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Friday, May 09, 2008

Sir William's Keep by Wille for T2 Released - 2:10:28 AM - pavlovscat

New Mission
Released May 09, 2008 - Sir William's Keep a mission for T2 by Wille
The Mission:
Sir William is purchasing a Hammerite relic called the Golden Book of Stone. Garrett must sneak into Sir William's and steal the book, not to mention anything else of value he can find. Once Garrett has the Golden Book and some loot, he should leave through the Old City sewers.
Impressions:
This is a fairly small mansion mission. Wille uses multiple levels to make the mission play larger than it is. It is a straightforward mission which uses original T2 textures and objects to make a fine looking keep all the way up to the beautiful moon lighting the night. I enjoyed playing the mission. It is a good 30 minute mission with a few vital keys to find, but no difficult puzzles. You should give this one a try.
Stats:
I finished the mission on Normal in 0:39:30 with 2082/2600 loot and 1/2 secrets.
Screenshots:

Stop by the Forum Discussion Thread and let Wille know what you think.

Thursday, May 08, 2008

The Kill for Life for TG by Dront Released - 10:37:55 PM - pavlovscat

New Mission
Released May 08, 2008 - The Kill for Life a mission for TG by Dront
The Mission:
Garrett has discovered that Walter, his frequent employer, intended to get him killed during his adventures and sent him into risky situations hoping for Garrett's death. Obviously, Garrett is tougher than Walter thought, so now Walter is actively seeking to kill Garrett. The best way for Garrett to stay alive is to find Walter first and kill him.
Impressions:
The first word that came to my mind when I started this mission was primitive. The buildings and objects are very basic, and there are no frills in design. However, this did not distract me from enjoying the mission. In fact, the ruggedness and roughness was a good back drop for some good, old-fashioned undead slaying. Dront obviously put some thought into the layout of the mission and created a plausible story. I hope that Dront will make another mission with more visual polish because the actual gameplay was better than many pretty missions I've played. If you are a fan of Thief Gold, don't miss this one.
Stats:
I will have to restart & conserve health to finish this mission. I got near to what I think was the end, but I just didn't have the health. I played for around 90 minutes.
Screenshots:

Have a question? Want to tell Dront what you thought of the mission? Then head over to the Forum Discussion Thread and post your comments.

Sunday, May 04, 2008

T2X Developers' Package Released - 4:48:45 PM - pavlovscat

T2X: Shadows of the Metal Age Developers' Package
Released May 02, 2008 - The Making of T2X and Developer Commentaries
The developers of T2X have put together two nice collections for fans of T2X. The first is the Making of T2X which includes many interesting things like a 30 minute T2X Soundtrack, drafts, demos, artwork and more. The second collection is a mission-by-mission video walkthrough of T2X with voice over commentaries from Raen and fett. This information will appeal to mission designers as well as to players. Check out the T2X Website for complete details. You can get more information, read the general discussion or post your own comments and questions in the Forum Discussion Thread.

Chat Noir by Gambit Released - 3:52:21 PM - pavlovscat

New Mission
Released May 02, 2008 - Chat Noir a mission for T2 by Gambit
The Mission:
Chat Noir, the Black Cat, a small time criminal has come to Paris to make his mark in the City of Lights. He has been hired to liberate some goods from a local warehouse. His best way in lies through the House of Little Deaths.
Impressions:
This is Gambit's second mission. You have recieved a tip from one of prostitutes from the House of Little Deaths. On hard and expert, this woman will expect you to exact revenge on her ex-lover in return for her information about sneaking into the warehouse.
This mission has a mature theme. If you are easily offended, then I will warn you to avoid reading the literature scattered throughout the House of Little Deaths. This is a brothel, and the reading material is all business related. You will also find an abundance of cucumbers lying around which are understandable, but I'm still not sure about the fish. Overall, this is a nice little mission which shows improvement over Gambit's last release.
Screenshots:

Post your comments and questions in the Forum Discussion Thread.

