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''Thief'' is a series of mainly first-person and features three extra maps, new enemies and several Bug fixes. , 2004 and is believed to be the last in the series. Although there have been comments suggesting a continuation, they have not yet been confirmed. Eidos Interactive published all four releases in the series. With the release of '' DromEd '', a map editor, an active community of fans began providing a wealth of home-grown missions for the first two games (see External Links , below). A few of these were so successful, in fact, that their creators were invited to work with Ion Storm Austin on ''Thief: Deadly Shadows''. Garrett from ''Thief: Deadly Shadows'']] STYLE OF PLAY The main tactic of ''Thief'' is to avoid fights and instead sneak around the enemies. For example, killing an innocent will often cause the player to fail a mission; on higher difficulty levels, killing ''anyone'', even an angry guard, will result in mission failure. And (especially in the case of ''Thief 2'') several levels will result in failure if the player is so much as spotted by a guard. ''Thief'' is sometimes described as either a " First-person Sneaker ", "sneak-em-up" or a "first-person looter" to emphasize this difference. Classification of the game has been slow coming, as three-dimensional stealth games, such as '' Splinter Cell '' (released in 2002 ) for example, only became more common years after the first ''Thief''. Another innovation introduced by ''Thief'' is the careful use of sound effects as an integral part of gameplay. Sound cues not only tell the player of other characters in the vicinity, but also indicate how much noise Garrett makes when moving about an area. Too much noise can alert nearby guards, who will grow suspicious and come looking for intruders. There are a variety of tactics to avoid being heard, however, such as walking gently, steering clear of noisy pavement, or using magical arrows to create a Moss carpet that muffles the sound of footsteps. In a similar vein, lighting became one of the most important strategies. A gauge at the bottom of the screen (called the 'Light Gem') indicates how visible the protagonist is. Entering deeper shadows or ducking made the character less likely to be noticed. Walking about increases the risk of being spotted, and having a sword or bow drawn makes him very conspicuous in the game. The astute player is constantly keeping an eye on areas of light or shadow in case a hiding place is needed in a hurry. Arrows with water-filled tips can be fired at torches and braziers, dimming the surrounding light and creating a handy pocket of shadow which can then be used for hiding. STORY The ''Thief'' series follows the exploits of Garrett, a master thief living and working in a steampunk metropolis constantly being fought over by a corrupt aristocracy, an order of religious fanatics and a horde of vengeful woodland beings, all under the eye of a secret organization of Keepers. Setting ''Thief'' creates a living, breathing Steampunk world for the player. The games are set in what is always referred to as "The City", with occasional excursions into nearby areas like Markham's Isle. The Technology present in the game seems to be a cross between the Victorian Era and medieval times. The city has the air of a 19th century metropolis, and Electricity is somewhat prevalent, yet torches are still used in many homes and businesses. Weapons such as broadswords, bows, and maces are common, and Firearms seem to be nonexistent, except in the artillery carried by the robotic Mechanist sentries. Many guards wear mail Armor and helmets similar to those in the middle ages, and quite a few structures are more like late medieval fortresses and castles than Victorian houses. Factions There are three primary factions at work in the City. Below is a description of each. The Keepers are an ancient sect of expert observers, dedicated to preserving balance in the world. Garrett once belonged to the organization and still makes use of the skills learned as a Keeper for his own clandestine purposes. Even though Garrett refuses further involvement with the Keepers, they inevitably manipulate him into acting out their prophecies and obscure designs in all three games. Much of the Keeper's powers are derived from their special Glyph magic, which spells out their prophecies and allows them to weave extremely powerful spells. The Keepers seem to be highly dependent on the Glyphs for their powers, with Garrett and Artemus seeming to be the only Keepers able to operate effectively without the aid of Glyphs. Their symbol is the Keyhole. The Order of the Hammer is a group of Technocratic religious fanatics, also known as the Hammerites. They seek to carry out the vision of the Master Builder, their architect god, and are the burning force of progress in the ''Thief'' world. They represent Order and