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Friday, September 29, 2000

COT: Chapter 15 - 12:00:36 PM - Alex

Guests in Alien Realms, the 15th chapter of COT is now on-line. Those of you who desire a quick peek can find it below. - Jyre: A Guest in Nightfall's Estate - Day 10: 7:00am My body was warmed by the sun's rays coming in through the gap in the shutters. My face lay atop something smooth and soft. I squirmed inside the folds of the cloak, not wishing to wake, but something niggled at me until I opened my eyes. I rolled onto my back and stared up at the ceiling. It seemed very high. It wasn't the plain drab wooden boards I was used to, but a painted substance that had been molded into a relief. There was a large central circular panel, inside of which was set the scene of a forest canopy, so you felt as though you were staring up through the branches at a beautiful blue sky. Flying around this scene were an unbroken chain of dragons, each one a different color. I stared up at them for a long time, thinking of the short time I had been away from this place, when I had witnessed such magnificent scenes myself. I had been in the care of a blind healer, Lysander, who had claimed the very forest as his home, and I had lain in amongst the fern leaves and stared up at such a sky. "See those clouds?" Els had asked me. I had turned my head to watch his time-worn features. "They are called 'Dragon clouds', because of their distinctive shape." I sighed and climbed out the huge bed and walked over to the shutters. Pulling them open, I was washed by the sun's warmth and I felt the small tear of sadness that had clutched my heart dry up. Els had moved on from this life. Dwelling on the past would not bring him back. The view from the small window was amazing. I could see the entire city spread out before me, its buildings like tiny models and its people like ants. And there was the river, cutting through it like a snake. I could make out the Cathedral, a huge monstrosity set in the very center of the city. Beyond that lay the slums, where Els and I had had our small hut. I smiled slightly at that thought. We may not have had much, but it had been ours.

Thursday, September 28, 2000

No Siege Engine for Thief 3 - 3:18:01 AM - Saam

According to a post on the forums by Emil Pagliarulo, LG-alum and newly-hired designer for the upcoming Thief 3, the Siege Engine, the 3d renderer Looking Glass was working on before it folded, will not be used for Thief 3. Here's the whole scoop: Before the rumor mill gets the best of everyone, let me say that Siege was the working title of the new engine being developed in-house at Looking Glass. Yep, it was going to be used for Thief 3. But the Siege team has long since split up, and the engine project is dead. So no, Thief 3 will not use the Siege Engine. What engine will Thief 3 use? Sorry, can't say. Mostly because that hasn't been entirely decided yet. ----- Emil Pagliarulo Victorian Slumlord -- Thief 3 There you have it -- no engine decision yet, but hopefully soon.

Tuesday, September 26, 2000

Fanfic Update: Thieves - 6:31:28 AM - Alex

Cpt. Sqweky has released the second chapter of his tale, Thieves. For those of you who can't wait to continue to read his story, here's a quick peek at the new addition: When Sqweky woke up that morning, he had some bruises. They were nothing much: A few on his legs and only one on his right elbow, he could move it though. He could still get by fairly easy, its not like his shin-splints were acting up. He almost thought they would, but a healer had taken care of them a few years back. Strange, how magic can have such healing powers, and still be so destructive. Kind of like people, many are good, and many are bad... Sqweky pulled himself out of his philosophical thinking and kept to the task at hand. Get some food first, and then some information. He had taken enough gold for some bread and cheese at a small corner market which, just by chance, had no market license. It also, just by chance, never happened to be noticed. But the bread was good. The prices were cheap too. Sqweky probably could have brought only one gold, but then he wouldn't have been able to get a cup of juice at the fruit stand. (He never drank alcohol.) Prices were high these days, so such black market was very welcome.

FM: The Thieves Quarter - 6:20:34 AM - Alex

Our second FM of the day is The Thieves Quarter - made by Alan (Rugball) Miles. This FM is for Thief 1 /Gold. Thief 1 / Gold FM The Thieves Quarter   readme.txt   (1.6 Meg)   Released: 9-25-2K By Alan (Rugball) Miles: Footsteps approach, you hear a futile plea for help and a brutal murder occurs just a heartbeat away. Thus begins your adventure in the Thieves Quarter, a decidedly bad neighborhood. The slain man has information about the Mage's Medallion that was stolen from Ramirez. The thief responsible has been taken into custody by the Sheriff whose rise to power can be traced to his relationship to Ramirez. You must locate the medallion and take it the owner of the Laughing Skull Tavern, Bartok, twin brother of Farkus, your supplier. You will be rewarded for your trouble but another favor will be asked -- recover the Builder's Chisel. You, of course, cannot allow Ramirez to use his influence to run this part of town. Teach him a lesson by helping yourself to the contents of his treasury. more

FM: Night at the Theatre - 6:16:17 AM - Alex

One Pinky and The Brain has released a new fan mission for Thief 2. This offering is called Night at the Theatre and the details are as follows: Thief 2 FM Night at the Theatre   readme.txt   (570k)   Released: 09-20-2K   Briefing By Pinky and The Brain: The autumn season of Ye Olde Lost City Playhouse is opening in a fortnight. Unfortunately, the director of this fine establishment, an old friend of mine, has some 'business' he needs me to attend to after hours. It seems he's having some difficulties with his actors. Should be interesting. After all, I've always tried to avoid the spotlight. . .

