Snacks2 on 12/7/2015 at 00:28
So, there are tons of FM's. Obviously. I've been searching through them, but I'm wondering if there are more specific descriptions of FM "genres" so I know what to look for. Organized by the mission setting, story emphasis, atmosphere, et cetera. Are there names for them? For reference, I would say my favorite Thief 2 missions are probably Shipping and Receiving, Framed, Ambush, Life of the Party. City or mansion settings, usually guards as the enemies, things to climb on. Not interested in undead/ horror. I'll play Hammerite/ Mechanist church/ temple/ base missions but not really a priority. Only FM's I've played so far are T2X, Art of Thievery, Thieves Highway. Is there a name for what I'm looking for?
Snacks2 on 12/7/2015 at 01:47
I missed it among all of the other stickies.
Well, I guess if anyone else stops by before this thread gets abandoned or locked, some suggestions would be good, since there are still an obscene amount to pick through and with no ratings.
Tannar on 12/7/2015 at 02:43
One of the most important of those stickies is the (
http://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=139559) Thief Fan Mission Information Links thread. It has many useful links covering most things related to Thief fan missions, including several review threads and sites. For example, a large number of missions have been reviewed in the (
http://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=124349) General Fan Mission Review and Discussion Megathread. They're listed in the first post in alphabetical order, with links to the review(s) of each mission. That should help.
Yandros on 12/7/2015 at 04:32
Based on your stated preference of city/mansion missions with guards and no undead, I would recommend you start with anything by Melan or Skacky, who make some of the best in that style. Another approach after reading some of the genre lists might be to play through some of the contest missions, particularly the ones which won or scored high marks (top 2 or 3) if they also match your preferred style of mission from a genre/gameplay perspective. They're shorter and thus less of a time commitment as you find your way through and figure out what you like and don't like.
As for reviews, the folks here are generally far too nice to write useful reviews (by that I mean they rarely criticize and sometimes over-praise even average missions). That's fine as it suits the general aura of this wonderful place, but if you're looking for more critical reviews you may want to read through (
http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/index.php?threads/thief-2-fan-missions-and-campaigns.51965/) this thread over at RPG Codex. They tend to be more analytical and critical about missions over there, which is useful information for someone like you who is looking for honest evaluations of the missions out there. There were some rating systems a decade ago for the earlier missions, but there's really nothing like that now if you're looking for a simple list of ratings next to all the missions.
Dev_Anj on 12/7/2015 at 05:52
As some people have suggested, the stickied fan mission list would be a good place to start, and if you can specify what kind of missions or themes you prefer, then we can try and help you further.
nihilon_traveller on 12/7/2015 at 11:59
Also, you must play Ominous Bequest. I advise you do it now, the less you read about it the better.
Purgator on 12/7/2015 at 17:29
Maybe people praise because they actually like what they've played? Respectfully Russ, to think that posters heap praise to perpetuate an "aura" is a little insulting.
If people have a dislike for an FM and don't post their views, they are probably doing so out of manners. Nothing wrong with that too.
Over-praise is an evaluation based on your own perception, I would think. If you think an FM is average, someone else may think it unique?
There are plenty of FMs out there I wouldn't play again due to personal taste, that doesn't mean they're not good FMs.
Snacks2, like a good number of TTLG folk, dislikes Undead/Horror missions whereas I love 'em.
How you feel about anything of that ilk is subjective, at best.
I would trust your own opinion before anyone else's to be honest, Snacks2. Avoid what you dislike and aim for what appeals. You may be pleasantly surprised.
Regarding RPGCodex, I personally I wouldn't pay much heed to any reviews that would state "I stopped playing after five minutes".
That defeats the purpose of a logical critique IMHO, and views like that are usually based on personal bug bears rather than any serious gameplay analysis. There have been some rather unkind remarks regarding TTLG members as a whole over on that site too, but if that floats your proverbial, off you go.
We do have our own dedicated (
http://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=124349) Mission review thread here at TTLG, but I think the rules about profanity and being constructive in posting critiques would put certain people off posting there.
Opinions are respected here, it's just that you don't have to rip someone, or their work, a new one in the process.
Missions are offered gratis, how else would you respond to a gift other than with gratitude.
Tannar on 12/7/2015 at 17:49
And respectfully to you, Purgator, Russ is referring to a long-established and well-known culture on the Thief fan mission forum. This issue has been discussed at great length over the years and the consensus is clearly that Thief fans, at least here, tend to lavish praise on new missions but are reluctant to critique them honestly. Certainly that isn't true of all members, and of course there are exceptions, but this is most definitely the pervading culture here.
Partly that is due to the fact that, for the most part, Thief fans here tend to be pretty nice people. It's widely known that the TTLG Thief community is one of the nicest gaming communities on the web. Add to that the fact that we are all really appreciative of what our authors do, and we are usually starved for new FMs, so when a new one comes out we tend to lavish praise, at least partly out of gratitude and partly because we appreciate the effort. In fact, your last comment clearly demonstrates this.
This isn't a bad thing in and of itself, but many authors have complained over the years that there isn't enough honest criticism. They rely on that kind of critique to help them make better missions in the future, and many of them feel that they don't get that here.
Some of the points you made are valid, of course, but Russ's remarks were not just his own perception, but that of many members here and probably most of our authors.
I apologize for sidetracking your thread further, Snacks2, but I think it's important to discuss these kinds of things now and again. If you are also playing TG missions, you might like Augustine's Revenge by BBB.
Cavalorn on 12/7/2015 at 18:42
Think I am gonna have to agree with Russ on this. People in this community are far too nice to criticize, and they praise even those missions which would not get much praise anywhere else. It is a common belief here that since the authors spare no time and energy to provide enjoyment for others in the form of missions for free, thus the community is thankful for even the tiniest of the missions. No one would call a mission openly "bad', though it is well known that some missions are poorer than the others. It is so rare to see negative critics in a mission thread, because no one wants to hurt the feelings of the authors, although constructive criticism should not be a concern. This is in the vein of this community. I don't think this was an insult at all by Russ, but rather a fact.
