Thief is a series of stealthvideo games in which the player takes the role of Garrett, a master thief in a fantasysteampunk world resembling a cross between the Late Middle Ages and the Victorian era, with more advanced technologies interspersed.^[1]

The series consists of Thief: The Dark Project (1998), Thief II: The Metal Age (2000), Thief: Deadly Shadows (2004) and Thief (2014). An expanded version of Thief: The Dark Project, titled Thief Gold, was released in 1999 and features three extra maps and several bug fixes. Looking Glass Studios developed both The Dark Project and The Metal Age. After the studio had gone out of business in 2000, many former employees moved to Ion Storm and began developing the third part of the series, Deadly Shadows. Eidos Montréal was subsequently given the reins for Thief. The Thief series has been highly acclaimed by both gamers and critics, with praise aimed at the innovative gameplay, atmosphere, sound design, the refreshingly dark and mature tone and direction, distinctiveness from other video games at the time of its release, voice acting and storylines, with the series now being considered as a pioneer of the modern-day stealth game genre, serving as a major influence to numerous other video games in the stealth genre.

• Cars Thief: Here you can play Cars Thief. Cars Thief is one of our selected Action Games. Play Cars Thief for Free, and Have Fun!
• Thief Simulator Free Download (v1.2.1) PC game Repack-Games.com. Thief Simulator Free Game Download Thief Simulator Free Download (v1.2.1) Latest Version Free Game Repack-Games. Thief Simulator Free Download. Become the real thief. Steal in free roam sandbox neighborhoods. Observe your target and gather information that will help you with the.

Well Thief 1 & 2 are amazing examples of intelligent game design and story. You'd think that sneaking around the corners and shadows would be boring but playing Garrett's role as master thief is a unique adventure. The array of weapons and tools are impressive.

• 2Games
• 4Characters

Gameplay[edit]

Set mainly in a first-person perspective within a 3D environment, the main gameplay tactic of the Thief series is to avoid fights, stealthily traverse the environment to complete specific objectives and instead sneak around the enemies or discreetly subdue them, without raising too much noise or suspicion. The Thief games are sometimes described as either a 'first-person sneaker', 'sneak-em-up' or a 'first-person looter' to emphasize this difference. Classification of the game has been slow coming, as three-dimensional stealth games, such as Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell and Assassin's Creed, only became more common years after the first Thief. Another innovation employed extensively by Thief is the careful use of sound effects as an integral part of gameplay. Sound cues not only tell the player of other characters in the vicinity, but also indicate how much noise Garrett makes when moving about an area. Too much noise can alert nearby guards, who will grow suspicious and come looking for intruders. There are a variety of tactics to avoid being heard, however, such as walking gently, steering clear of noisy pavement, or using moss arrows to create a carpet that muffles the sound of footsteps. In a similar vein, using light and dark became one of the most important strategies. A gauge at the bottom of the screen (called the 'Light Gem') indicates how visible the protagonist is. Entering deeper shadows or ducking makes the character less likely to be noticed. Walking about increases the risk of being spotted, and having a sword or bow drawn makes him very conspicuous in the game. The astute player is constantly keeping an eye on areas of light or shadow, guard patrol routes, and the type of terrain they are walking on, in case a hiding place is needed in a hurry. A light source, such as a torch or gas lamp, can be doused with a Water Arrow, creating an area of darkness in which the player may hide. Electrically powered lights, in all games, may simply be shut off by using a nearby switch or button; however, if no light switch is available, the electrical light will not turn off by simply shooting a Water Arrow at it. In Thief: Deadly Shadows, the player can simply 'pinch out' a lit candle by pressing the use button on it. A guard or any civilian may notice if a light source has been put out, likewise if something valuable has been stolen.

Another large component of game play in Thief, along with the stealth, is exploration. In most missions, especially in the first two Thief games, players can freely explore the game environment without much hindrance. Players are also free to experiment with how they approach the AI, as one may choose to take out all the AI-controlled guards, either by utilising a player-equipped blackjack, which incapacitates enemies, without killing them, a sword, which is used in direct combat and can kill enemies, or broadhead arrows, which can also discreetly kill enemies from a long range, along with other special arrows, such as water arrows, rope arrows and moss arrows, or one may choose to avoid any confrontation with the AI. 'Ghosting' is a play style by which one tries to leave no trace behind them as they explore and complete the objectives in each mission.

Games[edit]

Thief: The Dark Project (1998)[edit]

Released by Looking Glass Studios in late 1998 and powered by their own in-house developed Dark Engine, Thief: The Dark Project was considered by many to be a revolutionary game. The foremost defense of this position is that it was arguably the first morally ambiguous video game to receive a major release (as one might expect from its title). Cast in the role of the thief, Garrett, the player can forego all morality or choose to exercise restraint in multiple situations. This represented a departure from popular video games of the time, which tended to rely upon a Manichean conception of conflict along with 'black and white' settings and objectives. Another groundbreaking facet of the game was that although it utilized a first-person perspective, it was not an action-oriented shooter like almost all other first-person games. Instead, the emphasis was on stealth: The character is unusually agile, but is not a particularly skilled fighter, and much of the gameplay involves using shadows to avoid enemies. However, for those who desire action, there are weapons available that allow direct confrontation. A skilled player can often break cover and go head-to-head with the enemies. An even more skilled player can stay in cover and never let the enemies know that he was there. The game's original gameplay quickly developed a cult following. A re-release of Thief: The Dark Project entitled Thief Gold fixed various bugs and added three new levels (mostly derived from, but not identical to, content that was planned for the original game but cut for budget or time constraints) which contributed significantly to the existing plot. The package also contains bonus content such as the DromEd Dark Engine editor, a behind-the-scenes 'making of' video, and a desktop theme designed for Windows 98. Looking Glass was working on a similar re-release of Thief II: The Metal Age, provisionally entitled Thief II Gold, at the time they went out of business in 2000.^[9]

Thief II: The Metal Age (2000)[edit]

Looking Glass Studios released the sequel to Thief in early 2000. Utilizing the same Dark Engine that powered the original Thief, Thief II had an almost identical look and feel, with at some points differences in architecture and technology caused by the events of the first game, and only minor graphic and programming improvements, such as colored lighting. The basic gameplay was also fundamentally similar to the original Thief, but many new elements had been added, including technological gadgets such as a remote eye camera. Other changes include an increase in the number of AI behaviors. Responding to criticism of the original Thief that more time was spent on combat than actually living up to the title of the game, the missions in Thief II were designed much more around typical thief-like behavior, and much of the game is spent robbing the rich denizens of the City rather than battling monsters. In fact, the player encounters almost none of the monsters from the original Thief except for burrick (dinosaur-like creatures) heads mounted as trophies in some of the mansions, and a few zombies, undead and ghostly apparitions. The designers stated that, unlike the original Thief, where levels were developed to suit the plot, in Thief II levels were designed first and making the plot work with them was somewhat of a retrofit. A re-release of Thief II: The Metal Age entitled Thief II Gold was a game in development by Looking Glass Studios before the company closed down in 2000.^[9] It is believed to have been an expansion to Thief II similar to Thief Gold.

Thief: Deadly Shadows (2004)[edit]

A major departure from the first two games in the series, Thief: Deadly Shadows was developed by Ion Storm rather than Looking Glass Studios (albeit with many of the same people). The game was powered by the Unreal-based Deus Ex: Invisible War engine. Unlike the original two games, the third Thief was developed simultaneously for Windows and the Xbox. Because of all these factors, Thief: Deadly Shadows was different (and vastly updated) from the first two games in the series in both appearance and gameplay. One of the game's major new features was the ability to explore the City. While previous games sent Garrett straight from mission to mission, Thief: Deadly Shadows allows him to walk the City streets between missions, where he can steal from passersby, spy on the townspeople's daily lives, and search for sidequests in addition to major story missions. Unlike sandbox games such as Grand Theft Auto III, the city is not one large continuous map, but rather several small neighborhood maps connected by load zones (similar to Postal 2). The game also introduced an ability to switch between first- and third-person views, and to flatten against walls. In addition, the lighting engine was updated to accommodate moving shadows and light sources, which dynamically affected where the player could hide, an innovation originally precluded by the more technically limited Dark Engine. Smaller improvements were made to AI behavior, allowing for guards who noted when items went missing from their field of view or when doors were left open, along with an overhauled sound-propagation mechanic.

