Thief: The Dark Project is a first-person stealth-action game, developed by the now defunct Looking Glass Studios and released for Windows PC on December 3, 1998. Set in a fantasy-steampunk environment, the player assumes the role of a master thief called Garrett, whose talents are sought after by a rich collector looking for an ancient artifact. The Thief: The Dark Project free keys are certainly according to knowledgeable strategy, which attain a great volume of functioning cdkeys. Website visitors and additionally guys that saw us mainly revisit on this valuable webpage to obtain far more simply because they’re conscious that products our company offers are certainly extraordinary.
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Thief: The Dark Project Free Game Download Feb 22, 2013 admin Action/Adventure, Shooter 0 Thief: The Dark Project is a 1998 stealth game for Windows developed. Thief: The Dark Project is a single player stealth-based game made by Looking Glass Studios for Microsoft Windows PCs and published in 1998 by Eidos Interactive. The player takes the role of Garrett, a master thief plying his trade in an unnamed city. Garrett posesses great thieving and stealth.
Total video time:13 hours, 54 minutes, 19 secondsTotal mission time:13 hours, 42 minutes, 54 seconds
- High Quality (HQ):
Video: Xvid, 800x600, 30fps, 1500kbps, GMC-enabled, custom quanitizer matrix (HVS-Best)HQ SCREENSHOT HQ SAMPLE (8.5MB)
Audio: Vorbis, ~90kbps average, 22khz
Wrapper: Ogg (.OGM)
Notes: Very sharp video, text is very clear, and audio is excellent. - Medium Quality (MQ):
Video: Divx-5, 640x480, 30fps, 750kbps, multiple consecutive B-frames, H263 quanitizerMQ SCREENSHOT MQ SAMPLE (6.1MB)
Audio: MP3, 128kbps CBR, 22khz
Wrapper: Microsoft Audio-Video Interleave (.AVI)
Notes: Text is legible, video is reasonably detailed, and audio is very decent. The best compromise between quality and size. Should work on any Divx-5 player. - Low Quality (LQ):
Video: Divx-5, 320x240, 30fps, 325kbps, multiple consecutive B-frames, H263 quanitizerLQ SCREENSHOT LQ SAMPLE (2.8MB)
Audio: MP3, 64kbps CBR, 22khz
Wrapper: Microsoft Audio-Video Interleave (.AVI)
Notes: Very blurry video, and the sound has noticable cut-outs and some distortion. Don't bother with this version if you can download the MQ version, instead.
The game was played on 'expert' difficulty with a Radeon 9800 card at 800x600 resolution, using mostly 4xAA and 8xAF. A few select areas were bumped up to 6xAA 8xAF. Video was captured with FRAPS.
Video:
I was using Dr. Divx for the divx encoding, and Divx-5 just didn't do a good job with the video. So I chose Xvid, which was encoding just as fast but looked far superior. The Xvid video originally had very high processing requirements, but the codec has been optimized since then, drastically reducing the necessary processing power. The briefings are also available, in HQ and MQ versions. The credits are available in a modified MQ version.
Sound:
The Vorbis is better in several areas where there's a lot of loud background sounds or music (e.g. Cragscleft, Undercover after you trip the alarm). The LQ version outright misses quite a few sound effects.
Screenshots:
These are taken right at the beginning of Mission 1, 'Bafford's'.
Video samples:
These are taken from the beginning of Mission 4, 'Assassins'.
Mission 1, Bafford's Manor 21:24 mission video time, 19:56 mission stats time
That is such an awesome allegory (the bear pits), I had to capture it regardless of the extra file size. Had unusual trouble getting up the sewer ladder. I considered editing out the waiting portions of the video, but just decided it would subtract from the game atmosphere. Got carried away with eating and accidentally chucked a flashbomb. I suppose I could have used them to help speed up the run but I wanted to minimize consumables use. That was some serious blackjack missing with the guard. I cacked Benny upside the head exactly where he can't see you and you can't knock him out; I catch a couple other people like that during this run. I've got a dead eye for that completely worthless spot. Almost grabbed the sceptre before Garrett ended his throne quip, which causes the two quips to play over each other. I figured I'd save the secret tunnel (to the throne room) for the Bloopers mission since it has the little plaque on it.
Mission 2, Break from Cragscleft 29:00 video, 27:38 stats
This one is scary. The worst part (for me) is at the top of the elevator when you have to make a break for the chapel. Everything after that initial break is much easier. That was a close one by that first zombie. The zombie behind the other one caught me by surprise because I was so focused on the first approaching one. Wasted a water arrow because I wasn't watching the timer (too scared!!). Ladder jumps routinely plagued me during this run. Jumps in general, but ladder jumps specifically. Could have used moss arrows to speed up the forgers section. Pick up the KEY, moran! The key! On the body! Grab it! Paid special attention not to hit the lamps in the level when attempting a blackjack; ones this low had to be strategic emplacements by the level designer. Tried to show how the 'counting' works on the cell door levers, counting from 'one' to whatever cell it is that I need. Several extra patrols in the 'Gold' version. I earned a snack.
Got stuck on top of the priest's body and had to jump out. Decided to just run past the cell block 1-2 guy instead of drawing him out and KO'ing him, adding time to the level. Didn't bother dropping Basso and exploding the zombie on my way out of the prison -- it is a way into the prison, but I used the other entrance (two guards) since it doesn't require an arrow. Decided to wipe out the undead to show how it can be done at the beginning of the game and still have plenty of equipment left, although it does alert the upper level zombies. Almost fell down the elevator shaft from the explosion, and then almost got stuck in the same place, later. Forget deadly shadows; deadly texture grabs all through this run.
Mission 3, Bonehoard 48:31 video, 1:05:30 stats
I'm not sure why, but this one is more scary than Return to the Cathedral. I thought the rope arrow entry is easier than running down to the zombie, plus it helps identify where that hidden chest is a little better. Holy water arrow on the sleeping zombie makes nabbing the chest much easier. Springing the boulder trap is just a simple precaution to take, and shows the trap mechanism more clearly. One out of ten times, those stupid burricks take on the fly swarm. I would have had to reload the level to correct the issue so I just went with what I had. Wow I missed with a lot of broadheads. Didn't mean to hit the rock with that first arrow. It's strange for that rope arrow to be visible; it's usually invisible on me. I thought about going through the tunnel with several dead burricks in it, but that might have been confusing since I didn't come that way. Two shots with the arrow trap was just lucky.
I forgot to drop down to read that note at the bottom. My original route had me going down there first, making the entrance a bit easier since you can just immediately mantle up onto the stairwell ledge and wait. Garrett doesn't give his 'piped in music' quip with that entrance, and I couldn't get it to trigger later by going down that tunnel, so I had to use the regular entrance. Using fire arrows way over on that side of the stairwell banister is what attracted the fire-demon. Accidentally used up another holy water vial, but it ended up being just the right amount of time. Rather than using water arrows to send the fire-demon off, I decided to use the dodge of diving down the well. Had to get the bone anyway. Didn't mean to get caught the second time, however. I could have run up the ladder to get the horn, giving Mr. Demon time to return, but it might make the path confusing. Don't usually have that much trouble with the zombie and the fire trap, but it should be obvious he can be killed by the trap. I think this map is very confusing. Did a decent job with the jumps down to the Heart. Should have gone slower in the statue room; I was getting impatient with this level since so many things had been going wrong. I had intended to drop the hammer haunt as I usually do (in TDP), but I was having a lot of trouble with sneaking properly so I just ran for it.
It's possible to get trapped in behind the burricks, which is why I let them come into the room, away from the doorway. Fire demon got activated by mistake, again. I totally meant to miss that rope arrow jump. I'm used to TDP rather than TDPG, so I didn't know about the water arrows on the top of the wooden columns in the zombie room, although I vaguely remember climbing up there one time. The 4x trap triggering in the Soul room made up for everything; that was most fortuitous. Forgot to get the gem on the bas-relief back when I was first in there. Started to go around the column, but that might seem like there was a trap down the center, so I decided to go back and show there was no trap down the center, but that makes it seem like there was a trap around the side; I can't win unless I run around the entire thing!
Thief The Dark Project Mods
Mission 4, Assassins 29:46 video, 28:22 statsI considered taking the long route by being detected and having to run back to 'home territory'. In the interest of video time and simplicity, just decided against it. I considered making a little video cut-out of the two routes, but couldn't really figure any good way to work it into the video without making everything confusing because the two routes are dependent on you getting detected. Speaking of detection, that was a close one while trailing the assassins. Worked out well because at that point, it doesn't really add much onto their route besides more checks, and shows just how close you can get without failing. Had more trouble than usual with the moss arrows just inside Ramirez's place. Nailing those three guards right there makes the remaining patrols much easier to deal with, as well as being simple and quick.
It's important to hide the bodies around the side of the entrance, because a servant goes out there after a conversation (upstairs hall, just outside the library) and will trigger the 'long' exit. I usually smack those two servants, but as par for this run, my timing was just off. It's like driving down the road, swerving to hit every single last pothole in the road. It takes talent to do that even IF your intention is to avoid them. Dropped the lockpick instructions without reading, thinking I had already read them, so chalk that one up for missed literature. I totally think there was some kind of lag issue with my mouse causing some of these timing glitches. Rather than just leaning forward and clubbing the servant, I figured I'd head to one of the little hiding spots and smack him from behind. That's the guard I was kind of waiting for, strolling down the hallway into the basement. Had to open the removable door just to show it sailing off, but then it was back again after the save/reload. The beginning of the guard conversation is difficult to hear because of the background music, but fortunately opening the door makes it nice and loud. I considered going outside and around the side entrance to get all of it clearly, but it would have taken too long. The red roof mantle to the parapet sometimes gives me that much trouble; I hate it. Almost got stuck in the fireplace again. That servant (at the very end of the video) is the one from upstairs.
