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Thief |OT| Hide your valuables, Garrett is back in town

SJRB

Gold Member
Is loot hidden in realistic places in this game or in bs locations like rooftops and rafters and stuff? Hate missing stuff hidden in random locales. Annoyed me in dishonoured.

Both. The obvious loot is tablewear, stuff in drawers and closets, vaults behind paintings and similar locations. But there's also stuff in corners of alleyways, in baskets on balconies, stuff like that.
 
Thank you so much.

It's really sad they make it so hard to play on the Xbox One. I tried so many different methods of getting it to play but it won't do anything without the entire 6GB download.

So if you delete the game data entirely, everything, all trace off your X1, then boot it up with the net unplugged, and put the game in, what does it say?
 

Maxwood

Oh rock of ages, do not crumble, love is breathing still. Oh lady moon shine down, a little people magic if you will.
Is loot hidden in realistic places in this game or in bs locations like rooftops and rafters and stuff? Hate missing stuff hidden in random locales. Annoyed me in dishonoured.
Most of it is pretty "logical" to find. There is some loot on rooftops, but only in birdsnests so far.

Shiny things everywhere. I love it. But if your really OCD about collecting *everything*, this game will make you sweat onions.

I love wandering around The City, taking in the sights. Finding some hidden passageway's, looting everything in sights, doing some sidequests. Delicious.
Really great, thick atmosphere.
 

styl3s

Member
Is being caught unforgiving in this game? As someone who isn't the greatest stealth players i found myself entering combat quite a few times in Dishonored (granted, i wanted to play that game as more of a action game then stealth) but even in MGS4 and the previous 2 SC games i found myself in situations where i would have to fight and kill 2-3 people.

Basically what i want to know is am i dead if i get seen? Also, how well optimized is it on PC? Anyone running on a 660, equal or less without any real problems?
 
Is being caught unforgiving in this game? As someone who isn't the greatest stealth players i found myself entering combat quite a few times in Dishonored (granted, i wanted to play that game as more of a action game then stealth) but even in MGS4 and the previous 2 SC games i found myself in situations where i would have to fight and kill 2-3 people.

Basically what i want to know is am i dead if i get seen? Also, how well optimized is it on PC? Anyone running on a 660, equal or less without any real problems?

you're not DEAD per se, but you had better either haul ass to find a place where the guards can't get to you (ie: run up a ladder or ledge or something) or try your best to knock them out, which usually results in them getting some shots in and knocking down your health.

i've only had a few times where i was absolutely cornered in an illuminated area and was forced to fight for my life and died. luckily the standard guards with batons don't swing very fast and i am usually able to get 3 hits + the finishing move in before they can take a second swing at me. the crossbow guards like to kick me backward and shoot me so they take some dodging and finesse. i don't like fighting though, and i feel like they designed the game to make you avoid it.
 

3bdelilah

Banned
I can't read all the comments because I want to play this with as less spoilers as possible, but can someone give me a quick run down with the biggest pro's and con's? Like this

+ stealth
+ atmosphere
- story

Those are the things I hear the most, but I'm kinda curious to see what GAF thinks.
 
D

Deleted member 17706

Unconfirmed Member
I can't read all the comments because I want to play this with as less spoilers as possible, but can someone give me a quick run down with the biggest pro's and con's? Like this

+ stealth
+ atmosphere
- story

Those are the things I hear the most, but I'm kinda curious to see what GAF thinks.

I'm still around 5 hours in, but for me:

+ environment visuals and atmosphere
- everything else

The game is just too restricted to be a good stealth game. There's pretty much zero freedom in choosing your path, at least in the early levels. Even the hub town is broken up into relatively small areas that are separated by load screens. The contextual movement system means you have to traverse through prescribed corridors to get around instead of having the freedom to travel across rooftops and stuff. It's really disappointing. They don't even try with the enemy AI, either, even on the hardest difficulty. They just walk back and forth in prescribed paths and it just looks goofy as hell with this level of graphic fidelity. I honestly can't say I'm having any fun with the game, but I want to give it a few more missions before completely writing it off.
 

