My son played TDM for the first time

[AluminumHaste]

He's never played any of the Thief games, but has watched me play TDM a few times.

But he was able to get through the training mission without any real issue, did everything.

 

I'm impressed and sad at the same time.

 

I'm impressed that he did so well on his first sojourn, but I'm sad to realize just how bad a lot of other people are at this game, especially since they've played the first 3 games.

 

He really likes the lockpicking, combat went okay, he did have issues with timing his attacks to get through the AI's defense.

He didn't like that in the Arena, the AI keep charging head long into you when they attack and will push you, making parrying impossible. (I thought this was fixed btw).

 

He had no issues staying hidden for the most part, but every now and then would make a bonehead move into the light.

[Destined]

I'm impressed that he did so well on his first sojourn, but I'm sad to realize just how bad a lot of other people are at this game, especially since they've played the first 3 games.

 

I belive, it is acctually easier to start with TDM and then switch to the Thief games, since (as very often discussed) TDM has a much higher difficulty. And that is most likely the reason many people have such problems, when they start TDM: They are used to the mechanics of Thief, some of which are different or easier to master.

Also many people think the two are very similar and thus skip the tutorial or at least sections of it. Maybe we should make it clearer, that the tutorial is especially important to get to know the differences and not just learn the general gameplay. I also did not pay too much attention on the tutorial the first time around. Just after botching the first FM I thought it might be good to know the differences to the Thief games...

 

But it is nice to see, that not only the "older" generation plays it and thus maybe TDM will live on in the next generation

[SteveL]

My 9yo godson is a huge fan too. He's got very good at stealth, although he still prefers all-out carnage as a play style as long as there's somewhere he can hide the bodies.

[Bikerdude]

He didn't like that in the Arena, the AI keep charging head long into you when they attack and will push you, making parrying impossible. (I thought this was fixed btw).

Grr so did I, will tweak it before the next release.

 

[Sotha]

Cool! AH, how old is he?

 

My 5-year old daughter was once watching me map. After that, she has occasionally liked to map with me, but mainly she is interested in putting "princesses" into the map and watch what they do. Gassing/KOing was hilarious because the characters "fall in a funny way."

[Springheel]

He didn't like that in the Arena, the AI keep charging head long into you when they attack and will push you, making parrying impossible. (I thought this was fixed btw).

 

 

It was fixed, but I think something new in the way animations work has opened it again. It used to be solved by having the attack animations override the leg channel at the moment of the swing.

 

My 5y. old daughter likes to, as she says, "shoot some people". I load up a testmap for her, put her in notarget mode and let her shoot AI with gas arrows. And then she likes to shoot them in the head with broadheads once they're down....

[Goldwell]

 

And then she likes to shoot them in the head with broadheads once they're down....

 

Sociopath in training?!

[AluminumHaste]

He's 13.

He keeps bugging me to play it but every time he wants to play, I'm on it testing things or doing experiments lol.

[Destined]

I just imagined, what my goddaughter (also 5 years old) would say, if she saw TDM... Most likely scenario: She would ask to turn it off, after a couple of minutes, because she is scared / does not like, that you knock out guards or guards attack you. I don't even want to know her reaction to some creepy stuff like zombies etc. She even cannot watch Disney movies, as soon as a sinister, evil person appears (and there is one in practically EVERY Disney movie). Or to quote her little borther (currently 2 1/2 years old): "You do NOT hit people! NO HITTING!" Maybe they are a bit too sheltered. Or just well raised...

[Anderson]

I just imagined, what my goddaughter (also 5 years old) would say, if she saw TDM... Most likely scenario: She would ask to turn it off, after a couple of minutes, because she is scared / does not like, that you knock out guards or guards attack you. I don't even want to know her reaction to some creepy stuff like zombies etc. She even cannot watch Disney movies, as soon as a sinister, evil person appears (and there is one in practically EVERY Disney movie). Or to quote her little borther (currently 2 1/2 years old): "You do NOT hit people! NO HITTING!" Maybe they are a bit too sheltered. Or just well raised...

Probably just emotional. My small brother is very sensitive to agression too.

Edited October 13, 2015 by Anderson

[wesp5]

Also many people think the two are very similar and thus skip the tutorial or at least sections of it

Very funny thread , but speaking of the tutorial: The problem I have with it, is that it is very uninspiring and I can hardly remember it. I think the outside section was okay, but the main hall with branching off corridors was completely boring. It may be much better to create an actual mission in which all important features are needed and just interrupt that at the right time with some explanations! Maybe this would even be possible with an existing one...

 

P.S.: Just for fun I played the training mission again and I found two issues:

 

1) It's never mentioned that food can be consumed to get health by pressing the use key when holding it.

2) I got stuck when I tried to mantle the first bed in the room with the food and had to restart the mission.

Edited October 13, 2015 by wesp5

[esme]

I really must complete the combat section of the training one day

[Philflound]

I have to say that I only started TDM at the beginning of the summer. It took me a while to get used to many of the aspects, especially the fighting, which I still find difficult. I always play the hardest level unless there are special circumstances where I find it too difficult to finish. In the 5-6 months of playing, I can say I'm an expert for the most part. I've finished the majority of the missions and am hoping new ones come out soon. I've been playing Thief for a good 20 years now, or whenever the 1st one came out. I've played almost every fan mission made for Thief 2, which is my favorite of all the Thief games. I have no mission making skills so my hat goes off to all authors who put out missions for us to play.

 

Phil