Mission 5, The Thieves' Guild 1:47:45 video, 1:46:25 stats
This is one of those confusing maps I was talking about. After about 10 times through this mission, I still don't quite have the layout memorized. I usually know a general 'direction' to head in, and sometimes I'm not even sure about that. I just know that I will eventually have to head in that general direction, so I might as well go down there and see what's there. Deliveries in the back door? Her backdoor!?? Anyway. Someone is going to be mighty po'd when they find everyone in the guild, lying unconscious. They hate me anyway. The guards in the casino can be tough to lure out sometimes, and they certainly were more difficult than usual on this run. Even dead bodies don't pull them off their little perch. I didn't realize the frame was wood and was wondering why there was no metallic sound from the arrows. Then I knocked him out when he was alerted and firing, and the arrows didn't add to my inventory. Which really was the icing on the cake of glitchness and otherwise non-standard mission parameters during this entire level. It should have been 'get your arse topside', not 'get your ass topside'.
Spider took a nibble, but no biggie. Plenty of water arrows and that is an easy area to be able to catch the two patrolers (one civilian, one thief). Just trying to have a bit of fun in this area. A clean inventory is a happy inventory. Chase-down-the-civilian game is always a delight. Clubbing that sleeping guard can be a real problem but I was fortunate on this run. This mission had about a weeklong break at this point, where I stopped playing the game and continued recording about a week later, so I was a little confused as to what had been done and what had not, which guards were still active, etc. The issue may not be entirely apparent from all the other bungling. I was trying to do an air-knockout on the servant, which failed rather spectacularly. Several times. It is possible to run in right after the thief conversation and smack them if the torch is put out during their conversation. However, they either ended the conversation early or did an audio overlay (two different dialogues playing over each other), which was unacceptable. Archer grabbed by a texture means one less archer.
Just kind of bumbling through the level some more. I've never learned to stack things properly. I knew I still needed the key, but I was already here so I might as well just clear the place out. Added something like 4 minutes to the video. Constable Mahk certainly does cost quite a bit. Couldn't remember which bed had the loot behind it. Eventually just stopped the game, figured out where to go, then started recording again. In Thom's, I ducked down by the table because I thought some loot was under there but nothing registered so I moved on. Have to come back for it later. At least I remembered the key. Hiding the bodies is just part of the 'spirit' of the game. Always hide bodies. That poor servant is going to freak when he wakes up in the torture room with a horrible headache. No loot behind that bed.
Still can't stack. I've gotten stuck many times between the couch and fireplace. Cripes, that was close with the second thief entering the room. Got thrown off the door when I was leaning through to have a look. There's Lady Van Vernon again, warming up the stable boy. I've knocked those two sleeping guards out before, but on this run I just couldn't get close to them. So, several flashbombs just to show what was in the crates. Just kind of looking around, deciding how I wanted to tackle these next few guards. Started to run after the archer, but those two other swordmen popped out. Hid the bodies in plain sight. Started to throw a rope arrow, but just decided to run instead, then got confused trying to find the candlestick. There's that couch sticking issue I was talking about. I swear, one of these missions had a nugget or something in the commode. Loot hunt: finally, behind the bed. Those gold coins are easy to miss. Just didn't go into that room with all the equipment and loot.
Mission 6, The Sword 1:05:56 video, 1:05:02 stats
It's possible to forgo the torch and moss arrow by leaning out the doorway shadow, but I just decided to use them anyway. There's about three or four ways I usually do this mission and I was just making decisions on the fly, trying to keep the routing easy to reproduce and map. There's so many things to do on this first level, I just couldn't decide and was too impatient to go through and plan an efficient route. Didn't really have any specific route in mind except for a few places toward the top levels and conversations. Very close call with the fast guard because the blackjack just refused to swing. No glowing mushroom under the tree in TDPG. Tried to get some kind of running start on the underwater swim to Little-Big World. That one one serious cluster-f with the guard and the little stream and the tree and the healing potion. I hit every pot hole on this run. This is probably my favorite place in this entire level. Big World. The music is just a short, repetitive melody, but for some reason it's very catchy.
Getting out of that matchbox is tricky, so I did it a couple times to make it known that a standing-mantle gets you out rather than a running-mantle. Knowing how to fire and climb down a 'cornered' rope arrow can come in handy, so I showed it at the coffee-table because the drop isn't fatal. Had to make a decision on this one: reading both parchments unflags the mission objective and makes the mission unable to be completed. I could have just reloaded after reading the second parchment, but in the video it would have appeared as if I'd read it without repercussion (unchecked objective). I ended up having to ctl-alt-end the mission at the front gates, and this is accurately displayed by the unchecked mission objective. In hindsight, I probably should have put up a little static note at the end, explaining that the player must choose one or the other parchment in order to be able to properly complete the mission and that the video presentation is just to record both parchments in their respective mission positions. The chair is sometimes difficult on a cornered-arrow if I don't quite get enough lean out on the arrow shot. And of course, there's damage involved unless you fire a couple others lower down to jump to after the initial arrow. I just forgot to make a bridge of them.
Didn't mean to fall off the footlocker like that. I can usually skip off the lock on my way down. Another bad cornered arrow. The last one wasn't terrible, but a good one doesn't require a run at a sticking spot. I knew the key didn't fit the lock but I thought it looked similar to the one upstairs that does (that may be in TDP where they look similar). Just displaying which one is which. That is kind of a hazard to get those three elemental arrows; getting stuck up at the top. There is a tiny little 'perfect' place to put an arrow where you can still reach all three and won't get stuck, and I just didn't hit it this time. I was thinking there was a hidden niche behind one of those paintings in the little gallery. There were two routes (for me) up to the next level and I changed my mind at the last second. Rope arrow, in the garden with the throne of stone, shows my other route up; in this case, down then back up.
TDP has the key by Viktoria's bed. If I had just run over the trap, the fire barrels would trigger which can alert guards up on higher floors. Just best to avoid setting that trap off. TDP just sticks with me on that bedside key. I was thinking there was one more guard up on the second floor, but I was mistaken. I like that rope arrow entry (in the upside-down library) to the third floor because it's easy to pop the guards in the hallway section at the end of their patrol route. The lighting distance of those top floor torches is retarded. That was close with the sword guard turning around right in my face. These guys just don't want to open up an opportunity. That archer ran into me and through sheer glitch, didn't alert. Forgot to put up a moss arrow on the landing, but it's entirely possible to make a quiet jump back to it. I got distracted while carrying that body and just kind of kept walking with it to show the little optical-illusion doors. Still needed to go that way to get the gems. Loot collection time: always forget the rock on top of the trap face. Stupid cup hidden behind the plant. Tried to break my fall with the body, but it didn't quite work.
Mission 7, The Haunted Cathedral 1:13:32 video, 1:12:47 stats
This is another rough one, probably about as rough as Cragscleft. I did do a practice run on this level just to find all the loot and try to get a layout of the map. I hadn't considered lighting because I always play though without turning on the lights, but the final video quality would be dependent on the lighting. However, a beginner player would be better served by leaving the lights off and cranking up the gamma. This all occurred to me as soon as I hit the record button at the start of this level. So after about a 20 second debate with myself while looking at that first parchment, I decided to go with lights on and increased difficulty. Plus a completely new route focusing on getting those lights turned on as soon as possible, as well as not alerting the whole place. Basically, making all most of my practice routing for this level completely worthless. The hammer is just a useful tool to have on undead missions, so I carried it a ways to make it's position known. The burricks didn't cooperate like they were supposed to, and had been during practice. Which seriously bent me. Forgot I was leaving the lights on during this mission and shut them off again. Doh!
I was thinking there was a rock by the keeper outpost, but apparently not. The zombie surprised me and I needed some time to assess the area; which meant a dive into the water. Checking undead weapons and deciding what to use. That was really close with the sleeping zombie. Quite excellent timing with the group of zombies, giving support to my choice of holy water as the initial weapon. Mines just don't have much other use in this level for me. I debated whether to tackle the Watchman's Grave spiders with the lights on, but decided to go lights off. Ended up being a poor choice because they were already alerted from the mines and I was hitting all the wood instead of the spiders. I thought that box turned on the lights in that tunnel, but they didn't. Got unexpectedly cornered, so an unplanned fight it was going to be. Not a terrible use on the two zombies but I would have preferred to lead off with a broadhead or backstab on the priest.
THAT is exactly why I always leave the lights off. I was lost up until the video segment (37:52). Couldn't remember if if they were completely dead after two flashbombs, so I just decided I was better off using a vial on them. Hiding in the door shadow on the hammer haunts. I was hoping to catch both of them in the room at the same time, but there were almost exactly 180 degrees out of sync. With the lights on, I didn't want to risk attempting a backstab so I just used flashbombs since I consider them to be the least effective undead equipment. Wanted to make it clear a running-mantle was necessary to get out of that area. I certainly got lucky with that burrick trapped on the light post.
