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Monday, July 31, 2000

New Thief 2 FM: Stronghold - 3:20:45 PM - Jyre/Dash

In a break from tradition, Stronghold's maker, JohnEric, has requested that his mission not be hosted on The Circle, but rather that a link be supplied to his site, where the mission will be available for download. Mission details are: Thief 2 Only Stronghold  readme.txt  (9 Meg)  Released: 07-27-2K By JohnEric: You've just paid handsomely for the construction of a secluded hideaway adjacent to the Great Forest. The contractor was as discrete as a lot of money and threats can cause him to be. How the contractor kept the work under wraps was his problem. If it became your problem, you would have to start eliminating the leaks, and he knows it. Apart from the contractor, pagans made up the bulk of the work force. After what you went through alongside Victoria, you and the pagans have reason to trust each other. Time to inspect the place and relax a little. As always, you keep a keen eye out for any change of plans. Take things as they come, and always follow through with what you start ... Garrett's basic survival technique.

Sunday, July 30, 2000

FM Contest Scenarios Released! - 5:43:04 AM - Jyre/Dash

The three scenarios for the FM contest can now be found here. Anyone still wishing to enter may do so anytime before midnight tonight (EST). Entrants now have three months to build a mission based around one of the scenarios. The closing date is October 30th, when judging will commence. This campaign will contain 13 missions, consisting of a prologue/training mission (Mike "Finial" Peer's Stowaway, the winner of the tryout contest) and the 12-mission campaign itself. Since there are twelve missions, four contests and three winners per contest, it made perfect sense to us to structure the campaign so that it takes place over one year of Ryalla's life (the missions occurring roughly on a monthly basis for her), with each of the four contests corresponding to a normal three-month season, and each of the three scenarios of each contest representing the story that constitutes the underpinnings of that specific monthly mission. Although the contest is open to submissions for all versions of Thief, only those made for Thief 2 will be eligible for the campaign as it is written with the intention of being a Thief 2 campaign. Taking place as it does over the span of a year, the campaign will feature seasonal weather effects, a different one for every contest (season): The spring missions (occurring during Tome 1: The Weeping Sky) will all have rain -- thunderstorms, showers, sprinkles, puddles everywhere, water dripping from eaves, perhaps noisy splashes that alert guards if you traipse through a puddle while sneaking up on them, etc. The summer missions (occurring during Tome 2: The Withering Orb) will all take place in the full glare of midday, with few shadows and the streets bustling with life. The fall missions (occurring during Tome 3: The Turbid Haze) will be fog-enshrouded, with the peasoup so thick in places that the player will be hard-pressed avoiding collisions with people and obstacles, and creating difficulties when trying to correctly gauge distances for jumps and hitting targets. The winter missions (occurring during Tome 4: The Gelid Gale) will feature snow, icicles, howling winds and slippery ice surfaces, perhaps even damage if you swim too long in the freezing water. Ryalla's investigation will uncover Chiodo's life in chronological reverse, i.e., she'll start with the warmest leads (the most recent clues) and work backwards from there. Unfortunately, due to its story-driven nature, Dark The Night, Black The Past does not allow for quite the same extreme degree of creative freedom afforded in the tryout contest -- each mission will have certain parameters which, for continuity's sake, will need to be adhered to, certain types of texts which it will need to include somewhere along the way. Rest assured, though, that we'll do our best to design each of the mission scenarios to be as unrestrictive as possible. In order to make sure that every scenario is picked by at least one contest participant (or else the campaign will have big holes in it), the contest page will indicate how many contestants have selected each mission. Though we have no way of obliging anyone to do this, we would appreciate it greatly if, in the event that within one of the contests, a scenario remains unpicked, that contestants who are still undecided about which mission to select choose that one. We're working very hard to make sure every scenario has its share of intriguing elements and interesting locales, so there should be no "ugly ducklings" left alone and unwanted. Once the twelve final winners are selected, the campaign's authors will then work closely with the winning mappers to smooth the campaign's continuity even further throughout the twelve missions, so some post-hoc tweaking might be necessary here and there. Finally, once all thirteen missions have been polished to everyone's satisfaction, suitable opening and ending animations featuring original music will be produced to complete the package. Good luck, and may the best DromEdaries win!

Saturday, July 29, 2000

The Builder's Guide, Part VI - 6:24:20 PM - Jyre/Dash

Zantie's The Builder's Guide is still in full flow, with part VI of the short novel in development being released today. Here's a peek: I laughed. "Would I want to see what is inside?" Then I stopped. After thinking about it, I did want to see what’s inside. Curiosity taking over logic, I walked forward and into the gloomy building. *** Sitting on an uncomfortable stool I read parts of a journal that was lying open on the office desk. Inside the building it was very dark and moldy. The Hammerites did a fantastic job of completely destroying almost everything. Glass cabinets shattered, tables now a pile of splintered wood. They even trashed the kitchen. Oddly enough, they barely touched the office, where I am now. The office is a rather small room with walls, ceiling, and floor made of old dark wood, and new wood that patched holes. There were three bookcases to the right of a small wooden desk with a very short stool for a chair. A single oil lamp was the only lighting and nothing decorated the wall, except the ash pattern to the direct left of the desk.

