Hello friends, and happy spooky season. This is the fourth in a series of interviews with key community members. For this spotlight, I connected with Thief fan and hobbyist V-Raptor.
How did you find out about Thief?
I was 11 when my older brother and I got our copy of Thief: The Dark Project. First-person Shooters were our favorite genre and it had received great press in magazines, so we were excited to play it.
What was your first experience with the series like?
I was absolutely paralyzed with fear and excited to explore at the same time. It was very different from the other games I’d played.
I didn’t play it at first though, I just watched my brother play. Years later Thief II: the Metal Age was released and I was finally able to play it. After that I revisited the Dark Project on Expert and eventually did the same with Thief: Deadly Shadows. Thief (2014) was a waste of time. I tried to replay it recently and dropped it after a few hours.
What is it about Thief that keeps you coming back?
I like the story as well as the art and sound design. They’re so unique.
Which of the Thief games is your favorite?
Definitely the first two by Looking Glass Studios. The Metal Age is more about thievery, but the Dark Project has this amazing tomb-raiding adventure feeling. I can’t pick just one. I don’t care much for Deadly Shadows though. It’s a great game, but it doesn’t work for me personally.
Which missions are most memorable to you?
So many of them! But if I have to choose, it’s Return to the Cathedral. Have to mention Life of the Party too.
Have you played any Fan Missions?
Yes, I did back in 2000. I can remember Ominous Bequest, Rowena’s Curse, and two parts of Deceptive Perception. Oh, and T2X: Shadows of the Metal Age was excellent. I actually translated several fan missions as a member of the Dark Fate team, a Russian Thief community.
Any advice for someone new to the series?
If someone seeks out the first two games, they usually know what they’re doing. But I would suggest using both TFix patches to avoid technical issues.
Any other media you’d recommend to fellow Thief fans?
As far as movies and books, I’d say The Dark Crystal film and series, the City of Lost Children movie, and the novel The Lost Dream Station by China Mieville. For games, check out Gloomwood, A Plague Tale: Innocence, and both Dishonored games. Also the Amnesia series, specifically The Dark Descent.
How long have you been creating custom figures?
I’m about 17 years into the hobby of building custom figures and accessories.
What is the design and fabrication process like?
I think it’s more or less the same as any other creative endeavor. You visualize what you want then ask yourself what you can do and what you might need help with. At that point I make a plan with some sketches and screenshots and then start crafting the parts one by one.
Which figure in your collection is your favorite?
I love all the figures in my collection, but some stand out: the Lich-King Statue and Alien Queen Bust by Sideshow, two Legacy of Kain statues (Raziel by Gaming Heads and a custom Kain made by my friend and I), the Sauron statue by WETA, the Davy Jones figure by HotToys, and a custom Pyramid Head figure from Silent Hill.
To check out additional photos and learn more about the figure, head over to V-Raptor’s original post on the TTLG forums.