Thief (2014)[edit]

Thief is the fourth game in the Thief series, developed by Eidos Montréal and published by Square Enix. Since early 2008, several rumors had been circulating regarding a fourth Thief game, which was allegedly under development. Eidos Montréal's General Manager Stéphane D'Astous commented in an interview for Deus Ex: Human Revolution that confirmation of the company's second 'AAA title', which its website states 'begins with the letter 'T', would occur 'over the next year' or so.^[10] The game was unveiled on May 11, 2009, originally titled as Thief 4.^[11]

Game editing[edit]

With the release of DromEd, a map editor for the first two games, an active community of fans began providing a wealth of home-grown missions for the first two games, known as Fan Missions. Thousands of fan missions for these games have been created, some equally or more complex than the original game missions. These fan missions can be played by other fans using a loader. T3Ed, a map editor for the third game Deadly Shadows, was released in February 2005 after a letter-writing campaign by fans. This allows fans to design their level with all the interactive objects seen in original missions, as well as place stealable loot and lighting, factors which drastically affect gameplay. Human NPCs and creatures from all the various factions can be added into missions, and their behaviors (such as patrol routes) configured. Missions may be packaged and distributed to other players, who need a loader to play them.

Characters[edit]

The following are recurring characters. Information on non-recurring characters may be found in Thief: The Dark Project, Thief II and Thief: Deadly Shadows.

Garrett[edit]

Viktoria[edit]

Viktoria (voiced by Terri Brosius) is a wood nymph in the series. She was a primary antagonist during the events of The Dark Project, being the one to remove Garrett's eye. However, she and her followers become allies for Garrett's war on the Mechanists during Metal Age. Initially there is little trust on Garrett's part, but over time she is able to gain Garrett's respect, loyalty and, uncharacteristically of the cynical thief, care. The two gradually grow closer over the course of working together, even to the point of Garrett being willing to defend her directly by rushing to her aid upon her ill-fated assault on Soulforge, and being noticeably upset when he is unable to save her. It seems that this degree of respect and general sentiment on Garrett's part is only seen in his relationships with Viktoria and the Keeper Artemus.

The character was well received. In 2000, Viktoria was included in GameSpot's list of the ten best female characters according to readers' choice, with the staff commenting: 'Viktoria didn't make our TenSpot, which was a shame. We editors apologize to those of you who lamented our oversight.' It was also accompanied by a poll asking who should play Viktoria in the movie adaptation of the Thief games (Catherine Zeta-Jones, Elizabeth Hurley, Salma Hayek or Jennifer Lopez).^[12] In 2007, Tom's Games included this 'bad girl with charisma and style' on the list of the 50 greatest female characters in video game history, noting how 'evolves from a deceptive villain in the first game to a more benevolent companion to Garrett in the sequel, which ends her heroic, sacrificial death' and applauding her 'hypnotic voice' provided by Brosius. Tom's Games stated she should be played in the live-action adaptation by 'Naomi Watts, who's got the sexy voice, beauty and charisma for the part.'^[13] In 2013, Gameranx ranked her as the third-sexiest female game villain in history.^[14]

Other characters[edit]

• Keeper Artemus – The Keeper and mentor who took Young Garrett in and taught him in Thief: The Dark Project. Artemus is the main point of contact between Garrett and the Keepers throughout the series and attempts to enlist his help with the various Keeper prophecies, much to Garrett's reluctance. He holds genuine affection for Garrett, in spite of Garrett's rejection of the Keeper ways, and carries a strong independent and rebellious streak of his own. Artemus also appears to be the only Keeper whose stealth skills rival Garrett's and occasionally manages to sneak up on him. Artemus is believed to have been killed towards the end of Thief: Deadly Shadows.
• Keeper Orland – A member of the Keeper organization with a strong dislike of Garrett. Orland eventually becomes the leader of the Keepers in Thief: Deadly Shadows. His leadership quickly proves officious, bureaucratic, and secretive, and Garrett quickly learns to dislike him. He first appeared in Thief II: The Metal Age, albeit voiced by a different actor.
• Interpreter Caduca – An old woman in the Keeper organization in charge of reading and interpreting the Glyph Prophecies. Prophecies are central to the Keepers' work, so Caduca plays a very important role in the organization, and even the Keeper leader listens to her advice. In reality, Caduca is relatively young. Prolonged exposure to the Glyphs causes accelerated aging, an effect which limits the amount of knowledge and power any single Keeper can obtain from studying the Glyphs. caduca is the Spanish feminine word for 'decrepit, obsolete'^[15] or the Portuguese word for 'old, obsolete'.^[16] She is murdered by The Hag in Thief: Deadly Shadows.
• Translator Gamall – Caduca's assistant, an eerie pale and emotionless girl who translates Caduca's interpretations into English. As the Translator, Gamall will succeed Caduca as interpreter when Caduca is no longer able to fulfill her duties. Gamall turns out to be a guise of The Hag.
• 'Benny' – A recurring drunkard guard whose mood swings and amusing ramblings endeared him to many fans of the series. The name is informal, but comes from a specific drunken guard in the Sheriff's mansion during the Metal Age. The character's voice is used for a number of different guards throughout the series. In Thief: Deadly Shadows he is at one point called 'Sinclair'. Several 'episodes' of a series of conversations called 'Benny's Ailment' can also be listened to in Deadly Shadows.
• Basso the Boxman – An acquaintance of Garrett's whom he rescued from a Hammerite prison, although this uncharacteristic act of kindness was merely performed because Garrett had his eye on Basso's sister, who he hoped would be 'grateful'. Garrett also helps to rescue Basso's betrothed Jeneviere from indentured servitude in the first mission of Thief II: The Metal Age.

The world of Thief[edit]

The universe of Thief is a dark fantasy setting and is centered mostly on a dense, sprawling metropolitan complex known only as 'The City', which has some resemblance to 18th/19th century London, but with an altogether more Medieval culture, reflected in the style of dress and semi-feudal social structure, a lack of firearms but widespread use of magic. It is a steampunk metropolis constantly being fought over by a corrupt aristocracy, an order of religious fanatics and a horde of vengeful woodland beings, all under the eye of a secret organization. The world is highly superstitious and does have a noticeable problem with the supernatural and the undead are very common. Technology is unnatural varied in a way that they have access to electricity and use it for light and industry but nothing else. Thief takes place hundreds of years after the original games, possibly with a heavier emphasis on the identity of 'The City'.^[17] Garrett works with the underground economy of the City, making a lucrative living for himself. Occasionally Garrett would leave the confines of the City and rob mansions, prisons, or graveyards.

Film[edit]

In 2016, Straight Up Films announced that they have acquired the film rights to Thief with plans to develop a movie, Adam Mason and Simon Boyes will write the screenplay, Straight Up Films’ President of Production Sandra Condito will serve as executive producer along with Khalid Jones of Source Rock and Square Enix while Straight Up principals Marisa Polvino and Kate Cohen will produce alongside Roy Lee and Adrian Askarieh.^[18]

