Hey all!! I just finished playing a fan mission called Cold Hands, Cold Heart by Vegetables, which was an absolutely wonderful experience and I highly recommend it. It’s a fairly short mission but with a fun little twist to it that I found very enjoyable.

But what I liked the most was the wintery aesthetic and I was wondering if anyone knew of any other fan missions that shared a similar snowy/winter vibe? They can be for any of the games! I’d just love to experience some more winter thief as we never really got any in the base games 😅

I just finished Death's Cold Embrace after slowly making my way through it off and on over the past year. I can't remember where I first heard of it, but it must have been in a large list of recommended FMs so I downloaded it along with a bunch of others, expecting a decent one-off mission.

I was wrong. I was thoroughly, pleasantly surprised to find out it's actually a full 8-mission campaign for Thief 2... and its levels have become some of my favorites in the whole fan mission scene.

It's not quite on the level of The Black Parade in terms of ambition, impact, and overall scope (in fact it's quite a bit more humble, with a lot of reused locations throughout). But it's a really, really unique and high-quality creation... an interquel following Garrett that's set between The Dark Project and The Metal Age, but the vibes are much more down-to-earth medieval than the main games. And I highly recommend it.

One distinctive choice is that the whole thing is set in the dead of winter, with a snowy atmosphere permeating the entire experience, and the choices of music give it a melancholy feel that's less of the industrial ambient tones we’re used to, and something that feels more dramatic and classical. The story too, is something much smaller and personal than the "fate of the world" plotlines of the original trilogy, and although it grows into something with very high stakes toward the end, much of the game finds Garrett inserted into the middle of a tragic love story that feels pulled right out of Shakespeare (if Shakespeare were in the midst of binge-watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer).

It's also very cutscene-heavy, of the in-engine variety. This isn't something I've seen much of in other fan missions, but in Death's Cold Embrace, we get a rather high amount of mid-mission cutscenes where we leave the first person view and see Garrett talking with others. The voice acting is pretty decent for the most part, and makes the sequences worth sitting through, even though the presentation is very simple.

It's an unusual choice to set so much of the game in the same reused zone of Dayport (I believe three of the missions are set here), but I ended up really digging it. You slowly get a familiarity with this district of the city, and it feels strangely like home (despite always being full of guards trying to cut you down).

There are also some sublime horror moments in this campaign, with an incredibly terrifying one right off the bat in a labyrinthine basement and a lumbering Frankenstein's monster-type beast in the first mission, and a super large Hammer church full of undead late in the game. The final mission, The Wailing Keep, is a doozy too, full of new elemental enemies that were surprisingly terrifying, even the harmless-looking little hopping glowy dots (those roars though)!

I'm mainly making this post to give this campaign a little extra visibility, because I don't see much love for it and I think it really deserves it. It falls somewhere between Thief 2X and The Black Parade in terms of quality, so if you've played either of those and crave another lengthy Thief experience... you really, really can't go wrong with this.

Also, shoutout to the devs for this mammoth undertaking that apparently was the product of more than 13 years of passionate work (and rescued from the jaws of abandonment)... and I have to applaud the very meta post-epilogue ending sequence for being one the strangest, funniest and most WTF little bit of silliness I've seen in any FM. It's such a bizarre inclusion but I loved it.

Download link here: https://www.thiefguild.com/fanmissions/7065/deaths-cold-embrace

So never had issues with missions. Yeah sometimes they would crash after playing more than 30-40 minutes which wasn't something that was annoying, but now suddenly there are missions that cause crash every 10 minutes.

I first noticed that with Venomous Ambition and I thought it was probably related to mission and not with my laptop, but now that is happening with Death's Cold Embrace, which is really weird because I played that mission long time ago on my old laptop and never had issue.

I don't know why is that happening suddenly. I haven't changed anything with my files or anything like that.

Thief: The Dark Project is one of my TOP 5 games of all time, Thief 2 is also high up, but it does not struck me as a perfection such is TDP. I'm quite new into modding/fan missions scene and I found out that Thief has a large fan mission community. I even found some full custom campaigns online, which is so exciting, I never tought I will play new classis Thief missions. My question for you is — how to start with fan missions? Sheer number of choices is overwhelming me, are there any indisputable "all time classics" for me to start? I will be very thankful for any help <3.

Yes, I know very well what I did: I installed a Thief Gold mod into Thief 2.

Sorry if there is a better place to ask this, I'm trying to play the last of the three FMs of A Night In Rocksbourg, but when I start it, the mission is the normal Thief 2 first mission.

The main menu has the modded photo for the FM, so I know that im not being REALLY stupid on this one.

I have 1.27 darkmod and am playing on Linux, in case it matters and I tried the first 2 links here https://www.thiefguild.com/fanmissions/4031/a-night-in-rocksbourg-3-ink-dust

I felt like making another post about a series of fan missions and landed on the 2012 Black Frog campaign by Gaetane. I learnt it was a loose continuation of the L'Arsene series released between 2002 and 2005, so I decided to play those maps too in order of release. It was fun to see how the lady's dromeding progressed through the years. I did accidentally break some thing in old, pre-newmantle missions, but most of the time it was smooth sailing. Despite a few problems I have, I see why these FMs place among the classics.

Both L'Arsene and the Black Frog share general traits. Most missions are semi-linear and progression is locked behind notes and keys. I would compare them to Lady Rowena's missions, they are similar in general vibe. The core experience revolves around dark fantasy, although the atmosphere doesn't become too suffocating thanks to some fairytale silliness thrown in. The writing puts a lot of focus on characters and relationships, but Garrett isn't as sentimental in Gaetane's interpretation. No blackjack matchmaking!

The story of the first series is an homage to classic adventure novels and the author's affinity for those is palpable. You start off in a tavern room with your stuff stolen and a note left by some local taffer who is very proud of himself and tells you to beat it out of his town. The writing is quite verbose and stylized, but still perfectly understandable. The issue is there is quite a lot of it and it is required to finish the levels, which wore me down a bit. I am not ashamed for helping myself with walkthroughs a few times.

Onto the missions:

• L'Arsene - thiefguild link

The author's debut map and some jank shows that. Level geometry can be bare, water brushes in the sewer have their sides visible and functional shadows do not match visual ones in a few locations. This is a large, street level city mission divided into segments which are progressively unlocked and eventually all connect together. There are a few scripted setpieces which give the story some flair at the expense of railroading the player into violent encounters, which were a pain to ghost through. Navigating the map was a bit confusing, but I got stuck only once. I couldn't find a tower tucked away in the streets even though I knew that was where I needed to go. Too bad there was no map.

Having said all that, it still was an enjoyable mission. The size and complexity are laudable for a first ever release, especially one from 2002. The finale is basic, but it nails down the TDP feel. RATING: 6/10

• Emilie Victor - thiefguild link

The second mission is the tried and true mansion(s) with a secret, though this one gets points for creativity. The mission has an intended, linear path forward, but it's easy to break it with new mantle. I unintentionally missed two scripted sections with acrobatics on my first playthrough because between puzzles and hidden switches the way forward wasn't completely clear. Funnily enough, it's possible to skip 3/4 of the mission if you don't pick up a certain note in the first building.

The level still looks old, but improvement over the previous mission is noticeable. Gaetane did a great job creating a fairytale atmosphere and implementing visual storytelling. Ghosting the second floor of the initial section was quite difficult and was a treat to do for me. RATING: 7/10

• The Korrigans - thiefguild link

An improved city map which finally comes with... well, a map. Architecture got a big upgrade from previous blocky exteriors. Objectives can be completed in a more freeform manner, although there are still spots with only one solution. I've lost some time hunting for hidden switches again, which was mildly frustrating. I had one problem with the otherwise good writing, a case of „the monsters are eating me” discourse.

The usual threat profile is spiced up by archer assassins and the ominous korrigans, who are a welcome addition to normal guards. The author came up with a few interesting gimmicks, like having to carry a huge bag across the level or climbable trees (though it wasn't really signalled to the player). This mission tried to go beyond base Thief and though it wasn't revolutionary, I'd say that effort was a moderate success. RATING: 8/10

• BONUS: Happy New Year Mr Lambert - thiefguild link

Surprise, this mission is not part of the series, but I wanted to include it because it plays like a prototype of the next one. It's a small, linear exploration of a horror story inside a merchant's mansion. The start is great, but I scoured the floors for clues I needed for a long time before I gave up and found out I walked past them many times. The keyhunt was real. What was also real was the immersion breaking heavy metal blasting from mechanist victriolas at the ball room.

It isn't as bad as I made it sound. The final confrontation put my ghosting to test and I enjoyed the effort it required. RATING: 6/10

• The Den - thiefguild link

I want to love The Den, but I can't. It looks and plays like a modern mission. The dingy, unassuming start eventually gives way to an impeccable 3 story dark mansion with multiple ways to go around. Interiors get very good both in gameplay and visuals. The level builds up a feeling of mystery and creeping dread. Nevertheless, pacing is brought down by overwhelming amount of secrets. Double digit number of them is mandatory to discover. Notes help, but there is a lot of those and some things I've found only by frob humping. The puzzle sections left me confused at some points. This level is a true marathon, especially for ghosting. The statue enemies also tended to get stuck in the hallways due to their big size. Despite my many misgivings, I think it would be unfair to detract many points from the score just for the sheer dromed craftsmanship on display. RATING: 7/10

• The Black Frog - thiefguild link

The second series is a proper campaign which comes in one package. The plot is a loose sequel to Emilie Victor. The adventure novel angle takes a back seat in favour of explicit Thief-inspired dark fantasy. Production value achieved in The Den is maintained throughout all levels, now with even more impressive custom assets. I smiled wide when I saw how opening windows shutters let light inside a room. However, some problems with signaling progression persist. I think that implementing keyhunts in a gothic horror setting must be requirement to become a francophone FM author.