Thursday, July 27, 2000

Archer Guide, by Avatar - 7:40:41 AM - Jyre/Dash

Avatar has written a guide which explains how to give archers different arrow types in DromEd. The guide can be found here.

Twinkle in the Eye, by Arcsim - 7:21:54 AM - Jyre/Dash

The second new addition to the gallery is Twinkle in the Eye, which shows Garrett behind a viel of smoke. Praise goes to Arcsim for this one!

Haunt, by Karras - 7:17:38 AM - Jyre/Dash

Two new artworks have been put on display at The Circle today. The first of these is a rather grisley Haunt. The image makes use of several clone layers and blurring FX. I would also like to add a warning that those of you with a dislike of the sight of blood may not want to look at this. Everyone else definitly should!

Wednesday, July 26, 2000

CoT: Chapter Six - 11:14:18 AM - Jyre/Dash

Following in the Footsteps of a Legend, the sixth chapter in the on-going Thief fan novel, has been released. Time for a sneeky peek: - Ghost: Casing the Joint - Day 4: 3:00pm "Okay, the front door seems out of the question, as usual," I told myself as I noted the small army of Hammers standing around. I made the trip down to Cragscleft in order to scope the place out, and see what needed to be brought along on this heist. They now used the old mine opening as the entrance to the rebuilt jail. This meant two things to me. First, the Hammerite barracks were by the front door, to stop massive escapes, and so, in case of emergencies, they could all get out easily. Secondly, I would need a lot of help to get in or out that way. I pinpointed my location on the maps I brought. I went a little higher up the hill and spotted something interesting. It was a small opening. It was maybe three feet wide, filled with a fan spinning away, pulling fresh air into the deeper part of the complex. After I noticed that one, I noted several more all along the side of the cliff. I presumed that those brought air to different parts of the prison. I wouldn't be able to bring a lot of gear with me since the hole was so small, but at least I could personally fit. At best, I could dragged a small bag of toys with me, but a bow or sword were out of the question. Those vents were to be my way in. I hoped they didn't lead to the dining room or something. As soon as I got in, it would only be a matter of finding my fence and Nightfall's chick. Piece of cake. "Time to go shopping!" I rolled up my maps and jogged back to town.

Tels Voting Site Updated - 5:19:41 AM - Jyre/Dash

Tels has given his voting site an update, with the following missions being added to the voting list: Calendra's Cistern Cult of the Resurrection Fishmonger Guardhouse 2 Rogue's Honor The Order of the Vine The Skull of Herzeloyde So if you've played any of the fan missions, don't forget to go vote!

Tuesday, July 25, 2000

Thief Cinematics at GameSpot - 6:44:35 PM - James

Matthiu Bernis spotted a GameSpot feature on Best Cinematics - and, to nobody's amazement, Thief is on the list. It is not doing well in the poll, however - GO VOTE!

New Karras Artwork. - 5:14:12 PM - Jyre/Dash

Karras's latest masterpiece has arrived in the art library. This Firey Circle of Stone and Shadow image was made with a mixture of fire and gas overlays. It looks great and is definitly worth taking a look at. Thanks Karras!

Contest Update - 3:05:23 PM - Jyre/Dash

Eleven entrants have so far declared their desire to enter the Fan Mission contest. Details of all entrants can be found here For those of you who are unaware of the contest, it is a competition for users of DromEd, based around the Dark the Night, Black the Past campaign, being written by Andrew Dagilis, with assitance from myself. Full details about the contest can be found here Anyone wishing to declare for entry must do so by midnight (EST), this Sunday. The three scenarios for the contest will be announced the same day.

The Thief Bestiary, by Diceman - 2:54:55 PM - Jyre/Dash

Diceman has put together a Bestiary for all versions of Thief. It has been housed in the Guides & Walkthroughs section of The Circle. Diceman introduces his Bestiary thusly: Well, here's my little addition to the fan literature of the Thief world. This bestiary might be of use to authors of fan stories, but of course you can always introduce whatever creatures you want. I'm not out to crimp anyone's style. A bestiary is a list of the fauna of an area, so things like the Mechanists' robots are not covered here. I decided to include the undead, however, on the grounds that they're monsters, and because the bestiary from Ultima 7 included them . All information is gathered from game evidence such as books, scrolls, conversations, and direct observations. Some speculation is given when reasonable. Note that Thief Gold also covers all events in Thief: The Dark Project. Comments can be e-mailed to me (Diceman) at sheaas@pilot.msu.edu (no spam or flames, please). I may revise the list if I get time (and additions or corrections, of course), but no guarantees.

