Soul Shaker on 28/3/2006 at 07:48
I really don't get the point of backstabbing someone when you have the oppurtunity to blackjack em? Is there an advantage that comes with the screaming? Or is it just the satisfaction of killing the most annoying guard you have ever met? Thief 1 and 2 however, the sword had a reason to draw it...now an oversized toothpick?!?!?!
Dr Sneak on 28/3/2006 at 13:00
I like TDS's dagger myself, it just looks evil when I have it ready to strike!:ebil:
Dia on 28/3/2006 at 13:59
I've never been a backstabber. Blackjacking is one thing (the victim wakes up eventually, unless you throw them into the water or fire when they're unconscious), but stabbing someone in the back seems wrong somehow. Also waaaayyyy too noisy. Can't think of any benefits to backstabbing.
Gestalt on 28/3/2006 at 14:21
I think it's partly an ideological thing. Killing was discouraged through the use of mission objectives in the first two games. In T3, they tried discouraging that behaviour by making it the worst available option instead. It makes more noise, leaves behind tell-tale bloodstains, and confers no compensatory benefits on the player. The player can choose to kill indiscriminately, but it's in his/her best interest to act in a relatively moral manner and use the blackjack instead. Think of it as using game mechanics to get a message across implicitly.
Kovitlac on 28/3/2006 at 14:29
I typically use my blackjack unless fighting the undead and I have to get up close. Then then dagger is my friend;-) Once in a while I'll have a very tough time with a guard and stab him, but only when I'm sure no one is around to hear. Or I'll throw them in the nearby fireplace. But in most circumstances, I always blackjack.
Fig455 on 28/3/2006 at 14:30
^^^good point. I like it myself....it's just too funny!!!
New Horizon on 28/3/2006 at 14:35
Blackjacking truly feels more Thiefy.
As for Thief 1 and 2 only discouraging killing in the objectives, I don't think that's completely true. Thief 1 and 2 left blood behind, just like T3. Made plenty of extra noise, just like T3 and in T3...just like T1 and 2, you could clean up the blood spills with a water arrow to hide your rampage. The difference with the dagger is that you don't use it as a defensive tool like the sword. I always chose the blackjack, using the dagger just felt very un-thief like. I wish the developers hadn't changed it.
Gestalt on 28/3/2006 at 14:52
I didn't say only, T1/T2 also helped discourage killing by making the player more visible when the sword is drawn and so forth. Ion Storm seems to have taken the approach that killing is never the best option, even in defense. There's also the fact that they probably wouldn't have had the time and resources necessary to implement a decent sword-fighting system.
GrindR on 28/3/2006 at 15:14
TDP/TMA
I was pondering this question recently, what is the point in backstabbing when you can just black jack them, other than as mention satisfying revenge tendecies ect. I guess if your in a vunerable position it saves you having to put your black jack away and drawing your sword to defend yourself.
I'm not sure i've ever backstabbed anything but I'm looking forward to doing it, hehe.
New Horizon on 28/3/2006 at 15:23
Quote Posted by Gestalt
I didn't say only, T1/T2 also helped discourage killing by making the player more visible when the sword is drawn and so forth. Ion Storm seems to have taken the approach that killing is never the best option, even in defense. There's also the fact that they probably wouldn't have had the time and resources necessary to implement a decent sword-fighting system.
Hmmm, from the articles I read and from the general implimentation of the systems, it seemed rather that Ion Storm wanted to make it easier for people to kill. Check out a lot of the old Spector interviews where he talks about the lack of combat in the previous games and wanting to essentially beef that up, hence the dagger. The dagger is essentially for stealthy kills, the sword was often more useful for defending yourself against blows. Like you said though, it would definately have been a lot more work to come up with a good sword fighting system.