I was hoping to damage that hammer archer enough with broadheads that it would only take one fire arrow, but it was not to be. Close call with the patrolling priest. He took far more swings than I was expecting. Plenty of fire arrows, so I thought I'd just flip one in there to save me some trouble in RTC. If only. Wasn't sure if I should go after loot or the rest of the undead, so those are 'routing' pauses where I scouted out what needed doing then reloaded. After two fire arrows, I was looking for that other priest plus the room with the mine. At 2632 loot, it was time to hunt that other priest. Nothing was working properly except holy water and flash bombs. There was one last zombie shuffling around someplace, but I had the loot and was ready to leave. I got a little jump crazy, but the point was to score broadheads. It's easier to rope over than pick the lock under time pressure, but I still showed the trap mechanism.
Mission 8, The Mage Towers 1:08:47 video, 1:06:26 stats
Did a little routing for this one and was just messing around with air knockouts. Close one with one of the patrols heading for the corner where a body was stashed. I like it when I get a good bunny-hop going and really cram those bodies into the corner. The floating lifts in earth tower squashed or otherwise smacked me a lot more than ever before. I don't know how long it took me to find the least dangerous way through, and I didn't even end up using that path. I don't know what was going on with the third floor guard. He had always come by the stairs quickly where there's a little dark spot to lie in ambush. Direct approach worked best on level four with the two guards and open area. Wanted to show it's possible to lean and grab the air key, but also wanted to show the path into the area with the chest because there is so much equipment along the way. Moved crates to show how to traverse those areas. Obviously didn't intend to get stuffed by the floating platform. Again, the direct approach to air tower second floor seemed the best. Find a dark spot in their patrol path, lean forward and whack them. Another game of club the servant in the central building.
Popped the two guards before they flagged fully alert. Sometimes when I water arrow the torch by the mess-hall, it puts out the other one in the hallway on the other side of the wall. Didn't get that conversation in the best place possible; I accidentally set off the trigger for it when I went too close to the door. Clubbed another guard exactly on the side of the head. Don't know why that fire guard didn't alert, but suits me fine. Another vote for the direct approach. I think you're supposed to just make a break for it on that last level of fire mages, but it seems to be just as easy to cack them. Whoops, on the drop from the top level down. It's absolutely critical that I always take the longest route around a column to the door. I do that on purpose. Every single time. Could use a gas arrow on those guards, but I showed the blackjack route. Obviously got confused when I went the short way around the center column in the talisman room on the way out. There was a couple days break in the library and I had to review what I'd done. Just ended up keeping that reviewing portion of the run. Loot hunt: servant quarters stuff that I missed when that one broad bailed on me. Direct approach wins again.
Mission 9, The Lost City 1:04:09 video, 1:01:36 stats
This was my favorite level in TDP, but I don't much like the mages in TDPG. If you slide off the roof on the jump down, you won't take damage. I just didn't catch the roof that time. Figured I'd show the air pockets. Another score for the direct approach on the spiders. Get a gravity-assist on the arrows with the big green spider. That's a good place to snag that Garrettism (ain't lost no more), plus you can take out the elementals with gravity-assist, making that area much easier later on. Sometimes that downshot on the burrick works in one, and sometimes it doesn't. Missed the jump across to the other building, where I usually go by rooftop a little ways. I think I usually strafe jump it but I was trying to keep the camera always pointed in my direction of travel, for clarity. The burrick and fire-elemental fight went better than I required, but there's supposed to be four bodies there, so I'm looking for residue (live burricks). I guess the carcasses just got blasted apart. Moving along. I've no idea what was going on with the super fire-elemental and his deflector shields. That's never happened before. I don't know if I just wasn't hitting properly or what. Really chaps me that it took three arrows.
Tried knocking out that fire mage, but he was just super alert even with moss arrows, so it was either broadheads or gas arrow. Not much other use for the gas arrow in the entire level except for those two mages, and even they are bypassable. I seem to remember being able to gas both of them at the same time, but just couldn't get it to work during this run. I always sweat the rope arrows catching fire and burning up, on that arrow bridge across the lava. The Dark engine just wasn't quite that advanced, fortunately. Some of those guards I just held still to show their patrol route, if it was a short route. I guess if you're trying to keep it in the closet, that tomb is probably pretty safe, except for the two other guys patrolling. That's the bad thing about bodies and zombie parts. They're always getting in the way. Forgot to read the keeper book at the remains, darnit! In Dark Project, you could totally climb on that fallen monument. More gravity-assist on the elementals. Because they're beyond the physics box, they're not animated, easy shots, go down with one broadhead which saves water, and no one else is alerted to their demise. The 'quick' way out isn't the 'quickest' way out, but it bypasses so much stuff and only takes moderate skill. Close one (literally one) with the fire elemental. Didn't have any other use for the gas arrow, other than the burricks, and the fire arrows had that one covered. In TDP, I think there was something up on that building ledge by the lava. Burricks. That's why I save up the fire arrows. I actually had to replay that section because the bodies prevented me from getting through the corridor. And I forgot to put in the little page-turn sound effect on the stats.
Mission 10, The Opera House 1:20:40 video, 1:19:10 stats
That stupid guard. He always causes significant problems for me. It's possible to just plow through the craymen, but I might as well use the equipment. Probably should have gone into those other caves, but offhand, I believe they were empty. That was a real fluke with the crayman in the trap room; he usually doesn't get that far. Technically I forgot the plaque (another case of confusion), but it just says the same thing as the mission map which I included at the very start of the video. Invisible rope arrow; another first for this run. I wanted to deal with that guard at the top of the stairs but needed flashbombs. The door is for later. I love it when you knock someone out and their alert script is still playing. Sneaking on metal and tile doesn't always seen to work properly in TDPG. Some days I just glide around that chair by the talisman, and others it's no different than a brick wall. I had so much trouble with the kitchen servant becoming alerted and running off for absolutely no reason, I still have no idea what it was setting that guy off but just spending a little more time in the hallway seemed to cure the problem, so I used the time to drop the hall guard. That is one deaf guard in the hallway. I ended the mission just to check if I was playing 'expert'.
Have to wait a few seconds after opening the guardroom because for some reason they are immune to the flashbomb if you chuck it immediately. Another smooth move -- when the guard turns around just as I take a swing at him. Was going to go for an air assault, but with the other guard in the distance, opted for a moss arrow. I was waiting for a conversation between the chubby guy and girl. I was hoping to pull in several guards at the top of the stairs and I'd gas them all. The missed conversation stems from the run method. I was saving constantly and scouting the next thing to do, then reloading my save and recording that section. I just outright forgot about that particular reload and it wasn't until several missions later (when I was arranging the video) that I noticed. Capturing that conversation would have required a wicked splice, a discontinuous mission (a 'stand alone' mission), or scrapping all subsequent missions and restarting the run from the missed conversation point. So, I just left it as is.
Almost heaved that girl off the balcony but was afraid of failing the mission from the drop, so I didn't. Every once in a while, I can remember enough of the map for the compass to be of use. Missing doors. How quaint. Forgot the moss arrow down the fireplace, even though it didn't matter at that point. The flash bomb was just a small debate if I should go drop the elevator guard or not. He was just down the hall, but I decided against it to save time.
Mission 11, Undercover 19:22 video, 17:07 stats
Not too bad on the time. Lots of literature. I explored several routes for this mission and at some point it became evident the direct approach was easier, more complete, as well as much faster. It was just absolutely superior in every way, especially dialogue clarity. I could do it fast and still get lots of sightseeing in the level. Also, TDPG's AI timing just made this a valid approach for the beginner thief. I normally creep around the place and catch the majority of them out in the garden, but TDPG didn't seem to like that approach much. Added a little too much brightness to the video. Close call with the flashbomb and you can hear the alert script. Bodies and zombie parts, in the way. Hate 'em. That hammerite in the graveyard cringed before the blackjack came down, making it a close call. Those two little snuggle bunnies out in the graveyard are the sole reason I had to completely change my route. They are super alert and made to detect missing loot which isn't in their line of sight. The front door guard is another alert weirdo. Long route around. Again.
I dropped the wallbuilder prayer, which catches me later. That parchment was totally there amongst one of those 6 books. The video jump was where I read the wallbuilder prayer again but didn't arrange it into the video because it was already there. Long way again. Just kind of looking around, making sure everything is in readiness. All those sound effects after getting the talisman make for a wicked audio track. The final guard was another glitch. Both guards usually hit the door at the same time, with the same mine knocking both. I got a little jump happy and took a dive off the front door, falling down into the garden. So I reloaded to my last save, and guard boy comes running out of the door. Before the save, he was stuck behind it. Fortunately I'd saved while in shadow, so I had several options to deal with him, directly being the best.
Mission 12, Return to the Haunted Cathedral 1:28:22 video, 1:27:25 stats
Strangely, I guess I've played this mission so many times, it has become enjoyable rather than just scary as heck. There is a slight difference between the TDP and TDPG versions, but my overall routing remained the same. I concentrated on keeping minimal equipment use while wiping out undead, but wound up using a bit more than usual anyway. I always move that skull because it might get in the way, later. Had some trouble getting the rope arrow to stick such that I could mantle onto the beam properly. Took about 5 tries when it usually takes one or two; there's something different about that beam with the TDPG version. That hammer flew backwards, when it normally heads to the right near the altar. Used one extra flashbomb. I'm telling you -- Martello and Murus were putting on the ritz back by the well, when Murus came and went. Heart attack or stroke. That's why Murus needed the prayer, and that's why he hid his wallet and candle on the shed. Candle because he was sneaking out there at midnight and a torch would be too bright, wallet so it wasn't jingling. Martello felt so guilty afterwards, he climbed back into the closet (attic). The French guy down in the wine cellar was just getting hammered. Don't know why neither of the bodies have a head.