Fanfic: The Work of a Thief - 2:27:11 PM - Jyre/Dash

James Lodge has sent us his Thief fanfic The Work of a Thief to be housed in The Circle's Short Tales Library. For those of you wishing a sneeky peek, here it is: Garret stepped out of the tavern into the cold night air. The streets were empty of people. In the sky, clouds floated past the bright moon casting the occasional darkness upon the street. No wind was about to drown out the sounds of a thief's mistake. Garret heard the sound of an armed guard approaching the tavern, the guard nodded towards Garret in recognition and walked by. The hooded thief noticed that this guard was carrying a leather bag, which could only be a direct parcel for Lord Calan at his manor. Cloud covered the moon and the thief followed the unaware guard. Garret waited until the street opened out, then glided across the cobbles till he was level with the guard. A large house hid the cunning thief in the shadows, he picked up a small stone and threw it over the guards head making a distraction.

Monday, July 24, 2000

Garrett vs Solid snake - 2:50:13 PM - James

Ryan Armstrong wrote in to report that Gamespy has up a poll, pitting Garrett against Solid Snake (the chap from Metal Gear Solid). As Ryan says: "Garrett must win!" Go vote!

Saturday, July 22, 2000

Server Stuff - 2:26:38 PM - Saam

If you can access this site, but cannot access TTLG, please email me as soon as possible. Thank you!

Friday, July 21, 2000

Into the Pool of Darkness, by James Page - 10:29:01 AM - Jyre/Dash

A new fan fiction has been added to the fanworks library. Into the Pool of Darkness was written by James Page, author of Return to the Bonehoard. Here's a snippet: I opened my eyes to the morning sunlight, and then quickly shut them again to block off the shaft of golden light streaming through my window and on to my face. I winced in the glaring light, and sat up in my bed, yawning deeply. I rose slowly from my bed, part of me still clinging to sleep and part of me ready to get up. Walking to my window, I looked out and listened to the sounds of a waking city. It was still early, but the sun was at full strength already, heating the cobblestones on the street several floors below. I rubbed my eyes one final time, and then went to wash myself and dress. After dressing in a lightweight tunic, long trousers and boots, I decided that I would go and buy my breakfast from the nearby bakery, rather than sit inside and eat. After all, today was the perfect day, I might as well go and enjoy a good breakfast. I left my apartment, and strolled down the quiet streets, listening to the city's early sounds. Somewhere in the distance, a church bell tolled, summoning the Hammerite order to morning prayers. In another part of the sector, I could hear a dog barking, and the delighted squeal of a child. I began to almost drift off, when I bumped into a man heading in the opposite direction. "...sorry" he muttered, and I was about to turn and offer my own apology, but the man was hurrying along, as if to be out of my sight as quickly as possible, and had covered a small distance before I could say anything. Odd, I thought, but then I forgot about him as I neared the bakery. The smells of fresh produce greeted my senses, and I ordered three warm loaves and a pastry to eat on my walk into the main market square. Yes- today was perfect, and I was determined to enjoy the time it lasted. I walked on into the market square, where already merchants were setting up tents and opening up brightly coloured caravans to sell their wares. I crossed the small bridge over the trickling river, and carried on, not really sure where I was heading, but content with my course. Looking upwards at the deep blue sky, I caught what seemed to be the smell of smoke on my nose. The smell was acrid and slightly pungent, as if something unusual was being burned. I decided to follow the scent, which became increasingly easy as the smell strengthened, until small wisps of black smoke began to appear in the air to accompany the smells. I quickened my pace, anxious to see where the origin of the smell lay, and to see if anybody else knew.

Thursday, July 20, 2000

Calendra's Cistern Reviewed - 12:46:03 PM - Jyre/Dash

The much anticipated, much debated Calendra's Cistern has been reviewed, by myself. I saw fit to award the mission 3.5 silver hammers, a good score, and one which would have been a silver higher if not for the technical bugs. Congratulations to Team Calendra! Comments by Alex Thomson: Pros: Sound story on the whole, good architecture, lots of places for the explorers to find and many technical feats. Cons: Some areas of the story seem rather weak, the new tech is bugged, some of the areas are just too convenient. Bottom Line: Calendra's Cistern is certainly worth the download. It is large and highly technical mission, a fact which may have allowed many people to overlook its shortcomings, the most notable of which are the bugs in the safe and the shop and the irrational reason for Garrett's undertaking the mission in the first place. As is often the case with the better missions, it is often the small things that let the mission down, and Calendra's Cistern is no exception. Full review

