Thief 4 soon to be announced!?

Have you played the originals? Other than Robbing the Cradle and the House of the Widow Moria most of the levels in "Thief: Deadly Shadows" blew chunks. Even the big levels felt tiny and the design, gameplay, and story just doesn't fit with the previous games. The pagan and lost city levels were a joke.

The cradle easily the scariest map i've ever played in a game, but otherwise Thief3 was way below par, it was massively dumbed down for the consoles and the quality of the game suffered because of it.
 
I managed to miss the entire Thief series. Reading through everyone's posts here though, they seem to be in the same category of games like Deus Ex and System Shock: old school must-play PC games. When I manage to find some time away from my busy life that isn't taken up by SF4 or RE5, I should definitely pick up the series.
 
Apparently serious rumors about the start of another Thief game began a year ago. Some dude owned the thief4.com domain name and sold it to a 3rd party who ended up selling it to Eidos, who registered it in Dec 2008.

Hopefully they actually have something to show at E3, not just CGI trailers, but either way a Thief 4 announcement will shoot to the top of my anticipated future games list. I'm guessing 4th quarter 2010 release date. http://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=120596

Thief 3 had some good levels. I actually liked the pagan faction. But the originals had better maps with more puzzles and reward for unique strategy. The secrets in Thief 1 and 2 were a bit subtler than 3. Some of the larger undead levels in Thief 1/Gold were quite easy to get lost in. From what I've read, the 64mb of Xbox limited the way the levels could be designed. The loading cells were not condusive to classic Thief gameplay. Deus Ex 2 had the same problem. They used the same engine. The originals used custom dark engine. I suppose Thief 4 will likely use modified UT3 or some rubbish ?

As long as they're not terrible, I couldn't care less about Thief 4's graphics. It's more important to nail the overall Thief atmosphere and gameplay design. The sneaking and stealth have to be perfect. The omission of rope arrows in Thief 3 was a bad decision. They need to balance the items too. IMO it was a little too easy to go rambo in Thief 3. That was great in the originals, the start of the mission was like CS. What items you purchased had a big impact on how you explored the level. I'd like to see more depth added to this. The mechanical eye introduced in thief 2 was awesome. We need more gadgets, arrows, and situational tools. Maybe not everything can be purchased but include improvised items hidden inside some levels. Like what if you found cans of oil. Let the player use it to booby trap hallways. If some guards are chasing you, they'll slip and fall aiding your escape. Or the opportunity to bribe your way past a guard dog with bacon snatched from the Lord's kitchen. And of course keep all the humour and intrigue from conversations, notes and inside stories you follow in the game.
 
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I suppose Thief 4 will likely use modified UT3 or some rubbish ?
Probably a good guess. I might guess that id Tech 5 might be an overall better candidate, but I don't know if id has even started Tech 5 licensing.

To be honest, I just want to know who's producing it. I don't care what engine it's running on and what new features they're adding in -- I just want to know who's holding the reigns on this one.
 
Thief 3 was fucked up? Had some of the best levels ever.

IIRC, I hated Thief 3 because in the town proper there were infinite guards to avoid.. The thing I loved about Thief 1 and 2 was putting out the lights of everybody in the level, so I could move around freely. With Thief 3, all I could do was create an alleyway filled with stacks of unconscious guards 5 deep.
 
Thief 3 had some good levels like Shalebridge Orphanage. The graphics were certainly improved from Thief 1 and 2 but the interface was too gamey. The story and plot exposition weren't bad, but overall the gameplay wasn't as tight as the Looking Glass originals.
I like the old way with each mission as a separate job with a briefing and cut scene. It's too easy when you can carry items over throughout the game, like in Thief 3.

I believe Eidos Montreal is making Thief 4. Curiously enough, they've already announced Deus Ex 3. It's uncanny. Like last generation, one studio is creating both a DX and Thief game. Anyone know if Eidos bought the licenses directly from Ion Storm ?
 
IIRC, I hated Thief 3 because in the town proper there were infinite guards to avoid.. The thing I loved about Thief 1 and 2 was putting out the lights of everybody in the level, so I could move around freely. With Thief 3, all I could do was create an alleyway filled with stacks of unconscious guards 5 deep.

That's what I would do, it would be an immense challenge to knock everyone out with the blackjack and pile the bodies in a dark recess! I wouldn't be satified until I had found all the loot on each level, I think it appealed to the kleptomaniac in me!
 
