MoroseTroll on 28/7/2013 at 15:36

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Hello Thief Developers,

The two thousand members of Darkfate, the biggest Russian Thief series support community, have been following the news on the new Thief game with interest, and would like to offer some suggestions for your consideration. We would be very grateful if you would take the time to read them.


Darkfate Suggestions

Playability

1. The possibility of playing in different styles: ‘Sneak, Slay, Speak’ (i.e. ‘stealth’, ‘combat’ or ‘dialogue-driven’ gameplay). Also the possibility of playing as different characters with their own unique stories and quests.
2. The possibility of upgrading Garrett's skills and gaining experience points by successful stealth actions, e.g. careful pickpocketing, unnoticed knockouts, lockpicking, - but not for lethal actions.
3. Retain the Hammerite, Keeper and Pagan factions from the previous games in the Thief series. Provide for magic, zombies, burricks, glyphs and everything analogous from the first games.
4. Variable play: more than two methods of achieving the main objectives. For example, an objective to ‘enter a manor’ could be achieved by a number of choices: entry through a roof, or a window, or a sewer etc.
5. Bring back the sword (preferably) or a dagger, for the quick elimination of guards.
6. If Garrett is given an assignment by a client and there is a separate objective to get a certain amount of loot, some of the stolen loot should go to the ‘client’, and the remainder of the loot could be counted as cash for buying weaponry and equipment for the next mission. This will create a stimulus for completing side quests.
7. On maximum difficulty level, the player should be prohibited from killing guards. Also the following should not be available:
- Tips;
- Focus;
- Concentration;
- Highlighting all routes and highlighting loot (at medium and long distances);
- Quick movements from shadow to shadow;
- Slow motion;
- Showing the potential trajectory of items that can be thrown.
- Crosshair.
8. On maximum difficulty level, the ability to gain access to a secret area that is usually inaccessible, by being able to acquire special means to do that. This area would not be available on other levels.
9. Provide the possibility of supplying a tool such as a pinch bar capable of opening flimsy doors, which Garrett could use to push windows up.
10. In-game shop (possibility to buy food, weapons, equipment, tools, maps etc).

Guard Interaction

11. Provide flashbombs or similar tools for a non-lethal effect on guards.
12. On maximum difficulty level, two hits from a guard should kill Garrett.
13. Guards' helmets should protect against arrows and sword blows. After a sword or arrow hits a helmet or armour, then there should be an appropriate sound and arrows should bounce.
14. On high difficulty levels, once guards have noticed Garrett, they should continuously search for him.
15. Guards' patrol routes and reactions should change after each alert.
16. Guards should light up a doused torch.
17. Guards should also search the area above their heads.
18. When alerted, guards should leave their patrol routes and search all likely places.
19. Guards should react to falling items caused by any of Garrett's activity.
20. On high difficulty levels, guards should all attack together and not wait for Garrett's ‘Concentration’ to reload.
21. Interactive pickpockets. Example: On a first skill level - the automatic alert of the pickpocketed AI after a short time has passed. Second skill level – the ability to take an item without cutting it off resulting in a longer period of time before the AI alerts. Third skill level - swapping the item for a similar one (in mass) which would have a very low probability of AI alert).
22. Visualisation of the pickpocketing process by hands animation rather than a ‘progress bar’.
23. Guards should react to Garrett’s shadow.
24. When Garrett moves, his visibility to guards should increase and when moving into light, should correspondingly increase up to a critical level.
25. Give guards the ability to climb up on obstacles, including ropes. At the least, a guard should wait for the player and call for guards with fire arrows to illuminate the place and kill the intruder; also give the ability for them to force Garrett down from trees and ledges.
26. If Garrett is in shadow but near an illuminated surface, he should be detectable when in guards' field of view.
27. Garrett should be able to change into guards' clothes for intrusion purposes.
28. Knocked out guards should ‘regain consciousness’ by themselves after some time, or be ‘woken up’ if discovered by other guards.
29. Bodies of dead/knocked-out guards should be detectable even in complete darkness, if another guard walks on the body.
30. Have the possibility of carrying bodies as it was done in previous Thief games (on Garrett's back).
31. After the murder of a guard, blood stains on the floor should be left and should be detectable by other guards.
32. Guards should have a good opportunity of noticing that Garrett has stolen something on display and look for the stolen item until they find it.
33. If Garrett walks on snow, water or blood, he should leave footprints which guards react to.
34. When hearing Garrett's footsteps, guard responses should be realistic. They should not immediately suspect a thief but should be suspicious and question who has made the noise. A guard should continue to question but not go into search mode unless a suspicious person is actually seen.
35. On high difficulty levels, dogs and other animals should detect Garrett not only visually, but by sound and smell in complete darkness (sensitivity levels should be much higher than the corresponding guards' levels). However, Garrett should have the tools and abilities to deodorize himself or for poisoning and/or mercy killing the animals.
36. NPC in-game interaction: e.g. a wounded guard should run away for help and after getting another guard, both of them should then attack Garrett.

