partol on 2/3/2021 at 22:17

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Slightly off topic, but the best thing about thief, in my opinion, is the sound/audio.
Modern games simply do not sound as good as older games with EAX.
Perhaps this video will convince someone to play Thief.
(listen only with headphones) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VW-W3A2l5UE)

wolftodd on 3/3/2021 at 08:12

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The mission that got my in to fan missions was autumn in lampfire hills. Not the best introduction mission, but it got me hooked. I played sensut's lady bathory campaign and sliptip's/Digi's Fables of the Penitent Thief. It does depend on what they like.

Thief 2x might be a good choice too. It's a campaign pretty similar in feel and scope to the original games.

I might also suggest christine's missions. They tend to be gorgeous to look at and have difficulty that isnt too hard but also not too easy.

like others suggested, short/contest mission would be a nice introduction.

trefoilknot on 3/3/2021 at 14:01

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I can understand why you don't want to kick things off with Bafford's. For a gamer who's been spoiled by years of modern games, it could just be too hard of a sell. That said, I think there's a lot of wisdom to what nicked said. In particular, it's important to appreciate just how very different your question is from: "what are your favorite fan missions?" You didn't ask about our favorites (we've got a zillion threads on that), you asked about which ones would be best for introducing a new player.

Thief 1 kicked off with Bafford's Manor. Why? Basically no one thinks this mission is the best one from TDP/TG. Probably not even above-median, if we separate quality from nostalgia. Why not start with The Sword? It's widely regarded as a superior mission (perhaps the best of T1?) and it's where the real story begins anyway. The missions leading up to it are entirely irrelevant to the over-arching plot, beyond giving a justification for why Garrett was hired for the sword heist. Did LGS blow it? No, of course not. The Sword may indeed be a superior level, but it isn't a better *introduction* to the series. It's complicated, and zaney. It's HARD. When I first played in 1998, it was the first mission that I didn't finish in a single sitting (Thieves Guild wasn't a thing yet). Had the series started with it, I'm not sure I would have stuck around. It would just have been too overwhelming and frustrating. Bafford's gave me a quick task that introduced a ton of mechanics and strategies, and let me feel good about what I could accomplish. I snuck past dozens of guards, bonked a few of them (and killed two...) and nabbed a dope scepter, in what... 35-40 minutes?

You can't expect a new player to get "hooked" in one day. That takes time. Best you can shoot for is giving them an experience that they enjoy, and leaves them wanting to have another one like it. Start simple, and build from there. You can build quickly, if they're an experienced gamer, but don't throw them in the deep end just because a certain mission blew your mind after you already had *years* of Thief experience under your belt.

Taylor on 3/3/2021 at 17:03

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All for a Night's Sleep would be a nice starter in my opinion. It's somewhat small, simple, but nicely built and enjoyable.
Unbidden Guest is also an enjoyable mission which is - as far as I remember - easy enough to be played by a new player.

One with optional readables are the better. Especially in case of a non-English speaker. Many FMs rely heavily on readables which means people with a poor English knowledge will inevitably be stuck.
Readables in OMs can be mostly ignored (except vault codes which are obvious), because things can be more or less guessed without reading anything anyways (there a few exceptions of course, such as Undercover, Return to the Cathedral and Soulforge are probably impossible to complete without reading - hearing Murus - and understanding the instructions)

I think a starter mission should be at least average in quality (but not a masterpiece to raise expectations too high in the player), simple/easy enough that a more-or-less beginner player could still complete it without too much trouble, but not an overly easy cakewalk.
Also I wouldn't recommend horror FMs or those that require a too much altered gameplay method. (Garrett being unarmed etc.)

vincentlancon on 4/3/2021 at 06:51

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Respect! But it was the FM's that hooked me, not the originals which is why I am curious to listen and hear what others would think would be good intros, whether playing or watching someone else play.... which is weirdly a thing this day and age.....back in my day we had screenshots to hook us.... :D