AntiMatter_16 on 4/8/2020 at 18:01
Hello everyone!
You might have noticed I haven't released any fan missions for the last uh... 7 or 8 years, or something? Well, I'm not dead, and I've still be working in DromEd, it's just that my DromEditing time has been going into a huge project: bugfixing Thief Gold. Every mission has been extensively bugfixed, with the usual elements, and I've gathered a large list of comparison screenshots. I'm not entirely sure when I'll release it, as there are a couple of bugs that are holding up the release, but I thought you all might appreciate seeing some of the improvements early. You might be wondering, "Wait, isn't there already the HDMod maps by Gecko, and Voodoo47's fixed maps?" Yes there are. Thief1 Fixed is designed to supercede Voodoo's missions as fixed vanilla maps as the fixes go more in depth than Voodoo's, and Gecko's missions (and textures) aren't exactly a vanilla experience in terms of gameplay.
Similar to Thief2 Fixed, the improvements include adjusting texture alignments, fixings room brushes, optimizing terrain, and providing minor visual enhancements. Some broken content and conversations were fixed, but only if they were already set up in the level. (I did not arbitrarily I did not add content back in.) Many of the Thief1 and Gold levels have "optimizations" meant to reduce polygon and cell counts - namely just filling and area of the level with a solid brush so the player can't see any of that stuff. They also built many of the levels in a way to prevent areas from being viewed, by essentially making city streets "tunnels." I've removed these limitations by essentially reconstructing large segments of the level, allowing buildings in the city to be viewed from areas they couldn't have been previously, and the effect I must say is "Quite Spectacular!" As always, the intention is not to enhance, but to adhere to the original vision of each level. Gameplay changes are avoided as strictly as possible, but it's possible in optimizing terrain or setting lights against the wall some changes have been introduced. I did not keep a changelog, as it would be tens of thousands of items long, and would have just substantially slowed down progress.
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https://imgur.com/a/4w3NtI5) Album of 48 screenshots on Imgur
Flying around Mission 5, Assassins
[video=youtube_share;qqbt8gPr9qo]https://youtu.be/qqbt8gPr9qo[/video]
Kerrle on 5/8/2020 at 03:00
Wow, that's quite an undertaking! I'll be happy to try it out the next time I revisit the first game.
A.Stahl on 5/8/2020 at 06:06
I think most of those "improvement" patches are too conservative. Have you seen what they have done with Deus Ex in GMDX project? I think Thief deserves this kind of treatment. And, to be honest, Thief 1 really needs it. Thief 1 architecture just screams "POLYGONS!!!" I'm not even sure if it can be fixed or must be just remade from scratch.
AntiMatter_16 on 5/8/2020 at 14:26
And then there are people who say, "You have destroyed the entire gameplay experience and pissed and defecated on the grave of Looking Glass Studios by moving that box!"
There are those that want the vanilla gameplay experience, and those that want enhanced visuals and gameplay, and you can't satisfy both. As you can see, there are some visual improvements, but not ones that impact gameplay. And despite the low polygon count, a lot of areas look a lot better. Aspects of the "Gold" missions - the Thieves' Guild, The Opera house, and Mages' towers were largely unfinished, and I added a little extra polish on those.
A.Stahl on 5/8/2020 at 14:53
Quote Posted by AntiMatter_16
And then there are people who say, "You have destroyed the entire gameplay experience and pissed and defecated on the grave of Looking Glass Studios by moving that box!"
Those people won't appreciate your work anyway because original is the only variant they could accept. They are fanatics, let the Karras stomp their rusted souls! Less fanatical and more rational people are the more grateful audience.
trefoilknot on 5/8/2020 at 16:01
Just make the “fixes” *you* want to make. There's no way to keep motivation if you're trying to make the changes you think *others* will want (especially without the possibility of financial gain).
Same thing with making FMs. You make the mission you want to make, and if other people love it- great! If they don't, it was never really for them in the first place :)
voodoo47 on 5/8/2020 at 18:31
agreed - just make sure to properly point out the pack isn't meant for purists, and all should be good.
DiMarzio on 4/10/2021 at 22:37
How is this project coming along? :)
