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    Tuesday - 06.15.1999
    Thief Makes the Cover! - 11:35pm EST - Nightfall
Garrett's stone cold face graced the cover of the July Issue of Game Developer. Simply Awesome. It's about time, too! Thanks, Ryan Myers!



    What's This? A Thief Dance Mix? No Way... - 11:30pm EST - Nightfall
Yes way. I was pretty surprised to hear it myself, and it ain't bad, neither. Pando Aaltio took some of the waves I used to make "Sneaksie Thief," and remixed them into something that sounds more like music from Heretic 1. Here's what he has to say for himself:
I revamped all the stuff pretty much, and added some more drum sounds and a few sounds from my Kawai K5000W, but tried the retain some of the Thief feel. The tempo is faster, and it sounds like "Thief goes Prodigy" or "1000 and 1 ways to have fun with the seven WAV files". ;)
This new mp3, which can best be described as a 'dance mix,' is up for download now!



    A Thief Guide to The Strange and Unusual - By Thumper - 8:30pm EST - Nightfall
The Circle's Strategy Chamber has a new tome in its archives. A Thief Guide to The Strange and Unusual, by Thumper. This guide presents exactly what it says it presents, a guide to Thief written for people who have won the game, and want to experiment. It's filled with unusual advice, neat tricks, silly ideas, and plenty of humor. Even if you don't care to try out some of the stuff it lists, it's still a good read. He even has quotes from the forum!



    Fan-Made Missions Not Working Correctly? We Have the Anwer - 12:15pm EST - Nightfall
Thanks to EvilSpirit, we now have a solution to the problems people are getting running some of the fan-made Thief missions. Simply download this file, and put it in your Thief folder. This should fix most of your problems.



    "Gathering at the Bar," Version 1.1 - Fixes and Enchancements - 12:15pm EST - Nightfall
"Gathering at the Bar" was, at the time of its first released, hailed as a fan-made mission of equal quality to those in Thief. However it was not perfect. It's still not perfect, but is much closer! Version 1.1 of GatB is here!

This version includes many small and large bug fixes, as well as a few enhancements, changes, and totally new aspects. Toni Hollming worked very hard to get everything "just so", and now it pretty much is. Also released is a new version of the GatB briefing, which is longer, and of higher quality than the previous.

This is also a good time to mention Toni's new website, Trimfect: The Thief Project. His site features a new tutorial on how to make a briefing Avi, plus a list of all Garrett comments.

So what are you waiting for? GatB is a must have for Thief fans! Grab it now!





    Monday - 06.14.1999
    Announcing "The Maw of Chaos" - Thief Level Editing Fansite - 4:40pm EST - Nightfall
The official webpage of the Thief Fan-made campaign "The Coming of the Trickster," a collaboration of many Thieves, has opened. This site, entitled "The Maw of Chaos," will feature Thief news, and fan-made mission reviews, as well as updates and info on their main project. Here are the details of "The Coming of the Trickster":
  • The Campaign is set around 1 year BEFORE the main game, and details how Garrett accidentally released the trickster, and why the trickster has such a keen interest in Garrett in The Dark Project.

  • The campaign will have 6 beautifully designed levels that will tax your thievery and stealth skills to the limit.

  • The campaign will feature full AVI briefings for each mission, and a conclusion cutscene. The AVI's will also have new music for them, and some will have animation.

  • The full story will be released simultaneously with the campaign so you can read about as well as play Garrett's exploits.
  • I wish them luck!



        "A Keeper's Tale" Chapter 6 Uploaded - 4:10pm EST - Nightfall
    Solomon has uploaded the latest chapter of his Thief Novel, "A Keeper's Tale".



        "ESCAPE: The Bear Pits" Update Released. - 4:10pm EST - Nightfall
    The mission, dubbed by Thief Developer Mike Chrzanowski to be, "the best user made level that I have played thus far," has been updated. Included in the update is many gameplay tweaks and biug fixes. If you have any more problems with it, let the author, Wrichards, know about it.