Wednesday, July 19, 2000

COT: Chapter 5 - 5:44:14 PM - Jyre/Dash

The contents of Jyre's latest letter to Nightfall are revealed in the latest edition of Correspondance of Thieves The letter was not written by Jyre. The grammar was proper and it was written in script rather then text. Being as such, I wasn't sure if it had actually come from her, or if this was even Captain Els before me. Thankfully I am not nearly that paranoid. Master Nightfall, This letter comes to you via my trusted friend, Els, and is written in his fair hand. The reason for the first will become apparent as you read on. As for the latter, I feel it is important that every detail of my day be passed on to you and I fear my own ability with words would make such a thing impossible. Let me start by telling you that after bumping in to you this morning I proceeded to the market where I had myself a wander and, I must admit, picked a few pockets along the way. Feeling a thirst in my throat from the heat I took myself to the Red Dragon Inn, where I ordered myself an orange juice (Jyre does not consume alcohol. She claims it is bad for the reflexes - Els). I had just taken a quiet seat at an out-of-the-way table when a rather portly man sat himself down beside me without so much as a 'by your leave'! I was not even given the chance to object before he spoke. more

Tuesday, July 18, 2000

Demo Mission: Snow Demo, by Camelhammer - 10:50:57 AM - Jyre/Dash

Gabriel "camelhammer" Sleighter has made a small demo mission which shows how to make both snowy weather and snow. The mission is entitled Snow Demo and should be run via DromEd

Monday, July 17, 2000

The Buider's Guide, Part V - 4:22:08 PM - Jyre/Dash

With the addition of part V, Zantie's, The Builder's Guide has been moved from the tales library to the fanworks section main menu. Here's a little snippet from the newest section: As I lay now crammed under the wheelbarrow I watched the dozen Hammerites stand straight as the only Priest there talked to a very tall soldier. I strained my ears but I still couldn’t make out what they were saying. The priest stopped talking to the soldier and looked around. Two archers and two hammer wielding soldiers covered the door as the Hammerite that was talking to the priest walked up to it.

Fanfic: Unlicensed & Untrained by greypatch3 - 7:47:54 AM - Jyre/Dash

greypatch3 has just become the latest contributor to The Circle's fanfic archive, with his humouros account of three bumbling burglars in the short story Unlicensed & Untrained. Here's a little peek: In the early morning hours, the city is often quiet. Occasionally a policeman will patrol down the street, whistling a happy tune to himself. Other times revelers from the local tavern will bawl out songs drunkenly as they unsteadily make their ways home. Sometimes lone wagons from out-of-towners rumble past, sending the irregular loose cobblestone bouncing into the gutter. On the rooftops, it was even more silent...but no less busy. With a cautious leap a nimble thief can jump from house to house, unlatch a window, and make off with hundreds in gold valuables. On the richer abodes hired guards wander around making sure no nimble thieves come anywhere nearby. Tonight, however, voices were heard from on high in the city. And they said: "Ow! Get off my hand, you dumb sod!" "Don't call me a sod, you wanker!" "Would you both shut up! Ah, dammit! Now I've cut my hand. You happy?" These three masters of the conversational arts stood on the roof of Lord Farnsworth, a respected noble, art collector, and master of the aristocratic game "Kick the Commoner Who Smells Like Gorgonzola." The ringleader, whose palm was spurting out a rather unhealthy amount of blood, went by the name of "Darkhider" Henry Cresswell. This title was obviously self-proclaimed, since there was no way his six-foot, gangly body with shockingly blond hair could ever hide in the dark. He ignored these personal failings and tried his best, and because of that every single officer in the city knew him. They always gave him a friendly, "Evening, Henry" before slapping the cuffs on him.

Sunday, July 16, 2000

DARK THE NIGHT, BLACK THE PAST - 6:18:36 AM - Jyre/Dash

The Circle is pleased to announce the launch of it's second Thief Fan Mission Contest and the start of a new campaign: DARK THE NIGHT, BLACK THE PAST. The campaign will be 13 missions long, each one a winner of one of the Fan Mission Contest scenarios. The missions will be set over a time period of one year, each roughly one month apart. The exception to this is the first mission, Stowaway, by Mike "Finial" Peers - winner of the Trial Contest - which is set in Ryalla's youth. Although the contest is open to missions using any version of Thief it must be noted that the campaign will be for Thief 2, so only missions made for The Metal Age will be eligible for a position in the campaign. Authors must also be willing to work with the campaign orginisers to make any minor alterations, such as additional texts, to fit it fully within the story. Anyone seeking to enter should read both the entry details and the Rules before submitting their intention to compete as per the guidlines. Entry for the contest will close in two weeks, when the first three campaign scenarios will be announced. Entrants will then have three months to complete their entry. DARK THE NIGHT, BLACK THE PAST No one breaks into the world of crime without a sponsor -- if you're unprotected, you're history. When she was fourteen, Ryalla had such a sponsor, a smalltime crimelord who agreed to take her under his wing. Noting her astounding talent for going unnoticed, he first used her as a runner, to sneak stolen goods past guards and patrols, getting them from the thieves to the fences, and then from the fences to the clients. She did her last job for him when she was seventeen, before striking out on her own, and now, thirteen years later, Baron Chiodo needs Ryalla's help. The first to import rum and molasses to the City -- crimelords need a front, and Chiodo's was as an importer -- this son of Tinniite immigrants got his start as a crime boss when he was a mere dockside pub owner by overhearing a pair of unfriendly-looking sailors discussing peg legs, keelhauling and buried treasure: more specifically, the fabled (and, at the time, unrecovered) ill-gottens of Timmons Burke, a.k.a. One-Eyed Brownie, the redoutable scourge of the seas. Through many perils, Chiodo eventually found it, dug it up, and quicker than you can say yo-ho-ho, he was in the import-export business selling what he knew best, booze. The Naja (as Chiodo was nicknamed) did quite well for himself, eventually realizing there was actually more money -- and a tiny bit less risk -- in the world of business than in crime, though just as little honor. Aided by the growth in shipping brought on by the use of motorized vessels, his company grew and grew until his fleet was the biggest on the seas, even getting a Royal authorization to be responsible for the mail runs between the islands of the empire. Today, Chiodo's early crime days are well in the past, but they might not stay there for long. Chiodo has one child, his son Marcasso, who's soon to be wed to the daughter of a business partner, almost as rich and powerful as The Naja himself. Chiodo is absolutely devoted to his only son who, much to the dismay of his father, dreams of little else than being a constable of the City Watch. Chiodo knows that his well-born partner will launch a background check into his future brother-in-law’s past to insure that the mixing of both families’s bloodlines is an acceptable one. This Chiodo must not allow to happen -- neither his son, his business partner nor anyone else must know what sort of man The Naja once was. And so Ryalla was summoned.

