Haplo on 12/5/2009 at 06:30
Should Thief 4 allow blackjacking of alerted guards (Thief 1 & 2) or not allow it (Thief 3)?
jtr7 on 12/5/2009 at 06:44
Naw, but the flashbombed AIs need to stay flashbombed for the duration, and should take more damage from the blackjack, but not drop unconscious unless struck on the nape of the neck.
Kerrle on 12/5/2009 at 06:49
I see no reason to be that tight about it. You're already making large abstractions, so I don't see the need for strikes to be incredibly specific on stunned foes.
jtr7 on 12/5/2009 at 07:42
Huh? Please don't mistake my comment as "tight" or maybe, inflexible. Just a brainstorm.
Realism. Nape of the neck doesn't take a lot to knock someone out, nor require skull fractures, hematomas, or sloshing the brain to work.
No need to be that uptight about it. :p Yes, I'm making abstractions based on what the games did right and wrong and seeking a reconciliation, and creating a reward for skill and a handicap against being able to knock someone out by blackjacking their ear or collarbone...or ankle.:sly:
I'm pretending the technology exists and that it's not hard to implement. Perhaps I should reassert my major philosophy for a new Thief: Classic elements as a strong foundation before building up and bringing the game into the next decade and taking us someplace new. No compromising the things that made Thief an enduring, paradigm-shifting, acclaimed, influential, revolutionary, niche title by trying to add stuff that's truly nice and acceptable in itself, but really unnecessary.
Kircaldy on 12/5/2009 at 07:46
Quote Posted by Haplo
Should Thief 4 allow blackjacking of alerted guards (Thief 1 & 2) or not allow it (Thief 3)?
Let the devs sort it out themselves. They're not stupid. As long as they implement a game mechanic that lets you remove NPCs from play without killing them. Preferably with a blackjack ;)
ShyGreenMoon on 12/5/2009 at 07:48
I prefered the TDS rules where blackjacks only worked on those who were un-aware, including non-combatants. Using a blackjack on the face of an already alert and screaming servant or a flash-bomb stunned guard seemed like a cheat.
Though it was funny.
jtr7 on 12/5/2009 at 07:49
"Let the devs sort it out themselves. They're not stupid."
That doesn't reassure.:joke:
In TDS, a blinded AI would suddenly have clear vision when bopped. Oy! And in the older titles, they were too vulnerable and just dropped with bop. If someone's gonna go for the really cowardly sucker punch, they should have to earn it by hitting the sweet spot. (A suggestion I don't adhere to but it hasn't been said as far as I know).
infinity on 12/5/2009 at 07:54
I feel that this is one of the few things that DS did well. Blackjacking alerted gaurds always seems a bit too easy.
Haplo on 12/5/2009 at 09:35
Ok, let me extend the question: Should the blackjacking work only when applied to the back of the head?
jtr7 on 12/5/2009 at 09:39
No. Go for it when they are unalerted. :)
I only suggest, as one of many possibilities, that when they are flashbombed and fully alerted, they cannot be knocked out without precision and skill, and cannot have their blindness immediately removed when attacked.