Forgot about the priest because he usually gets caught out with the others in the cathedral. The hammer eluded my search. The plan was to club that one zombie in the back and leave him safely in that little room in the corner. Well, Mr. Door Texture had caught me while I was leaning and it closed. So I didn't get enough run in, and that plan got scrubbed. I still think it's a sound plan, although my usual plan is what I end up doing with that zombie. First time I've ever actually had to deal with that priest when he's by the back door; he usually comes into the cathedral when I'm blasting zombies. Worked out pretty well, mainly because he refused to alert to the hammer. That door catapulted me out at exactly the right time, even though it scared the living heck out of me. That was a highly unusual series of events down in the basement. Fairly neat glitch with the skull. Just checking that the blast didn't wake the zombie.
Two reasons why I slip out the back without the Eye: one is to hear that little bit of dialogue from the Eye. The other is to clear the place out so Murus' dialogue is clear and there are no distractions. I seriously considered cutting out the wait periods but I felt that this is the one that really needs to be as detailed as possible to give complete strategy against all the undead. I try to pile up the zombies as much as possible, and those top two were about as perfect as it gets. The haunt is usually the first one through that area and that's normally where he gets dropped (right in front of the back door). I was going for the Eye, but remembered I needed the bell loot. Mantling up the broken staircase gave me a bit more trouble during this run, so I grabbed a couple boxes for it. Still winded up going around at least once. Down in the cloister, about 30 feet away; what the heck is 30 feet away that you can't tell me right here and now, you wanker?
I started to heave the bodies down but remembered that the undead will alert from them. Not real good luck in the courtyard with the patrols, but it's been worse. I endevoured to hold still as much as possible so the video codec got better compression and all the waiting didn't increase the file size as much. Zombie *still* didn't drop quite where I wanted him, but it was workable. So, I obviously hit that perfectly-worthless spot on the side of the haunt. Twice. Checked in the toilet just because -- I keep thinking there's a gem in one of those. A rather alarmed Brother Murus. What'cha doing in there, buddy? I've never been able to do that before, jump down and rip off all the loot like that without the zombie even noticing.
Never opened the confessional/prayer room without alerting the zombie, either. This entire run was just plain whacky. Can't believe that zombie detected me, nor that full on hammer hit just bounced off with absolutely no effect. There's at least one glitch in there. Fortunately I had two (hammers, not glitches). Still could have done it with just the one by backing off and following after he turned around. That stupid hammer, bouncing on the elevator. Very fortunate to have been taking out all these undead or the whole place would be awake. Checking inventory and deciding what to lead off with. Fire arrows are the usual for those two, but sometimes there's a third or fourth guy that makes it down there and I'd have used water arrows for the lot.
Thought there was something above the fireplace. Major malfunction upstairs with the flash bombs, as I had planned to a fire arrow and draw all the other guys into that room. Hello and then that first fire arrow missed. There should have been one single fire arrow expended on that, and either flash bombs or fire arrows on the other two. Very, very fortunate to catch both zombies upstairs with the same mine. Some major equipment waste in that section. Guess they (Looking Glass Studios) dropped the floor trap for TDPG. I was going to set it off and it looked like the panel hadn't been depressed. I knew there was a gem behind one of those machines or something. I should have made more use out of that vial in the graveyard. I did Murus' tasks one at a time to get all the dialogue. Had to go around the broken staircase because it just didn't want to cooperate.
Mission 13, Escape 52:37 video, 51:52 stats
Direct approach for the win, again. Supposed to be a fire arrow in one of those fires. Completely forgot about the gas arrow until I swung around. In TDP, that spider patrols quite a ways down the tunnel and you can pop him with a broadhead from the window. Still took one broadhead, just the same. It's possible to drop a rock down on that frogbeast (killing him) but I couldn't seem to make it happen. So, like, anyone that's played Shadowgate. When you get to the dragon, there's a pile of bones and armour and a pair of eyes staring out of the cave in front of you. Fairly reasonable to assume there is danger associated with that area, the cave in particular. Not these rat-men. They are FEARLESS! Without fear!
The cave is a pretty solid tactic so I just waited and baited instead of rushing. I meant to miss that rope arrow jump. In fact, I actually screwed up when I got it the second time. I was going to miss it again. That is the first time I've ever had a big spider jump, and only the second time I've seen spiders jump (Lost City was the first, those first three little ones jumped me one time). The few times I actually knew where I was going, I made sure to look around in empty corners so everything blended together, giving the appearance that I was just 'immersed' in the game rather than horribly lost all the time.
That was the closest call in the entire game, with the rat man in the hall. The problem was that I banked off the boxes, and very fortunate that I caught that guy before his alert script had fully triggered. Chucked him off just because I was still pissed. Waste of a mine. Didn't realize I had all those gas arrows, but I was still trying to get use out of the mine. Noisemakers are worthless. I would have run up there and taunted them across the mine, but the bugbeasts would have been shooting. I could have baited the bugbeast over by jumping on the tile, but it was faster to just gas him. Her. Gas her. Took a bunch of shots to pop that frog in the hallway. I think there was some kind of glitch I was running into on that arrow shot trajectory. The frogbeast sitting outside the front door is what was causing me concern. I wasn't sure if it was inside the main entrance or where, but he was just outside that that's why his voice seemed so loud. Didn't risk blowing the mine with a broadhead, since I'd alert the frog and might actually use the broadhead on him. It's not the fall, it's the sudden stop at the end that gets you.
Mission 14, Strange Bedfellows 53:55 video, 51:27 stats
During the first recording session, there was an infinite arrow that I could just keep taking, in the right barracks. I ended up getting webbed during it, all kind of baddies and a huge fight. Just an absolute cluster so I chucked it. Didn't get the infinite arrows the second time, which just goes to how bugged my save game or install was at that point. Certainly were a lot of books in this mission. Kind of nice they're all together because it made the arrangement a little easier.
Kind of strange that the sound effects die out in the garden. Even if I jumped down to the ground, the arrow shot and kill were silent. Lots and lots of arrows. More trouble than usual with the spiders. Still, not a bad go because the video shows an escape route in case the encounter goes badly. Where the heck did that fourth rat come from? It's always nice when the bugs help kill themselves. There should be several arrows stuck in the ground down there. And the bugbeast is blocking the doorway. Didn't quite intend for that to hit the insect swarm, but it got everything. Had the gas arrows, they're not good for anything else, and it would just have taken longer to lure the ratmen over with broadheads or outright kill them.
Mission 15, The Maw of Chaos 30:33 video, 27:00 stats
Got so wrapped up with the mission, forgot that parchment was in my inventory. Didn't mean to get caught by that bugbeast. Close call with that last bugbeast near the bubble platform. Couple extra fire elementals in the TDPG version. Being *very* careful not to accidentally eat a fruit when I pick them up. Didn't mean to catch all that damage, though. Thought there was some equipment or fruit in that first cave. Diagonal swimming isn't glamorous but it gets the job done. TDP starts you with 4 or 5 rope arrows, so TDPG's 2 arrows was a challenge. I normally use three or four to make the 'ladder', and lose two in the process.
Ironically, I made perfect shots on the first attempt (lost one arrow), but got caught by the web-spider at the entrance to the lair. It was salvageable but I was so pissed, I reloaded. Had one hell of a time getting the shots to take again. It's probably for the best because the video is a little more detailed for placement, making the route easier to replicate. I don't think I've ever actually used the direct approach into the tree base because I wasn't smart enough to figure out the little rainbow ladder thing. Boosted gamma to see the spider and lair more clearly. I usually wipe all those spiders out but decided to go with smaller file size by making a run for it. Upon placing the eye, I noticed the parchment and didn't want to make a break during the Trickster's rant. The rope arrow vantage seemed to catch the most scenery and details during the ritual.
Thief: The Dark Project | |
---|---|
Developer(s) | Looking Glass Studios |
Publisher(s) | Eidos Interactive |
Director(s) | Greg LoPiccolo |
Producer(s) | Josh Randall |
Designer(s) | Tim Stellmach |
Programmer(s) | Tom Leonard |
Artist(s) | Mark Lizotte |
Writer(s) | |
Composer(s) | Eric Brosius |
Series | Thief |
Engine | Dark Engine |
Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows |
Release |
|
Genre(s) | Stealth |
Mode(s) | Single-player |
Thief: The Dark Project is a 1998 first-person stealthvideo game developed by Looking Glass Studios and published by Eidos Interactive. Set in a medieval steampunk metropolis called the City, players take on the role of Garrett, a master thief trained by a secret society who, while carrying out a series of robberies, becomes embroiled in a complex plot that ultimately sees him attempting to prevent a great power from unleashing chaos on the world.
Thief was the first PC stealth game to use light and sound as game mechanics, and combined complex artificial intelligence with simulation systems to allow for emergent gameplay. The game is notable for its use of first-person perspective for non-confrontational gameplay, which challenged the first-person shooter market and led the developers to call it a 'first-person sneaker', while it also had influences in later stealth games such as Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell and Hitman.
The game received critical acclaim and has been placed on numerous hall-of-fame lists, achieving sales of half a million units by 2000, making it Looking Glass' most commercially successful game. It is regarded as one of the greatest video games of all time and helped popularize the stealth genre. Thief was followed by an expanded edition entitled Thief Gold (1999) which modified certain missions and included a few brand new levels, two sequels - Thief II: The Metal Age (2000), and Thief: Deadly Shadows (2004) - and a reboot of the series - Thief (2014). Thief was one of two games in the series that Looking Glass worked on before it was forced to close.
