Nightdive Studios, Piko Interactive, Ziggurat, Pixel Games and others rereleasing classic games

[Unkillable Cat]

With all these old games getting remasters that include entire new episodes of content, how long until we get official Thief 2 Gold built within original mapper limits using original design documents and with new VA, to unfuck the original T2's pacing? Hire on some big fan mission talent and pay them to do it right and you'll end up with something better than what Emil Pagliarulo could have given you. That's the holy grail of lost content that should be restored in a "remaster".

I'd be content with just a do-over and maybe one new mission as an attempt at making a 'scary' mission.

 

[Riskbreaker]

Well, one of those Gold missions was meant to be set in some sort of undead-infested catacombs, evoking T1. Plus that specific mission was to be placed between the two Gervaisius' Estate missions. So basically if that one mission was to be added in, it would take care of two common complaints about Thief 2 in one strike.

 

[Ghulgothas]

With all these old games getting remasters that include entire new episodes of content, how long until we get official Thief 2 Gold built within original mapper limits using original design documents and with new VA, to unfuck the original T2's pacing? Hire on some big fan mission talent and pay them to do it right and you'll end up with something better than what Emil Pagliarulo could have given you. That's the holy grail of lost content that should be restored in a "remaster".

https://thief.fandom.com/wiki/Thief_II_Gold
The list of planned levels is long and promising. I'd be a miracle if even half of these made a return in this speculative Remaster.

 

[Ed123]

The only complaint I have about Thief II is that Viktoria isn't my WIFE!!

 

[Riskbreaker]

^There's plenty more trees in the forest.

 

[LESS T_T]

SSI strategy games rereleases on Steam. These games were previously rereleased on GOG by GOG itself, but Steam release is by SNEG, the publisher behind rereleases of Siege of Avalon, Witchaven, Blade of Darkness.

 

[Unkillable Cat]

Well, one of those Gold missions was meant to be set in some sort of undead-infested catacombs, evoking T1. Plus that specific mission was to be placed between the two Gervaisius' Estate missions. So basically if that one mission was to be added in, it would take care of two common complaints about Thief 2 in one strike.

In my dreamscape, the added level to Thief 2 Gold would be a mix of "Waking the Dead" and "Fallen Hammers" as described in that Thief 2 Gold-wiki link. Garrett is sent by Viktoria to a remote Hammerite outpost which served as an engineering academy, as one of Viktoria's Pagan lieutentants successfully acquires the Book of Ash and intends to use it to fight the Mechanists. If successful, that would be all the Mechanists need to publicly declare Open Season on the Pagans, and could conduct their massacre publicly, and that's a big No No. That lieutenant is not very knowledgable in magic, but (s)he has heard stories of that tome being used successfully in one location - namely, that remote Hammerite outpost, so they've taken it there for their ritual. But something dreadful happened there a few years back and while the place is shut down and sealed, the Hammerites still saw a reason to keep a squad of armed Hammers guarding it to keep people away.

• What happened there to make the Hammers shut it down, and yet keep an eye on it?
• With the Hammers at their weakest during the Metal Age, are those guards still around?
• Who would bring a tome of necromancy to an engineering school?
• Why was Karras enrolled at that location at precisely that time?
• Is the necromantic horror summoned forth by the book still at that site?

I think these bullet-points paint a good enough picture of what a successful extra 'spooky' mission to Thief 2 would contain; a unique insight into just how insane Karras truly is.

 

[Semiurge]

The only complaint I have about Thief II is that Viktoria isn't my WIFE!!

Caught your eye, did she...

 

[LESS T_T]

Huh, I kinda missed this, but Wade Rosen, CEO of Ziggurat is now CEO of new Atari. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/artic...s-up-separate-gaming-and-blockchain-divisions

He's part of this year's restructuring that they shut down free-to-play mobile games, scrap casino business, and split blockchain thing out of gaming division. He's leading Atari's new focus towards premium PC and console games.

Also a video interview from February as CEO of Ziggurat.

