Questions About Editing

[Ricebug]

I don't know if it's boredom, gradual dementia, or what. I've been poking around this forum reading a lot of posts. A new editor in the pipe? Man! Anyway, I have a few questions.

1. One post I read, there was some back-and-forth concerning the New Dark editor and Dromed. What's the difference?
2. Has any third-party tools for Dromed been created? For example, a terrain creation tool?
3. Is it worth my while to get back into the editing game? Thief is 23 years old, so I'm wondering. Heck, I'm 71 and would be somewhat irritated if I had a stroke halfway through a mission.

FYI, I started watching YT videos on How To Use Dromed. I almost wanted to cry. How depressing.

[Esse]

1. NewDark added several upgrades to the default Dromed program to make it work better: https://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=140097 These come with the NewDark patch, and not the program by default.

2. From what I understand, there haven't, but there's been an expansion pack of sorts called Dromed Deluxe: https://thief.fandom.com/wiki/DromEd...sources/DEDX01

3. The fan mission community is vibrant and alive. Age is just a number - if you want to get into mission-making, go for it! The community is more than happy to help answer any questions you have. You could also simply play around with Dromed or focus on a certain aspect of it, like scripting or texture-making.

[Brethren]

Terry, your last mission was released in 2015, that's post-New Dark, so I don't think much has changed since you last worked in Dromed. There are of course new models/textures/assets available, but as far as just editing goes, it's pretty much all the same.

FYI, I started watching YT videos on How To Use Dromed. I almost wanted to cry. How depressing.

Why's that?

[Ricebug]

It's depressing because I have to learn all that stuff like a noob.

[redleaf]

Hey, Ricebug.

Is there life after DromEd?
I've been away for a couple of years dealing with medical issues, and at 73, I'm just getting back into it again. It's just become such a core part of my psyche. I still see the world through the eyes of DromEd, my family no longer surprised to hear me say things like, "Oh, man, great textures on these walls!" Firing up DromEd (NewDark version) felt just like coming home. No big learning curve.

It would be brilliant to see another Ricebug mission come out.

[Ricebug]

Redleaf, you old dog! I wouldn't be surprised to learn that a lot of the old guard here are in their fall/winter years.

Don't know if I have time to waste on creating a NewDark mission. I'm in the middle of getting a Kindle eBook published, with more to come. Had to retire the music studio thanks to hearing loss and arthritis. But my lady keeps me warm, my belly is full, and life is decent.

[Komag]

I would recommend looking into Dark Mod editing, at least to see another option that can produce great results that look far more modern.

[mike the mute]

Hay Ricebug, Redleaf, Komag.
Let's hear it for us oldfarts. (I'm 70)
I still have 2 Komag disks from 2000.
I first played Thief in 2001 and all the FMs I could find.
Then put it away to concentrate on work.
Now reTIRED. In 2020 replayed the originals including Thief 4,
Then found there are now over 1000 FMs.
Silly me, I thought 1000 would last me till I died... But finished them by 2022.
So I've started building my own FMs. (And I'm new to the forum).
I've got 4-5 half finished FMs on my hard drive. Might never finish them, but I'm having fun.

Q: Can .mis files built in dromed be imported into New Dark, without starting over?

Thanks,
- Mike the Mute

[R Soul]

Yes, and once you start using the NewDark version of Dromed, you'll find a lot of improvements. Optimizing, relighting, and pathfinding are all quicker. The editor is more stable and the increased limits mean that you can do more. It is of course still up to the mission author to make it fun.