- 2Plot
- 3Development
- 4Reception
Gameplay[edit]
The game's emphasis on stealth means that players must plan their moves carefully and use their environment to get around hostile enemies, or in some cases take them out using their equipment, such as the blackjack
Thief takes place from a first-person perspective in a 3D environment, with the game's story taking place over a series of missions, in which the player character is able to perform various actions such as leaning, crouching, swimming, climbing, running and fighting, amongst other abilities.[2]Levels are largely unscripted[3] and maze-like, and allow for emergent gameplay; while non-player characters (NPCs) may either remain stationary or walk about on a patrol route, players have the freedom to choose how to get around them and the obstacles in a level's environments in order to complete specific tasks, such as getting through a locked door.[4] In each level, the player is given a set of objectives to complete, such as stealing a specific object, which they must complete in order to progress to the next level; the player can choose to play on one of three difficulty settings before starting a level, which they can change between missions, with higher difficulties adding additional objectives such as not killing human NPCs or stealing a certain amount of loot from the amount available in a level, changing the amount of health the player character has, and changing how sensitive a NPC is to their environment.[3] In some missions, players may find objectives being changed or new ones being added, due to certain circumstances they encounter, while failing a key objective or dying, will fail a level, forcing a player to either replay it or load up a previous save.
As the game's emphasis is on stealth, players are encouraged to focus on concealment, evasion, distraction, misdirection, and subtle takedowns, rather than on outright confrontation; the player's character can engage in sword-based combat when the need arises, and can perform three different attacks as well as parrying, but has limited proficiency and damage resistance in such circumstances.[2][2][5] To do so, players must remain aware of their surroundings. To assist them in remaining hidden, a special meter on the heads-up display (HUD), in the form of a gem, helps to indicates the player's visibility to NPCs; the brighter it is, the more easily they can be visually detected, thus sticking to dark, shady spots where the gem dims, ensures the player is hidden, though NPCs can still find them if they get to close in front of them.[2] To remain quiet, players must be careful of how much noise they produce, as well as what surfaces they are moving over; walking on soft surfaces like carpets and grass, is preferable as footsteps remain quiet, compared to walking over metal floors and ceramic tiles, which produce a lot of noise.[2][6] NPCs also produce noise, either from whistling, or walking about for example, which can help players determine how far they are to their own position. Noise can be used by the player to mislead/distract NPCs, such as throwing an object to lure them elsewhere.
The game's NPCs feature artificial intelligence (AI) systems that detect unscripted visual and aural cues.[7] If an NPC sees or hears something out of place, it will react to this, depending on the level of its suspicions; if for a brief second, they will simply ignore it, but if for long enough, they will become alert to their surroundings and begin searching the area.[7] NPCs will react to things such as clashing swords or the reaction in other NPCs' voices,[3] as well as to visual changes to their environment, such as blood stains, opened doors and fallen bodies; players can avoid leaving visual clues by cleaning them up, such as hiding bodies.[2][7] NPCs are divided between three categories - 'guards', 'servants', and 'non-human' - whose reactions vary; guards will call out an alert if they spot the player and attack them; servants will run for help if they spot the player or a body; non-human NPCs will merely pursue and attack the player.[8] If a guard is significantly injured, he will try to escape and find help; some non-human NPCs will merely flee.[5] Non-human characters range from giant spiders, feral creatures, to zombies and ghosts, with certain levels containing survival horror elements.[9][10]
To assist them on each level, the player character carries with them a few pieces of equipment - a blackjack, which can incapacitate humanoid NPCs; a sword, which can kill NPCs; and a bow, which can be used for ranged combat as well as a tool. Players can use a variety of arrows with their bow, each varying in properties; for example, 'water arrows' can be used to douse torches and any other source of fire as well as clean up blood stains, 'rope arrows' can attach a climbable rope to wooden surfaces, 'moss arrows' can cover an area with moss that muffles footsteps and 'fire arrows' can relight torches and do considerable damage to NPCs.[2] Other tools are also available, including lockpicks, 'flashbombs' (which can stun NPCs for a brief few moments), and potions. The player can cycle through the inventories for weapons/arrows and tools through the HUD. In addition, players can purchase additional arrows and tools between levels with the loot they have acquired (both loot and remaining items do not roll over between missions), and find additional items during a level. Players can also find books and scrolls that can contain information on in-game lore or useful clues to get around an obstacle in a level, as well as food that can be eaten, and keys that can unlock doors and chests/crates.[2][11]
Plot[edit]
Setting[edit]
Thief takes place in a metropolis called 'the City',[5] which has been noted to contain elements of the Middle Ages-like dark fantasy and the Industrial Revolution.[5][12] Project director Greg LoPiccolo said in an early preview: 'In essence [.. it's] this undefined medieval age, sort of medieval [Europe] meets Brazil meets City of Lost Children. There's some electricity, some magic, and some 19th century machinery kind of stuff.'[13] The setting has been described as steampunk, a fantastical setting where steam engine technology is prominently used.[14] During levels, the player may learn about the setting by finding notes and overhearing conversations;[6][15] it has been noted that the player participates in the revelation of Thief's setting.[6]
The City contains three factions: the Keepers, and two opposing religious orders known as the Pagans and the Order of the Hammer, or 'Hammerites'. The latter two have been cited as representations of chaos and order, respectively; the neutral, secretive Keepers strive to maintain balance within the City.[6][15] The Hammerites worship a deity called 'The Builder', and believe in progress, craftsmanship and righteousness; the Pagans, who have been described as 'primitive, almost animalistic', worship the dangerous 'Trickster' god and value the natural world.[6][15] It has been assessed that the design of each group's architecture reflects their beliefs.[15]
Story[edit]
The game's prologue sees Garrett, the protagonist, describing his youth as a homeless orphan on the City's streets. He is caught while attempting to pickpocket a suspicious man who reveals himself to be a Keeper.[16] Impressed by Garrett's ability to see him, he offers him the chance to join his order.[17] Garrett accepts,[18] but later leaves the order to pursue a life of thievery.[19] Years later, Garrett works as a thief, and is under pressure to join a crime ring.[20] As punishment for his failure to pay a protection fee, he is targeted for assassination by the crime lord Ramirez.[21] Garrett evades the assassins, and robs Ramirez's mansion in retaliation.[22] Following this, he is approached by a woman named Viktoria—the representative of an anonymous client who was impressed by Garrett's theft from Ramirez. He is contracted to steal a sword from Constantine, an eccentric nobleman who recently arrived in the City.[23] After Garrett completes the mission, Viktoria takes him to Constantine,[24] who explains that he hired Garrett to steal his own sword as a test. Constantine offers him a fortune to steal The Eye—a gem kept within a sealed and deserted Hammerite cathedral.[25]
To reach the cathedral, Garrett ventures through Old Quarter, a haunted, abandoned district of the City.[26] Through an opening in the cathedral, The Eye informs Garrett of a nearby Keeper sanctuary, where he may learn how to unseal the cathedral.[27] There, Garrett discovers that the cathedral was sealed to prevent the City's destruction by the Trickster. He learns that there are four talismans needed to remove the seal:[28] two hidden in ancient ruins beneath the City, and two inside a Hammerite temple (in Thief Gold, one talisman is in possession of the mages and another was found at an opera house after it was taken from the caves below, while the other two are in the Lost City and the Hammerite Temple as in the original game).[29][30] Garrett recovers the talismans and returns to the cathedral.[31] After unsealing the cathedral,[32] he learns that its inhabitants had been killed and made undead by The Eye.[33] He returns The Eye to Constantine, who reveals himself to be the Trickster.[34] Viktoria says that The Eye requires a flesh eye to function; she binds Garrett with vines and removes his right eye.[35] The Trickster places it on the gemstone, and the two disappear through a portal.[36] Garrett, left for dead, is found and freed by two Keepers.[37] During his escape from the Trickster's mansion, he learns that the Trickster plans to use The Eye to revert the world to a wild state.[38][39]
After Garrett escapes the mansion,[40] he seeks help from the Order of the Hammer.[41] However, he finds that the Trickster has attacked the Hammerite temple.[42] In a refuge beneath the temple, he finds Hammerite survivors who provide him with a booby-trapped replica of The Eye.[43] Garrett descends into the Trickster's domain, where he finds the Trickster performing a ritual with The Eye to complete his plan. Garrett stealthily substitutes The Eye with its copy, which kills the Trickster.[36] Later, Garrett has acquired a mechanical replacement for his lost eye. On the streets of the City, a Keeper approaches Garrett and claims that he will soon require the Keepers' help.[44] Garrett dismisses him,[45] and as he walks away, the Keeper warns of the encroaching 'metal age'.[46]
Development[edit]
Origins[edit]