Orthodox religion (which has many similarities to the medieval Catholic Church). The Hammerites are skilled warriors and routinely carry large metal sledgehammers with them, which are both a religious symbol and a very effective weapon against trespassers. They despise the nature-worshipping Pagans, and are also mortal enemies of the Undead. Their scriptures are very harsh and draconian, but many Hammerites temper their religious zeal in order to better accommodate the realities of City life. Their primary symbol is the Hammer. Much of the religion's other symbology is drawn from various processes of Metalworking . Sinners are cleansed with the fire of the Builder's Forge , the worthy must be separated from the Dross of humanity, and so on. In ''Thief II'', a group of Hammerite Schismatics under the leadership of the charismatic (but insane) Karras, gives birth to the Mechanist sect. Even more fervent about technology than their Hammerite cousins, the Mechanists invent steam-powered robots to act as servants, and rumor has it those robots might be intended for more than just subservience. Their symbol is the gear. The plotline of ''Thief II: The Metal Age'' revolves entirely around this sect, and they receive a few brief mentions in the third game in the series. Finally, the Pagans represent the forces of nature and chaos in the ''Thief'' world. Nature worshippers who live in the deep forests away from the City, the Pagans shun technology and live in harmony with wild, supernatural creatures. They despise the ordinary people of the City, and are completely inimical to Hammerites and Mechanists. Pagans are for the most part unskilled at combat, and rely on stealth and subterfuge in their ongoing campaign to undermine and subvert the City. Their demonic god, the Woodsie Lord or Trickster, and the facts surrounding their resurgence are central to the plot of ''Thief: The Dark Project''. Owing to a twist of fate, they side with Garrett against the Mechanists in ''Thief II''. Their symbol is the third eye of the Trickster. Language The game uses the expletive "taffer" and variations in place of English Profanities . This also has a special in-game connotation as a corruption of the name of the evil nature god, the Trickster Spirit. As such, to curse someone as a "taffer" is to insinuate that that person shares some of the spirit's dubious qualities. It is a fairly broad oath that can mean "scoundrel", "joker", "fool", or simply indicate a contemptible person whom the speaker both scorns and derides. Curiously, the Pagans, worshippers of the Trickster, also use the epithet, sometimes in the pidgin form of "Tricksie." "Taffing" (or "taffing around") is also a nebulous term that generally involves an activity that lacks proper forthrightness or diligence, such as lying or exaggerating to someone or shirking important responsibilities in favor of play or frivolous pursuits. The developers have more than once remarked that all such words in the game are made up. Also, the Hammerite and Pagan factions both have their own dialects. The Hammerites speak a dialect of English that uses many archaic-sounding constructions and words, although grammar and usage do not necessarily correspond to the older dialect it is presumably based on (Instead it seems to use the structure as presented in modern American or British English ). The Pagans speak in a euphonic Pidgin dialect with even more grammatical irregularities, at least when compared to American English. Examples taken from Deadly Shadows are presented below for reference. Hammerites: ''"Make thou a fortress of thy heart, for thy most valuable treasures art the words given to thee by the Builder."'' - Words of the Sixth Forger Pagans: ''"To us him bes the Trickster, sometimes the gillsweet, sometimes the bear, but to thems that carry the Hammer, him bes them worming death."'' - Unknown In addition, late into Deadly Shadows there are Statue s granted life by an ancient lost Glyph that can animate non-living objects. The statues speak slowly in an odd form of normal English centered around repetition, stating something repeatedly and often in a random manner, often with excessive use of the conjunction ''"and"'' to tie the repetitions together. For example, they would render ''"Gone"'' or ''"Stolen"'' as ''"Gone and missing and gone and stolen and gone"''. They are occasionally even heard to say ''"Die and die and die and die and die"'', in other words saying the exact same thing over and over again. It is unknown if this is limited to statues alone, or all objects granted life by the Glyph. THE GAMES Thief: The Dark Project See Also: Thief: The Dark Project Released by Looking Glass Studios in 1998, and powered by their own in-house developed DARK Engine , ''Thief: The Dark Project'' was in many ways a revolutionary title. Although it utilized a first person perspective, it was not an action-oriented shooter like almost all