Welcome to the Thief Fan Missions Forum.
This forum is the place to discuss Thief Fan Missions. This thread is intended to provide answers to the most frequently asked questions of this forum.
Some of the information provided below has become redundant with the new Thief 2 NewDark patch. However, it is still relevant to V1.18.
NewDark Patch for Thief and Thief 2
Built-in FM loader in new Thief V1.19 - 1.24
Sneaky Upgrade: Unofficial patch for Thief 3
What is a Thief Fan Mission?
Thief Fan Missions (FMs) are additional levels that you can play using the original game CDs. These missions are not in any way supported by Looking Glass Studios or Eidos Interactive. They are created by Thief players, just like you, for the enjoyment of other Thief fans. You must have the original game CDs to play the FMs created for that game. There are FMs available for all the different Thief releases: Thief The Dark Project (T1), Thief Gold (TG), Thief II The Metal Age (T2) and Thief Deadly Shadows (T3). Official missions that are part of the original games are called OMs.
How do I get the game ready to play FMs?
It may be helpful to start with a fresh install of the game when beginning your launch into the world of FMs. Though many will find that this is not needed, some may encounter problems that can be solved with a simple re-install.
It is also very good to have a fully patched version of the game. T1 has a patch which may or may not be required by an FM, though the EAX capabilities it introduces into the game may increase your enjoyment of many FMs which support this feature. The latest version is 1.33.
TG has no patches to worry about. The only version is 1.37.
With T2, however, it is very likely that a player will run into problems if using an unpatched version of the game. The latest version is 1.18.
You can find the patches for the above games at The Circle or thiefmissions.com . Be sure to select the proper T2 patch!
Thief 2: (Many thanks to SinisterShadow for supplying the following information!) In some instances, the patch does not properly apply itself to the GEN.OSM and CONVICT.OSM files which results in problems in certain T2 FMs. This problem also appears with the 1.18 version of the SoldOut T2. If you are experiencing problems, download this. Open up the file and you'll see a T2 folder. Extract the new copies of the GEN.OSM and CONVICT.OSM files that you find inside and drop them into your Thief 2 game folder, allowing them to overwrite the ones already in there. If you want to check your files, you can use MD5 sums. Check yours against these checksums, which are the correct ones:
Code:
0cc03c984a79df89b341dfd208c8a362 *gen.osm
5a6ab32edec799cc23149b95afb088c1 *convict.osm
For more information, you can check the thread where it was discussed.
T3 also has a patch that can be found here . The latest version is 1.1.
Finally, a file named convict.osm must be present to play FMs. Without it, the game will be badly broken. Grab it here: Thief 1 / Thief Gold / Thief 2 or at thiefmissions.com.
Naturally, if you are trying to play T2, don't install the T1 version of convict. Unzip the file and place it in the game's installation folder (the same folder thief.exe is in). Some releases of the game already include convict.osm when the game is installed. Convict.osm is also installed whenever the game's editor (DromEd) is installed. To find out if you have convict.osm or not, just look in your Thief 1, Thief Gold, or Thief 2 install folder. If it's there; you're set. If it's not; then download it! If you're wondering, convict is not short for "constantine and victoria" ... it's "conditions of victory". 
Remember, Convict.osm is NOT needed for T3 FMs.
So, in a nutshell, for the most worry free venture into the world of FMs, start with a clean install of the game, apply the correct patch, and make sure you have convict.osm (if playing T1/T2).
Can I play a TG FM if I only have T1?
Yes you can in many cases, but you must first apply the Thief Gold patch, available here or here to your Thief installation.
To install this patch, download it from one of the two mirror locations. When the download is complete the box gives you a choice of "Open" or "Close". If you don't want to proceed now choose "Close". Then later you can just go to where you placed the downloaded file and double click it and follow the instructions below.
If you choose "Open" the program will lead you through the installation process. First screen: read and click “next”. Second screen: read and click “next”. Third screen: choose destination – your Thief folder – click “next”. You should see “installation progress” then “installation complete” click “Finish”.
(Instructions courtesy of diana50322. Thanks, Diana!).
If you have Thief Gold you can play the TDP FMs as well as the TG FMs. T1 and TG FMs cannot be played with T2, and vice versa. T3 FMs only play with Thief: Deadly Shadows (T3).