        New Thief Mp3! "Sneaksie Thief" Gameplay and Cutscene Music! - 3:20pm EST - Nightfall
    One of the most requested Thief media files is finally here, an mp3 featuring in-game and cutscene music. "Sneaksie Thief", as I named it, is composed of a selection of seven wave loops, which fade in and out in turn. Favorites, such as 'Moogbeat', 'Constantine's Hall', and 'Rushing' are all there. I hope everyone enjoys it. If you have comments, suggestion, etc, please contact me, the author, about it.

    Note: This music was designed to play softly in the background, so that's how the mp3 should be played as well. If the volume is too high, it will sound really bad in some places.



        Thief 2 Screenshots at CDMag.com - 12:50am EST - Nightfall
    The very first Thief 2 screenshots are here! They have been posted along with a brief preview at CDMag.com. of course, why go there when you can see them here? They are quite hot.

    Fire and Brimstone - A view of the Thief 2 demo of the Lost City enchanted by the new engine. This is what lava will look like in T2. BIG improvement.

    Magic is Not Lost - This is a mage character from Thief 2. Note the higher polygon count, and improved particle effect!

    Old Yet New - Anyone who's played The Lost City enough times will recognize this hall. The yellow glow of the torches adds so much to the atmosphere...

    There is more there then just screenshots, there is some great info as well:

    . . . One feature that was absent in the original game was a multiplayer mode. Despite the game's heavy tilt towards single-player situations, many fans bemoaned the lack, and Looking Glass listened. Thief 2 will feature a cooperative multiplayer mode that will allow players to tackle missions together. A special difficulty level will add multiplayer-specific mission objectives, puzzles, and traps that will require coordinated action to defeat. Two guards might be facing each other, for instance, with an alarm by either guard. Cooperating players would have to launch simultaneous attacks on both guards to successfully nullify them without allowing one of them to sound the alarm.

    Specifics on the plot are not yet forthcoming, but rumor has it that the villain will be a powerful mage Like the original, Thief 2: The Metal Age will be a game best played at night. Alone. With the lights off...

    Other enhancements to the game include new items for the player to use. While hesitant to add new weapons for fear of upsetting game balance (the core gameplay depends on Garrett being physically weaker and less well armed than his opponents), the development team does plan to create a few new thieving tools that will give the player more options in terms of "casing the joint." The specifics of these tools have yet to be determined, but the team suggested the possibility of a reconnaissance "camera" that would allow the player to scout ahead.

    Looking Glass is also examining the balance between robbery missions and "monster" missions-the team maintains that positive feedback for missions that involve monster combat has been strong, but they do plan to strengthen the presence of straightforward thieving missions as well.

    Everything sounds awesome so far. Stay tuned for more info!





        Sunday - 06.13.1999
        Latest Fan Mission: "ESCAPE: The Bear Pits" - 5:30pm EST - Jyre
    During your last job you and your so called partner dressed as merchants made way into the temple to liberate the rosary beads of St Wrichards. While escaping your clumsy partner stepped on an alarm plate. As punishment you are both condemned to die in the Bear Pits equipped with only your blackjack. Escape and loot. Make it to the tower gates to complete.
    The textures are a little ragged in places and a number of the torches seem to have two flames but overall the design is good.





        Saturday - 06.12.1999
        Help Wanted! Thief Campaign in the Works! - 1:40pm EST - Nightfall
    Here's a message I've been asked to deliver to the masses:
    Hi,

    I was wondering if someone could help me at all. With the release of DromED, I have finnaly been able to create the Theif Campaign I have always wanted to, but I need help. Though I have the basic story, I would like a writer to help pad it out, adding much more to it. I also need at least one other person to help create the actual missions, which there will be 6 of, and maybe someone to help create breifing AVI's. The campaign is called Theif: A Dark Night, and is set around the events of one night in the City. If you are interested, please email me so I can send you the design document with the basic story, ideas and rough maps for it.