In 2015, Adrian Askarieh, producer of the Hitman films, stated that he hoped to oversee a shared universe of Square Enix films with Just Cause, Hitman, Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, and Thief, but admitted that he does not have the rights to Tomb Raider.^[19] In May 2017, the Game Central reporters at Metro UK suggested that the shared universe was unlikely, pointing out that no progress had been made on any Just Cause, Deus Ex nor Thief films.^[20]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^'City Timeline – A Revisionist Perspective'. Btinternet.com. Archived from the original on June 30, 2012. Retrieved August 22, 2011.
2. ^'Thief: The Dark Project Reviews'. Metacritic. Retrieved June 26, 2013.
3. ^'Thief II: The Metal Age Reviews'. Metacritic. Retrieved June 26, 2013.
4. ^'Thief: Deadly Shadows Reviews'. Metacritic. Retrieved June 26, 2013.
5. ^'Thief: Deadly Shadows Reviews'. Metacritic. Retrieved June 26, 2013.
6. ^'Thief Reviews'. Metacritic. Retrieved February 24, 2014.
7. ^'Thief Reviews'. Metacritic. Retrieved February 24, 2014.
8. ^'Thief Reviews'. Metacritic. Retrieved February 24, 2014.
9. ^ ^ab'TNL Developer Spotlight: Looking Glass Studios'. TNL. Archived from the original on December 10, 2014. Retrieved February 1, 2013.
10. ^'Thief 4 stepping out of shadows May 11?'. May 4, 2009.
11. ^'Eidos Confirms Thief 4'. May 11, 2009. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013.
12. ^'GameSpot's Readers' Choice TenSpot: Best Female Characters'. August 18, 2000. Archived from the original on August 18, 2000.
13. ^'The 50 Greatest Female Characters in Video Game History - Tom's Games'. October 14, 2008. Archived from the original on October 14, 2008.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
14. ^Gameranx Staff, Top 11 Hottest Female Villains: #3 ViktoriaArchived December 17, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, Gameranx, September 13, 2013.
15. ^'Diccionario de la lengua española - Vigésima segunda edición'. Lema.rae.es. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
16. ^'Dicionário Priberam da LÃngua Portuguesa'. Priberam.pt. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
17. ^'Thief 4 Storyboard Concept Images Leaked; Set in London? « GamingBolt.com: Video Game News, Reviews, Previews and Blog'. Gamingbolt.com. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
18. ^McNary, Dave (March 4, 2016). ''Thief' Videogame Being Adapted Into Movie With Roy Lee'. Variety.
19. ^Krupa, Daniel (September 9, 2015). 'Hitman producer dreams of shared Square Enix movie universe'. IGN. Archived from the original on July 20, 2017. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
20. ^Game Central staff (May 12, 2017). 'Thief 5 and movie adaptation in development claims film company'. MetroUK. Retrieved December 9, 2018.

External links[edit]

• Thief series at MobyGames

Thief: The Dark Project is a 1998 first-person stealthvideo game developed by Looking Glass Studios and published by Eidos Interactive. Set in a medieval steampunk metropolis called the City, players take on the role of Garrett, a master thief trained by a secret society who, while carrying out a series of robberies, becomes embroiled in a complex plot that ultimately sees him attempting to prevent a great power from unleashing chaos on the world.

Thief was the first PC stealth game to use light and sound as game mechanics, and combined complex artificial intelligence with simulation systems to allow for emergent gameplay. The game is notable for its use of first-person perspective for non-confrontational gameplay, which challenged the first-person shooter market and led the developers to call it a 'first-person sneaker', while it also had influences in later stealth games such as Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell and Hitman.

The game received critical acclaim and has been placed on numerous hall-of-fame lists, achieving sales of half a million units by 2000, making it Looking Glass' most commercially successful game. It is regarded as one of the greatest video games of all time and helped popularize the stealth genre. Thief was followed by an expanded edition entitled Thief Gold (1999) which modified certain missions and included a few brand new levels, two sequels - Thief II: The Metal Age (2000), and Thief: Deadly Shadows (2004) - and a reboot of the series - Thief (2014). Thief was one of two games in the series that Looking Glass worked on before it was forced to close.

• 2Plot
• 3Development
• 4Reception

Gameplay[edit]

Thief takes place from a first-person perspective in a 3D environment, with the game's story taking place over a series of missions, in which the player character is able to perform various actions such as leaning, crouching, swimming, climbing, running and fighting, amongst other abilities.^[2]Levels are largely unscripted^[3] and maze-like, and allow for emergent gameplay; while non-player characters (NPCs) may either remain stationary or walk about on a patrol route, players have the freedom to choose how to get around them and the obstacles in a level's environments in order to complete specific tasks, such as getting through a locked door.^[4] In each level, the player is given a set of objectives to complete, such as stealing a specific object, which they must complete in order to progress to the next level; the player can choose to play on one of three difficulty settings before starting a level, which they can change between missions, with higher difficulties adding additional objectives such as not killing human NPCs or stealing a certain amount of loot from the amount available in a level, changing the amount of health the player character has, and changing how sensitive a NPC is to their environment.^[3] In some missions, players may find objectives being changed or new ones being added, due to certain circumstances they encounter, while failing a key objective or dying, will fail a level, forcing a player to either replay it or load up a previous save.

As the game's emphasis is on stealth, players are encouraged to focus on concealment, evasion, distraction, misdirection, and subtle takedowns, rather than on outright confrontation; the player's character can engage in sword-based combat when the need arises, and can perform three different attacks as well as parrying, but has limited proficiency and damage resistance in such circumstances.^[2][2][5] To do so, players must remain aware of their surroundings. To assist them in remaining hidden, a special meter on the heads-up display (HUD), in the form of a gem, helps to indicates the player's visibility to NPCs; the brighter it is, the more easily they can be visually detected, thus sticking to dark, shady spots where the gem dims, ensures the player is hidden, though NPCs can still find them if they get to close in front of them.^[2] To remain quiet, players must be careful of how much noise they produce, as well as what surfaces they are moving over; walking on soft surfaces like carpets and grass, is preferable as footsteps remain quiet, compared to walking over metal floors and ceramic tiles, which produce a lot of noise.^[2][6] NPCs also produce noise, either from whistling, or walking about for example, which can help players determine how far they are to their own position. Noise can be used by the player to mislead/distract NPCs, such as throwing an object to lure them elsewhere.

The game's NPCs feature artificial intelligence (AI) systems that detect unscripted visual and aural cues.^[7] If an NPC sees or hears something out of place, it will react to this, depending on the level of its suspicions; if for a brief second, they will simply ignore it, but if for long enough, they will become alert to their surroundings and begin searching the area.^[7] NPCs will react to things such as clashing swords or the reaction in other NPCs' voices,^[3] as well as to visual changes to their environment, such as blood stains, opened doors and fallen bodies; players can avoid leaving visual clues by cleaning them up, such as hiding bodies.^[2][7] NPCs are divided between three categories - 'guards', 'servants', and 'non-human' - whose reactions vary; guards will call out an alert if they spot the player and attack them; servants will run for help if they spot the player or a body; non-human NPCs will merely pursue and attack the player.^[8] If a guard is significantly injured, he will try to escape and find help; some non-human NPCs will merely flee.^[5] Non-human characters range from giant spiders, feral creatures, to zombies and ghosts, with certain levels containing survival horror elements.^[9][10]

To assist them on each level, the player character carries with them a few pieces of equipment - a blackjack, which can incapacitate humanoid NPCs; a sword, which can kill NPCs; and a bow, which can be used for ranged combat as well as a tool. Players can use a variety of arrows with their bow, each varying in properties; for example, 'water arrows' can be used to douse torches and any other source of fire as well as clean up blood stains, 'rope arrows' can attach a climbable rope to wooden surfaces, 'moss arrows' can cover an area with moss that muffles footsteps and 'fire arrows' can relight torches and do considerable damage to NPCs.^[2] Other tools are also available, including lockpicks, 'flashbombs' (which can stun NPCs for a brief few moments), and potions. The player can cycle through the inventories for weapons/arrows and tools through the HUD. In addition, players can purchase additional arrows and tools between levels with the loot they have acquired (both loot and remaining items do not roll over between missions), and find additional items during a level. Players can also find books and scrolls that can contain information on in-game lore or useful clues to get around an obstacle in a level, as well as food that can be eaten, and keys that can unlock doors and chests/crates.^[2][11]

Plot[edit]

Setting[edit]

Thief takes place in a metropolis called 'the City',^[5] which has been noted to contain elements of the Middle Ages-like dark fantasy and the Industrial Revolution.^[5][12] Project director Greg LoPiccolo said in an early preview: 'In essence [.. it's] this undefined medieval age, sort of medieval [Europe] meets Brazil meets City of Lost Children. There's some electricity, some magic, and some 19th century machinery kind of stuff.'^[13] The setting has been described as steampunk, a fantastical setting where steam engine technology is prominently used.^[14] During levels, the player may learn about the setting by finding notes and overhearing conversations;^[6][15] it has been noted that the player participates in the revelation of Thief's setting.^[6]