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Lord Julian's Labyrinth for T3 Released! - 5:38:15 PM - pavlovscat

New Mission
Released April 26, 2008 - Lord Julian's Labyrinth a mission for T3 by Massimiliano Goi
Updated to version 1.1 on May 01, 2008.
The Mission:
With the upheavals since Gamall is gone, Garrett has become the First Keeper. But in his heart, he's still a Master Thief. It is rumored that a great treasure in hidden within Lord Julian's Labyrinth. To keep his skills sharp, Garrett decided to see for himself what is there. But, no one can know that he was there...NO ONE!
Impressions:
You are wandering around through a maze trying to find a treasure. The environs are plain...tall, stone walls; however, the night sky is absolutely beautiful. This is a hard type of mission for me personally because I have virtually no sense of direction, but I did enjoy sneaking around past the guards. And, I found a drunk guard who gave me a good laugh. You must get through the labyrinth totally unnoticed, so you have no weapons. You must sneak your way to the treasure.
Problems:
I have not yet finished this mission. I am hoping for an update because, at this time, the quick-save/mission-save feature is not working for me. Reloading sends me back to the beginning of the mission. If this issue is addressed, I will certainly give it another try.
The updated version has fixed several things including the quick-save/mission-save issues. I will give it another try and post my results soon.
Screenshots:

You can post questions and comments at the Forum Discussion Thread.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

The Mirror by Zontik Released - 10:40:36 PM - pavlovscat

New Mission
Released April 24, 2008 - The Mirror a mission for T2 by Zontik
Updated version released on April 29, 2008.
The Mission:
Mr. Garrett W. Spector has a strange vision in which he has been hired to locate and retrieve a mysterious mirror in a world that has never seen one before.
Impressions:
This is an excellent mission. It is very challenging and makes you think. You must read everything carefully for hints about what to do next. The map is not large, but Zontik has used the space very well. You will need to climb and also do a bit of swimming. There are plenty of hints to guide you, though they are not typically direct instructions. I found that some clues were much harder to figure out than others, but generally all the information was given somewhere in the mission.
The city is a pretty place. There are some very scenic areas. The music was fantastic. I very much enjoyed the vocal piece used in the beginning. The music used for the Magic Harp was another of my favorites. That Zontik payed close attention to mood was obvious in his musical choices. Overall, this mission was well thought out and well executed.
The replay potential for the mission is also very good as the mirror's location is randomly selected each time you play, and the location does not depend on which difficulty level you choose, either. I would definitely recommend playing this mission if you like a challenge and like to solve puzzles.
Special Instructions:
You will need to install Cool Codec to see the intro & outro movies. The codec is included in the zip file. See the readme file for instructions.
Stats:
My first time through on Normal took 2:34:09. I found 1818/2320 loot and 3/7 secrets. I got stuck twice and needed additional help from the forum.
Screenshots:

If you need some help figuring this one out, visit the Forum Discussion Thread. You will find lots of hints & help there.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Sly's UT Arena 2 Belated Release Notice - 8:26:12 PM - pavlovscat

Relatively New Mission
Released February 08, 2008 - Sly's UT Arena 2 a mission for T2 by SlyFoxx
This mission was released way back in February, but your humble reviewer completely managed to miss the release. So, here is a belated review. Sorry, Sly!
The Mission:
The curse of the Master Thief! Garrett has managed to steal so many things from all the wrong people that the angry mob has tossed him into the Death Match Arena. To survive, Garrett must kill or be killed. His goal? The lonely red button all the way up...
Impressions:
You fall out of the sky into complete mayhem - the ultimate Death Match Arena. Everyone is trying to kill you. You must fight, run, hide, whatever it takes to make it all the way to the top. There are many challenging jumps & climbs on your way to the top made even more challenging by the rain of arrows and other attacks. If you want a break from the traditional Thief mission, give this one a try. You certainly won't be bored! Oh and don't stop until you find the jackpot.
Stats:
Sheesh! Who cares? The only thing I was worried about was staying alive! Thankfully, I've been brushing up on my melee fighting in cardia1's missions, so I actually made it to the button!
Screenshots:

If you enjoyed this mission, don't miss the original Sly's UT Arena for more mayhem. Let SlyFoxx know what you thought of Part 2 in the Forum Discussion Thread.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

2008 First Quarter FM Review Released - 8:35:24 PM - pavlovscat

I promised more frequent reviews, so here is the first quarterly review for 2008. The first three months of 2008 brought new missions, many updated missions, and some nice extras. This is a refresher of everything that has happened this quarter. The break down of FMs and related releases is as follows: 25 missions for T2 - 9 new (1 GER) & 16 updated; 3 missions for T3 - 1 new & 2 updated; 3 new Enhancement Packs; 1 Soundtrack; 2 Contests.
The big change over last year's review is the addition of links to the appropriate Forum Discussion Threads. I hope this will make it easier for all you taffers who might need help or just have something to say. You can read the review here, or you can comment in the Forum Discussion Thread.
Enjoy!