Stowaway Wins Trial Contest! - Updated - 5:55:45 AM - Jyre/Dash

With judging now officialy closed am I pleased to announce the final standing for the Trial Thief Fan Mission Contest. Update: It has been suggested that rather than have Non Rated not count in the judging, it should instead count as a score of 0. The results have been recalculated accordingly. Stowaway: 41.46. Stowaway was designed by Mike "Finial" Peers. Huge congratulations go to Mike for an excelent mission. Waterlogged: 39.6. Another great mission, this one by Steven "belboz" Hindley. Congratulations Belboz The Bathhouse: 21.58. Made by newcomer Chris "cdfbr" this mission was a valiant first time effort and showed that, given a little more time and practice, cdfbr has the abilities to make a good mission. There was one Not Rated (score 0) for this mission. A Grand Opening: 4.3. The only partialy built entry, it was considered by 5 of the 6 judges to be unready for judging. However it was noted as a mission with great potential that they would like to see finished. This mission was made by Hilda "Bruny" Buxtehude

Contest Ratings - 5:23:17 AM - Jyre/Dash

Both Myoldnamebroke and dOom have submitted their judgments for the contest entries. The ratings are as follows: Myoldnamebroke Stowaway: 44 Waterlogged: 33 The Bath House: 26 A Grand Opening: Unrated dOom Waterlogged: 40 Stowaway: 39 The Bath House: 31 A Grand Opening: Unrated

Saturday, July 15, 2000

Builder's Guide Part IV - 7:45:19 AM - Jyre/Dash

Zantie has updated her fan fiction, The Builder's Guide, adding part four to the on-going story of the thief Dirk. In this part he visits a convention being held by Karras. I closed the door thinking of what I could do for the rest of the day. Hungrily my stomach growled. On my way to the kitchen I saw the half eaten apple on the floor. I picked it up and ate it, not wanting to waste food. Walking to my favorite window, facing north I peered outside. Nothing new. All is quiet. It was late morning and I could see the sun on the roof tops. Aren’t you supposed to be doing something right now? I stood there thinking. "No, what?" Convention. I almost slapped myself in the head for forgetting. One of the largest conventions was going to be held outside today only a mile from where I live. Throwing the apple core out my window I walked over to my closet. Shuffling threw some clothes I put on a middle class outfit. That way I would blend in. Pausing I asked myself, "What was the convention for?" I’m not sure, but I think it has something to do with Karras. "Huh, Karras." Karras. Another crazy psycho who started a religion. He is the founder of the group called the Mechanists. They’re like the Hammerites, but they tend to be more technological. I even heard somewhere that Karras is planning to rid the City of pagans, thieves, whores and destroy the Hammers. I don’t really worry about it much. History proves that the Hammers always come out on top.

Friday, July 14, 2000

LGS Feature in PCG Argentina - 8:02:11 PM - Jyre/Dash

Adrian Del Rossi, Senior Editor of PC Gamer Argentina has announced the proposed LGS and TTLG inclusions for the August issue of the magazine. They are: The story of LGS, including screenshots of all 11 LG games) The T. Liam McDonald article Half page ttlg.com box-out Half page CoSaS box-out Also to be included on the cover CD are the following fan made Thief missions: Bloodstone Prison The Library Circle of Strain Circle of Strain 2 Circle of Strain 3 Cult of the Resurrection The Docks Hammerhead Shunned The Death of Garrett Lord Edmund Entertains The Vigil Gathering at the Bar The Monastery of St Fera Ranstall Keep The Order Of The Vine Turning the Tables Accompany them will be the mission loader, DarkLoader.

