If you're going to praise NewDark at least update to the latest version.
I don't understand why Dromed says 1.21. I'm pretty sure I downloaded NewDark 1.23 not long ago.
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Thief fan missions and campaigns
- Thread starter SCO
- Start date
I don't understand why Dromed says 1.21. I'm pretty sure I downloaded NewDark 1.23 not long ago.
Yandros
Savant
You may have downloaded it, but you're not using it. Mine definitely says 1.23, and you'll want to take advantage of the latest fixes and features.
skacky: Someone's long-lost FM project? Or something new?
Other things: Once more, I have to concede Thief 4 is terrible. I gave it another shot by trying to watch an LP (mainly to compare The Chalice of Souls with the House of Blossoms), and ended up falling asleep in the middle of a later episode. The game is positively soporific.
Other things: Once more, I have to concede Thief 4 is terrible. I gave it another shot by trying to watch an LP (mainly to compare The Chalice of Souls with the House of Blossoms), and ended up falling asleep in the middle of a later episode. The game is positively soporific.
Dev_Anj
Learned
That is very obviously the mission description for a mission you're making for the 72 hour contest. Atleast, it seems very much so.
Here's what I've written for my entry into that contest.
The idea is to keep the premise simple enough to allow for everything to be wrapped in one short-medium sized level, while still being able to put in a few twists.
Here's what I've written for my entry into that contest.
The idea is to keep the premise simple enough to allow for everything to be wrapped in one short-medium sized level, while still being able to put in a few twists.
2126 terrain brushes under a total of 46 hours? That sounds possible with the right vision and a little practice. My smallest mission, Prowler of the Dark was built over three days (about 32-36 hours, but someone who still has Dromed installed can check the info window), and has something like 1000 or 1200 brushes. Double that, and it adds up to a similar amount.
Of Thieves and Rubies by Silencium18 is a campaign made up of four small missions revolving around a gem heist and its consequences. Garrett has fallen on hard times, and he must do his fence a favour by stealing a priceless gemstone - but others also have their eyes on the prize.
The missions in the campaign are nothing but exemplary. None of them are particularly large, but a lot of attention has been focused inwards to result in levels that are rich in production values, have a skillfully realised story, and are highly playable. The missions are introduced by short intro videos, a nice touch. They mostly use stock textures and objects, but do so in a way that is particularly rich in small detail, and lit up almost perfectly. Thief 2 stock is tricky to work with since it is slightly bland and overused, but nothing here looks cheap or uninspired. On the contrary! There is a lot of "show, don't tell" kind of visual storytelling, either related to the main plot or just as decoration.
The story unfolds not just through the cutscenes, but through changing objectives and focused, well-written readables. They are to the point, but with a distinct voice. It is interesting that in a reversal of expectations,
The real sinister stuff comes in the form of an insane asylum, partly converted into a prison to hold common criminals for the police.
Sneaking around is satisfying. The missions are not any harder than the OMs, but the tension is kept up with interesting, challenging patrol patterns (it is a joy to ghost through). Getting to your main objectives is fairly straightforward and logical, but there are a few obscure, well-hidden secrets which reward cautious exploration. Where you find puzzles, they are logical, and don't overstay their welcome. Equipment is perhaps a bit abundant, but that's a very minor thing.
The overall high quality and fine-tuned nature of this mission pack makes it suitable not just for hardcore players (who will still enjoy the sights), but beginners as well. FMs are often very elaborate, extremely challenging, and a little bit too big for their britches (mine obviously included), but Of Thieves and Rubies is just right for casual players. If I wanted someone to see what the FM scene has to offer, this is the Thief 2 mission pack I would guide them to.
The missions in the campaign are nothing but exemplary. None of them are particularly large, but a lot of attention has been focused inwards to result in levels that are rich in production values, have a skillfully realised story, and are highly playable. The missions are introduced by short intro videos, a nice touch. They mostly use stock textures and objects, but do so in a way that is particularly rich in small detail, and lit up almost perfectly. Thief 2 stock is tricky to work with since it is slightly bland and overused, but nothing here looks cheap or uninspired. On the contrary! There is a lot of "show, don't tell" kind of visual storytelling, either related to the main plot or just as decoration.
