Matt created a new topic about Godforsaken Locale,
Pretty good first mission:
Relatively unique main objective, decent non-linear map layout, nicely balanced challenge gameplay wise - I can safely say that Mikko's first Thief fm does a good couple of things surprisingly well. I think I can only complain about the aesthetics (map was lit way too brightly, and the texturing is a bit rough here and there). The custom tracks Mikko have used for ambients are quite nice, by the way. Might not exactly fit seamlessly into the Thief world, but still.

Anyway, nice first attem..., May 10, 2023, 7:23 p.m.

Matt created a new topic about The Sunken Library,
Nice debut mission:
I found the placement/amount of unpickable locks (or the weirdly mazelike servants' quarter) a bit eye-rolling, but overall I have to say, this is a well done mission with a nice difficulty balance and an interesting backstory. Don't expect any special twists, or surprises here - but still, it's a solid Thief experience showcasing some nice effort and a promising creator's talents., March 24, 2023, 2 p.m.

Matt commented a topic in English Forum,
Solution for picture references when in mission loaders:
If you have a Discord account, I think you can hop into the Thief General server and share the files there:
https://discord.gg/yabFsUBX, Nov. 20, 2022, 2:54 a.m.

Matt created a new topic about Legacy of Knoss,
Epic Thief adventure - slightly suffering from the curse of city missions:
Legacy of Knoss is undoubtedly an epic mission, but in the city section I often felt like: yes, the map is really well built, I genuinely see the huge amount of great effort, but... I've seen this many-many times already. The map is filled with secrets, alternative paths, loot, great ideas - but perhaps the manor, the castle, the gallery and the hammer priory could have been cut out. And that may sound a lot, but trust me the mission would still offer a fantastic adventure - but, in my opinio..., Nov. 15, 2022, 5:11 p.m.

Matt commented a topic about Lone Rock Outpost,
good but to short:
While the mission's size can be explained by the fact that it was built for the Summer Speedbuild Competition, I think it's completely fine as it is (perhaps the outside area could be more detailed, but that's all). I wish more fm authors would consider building small sized missions (which you can finish under 1 hour), not everything has to be an epic 2-3 hours intensive thievery. I sometimes mind a bit that the more experienced and talented creators avoid thinking in smaller scale, but cons..., Nov. 15, 2022, 4:31 p.m.

Matt created a new topic about Intertheft,
Infamous Thief Gold mission turned into an exceptional fan mission!:
While the mission is far superior to Thieves' Guild right from the very beginning, since the overall quality of the environment is much better (though today that's considered to be a standard among at least somewhat talented mission authors), I can safely say Intertheft also does quite a lot of other things really well. Yes, it has some confusing parts - just as the original, so perhaps it was an intentional "homage" - the overall the exploration is a lot of fun and I found completing the obj..., Nov. 11, 2022, 1:28 a.m.

Matt commented a topic about House of the Architect,
Nice mash-up:
Hmmm, I'm not 100% sure about the "beginner's effort" part, but I can definitely see what you mean by that. In terms of quality the mission isn't too consistent (also there are a few parts which kinda have an unfinished/abandoned vibe), but I think some areas were really well built in terms of annention on details, asset placement, usage of textures, etc. (not to mention the wild ideas of the second part), Nov. 4, 2022, 7:46 p.m.

Matt created a new topic about Returning a Favor,
Original ideas, somewhat awkward execution:
What I really like about this mission is how it intends to implement a murder mystery, instead of the usual thievery. The story the author came up with isn't mind blowing, but a very decent one, perfect for a relatively small sized mission like this one. What I rather found a bit awkward though was the way the keyhunting and scripted events kinda overshadowed the overall design.
The map itself is alright, but be prepared for the fact that if the core murder mystery doesn't catch your attenti..., Nov. 4, 2022, 7:38 p.m.

Matt created a new topic about These Unfortunate Ones,
Well built mansion/city mission challenge:
I'm a bit torn apart by this one.
On one hand the mission author made a great job at creating an intriguingly interconnected map. The focus is definitely on the mansion, but you've got some interesting ways to enter that - at the same time it's very easy to accidentally get lost and miss meeting your associate (strangely this objective is described in a useful way only before the mission starts), which can typically be a problem if this is your first time playing the mission.
On the other h..., Nov. 4, 2022, 7:20 p.m.

Matt created a new topic about Bad Feeling,
Bad feeling indeed:
Ironically the title perfectly captures my conclusion about this mission. While starting it the first time was quite exciting (I liked the author's previous fm - The Walk - a lot), my feelings quickly turned into confusion, then frustration... and disappointment at the end. The reason why I mind that a lot is because the author had a good understanding of how to build a great Deadly Shadows map. I would genuinely believe if one said the two maps of Bad Feeling were official. The amount of det..., Nov. 1, 2022, 8:57 p.m.

