Welcome to the FM Author Spotlight, a series of interviews that provides an exclusive peek into the world of fan mission creators. In this episode, we are talking to Swiz. Swiz debuted as an author in 2018 by contributing to the TDP 20th Anniversary Contest with his classic manor level called Mother Redcaps Last Request. Last year, he released a post-Mechanist city mission titled Rockpool.
Aemanyl: Please introduce yourself and tell us how you discovered the Thief games.
Swiz: Hello! I'm Swiz, author of 2 Fan Missions: Mother Redcaps Last Request and Rockpool.
I missed a lot of classic PC games at the time due to a combination of university and being a terrible Amiga fanboy. I got into Thief, Deus Ex etc. around the mid 2000s - I've still got the budget re-release I bought (the dual-sided DVD Sold Out release of TDP + TMA) somewhere.
Aemanyl: Do you have a favourite genre, style, or theme of fan missions?
Swiz: It's a cliche, I know, but I'm still a sucker for the Sinister Mansion. But thinking about it, my absolute favourite FMs are city-based ones - Broken Triad, Seven Sisters first levels, and Disorientation. They can be large and sprawling, but still have enough landmarks to stop you getting overwhelmed and lost.
Aemanyl: Can you walk us through your typical workflow when creating fan missions? Where do you typically begin, and how do you approach the different stages of development?
Swiz: Nothing too outlandish - basic geometry and texturing, followed by objects and enemies, then a final detail pass. I tend to bounce around areas otherwise I obsess with fiddling with texture alignment for ages. I use GitHub to keep everything backed up.
Aemanyl: What would be your proudest DromED achievement?
Swiz: From my released stuff, I still like the overall atmosphere of the dockside area in Rockpool. For unreleased things, finally mucking about in Anim8or to step outside purely stock missions.
Aemanyl: What are your main sources of inspiration for your projects?
Swiz: From a mission-type point of view, the FMs I mentioned before. From a setting point of view I was thinking about gaps in the Thief story where something could be slotted in, and the downfall of the Mechanists seems mostly unexplored. It also gave the opportunity to have little side-stories in the readables (infighting after Karras' death, civilians going after them with torches and pitchforks, guards looking the other way, etc).
I also had a vague notion of a more sort of British heist movie feel to them, all thuggish gangs and bent coppers. But that only really comes across in some of the names (Mother Redcaps is a pub I've drunk in, and Rockpool is Liverpool by way of another mythical bird. Bonus points to whoever gets what no-nonsense female guard Inspector Shallott is a reference to).
Aemanyl: Would you ever like to collaborate with a specific fan mission author that you haven’t had the pleasure of working with yet? Alternatively, are there any creators whose style is similar to your vision of design?
Swiz: Honestly I don't think I'd be comfortable collaborating yet as I'd need to earn my spurs a bit more. Redcaps is very much Baby's First FM, and Rockpool largely did what it set out to do but what it set out to do wasn't hugely ambitious.
Aemanyl: Are you currently working on any new levels?
Swiz: Yes, expanding on the Mechanist themes I mentioned before. Needs a final push, but unfortunately work's gone mad.
Aemanyl: What are some of your other interests, pastimes, or hobbies that you enjoy in your free time?
Swiz: I got into cycling a bit during the pandemic to stop going stir-crazy. I need to get back into Pico8 (https://www.lexaloffle.com/bbs/?uid=45932) as well, that was good fun to muck around with.
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Thank you for reading! We hope that you've enjoyed this insightful interview with Swiz. Every Friday you can look forward to a fresh interview with fan mission authors, featuring both the rising stars and the seasoned veterans of our beloved community.
Stay tuned and see you in the next issue of FM Author Spotlight series!
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