The City contains three factions: the Keepers, and two opposing religious orders known as the Pagans and the Order of the Hammer, or 'Hammerites'. The latter two have been cited as representations of chaos and order, respectively; the neutral, secretive Keepers strive to maintain balance within the City.^[6][15] The Hammerites worship a deity called 'The Builder', and believe in progress, craftsmanship and righteousness; the Pagans, who have been described as 'primitive, almost animalistic', worship the dangerous 'Trickster' god and value the natural world.^[6][15] It has been assessed that the design of each group's architecture reflects their beliefs.^[15]

Story[edit]

The game's prologue sees Garrett, the protagonist, describing his youth as a homeless orphan on the City's streets. He is caught while attempting to pickpocket a suspicious man who reveals himself to be a Keeper.^[16] Impressed by Garrett's ability to see him, he offers him the chance to join his order.^[17] Garrett accepts,^[18] but later leaves the order to pursue a life of thievery.^[19] Years later, Garrett works as a thief, and is under pressure to join a crime ring.^[20] As punishment for his failure to pay a protection fee, he is targeted for assassination by the crime lord Ramirez.^[21] Garrett evades the assassins, and robs Ramirez's mansion in retaliation.^[22] Following this, he is approached by a woman named Viktoria—the representative of an anonymous client who was impressed by Garrett's theft from Ramirez. He is contracted to steal a sword from Constantine, an eccentric nobleman who recently arrived in the City.^[23] After Garrett completes the mission, Viktoria takes him to Constantine,^[24] who explains that he hired Garrett to steal his own sword as a test. Constantine offers him a fortune to steal The Eye—a gem kept within a sealed and deserted Hammerite cathedral.^[25]

To reach the cathedral, Garrett ventures through Old Quarter, a haunted, abandoned district of the City.^[26] Through an opening in the cathedral, The Eye informs Garrett of a nearby Keeper sanctuary, where he may learn how to unseal the cathedral.^[27] There, Garrett discovers that the cathedral was sealed to prevent the City's destruction by the Trickster. He learns that there are four talismans needed to remove the seal:^[28] two hidden in ancient ruins beneath the City, and two inside a Hammerite temple (in Thief Gold, one talisman is in possession of the mages and another was found at an opera house after it was taken from the caves below, while the other two are in the Lost City and the Hammerite Temple as in the original game).^[29][30] Garrett recovers the talismans and returns to the cathedral.^[31] After unsealing the cathedral,^[32] he learns that its inhabitants had been killed and made undead by The Eye.^[33] He returns The Eye to Constantine, who reveals himself to be the Trickster.^[34] Viktoria says that The Eye requires a flesh eye to function; she binds Garrett with vines and removes his right eye.^[35] The Trickster places it on the gemstone, and the two disappear through a portal.^[36] Garrett, left for dead, is found and freed by two Keepers.^[37] During his escape from the Trickster's mansion, he learns that the Trickster plans to use The Eye to revert the world to a wild state.^[38][39]

After Garrett escapes the mansion,^[40] he seeks help from the Order of the Hammer.^[41] However, he finds that the Trickster has attacked the Hammerite temple.^[42] In a refuge beneath the temple, he finds Hammerite survivors who provide him with a booby-trapped replica of The Eye.^[43] Garrett descends into the Trickster's domain, where he finds the Trickster performing a ritual with The Eye to complete his plan. Garrett stealthily substitutes The Eye with its copy, which kills the Trickster.^[36] Later, Garrett has acquired a mechanical replacement for his lost eye. On the streets of the City, a Keeper approaches Garrett and claims that he will soon require the Keepers' help.^[44] Garrett dismisses him,^[45] and as he walks away, the Keeper warns of the encroaching 'metal age'.^[46]

Development[edit]

Origins[edit]

Thief began development in April 1996.^[47] For the game's original designer and writer Ken Levine, credited by The Telegraph as 'a key figure in the creation' of Thief,^[48] inspirations came from two of his favourite games, Castle Wolfenstein and Diablo.^[49] The initial concept was to make an action role-playing game and Levine was given the job of designing the game's world and story. Flight simulator google earth. Levine said the initial ideas and projects that have later morphed into Dark Camelot, before eventually evolving into The Dark Project, included School of Wizards, Dark Elves Must Die and Better Red Than Undead, the latter of which was 'a campy story' about communist zombies. The game was supposed to be a first-person sword fighting simulator, but 'the marketing [department] killed the idea,' to his disappointment.^[50] According to programmer Marc LeBlanc, 'The first proposal was Better Red Than Undead, a '50s Cold War game where the Soviet Union is overrun with zombies and you have to go hack them to pieces as the loner from the CIA because bullets don't work on the undead.'^[51]Doug Church said the game's design was built around the idea 'of having factions who you could ally with or oppose yourself with or do things for or not.'^[52]

Dark Camelot[edit]

The next concept, Dark Camelot, still focused on sword combat. Its plot—an inversion of Arthurian legend—featured Mordred as a misunderstood hero, King Arthur as a tyrannical villain and Merlin as a psychopath.^[53][54] According to Church, the game featured Morgan le Fay as Mordred's 'sort of good' advisor and Guinevere as a lesbian who would betray Lancelot and help Mordred to break into Camelot and steal the Holy Grail.^[52] The game's design combined a first-person perspective with action, role-playing and adventure elements.^[3]Warren Spector, who had recently left Origin Systems to found Looking Glass Studios Austin, became Dark Camelot's producer after his predecessor departed.^[55][56] Artist Dan Thron said: 'For a good long time, we had no idea what the game was about, until somebody stumbled upon the whole thief game play where you're not just running out trying to chop people up.'^[51] Church recalled that 'the basic stealth model was [..] having the guard looking the other way and you going past pretty quickly. So Paul [Nerath] had been pushing for a while that the thief side of it was the really interesting part and why not you just do a thief game.'^[52] A previously unreleased trailer for Dark Camelot and its Stargate Engine was uploaded to YouTube in 2013.^[54]

Production[edit]

In early 1997, Dark Camelot's name was tentatively changed to The Dark Project and its design altered to focus on thievery and stealth. Nevertheless, some levels originally designed for Dark Camelot ended up in the final product.^[3] In March, project director Greg LoPiccolo described the game's design: 'Essentially we're building a type of simulator [..] where object interactions are correct and physics are tied in correctly.' Then-lead designer Jeff Yaus reiterated: 'The goal is for everything to behave as it should. For example, things that burn will burn, and then it's up to the player to decide to burn things, whether or not we've anticipated it.'^[13] The first draft of stealth design was presented by Levine and Dorian Hart on April 4.^[57] Levine said inspiration for the idea of being powerful when undetected but very vulnerable when exposed came from the concept of submarine warfare and in particular from the 1985 simulation video gameSilent Service.^[50]Multiplayer support was planned, including the 'theftmatch' mode (a pun on deathmatch) 'where small teams of thieves compete under time pressure to steal the greatest value of swag from the territory of wealthy NPC's and their guard'.^[58] Full-scale development on The Dark Project began in May 1997, with a frantic work on a demo level and trailer for E3 1997. Originally announced to come out in Summer 1997, the game was delayed to Winter 1997-98.^[57]

However, Looking Glass Studios experienced serious financial trouble as development progressed into mid-1997. The company's Austin branch closed, costing Spector and several game engine programmers; this team relocated to Ion Storm, and released Deus Ex in 2000.^[3] Spector later called his impact on Thief, 'at best, minimal'.^[56] Levine too had left The Dark Project project before the Keepers factions was added to the game.^[50] By April 18,^[57] Looking Glass Studios laid off half of its entire staff in six months, which damaged morale of The Dark Project team, which at this point was vastly different from the one with which the development began. 'Few emotions can compare to the stress of heading to work not knowing who might be laid off, including yourself, or whether the doors would be locked when you got there,' lead programmer Tom Leonard later said. This stress caused several team members to voluntarily quit, including the lead programmer (Briscoe Rogers^[57]) who had designed the game's AI system, which suffered from software bugs and problems with complexity.^[3]