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Thief 3 was worth it just for the Shalebridge Cradle level alone, which is one of the best single player levels ever designed in any videogame, ever. While the game could obviously not live up to the high expectations people had for it, it was still a worthy enough game to bear the Thief name.

Stereophile said:
No rope arrows = no buy.
They did originally have rope arrows in the development stages of the game, but had to remove it(probably because of design issues). The game files have the disabled data for the rope arrows in the retail release. Some parts of some levels you could see places where rope arrows were obviously meant to be originally used.

They definitely tried with Thief 3, especially compared to the shit storm that was DeusEx:IW.
 
They did originally have rope arrows in the development stages of the game, but had to remove it(probably because of design issues). The game files have the disabled data for the rope arrows in the retail release. Some parts of some levels
used.

It's been a while, but at the time, I remember hearing they planned to have rope arrows, but couldn't get them working in the engine properly.
 
It's been a while, but at the time, I remember hearing they planned to have rope arrows, but couldn't get them working in the engine properly.

Along with swimmable water, several of the gadgets from Thief II, and the ragdoll physics...

Thief: Deadly Shadows had some of the goofiest ragdoll physics I've ever seen.
 
Thief: Deadly Shadows had some of the goofiest ragdoll physics I've ever seen.

Rogdolls were a relatively new innovation when the game came out. Ragdolls in Thief 3 were appalling, dead enemies twitching and flicking around all over the place when dropped. It kind of ruined the atmosphere, believability and escapism
 
Would be nice. I still remember playing Thief 2 with my Real3D glasses and my TNT2 back in the day. Man, that game looked fantastic late at night in the dark :)
 
Would be nice. I still remember playing Thief 2 with my Real3D glasses and my TNT2 back in the day. Man, that game looked fantastic late at night in the dark :)

It was essential to play the game in the dark as I couldn't see a bloody thing otherwise. I have great memories playing the first 2 games late into the night here too.
 
I really would like to see another Thief game that is just like the first two were.. But we all know they'll turn it into an Oblivion-style action-RPG. :D
 
Call me a cynic, a glass-half-empty guy, or just a troll, but I can't realistically expect a new entry in the Thief series that'll be any good. Maybe back in 1999/2000 when things were different -- when nearly every game wasn't catered exclusively to console users -- but this is 2009. I'm a realist here.

Agree, I loved the first and second, the third was kinda boring.
 
BRING BACK REVENANT! Locke D'Averam must live!

Oh damn. I thought I was the only one that loved that game. Sadly, my game is sprouted legs and disappeared. Can't find any place that sells a coppy. :(
 
They need to keep a free-roaming atmosphere, but not CONSTRICT it to umpteen different loading portions. That's not free-roaming. Theif 1 and 2 truly had some HUGE mission maps. There were literally NO loading times in one mission map. I could go from the end of a level all the way back to the beginning of the map where I started. This is something I have yet to see a game accomplish to this day.

In addition, the ONLY thing that saved Thief 3 from being a total waste was the storyline as well as the cutscenes. Otherwise, the game was total crap, and is not even worthy of being called "Thief". Having said that, it's generally agreed that Shalebridge Cradle is the best level in any game, of all time. I can't forget walking up a twisted stairwell and hearing knocking noises. I literally froze and turned around and asked my sisters if someone was knocking on the door. :D

Believe it or not, to this day, my brothers and sisters still play Thief 1 and 2, as well as most fanmissions they are able to get their hands on. Thief was a fantastic series, and with this opportunity to make another game in the series, they had best not screw it up.
 
Having said that, it's generally agreed that Shalebridge Cradle is the best level in any game, of all time. I can't forget walking up a twisted stairwell and hearing knocking noises. I literally froze and turned around and asked my sisters if someone was knocking on the door. :D

Truth

I wrote an account of Shalebridge Cradle on the thief forums, let me see if I can dig it up.

*edit*

Found it. It's a longun

***WARNING SPOILERS THROUGOUT*

This mission is great i must say, i've never jumped and screamed (yes screamed, lol) in my entire life.

Theres several other games which are scary, like the doom 3 alpha for any of you who've played that, but once you've seen a zombie and taken him out you realise that really you're a tough muva and can handle yourself.

Thief puts you in the position where you can kill them but its risky to try.

My experience with the level is really funny when you look back on it. And i'd also like to say that i had watched the film Gothika not last night for the first time, i SWEAR, no joke. Scary movie and all in all NOT the sort of movie you want to watch just before you get to this level in thief.

Started the map, thought, ok this is probably going to be scary, its an insane asylum which was previously a nursery (or something like that i cant remember now) so theres going to be freaky ghost kids running around basically scaring the living ****e outta me.

