Thief fan missions and campaigns

[Rahdulan]

Interesting music choice for a trailer about a stealth game.

Seems fitting to me.

 

[Unkillable Cat]

Put in an hour into The Black Parade.

The first map is a Skacky-certified cityscape at a glance, but in truth it's downgraded for ease of gameplay. Understandable considering this is the first mission in a campaign, but still... look at the entry-level. "Skackesque" level design. I'm actually using the compass more than usual just to keep track of my travels on the map.

Spotted the first cool "AI banter"-moment. There's a (non-frobbable) door from which barking sounds can be heard. Clearly a doggo doesn't like being confined. A patrolling guard passed by the door and he said "It's me, you idiot." Didn't shut the dog up, though.

 

[duskvile]

Also, a horse just walked past me. A horse.

Can you blackjack the horse ?

 

[Unkillable Cat]

Haven't tried it... yet. I'll get around to it.

 

[Biscotti]

Did not expect this when I got an alert for the Thief FM thread! Holy shit, the day has finally come. This weekend is gonna be a good one.

 

[destinae vomitus]

Can you blackjack the horse ?

Yep, works about as well as you'd expect.

Spoiler

Turns out animal abuse is a crime.

 

[Maggot]

Why does this campaign with maps so detailed they could never run on an old computer force the low detail character models? Sick of this meme.

 

[Jazz_]

I have been playing the first map of ''Black Parade'' (not done with it yet) and it's great but no rope arrow in such a deliciously vertical cityscape? Sacrilegious.

 

[JarlFrank]

Also, a horse just walked past me. A horse.

Can you blackjack the horse ?

No, it doesn't go KO

It does react to your blackjacking attempts though, which is cool.

Finished the first and second maps.
I remember alpha testing the first map many, many years ago, but forgot enough about it that it retained some surprises. When it comes to city missions, it's pretty average - solid, but not the strongest skacky made (Endless Rain and Sound of a Burrick are better imo).
It is, however, the grandest opening level I've seen in a campaign yet. Zero bullshit, The Black Parade pulls no punches and throws you right into the deep end.

It's a great introduction to all the dromed magic the team conjured up. You see an actual working quadruped horse! AI that walk past each other will exchange a few words of greeting! Lots of cool new animations! And the sheer quality of the new voice acting is astounding. Truly professional production values.

First mission is an 8/10, good introductory mission that sets expectations. From what I heard, all the other missions are going to be even more impressive.

And that is certainly true for the second mission. Holy shit. Mentioning any details would be a spoiler so I'll just say it gives a fan favorite Thief 1 mission a run for its money.
Absolute masterpiece, 10/10.

Today I'm off to the third mission, a classic Hammerite cathedral. Already loving the variety on display here.

 

[Morgoth]

Just finished the first mission of TTBP. They weren't kidding when they said it's a love letter to TDP. So far, so excellent.

 

[JarlFrank]

Third mission is a Hammerite cathedral, and it's probably the biggest, most complex one I've seen yet... and I've seen many Hammerite places through the years.
9/10, future Hammerite missions will have a hard time topping that one.

Next up, tombs... I fucking love me a good Bonehoard. This will be good.

 

[Icewater]

Has anyone been able to open every locked door in the first mission? There's a few I couldn't find any keys for, and of course you don't have lockpicks. Also, there's at least one area that looks like I could rope arrow up to it, but I couldn't find any rope arrows either.

 

[Morgoth]

Who of you Codexers lives in the Hammerite Abbey?

 

[JarlFrank]

Finished mission 4.

Holy shit.

Absolute masterpiece, I love Bonehoard-inspired tomb missions and this one knocks it out of the park.
But then, when you think you're done with the mission...

Spoiler

You suddenly discover a gambling den filled with some more loot and taffers to knock out, along with a few patrons using new custom animations while they gamble. This area is completely optional and missable btw.

10/10.

 

[Unkillable Cat]

Has anyone been able to open every locked door in the first mission? There's a few I couldn't find any keys for, and of course you don't have lockpicks. Also, there's at least one area that looks like I could rope arrow up to it, but I couldn't find any rope arrows either.

I finished mission 1 with ~150 loot missing, but I could unlock all the doors I found. You have to keep your eyes open for keys, and then probably backtrack to try them out. The keys are all marked, so it shouldn't be a big problem.