    I will also make an on the Editors Guild Projects area about it, and will have a website up soon with more info.

    Also, could Kite(?), author of the Mouse and 40 mins pic, and Stonewall's, who wrote "The Barkeeper's Tale," please contact me?

    Thanks

    Tane "ZeR0" Piper
    Email: descent@barrysworld.com Director: Descent World
    http://descent.telefragged.com
    ICQ: 25968771

    This is the type of project I'd like to see happen. I hope someone out there is interested in joining him!



        Mission Text File Wizard - by Matt "Matéo" Taylor - 1:15pm EST - Nightfall
    This is an impressive program made by Matéo which lets you quickly and easily create the mission text files to include with your mission release. Thank for making it, Matt! Download it here.



        "The Desceptive Scepter" - New Fan-Mission - 1:15pm EST - Nightfall
    "The Desceptive Scepter" is a very small mission made by Seb. While some areas of the mission are quite well done, others seemed dream-like and surreal. It was nonetheless fun, so take a look at it.



        "A Noble Death" Updated - 12:30pm EST - Nightfall
    Hot on the tale of the last update, we have a new release of "A Noble Death", by Ishy. Likewise, if you liked his mission before, you should like it better now!



        "Shadow Business" Updated - 12:15pm EST - Nightfall
    The Thief mission by Blutch, "Shadow Business," has been updated with many tweaks and bug fixes. If you liked this missions before, you should definetly try it now.



        "A Noble Death" review by Garrett88 - 12:10pm EST - Nightfall
    The Fan-made mission "A Noble Death" has been reviewed by Garrett88. See what he had to say, here.





        Friday - 06.11.1999
        Down in the Bonehoard, dum de de dum dum, Down in the Bonehoard. . . - 11:50pm EST - Nightfall
    When I saw this, I liked it so much that I had to post it...
    I don't know; it just sort of happened. Late night, the family asleep, me trying to beat the thing on expert and explore every nook and cranny ...
    To the tune of "Down in the Boondocks"

    Chorus:
    Down in the bonehoard
    Down in the bonehoard
    Feeling kinda down, stuck way underground in a big crypt
    The halls are dank, the air ain't fresh
    The whole place smells like rotting flesh
    Lord have mercy on a thief caught down in the bonehoard

    Well I loved a girl, I had big plans, but the Hammers held her bro'.
    I broke him out and got him home (the guy they call Basso).
    She wasn't glad to see him cause she'd already sold his stuff
    She kicked me out so I gotta steal rent and there's one place I'll find enough...

    (And that's)

    Down in the bonehoard
    Down in the bonehoard
    Ambulatin' dead, walls with talking heads, and burricks
    The Mystic gems await my theft,
    But 'ware the burricks' eructative death,
    Lord have mercy on a thief caught down in the bonehoard

    So I took the map that Felix made and I thought I'd try my luck
    Jumped off the rope so full of hope, but now I think I'm stuck
    There's purple fireballs ahead of me and zombies block my retreat
    I'm saying my prayers but I doubt they'll be heard fifty metres below the street

    Down in the bonehoard
    Down in the bonehoard
    Looking for the horn, by now it's early morn, but not here
    The zombies love to tear you limb from limb
    So I thank the lord that the suckers can't swim
    Lord have mercy on a thief caught down in the bonehoard ...
    Bravo, Coot! You the TAFFER!





        Thursday - 06.10.1999
        A Keeper's Tale Has Moved to its Own Home. - 12:20pm EST - Nightfall
    A Keeper's Tale, T-dp.com's other Thief novel in development, has moved to its own home away from the Thief Short Tales Collection. This is good becasue, well, it wasn't very short. The author, Solomon, will now be able to make updates to it without bugging me about it! That's always a plus. : ) Though, I hope he continues to let me, know, that way I can let everyone know. You're going to do that, right Schechter?