Searched the grounds first, though i'd check for multiple enterances, and short of scaling the walls to find any high up ways in i decided the basement enterance would be best.

This is way into the night around midnight, im playing with full hardware 5.1 surround with my speakers all setup correctly, the rear speakers being about a foot behind me, so it sounds like things behind me are literaly right behind my shoulder. Addiitionally im an easily scared person, i really get into games and fear for my characters safty. Besides its late, dark, the lights are off and theres no one else around in the house ¬_¬

So i creep down the first step....F10, quicksave

Creep down the second step, FLIP 180 DEGREES INSTANTLY to check to see if the trapdoors have closed behind me locking me in....nope not the case, suddenly realise i have my back to the darkness FLIP BACK ROUND 180 degrees in fear of some ghost like kid running at me.

Phew no, im realivly safe, feeling quite good about conqering the 2nd step down into the basement here...

Repeat a few times untill i've reached the bottom of the steps....F10, quicksave again.

Get the courage up to sneak forward, its relativly dark, but i'll stick to the walls just incase.

Sneak forward...

Sneak forward...

Sneak forward...

F10

Sneak forward...

Sneak forward...

Sneak fo - GHOSTLY SOUNDS OMFG OISDHFOISDHFOIUSIFS!!!!!!

TURN

AND RUN BACK OUT...

Ok that wasnt so bad, im still alive, although its fairly safe to assume i've pissed of some sort of spirit or ghost by entering his domain, in all fairness i don't own the place, i should leave right?

So after being almost terrified out of my skull i work up the courage to enter again, a few more quicksaves as i aproach the enterance, look down, F10, step in again, F10, creep forward a bit, F10...

Ghostly sounds again!!! turning left and right frantically, THAT SHADOW THERE...its being all shadow like....no...no ghosts hiding in that ok im over reacting.

Well took me a good 20 odd minutes to check the first few basement floors, using my stylish cower and retreat tactics.

Deep into the basement now, oh my first bit of loot a few candle sticks sitting on a ledge inside this room. Brains working overtime on this now...

Is it a trap, do they want to scare the living crap outta me this early on into the level? Is a ghost girl all mangled up gonna walk out the wall towards me saying "come play with me Frosty" as i move towards the loot....no im probbaly safe.......probably...yeah im safe right? I have my quickload if anything happens right?

...yeah, which reminds me, F10.

So i nab the loot, quite pleased with myself that nothing had yet happned, yet still somehow more wound up knowing the first big scare is yet to come.

Better Check the rest of this room out right? Turn the corner of the inside wall aaaaaannd

OH MY ****ING GOD ITS A HUMAN HEAD RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!!! no...no wait...no..

thats a wall light which just happens to be big and head shaped at roughly the same height as a head... Great so theres going to be more of these strune around the place, better watch out for them.

Turn and round and bump into a large cage with a door, OK....seems a bit freaky to me, its a cage in all fairness its theres to keep things in, so i'll let it do its job and leave it firmly closed, since there appears to be nothing inside of interest, apart from maybe a ghost i can't see yet.

Work my way around the basement eventually getting out up the ladder through the lobby area, ok nothing terribly interesting here, hang on wasnt there a spiral stair case near the enterance?

So i go back down check that out, move up it only to start hearing...

clomp...clomp...clomp...clomp...*****...clomp...THI S...clomp...

OK RETREAT, i don't care if *IT* hears me legging it down these stairs, the exit is this way, im nice and safe near that, ruuuuuuun!!

Sit at the bottom of the stairs for a little while...now did whatever it was making them running noises hear me run away and come looking for me, in which case this freaky ghost/zombie person might be half way up these rather crampt staircase...maybe only one way to find out.

Make my way back up, scout out the floor slowly, constant clomping noises which sound like a childs feet on a wood floor above me. Ok so this might just be part of the scary atmospheric music in the level, it might not actually be anything like most of these voices so far.

Ok so the clomping seems most load near this second spiral staircase going even further up, well we'll avoid this for now, lets check out where the other ways go. Scout out the rest of the level, see it links together, ok so i need a fuse and the only way left is up that spiral staircase towards the clomping sounds.

Ok at the bottom of the spiral staircase again.......F10

About 27 F10's later i reach the door, brace myself and open, holy mother of god its an attic, when has an attic ever been a good place in films a games? Not a lot of shadows for an attic, so i creep forwards......hey that clomping has stopped and i cant see anything.....apart........from...............oh no..