Okay, all of that is done. Now I want to play some FMs! How?
FM Selector
FMSel is the inbuilt fan mission player that comes with the NewDark Patch.
In the directory where you installed Thief, find a file called "cam_mod.ini." Open it up. Right below the line where it says "always start the FM selector", remove the semicolon in front of ;fm, then save the file. The FM selector will now start up whenever you start Thief.
To set the fan mission path, start up Thief, which should start the FM Selector automatically. At the bottom of the window is an icon of a gear. Click it, go down to and click on "FM Archive Path" and browse to where you keep your fan missions. For more information see here.
NewDarkLoader
NewDarkLoader has replaced the original Darkloader program. Do NOT use the original Darkloader as many of the newer FMs will not work properly with it.
AngelLoader
AngelLoader is another new FM installation program created by FenPhoenix for the FM community. This post has all the information you need to install it properly as well as a download link.
GarrettLoader
GarrettLoader is a newer program created by Richard Potter (potterr on TTLG).This program handles FMs for all of the Thief games, in addition to the unofficial expansion T2X and The Dark Mod.
The self-extracting installation file included with GarrettLoader will walk you through the installation process. You can download GarrettLoader 1.41 here or the beta version 1.42 of GarrettLoader at The Circle. This is just a patch that you use after installing 1.41.
After you've got NewDarkLoader or GarrettLoader installed on your system and configured, you're ready to play FMs. One very important note: GarrettLoader and NewDarkLoader should not be used in unison. . This post is from the author of GarrettLoader:
Do NOT mix GarrettLoader with DarkLoader installs (for Thief 1/Gold/2 FMs). That is to say if you install an FM via either DarkLoader or GarrettLoader do not then try and install one via the other program...this will muck things up massively. If you do wish to switch between programs, make sure you restore to the original missions first.
Clean up of files
Occasionally you will find that you'll start a new mission and run into problems. For instance, you might load one mission and when you start to play you'll see something that indicates you're going to be playing a mission other than the one you selected or you might experience crashes.
Sometimes NewDarkLoader or GarrettLoader fails to clean up the Thief folder while uninstalling an FM, so you might have to do it manually:
Install the original game missions and delete any remains of the following folders in your main Thief folder:
- Pal
- Bitmap
- Books
- Fam
- Intrface
- Obj
- Mesh
- Strings
- Motions
but don't delete the movies, crfs or the res folder!
Next, reinstall the mission you want to play and it should load properly.
Thanks to SinisterShadow and Yandros for the above information.
Got it! Now. where can I get the FMs?
FMs can be downloaded from:
Southquarter
Darklurker.com
Darklurker.org
taffersparadise
darkfate
Cheap Thief Missions (Older missions only. The site is not currently being updated.)
TTLG's own Thief: The Circle website Also not current. Only for older missions.
The easiest way to use FMs after downloading is to create a separate directory on your PC and save them there. In the setup portion of both NewDarkLoader, AngelLoader, GarrettLoader and FMSel, you can specify the exact location where you are storing your FMs.
Some of the sites listed above have rankings/ratings for many of the FMs. The Circle not only has a review system but polls so that everyone can give their opinions on the missions.
Ratings/reviews are also available at the following sites. Keep in mind; most of them are only one person’s opinion. It’s best to try each FM out and decide for yourself:
General Fan Mission Review and Discussion Megathread
Dark Mod Review Site
The Abandoned Workshops
russelmz Review Thread
There are walkthroughs, loot lists and hints available for some FMs. Check the Walkthroughs section of theThief Fan Missions Information Links thread.
The FMs are ZIP files; should I unzip the files myself?
No, don't unzip the files! Your loader will unzip the files for you and do any required cleanup when you select a different mission. You can unzip them only if you want to snoop around in the files rather than actually play the mission.
The NewDarkloader screen says this mission requires "scripts" to run. Where do I get them from and what do I do with them?
The current Thief installers will automatically install the latest scripts so this section only applies to someone running old Darkloader. Some missions require special scripts to run. These are very easy to install. Check Cheap Thief Missions Scripts page for instructions and download links. Please note that the latest version of the NV Scripts is found here. The one at Cheap Thief missions is now outdated. The latest version of DarkLoader (4.3.1b) includes these scripts in the installation file.
