Thief: The Dark Project

This page is for the 1998 game. For the 2014 reboot, see Thief.

Thief
Thief: The Dark Project	1998
Thief II: The Metal Age	2000
Thief: Deadly Shadows	2004
The Dark Mod (unofficial spin-off)	2009
Thief	2014

Thief: The Dark Project is a singleplayer first-person stealth and immersive sim game in the Thief series.

In November 1999, the game received an expanded re-release called Thief: Gold with 3 new missions, edited existing missions, new enemies and bug fixes. This version of the game is more widely available, and is the only one sold on digital stores.

The retail version of the game has significant issues running out-of-the-box (e.g. stability, rendering, cutscene codec breaking after a few sessions). Several unofficial patches have been created over the years, most notably the NewDark engine and TFix.

General information

TTLG Forums - Thief Series

TTLG Forums - modding & mission design

GOG.com Community Discussions for game series

GOG.com Support Page

Steam Community Discussions

Availability

Source	DRM	Notes	Keys	OS
Retail		TFix removes the CD check.
Amazon.com		Thief Gold.
GOG.com		Thief Gold. Uses TFix Lite 1.26. Includes manual, wallpaper, reference card, soundtrack, avatars and concept arts.
Green Man Gaming		Thief Gold.
Humble Store		Thief Gold.
Steam		Thief Gold.

Version differences

Thief: Gold includes extra missions, bug fixes, and some other enhancements, but makes controversial changes to existing missions that tone down supernatural themes and otherwise alter the perception of characters.

Thief: Gold can be manually downgraded to Thief: The Dark Project if the player wishes to play the game closer to as originally published (though not perfectly) by using GoldToDark.

Demo versions

An updated version of the original demos is available.

Essential improvements

Unofficial Patches

NewDark

NewDark is an fan-developed update patch to the Dark Engine that let Thief: The Dark Project / Thief: Gold runs on modern systems.

Can be applied alongside TFix for additional improvements. Later versions of TFix also have NewDark pre-installed.

Based on Thief 2 source code, so it is not as accurate to Thief Gold as it is for Thief 2.

TFix

TFix is an "upgrade" patch that updates the game with NewDark, which improves compatibility for modern systems.

Features many mission fixes and optional texture mods.

The GOG release has an out-of-date, lite version of this patch.

Unlike the GOG release, the Steam release does not use TFix.

Restart the current mission (or progress to the next one) after patch installation, otherwise various issues may manifest, such as torches that do not properly go out when extinguished.

OldDark Legacy Patch

Allows the original (aka OldDark) engine to run on modern systems.

Also available for Thief II: The Metal Age.

Not as stable as NewDark, but more true to the original experience.

Skip intro videos

Tell intro not to play^{[citation needed]}
Go to the installation folder. Open `cam.cfg` in a text editor. Add the line `skip_intro` to the file and save it.

Scale UI Accurately

UI scales incorrectly at higher resolutions^{[citation needed]}

Install NewDark via TFix.

Go to the installation folder.
Open cam_ext.cfg in a text editor.
Change ;d3d_disp_scaled_2d_overlay 64 to d3d_disp_scaled_2d_overlay 64.
Save the file.

Game data

Configuration file(s) location

System	Location
Windows	<path-to-game>\^{[Note 1]}
Steam Play (Linux)	<SteamLibrary-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/211600/pfx/^{[Note 2]}

Configuration files are: cam.cfg (basic settings, resolution), cam_ext.cfg (NewDark advanced settings), cam_mod.ini (mod and fan mission options), install.cfg and user.bnd (key bindings).

Save game data location

System	Location
Windows	<path-to-game>\SAVES^{[Note 1]}
Steam Play (Linux)	<SteamLibrary-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/211600/pfx/^{[Note 2]}

Fan mission saves are kept in the mission's folder.

Save game cloud syncing

System	Native	Notes
GOG Galaxy
Steam Cloud

Video

In-game video settings (GOG.com version).

