Matt created a new topic about Avoiding Mistrust,
Night of the Great Lockpicking:
𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘴𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘧 𝘧𝘢𝘯 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯...
and I like to think that DarkDragon (the author) did that, ultimately came to the conclusion they must try to push the limits even beyond anyone could have ever imagined - and Avoiding Mistrust was the end result of that almost scientific experiment.
The other option I can imagine is DarkDragon just genuinely liked picking locks a lot (for some reason). Either way - and jokes aside - the amount of locks this..., Jan. 12, 2022, 12:53 a.m.

Matt commented a topic about Cabot,
An otherwise solid level heavily overshadowed by awkward keyhunt mission design:
Ah, don't worry about it - seriously. Especially in case you've interpreted the "Thanks to Mike" part at the end of my review as a cynical epilogue :'D It wasn't.
I usually enjoy studying things even when I happen to find them flawed - partly because nothing is perfect, but also, it's one good way to learn from the mistakes of others - even though I'm not planning to design Thief fan missions, it just helps me appreciate the exceptional ones in a more nuanced way (by the way, being able to f..., Jan. 11, 2022, 11:14 p.m.

Matt created a new topic about Cabot,
An otherwise solid level heavily overshadowed by awkward keyhunt mission design:
I can't help, but there is something about these keyhunt missions I just can't take - and Cabot is (only from the keyhunt aspect though) one of the least tolerable I've ever played.
The amount of locked doors that can be opened only by using a specific key you have to find first is (I can't find a better word) 𝘶𝘯𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 in this mission. And because it's often not really clear which key you've found, you can't really do else, but run around trying to find out which one is the newly openabl..., Jan. 11, 2022, 7:51 p.m.

Matt commented a topic about The Walk,
A very simple, but respectably built fan mission:
Thanks for the recommendations, Mike! For some reason I've never heard of these two before. Meanwhile I already played Cabot and planning to publish a more detailed review on its page, I think there are quite a few aspects worth to analyse. Avoiding Mistrust is definitely on my playlist for a next session!, Jan. 11, 2022, 6:04 p.m.

Matt created a new topic about The Hobbit,
Interesting concept, questionable implementation:
A great atmosphere can save a mission with bad gameplay, and great gameplay can save a mission with dull atmosphere. I believe 'The Hobbit' has unfortunately none of those - even though the concept was certainly interesting, and I suspect the creator was perhaps going for a surreal level design like 'The Sword' had in Thief: The Dark Project(?) If my assumption is right, then I can say the direction was good, the implementation was... quite the opposite., Jan. 11, 2022, 12:03 a.m.

Matt created a new topic about The Walk,
A very simple, but respectably built fan mission:
I often wonder why Deadly Shadows fan missions are usually... not really great. Actually, average at best. While a whole topic could be dedicated for discussing the different reasons, I only brought this up to put my 7/10 rating in context.
Is this a good mission compared to fan missions created for Thief 1 and 2? Absolutely not! But it's a humble and solid Deadly Shadows fm and does its job pretty well. There are some things that bothered me though, like: I'll never understand why the creat..., Jan. 10, 2022, 11:51 p.m.

Matt created a new topic about Anybody... Home,
Short horror adventure - implemented not so great:
In its core, I think the concept was interesting. I always appreciate when fan mission creators think outside the box and come up with a non-stealth based mission. Too bad, the creator here had either a questionable concept about how to design an adventure game, or just didn't have enough time/motivation for doing so. The mission is sadly filled with pixelhunt/keyhunt moments which make the experience rather annoying. Not to mention there is no proper conclusion, the mission just ends at one ..., Jan. 8, 2022, 9:27 p.m.

Matt commented a topic about The Sunken Temple of Dielya,
An interesting little homage to Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion:
Hey, no problem :) I slightly remembered/suspected there was an in-game text hint, just wasn't sure. The explanation - in terms of in-game lore - is perfectly fine, I like the fact that you did an extra effort and came up with something that made sense story wise. But here is something that may be worth to consider:

I think in normal cases - during a first walkthrough - players would probably leave the portal shut down when they enter the chamber of the hourglass (since in both cases of f..., Jan. 8, 2022, 7:13 p.m.

Matt commented a topic about Ravensreach,
Supernatural level done right:
Yes, absolutely! Also, I think what makes the pacing really great in this mission is the fact that you have to unlock the different areas one by one - so, it doesn't just throw you all the map at once. Lots of levels go too far with the non-linearity and all the different routes, but Nick's approach here was actually quite clever., Jan. 5, 2022, 7:57 p.m.

Matt created a new topic about The Sunken Temple of Dielya,
An interesting little homage to Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion:
As one who loved Oblivion back in their childhood, I really admire the effort that went into this mission - though it also has to be said that levels in Oblivion were... not so great (especially on a Thief scale), so as soon as you put down your nostalgia glasses, it becomes clear that this is an average map (at best). I'm talking about the layout though, the portal effect this mission has was executed surprisingly well!
Some things that bothered me:
- While you're figuring out the puzzles..., Jan. 5, 2022, 7:52 p.m.

Matt created a new topic about Ravensreach,
Supernatural level done right:
I don't like key hunt missions.
I don't like when previously non-existent enemies appear when you trigger something.
While this mission have all those two aspects above...... I can't help, but admire it anyway - since this is an expertly crafted mission. Varied areas, interesting enemies, lots of great details everywhere! One of the greatest strengths of the mission is the pacing though, because while the map is pretty big, it is surprisingly well designed.
Seriously, missions like this a..., Jan. 4, 2022, 10:01 p.m.

Matt commented a topic in English Forum,
Say hello!:
I'm in the same shoes as MarcusFlintlock was - I didn't realize there was this "Say hello!" topic here. But, better late than never I guess :)
I'm a Thief player since 2006 (played Deadly Shadows first, but started to appreciate Thief 1 and 2 much more later on) and one of the many silent critics of fan missions :D
Nice to see the series still has its fan base and lots of talented people put time and effort into often surprisingly well designed fan missions.
Also, congrats and many thanks..., Dec. 16, 2021, 10:45 a.m.

Matt created a new topic about Lone Rock Outpost,
Humble, but solid Thief experience I can only recommend:
A slightly unpopular opinion, but I prefer small scaled missions that give you a cool Thief experience 𝙖𝙣𝙙 respect your time as well.
The outpost is well designed (though the outside area doesn't really look that good), can be entered in multiple ways - and some additional loot can be found in a few hidden areas. What else you need?
This mission is obviously not for those who look for the "First City Bank and Trust" type of challenges - or the over the top crazyness of "The Sword". No over..., Dec. 16, 2021, 10:33 a.m.

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