SneakyJack on 14/5/2009 at 16:45
Quote Posted by Dussander
I wonder if they'll have a research team. Job spec: Research Thief by playing all the FMs available and take notes. How cool would that job be?
My dream job :laff:
Dia on 14/5/2009 at 18:54
Quote Posted by belboz
I think they shouldn't play any fan mission as that would distract from the main story line.
I disagree; there are soooo many FMs wherein the graphics, textures, architecture, & sound are even better than in the original games. Not to mention the potential for custom objects as well as potential AI interaction. And then there's the humor factor. I don't think it would hurt if the devs checked a few of our FMs out.
nickie on 14/5/2009 at 19:16
I'm with you on this one Dia. I don't at all think that any attention should be paid to any fm storyline in any way but, as you keep saying, in terms of the look, the feel, the gameplay, the fun and humour of fms, then yes, I think they have a lot to offer.
Stath MIA on 17/5/2009 at 17:13
Seconded, it would show them what a Thief game should feel like, not what story they should use. It'll help them know what we, the Thief fans, want far better than making long lists of things to do/not to do (this doesn't mean "stop making lists", they help to:thumb:).
Too Much Coffee on 17/5/2009 at 17:54
No disrespect to anyone in the FM community, but there is an abundance of material from the original Thief games to get the proper inspiration and influence needed to make Thief IV a success. As someone already suggested, providing an SDK with Thief IV would be a huge win for all of us.
Stath MIA on 17/5/2009 at 18:25
I'm definitely not saying that EM should only look at the FMs, just that some FMs, such as Rocksbourg, Mission X, Broken Triad, and The Inverted Manse among others, are worthy of considering as a sort of snapshot of the type of stuff that the community likes. For overall plot EM should only look at the OMs, but for gameplay, atmosphere, and style looking at FMs could only help.
SneakyJack on 18/5/2009 at 22:19
I enjoy many Fan Missions far above and beyond the original missions. Missions like The Seven Sisters, Rowena's Curse, Pirates Ahoy, The Night Falcon, The Rocksbourg Series.. I think these fan missions have captured the spirit of Thief better than the original missions have. Its like the original missions gave folks the base of what thief is, and the fan missions fleshed it out. Sure, stick to the original thief storyline and canon - but as far as gameplay, design and most importantly fun - fan missions (to me) kick the original missions up and down the block.
Unpopular opinion? Probably. But I've played fan missions thousands of times over the years - some of my favorite fan missions I've played dozens of times. When was the last time I played the original missions? I can't even remember. They are blocky, clunky and at most points uninteresting when compared to the incredible stuff that has come out of the fan mission community. Canon or not, the ones that stick close to what makes thief what it is should definitely be studied because they have a ton to teach folks about what makes thief so great.
I almost feel badly for folks that never dived into the fan mission scene after being impressed by the original missions - the quality is above and beyond.
Beleg Cúthalion on 19/5/2009 at 06:55
That's exactly the point where some of us disagree. FMs might be fancy, but they are often far away from the original Thief. I'm for instance fed up with mysterious artefacts, lost temples beneath mansions, ghosts leaving messages and Keepers coming to Garrett's house every week for another silly job.
TF on 19/5/2009 at 07:08
They're not going to play our FMs.
No, really. The best bet is to point them towards speedruns or thorough reviews of them.
Wormrat on 9/6/2009 at 21:02
Quote Posted by SneakyJack
When was the last time I played the original missions? I can't even remember. They are blocky, clunky and at most points uninteresting when compared to the incredible stuff that has come out of the fan mission community.
Quote Posted by Beleg Cúthalion
FMs might be fancy, but they are often far away from the original Thief. I'm for instance fed up with mysterious artefacts, lost temples beneath mansions, ghosts leaving messages and Keepers coming to Garrett's house every week for another silly job.
Different issues. It's already been stated in this thread that the FMs aren't a good source of plot or thiefy lore, but they do provide excellent lessons about thiefy
level design.
A good approach, I think, is to come up with a particular design theme and an FM that's an exemplar of that theme, even more so than the OMs.
Something similar to this thread, only less inclusive:
(
http://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=106781)
For example, I think Heist Society is far better example of how to make a great rob-the-mansion mission than any OM. Life of the Party has strong competition from Thieves' Highway, and in terms of vertical/rooftop exploration, it's certainly been surpassed by Disorientation. Sabotage at Soulforge looks like a workshop compared to Lord Alan's Factory.
Nonlinearity, alternate entrances, creative architecture, hidden areas--FMs are the place to go for inspiration.
