Thief fan missions and campaigns

[Max_b5]

"This fm haz no sense" is pretty much the internet in a nutshell and it's quite hilarious at times.

 

[Morat]

Finally, I can imagine some readers wondering why I would review/tear into an FM as good as Ominous Bequest. The answer is because I'm seeing a lack of self-awareness in modders and their work, where they throw in stuff after stuff without asking themselves: "Is this really necessary?" or "Can't I do this another way?" Thief's modding community is no exception. I may be too late to have notable DromED Taffers change how they make their work, but hopefully I can influence future modmakers to adopt an outside perspective. Maybe I'm hoping for too much, but you never know without trying, right?

Instead of that, why don't you follow JarlFrank's example and start making your own Thief fan mission? Open that editor and show us all an FM that rises above all the shortcomings you see in everyone else's missions.

 

[Melan]

Finally, I can imagine some readers wondering why I would review/tear into an FM as good as Ominous Bequest. The answer is because I'm seeing a lack of self-awareness in modders and their work, where they throw in stuff after stuff without asking themselves: "Is this really necessary?" or "Can't I do this another way?" Thief's modding community is no exception. I may be too late to have notable DromED Taffers change how they make their work, but hopefully I can influence future modmakers to adopt an outside perspective. Maybe I'm hoping for too much, but you never know without trying, right?

If you want level designers to change (which is a very tall order, because "the paying customer orders the music"), you will have to post these on TTLG or the TDM forums, not here.

But if you really want to change things, the way to do it is to go out and build. Which is why I started at all: I was dissatisfied with the FM scene of the time, and wanted something different.

 

[Yandros]

Seriously, I would love to play an UnkCat mission.

WRT alternate universes, the soon-to-be-released campaign I'm working on with Tannar is set in the 1940's, and you play a private eye. We've gone crazy overboard with attention to detail, and with avoiding any references to the Thief universe (like familiar sounds and textures) to improve immersion, although that's a really hard thing to do.

 

[JarlFrank]

Ooh, 1940s. You'll probably be using a lot of custom assets for the modern setting. Can I use them when I make my own modern-setting mission? :D

With stuff from you and GORT I won't have to hunt down (or even create myself) many assets for that elsewhere.

I'm really looking forward to that campaign, especially to seeing the AIs in action, because you probably gave them handguns, and I love such unconventional AIs in Thief.

Btw, have another WIP screenshot from my mission. The lighting isn't completely done yet, but I'm not sure I'll add that much more. I like the cozy fireplace atmosphere.

And you totally know which fan-favourite guard will be seated in that armchair, sleeping and snoring:

 

[Morat]

WRT alternate universes, the soon-to-be-released campaign I'm working on with Tannar is set in the 1940's, and you play a private eye. We've gone crazy overboard with attention to detail, and with avoiding any references to the Thief universe (like familiar sounds and textures) to improve immersion, although that's a really hard thing to do.

Sounds awesome. I always loved that noir hard-boiled detective fiction genre. Can't wait to see that.

 

[skacky]

I had ideas for a mission using assets from Kingpin: Life of Crime and Max Payne. Rundown modern urban environments and stuff. The only issue with it being that guards carrying swords would look really out of place in such a setting. :p

 

[JarlFrank]

I had ideas for a mission using assets from Kingpin: Life of Crime and Max Payne. Rundown modern urban environments and stuff. The only issue with it being that guards carrying swords would look really out of place in such a setting. :p

GORT apparently made gun-wielding mechanists (around the 3:00 mark):

 

[Melan]

If there is an alternate setting where Thief would work very well, it is the Europe or US of the 1920s - the rough timeframe of criminals in striped shirts, elegant safecrackers, suave thieving dames, M, Dr. Mabuse, Fântomas and Les Vampires. It is a time ripe for exploration, but severely underused in gaming. You could have a few electrical gadgets, a drill (slow, noisy, opens doors), and the kind of flashlight every hoodlum seemed to be using in the old movies (and glorious socialism):

You can even have some vaguely art decoish stuff, a lot of industrial infrastructure, trains, power stations and so on.

 

[skacky]

Absolutely. I'd love to see a stealth game with Thief's calibre set in such a setting.

 

[Yandros]

Well, our project has no guns or actually any weapons of any kind; our private eye carries lockpicks and that's about it. There are some required stealth sequences where it fits with the story, but other than that the point is to immerse yourself in the atmosphere and unravel the story through exploration. Most of the exposition is via in-game action, cutscenes and movies - there are only a handful of texts to read. It's really more of an interactive movie than a traditional mission.

 

[Dev_Anj]

And you totally know which fan-favourite guard will be seated in that armchair, sleeping and snoring:

Wow, that screenshot looks like something a veteran Dromeder would show off. I'm very interested to play your mission now. I should get back to my mission and be more serious about it too.

, the soon-to-be-released campaign

That's good to hear. I've been waiting for this campaign for long, and it does sound promising. How much more time do you estimate it'll take to be released?

 

[Yandros]

The base map has finished Alpha and the first mission should be in Beta by next weekend. The other two should take a few weeks each to get to Beta, so perhaps a March release.

 

[Unkillable Cat]

If you want level designers to change (which is a very tall order, because "the paying customer orders the music"), you will have to post these on TTLG or the TDM forums, not here.

But if you really want to change things, the way to do it is to go out and build. Which is why I started at all: I was dissatisfied with the FM scene of the time, and wanted something different.

Seriously, I would love to play an UnkCat mission.

I would love to build one. Don't take that as a guarantee that I will do so though, my life is at a crossroads right now and the future is VERY uncertain. (I recently learned that while dreams DO come true, they may not necessarily be the dreams you wanted to...)