Maxwood

Oh rock of ages, do not crumble, love is breathing still. Oh lady moon shine down, a little people magic if you will.
I can't read all the comments because I want to play this with as less spoilers as possible, but can someone give me a quick run down with the biggest pro's and con's? Like this

+ stealth
+ atmosphere
- story

Those are the things I hear the most, but I'm kinda curious to see what GAF thinks.
I've played for five hours, PC version. Only finished the first chapter, never played a Thief game before. Love stealth:

+ Awesome Hub
+ Cool Collectibles
+ Fun Stealth
+ "Vertical"
+ Swooping feels great
+ Thick atmosphere
+ Recap at the end of a mission. Love that.
- Bugs
- Audio Issues. Out of sync subtitles, cut-off conversations, someone on the other side of a house sounds like he's right next to you... Weird stuff.
- Really mixed performance, some crashes

+/- It's not really liniear but not open either, something I don't mind at all, but I know some people do. Two, three way's to get to or finish an objective?
 

Sinatar

Official GAF Bottom Feeder
12862260953_b90cd74322_o.png
 

aY227

Member
I can't read all the comments because I want to play this with as less spoilers as possible, but can someone give me a quick run down with the biggest pro's and con's? Like this

+ stealth
+ atmosphere
- story

Those are the things I hear the most, but I'm kinda curious to see what GAF thinks.

Opinions about new Thef are HUGHLY divided :)

+ stealth, but only on highest difficulty, maybe even with some modifficators
+ much harder than previous Thief's
+ "feeling" of Garrett
+ lots (and I mean REALLY lots) od side missions, secrets, unique item etc. etc.
+ side quest missions storylines
+ amazning "hub" city - huuuuuge
+ art-style
+ atmosphere of coruppted and dying city (but... Dishonored...)
+ OCD's players dream ;)

- Bugs... sheez... after few hours I know how to dissapear a corpses or that focus is easilly expoited... I don't even want to speak about AI ridiculous behaviour (from time to time).
- "focus" focused :> And I don't mean that its bad, that focus is in game - game is designed to use focus...
- terrible prologue and 1st chapter - game starts to shine from 3rd chapter (stupid decision)
- stealing silly stuff... 2g here, 3 g there and oh yes... lets check all of those 5 drawers - so much fun (connected to "focus-focused" flaw)
- those repetitive comments... Im really starting to hate hungry peoples and coffe lovers
- "point of no return" level design :( :( :( (big flaw for me)
- OMG OMG OMG fucked up sound positioning... Eidos... are you fucking kidding me? I really don't ask for a thing like that, but come on... while not adding TrueAudio you also forgot to add stereo? :/

+/- sometimes it's more like a logic game... (I dont mean puzzles but a situations with guards/civilians that You HAVE to face)
+/- different level design... It's not like "5 ways to get to point" - more like "1/2 ways to get there... but You have a lot to steal and play with on the way"
+/- story is still typical for Thief (technology/body) but... no hammerites no pagans etc. :/

Thats after about 7h ingame (steam shows 13h but.. meeeeh).
Right now for me it's a 8/10 and one of the best stealth games... with strange flaws, and You have to configure it to be interesting :/
 

sneaky77

Member
I am not a hardcore stealth fan, I am also not familiar with the original games.. so with that said, so far I am enjoying myself, is not a great game, you can see the pop up all over the place and the AI of the guards is laughable in normal but thats probably fine with me because I like the atmosphere and sneaking around for now., also.. the loading.. omg the loading..
 

Solidsoul

Banned
So if you delete the game data entirely, everything, all trace off your X1, then boot it up with the net unplugged, and put the game in, what does it say?

If the system is disconnected from the internet and I put thief in, it starts installing the game. Not long in it says "ready to play", so I start thief and it just shows a picture of garret for about 15 seconds and goes back to dashboard. If I wait for the install to be 100% complete and try to start thief it does the same thing.

