zacharias on 25/12/2012 at 07:28
Thief 2 Fan Mission
'Bones: Episode 1: the Old Quarter' v1.0First release: 25 Dec 2012
Please update Thief 2 to version 1.19 to play this mission.
(
http://www.thiefmissions.com/m/Bones) Thief Missions Download Page
Inline Image:
http://www.users.on.net/~pharvey75/dump010.jpg-----------------
Just a few words and thanks are in order, and an apology: this mission was effectively abandoned for ages (years) due to real life and difficulties getting Thief 2 to install on my new pc (the -lgntforce thing never seemed to work for me). After version 1.19 came out I got up and running with Tafferpatcher and had some free time to finish this :) 1.19 is also great and I think Thief 2 still has some life in it..I think we can go another decade(!)
But to the other people who put work into this: sorry it took so long.
Better late than never though eh ;)
First things first, I have to thank a few people.
First of all Jason (Storybuilder on ttlg) who wrote most of the readables, the intro and movie text and helped with story generally. He hasn't been around ttlg for ages but hopefully will drop in again at some point.
Thanks to Laz for making a kickass intro movie.
Thanks to Loanstar for voice acting/providing recordings as Garrett.
Thanks to Rob Hicks for his work on DEDX. I think the new toys and arrows are great fun and would love to see DEDX2/Dark Metal, Rob, if you read this.
Thanks to all the taffers in the Editors Guild and everyone who's written tutorials.
Thanks to Daraan for Alpha testing.
Thanks to everyone at Shalebridge Cradle testing forums:
Tannar for setting up a forum for testing and all the beta testers who provided great feedback at a very busy/mad time of year.
Beta testers: nickie, Nightwalker, The Phantom, Jones Crusher, bob_doe_nz, itllrun10s, Gloria Creep, gigagooga.
Notes:
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This was intended as a two mission series, so more of the story was reserved for part 2 (not sure I will ever get to finishing mission 2..depends on real life)..Mission 1 I think of as a semi-decent 'back to basics' type mission. You'll mostly be stealing stuff (duh ;)) but can go about it pretty much however you wish.
Also I tried to have more of a Thief 1 vibe where possible.
Gameplay Notes:
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Please map the 'next weapon' function to a key in your custom binds to access the new arrow types in-game.
Icebombs: If used on an AI they will become immobile for a time and see through. Later if you blackjack them it will count as a kill (as if the AI is frozen and then cracked).
If you swim outside (blue water) the player will take a bit of damage. It's freezing!
In the sewers (green water) the player won't take any damage from the water.
Please turn Fog and Weather Effects ON (if your vid card supports these features).
Known Bugs:
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It snows in the water some places.
AI path finding anomalies from time to time.
Some reports of disappearing doors from some testers.
As further bugs/errors come to light I may do an updated version.
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Alright that's probably enough rambling from me..I'm off to eat junk food and play Dishonored.
Hope you like the mission taffers..and Merry Christmas :)
Cheers
-z
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Intro text:
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Lieutenant Stroud suddenly stopped writing her report, halting midway through a word. Her quill remained on the paper, a blossoming circle of black ink obliterating her previous work. A chill ran through her, like mice running over dry bones. Something was wrong.
Her years in the city watch had honed her senses, and subtle clues--minute shifts in the light, a gentle puff of air--told her she wasn't alone.
"Don't turn around," said a man's voice. His voice. Rage filled her blood, her mouth tasting of copper.
Her hand blurred towards her belt. Panic seized her when she found the scabbard empty, her dagger missing. A small needle of pain flared in her throat. "Looking for this?" the voice asked as a blade pricked her skin.
"Lieutenant Stroud, this is the third time you've tried that. You've really got to stop."
Her rage fell away and a horrible, defeated sadness replaced it. "Leave me alone," she said.
"In due time, Lieutenant. But not just yet."
"What do you want?" she asked. "What more of my dignity can you strip from me?"
"I want what everybody wants. You know; comfort, security, a home in Lampfire Hills. But what I want from you, Lieutenant Stroud, is information."
She paused. "I...can't keep doing this."
"Yes, you can."
She closed her eyes, hating this man, this carrion bird, with all her soul.
"People are getting suspicious. Even Captain Phillips. You burglarized the museum right after--"
The man sighed.
"Lieutenant Stroud...May I call you Jessica?"
"No."
"Jessica, I have no interest in your relations with your fellow bulldogs. All I'm interested in hearing from you are the answers to a few questions."
His voice became icy. "And you will answer them, because if you don't, your loving husband Arthur will discover that his son was sired by another man."
A peculiar mix of longing and shame swept through her. Images of that summer with Kevin, all those years ago, spun through her mind, all fragmented, beautiful, and sad, like crushed flowers. "Damn you..." she whispered, her voice hitching.
"You're not the first to say that, Jessica."
"I know your name," she said suddenly.
The man fell silent. She felt a change in the air; her words had startled him.
"Do you now?" he asked carefully.
"Your name is Garrett." She had been saving that fact to use if she really needed it. Now seemed as good a time as any.
The man, the notorious thief named Garrett, fell silent again, almost pensive. Then he chuckled.
"Bravo, Jessica, bravo. Fine detective work, my dear."
"We'll catch you."
"No, you won't. But you did show me I'm getting careless, and for that I thank you. Thus, an exchange...you answer a few questions right now, and then I'll leave you alone. Agreed?"
She nodded. Anything to be rid of this wood tick.
"Yesterday, you oversaw the security detail for the unloading of a riverboat named The Spangled Cur. Rumor has it there was a very valuable spice shipment onboard. Is this true?"
"Yes."
"Where is this shipment now?"
"In the Eastport Beach dockhouse."
Her tormentor paused. "Where?"
"The Eastport Beach dockhouse. In the Old Quarter."
She shook her head. "The re-opened Old Quarter, I mean."
He grunted. He apparently wasn't used to the Old Quarter being open again either.
"Where in the dockhouse?"
"I don't know. Tendgaff, the dockmaster, took it."
"Do you have a map of the Old Quarter? A current one, made after all the re-building?"
She nodded, moving her hand to open a desk drawer. The blade asserted itself at her throat once more.
"Ahh-ahh. Slowly," he cautioned. She did as he said, pulling the map out and handing it to him. It disappeared behind her.
She waited for his next question, but none came. Curiosity began to gnaw at her, and she carefully turned around.
Her office was empty. She leaped out of her chair, ready to fling open her door and charge out into the hall when a bit of movement caught her eye. Looking up, she saw the end of some rope disappear over the edge of her open skylight and into the darkness beyond. As she watched, a folded piece of paper suddenly fluttered down through the opening, turning in a lazy spiral. It made a small scuffing noise when it hit the ground.
She snatched it off the floor. On the outside, in a neat, crabbed printing read a single phrase:
NICE WORKING WITH YOU.
She furiously tore open the paper, then froze when she saw what it was.
It was a letter, one written in her hand. A letter to Kevin, telling him she bore his son. A letter she never delivered.
That was how Garrett knew. And now it was hers again.
Lieutenant Jessica Stroud sank to her knees, covered her face with her hands, and began to weep.
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