And to clarify my comment, I don't want level designers to change, per se, but more "grow". In my opinion, the optimal way to build/create anything is to spend an uninterrupted time period for creating, then setting the project aside once it's all-but finished and forget about it for a while (at least 6 months if it's something major), then return to it and have another look at it and apply the finishing touches. The fresh perspective will do wonders.

 

[DrKubiac]

In my opinion, the optimal way to build/create anything is to spend an uninterrupted time period for creating, then setting the project aside once it's all-but finished and forget about it for a while (at least 6 months if it's something major), then return to it and have another look at it and apply the finishing touches. The fresh perspective will do wonders.

That's what I've been doing with Rocksbourg, and with real life getting in the way, it just never ends... I need to gather some will and just finish the missions as they are, it's becoming a chore now.

 

[Random_Taffer]

While I'm not very hot for a big-ass Bonehoard mission (though I wouldn't scoff at it) there is something quite similar that I would wish to see: An Old Quarter-style mission, made by either Melan or skacky or someone of equal caliber. A cityscape that's been abandoned by Man and repopulated by everything but Man. Burricks, Craymen, some zombies, maybe even a small gang of Hammerites or Thieves that went in trying to make a difference but are now reduced to just trying to survive. "Bones" tried something along those lines, but didn't really quite catch the feeling (though it is a nice mission overall). Maybe even a rooftop mission based on the Old Quarter. It's also the perfect setting to incorporate other settings into it without it looking odd or out of place, like some Lost City ruins or a crypt, maybe even having a small "civilized" part of town.

It's not a cityscape, but I am working on a rather sprawling outdoors swamp area that has an abandoned village in it (now taken over by ratmen). Small pockets of pagans holding out against chaos forces and wild creatures.

http://imgur.com/a/TS0Am

 

[JarlFrank]

I'm shamelessly stealing paintings from skacky's brothel mission because I like them. Of course, I'll give him credit. Thanks, skacky!

When this contest mission is over, I should learn how to make custom paintings of my own.

EDIT:

ok pls halp me skacky, which .bin do I need for the paintings?

 

[Random_Taffer]

Making custom paintings shouldn't be too difficult if you've got the objects already. Open up his mission in dromed, locate said painting and check the model property. That'll give you the .bin file. Then open the .bin file in a hex editor and it'll give you the txt/txt16 files. If you want to use different pictures, it should be a simple matter of just getting the picture you want and naming/saving it appropriately so that Thief pulls it instead of the original.

 

[skacky]

JarlFrank PaintX was used for the paintings. It has two replaceable textures: the frame and the painting itself.
I also found this one by Arthur Spooner after the mission was released. Wish I found it before so I could've used it somewhere.

Avert thy gaze!

 

[Arrowgrab]

I think another interesting period besides the 20s and 40s (though certainly a much less unique one) would be faux-Ancient Rome. Big city? Check. Varied architecture from luxury villas to teaming insulae? Check. Layered and complex society from throngs of filthy plebs through up-and-coming financiiers to schemings aristocrats? Check. Cults and religious conflict? Check. It's got everything, really.

 

[Melan]

Welcome to RPGCodex! Here is your complimentary monocle and subscription to The Daily Stormer!

Spoiler

Arrowgrab and I are... ...old associates. .)

 

[Arrowgrab]

Welcome to RPGCodex! Here is your complimentary monocle and subscription to The Daily Stormer!

Spoiler

Arrowgrab and I are... ...old associates. .)

Thanks! Is that Stormer as in "in a teacup", or as in "Der Stürmer"?

Spoiler

I've been lurking here for a while, Melan. So closely, in fact, I've forgotten I haven't actually posted yet.

 

[JarlFrank]

Der Stürmer, of course. And I might be the first nazi Thief FM maker!

Fun fact: I actually had the idea of making an ancient Rome inspired Thief FM, but I'm still far away from attempting that (I want to try my skills at some more standard missions first). How did I get that idea? Well, by seeing a Thief demo-FM that was actually set in ancient Rome...

I stumbled upon it purely by chance as I was watching Nexus' Thief LPs on youtube. She is doing a full playthrough of the KoMaG CDs, and this is one of the more obscure demo missions contained on these:


It's only a demo that has apparently been made as a project for the author's history classes, but the second mission of it (starts around 1:35) looks like it could be really fun as a proper mission rather than just a demo. It definitely looks good graphically, and captures the ancient Rome visuals with what seem to be only stock Thief resources. A real mission based on this would have some great potential.

When I saw that video, my first thought was "wow, I want to play a mission like this" :D

 

[Melan]

Arrowgrab: Both are found in abundance!

WRT Ancient Rome, it also has Thief's unsettling Pagan cults in the form of the Bacchanalians, which is my go-to source for inspiration when I imagine Pagan secret societies. Althought the accounts are unreliable, the fiction is compellingly sordid and colourful. Rome can also credibly have a few layers of crumbling infrastructure beneath its surface, and marvels of civil engineering that could give The City's technologies a run for their money.

 

[Arrowgrab]

WRT Ancient Rome, it also has Thief's unsettling Pagan cults in the form of the Bacchanalians, which is my go-to source for inspiration when I imagine Pagan secret societies. Althought the accounts are unreliable, the fiction is compellingly sordid and colourful. Rome can also credibly have a few layers of crumbling infrastructure beneath its surface, and marvels of civil engineering that could give The City's technologies a run for their money.

Not to mention an upcoming new religion that refuses to coexist with others and whose symbol sort of looks like a hammer if you squint...