other first person games. Instead, the emphasis was on stealth: The character was not particularly agile nor a skilled fighter, and much of the gameplay involved using shadows to avoid enemies. However, for those who desire action, there are weapons available that allow direct confrontation. A skilled player can often break cover and go head-to-head with the enemies. An even more skilled player can stay in cover and never let the enemies know that he was there. The game's original gameplay quickly developed a cult following. However, many players complained that the game's "Thief" theme was underutilized. Although the first few missions are typical "rob a rich guy's mansion" levels, the latter 2/3s of the game takes place largely in monster-infested ruins where the player is pitted against various zombies, beasts, and Trickster creatures. Thief Gold Thief Gold is a 1999 re-release of Looking Glass Studios' Thief: The Dark Project computer game. In addition to various bug fixes, Thief Gold added three new levels which contributed significantly to the existing plot. The package also contained the DromEd Thief editor as well as a behind-the-scenes "making of" video. Looking Glass were working on a similar re-release of Thief II: The Metal Age, provisionally entitled Thief II Gold, at the time they went out of business in 2000. Thief II: The Metal Age See Also: Thief II: The Metal Age Looking Glass Studios released the sequel to Thief in 2000. Utilizing the same DARK engine that powered the original Thief, ''Thief II'' had an almost identical look and feel, with only minor graphical and programming improvements. The basic gameplay was also fundamentally similar to the original Thief, but many new elements had been added, including technological gadgets such as a remote eye camera. Other changes include an increase in the number of A.I. behaviors, and the addition of female guards and soldiers. Responding to criticisms of the original ''Thief'', the missions in ''Thief II'' were designed much more around typical thief-like behavior, and much of the game is spent robbing the rich denizens of the City rather than battling monsters. In fact, the player encounters almost none of the monsters from the original Thief except for burrick heads mounted as trophies in some of the mansions, and a few zombies and apparitions. Also, the designers stated that unlike the original Thief where levels were developed to suit the plot, in Thief II levels were designed first and making the plot work with them was somewhat of a retrofit. Thief: Deadly Shadows See Also: Thief: Deadly Shadows A major departure from the first two games in the series, ''Thief: Deadly Shadows'' was developed by Ion Storm rather than Looking Glass Studios (albeit with many of the same people). The game was powered by the ''Unreal-based '' engine. Unlike the original two titles, the third ''Thief'' game was developed simultaneously for the PC and the Xbox . Because of all these factors, ''Thief: Deadly Shadows'' (Ion Storm decided not to name the game "Thief III" for fear that it would alienate console gamers who had never played the previous two titles) was different from the first two games in the series in both appearance and gameplay. One of the game's major new features was the ability to explore the City. While previous games sent Garrett straight from mission to mission, ''Thief: Deadly Shadows'' allows him to walk the City streets between missions where he can steal from passersby, spy on the townspeople's daily lives, and search for sidequests in addition to major story missions. Unlike games such as '' Grand Theft Auto III '', the city is not one large continuous map, but rather several small neighborhood maps connected by load zones (similar to '' Postal&2 ''). The Shalebridge Cradle One of the most notable parts of ''Thief: Deadly Shadows'' was the mission "Robbing the Cradle," carrying on the tradition of creating atmospheric levels in the Thief series. The level takes place at the Shalebridge Cradle Orphanage, which also served as an Insane Asylum and at the time of the game lies abandoned, following a fire. It quickly became a fan favourite due to what fans felt was an impressive use of ambiance and atmosphere to create a chilling environment of fear rarely explored in many Video Games , with the notable exceptions of games such as '' Silent Hill ''. For example, the outer part of the Cradle created what many fans found to be an unnerving environment through ambient sound and lighting effects — despite containing no enemies. The level itself is widely assumed to be the largest part of ''Thief: Deadly Shadows''. The "Cradle" itself was designed in a traditional format of using an abandoned Haunted House as a backdrop but contained a developed backstory for the location, as mentioned above. It also has many other backstory strands containing in-game information (through the medium of old books