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Thief fan missions and campaigns

Unkillable Cat

LEST WE FORGET
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Codex 2014 Make the Codex Great Again! Grab the Codex by the pussy
Since I'm missing a leg in "Where the Unknown Lurks", I went and gave "Feast of Pilgrims" a go, where Sean Connery returns to his thiefing role. It's huge.
 

Curratum

Guest
It still blows my mind how people on TTLG keep posting FMs without a single screenshot. Jesus Christ, people, what is this, Y2K on dialup?
 

Curratum

Guest
Right, I gave all the contest missions the good ol "15 minutes to see if I'm having enough fun to keep it and play it all or not".

In the end, I'm keeping Feast of Pilgrims, Fierce Competition, Troubling Transitions and Where the Unknown Lurks.

With all due respect to mappers and their efforts, Ten Little Taffers, Into the Odd and TPOAIR (The Pursuance of an Inscrutable Reciprocity) did not really look like something I'd be keeping.

Still, 4 out of 7 is pretty decent, considering how long a mission can take to fully explore.
 

Random_Taffer

Educated
Joined
Mar 11, 2015
Messages
88
It's like a more cramped Autumn in Lampfire Hills but also more disjointed, with poorer texturing and NPC placement. That's just the 5 minutes I could endure it for. Played all other maps for around 15.

I would take the comparison to Lampfire as a compliment, but I'm confused by the poor texturing comment. Was it more of a personal taste thing or actual badly aligned textures? Because I thought the texturing was actually really good. The NPC placement at the start is pretty tough, but not so bad once you get out of the starting area.

I really liked this one myself.
 

Mechs Delight

Educated
Joined
Nov 10, 2015
Messages
81
Location
Sioux Falls, SD USA
but is otherwise a frustrating, annoying mess.

Elaborate.

Horrible guard placement, removing one's tools at the beginning and giving practically no clues about where to get them, apparently pitch black areas in which you're still at full visibility, a hair-pulling guard patrol pattern right at the start, the list goes on.
 

Melan

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I considered Into the Odd one of the rare masterpieces - those types which transcend the regular evaluation scale. It is frustrating in the same ultimately rewarding way Sperry's missions (which this is partly a homage to) are frustrating. It is not a contest winner type of mission because it is probably too out there to be comfortable for everyone, but it is a visionary one.
 

Unkillable Cat

LEST WE FORGET
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I considered Into the Odd one of the rare masterpieces - those types which transcend the regular evaluation scale. It is frustrating in the same ultimately rewarding way Sperry's missions (which this is partly a homage to) are frustrating. It is not a contest winner type of mission because it is probably too out there to be comfortable for everyone, but it is a visionary one.

This is the RPG Codex, you can just say it outright: The start of the mission is a clusterfuck. Sperry's missions at least had a direction for the player to head into, this is doing its damndest to hide it.

I currently have a water arrow, three flashbombs, a flash mine, ten flares and a healing potion, but absolutely no idea where to go. I need a gear for a machine, and I need rope arrows for at least a couple of places. And so far gameplay is too dependant upon standing in just the right place so as not to get spotted. Not the best way to start an FM, to be honest.

And the problem with missions like these, is that the beginning is often an indicator of how the rest plays out.
 

Melan

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This is the RPG Codex, where there is no requirement to subscribe to a mushy consensus. The start of the mission places you in a state of high vulnerability and under extreme duress. You have to think quick and think desperately to get through the first section, or even dart from safe spot to safe spot. It is not "comfy Victorian burglary simulator" Thief. It is "you are weak, you are fucked, and horrid things are going to eat your face" Thief. Escape vs. Lord Bafford. Tears of Blood. The Broadsword of Sheol. It is great, if you like a challenge.
 

Icewater

Artisanal Shitposting™
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Freedomland
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Playing Into The Odd right now and it's beautiful.

The entire underground area (and especially the city with the guard dummies everywhere) was really creepy, but ultimately I got out of it without anything trying to kill me which was pretty disappointing. I hope the mission requires us to go back there later.
 

