Mman on 14/6/2020 at 22:26
And now the rest:
The Pursuance of An Inscrutable Reciprocity - Thief 2
This entry actually comprises of two levels (and a cutscene one), with the first in a city area and the second a mansion. The city of the first map is okay, but a bit on the empty side vs other examples in this contest (although the melding of street and rooftops is nice), and the interiors also vary in quality, with some being pretty good looking and others being pretty empty and lacking the feeling of being an actual living space. The second level is much more consistent and with various nice looking rooms and side-areas, along with some non-standard ideas like the indoor gardens. In the first map the visuals feel like a bit of a step back from the author's entry in the last contest, but the second level makes up for it, and it is on a much bigger scale than that release with two full maps. GORT's entry to the Thief 1 contest was possibly the hardest one there (and also in the unlucky position of being the first level if played in the order listed), and this lives up to that, although the readme does warn about playing on the expert equivalent. It's also a direct sequel story-wise, with Garret trying to work out what's going on with the sceptre he found in the previous level. With plenty of darkness in the city the first level isn't too tricky outside of some wide-patrolling helmeted guards, but those end up as more of an irritation than a threat. The exploration is a bit tougher, but even there it's mostly about stumbling across some conversations (with some characters only appearing after you've listened, which can be a little confusing) to get the hints you need for the main objectives, with the obscurity being reserved for secrets.
Inline Image:
https://i.imgur.com/d6TDjCR.jpgA peek of the sort of situations this set puts you inThe second map though has no mercy; areas bathed in light and tile floor, robots and cameras everywhere, numerous guards and combinations of all those things. It tests pretty much everything about your knowledge of the AI. Equipment also seems to get shared between levels and more seems quite rare so hopefully you've saved some water arrows from the first map or things will be even harder. The puzzles are the actual most brutal thing about the map though, although maybe semi-accidentally, as the actual near inscrutable puzzle essentially has the solution just placed somewhere (although even that requires a borderline pixel hunt) and, while the rest aren't as obscure, there's still a lot of back and forth across dangerous areas if you don't know what you're doing. Even with the help thread it took me a little to order everything into something comprehensible, and even then the main puzzle could only really be finished after you got the item that opened the end part, at which point the item behind the puzzle isn't actually that relevant anymore? I actually feel making the puzzle progression slightly more linear would have helped, as then at least the end result would make more sense. Presumably difficulty only helps the enemy placement and not the puzzles, so turning it down seems it wouldn't help that much. There's also no map in either level, and, while there's generally enough landmarks to find your way around, it certainly doesn't help with making things less obtuse. The "voice acting" being mostly text-to-speech was also a bit odd. There's a lot of cool ideas and the challenge was generally fair (outside a few times where you had to open doors in bright areas blindly with threats potentially behind them), but the obtuseness really drags it down, along with the notably lower design quality of the first level.
Rating 21/30
Show Off - Thief 2
Here you have to break into a museum in a relatively small town area. The town itself is somewhat basic with lots of empty streets and samey looking buildings with little height variation. The museum and surrounding areas fare better though with some creative object usage and more convincing and atmospheric areas. Like with the visuals the streets aren't that engaging gameplay-wise, with few buildings to access and little going on except for a bunch of guards around (several of which do unconvincing things like randomly stare at doors to let you go past or deal with them). Also like with the visuals the gameplay gets much more engaging in the museum, with multiple access points and a challenging mix of tiles, guards and cameras, along with some security-based puzzles. There's no map, which can be a bit of a problem in the samey streets, but the actual museum is small and interlinked enough for it to not be too big an issue. The story also starts out with little going on, but then messages get more meaningful and it all culminates in a nice twist, although, as it's a sequel hook, the level essentially ending right after makes it feel a bit anti-climatic. My first impression here wasn't very good, but once you start exploring the actual target location it improves a lot, and I feel it would be a better level with the streets segment cut down (whether to simply make it more compact or replace it with more content in the museum).
