Incline True Thief 4 Dark Mod is released

[Lyric Suite]

No its not. Fucking scrubs man.

 

[Lyric Suite]

I see there's strong thief agenda on codex.

With reason. They are truly among the best games ever made.

 

[belowmecoldhands]

There's no skeletons in thief, there's zombies, which have eyes, nose and ears. Realism? thief has steam robots...

if you want realism, go play hitman, where people can't recognize their fat haired cook suddenly got thiner and bald.

Anyway, realism in movies/games is an impossible concept anyways...

If what you say was completely true then science couldn't speak objectively about the world. It's only because the real world is predictable (on the macro scale at least) and can be measured that we can state anything objectively about it.

Of course, our current knowledge dictates our ability to speak objectively. The idea our current science theories are perfectly correct is a flawed one. We don't have a unified field theory. There're holes in our best theories. I'm sure we're wrong about a lot of things. And yet this doesn't mean objectively understanding reality isn't useful. It's tremendously useful.

If we can state something objectively then we can start to make games which display some of those characteristics. While you need a supercomputer to even approach real world physics, you can cut corners and "simulate" it on desktop computers, establishing a semi-realistic result. For example, you can have a simplistic newtonian physics in a spaceship simulator, but it's impractical to calculate the gravity effects of everything in hte envrionment in order to create an accurate result.

So I'll say partial realism is far from impossible, although even science is subject to current knowledge.

It might be helpful to research Realism and Impresionism in art:
https://www.oilportraits.com/features/style.aspx
https://ospace.otis.edu/INSUNKIM/Realism_Impressionism
http://mattrobinson13.wordpress.com/2010/10/24/impressionism-and-realism/

But it's impossible to be fun. So you end up being right.

 

[Darth Slaughter]

When I said that, I was thinking in action heroes jumping fromheights of 3 meters and they only break a rib, which only lasts for the moment the accident happens, and in the next scenes, it's just as if he didn't even get hurt at all.

"Realistically", after a broken rib, the "hero" would quit his mission.

 

[Dev_Anj]

one seires is third person perspective, the other is superior first person perspective

I wouldn't call any perspective superior, they both have advantages and disadvantages of their own. I will say that the first person perspective works well in the Thief games because it makes you rely on listening to sounds, and it works very well for the atmosphere since you feel more like you have limited vision and need to track everyone through their footsteps and voices. It also heightens the feel of being in a restricted area and eavesdropping on people, which works very well for a stealth game.

Thief has 2 great games in the series plus an awesome free successor in The Dark Mod that just needs more missions made for it, Hitman has 1 great game in the series

Eh, this is very subjective. I do think that Thief: Gold and Thief 2 are better put together than any Hitman game, but I would say that people have varying opinions on which Hitman games were great. I would say that I very much enjoy Hitman: Codename 47 and used to enjoy Hitman 2 before I lost my copy. That being said, the entire series has some issues that have persisted or got worse. I hope IO Interactive can fix atleast some of those in Hitman 6.

To Gnidrologist, I will say this: the Thief games are fun if you can get used to audio feedback the game relies on, and enjoy exploring levels and trying to utilize the architecture well. I would advise you to try and use gadgets like flashbombs and the like the first time you play the game, and also try disabling guards with your blackjack whenever convenient. If you want an experience like Hitman, well the Thief games won't provide that, and neither will the Dark Mod. I would advise you to try the Death to Spies games and see how you like it. Do note that it is a bit unpolished though.

 

[Dev_Anj]

So here's a bit of news for the Dark Mod developers and users here, Bobbin Threadbare from the Something Awful forums has decided to cover Dark Mod missions, and he's really good. I hope this brings in a few more people to try it out, atleast from the SA side (surprising how little people know about it beyond a small number of Thief fans and people in TTLG).

Anyway, here's some videos of missions he's covered.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z09HjGVjvBo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iuy0MQUH51w

 

[Sykar]

Better yet - Thi4f is a great introduction to the series.





Sword > blackjack?

I don't think I ever used broadhead arrows for anything anyway.

This is what happens to a tame gamer after trying Thief 4:

 

[Melan]

Raw TDM news!

Announcing the new The Dark Mod 2.03 update!
The team at Broken Glass Studios is very pleased to announce the latest update to TDM!

The update to 2.03 adds nearly nine months of new assets, features, and bugfixes . Some changes will be noticeable right away, while others will take a while to appear in new maps.

To apply the update, simply run the tdm_update.exe file in your darkmod folder. (Note that saved games from earlier versions will not be compatible with 2.03, so finish any missions you are playing first).

Some of the improvements are listed below. To see the full changelog, go here.

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.

A video preview of some of the new features can be watched here.

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.

Hope you enjoy it! We’d love to hear feedback in our forums, or on our Facebook page.