and notes) about the inmates in the inner Cradle. GAME EDITING A mission editor, Dromed, was available for ''Thief'', ''Thief Gold'' and ''Thief II''. Hundreds of fan missions for these games have been created, some equally or more complex than the original game missions. After a letter-writing campaign by fans, an editor was released for ''Thief: Deadly Shadows'' in February 2005. ''Thief 2X: Shadows of the Metal Age'' Some time after Looking Glass went down, a small group of enthusiastic developers took the opportunity to extend the Thief universe using DromEd. The result was an unofficial ''Thief II'' expansion pack titled ''Thief 2X: Shadows of the Metal Age'' {Link without Title} . The game — though an expansion pack for ''Thief II'' — presents a new protagonist, a young girl named Zaya. The game has features similar to those in retail Looking Glass games: complex level design, lengthy campaigning (consisting of thirteen long missions), pre-rendered introduction and ending sequences, redesigned voice-over sound effects, original artwork, and animated mission briefings. The expansion, however, has more sexual content (including frontal female nudity during one mission) and gore than ''Thief II''. This expansion is Freeware and can be downloaded from the developer's site {Link without Title} , although it requires the original ''Thief II'' in order to be played. THE CITY The universe of Thief is centered mostly on a dense, sprawling metropolitan complex known only as "The City." Garrett works with the underground economy of the City, making a lucrative living for himself. The City is comprised of a mosaic of districts that are visited by Garrett over the course of the series, and has a single River that seems to run through the middle of it. In addition the Keepers have worked Glyph magic into hidden passageways that interconnect all of the districts, permitting unfettered and clandestine movement throughout the City for themselves. The sewer network that runs under the city also houses all manner of things and people that do not wish to be seen, including ruins that are older than the City itself. Districts of The City The gamer sees most of the districts as the series unwinds. Some still are uncharted, however, and have only been heard of through documental or vocal references.
CHARACTERS Here is a list of specific characters who either play a major part in one game, or have recurring roles throughout the series.
ENEMIES Garrett encounters a lot of enemies in every mission. Here are a list of them. Human enemies include:
They are the most common enemies in the series and patrols around buildings and streets. They are divided into swordsmen and archers. Garrett can usually sneak past them with ease without knocking them out or killing them.
Garrett sometimes has to sneak into Hammerites' places. These include Cragscleft Prison, Hammer Temple, St. Edgar's Church and the Clocktower.
Similarly Garrett sometimes has to sneak into Pagans' territories. These include the Maw and their sanctuary.
They appear in Mechanists Church in Dayport, Angelwatch, Markhem's Isle, the Lost City and Soulforge Cathedral. They are divided into lacemen and bow-women.
They appear in the Mage Towers where they practise their arts of Earth, Air, Fire and Water, also in the Lost City.
They appear in the downwind Thieves' Guild. Non-human enemies include:
They are further divided into zombies, apparitions, Hammer Haunts and Cradle puppets. Zombies are walking corpses with characteristic moaning sounds. They are slow in Thief 1 and 2, but can run in Deadly Shadows. Apparitions are semi-transparent and shoot smoky skulls, only flashbombs and holywater can take them. Hammer Haunts are undead Hammerites with no flesh and only bones. They are extremely skillful and do not fatigue from running and attacking. They have characteric chain clinking sound when walking and horrifying ghost laughing when attacking. Hammer Haunts are even one of the ten scariest monsters in video games. Cradle puppets are undead insane patients exisiting under the will of the Cradle and there are nine of them. They have electric-shock cages around their head and hands, with characteristic breatheless breathing sound. Undeads are afraid of flashbombs, fire arrows and holywater.
They are not humans because they are zombie-stated, revived to move by technology. They guard Soulforge Cathedral.
They are divided into large 'Mamas' and small 'Children'. 'Mamas' are blue and can fire bombs from their right arm. 'Children' are harmless. They can be disabled by firing water arrows into their boilers at their backs.
They are dinosaur-like animals living in underground tunnels. They appear in the Bonehoard Catacomb, the Old Quarter, the Lost City and Ramiraz's castle basement. They attack by their breaths.
They are green fly-like creatures and appear in Constantine's mansion and the Pagan Maw. They attack with bug clouds.