The story unfolds not just through the cutscenes, but through changing objectives and focused, well-written readables. They are to the point, but with a distinct voice. It is interesting that in a reversal of expectations,
the religious order who is behind your troubles is not an apocalyptic doomsday cult, but a bunch of people who actually have slightly benevolent ideas beyond their obvious self-interest.That was rather cool.
Sneaking around is satisfying. The missions are not any harder than the OMs, but the tension is kept up with interesting, challenging patrol patterns (it is a joy to ghost through). Getting to your main objectives is fairly straightforward and logical, but there are a few obscure, well-hidden secrets which reward cautious exploration. Where you find puzzles, they are logical, and don't overstay their welcome. Equipment is perhaps a bit abundant, but that's a very minor thing.
The overall high quality and fine-tuned nature of this mission pack makes it suitable not just for hardcore players (who will still enjoy the sights), but beginners as well. FMs are often very elaborate, extremely challenging, and a little bit too big for their britches (mine obviously included), but Of Thieves and Rubies is just right for casual players. If I wanted someone to see what the FM scene has to offer, this is the Thief 2 mission pack I would guide them to.
Lady Whitman’s Disease by Robin.
Lady Whitman has been kidnapped by the dastardly and brutal Lord Terence, who holds her against her will in his lavish mansion. What’s more, she has a rare condition that requires medicine, and if she cannot be rescued on time, she will surely die. The lady’s husband implores Garrett to help before it is too late.
So begins the story of this way too old mission, which is one of those old FMs that have stood the test of time fairly well. Lady Whitman’s Disease follows the Bafford formula: there is a well-guarded mansion with a heavily guarded front door, and you have to find a side entrance by following your initial clues. For that, we get a small town area with various residences you must break into, a bar (these early missions inevitably have one, with the obligatory too-drunk-to-care guard!), and even some sewers which are there because why not, sewers are cool. The city part helps you get some equipment, and a sense of scouting out your targets – you can peer through windows, find unconventional ways into various places, and get an idea of your main target by observing it from a generous distance. Then comes the break-in, featuring servants’ areas on its lower floors with generous shadows, then increasingly more tile-heavy and well-lit rooms as you progress towards saving Lady Whitman.
There is a vertical element, priceless trinkets to steal, an evil plan and so on. It looks mostly simple, but the low-poly look has its charm, and you can see all kinds of ingenuous bits of construction that also result in some good gameplay. Both the town and the mansion are well realised. It is fun (and not too easy!) to ghost, and tells an interesting story. It feels like a proper thief adventure.
Lady Whitman has been kidnapped by the dastardly and brutal Lord Terence, who holds her against her will in his lavish mansion. What’s more, she has a rare condition that requires medicine, and if she cannot be rescued on time, she will surely die. The lady’s husband implores Garrett to help before it is too late.
So begins the story of this way too old mission, which is one of those old FMs that have stood the test of time fairly well. Lady Whitman’s Disease follows the Bafford formula: there is a well-guarded mansion with a heavily guarded front door, and you have to find a side entrance by following your initial clues. For that, we get a small town area with various residences you must break into, a bar (these early missions inevitably have one, with the obligatory too-drunk-to-care guard!), and even some sewers which are there because why not, sewers are cool. The city part helps you get some equipment, and a sense of scouting out your targets – you can peer through windows, find unconventional ways into various places, and get an idea of your main target by observing it from a generous distance. Then comes the break-in, featuring servants’ areas on its lower floors with generous shadows, then increasingly more tile-heavy and well-lit rooms as you progress towards saving Lady Whitman.
There is a vertical element, priceless trinkets to steal, an evil plan and so on. It looks mostly simple, but the low-poly look has its charm, and you can see all kinds of ingenuous bits of construction that also result in some good gameplay. Both the town and the mansion are well realised. It is fun (and not too easy!) to ghost, and tells an interesting story. It feels like a proper thief adventure.
Dev_Anj
Learned
Old school missions from the 2001-2003 era have a certain charm to them. Yes, they have obvious failings, and they can't compare to many great missions that have been released since, but they often have an interesting idea, some surreal architectural pieces, and attempts to experiment with texturing that sometimes worked and sometimes didn't.
They also have ambition. Getting to your targets is almost a lost art in missions (or the whole mission is focused on exploration, like the work skacky or I tend to go for), while many of these older FMs have a satisfying element of infiltration. Circle of Strain 3 is another one of them (it was a huge influence on Bad Debts, my first mission!). It makes the experience feel more rounded, more complete.
And then of course there are also missions made out of several dozen cubical areas connected with the odd cylindrical cave passage. There are a lot of those as well, although even there, there are interesting oddities. Last evening I played a mission where there were tunnels in... wood? Not a huge tree like in The Widow's Ire, but like a big underground nugget of wood. That was strange.
And then of course there are also missions made out of several dozen cubical areas connected with the odd cylindrical cave passage. There are a lot of those as well, although even there, there are interesting oddities. Last evening I played a mission where there were tunnels in... wood? Not a huge tree like in The Widow's Ire, but like a big underground nugget of wood. That was strange.
Echo Mirage
Arcane
Did anyone ever make any missions based around the original Dark Camelot plotline?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIMzs5O3QWo
There's a summary on the plot near the end of the video but it's still very little.
There's a summary on the plot near the end of the video but it's still very little.
DrKubiac
Educated
- Joined
- Aug 29, 2015
- Messages
- 66
Thanks, somehow I missed it. It's pretty vague and generic, with so little detail it's difficult to develop such a story and say it was based on the Dark Camelot plotline, while it could be any kind of random medieval fantasy. I can't think of any mission like that anyway.
What the hell is Dark Camelot?
Thief before it was Thief.
Trivia: Dromed is also named that way because Camelot --> camel --> dromedary --> Dromed.
On a different note, I have been replaying some of the classics lately, and I must say, Calendra's Legacy has aged like fine wine. Mercedes remains a bad wish-fulfillment character, Garrett is a bit of a prick even by his usual standards, some of the forced ghosting is iffy, and the purple prose remains a lovable artifact of the late 90s Vampire: the Masquerade craze, and so on and so forth, but the second mission only seems to have increased in its stature.
The gameplay is still a fascinating subversion of Thief standards while keeping the core sneaking experience intact. The difficulty is right for skilled players - harder than the baseline, but never frustrating. If you screw up your stealth, you can usually escape through the canals, but at the cost of losing some progress, since there are only some places where you can climb out. (In contrast, Rocksbourg 1, which I am playing now, is absolutely unforgiving if you aren't blackjacking AI left and right.) The extra objectives keep the plot going even outside the dynamically changing main objective, and there are more sub-plots to discover and enjoy. There are simple but cool ideas like a mechanical eye that lets you see invisible rays, the vampire (sorry, vampyre) blade that becomes a source of healing, or a zombie carrying around a hilariously mangled dead cat.
The variety of custom undead is nothing but amazing, and they range from the usual slow, lumbering zombies to preternaturally agile apparitions, stronger vampires, roaming mists and some kind of undead mages who can kill you with a single firebolt spell. Their extra lines give the mission its own personality. Maybe some of the scenery is not as impressive as it used to be, but remember, this is pre-NewDark with its strict brush and poly limits. Some of the architectural tricks are downright staggering from a technical point of view, and there are actual environmental changes in different stages of the mission - the museum heist, a mission within the mission, plays radically differently depending on your time of visit.
Aside from some mistakes and questionable stylistic choices, this is still what The Metal Age should have been - gloomy, visionary, complex, and pushing Thief in new directions.
