The Sunken Temple of Dielya

A mission by CloverLoop

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2021 August 15
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Title             : The Sunken Temple of Dielya
Directory Name    : Dielya_v1.21.zip
Mission Name      : miss21.mis
Author            : CloverLoop
Date of Release   : August 15th, 2021
Version           : 1.21
Description       : This is a short and simple puzzle-oriented mission, similar in spirit to Temple
                    of the Tides and Malazar's Inscrutable Tower (but much smaller is scope). If you
                    are looking for conventional Thief gameplay, this FM offers very little of it.

Difficulty Levels : Yes
Briefing          : No
Automap           : No
Notes Page        : Yes

== TECHNICAL DETAILS ================================================================================
 
 - Requires NewDark mantling to be turned on
 - The mission is intended to be played with fogging effects turned ON
 - The mission is intended to be played with bloom effects turned OFF
 - The mission is intended to be played stock Thief 2 movements (i.e., no T1 bunny hopping)
 - Tested only on NewDark v1.27d. Use older versions at your peril.

== KNOWN ISSUES =====================================================================================

 - It is possible trap yourself, rendering the mission unbeatable. However, it should be obvious
   fairly immediately if you have done so (e.g., because you've trapped yourself behind a gate), so
   "soft-locking" yourself is unlikely.

== BRIEFING =========================================================================================

I was contacted by an old associate regarding a potentially lucrative job. He claims to have the drop
on the location of the entrance to a long-lost Dielyan temple. The Diel-Ya people were a ancient
civilization, known to have made great breakthroughs in natural philosophy which they attributed to
their goddess, Dielya, from whom their name derives.

Above all else, the Diel-Ya people worshipped time. As such, every Dielyan temple holds a sacred
hourglass in its sanctum. Very few have ever been recovered, and the ones that have are showcase
pieces at major museums. If I can acquire one, my contact is willing to pay me quite a hefty sum.

The Temple has been abandoned for eons, so I can't imagine this job will be much of a challenge.
Nothing I can't handle, I'm sure.

== GAMEPLAY NOTES ===================================================================================

1. The mission is predominantly puzzle-based, inspired by fan missions like Malazar's Inscrutable
   Tower and Temple of the Tides, and puzzle games like Portal and The Talos Principle.

2. Every problem has an elegant solution. If you think something requires incredibly precise timing,
   you are going about it wrong. Look for another way.

== DESIGN NOTES =====================================================================================

This mission was built from scratch in under two weeks for the 2021 DromEd Summer Speedbuild
Competition. It is a small and simple mission that primarily serves as a proof-of-concept for a novel
DromEd technique to create rendered portals.

The architectural style and overall design aesthetic borrows heavily from the Ayleid ruins found all
over Cyrodiil in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.

== BETA TESTERS =====================================================================================

A big thanks to my helpful and thorough beta testers:
 - DirkBogan
 - Mat99
 - CyborgHobbit

== CUSTOM CONTENT ===================================================================================

This mission uses custom objects/textures by:
 - Eshaktaar
 - Team CoSaS
 - _Dale
 - Soul Tear

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* Copyright Information *

This Fan Mission is (c) by CloverLoop 2021

Distribution of this level is allowed as long as it is free and the package is kept intact. You
may not include this level in any map pack without my permission.

This level was not made, and is not supported by, Looking Glass Studios, Eidos Interactive or
Ion Storm.
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