 

[LESS T_T]

(7:20) Heh, they secured source code of Darklands, with intention of doing something with it. It's from the tape mentioned here.
(19:00) He tried to secure Tactic Ogre, and of course, it didn't work out. He's not give up yet, though.

 

[Ed123]

(7:20) Heh, they secured source code of Darklands, with intention of doing something with it. It's from the tape mentioned here.
(19:00) He tried to secure Tactic Ogre, and of course, it didn't work out. He's not give up yet, though.

You should tag Tweed about the Darklands remaster, he was thinking of doing a new video on it to replace his old one.

I can't do it because he's ignoring me as a form of attention-seeking.

 

[LESS T_T]

Okay I guess?

Tweed Ed urged me to let you know that Darklands remaster/enhanced/whatever might or might not be happening.

 

[Black]

Guys, I'll help.
Tweed

 

[Tweed]

Holy shit, I really hope they don't fuck that up.

 

[Razor]

Well, one of those Gold missions was meant to be set in some sort of undead-infested catacombs, evoking T1. Plus that specific mission was to be placed between the two Gervaisius' Estate missions. So basically if that one mission was to be added in, it would take care of two common complaints about Thief 2 in one strike.

Isnt Thief 2 source lost officially?

 

[Unkillable Cat]

Well, one of those Gold missions was meant to be set in some sort of undead-infested catacombs, evoking T1. Plus that specific mission was to be placed between the two Gervaisius' Estate missions. So basically if that one mission was to be added in, it would take care of two common complaints about Thief 2 in one strike.

Isnt Thief 2 source lost officially?

"Officially"? Yes.

In any other form? No. The NewDark-patches came about because much of the source code was recovered from a Sega Dreamcast-bundle sale that happened to contain much of the code for the Dark Engine.

And that's before we factor in that Nightdive Studios, in their efforts to modernize System Shock 2, have pretty much reverse-engineered the Dark Engine in its entirety.

So odds are good that Taffer-habits are only gonna get better in the coming years.

 

[SharkClub]

I don't know. I think Kaiser and NightDive are just talking big about that thing in particular. One of the biggest draws of the dark engine is its use of lighting, but if we look at how Kaiser's PowerSlave console version port turned out you can clearly see the butchering of the lighting and atmosphere in the official trailer for it alone. I have a feeling SS2EE when they finally show more than some stray 3D models is going to suffer from some similar issues.

 

[Riskbreaker]

Eh, it needn't be so.
The problem with Powerslave's lighting is the switch to new dynamic lighting.
With Thief, I'd imagine they'd just carry over the original prebaked lightmaps et al rather than implementing real-time dynamic lighting which would mean redoing all the missions from the grounds up, the result being more a remake or reimagining than a port/rerelease.

 

[Bad Sector]

The problem with Powerslave's lighting is the switch to new dynamic lighting.

The main issue IMO is that there is less contrast in the KEX version. If they increase the contrast a bit, it will look closer to the 90s versions.

 

[Riskbreaker]

The problem with Powerslave's lighting is the switch to new dynamic lighting.

The main issue IMO is that there is less contrast in the KEX version. If they increase the contrast a bit, it will look closer to the 90s versions.

I don't think so. Have you seen the comparison screens Kaiser posted on twitter? If it was just that, you could fix it via contrast slider.

 

[Infinitron]

https://af.gog.com/game/bloodrayne_betrayal_fresh_bites?as=1649904300

 

[Ed123]

new voice acting by Laura Bailey and Troy Baker

 

[Ninja Destroyer]

I got Betrayal for a spare change during some sales, but I couldn't finish it. One of the most rage inducing platformers I've tried. The Terminal cuts for the original duology were given to those, who already purchased them earlier. Meh.

 

[Bad Sector]

I don't think so. Have you seen the comparison screens Kaiser posted on twitter? If it was just that, you could fix it via contrast slider.

No, have a link? I only saw the release trailer where it looked the main issue was about contrast.

 

[LESS T_T]

Ziggurat is starting to rerelease RPG titles from Softdisk catalog.

Legends of Murder Collection, collection of fantasy murder mystery RPG/adventure series.

And yet another Phillips FMV thing. Zombie Dinos from Planet Zeltoid: