My Experience Playing For The First Time...

[Slackenerny]

I've been playing games since the early 80's. I played the Ultimas, Wasteland, The Bard's Tale all the way through to now. Thief is probably my favourite game of all time. I played a LOT of hours exploring every nook and cranny...and it was the only game that affected the way I behaved in real life (after a period of intense playing, I found myself hugging the walls and keeping to shadows a little too much). Suffice to say I loved the game.

 

Unfortunately, the Dark engine hasn't aged so well now being 12 (13?) years old...so it's hard to go back.

 

I'd just like to say the work you have done on the Dark Mod is glorious. I felt like I was playing Thief again...but brought into the 21st century. Dynamic lighting really adds to the game...and it's a far truer vision of Thief than the consolised Thief III was (excluding Shalebridge Cradle which is one of the finest examples of level design in the history of gaming).

 

I've just completed St. Lucia (my first play of the mod). I found about 1500 in loot which I thought was not too shabby until I saw there was 2600 in the level. Everything was perfect, and I found that I remembered all the old hot keys (water arrow on 4) 10 years later...it's amazing what gets buried in your head.

 

I particularly liked the manipulation of objects. Lighting candles to carry around with you makes it such a visceral experience. Things feel like they were really there. When I was in the kitchen, I wanted to put out a light. Rather than waste my water arrow, I thought "I'll just fill the cup with water and tip it on the flame." I grabbed a cup on the sink, dipped it in the water, and tipped it slowly over the candle. Of course it didn't work (no water physics), but just the fact that it could occur to me, I could execute every step without an issue, and I was so absorbed in the game that I didn't stop to think engine couldn't do it, is a wonderful thing.

 

I also liked how dangerous the guards were. Modern games have been dumbed down so much everything is far too easy. In the old Thief games, you'd get into a fight as an absolute last resort, because chances are they'd kill you in a few seconds. You could take one in a pinch, but two meant RUN. In Thief III, you were far too strong...and it was a major problem with the game. These guards will cut you down in a single stroke. Much better. In the Thief games, you are not a fighter.

 

I did encounter a few problems.

 

First was a quick save crashed and corrupted my game once (near where the dog barks at the beginning of the level). These things happen.

 

I couldn't work out how to climb down onto ladders, so I fell a few times. Can you lower yourself down off ledges like you can climb up? I needed to do that a few times.

 

On a level design issue, while I found the note leading to the next note, I couldn't work out where the padlocked door was to get into the sewers. I climbed all around the place (right up to the top of the buildings above the note rock), but I just couldn't find it. I slight hint of location in the note (rather than just the name) would be useful. Or I just could be dumb.

 

Anyway...thank you, thank you, thank you. The whole team has earned some serious karma. I'm looking forward to many more nights stealing things in the dark.

[STiFU]

Welcome to the forums. Glad you enjoyed your first time in the dark.

 

(after a period of intense playing, I found myself hugging the walls and keeping to shadows a little too much).

Wow, that's extremely nerdy! But then again, I also find myself whistling the Dark Mod Mainmenu theme occasionally.

 

First was a quick save crashed and corrupted my game once (near where the dog barks at the beginning of the level). These things happen.

You're not alone on that one. It happens to me occasionally too, although I must say, I did not experience any savegame crashes since 1.05. Anyway, you can setup backup quick-saves with a script. This way, you won't have to restart the mission completely afresh, once a savegame has been corrupted. Create a textfile called "autoexec.cfg" in your darkmod folder and add the following lines:

// Quicksave altering
set save1 "savegame QuickSave1; set savebind vstr save2; set loadbind vstr load1"
set save2 "savegame QuickSave2; set savebind vstr save3; set loadbind vstr load2"
set save3 "savegame QuickSave3; set savebind vstr save1; set loadbind vstr load3"
set savebind vstr save1
bind f5 "vstr savebind"

set load1 "loadgame QuickSave1"
set load2 "loadgame QuickSave2"
set load3 "loadgame QuickSave3"
set loadbind vstr load1
bind f9 "vstr loadbind"

 

I couldn't work out how to climb down onto ladders, so I fell a few times. Can you lower yourself down off ledges like you can climb up? I needed to do that a few times.

If you have a weapon out, you'll see when you're properly attached to the ladder, as the player will lower the weapon. Get backwards onto the ladder, as you would in real life. Apparently you cannot lower yourself to ledges. There has been a lot of talk about climbing along edges and advanced Mirror's Edge Style movement, but it's not in the current scope of the team to implement something like that.

[Glyph Seeker]

Welcome to the Mod!

 

And thanks STiFU for those tips.

 

Yes, I encountered a similar crash - it seems to be on quite large levels in similar places where an occasional quicksave crash happens - as STiFU notes, it's good to have backups!

 

I've got about 50 hours of Dark Mod chalked up and I've still got some of the biggest missions left to do! =-3

[Shadowhide]

another one

have fun

[Springheel]

Welcome! Definitely play through the training mission if you haven't already.

 

As for the padlock,

check inside a collapsed building, under the rubble on the floor.

 

[grayman]

Welcome!

 

wrt hugging walls, I remember when Doom first came out, I began to feel the urge to peer around corners and steer clear of 50-gal drums!

[TheUnbeholden]

I've been playing games since the early 80's. I played the Ultimas, Wasteland, The Bard's Tale all the way through to now. Thief is probably my favourite game of all time. I played a LOT of hours exploring every nook and cranny...and it was the only game that affected the way I behaved in real life (after a period of intense playing, I found myself hugging the walls and keeping to shadows a little too much). Suffice to say I loved the game.

 

Something happened similar to Yahtzee (AKA the best video game critic). He was going home one night and tried to stay away from lamp posts, looking for his light gem.\

 

When you play a game so immersing that really keeps you occupied its bound to have a profound affect on you.

Edited June 2, 2011 by TheUnbeholden

[Bikerdude]

When I was in the kitchen, I wanted to put out a light. Rather than waste my water arrow, I thought "I'll just fill the cup with water and tip it on the flame."

Heh, watch this space my fellow gamer, which is all I will say for now..

[demagogue]

Nice game line-up you mentioned in your 2nd sentence.

Same games I played back in the day.

Welcome to the Dark side.