thecrippledburrick on 8/5/2007 at 10:17
personally speaking i think TDS is the truest realisation yet of LGS magnum opus. Ion storm handled it well, some of the 'streamlining' elements could be seen as a euphimisim for dumbing down, and there are a few frame rate issues and jerky animations, but in such a slow paced, cerebral experience, which is duely refreshing during these difficult 'playstation era' times ;), i can forgive the poorer ideas.
in contrast to the fanboy flame, the free-roaming elements do appear however to be merely tacked on, acting as little more than hubs between missions. super mario 64 did it much better, it takes more than just weaving it into the narrative to make it work.
i prefered the focused mission structure of the previous two games.
i just feel ion storm jumped on the bandwagon of free-roaming-structure to appeal to a wider market.
on a gameplay level the enviroments in the city were just shops, a few landmarks and buildings and the levels themselves. what IS should have done is better realise the city by adding in more buildings to steal from, more and better submissions with a similar structure that adheres to the main missions and more varied areas; an actual market anyone?
at the risk of contradiction it DID add a little to immerse me, but i still felt a little annoyed.....
Vogelfrei on 8/5/2007 at 13:51
The streets had some pros. I actually enjoyed looking at them and exploring the various sidestories. Also, knowing that there are unexplored parts left (although the explanations sound a bit forced) was somehow motivating. They added some minutes of gameplay, too.
Which might actually be considered a con. Especially towards the end all the running only keeps bugging me. I want to know how the story evolves but instead have to walk through several zones, wait for them to load and resist general mayhem.
I would have preferred two or three not-so-consistent city levels instead. For example before the Abysmal Gale (to get there) and in the end. They could have kept almost every sidestory that way or even the built-in shops - there were too many of them, anyway - while condensing the overall plot.
imperialreign on 9/5/2007 at 01:05
I really agree with all that . . . I mean, exploring the inn and annoying those guards was kind cool, and the few submissions were neat, but for the most part, it felt like filler for a game that was considerably shorter than it's original installments. I really didn't like the madhouse the city turns into towards the end, either . . . especially the way Stonemarket gets, with all the thugs, enforcers, hammers, pagans, city watch . . . you're left with no where to really hide.
That, and the individual city sections just felt a bit small, especially considering the impression of a massive city that we're given in T1/T2 . . . it just felt like you're only allowed to poke around on a few streets, instead of most of the district
thecrippledburrick on 9/5/2007 at 15:57
the streets did go a bit crazy when all the various factions were dropped in.:thumb:
The pacing of TDS actually was better than the originals, i was left not fed up but wanting more, you should always finish a game on a high, rather than the "i must complete this last drokking boss and his 500 minions or else i'll feel inadequate" feeling.
ZylonBane on 9/5/2007 at 16:42
Quote Posted by thecrippledburrick
personally speaking i think TDS is the truest realisation yet of LGS magnum opus.
Oh yeah, totally. Briefing videos, large contiguous levels, rope arrows, swimming, and precise control were totally holding Thief back.
Nitwit.
Renault on 9/5/2007 at 17:15
Quote Posted by thecrippledburrick
The pacing of TDS actually was better than the originals, i was left not fed up but wanting more, you should always finish a game on a high, rather than the "i must complete this last drokking boss and his 500 minions or else i'll feel inadequate" feeling.
I'd like to know where you got this feeling in either T1 or T2. True, Sabotage at Soulforge is not for everyone (I liked it), but neither game had anything closely resembling a megaboss with "500 minions" as you say. So, what exactly are you referring to?
Also, your comment above makes no sense when, a paragraph later, you say:
Quote Posted by thecrippledburrick
i prefered the focused mission structure of the previous two games.
Vogelfrei on 9/5/2007 at 17:26
I had this feeling after finishing every single one of the games - even more, I felt both high and a sudden, doleful way of low at the same time. Though I have to admit that the almost painful now-it's-over was particular strong after the third, probably because it felt so very "last time".
The third might not be the best of the series but it still is a good game, at least to me. And it felt like Thief, in an own mutated way.
(Also, I'm actually among those who liked Soulforge, too. Karras and the cutscene heralding the mission made totally up for its flaws.)
thecrippledburrick on 10/5/2007 at 23:11
by stating i prefered the focused mission structure, i mean exactly that. i prefered the mission structure of the previous two games. focused excursion partitioned only by cutscenes and a loadout. (what should i have said? would one wish to type for me? shall i spell everything out s-l-o-w-l-y and use a simple lexis?)
by prefering the focused mission structure, i mean one level followed by another level. with a briefing before each.
briefing (this is a verb. which is a doing word. what other words can you think of which describe actions?) means; to make a summary; to give a report; to inform; to instruct somebody
mission (mission is a noun which is a naming word. can you spell naming?) means; a journey made for a scientific, military or religious purpose;
level means a horizontal plane or line. a specified height, value or extent.
:D
and the whole "500 minions" thing is a hyperbolic.... err i mean exaggerated, statemen......sentence.
an example of a hyperbolic utterance would be "Brother Renault has the smallest penis in the universe"
dont worry you MAY hit puberty soon.....
;)
Renault on 10/5/2007 at 23:39
I'm guessing by the fact that you also sent the above reply via PM means you believe it was complete and utter genius.
thecrippledburrick on 10/5/2007 at 23:40
Quote Posted by ZylonBane
Oh yeah, totally. Briefing videos, large contiguous levels, rope arrows, swimming, and precise control were totally holding Thief back.
Nitwit.
1) i did say personally speaking, which implies opinion.
2) i think it is the truest realisation in terms of technology (lighting/sound/graphics) and narrative.
3) i didnt say TDS was perfect nor did i state all its faults or improvements. if i was to construct a comprehensive list then the rope arrows would definately be on the list of faults.
if you prefer muddy textures, poor graphics and AI (walking into guards and they will not change alert status anyone?) and confusing level design thats your opinion.
nitwit.
:p
