Thief fan missions and campaigns

[Unkillable Cat]

'Death's Turbid Veil' is a mansion mission and a keyhunt. A servant girl has gone missing at a rich guy's mansion (he even has a silver mine in his backyard!) and Garrett is asked to investigate. Interesting bits so far:

# Killing is permitted, even on Expert. Odd.
# In your inventory there is a lantern you can turn on/off. YOU WILL NEED IT.
# I suggest saving before dropping down the well, as getting back up is not as easy as it sounds.
# This FM uses "Dark as crap" darkness. Alot. And very well. Now you know why you have a lantern.
# It also uses ambient sounds to great effect.
# It has a puzzle involving a piano. Spell out certain words using the notes on a keyboard. Problem is that I, for one, don't know jack shit about playing the piano, or what key is what note.
# There's an invincible enemy type that you can't touch until later (because of plot) and you have to run around in a dark-as-crap environment with nothing but them and your lantern for company.
# Welcome to Amnesia: The Dark Project.

 

[Icewater]

TTLG can definitely be a bit circle-jerky but a thread dedicated to bitching about stuff in a nonconstructive manner on a forum frequented by authors is just in bad taste.

The two puzzles with the piano were pretty cool but I wish there had been more in-game information about it because if I hadn't Google'd for images of the key layout of a piano I'd have never been able to do them.

 

[Tzaero]

The two puzzles with the piano were pretty cool but I wish there had been more in-game information about it because if I hadn't Google'd for images of the key layout of a piano I'd have never been able to do them.

If I recall correctly that the note says the first key is C, so that was a bit of a hint for people.

 

[Unkillable Cat]

I foresee that I will have to Google a note layout as well, and hope for the best.

But first I have to get out of my current conundrum: Fumbling for a key in the dark.

 

[Darth Slaughter]

Been a while since I played some fan missions. I know a bunch of people still use darkloader, but are there any thoughts about garret loader and the FM loader, advantages and disavantages? I normally use Garret loader because it helps me organize better the FMs I play plus I can see all the infos and readme instantly.

But I never tried using the other programs... is it time to move on to a newer launcher?

 

[JarlFrank]

I use DarkLoader because it also allows for a good organization of the FMs, readme can be seen in the DL directly, you can tick off missions you finished, and you can even write some comments for each mission (I tend to write a rating there).

Never tried the NewDark built-in FMsel

 

[skacky]

FMSel is my favorite but the interface is ugly as sin.
I wanted to release my mission today but the beta-testing forum is down and I need to force my slaves to play through a last beta. So... I dunno when it will be released. :p

 

[Unkillable Cat]

Had another go at nicked's latest (Death's Turbid Veil)... and just gave up.

On one hand this is a very solid mansion mission with supernatural elements thrown in. On the other hand it's missing almost all of the "Thief charm".

It's not just the enhanced graphics, it's the lighting as well. That lantern you start with? BLOOM. Almost every other lightsource? BLOOMbloomeybloom.

But the kicker was this: I blackjacked my way through the mission, sparing no one. I hid all the bodies away in remote and dark corners where they wouldn't be discovered... and then there comes an event in the FM where EVERYONE springs back to life and I have to deal with a whole mansion full of invincible enemies, and still without a clue what I'm really supposed to do.

The sad truth is, this doesn't feel like Thief at all. And the sluggish performance of the mission in the early stages doesn't exactly help.

It seems that bigger isn't always better, and this goes double for the Thief games.

Others may enjoy this one, but I'm just gonna leave it alone.

 

[Melan]

I wanted to release my mission today but the beta-testing forum is down and I need to force my slaves to play through a last beta. So... I dunno when it will be released. :p

Mission remains unreleased, and I am leaving for Moscow on Wednesday! That means I can't play it until next Monday at least!

 

[skacky]

Yeah but there's many beautiful things to see in Moscow. I'm seriously jealous. :D
I'm considering releasing it this evening. That last beta was just to make sure everything's okay but really it's rather trivial.

Actually, fuck it. Released it.

 

[Unkillable Cat]

Actually, fuck it. Released it.

'tis downloaderin'.

(That's the second download from Southquarter that refuses to work for me.)

EDIT: Just had a look at the in-game map. How big is this thing again?

*looks up in-game*

Oh. Oh my.

 

[Melan]

I played three and a half hours of Endless Rain yesterday, and it feels like there is still an enormous amount of things left undiscovered. A while ago, I wrote Being Thief 2 was often too big for its own good - here, it has never felt that way. There is no doubt I am missing things, but that's okay, there will be more left for later. And it is really a thing of dark wonder; not strictly realistic with its almost skyscraper-like buildings, but it all makes sense in a surreal, dreamlike way. And it never gets old to see a distant window somewhere above you, and tracing a path to it through three other buildings, while also discovering three alternate routes you may wish to explore later. /

 

[Unkillable Cat]

I'm done with about 3 hours as well, and I'm dumbstruck by the architecture. I've NEVER seen so many archways before. I also keep finding references to OM elements in readables. Also, I think I found a reference to Disorientation by Melan (the card-playing society).

You have outdone yourself skacky this is a very strong contender for Thief FM of 2014.