Inline Image:
https://i.imgur.com/92VDJQo.jpgThis garden is one of the better visual touchesRating 20/30
Ten Little Taffers - Thief 2
This is something completely different, with it following an Inverted Manse type approach where each difficulty mode changes the nature of the map rather than the actual challenge (the normal mode is actually the most involved one gameplay-wise). Each perspective involves solving a mansion murder mystery between ten suspects (albeit modified each time so your knowledge from one playthrough won't 100% carry over) and the three options are an outsider perspective in Garret, one of the guests and a murderer themselves. Visually the start doesn't give the best impression with a kind of bland looking outdoor area, but it only a tiny part of the overall playtime across the characters, and the actual interior parts are much better with lots of nice little details (some of which becomes important across characters) and personality touches for each character. It also comes with a lot of creative object use and event scripting.
Inline Image:
https://i.imgur.com/3jGYPOw.jpgYou'll get familiar with all these people...The nature of the map means the gameplay varies from normal Thief design a lot, but there's a heavy puzzle focus across the character (in different ways). The Garret playthrough technically has forced ghosting, but the nature of the level means this isn't an issue, and it's more about working out what's going on than direct NPC interaction. Though walking into one light failing the mission even when the map is empty was a little odd, and I feel just locking the relevant door with a key would have worked better. It would also be nice to have had some acknowledgement (like an optional objective) if you actually follow the way the story intends characters to die. While there are three playthroughs it's a relatively short map and multiple things carry over, so the setting doesn't overstay it's welcome despite most of the map staying the same. The changes between difficulties are enough to make them feel quite different, and there's a few nice surprises too. A very unique concept executed well, and very memorable as a result.
Rating 28/30
Time For Change - Thief 2
This is a small town type area, although it's mostly buildings with the town parts as small transitional areas. It's on the simpler side visually, with relatively cubic rooms and various areas with little detail, along with height variation being quite limited. Some areas do look better and have some more detail and personality, but they're not the majority. There are a few sections that split but the layout is pretty linear, with a lot of situations only having one approach, and many of the guard placements don't feel especially convincing, with several them standing around in random-seeming places or having tiny patrols. Most areas also have enough darkness for enemies to not pose much of a threat. One area that does have some more interesting setup is the warehouse section, which mixes humans and robots and makes shadows rarer (along with being one of the few areas to make use of vertical gameplay) in a way that requires much more thought about your approach; it's a glimpse that the author is capable of engaging encounters, and I wouldn't be surprised if it was one of the last areas made. There's no map, but the linearity means it's not much an issue, especially as the individual areas do distinguish themselves. One objective on higher-difficulties requires a bit of a pixel-hunt but the combination of linearity and contained areas means it's not too obscure to find (and provides some unexpected storytelling as well). Between the general simplicity and small size this seems like somewhat of a beginner level, but the better parts show that there's a lot of potential for future improvement.
Inline Image:
https://i.imgur.com/w5SAFFw.jpgThis booth area is one of the larger scale partsRating 15/30
Troubling Transitions - Thief 2
This is a town area with the visual twist of being set in a snowy environment. The general area looks good with plenty of detail and a nicely done winter atmosphere (although the limited snow textures means the walls aren't especially snowy), and your main target (a church) has some impressive rooms too. I do feel some of the house interiors felt a little similar, and some of the side areas in the church are more basic looking and repetitive, but they're the minority. I also like the inclusion of subtitles for the briefing and new conversations, which none of the other maps seem to have included so far. This level is set in the transition from the Hammerites to the Mechanists, and this is communicated well in the church section, with lots of details to communicate the old sections being replaced/remade for the purposes of the mechanists. The gameplay here is among the most traditional in the contest, with a town area and target building to explore, with plenty of exploration on the way along with the church itself being quite large. There's no real surprises, but it's all very well executed (if not especially challenging, with ample darkness, plenty of equipment, and noisy surfaces being relatively rare). Given the middle batch of levels (Ten Little Taffers aside), didn't provide maps it's also nice to finally get one in a level again. A very good level, although the winter theme is the only standout thematic element. It's actually probably the best starter map so far, as it executes all the basic Thief elements well and provides some variety without being overly demanding.