Monday, September 25, 2000

'The Electronic Eye' - Thief Original Artwork - 10:33:11 PM - Dan

Yoni Ben-David has sent in a nice bit of original Thief artwork, called The Electronic Eye. Thanks for the contribution, Yoni!

Walking Lamp Guard Tutorial - 9:47:57 PM - Dan

Daniel "Sneaky Acolyte" Garcia has sent in a tutorial detailing how to make a properly working 'Walking Lamp Guard'. Though other tutorials have covered this subject, Daniel's goes more indepth, and presents is all together in one tutorial - including how to make the lamp effect your light gem. Grab the text file right here. This tutorial is for Thief 1 & Gold only! (There is a much easier way to do it in Thief 2.) Thanks, Dan!

New Thief Desktop Art - 9:31:13 PM - Dan

Dmitriy {AKA} Imposter has sent in a desktop wallpaper which he called Thief 1 vs Thief 2. The zip file weighs a little over 20K.

Friday, September 22, 2000

Corres of Thieves Cover Artwork Online - 9:57:43 PM - Dan

I'm rather pleased to say that the cover image for Correspondence of Thieves is finally online. This painting, done by my sister, Marianna, features the faces of Jyre, Lytha, Ghost, James, and Master Nightfall.

'Hard Luck,' by Jeremy D. "Feanor" Mitchell - 9:16:39 PM - Dan

We have one last fan mission tonight - another Thief Gold mission, by Jeremy D. "Feanor" Mitchell, called 'Hard Luck.' Here be the goods: Thief Gold FM Hard Luck   readme.txt   (3 Meg)   Released: 09-22-2K   Without the Briefing By Jeremy D. "Feanor" Mitchell: Garrett must sneak, fight, and backstab his way through Baron Bisfult's keep in order to earn his money. 'Hard Luck' is a straight-out burglary of a noble's house; nothing complicated, but you will soon find out that life is not so simple within the walls of this keep. Just jump in and have fun thwarting the less-than-motivated guards and stealing another unworthy noble's treasure.

Update - The Varyx Obelisk - 9:13:38 PM - Dan

Xarax has sent in an update to his Thief Gold fan mission, The Varyx Obelisk. This update features fixes to some ugly bugs, plus other tweaks. Thanks, Xarax!

Oblivion Comes to The Circle - 7:56:37 PM - Dan

Oblivion is a fan mission which was made, well, maybe a year ago. It was almost finished - but never quite. The author, Wrichards, has asked me to post it up anyway. At the moment, it's playable, winnable, and enjoyable, but some players may find some nasty bugs. It's been placed in the unrated section. Thief 1 / Gold FM Oblivion 0.9 Beta   readme.txt   (5 Meg)   Released: 09-22-2K By Wrichards: While looting the lost temple of Seth, you came across an ancient text describing a holy sword of the undead burried within a sacred tomb. The tomb was magicaly sealed with a sceptor the Hammerites consider holy. The text says Oblivion is where the sceptor is kept. Having survived the Tower of Illusion and made it through the gateway, you now find yourself at the heart of the Hammerite Order.

Thief Gold FM - Seeds of Doubt - 7:06:02 PM - Dan

A day with a new fan mission is always a good day. Today we have a selection called 'Seeds of Doubt' by Duncan "The Deceiver" Cooke. I'll spare the banter and get to the goods: Thief Gold FM Seeds of Doubt   readme.txt   (5 Meg)   Released: 09-22-2K   F.A.Q. By Duncan "The Deceiver" Cooke: Garrett is holed up in an old Keeper safe house. His activities in his local part of the city has drawn him too much unwanted attention. He is now low on funds and equipment and must venture out to resupply. There have been a number of recent murders that have caused the city watch to increase their patrols around this sector of town. They should not be a problem for one such as himself. As a Thief Gold mission, it may not run correctly if you're not using Gold.