Unkillable Cat

LEST WE FORGET
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Codex 2014 Make the Codex Great Again! Grab the Codex by the pussy
This is the RPG Codex, where there is no requirement to subscribe to a mushy consensus. The start of the mission places you in a state of high vulnerability and under extreme duress. You have to think quick and think desperately to get through the first section, or even dart from safe spot to safe spot. It is not "comfy Victorian burglary simulator" Thief. It is "you are weak, you are fucked, and horrid things are going to eat your face" Thief. Escape vs. Lord Bafford. Tears of Blood. The Broadsword of Sheol. It is great, if you like a challenge.

The first section plays more like "The Acip Trip" than anything: Sit and wait for that one tiny moment in the guard patrols where there's an opening to get anywhere without being murder-raped. The worst part is all the rage here could be dispelled by just removing one guard.

But yeah, if one has the patience to get through the first section, then it's a whole new ballgame after that - and it's a fantastic one. You're gonna need those flares.
 

Mechs Delight

Educated
Joined
Nov 10, 2015
Messages
81
Location
Sioux Falls, SD USA
And the problem with missions like these, is that the beginning is often an indicator of how the rest plays out.

In this case, it is. It improved somewhat after the horrendous start, but there are still severa personall annoyances (
exact jumps to thin pipes in the sewer; a guard who wears FULL BODY ARMOR and must be killed, making a lot of noise; a guard who rotates rapidly in full daylight with a long distance between you and him
). Also, when you look at the environments throughout much of the mission, you'll realize it isn't called "Into the Odd" for nothing.

But, as mentioned, these are personal views and preferences. And the atmosphere and readables are nice.
 

Unkillable Cat

LEST WE FORGET
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Codex 2014 Make the Codex Great Again! Grab the Codex by the pussy
I found at least two Gas Arrows and decided to just send that guy to nappy-land because he was inconveniently placed. (What I didn't get was the Mechanist get-together outside of the public bathroom.)

I get your gripe about the pipe-jumping Mechs Delight , but on the other hand it's a very short segment. That is the case with so many things here, they don't overstay their welcome. (Except the darkness.)

There are plenty of little things in this mission to irk some players, but on the other hand it has a solid theme and a thick atmosphere one just cannot overlook. If I were to say whether to turn your nose away or just get in there and deal with it... get in there.

And correct me if I'm wrong... but this is Sperry making a comeback, right? Either it is, or it's someone who really REALLY loves him.

I finished "Into the Odd" earlier today, expecting to be within a sensible distance of the total loot amount. Nope, 49xx/65xx. I have a lot of odd taffing to do...
 

Curratum

Guest
Thought I'd drop this here. This is what I've collected and hand-picked after sifting through releases over the last decade and a half.

upGf0AH.png

elTz3WZ.png
 

Unkillable Cat

LEST WE FORGET
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Codex 2014 Make the Codex Great Again! Grab the Codex by the pussy
Keep in mind that both "Into the Odd" and that long-titled FM by GORT have seen updates since their release.
 

nicked

Educated
Joined
Feb 7, 2017
Messages
81
Location
Lincoln, UK
OK I've only played two contest missions so far (not counting Builder's Paradise which I encountered technical problems with so I'll go back to it later).

Feast of Pilgrims is a clear front-runner thus far, and in fact I'd be surprised if anything tops this. It's an instant classic. The level design is absolutely superb. YMMV on the humour and worldbuilding but I thought it hit the right notes. But just the design, pacing and flow of this thing, it's a masterclass.

I also played Fierce Competition, which is a small, simple but very well-crafted mission. It's not going to win any prizes, but it does what it does very well, and will provide a satisfying hour or so of classic Thiefy goodness.
 

Unkillable Cat

LEST WE FORGET
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Codex 2014 Make the Codex Great Again! Grab the Codex by the pussy
OK I've only played two contest missions so far (not counting Builder's Paradise which I encountered technical problems with so I'll go back to it later).

I agree with you 100% on "Fierce Competition". It comes in, does the job, doesn't falter anywhere but doesn't stand out in any way until afterwards when you start mulling it over and realize how everything just worked.

The biggest surprise for me so far is "Ten Little Taffers", which is based on Agatha Christie's ill-titled murder mystery. It's different because it starts out as a ghosting effort, but then you realize that each difficulty level is instead used to tell the story from three different angles - one from the murderer, one from one the victim and one from a thief who's just trying to survive the night. This is one I'm gonna play on all three difficulty levels before rendering any judgement.

Curratum Short walkthrough for the opening segment of "Into the Odd" follows:

# Literally steam in your own shit for a bit until the guard has left. Follow him, but before you do make a note of the hatch at the other end of the bathroom, you'll have to visit here again later once you've found Rope Arrows.
# Soon enough the trail will turn into a North/South corridor. On the right will come a ledge you can mantle up on, this is the only real Safe Space to hide from the guards if/when they spot you. It might be a good idea to wait here now while the guard you've been following turns around and heads back for the bathroom
# If you continue down the North/South corridor you'll eventually reach a spot with a market cart on the left, and a guard in front of a gate on the right. Just by the cart is a doorway with a dark enough shadow in one corner that you can hide there.
# Just to the East of this position is the hard part: An open area with a factory to the South and a passage leading North, and a small shed to the East. Two guards patrol here, one going from between the factory and the Northern passage, and another going sorta East/West through this area. They are the problem, and it's them you need to be aware of at almost all times.
# There are two good hiding spots here, one is at a tiny, specific place within the shed, and the other is underneath that roof between the factory and the shed. One of the guards will appear to peer into the darkness there, but unless he's spotted you somehow he won't ever go in there.
# Your exit is through the path to the North, but first you need the Gear from the factory to the South. Start by getting in there, preferably without beeing seen or heard, as there's very little room to hide in there. In the room with the elevator you can pull a lever to open the grate on the North side of the factory, severely cutting down your travel time once you have the Gear. Wait to open this until you're done in the factory, though.
# Sneak around on the first floor and find some flares and a Flash Mine. You will need every flare you can find, so grab them whenever you can. (There's a reason to get on the conveyor belt, let's see if you spot it.) While down on the bottom floor you'll see a small room that you can't enter. The Gear is in there in a box on the ground.
# To get in there, take the elevator up to the upper floor. Beware as an archer guard patrols up here, but he can be circumvented despite the cramped surroundings. Look for a rotating lever on a machine up there to open up a grate that gives you access to the rest of the upper floor of the factory.
# Go into this new area, then drop down into the inaccessible room from above and get the gear. It should not be too much of a problem to get out of the room afterwards.
# With Gear in hand, make your way over to the Northern path mentioned earlier, then take the exit on the right in there. It should lead to two places, a conveyor belt with a crusher on the bottom and a dark sideroom. In there are not just more flares, but also a panel full of gears with one gear missing. Put the Gear in there and pull the lever nearby. The grate at the end of the Northern Path will now open.
# Make your way into the yard beyond the grate. What you're looking for is a small opening in a pipe on the ground. Once you drop down there the adventure begins.
# If you feel up to it, fine-comb the area you just finished before dropping into the pipe. There's a water arrow to be found, some flash bombs and a healing potion. The window above the Northern Path (and above the conveyor belt where the crusher is) requires a Rope Arrow, so forget about that until later.
# While on your new adventure you will eventually find a Blackjack and some Rope Arrows. The lock picks will only come into play once you reach the surface again, so make a note of any door that you can't unlock and try to find your way back to it.
# Enjoy the ride.
 

nicked

Educated
Joined
Feb 7, 2017
Messages
81
Location
Lincoln, UK
Builder's Paradise is visually interesting, but so far it's just no fun at all to play. Keyhunt gameplay in an enormous metal maze filled with obnoxiously loud ambient sound everywhere.
 

Psych0sis

Educated
Joined
Dec 21, 2018
Messages
54
As a tester I am a little biased. The start CAN be a bit of a punch in the dick, but once you get to the sewers and then emerge in the mansion the mission becomes, in my opinion, an instant classic.

And just to let you know, the start used to be a LOT harder.
 

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