Thief 1 Game Download

When Leonard took over the position of lead programmer, he believed that the AI system was fixable; over several months, he learned that the pathfinding database—code that helps AI navigate a map—was unsalvageable. He completed the design—but not implementation—of a new system by November 1997, using an estimated one-fifth of the original code. Several features were removed during development, among them multiplayer support, a complex inventory interface, and branching mission structures. Leonard said they 'focused in on creating a single-player, linear, mission-based game centered exclusively around stealth.' He believed that the removal of multiplayer support and the game's renaming—from The Dark Project to Thief: The Dark Project—solidified this in the minds of the team.^[3] The game was renamed on April 3, 1998, the new title being much more descriptive and inspired by that of the role-playing gameVampire: The Masquerade. Several features have been brainstormed and rejected, including 'Spider-Man-esque' ability to climb on walls and ceilings and the shrinking and invisibility potions.^[57] By summer 1998, the team was challenged by exhaustion and the game's numerous simulation and AI glitches. These problems resulted in what Leonard later described as 'a game [that] could not be called fun.' Implementation of Leonard's new AI system was halted so the team could quickly assemble proof-of-concept demos; publisher Eidos Interactive had grown skeptical over the team's vision. Work on the AI did not resume until March 1998, and after 12 more weeks of constant work, it was ready for what Leonard called, 'real testing'.^[3]

The Intel Chipset will help in installing the drivers after you have downloaded them. Remember after you download you have to run the setup program from the driver folder. The ONLY THING YOU WILL have a problem with is THE SOUNDMAX AUDIO drivers which is being a issue. I have that issue. Lenovo PC Support Home – learn about your PC device, troubleshoot, check warranty, order or repair status, upgrade software or contact us. Apr 06, 2017  It is a software utility that will find the right driver for you - automatically. Lenovo updates their drivers regularly. To get the latest Windows 10 driver, you may need to go to Lenovo website to find the driver for to your specific Windows version and device model. Step 2 - Install Your Driver. Driver Operating System Released; TI PCI 1520/4520 Cardbus Controller support for Windows 98, SE, Me,Windows 2000 - ThinkPad G41, R40, R50, R50e, R50p, R51, R51e, R52. Lenovo Global Support Home. Lenovo Smart Assistant and Storage. Lenovo r51 drivers license.

Three months before the game's scheduled ship date, most problems had been resolved. The team began to believe, as Leonard described, that Thief 'did not stink, [and] might actually be fun.' Further, the release of games like Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines, Half-Life and Metal Gear Solid eased worries that experimental gameplay styles were unmarketable. According to Leonard, 'A new energy revitalized the team. Long hours driven by passion and measured confidence marked the closing months of the project.' The game went gold in November 1998, following an estimated 2.5 year development cycle and a $3 million budget.^[3]

Design[edit]

The design of Thief focused on stealth and evasion from a first-person perspective. Leonard said this idea challenged the standard first-person shooter concept: 'It is a game style that many observers were concerned might not appeal to players [..] and even those intimately involved with the game had doubts at times.'^[3] In response to the sentiment that their previous games '[required] a fair amount of investment from the player to get maximal enjoyment', the team specifically designed Thief to allow players to 'pick [it] up and start playing'.^[59] While the team's goal was to 'push the envelope' with the game's design,^[3][12] Church said that it shared its core design with previous Looking Glass Studios games. He explained: '[We try to] provide a range of player capability in [a] world [where] the player can choose their own goals, and their own approaches to an obstacle[.. so that] when they reach the goal it is far more satisfying', and that 'flexible simulation of game elements is a powerful way to enable the player to make their own way in the world'.^[59]

Thief was designed to be largely unscripted; events, instead of being pre-defined by designers, occur naturally. The intent was to further increase the amount of 'player interaction and improvisation' over their previous games.^[3] According to Leonard, Thief's central gameplay mechanic was the player's relationship with NPCs, who are the primary obstacle in the game.^[3] The game's goal of emergent events required a sophisticated AI system. Leonard later demonstrated that first-person shooters, like Half-Life, often utilize 'look and listen' AI systems, wherein NPCs become aggressive when the player is seen or heard. He explained that the Thief system defined a broader range of 'internal states' a NPC could feel, such as suspicion. For example, a NPC who heard a suspicious noise would investigate rather than become immediately hostile.^[7]

Designer Randy Smith said: 'In Thief the safe boundary is often between light and shadow [.. but] these boundaries are [..] not stable or secure[.. .] The player will eventually have to emerge from the safe zone [..] and embrace risk until another safe boundary can be found'. He explained that players felt unsafe even when hidden, but learned to judge their level of safety as they improved.^[9] Certain levels included horror elements,^[10] and one such mission, Return to the Cathedral, intentionally removes players' ability to judge their vulnerability.^[9] Believing that 'nothing augments the fear associated with boundaries like forcing the player to violate them of their own free will', Smith said of the mission: 'Eventually [you force] yourself to do practically every scary thing you noticed the potential to do in the whole level'. Kieron Gillen of PC Gamer UK believed that the level creates 'a cycle of relaxation and abhorrence [.. that results] in a devastating pummelling of the nerve endings.'^[9]

The game's missions were designed to suit the story, rather than the story to fit the missions.^[53] Taking inspiration from GoldenEye 007, the team added a difficulty system that changes mission objectives; Leonard said 'it allowed the designers to create a very different experience at each level of difficulty, without changing the overall geometry and structure of a mission. This gave the game a high degree of replayability at a minimum development cost'.^[3] The team extended the concept by decreasing the player's ability to kill human characters on higher difficulty settings. Writer and voice actress Terri Brosius said: 'We took pains to make sure all the missions could be won without killing any humans'.^[60]

Project director Greg LoPiccolo wanted Thief's audio to both enrich the environment and enhance gameplay, and the game's design necessitated an advanced sound system. The designers created a 'room database' for every mission; these provided a realistic representation of sound wave propagation.^[3] Audio designer Eric Brosius and the development team gave sound multiple roles. It was used to give the player aural clues about the NPCs' locations and internal states; to enhance this, vocals were recorded for NPCs. Conversely, sounds generated by objects gave clues to NPCs about the player's location, and NPCs used sound to communicate; a guard's call for help signals other guards within earshot.^[3] Sound was also used to divulge narrative information, so that stealthy players could eavesdrop on NPC conversations and learn more about the game's backstory.^[4]

Technology[edit]

Thief was developed with the Dark Engine, a proprietary game engine. It was written during the game's development, rather than as a separately budgeted project, which led to time constraint issues.^[3] An emphasis was placed on simulating real life physics; arrows would arc through the air rather than fly straight.^[61] The engine features alpha blending, texture filtering and lighting techniques. Motion capture technology was integrated to allow for realistic character animation.^[62] The engine's renderer—which draws the graphics—was largely written by Looking Glass Studios programmer Sean Barrett in fall 1995. While the renderer was expected to be finished before the game's release date, Barrett left the company in 1996. He later performed contract work for the company, and assisted in writing features like hardware support. However, the renderer was never fully addressed, and was less advanced than others of the time.^[3]

The Dark Engine was designed to be reusable, and to give programmers the ability to easily integrate their work. LeBlanc wrote the 'Dark Object System', which became the center of this concept. According to Leonard, the object system was a 'general database for managing the individual objects in a simulation'.^[3] Designers were able to alter the game's behavior by manipulating objects—the content that composes the game—without writing additional code. The system also managed source data, the game's tangible content such as textures, maps, models and sounds.^[3] An unfinished build of the Dark Engine was used to develop System Shock 2, a collaboration between Looking Glass and Irrational Games. The object system worked so well that Thief and System Shock 2 used the same executable for most of their development.^[3]

Release[edit]

Thief Chapter 1 Game Map

Thief was released by Eidos Interactive on December 1, 1998.^[1] An expanded edition of the game, Thief Gold, was released by Looking Glass and Eidos on October 29, 1999. It features three new missions, and improvements to the original 12.^[63][64] Its disc also contains a level editor and a 'making ofThief II: The Metal Age' video, among other extras.^[63]

Reception[edit]

Sales[edit]