A Second Chance - Chapter 14 of COT - 6:09:29 PM - Alex

Following his encounter with Jyre in the previous chapter, Nightfall prepares for a journey into the unknown, whilst Ghost and Lytha make plans of their own. All in Chapter 14 of COT. The door was three feet of solid iron. On it was a mirror. I looked into the mirror, and a bright light shot out into my eyes. Seconds latter, the door slowly began to slide upwards, opening. I entered the passageway which it revealed. I quickly walked down a large staircase, spiraling downward. I had not set foot in here for months. No one but I knew it existed; except James. Jyre was safe. She had been lucky. Maybe this was a blessing after all. If Jyre had not stabbed me, then Kristen would never had restored me, and I would not feel nearly as good as I did now. I came to my tower to gear up, and that was what I was now going to do. I entered the secret vault. It was lit by a pair of glowing blue crystals on either side of a mammoth doorway. I stepped between the crystals, and an arc of energy shot between them and through me for several seconds. The warm tingling sensation was quite pleasant actually, unless of course the person standing here was not me, for then they would be ash. After it ceased, the mammoth door slowly drew itself open. On the door was a high relief stone engraving of a great winged blade. The blade, which marked the center of the door, slowly drew itself into the ground, and the two wings folded backwards, opening the door, and revealing the chamber within.

Second Opinion Review of Stronghold, and a Change of Mind - 5:31:13 PM - Dan

David Riegel has sent in a 2nd opinion review of Stronghold, previously rated by Andrew Dagilis and Alex Thomson at 4.5 silver hammers. David has a very different opinion of the mission, however: Pros: A vastly unique environment, some interesting settings, the first good use of snow, and a fortress that keeps you guessing at every turn. Cons: A variety of things which break immersion, including contrasting and unexplained imagery, a plethora of bugs, and a premise which is entirely non-believable. Bottom Line: If you are in the mood for a bizarre and unique mission that uses some unusual settings, download Stronghold right away. However, if you are very familiar with Thief universe and like to see little deviation, do not like forced item/combat situations, and can spot bugs easily, this is probably not the mission for you. David ranked the mission at 4 bronze hammers. You may read the complete review here. (This is a very good demonstration of the fact that reviews are opinions, and if there is a review done which you disagree with, there is nothing stopping you from sharing your perspective with a review of your own. Thank you, David.) At the same time, Andrew has sent in a revised version of the previous review done by himself and Alex (a.k.a. Jyre). He has added some additional thoughts, and lowered the score down to three silver hammers, which is still a very fine score. The complete review text (both of them, actually) may be found here.

Wednesday, September 20, 2000

The Rise of Karras, by Aaron Graham - 7:01:47 AM - Alex

Aaron Graham's newest addition to The Circle's fanworks is the fanfic, The Rise of Karras. This is the first chapter of what is set to be 6 chapter story, which ties in with both the in-game events and his other fanwork A Thief's Apprenticeship. For those of you who need a little more enticement, here's a peek: Karras was looking at the book he had just pulled from the shelf when Brother Dovetail approached. His footsteps load on the stone-flagged floor, the fellow priest came up beside Karras, and glanced over to see what he was reading. Karras looked up at the man’s sallow face, and at the weak eyes. Dovetail returned the gaze, and felt obligated to say something. “So, Brother Karras, dost thy work on thine new security cameras proceed well?” Karras sighed inwardly, and lowered his hand, along with the book, to his side. “Indeed, Brother Dovetail. Master Forger Garacon hath expressed great satisfaction on the functioning of them. I have even heard that mine work hast been chosen to be installed in Cragscleft!” “Truly this is news! Thou hast solved the problems thou didst experience with them?” “Aye, the cameras do now function as the Builder intended. Indeed, I do want to make further improvements to them, but the accursed Master Forger Masonson hast prohibited me from it!”

Just Another Crazy, by TMM - 6:45:13 AM - Alex

TMM (AKA Jacob Kabel) has written this rather unusual fanfic Just Another Crazy. If you want to know why it'sa unusual, you'll have to go read it. Here's a small peek: The thief crept stealthily through the shadows near the museum. The security at this particular museum was fierce the thief had learned. He had heard tales of numerous automated sentries and had seen the gaurds himself. The were like mages, able to communicate telepathically with eachother. They did not carry swords, so the thief assumed that they used a form of magic.

New FAQ: The Enterprise - 6:35:53 AM - Alex

frobber, the mission author, has written a FAQ for the fan mission The Enterprise. This FAQ has now been linked in to the new FM FAQ section.

Keepers' Compound Moves to The Circle - 6:29:57 AM - Alex

Bonechill's site, The Keepes' Compound has moved to a new home here on The Circle. The guide has information on weapons, enemies, history and important characters for both Thief 1/Gold and Thief 2. If anyone would like to write the information for any of the unfinished pages, please e-mail me (link above).

Tuesday, September 19, 2000

Thief: The Fan Site Project - 6:45:25 PM - Dan

I caught wind of a rather nice Thief site, called Thief: The Fan Site Project. This site has screens, images, downloads, the usual assortment. Check it out - you may like it.

Darkloader Updated - 6:32:45 PM - Dan

Björn Henke has sent in a slightly updated version of DarkLoader. These updates should make the program more stable on some systems. Darkloader is the program which lets you run fan missions with Thief 1 and Thief 2.