Appear in Constantine's mansion and the Pagan Maw. In the Dark Project they carry swords, but in the Metal Age they use blow arrows and bare hands.
They are probably the scariest creatures in the game besides the undeads. They are divided into sewer spiders, huge spiders and spider beasts. Sewer spiders are pale green and small, huge spiders are dark green and are about the size of Garrett. They attack with their bites and can move very quick. Spider beasts are at the same size of huge spiders but is bright red in colour. They shoot webs and magical shots.
They only appear in the Pagan Maw in the Metal Age. They diguise as trees but are more spooky looking because of their dark blue trunks and branches. They can move even quicker than spiders and even speed potions cannot outrun them. They only take damage from fire arrows, mines and sword strikes at certain positions. EQUIPMENT Garrett is a master thief, but he still requires the aid of tools and equipment to assist him in his dangerous occupation. To this end, Garrett employs all manner of items, most of them off the black market such as special Arrow s, while others must be acquired, such as Holy Water from a Hammerite place of worship. This list is accurate as of ''Deadly Shadows'', and only covers items that can be bought and used. Mêlée Garrett usually employs weapons of this class for stealthy operations, such as knocking someone out or back Stabbing them.
A small Club that Garrett uses to hit people over the back of the head and knock them unconscious. It's the quietest and cleanest weapon in the game, and as such is the most useful weapon in Garrett's arsenal. On the other hand, it is next to useless if the target has already been alerted to Garrett's presence. In Deadly Shadows, the Blackjack can eventually be upgraded to destroy Glyph-animated objects.
In the first two games in the series, Garrett carries a short sword. The sword can be used both to attack enemies and to block their swords. Wielding a sword makes Garrett more visible; however, during the course of The Dark Project it is replaced with a sword that does not have this handicap, and can also be used against ghosts, who cannot be struck by ordinary weapons. The events at the end of the game cause the sword to lose its power, and it becomes a mantle decoration in Garrett's apartment, which he leaves behind when he is forced to abandon his home in Thief 2.
In Deadly Shadows, Garrett's sword is replaced by a dagger. It has been blackened to minimize its visibility, and is his last-resort weapon if he must engage in close-combat. If the enemy is a living creature and unaware of Garrett's presence, Garrett can stab the person in the back to rapidly facilitate death. This method leaves a telltale pool of Blood on the floor, however. Projectile Garrett carries a wooden Shortbow with a custom metal Sight mounted on the left of the frame to help with aiming. He has had it since the events of the first ''Thief'' game, and uses it to launch the selection of arrows at his disposal.
The standard arrow type, the broadhead sports a broad-headed metal arrowhead, hence its name. A shot to the back of the head with this will usually kill the person. They can later be upgraded to destroy giant Insect s called Rust Mites, which feed off metal and are thus hated by the Hammerites. If shot into Wooden surfaces (by accident for instance), they can be collected afterwards.
Water arrows are arrows whose heads have been replaced with Water elemental crystals. The crystal shatters on impact, releasing water over a very small area. They are used to douse torches, clean up blood stains and also extend the effective coverage of a moss arrow.
Moss arrows carry magically-enhanced moss that grows at an extremely rapid pace in the immediate area of which it lands. If necessary, the moss can be extended by exposure to water. The rapid-growth aspect of the moss allows it to be used as a distractive device; fired into the face of a person it will cause temporary choking. Moss arrows can also be used to help silence the sound that footsteps would normally make on certain surfaces (such as metal or tile).
Fire arrows carry fire elemental crystals in place of regular, metal arrowheads. Taking the arrow out of the quiver causes a risk of discovery by close proximity to the bright light that the crystal creates. Fire arrows are useful against normal living persons, but even more so against metal security devices, the undead, and exceptionally-supernatural creatures. They can also be used to ignite the liquid contained in ''oil flasks''. Although it is not often in Garrett's best interest to do so, fire arrows can be used to light torches and illuminate hallways.
A noisemaker arrow carries a simple mechanical device that creates loud noises similar to what Fireworks generate. Their only use is for distracting everyone while Garrett does what he needs to do. The arrow is also useful to distract someone long enough to blackjack them.