I have about 89% of the total loot amount and only 3 outstanding things:

Spoiler

I found a speed potion and used it to get a gas arrow, then I found another speed potion. Is there another location where a speed potion is required?

Spoiler

My only remaining objective is to get the Keeper artifact, but I don't know where the lock is for the key.

Spoiler

There is a large portcullis in the power station area that can't be opened.

 

[skacky]

Glad you're liking it.
Speed Potions: You don't need any to reach places. They're here for fun.

Spoiler

As for your other questions, find how to open that portcullis first. Look around carefully.

 

[Unkillable Cat]

Thanks for the pointer, that clinched it for me. Completed with 94% of the total loot objective.

Also, ARE YOU TRYING TO GIVE PEOPLE A HEART ATTACK?!? Damn, that thing was big.

EDIT: Thought I'd mention that I had no technical issues with the FM, but then again I don't have any of the fancy stuff like OpenAL or EAX enabled.

 

[JarlFrank]

Skacky, that new mission you made? I hate it.

Because it keeps me from doing the work I should do. It's just got that "I want to explore just one more place!" feeling that sucks you in. It's fucking gigantic and so vertical, there is so much to explore...
This one ranks right among the best Thief FMs I've ever played. And it's visually amazing too, there are many breathtaking views out there.

 

[JarlFrank]

Also, ARE YOU TRYING TO GIVE PEOPLE A HEART ATTACK?!? Damn, that thing was big.

What thing? Anything scary I should mentally prepare myself for?

 

[Unkillable Cat]

You'll have to find it first. Don't worry, you'll know it when you see it.

 

[JarlFrank]

Well, it's probably down in that locked crypt area, which I haven't found an access to yet. Finished the mission now, explored everything I thought I could explore, even got into that courtyard behind the closed gate at the start area of the mission, finally found a way to places I wondered the entire game how to reach, and closed with about 3200 loot. I'm definitely going to replay this, rated it great in DarkLoader, this is one of the best Thief FMs I played and I don't think I've seen another with that much vertical exploration yet. Even Being Thief 2 pales in comparison when it comes to pure exploratory joy.

Any hints on how to access that crypt area in the sewers, Unkillable Cat (or skacky )?

 

[skacky]

JarlFrank Take a look at the spoiler tag in this post: http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/inde...ions-and-campaigns.51965/page-14#post-3477781
Glad you liked it. :D

 

[Unkillable Cat]

I ended up with over 1000 more in gold than JarlFrank so clearly I was more bananas in looking for loot.

Some suggestions:

Spoiler

# Did you reach the area behind where the game starts?
# Did you find the bathroom with the fancy painting?
# Did you spot the lone goblet on a windowsill, only reachable via rope arrows?
# Did you find the missing signet ring?
# Did you find the loot on the high beam in the room next to the furnace?

 

[JarlFrank]

I ended up with over 1000 more in gold than JarlFrank so clearly I was more bananas in looking for loot.

Some suggestions:

Spoiler

# Did you reach the area behind where the game starts?
# Did you find the bathroom with the fancy painting?
# Did you spot the lone goblet on a windowsill, only reachable via rope arrows?
# Did you find the missing signet ring?
# Did you find the loot on the high beam in the room next to the furnace?

Spoiler

Behind where the game starts? I don't know... how do you notice that it's behind where the game starts?
And nope to all the others. Apparently the mission is even crazier in its loot huntery than I thought, I was already surprised when I jumped to a ledge on a tower and there were some coins at that tower's window. Took me a couple of tries to get down again without taking damage. This mission really excels at having loot or even whole rooms at places you wouldn't expect.
I also had one of these "how did I not spot this earlier" moments when desperately trying to find a way up near the jeweller's place, then finally spotting a wooden beam in rope arrow range at the end of the street. Got up there and found at least 5 new places that I hadn't been able to reach before... and then, while I was up there finding new places, I also found two other routes that would have led me up there...

 

[Kirkpatrick]

Just the opening shot has me drooling...

Looking forward to dive in it tomorrow. Thanks skacky!

 

[Icewater]

Despite skacky's warnings I've been playing his new mission with the Thief Gold HD mod and ho lee fuck does it look awesome.

 

[Unkillable Cat]

Kirkpatrick the WHOLE mission is like that. Get a bib for your drooling. ;-)

Icewater I haven't dared even TRYING the HD mod, but if there's one FM that should benefit from it, this is it.

JarlFrank A few hints:

Spoiler

I could tell that I was behind where the game started because I was so high up. I strongly doubt that any other point in the FM is as high up as this.
To get to the bathroom with the fancy painting, you need to jump on to a slanted roof and try to reach a safe landing. But if I'm reading your post correctly, you have already reached the same place... from da othaside. [/King Willy]
For the lone goblet, check the jeweller's again.
For the missing signet ring, check all readables in Monsegnur's (sp?) estate for a big clue.
For the loot on the beam, listen to the moans and continue from there... ;-)
And if you've really explored every possible avenue, you should have two (2) Cloister keys.

skacky I've been thinking more about this mission, and despite a handful of readables having that whiff of [audiolog], most of them are right on the nose with telling just enough to let the imagination fill in the rest and establish a story and narrative. This gives Endless Rain a depth that most modern games can only dream of.