Thief Series
Covering the classic Thief franchise by Looking Glass Studios, as well as its sequels by Ion Storm and Eidos Montreal/Square Enix. The original Thief games informed much of the Stealth genre, including the Assassin's Creed and Splinter Cell series, as well as popular games such as Dishonored and Deus Ex. Its status among cult fans and game designers is legendary.Latest News
13th Jul 2016
The Dark Mod, version 2.04 released - Renault - 17:34
The taffers over at The Dark Mod have released a new version of their standalone game, specifically version 2.04. This new update provides a lengthy number of new features and bugfixes for the mod. Check out all the details in this TTLG post, or just go to The Dark Mod's website.
10th Feb 2016
72 Hour Contest Results and Recent FM Releases - Renault - 17:28
The Fan Mission forum recently held a "72 Hour" contest, where authors were tasked with creating a mission in Dromed in up to 72 non-consecutive hours over a 2 week period. The results are in, and the winner was skacky, with his mission Vanishing Point.
Other entries included Dirty Money by DrK, The Wooden Box by FireMage, and The Swindle Job by Dev_Anj. The last entry is significant in that it was Dev_Anj's first mission ever. Nice work there. Congrats to all the participants.
Check out all of the results here. You can download the missions from the release thread here.
In related news, the Novice Contest run by Iceblade is finishing up, and we should see a handful of entries from that contest released soon. Check this thread for details.
Other recent Thief FM releases:
Keeper of Infinity 2: Raven's Nest by Soul Tear
Darkstone Gems Chapter 2 Part 1: Nobles & Craftsmen by DarkMax
A Job Well Done by R Soul
King Abedzen's Tomb by Yandros
This FM haz NO SENSE by Zoro
Other entries included Dirty Money by DrK, The Wooden Box by FireMage, and The Swindle Job by Dev_Anj. The last entry is significant in that it was Dev_Anj's first mission ever. Nice work there. Congrats to all the participants.
Check out all of the results here. You can download the missions from the release thread here.
In related news, the Novice Contest run by Iceblade is finishing up, and we should see a handful of entries from that contest released soon. Check this thread for details.
Other recent Thief FM releases:
Keeper of Infinity 2: Raven's Nest by Soul Tear
Darkstone Gems Chapter 2 Part 1: Nobles & Craftsmen by DarkMax
A Job Well Done by R Soul
King Abedzen's Tomb by Yandros
This FM haz NO SENSE by Zoro
8th Jun 2015
Fan mission roundup for May 2015 - Renault - 21:15
Here's a quick summary of the Thief/Dark Mod FMs that were released in the month of May:
Thief:
Castle Michele, by Ricebug
Religious Conflict, by cardia 1 (2 mission set)
The Dark Mod:
Ulysses: Protecting The Flock, by Sotha (follow up to Ulysses: Genesis)
A House of Locked Secrets, by Moonbo (follow up to Requiem)
No Honor Among Thieves, by Goldchocobo & Bikerdue (an update to the original three mission set)
Thief:
Castle Michele, by Ricebug
Religious Conflict, by cardia 1 (2 mission set)
The Dark Mod:
Ulysses: Protecting The Flock, by Sotha (follow up to Ulysses: Genesis)
A House of Locked Secrets, by Moonbo (follow up to Requiem)
No Honor Among Thieves, by Goldchocobo & Bikerdue (an update to the original three mission set)
14th May 2015
The Magic Circle - A new game from the man who brought you The Cradle, featuring Stephen Russell - Renault - 22:19
Jordan Thomas, designer of the Shalebridge Cradle mission from Thief Deadly Shadows, has released the inaugural game from his new gaming company, Question Games. The game is titled The Magic Circle, and is available on Steam via the Early Access program. Here is a quick summary of the game:
Check here for more info: http://store.steampowered.com/app/323380
In other good news, the game features the voice of Stephen Russell. TTLG fans couldn't ask for a better combination.
In this darkly comedic story, you are the hero of an unfinished fantasy game - and your designers have failed you. Trap their creations. Swap behaviors and body parts, crafting your own unique solutions to free-form puzzles. Steal the power of creation, to either ship the game from the inside ... or cancel it.
Check here for more info: http://store.steampowered.com/app/323380
In other good news, the game features the voice of Stephen Russell. TTLG fans couldn't ask for a better combination.
23rd Mar 2015
Happy Birthday, Thief 2 - Renault - 19:05
15 years ago today, Thief II: The Metal Age was released. The last game that Looking Glass Studios would ever create.
Let's celebrate - play a little Thief 2 today, and read up a bit on its history. Check these links...
Wikipedia Entry
Why Thief 2 Is One Of The Best Games of All Time (Gameranx)
Thief 2 Retrospective (Eurogamer)
The Making of Thief 2
Reviews of Thief 2: IGN, Gamespot, Neoseeker, Avault (wayback machine archive)
Sneaky Bastards started a series of reviews of each level, sadly never finished: Running Interference, Shipping and Receiving, Framed, Ambush
Let's celebrate - play a little Thief 2 today, and read up a bit on its history. Check these links...
Wikipedia Entry
Why Thief 2 Is One Of The Best Games of All Time (Gameranx)
Thief 2 Retrospective (Eurogamer)
The Making of Thief 2
Reviews of Thief 2: IGN, Gamespot, Neoseeker, Avault (wayback machine archive)
Sneaky Bastards started a series of reviews of each level, sadly never finished: Running Interference, Shipping and Receiving, Framed, Ambush
21st Mar 2015
RIP Terry Pratchett - Author, Thief Fan - Tannar - 18:44
Terry Pratchett, beloved British author and avid Thief fan, passed away on March 12, 2015. He was perhaps best known for his Discworld series of books, but was a prolific author of fantasy works, writing on average two books per year. He sold more than 85 million books worldwide, and his books have been translated into 37 languages. In 1998, Pratchett was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire. In 2009 he received a knighthood for his services to literature, and in 2010 he received the World Fantasy Award for Lifetime Achievement.
He was also an avid Thief fan, playing both the original games and many fan missions and was active in Thief gaming groups during the 90's and 00's. According to an interview with Pratchett by PC Zone, he was an avid video game player, collaborating on several game adaptations of his books. He favored "intelligent" games that "have some depth", citing Half Life 2 and Thief fan missions as examples:
PCZ: "What have been your favourite games of the past few years?"
TP: "Far Cry, Call Of Duty, Half-Life 2 and a great many fan missions for Thief! A good fan mission is a joy, because the author reads your mind."
PCZ: "What do you make of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion? What have been your favourite moments?
TP: "I'm a thief and an assassin, and treat the game as a continuation of the Thief universe. I'm in it for the sneaking, but I like the free form nature of the game, the fact that you can ignore the quests and set off into this big, complex world. You really can explore. All the best moments have been in the shadows. Pick pockets, open locks, creep away."
Pratchett had a lovely sense of humor which was evident in his books, as well as in his public speaking and interviews. You may enjoy reading some of his quotes here. And there is a nice article on his passing at ars technica.
In his Discworld book, Going Postal, Pratchett wrote, "A man is not dead while his name is still spoken." To this end, many websites have added a header as a tribute to Terry Pratchett so that his name will forever be passed up and down the internet. You'll likely need a browser add-on to see the header. You can find one in the Browsers and Email Clients section on this page. We at TTLG are proud to be one of the sites keeping Terry Pratchett's name alive among the clacks.
So long, Terry! We'll miss you.
He was also an avid Thief fan, playing both the original games and many fan missions and was active in Thief gaming groups during the 90's and 00's. According to an interview with Pratchett by PC Zone, he was an avid video game player, collaborating on several game adaptations of his books. He favored "intelligent" games that "have some depth", citing Half Life 2 and Thief fan missions as examples:
PCZ: "What have been your favourite games of the past few years?"
TP: "Far Cry, Call Of Duty, Half-Life 2 and a great many fan missions for Thief! A good fan mission is a joy, because the author reads your mind."
PCZ: "What do you make of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion? What have been your favourite moments?
TP: "I'm a thief and an assassin, and treat the game as a continuation of the Thief universe. I'm in it for the sneaking, but I like the free form nature of the game, the fact that you can ignore the quests and set off into this big, complex world. You really can explore. All the best moments have been in the shadows. Pick pockets, open locks, creep away."
Pratchett had a lovely sense of humor which was evident in his books, as well as in his public speaking and interviews. You may enjoy reading some of his quotes here. And there is a nice article on his passing at ars technica.