    Oh yes, and you all know Jyre, of course. She's the newest addition to the T-dp.com team. She'll be helping me with odd-jobs & such.



        Correspondence of Thieves Chapter 11 - 11:40pm EST - Jyre
    It's a day late, but it's arrived. Chapter eleven reveals the fate of Ghost and Lytha in Cragscleft. For those of you who don't know the thief like adventure, Correspondance of Thieves can be found in the fanworks section.





        Wednesday - 06.09.1999
        "Shadow Business" - The New Mission by Blutch - 1:00pm EST - Jyre
    "Shadow Business," sets Garrett back on the trail of the Horn of Quintus, which now lies in the hands of the noble he sold it to in Thief. Blutch's aim was:
    To make interresting reactions from the guards and make level where sneaking is more helpfull than trying to simple knockout everybody.
    This mission was very well done. With the exception of Gathering at the Bar, this is the best mission to date.





        Tuesday - 06.08.1999
        Mucho Macho Dromed Guide Volume 2! - 8:30am EST - Nightfall
    Remember the first Mucho Macho Dromed Guide? The document created by scouring the TEG forum for posts containing mini-guides to Dromed usage? Well the next version is here, with even more tidbits of Dromed use wisdom.



        Thief Loader is Here! Play your Favorite Fan-made Missions Easily! - 8:30am EST - Nightfall
    Thief Loader (TL), from the maker of Thief Media Edit, is here! It enables you to quickly and easily play thief missions mods. Simply download a mission zip file, rename it something more descriptive, and place it in the missions directory which TL creates. Then run TL, and it looks in the missions folder, sees what missions you have, and makes a list. Then all you need to do is select them, hit [PLAY], Thief will load, start a new game, skip training, and you're in! It's that simple.

    The best part about TL is that you can keep all your missions neatly tucked away in their zip files. No cluttering up your Thief folder! No overwriting files! No messy mission uninstalls! Sounds great eh?

    TL is still in beta, so it may not work for everyone. If you have trouble, problems, suggestions, etc, please contact the author, Andrew Bednarz, and send him your questions, comments, thanks, death threats, etc.

    TL does not work with all missions, however. It only works with mission that have the directory structure properly set up in the zip file, as described in the Mission Submission Instructions. Henceforth, all fan-made missions will be either labeled Thief Loader Ready, or Non Thief Loader Ready. The latter type of missions will, of course, be considered "buggy or incomplete".

    I bet you can't wait to see if it works, eh? Grab it now!





        Monday - 06.07.1999
        A Mouse Certified Alarm System - 2:40pm EST - Nightfall
    A Little Mouse was good enough to make a guide to creating an alarm system for your Thief missions. You can read it here.



        Thief Media Edit Official Release - 2:40pm EST - Nightfall
    Thief Media Edit (TME) v1.0 has been released. Loading TME allows you to browse through each major 'crf' file and view / listen to the resources. If you *right-click* on a file you will get the option of extracing or replacing the file. Extracting will let you extract the file to some directory and replace will replace the file with one of your own. Thief edit will not let you delete files or let you add new ones.

    TME was created by Andrew Bednarz.



        Home of the Thief Level Editing Group Opened! - 2:10pm EST - Nightfall
    The Thief Level Editing Group's (TLEG) home page has opened! 'TLEG' is the first official level editing gang that is dedicated to producing high quality Thief levels using Looking Glass' excellent level editor, Dromed. They do this mainly over the internet (but also locally, if possible) by keeping in touch with one another and providing each other with updates, example levels, level ideas, news, and any other general thing to do with designing Thief levels. They need help! Go over and check 'em out!



        A Guide to the Thief Renderer, by Sean T Barrett - 1:50pm EST - Nightfall
    Before I begin, I should tell you that Sean T Barrett is one of the creators of the Dark Engine, two years ago. It's quite possible that he knows more about the rendering system then anyone. It's quite a treat then, to get a mini-guide on the rendering system by him.

