gaetane!

[TSFroggy]

Another wonderful mission Gaetane! I enjoyed it thoroughally - plus it's been like the first fan mission that I didn't actually need help to complete. :P

[joanieS]

I think the creators of these wonderful fm's with the cakes and doughnuts should post a WARNING! SWEETS AHEAD or something such in the briefing so those of us with a sweet tooth can have our stash at our fingertips as we start to play.

[R_G]

Very nice mission!
Found all secrets ( I think)
But.. please anyone can give me a hint to find the safe?
Thanks!