If after installing I connect it to the internet, and try to start it it will tell me to update the game, if I say no...it won't let me play it.
 

EatChildren

Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
I can't read all the comments because I want to play this with as less spoilers as possible, but can someone give me a quick run down with the biggest pro's and con's? Like this

+ stealth
+ atmosphere
- story

Those are the things I hear the most, but I'm kinda curious to see what GAF thinks.

+ Basic stealth systems are perfectly functional and the game design as a whole is based pretty much exclusively around sneaking. So even when things go bad this isn't like Deus Ex where you'll cheese through combat to solve your problem. Heart of the game is stealth, and that's good.

+ Excellent first person animations leads to one of the best sense of real "presence" in a virtual world, having a physical model that does stuff and all that.

+ I really like the art and graphics, overall presentation. Looks good, animates well, atmosphere is cohesive and consistent, and I quite like Garrett's character (if simple).

+ Difficulty and HUD customisation isn't half arsed, but actually beneficial to improving the game's systems and design without breaking them.

- Basic stealth systems are still fundamentally just that. Even with tweaks the relatively small (though not always strictly linear) encounter zones, along with forgiving level design, fails to pressure economising and full use of your equipment like the older Thiefs. Tools are still very useful, but that use is relative to your skill level and play style, instead of an integral component of a higher level stealth puzzling metagame. In other words; there's a lot of "stuff" for you to use and do, but the game basically never fully lives up to this potential. Game is often cheesable.

- Individual mini-stories and world building is fine, but the plot as a whole is dreadful and descends into utter nonsense. There is no rewarding or gripping story to be found, the narrative as a whole subject to that classic video game storytelling issue of not enough exposition and reasoning for more or less every character and event that happens.

- Value of clearing out entire stages and going for high percentage looting is relative to your OCD tendencies.

As per my review: I maintain that Thief is a serviceable stealth game, and thus has value, but not an exceptional one.
 
If the system is disconnected from the internet and I put thief in, it starts installing the game. Not long in it says "ready to play", so I start thief and it just shows a picture of garret for about 15 seconds and goes back to dashboard. If I wait for the install to be 100% complete and try to start thief it does the same thing.

If after installing I connect it to the internet, and try to start it it will tell me to update the game, if I say no...it won't let me play it.

This is the thing I was going to recommend, thought it might be that. That sucks man.

+ Excellent first person animations leads to one of the best sense of real "presence" in a virtual world, having a physical model that does stuff and all that.

I really like this. I know I saw some people say they like the opposite, which I get, but for me I love this. It really helps immerse me.
 

Saiyan-Rox

Member
anyone getting really bad stuttering? the frame rate is just randomly dropping and causing it and it's annoying me ><

using an i5, 4GB Ram and an AMD Radeon 7950
 
anyone getting really bad stuttering? the frame rate is just randomly dropping and causing it and it's annoying me ><

using an i5, 4GB Ram and an AMD Radeon 7950

See if you head over to the thief pc performance thread man there's some really good tips in there and there's been discussion of frame stuttering.
 

Tizoc

Member
Well turning off SSAA improves the framerate somewhat but it still refuses to go to 60 FPS. Average riht now is 36 FPS @_@
 

Moff

Member
Is loot hidden in realistic places in this game or in bs locations like rooftops and rafters and stuff? Hate missing stuff hidden in random locales. Annoyed me in dishonoured.
most of it, probably

but I play though the game really thoroughly, with focus, and not in one single mission have I found all the loot. its really really well hidden.
I dont think there are any BS locations though, because the game is simply too small to even have that. expect you think its BS that someone loses a coin in a bush somwhere.

apart from that, I like the game more the more I play. I'd still say its the worst thief game, but its still the best stealth game I played in a very long time, and its definitely a good game. there is no way all the 6/10 reviews are justified.
 
Feels more like Splinter Cell than Thief, with tight levels (makes sense in this kind of medieval/urban setting), linear stealth encounters, often multiple ways to get to objectives a la Chaos Theory, some scripted events, etc. Which is fine with me. It was pointless to expect this to be like the originals, so I'm taking it on its own merits and it's a highly enjoyable stealth game on its own merits with delicious atmosphere. The low reviews are baffling.
 

Tizoc

Member
What's your specs man?

Here are my laptop's specs:
Intel i7-4700HQ CPU @ 2.40 GHz (Apparently I can up this to 3 GHz but I don't know how =P)
Internal Ram: 16 GB
Graphics card: NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 770M 3GB GDDR5 VRAM

Even when i set the graphics settings to Normal which would trim down on some of the quality and disable ssaa I still get 36 FPS average!

If only I can figure how to up my CPU speed maybe that'd help...
SHould I disable frame smoothing?
 

SJRB

Gold Member
This game is creepy as fuck sometimes. I was just in the Poet's appartment and all the ambient noises and shit scared the hell out of me. Couldn't find what I was looking for, but the longer I was in there the more paranoid I got.

Also - I think ramping up the prices of stuff in the custom difficulty setting was a mistake. 600g for a rope arrow is madness. 1000 for a wrench, good lord. One theft nets like 100g.

Are the rope arrows I fire in the city persistent?
 

SJRB

Gold Member

Thanks, I guess that makes it somewhat of an option.

Also noticed that the sell prices are still in default mode. So the purchasing price for a water arrow is 400g, but if you want to sell it you get like 5g for it. I wonder if that's deliberately done or if that's an oversight.
 

Dead

well not really...yet
Some of the guards dialog reference houses and people in the city which is pretty cool. I found the house with the stuffed bear and other taxidermied animal (pics posted earlier), and later I overheard a conversation between guards about the owner and the bear. Pretty cool.
 
Two hours in, and I have to say, I'm liking it more than Dishonored, which I still haven't finished actually. The music, sound design, graphics, animation and general presentation is superior, so I find myself more immersed.

All of that makes the world more interesting, even if it's too early to tell how the story compares. Solid gameplay mechanics as well.

I have no history with the series, though, so there's nothing specific I was hoping for. Just a fun, well crafted stealth/action game with nice production values, which seems to be what I'm getting.

The reviews are so average I figure there must be a big dropoff in quality coming. Otherwise I don't really get it.
 
Another reason this game is great:
BOOBIES!

In all seriousness though, I do have a couple complaints and they're both related to bugs. For one, I've noticed a bunch of audio issues ranging from dialog being repeated to voices that sound as if they're in the same room as you despite being elsewhere like in another room or even upstairs or downstars. On Chapter 3, I also noticed that there were a few tiny areas in which the ambience would completely go mute if I entered them. Finally, another problem I've noticed is that loading saved games often breaks scripted events like conversations between characters. I've had to go back to earlier saves a couple times due to this, so it can actually be game-breaking which is unfortunate.

I'm still really enjoying the game, but some of these bugs are really annoying. Here's hoping they're patched up soon!
 

SJRB

Gold Member
wait, bad sound positioning? what happened with that? can someone explain? im about to start this tomorrow.

The game sometimes has bad audio placement. The audio differs from people's actual location, for example it sounds like someone is standing right next to you when they're actually in another room. It's off balance at times.
 

justjim89

Member
I'm in the middle/end of of Chapter 4 when you have to
break into the keep while it's on fire.

Hoooooooly shit is that some poorly designed janky gameplay that belongs nowhere in a Thief game. I spent 45 minutes trying to loot the chest to the left then pick the lock on the door. It must be impossible to do without focus, as Garrett would always pass out every time I was on the final tumbler of the door. I even tried using a gamepad to do the picking so I could memorize the spot on the control stick it needed to be in for each tumbler. No luck. It's not even time based or damage based, as I poked around the first area with the two bodies looking for loot. Spent 5 minutes doing that and I didn't die. But if I tried to loot the chest and pick the door, a process I had down to about 30 seconds, Garrett would always die at the door, as if activating the picking minigame set off a 10 second timer to open the door in. I eventually gave up on the loot and went the other way, but damn I'm mad about that. I quit after I got to the next checkpoint. Did anyone successfully get through that room with the loot and the locked door? That's just broken ass game design.

Nevermind the fact that it makes no narrative sense for Garrett to break into a burning, collapsing building. In the prologue, he's perfectly capable of admitting when a job is too dangerous. But now he just has to get in there and a cataclysmic explosion is the perfect opportunity apparently. Damn that's dumb.

As with chapter 3, the first half of the level is a perfectly appropriate Thief level, but then it has to go and decide it wants to be another game entirely. It's really off-putting.

This is made all the more distasteful for me, because between the two chapters I did the bank heist, which is a fucking excellent level perfectly exemplary of what a Thief level should be. Before the game was out, I was hoping they'd put out The Bank Heist as a preview of sorts, like Hitman did with sniper challenge. But that would have been terrible to do if you think about it. It would have lead people to think that quality of level design is indicative of the whole game, which it certainly isn't.

I'm still really enjoying this game, but the more I play the more apparent its flaws become.
 

KorrZ

Member
I'm enjoying this game a lot so far, just hit 7 hours in and I'm only on chapter 2. I can already understand why people have complaints with the main story (it's awful so far) but I am still really enjoying the area specific narrative (notes, guard conversations etc.)

Gameplay wise the stealth is a little basic, but perfectly serviceable. Making it through an entire area undetected, while managing to steal every single piece of loot still leaves me feeling very satisfied, especially if you can manage to not knock any one out either. The levels feel small compared to older games like Thief 2 or Deus Ex, but compared to more modern games like Dishonored and Deus Ex: HR I think the level size holds up fine. I'm honestly pretty impressed with the amount of interiors they've created for the hub city.

I really have to give the game credit for it's presentation too. The atmosphere is great, and all of the great first person animations really help create a good sense of immersion in the world.

Maybe Thief starts to get worse later, but so far I can't imagine how this game is getting 6's.
 

Moff

Member
This is made all the more distasteful for me, because between the two chapters I did the bank heist, which is a fucking excellent level perfectly exemplary of what a Thief level should be. Before the game was out, I was hoping they'd put out The Bank Heist as a preview of sorts, like Hitman did with sniper challenge. But that would have been terrible to do if you think about it. It would have lead people to think that quality of level design is indicative of the whole game, which it certainly isn't.
the bank heist is nothing compared to what will still come, there are some main story and client missions still coming which are big, proper thief levels.

all in all I'm very pleased so far, especially compared to my very low expecations. I didnt expect to see this many and proper big thief levels in this game.
I am also very glad that this game most definitely does not offer to be played as an action game (like DX or dishonored) its pure stealth and the stealth mechanics are really fun.

and my personal favourite part about this thief installment - the city - still keeps on expanding, its amazing what amound of ideas and content got into the city, I really enjoy exploring it and just discovered another huge sidequest in it.

if the last 2 story missions arent absolutely terribly designed, there is no way this game deserves 6/10 or less.
 
D

Deleted member 17706

Unconfirmed Member
OK, I'm starting to enjoy the game a little more. Those first couple of story missions were pretty bad, but some of the side missions and chapter 4 and beyond have been enjoyable. I still find this story to be pretty incomprehensible and the set pieces they try to hamfist into the game are extremely sloppy. Wish they would have left that stuff out.
 
Also - I think ramping up the prices of stuff in the custom difficulty setting was a mistake. 600g for a rope arrow is madness. 1000 for a wrench, good lord. One theft nets like 100g.

Are the rope arrows I fire in the city persistent?
Out of curiosity, what are they normally? I've only played with this on.

In all seriousness though, I do have a couple complaints and they're both related to bugs. For one, I've noticed a bunch of audio issues ranging from dialog being repeated to voices that sound as if they're in the same room as you despite being elsewhere like in another room or even upstairs or downstars. On Chapter 3, I also noticed that there were a few tiny areas in which the ambience would completely go mute if I entered them.
Yeah, the audio is all over the place; I know the exact spots you mean in Chapter 3. In Chapter 4 there's a place you can stand inside a building and hear the torrent of rain outside.

The repetition of some "ambient" dialogue and its complete failure to be ambient is really, really annoying.

It's one of the most disappointing aspects. Especially since the other Thief games were pioneering for sound and AI sound detection in their day. Thi4f doesn't even seem to care very much what surface you're on (apart from broken glass), whereas in the earlier games every heavy footstep could make you wince.

But if I tried to loot the chest and pick the door, a process I had down to about 30 seconds, Garrett would always die at the door, as if activating the picking minigame set off a 10 second timer to open the door in. I eventually gave up on the loot and went the other way, but damn I'm mad about that.
Weird, I managed to do both. What I don't understand is how you're meant to get through there without taking damage, which would be game over under some difficult settings.
 

bryanee

Member
I've done three chapters, only then did I realise there was a merchant so I bought the available equipment and then spent 3 hours exploring the hub world. It can be a little awkward navigating but you get used to it.

I hate the windows that don't give any indication that you are about to warp to another part of the map resulting in a loading screen.
 
Feels more like Splinter Cell than Thief, with tight levels (makes sense in this kind of medieval/urban setting), linear stealth encounters, often multiple ways to get to objectives a la Chaos Theory, some scripted events, etc. Which is fine with me. It was pointless to expect this to be like the originals, so I'm taking it on its own merits and it's a highly enjoyable stealth game on its own merits with delicious atmosphere. The low reviews are baffling.


Played three hours so far and i have to agree. The atmosphere is really well done in this game. The same for the art style.
 

SJRB

Gold Member
Out of curiosity, what are they normally? I've only played with this on.

I have no idea, but given the sell prices a rope arrow can't be more than 100g or something. Maybe even 50.

Is anyone here even playing on anything other than Custom difficulty?
 

Aces&Eights

Member
Question to players of the game: I am a stealth but a la Panther style player. I love making it through levels unseen but I simply cannot leave enemies behind that are conscience and/or moving. Something inside me simply has to knock out every single enemy I meet. So, my question is can I do this on the master settings? Is there a penalty for say, knocking out the guards rather than leaving them alone?
 

Moff

Member
Question to players of the game: I am a stealth but a la Panther style player. I love making it through levels unseen but I simply cannot leave enemies behind that are conscience and/or moving. Something inside me simply has to knock out every single enemy I meet. So, my question is can I do this on the master settings? Is there a penalty for say, knocking out the guards rather than leaving them alone?

on master, you are not allowed to knock out or kill civilians, only guards.
there is an achievement for not knogking out or killing anyone.
 

ironcreed

Banned
Went ahead and started this tonight because I just can't take much more of Lords of Shadow 2. Liked it right off the bat. Seems like it is going to be a blast to play through.
 
Help!

I'm looking for a square key to open a door in the area with (a couple hours into the game)
the mannequins and bodies on hooks on a rail
. Thanks.
 

justjim89

Member
Weird, I managed to do both. What I don't understand is how you're meant to get through there without taking damage, which would be game over under some difficult settings.

I suppose you're either lucky or a faster lockpick than me. But yeah I'm not sure how you'd do that without taking damage. They'd have to be a lot more lenient about what counts as damage, lest it turn out like the train station level in Absolution with instinct turned off.

Maybe you don't really take damage aside from fire, Garrett just suffocates. His bouts of choking may not count as actual physical damage.
 
Nevermind the fact that it makes no narrative sense for Garrett to break into a burning, collapsing building. In the prologue, he's perfectly capable of admitting when a job is too dangerous. But now he just has to get in there and a cataclysmic explosion is the perfect opportunity apparently. Damn that's dumb.

He goes in there
to rescue Basso, and later realizes that he wants to crack the Baron's giant safe
. Pretty straightforward, really. The fact that it's being attacked/is on fire is the perfect cover.

He even spells it out in the intervening cutscene - the fact that he's going through the most dangerous part of the keep is apt, as it will give him the element of surprise again.
 
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