Thief began development in April 1996.[47] For the game's original designer and writer Ken Levine, credited by The Telegraph as 'a key figure in the creation' of Thief,[48] inspirations came from two of his favourite games, Castle Wolfenstein and Diablo.[49] The initial concept was to make an action role-playing game and Levine was given the job of designing the game's world and story. Levine said the initial ideas and projects that have later morphed into Dark Camelot, before eventually evolving into The Dark Project, included School of Wizards, Dark Elves Must Die and Better Red Than Undead, the latter of which was 'a campy story' about communist zombies. The game was supposed to be a first-person sword fighting simulator, but 'the marketing [department] killed the idea,' to his disappointment.[50] According to programmer Marc LeBlanc, 'The first proposal was Better Red Than Undead, a '50s Cold War game where the Soviet Union is overrun with zombies and you have to go hack them to pieces as the loner from the CIA because bullets don't work on the undead.'[51]Doug Church said the game's design was built around the idea 'of having factions who you could ally with or oppose yourself with or do things for or not.'[52]
Dark Camelot[edit]
The next concept, Dark Camelot, still focused on sword combat. Its plot—an inversion of Arthurian legend—featured Mordred as a misunderstood hero, King Arthur as a tyrannical villain and Merlin as a psychopath.[53][54] According to Church, the game featured Morgan le Fay as Mordred's 'sort of good' advisor and Guinevere as a lesbian who would betray Lancelot and help Mordred to break into Camelot and steal the Holy Grail.[52] The game's design combined a first-person perspective with action, role-playing and adventure elements.[3]Warren Spector, who had recently left Origin Systems to found Looking Glass Studios Austin, became Dark Camelot's producer after his predecessor departed.[55][56] Artist Dan Thron said: 'For a good long time, we had no idea what the game was about, until somebody stumbled upon the whole thief game play where you're not just running out trying to chop people up.'[51] Church recalled that 'the basic stealth model was [..] having the guard looking the other way and you going past pretty quickly. So Paul [Nerath] had been pushing for a while that the thief side of it was the really interesting part and why not you just do a thief game.'[52] A previously unreleased trailer for Dark Camelot and its Stargate Engine was uploaded to YouTube in 2013.[54]
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Production[edit]
In early 1997, Dark Camelot's name was tentatively changed to The Dark Project and its design altered to focus on thievery and stealth. Nevertheless, some levels originally designed for Dark Camelot ended up in the final product.[3] In March, project director Greg LoPiccolo described the game's design: 'Essentially we're building a type of simulator [..] where object interactions are correct and physics are tied in correctly.' Then-lead designer Jeff Yaus reiterated: 'The goal is for everything to behave as it should. For example, things that burn will burn, and then it's up to the player to decide to burn things, whether or not we've anticipated it.'[13] The first draft of stealth design was presented by Levine and Dorian Hart on April 4.[57] Levine said inspiration for the idea of being powerful when undetected but very vulnerable when exposed came from the concept of submarine warfare and in particular from the 1985 simulation video gameSilent Service.[50]Multiplayer support was planned, including the 'theftmatch' mode (a pun on deathmatch) 'where small teams of thieves compete under time pressure to steal the greatest value of swag from the territory of wealthy NPC's and their guard'.[58] Full-scale development on The Dark Project began in May 1997, with a frantic work on a demo level and trailer for E3 1997. Originally announced to come out in Summer 1997, the game was delayed to Winter 1997-98.[57]
However, Looking Glass Studios experienced serious financial trouble as development progressed into mid-1997. The company's Austin branch closed, costing Spector and several game engine programmers; this team relocated to Ion Storm, and released Deus Ex in 2000.[3] Spector later called his impact on Thief, 'at best, minimal'.[56] Levine too had left The Dark Project project before the Keepers factions was added to the game.[50] By April 18,[57] Looking Glass Studios laid off half of its entire staff in six months, which damaged morale of The Dark Project team, which at this point was vastly different from the one with which the development began. 'Few emotions can compare to the stress of heading to work not knowing who might be laid off, including yourself, or whether the doors would be locked when you got there,' lead programmer Tom Leonard later said. This stress caused several team members to voluntarily quit, including the lead programmer (Briscoe Rogers[57]) who had designed the game's AI system, which suffered from software bugs and problems with complexity.[3]
When Leonard took over the position of lead programmer, he believed that the AI system was fixable; over several months, he learned that the pathfinding database—code that helps AI navigate a map—was unsalvageable. He completed the design—but not implementation—of a new system by November 1997, using an estimated one-fifth of the original code. Several features were removed during development, among them multiplayer support, a complex inventory interface, and branching mission structures. Leonard said they 'focused in on creating a single-player, linear, mission-based game centered exclusively around stealth.' He believed that the removal of multiplayer support and the game's renaming—from The Dark Project to Thief: The Dark Project—solidified this in the minds of the team.[3] The game was renamed on April 3, 1998, the new title being much more descriptive and inspired by that of the role-playing gameVampire: The Masquerade. Several features have been brainstormed and rejected, including 'Spider-Man-esque' ability to climb on walls and ceilings and the shrinking and invisibility potions.[57] By summer 1998, the team was challenged by exhaustion and the game's numerous simulation and AI glitches. These problems resulted in what Leonard later described as 'a game [that] could not be called fun.' Implementation of Leonard's new AI system was halted so the team could quickly assemble proof-of-concept demos; publisher Eidos Interactive had grown skeptical over the team's vision. Work on the AI did not resume until March 1998, and after 12 more weeks of constant work, it was ready for what Leonard called, 'real testing'.[3]
Three months before the game's scheduled ship date, most problems had been resolved. The team began to believe, as Leonard described, that Thief 'did not stink, [and] might actually be fun.' Further, the release of games like Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines, Half-Life and Metal Gear Solid eased worries that experimental gameplay styles were unmarketable. According to Leonard, 'A new energy revitalized the team. Long hours driven by passion and measured confidence marked the closing months of the project.' The game went gold in November 1998, following an estimated 2.5 year development cycle and a $3 million budget.[3]
Design[edit]
The design of Thief focused on stealth and evasion from a first-person perspective. Leonard said this idea challenged the standard first-person shooter concept: 'It is a game style that many observers were concerned might not appeal to players [..] and even those intimately involved with the game had doubts at times.'[3] In response to the sentiment that their previous games '[required] a fair amount of investment from the player to get maximal enjoyment', the team specifically designed Thief to allow players to 'pick [it] up and start playing'.[59] While the team's goal was to 'push the envelope' with the game's design,[3][12] Church said that it shared its core design with previous Looking Glass Studios games. He explained: '[We try to] provide a range of player capability in [a] world [where] the player can choose their own goals, and their own approaches to an obstacle[.. so that] when they reach the goal it is far more satisfying', and that 'flexible simulation of game elements is a powerful way to enable the player to make their own way in the world'.[59]
Thief was designed to be largely unscripted; events, instead of being pre-defined by designers, occur naturally. The intent was to further increase the amount of 'player interaction and improvisation' over their previous games.[3] According to Leonard, Thief's central gameplay mechanic was the player's relationship with NPCs, who are the primary obstacle in the game.[3] The game's goal of emergent events required a sophisticated AI system. Leonard later demonstrated that first-person shooters, like Half-Life, often utilize 'look and listen' AI systems, wherein NPCs become aggressive when the player is seen or heard. He explained that the Thief system defined a broader range of 'internal states' a NPC could feel, such as suspicion. For example, a NPC who heard a suspicious noise would investigate rather than become immediately hostile.[7]
Designer Randy Smith said: 'In Thief the safe boundary is often between light and shadow [.. but] these boundaries are [..] not stable or secure[.. .] The player will eventually have to emerge from the safe zone [..] and embrace risk until another safe boundary can be found'. He explained that players felt unsafe even when hidden, but learned to judge their level of safety as they improved.[9] Certain levels included horror elements,[10] and one such mission, Return to the Cathedral, intentionally removes players' ability to judge their vulnerability.[9] Believing that 'nothing augments the fear associated with boundaries like forcing the player to violate them of their own free will', Smith said of the mission: 'Eventually [you force] yourself to do practically every scary thing you noticed the potential to do in the whole level'. Kieron Gillen of PC Gamer UK believed that the level creates 'a cycle of relaxation and abhorrence [.. that results] in a devastating pummelling of the nerve endings.'[9]
The game's missions were designed to suit the story, rather than the story to fit the missions.[53] Taking inspiration from GoldenEye 007, the team added a difficulty system that changes mission objectives; Leonard said 'it allowed the designers to create a very different experience at each level of difficulty, without changing the overall geometry and structure of a mission. This gave the game a high degree of replayability at a minimum development cost'.[3] The team extended the concept by decreasing the player's ability to kill human characters on higher difficulty settings. Writer and voice actress Terri Brosius said: 'We took pains to make sure all the missions could be won without killing any humans'.[60]
Project director Greg LoPiccolo wanted Thief's audio to both enrich the environment and enhance gameplay, and the game's design necessitated an advanced sound system. The designers created a 'room database' for every mission; these provided a realistic representation of sound wave propagation.[3] Audio designer Eric Brosius and the development team gave sound multiple roles. It was used to give the player aural clues about the NPCs' locations and internal states; to enhance this, vocals were recorded for NPCs. Conversely, sounds generated by objects gave clues to NPCs about the player's location, and NPCs used sound to communicate; a guard's call for help signals other guards within earshot.[3] Sound was also used to divulge narrative information, so that stealthy players could eavesdrop on NPC conversations and learn more about the game's backstory.[4]