Inline Image:
https://i.imgur.com/lbVwSX8.jpgThe winter style is done wellRating 25/30
Where the Unknown Lurks - Thief 2
The initial part of this level is a mansion with a bit of a thematic twist, with a very organic looking style and geometry; the scale is relatively small but it uses that to make the area more detailed. However, this another level that puts a lot of content behind optional objectives, and, in this case, you literally miss most of the level if you only do your given objectives. While it's another level where the theme shift works better as a surprise, the other section is also visually interesting and does a more traditional Thief 1 style theme very well. The initial mansion view is the most impressive view, but it keeps up a high standard throughout and handles the theme changes in a way that feels natural. As said before, the seeming main section is a actually only part of the map, and you can be done in 20 minutes if you aren't especially inquisitive. However, if you pay attention then the meat of the level isn't especially obscure to access. Throughout, the map does a good job of providing multiple ways to tackle challenges, and even the optional section has it's own additional major optional task (although the special reward for doing it seemed a bit late to take much advantage of). If you jump off at the start you seem to get warped to a room and trapped, which is a little odd, but I think it's some sort of easter egg? A great level that's hard to talk about because it's another that works best as a surprise.
Inline Image:
https://i.imgur.com/fV9Jlnf.jpgThe initial mansion looks cool enough that I wish you spent a bit more time there.Rating 25/30
Overall, slightly annoying beginning aside, Into the Odd is definitely my favourite, with the original setting that gradually unravels, along with being the creepiest level in an non-standard way. Builders Paradise and Feast of Pilgrims follow, with the most impressive mechanist and city exploration design respectively. Ten Little Taffers is easily the most unique, although it's something entirely different without too much traditional Thief gameplay. With the rest coming behind those four. I was surprised that almost every level is quite consistent thematically since the last contest had multiple levels that threw in as much as they could, but I guess that's partially a result of there being less entries, and maybe a result of Thief 2 itself being more thematically focused than the original game.
The Dark One on 23/6/2020 at 03:03
My reputation as a reviewer is riding on this!
A Reputation to Uphold (by Springheel) is a sequel to A Score to Settle. (Although you don't need to play that mission to understand what’s going on here, barring a readable referencing those events.) This time, Corbin is after something of actual value: a necklace that was swiped before he could get at it and is now in the possession of a criminal organization. It’s due to be sold to a fence, forcing Corbin to follow the seller and buyer...or not.
Reputation’s main gimmick is that it has three different play styles, similar to Fieldmedic’s Not an Ordinary Guest. On “Shadow,” it’s a traditional follow and steal mission (although you don’t have to follow very closely), “Timed Shadow” keeps things the same but gives you a time limit to steal the necklace, and “Break-In” forgoes the stalking altogether in favor of making you at least partially visible, even in shadows. It lacks the same variation as the above mentioned mission, but does provide some replay value. The problem is that, to me, there wasn’t enough variation. Timed Shadow was an interesting curiosity, but because I had no idea what the limit was during the mission (about eight minutes, as I found out in the thread), it was hard to tell if I blazed through it with time to spare or if it was much tighter than I thought. Break-In is the most interesting, but once you’ve played the mission twice getting to it (as I did), you know what you’re doing, although I know one item is slightly moved around across difficulty levels. I also didn't feel like the increased visibility affected much.
Graphics-wise, it’s similar to A Score to Settle: Lots of dim, uneven streets and doing an excellent job of selling the fact that you’re creeping around in gang territory, with a few “handy” touches here and there to sell it. Like its predecessor, I wish that there was a little more to do, although there is a neat little Easter Egg and reference to a previous mission that Springfield worked on (not A Score to Settle), if you can find it.
Difficulty-wise, it’s fair. Like I mentioned, after going through all the difficulty levels, you’ll have a pretty good grasp on this straightforward mission. There aren’t as many unique parts as Score, but it’s still well-done, and the latter two difficulties do present a fair challenge, especially to the ghoster. Like I said, I don't know if Break-In makes you that easy to see, but perhaps that was due to my visibility settings at the time. Ghosters should note one piece of loot in particular that’s impossible to get without swinging the blackjack with wild abandon, or firing an arrow into the darkness. Getting the loot goal in general isn’t super difficult though, even on Break-In where it’s a required objective.
