Yehah... Finally got my T3.. Hard job to get it going thou..

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.thief-dark-project (More info?)

The game was released here only 3 days ago and almost not matter where
I went yesterday, it was sold out but as the saying goes - "Almost"
but "Not Quite"...

I was just about ready to give up as I went from store to store
looking for it when I called into a PC shop on the way home and there
it was... I grabbed it, payed my money and went home even faster...

It was a tiny bit of a pain in the butt to set up as the options
didn't want to let me reassign the keys. At one stage I was
contemplating taking the game back but I saw on the internet that was
was a common thing. I couldn't really find the solution either but in
the end it looked as if the problem was related to other gaming device
conflicts and the only other device I had was a M/Soft Sidewinder
Joystick so I unplugged it and rebooted and away I went... I was now
able to assign what I wanted...

First impressions...

The game seems somewhat different from T1 and 2. I guess this is
somewhat because it has been a few years since we last saw a release
and all games evolve BUT I honestly thought I would simply slot right
into it like I was picking up from where T2 left off - NO!!! - it just
didn't happen like that - I can't explain it...

Graphics seem good but I have to admit it pushes my XP3000 and FX5700
and 1GB of PC3200, along almost to its limits at 1024x768,, even with
the nVidia driver tweaks. It really slowed down once or twice in the
very low lighting of Garretts working environment - Dark... I might
try running at 800x600 and see if there is much difference...

The content of the gameplay appears linear to its predecessors but
then again the word or title "Thief" means just that, doesn't it.??
Doesn't leave much to the imagination... I played and finished the
first level lastnight and apart from the fact that the weapons use has
really changed, I enjoyed it... Using the bow and blackjak are
completely different from T1 and 2,, completely different - but I soon
got used to them...

Conclusion thus far....

Very few games sequels are remotely like the original in content
(graphics and playability etc) - e.g...
Unreal - Unreal 2,, UT - UT2003 and I suspect UT2004,, Deus Ex - Deus
Ex 2. Even a few golden oldies like Quake - Quake2. (I wont include
Doom - Doom2 because they were from the days of little or no variety)
therefore I suppose I should have expected T3 to be radically
different AND T2 only ever eventuated from T1 because it was so
popular - that's called "riding the crest of a wave" therefore they
were the same game with two different titles... Somehow though, T3
seems as if it should have been the same as the provious two but also
has to keep up with the times... I would have been happy if T3 was yet
another T1/T2 in disguise with slightly better graphics - but - it's
not and it just feels different...

I have got a grin from ear to ear though... I guess it's just the
whole concept of the "Thief/Garrett" thing...

What is the AI bug,, what does the 1.1 patch do,, and what is the
thiefbot and what does it do..???

 

[rms]

Archived from groups: alt.games.thief-dark-project (More info?)

> Graphics seem good but I have to admit it pushes my XP3000 and FX5700
> and 1GB of PC3200, along almost to its limits at 1024x768

This is the root of your complaints below. A FX5700 is simply not
acceptable anymore for highend games. I have to run at 1024x768 on a 3400+
+ 9700pro system, you'll just have to save for a better card.

> The content of the gameplay appears linear to its predecessors

You have only played the first mission and haven't seen 'the city' at
all. While the city is perhaps not as large as the developers invisaged, it
was easy for me to get lost in the areas around Stonemarket, and if you
explore all the buildings and listen to conversations, you are given several
side-missions. Very cool!

Remember to install the patch!

rms

 

[augustus]

Archived from groups: alt.games.thief-dark-project (More info?)

> Graphics seem good but I have to admit it pushes my XP3000 and FX5700
> and 1GB of PC3200, along almost to its limits at 1024x768,, even with
> the nVidia driver tweaks. It really slowed down once or twice in the
> very low lighting of Garretts working environment - Dark... I might
> try running at 800x600 and see if there is much difference...

