Cragscleft feels huge compared to Bafford's Manor. The mines are winding and maze-like. I found a place I didn't see before, and this is my third run through Thief Gold. The prison complex is... complex. Metal and machinery make their appearance for the first time. Alarm systems, cameras, self-closing doors, undead, magic enemies. This is all new, and introduced all at once in this second mission. I think this is a bit much, resulting in a difficulty spike. That said, most of it works well. It's just a lot to handle.

This game introduces us to the Hammerite faction, an important group of people in the City. This faction provides us with a natural expansion of the Thief universe and a step beyond the boundaries of rich nobles and stealing trinkets. Mystique pervades the mission, especially the mines and the upper part of the prison complex, where the Hammers take their rest after a long day of work.

One of the finest of the original missions.

And, yes, I understand your objections about the spike in difficulty. It's also something most FM authors don't understand. That many of their missions are MUCH more difficult than the original missions, thus hard for casual players.

I agree with your point Chakkman, about FM authors making missions harder. I think most authors make them not for the casual players, but with their peer group of seasoned Thief players in mind, generally shutting out most newcomers looking for something different.