King No One on 19/4/2015 at 22:58
Long has the Fan Mission drought blighted the land of TTLG; the latest contest had many takers but in the end has become a race of but three horses.
High time, I think for a mission recommendation appeal thinly veiled as a community discussion!
In the years since Thief landed and Dromed was disseminated among the masses there have been many FMs. Some are lauded, their names bywords for quality; the name of their authors alone cause for wild anticipation/celebration.
I couldn't help but consider that there must be many otherwise worthy missions that have come and gone from the memory of this fandom. Discussion threads get archived, new flavours of the month roll in. For the new members of this community (Square-Enix's Thief did something right I suppose...) I think it is the duty of the elder taffers to inform them of the glorious history they stand to inherit.
So I put it you folks, are there any missions that really resonated with you down the years that you are surprised aren't mentioned in the same breath as A Night In Rocksbourg or The Black Frog?
For every ambitious campaign that only produced its introductory mission, for every superior contest entry that was lost in the crowd. This is for you!
*Edit* See format below...kinda like that yeah...spoil-lite y'know?
King No One on 19/4/2015 at 22:59
Fully aware that there's nothing that ruffles the feathers of some in this circle like an appeal for output without input here are a few FMs *I* think deserve more acclaim. Surely there will be many long timers that will look at these and think "well obviously, it's a great mission. Everybody knows that!" Well, I didn't know until I played them, that is the justification for this shoddily disguised fishing trip for more missions I'll want to play :cheeky:
The Tower: Sure it's recorded as the winner of its contest but no one seems to have been as struck as I by what seems the greatest expression of the Thief game mechanics. Sublime mastery of three dimensional verticality, brilliantly logical placement/use of hostile AI (no random guards for extra difficulty: everyone is there for a reason), multiple sub-objectives and all of that in an area that measures less than 100 x 100 ftsq. You b****es better recognise!
Ashes and Dust: What's that you say? 'Wasn't that in the same contest as The Tower?' Why yes Imaginary Taffer it was the official runner up and the unofficial reason for this whole thread: I played this brilliant mission before The Tower and genuinely wondered how it was beaten...sucks that in any contest there can be only one winner...
Sturmdrang Peak: Srsly gais it's not that long since this campaign landed, where's the love? Pirates, conquistadors and tentacled eldritch horrors; is this not the stuff gamers dreams are made of?
Third Time's the Charm: STOP! Hammmerite Time!
The Lady Lotti Saga (A Cotorie of Smokers, Abysses and Bloody Ruins): While I will admit to losing patience with the first of these missions its sequels were masterworks, delivering in content, theme, aesthetics, gameplay and (crucially for me anyway) variety.
Cavalorn on 22/4/2015 at 00:03
Not sure if it really counts as overlooked, but my favorite mission for example is The Den from the L'Arsene series, and it is relatively rarely mentioned compared to the similar Rowena's Curse or Ominous Bequest. Beautiful mansion, great story, creepy atmosphere, everything was really well done. A fantastic mission indeed!
NoisemakerBurrick on 22/4/2015 at 06:26
Ooooh yes The Den, it's a monster of a mission, masterwork in atmosphere, one of the best ever. A masterpiece, as the whole L'Arsene series(my favourite part is in Korrigans when you enter thieves hideout, butchered by those nasty goblins). We need more Gaetane's masterpieces!
Bosh on 22/4/2015 at 09:34
Yeah, The Den. My fave mission from that great series, which gets better as it progresses IMHO.
Not sure if these count as overlooked either; anyway, just a few FMs out of many that I sure enjoy playing:
bbb's FMs Mighty Joe Young, Three Crowns and Nigel's Hidden Treasures - each game has lots of variety in AIs/environments with that "classic Thief feel".
Ravenhook's three-parter, starting with Coalport, then Portisco Head (my personal favourite) and Ashcourt. Lots of different environments (underground, sewers, town, mansion, docks), AIs (Mechs, thieves, guards, undead) and plenty to do.
Aurumpundo by Niborius is a good little escape from prison mission.
Turn Of The Tide is a fun FM set in a misty seaside town with different places to explore and things to do - and, top bonus, one can get those AIs/factions to kick off against each other, which always amuses me... Follows on loosely from madwolf's Skeletons and Moth FMs.