I upgraded from a Radeon 8500 128Mb to a 9800 Pro 128Mb at 1024x768 on my
Barton 3200 / 1 Gig Dual Channel system to play this game at acceptable
framerates. It plays smoothly now, but this game is like Far Cry in terms of
memory and video demands. The funny thing is I don't know why this should
be. It uses a modified Unreal engine, but UT2004 would run smooth as silk on
my 8500 with everything maxed at 1024x768. I don't think their code is very
efficient. DX9 effects are virtually nonexistent. I detect zero graphical
differences from running it in DX8.1 vs. DX9 on the new card. It should not
take this much graphics and CPU horsepower to run this particular game. But
it does, so we have to live with it.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.thief-dark-project (More info?)

Bruce Tyler wrote:

> has to keep up with the times... I would have been happy if T3 was yet
> another T1/T2 in disguise with slightly better graphics - but - it's
> not and it just feels different...

A major improvement is the city -- which you probably haven't seen yet --
and the 'off-story' things to do. Haven't bothered yet to check if the
city watch notes posted about break-ins and citizens being robbed tally with
my activities. (I like how the house-watchman subplot has developed so far.
I suspect I will have stop robbing my landlord and the other tenants for fear
he might take drastic measures.) Respawning of city-characters is a minor
drawback in comparison: but I wish the city was larger, with fewer load-sites.
(No, haven't got the gloves yet, which might alter things.)

T3 graphics seem too much eye candy for my taste, much as I expected.
They are much more detailed than in earlier versions, but this also brings
along the impression that there is more light than before: you need more light
to see more details, and all details are there, even when it's dark. As a
result I've reduced screen resolution, and turned off a number of graphics
options. It helps a bit to get away from the feeling I'm inside a Disney movie.
I only wish I could turn off those moon-beams through the windows ...

Some graphic details seem excessive: the wind-blown ceiling lights in one of
the earlier missions seem to be there to show off the graphics engine. It is
impressive, but it also feels obtrusive: it can't be that draughty, since the
dust specks in the moon-light show no movement, and gas jets dont flutter. (Actually,
I'm beginning to wonder if this is one of those culture wossnames: much US
realistic art I have seen is ultra-realistic, with oddly detailed renderings
of largely unimportant details, yet occasionally with a supreme disregard of how
light actually behaves.) Yet when it comes to people and guards, the detail level
is not distracting. And the increased number of monologues are welcome.

Certainly Thief. Certainly different.

--
Anders Thulin ath*algonet.se http://www.algonet.se/~ath

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.thief-dark-project (More info?)

On Sun, 20 Jun 2004 05:03:29 GMT, Augustus confounded his critics by
announcing:

> It should not
> take this much graphics and CPU horsepower to run this particular game. But
> it does, so we have to live with it.

Well yes until you consider real time shadows, and lots of them.

There aint any games I can think of that aren't improved considerably frame
rate wise by simply switching shadows off. With thief your kind of stuck
with it as it wouldn't be Thief without them.

Having said that, the geometry of T3 is quite old-school compared to more
recent games, which should compensate for the shadows!

But to conclude, yes T3 would have been measurably better if it hadn't had
an xbox game engine at its heart.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.thief-dark-project (More info?)

"Anders Thulin" <ath_no_spam_please@algonet.se> kirjoitti viestissä
news:EhdBc.96421$dP1.316059@newsc.telia.net...
> Bruce Tyler wrote:
>
> > has to keep up with the times... I would have been happy if T3 was yet
> > another T1/T2 in disguise with slightly better graphics - but - it's
> > not and it just feels different...
>
> A major improvement is the city -- which you probably haven't seen
yet --
> and the 'off-story' things to do. Haven't bothered yet to check if the
> city watch notes posted about break-ins and citizens being robbed tally
with
> my activities. (I like how the house-watchman subplot has developed so
far.
> I suspect I will have stop robbing my landlord and the other tenants for
fear
> he might take drastic measures.) Respawning of city-characters is a minor
> drawback in comparison: but I wish the city was larger, with fewer
load-sites.
> (No, haven't got the gloves yet, which might alter things.)

Unfortunately, they don't, and now that I've clocked a considerable number
of hours into this game, I must say that the more I play the game, the more
the gloves feel like an unfortunate afterthrought, a near-desperate attempt
to find a replacement for the rope arrow which, according to the developers,
they simply could not get to work the way they wanted it, which is why it
never made it into the game. The gloves just feel completely out of the
place, and I hated using them. They simply don't make any sense to me,
whatsoever. Gladly, there are few occasions when you have to use them.

The City is a great improvement, I agree! I only wish it was one large
area, not several small ones separated by the stupid zones.

> T3 graphics seem too much eye candy for my taste, much as I expected.
> They are much more detailed than in earlier versions, but this also brings
> along the impression that there is more light than before: you need more
light
> to see more details, and all details are there, even when it's dark. As a
> result I've reduced screen resolution, and turned off a number of graphics
> options. It helps a bit to get away from the feeling I'm inside a Disney
movie.
> I only wish I could turn off those moon-beams through the windows ...

Oh, I found those creating a wonderful atmosphere. I didn't feel that they
were just eye candy, but added to atmosphere. A nice touch, and I love that
visual! I think the graphics are quite nice, and don't go into the
Disney -category. Loot glint is ridiculous, though. Folks walking down the
streets lit up like tacky Christmas trees. Actually, the glint would be ok
as an indicator of an item's value, but it's visible from too far away of
the items.

- Mika L

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.thief-dark-project (More info?)

On the 20 Jun 2004, "Mika Latokartano"
<mika.latokartano@REMOVETHIS.kolumbus.fi.invalid> wrote:

<snip>

> Loot glint is ridiculous, though. Folks walking down the streets lit up
> like tacky Christmas trees. Actually, the glint would be ok as an
> indicator of an item's value, but it's visible from too far away of
> the items.

The loot glint is a little overdone, and I think you're right about
the distance issue. The thing that irritates me the most in the game,
so far, is Objective Glint. It's almost like the developers are saying
"HEY! Are you stuck? Here's what you're looking for!"

<BEGIN SPOILER SPACE>




















<SPOILER SPACE>
























<END SPOILER SPACE>

The stupidest object that I've seen with it so far is the Pagans' tree.
I was just far enough away from it to see it glint but not trigger the
guard conversation about it, and I was wondering what the thing was
glinting for. At the moment, I'm getting so sick of hunting for those
pagan symbols (still haven't found one at the time of typing) that I'm
almost tempted to burn the taffing thing.

--
Jades' First Encounters Site - http://www.jades.org/ffe.htm
The best Frontier: First Encounters site on the Web.

NOSPAM@jades.org /is/ a real email address!

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.thief-dark-project (More info?)

On the 20 Jun 2004, "rms" <rsquires@flashREMOVE.net> wrote:

> > Graphics seem good but I have to admit it pushes my XP3000 and FX5700
> > and 1GB of PC3200, along almost to its limits at 1024x768
>
> This is the root of your complaints below. A FX5700 is simply not
> acceptable anymore for highend games. I have to run at 1024x768 on a 3400+
> + 9700pro system, you'll just have to save for a better card.

The Gigabyte Radeon 9800 Pro is good value at the moment. I got one
from overclock.co.uk for about £164 inc. VAT.

--
Jades' First Encounters Site - http://www.jades.org/ffe.htm
The best Frontier: First Encounters site on the Web.

NOSPAM@jades.org /is/ a real email address!

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.thief-dark-project (More info?)

Graham Thurlwell <NOSPAM@jades.org> writes:

> The loot glint is a little overdone, and I think you're right about
> the distance issue.

It is nice to know what is and isn't loot, but it should wait until
you're close enough to frob the loot before it glints. I find myself
staring at all the candles for five seconds or more waiting to see if
they glint or not... But I did run across an item that I could not
see until the glint flashed; even the blue frob corona wasn't showing
up (it was in a dark chest in a darkened room).

--
Darin Johnson
Caution! Under no circumstances confuse the mesh with the
interleave operator, except under confusing circumstances!