Graphics, Physical models, Interaction

37. Rewrite particle effects animation of dousing with a water arrow and a fire arrow explosion.
38. Draw the appropriate texture for the rope of a rope arrow.
39. Aiming instability: the firing angle should depend on distance.
40. During scripted animated actions, Garrett should be able to stop the script scene immediately (so the player retakes control) by pressing any key.
41. Ability of providing the necessary strike power to knock out a foe. If there is excessive use of force, there should be lethal consequences for the victim. On the highest difficulty level, if there is no blackjack, provide for the ability to knock someone out with a blow from the hands, only being able to hit specific spots. These spots should not be highlighted. If the correct place isn’t hit then the knock out doesn’t happen and the victim is alerted. Also, provide for an ability to knock out or kill with heavy items instead of a blackjack.
42. Mantling should be not an automated process but controlled by the player,
43. Greatly decrease the climbing speed for obstacles which are higher than Garrett's waist.
44. Provide a hook which can be thrown anywhere (either by throwing it with a rope or shooting it with a crossbow) to cling to various obstacles (wood, stone and metal surfaces) in accordance with a real physical model.
45. Rope arrows should stick to any wooden surface.
46. Ability to climb trees and hide in trees.
47. Garrett must be able to swim underwater.
48. Remove Garrett's outstretched hands whilst moving.

Interface

49. The weapon selection screen should not cover the majority of the screen.
50. Provide for switching to the old interface with the visibility indicator at the centre of the bottom of the screen.
51. Remove inventory limitation for the quantity of carried items: weapons, tools, arrows, other items.
52. Divide the inventory into several sacks/backpacks of a specified weight (so that they can be carried separately) and adjust for movement speed and probability of being detected depending on the weight being carried. In this way, everything can be carried out but not in one go.
53. Provide the ability to save at any point in the game.
54. Be able to switch between first and third person view.
55. Statistics at the end of each mission showing as much useful information as possible.

Sound

56. Footstep sound should reflect the surface Garrett moves on and his body position (i.e. standing up or crouching).
57. Change Garrett's voice timbre to that of Stephen Russell's.

Level editor

58. Please release a complete level editor with the game.

Regards from the Darkfate Community.

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Big thanks to nickie for her help :).

MoroseTroll on 28/7/2013 at 18:43

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Um... What?
Yes, I'm aware about that :(. OTOH, I think it's better to let them know what we, taffers, would like to see, than to let them think that we'll buy anything they'll create. Yes, I remember that we do that all the time since 2007, but this time our reaction is a little bit specific :).
No problem :).

MoroseTroll on 28/7/2013 at 19:14

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Yes, I know this, too :(.
Let's hope they'll answer, at least. The game is in it's active development phase just for two years, so who knows...

Chade on 28/7/2013 at 20:14

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We don't know for certain why they've made the decisions they have, but I think we can be pretty confident that it has nothing whatsoever to do with "fan whining".

Chade on 29/7/2013 at 07:04

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Parasite accounts? Who? What does that even mean?

Source for an EM employee accusing people of "conspiring"?

Sticking to a timetable for releasing information is the norm now.