Thief (4) Features. What we know is in, what we know is out. - by SubJeff
SubJeff on 20/4/2013 at 14:31
So I noticed that people sometimes miss the things that are in the previews and I've decided to start a Thief feature list. This is because the info is leaking slowly and if you want all the news it'd be good to have it in one place. This isn't an article list, but a gameplay and lore feature list. Hey, that's what matters, right?
Provisionally I'm splitting it into these sections. Post your findings in the Thread and I'll update it.
Items in red are those I consider to be, for want of a better description, poor choices on EM's part.
Gameplay* Stealth in Darkness - yes, seems to be an approximation of the Thief 1 and 2 mechanic.
* Different surfaces affect the sound you make, just like in T1,2 and 3.
* Third Person - in certain circumstances like climbing. Can it be turned off - unknown (hopefully it can!)
* Focus - allows time slowing and enhanced abilities. A finite resource, appears replenished by poppies. Can be turned off!
* Light awareness. Currently this is in two parts.
* Lightgem - yes, has at least 3 light states.
* The Cloak - a full screen stealth indicator. Appears to be dark when you are hidden and "flashes" when it changes state.
Tools* Blackjack - Used in all melee combat. No other melee weapon revealed yet.
* Bladed weapon - not at the moment.
* Crowbar - used for climbing (see below) and for opening things.
* Lockpicks - yes, and a lock-picking mini-game.
* Claw - a grappling hook a bit like a faster rope arrow. We don't know what surfaces it can latch onto or if it only attaches to certain points.
* Bow - used to fire arrows. Has an on screen reticle instead of a bow sight. Ugh. :eww:
* Arrow types:
* Water - yes.
* Broadheads - yes.
* Rope - yes, but severely nerfed. Can only be used a certain points.
* Smoke - for cover and distraction.
* Fire - yes, details unknown.
* Moss -?
* Null type - the latest demo footage has shown what looks like a "null" arrow in the inventory; arrows that have no tips, yet?
Movement * Jumping - contextual! Yes, can you frakking believe it!?
* Lean - contextual, works on corners and roofs so you can lean over things and around things. Appears to still keep you hidden.
* Mantling - contextual
* Dive forwards - there is a Blink-like quick movement that allows you to quickly jump/dive in order to get into cover quicker. How much can we use it?
* Climbing - ability to climb trelesses, so likely other things too. Aided by the Crowbar.
* Animation locked movements - such as door opening. How restrictive does this feel?
* Time delayed pick-pocketing. A nice idea in principle but in the demos the timer looks like an app loading wheel! Immersion breaker!
* Lock picking. A mini-game that also has an immersion breaking interface, unless you use Focus which then offers a different view. We shouldn't have to use Focus for it to look good guys!
Contextual jumping, leaning and mantling is a travestyCouple this with the fixed rope arrow points and the entire freeform exploratory aspect of Thief has been destroyed.
If this really works out the way it is described this game will not be a Thief game as we know it. EM have messed up royally here. Thief DNA? I think the PCR machine was contaminated!
I hope someone from EM comes over to clarify this.
Combat* Takedowns - automatic knockouts, mostly in third person a la Deus Ex it seems :( Are Takedowns for special occasions? Do they use Focus? Can you Takedown multiple opponents at once a la Deus Ex?
* First Person Blackjacking - this is in. Why is it different to the Takedowns? Is it "freeform" like in Thief 1 and 2 or do you "Press X to blackjack"?
* Melee - uses the blackjack as far as we can tell.
* Focus combat - slowed down melee with a critical point targeting system. Uses Focus.
Setting and Lore* The City - Thief is set in The City. This will be large and open with many buildings explorable ((
http://m.guardian.co.uk/technology/gamesblog/2013/apr/15/thief-preview-part-one)). With Next Gen Tech EM say there will be no loading zones.
* Glyphs - yes. They are mentioned in many of the previews and Garrett's gloves have glyphs on them.
* Pagans -?
* Hammerites -?
* Mechanists - ?
* City Watch - yes.
* Victoria/Trickster - ?
* Iron-fisted Baron now rules the city
* Baron crushes City's citizens through militarized watch
Art and sound* Stephen Russell - No. :(
* Musical style - seems fairly ambient but its not like the originals :(
SubJeff on 20/4/2013 at 14:34
When I get the chance I'll go through the articles thread and see what else I can find.
thiefessa on 20/4/2013 at 14:39
Post Of The Day! :cool:
Thank you. This is going to be very useful for all of us. :thumb:
demagogue on 20/4/2013 at 14:59
I think you could use a more neutral term for the lightgem, like "light awareness", since T4's feature sounds different enough... It's a full screen effect. We don't know if it's analog (spectrum of values of increasing light) or digital (in light / in dark), and it has a little flash when you step into light.
Can you find a quote on the blackjack? And what it's like? I've seen a screenshot of something blunt appearing to hit a guard, but what do we know about it? Is it something the player actually swings, or is it part of a takedown event?
They've mentioned beam-lock as a feature. Some of the reviews talked about other possible parkour moves or situated-action in the parkour sequence of the level they played. So look out for anything on that. I think lean might have been mentioned as a situated-action at corners? (And things like pulling a curtain aside... That was my understanding of the 'hands' screenshots.) Maybe situated wall-hug? Sorry I'm asking so many as questions; just things I thought I read but not 100% sure.
thiefessa on 20/4/2013 at 15:09
Here is blackjack confirmation, but no specific details on how we use it.
Quote:
Fighting/combatIf you choose to take the fighting/combat approach you’ll be challenged by both the guards and the environment/level design - people are certainly going to react to your behavior!
Fans will be happy to hear that old school style melee combat is still there like the classic Thief games, and it’s just as challenging.
The blackjack is back as well! We’ve also added an extra layer on top of that to empower the player, Garrett has the option to use his Focus ability to give him a temporary advantage if players choose – but it comes at a cost.
(
http://forums.eidosgames.com/showthread.php?t=118236)
SubJeff on 20/4/2013 at 15:23
dema, there is a lightgem AND the full screen light awareness thing, know as the Cloak.
demagogue on 20/4/2013 at 16:17
I just recall this from the Game Informer article:
"- Garrett crouches behind crates, which results in a dark tint covering the screen to show that you're hiding safely"
I guess that's the cloak. I didn't read anything sounding like a light gem in addition to it though.
In any event, (
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=519261) this post is a great resource for this thread. (Possible spoilers for the level it's talking about.)
Edit: Add these things to the feature list:
- Lockpicking mini-game. Align the tumblers of a lock until it opens
- smoke-starter arrow: cover and a distraction
- Claw: grapple attaches to certain points
- Glyphs, connected to focus: (possible spoilers for the level).
[spoiler]
- He then uses Focus to look at the wall Eastwick is examining
- Focus shows a mysterious symbol written on the wall in blue energy
- Symbol corresponds to one of the runes written on the medallion
- Garrett turns a band of the medallion to line up that rune with an arrow, but the medallion then begins to glow with a similar blue energy
- Four adjacent rooms show four more symbols to line up
- After the last symbol is in place, the medallion whirls and spins
[/spoiler]
On the lore side:
- Iron-fisted Baron now rules the city
- Baron crushes City's citizens through militarized watch
SubJeff on 20/4/2013 at 18:30
Yes, you're correct.
Updated.