Matt commented a topic about Into The Odd,
Is this FM is too overrated?:
The very beginning of the mission is eyebrow-raisingly mean indeed (so much so I can 100% understand if anyone just decides to shut it down and give a 1/10 rating to the mission), but what comes after that has a special magic. I've got no clue what's happening either, the whole place is its own strange realm - and I genuinely think that is what fascinates lots of players. The (almost) dreamlike quality of the many places you can visit throughout the mission. Though if this doesn't resonate wi..., July 31, 2022, 10:29 p.m.

Matt commented a topic about Circle of Stone and Shadow 1: Gathering at the Inn,
In the midst of winter:
The production quality of this one is certainly admirable. I liked the city section and the multiple entrances a lot (even with its emptiness you mentioned), also - the overall atmosphere is really great. Haven't played the second part yet, but found the mission design very dragged here though. I bet ghost runners - or just... more patient players than me, apparently- can enjoy it more. But even with that, I agree that the mission deserves recognition., June 10, 2022, 8:09 p.m.

Matt created a new topic about An Old Friend,
Lots of heart (and lots of technical issues):
I'm a big fan of bit-sized missions, so there is a huge chance that (even if I cannot be not critical towards the many problems this one has) I've enjoyed it out of biasedness.

The architecture is nice, but the streets are definitely too narrow; sound propagation and ambiance issues; at least one area where you can get stuck in the ceiling; a weird wooden trapdoor (you can open by your sword) leading to nowhere; the metal surface of the starting room instantly alerts every guard in the str..., June 10, 2022, 3:10 p.m.

Matt created a new topic about Endless Rain,
The quintessential city mission:
Endless Rain is one of those fan missions that A, is an undoubted fan favorite - for a good reason; and B, puts the city maps of the original missions to shame.

What you get here is most of the time "exactly" what you'd expect from a well crafted city mission - but the more interesting aspect of Endless Rain is it can sometimes surprise you a lot. For example, there is a hidden, Keepers related quest you can easily miss. It's worth to mention there is not many missions rewarding you more f..., June 7, 2022, 10:58 p.m.

Matt created a new topic about A Journey Into the Underdark,
Far from flawless, but a fascinating attempt for sure:
Playing a Thief fan mission that tries to do something different is always at least somewhat exciting, I think. Even though the chance of the attempt ending up not so succesfull is always there, I usually mind that less than playing a technically better mission doing the exact same things every other fan mission has ever done. A Journey Into the Underdark is basically a short action/adventure RPG, but collecting loot is still mandatory to finish the mission. It's a shame there are quite a lot..., June 6, 2022, 6:48 p.m.

Matt created a new topic about Eclipsed,
Masterful visuals and ambience... annoying keyhunt, arrogant mission design:
Whenever I see a fan mission crafted with such efforts like Eclipsed, I really hate to point out how the end result as a whole ultimately falls down. Mostly, because it is quite clear from the very beginning that the creator had a fantastic vision. The map is shone by its beautiful colors and architecture. Then - after you passed the first (completely linear) section - the issues start to become shockingly obvious...

I'm pretty sure, most of the more experienced Thief players have a tenden..., June 5, 2022, 2:01 p.m.

Matt created a new topic about Elemental Excursion,
Lovely bit-sized mission:
There is an often overlooked beauty of a small, but skillfully crafted mission, and I genuinely think Elemental Excursion is a great example of the genre! As far as I can tell the creator has a great talent for constructing small scaled maps using the available space as much as possible (I loved Precious a lot as well). Here, there is also an interesting attempt at modifying the AI and creating some events - which I'm a little bit conflicted about, but I still like a lot how AntiMatter_16 k..., June 3, 2022, 11:49 a.m.

Matt created a new topic about All For A Night's Sleep,
My all time favorite Thief (not just fan) mission:
I'm aware of that there is not only one type of Thief player. Some look for hardcore thieving challenges, ghost runs, etc. - I'm not one of those. I just want to enjoy a well designed level. But for me this mission is a master class of design. Seriously, I can not name any other mission that does things that a Thief mission should do this well in such tiny map, respecting your time.

Fun rooftop segments, tight streets, comfy apartment interiors - and an overall well thought out non-oversiz..., June 2, 2022, 11:30 a.m.

We accepted the suggestion to change the categories of A Journey Into the Underdark, submitted by Matt, June 6, 2022

We accepted the suggestion to change the categories of Precious, submitted by Matt, June 3, 2022

We accepted the suggestion to change the categories of Elemental Excursion, submitted by Matt, June 3, 2022

We accepted the suggestion to change the notes of Cabot, submitted by Matt, Jan. 11, 2022

We accepted the suggestion to change the description of Cabot, submitted by Matt, Jan. 11, 2022

We accepted the suggestion to change the categories of Cabot, submitted by Matt, Jan. 11, 2022