Thursday, July 13, 2000

COT: Chapter Four - 6:34:25 PM - Jyre/Dash

The fourth chapter of the Thief fan novel, Correspondance of Thieves is now online and awaiting your viewing pleasure. It can be found within the Fanworks Section, nestling in the company of many other fine writings and artwork. For those of you who like sneaky peaks, here are the opening lines of the newest section. - Jyre: A Change of Plans - Day 3: 5:00pm "I don't want you to go, Jyre." Those were the first words Captain Els had spoken since he had first picked up the pen to record my tale. He had listened as I spoke, recorded the words as I told them, but almost from the first second he had had that disapproving frown on his face. "Why not? This is good info. We need anything we can get on Her Ladyship. You said so yourself!" I stepped away from the wall towards the rickety writing desk. My shadow masked Els's face. "I'll be gone two days. Three at the most." Els coughed. A horrible, racking cough. It scared me. When he finally caught his breath he shook his head. "I don't think it's the information you're after, somehow." I snorted and turned away, casting my gaze on the quiet street outside. "You think I'd do something like this for money?" "No. But you'd sure as hell do it for the adventure!" He had moved behind me and now placed a large hand on my shoulder. "I worry, Jyre. What makes you think you can trust him?" "He's well known for his... contacts." "He's also well known as an idiot and a bastard! I still can't believe you're willing to risk your life for a rumor!" I could feel his body heat through my clothes and for a second I didn't want to leave. Then I pushed him away. "You'll take the letter to Nightfall?" Els stepped back. "At first light.". I picked up my pack and slung it over my shoulder. "And you'll look after yourself?" "Of course." I was almost out the door when he spoke again. "Shall I give him your love?"...more

Wednesday, July 12, 2000

Unstripped Missions and Patches Moved to Circle - 6:52:53 PM - Jyre/Dash

With the closure of Looking Glasses website, www.lglass.com, The Circle has managed to get hold of both the Thief: The Dark Project patch - 10 meg and Thief: The Metal Age patch - 33 meg, as well as the Thief 2 german patch - 28 meg. In addition the unstripped Thief: The Dark Project (non-gold) and Thief: The Metal Age (post-patch) unstripped missions are available for budding DromEders to download. Many thanks go to Avalon and Kyran Ward for their help in this. They are all housed in the Tools section of TEG. Direct links are: Unstripped Thief missions Miss1.zip - Training Mission Miss2.zip - Lord Bafford's Scepter Miss3.zip - Break From Cragscleft Prison Miss4.zip - Down In The Bonehoard Miss5.zip - Assassins Miss6.zip - The Sword Miss7.zip - The Haunted Cathedral Miss9.zip - The Lost City Miss10.zip - Undercover Miss11.zip - Return to the Cathedral Miss12.zip - Escape! Miss13.zip - Strange Bedfellows Miss14.zip - Into the Maw Theiflev.zip - All the above mission files in one file (35.7 megs!) Unstripped Thief 2 missions Miss1.zip - Running Interference Miss2.zip - Shipping... and Receiving Miss4.zip - Framed Miss5.zip - Ambush! Miss6.zip - Eavesdropping Miss7.zip - First City Bank and Trust Miss8.zip - Courier Miss9.zip - Blackmail Miss10.zip - Trail of Blood Miss11.zip - Life of the Party Miss12.zip - Casing the Joint Miss13.zip - Masks Miss14.zip - Precious Cargo Miss15.zip - Kidnap Miss16.zip - Sabotage at Soulforge Missions.zip - All the above mission files in one file (51 megs!)

E-mail Problems - Updated - 7:27:03 AM - Jyre/Dash

Everything seems to be working properly now, so using my regular e-mail address should be ok.

Tuesday, July 11, 2000

New Fanfic: Return to the Bonehoard - 11:06:52 AM - Jyre/Dash

The latest Thief fanfic, Return to the Bonehoard, by James Page aka Naartjie, has settled itself comfortably into the tales library. The tale open thusly: Part 1 - Jevik's Gift "You are insane" These were the only words that could escape my mouth as I stood before the desk of my superior. The dark man on the other side sat back into his chair and paused for a long time before speaking. " Not insane, Yorrick. Think for a moment. It is common knowledge that such fears are unfounded, merely the rumours of those families who wish their dead to remain undisturbed. The Bonehoard, as some foolishly name it, contains nothing of any danger to men. The only danger you face in the tombs of past ancestors is the grip of your own fears. Once you have mastered this, you face no peril and no evils." I stood dumbfounded. How could he say this to me? I could barely believe that he was serious in his requests. In fact, 'requests' was the wrong word. 'Orders' was more appropriate. Take this job or leave, I was told. If I was thrown out of my Guild, where could I go? I had already been cast out of the Downwinders and the Dark Arm, once for attempting to keep a few ornaments I had stolen, and once simply because the Guild had been 'closed down' by one of the last remaining splinter groups of Hammerites, unwilling to join the Mechanist following but still loyal to their Builder. "I am afraid I cannot accept any answer but your acceptance of my requests, Yorrick. Your Guild is in need of funds to keep us running, and this job is perhaps the key to our continuation. You know the value of the Horn of Quintus, plucked from its resting place some years ago from deep within the Quintus family catacombs. Just imagine the value of a second Horn, crafted from the same wood, ivory and studded with the same gemstones as its sister." "A sister horn? How is it possible that something so valuable has never been heard of before, by anybody? And even more so: how is it that it has never been stolen from the Bonehoard?"...More