In the United States, Thief: The Dark Project sold 88,101 units during 1999.^[65] Its global sales reached 500,000 copies by May 2000, making it Looking Glass Studios' most commercially successful game, according to the Boston Globe.^[66]

Critical reviews[edit]

Thief: The Dark Project received critical acclaim from sources including The Washington Post,^[77]PC Gamer,^[74] and Salon.com.^[78] Lance A. Larka of Computer Gaming World wrote: 'If you're tired of Doom clones and hungry for challenge, give this fresh perspective game a try. I was pleasantly surprised.'^[70] Emil Pagliarulo of The Adrenaline Vault wrote: 'I will tell you, without reservation, [..] that this has become my favorite game of all time.'^[79] Paul Presley of PC Zone called it 'a bloody good game'.^[75]

Kieron Gillen of PC Gamer UK wrote: 'The freedom Thief offers you is at first terrifying, then absolutely intoxicating.'^[73] Aaron Curtiss of Los Angeles Times noted that the game 'demands thought'.^[80] T. Liam McDonald of PC Gamer US called Thief, 'a challenging, riveting game that defies easy categorization', and praised the game for its focus on the player's cunning.^[74] Jason Cross of Computer Games Strategy Plus noted that 'It's quite amazing how much fun it can be to avoid action'.^[11] Chan Chun of New Straits Times described the game as being 'incredibly immersive and suspenseful,' and 'a highly-recommended game for those yearning to be a night rogue.'^[81] Peter Olafson of GamePro praised the game's AI, and said that the game 'gets better .. the more time you spend with it'.^[5]

In a retrospective review, AllGame editor Peter Suciu praised the game, touting that '(the game's) first rate storyline as well as visual and audio effects make Thief quite an immersive gaming experience'.^[69]

The game's sound was widely praised.^{[75][76][78][81]} Presley wrote: 'The sound adds a whole new level of realism to the game and boosts that whole 'total immersion' thing to previously unattained levels.'^[75] Larka noted that 'the audio is simply amazing. With directional noises and haunting 'background' effects you are plunged into Garrett's shadowy world and left with a pounding heart and twitchy nerves.'^[70] Wagner James Au of Salon.com noted that the game's level of suspense was 'exquisite' and that its use of detailed aural cues as a gameplay device bordered on virtual reality.^[78]

Thief's graphics received a mixed reaction, with several negative comparisons to Half-Life and Unreal.^[75][76][78] However, Andrew Sanchez of Maximum PC praised the game's graphics and noted that the Dark Engine went 'feature-for-feature with the LithTech, Quake, and Unreal engines'.^[62] He also praised the game's AI, sound and plot. Larka disliked the game's extremely dark areas, which required him to 'max out the gamma correction and set [his] monitor to its brightest setting just to see the barest details' but called the graphics 'seamless'.^[70] Some reviews complained about collision detection issues.^[5][62]

The game's use of supernatural and cave-exploring elements received criticism,^[11][75][78] and several reviewers opined that more realistic, mansion-robbing missions should have been used instead. Presley believed that the game's undead enemies caused the game to 'degenerate into the standard hack 'n' slash, sub-Conan sort of thing that Heretic, Hexen and a million others gave us,' and that 'it amounts to [..] an erosion of the storytelling skills that Looking Glass once had.'^[75] Gillen decried certain levels for 'infring[ing] on Tomb Raider territory, and then [not] quite pull[ing] it off'.^[73] Larka found certain levels too difficult.^[70]Next Generation noted that while 'sneaking can get repetitive', Thief is 'still a fun game to play' and 'a worthy addition to the genre.'^[76]

Legacy[edit]

Thief was the first 3D stealth game for a personal computer, and its stealth gameplay innovations influenced later games in the genre.^[82] The game has been cited as the first to use light and shadow as a stealth mechanic,^[12] and the first to use audio cues, such as the ability to eavesdrop on conversations and alert guards with loud footsteps.^[82] The game's use of sound wave propagation, which allowed sounds to travel around corners and through rooms, became widely considered by game developers. Thief's influence has been recognized in other stealth games, such as Assassin's Creed, Hitman, Splinter Cell, and Tenchu.^[83]Marc Laidlaw, writer and designer on Half-Life, said that 'Thief is the single most terrifying, immersive, and rewarding game I have played and the one single-player game I continue to replay. [..] There are countless books I wish I had written; Thief is one of the few games I wish I had worked on.'^[12] Laidlaw called Thief his favorite game,^[84] an opinion shared by Fallout 3 lead designer Emil Pagliarulo,^[85] and Michel Sabbagh of Bethesda Softworks.^[86]

Thief Xbox 1 Game

Thief: The Dark Project has been declared one of the greatest games of all time by several publications. Inducting it into its hall of fame, GameSpy writer Rich Carlson wrote: 'With a tactical philosophy contrary to nearly every [first-person shooter] action game at that time, Thief rewarded stealth and sneaking over brazen frontal assault,' continuing: 'While inadvertently undermining the notion that all action games need be shooters, it carved a completely new niche in the same already glutted genre.'^[12]GameSpot editor Greg Kasavin argued that, while Metal Gear Solid, Tenchu: Stealth Assassins and Thief all defined the stealth action genre, it was Thief that displayed 'the purest depiction of what it might be like to slip from shadow to shadow' and 'largely remains an unsurpassed achievement in gaming.'^[87] In 2009, Thief was added to IGN's hall of fame.^[88] Sid Shuman, writing for GamePro, asserted that Thief 'pioneered its own genre .. the stealth-action title.'^[83] John Walker of Eurogamer wrote in a retrospective review: 'Thief is an embarrassment to modern stealth games, each of which produces only a faded parody of this masterful original.'^[89] In 2012, Mike Fahey of Kotaku called Thief 'the best stealth game I've ever played', superior to modern games in the genre.^[90] That same year, Time named it one of the 100 greatest video games of all time.^[91]

Thief: The Dark Project was followed by two sequels, and a fourth game rebooting the series has also been released. Looking Glass Studios developed Thief II: The Metal Age, which received positive reviews when released in March 2000. Thief: Deadly Shadows, released for both Windows and the Xbox, was developed by Ion Storm due to the 2000 closure of Looking Glass Studios. After a troubled development cycle, the game's May 2004 release met with positive reviews. In May 2009, a fourth game, simply titled Thief was revealed to be in development by Eidos Montréal for Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.^[92] It received mixed reviews upon release. After Looking Glass Studios closed its doors, Thief has been supported by community modifications (mods). Standalone fan made remake The Dark Mod aims to recreate the 'essence' of Thief in a modern game engine.^[93] Originally released in 2009 as a mod for Doom 3, in October 2013 it was released as an open-source standalone game.^[94] In December 2013, fan madehigh definitiontexture mod Thief Gold HD was released.^[95]

References[edit]

