Friends who have never managed to get into Thief... - by Sonance
Sonance on 12/10/2004 at 16:21
Well, we all know how much we love the Thief series, but have you ever had problems convincing friends that it's the best thing sinced sliced bread?
One friend of mine, who is actually a pretty hardcore System Shock fan, simply can't get to grips with Thief at all. I convinced him to buy it a year or so after it's initial release. He tried to get into it a couple of times but eventually gave up.
The first time he played it, he got "stuck" during the training mission. There's that bit where you have to cross a metal floor without alerting the trainer. It never occurred to him that crouching/walking/creeping across the metal floor would have reduced the noise he made. Every time he tried it, he'd just try running across the grate and would have to start again. He never managed to complete the training and gave up on the game, dismissing it as rubbish!
Of course, I didn't find out about this until a year or so later. Once I convinced him that he needed to be a bit more stealthy, he reluctantly dug the game out again and finally completed the training, ready to start the game proper.
Unfortunately, I don't think he even managed to get inside Lord Bafford's mansion. Once again, about six months down the line, the subject of Thief came up again and he admitted that he'd given up on it for a second time. His problem? He couldn't get the hang of sword fighting. He explained that he did his best, but he couldn't get through the level without constantly being hacked to death by guards pretty early on. He complained that the sword fighting was "too complex" and once again gave up on the game.
It transpired that he was attempting to gain access to Lord Bafford's mansion by drawing his sword and proceeding to run around the level, making all kinds of noise, hoping to deal with any enemy he encountered as if he were playing Doom or something. Once again, I pointed out that trying to play the game like a first person shooter was the wrong way to play it and that the gameplay was all about being stealthy, creeping around, minimising the noise you made, sticking to the shadows and avoiding combat.
But by then it was too late -- the damage had been done. He'd decided that Thief sucked and never went back to it again. (Although to this day he still complains that modern FPS games are brainless and there are no intelligent games in the genre. This, from someone who actually liked the original System Shock and Ultima Underworld, but won't play Thief, Thief 2, System Shock 2 or Deus Ex. What's he looking for, exactly?)
Anyone else tried and failed to get friends interested in the Thief series?
Oli G on 12/10/2004 at 16:41
Quote Posted by Sonance
The first time he played it, he got "stuck" during the training mission. There's that bit where you have to cross a metal floor without alerting the trainer. It never occurred to him that crouching/walking/creeping across the metal floor would have reduced the noise he made.
And it never occured to you just to run around it on the carpet instead. ;)
On topic, I have recommended Thief to people I think might like it, with a variety of results. It doesn't bother me that some people dislike it - in the end people have different tastes. I have noticed though that people do tend to approach the game from the wrong angle as in your example though, but I suppose stealth just doesn't appeal to everyone. This does lead to the assumption that it's a rubbish game and not simply a good game albeit of a genre you don't like.
Weasel on 12/10/2004 at 16:47
Quote Posted by Sonance
(Although to this day he still complains that modern FPS games are brainless and there are no intelligent games in the genre. This, from someone who actually liked the original System Shock and Ultima Underworld, but won't play Thief, Thief 2, System Shock 2 or Deus Ex. What's he looking for, exactly?)
I think your friend needs some sense knocked into him. Maybe he just wants something to complain about, and doesn't want to find solutions because that's the opposite of complaining. How can he make any claim like that about modern FPS games if he hasn't tried more of them? Have you told him the specific ones he should try besides Thief (the list you quoted)? What FPS games has he actually played?
ZylonBane on 12/10/2004 at 16:59
Quote Posted by Sonance
It transpired that he was attempting to gain access to Lord Bafford's mansion by drawing his sword and proceeding to
run around the level, making all kinds of noise, hoping to deal with any enemy he encountered as if he were playing Doom or something.
Why don't you tie him to a chair and force him to watch you play Thief for an hour or so?
Inline Image:
http://www.aidd.org/droogs/alex-clockwork-orange.jpgNew Horizon on 12/10/2004 at 17:14
I'll say this much for your friend. I wouldn't have him on team. He's no problem solver. LOL
Invisibility on 12/10/2004 at 19:24
The only two people I've tried to get into Thief are my dad and one friend. The friend owns a Mac, so that's out of the question. My dad didn't get past the training level, but maybe if I had him start on Bafford's manor, or maybe better, Running Interference, he'd like it. But then that means I'd have more competition for the computer. :(
I had some difficulty getting into Thief at first... I got lost in Bafford's manor and would hack the guards to death at first, and I thought Expert would be near impossible because you couldn't kill the guards and I didn't know how you could scrounge up all that loot because I didn't even know about loot hunting. :laff: Bafford's scared me (and it still does, somewhat, as does the beginning of Cragscleft), and just the idea of going through Cragscleft scared me so much that I quit for a long time.
Eventually, however, I went back to the game. And I was a much sneakier thief.
Ahh, nostalgia... :D
Bronze Griffin on 12/10/2004 at 19:36
One friend bought Thief II, even though I insisted that Thief was the same engine and that you really should play it for the full story but he played Thief II anyway and he loved it and never really played it again. Bit like me and DS. Another friend of mine borrowed my Thief Gold, probably would have been wiser to lend him my origional Thief. He hasn't got past Bafford's Mansion after weeks of borrowing it. He does not have any sound. How can anyone play Thief without sound!? I don't know. I could have had a convert there.
necrokrome on 12/10/2004 at 19:47
Quote Posted by Bronze Griffin
How can anyone play Thief without sound!? I don't know. I could have had a convert there.
buy him some cheap speakers :D
as for me there was no "easing into thiefy-ness" i took to it right away and was HOOKED. it was and still is computer crack. :eww:
ZylonBane on 12/10/2004 at 20:54
Quote Posted by Bronze Griffin
How can anyone play Thief without sound!?How can
anyone play games without sound in this day and age? Is this guy gaming on a 486 hidden away in the corner of a barn?
The Rogue Wolf on 13/10/2004 at 00:39
I have to admit- it took me a while to "get into" Thief as well. I cut my teeth on Doom, and played Half-Life straight through multiple times before my Hangar16.com confederate Silver Sorrow got me interested in Thief enough to go out and buy the T1/T2 rerelease pack. (Though my experience with System Shock 2 had at least prepared me somewhat.)
I had to restart the game twice- once halfway through the first mission, and again most of the way through the Old Quarter- before I finally felt that I "got" Thief. It took me a while to fall into the proper mindset needed to play the game- a combination of low-level constant fear, pure avarice and cunning opportunism that makes a true Thief.
It was even harder to get back out of the mindset afterwards. I remember the first time I fired up Half-Life after beating Thief 1. The "clomp clomp clomp-squeak" of Gordon's HEV boots practically drove me nuts. ;)
The only person I ever tried to "turn on to Thief" was my younger brother. He liked it at first, but eventually lost interest. He was always a Counter-Strike player anyway- take that as you will. :tsktsk:
