Thief II: The Metal Age
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| Thief II: The Metal Age | |
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| Developer(s) | Looking Glass Studios |
| Publisher(s) | Eidos Interactive |
| Designer(s) | Eric Brosius (Music) |
| Series | Thief series |
| Engine | Dark engine |
| Version | 1.18 |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows |
| Release date | March 21, 2000 |
| Genre(s) | Stealth |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: M (Mature) USK: 12+ PEGI: 12+ ELSPA: 11+ OFLC: M15+ |
| Media | 2 CD-ROMs |
| System requirements | 266 MHz CPU, 48 MB RAM, 8 MB video card RAM, 4X CD-ROM drive, DirectX 7.0, 250 MB available hard disk space, Windows 95 |
| Input methods | Keyboard, Mouse |
Thief II: The Metal Age is a stealth-based game for Microsoft Windows, sequel to Thief: The Dark Project, and followed by Thief: Deadly Shadows. Utilizing the same Dark engine that powered the original Thief, Thief II has an almost identical look and feel, with only minor graphical and programming improvements. The basic gameplay is also fundamentally similar to the original Thief, with a few new elements, including technological gadgets such as a remote eye camera and more intelligent level designs. Other changes include an increase in the number of A.I. behaviors, and the addition of female guards and soldiers.
Responding to criticism of the original Thief, 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 raiding tombs and running from monsters which was a common element in the first game. In fact, the player encounters almost none of the monsters from the original Thief, except for burrick heads mounted as trophies in some of the mansions, and a few zombies, apemen and Hammer haunts. A new arrow type, Vine arrow, which can stick onto metal grates besides wooden surface, is added to replace rope arrows in a few missions. New potions were also added.
Also, the designers stated that unlike the original game, whose levels were developed to suit the plot, in Thief II the levels were designed first and the plot retrofitted afterwards to work with them. In general, the levels are much larger and less linear than those of its predecessor.
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[edit] New characters in Thief II
- Sheriff Gorman Truart: A corrupt medieval lawman who becomes the leader of the City Watch and the apparent main antagonist in Thief II. Truart oppresses the people, collects bribes, implements outrageous taxes, brutally suppresses the criminal element, and seems to have a particular personal grudge against Garrett. Truart regards the law not as an end in itself, but rather as a means for those with power (specifically, himself) to control those without. Despite his corruption and questionable morality, he did dramatically modernize the Watch, improve its efficiency and introduce a new, blue uniform by the time of Thief II, although not all of the Watchmen are fully up to date with the new system (some can occasionally be heard forgetting the numerical code they need to report a crime in progress). Due to Truart's modernization efforts and his close links with the Mechanists, the Watch headquarters at Shoalsgate Station are bristling with new technology during the second game.
- Karras: A brilliant inventor, sociopath, genius, and prophet who split from the Hammerite organization to found his own faction, the Mechanists, and later becomes the game's primary antagonist. He and his organization play a major role in Thief II's story. While still a Hammerite, Karras invented the mechanical eye and gave it to Garrett as a gift. Karras suffers from an extreme speech impediment, yet somehow is highly charismatic and able to command the loyalties of numerous followers, despite the fact he secretly despises most organic life, to the point where he even avoids contact with guests at his own party by leaving voice recordings in his place as host. He charms the nobility into taking his "Servants" (vagabonds, beggars, lepers and prostitutes converted into placid slaves via ancient, bizarre enslavement masks salvaged from the destroyed city of Karath-Din) who are equipped with a gas canister. This gas feeds on organic matter, using it to fuel a chain reaction. He plans to wipe the City clean of life to create a mechanical "Paradise."
- Lieutenant Mosley: A member of the City Watch under Sheriff Truart, and one of his two lieutenants. Unlike Truart, Mosley is a solid, honest officer, and her conscience eventually causes her to question Truart's brutal methods despite her admiration of the way he has cut down crime. Mosley eventually forms an alliance with the Pagans to bring down Truart, framing Truart's other sycophantic Lieutenant and eventually providing keys to his mansion to his assassin.
[edit] Missions overview
- Running Interference
This is much like a training mission for new players and a chance for old players to re-familiarize themselves with the game. An old associate of Garrett Basso the Boxman - rescued from Cragscleft Prison on Expert difficulty level in the second mission of Thief: The Dark Project - wants to marry Lady Rumford's chambermaid, Jenivere. This would void her service contract, so Rumford has the girl locked up in the estate. Garrett is asked to clear a path for Basso to rescue her without killing any of the guards.
- Shipping... And Receiving
Sheriff Gorman Truart has been making Garrett's life difficult, and his landlord is coming the next day to collect the rent, so he has to go amateur for some quick cash. The warehouses by the docks should fit the bill. There are all sorts of things stored like musical recordings, music instruments, recipes, artwork and artifacts. In addition to this usual shipping traffic, there is also a small smuggling operation of rare spice sponsored by the local underground. Not too many guards, lots of dark corners and several points of entry should make this job painless, and profitable.