N3ds3e.exe - 5:12:33 PM - Dan

N3ds2e.exe is a tool which has something to do with working with custom 3D objects for use in Fan Missions. It's a newer version of 3ds2e.exe, which came with Thief 2. If you don't know what I'm talking about - take heart, for I don't know what I am talking about either.

Totality's Custom Object Tutorial - 3:41:50 PM - Dan

Totality's cutsom object tutorial has found a home here at The Circle. This guide describes how to import 3d objects from 3dMax into Dromed, and thus into your fan missions. Here it be.

Two New Keeper Theses Added to The Circle - 3:07:47 PM - Dan

The two most recent Keeper Theses by Aaron Graham (a.k.a. Sneaksie Thiefsie) have been added to The Circle. These are 'A Summary or Recent Events,' which describes the events which take place between Thief 1 and Thief 2, and 'Armed Forces in The City,' describing The City's army and navy. Both of these theses rely heavily on fiction invented by Aaron. The entire 'Keeper Theses' collection has been given a place of it's own. The five of them can now be found right here. Furthermore, the menu for the guides section has been given a total overhaul.

Monday, September 18, 2000

Dromed 2 Ambient Sounds - 12:44:32 PM - Alex

Inkyape has supplied us with a list of ambient sounds available in DromEd 2. It also has explanations for some of the more obscure names. Thanks Inkyape!

Fanfic: Thieves - 12:35:06 PM - Alex

Cpt. Sqweky has become the latest contributor to our fanfic archives, with the first chapter of his work Thieves. He sees this work as being less of a standard story in terms of it having a start, middle and end, and more of a continuous piece. Here's a peek: Sqweky hit the ground… HARD. Jumping from a second story window usually has that effect. Not a sound left his mouth though; He just got up, and started running. He hurt, a lot. But he had been used to pain far too long for something not even crippling to slow him down. Sometimes he hated his cloak, others, he loved it. This was one of the first times. He could run faster without it, but if he let it go, not only would he have to replace it, he would lose almost all the stuff he just pinched, not to mention most of his knives. Sqweky liked his knives. The noise the guards were making was getting farther away. But this was still to close to the building to be at all safe. Finally, he found the canal again, and jumped right in. He surfaced, and waited in a shadow. Normally, he would just swim away, but the guards here were known for searching for much longer than any others. The Lord was also known to have guards beaten for not searching thoroughly enough. After a few minutes, a guard came cautiously, with another behind him.

Sunday, September 17, 2000

FAQ - Calendra's Cistern - 3:07:07 PM - Alex

Garrett Jnr has provided us with this FAQ for Calendra's Cistern. The FAQ is being housed in our newly opened FAQ section for fan missions.

Saturday, September 16, 2000

Keeper's Chapel - 9:00:15 PM - Alex

Our walkthrough guru, fett, has been hard at work moving his own site, The Keeper's Chapel, to its new home here in The Circle. It features walkthroughs, loot lists and secrets pages for all the Thief 2 missions. The Thief 1/Gold section is still under construction but should be completed within a few weeks. The Chapel is well worth a look, even if you've finished both games - as it may reveal things you never noticed whilst playing through yourself.

The Enterprise updated. - 8:36:43 PM - Alex

frobber has updated his fan mission, The Enterprise. The update is: I've put in my final tweaks to The Enterprise based on player feedback. Nothing major, but a few things are a tad easier to find and there is one new minor clue. Also, I've addressed the number one complaint about jumping from ladder-to-ladder in one place. If someone is part way through the original release, there is no point in starting over.

Stronghold Reviewed: 4.5 Silver - 8:27:19 PM - Alex

Andrew Dagilis and I have reviewed JohnEric's Thief 2 mission, Stronghold - and have found the mission to be worthy of 4.5 silver hammers. Congrats John! Pros: Solid story, impressive map design, beautiful use of color, some gorgeous settings, immersive atmosphere and gameplay. Cons: Dodgy light propagation; some very minor technical slips; areas of high polycounts (and thus choppy framerates on weaker machines). Bottom line: Stronghold is one of the better fan missions produced so far. - Full Review

Builder's Guide - Part VIII - 7:01:27 PM - Alex

Zantie has returned with the 8th part of her novella, The Builder's Guide - accompanied with an apollogy for the delay for all of you who have been keeping up with her work. Peekie sneak time: "The Builder's Guide" by Zantie Part VIII Finally dried off, I drank a bit more of my mead as Rakool looked at the map. "So this is where the book is?" He pointed to a circled section. "Yup. I’m thinking what I could do is get the Builder’s Guide and hand it over to you. Then you could go to the Head Priest guy of the Hammerites and the leader of the Mechanists and see how much they are willing to pay for it." "You already told me that idea." I had also told Rakool about how I found everything in Clothilde’s house and how I ended up in a gutter. I didn’t however tell him about my reoccurring dream. Didn’t seem relevant, plus I could never remember the name of that ghost- "I think it’s stupid." My attention was drawn back to Rakool. "What?" "I said I think your idea wont work." I frowned, "Why?" "The Hammers would kill me within seconds if I said anything about their precious book. Even if I sent them a note they would hunt me down. I might be able to talk to that Karras guy." Rakool picked up some different paper, "Anyway, what are these?" It was the bunch of papers with the odd writing. "I don’t know. I just found them with the map. Maybe they’re from the Guide. It’s-" I stopped, "What are you looking at?" Rakool was starring at something over my shoulder. I turned my head slightly and saw a man sitting in the booth behind me. He wasn’t facing us, but it looked like he was listening.