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Castle of the Dead for TG Released by darthsLair - 12:10:56 AM - pavlovscat

New Mission
Released April 18, 2008 - Castle of the Dead a mission for TG by darthsLair
Updated to version Revised on April 23, 2008.
The Mission:
Your last trip to the Bafford Estate gave you The Dead Maker, a very powerful sword. Your associate Blacky has run off with your newest prize. There is a plague spreading throughout the city. The residents are turning into zombies. You need to find out the cause of this and stop it. To do this, you will need The Dead Maker back, so find Blacky and get your sword. While you are around, find some trinkets to make saving the world (again!) worth your time.
Impressions:
This mission has the gritty, dark feeling that I loved from the Original T1 missions. There aren't any fancy textures or new objects. What darthsLair has given us is an engaging story and good game play. The whole bit about Blacky making off with Garrett's sword & selling it for practically nothing is great. The zombie mystery kept me interested in finding how & why these poor people are turning into zombies. Pick up some of the bottles in the actor's house. You'll see what they've been drinking to make them turn.
You will also recognize the Cathedral. My guess is that the original design worked so well that the Hammers didn't bother to make a whole new design. They just modified an old one. Though you will recognize the Cathedral, this one still has some surprises waiting for you. I enjoyed this mission very much. I would love to see darthsLair make another TG mission.
Stats:
I beta tested this one, so I'm not sure how many times I've been through it. My time for the mission runs around an hour on Normal & Hard. I finally completed Expert which requires you to find all 4058 in loot.
Screenshots:

Check out the Forum Discussion Thread if you have questions or want to let darthsLair know what you think about this mission.

Tuesday, April 08, 2008

Five Tigers: Eye of the Tiger by Catman Released! - 4:45:24 PM - pavlovscat

New Mission
Released April 07, 2008 - Five Tigers: Eye of the Tiger a mission for T2 by Catman
Updated to version 1.01 on April 11, 2008.
The Mission:
Master Thief Nekosan has been hired to obtain the set of gemstones known as the Five Tigers. He is off to recover the first of the five stones, the Eye of the Tiger. This stone is held by the Walker family. He obtained a copy of the Walker key during his previous adventure on the Iron Butterfly. His employer has provided maps of the heavily guarded estate to make things a bit easier. He must get that gemstone.
Impressions:
This is the second mission in Catman's six mission Five Tigers series. This is a wonderful mission for sneaking around. The mansion is riddled with secret passages which will expedite your travels. You will find written bits of information about the hiding place of the Eye of the Tiger as well as other treasures hidden throughout the mansion. You also will need to collect information on how to safely obtain the gem. There are old & new Mechanist creations to hinder you as well as slew of human guards. As you search, you will find lots of interesting architecture and beautiful art throughout the mansion. The oriental-styled animal pictures are especially nice.
Don't expect a quick mission. The map is large, and you need to pay attention to the clues provided to get to the gem. Overall Eye of the Tiger is a very good mission, challenging and entertaining. If you haven't played the first mission, Five Tigers: HBS Iron Butterfly, I recommend you play it first. The story will make a lot more sense as there are references to the previous mission throughout this one.
Stats:
My first time through this one took me 2 hrs 53 mins. Thankfully, I played on normal with only 1200 loot required because I was well short of the expert loot objective of 3200. I ended with 2665/4094 loot, 4/10 secrets and 2 bonus objectives. I definitely will have to play this one again and again!
Screenshots:

Have questions or want to comment on this mission? Head over to the Forum Discussion Thread.

Monday, April 07, 2008

Crazy Maniac Mr Timms Released - 10:27:55 PM - pavlovscat

New Mission
April 06, 2008 - The Crazy Maniac Mr. Timms & The Wooden Shack a mission for T2 by John-The-Begger

The Mission:
That crazy maniac, Mr. Timms, has stolen your spoon. He deserves to die, so kill him.
Impressions:
This is a very quick mission. In fact, I think the name might be bigger than the mission. You have a sword and need to kill things with it. You will find a helpful inanimate ally here, but you must deliver the final killing strike to Mr. Timms yourself.
Screenshots:

Check out the Forum Discussion Thread for comments & questions.