1. ^ ^abDunkin, Alan (December 1, 1998). 'Thief on the Loose'. GameSpot. Archived from the original on June 5, 2000. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
2. ^ ^abcdefghHart, Dorian (1998). Thief: The Dark Project Manual. Eidos Interactive.
3. ^ ^{abcdefghijklmnopqrstuv}Leonard, Tom (July 9, 1999). 'Postmortem: Thief: The Dark Project'. Game Developer. Gamasutra: 1–4. ISSN1073-922X. OCLC29558874. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
4. ^ ^abWesolowski, Jacek (May 21, 2009). 'Beyond Pacing: Games Aren't Hollywood'. Gamasutra. Retrieved July 28, 2009.
5. ^ ^abcdefgOlafson, Peter (January 1, 2000). 'Thief'. GamePro. Archived from the original on 2010-02-18. Retrieved July 24, 2009.
6. ^ ^abcdeWalker, John (May 17, 2009). 'Retrospective: Thief The Dark Project'. Retrieved July 24, 2009.
7. ^ ^abcdLeonard, Tom (March 7, 2003b). 'Building an AI Sensory System: Examining the Design of Thief: The Dark Project'. Gamasutra. Retrieved July 28, 2009.
8. ^Suciu, Peter. 'Thief: The Dark Project review'. Allgame. Retrieved August 12, 2009.
9. ^ ^abcdGillen, Kieron (December 2000). 'All the Fun of the Fear'. PC Gamer UK (88).
10. ^ ^abTodd, Brett. 'Ghouls, Ghosts, and Long-Legged Beasts: A Modern History of Horror Games Part II'. GameSpot. Archived from the original on November 9, 2004. Retrieved August 13, 2009.
11. ^ ^abcdCross, Jason (December 10, 1998). 'Thief: The Dark Project: The quietly brilliant 3D action game'. Computer Games Magazine. Archived from the original on August 27, 2002. Retrieved August 5, 2009.
12. ^ ^abcdeCarlson, Rich (2001-08-01). 'Hall of Fame: Thief: The Dark Project'. GameSpy. Retrieved 2009-08-19.
13. ^ ^ab'The Dark Project'. Next Generation (27): 54–55. March 1997.
14. ^Thompson, Michael (May 28, 2008). 'The memories of our future: Steampunk in gaming'. Ars Technica. Retrieved July 30, 2009.
15. ^ ^abcdHindmarch, Will (June 9, 2009). 'Robbing Gods'. The Escapist. Retrieved July 30, 2009.
16. ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive. Garrett: I was a kid. No parents, no home. Running messages and picking pockets to keep my ribs from meeting my spine. One night I saw a man. Folks just passed him by like he wasn't there. I thought he must have something valuable, so I snuck up on him and made a grab.
17. ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive. Keeper: That's not for you. / Garrett: Please, sir, I'm hungry. Don't tell the Hammers, I promise-- [..] Keeper: You have talent, lad. To see a Keeper is not an easy thing. Especially one who does not wish to be seen. We have a need for those as gifted as yourself. If you've grown tired of how you live, then follow me, and we will show you a different way.
18. ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive. Garrett: I caught up with him just before he vanished into the crowd. It was the beginning of a very long education.
19. ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive. Garrett: The Keepers were training me to be one of them, but I found.. others uses for those skills.
20. ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive. Garrett: Farkus is one of the few merchants willing to risk selling to an independent like me, and his prices are steep. But the other choice is to let one of the so-called 'City Wardens' give me orders.. and take a cut of my profits. They'd been after me for years to join one of their stables, but I'm not interested. Maybe they'll get the idea and give up. More likely they'll just ramp up the threats.
21. ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive. Ramirez's 'to do' list: Garrett – South Quarter 'independent' thief. Denied cut three times. Sent Quince and Jacow out to shorten him.
22. ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive. Assassins Objectives: Evidently these assassins think they have killed you. As long as they continue to think that, they should lead you right back to whoever sent them. / [..] Time to show Ramirez who the real criminal mastermind is. Break into his mansion and take what he values most – his wealth. The purse from his belt should make the point.
23. ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive. Garrett: I was contacted by a woman named Viktoria. She claims to represent a client who was impressed by the way I took care of Ramirez, and now wants me to steal something for him. The target is a magical sword, owned by a nobleman and collector named Constantine. Little is known about Constantine except that he is an eccentric new face in this city, and mostly keeps to himself.
24. ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive. Viktoria: Garrett? It's Viktoria. I trust you made it back alive? You've done well, Garrett. Come with me, and bring the sword. There is someone you have to meet. It's time for the payment you've been promised.
25. ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive. Constantine: Would it surprise you to know that it was I who hired you to steal my own sword? Yes. You see, Viktoria and I are.. / Viktoria: Old associates. / Constantine: Yes. You were being tested, do you understand? And I must say, you more than live up to your reputation. You are quite an extraordinary thief. / [..] Garrett: What exactly is this 'item'? / Constantine: It is a gemstone called The Eye. For its unusual.. / Viktoria: Appearance. / Constantine: Yes. Kept hidden in the sealed cathedral, deep inside the halls of the scum Hammerites. [..] I am prepared to offer you quite a sum: a hundred thousand, upon receipt of The Eye.
26. ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive. The eye that Constantine wants is in the abandoned cathedral of the Hammerites. The cathedral is located in the section of the city that was deserted years ago, after some kind of catastrophe. [..] I'll make my way through the ruins to the Hammerite cathedral, and find a way inside.
27. ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive. The Eye: Comes a man to rescue me. Poor man. The Keepers have sealed the doors and only they know how to open them. Cross you the bridge to the grotto of the Keepers' Sentinel. Stand you on the pedestal, and illuminate the statue with fire. Then you can discover the secret of the Talismans.
28. ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive. Letter to Keeper Andrus: However, we believe that we were compelled to act. Were the Trickster not opposed, he could bring destruction upon the entire city, and upon us as well. / [..] Letter to Keeper Lukas: We are relieved to hear that you have successfully contained the destruction. It was for just such a contingency that the Elemental Wards have been saved these many years, and we support your decision to use them now, as the peril that you have described is grave indeed. We urge you to hide the Talismans with great care, as their discovery could lead to another such catastrophe.
29. ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive. Garrett: The Keepers have hidden the talismans of Fire and Water in a place they call 'the lost city'. Some kind of cataclysm buried the place underground ages ago.
30. ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive. Garrett: Getting the talismans of Earth and Air will be an interesting challenge, but I'll need them if I want to get The Eye for Constantine. They're well-hidden inside the City's Hammer Temple, so I'll have to do some scouting around.
31. ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive. Garrett: With the talismans, I'll be able to break the wards on the cathedral. It's time for me to retrieve The Eye and bring it to Constantine.
32. ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive. Garrett: With the talismans, I'll be able to break the wards on the Cathedral. It's time for me to retrieve The Eye and bring it to Constantine.
33. ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive. Though these be perhaps the final moments of our beloved cathedral and mine mortal life, I shall faithfully chronicle to the end. A great evil magic hath befallen us, and we battle with demon-kind on all sides. Our own fallen brethren rise from death and turn on us, cold light aflame in their eyes. Our mighty doors availed us naught, for the assault was from within. Soon I shall be found and slain, like the others. May The Builder save our souls.
34. ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive. Garrett: It's a rock. It's what you asked for. Am I gonna get paid or not? / [..] Trickster: Did you think those ancient phrases were mere words, manfool? Look at me! I am the Woodsie Lord—the Trickster of legend!
35. ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive. Viktoria: Bow to the Woodsie Lord, and offer up your flesh eye so that his eye of stone may see, manfool.
36. ^ ^abLooking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive.
37. ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive. Keeper: Since you left us, you've been a stone rolling downhill. Now you must aim this remarkable momentum. It is past time for the balance to shift. / Keeper: They come. / Garrett: Wha-? Wait! [..] Keepers. Looks like I'd better get moving, or whatever those things are will waste a perfectly good rescue.
38. ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive. Trickster's Note: The world as I once knew it was a place of magic—full of mystery and inhabited by creatures of glamour and terror. The men who lived there lit their bonfires and wondered at what crept and lurked in the darkness outside their weak circles of light. All their dreams, their aspirations and dreads, come from that darkness. Now, as the forces of 'progress' cover the meadows in brick and cobblestone, as they replace the majestic loft of tree with the blocky ponderousness of building, they also light the world in their electric, actinic glare. With the lighting of the shadows, man loses his ability to fear, and to dream. [..] I have conceived of a plan to revive the darkness, to bring a resurrection of the ability to fear and dream. And, once my dark project is realized, they shall know again to fear and love their Lord.
39. ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive. Trickster's Note: Draws the scribed Star, marks the Compasses. The Eye, shows the marksey lines of power. Marks the Compass Borning, the Compass Leaf, the Stormsie Compass, the Flamesie Compass, the Compass Tidestream, the Compass Stone, the Compass Darkness. Weights each Starsie point with Elements of the Compass, with pure truest. Weights the Center with the Eye, fed mansblood, sees the Compasses and the bloodtrail to the trueworld. Each Compass walks the Elements forth, paints to the Eye colors of heartsmaw Chaos, for follow the Eye back to the mansie world. Binds the Eyevisions, gathers the sights the glories, open fulls the Eye to see forth the world, bloodcalled, compasspainted, chaosfed, paintings on the world the image is showed.
40. ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive. Escape! Objective: Get out of Constantine's mansion alive.
41. ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive. Garrett: Those crazy Hammers. You know, it wouldn't hurt to have a few dozen heavily-armed fanatics on my side just about now. If I drop by their temple and explain things, maybe they'll be so distracted by the Trickster's return that they'll forget to hold a grudge.
42. ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive. Garrett: What happened here? And where are all the Hammerites? [..] Damn! Looks like Constantine got here before me.
43. ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive. Garrett: The Hammers have built me a booby-trapped, counterfeit Eye. If I can swap it for the real thing, it should cause him some trouble. If he doesn't notice me.
44. ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive. Garrett: What do you want from me? You come to congratulate me? Welcome me back to the fold? / Keeper: Very well. I will speak my piece plainly. You have accomplished that which was written, and yes, you've done it well. But there is no place for you with us any longer. Yet you will have a great need of us, and soon.
45. ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive. Garrett: Tell my friends that I don't need their secret book, or their glyph warnings, or their messengers. Tell them I'm through. Tell them it's over. Tell them Garrett is done.
46. ^Looking Glass Studios (1998). Thief: The Dark Project. Eidos Interactive. Keeper: I will tell them this. Nothing is changed; all is as it was written. The Trickster is dead. Beware the dawn of the metal age.
47. ^Bauman, Steve (January 30, 2000). 'The Tracks of His Games'. Computer Games Magazine. Archived from the original on September 8, 2003. Retrieved November 2, 2010.
48. ^Lewis Denby, BioShock Infinite interview - Ken Levine, Telegraph, 03 Nov 2011
49. ^Dan Ryckert, Things You Didn't Know About Ken Levine, www.GameInformer.com, May 30, 2012
50. ^ ^abc'GAMBIT: Updates: Looking Glass Studios Interview Series – Audio Podcast 5 – Ken Levine'. mit.edu. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
51. ^ ^abVault Network News: Week of February 7, 1999Archived July 27, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
52. ^ ^abcRouse R. Game, Design Theory and Practice, 2005. Chapter 26: Interview: Doug Church
53. ^ ^abThe Making of Thief II featurette. Thief Gold.
54. ^ ^abCraig Pearson, Pre-Thief: Dark Camelot Footage, Rock, Paper, Shotgun, May 17th, 2013.
55. ^'An Interview with Warren Spector'. Next Generation (27): 56. March 1997.
56. ^ ^ab'Warren Spector of Ion Storm (Part One)'. Eurogamer. March 31, 2000. Archived from the original on October 28, 2010. Retrieved August 17, 2009.
57. ^ ^abcde'Looking Glass Studios – Thief: The Dark Project (Project Diary)'. Thief-thecircle.com. Archived from the original on November 8, 2014.
58. ^'Frequently Asked Questions'. Thief-thecircle.com. Archived from the original on March 11, 2012.
59. ^ ^abBauman, Steve (January 28, 2000). 'Doug Church'. Computer Games Magazine. Archived from the original on August 27, 2002. Retrieved August 2, 2009.
60. ^Au, Wagner James (June 20, 2000). 'Game over'. Salon.com. Retrieved August 2, 2009.
61. ^IGN staff (1998-10-07). 'Thief: The Dark Project preview'. IGN. Retrieved 2009-07-29.
62. ^ ^abcdSanchez, Andrew (February 1999). 'Thief: The Dark Project review'. Maximum PC (7): 79.
63. ^ ^abNguyen, Cal. 'Thief Gold Review'. allgame. Retrieved August 30, 2009.
64. ^Sones, Benjamin E. (November 24, 1999). 'Thief Gold'. Computer Games Magazine. Archived from the original on August 27, 2002. Retrieved August 22, 2009.
65. ^Staff (April 2000). 'PC Gamer Editors' Choice Winners: Does Quality Matter?'. PC Gamer US. 7 (4): 33.
66. ^Bray, Hiawatha (May 26, 2000). 'Looking Glass, Closing, Laying of 60 Workers / Failed Deal Dooms Cambridge Game Developer'. The Boston Globe. p. C3.
67. ^'Thief: The Dark Project for PC'. GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2009-07-24.
68. ^'Thief: The Dark Project for PC Reviews'. Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2009-07-24.
69. ^ ^abSuciu, Peter. 'Thief: The Dark Project - Review'. AllGame. Archived from the original on November 15, 2014. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
70. ^ ^abcdeLarka, Lance A. (March 1999). 'It Takes a Thief'. Computer Gaming World (176): 138, 139.
71. ^Kasavin, Greg. 'Thief: The Dark Project Review for PC'. Gamespot. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
72. ^Trent C. Ward (11 December 1998). 'Thief: The Dark Project'. IGN. Retrieved 29 July 2015. Looking Glass does it again with this amazingly fresh take on the first-person shooter
73. ^ ^abcGillen, Kieron (February 1999). 'Roguish'. PC Gamer UK (66). Archived from the original on June 21, 2002. Retrieved August 2, 2009.
74. ^ ^abcMcDonald, T. Liam (April 1999). 'Thief: The Dark Project'. PC Gamer: 114. Archived from the original on March 7, 2000.
75. ^ ^abcdefgPresley, Paul (2001-07-13). 'PC Review: Thief: The Dark Project'. PC Zone. Computer and Video Games. Archived from the original on 2007-10-16. Retrieved 2006-11-18.
76. ^ ^abcd'THIEF'. Next Generation (52): 93. April 1999.
77. ^Breeden, John (1998-12-25). 'Screen Shots'. The Washington Post. p. N62.
78. ^ ^abcdeAu, Wagner James (February 11, 1999). 'To catch a Thief'. Salon. Retrieved 2006-08-16.
79. ^Pagliarulo, Emil (December 19, 1998). 'Thief: The Dark Project review'. The Adrenaline Vault. Archived from the original on June 7, 2003. Retrieved August 5, 2009.
80. ^Curtiss, Aaron (January 11, 1999). 'A Sampling of First-Person Titles Worth Taking a Shot At'. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 2, 2009.
81. ^ ^abYew, Chan Chun (February 8, 1999). 'Playing thief in the Dark Project'. New Straits Times: 49.
82. ^ ^abPatterson, Shane (2009-02-03). 'The sneaky history of stealth games'. GamesRadar. Retrieved 2009-08-19.
83. ^ ^abShuman, Sid. 'The 10 most important modern shooters'. GamePro. Archived from the original on April 30, 2007. Retrieved 2009-08-19.
84. ^Yan, John (2003-10-27). 'Valve Software interview: Marc Laidlaw'. Gaming Nexus. Archived from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2009-08-19.
85. ^GameSpot staff (2009-03-27). 'GDC 2009: Fallout 3 lead opens game design vault'. GameSpot. Retrieved 2009-08-19.
86. ^Sabbagh, Michel (2017-03-06). 'Thief: tense narrative through level design and mechanics'. Gamasutra. Retrieved 2017-11-22.
87. ^Kasavin, Greg. 'The Greatest Games of All Time: Thief: The Dark Project'. GameSpot. Retrieved October 22, 2007.
88. ^IGN staff. 'Videogame Hall Of Fame: Thief: The Dark Project'. IGN. Retrieved October 19, 2009.
89. ^John Walker, Retrospective: Thief The Dark Project Article, Eurogamer.net, 17 May 2009
90. ^Mike Fahey, Best Game Ever: Thief: The Dark Project is the Only Way to Stealth, Kotaku, 28 March 2012
91. ^'All-TIME 100 Video Games'. Time. Time Inc. November 15, 2012. Archived from the original on November 15, 2012. Retrieved November 15, 2012.
92. ^Onyett, Charles (2009-05-11). 'Thief 4 confirmed'. IGN. Retrieved 2009-08-19.
93. ^'The Dark Mod – Stealth Gaming in a Gothic Steampunk World'. thedarkmod.com. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
94. ^Pearson, Craig (9 October 2013). 'Praise The Builder: The Dark Mod Is Standalone'. Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
95. ^Smith, Adam (11 December 2013). 'Sharper Shadows: Thief Gold HD Mod Released'. Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 26 December 2013.

External links[edit]

• Thief: The Dark Project at MobyGames
• Thief: The Dark Project at PCGamingWiki

Thief 1 Game Download