When fired into a soft surface (wood or earth), a rope extends downwards from the arrow, allowing Garrett to climb up and reach otherwise inaccessible areas. Rope Arrows are a great aid in getting around maps and avoiding guards. In Thief: The Metal Age they are replaced near the end of the game with Vine Arrows which are exactly the same with the added bonus of sticking to metal grillworks. Rope and Vine arrows are not available in Thief: Deadly Shadows.
Gas arrows use an elemental crystal of air, which acts as Knockout Gas when broken, as the arrowhead. The crystal shatters on impact and releases the gas, sending any living person in the area to sleep. Gas Arrows can also be used to put torches out, though this is an incredible waste of a rare resource. Explosives This section covers the items carried by Garrett which are to be deployed on their own, and activate by means of exploding. Note that given Garrett's professional nature, only two items in this section are actually fatal, and even then only one of them will work against all enemies, the other being fatal only against the undead.
The flashbomb is a spherical device that generates a short-lived but extremely-bright burst of light. The light can disorient the living, including the supernatural, but is most useful against the undead, to whom it is fatal (Apparently bright light is dangerous to the undead). It is based on the Flashbang in real-life. Detonates on contact with any surface.
A hand-thrown version of the Gas Arrow. Detonates on contact with any surface.
A Landmine that arms itself with an audible beep once it is thrown and lands on the floor. The mine triggers the internal explosive the moment anything steps on it, making it excellent for laying traps. The downside is that the device generates a large amount of noise, which will alert more or less everyone in the area.
Functionally similar to the explosive mine, only that it releases knockout gas and not an explosive. Useful for non-lethal attempts. Potions The potions in this section are all held in flasks.
The healing potion is Garrett's lifesaver whenever he sustains injury, and can remedy his health for a significant amount. It appears as a sealed vial holding a glowing red substance.
Only procurable from the Hammerites, Holy Water is sought for its ability to bring instant death to the undead, whom the Hammerites hate intensely. It appears as a small adorned vial holding the glowing, blessed water. In the original game, holy water was not thrown directly on the ground to harm undead who walked over it, but was instead used to make all water arrows fired by Garrett act as holy water arrows (i.e. they gained the ability to harm the undead) for thirty seconds. Thief Deadly Shadows does not allow the player to use the holy water on arrows, but acts more like the oil flask when thrown. Note that some exceptionally powerful undead enemies must be hit directly by the flask, or must stand on the water for a comparatively long period of time (i.e. they could run off it)
The oil flask is a large container housing a slippery, flammable oil which can be used to trip guards and pretty much everyone else. As the oil is flammable, it can be set on fire to create a barrier that most will not pass.
The slowfall potion enables Garrett to take less damage from a high fall. It can be taken prior to falling, or mid-fall if quick enough.
The breath potion can be used while swimming to avoid drowning.
Allows Garret to run faster, and in some places jump higher.
Allows Garret to walk anywhere unseen for a few seconds. Items The items in this section are all earned or bought throughout the game.
The Climbing Gloves are only available in Thief: Deadly Shadows. They replace the Rope/Vine arrows, and give Garrett the ability to climb walls.
As mentioned above, Garrett may have been given his Mechanical Eye by Karras, and this device behaves in much the same way. The Scouting Orb is a device that can be thrown arround corners, through cracks and down holes to give Garrett a first person view of what may lay ahead.
These are the primary tool used by a thief to open any door, lock or chest that may conceal valuables. Spells Though Garrett cannot cast any magic himself, he can intercept any helpful spells cast by mages in Thief Deadly Shadows. The spells go as follows: Keepers: Invisibility Hammerites: Damage increase and the ability to harm undead with normal weapons Pagans: Speed increase and healing slowly These spells only last a short period of time and will not last through a mission. Also mages fire harmful spells, so be wary of what you intercept. Helpful spells usually travel slowly. It is possible to steal a spellcaster's scepter, rendering them a useless civilian. EXTERNAL LINKS Official sites
Fan sites Fan missions and modifications
Game Archive and Review sites Miscellaneous
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