A Big Box on the other side of the room, ok mental images of a chopped up little girl inside or some tortured soul type gimp like of pulp fiction, someone who in all liklyhood isnt going to be please to see me.

Ok so keep your eyes on the box, if it moves or tips over then you know where the door is...

Inch into the room a few cm and

BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!OIDFIODSoisdfoois dglkjdoijpdkfgnaknfgkg whack esc...

Never jumped so much in my life!

ok carry on playing, resume the game, banging stops almost emdiatly. So im thinking, right box is a last resort i probably want to do everything to make sure i leave that till the last moment...ohh a painting, i'll nick that first THEN go near the box.

"Heh heh heh heh" i think to myself, my loot...

*click*

Girls ghosly voice...annnnnd **** myself, this room is on the verge of giving me a heart attack.

Blue glowing effect with a GOD DAMN SHADOW!!!! well this isnt good, anyways she seems friendly enough, calm down and listen, get my new objectives, she wants her blood back. Ok time to grab the fuse and trek back the cella. Get her blood, ok its still warm....thats not disturbing in the least...

Fuse back in and FHOOOOOMM!!!! all the lights on..

Great my only means of hidng has gone down the drain, a bit of F1, get my flash bangs at the ready, anything that comes near me is gonna get a few of these in the face leaving me time to retreat back outta here.

Up through the gate into the new area, load it up give my heart a few seconds to help it return back to normal, and its done loading, resume my previous crawl through the level like a coward tactic.

So i move foward carefully and goto the left doorway, hey its bright through there in that room, i'll stick to my doorway for now...ohh look a counter with a book on it, i really should go an read that. So i inch into the room while drawling, theres a light source behind the counter back a ways AND...MY...HEART...STOPS!

A bloody shilouette of a head and shoulders flys past somewhere at the back of the counter, ok so theres actual physical "things" around here and they probably want to be left alone. Retreat back into the room near the loading area....ohhh theres a ladder here, i didn't notice that a few seconds ago, i'll check this way out first theres no moving shadows in this direction.

So i climb up take a quick look around, my heart is really racing by now, theres still freaky back ground noises, its rather dark up here and theres a balcony, creep towards that and decide its probably a bad idea to look any closer, ok so theres nothing else up here that i cna see, back down the ladder, lah de dah, down the ladder we go, ho hum....I get to the bottom of the ladder and flip around only to be greeted FACE TO FACE with GOD KNOWS WHAT ITS TOO DAMN DARK IN HERE TO WORK OUT WHAT IT IS, im not kidding i actually screamed at this point, it smacked me in the face......you'll never see someone hit the quickload button as fast as that.

Little did i know that whatever it was, its patrol route actually comes through the door and into the room where it warms its hand on the fire place which looks to be magical.

Anyways i loaded and decided enough was enough, i can't be doing with this, being scared every 3 1/2 seconds, time to make a stand, lie in wait with some fire arrows (which i'd saved up and had about 15 of) here it comes still cant really see what it is its too dark in this room, hahahaah SUCK FIRE ARROW SUCKER, "goodbye" i shout as it fwaps it dead in the head....uh-oh, its still coming and now its pissed of, RELOAD!!! Second fire arrow direct hit! boom, down ya go sucker.

Quite pleased with the outcome i sneak into the next area, goto the left and theres what looks like holding cells, great theres another one of these suckers, fire arrow his ass to the floor.

Ok so i've just watched gothika the night before, a lesson to be learnt if ever i saw one, looking into dark cells which contain mental patients is just asking for trouble...but on the other hand theres no way im giving up the chance to find out whats in the room before i open the door, so i kinda look through the slit from afar, think to myself "hmmm no lets check the rest of the room out first" turn to look down the corridoor only to see one of the mental patients charging akwardly at me in full light, to late for fire arrows he's getting to close, what the hell do i do AND QUICKLOAD!!!

Im not sure if the dude i had just put on the floor had gotten back up or if it was a scriped sequence that spawned one when you looked through the gap in the door, either way it scared the crap outta me.

Anyways i decided not to go any further, i've not played the rest of the level yet but its definatly been the most scary level in any game yet, even scarier than some of the marine missions in AVP and AVP2. Im pretty nerve wrecked now, alhtough it has been fun, looking back on what i've played so far its very funny to recall whats happened, hope you enjoyed reading about my misfortune with this level so far, if anything else funny happens with the rest of the level i'll try adn remember to let you guys know.

Great level, thumbs up (sorry about long post)
 
UPDATE!!

