Just been playing Thief Gold and when I started it I thought it was brilliant. It then got better and better - perhaps nudging itself in to one of my top 5 games...ever.

BUT

I've returned to the haunted Cathedral and have completed the first part of the quest (trying to avoid spoilers here). After that, I've reached frustration point which has developed in to despair. It's just become impossible for me (even on normal). I hate enemies that just won't bloody go away and die.

So I now have Thief II and Deadly Shadows but frankly can't be bothered to even install them if they are similarly frustrating.

How do the seasoned gamers out there who have played TG think and are the sequels a bit more forgiving?

Hi there,
It is a great game and can be frustrating, i know. I finally downloaded and printed off a walkthrough which is very helpful when I am extremely stuck...i.e. frustrated...

Please don't be turned off by the game. Because it is challenging, that is part of what makes it so good. It really is the best, in my opinion. If nothing else, it attempts to teach patience! I still haven't learned that yet!!

Thief 2 shifts the focus much more to pure thieving, rather than dealing with undead, so you may very well like it better. But, it's a direct continuation of the story from the first game, so you might want to at least check on what happens first. I personally like Thief 2 better than Thief 1, although I've only played the original Dark Project version of Thief 1, not the Gold version here on GOG which has some extra levels and some changes to existing levels.

I should point out that in the Haunted Cathedral level it is quite possible to sneak past most enemies rather than fight them. You can also stealth-kill them if you're tired of having them skulking around. My first time through I didn't realize I could sneak past these enemies and was having a really tough time dealing with them, but later I discovered that stealth is still viable and it made it a lot easier.

There are weapons in your arsenal that will make those enemies die! Holy water and Fire! But you have to use your equipment in moderation throughout TG and T2. Often it is a good idea to just sneak through. That is kind of the point of the game...

I think both following parts are more forgiving. T2 does not have the kind of enemies you meet in the cathedral at all. It has people and those nasty mechanical enemies - it's the Metal Age after all. And in T3 you have that much equipment, it is almost unfair to your enemies...

ctrl+alt+shift+del to skip the current (undead) mission.

Actually, unless I'm mistaken, flashbombs will also kill zombies. I didn't know that until my second playthrough. But yeah, the easiest thing is to use the level skip code that voodoo47 so thoughtfully provided.

Thank you so much to all who have responded - it's genuinely appreciated.

I hate skipping levels/quests in any game, so have taken advice on board and persevered. It's still very frustrating; I'm moving a few feet, pausing, saving and then repeating...

Again, avoiding spoilers, I've reached what I thought was the exit according to the scrolls and nearly threw my laptop across the room when the words "New Objective" appeared in front of my bleary, weeping eyes.

If I remember correctly, you don't have much more to do! Keep at it, it's worth finish the game.

If s/he's just got back to the front door and the Eye has locked it, s/he still has all the fetch quests to do...

Did we mention that the third game's Shalebridge Cradle is a 'homage' to Return to the Cathedral...?

The OP's posts made me think s/he was past that point, but you could be right.

Sorry for the delayed reply. Yes, you're right - I have been given a fetch quest to do, specifically to get some rosemary beads. Judging by the plural used "quests" I'm assuming there's more to come.

Before this thread, I didn't realise that the haunts i.e. the ghosts that throw skulls and the sword bearing skellies, could be killed using a sword. I previously tried but after a few hits, came to the (wrong) conclusion that they were invincible.

I'm now making progress by killing the haunts, outrunning zombies and by exploring every nook and cranny!

The game has now returned to its rightful place in my top 10!

Awesome, glad you're enjoying it again!

I did it! No cheating (unless posting on here is considered a mini-cheat), no skipping and no more tears.

The story then unfolded and oh my god!! I did not expect that at all. It'll take a few days to gain my composure and then I shall have my revenge....mwahahaha. Ooooo, I love being dramatic.

Same sentiment with Waltorious here, pigdog. I'm glad you're enjoying the game again.