Technology[edit]
Thief was developed with the Dark Engine, a proprietary game engine. It was written during the game's development, rather than as a separately budgeted project, which led to time constraint issues.[3] An emphasis was placed on simulating real life physics; arrows would arc through the air rather than fly straight.[61] The engine features alpha blending, texture filtering and lighting techniques. Motion capture technology was integrated to allow for realistic character animation.[62] The engine's renderer—which draws the graphics—was largely written by Looking Glass Studios programmer Sean Barrett in fall 1995. While the renderer was expected to be finished before the game's release date, Barrett left the company in 1996. He later performed contract work for the company, and assisted in writing features like hardware support. However, the renderer was never fully addressed, and was less advanced than others of the time.[3]
The Dark Engine was designed to be reusable, and to give programmers the ability to easily integrate their work. LeBlanc wrote the 'Dark Object System', which became the center of this concept. According to Leonard, the object system was a 'general database for managing the individual objects in a simulation'.[3] Designers were able to alter the game's behavior by manipulating objects—the content that composes the game—without writing additional code. The system also managed source data, the game's tangible content such as textures, maps, models and sounds.[3] An unfinished build of the Dark Engine was used to develop System Shock 2, a collaboration between Looking Glass and Irrational Games. The object system worked so well that Thief and System Shock 2 used the same executable for most of their development.[3]
Release[edit]
Thief was released by Eidos Interactive on December 1, 1998.[1] An expanded edition of the game, Thief Gold, was released by Looking Glass and Eidos on October 29, 1999. It features three new missions, and improvements to the original 12.[63][64] Its disc also contains a level editor and a 'making ofThief II: The Metal Age' video, among other extras.[63]
Reception[edit]
Sales[edit]
In the United States, Thief: The Dark Project sold 88,101 units during 1999.[65] Its global sales reached 500,000 copies by May 2000, making it Looking Glass Studios' most commercially successful game, according to the Boston Globe.[66]
Critical reviews[edit]
Reception | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Thief: The Dark Project received critical acclaim from sources including The Washington Post,[77]PC Gamer,[74] and Salon.com.[78] Lance A. Larka of Computer Gaming World wrote: 'If you're tired of Doom clones and hungry for challenge, give this fresh perspective game a try. I was pleasantly surprised.'[70] Emil Pagliarulo of The Adrenaline Vault wrote: 'I will tell you, without reservation, [..] that this has become my favorite game of all time.'[79] Paul Presley of PC Zone called it 'a bloody good game'.[75]
Kieron Gillen of PC Gamer UK wrote: 'The freedom Thief offers you is at first terrifying, then absolutely intoxicating.'[73] Aaron Curtiss of Los Angeles Times noted that the game 'demands thought'.[80] T. Liam McDonald of PC Gamer US called Thief, 'a challenging, riveting game that defies easy categorization', and praised the game for its focus on the player's cunning.[74] Jason Cross of Computer Games Strategy Plus noted that 'It's quite amazing how much fun it can be to avoid action'.[11] Chan Chun of New Straits Times described the game as being 'incredibly immersive and suspenseful,' and 'a highly-recommended game for those yearning to be a night rogue.'[81] Peter Olafson of GamePro praised the game's AI, and said that the game 'gets better .. the more time you spend with it'.[5]
In a retrospective review, AllGame editor Peter Suciu praised the game, touting that '(the game's) first rate storyline as well as visual and audio effects make Thief quite an immersive gaming experience'.[69]
The game's sound was widely praised.[75][76][78][81] Presley wrote: 'The sound adds a whole new level of realism to the game and boosts that whole 'total immersion' thing to previously unattained levels.'[75] Larka noted that 'the audio is simply amazing. With directional noises and haunting 'background' effects you are plunged into Garrett's shadowy world and left with a pounding heart and twitchy nerves.'[70] Wagner James Au of Salon.com noted that the game's level of suspense was 'exquisite' and that its use of detailed aural cues as a gameplay device bordered on virtual reality.[78]
Thief's graphics received a mixed reaction, with several negative comparisons to Half-Life and Unreal.[75][76][78] However, Andrew Sanchez of Maximum PC praised the game's graphics and noted that the Dark Engine went 'feature-for-feature with the LithTech, Quake, and Unreal engines'.[62] He also praised the game's AI, sound and plot. Larka disliked the game's extremely dark areas, which required him to 'max out the gamma correction and set [his] monitor to its brightest setting just to see the barest details' but called the graphics 'seamless'.[70] Some reviews complained about collision detection issues.[5][62]
The game's use of supernatural and cave-exploring elements received criticism,[11][75][78] and several reviewers opined that more realistic, mansion-robbing missions should have been used instead. Presley believed that the game's undead enemies caused the game to 'degenerate into the standard hack 'n' slash, sub-Conan sort of thing that Heretic, Hexen and a million others gave us,' and that 'it amounts to [..] an erosion of the storytelling skills that Looking Glass once had.'[75] Gillen decried certain levels for 'infring[ing] on Tomb Raider territory, and then [not] quite pull[ing] it off'.[73] Larka found certain levels too difficult.[70]Next Generation noted that while 'sneaking can get repetitive', Thief is 'still a fun game to play' and 'a worthy addition to the genre.'[76]
Legacy[edit]
Thief was the first 3D stealth game for a personal computer, and its stealth gameplay innovations influenced later games in the genre.[82] The game has been cited as the first to use light and shadow as a stealth mechanic,[12] and the first to use audio cues, such as the ability to eavesdrop on conversations and alert guards with loud footsteps.[82] The game's use of sound wave propagation, which allowed sounds to travel around corners and through rooms, became widely considered by game developers. Thief's influence has been recognized in other stealth games, such as Assassin's Creed, Hitman, Splinter Cell, and Tenchu.[83]Marc Laidlaw, writer and designer on Half-Life, said that 'Thief is the single most terrifying, immersive, and rewarding game I have played and the one single-player game I continue to replay. [..] There are countless books I wish I had written; Thief is one of the few games I wish I had worked on.'[12] Laidlaw called Thief his favorite game,[84] an opinion shared by Fallout 3 lead designer Emil Pagliarulo,[85] and Michel Sabbagh of Bethesda Softworks.[86]
Thief: The Dark Project has been declared one of the greatest games of all time by several publications. Inducting it into its hall of fame, GameSpy writer Rich Carlson wrote: 'With a tactical philosophy contrary to nearly every [first-person shooter] action game at that time, Thief rewarded stealth and sneaking over brazen frontal assault,' continuing: 'While inadvertently undermining the notion that all action games need be shooters, it carved a completely new niche in the same already glutted genre.'[12]GameSpot editor Greg Kasavin argued that, while Metal Gear Solid, Tenchu: Stealth Assassins and Thief all defined the stealth action genre, it was Thief that displayed 'the purest depiction of what it might be like to slip from shadow to shadow' and 'largely remains an unsurpassed achievement in gaming.'[87] In 2009, Thief was added to IGN's hall of fame.[88] Sid Shuman, writing for GamePro, asserted that Thief 'pioneered its own genre .. the stealth-action title.'[83] John Walker of Eurogamer wrote in a retrospective review: 'Thief is an embarrassment to modern stealth games, each of which produces only a faded parody of this masterful original.'[89] In 2012, Mike Fahey of Kotaku called Thief 'the best stealth game I've ever played', superior to modern games in the genre.[90] That same year, Time named it one of the 100 greatest video games of all time.[91]
Thief: The Dark Project was followed by two sequels, and a fourth game rebooting the series has also been released. Looking Glass Studios developed Thief II: The Metal Age, which received positive reviews when released in March 2000. Thief: Deadly Shadows, released for both Windows and the Xbox, was developed by Ion Storm due to the 2000 closure of Looking Glass Studios. After a troubled development cycle, the game's May 2004 release met with positive reviews. In May 2009, a fourth game, simply titled Thief was revealed to be in development by Eidos Montréal for Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.[92] It received mixed reviews upon release. After Looking Glass Studios closed its doors, Thief has been supported by community modifications (mods). Standalone fan made remake The Dark Mod aims to recreate the 'essence' of Thief in a modern game engine.[93] Originally released in 2009 as a mod for Doom 3, in October 2013 it was released as an open-source standalone game.[94] In December 2013, fan madehigh definitiontexture mod Thief Gold HD was released.[95]
References[edit]
- ^ abDunkin, Alan (December 1, 1998). 'Thief on the Loose'. GameSpot. Archived from the original on June 5, 2000. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
- ^ abcdefghHart, Dorian (1998). Thief: The Dark Project Manual. Eidos Interactive.
- ^ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvLeonard, Tom (July 9, 1999). 'Postmortem: Thief: The Dark Project'. Game Developer. Gamasutra: 1–4. ISSN1073-922X. OCLC29558874. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
- ^ abWesolowski, Jacek (May 21, 2009). 'Beyond Pacing: Games Aren't Hollywood'. Gamasutra. Retrieved July 28, 2009.
- ^ abcdefgOlafson, Peter (January 1, 2000). 'Thief'. GamePro. Archived from the original on 2010-02-18. Retrieved July 24, 2009.
- ^ abcdeWalker, John (May 17, 2009). 'Retrospective: Thief The Dark Project'. Retrieved July 24, 2009.
- ^ abcdLeonard, Tom (March 7, 2003b). 'Building an AI Sensory System: Examining the Design of Thief: The Dark Project'. Gamasutra. Retrieved July 28, 2009.
- ^Suciu, Peter. 'Thief: The Dark Project review'. Allgame. Retrieved August 12, 2009.
- ^ abcdGillen, Kieron (December 2000). 'All the Fun of the Fear'. PC Gamer UK (88).
- ^ abTodd, Brett. 'Ghouls, Ghosts, and Long-Legged Beasts: A Modern History of Horror Games Part II'. GameSpot. Archived from the original on November 9, 2004. Retrieved August 13, 2009.