All in all, a slightly over-ambitious but still very solid mission. Recommended.
Tank_Abbott on 3/1/2021 at 20:02
Does anyone remember a FM that begins with you being briefed in a tavern, like you are sitting at a table with another guy briefing you. I started it a long time ago but then never got further than the very beginning of the mission, and now it would be quite a hassle to just go thru all my FMs to find it.
skacky on 3/1/2021 at 20:06
Deceptive Perception 2 begins like this if I remember correctly. There is also Midnight in Murkbell but Garrett is speaking with an old lady.
Tank_Abbott on 4/1/2021 at 11:09
Quote Posted by skacky
Deceptive Perception 2 begins like this if I remember correctly. There is also Midnight in Murkbell but Garrett is speaking with an old lady.
Yep it's indeed Deceptive Perception 2, and it's a horror FM (not really my cup of tea in general), I guess this explains why I didn't play back in the days. Never heard of ''Midnight in Murkbell'', I'll give it a shot. Thanks.
Mman on 13/1/2021 at 23:36
Played all the 1 Million Units contest levels, like the other contests I just rated out of 30 with no categories.
Alcazar - Thief Gold
I'm not sure on the exact limits of this contest, because they seem semi-flexible, with this level focusing heavily on the vertical aspect; you start at pub and some surrounding building, but there's a large vertical area with a mine leading down into a tomb that is your goal (nicely taunted with a view near the start, but much harder to reach than it looks). The street area is mostly neutral, with only a couple of people bothered by your intrusion, but does a good job getting stranger and more dangerous as you descend, with the bottom areas having multiple threats in a small area. It also includes multiple modified enemy models, including a couple of unexpected surprises. There are multiple ways to access things despite the small size, and also a couple of puzzles and other obstacles later on. I'm not sure where the other entries will take the concept but this seems like a very strong start.
Inline Image:
https://i.imgur.com/RGaTMmD.jpgYour goal is right there near the start, getting there is another matter...Rating: 28
Nightwalk - Thief Gold
This is a straightforward city streets robbery. The space is mostly horizontal with some vertical space for the rooftops; while a small area it's convincing enough, although the architecture is relatively simple, with some cubic interiors and one or two rooms with repetitive texturing I found a little unconvincing. There's plenty of darkness and lots of water arrows lying around, so none of the enemies pose much of a threat, and I found the Expert objectives during casual exploration. The closest thing to a surprise is one target building having a locked front door, but that's circumvented easily enough. Pretty simple, but, unless you really need a challenge, there's nothing notably bad here, although I'm guessing it's by a relatively new mapper.
Inline Image:
https://i.imgur.com/jMUnWfo.jpgThe higher points have some nice views across the areaRating: 17
Recipe for Turmoil - Thief Gold Another city map; while relatively horizontal the design is quite intricate with organic (if quite confined) streets and rooms that snake through the central parts of the map. The visual standard is high and does a lot with the small space it has, along with giving each house it's own flavour of atmosphere (there's also a cool rain effect). The gameplay is pretty simple stealth-wise, with few actual threats around; the main focus is the exploration, as the space flows in a way that creates a pretty complex warren of rooms to decipher the path through, and also contains a couple of nice secrets (including one that adds a little twist to part of the story). In the end it's small enough and has enough distinctive views to get a feel for the structure. I actually had the most problems with the loot objective here, but after finishing the level and seeing how much loot I had missed I went back and found a couple of caches I had overlooked that would have made it much easier. A great looking map with rewarding exploration and some nice environmental storytelling, even if the actual stealth is a pretty small part.
Inline Image:
https://i.imgur.com/lbYTpD2.jpgThe twisting, confined streets weave around the main buildingRating: 25
A Midsummer Night's heist - Thief 2
This is a mansion infiltration. Despite the small size this is one of the best looking mansions I've seen; namely due to the lighting, which has some of the best shadow casts I've seen in Thief, which is notable for a game that's all about that. It also makes some tasteful use of extra features like bloom on brighter lights. Gameplay-wise there's a good mix between darkness and more dangerous lighted sections; it's made a bit harder by an optional pseudo-ghosting objective to only knock out a couple of people maximum, which I went with and it was pretty reasonable to accomplish while having some breathing room between the well-trafficed areas and plenty of different approaches. One secret switch (that's basically needed for Expert) felt a little obscure to find even with a text hint, but I did stumble across it eventually. Another great entry, and any other mansion maps will have a tough time matching it. I also liked that this one had a full intro.