Thief 4 officially uncloaked
By , GameSpot UK Posted May 11, 2009 7:45 am PT
Eidos Montreal developing house crafting the cutpurse Garrett's new adventure; release date, platforms, gameplay details still under wraps.

For almost a year it has been an open secret that Eidos Montreal has been working on a new entry in the Thief franchise, when it issued a teaser notice explaining that its next project would begin with the letter 'T". Nothing was then heard officially about the project until last month, when yet another teaser was posted by Eidos Montreal, followed by a print advertisement indicating news was coming today, May 11.



Today, the sequel was finally officially confirmed by Eidos Montreal, the Quebecois studio of the Japanese-owned British publisher. "We're in the early development stages for Thief 4," said Stephane D'Astous, the shop's general manager. "While it's too early for us to offer any specific game details, right now we are focused on recruiting the very best talent to join the core team at the studio."

The Thief franchise began life in 1998 with the highly rated Thief: The Dark Project, developed by Looking Glass Studios. The now-defunct shop released Thief II: The Metal Age two years later, followed by 2004's Thief: Deadly Shadows from Austin, Texas-based Ion Storm, which was shut down by owner Eidos in 2005. Series protagonist Garrett was rated one of the best game heroes ever in GameSpot's Greatest Games of All Time feature.

Eidos Montreal was founded in February 2007, and was revealed in November of that year to be working another new game in a classic series, Deus Ex 3, due out in fall 2010.
 
YES !!!

Does anyone know if any of the original Looking Glass / Ion Storm guys are involved with Eidos Montreal?
 
wow. I can't believe it. Probably the only game I will be looking foward to in a LONG time. I repurchased Thief 1 and 2 and I have a perfect copy of thief deadly shadows still hanging out. Best games ever.
 
Which of the Thief series will run on an Acer Aspire One?
 
I played all the way thru the first instalment of the Thief series and it was one of the few games that kind of wierded me out .. never got all the way thru the second one ..and barely started the 3rd ..

..it seems the older I get , the less time I have for games like these that seem to require you to play hours at a time to truly get the "immersion" effect .... playing 5 minutes here and there I can't keep track of what exactly I'm supposed to be doing and what it is I'm suppose to find to accomplish my task ..etc.. :(
 
Which of the Thief series will run on an Acer Aspire One?

As far as I know, none. The first two won't install in an NT based OS (I'm assuming you have XP), and the third one reqires more graphics capabilities than you have.

EDIT: did a google search for "thief XP", and saw a couple of things you might try to get the first two to work in XP.......but YMMV.
 
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I didn't even try to get it to work right in XP. I have a WinME box dedicated to this job.
 
UPDATE!!


Today, the sequel was finally officially confirmed by Eidos Montreal, the Quebecois studio of the Japanese-owned British publisher. "We're in the early development stages for Thief 4," said Stephane D'Astous, the shop's general manager. "While it's too early for us to offer any specific game details, right now we are focused on recruiting the very best talent to join the core team at the studio."

Great, it's official. I hope they get some of the original talent on board.

It's going be a long old wait though. I almost wish I didn't know about it until it was almost ready, such a tease.
 
I played all the way thru the first instalment of the Thief series and it was one of the few games that kind of wierded me out .. never got all the way thru the second one ..and barely started the 3rd ..

..it seems the older I get , the less time I have for games like these that seem to require you to play hours at a time to truly get the "immersion" effect .... playing 5 minutes here and there I can't keep track of what exactly I'm supposed to be doing and what it is I'm suppose to find to accomplish my task ..etc.. :(

Thief: The Dark Project is a bit weird like that, lots of supernatural stuff and big open levels to explore.

You may enjoy Thief II more. The levels are still big and open but there's more focus on human-centered missions. There are also a couple hundred fan-made missions you can try, many of which are even better than the official missions.
 
There are also a couple hundred fan-made missions you can try, many of which are even better than the official missions.

A fan group made a full blown expansion to Thief 2.

It's called Shadows of the Metal Age and has 13 all new levels, with quality voice acting, writing, new characters, even cut scenes. Only thing is you don't play as Garrett. You're a female, Zaya.

You just need Thief 2 installed.

http://www.thief2x.com/default2.asp
 
I didn't even try to get it to work right in XP. I have a WinME box dedicated to this job.

Thief 1 and 2 both work in vista and XP. Most of the problems stem from multi-core processors and there is a tweak file you can make to permanently fix the issue. There's also a fix for deadly shadows.
 
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