The Legendary Thief

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Hello, I am a super-newbie, and decided to write a game in ChoiceScript to help improve my basic programming skills. And also because I love choice of games. (I am learning Python and Java). So, please help me out from time to time.

My game is basically about heists in the early 1900s, pulled off by the player character (not truly realistic, but more of the fun kind), about planning impossible heists, pulling them off with style, and all other similar tropes of the genre.

For now, I would like to know what you all expect, or want from the game…For example, how many heists should the player be able to do, what are the basic skill checks or stats you want to see, multi gendered NPCs or not, multi-gendered MC or not, romance or not, betrayals or not, story-like narrative or a game-like hub in which you select missions, and all that.

Basically, please post anything that you expect from a choice of game that has Thief in the title. I surely will not be able to implement all, but I promise to you that I will try to better than that other title which in my eyes, was really not a proper thief game.

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Well, if you have that time period you can rob a train. Although in all fairness it would have been more common in the USA. Still, would be impressive if you can rob a train =) Or go for the crown jewels.

Thinking about thief (the game, but not the game you are suggesing but from Square Enix / Eidos Interactive), it has a somewhat steampunk setting, although I might be thinking to much of dishonored, planning on doing the same or should I think sherlock holmes setting?

What I think would be importent is having a good reason for those thefts. Trying to prove you are better than some rival? Trying to get rich, vendetta against someone or are you just plain evil (muhahah). Family or friends who need to money to survive? Although some of those reason don’t need a impossible theft.

As to how many thefts, I would just write and see how it goes. But most likely at least one small one to start with and of course the big score. Start your game with something small, perhaps as a kid trying to survive (also gives you focus on what kind of thief you are than. Start out as pickpocket or will you threaten someone with a knife, try to charm someone or trick someone to act as a distraction so you can sneak in and steal the silverware. Just examples.

Once you have stolen something, then what? If you want to steal something special you need to know what to do after you got it. Will you keep it or sell it. If you sell it, do you know the right people. Sorry I am rambling a bit even though I am writing. But that’s just me being excited about your idea.

Is it your intention to have the thief go solo on everything or do you work with others? If you work with others, are they the same people every time?

Most will say MC both genders, and should be possible I think. Also, there should romance. Could be someone you robbed, could be a rival, could be your accomplice. Or even a cop who is trying to stop you but doens’t know it’s you =P. Don’t know, it’s rather early to tell. Just start with your first theft (I think, can’t actually say what you should do, still rambling).

Also, what about special tools / equipment?

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Ok first off I wanna say put romance in (half the reason I play choice of games)
Also are the heists like where you go into a bank and tell everyone to hit the floor or more like sneaking past lasers and stuff

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Sounds cool. I enjoy a good thief game.

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I would prefer a gender choice, though I like it better when NPCs are gender locked. Possibly sexual orientation locked too, like what Heroes Rise, Mass Effect 3 or Dragon Age 3 did. I like that better than everyone being bi.

As for the idea itself, it has promise. I’ll definitely be paying attention.

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Very good idea indeed. It would also be cool if you could take hostages to ransom off or for protection(it would also be cool to romance them) But being in the 1900s there wont be much advanced technology and etc. But as for equipment here is a list that would fit your time period:

Dynamite(lots of it)

Detonation cords(like you see in old-timey movies)

Guns(of course)

And also a horse and carriage as a getaway vehicle(if you can call a horse a vehicle)

—END of List—
But most of all I think your time period is holding back from so many possibilities. Consider the game “Dishonored”; in that game the time period was in the past but they still had futuristic things(also supernatural abilities) allowing the game to be fun. Personally from my opinion I think you should have your time period several centuries in the future opening up more possibilities. But if you decide to keep your time period the same I agree with the things @mrwolf2 stated.

     -just a few thoughts from your friendly forum poster Ryse
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Thanks for all the replies so far!
Mc both genders - already working on it.
Romanceable characters - will definitely involve some romantic moments, perhaps 3 or 4. Let’s see.
Companions - that will be up to you, whether you work solo or not.
As for a train robbery, that’s in!

Question - Do you want a game over screen when you fail a heist, or retry it from that chapter itself, or simply continue on, betting it on the next one?

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If you’re thinking of romance. Having an unrequited love with a rival thief would be interesting. I remember one choice game I played called Mecha Ace and you can have your MC have a romance with your most dangerous rival and how it was pulled off was very effective

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How about a bank robbery?

We also could bribe some police officers.

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A BIG NO NO. It’s games like that that put me off playing them. What’s the point in getting so far and then having to restart the whole game just because of one little choice that you made?

I think the best solution is to implement a safe system, where if the Heist goes wrong and the player would like to have another go at completing that mission, then they could go back to the last save checkpoint if they so desire.

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How 'bout if you fail a heist you can have a part in prison where you can escape (or die trying which then ends the game)

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I really like this idea, and I think the period is one of the strongest features.

The sort of low-tech ingenuity of turn-of-the-century criminals would make for an interesting game mechanic.

I’d like to be able to pick my team, maybe my safe-cracker is a 6’5 bruiser who learned the trade while in prison? Or maybe its a petite society gal looking to spice up her life?

Putting together a crew, picking my target and planning the big escape would be pretty sweet. The counter-balance could be that you need to balance your crew’s skill-sets with their expected take. Maybe the best-of-the-best demand a higher cut so it might be worth taking on a rookie who isn’t going to ask for as much. If you plan your heist so that your weakest team-member is going to be kept out of the way for the most part, you can get a bigger cut which gives you more options for the next heist.

Also, putting together a crack squad of pre-suffragette belles with shotguns and switchblades?

Yes.

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Expanding on this idea about a prison-break, your game style could determine how you escape, or even whether you can?

Have you been a good boss who’s trained his/her crew up well? They all get together to bust you out of jail before you get the chair!

Have you been a lone-wolf who’s hones his/her skills to a razor’s edge? You gotta get out by yourself, using your fists and wits to escape the law.

Not quite good enough at either option? Your goose is cooked, my friend.

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you could sort of have all three, with the choice to have an ending screen (rather than a game-over), a retry, and a continue. i prefer having just continue and ending best, personally, because Immersion, but it would make sense to have a retry if you want a variety of failures.

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Definitely not a game over and restart screen especially if you’re going to make it a pretty wordy/long game. It’s really frustrating having to press next over and over just to get back to where you were especially if you could fail in quite a number of scenes.

I had bought a game recently and every little choice you made could cause you to die without warning resulting in restarting all over again. After 3 tries at it, I didn’t even bother to finish the game anymore and it’s just been sitting on my phone untouched. Wouldn’t recommend it.

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Finally decide on the heists thing, it will have a go back to the chapter of the heist, so you don’t fail the thing. However implementing that is going to be moderately difficult, so it’s going to take some time.
@Moreau While a 6’5 safe cracker is a really cool idea and so is the suffragette one, I’m afraid that you won’t get much choice in the pick. My game’s a little heavy on the story side than on the game.

You are a legendary thief from the beginning of the story itself, and thus really don’t do small jobs, and no longer have a crew (if you had one before).You’re also rich, and no longer steal for the money. But you do get to say why you began to steal, and that will play a part.

The crew will be a small team; about 3 or 4 people (if you want them), but the very best (supposedly). They will have their own reasons and demands for following you, with their little own side stories. With possible betrayals.

But the game will be fun, because of - (choose your pick)
Robbing the world science fair and riding out in a motorcycle?
Beating the legendary detective in a one-on-one aikido duel?
Diagnose an impertinent inspector following you that he’s in love with his mother?
And a few others…

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I would say no to the chapter restart. If you fail, but don’t die, you should write in a prison scene and branch from there, but if you die it should end the game.

That’s just my opinion.

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How about a rival thief? One whom appears out of the blue with skills that are as good as yours? Later this thief you will finally confront, but since this is a tealeaf game and not some war thriller, there is no battle to the death, but of wits and ideals.

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@Nathan_Faxon There’s a thief who’s been using your name. You get to decide what to do with him.
There’s another thief, with whom you have a love-hate relationship, and she/he is later recruit-able in your party.
There’s another thief who’s vastly better than you, yet you have no idea who he/she is. You have a battle of wits and ideology before the end.
So the rival thief aspect is covered.

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Ah so it’s a survival of the fittest, rather than just two guys having a personal competition. Makes sense since you’re the legendary thief and many people will be wanting your title