Inline Image:
https://i.imgur.com/Rxv0IyR.jpgSome of the great shadow work in this levelRating: 27
The Cinder Notes - Thief 2
This is a town area, with the twist being that it's actually in a daytime setting. This is another beautiful map visually, with dramatic shadow casts and the daylight giving it a different atmosphere, along with some great looking high-detail textures. The later part of the map is in a church being converted into something else, and it also follows the rest in having a great level of detail, along with a big lighting shift if you take a certain action. Despite the day setting there are plenty of shadows to hide in, but there are a decent amount of guards for a relatively small area. You have plenty of ways to get around and multiple approaches for the target building, including the potential to darken the place a bit (although you probably won't know about it the first time). I did find one Expert objective worded a little strangely on the briefing, as "don't harm anyone" suggests ghosting is needed, but it's actually just the standard "don't kill anyone" in-game. The modifed wood footstep sound was also weirdly loud, despite wood not actually being louder to walk on. A very good map, although I did expect a little more of the slightly foreboding area the main objective is in.
Inline Image:
https://i.imgur.com/TdejExk.jpgThe daylight gives this level a unique styleRating: 26
Sabotage in Eastport - Thief 2
This is set in a sort of fort with the two main buildings very close to each other and a few extra areas around the perimeter. There's a nicely vertical feel that's amplified by the relatively confined horizontal area, and that also leads to some interesting exteriors. The interiors are fine, but simpler looking than the exteriors, although areas like the Mechanist building have some nice object usage. This is a bit more challenging than most of the other levels I've played so far, with confined spaces, lots of tile and multiple guards in close proximity. Most areas are a bit less intimidating than they look when you realise there are usually ways to turn off some of the lights and other security features, but outside of Alcazar this is one of the first times I've had to think a little about how to safely handle certain situations. While not as visually appealing or full of content as some of other entries this has some of the most engaging stealth gameplay so far.
Inline Image:
https://i.imgur.com/QTKHc1p.jpgThe vertical design leads to some impressive views from the topRating: 21
Sinister Night - Thief 2
A mansion horror setting with a heavy Amnesia influence. The detail is great and lots of nice objects are used to enhance the setting (along with a pretty smothering black fog), the Lantern you are given does seem to illuminate objects a little strangely though. Since you have almost no equipment you are essentially ghosting, with a bit of a puzzle focus, but the darkness of the setting gives you plenty of hiding room despite the confined areas. I did feel the obvious Amnesia assets lowered the fear a little; at that point I knew more of what to expect, but they are well implemented, I did feel there could have been one or two more surprises though (though there is a nice moment to take you off guard later on). A great looking level, although relatively straightforward in gameplay.
Inline Image:
https://i.imgur.com/KSPHWnb.jpgNot a very welcoming place...Rating: 25
The Perdurance - Thief 2
In a break from more traditional themes this takes place on a ship; the briefing suggests a Mechanist infiltration, but it quickly becomes clear that something has gone very wrong... The Mechanist style is executed well, and the setting is appropriately cramped but still has a few more open areas (also making use of dark fog like the previous level). There are also plenty of new objects to sell the carnage of what happened before your arrival. After buildup the main stealth is actually quite challenging as you have few resources and threats are very fast, which requires you to act quickly, especially given the confined quarters and low visibility. There's also quite a lot of metal and tile to be careful of too. Another good horror entry, although I think I slightly preferred Sinister Night.