 

[Morgoth]

I'm looking forward to 2.04 even more:
http://bugs.thedarkmod.com/roadmap_page.php

[Coding] Port EAX code to use openAL/EFX based on dhewm3

Finally...

 

[Garrettt]

I'm looking forward to 2.04 even more:
http://bugs.thedarkmod.com/roadmap_page.php

[Coding] Port EAX code to use openAL/EFX based on dhewm3

Finally...

If I could bro fist you I would do it so hard!

Because once openAL gets integrated holy fuck will the sound be incredible and immersive!

 

[tuluse]

I haven't played since 2.01 I think. Have they improved loading times at all? Seems ridiculous that I'm waiting like 1 minute+ for a level to load in a 2004 engine.

 

[Melan]

I haven't played since 2.01 I think. Have they improved loading times at all? Seems ridiculous that I'm waiting like 1 minute+ for a level to load in a 2004 engine.

Initial level load times are too long, but afterwards, at least reloads go quickly. However, some code changes which have become possible with standalone (like much better texture compression) are expected to cut down on the initial load and improve overall performance. These changes can be expected relatively soon, although not yet in 2.03.

 

[Garrettt]

I haven't played since 2.01 I think. Have they improved loading times at all? Seems ridiculous that I'm waiting like 1 minute+ for a level to load in a 2004 engine.

Initial level load times are too long, but afterwards, at least reloads go quickly. However, some code changes which have become possible with standalone (like much better texture compression) are expected to cut down on the initial load and improve overall performance. These changes can be expected relatively soon, although not yet in 2.03.

2.04 maybe? I know they were mentioning some render engine changes too

 

[DawnrazorDCLXVI]

Thank dear God.

 

[Zewp]

So uhm, which Fan Mods are on par with or better than the Thief Gold and Thief 2 campaigns? Every time I start playing a campaign I end up quitting because it just doesn't recapture the feel of the original Thief games. Maybe I'm just being full of shit, but there was something in the original Thief games that just kept me coming back for more and I'm not feeling it in any of the FMs I've played thus far.

 

[Dev_Anj]

Well, most fan missions often have like one mission or so, so I'm not sure how you can compare them to full fledged campaigns like Thief: Gold and Thief 2. Did you mean ones in The Dark Mod or ones for the Thief games? For the Thief games, just refer to the Thief fan missions thread, and try out stuff like Gems of Provenance, Being Thief, Thief 2X and Strumdrang Peak. Maybe you'll find something that suits you, I think they all capture several aspects of the original Thief levels well while showcasing the author's style and creativity as well.

For the Dark Mod, I can't help you as I haven't played much of it yet. Could you describe what fan missions you played from it though?

 

[Cassidy]

Some of the FMs for The Dark Mod have a continuity, like the mixed bag Thomas Porter Saga and the excellent William Steele Saga and Penny Dreadful 1 and 2, maybe others I forgot as well. But most are self-contained and not tied to each other through a larger plot by their authors.

 

[Dev_Anj]

Do you remember Requiem? The mission that won the Square Enix modding contest? The mission which showed how multiple environments could be handled well within the Dark Mod? The mission that started out as a city romp and ended up being something much grander? Well, that author is going to release another mission:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5NuTJEZ8VE

 

[Melan]

Both A House of Locked Secrets and Ulysses 2 have been released today.

 

[Pirata Alma Negra]

Is someone trying to port the original campaigns?

 

[AluminumHaste]

No as that would invoke the wrath of SquareEnix and TDM would be shut down, anyone trying to port Thief 1/2 missions into DarkMod can do fuck themselves with a spoon. Do Not Fuck with Square's Lawyers.
You want the original campaigns go play the original games.

 

[Melan]

Short answer: No.

Long answer: Hell no. It would be a legal nightmare; it would be a tremendous amount of work (the editors follow entirely different paradigms); it would inevitably bring up a conflict between keeping things as is and updating things graphically; and in the end, you would get Thief But Now It Is In TDM, which is not something most level designers want to do with their time. There used to be some basic mission prototypes by Komag, who made them on a lark / for comparison purposes, but they were very rough, and never released. Here is a screenshot of several of them linked together:

Spoiler

 

[potatojohn]

Well you can't distribute the original files, but you can certainly make a tool that converts them and distribute it to users who run it on their own legitimate copies of thi2f.

It's similar to how projects like openmw and openxcom operate.

 

[murloc_gypsy]

How stable is TDM for you? I've tried playing the mission that comes included with the game - "Tears of St Maria" - but I keep getting crashes that break the immersion and enjoyment. Got about 5 in about 20 minutes of game time. Playing on Windows 7, nothing fancy in my settings. Is the game known to be unstable?

 

[Zewp]

Very stable for me. I've never had crashes or excessive bugs.