In his Discworld book, Going Postal, Pratchett wrote, "A man is not dead while his name is still spoken." To this end, many websites have added a header as a tribute to Terry Pratchett so that his name will forever be passed up and down the internet. You'll likely need a browser add-on to see the header. You can find one in the Browsers and Email Clients section on this page. We at TTLG are proud to be one of the sites keeping Terry Pratchett's name alive among the clacks.
So long, Terry! We'll miss you.
25th Feb 2015
Happy Birthday, Thief 2014 (aka Thief 4, aka NuThief, aka Thiaf...) - Renault - 21:36
The much debated, sometimes controversial and always polarizing Thief reboot from Eidos Montreal was released one year ago today (in North America anyway). It's been a rough year for the latest entry into the series, and the game has taken it's share of criticism from both fans and journalists alike. Why not come over to the forums and give us your thoughts on the matter, 365 days later?
10th Feb 2015
The Dark Mod updates to version 2.03 - Renault - 15:28
The guys over at Broken Glass Studios have released an update to The Dark Mod, which includes the following enhancements and additions:
Thanks to the TDM team for all their hard work on the game - it's great to see that they're continually improving/fixing/enhancing things. To update your installation, run the file tdm_update.exe in your Dark Mod folder. Happy thieving...
AI changes: AI have a few new animations, including a new pickpocket reaction. Many AI, including the citywatch and builder models, should look more detailed, as most AI are now using LOD (Level of Detail) stages, allowing greater detail up close and less detail (and less of a performance hit) when further away. In terms of behaviour, AI will now coordinate their searches more intelligently when in groups, sending some AI to guard doors and choke-points rather than stepping all over each other. AI will now react when getting hit by an opening door. An issue that allowed AI to see behind them if their head was turned a certain way has been fixed.
Graphics: Particle effects have been greatly improved, so that they no longer create hard lines when intersecting geometry. Water no longer distorts things that are in front of it, and the skybox will no longer flash grey when the player is mantling. The spyglass will now appear round regardless of the screen dimensions used. A number of entities are now using LOD (Level of Detail) stages. You may wish to adjust this option in the Graphics Menu if you see noticeable 'popping' of models.
Assets: More than a hundred new high-quality textures and models have been added to the game, and should start appearing in new maps. A number of existing models have been improved by adding more polys and better textures. A new female townsfolk model and vocal set has also been added to the game and should start appearing in new maps soon.
Overall, you should notice a distinct improvement to the graphics and AI behaviour in maps. And we have some exciting renderer developments in the pipeline, though that will have to wait for the next update.
Graphics: Particle effects have been greatly improved, so that they no longer create hard lines when intersecting geometry. Water no longer distorts things that are in front of it, and the skybox will no longer flash grey when the player is mantling. The spyglass will now appear round regardless of the screen dimensions used. A number of entities are now using LOD (Level of Detail) stages. You may wish to adjust this option in the Graphics Menu if you see noticeable 'popping' of models.
Assets: More than a hundred new high-quality textures and models have been added to the game, and should start appearing in new maps. A number of existing models have been improved by adding more polys and better textures. A new female townsfolk model and vocal set has also been added to the game and should start appearing in new maps soon.
Overall, you should notice a distinct improvement to the graphics and AI behaviour in maps. And we have some exciting renderer developments in the pipeline, though that will have to wait for the next update.
Thanks to the TDM team for all their hard work on the game - it's great to see that they're continually improving/fixing/enhancing things. To update your installation, run the file tdm_update.exe in your Dark Mod folder. Happy thieving...
7th Mar 2014
My Thief Review - by henke - henke - 10:58
TTLG members review Thief
Thief has been played now and the opinions and reviews are coming in thick and fast. Over the next few weeks, as more and more people complete the new Thief, we hope to be able to showcase a range of reviews from our members.
The first one on the block is a review by the venerable henke, "the spirit of GenGaming" and all around games-player extraordinaire. Enjoy.
My Thief Review
This is not the old Thief. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started playing it, but it soon became clear that this is not the old Thief. Aside from hearing the sound of the bell tower and a few other sound effects, I have not experienced any nostalgic feelings during my time in the shoes of new Garrett. The gameplay reminds me more of Mark Of The Ninja and the Batman games than they do classic Thief. Some people seem to go out of their way to play this like classic Thief, disabling Focus and not swooping, but that is a mistake. Framing this game in the context of what old Garrett would do, or what the old games played like, will only keep you from enjoying it for what it is. This is not the old Thief. What it is, is a very good stealth game, and the story of a man named Garrett.