Thursday, September 14, 2000

Walkthrough/FAQ Update - 6:22:43 PM - Alex

Following todays launch of the new Faq and Walkthrough section for Fan Missions, I am pleased to announce its first set of updates. The FAQ for ESCAPE FROM GUILESATPEAK (mission one of the Journey mission pack) was supplied by the mission's author, Sperry. Silentsleep has written a FAQ for The Order of the Vine And a walkthrough for Friends in Shadow. Finally Gonchong has pointed out that his walkthrough for The Docks applies to all versions of the mission, so the link for the Thief 2 version has been updated to reflect this. Thanks to everyone for their help!

Demo Mission: Creature Clash 2 - 6:10:28 PM - Alex

Some time ago Garett "Kung Fu Gecko" Choy made a small demo mission for Thief which allowed you to pit various creatures from the game against each other in combat. Now Creature Clash 2 adopts a similar role for Thief 2. Thief 2 Only Creature Clash 2   readme.txt   (311 K)   Use DL By Garett "Kung Fu Gecko" Choy: Welcome to Creature Clash 2, for Thief 2. This is a glorified version of one of the first things I ever did with Dromed back in the Thief 1 days. Have fun. There are no more goals, and it's not as polished as Creature Clash 1 (for Thief 1) but all the elements of fun should still be there. I didn't label the switches, but check the map and you'll probably be able to put it together. Hope you all have fun! Don't take it too seriously.

New FM Walkthrough and FAQ sections - 10:47:12 AM - Alex

The Circle is pleased to anounce that it has opened two new areas of the site. One for Fan Mission FAQs and one for Fan Mission walkthroughs. Although all the missions hosted by The Circle are listed, few currently have solutions attached. Anyone who has anything to contribute to these two sections should e-mail me with the details. (address at top of post)

Reunions - Chapter 13 of COT - 9:55:10 AM - Alex

Its a day late, but its finally made it. The thirteenth chapter of COT is now available for reading. This chapter features all new material. - Nightfall: Reunion - Day 10: 4:00am I navigated the tunnels deep within the hillside daily, so why did they now seem so maze-like? I was constantly making wrong turns and losing my way. I could not focus. All I could think about was Els, being skinned alive and made into trophies for those monsters, Jyre, being devoured by zombies, and Lytha being whipped, burned, and finally disemboweled by the Hammerites. I could have protected Else, but I did not. I could have gone after Jyre, but I did not. I could have ordered Lytha's release, but I did not. I am not the type of person who dwells on regret, but sometimes I make an exception. This was one of them. It was an all too familiar tragedy. My mind kept going back to the past, back to my old life, now long gone. This is not the first time someone suffered badly for my inaction, and now that memory sprung to life once more. "M'lord?" the woman's words echoed in my mind. "Yes?" I had said in reply, not shifting my gaze from my desk to the speaker. "My brother... I... he.... He has decided to go. He left several minutes ago." Her voice was shaking. All I did was nod, letting her know that I heard. "M'lord... I fear for his life... I could not convince him to change his mind... " She paused, I could hear the intense fear in her voice. I finally turned around to look at her. I could see in her eyes that she had been crying. "Please.... Daniel... stop him, save him... Please..." All I did was shake my head. "The decision was his. It is not my place to dictate to him what he can and cannot do. His choices are his own. I respect that. You should too. If he so chooses to go off on this quest, then he shall suffer the consequences. He is a man, and under no-one's rule but his own. It is not my job, nor yours, to protect him from his own decisions." I remember the words well, as if I had spoken them yesterday. The memory faded after that. I remember hearing, several days later, that his broken body had been found, half eaten by the creatures he set out to slay. His sister disappeared after that. Months latter, her corpse was found, a dagger thrust into her chest by her own hand. We had not been terribly close, I was not close to anyone in those days, but we were friends. I blamed myself. I never forgave myself. I could have stopped him. He would not have died and she would not have killed herself out of grief. It was my fault. I could have done something. I didn't. I didn't get involved. It happened again. I didn't get involved. If I had, things would have been different. I could have easily saved them both. I didn't. Jyre, Els, and Lytha were dead. I blamed myself. It was my fault...