There aren't any rope arrows (or lockpicks) until mission 3, but I found three areas where I could climb anywhere in mission 1.

Spoiler

The first one is in the bailiff's office (upper floor of the gatehouse, right above the gate). Climb out the window by the desk, and there should be an bird-headed platform to walk out on, and then two more on each side. The one on the left has loot, this is visible from the tenements balcony.

The second one is where all the Hammerites are patrolling on the street, by the clocktower. You can use a ladder to climb up one level, but instead of continuing upwards the obvious path you have to go the other way, where a Hammerite archer is patrolling. The 'obvious path' is actually used to get back down after getting all the loot.

The final one is close to the end, you'll find a standalone chimney which has frobbable grating both at the top and the bottom. Climb up it and into the vent, and you'll come out in a fancy room with a broken chandelier. There's a door leading to a balcony, and you can tightwalk across the chains there to get some loot by a window. I actually tried to get to this place from below, but was either just a little short from mantling on the balcony, or the surfaces there are mantle-proof.

What I'm more interested in asking is: Who here entered the top apartment in the tenements? The one you need to crawl through a vent to reach? That one has DrKubiac written all over it.

I finished Mission 2 with close to 800 loot missing, so I'll be visiting that one again. But man, did that sleeping merchant in the dark room get me!

 

[Baron Dupek]

wat

 

[JarlFrank]

Finished M5 of Black Parade. My personal rating is a solid 7.5/10 although depending on your personal preferences it might rank much higher. I'm just not a big fan of haunted mansions, but for this kind of FM it's really solid.
What truly sets it apart from other haunted mansion FMs is:

Spoiler

You start out in the non-sealed part of the Old Quarter. Then you have to find a way into the Sealed Quarter. That part didn't last long enough for my taste, the mansion is found pretty quickly in there - but usually you'd be dropped right in front of the mansion. Not here. You get a city section, followed by a ruined city section, and only then do you get to the mission's centerpiece. I love how the authors put so much effort into making your heists feel like a proper journey. Excellent pacing.

Now for mission 6... man I'm kinda sad that I'm already halfway through the campaign, it's so high quality I don't want it to end.

EDIT: Changed my rating of M5 to an 8 because it keeps throwing new discoveries at me even after I finished all the goals.
Every single mission does this

 

[Unkillable Cat]

M5 of The Black Parade ("The Brand") made me feel I was back playing "Lost Among the Forsaken" for a while.

What detracted from it was the main plot forcing its way into things.

And somehow I missed 800 loot...

 

[destinae vomitus]

Mission 6 had a moment I'd call comparable to running into a hammerite ghost or haunt for the first time. You'll know it when you get there, assuming you won't unknowingly bypass it.

Spoiler

When you're in the forbidden library trying not to alarm a certain somebody, an already spooky scenario, and suddenly a type of statue you've seen throughout the level comes alive right infront of you and starts causing a ruckus as it tries to murder you.

I'm not easy to startle and about as loud as a mouse while playing games these days but I still exclaimed WHAT THE FUCK in confusion/fright when it happened.

 

[Unkillable Cat]

Regarding the start of Mission 6... how many of you just jumped out the window?

 

[JarlFrank]

M5 of The Black Parade ("The Brand") made me feel I was back playing "Lost Among the Forsaken" for a while.

What detracted from it was the main plot forcing its way into things.

And somehow I missed 800 loot...

I'm pretty certain I missed a lot of the sealed quarter section because I missed over a thousand loot.

One day I'll have to replay this beast of a campaign. Right now I'm enjoying a delve into the Keepers...

I love how varied this is, every mission has a distinct theme.

 

[Unkillable Cat]

I found an apartment in Mission 6, belonging to an unnamed thief who likes to pull solo jobs and is racking up quite a reputation in the criminal underworld.

Could it be...?

 

[Morgoth]

Aaaaand finally made it through the moat in Mission 5.

I can without a shed of a doubt say the Black Parade simply beats any other FM out there I've ever played. The meticulous love that went into it is astonishing.

 

[ironmask]

Does anyone know if the Black Parade team might make TC for Thief 2?

 

[Melan]

I am sure they would be delighted to, so please mention this to them as often as possible.