Inline Image:
https://i.imgur.com/sWVr7Cx.jpgThe Mechanists might not be your biggest issue hereRating: 24
The Turning of The Leaves - Thief 2
This is set in a forest and some man-made structures within it. While the forest corridors linking things are quite confined the area as a whole feels large, to the point this is the one level I wouldn't even have a hunch was limited in some way if I didn't know it was part of a contest. Every area looks great, and locations are quite varied despite the theme, including a couple of parts that might be a slight surprise. There are also some good custom models and objects to give everything a unique feel, it's also backed up by more nice rain effects. The gameplay has a heavy adventure feel, with the main mission (which itself has a small but very well executed twist to it) only taking up a small part of the map, and the rest being optional objectives (loot goal aside). Each area also has a different feel to the stealth, with the main goal area being quite challenging, with a lot of light and blind corners and doors to be careful of, but the other locations have their own challenges too, some of which are pretty unexpected. While you start with nothing, another interesting aspect is a way to combine various ambient objects into usable items (if you find it anyway). As I said above, this would feel like a full mission if released without context, and it's definitely my favourite of them all.
Inline Image:
https://i.imgur.com/HMmvEg9.jpgOne of the various buildings in the forestRating: 29
The contest has multiple good missions, and the smaller size means that none get to outstay their welcome (even if also leaves you wanting more with some), there's also an excellent visual standard to the majority, with some of the best looking areas I've seen, which I guess is helped by the small size allowing tons of detail to be crammed in. The Turning of The Leaves is my favourite, with Alcazar as second, and A Midsummer Night's Heist and The Cinder Notes follow close behind them.
klatremus on 14/1/2021 at 00:58
Thanks! I agree with all of your scores (+/-1) except for Sinister Night, which for me came much lower. I haven't played Cinder Notes yet, but looking forward to it.
Iceblade on 7/4/2024 at 20:54
I'm noticing that it is not easy to access Thief-TheCircle reviews (particularly ones before 2005). Should we incorporate these reviews here to consolidate all of the (English) reviews in one place? Either incorporate them here as link to the T-tC pages or provide them as posts?
Iceblade on 9/4/2024 at 23:45
Thief 1 Assassination
Review by Greyhawk - Posted 9/3/1999
4.00 Hammers
(
https://www.ttlg.com/downloads/thief/missions/assass/assass.asp)
Pros: One nicely hidden door opener, good lighting generally,adequately decorated rooms, nice trees for the front yard
Cons: Lots of HOM and flickering of buildings in some areas, no sound for many doors,locks and even rooms, simplistic building design and layout and impossible to finish!! Bottom Line: This level could have used a lot of polishing and testing before its release. If you absolutely MUST collect every fan-made level, here you go. In my mind its not worth the time to download - go play some silver or even higher-rated bronze hammer missions and have some fun, instead. Definitely not for the discerning Thief player!
Thief 1 Dark Walker
Review by Greyhawk - Posted 9/14/1999
4.00 Hammers
(
https://www.ttlg.com/downloads/thief/missions/darkwalk/darkwalk.asp)
Pros: There are a few tense and interesting gameplay moments and the use of non-standard door openers was refreshing. You actually have to watch the guards movements carefully to succeed.
Cons: It is WAY too dark in most areas! Some switches are very obtuse and non-intuitive, with no clues or hints as to their location. Gameplay is very linear. A story and a plot would go a long way to improve one's enjoyment.
Bottom Line: A small and plain level, but it is still enjoyable to play. A nice diversion for a half-hour, but not as complex as most levels out there. Bring a flashlight!
Thief 1 Lord Edmund Entertains
Review by Greyhawk - Posted 10/4/1999
9.50 Hammers
(
https://www.ttlg.com/downloads/thief/missions/edmund/)
Pros: An excellent and horrifying story and plot, with lots of interesting and complex puzzles to solve. This will engage your brain while also exercising your Thief skills. Very complete in terms of appropriate architechture and room decorations, and in terms of having everything (locks, doors, puzzles) in good working order. The new added sounds and graphics are done very well and integrate into the Thief world seamlessly and improve gameplay immensely.
Cons: One very minor problem with a shutter door (Does not hamper gameplay at all though). I only wish that it was larger with more areas to explore - I was definitely left wanting more of this excellent level...
Bottom Line: Download this level immediately - you will not be disappointed. Banshee has raised the bar for all future Thief level designers. This was the most engrossing and fun level I've had the pleasure to play yet, and easily as much fun as some of the original Thief levels.