The Story
Honestly though, it’s not much a story. It’s fairly unoriginal and the way it’s told is a bit of a mess, especially early on. After Chapter 5 I had a pretty good handle on what was going on and my motivations were (somewhat) clear. The story hangs together, I guess, is the most positive thing you could say about it. But there are no moments like the final cutscene of The Dark Project here. Remember that? When the Keeper and Garrett are walking through the snow, and those final lines? It sent a shiver down your spine and got you pumped for the sequel. New Thief, by comparison, just… kinda ends.
The Missions
The whole game took me 22,5 hours to beat according to the in-game clock (30 hours according to Steam) and there’s plenty of sidemissions and Basso jobs still left undone. The missions are big, well designed, and filled with more loot than you’ll be able to find. However, they are to a large extent retreads of missions from earlier Thief games (Angelwatch, creepy abandoned asylum, bank, etc.). It’s like a Greatest Hits compilation of Thief levels. Not sure how I feel about that, honestly. On the one hand some more originality would’ve been nice, on the other hand everything about this game is different enough that it doesn’t feel like I’m doing the same missions over again.
What all that triple-A money was spent on, and what they could’ve spent more on
This game delivers on a lot of what I was hoping for from a triple-A-version of a Thief game. The environments are detailed and gorgeous, and aside from a few glitches, the animations are very slick. The sound, however, disappoints. There are a few sections with annoying repeated dialogue, and in some cutscenes the music and environmental sounds are so loud they drown out the voices of the characters we’re supposed to be listening to. Most disappointingly, the sounds of guards are too faint, and you can only hear them if they're nearby. You can't rely on your ears as much in this one as in previous games.
The Gameplay
As a reboot it does take the opportunity to introduce new gameplay elements and moves. Freerunning feels awesome, it’s almost a shame you get to use it so rarely (really only when retreading familiar ground where you know no guards will be). I like all the new tools in Garrett’s arsenal and the way they’re animated, especially the way he pulls the lockpicks out of his sleeves. Lockpicking feels better than it ever has before (with a gamepad and visual cues turned off, at least). Combat is harder than it’s ever been. Later on you can upgrade your blackjack damage and learn Focus combat takedown moves, but don’t expect to be winning many fights for the first 10 hours or so. Focus itself is… neither here nor there. I used it mainly to look for traps and help with a few puzzles, but overall it doesn’t bring much to the game. Swoop on the other hand is a great addition. It just feels good.
I also must give a special mention to the Challenge Modes. They make excellent use of existing areas and bring a totally new kind of stealth gameplay, one that rewards a delicate mixture of speed and silence.
The Bottomline
Overall, despite audio issues and a somewhat damp story, I had a good time with Thief. It's a solid stealth game. It's definitely better than Deadly Shadows. I don't think it'll sell well enough to warrant a sequel, and it's not like the game sets one up anyway. Already now, most of what I'm seeing on this forum is acceptance of this game for what it is. I think that down the line it'll be viewed as that weird one-off. "It wasn't as good as T1/2, but it wasn't bad, y'know."
Play settings: Master difficulty, 360 gamepad, most of the assists turned off.
Thief has been played now and the opinions and reviews are coming in thick and fast. Over the next few weeks, as more and more people complete the new Thief, we hope to be able to showcase a range of reviews from our members.
The first one on the block is a review by the venerable henke, "the spirit of GenGaming" and all around games-player extraordinaire. Enjoy.
My Thief Review
This is not the old Thief. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started playing it, but it soon became clear that this is not the old Thief. Aside from hearing the sound of the bell tower and a few other sound effects, I have not experienced any nostalgic feelings during my time in the shoes of new Garrett. The gameplay reminds me more of Mark Of The Ninja and the Batman games than they do classic Thief. Some people seem to go out of their way to play this like classic Thief, disabling Focus and not swooping, but that is a mistake. Framing this game in the context of what old Garrett would do, or what the old games played like, will only keep you from enjoying it for what it is. This is not the old Thief. What it is, is a very good stealth game, and the story of a man named Garrett.
The Story
Honestly though, it’s not much a story. It’s fairly unoriginal and the way it’s told is a bit of a mess, especially early on. After Chapter 5 I had a pretty good handle on what was going on and my motivations were (somewhat) clear. The story hangs together, I guess, is the most positive thing you could say about it. But there are no moments like the final cutscene of The Dark Project here. Remember that? When the Keeper and Garrett are walking through the snow, and those final lines? It sent a shiver down your spine and got you pumped for the sequel. New Thief, by comparison, just… kinda ends.
The Missions
The whole game took me 22,5 hours to beat according to the in-game clock (30 hours according to Steam) and there’s plenty of sidemissions and Basso jobs still left undone. The missions are big, well designed, and filled with more loot than you’ll be able to find. However, they are to a large extent retreads of missions from earlier Thief games (Angelwatch, creepy abandoned asylum, bank, etc.). It’s like a Greatest Hits compilation of Thief levels. Not sure how I feel about that, honestly. On the one hand some more originality would’ve been nice, on the other hand everything about this game is different enough that it doesn’t feel like I’m doing the same missions over again.
What all that triple-A money was spent on, and what they could’ve spent more on
This game delivers on a lot of what I was hoping for from a triple-A-version of a Thief game. The environments are detailed and gorgeous, and aside from a few glitches, the animations are very slick. The sound, however, disappoints. There are a few sections with annoying repeated dialogue, and in some cutscenes the music and environmental sounds are so loud they drown out the voices of the characters we’re supposed to be listening to. Most disappointingly, the sounds of guards are too faint, and you can only hear them if they're nearby. You can't rely on your ears as much in this one as in previous games.
The Gameplay
As a reboot it does take the opportunity to introduce new gameplay elements and moves. Freerunning feels awesome, it’s almost a shame you get to use it so rarely (really only when retreading familiar ground where you know no guards will be). I like all the new tools in Garrett’s arsenal and the way they’re animated, especially the way he pulls the lockpicks out of his sleeves. Lockpicking feels better than it ever has before (with a gamepad and visual cues turned off, at least). Combat is harder than it’s ever been. Later on you can upgrade your blackjack damage and learn Focus combat takedown moves, but don’t expect to be winning many fights for the first 10 hours or so. Focus itself is… neither here nor there. I used it mainly to look for traps and help with a few puzzles, but overall it doesn’t bring much to the game. Swoop on the other hand is a great addition. It just feels good.
I also must give a special mention to the Challenge Modes. They make excellent use of existing areas and bring a totally new kind of stealth gameplay, one that rewards a delicate mixture of speed and silence.
The Bottomline
Overall, despite audio issues and a somewhat damp story, I had a good time with Thief. It's a solid stealth game. It's definitely better than Deadly Shadows. I don't think it'll sell well enough to warrant a sequel, and it's not like the game sets one up anyway. Already now, most of what I'm seeing on this forum is acceptance of this game for what it is. I think that down the line it'll be viewed as that weird one-off. "It wasn't as good as T1/2, but it wasn't bad, y'know."
Play settings: Master difficulty, 360 gamepad, most of the assists turned off.
10th Dec 2013
New thief gold texture patch by Gecko - Gecko - 09:33
Gecko has released his long anticipated Thief Gold enhancement mod. See below for information or visit the original thread for more discussion.
At long last the Thief Gold HD Mod v0.8.5 is available for download!
New:
- added HD textures for all original missions
- added new vegetation
- added new water and lava textures
- added new torch and fire flames
- added Fog FX (Applies only to following missions: Escape!, Strange Bedfellows, Into The Maw of Chaos)
- added new Bugbeast HD skin
- added new Burrick HD skin
- added new Zombie HD skin (A big Zombie skin-pack update with a setup tool coming soon!!!)
Read More »
At long last the Thief Gold HD Mod v0.8.5 is available for download!
New:
- added HD textures for all original missions
- added new vegetation
- added new water and lava textures
- added new torch and fire flames
- added Fog FX (Applies only to following missions: Escape!, Strange Bedfellows, Into The Maw of Chaos)
- added new Bugbeast HD skin
- added new Burrick HD skin
- added new Zombie HD skin (A big Zombie skin-pack update with a setup tool coming soon!!!)
Read More »