The gameplay is still a fascinating subversion of Thief standards while keeping the core sneaking experience intact. The difficulty is right for skilled players - harder than the baseline, but never frustrating. If you screw up your stealth, you can usually escape through the canals, but at the cost of losing some progress, since there are only some places where you can climb out. (In contrast, Rocksbourg 1, which I am playing now, is absolutely unforgiving if you aren't blackjacking AI left and right.) The extra objectives keep the plot going even outside the dynamically changing main objective, and there are more sub-plots to discover and enjoy. There are simple but cool ideas like a mechanical eye that lets you see invisible rays, the vampire (sorry, vampyre) blade that becomes a source of healing, or a zombie carrying around a hilariously mangled dead cat.
The variety of custom undead is nothing but amazing, and they range from the usual slow, lumbering zombies to preternaturally agile apparitions, stronger vampires, roaming mists and some kind of undead mages who can kill you with a single firebolt spell. Their extra lines give the mission its own personality. Maybe some of the scenery is not as impressive as it used to be, but remember, this is pre-NewDark with its strict brush and poly limits. Some of the architectural tricks are downright staggering from a technical point of view, and there are actual environmental changes in different stages of the mission - the museum heist, a mission within the mission, plays radically differently depending on your time of visit.
Aside from some mistakes and questionable stylistic choices, this is still what The Metal Age should have been - gloomy, visionary, complex, and pushing Thief in new directions.
On the other hand I was talking with JarlFrank about Garrett as character of games and one of most awesome protagonist in fiction. Copy pasting my part of message about it:
"Also, Garret himself. He is one of my favourite guys in whole gaming. He isn't typical hero, a guy that saves world every monday or some sort of adventurer. He is grey, silent guy that know how to do one thing and he mastered it - thievery. He is also type of guy that don't judge or act like one, he is just thief that love what he do and live from it, but when things go south, he know that he must do right thing. Even if many times he just could go away and run away with loot. He also is disgusted with violence and never probably killed anybody (at least lorewise as master thief. And in Thief world it says MUCH about him, as this is kind of world where everybody can stab you in your back for even bad glance at them) and his experience maked him a legend during games. People don't love him, but also don't hate him. City guards in games seems to even kind of... respect his skills. I love this guys, with his snarky talks to himself, as he is only person that he can talk to."
Fan missions are damn large part of that charm. Most of those not only manage to do it, but even expand it.
"Also, Garret himself. He is one of my favourite guys in whole gaming. He isn't typical hero, a guy that saves world every monday or some sort of adventurer. He is grey, silent guy that know how to do one thing and he mastered it - thievery. He is also type of guy that don't judge or act like one, he is just thief that love what he do and live from it, but when things go south, he know that he must do right thing. Even if many times he just could go away and run away with loot. He also is disgusted with violence and never probably killed anybody (at least lorewise as master thief. And in Thief world it says MUCH about him, as this is kind of world where everybody can stab you in your back for even bad glance at them) and his experience maked him a legend during games. People don't love him, but also don't hate him. City guards in games seems to even kind of... respect his skills. I love this guys, with his snarky talks to himself, as he is only person that he can talk to."
Fan missions are damn large part of that charm. Most of those not only manage to do it, but even expand it.
Last edited:
- Joined
- May 13, 2009
- Messages
- 28,589
The term you're looking for to describe Garrett is "anti-hero", not "antagonist"...unless you confused the latter one with "protagonist", who is the central character of the story.
And sadly you don't need to look any further than the intro to the first Thief game to see Garrett kill someone. He probably abhors violence, but won't hesitate to kill someone if he can get away with it.
And sadly you don't need to look any further than the intro to the first Thief game to see Garrett kill someone. He probably abhors violence, but won't hesitate to kill someone if he can get away with it.
Yeah, mea culpa, it was my mistake.
Huh, really? I must look at it as even Thief wiki states that he never killed someone other way then fooling both K and Constantine and that pagan guy, but it was mercy kill.
A guy who knocks people out with a blackjack is hardly what I would categorize as a person who abhors violece.
I'd just say garrett is just not bloodthirsty. But killing is kind of commonplace in the city, so...
I'd just say garrett is just not bloodthirsty. But killing is kind of commonplace in the city, so...
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