Just wanted to share with you... - by CD Set
Goldmoon Dawn on 8/1/2006 at 01:39
Quote Posted by CD Set
Well first of all I would just like to say that this is my first thread on this new forum and you all seem like a bunch of nice people!
I recently started playing Thief: The Dark Project (for reasons undetermined) after having my copy lying on the desk for several years. I never got around to complete it, but one day I thought what the heck and installed it again on my PC.
I fell in love with the game again after all these years and am currently struggling to complete it. I ordered the sequels too, because they're so cheap nowadays, and hope to continue the experience of stealth action.
I have read alot of posts on various boards saying the Cradle Level in Deadly Shadows is something to fear, because of it's creepiness. I don't really like scary games in general, but I'm anxiously looking forward to this particular level. Could someone please give some input on how these two games are in comparsion to the original, as well as some comments on the Cradle? Any replies will be greatly appreciated (hopefully)...
Quote Posted by CD Set
but I'm anxiously looking forward to this particular level.
My friend, if you haven't even completed The Dark Project, let alone even played Thief Gold or Thief II, don't waste your efforts on T3 at this point!
Because Thief's I and II utterly destroy Thief III. Everyone knows it. Enjoy the beauty that is a virgin run through the originals. The classics!
After you've spent yourself on this daunting task, then think about "The Cradle".
As a Thief, I'm saying it now. The Cradle had neeto graphics and had shit in the Dark Project department. After all, it wasn't a throwback or expansion on Thief II, now was it? Therefore it must have been some form of homage to Return To The Haunted Cathedral.
Not quite. Not even close. It felt like Doom with a Light Gem.
ascottk on 8/1/2006 at 01:55
Quote Posted by DarthMRN
The feel of the movement system is rather odd. This has to do with the inclusion of an actual body for Garrett, and would be a very neat addition, was it not for the ankward movement it creates. You feel far from the nimble and graceful Thief of TDP and TMA when engaged in combat, or pretty much anywhere else.
The actual body of Garrett does not create that awkward movement it's the animator's fault. I was trying to fix that (if we only had the character sources) & it looks like the animation is jerkier from the left to the right step. A limp if you may. Another irritating animation is the body-carrying. It looks like Garrett is walking on a fashion runway :eww: Yeesh, I could keep going on & on about the animations . . . but I won't . . .
CD Set on 12/1/2006 at 17:35
Quote Posted by Goldmoon Dawn
My friend, if you haven't even completed The Dark Project, let alone even played Thief Gold or Thief II, don't waste your efforts on T3 at this point!
Because Thief's I and II utterly destroy Thief III. Everyone knows it. Enjoy the beauty that is a virgin run through the originals. The classics!
After you've spent yourself on this daunting task, then think about "The Cradle".
As a Thief, I'm saying it now. The Cradle had neeto graphics and had shit in the Dark Project department. After all, it wasn't a throwback or expansion on Thief II, now was it? Therefore it must have been some form of homage to Return To The Haunted Cathedral.
Not quite. Not even close. It felt like Doom with a Light Gem.
Don't worry, like I said in my first post, I've already played through TDP, and have ordered TMA and DS. I'm gonna play them through in the right order of course, I was just curious ;)
SHuA on 12/1/2006 at 17:50
Well dispite wha the others that participate in these forums all the games in the series where great and they got better as the series went. But think that it doesn't stop there. Us, Thief are a very interesting bunch and would like to welcome you.
I can't wait to hear what you think of the others in the series.
it will be more like this->:eek: :thumb: :D
demagogue on 12/1/2006 at 17:54
It's hard to recommend FMs nowadays since there are so many, but if you're *just* getting started, you may as well start with the top-ranked missions on thiefmissions ((
http://www.thiefmissions.com/search.cgi?sort=rating&search=#m) clicky) and work your way down the list, since it covers the canon as well as any other method to start off with.
If I were to add any commentary, I'd say - because it's an old list now - I would now add Rowena's Curse after Ominous Bequest, then after 7th Crystal do T2X, then continue on with Inverted Manse and Deceptive Perceptions. And then I'd personally bump Lord Alan's Fortress to be next, then Gathering at the Inn, then Saints and Thieves, and maybe then Abominable Dr. Dragon but that's just my opinion.