Tuesday, September 12, 2000

JohnEric's 'Stronghold' Updated - 6:17:29 AM - Dan

JohnEric's StrongHold has been updated with: ... the fly away objects are fixed, and I've changed the texture of the stairs in Garrett's cabin (I decided that I hated the one that I'd chosen, so I went with solid wood). Thanks, John!

Curse of the Ancients - 3 Silver Hammers - 6:01:17 AM - Dan

Hazzah! Kozmala's 'Curse of the Ancients' has been reviewed by Andrew, and awarded with three shiny silver hammers. Pros: The map's layout is intelligent, the programming is fairly (though not entirely) flub-free, the scripting is smart (even if the plot's a bit of a retread), the atmosphere is appropriately ominous, the enemy and trap placement are both skillful and fair, and the gameplay is solid. Cons: Some sound-related glitches; one or two programming slips; scarce weaponry; partly recycled plot; some spots where you can get physically stuck. Bottom line: Gordon "Kozmala" Miller's Curse of the Ancients offers at least two to three good hours of absorbing gameplay, in a setting where Lara Croft would feel right at home. Congrats, Kozmala! The full review text is hidden away here.

Rust Gas Bomb Custom Object for Thief 2 - 4:54:53 AM - Dan

This is a Rust Gas Bomb multibrushed object for Thief 2, made by J Taylor. It's experamental, and comes with documentation. Thanks, J!

Benny's Dead! Upated - 4:34:58 AM - Dan

The well enjoyed Thief 2 fan mission 'Benny's Dead!' has been updated with a trove of important bug fixes. Thanks, GBM!

Kyle Mallinson's 'The Keeper' Updated - 3:48:24 AM - Dan

Kyle "Keeper" Mallinson's novel in development, The Keeper has been updated with several new chapters. Since I am not very sure what is new and what is not, here is a blurb from the very start of the story: Let me back in! The only answer the Dark Lord got back was His own thunderous echo. The gateway was closed. The forcefield held strong and true. He was to be trapped in this limbo forever. Well, it was more of a dark, gloomy cavern than some sort of total oblivion. In any other circumstance, he could almost feel at home in this terrible place. But He, the mighty Lord of plants, animals and minerals, He, an almighty god who had once been loved and recognised as the God, had been cast out; expelled, beaten, defeated. He had been exiled from the very world that he helped create. The one whom the People of the Hammer called their saviour, the one known as "Builder" had defeated and imprisoned Him in this retched place. He, whom was feared so much by this new entity known as "Man", was now forgotten. The Trickster of the Ages stormed back and forth through the dark cave, smashing rock and dirt and He passed it. He could not tolerate incarceration. No, he said. They cannot expel Me so easily. They can not cast Me out and forget. I shall return. I shall return and crush those who hurt My children and banished Me to this netherworld. He sped up His pace, now galloping with His mighty hooves, up the rugged path paved down the centre of the cavern, smashing pieces of rock with His fist in some sort of furious determination. Woe be to him that defies the tree, for he shall be cast out into the world through the veils of rain and fire. Their rebellion will not go unchallenged. Their useless tools will not save them from My wrath, nor will their petty saviour. I shall return and they will bow to Me! I shall teach them to dismiss their true lord and to think themselves the rightful rulers of the world! He cantered up onto the highest rockface, and looked down upon the murky silence that even then seemed to stare back at Him with a cold indifference. He raised His clawed fist to symbolize his declaration. Thanks, Kyle!

Reaches of the Pool - Part 2 - 3:24:53 AM - Dan

Reaches of the Pool, a Thief fanfic which starts off at the end of Thief 2, has been updated with a 2nd chapter, named 'The Statue'. I progressed quickly over the city’s rooftops, heading parallel to one of the walls I could make out in the near vicinity. I was still puzzling over the reason for the wall’s construction. I felt sure that it had something to do with the red and orange hue clinging to the air around Soulforge, which was now creeping through the streets inside the new walled sector like a series of searching tendrils. It eventually came up against the wall, where its progress was halted by the barrier of brick and iron. The wall itself seemed to be of a good construction, and bore the insignia of the Mechanists at regular intervals along its length. It seemed unclimbable, least to the ordinary man. I think the Mechanists meant it to be that way. But- why had they needed to contain the ‘gas’ in the first place? It must have come from Soulforge itself, as that was where I had seen it emanating from the previous night. The matter made no sense. What could the Mechanists have been doing that allowed the release of a harmful gas on to the City, from their own cathedral? Reaches of the Pool is written by James Page, and is located in our Library of Short Tales.