Monday, July 10, 2000

Fanfic: Builder's Guide, Part III - 10:10:22 AM - Jyre/Dash

The third installment of Zantie's Builder's Guide tale has arrived, continuing the tale of Dirk. The new section begins: Rubbing my face I walked into my closet and threw on the some clothes. Smacking my lips I tasted morning mouth. I think you need a drink Dirk. I threw on my cloak. With my hood up I locked the door behind me. Outside a rather large, balding, smelly man walked up the steps. "Hey Dirk!" my landlord Cessiterick greeted me. "Rent’s due today. An' don’t go an’ give me bull-shit excuses of ‘It hasn’t been a good week." Cessiterick did his imitation of me in a high pitched girlie voice. I looked at him and coolly said....

Sunday, July 09, 2000

New FM: More Time To Foil Karrass - 9:22:33 PM - Jyre/Dash

Nirvana has released his first FM, More Time To Foil Karrass, for Thief 2. The plot is such that it is set between Masks and Soulforge in the Thief 2 timeline. Grab it whilst it's hot. (figurtively speaking, that is) Thief 2 Only More Time To Foil Karrass  readme.txt  (1.8 Meg)  Released: 07-9-2K By Adrian May (Nirvana): This is sort of a Mission 14b. I thought the plot of Thief 2 jumped too much at the end, with Garrett being in the dark for the whole game and then suddenly knowing everything at the start of the last mission. So I'm hoping to create a steadier plot "curve". This is the mission after Masks. Garrett is sent out to capture a mechanist servant for Viktoria to analyse and to hopefully learn more of Karrass's plans.The mission involves a quick trip into a small mansion then onto Viktoria's Agent's house on easy, but on expert level you also have to rob an art Gallery, break into the local Armoury and a nobles mansion to find out how his Burricks have been performing so well.

Contest Ratings from Totality - 8:17:40 AM - Jyre/Dash

Totality has now played each of the contest missions that were submitted and submitted his final ratings. They are: Waterlogged: 42.5. A great attempt, good archtiecture, good plot, good atmosphere. Needs more inrtigue Stowaway: 34.5. A good attempt, excellent atomsphere, but marred by the lack of explanation for why the gala trophies are there and techincal problems in implementation. Bathhouse: 22. With tweaking, could be made into a good mission, but quite a bit of reworking is involved. Which now puts the overall ratings at: Stowaway: 41.44 Waterlogged: 41.1 Grand Opening: 26 Bathhouse: 24.2 There is now just one week for the remaining judges to submit their scores. If none do the current ratings will be taken as final. The new contest will also be launched a week from today.

Saturday, July 08, 2000

Fan Art: Precursor Mask, by Karras - 4:27:09 PM - Jyre/Dash

Karras latest fan art, Precursor Mask, has been added to the fan art gellery. He has made use of gas layers to make a very good effect. Definitely worth a look.

Quick reminder - 4:40:14 AM - Jyre/Dash

Whilst Dan is on vacation, mission submissions, broken links, etc, should be e-mailed to me. If you send them to Dan it may be days before he gets the chance to pass them on to me to be posted/fixed.

Calendra's Cistern Released - 4:38:44 AM - Jyre/Dash

After nearly a year in development, the eagerly awaited Calendra's Cistern, created by Purah [Anthony Huso], Totality [Triston Attridge], Thumper [Gary Barton], Loanstar [Paul B.], & Deep Qantas [Teemu Salmela], is here. Taffers everywhere are already raving about it - don't be left out! :) Calendra's Cistern  readme.txt  (33 Meg)  Released: 07-05-2K  Without Briefing (14 Meg)  Briefing Movie (10 Meg)  End Movie (2 Meg) By Team Calendra: This is your city. A black-caped lord, you survey your domain from the rooftops with pensive, cynical eyes. They are analytical eyes. Like camera shutters, they slice and assess every footfall on the midnight cobbles below. You time every pendulous swing of the lanterns and evaluate every fitful throw of shadow from one end of the street to the other. Your ears unconsciously decipher the sullen echoes of voices, machinery and wind. This is a city of metronomes where chimney pots sway to the ancient gurgle of pipes whose forlorn songs rise from throats of incurable decay. You gauge the lonely armored scrape of each city watchman as a matter of habit, for there is machination in thievery. And timing is everything. You have internalized the rhythm of movement and non-movement, the play of shadows, down to your very own pulse. More