    Now let me stop yappin and let you download it. It comes with a txt file as documentation. The mission is meaningless unless you read it.



        Getting GatB Working - 1:20pm EST - Lytha
    Problems starting the GatB? Here is a way described to get it working (at least, how it worked on my computer)

    1.) Download the patch, the dromed, the briefing of the GatB, the GatB. Save them somewhere in a safe folder on your harddisk.

    2.) Go into yo ur Thief-folder, and rescue old savegames into the same safe folder on your harddisk. If you have already downloaded the items named in top 1, skip this point of the Howto. The safe folder should *not* be in your Thief-folder. If you have any screenshots in your Thief-folder, save them, too.

    3.) Click in the Windoze-exploder on your CD, find the setup, and install the game in your former Thief-folder. It will overwrite the entire folder. Make a full installation of the game, if you have enough free space.

    4.) Now you have a new and cool Thief folder. Admire it shortly, and go to the next tops.

    5.) Patch the game with the patch, as usual. (patching allows you to sneak perfectly silent, if you are crouching and speed toggled and walking and moving slowly)

    6.) Unzip the dromed into your new Thief-folder. Let it overwrite what it wants to overwrite (this prevents the bug that you can't use anything or grab the people)

    7.) Unzip the b15.zip into your ..\thief\movie folder.

    8.) Unzip the gatb.zip into your ..\thief folder. Let it overwrite whatever it wants to.

    9.) Start Thief. Click on 'New Game', Click on 'GatB'. Admire it.

    This sequence helped me to be able to play the GatB. I hope it helps you too. :)





        Saturday - 06.05.1999
        Mission Submission Instructions Revision - 6:40pm EST - Nightfall
    Just as I knew I would, I have revised, slightly, the Mission Submission Instructions. Polices for mission hosting, ratings, and reviews has been revised, the mission text file slightly changed, and a requirement that mission zips contain the directory structure added.



        "A Noble Death" - The New Mission by Ishy - 6:40pm EST - Nightfall
    Trimfect raised the bar for the quality of fan-made Thief missions tremendously. He did this with a mission that took him several months to make. Now, Ishy raises the bar again, not by creating a mission better then GatB, but by creating a mission halfway as good as GatB, in a fraction of the time. Here's the word on "A Noble Death," from Ishy:
    [This is] an Assassins/Bafford style mission. Creep to the top of a noble's town house and assassinate her. Has books, extra objectives for harder difficulty levels and so on.
    This is an enjoyable mission! Its quality is between Poor Bafford and Gathering. The architecture is simplistic, yet works well.



        "Poor Bafford", Version 1.1 - 1:10pm EST - Nightfall
    JordanCS has released an updated version of his mission, "Poor Bafford," with many bug fixed, and an improved installation. If you liked his mission, you will want to take a look.





        Friday - 06.04.1999
        Mucho Macho Dromed Guide, 1st Edition - 11:30pm EST - Nightfall
    The TEG forum is generating Dromed tips, instructions, and guides at an alarming rate. To help me keep up with all the information that needed to be posted is Chibbo, and his Mucho Macho Dromed Guide. Currently in its 1st edition, this guide will continually be updated with information about dromed gained from the various discussions in the forum. I'm sure we will all find it useful. Thanks again, Chibbo!

    I would also like to give special thanks to A Little Mouse, for coding all the dromed guides thus far.



        Another Thief Short Tale - 12:20pm EST - Nightfall
    It's been a while since we've had new Thief literature, aside from Corresp. of Thieves & A Keeper's Tale, so this new tale by Rice Lin is a welcome addition to the Collection of Thief Short Tales.

    The story is called "Never Anger the Shadows," and like many stories before it, introduced new characters into the Thief universe.



        "Gathering at the Bar" is Finally Here! - 9:40am EST - Nightfall
    Gathering at the Bar (GatB) is finally here, the first professional quality fan-made level for Thief. In case you haven't been around, GatB was created by Toni Hollming, creator of the Thief Mission Builder Petition. About two months ago he was picked as one of the few external beta testers for Dromed's release. His demonstration to LGS that players can indeed create high quality missions was invaluable in Dromed going public. Now, without further ado, I present to you, GatB:
    "Remember when Garrett stole that scepter from fat Lord Bafford? Well I have a place for it in my circle, and I need you to go get it for me."
    -Master Nightfall

    The idea was to make a more flexible map than the normal Thief levels. Whole level is a single building that you can get in various ways. Its up to you to decide how and from where you go in.
    This mission has slightly higher system requirements then Thief. GatB is smaller then the average Thief level, but also denser and more detailed. To run it, just unzip the contents of the download file into your Thief folder. Let it overwrite as prompted. Play it at night. I hope you enjoy it!

    Download the mission
    Get the Optional Briefing






        Thursday - 06.03.1999
        "Poor Lord Bafford" - New Fanmade Mission - 10:10pm EST - Nightfall
    JordanCS is the author of the latest new fanmade Thief mission, "Poor Lord Bafford". Here's the description:
    Lord Bafford, the wealthiest man around, has supposedly gone broke on gambling, I know that this is false. Cutty's given me the real story. Bafford is hiding all of his loot at his country home. this place is rarely visited by outsiders, but it is heavily guarded. The stash of over 2000 loot is somewhere in an underground room. Since no one has been inside, my map is simply an outside sketch. Bafford has one thing I like him for. He hates the Hammers, and has managed to amass quite a collection of Hammer artifacts. Of particular interest is the Scroll of The Builder. That may come in handy when dealing with the Hammers in the Future. It's up to me to make the rumors about Bafford true......
    Download it and see how you like it.... :) If anyone would like to write a review, send it in!



        TEG Has Been Moved to the Circle - 10:10pm EST - Nightfall
    Thank you all for your feedback. As you can see, almost everyone voted for the relocation of the Thief Editors' Guild to The Circle, and keeping all the news in the Keepers' Annals. This new setup should make things much easier for me. TEG will still list the most recent new missions to download, as well as internal updates, but there will be no news posts. All TEG News will be covered right here.

    I just noticed that JordanCS has uploaded his first new mission, "Poor Bafford", and according to those who have played it, it's pretty good! I'll have a link to it up in TEG shortly.



        Please Excuse our Dust - 10:10pm EST - Nightfall
    The Circle shall be undergoing some renovations for the next hour or so, so don't be upset if a link or image is broken. It's being worked on!



        Thief Fansite - TAS, The Master Assassin - 10:10pm EST - Nightfall
    It's always pleasing to annouce a new Thief Fansite. It's even more pleasing to find one with original content! That is what we have here today! This site, aptly named TAS, The Master Assassin, at the moment contains a nice description of just WHY Thief is so much better then the competion, or rather, is in a leuge of its own. I enjoyed reading it, I hope you will too.



        A Sad State of Neglect? No, Just Very Busy - 4:30am EST - Nightfall
    I had planned to make another post here sooner, but chances for such things have gotten more and more rare. It's a day late, but the next chapter of Correspondence of Thieves is here. Those of you eagerly anticipating a continuation of the Cragscleft episode are in for a bit of a disappointment, you will have to wait until chapter 11. If you were anticipating a continuation to the episode with Jyre in the forbidden zone, and more from Lytha's POV, then you shall be pleased.

    The Thief Editors' Guild is coming along nicely, though unfortunately I cannot put as much time into it as I would like to be able to. I have a few questions to ask about it, and I do hope to get more then one or two responses.

    Should I do away with the news on the TEG page, and keep all Thief news on this page? Is TEG hard to find? Are there any complaints about the site as it stands? What as of yet un-open parts of the page would you like to see done first? Would you object to TEG replacing the "Story" section in the Circle, which I never managed to finish.

    I hope to get plenty of answers... : )