Saturday, April 05, 2008

T is for Tease - 12:45:54 PM - Dan

By now the forums are ablaze with a tease from the Eidos Montreal website:
Eidos-Montréal is proud to announce the recruitment for our 2nd “AAA” project. … A hint! The title begins with the letter “ T ”…
This is not an announcement. This is not news. This is simply a call for those who wish to be interested in the possibilities to become as exited or afraid as they would have themselves be at the prospect of a strange developer handling Thief without the involvement of a single person from the original team (unless they reply to the want ad that is...).

Wednesday, April 02, 2008

We Miss You, Bob! by Monastiri Released - 6:27:11 PM - pavlovscat

New Mission
Released April 01, 2008 - We Miss You, Bob! a mission for T2 by Monastiri

The Mission:
Lord Marboby has kidnapped baby Bob and is holding him for ransom. You must sneak into Marboby's well-guarded mansion and rescue Bob.
Impressions:
This is Monastiri's first FM. It is a nice showing for a first time author. I was surprised by the amount of game play in this mini-mansion. The number of guards was higher than I expected. This baby must be worth a fortune! This was an enjoyable mission with lots to do and find. Monastiri made full use of the small space. This mission is a nice way to spend 10-15 minutes.
Screenshots:

Visit the Forum Discussion Thread for hints or to let Monastiri know what you think.

Tuesday, April 01, 2008

Counter-Thief by Gambit Released - 2:23:11 PM - pavlovscat

New Mission
March 30, 2008 - Counter-Thief a mission for T2 by Gambit

The Mission:
Lord Hostag is hiding out in a heavily-guarded warehouse. Get into the warehouse by any means necessary, and kill Lord Hostag.
Impressions:
Counter-Thief is the first release from new FM author Gambit. The mission is based on the Counter-Strike Assault map, so fans of Counter-Strike will certainly recognize their locale. This is a small mission which can be completed in a few minutes. The level is sparse but functional. I would like to see what Gambit can do with a little more time spent making the next mission as this was put together in one afternoon.
Problems:
On the east side of the warehouse, there is a ladder which is extremely buggy. I recommend using a different way to access the roof.
Screenshots:

Post your comments in the Forum Discussion Thread and let Gambit know what you think.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

2 FM Contests Are Open for Entry - 3:29:32 PM - pavlovscat

2 FM CONTESTS NOW OPEN
We haven't had a contest for a while. Now, all of a sudden, there are two!
Classic Thief Experience Contest:
Uncadonego has announced the opening of the Classic Thief Experience Contest. Want to make a mission but feel intimidated by all the fancy new missions coming out lately? Are you in the mood to create an old-style Thief mission? Do you need a reason to get started making your very own FMs? Feeling competitive? Then, read the contest rules because this might just be the perfect contest for you. This zip file also includes the .mis file which must be used as a base for all contest submissions. The deadline for entry submissions for this contest is September 15, 2008.
If you're not sure whether you want to compete, let me help you decide. There will be 5 prizes awarded for First, Second & Third Place, Builder's Choice and New Dromeder. The prizes for this contest are excellent, so get in there and build a mission!
The main thread for the contest is in the Editor's Guild forum where, over the past few weeks, there has been much discussion and consideration of the best parameters for this contest. You can read about the technical stuff here. You can also check out this thread and the announcement thread in the Thief FM forum for other comments. If you have decided to have a go at it or have more questions about the contest, then uncadonego has provided contact instructions in "READ THIS!.doc" also included in the zip.
The Historical Contest:
This contest is brought to us by Medd and members of the French Thief Forum Ariane. The object is to create a mission by selecting one style and to avoid using anachronistic elements. You may view the rules in either English or French. The mission is to be created in English with other language support allowed. The deadline for entry submissions to this contest is September 01, 2008.
You must select either Ancient or Modern style. These missions should be 100% true to the style selected including design, sounds and storyline. The style chosen will limit the use of various objects, textures and AI. These restrictions are detailed in the rules. Use of custom or anachronistic elements will result in a loss of points, as will exceeding the size limit of 1,500,000 cubic Dromed units. Detailed scoring information and how to submit a mission is listed in the rules.
If you have any questions about this contest, you can post them in the announcement thread.