So most people like FMs that essentially are 3d point and click classic adventures?

zajazd on 7/2/2017 at 09:28

I have much respect for fan mission authors, but I don't complete 95% of fan missions, often I quit them early, because for me getting stuck doesn't equal fun. I look at fan mission threads and 99% is where is that key? where is that item? what do I do there? how do I do that? and that goes on and on for many many pages.
So my question is do people really like getting stuck all the time? Doesn't that break immersion for you? To be fair Thief 1 and 2 have their share but to a lesser degree than most fan missions.

downwinder on 7/2/2017 at 09:41

getting stuck happens a lot,but the reason is simple,due to the fact each fan mission author who makes missions has there own way to do thing,and even if you kinda know how they make missions they always get better and learn new way to do missions to keep you on your toes

the best option is frob everything,takes a lot longer but you will more likely then not find a lot more then what is just visible

and we all end up posting on boards for help,or wait for others to post :P

Unna Oertdottir on 7/2/2017 at 09:44

Quote Posted by zajazd

I have much respect for fan mission authors, but I don't complete 95% of fan missions

So which FMs did you complete?

zajazd on 7/2/2017 at 11:42

Quote Posted by Unna Oertdottir

So which FMs did you complete?

The ones that don't require item hunting and obscure tasks. A good example is The Uninvited Guest (2008) - a mission that has great pacing, sense of progression and accomplishment, not too easy and not too hard.

Unna Oertdottir on 7/2/2017 at 12:33

Uninvited Guest is a rather quick FM. One can do the main objectives in couple of minutes. I like this, too :D
It is certainly a matter of taste whether you prefer rather simple missions or difficult ones. There are missions for everyone out there.

skacky on 7/2/2017 at 14:19

I get where you're coming from.

I myself prefer missions that focus more on navigating in a well thought-out interconnected 3D space, with guards to avoid and with open-ended objectives rather than restrictive missions that emphasize item search, item usage in most often than not obscure ways or mandatory tiny switches to progress, often too well hidden. I really hate having a thousand items in my inventory with some obscure stuff to do with them. I tend to make mandatory items easy to find or at least not crazy well-hidden.

This is the reason why most of my favorite FMs, and the ones I make often appear bare bones, with only a few objectives, but feature large spaces with many different paths to take and allow for an almost absolute freedom of action with the odd puzzle or two that aren't mandatory to beat the mission.

neux on 7/2/2017 at 14:39

I'm in line with skacky. I feel this is why his missions are so popular.

I'd like to add that obscure objectives and well hidden objects have their place within thief universe but (in my opinion) only for optional quests and easter eggs.

marbleman on 7/2/2017 at 14:43

I don't like hunting for keys and small switches, but adventure-type missions can also be very enjoyable. Take Eshaktaar's missions for example. There a lot of items in them, but you never feel lost as to what you should use them on.

Renault on 7/2/2017 at 15:10

Part of it is, I think after over a decade of playing Thief, some of the challenge is/was gone for players. So new, more complicated objectives were created to make up for it.

You can only sneak through a cathedral/mansion/crypt so many times before it starts to get old (for some).

fortuni on 7/2/2017 at 16:46

Skacky has described what is basically the blueprint for classic style thief game play, I'm not sure if there are names for all the different styles of thief game play that have evolved over the years or even if you could define some of the styles

For my cent I'm 100% classic thief player, It's why I prefer T1/TG missions, I just love exploring buildings, admiring the architecture, discovering secret pathways (sometimes even if the author didn't intend you to go that way).....but scouring every inch of every building to find an obscure lever or item, I get bored far too easily to be bothered with that waste of time. :mad: