I finally purchased this game recently and am having a lot of trouble with the game hanging whilst using the menus and reading books/notes. The only solution i've found is frequent quicksaving and a reset. (Until last night when the game hung when i accessed the interface shortly after a quicksave, damaging the one and only save i had. *slaps forehead*)

There's also a strange bug with the intro movie. For the first six or so times i booted the game, there was no intro movie. Then for no apparent reason, the movie starts up whilst i'm in the loading screen. Upon the moving finishing (or being cancelled) it would start up again almost instantly (just fast enough that i can't access the menus) and keep starting in an endless loop? [img]graemlins/1ponder.gif[/img]

Finally, there's a funny bug which occurs when trying to jump/climb over low boxes/windows which leaves Garret hovering one foot of the ground with arms outstretched crucifix style. He can move around still, but is stuck in that frame of animation and can't actually do anything else.

I've installed the 1.1 patch. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions i'd be really appreciative. Thanks [img]smile.gif[/img]

Many of your issues are mentioned here in this FAQ under the Thief 3 section. If you are using an AMD dual core that could be the repeating intro movies problem. The solution is to set your system to only use 1 core...a pain I know. I have an Intel so didn't get this one on my dual core. Look here for that issue and more.

http://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthrea...9ba686&t=75031

I am glad you are playing this game cuz it's a great game really. I have been playing it on and off for a year but recently set it up on my new system and it looks great. Many don't like it because it doesn't feel as much like Thief 1 and 2 out of the box but there is a large mod (well a series of 4 mods) you can download that tweaks alot of stuff in the game and gives more of a Thief 1/2 feel to the game. It adds alot of high-res textures too for those of us who want the immersive experience and it changes many things for the good. I highly recommend it but of course, sort your technical problems out first with the game. The mod is here and I installed everything in it and didn't look back. Just download all of them. http://www.john-p.com/textures/Thief-DS/index.shtml

Pity they ditched Garret's cape though....Let me know how it goes eh? Perhaps disabling one core will fix everything as they all seem kind of similiar (hangs, repeats etc.).

Thanks Spirit, i'll read through it tonight and see if i can fix it. It's a great game, it's just unplayable in its present state. *Edit: I am running a dual core Athlon, so it may well be the problem.

I'm also a Thief 1 & 2 virgin so it doesn't bother me if 3 has a different feel. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[ 05-02-2006, 12:56 AM: Message edited by: Sever ]

I never played 1 or 2... but Thief 3 was one of the best stealth games I've ever played (almost as much fun as the sniper missions in Operation Flashpoint), really great.

Oh, man, if you can get a copy of both Thief 1 and 2, and configure it to run on your PC, by all means do so! Tremendous stealth games. The Bonehoard from T1 still gives me the creeps and don't even ask me about the Haunts and the Cathedral. I literally jumped out of seat more times than I care to remember.

It may not have the fancy graphics of today, but the gameplay, plot, and story line are second to none. Thief has what most game developers need to rediscover. This is one series that stands the test of time.

By the way, anyone know how to configure T1& 2 for XP Professional with SP/2?

Oh, man, if you can get a copy of both Thief 1 and 2, and configure it to run on your PC, by all means do so! Tremendous stealth games. The Bonehoard from T1 still gives me the creeps and don't even ask me about the Haunts and the Cathedral. I literally jumped out of seat more times than I care to remember.

It may not have the fancy graphics of today, but the gameplay, plot, and story line are second to none. Thief has what most game developers need to rediscover. This is one series that stands the test of time.

By the way, anyone know how to configure T1& 2 for XP Professional with SP/2? </font>[/QUOTE]What's your problems with sp2? Is it the movies not playing thing?

My copies of Thief 1 and 2 were designed for Windows 98. Are you implying SpiritWarrior that I am mistaken thinking XP Professional can't load and play them? If this is true then I'm going to hit myself.

Edit: I accessed the link to your earlier post, SW. Duh-me! I didn't even know this was doable. Thanks!

[ 05-19-2006, 12:38 AM: Message edited by: Albromor ]

Aye I was gonna say, hehe. Glad you sorted it, good thiefing!

SpiritWarrior, I looked at john-p.com and I must say I am impressed. As soon as I get the time I'm going to install 1 and 2 and then 3 (I've got to purchase it yet). So, have you had any conflict issues with John P's mods.

By the way, do you know how well Thief 3 sold? was it successful in terms of making cash? That is the only thing publishers are looking for.