In-game resolution settings (GOG.com version).

Graphics feature	WSGF	Notes
Widescreen resolution		Install TFix.
Multi-monitor		Install TFix.
Ultra-widescreen		Install TFix.
4K Ultra HD		Install TFix.
Field of view (FOV)	See Field of view (FOV).
Windowed	See Windowed.
Borderless fullscreen windowed	See Windowed.
Anisotropic filtering (AF)	Install TFix.
Anti-aliasing (AA)	Install TFix.
Vertical sync (Vsync)	See Vertical sync (Vsync).
60 FPS	For Windows 8 and later use TFix.
120+ FPS	See High frame rate.
High dynamic range display (HDR)	See the glossary page for potential alternatives.

In-game general video settings (retail version).
In-game advanced video settings (retail version).

Field of view (FOV)

Set FOV^{[citation needed]}
Install TFix and set the resolution you want in-game. If the proper FOV is not detected, go to the installation folder and edit `cam_ext.cfg`. Change `;fov 90` to `fov ##` with the desired FOV. Save the changes and relaunch the game.

Windowed

Set windowed mode^{[citation needed]}

Install TFix.
Go to the installation folder.
Edit cam_ext.cfg.
Change ;force_windowed to force_windowed.
Save the changes and set the chosen resolution in-game.

For borderless fullscreen windowed mode choose the desktop resolution in-game.

Vertical sync (Vsync)

Installing TFix enables Vsync by default. Vsync can be disabled.

Disable Vsync^{[citation needed]}
Go to the installation folder. Edit `cam_ext.cfg`. Change `;vsync_mode 0` to `vsync_mode 0` and save your changes.

High frame rate

Set frame rate and correct game speed^{[citation needed]}
Go to the installation folder. Edit `cam_ext.cfg`. Change `framerate_cap 100.0` to `framerate_cap ###` with the desired framerate. Change `;phys_freq 60` to `phys_freq 60` and save the changes. For more than 250 FPS, change `SlowFrame 4` to `;SlowFrame 4`

Input

In-game control settings.

Keyboard and mouse	State	Notes
Remapping
Mouse acceleration		No game-managed mouse acceleration. In addition, Windows mouse acceleration can be disabled in-game by adding `use_raw_mouse_input` to `cam_ext.cfg`.
Mouse sensitivity		Default sensitivity is very high.
Mouse input in menus
Mouse Y-axis inversion
Controller
Controller support		Go to Options and set Joystick: On.
Full controller support		Pausing and menu navigation cannot be rebound from their mouse and keyboard inputs.
Controller remapping		Analog triggers and the right analog stick cannot be bound.
Controller sensitivity		Lacks analog camera movement.
Controller Y-axis inversion

Controller types

XInput-compatible controllers

PlayStation controllers		Supports Directinput controllers.
PlayStation button prompts
Light bar support
Adaptive trigger support
DualSense haptic feedback support
Connection modes

Generic/other controllers		Supports DirectInput controllers
Button prompts

Additional information
Controller hotplugging
Haptic feedback
Digital movement supported
Simultaneous controller+KB/M

Steam Input
Steam Input API support
Hook input (legacy mode)
Official controller preset(s)
Steam Controller button prompts
Cursor detection

In-game key map settings (1/4).
In-game key map settings (2/4).
In-game key map settings (3/4).
In-game key map settings (4/4).

Audio

In-game audio settings (GOG.com version).

Audio feature	State	Notes
Separate volume controls		Master volume and ambient sound (usually controls background music in addition to atmospheric sound effects, like machinery).
Surround sound		See EAX support. Up to 7.0 output.^[1] May require DirectSound 3D restoration software for non NewDark versions.
Subtitles		Supported since NewDark 1.22. Simply update the game with the latest TFix, go to this page, and follow the instructions.
Closed captions
Mute on focus lost
EAX support		A3D 1.0, EAX 1^[2]
Royalty free audio

EAX support

Thief features enhanced 3D sound effects that originally required a Creative sound card with special EAX drivers. To use EAX effects on modern systems, do the following:

Install patch and OpenAL^{[citation needed]}
Install NewDark using TFix. Install OpenAL 1.1. In the game go to Options, Audio, and change Hardware Acceleration to OpenAL. EAX can now be used.