- Framed
A client suddenly pays a visit to Garrett late one night because he thinks the job that he wants Garrett to do is too sensitive to go through the usual channels. The job is to break into Shoalsgate Station, headquarters of the City Watch, and quietly frame a certain Lt. Hagen for robbing the evidence box. Hagen is Sheriff Truart's right-hand man, and probably has made life difficult for someone he shouldn't have. This unusually resourceful visitor has given Garrett all the information he needs to pull this off, including a very detailed map of the building. All he needs to do is choose a way in, plan his route, and get back out without alerting the City Watch and their newly installed security cameras.
- Ambush!
Garrett goes to the Crippled Burrick Pub to meet Sammy about unloading some merchandise, but a couple of Watch officers are there waiting for him because Sammy has sold him out. The officers are looking for "swift justice", but Garrett detonates a flashbomb and manages to escape. Now he must get past the City Watch, get back to his place fast and find a new address.
- Cutscene 1 & Eavesdropping
Artemus invites Garrett to listen to a prophecy at the Keeper Library, but Garrett shows little interest. Artemus has given him a letter before he leaves, '...if you seek the private knowledge of the Sheriff, go to the Eastport Mechanist seminary tomorrow night. With stealthy discretion, overhear what you may: a certain very timely meeting...' The Mechanists church has two open towers and some back doors, which can be helpful for getting in. The catacombs below the church can be another way in, but Garrett would rather not tread where the dead sleep. The meeting will most likely take place in some sort of conference hall. All he needs to do is to get close enough to listen at the door.
- First City Bank and Trust
Garrett has learned from the meeting that the Mechanist leader, Karras, is turning living humans into mechanical 'servants' for purposes not entirely known. He has developed a kind of weapon that can turn people into rust and demonstrated the process in front of Sheriff Truart. Truart has promised to supply 20 subjects (prostitutes, street scum, etc) for Karras. The incriminating meeting was recorded by Karras for future blackmail purposes if needed, and the recording device placed in a safe deposit box at First City Bank and Trust. It is one of the wealthiest establishments in town, catering to the financial needs of the City's upper crust. Garrett wants the recording to exert a little pressure on Truart and find out who has hired the Sheriff to kill him. The safe deposit boxes are in the huge bank vault, and the bank is well-protected by the Mechanists' security machines and the usual guards. Since Garrett has made a copy of the key in the Mechanists church, he should be able to open the box, grab the recording and get out.
- Blackmail
Garrett has stolen the recording and it is time to have a face to face chat with Truart, who will no doubt appreciate the consequences if the recording is to be made public — hanging. It is cocktail night at the Sheriff's estate, so Garrett has to wait until all the guests have cleared out. Truart has beefed up security since becoming Sheriff, so breaking in may prove to be a little difficult, but hopefully some drunken guests have left him an open door. He watched the last guest leave and the servants should be cleaning up. The Sheriff should be fast asleep by that time, and Garrett goes to his bedroom with the recording.
- Trace the Courier
Truart is assassinated before Garrett can reach his bedroom. There is a key ring at the murder scene. It belongs to Lt. Mosley of the City Watch, but she has an alibi for the murder itself. Garrett starts following her and one night she leaves the local Watch station well ahead of schedule carrying a letter. He trails her and at one spot Mosley deliberately drops the letter on the ground. Garrett waits till she leaves, reads it, drops it and hides in the shadows. A pagan collects the letter and Garrett follows. The Pagan is attacked by Mechanists, but escapes into a cemetery and disappears without a trace. Investigating, Garrett finds a portal in one of the tombs.
- Trail of Blood
The portal deposits Garrett in a grove of trees far outside the city. The wounded Pagan is nowhere in sight. Garrett must follow the trail of blood to find out where he has gone, although he has no idea where he is or what he will be up against. Along the way he finds that a Pagan village occupied by Mechanists who seem to have embarked upon a campaign of extermination and have murdered the villagers. He eventually finds himself once again in the Maw of Chaos. He finds several letters between Mosley and the Pagans, which reveal that Truart was hired by the Mechanists to kill him.
- Cutscene 2 & Life of the Party
Whilst walking in a forested area of the maw, Garrett is confronted by Viktoria, who eventually persuades him to join her against the Mechanists. Karras is rewriting the New Scripture of the Master Builder, and at the same time throwing a ball for the local nobility at Angelwatch, the new Mechanist tower in Dayport. The Mechanist leader's motives for this party and his plans are not clear. Viktoira asks Garrett to find out what Karras is up to and to obtain information about the "Cetus Project" from his office. Since the Mechanists are determined to kill Garrett, it will be highly dangerous to travel on the streets. With the city's nobility in attendance, security at Angelwatch will be extreme, so gaining entrance will be difficult. Garrett must travel from the clock tower to Angelwatch via the 'Thieves' highway', the rooftops. At Angelwatch he discovers that Karras did not attend his own party, instead leaving recorded messages for the guests, including one for Garrett himself in the office. This implies Karras had intelligence that Garrett was going to gatecrash and Garrett has to return to the Clock Tower.
- Precious Cargo
From reading the New Scripture of the Master Builder and listening to the recordings, Garrett has learned that Karras is giving the "servants" as gifts to the nobles. The schematics that Garrett steals from Karras's office confirm Viktoria's presumption that Markham's Isle is the staging area for the Cetus Project. The schematics for the Cetus Project turn out to be too technical to decipher. With the reference name "Brother Cavador" as the project leader and only lead, Garrett has to find him. At the same time, Viktoria hopes that Garrett can locate her missing agent on Markham's Isle, Lotus. Garrett investigates the island and discovers a large underground complex beneath the lighthouse that must be related to the Cetus Project. He also finds Lotus locked in a large fridge. Lotus passes on his information to Garrett and then begs him to end his pain. Garrett eventually discovers that the Cetus Project is in fact a large submarine (the project's full name Cetus Amicus means "whale friend" in Latin), and he decides that stowing aboard is the best way to find Cavador.
- Kidnap
The submarine travels to a mysterious "K.D. site" where Cavador is located. As it turns out, the K.D. site is in fact Karath-Din, the Lost City of the Precursor civilization that Garrett had visited in Thief: The Dark Project, but the Mechanists have made extensive changes to the city in order to make it somewhat easier to navigate. Garrett eventually tracks down Cavador, knocks him out, and brings him back to Viktoria for questioning, using the exit route from the Lost City which he discovered in the first game.
- Casing the Joint
Viktoria has made Cavador 'spill his guts'. He was instructed to deliver two kinds of artifacts: brass masks and some kind of agricultural device called the 'Cultivator', thirty of each. Garrett suggests where they can lay their hands on one of those Precursor Masks: Lord Gervaisius, a collector with an interest in masks and headdresses, and had a commission out for them when Garrett was down in the Lost City before. Gervaisius is planning an exhibition of his mask collection on the top floor of his mansion. Access is by an elevator controlled from the top floor, but there is talk of a secret passage. Garrett has to find it.
- Masks
Now that the exhibition time has come, and since Garrett has established a "close working relationship" with Lord Gervaisius' security systems, going back in for those masks should not be too much trouble. At the same time Karras is making some modifications to the Mechanists' cathedral, Soulforge, including some sort of valves and seals on the doors, while inside it looks like a huge factory full of machines and equipment.
- Sabotage at Soulforge
The true nature of Karras' scheme has been revealed: he has installed a Cultivator in the mask of each servant placed in the homes of the wealthy, especially those with extensive gardens. When Karras gives a beacon signal from Soulforge Cathedral, the servants will release a 'Rust Gas' that both kills and feeds off of organisms; a chain reaction will begin, multiplying the volume of gas, finally consuming the whole City and destroying all life, bringing about Karras' dream of a world of machinery. Viktoria suggests that Garrett can break into Soulforge, activate the guiding beacon and order the servants back to the air-tight cathedral before the gas release, backfiring the plan on Karras when he is residing safe in Soulforge. Garrett, however, believes that her plan is suicide and refuses. Later, though, he encounters Artemus, who tells Garrett that Viktoria has begun an assault on Soulforge anyway. He rushes to Viktoria's aid but she is being attacked by mechanical beasts. Realizing that there is not enough plant life in the cathedral to sustain the chain reaction, Viktoria sacrifices herself, filling the whole cathedral with large vines. Garrett attempts to carry out her plan and avenge her death.
- The End
Karras gives the signal for the servants to begin releasing the Rust Gas, only to discover that they have returned to the cathedral. It is too late to stop them, and the chamber quickly fills with gas, killing him and causing all the mechanical beasts to malfunction.
[edit] Thief 2X: Shadows of the Metal Age - An unofficial expansion pack
After Looking Glass Studios went out of business, a group of fan developers under the banner of The Dark Engineering Guild created an extension to the Thief universe. Development involved over 100 people, and took five years - in 2005 the result was an unofficial Thief II expansion pack titled Thief 2X: Shadows of the Metal Age [2].
The game presents a new protagonist, a young woman named Zaya. She has journeyed to the eponymous City, to meet her cousin Kedar and start a new life. Things take an unexpected turn though and she soon gets drawn into a murky world of crime and deceit as events spiral beyond her control. The story takes place approximately the same time as the Thief II timeline.
The game has features similar to those in retail Looking Glass games: complex level design, a lengthy campaign (consisting of thirteen long missions), pre-rendered introduction and ending sequences, new voice acting, original artwork, and animated mission briefings.
This expansion is freeware and can be downloaded from the expansion developer's site [3], although it requires the original Thief II in order to be played.
Thief2X received significant gaming press coverage prior to and after release. PC Gamer magazine stated it was "one of the most impressive achievements of any fan community for any game." [1] In a discussion of game modding in general, Computer Games magazine called it "Arguably the biggest and best mod of the past year."[2] Jolt Online said that for a fan of the Thief series "there was simply no excuse not to play T2X"[3]
[edit] Notes & references
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