Now how did the final form of the Survey look like? Because I made some changes in the first week of the data collection (the publishing of the URL had been done too quickly, because of a misunderstandment if it was already ready or still in the beta-phase), it looks a little different than the people who filled it out instantly in the first week. Most of all, the preface was changed a little and I added some related links.
The survey had not so small boxes where the comments could be written, and it was also possible to check the names of the missions in the fields of part A. I fear that the first pure html-version of the survey has been lost in the phase of the construction of the cgi- interface. And I fear that I am currently too stupid to work with tables in cells of other tables... this page looks really odd in my browser. But that version down there should give you a feeling how it looked like. If I think in the next days that messing around with that tables in the table could be funny, I will change this page, of course.
I have also here on this page the explanations for the odd esotheric gaming styles that could be chosen.
This is a survey about the preferences and the gaming behaviour of the people who play "Thief - The dark project" by Looking Glass Studios.
I think I should add that this survey is not an official survey of LGS. So, if you
want to give me some feedback for this questionnaire, or if you want some more questions added, then use the feedback-part from the end of this page.
A while ago I asked you to sort the missions of Thief in the order of your preference in the Thief-discussion forum. The major problem with the previous survey was the very small size of the sample. I intend now to get a greater sample of Thief players, in the hope that the results will be clearer and easier to analyse.
When you have finished the questionnaire, press the "submit"-button at the end of the page.
The following survey consists of four parts: First, you are asked to make a list for the missions of Thief. Secondly, you can write the positive and negative aspects of each mission down. Thirdly, a general rating for your worst and the best mission are wanted. Finally, some questions about personal data, the answering of which is voluntary.
A: Preference lists for the missions:
The following list shall be understood as a "top 13"-list. In this list give the mission that you like most of all the value "1", and the mission that you like the least the value "13". Choose the name of the mission from the drop down menus. Please don't select a mission twice.
And, yes, Training is a mission, too. In the previous survey some people gave it
a higher ranking than some other missions.
1 (most preferred mission)
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13 (least preferred mission)
B: Positive and negative aspects of the missions
You now have the opportunity to explain what you liked and what you did not like about each of the missions. This shall allow me tho understand your ratings better. Your comments about the missions will be included in the analysis of the data.
To prevent me from being overflowed with your comments, please try to keep your comments
short and precise.
A Keeper's Training
Lord Bafford's Manor
Break from Cragscleft Prison
Down in the Bonehoard
Assassins
The Sword
The Haunted Cathedral
The Lost City
Undercover
Return to the Cathedral
Escape!
Strange Bedfellows
Into The Maw of Chaos
C: Additional information about your ratings and about your playing-
style
The following part of the survey shall help me to understand
how large the range between your worst mission and your most preferred mission is. The additional questions about your playing behaviour are needed to understand the differences between the hypothetical two types of gamers.
First, give both the most and the least preferred mission a rating for the enjoyment they
provided. Compare this fun with other games, if you like. The rating-scale ranges from A
(most enjoyable) to E (most boring).
The enjoyability of the most preferred mission (1-5)
The enjoyability of the least preferred mission (1-5)
Now, some questions about your gaming-behaviour.
How many times have you finished the entire game? (blank field)
Which difficulty mode do you prefer? (Normal, Hard, Expert)
What type of a Thief do you enjoy to play? Click here
to read a short description for the categories. (Just matching, Assassin, Coward, Psycho,
Sneaker, Tomb-Raider, others)
D: Completly voluntary personal data and feedback
This is the last section of the survey. This part is completly voluntary:
If you do not want to give these personal datails to me, do not fill it out. The data will
be used to analyse the people who play Thief, and to provide information detailing the
variety of people who responded to this survey.
Those types of Thieves are examples for ways to enjoy "Thief -
The dark Project." Most of them were created and discussed in the Thief-
discussion forum. They are ways to enjoy Thief, beyond the Expert mode. Of course, they
can be combined, and mixed, just matching the mood of the day.
The described types shall be understood as extremes. Choose the option that describes the way you enjoy Thief most.
If all of them sound too weird for yourself, then choose "others."
Just matching the mission
This is the usual way to play Thief.
The normal Thief does not follow the esoteric rules of the other types of Thieves. He
buyes what he can get, enters the mission, and decides to do what the situation
demands. He makes use of every weapon or item, and enjoys finishing the missions in
the usual way.
The Assassin
This is the name for a recently thought gaming type, that is not yet
tested.
The Assassin is a person who plays a mission mostly like a sneaker, but has the goal
to kill one single person in the entire map. The victim should be chosen at
the beginning of the mission. The Assassin is not interested in loot, but only in a
fast, quiet death of the victim. It is voluntary to carry the corpse to a self-
choosen place afterwards. Other people in the map should not be harmed in any
way.
The Coward
This is the name for a Thief who plays without loading.
The Coward tries to play the maps without being seen. When this approach fails, he
does not load a secure saved game position, but he runs away, heading towards a
secure position (under a staircase, in the water, in a higher place.) He will wait in
his hiding place until the commotion has come to a rest. Then, he will leave the
place and continue the mission.
The psychotic Mass-Murderer
This is the name for a Thief with the obsessive wish to kill
everything in a mission.
The psychotic Mass-Murderer enjoys to wade through corridors flooded with the blood
of his victims. He enjoys doing funny things with the corpses, too (like arranging
them in funny patterns, or throwing them into fireplaces). Loud cries of his victims
satisfy him, and so he tries to give them a painful death. Usually, he is very good
at backstabbing, sword-combat, and aiming with his bow.
The Sneaker
This is the name for a playing style that is known in the Thief-
discussion forum as the "Lytha-way". I think I do not have to explain here why it has
this name. :-)
The Sneaker is a Thief who does not deal any damages in the missions. He sneaks
behind the guards, or monsters, and gets almost never seen. He is most satisfied when
no-one in the entire mission became alerted. He does not use his blackjack (whenever
possible), but knows every single movement pattern of almost every NPC very well -
good enough to avoid them. The Sneaker wants to get most of the loot in the missions
- not because he needed it for the next mission, but because this is a greater
challenge for him.
The Tomb-Raider
This is the name for a Thief who enjoys the thought that Garrett can
do everything as good as Lara. ;-)
The Tomb-Raider enjoys large, old areas. He does not care about its inhabitants - all
he wants to do is sightseeing, taking screenshots of the huge buildings, and getting
every loot from the place. Getting as much loot as possible is his most valued goal
in life. The older and scarier the places are, the more he is pleased.