Do I need DromEd/T3Ed and what is it?
You don't need DromEd or the T3 Editor to play the FMs. DromEd is the mission editing program used to create the missions.
I want to make a FM of my own. Is this the place to ask questions?
No. There's a different forum for that. For T1 and T2 missions, go to The Editors Guild and for T3, head over to The Thief III Editors' Guild.
If you are experiencing any technical problems while running Thief, such as error messages, black screens, etc. please check the Thief Series FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (Technical / Purchasing / Etc.) - 2012 which is full of fixes and suggestions that you will find helpful. If that doesn't solve your problem, please post a question on the Technical and Troubleshooting forum.
Many thanks to Brethren for providing an update to the above section of the FAQ.
How do I upload screenshots?
When you take a screenshot, it is stored in either .pcx or .bmp format, depending on whether or not you use DDFix (see the screenshots question here.) Open them with any image editor, and save as .jpg. If you don't have a program which can open them, install IrfanView, which is free.
The .jpg file can be uploaded to any free image hosting site, such as ImageShack, Photobucket and so on. Many of these sites will automatically generate the necessary code to insert into your posts, sometimes including thumbnails. Images should be no more than 800 pixels wide.
Also see the Attachments and Images section of the main FAQ
The above section on screenshots was written by R Soul. Thanks!
How to use the Forum:
If you're reading this part, then you're probably new to this forum, so "Welcome". This only contains a few points. If you have questions about any other functions, please feel free to post them or e-mail the moderators for more information. First and foremost, please read the Forum Posting Guidelines.
There are a few basic rules of "etiquette" that you should be aware of.
1. Don't type everything in CAPITALS!!
This is the equivalent to yelling and is not well received.
2. Before starting a new thread...
Before starting a new thread (topic), please check recent ones that are open to see if there is one already started about the mission that you have a question on. If there is, just add your question to the end. You can do this by clicking on the "Post Reply" button. The thread will go to the top of the forum and your question will be seen and answered.
When you do post a question, please be as specific as possible. Make sure you state the mission that you are having problems with and what difficulty level you are playing on, as that can make a big difference in some missions.
When starting a new thread about a specific mission, it helps to put the name of the mission in the subject line.
3. Use the search function
Some questions have been asked and answered many times. If you check the top, right hand of the forum screen, you will see a "SEARCH" button. Using this function, especially for some of the questions about DarkLoader and older FMs, will often turn up answers for your question without having to wait for someone to answer. Don't forget to search the Archives of the Editor's Forum as well, if you are looking for answers on some of the older FMs. A lot of questions about FMs were dealt with there before the creation of this forum.
4. Spoilers
Please use spoiler cover if you are posting specific details about gameplay in an FM. This allows people to search for answers for their questions without inadvertently reading details that give away too much information on the mission. To add spoiler cover, look above the area where you type your question and you'll see a row of buttons labeled: "http://", "@", "IMG", etc. The last one is "Spoiler". Just click on the spoiler button and [spoil] and [/spoil] will be inserted. Type the text you want to cover in between them, like this:
The key can be found [spoil]on the desk in the bedroom[/spoil] upstairs.
Continue to type the rest of your post as usual and when it appears it will look like this: The key can be found on the desk in the bedroom upstairs.
To read spoilers, position your cursor on the blue field and click your left mouse button. The hidden words will be revealed.
5. DarkLoader Problems
If you have problems setting up Darkloader or running FMs and wish to post for help, please include specifics about how you have it set up and what your system specs. are. This will make it easier to help resolve the problem.
6. Thief TDP manual
If you have Thief TDP but don't have the manual, you can find one online at the Eidos Thief Forum FAQ, Links and Archive. The thread for the "Manual for Thief:The Dark Project" is in the FAQ - Reference Topics section.
Please join in the fun by introducing yourself in the Who Are You? thread and tell us a bit about yourself. Just whatever you feel comfortable sharing. It makes interesting reading as well!
Thanks to Nightwalker for her input and for providing the "How to use the Forum" section.
Posting Permissions