Errand Boy Reviewed - 2 Silver! - 2:28:25 AM - Dan

The Thief 2 Fan Mission (based on the Thief 1 FM Garrett's Revenge) TTGM: Errand Boy has received review by Marecki. Behold: Pros: Very good architecture, meticulously handled background, minimal amount of window dressing, interesting plot. Cons: Spelling, badly chosen textures in a few places, some minor technical quirks. Bottom line: "Garrett's Revenge" was good, but there were small things that made it get only bronze. "Errand Boy" fixes most of the problems of its precedenssor, along with so many improvements that it surely deserves silver. It could be better, as there are some bugs... but then again, if any of the FMs didn't have any the Gold Hammer would have been given long ago. It was fun playing it to me even though I was actually looking for any kind of screwups, therefore it should be enjoyable for everyone else too. The mission was awarded 2 silver hammers. Congrats, Steve! Hop on over to review land to read Marecki's complete thoughts.

Monday, September 11, 2000

Metal Twilight - Chapter 3 - 7:29:09 PM - Dan

Ross "Keeper Garrett" McLennan Metal Twilight has been updated to chapter 3! Here's a snip: Lord Bafford glanced around nervously, peering along the streets. It was a bitterly cold night and snow was falling lightly onto the ground, covering it in white slush. Bafford drew his coat around him for warmth and knocked on the door. ‘Looking for me?’ Bafford turned around swiftly, to see the dark figure in front of him. ‘Garrett. You always are the one for surprises.’ Garrett stared impassively back. ‘What is it you want from me?’ Bafford’s mouth spread into a smile. ‘I have a job for you.’ Garrett also smiled. ‘Good, the rent’s due tomorrow and I’m all out. Where and when?’ Bafford gestured to the door. ‘We had better discuss this inside. If one of Ramirez’s spies find out that I was here, we’ll both end up at the bottom of the river.’ ‘Huh. Ramirez? His lackeys are very overrated.’ ‘Ramirez has changed in the light of your vengeance, Garrett. He has hired veterans from Blackrook as his guards and spies, only the best.’ Garrett looked smug as he fumbled with the keys to his door. ‘What, men who can punch their way through a brick wall, but can’t seem to string seven words together? Oh please.’ ‘I didn’t see you on the front lines, Garrett.’ Garrett laughed at that comment. ‘I was smart enough to get out of it.’ ‘How?’ ‘Remember that press gang that was found mugged in an alleyway?’ ‘Vaguely.’ ‘I knocked them out with a gas arrow and took one of their exempt passes from them.’ ‘If you’d gotten caught, it would have been death for you.’ The door opened and they climbed up the stairs. ‘Hey, I live with death all the time.’ ‘Why did it take so long for you to open the door?’ Garrett held up a ring full of lockpicks. ‘Forgot my keys. Now what is this "job" you wanted to give me?’ They sat down on the opposite ends of a square dining table. ‘Very well, Garrett, I will tell you.’

Team CC Hits the Big Time! - 4:08:37 PM - Dan

A big word of congrats goes to the team behind Calendra's Cistern for scoring a full page article in Computer Gaming World! That's simply awesome, guys - I'm thrilled for you. :) Check out a scan of the article here!

Saturday, September 09, 2000

CoSaS Questions & Answers - 3:29:28 PM - Dan

Take heed - the CoSaS site has been updated with a Questions & Answers section. Not only does it answer many of the questions most people have been asking, but it brings up a few topics which we think everyone should be aware of. It's also, more of less, telling everything we are willing to tell at this point. :)

Thursday, September 07, 2000

COT Chapter 12 - Revelations - 12:08:16 AM - Dan

With chapter 12, we draw near to the point at which Correspondence of Thieves previously left off. James, who has thus far been lurking in the background, finally takes center stage. Chapter 12 - Revelations - Nightfall: The Mystery Man - Day 10: 12:00am It was raining once again. The rain was different this time, though. It was more natural and neutral. It was not an evil rain, but it was still intense. I kept the horse running at a steady pace, slightly below her maximum speed. I didn’t want to wear her out. There was still quite a ways to go. I rode her down the road the Hammers had built, of course. I must have been riding for a couple hours, a good half of my journey, when I saw something on the newly built road up ahead. My keen eyes identified a man carrying a lantern. He was standing in the middle of the road waiting, for me no doubt. As I grew near, I recognized the man. It was the same man I had seen twice this day: once when I first came to the lodge, and then when I was watching during the night. It was James. Hopefully next week we will get that really cool cover painting online. :)

Saturday, September 02, 2000

Fishmonger - 2 bronze hammers - 9:48:11 AM - Alex

The final review is for Keith Kelly (Zail)'s Fishmonger. Marecki awarded this Thief 1 mission a score of 2 bronze hammers. Pros: hardly any technical glitches, interesting idea & design of a golem. Cons: extremely plain architecture, incoherent background, the whole mission feels rather empty and lacks atmosphere. Bottom line: It is often said that what distinguishes an artist from a manufacturer is that the latter can be a technical genius, but neverthless his design will simply lack soul; it is slightly different when it comes to projects of this kind, as they require skills in both tech and art. Zail has shown with his "Archery Challenge" that he's got the first, yet both "Fishmonger" and his earlier "Immoral Immortal" show a long road lies before him before he reaches the second. - Full Review