Localizations

Language	UI	Audio	Sub	Notes
English				For subtitles use the New Thief Gold subtitles patch.
Czech				Fan translation - GOLD ⠀ #2
French				Retail only.
German				Retail only. Patch for digital release here.
Hungarian				Fan translation by KGy.
Polish				Retail only. Patch for digital release here. A subtitles patch has existed, but is currently lost.^[3]
Russian				Fan translation by «Dark Fate Team», download.
Spanish				Fan translation by Clan Dlan, download.
Turkish				Fan translation by Dark Glyphs, here.

VR support

3D modes	State	Notes
Nvidia 3D Vision		See install/setup instructions. Alternatively see Helix Mod: Thief Gold.
iZ3D		See install/setup instructions.
vorpX		2D Officially supported game, see official vorpx game list. Available 3D mode not confirmed yet.

Issues fixed

A detailed forum thread for technical difficulties is available on the Through The Looking Glass forum.

Crashes on multi-core systems

Install TFix^{[citation needed]}
Install NewDark via TFix.

Videos do not play

Install TFix^{[citation needed]}
Install NewDark via TFix.

Set game in compatibility mode for Windows 98 / Windows ME

Gamma slider has no effect on gamma/brightness

TFix and config tweak^{[citation needed]}

Install NewDark via TFix.

If the gamma still can not be changed:

Go to the installation folder.
Open cam_ext.cfg.
Change ;d3d_disp_no_rgb10_buf to d3d_disp_no_rgb10_buf.
If running in windowed or borderless fullscreen mode, change ;d3d_disp_sw_cc to d3d_disp_sw_cc
Save the file.

Retail version does not install

Owners of the original disc version may encounter problems when attempting to install on modern operating systems.^[4]

Copy files manually
Copy the `THIEF` folder found on the first disc to a non-protected folder. Copy the `THIEF` folder found on the second disc to the same folder as in the previous step, overwriting the first folder's content. Install TFix.

Low frame rate in fullscreen mode

Thief has frame rate issues in fullscreen mode on Windows 8 and later.

Install NewDark via TFix^{[citation needed]}

Lag and stuttering

Add a line to user.cfg

Install NewDark via TFix.

Go to the installation folder.
Open USER.cfg.
Add the line small_portal_repel.
Save the file.

TFix and config tweak^{[citation needed]}

Install NewDark via TFix.

Go to the installation folder.
Open cam_ext.cfg.
Change d3d_disp_no_rgb10_buf to ;d3d_disp_no_rgb10_buf.
Save the file.

TFix and config tweak

Install NewDark via TFix.

Go to the installation folder.
Open cam_ext.cfg.
Change framerate_cap 100.0 to framerate_cap 70.0
Save the file.

Laggy/jittery mouse input

Add a line to cam_ext.cfg^[5]

Install NewDark via SS2Tool.

Go to the installation folder.
Open cam_ext.cfg.
Add the line use_raw_mouse_input.
Save the file.

Use MarkC's Mouse Acceleration Fix
Go to this website. Follow the instructions on the site.

T2Fix and config tweak^{[citation needed]}

Install NewDark via T2Fix.

Go to the installation folder.
Open cam_ext.cfg.
Change ;d3d_disp_limit_gpu_frames 1 1 to d3d_disp_limit_gpu_frames 1 1.
Save the file.

Other information

API

Technical specs	Supported	Notes
Direct3D	6, 9	DirectX 9 requires NewDark/TFix.
Software renderer

Executable	32-bit	64-bit	Notes
Windows

Middleware

	Middleware	Notes
Audio	DirectSound, OpenAL	OpenAL requires NewDark/TFix.