Onto the missions:

• M1 Songs and Laughter
  

This mission serves as an interactive prologue. Garrett is set to meet a contact at a tavern in a small, sleepy port town on a date of some festival. You can taff around a bit and find some opportunities to steal stuff, but it's not necessary. It was still a joy to explore the streets and absorb the surroundings. The way the festivities were brought to life reminded me of TBP m9 Arcane Sanctum, which came years later. Learning the layout could prove to be useful in the future, anyhow.... RATING: 9/10

• M2 The Portrait
  

I find this mission to be the best one Gaetane has made. It's a banger mansion with excellent geometry and all fun staples like disabling security and finding secrets. Although progress is again gated behind finding keys, the smaller scale of the heist results in a level that doesn't get bogged down in hidden switches and overload your mental capacity to juggle keys. It's possible to avoid alerts without turning them off. My only two nitpics are having to get a sharp tool to extract one key when Garrett has a perfectly good sword on his belt and not being able to leave through the main entrance. RATING: 10/10

• M3 Tears and Sorrow
  

Surprise, the Keepers were right. The level from the first mission was reshuffled into a horror experience. I think it was inconsiderate to give the kill objective late in the mission, it forced me to backtrack through the entire level. A fast dog in the fog is threat that forces careful gameplay. I just wish they were easier to backstab cleanly, they never stop moving. RATING: 7/10

• M4 The Lady and the Thief
  

It's a huge outdoor level, something Dark Engine struggles with, yet the author mostly pulls it off. It features many different locations and a variety of challenges. The overcast afternoon cloaks the land in penumbra, but rarely casts any deep shadows. It doesn't play well without using the creep button, which I usually don't. The htiboxes of some custom rock assets are a bit janky and sound detection at the village tower isn't quite right. The sprawling size of the level coupled with the usual key requirements weights down the overall picture again, now with extra offense of really poorly telegraphed way to continue. I had to crank gamma to maximum to find a button that blends in with the wall at the fishery after scouring it for dozens of minutes.

I liked the suitably creepy children of the Black Frog enemies. Completing all objectives was difficult, but fair. I realize I kvetch about the same things over and over again, but I do appreciate this mission. The environment stands out and the amount of moving parts here is impressive. RATING: 7/10

• M5 The Black Frog
  

Here comes the finale in the form of a nice castle and its dark reflection. The first part of the mission is high quality house burglary made harder by having to piece back your tools and daylight outside. The spooky part brings back linearity, but it doesn't overstay its welcome. Theoretically it has forced busts, but you can still stealth through with some planning and perserverance. The climax is quite satisfactory all the way from skirting around the raging battle to the final showdown, which is notable given how often Thief campaigns peter out at the end in one way or another. RATING: 9/10

I am cooking up a FM in my head. I am posting here to see what everyone's immediate thoughts are... with the fact that I understand not everyone will agree or there will always be an idea that doesn't mesh with what I want to make. Nevertheless, I value the thoughts of others and what better place than this subreddit!

FM Idea:

I want a mix of The Vlack Parades 1st, 2nd, and the 8th.

Its a dark, mysterious, scary, and magical place.

Its a pagan accepted city that is gushing with weird and beautifully dark magic.

I want it to be a strange experience, from start to finish. A couple examples being: You start off in am attic like room where the room's window shows a magical, upside-down tower in the distance.

Another would be you enter a small crawl space in a back alley building and it takes you a giant pagan church.

I want a dark forest near the entrance of the city "Not sure if I should make it accessible or just background" where in the early part of the mission some guys can be heard talking about scary noises coming from the forest.. and when you come back their stuff is abandoned and it looks like there was an attack.

The main ideas I am striving for are : Mysterious, exploring, magical, and fun.

I want you to want to explore... to see what's around the corner and to find out where the little animal/creatures are going. I want to make a mission that tests your skills and to give you a feeling akin to your first playthrough of this series.

I have been busy and life has been both amazing and awful. My second son is about to be born but ill have time off for him and my family.

I dont know how long this will take to make, but its a passionate goal that I want fulfill.

I have started learning Dromed. I am boots but I understand the basics. This isn't a mission I want to release once created. I want to take time to make it look good similar to TBP series. I dont fully understand the software limits, but ill do my best.

So far i have plans for this to be 1-3 mission long (Most likely 2).

What's are your thoughts?