- ^ abcdCross, Jason (December 10, 1998). 'Thief: The Dark Project: The quietly brilliant 3D action game'. Computer Games Magazine. Archived from the original on August 27, 2002. Retrieved August 5, 2009.
- ^ abcdeCarlson, Rich (2001-08-01). 'Hall of Fame: Thief: The Dark Project'. GameSpy. Retrieved 2009-08-19.
- ^ ab'The Dark Project'. Next Generation (27): 54–55. March 1997.
- ^Thompson, Michael (May 28, 2008). 'The memories of our future: Steampunk in gaming'. Ars Technica. Retrieved July 30, 2009.
- ^ abcdHindmarch, Will (June 9, 2009). 'Robbing Gods'. The Escapist. Retrieved July 30, 2009.
- ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive.
Garrett: I was a kid. No parents, no home. Running messages and picking pockets to keep my ribs from meeting my spine. One night I saw a man. Folks just passed him by like he wasn't there. I thought he must have something valuable, so I snuck up on him and made a grab.
- ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive.
Keeper: That's not for you. / Garrett: Please, sir, I'm hungry. Don't tell the Hammers, I promise-- [..] Keeper: You have talent, lad. To see a Keeper is not an easy thing. Especially one who does not wish to be seen. We have a need for those as gifted as yourself. If you've grown tired of how you live, then follow me, and we will show you a different way.
- ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive.
Garrett: I caught up with him just before he vanished into the crowd. It was the beginning of a very long education.
- ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive.
Garrett: The Keepers were training me to be one of them, but I found.. others uses for those skills.
- ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive.
Garrett: Farkus is one of the few merchants willing to risk selling to an independent like me, and his prices are steep. But the other choice is to let one of the so-called 'City Wardens' give me orders.. and take a cut of my profits. They'd been after me for years to join one of their stables, but I'm not interested. Maybe they'll get the idea and give up. More likely they'll just ramp up the threats.
- ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive.
Ramirez's 'to do' list: Garrett – South Quarter 'independent' thief. Denied cut three times. Sent Quince and Jacow out to shorten him.
- ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive.
Assassins Objectives: Evidently these assassins think they have killed you. As long as they continue to think that, they should lead you right back to whoever sent them. / [..] Time to show Ramirez who the real criminal mastermind is. Break into his mansion and take what he values most – his wealth. The purse from his belt should make the point.
- ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive.
Garrett: I was contacted by a woman named Viktoria. She claims to represent a client who was impressed by the way I took care of Ramirez, and now wants me to steal something for him. The target is a magical sword, owned by a nobleman and collector named Constantine. Little is known about Constantine except that he is an eccentric new face in this city, and mostly keeps to himself.
- ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive.
Viktoria: Garrett? It's Viktoria. I trust you made it back alive? You've done well, Garrett. Come with me, and bring the sword. There is someone you have to meet. It's time for the payment you've been promised.
- ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive.
Constantine: Would it surprise you to know that it was I who hired you to steal my own sword? Yes. You see, Viktoria and I are.. / Viktoria: Old associates. / Constantine: Yes. You were being tested, do you understand? And I must say, you more than live up to your reputation. You are quite an extraordinary thief. / [..] Garrett: What exactly is this 'item'? / Constantine: It is a gemstone called The Eye. For its unusual.. / Viktoria: Appearance. / Constantine: Yes. Kept hidden in the sealed cathedral, deep inside the halls of the scum Hammerites. [..] I am prepared to offer you quite a sum: a hundred thousand, upon receipt of The Eye.
- ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive.
The eye that Constantine wants is in the abandoned cathedral of the Hammerites. The cathedral is located in the section of the city that was deserted years ago, after some kind of catastrophe. [..] I'll make my way through the ruins to the Hammerite cathedral, and find a way inside.
- ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive.
The Eye: Comes a man to rescue me. Poor man. The Keepers have sealed the doors and only they know how to open them. Cross you the bridge to the grotto of the Keepers' Sentinel. Stand you on the pedestal, and illuminate the statue with fire. Then you can discover the secret of the Talismans.
- ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive.
Letter to Keeper Andrus: However, we believe that we were compelled to act. Were the Trickster not opposed, he could bring destruction upon the entire city, and upon us as well. / [..] Letter to Keeper Lukas: We are relieved to hear that you have successfully contained the destruction. It was for just such a contingency that the Elemental Wards have been saved these many years, and we support your decision to use them now, as the peril that you have described is grave indeed. We urge you to hide the Talismans with great care, as their discovery could lead to another such catastrophe.
- ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive.
Garrett: The Keepers have hidden the talismans of Fire and Water in a place they call 'the lost city'. Some kind of cataclysm buried the place underground ages ago.
- ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive.
Garrett: Getting the talismans of Earth and Air will be an interesting challenge, but I'll need them if I want to get The Eye for Constantine. They're well-hidden inside the City's Hammer Temple, so I'll have to do some scouting around.
- ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive.
Garrett: With the talismans, I'll be able to break the wards on the cathedral. It's time for me to retrieve The Eye and bring it to Constantine.
- ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive.
Garrett: With the talismans, I'll be able to break the wards on the Cathedral. It's time for me to retrieve The Eye and bring it to Constantine.
- ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive.
Though these be perhaps the final moments of our beloved cathedral and mine mortal life, I shall faithfully chronicle to the end. A great evil magic hath befallen us, and we battle with demon-kind on all sides. Our own fallen brethren rise from death and turn on us, cold light aflame in their eyes. Our mighty doors availed us naught, for the assault was from within. Soon I shall be found and slain, like the others. May The Builder save our souls.
- ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive.
Garrett: It's a rock. It's what you asked for. Am I gonna get paid or not? / [..] Trickster: Did you think those ancient phrases were mere words, manfool? Look at me! I am the Woodsie Lord—the Trickster of legend!
- ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive.
Viktoria: Bow to the Woodsie Lord, and offer up your flesh eye so that his eye of stone may see, manfool.
- ^ abLooking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive.
- ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive.
Keeper: Since you left us, you've been a stone rolling downhill. Now you must aim this remarkable momentum. It is past time for the balance to shift. / Keeper: They come. / Garrett: Wha-? Wait! [..] Keepers. Looks like I'd better get moving, or whatever those things are will waste a perfectly good rescue.
- ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive.
Trickster's Note: The world as I once knew it was a place of magic—full of mystery and inhabited by creatures of glamour and terror. The men who lived there lit their bonfires and wondered at what crept and lurked in the darkness outside their weak circles of light. All their dreams, their aspirations and dreads, come from that darkness. Now, as the forces of 'progress' cover the meadows in brick and cobblestone, as they replace the majestic loft of tree with the blocky ponderousness of building, they also light the world in their electric, actinic glare. With the lighting of the shadows, man loses his ability to fear, and to dream. [..] I have conceived of a plan to revive the darkness, to bring a resurrection of the ability to fear and dream. And, once my dark project is realized, they shall know again to fear and love their Lord.
- ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive.
Trickster's Note: Draws the scribed Star, marks the Compasses. The Eye, shows the marksey lines of power. Marks the Compass Borning, the Compass Leaf, the Stormsie Compass, the Flamesie Compass, the Compass Tidestream, the Compass Stone, the Compass Darkness. Weights each Starsie point with Elements of the Compass, with pure truest. Weights the Center with the Eye, fed mansblood, sees the Compasses and the bloodtrail to the trueworld. Each Compass walks the Elements forth, paints to the Eye colors of heartsmaw Chaos, for follow the Eye back to the mansie world. Binds the Eyevisions, gathers the sights the glories, open fulls the Eye to see forth the world, bloodcalled, compasspainted, chaosfed, paintings on the world the image is showed.
- ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive.
Escape! Objective: Get out of Constantine's mansion alive.
- ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive.
Garrett: Those crazy Hammers. You know, it wouldn't hurt to have a few dozen heavily-armed fanatics on my side just about now. If I drop by their temple and explain things, maybe they'll be so distracted by the Trickster's return that they'll forget to hold a grudge.
- ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive.
Garrett: What happened here? And where are all the Hammerites? [..] Damn! Looks like Constantine got here before me.
- ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive.
Garrett: The Hammers have built me a booby-trapped, counterfeit Eye. If I can swap it for the real thing, it should cause him some trouble. If he doesn't notice me.
- ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive.
Garrett: What do you want from me? You come to congratulate me? Welcome me back to the fold? / Keeper: Very well. I will speak my piece plainly. You have accomplished that which was written, and yes, you've done it well. But there is no place for you with us any longer. Yet you will have a great need of us, and soon.
- ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive.
Garrett: Tell my friends that I don't need their secret book, or their glyph warnings, or their messengers. Tell them I'm through. Tell them it's over. Tell them Garrett is done.
- ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive.
Keeper: I will tell them this. Nothing is changed; all is as it was written. The Trickster is dead. Beware the dawn of the metal age.
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Looking Glass does it again with this amazingly fresh take on the first-person shooter
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- ^'The Dark Mod – Stealth Gaming in a Gothic Steampunk World'. thedarkmod.com. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
- ^Pearson, Craig (9 October 2013). 'Praise The Builder: The Dark Mod Is Standalone'. Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
- ^Smith, Adam (11 December 2013). 'Sharper Shadows: Thief Gold HD Mod Released'. Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
External links[edit]
- Thief: The Dark Project at MobyGames
- Thief: The Dark Project at PCGamingWiki
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