After Calendra's Cistern on the list, you could start hitting the mini-campaigns, which are longer, but good, and it's nice to play mini-campaigns in order, so then play L'Arsene and after it Korrigens, Emilie Victor and The Den, then Morggan's series, then maybe frobber's KOtP. And then you could start going back down the list starting with Bloodstone Prison or Equilibrium and not worry that you were missing some of the more recent classics. All of this is just my opinion, though, there are so many good FMs.
But anyway, doing this will ensure you get most of the classics, and then you can start branching-out after you've gotten down to about grade-8 FMs into whatever catches your interest.
Goldmoon Dawn on 12/1/2006 at 19:03
I have also been hardcore into consoles my whole life ( currently playing Dragon Quest VIII. *sigh* ), and while Deadly Shadows was a formidable console title, it probably should never have been released for the PC. It might even have sold *better*. :)
I never understood the whole blindly giving praise to The Cradle, until I realised it was mostly console fans, who obviously just had their first taste of *any* kind of Thief.
However; if you played the original Thief concept on a computer first, back in 1998 it is very difficult to suspend disbelief on the computer version of The Cradle.
Once again, fantastic console Mission. Probably shouldn't have seen computer monitors.
SortYa on 18/1/2006 at 03:31
I've heard a lot about Thief Deadly Shadows being ruined because it was a console port, or jointly developed....
For the record, I love T:DS and I'm still playing it, for about the 10th time through. It is still very much THIEF. I still like Thief 2 the best, it seemed more Thief than Thief 1, which was a bit too Lara Croftish for my liking.
Anyway, I think T:DS suffered majorly from concessions that had to be made to make it run on console and PC. However, i think the majority of the problems came from terrible design decisons, which is a bit baffling to me.
I mean, the fluro blue backgrounds and frob colour, arrow trails, the city hub implementation, the animations, the AI (to an extent, i thought the AI was quite improved over T1/2), and most importantly the decision to rewrite the renderer in the UT engine they licensed, were all design decisions that are massive grumbling points to most people. All or most of those listed in this paragraph above are not technology related to the extent that it was caused by the joint development, but rather conscious decisions Ion Storm made in making the game. Even rope arrows have been made to work in the game now (or very close to) with the use of the editor, so i dont see how Ion Storm couldn't have made them work.
Anyway, i still love the game. But i must say, John P's textures and more to the point New Horizon's absolutely outstanding Minimalist Project to me pretty much save Thief 3 completely
EDIT: I forgot to mention that i take the combat in Thief 3 to be a complete no issue. In Thief you are meant to not be in combat in the first place in my view, the idea is to not be seen or openly attack an enemy, but to stealthily (is that a word?) take out enemies without them knowing, or ghost around them
Domarius on 20/1/2006 at 08:49
The hub was an awesome idea. Ever since I started playing Thief 1 and 2 I always wanted something like that.
You can have your linear string of missions - I like the idea of being able to do what you want in an entire city and choose what mission to do next.
And the respawning was nessecary to keep it as populated as a real city would be, rather than just being able to "blackjack the entire city" (which would have consisted of about 10 people without respawning)
sparhawk on 20/1/2006 at 10:33
Quote Posted by Domarius
You can have your linear string of missions - I like the idea of being able to do what you want in an entire city and choose what mission to do next.
How exactly would you do that? There is no choicem because you can only play them in a linear fashion. That you have to run there to start it doesn't really change it. That you can postpone a mission as long as you want, by useless circling through the streets, also don't change this, because you still can only play one after the other, exactly in the order, the developers decided it. No choice, sorry.
KingAl on 21/1/2006 at 05:35
Quote Posted by DarthMRN
Garrett's voice is slightly different and while superbly performed, seems more like an attempt at copying the voice from T1 than the actual thing.
Well, the voice actor is the same (Stephen Russell, I think). I never noticed any major difference. Unless you play a foreign language version in which case the voice acting may be different...
EDIT: I understand what Domarius is saying, but the actual execution of the 'hub' system was poor because of the lack of choice. If it had been open ended that would've been a great addition. It would've been nice if some of the random places you could rob along the streets that aren't defined as missions were manisions etc.