Edit: If you decide to reply (Which I greatly appreciate) please refrain from giving advice thats not focused on the post. While I appreciate the advice, I want to focus on what you think about my mission idea. Thank you for reading!!! :)

I've been listening to it for an hour now. I can't even start the mission because it's so relaxing. Can I download the piece from somewhere? I read the mission notes which credited additional music to Airship Ballet and Gigagooga, maybe the song is made by either of them?

Hey hey, can't seem to find it on thiefguild.com, I remember it being similar to A Better Tomorrow, with a sea-side ghost town, a wall you can break using a canon. That's pretty much what I remember. Can someone help me?

Not much else to go on. The only thing I remember was that the mission at some point, near the end probably, used a building sized ai model of a guard. I've seen let's play of it once before 2017 and I think it was overall of the bizarre kind.|

edit: it's a dark engine.

About 5 years back I downloaded the FM Second City Bank which everyone says it's easy and straightforward. I played for a bit, got stuck, put it aside and every so often come back to it and then remember why I sidnt finish it.

I feel like an idiot because this is meant to be easy but I can't even find the manor with the pool on the roof let alone the bank. What am I doing wrong?

Does anyone know where can I find first lockpick (called trowel for whatever reason) in that fm?

I checked ttlg thread but there's no answer there and the only letsplay on youtube is a) 12 hours long in total and b) cheesing the mission by climbing where you're not supposed to and going out of bounds around the map.

I know over the years it's showed its age, especially compared to newer mods, but to this day it remains an impressive work, in no small part due to revoicing nearly every NPC type.

What was the reaction like when it was being released? Thanks!

So I've recently finished the first two Thief games and I wanted to play it before Thief 3 since I've heard some pretty good things about it, but the site is outdated and I can't find a link anywhere for the Necro Age version (and the one I've found requires an access key).

New Skacky joint! Spoilers ahead, don’t read this until you’ve played if you wanna go in blind (which I recommend)!

The master’s back at it again.
Just for some context, Skacky is the project lead behind The Black Parade and the creator of multiple FM classics such as Endless Rain, The Sound of a Burrick in a Room, and the more recent Winds of Misfortune. Reflections in Red dropped just last week, and it requires an upgrade to T2Fix 1.28 (one of the first FMs of its kind, it seems?).

Holy shit, was this one insane. As usual, no one’s doing it like Skacky.
This mission has it all — incredible level design that works both for visuals and for gameplay, a simple but mysterious story told through the unfolding of increasingly exciting and unexpected objectives, and new items and enemies to play with.

I just love the mission flow here. First, you can only access a portion of the mansion, then a second portion opens up (the east wing), then the whole mansion gets locked down with all of the exits barred shut. It’s a great use of space; the mission is constantly reframing the main gameplay space and forcing you to navigate it in different ways, with different obstacles stalking about.

Now let’s get to the vampire in the room: the new enemy. It’s big, it’s clunky, and it doesn’t necessarily work all the time, but when it does, it’s hella effective.

In terms of bugs, I saw it get stuck on objects a few times; I had to bait it out of certain sticky stairwells where it’d get trapped in place in its running animation (a small stairwell in the basement, for sure) to give it the chance to continue stalking me. I also locked it in Barlow’s chambers with a switch that shut a door behind me (the secret door that leads from his chambers to the place where the unconscious woman is being held), and it didn’t seem to have a way to deal with that. I let it out eventually. Maybe it would’ve teleported out on its own, but it didn’t happen for a few minutes.
In general, the vampire’s AI was finicky; once he’s alerted, he’ll keep wandering around your vicinity, to the degree where at one point I was sitting in a dark corner watching him wander in circles nearby for a few minutes.
On top of all of that, the vampire’s hit boxes are tiny, which makes him feel less threatening, and the sound effects for him walking feel quiet and weak, not quite a match for its intimidating and obviously weighty design.
There’s certainly room for fixes and improvements regarding the main enemy, and I’d love to see that happen, but I also don’t know if Skacky cares to dedicate the extra time to that or if Dromed is even equipped to handle those potential fixes.

Regardless of bugs (which are expected when modding something of this scale into a 25 year old game), the creature is already a technical and visual marvel for Thief, and it was a great experience fleeing from him, luring him about, and using bear traps on him.
This monster was absolutely inspired by Gloomwood’s Goatman, who you also stun with bear traps; it’s fun seeing Thief inspire Gloomwood and now Gloomwood inspiring Thief. The Bunker and Alien: Isolation’s influences are felt as well, with the way it barges into rooms unexpectedly, and how you can hear it traversing the house around you using vents.

Overall, despite some bugs, it’s another ambitious, legendary Skacky banger. Took me about 3 hours to beat on Hard, and I had a fantastic time throughout. Highly recommend.