View bob

By default, Thief: The Dark Project has view bob that may cause motion sickness.

Edit the configuration file^{[citation needed]}

Open <path-to-game>\cam_ext.cfg with a text editor.
Find the line ;bob_factor 0.3.
Remove the semicolon and set the value to 0.

bob_factor 0.0

Mods

AngelLoader

Standalone FM loader where you can manage, install, and play all of your FMs in one place.

Supports Thief 1, Thief 2, Thief: Deadly Shadows and System Shock 2.

Well maintained and open source.

Fan Missions

A large number of Fan Missions, many of very high quality, have been produced for the Thief games.

A categorised list is available here.

Some of the older FMs for Thief Gold and the Dark Project suffer compatibility issues when played with TFix/NewDark. An ongoing effort to preserve, test and fix these missions has resulted in a series of patches.

Running Fan Missions^{[citation needed]}

Install TFix and ensure the installer option to create a shortcut to the FM Selector is checked. If you did not check this option, add the command line argument -fm on a Thief desktop shortcut or in the Steam interface.
Start FM Selector using this shortcut.
Select a folder for installed missions and an FM .zip archive path when prompted. Do not put the archive path inside the FMs folder or vice-versa, otherwise things will not work correctly.
To install a mission, drop its .zip file (do not extract it) into your chosen archive path, start the selector, double click the mission/zip file name and select 'Ok'. It has now been extracted to the installed missions folder.
Launch the mission by double-clicking the name again. To launch the original game select 'Skip FM' in the lower-left corner.

Texture mods

Enhancement Pack 2.0
An updated version of the original Enhancement Pack (which is included in TFix and is much less comprehensive). This contains higher-quality reproductions of original textures and objects. Also works with Thief II: The Metal Age.

The Necro Project
Very similar to the Enhancement Pack 2 but focuses on giving the game a slightly darker, noir look. Somewhere between the EP2 and HD Mod in lore accuracy. Also works with Thief II: The Metal Age.

Thief Gold HD Texture Mod
Adds new textures, effects and enemy skins to all original missions. Significantly alters the game's graphical style (far more than the two packs above). The mod is compatible with Thief: The Dark Project and Thief Gold. Includes a tool to configure advanced graphics settings (Anti-Aliasing, Bloom, etc.). An FAQ with installation steps is available.

Thief Gold ESRGAN Texture Pack (mirror)
Thief Gold textures upscaled 4x using AI, more accurate to the original textures than other texture packs, but of less resolution than other alternatives. It is far higher in resolution and detail than the original textures however. Provides a more vanilla but HD look for the game.

Thief Gold HQ Paintings Pack (mirror)
Standalone addition of the ESRGAN mod for Thief Gold and Thief II: The Metal Age. All paintings from the game being manually recreated using real-life originals from online galleries in HQ 1024x1024 resolution. Could be used with any other modifications.

Additional mods

AM16's Thief1 Fixed
Fixes many issues in the original maps, such as misaligned textures and bugs, no changes to gameplay have been done.

Sound effects enhancement pack
Provides cleaned-up and resampled sound files for Thief Gold and Thief II: The Metal Age. The quality difference is particularly noticeable when wearing headphones.

ESRGAN Video Pack (mirror) 60 FPS version
Provides AI upscaled cinematics with 320x240->640x480 size enhancement and 15 to 30 or 15 to 60 fps conversion with filtering compression artifacts of the original videos. Requires TFix to work. It's a part of the Thief Gold ESRGAN Texture Pack, but can be installed standalone.

Thief Gold Fresh UI
provides a new UI for Thief Gold.

Thief: The Black Parade
The Black Parade a full on expansion, almost as large as the game itself

System requirements

Steam

Windows
	Minimum	Recommended
Operating system (OS)	XP, Vista
Processor (CPU)	1.8 GHz
System memory (RAM)	512 MB	1 GB
Hard disk drive (HDD)	2 GB
Video card (GPU)	DirectX 7 compatible	DirectX 9 compatible

Disc Version

Windows
	Minimum	Recommended
Operating system (OS)	95	98
Processor (CPU)	Intel Pentium 166 MHz	Intel Pentium 266 MHz
System memory (RAM)	32 MB	64 MB
Hard disk drive (HDD)	210 MB	230 MB
Video card (GPU)	SVGA video card 1 MB of VRAM DirectX 6 compatible	SVGA video card and a 3D accelerator card 4 MB of VRAM
Sound (audio device)	100% DirectX 6.0 compatible sound card	Aureal Vortex for A3D 1.X EAX 1 compatible device like SoundBlaster Live!, Audigy or X-FI
Other	4x CD-ROM drive	8x CD-ROM drive

The system requirements for NewDark/TFix- and by extension those for the GOG.com release- are higher than the original requirements listed here.

Notes

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 When running this game without elevated privileges (Run as administrator option), write operations against a location below %PROGRAMFILES%, %PROGRAMDATA%, or %WINDIR% might be redirected to %LOCALAPPDATA%\VirtualStore on Windows Vista and later (more details).
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1
Notes regarding Steam Play (Linux) data:
- File/folder structure within this directory reflects the path(s) listed for Windows and/or Steam game data.
- Use Wine's registry editor to access any Windows registry paths.
- The app ID (211600) may differ in some cases.
- Treat backslashes as forward slashes.
- See the glossary page for details on Windows data paths.

References

↑ PC Gaming Surround Sound Round-up - last accessed on May 2023
↑ Games Tech Help: Thief: The Dark Project - Vortex of Sound (retrieved) - last accessed on May 2023
↑ https://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=144354&p=2286351&viewfull=1#post2286351
↑ saleck.net - last accessed on May 2023
↑ Verified by User:AlphaYellow on 2023-01-13

[gamedir-1] 1.0 ^1.1 When running this game without elevated privileges (Run as administrator option), write operations against a location below %PROGRAMFILES%, %PROGRAMDATA%, or %WINDIR% might be redirected to %LOCALAPPDATA%\VirtualStore on Windows Vista and later (more details).

[Proton_path_note-2] 2.0 ^2.1 Notes regarding Steam Play (Linux) data:
File/folder structure within this directory reflects the path(s) listed for Windows and/or Steam game data.
Use Wine's registry editor to access any Windows registry paths.
The app ID (211600) may differ in some cases.
Treat backslashes as forward slashes.
See the glossary page for details on Windows data paths.

[3] File/folder structure within this directory reflects the path(s) listed for Windows and/or Steam game data.

[4] Use Wine's registry editor to access any Windows registry paths.

[5] The app ID (211600) may differ in some cases.

[6] Treat backslashes as forward slashes.

[7] See the glossary page for details on Windows data paths.

[3] PC Gaming Surround Sound Round-up - last accessed on May 2023

[4] Games Tech Help: Thief: The Dark Project - Vortex of Sound (retrieved) - last accessed on May 2023

[5] ttps://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=144354&p=2286351&viewfull=1#post2286351

[6] saleck.net - last accessed on May 2023

[7] Verified by User:AlphaYellow on 2023-01-13

[Note 1]

[Note 2]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

Developers

	Looking Glass Studios
Publishers
1998-2009	Eidos Interactive
2009-2023	Square Enix
2023-present	Eidos-Montréal
Re-release	Sold Out Software
Engines
	Dark Engine
Release dates
Windows	December 1, 1998
Reception
Metacritic	92
Taxonomy
Monetization	One-time game purchase
Modes	Singleplayer
Pacing	Real-time
Perspectives	First-person
Controls	Direct control
Genres	Stealth, Immersive sim
Art styles	Realistic
Themes	Steampunk, Fantasy, Medieval, Victorian
Series	Thief