The Magpie on 9/1/2008 at 03:46
...said Ken Levine in this "recent" (
http://www.bioshock-online.com/interviews/irrationaljuly06.asp) TTLG interview you have probably all read, but the forums discussion of which I was unable to locate just now.
Hence this post.
Quote Posted by "Ken Levine"
When I did the original plot for Thief, I tried to make Garrett (or Palmer, as he was originally known) a guy with no ideology except himself.
Palmer. Imagine that. Did any of you know that before reading the interview?
I mean... not a bad choice, considering the need to quickly hide loot from pockets picked, but...
At least it seems to settle the discussion of whether the name was intended as a surname or as a first name.
Palmer.
And his first name was Lars, was it?
Well, who am I to talk, I'm just
--
Larris
jtr7 on 9/1/2008 at 04:11
Heh heh. Yeah. The new generations of gamers that have come around since LGS's doors were closed may not have known that. So much history behind these games is hidden or requires digging, now.
I still need to catch up on the pre-Thief titles of early LGS and Blue Sky that are given nods in the games.
If Garrett had been called "Palmer," some taffer like me would've coined the term "Palmeranians" to describe hardcore Garrett fans. And then I'd find myself blackjacked within an inch of my hit points. And then I'd call 'em "Palmerites" for all the hammering on my head.
Pardoner on 9/1/2008 at 05:22
Thank God someone with a shred of creativity stepped in.
Although, to be fair, 'Lars Palmer' is a big jump from Levine's rumored original proposal for the character's name, 'Guy Stealy'.
The Magpie on 9/1/2008 at 05:28
Well.
Turns out I found the discussion thread after all, it was linked at the very end of the interview (which I didn't finish at once, seeing that in my shock I had to rush here and post in testimony to my sudden flabbergastedness).
Here it is:
(
http://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=108044)
Quote Posted by jtr7
Heh heh. Yeah. The new generations of gamers that have come around since LGS's doors were closed may not have known that. So much history behind these games is hidden or requires digging, now.
Data mining. Info excavation. Knowledge spelunking. It's all in a day's work for people the types of us. =)
Let's go and fill the wikia with stuff like this!
Quote Posted by jtr7
I still need to catch up on the pre-Thief titles of early LGS and Blue Sky, that are given nods in the games.
I'm not aware of many outside references sans the Centauri Vineyards at New Hope. Any Underworld stuff? Flight Unlimited? Are they mentioned in a FAQ anywhere?
But, back on topic... Why Palmer?
And yet more interesting: Why Garrett?
--
L.
jtr7 on 9/1/2008 at 05:50
I don't believe the nods are mentioned in a FAQ anywhere, just threads like these. Some are more speculative than established fact. I'll track that down for you. There's (
http://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=110392&page=3) this, anyway.
I'd think "Palmer" was akin he usage of "to palm", as in, to hide (something) in the palm or between the fingers, as in a sleight-of-hand trick. Somewhat related is when someone is said to have an itching palm, it means they have a greedy desire for money. Palmer would be a person who palms things, then.
I can't remember what's been said about "Garrett", but I have a hunch about where to look.
The Magpie on 9/1/2008 at 06:32
Yeah, I figured that was the palming bit.
Following along the same direction, my personal guess for the inspiration for "garrett" is not the synonymous attic or loft, but rather the anaphonic "garrote".
Sounds plausible?
--
L.
jtr7 on 9/1/2008 at 07:14
That's the one that comes up most often, but there was another one suggestion, I read it not too long ago. It's in one of the most recent threads asking about the name and/or single-named characters in Thief. It's not in (
http://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=115699&highlight=Garrett) the one where we got carried away and I shamed myself, but didn't stop rhyming Garrett with "carrot" and worse examples of inanity.:p
Ah, (
http://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=82752) here it is. A spear. Both a garotte and a spear refer to weapons, but one is more associated with stealth and attacking from the back.
The Magpie on 9/1/2008 at 11:55
Haha, thanks, Melan.
I had trouble looking up Spix's references in the thread, but it was a great read nonetheless.
Said Jay, discussing the influences of Terra Nova and other pre-Thief LG games last year:
Quote Posted by jtr7
"Karros: The moon of NewHope. Airless and lifeless. Dark, with less changes in elevation than the planets."
Karras or Karo S[yrup]?
From Ultima Underworld 1: The Stygian Abyss:
There is a character named Carasso.
There is a character named Tyball; TDP/Gold has a prisoner named Tybal, a whorekeep.
And of course, there are many fantasy RPG elements shared.
From Ultima Underworld 2: The Labyrinth of Worlds:
There is a character named Felix.
There's a character named Bishop; TDS has a guard named Bishop.
I'm not sure about Felix and Tyball, and absolutely not about Bishop (not knowing enough of the importance of the respective characters), but Karras can be no coincidence at all IMO.
So what or who could have coined that one, originally?
I mean, now that it seems that main characters could be baptized in a more prosaic manner than we would have dreamed, I wouldn't put it above the team to have it mean something akin to "Guybrush".
sparhawk on 9/1/2008 at 14:20
Reminds me a little bit of Jean Paul Belmondo. (If old enough people are here who can even remember him :) ).