I have had 0 issues with his stuff. All they are really are ini. tweaks and modifications plus remapped textures for people, objects and scapes. He threw in bonus stuff like covered arms for garret, diminished loot glints and a really nice frobbing color aswell as a cool-looking startup screen to replace the old greenish one. The installer takes a bit long but oh well. I would install it immediately before playing at all. These mods really improve your experience of the game.

T3 sold well but not that well. Not as well as they wanted it to. Many fans didn't like T3 either (I like it personally). They were chasing the success of Thief 1 and didn't get it. Eidos dropped the project, and (from what I hear) doesn't give a toss about the Thief series. There were plans for a Thief 4 but in light of T3 sales this is unlikely.

I will add it is kind of a beast of a game graphics-wise. Make sure you have a card and system that can support it before buying. I personally love seeing Thief rendered in the great graphics of today.

What do you see as the minimum video card standard to play T1, T2, and Deadly Shadows? I have an X800 GTO 256 mb with DDR3 memory. My cpu is an Atlon 3200+ and I have 2 gigs of RAM.

You will be fine with that card for T3. The game has been out awhile now but it still seems to run my cards quite hot compared to some newer games. I guess it's all the real-time shadowing etc. But yeah, you will run fine. I am using a 6800 Nvidia and have ran it on a 6600 gt and ti4600 also. The higher ones ran it well but the ti barely ran the game and even then I had to tweak settings to make it smooth.

As for Thief 1 and 2 well most cards nowadays can easily run them.

Ok SW, i'm still having trouble getting T3 to work. The quickfix mentioned in your link above is not an option as neither alt-tab nor ctrl-alt-del will give me access to the desktop once the game has started. The permanent fix doesn't appear to cater for T3 and i'm pretty sure i can't guess the correct syntax. The only games listed are T1, T2, SS2 and GF. ( [img]graemlins/1ponder.gif[/img] ).

Is there any way i can set the program's affinity without actually having it running?

You can actually have task manager open before you run and catch it fast as the game is booting up but before it takes over the screen. Mine doesn't minimize either, I always disliked that.

Anyways, you can still do the perma. solution just substitute the Thief exe with the Thief 3 exe and there you have the syntax for a long-term fix :D .

Catch it before it boots? I dunno... Mine boots bloody fast! :D

I didn't know the edit for Thief 3 was the same as thief, though. I'll try that and hopefully i might be able to play it. :fingerscrossed:

Yeah the t3.exe task will appear in taskmanager before the game maximizes. That's when you can ninja in the changes if you want.

Ninja be true. I tried it last night - too quick for me...

I still bust Thief 2 out now and again, great game series!

Shadowhound, what about Thief 1? Ever get that out periodically? Man, the Bonehoard still gives me the shudders! I could not wait to get back to the "surface" if you know what I mean? I never had a game give me a sense of clastrophobia like Thief 1 did in the Bonehoard chapter. And the zombies! The zombies! It has been years since I've played but I can still hear their rasping breath.

Let's not even talk about the Haunted Cathedral...

I've only ever played Thief Gold out of the whole series, but I seriously hear you Albromor on the Haunted Cathedral stage. It freakin' terrfied me!
I never actually figured out the later return level to the Cathedral, the tension eventually just got the better of me, the mission seemingly so long and large.
I ended up leaving the game aside for ages, unplayed, due to the shocks and shivers I'd experienced. I got caught from behind so many times by all forms of slow moving horrors! I still have my save game somewhere, but it did get uninstalled amongst the trauma. :D

Hopefully you figure out a way to get III going Sev, mind you - if you can't, there's always the previous two to go back to!

One of my mates has the second game - what am I missing out on? Was it generally considered an improvement upon the first game/Gold? (which featured extended maps/missions) or was it more of the same?

[ 05-27-2006, 07:42 PM: Message edited by: CerebroDragon ]

Yeah how'd it go Sever? Did you get the perma. fix working yet?

Cerebro, I'd say 2 was more of the same and an improvement at the same time. Some small changes in gameplay, better graphics and AI, excellent story and play...Thief 2 is a "must have" for any fan.

I'm still working on the perma fix. Whatever basic programming i learned years ago i've forgotten but if i'm getting this right, the .bat file is telling the thief program to run using instructions from the downloaded config1 file. The syntax for thief1/g points to thief.exe in the game directory. In thief3, there are no .exe files (that i can find) and therefore the batch program isn't doing anything. I've tried guessing the text but have had no luck so far. Suggestions?

After much practice, i've finally been able to hone my mouse skills to a point where i can disable the second processor before the game loads. This appears to fix all the problems mentioned in my first post. But i'd still like to get the perma fix working...

[ 05-29-2006, 12:31 AM: Message edited by: Sever ]

Well the shoirtcut points to C:\Program Files\Thief - Deadly Shadows\System as default - look in there for the original target. This is what I have always thought they used.

Grats on your ninja skillz.

Man, Cerebro, you've got to reinstall and go back! I can still hear and barely see the Haunts that were below me as I tried to get the "Eye." One thing that really works on them is those flash bombs, but you need several and you know how stingy Thief is with the loot -- or should I say how expensive items can be. If you have enough flash bombs...

Now as for T2 being an improvement, hmmm, I'm not sure, but it is very good and it certainly picks up where T1 left off. You best have your stealth skills as well as bow skills well honed.

I think i have a bug in the clocktower. After using the regular combination of coal release/steam shutoff/halting mechanism (as per Garret's notes) i've since tried all possible combinations and nothing seems to work. I checked a thief 3 walkthrough and it appears i did it right the first time. I re-read the notice upstairs and tried to run the gears off their tracks but again, no luck.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Shadowhound, what about Thief 1? Ever get that out periodically? Man, the Bonehoard still gives me the shudders! I could not wait to get back to the "surface" if you know what I mean? I never had a game give me a sense of clastrophobia like Thief 1 did in the Bonehoard chapter. And the zombies! The zombies! It has been years since I've played but I can still hear their rasping breath.

Let's not even talk about the Haunted Cathedral... </font>[/QUOTE]Unfortunatly I dont have the original theif, only number 2 :(

It's been awhile, what level is that?

It's been awhile, what level is that? </font>[/QUOTE]Killing Time, methinks. The mission to sabotage the clocktower. But i've figured out what was happening. I've been sneaking past the guards instead of incapacitating them. The old guy in the steam room was actually turning the lever back before i could activate the halting mechanism. :rolleyes: And i thought it was a bug... *slaps forehead*

I'm up to the mission in Shaleberidge Cradle now (Robbing the Cradle it's called. Very atmospheric.) and i think i may have whoopsied myself into a dead end. The primary goal of the mission is to gather clues about the old hag, but i've gone through and saved my game at a point in the Cradle's memories where Garret is himself and not one of the mental patients. I'm just about to enter the staff tower and leap to Garret's death when i try to open the door and Garret's voice says something like "i'm not coming back, i'd better do everything i need to before continuing." At this stage, it's not possible for me to re-enter the Cradle's present and i still don't know exactly what clue i'm supposed to be looking for. Whatever clue it is, can it be found whilst in the Cradle's past? Or have i done a whoopsy?

Edit: I haven't been smoking anything, honest. Feel free to spoil me. I've checked a couple of walkthroughs now and neither of them give mention to the primary goal. (Odd that).

[ 06-25-2006, 04:46 AM: Message edited by: Sever ]

OK, so apparently i can re-enter the present by returning to the cage in the storm cellar. But past or present, i still can't find the "clue" about the hag that i need to be able to advance. Anyone know what it is?

Honestly, I can't recall. It has been more than awhile since I ran through T3 and the specifics are a blur to me. The only thing I can possibly remember clue-wise is a guard talking about the hag to a fellow guard and it updated my journal with info...but IIRC that was a seperate clue as to her existence that happend earlier on in the game.

Sorry man, I do plan to go back and replay T3 in all its visual glory on my new system soon but for now i'm no help.

Yeah, Thief 1 and 2 work fine on XP. I have them both installed. (playing player mods).


Thief 1 and 2 totally KILLED Thief:DA.

PS: The cape wasn't added because Ion Storm sucked ass. They went out of business 3 weeks after they released T:DA btw... lol

DA? Don't you mean DS?

I found the clue, but it took a whole bunch of running around the asylum like a crazy person and killing everything with my more expensive items. Not entirely out of character, given the level [img]graemlins/thumbsup.gif[/img] The clue turned up in the nursery which is only accesible in the past. Again, i missed something essential because i was focussing on stealth rather than combat.

That happens with all the Thief games it seems. I have ran around missions for hours, with everything dead and looted and explored but no 'Mission complete' sequence happening. Eventually I'll notice something so obvious that I missed.