The Docks (T2 version) - 1 Silver Hammer - 9:45:03 AM - Alex

Marecki's second review is for the Thief 2 version of The Docks, by J. Roberts "Gonchong". Again, it is intended to go hand-in-hand with the review for the Thief 2 version. Overall the mission recieved 1 silver hammer. Well done, Gonchong! Pros: Unique atmosphere, very decent architecture, main sources of frustration in T1 version were removed. Cons: Could use fogging or weather where low ambient light used to be, can be finished in below 10 minutes without much strain. Bottom line: "The Docks" for Thief 2 is a piece of fan missions' history, repolished. Unfortunately minor improvements made to this version get balanced by minor problems that appeared, but neverthless it's a great choice for a session of quick and not too demanding Thief gameplay. - Full Review

Ranstall Keep V2 - 4.5 silver - 9:41:34 AM - Alex

Marecki has been hard at work reviewing fan missions. His review review is for Ranstall Keep version 2 - for Thief 2. This review is intended to be read in conjuction with the original Ranstall review. The mission was awarded 4.5 silver hammers. Pros: all the positive assets of the first version, along with many improvements. Cons: high poly count at times, minor sound and brownscale glitches. Bottom line: Imagine, however absurd it may sound, that you've got the first Ranstall Keep but better than it. Why are you still reading this, go play it now! - Full Review

Friday, September 01, 2000

'Lady Whitman's Disease' - Thief 2 Conversion - 11:18:48 PM - Dan

While some patch thier Thief 1 fan mission, some convert them to Thief 2. Lady Whitman's Disease is one of the latter. Thanks for the contribution, Robin! Thief 2 FM Lady Whitman's Disease   readme.txt   (2 Meg)   Released: 09-01-2K   English / Spanish By Robin G: A classical Bafford style mission with adventure and sneaking elements. Has different difficulty levels and support for spanish.

'Cesseld: Warron's Terf' - Screenshots - 10:47:45 PM - Dan

Lord Medairain, the author of 'Cesseld: Warron's Terf', a Thief 1 fan mission in development, asked me to post up a spotlight for his screenshot collection. So, low and behold: http://dcw16.tripod.com/tav.html Good luck with it, Medarian!

'Lord Burkhard' - New Thief 2 German Fan Mission - 10:40:50 PM - Dan

Lord Burkhard is a new Thief 2 fan mission by Gilbert (Master) Gradl. This is the first and only fan mission which is entirely in German (I do not know if it has been tested with english versions of Thief or not). German taffers - enjoy! English speaking taffers - good luck! Thief 2 FM Lord Burkhard   readme.txt   (709 K)   Released: 09-01-2K   German Only By Gilbert (Master) Gradl: Wachen von Lord Burkhard sind in Garrett´s Haus gestürmt. Lord Burkhard will alle Diebe in der Stadt fangen und in den Kerker werfen lassen. Außerdem wurde Garrett`s Freund schon gefasst.

'The Prodigal Corpse' - New Thief 1 Fan Mission - 10:16:21 PM - Dan

I'm pleased to announce that Pseudonymouse has released his first fan mission, entitled The Prodigal Corpse, for Thief 1 / Gold. Thanks for the contribution, Pseudon! Thief 1 / Gold FM The Prodigal Corpse   readme.txt   (1.63 Meg)   Released: 09-01-2K By Pseudonymouse (Chris Howcroft): After a glass too many of the finest wine, a wealthy noble is heard to boast that even Garrett himself couldn't beat his guards. Later that night, the corpse of his assistant is found drifting in the river. Noone knows how he died, but it seems that you've been given the perfect gift to present to his Lordship...

Update For -*gasp*- Gathering at the Bar - 10:06:50 PM - Dan

Gathering at the Bar, The Circle's oldest silver hammer mission, has been updated. It is now DarkLoader compatable. Hard to belive, eh?

Cult of the Resurrection Update - 8:35:15 PM - Dan

This is just a quick note to mention that Cult of the Resurrection has receaved a minor update.

Thief 2 Texture Compilation - 6:44:06 PM - Dan

A complete listing of all Thief 2 textures has been donated to The Circle by Jesse Adams. This listing may be found in the guides section of TEG. While at first thought, this may not seem useful, since you can get the same thing with an image browser, looking through the texture folders. However, it is useful, because you can see, at a glance, where all the textures are, without having to go searching through a dozen folders.

Garrett's House Gold - by Eben Lassen - 5:40:35 PM - Dan

Garrett's House Gold is an updated version of Garrett's House. Again, this mission is unrated and can only be played through Thief 1 Dromed. GHG is by Eben Lassen, who recommends using the command ai_aware_of_player before going into game mode. Garrett's House Gold   (656 K)   Open in Dromed 1 By Eben Lassen: This is a small creation featuring some custom skins. It is to be looked at in Dromed 1 with the AI turned off.

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