Wednesday, July 05, 2000

Correspondance: Chapter Three - 8:10:47 PM - Jyre/Dash

The Hammerites are the main focus of the third installment of Correpondance of Thieves. Their pressence gives Master Nightfall a rude awakening: I awoke to a sound I do not enjoy hearing. I recognized it, as dreadfully familiar as any sound could be. I would not have needed to go to the window to look, but I did anyway. There, standing at the front gate to my domain, was a full garrison of Hammerite Troops. My wonderful escort, I thought to myself, cussing under my breath. I glanced at the clock on the mantle, which read 6:34 am. I hate early risers! The sound they had made came from striking a large iron sledge hammer against a large iron gong. Not one hammer and one gong, but five hammers and five gongs. If my home had not been so far from town, it would have woken up the entire quadrant. It looked like there were twelve Hammerite soldiers, and a crowd of Hammerite workers and scientists who were tending this large device sitting in the middle of my wide path. Wishing I had time to properly shower, I threw on my outfit from the last night, grabbed my cloak, and hurried down the stair, making my way to the front door.

Monday, July 03, 2000

Order of the Vine Patch - Updated - 4:46:39 PM - Jyre/Dash

Silentsleep has sent us the following message: The order of the vine had a small, but serious bug that could crash the machine it was running on, although it could be easily completed with no problems. I've fixed it anyway :). The updated version of the mission is now available for download. Anyone who downloaded it prior to this post being made will need the following patch: You can grab the patch here - 216k. This zip contains an updated gamesys, tootv.gam, that should replace the one in the old tootv.zip, which with most zip programs, can be done by just dragging and dropping the .gam file into the archive.

Order of the Vine: 4 Silver Hammers - 9:51:09 AM - Jyre/Dash

Andrew Dagilis has just finished his latest fan mission review. The mission in under scrutiny was Silentsleep's The Order of the Vine. The mission came away with a resounding 4 silver hammers. Many congratulations to Conor for the great mission. Pros: Solid, symmetrical architecture through the entire mansion; good use of light/shadows (especially the lighting combinations) and silent/noisy surfaces; a well plotted story written with skill; many technical/programming effects; intelligent enemy placement, patrols and distribution; deep immersiveness; a briefing and a debriefing worthy of such appellations (at last!), and economical in size, to boot. Cons: Some areas are not properly scaled; the Expert-level limitation on knockouts is illogical as stated; the temple is too empty; all the dangling vines are too pat and convenient. Bottom Line: For his sophomore effort, Mr Armstrong has crafted here a heist-style mission that can easily stand alongside two favorites from THIEF: THE DARK PROJECT: Lord Bafford's Manor and Assassins. His development since his first level Friends in Shadow is nothing short of phenomenal -- let's hope for all our sakes that he doesn't keep progressing at the same rate for his third mission! - Full Review

Sunday, July 02, 2000

DarkLoader v3.0, by Björn Henke - 10:08:42 AM - Jyre/Dash

Björn Henke's latest version of DarkLoader comes with a long list of improvments, which make DarkLoader an even more useful little programme than it was before. The changes are: added setup dialog for easy configuration of DarkLoader (dirlist.txt is not used anymore). Now, you only need one installation of DarkLoader for both Thief versions and it can be placed in any directory you want. DarkLoader recognizes if a mission is for Thief1 or for Thief2 and will automatically start Thief1 for Thief1 missions and Thief2 for Thief2 missions. When you don't have installed the right thief version it will display a warning under "notes" when you select the mission. saved games will only be compressed again when they have been changed since last compression which makes it much faster. you can now mark a mission you've played as "finished" and you will easily see which missions you've already played and which not. when starting DromEd with the button in DarkLoader it will now automatically load the selected mission. when DarkLoader is active it will suppress the CD autorun and you can change your Thief CDs without always getting into the autorun menu. added "Vote!" button which brings you directly to Tels great voting site. quest info will now show the mission title (if available). added "custom gamesys" to the quest info table. now, only "real" mission archives (which contain a *.mis file) will be displayed in the quest list. missions without a "missflag.str" can now be played directly with Thief by automatically creating this file. Therefore, I've removed the unnecessary "Will run from Thief" box from the quest info table. fixed a major bug which sometimes caused a harmless "Zugriffsverletzung". fixed a bug in the ZipMaster VCL (many thanks to Chris Vleghert for his help). some minor changes. DarkLoader is housed in the Fan Missions Usage Instructions section.

Saturday, July 01, 2000

Viktoria and SHODAN at Gamespot - 11:35:20 AM - James

Warning: Philip Sainty pointed out that some of the reader's comments in these articles contain spoilers towasrds Thief 1, Thief II, and Shock 2. Be aware! Ant tipped us off to another one: in the sequel to Gamespot's feature on Best Female Characters in Games, we have the Reader's Choice version. In response to our call for votes, you have voted in Viktoria at number 7, and SHODAN at number 4!

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